S10 E4: I Wrote a Book and Nothing Happened

In this episode, I’m getting real about a story that comes up A LOT: “I wrote a book, and nothing happened.”

If you’ve ever felt this, or heard it from a friend, I want you to know you’re not alone—and it’s not all the book’s fault!

A key theme that emerged was the importance of having an actual launch process, just like you would for any other product or program in your business. If you just post once or twice on social media and hope for the best, it’s no wonder if “nothing happens.” You need a launch sequence, pre-launch buzz, and ongoing promotion because Amazon is a massive marketplace—no one will find your book unless you make them aware of it (02:03, 05:24).

The discussion explored how many people spend years writing their books, and by the time they’re done, they’re too exhausted to think about marketing. But if you want the book to get into readers’ hands, launching and promoting are non-negotiable steps (03:38, 04:42).

Several points were raised, including real life examples—like the client who sat on her manuscript for 20 years. Once she went through the editing and launch process, her book actually did surprisingly well and helped her achieve speaking opportunities in schools (05:45).

If you’re feeling hesitant because you’ve heard stories of books that “go nowhere,” please don’t let that hold you back. With a system in place and a mindset focused on sharing your message, your book can establish your credibility and open new doors—like podcast features or speaking gigs (06:15, 06:41).

Links:

I also shared a little tool for anyone struggling with what to write about next: head to bookfinder.hustleandgroove.com, toss in your existing content (blog posts, LinkedIn articles, podcast transcripts, whatever you’ve got), and get customized book title ideas, suggested chapter headings, and even a market hunger score to see how many people are interested in your topic.