The Publishing Performance Show

• Hassan Osman - Why Your Book Should Be a Business Card on Steroids (Not a Money Maker)

  Hassan Osman is an Amazon bestselling author and the founder of Sidegig Hacks and Writer on the Side. While maintaining a demanding corporate career, Hassan has published over 20 books with 9 Amazon bestsellers reaching over 120,000 readers, plus 17 courses with 430,000+ unique students. His expertise lies in creating short, focused books (10,000-12,000 words) for busy managers and corporate leaders, covering soft skills and leadership development. Hassan advocates for treating books as "business cards on steroids" - tools that generate more revenue from opportunities they create than from direct sales. His systematic approach emphasizes the 80-20 principle, focusing on content repurposing across multiple platforms including Amazon, Udemy, and Gumroad.In this episode:Why books are "business cards on steroids" that open bigger opportunitiesThe four-circle method for choosing profitable book topicsWriting 10,000-word books that people actually finish readingHow promotion starts before the book is completedContent repurposing strategies across books, courses, podcasts, and social mediaUsing popular highlights from Kindle to create Twitter contentPublishing under multiple pen names for different genresUdemy course creation: turning $600 books into $35,000 coursesGumroad strategies for packaging books with additional bonusesCustom ChatGPT creation for writing in your own voiceThe Four Week Write Your Book system and courseBuilding sustainable creator workflows while working full-timeResources mentioned:Sidegig Hacks newsletter: http://www.sidegighacks.com/Writer on the Side blog and podcast: https://www.writerontheside.com/Amazon KDP: https://kdp.amazon.com/Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/Gumroad: https://gumroad.com/ChatGPT PlusBook Recommendations:Write Your Book on the Side by Hassan Osman (free): https://course.writerontheside.com/Better Online Meetings by Hassan Osman: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FPB2Y6K?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlConnect with Hassan Osman:Website: https://www.writerontheside.com/Newsletter: http://www.sidegighacks.com/Course: https://course.writerontheside.com/Email: [email protected] Connect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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• Michael La Ronn - How to Write 100+ Books While Working Full-Time (The Ultimate Productivity System)

  Michael La Ronn is a bestselling author who has published over 100 books while maintaining a full-time corporate job and family life. After a near-death experience in 2012, he transformed from aspiring writer to prolific author, developing systematic approaches to productivity that he shares in his non-fiction books and YouTube channel. Michael writes primarily science fiction and fantasy featuring bold underdogs, and has built a substantial following through his Author Level Up YouTube channel with nearly 50,000 subscribers. His expertise lies in time management, dictation techniques, and maintaining consistent writing output through innovative productivity methods including mobile writing, visualization techniques, and strategic project switching.In this episode:How a near-death experience in 2012 sparked his writing callingManaging 100+ books while working full-time and raising a familyThe three ways to manage time: add, edit, and deleteWriting on mobile devices using Scrivener and Microsoft WordThe power of switching between projects to avoid writer's blockVisualization techniques for solving story problemsDocumentation-based outlining for pantsers who write by discoveryDictation workflows using voice recorders and AI transcriptionUsing "Pikachu" as a dictation safe word for error correctionCapturing story ideas religiously for 15 years in digital notebooksBuilding sustainable writing habits without burnoutThe Author Level Up YouTube channel and writing app tutorialsResources mentioned:Scrivener appMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OneNoteApple NotesEvernoteChatGPT and ClaudeGrammarlyProWritingAidProsWrite (AI transcription software)Google NotebookMicrosoft ExcelPlotterBook Recommendations:Be A Writing Machine by Michael La Ronn: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1985174480?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlBe A Writing Machine 2.0 by Michael La Ronn: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMYYJ182?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlHow to Dictate a Book by Michael La Ronn: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HG55P5Q?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlConnect with Michael La Ronn:Website: https://authorlevelup.com/Fiction website: https://www.michaellaronn.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Discover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/Connect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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• Chris Benetti - The Book Funnel System That Generated 10X ROI in 6 Months

