The key distinction is between creative rest and destructive procrastination, since procrastination involves avoidance and guilt with no end point, while creative breaks involve intention and restoration with defined boundaries.

Signs you are procrastinating include endlessly researching without writing, constantly rewriting the same chapter, and waiting for perfect inspiration. Signs you need a creative break include forced mechanical writing, mental fatigue, and feeling disconnected from your story.

Creative break ideas include taking a walk, gardening, and journaling by hand, but always set a date to return so you don't fall into the procrastination rabbit hole. For story development, even nonfiction books need a story arc built around transformation showing who your reader is before and after your book, anchored by your inciting moment. Sources of inspiration include recurring client questions, old journals, industry trends, and your contrarian perspective since readers buy your book for your unique framework.

Accountability systems make a major difference including writing sprints, a writing partner, a book coach, public goals, and scheduled writing appointments. I recommend weekly goals over daily since life happens, and a word count chart helps you reverse-engineer your target so a 40,000-word book finished in six months requires 310 words daily. Finally, maintain a positive mindset by celebrating small wins, reviewing your why, and practicing self-compassion since finished books can be improved but unfinished books cannot.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Ready to take your book idea and create your book framework and outline? Get my latest publication, From Idea to Outline, made for busy professionals who want to setup their book quickly and efficiently.

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

Ray Hartjen is the author of five published books, including Revenue Orchestration in Today's New Era of B2B Sales and Marketing, to discuss how your business book can drive your inbound sales pipeline. Ray wrote his book because B2B buyers have dramatically changed how they purchase over the last five years, wanting to self-serve part of their buying journey just like they do as B2C consumers, yet most go-to-market teams remain stuck in archaic selling processes.

Ray designed his book as a thought leadership piece and calling card rather than a primary revenue source, introducing readers to his concepts as a quick read with his contact information inside. The key to writing a focused book is knowing your avatar or ideal customer profile before you start, then choosing topics within your genuine area of expertise rather than cramming everything you know into one book. A narrow focus lets you share thought leadership that sparks conversations expanding your network and business.

Some authors give books away free on LinkedIn as lead magnets while others charge on Amazon, and paperbacks provide a "thud factor" of authority when placed on a table at in-person events. Books also lend themselves to repurposing into website excerpts and tangential content that wins at search and AI answer engine optimization, guiding prospective customers back to your book and into your pipeline.

The biggest obstacle is simply getting started. Ray emphasizes that a twenty-thousand-word book written at five hundred words daily takes only about forty days. If you have a pitch deck, you already have a book since the talk track and concepts exist in your slide notes, ready to be translated into written words. Ray and I recommend writing first thing in the morning when energy is fresh, treating your book as a big rock to tackle before smaller tasks like email, blocking out dedicated time on your calendar, and tracking your daily word count for built-in motivation and accountability since creating a business book is a job function, not a hobby.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Visit Ray and get a free gift! https://rayhartjen.com/store/ols/products/outflanked

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereafter based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

I sat down with David Barnett, an author of ten books who has spent over a decade helping entrepreneurs buy and sell small businesses. David shares how a simple PDF lead magnet he created in 2014 evolved into his first published book, Invest Local, and how that experience revealed the power of books to serve as a lasting business card—one that opens doors to podcast appearances, speaking engagements, and unsolicited client inquiries from strangers discovering him on Amazon. Since then, he has built an entire catalog of titles, each designed to answer the exact questions his audience is already searching for.

David's approach to titling is deliberately data-driven. Several of his books began as free PDF downloads and only became full-length published works once the content expanded enough to justify it. His evergreen titles, like Franchise Warnings, have sold steadily for over a decade with no marketing push, proving that the right book in the right niche can quietly pay dividends year after year.

The conversation dives deep into David's 2024 launch strategy for Buying vs. Starting a Small Business, which marked a significant shift from his earlier approach of simply uploading a manuscript and walking away. The campaign revealed a frustrating reality about Amazon's review filter—roughly forty people told him they left a review, but many never appeared on the platform. Reviews from established Amazon reviewers were far more likely to survive the filter, and he repurposed unpublished reviews by placing them directly into the book's front pages, where they're visible in the free "Look Inside" preview and serve as marketing copy for prospective buyers.

Beyond book launches, David shares broader lessons from his eleven-year YouTube journey and his philosophy that the right audience matters far more than a large one. He also discusses how he uses transcription tools and AI-assisted editing to turn podcast conversations into case studies for updated book editions. The episode is a practical, grounded look at how a nonfiction author can build authority, generate leads, and create a self-reinforcing body of work without relying on paid advertising or viral moments.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Get David’s Free Download about Buying and Selling Small Businesses at https://www.DavidCBarnettList.com

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

Let’s walk through a complete high-level roadmap to self-publish your book from concept to KDP upload, with most steps applying even if you use a hybrid or traditional publisher. Before writing anything, identify four key components: why you are writing, what your focus is, what your message is, and who your target audience is. Your "why" might be becoming a known author, making money, using the book as a business card, or leaving a legacy, and this keeps your book focused.

Identifying your target audience requires being specific because if you write for everyone, you write for nobody. Most readers decide whether to buy in less than 10 seconds based on the cover and back description, so speak directly to your ideal reader's situation.

When building content, every story must support the point in that specific chapter rather than including random tales. Hiring a professional editor is vital for credibility since unprofessionally edited books receive reviews calling out mistakes that permanently damage your reputation. The four editing types in order are developmental, line, copy, and proofreading. Vet editors to ensure they work in your genre, edit full-time, communicate promptly, and respect your voice.

Purchase your own ISBNs through Bowker and buy a set of 10 since you need separate ISBNs for each format. While your editor works, begin book cover design asking for samples and client referrals. Avoid formatters using Microsoft Word, instead using Adobe InDesign, Atticus, or Vellum. For KDP upload you need your final manuscript, ebook cover, paperback cover, and assigned ISBNs, uploading about a week before launch.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Ready to take your book idea and create your book framework and outline? Get my latest publication, From Idea to Outline, made for busy professionals who want to setup their book quickly and efficiently.

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

In this Book Blueprint episode, I welcome Bob Martin, a former mob lawyer turned mindfulness teacher and author. Bob shares his origin story of becoming a mob lawyer after hitting the Gambino family's southern branch with a 72-million-dollar racketeering case while working for Janet Reno in Miami.

Johnny from the Gambino family walked into his office and offered to send clients since Bob beat their lawyers, teaching him that integrity means doing what you say or saying you won't. Their arrangement worked for years until Johnny's son faced serious charges and Bob refused illegal actions, prompting him to move to North Carolina, where they parted as friends.

Bob's publishing history includes a self-published first novel where consultants took advantage of him, then two books accepted by the hybrid publisher Innovative Inc. Now querying agents for his historical fiction, he asks whether mentioning hybrid publishing hurts his chances.

Bob's first question addresses a developmental challenge in his sweeping historical drama covering 140 years and three continents about a Hungarian man born in 1898 who came to America pursuing the American dream through popcorn businesses. The antagonist is his grandmother, Julia, who does terrible things because her traumatic past hardened her heart after being married off at 15, having a bastard child, and later projecting shame onto her daughter's illegitimate son.

Beta readers nearly put the book down when Bob broke from Martin's engaging story to jump to 1960s New Jersey for Julia's entire backstory, creating too big a consciousness break.

I recommend weaving small pieces of grandmother's backstory throughout Martin's story rather than one large dump, or putting her backstory in a three to four-page prologue. I reference All the Water in the World as an example and suggest the Fiction Writers Toolkit podcast and YouTuber Alyssa Matesic for fiction writing guidance.

Finally, Bob received an offer from a Hong Kong publisher for his East-West religious book including an advance, asking if he could mention this to agents already queried for the historical fiction. I recommend having a literary lawyer review the contract.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Ready to take your book idea and create your book framework and outline? Get my latest publication, From Idea to Outline, made for busy professionals who want to setup their book quickly and efficiently.

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereafter based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

I welcome Lisa Raby of Nerd Girl Industries to discuss getting books into bookstores beyond Amazon. Lisa explains why bookstores matter, including passive income opportunities, access to new reader communities, free promotion through author events, and bookstores ordering back catalogs.

