Advertise on podcast: Before The Bestseller

Mike Michalowicz is back on Before the Bestseller to talk about his latest book, The Money Habit, and what he’s learned from writing more than ten books and selling roughly 1.6 to 1.7 million copies across his titles. This time, we look beyond the launch itself and into what Mike has learned about writing books that continue to find readers over time. Mike breaks down the framework he uses to think about why some books keep growing while others fade, including how quickly a book delivers value, how deeply it helps the reader, and how easy its ideas are to put into practice. We also talk about writing for a clearly defined audience, building genuine relationships with readers, collaborating with other authors through social selling, and why Mike is leaning further into storytelling as AI changes the way people find and consume information. For authors thinking about the long game, this episode goes beyond getting more attention at launch. Listen to the full conversation to hear how Mike approaches the book itself, the readers behind it, and what can help a book keep spreading long after release. Check out The Money Habit here: https://a.co/d/00icp0op Explore Mike’s other books here: https://mikemichalowicz.com/books/ Learn more about Mike and his work here: www.mikemotorbike.com — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

We welcome back bestselling author and entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz, whose books have tackled nearly every corner of entrepreneurship, from profitability in the bestselling Profit First, to building a business that can run without you in Clockwork, to standing out in a crowded market with Get Different. After building and selling two multimillion-dollar businesses, Mike turned those experiences into practical systems that entrepreneurs around the world have put to work. Now, for his third appearance on Before the Bestseller, he joins us to talk about his newest book, The Money Habit, and why the way we behave with money may matter just as much as how much we earn.  Mike gets personal about becoming a self-made millionaire, losing it all, falling roughly $300,000 into debt, and the systems that eventually helped him climb back out. We talk about why earning more money doesn't necessarily solve money problems, how small wins can change financial behavior, the hidden cost of subscriptions and credit cards, and why your bank account may be a better tool than another budgeting app. Mike also walks us through the six accounts behind The Money Habit, the four financial seasons, and how a simple system can make money easier to manage, especially when you're managing it with a partner. For anyone who has avoided looking at their numbers, struggled to stick with a budget, or simply wants to make managing money feel less complicated, this conversation offers a different way to think about it. Listen to the episode and hear how Mike built The Money Habit around the way people actually behave with money. Check out The Money Habit here: https://a.co/d/00icp0op Explore Mike’s other books here: https://mikemichalowicz.com/books/ Learn more about Mike and his work here: www.mikemotorbike.com — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