  Chris Benetti is the founder of Smart Author Media and a book funnel marketing expert who has sold over 55,000 books for his clients. Specializing in self-liquidating book funnels and Facebook advertising, Chris helps authors turn their books into profitable lead generation tools that feed into higher-ticket offers and services. His agency focuses exclusively on the Meta suite (Facebook and Instagram) and has generated over $750,000 in revenue for clients while spending $250,000 on ads. Chris's systematic approach combines detailed funnel strategy, conversion rate optimization, and creative testing to help authors build sustainable book-based businesses rather than just selling individual books.In this episode:Understanding self-liquidating book funnels and how they pay for themselvesWhy books rarely make profit on their own and need strategic backend offersBuilding effective book sales pages with headlines, social proof, and bonusesOrder bump strategies that convert 40-50% of book buyersTwo-step order forms for lead capture and remarketing opportunitiesUpsell sequences that solve problems created by the book contentFacebook advertising strategies focused on creative testing over targetingThe ASCET framework for systematic ad testing and optimizationCase study: Nigel Moore's 10X ROI with free book funnel strategyWhy books should serve business purposes, not just generate book salesConversion rate benchmarks and key metrics for funnel optimizationThe importance of having backup offers and multiple ad creatives readyResources mentioned:Smart Author Media free resource page: https://smartauthormedia.com/resourcesMeta advertising suiteTwo-step order form systemsChatGPT: https://openai.com/index/chatgpt/GoHighLevel: https://www.gohighlevel.com/Kartra: https://kartra.com/Kajabi: https://kajabi.com/ClickFunnels: https://www.clickfunnels.com/Book funnel templatesAd copy swipe filesBook Recommendations:Strategic business and systems booksSystem distillation booksConnect with Chris Benetti:Website: https://smartauthormedia.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsbenetti/Connect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/ Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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• Michael Stockham - How to Write Legal Thrillers When You Actually Know the Law

  Michael Stockham is a trial attorney and bestselling author who has successfully built a self-publishing business around his legal thriller series. Starting with a creative writing background before becoming what he calls an "accidental lawyer," Michael brings authentic courtroom detail to his novels through his 25+ years of trial experience. His debut novel "Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer" has garnered over 3,500 reviews and multiple awards, leading to his Jake Fox legal thriller series. Michael approaches his writing career as a business venture, developing systematic processes for planning, writing, and marketing his books while maintaining his full-time legal practice. He's also actively pursuing media adaptation opportunities, pitching his nine-book series concept at film festivals.In this episode:How his background as a trial attorney informs his legal thriller writingThe journey from creative writing degrees to accidental lawyer to novelistBuilding a systematic approach to writing with detailed chapter outlinesUsing story structure principles from Save the Cat and Hero's JourneyThe importance of authentic detail in courtroom and technical scenesMarketing strategies including BookBub feature deals and award submissionsWorking with book coach Aurora Winter for creative collaborationPlanning a nine-book series as three interconnected trilogiesSelf-publishing through Whistling Pigs Press with freelance contractorsPitching book-to-TV adaptations at the Banff World Media FestivalBuilding author business systems for long-term sustainabilityBalancing full-time legal career with consistent writing scheduleResources mentioned:BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/Authors AI: https://authors.ai/Save the Cat writing methodology: https://savethecat.com/Story Grid: https://storygrid.com/Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing: https://kdp.amazon.com/Whistling Pigs Press: https://whistlepigpress.com/Book Recommendations:Save the Cat Writes a Novel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0399579745?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlConnect with Michael Stockham:Publisher: https://whistlepigpress.com/Series: Jake Fox legal thrillers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQQFZVJJ?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlStandalone: Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5YDHHCC?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlConnect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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• Tony Lee - The "Write Backwards" Method That Creates Unputdownable Crime Thrillers

  Tony Lee is a New York Times bestselling author who has successfully reinvented himself multiple times throughout his career. Originally starting as a computer games reviewer at 16, he transitioned through street performing in Covent Garden, writing for Radio 4, newspapers, comics, film and TV, before the pandemic forced him to pivot into self-publishing. Writing under the pen name Jack Gatland, he has achieved remarkable success with his crime thriller series, generating over 277 million pages read on Kindle Unlimited. His unique background spans 30 years in traditional publishing before building a profitable self-publishing business that now outearns his entire previous career combined.In this episode:How the pandemic forced a complete career pivot from traditional to self-publishingWhy he chose Amazon exclusivity and Kindle Unlimited for maximum revenueThe psychology of removing buying obstacles and building reader loyaltyCreating reader magnets and building a newsletter army of passionate fansHis unique "writing backwards" process developed from comic book experienceWhy aiming for 3-star books beats perfectionism paralysisThe 25-step checklist he uses for every book releaseBuilding authentic relationships in Facebook groups and reader communitiesHow 70% of his income comes from Kindle Unlimited page readsThe transition from hired gun to publisher mindsetWhy rapid release schedules work better than perfect manuscriptsTurning beta readers into weapons specialists and expert consultantsResources mentioned:BookFunnel: https://bookfunnel.com/StoryOrigin: https://storyoriginapp.com/Book Linker: https://booklinker.com/ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com/Plotter: https://plottr.com/Notion: https://www.notion.com/Vellum: https://www.vellum.ai/Book Recommendations:Jack Gatland crime thriller series (starting with "Letter from the Dead"): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08N1SJ447?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlThe Lionheart Curse by Tony Lee: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09P2HKFHZ?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlTom Marlowe spy seriesEllie Reckless spin-off novelsConnect with Tony Lee:Website: https://jackgatland.com/Personal website: https://tonylee.co.uk/Email: [email protected] media: @MrTonyLee (Twitter, BlueSky, Facebook)Hooded Man Media publishing: https://hoodedmanmedia.com/Upcoming: Liam Harper series and Iron Maiden comic collaborationConnect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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