The myth that traditional or hybrid publishers automatically get books into more bookstores is false since publishers only push marketing for a specific percentage of titles, leaving most authors responsible for their own marketing, event scheduling, and social media, regardless of publishing method. Advanced Reader Copies distributed physically or electronically through platforms like NetGalley help booksellers decide whether titles fit their collections, though ARCs cannot legally be sold since they're unfinalized copies.

Check bookstore websites for submission information first, then email or call keeping communication short and polite. Create a one-page sell sheet in PDF format including cover image, title, publisher, page count, two to three sentence blurb, and professional reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, or book trade magazines rather than Goodreads or Amazon since booksellers read trade publications for purchasing decisions. Include accolades or awards bringing credibility.

Contact bookstores about a month before publication date for new titles, but work with your back catalog first to solidify relationships and prove your books sell before pushing new releases since bookstores plan events up to a year in advance. For authors with multiple genres under different pen names, research each bookstore's collection balance and create separate sell sheets for each book.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Ready to take your book idea and create your book framework and outline? Get my latest publication, From Idea to Outline, made for busy professionals who want to setup their book quickly and efficiently.

Visit Lisa Rabey at https://nerddgirl.net/shop/ and use the coupon code HILISA, to get 20% off!

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

In this essential episode, I welcome John DeDakis, former CNN Situation Room editor and author of six novels, to discuss his "weed whacking" service for shortening manuscripts.

John cautions that content over 100,000 words becomes a disincentive for readers with short attention spans and for traditional publishers concerned about production costs for unknown authors. Non-professional writers tend to be wordy, over-explaining easily assumed details.

Pantsers tend to get wordy in first drafts, requiring right-brained writers to activate left-brained editorial discipline to cut and polish. John draws on his broadcast journalism background, where screaming arguments over five seconds proved that slashing content makes writing punchier.

His process follows macro to micro principles, starting with reading entire manuscripts without fixing anything to see it objectively, and in totality—which is the only time you'll view your book content that way before getting deep in weeds.

First, determine if you need to rearrange chapters. Then examine each chapter for sensory engagement, followed by microscopic word choice scrutiny, ensuring succinct sentences, and finally granular spelling checks, since agents care about details separating amateurs from professionals.

Reading manuscripts out loud really slows down your reading and is best for spotting typos and identifying clunky phrasing, with Google Docs and Microsoft Word offering read-aloud features in Accessibility tabs.

Be aware of the biggest rookie mistake agents identify: backstory dumping on first pages, with agents at conferences raising hands simultaneously when anonymously submitted manuscripts take them out of the moment explaining context from 15 years ago rather than hooking readers immediately with character dialogue and action.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Ready to take your book idea and create your book framework and outline? Get my latest publication, From Idea to Outline, made for busy professionals who want to setup their book quickly and efficiently.

Visit John at his website www.johndedakis.com

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

Here’s the 411 on why hiring the right editor makes all the difference; since choosing the wrong book editor lowers book quality, which I've witnessed with clients who hired two professional editors, yet their books showed little to no editing.

The right editor must be well-practiced in your genre, never use AI for editing since traditional publishers, including the big five, pull contracts for any AI use due to copyright infringement liability, understands your target audience expectations, has experience with similar books, and maintains communication styles. They also must be open to working collaboratively.

Test editors by requesting industry-standard 500-word free samples rather than unprofessionally demanding full chapter edits creating "Franken editing" when authors collect chapter edits from multiple editors producing incoherent results. After reviewing free samples from your shortlisted editors, pay two or three editors to edit a chapter or 2000 words, determining fit before committing to full manuscripts.

Critical questions include how many books in your genre they've edited, their process and timeline, what's included in packages, revision rounds, and how they handle follow-up questions.

Major red flags include editors claiming they can do everything since real professionals specialize, refusing client contact until books are finished, working only part-time without industry experience, being friends or English majors rather than professional editors, pricing significantly below market, having unclear pricing, offering no contracts or unlimited revisions creating cycles, and being dismissive while unable to articulate editing philosophy.

Self-editing is not professional editing, and Amazon's algorithm identifies low-quality unedited books downranking them, making professional editing an investment protecting your reputation. Working relationships matter since you'll collaborate closely for weeks or months, requiring personality compatibility, good chemistry, clear communication, and professional yet personable combinations where trusting instincts about compatibility proves reliable.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!