In this episode, Jodi explains why direct selling your book is the smartest marketing strategy for business owners and leaders. She breaks down the limitations of third-party sellers (including Amazon), explores how upsells and bundles can create increased ROI, and shows how direct sales help business owners collect data, build relationships, and guide readers through their business ecosystem.

Time Stamps:

00:00 – Introduction to Part 2 of the Business-First Book Series

01:10 – Why direct selling matters more than ever

02:15 – The limits of retail outlets and Amazon fatigue

03:45 – Why traditional book marketing advice doesn't work for business owners

05:10 – The real purpose of a business book

06:30 – Why royalties are not the primary goal

07:40 – Relationship-building vs. transactional sales

09:00 – The importance of owning customer data

10:20 – "Do the Math" – how direct sales multiply ROI

12:45 – Upsells, downsells, tripwires, and order bumps

14:20 – Example: pairing a book with a workbook or masterclass

16:30 – Using experimentation to refine your strategy

18:10 – Episode recommendations and resources

19:00 – Book Planning Intensive and final thoughts

Keywords:

direct book sales, book marketing for business owners, selling books directly, Amazon fatigue, third-party booksellers, book royalties, author revenue, book sales strategy, sales multipliers, upsells and downsells, order bumps, tripwires, book bundles, customer data, business ecosystem, author marketing, publishing strategy, self-publishing marketing, book ROI, tangible ROI, intangible ROI, book funnels, relationship-based marketing, business-first books, entrepreneur authors, book promotion

Resources Mentioned:

Coffee + Commas signup: https://bit.ly/coffeeandcommassignup

Episode 207: Self-Publishing: A Business-First Approach for Business Owners

Episode 204: Do the Math to Generate Tangible and Intangible ROI from Your Nonfiction Book

Episode 200: Direct Sales Are the Future of Book Marketing

Episode 170: Sales Multipliers + Your BVook

Book Planning Intensive: jodibrandoneditorial.com/services

LINK TO FULL EPISODE (RAW) TRANSCRIPT:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wlm9UPHknZOjtrSg843DMi4a0kfS0DCY4WIArG4px_w/edit?usp=sharing

In this episode, Jodi makes the case for self-publishing as Plan A for business owners. She explains how control, speed to market, pricing flexibility, and brand alignment make self-publishing a smart strategic choice for business owners and leaders who want their book to serve their business goals.

Time Stamps:

00:00 – Welcome and episode overview

01:05 – Making the mindset shift: self-publishing as Plan A

02:10 – Why the "traditional publishing or bust" mindset persists

03:30 – The importance of foundational book planning

04:45 – How publishing paths have evolved

06:00 – Why traditional publishing isn't author-centric

07:30 – Control: the biggest advantage of self-publishing

09:10 – Timeline, pricing, royalties, and messaging control

11:30 – Why retail placement may not serve your goals

13:00 – Fitting your book into your business ecosystem

15:10 – Self-publishing as a strategic business decision

16:30 – The book's role in revenue and client journey

18:20 – Overview of hybrid publishing as an option

19:30 – Preview of Part 2 of the Business-First Book Series

Keywords:

self-publishing, traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, business books, author mindset, publishing paths, book strategy, publishing control, book marketing, business ecosystem, author royalties, book pricing, book timeline, publishing decisions, entrepreneur authors, CEO authors, publishing process, book authority, client journey, book as business asset, direct sales, publishing strategy, publishing options, thought leadership books, book publishing mindset

Resources Mentioned:

Coffee + Commas signup: https://bit.ly/coffeeandcommassignup

Episode 171: Self-Publishing as a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure

Episode 150: Understanding Hybrid Publishing

LINK TO FULL EPISODE (RAW) TRANSCRIPT:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AKm-0yEISiy7vWmgz4TLL5DOru7drwDqgXqnNMfVwPE/edit?usp=sharing

In this episode, Jodi breaks down why so many business owners overthink their book projects—and how to replace overwhelm with clarity and momentum. She walks through the foundational planning steps, explains how to structure your book based on your business goals, and shares practical tips for reducing decision fatigue through repurposing and realistic scheduling.

Time Stamps:

00:00 – Introduction

00:55 – Why business owners overthink their book projects

02:05 – Acknowledging the many moving pieces

03:10 – Why a vague "book time" block doesn't work

04:15 – A personal story: discovering the power of a more specific plan

06:00 – Understanding your writing capacity and time tracking

07:30 – How writing, publishing, and marketing all fit into your plan

09:00 – Foundational book building blocks: who, what, and why

11:35 – Deep dive vs. overview structure—how to choose

13:00 – Repurposing content without guilt

15:00 – Using a Book Brain Dump to reduce overwhelm

17:10 – Why you won't (and shouldn't) know everything about publishing

18:15 – Final encouragement for moving from idea → manuscript → asset

Keywords:

book planning, writing strategy, author overwhelm, book project plan, content repurposing, book structure, business owner authors, publishing process, book timeline, writing capacity, author mindset, book building blocks, Book Brain Dump, book coaching, author productivity

Resources Mentioned:

Book Brain Dump Exercise: https://bit.ly/bookbraindump

Coffee + Commas signup: https://bit.ly/coffeeandcommassignup

Ready Set Write Challenge: www.jodibrandoneditorial.com/readysetwrite

Write Publish Market Episode 203: Prepare Now to Write a Book in 2026: 3 Tips for Business Owners: http://www.jodibrandoneditorial.com/write-publish-market-podcast/203

LINK TO FULL EPISODE (RAW) TRANSCRIPT:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1snDUCQ5RI4unQ5MLjBppn0iY2ODYo2OPk8SSUpQ0BD8/edit?usp=sharing