We’re back with Jayson Gaignard, author of Community Made: The Truth About Success and the Relationships That Created It. Jayson is a veteran entrepreneur known for building communities and bringing entrepreneurs together through his invite-only events, with past guests including Tim Ferriss, Marc Ecko, and Dave Asprey. His work has also been featured in Forbes, Lifehacker, and Business Insider. In this episode, Jayson breaks down the strategy behind his Kickstarter campaign and why he chose to build his book launch around relationships rather than reach alone. We talk about using Kickstarter to test audiences, getting books into the hands of the right readers, using bulk orders as a distribution strategy, and building around the idea of 1,000 true fans. He also shares how documenting the writing process helped build support for the book long before he ever asked anyone to buy it. Tune in to hear how he put the ideas behind Community Made into practice and built his book marketing strategy around relationships, community, and getting the right people invested early. Check out Community Made here: https://a.co/d/04ZhFQYJ Learn more about Jayson and his work here: https://www.jaysongaignard.com/ — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Our special guest for today is Jayson Gaignard, a Canadian entrepreneur, author of Community Made: The Truth About Success and the Relationships That Created It, and founder of Mastermind Talks, an invite-only gathering that has brought together people like Tim Ferriss, James Altucher, and Esther Perel. After building a million-dollar ticket business and later finding himself $250,000 in debt, Jason began hosting small, carefully curated dinners that eventually changed the direction of his life and work. In this episode, Jayson and I talk about what it actually takes to build meaningful relationships without turning networking into a transaction. We get into finding the right people, investing in relationships long before you need anything from them, building trust, reaching out cold without immediately making an ask, and why doing genuinely interesting work can open doors over time. Jason also shares what this means for authors, including why trying to build a network right before a book launch is often too late and how years of showing up for people are now playing a major role in the launch of his own book. If you’re an author or creator thinking about how relationships fit into your work, your audience, and eventually your book marketing, this conversation offers a different way to look at networking. Listen to the full episode to hear how Jason built his community one relationship at a time, and why the work you do years before you need help may matter more than the ask itself. Check out Community Made here: https://a.co/d/04ZhFQYJ — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Last episode, we talked with Mark Wolynn about the ideas behind It Didn’t Start With You. This time, we’re talking about what happened after he wrote it and how the book eventually sold more than 3 million copies. Mark takes us back to the beginning, from spending nine years developing the material and nearly self-publishing the book to landing an agent and a traditional publishing deal. But when the book launched in 2016, it didn’t immediately take off. We talk about what helped it build momentum over the years, including podcast interviews, influencers sharing the book with their audiences, TikTok and word of mouth, and the personal things Mark did along the way, like answering readers one-on-one and walking into bookstores to sign copies. We also get into why he believes deeply knowing your subject and writing from lived experience played such an important role in the book’s longevity. If you’re building something you believe in but the results aren’t happening as quickly as you hoped, Mark’s journey offers an interesting look at what can happen when you stay close to your work, your readers, and the reason you wrote the book in the first place. Listen to the full conversation to hear how It Didn’t Start With You grew from a slow launch into a book that continues to find new readers years later. Learn more about Mark and his work at markwolynn.com. You can also check out his book and workbook here: https://a.co/d/0aoZXZU6 — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Our very special guest today is a leading expert in the field of inherited family trauma, the director of The Family Constellation Institute, and the creator of The Core Language Approach. He has taught at institutions including the University of Pittsburgh, the Western Psychiatric Institute, The Omega Institute, and the California Institute of Integral Studies. I’m joined by Mark Wolynn, author of the international bestseller It Didn’t Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle, which has sold more than 3 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 41 languages. The book has received recognition well beyond its sales. It Didn’t Start With You won the 2016 Nautilus Book Award in Psychology and was a finalist for the 2016 Books for a Better Life Award. More recently, it was named one of The New York Times’ 5 Books on Healing from Trauma in 2025 and one of Oprah Daily’s 10 Best Trauma Books of 2023. In our conversation, Mark takes us back to his early thirties, when he began losing his vision and eventually traveled the world looking for answers. That journey brought him back to his own family and became the foundation for much of his work. We talk about the science behind inherited and generational trauma, how experiences within a family can continue to affect later generations, and the role our earliest attachment experiences can play in the way we experience safety, fear, and relationships. Mark also walks us through his Core Language Approach and how certain fears, reactions, and patterns can give us clues about where to look within our family history. Before we talk with Mark about how It Didn’t Start With You reached millions of readers, we wanted to understand the story, research, and experiences behind the book itself. Listen to my conversation with Mark Wolynn to hear how his own search for answers eventually became a book that continues to reach readers around the world. Learn more about Mark and his work at markwolynn.com. You can also check out his book and workbook here: https://a.co/d/0aoZXZU6 — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

This final episode of our four-part series from Ed Rush’s Top Gun Author event in Dallas brings everything together. Instead of focusing on another guest interview, I walk through the framework we use at Shelf Life to turn book marketing ideas into an actual plan. The goal is simple: know what you’re going to do before launch, during launch week, and long after the initial excitement wears off. We break down how to take inventory of the marketing assets you already have, set a specific goal for how many readers you want to reach, choose the right marketing tools, and assign realistic targets to each one. From there, I show how to build a 24-week marketing roadmap by working backward from launch week and forward into the months that follow. We also get practical about building your first 100 email subscribers, creating content people actually want to read, using Amazon ads and influencers strategically, and why book marketing should start much earlier than launch day. If book marketing has ever felt like a pile of disconnected tactics, this episode is about turning those pieces into a plan you can actually follow. Listen to the final part of the series and start building a book marketing blueprint around your goals, your resources, and the readers you want to reach. — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Welcome to Part 3 of this special four-part series of Before the Bestseller, recorded live at Ed Rush’s Top Gun Author Live Event 2026. In this session, I’m sharing the real stories behind books that found their audience, from Atomic Habits and Profit First to Rich Dad Poor Dad, Go for No! and How to Win Friends and Influence People. The strategies are different, but they all show how creative book marketing can create opportunities you might never see coming. Instead of giving you another list of marketing tactics, I break down the stories behind them. We get into finding gatekeepers who already have access to your readers, tapping into existing communities, using social listening to build genuine relationships, creating corporate bulk-buy opportunities, finding a small but passionate niche, and getting your first copies into the right hands. I also share how my first book went from an Amazon bestseller that quickly lost momentum to reaching roughly 40,000 students through university partnerships, and what that experience taught me about getting scrappy when you don't have a big marketing budget. If you're trying to figure out how to get your book beyond the launch and into the hands of people who might actually read it, share it, and open doors for it, this episode will give you plenty of ideas to work with. Tune in and start thinking differently about the relationships, audiences, and opportunities already around you. — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Welcome to Part 2 of this special four-part series recorded live at Ed Rush's Top Gun Author Live Event in Dallas. In this episode, I want to talk about something that doesn't get enough attention: how to stop wasting your time and money on book marketing. After working with hundreds of authors, I've seen the same mistakes happen over and over again. The good news is they're avoidable once you know what to look for. We dive into why so many books lose momentum after launch, how simple marketing systems can keep your book moving long after release day, and why batching your content can save you hours every week. I also share why building even a small team can make a huge difference, how to avoid costly marketing and PR mistakes, and why studying authors who are just a few steps ahead of you is often more valuable than chasing the biggest names. Finally, I explain the simple "Three Rule" I use to decide whether a marketing activity is actually worth my time. If you want to build a book marketing strategy that's sustainable instead of stressful, tune in and let's talk about how to make every hour and every dollar count. — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

In this first episode of a special four-part series recorded live at Ed Rush's first-ever Top Gun Author Live event, I take a step back from the usual interviews to share the foundations of book marketing. Before we talk about ads, social media, or launch strategies, we need to understand what actually makes a book succeed and why so many authors end up busy without making real progress. Through real stories from bestselling authors, including Joseph Nguyen's journey from complete unknown to New York Times bestselling author, we uncover what really drives long-term book success. Instead of chasing the latest marketing tactic, this conversation focuses on the ideas that shape every successful campaign and why getting these foundations right can change everything that comes next. Tune in to discover why the strongest book marketing strategies begin long before launch day, and why getting the fundamentals right can make every marketing decision that follows more effective. If you're serious about getting your book into the hands of more readers, this is where your marketing journey begins. Learn more and grab a copy of Alex’s book here. It's packed with practical lessons, real case studies, and proven book marketing strategies you can start applying to your own book today. — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Today we're back with Scott Hogan, author of the bestselling book Built from Broken, which has sold more than 300,000 copies. Scott is the founder of SaltWrap, a company dedicated to helping people stay strong, mobile, and pain-free through practical approaches to nutrition, training, and recovery. As an A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer, Orthopedic Exercise Specialist, and nutritional supplement formulator, Scott has spent years helping others overcome injuries. What started as a personal mission to understand chronic pain eventually became a book that has helped readers around the world and led to a new edition published through Authors Equity, the publishing company co-founded by James Clear. In this conversation, we shift from health to book marketing and unpack how Built from Broken found its audience. Scott shares why writing from lived experience mattered more than having a large platform, how his earliest readers became his strongest advocates, and why word of mouth ultimately became the book's greatest marketing advantage. We also talk about Amazon discoverability, choosing the right categories, planning a second edition, working with Authors Equity, building trust in the age of AI, and the mindset that helped him push through imposter syndrome and finally write the book that has helped hundreds of thousands of readers better understand chronic pain, recovery, and long-term health.  Tune in to hear why the books that continue to find readers are often the ones written to solve a real problem, built on genuine trust, and supported by an author willing to keep showing up long after launch. Want to learn more from Scott? Visit his website to explore Built from Broken, access bonus resources, and discover more of his work at bfb-book.com Learn more about Scott and his work at www.saltwrap.com — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

This week we're joined by Scott Hogan, someone who has turned a lifetime of injuries into a mission to help others move better, recover smarter, and keep doing the activities they love for years to come. Scott is an American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer, certified orthopedic exercise specialist, nutritional supplement formulator, founder of SaltWrap, and the author of the bestselling pain management book Built from Broken, which has sold more than 300,000 copies since its original release in 2021. Drawing from years of personal experience and research, Scott has dedicated his work to helping people overcome pain, build resilience, and stay strong for the long haul. In this episode, Scott explains why many injuries are years in the making and why joint pain shouldn't simply be accepted as part of getting older. We discuss the biggest misconceptions about fitness and recovery, along with some of the everyday habits that may be doing more harm than good. Scott also shares why understanding the root cause of pain matters more than simply treating the symptoms, how to think differently about movement and training, and what it really takes to build a body that's resilient for the long term. Whether you're recovering from an old injury or simply want to stay active as you age, my conversation with Scott may change the way you approach your own health and recovery before you assume pain is simply something you have to live with. Tune in to learn why Scott believes resilience isn't something you're born with, but something you can build. Want to learn more from Scott? Visit his website to explore Built from Broken, access bonus resources, and discover more of his work at bfb-book.com Learn more about Scott and his work at www.saltwrap.com — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

We're back for a second episode with Karen Anderson, a publishing strategist and direct response marketing expert who has worked across every major publishing model and co-author of the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller The Bezos Letters. Building on our previous conversation about what makes a book worth publishing, we now explore what makes a book actually work, from reader psychology and positioning to the kinds of marketing that readers naturally respond to. In this episode, Karen shares real stories that reveal why some books earn lasting word of mouth while others are quickly forgotten. We explore what earns a reader's trust, why recommendations matter more than promotion, and how the decisions authors make long before publication shape the way readers experience a book. From positioning and understanding reader pain points to testing ideas before launch, leading with experience instead of credentials, and creating memorable reader experiences, Karen explains why authentic relationships consistently outperform expensive marketing campaigns. Throughout the conversation, she makes a compelling case that the strongest marketing doesn't begin after a book is published. It begins by writing a book people genuinely want to share.  Some books find their audience quickly, while others take time. Tune in to hear why the books that endure are often the ones whose authors stay committed long after publication. Connect with Karen and explore her free resources at KarenAnderson.co Check out her book, The Bezos Letters, here: https://a.co/d/0fIrg0mM — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Today, we're joined by Karen Anderson, a strategic book advisor, Associate Publisher at Morgan James Publishing, and co-author of the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller The Bezos Letters: 14 Principles to Grow Your Business Like Amazon. With more than twenty-five years in publishing and contributions to numerous New York Times bestselling books, Karen brings an unusual combination of psychology, direct response marketing, and publishing experience that shapes how she helps authors build books that truly connect with readers. In this episode, Karen shares why authors should begin with purpose rather than pages, and how the most effective books balance information with inspiration. We discuss why many well-written books quietly fail, the role stories play in creating emotional connection, and how understanding what readers feel and need should shape every decision an author makes. Karen also explains how publishers think about marketability, why authors are ultimately responsible for marketing, and what separates books that fade quickly from those that continue finding readers years after publication. Tune in to hear why writing a good book is only the beginning, and why the books that readers keep recommending often start with a very different question than most authors think to ask. Connect with Karen and explore her free resources at KarenAnderson.co You can also check out her book, The Bezos Letters, here: https://a.co/d/0fIrg0mM — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Today we welcome back Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of The War of Art, Gates of Fire, The Legend of Bagger Vance, and his newest novel, The Arcadian. Across a career spanning fiction and nonfiction, Pressfield has sold millions of books and built a reputation as one of the most influential voices on creativity, discipline, and the challenges that stand between people and their life's work. In this episode, Steven reflects on the long road behind his success, from writing dozens of screenplays before his breakthrough to watching books like Gates of Fire and The War of Art slowly grow through word of mouth. He shares the surprising story behind The Legend of Bagger Vance, how luck and preparation intersect throughout a writing career, and the marketing approaches he has used across both fiction and nonfiction. We also explore audience building, podcasts, email lists, self-publishing, the challenges of marketing fiction, and why some books continue selling for years while others disappear shortly after launch. Tune in to hear what separates books that last from books that fade away, why patience matters more than most authors realize, and the hard-earned lessons from a lifetime dedicated to the craft of writing. Subscribe to Steven's weekly writing newsletter at stevenpressfield.com Make sure to follow @steven_pressfield on Instagram.  Check out his new book, The Arcadian here: https://a.co/d/03YobKj0 Explore all of Steven’s books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000AQ8R8Q?ingress=0&visitId=d84a9904-f7ce-400a-8292-17d9d655e6c2&ref_=aufs_ap_ahdr_dsk_ab — Subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover the show, the author and their books.  — Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our Free Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here:  https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/ Head to our new website for more content and updates.: www.getshelflife.com If you're interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]