Do you feel you have a great idea for a book, but every publisher you have reached out to has given you a resounding, “We’re Not Interested.”? Julie Broad has been there. Eventually, she proved the publishers wrong and today her team at BookLaunchers.com can help you get your big idea on paper and ready to sell.
Years ago, Julie had a real estate training and education company in Canada and as her platform of speaking and YouTube content grew, she was contacted by an editor for a major publisher. As a littler girl, she’d dreamed of writing a book, but until the publisher expressed interest, she hadn’t done anything about it. The publisher didn’t like her book idea, but they gave her one to create a proposal for.
Three months of back and forth ensued and a proposal was created. All that remained was a contract. But the contract didn’t come. Instead, the editor said the marketing team didn’t feel that she could sell enough books to make it a profitable deal for them. Julie told us,
“The initial rejection of not getting a book deal was devastating, but after my ego recovered, I rebounded and told myself, I’m getting a book published and I’ll do it better than if I had gotten a book deal!”
That rejection forced her to delve into studying the world of self-publishing and book marketing. When her book, “More Than Cashflow: The Real Risks and Rewards of Profitable Real Estate Investing.” was released it topped the charts for print books on Amazon in Canada.
That personal experience opened Julie’s eyes to not only the challenges business owners and professionals face when wanting to publish, but also to the opportunities available. You don’t need a gatekeeper to write, publish, and succeed with a book.
“It opened the door for me to dream up a company that I would have liked to hire to help with my book.”
Book Launchers began to help potential authors in the United States and Canada write, self-publish and sell their books through distributors like, Amazon, Independent Book Stores, and Barnes & Noble.
Book Launchers staff includes editors and writing coaches that work on the content and marketers that will pitch you to media and guide the author through the challenging waters of promotion and marketing.
“One of the cool things about our process is that the author owns 100% of the content and has total creative control, plus they keep all the royalties. They are surrounded by professionals the entire time – doing work with them and cheering them on.”
A past client, Kelly Lewis gave a very strong vote of thanks to Julie and Book Launchers,
“Working with Book Launchers was wonderful! Their team helped me feel confident about my content and message, the book, “Tell Her She Can’t,” was a #1 Amazon Bestseller in four categories. They’ve helped me secure media placements, and in general, have been my partner and sounding board for all things publishing.”
Speakers have seen the benefits of having a book to sell, when they are hired to address a group. Speakers may earn a fee to deliver a speech to a conference, or business group, but they can earn more either by selling a published book to the event organizer to give to each participant or selling at the back of the room for attendees to purchase.
Julie advises potential clients that writing a book is not for everyone and it is certainly not an overnight exercise.
“Most people have sufficient content for a book, but they may lack the skills, energy, or time to finish it. Authoring a book is not an easy path, plus it can take nine to 24 months to complete the process and get to market. Authors who believe in their story and are motivated to have an impact on the lives of their reader, are more likely to actually succeed.”
Book Launchers only works with non-fiction writers because they want to be the best at non-fiction before they expand into anything else. Julie and her team also really understand the model with non-fiction, where the book becomes a tool for thought leadership, brand awareness, and business expansion. Authors may make money selling their book but that’s not the first goal for their authors.
Julie gave us two tips for successful book writing:
- Have absolute clarity who the reader of this book will be.
“The reader has to be a specific person, ideally with a specific problem that you can help solve. It means you have a particular niche that will help market the book.”
- The book needs to be aligned with the author’s goals and knowledge
“Write about something that you know, whatever it is. Your knowledge and goals must align to create a successful book.”
Julie has refined the publishing process over the years and found that initial conversations with potential authors need to focus on marketing as much as book content.
“Previously we wouldn’t have an author talk to the marketing team until after the book was drafted, but we found that understanding the potential reader is vital to the success of the book. Plus, the marketing team looks at how to position the author in the marketplace and how that needs to impact the book. These marketing insights play a powerful role in the drafting of the right manuscript.”
Book Launchers can also research the potential market, book positioning and salability.
“We do extensive market research to assure a clear audience for correct category placement, the right keywords, and the right pricing strategy.”
It’s ideal to work with Book Launchers early in the process so the marketing can start right away but people who already have a first draft can work with Book Launchers too. In that case, they still start with the marketing person and then send the draft to editing, or if needed a writer or a writing coach steps in.
The next step for authors is editing, cover and interior design, and distribution, all the while layering marketing in throughout the whole process. The marketing team does audits: reviewing the author’s social media, email funnel, website, as well as influencer research. A launch strategy is prepared along with a launch roadmap which outlines where the author will be pitched, how they will get reviews, and any other goals that are important for launch and beyond.
Book Launchers has been in business over five years and they have helped over 350 authors. They are constantly evolving to meet the needs of their clients and to adapt to environmental changes.
“Paper supply is short, and the cost of printing is higher due to paper shortages and some ongoing staff challenges with the printers. This, combined with people enjoying multitasking while consuming a book, has meant that audio books are more popular now. The good news for authors is that there is less competition in that segment.”
Even though Julie is involved in the day-to-day grind of running a business, it’s not all work and no play for her. She has a five-year old son, who loves to swim and play with Legos. She also takes care of herself and enjoys working out at the gym and going for hikes at Red Rock Canyon and Mount Charleston outside Las Vegas where she lives. You can also find her occasionally playing Texas Hold’em Poker at the local casinos.
Our interview with Julie contains great information for would be authors. You can watch it on YouTube or listen on iTunes.
Julie is easy to find. BookLaunchers.TV is her channel on YouTube and if you would like to learn more visit her website: https://booklaunchers.com/.
Potential authors can download her informative, “The 7 Steps to Write a Book That Will Sell.”
