Hiya 🌊,
This months live class features a fellow indie founder like us Steph Caswell, who created Areta Press.
I've known Steph since I birthed my first book Hype Yourself came out and not only is she a multi-published author she helps women experts come to write career-defining books.
Catch the replay to learn:
- the different publishing models available to you
- tips for building audience awareness in advance of your book coming out
- ideas on how to keep talking about your book after it has been published
- bonus tips from hype author sharing their best bits
Top takeaways:
Launch day is not the whole story
Move away from the pressure of “the big launch.” Steph spoke a lot about books having a much longer life than people expect and how promotion often works better when it becomes part of your ongoing work.
Repetition is part of visibility
People don't notice things as much as we think they do. Many attendees admitted they worry about sounding repetitive, when in reality most people are only just hearing about their book, idea or work for the first time.
Some of the most memorable ideas shared were the least “corporate.” Small gatherings, playful content, author meet-ups, Spotify playlists, book clubs and creating experiences around the book all came up. Readers connect with personality more than polished campaigns.
Self-publishing has changed massively
There was a really interesting discussion around how many people are now choosing self-publishing intentionally rather than as a second-best option. Creative control, money, faster timelines, ownership of design and better margins all came up repeatedly throughout the conversation.
Readers connect with the reason behind the book
Steph spoke about the importance of understanding the deeper “why” behind your book. Not just what it is about, but why you felt compelled to write it in the first place. A good reminder to look back at your proposal.
A lot of the conversation moved towards connection rather than numbers. People shared stories about joining book clubs discussing their work, hosting events, meeting collaborators online and creating spaces for readers to interact with each other.
Niche ideas are often the strongest ones
A few attendees were writing books for very specific audiences or problems. Reminder: books do not need to appeal to everyone to find the right readers.
Work with Steph:
Steph is looking to commission a few more authors before her roster is full. Find out more about Areta Press here.
But Steph's book 'Dare to Write'
LinkedIn | Instagram | Newsletter
She is also running a book proposal workshop in London on June 22nd, with a former commissioning editor from PRH.
Watch the replay here:
