My Golden Publishing Sales Machine encourages authors to create an online course or digital experience edition along with a print book. This post explains the benefits of the multimedia approach to publishing your book.
It will also work the other way for coaches with a coaching practice, online courses, or a membership program.
A print book plus a Digital Experience Edition can vastly expand your audience and lead people to your high-level offers.
What a Print Book Can Do For You
Here are some of the benefits of publishing a book:
Share your special gifts and knowledge with an infinite number of people.
Establish your authority and influence.
Can open doors as a speaker and expert.
Generate sales income.
The process of writing and creation can be rewarding in itself.
What is a Digital Experience Edition?
I use Kartra Memberships to create a Digital Experience Edition of books. The platform provides a secure multimedia portal that can include the book’s content, audio, video, images, exercises, downloads, and more. Other course platforms would work.
Benefits include:
The multimedia enhances the content of the book.
The Digital Experience Edition can grow and be edited as a living product.
You can use the Digital Experience Edition to get feedback that can make the print book better.
Readers get instant access while waiting for the printed book.
Why Publish a Print Book AND a Digital Experience Edition
Serve the audience with rich content.
Give instant access to the content.
Get feedback during final editing stages to create a better book for your audience.
Make sales early.
Make direct sales. You can receive the money immediately and use author pricing to send the print book from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
Collaboration and Validation
You can include your audience in the refinement process by having them access a presale version of the Digital Experience Edition. That will validate that your content is of value to your tribe, and the printed book will be better for the feedback.
Presale and Marketing Strategy
As soon as you have a working title for your book, you can create a landing page with an opt-in form for people to receive launch notices.
With a presale and access to an early version of the book in a Digital Experience Edition, you can start marketing and making sales very early in the development process. You can also ask for feedback through comments within the portal.
You can also grant free access to anyone you want to review the content and provide editing suggestions.
The main reason to do this is to create a buzz about your book launch and build your list.
Posting and Publicity Strategy
Once you have a landing page that at least collects contact information from interested people, you can use the chapter content to drive traffic to the landing page.
Here are some places to promote:
Blog Posts
Social Media Posts
YouTube Clips
Broadcasts and Podcasts
Interviews
Press Releases
…
Publishing Sales Machine
My Publishing Sales Machine combines book and multimedia publishing with marketing at an affordable rate.
I have a lot of skills and tools to enable implementation many different things.
I also can be an enabler of both good and bad habits:-)
As the driver for a group of students, I probably should of been telling the girls to not run through the big puddle.
Instead, I am in the puddle too!
Not growing up any time soon.
Shared Visions Unlimited Publishing
My main company focuses on helping people publish and market books, online courses, memberships, and story productions, often collaborating with Betty Withrow.
Betty is a writer, writing coach, and ghostwriter in Monterey County, California.
Sometime it seems like we are publishing a book a week. We encourage authors to consider creating courses and multimedia programs related to their books.
I teach and offer an approach to publishing called The Golden Publishing Sales Machine.
Almost all of the following projects started with someone, asking :
‘I want to do X, can you help?’
Many times I was able to help.
“How to Coach Baseball to Kids” video course for Rocket Norton.
Websites for various promotions and companies (hundreds). Many of those I inherited from people who stopped returning calls to my client or never completed the project.
Online assessment systems for Human Resources (decades, millions of dollars).
Driver for Rocket Norton’s Town Car Service. I am now once removed from every major actor from the last forty years).
Also once removed from most top musicians, copywriters, and marketers in the world.
Many theatre and concert promotions.
Cancer benefit concerts.
Art in the Garden and other arts events in North Vancouver.
Urban Farming projects.
Food Rescue projects, including video productions.
Capturing and publishing personal stories.
Video capture of events and keynote presentations.
Many online courses and membership programs.
Quirky music videos done for fun with zero budgets.
Doing video interviews of pioneers in the Natural Health Industry.
Helping authors publish their books. Rocket Norton’s Lost In Space was the first one decades ago. Sometimes it seems like Betty Withrow and I and I are submitting a book a week for print and electronic publishing.
Online Summits.
Music concerts where I helped organize, provided sound, did multi-track audio recordings, and recorded with multiple video cameras. Much of that is on my YouTube channel.
Hundreds of hours of video of Unity services, including Unity of Vancouver and Unity of Nashville.
A video documentary for Lynn Valley United Church.
Travel articles, photography, and videos.
Technical documentation.
Software design and engineering.
Organized and showed in Art Exhibitions.
Drove through the Grand Canyon in a snowstorm (there is a story there!)
…
Everything is Figureoutable
Although I have done and learned a tremendous amount of things, I would make a LOT of money if I got paid for what I did not know.
I have joked that the name for that is Consulting.
My main superpower is that I am a Zen Master of search and can read and understand things quickly.
As Marie Forleo’s mother liked to say, Everything Is Figureoutable.
I have had a lot of success selling things like concert and stage production tickets from simple landing pages. Also things like How to Coach Baseball to Kids and other programs and products that people wanted.
It is a lot easier to sell something that people know they want and are actively seeking. Then the mission is to let people know about your Golden Offer and send people to the landing page.
The Four-Hour Power Launch is all about getting people to your landing page to either buy something or sign up for something.
Examples include:
Concert
Stage Production
Book Launch
Course Launch
Webinar Registration
Product
Information that Change Lives
…
Everything I will describe for a Power Launch can be done without cost with channels and tools you likely already have.
My Golden Offer is to have a discussion with you about doing a Power Launch for you in return for a percentage of sales
Your Golden Offer
This strategy assumes that you have a Golden Offer, like The Golden Key To Eternal Satisfaction, ready to roll and the mission is to let them know about it and get them to buy.
Here I am making up a Golden Offer that I am fairly sure would interest millions of people, as we head toward Superbowl Sunday.
Hang Out With Taylor Swift For Superbowl Sunday and Support Your Favorite Charity!
This assumes that the Kansas City Chiefs get by the Baltimore Ravens in the Conference Final. That will be tough as the Baltimore Ravens have been the most consistently competitive team through the regular season and the playoffs.
The Chiefs will need some Patrick Mahones ~ Travis Kelce ~ Taylor Swift magic.
The offer would look something like this:
Want to Hang Out With Taylor Swift On Superbowl Sunday?
Enter here to win a day with Taylor Swift including all of the Superbowl Sunday activities she attends ~ Pregame Events, Watch the Game, and Postgame Events.
As a winner, we will donate all of the net proceeds of this contest to a charity of your choice. We anticipate that donation to be millions of dollars that can change lives.
Important: This is a fictional contest as a hypothetical example.
The Power Launch Roadmap
Here is the strategy I use do a launch within a day for a Golden Offer, something that people will want and sign up with a single exposure.
Have a compelling offer.
Create a Splash image for the offer.
Create a landing page that presents the offer in a way that converts. I use Kartra for sales pages.
Send your mailing list that describes the offer with a link to the sales page.
Post one or more blog posts that send people to the landing page.
Prerecord or live stream a video introducing the offer and sending to the landing page. I set up a LinkedIn event, then use StreamYard to broadcast to many channels, including:
LinkedIn
YouTube
Facebook Profile, Pages, and Groups
Instagram
X (twitter)
…
Use a social media tool like MeetEdgar to post to platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TicToc, Pinterest, …
Publish as a podcast to Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Amazon, and others. I recently started using Buzzsprouts to push the podcasts out to the podcast platforms.
The main goal is to make sales, signups, and build a mailing list.
Most of the campaign is reusing the same marketing content across many platforms.
Since the whole process can be done in a few hours. you can repeat multiple times a week with variations of the posts.
Everything described in the Power Launch Roadmap can be done with free or near-free websites and free video and social media accounts.
The following paid services can amplify the results, leverage your time, and integrate the marketing.
Paid Advertising
You can get your offer out to thousands of people in a targeted audience with Facebook ads and boosts for less than $40 a week.
This works very well for things like selling concert tickets and theater productions.
You may want to experiment with paid advertising with Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, and others. Start small and add money to ads that make sales.
You may also want to try radio and print ads. Radio ads can be very cost-effective for local markets.
Press Releases
Press releases can be a fantastic way to get publicity for your projects. An interview with a newspaper, magazine, radio program, or television station can be priceless.
You can send your press releases yourself.
You could also use a service to get your press release out to thousands of outlets.
Here is a comprehensive review of many recommended services for press releases.
Where are you in your book writing and publishing journey?
Still pondering ideas and titles?
Have notes and perhaps an outline?
Do you have a fairly complete outline completed?
You have a draft ready for editing and moving to the next step?
Do you have more than one book in mind and are pondering which book to complete first?
We Have You Covered!
Our Complete Book Journey Publishing Retainer can take your books from ideas to books in the hands of readers.
We meet with you weekly to discuss where you are at and the next steps.
We encourage you, offer writing support, provide editing and formatting, and help design a cover and get the book published.
Your Book Journey with Betty Withrow and Greg Dixon
Here is what the journey looks like working with us.
Meet with you to explore where you are at with your writing, where you want to go, and what you want to get out of writing one or more books.
Create a set of shared folders on Google Drive for collaborating on brainstorming, idea collection, writing, editing, and formatting.
Meet weekly to discuss where we can help and the next steps.
Collaborate on more than one outline that will grow into the book. We will provide a template with all of the usual sections that go into a book.
We provide writing support and editing as we build out the manuscript.
At some point, we will move from writing to an editing and review phase.
We format and provide review copies in PDF and ePub formats to get feedback from other people.
When ready, we help you submit to Amazon Direct Publishing or a platform of your choice such as Ingram Sparks and Book Baby.
Greg Dixon will provide a Digital Experience Edition ~ A multimedia portal containing one or more books in various formats, plus related images, articles, audio, and video.
We can help you approach book agents and publishers if you want a traditional publisher instead of self-publishing.
All along, we encourage and support you to premarket your book through various marketing strategies including building a list of people to send excerpts and invite to the book launch.
How Long Does The Process Take?
The time frame depends on where you are at in book development, how complex the book is, and how much time you have for the project.
Betty Withrow’s ghostwriting and coaching projects often take from eight to ten months.
A book project starting with a solid outline could be done in three months or less.
We are very flexible and can work at your pace. If you need to take a break from the project, we can pause the retainer and resume later. tack Or we can move fast to get it done.
Your Complete Book Journey ~ Light Retainer
This is our most affordable offer and perfect if you are comfortable writing and plan to do most of the writing yourself.
Here is what you get:
A writing and publishing roadmap customized for your publishing goals.
Folders and templates on Google Drive for writing, review, collaboration, editing, and basic formatting.
Weekly meetings to review progress and discuss next steps.
Light writing coaching and support. We will write some bridge content where appropriate, though you will do the majority of the writing. Betty Withrow offers full ghostwriting services if needed.
Editing rounds when the writing is complete.
Manuscript formatting with review copies.
Manuscript submission.
Prelaunch, launch, and ongoing marketing support.
Digital Experience Edition ~ A multimedia portal containing one or more books in various formats, plus related images, articles, audio, and video.
$540 per month for as long as you want our support for one or more books.
We provide a complete range of book development, publishing, and launch marketing packages to get your book launched in the world.
You can jump in at the beginning or at any point in your book journey.
Your Complete Book Journey Publishing Retainer
We offer a number of packages to handle each of the main phases of your book production journey. Continue to read down this page to learn about those packages.
Our best offer is a monthly retainer designed to take you from wherever you are in your book journey through to the publishing, launch, and marketing of your books for as long as you want to write and publish books.
The retainer includes all of the services listed in the packages delivered over a time frame that works for you.
We meet with you do plan your book development and create a space for you to work and collaborate with us in Google Drive.
The package includes:
Planning
Roadmap
Book Outline (that will develop into the finished book. You can copy to make versions)
Place for notes
$400
Writing Development Package
Betty Withrow will work with you as a writing coach and we will help get the writing of your book done.
The package includes support for two months to gain momentum, keep you on track, and develop your book.
Clarity | Focus | Momentum
Your book could take more time to complete.
$800 – $1800
Manuscript Preparation Package
We work with you to make sure all of the components that go into a published book are prepared and edited.
This includes three rounds of editing and review to ensure the book is ready for the next step.
$800 – $1800
Formatting and Launch Package
Now that the writing is done, we get the book formatted and launched.
Includes:
Book formatting for print and eBook.
Cover design
Uploading and publishing
This package assumes publishing with Amazon Direct Publishing using your Amazon account, with you reviewing the settings and pushing the submit button.
Alternatives include submitting to platforms like Ingram Sparks and Book Baby.
Note: Submitting to a traditional publishing house is something we can discuss if that is the best publishing path for your book.
$800 – $1800
Book Launch Marketing Roadmap
We often say the time to start marketing your book is the day you start writing it.
We can outline a strategy and roadmap for that.
$400
Book Launch Marketing Package
We can help you implement a comprehensive marketing campaign, including:
Content for blog posts, social media, and video to create buzz for your book.
Landing pages with optin to get launch notices.
Book sales page
Help with the launch party.
Post-launch strategies to keep the momentum going.
Betty Withrow and Greg Dixon can help you take your book from notion to launch.
They can help you every step of the way through the process. If needed, they can recommend specialists to help in specific areas.
This article takes you through the journey that most books take.
Your book may be at the very beginning step.
Or it may be a few steps away from publishing.
Betty Withrow and Greg Dixon can help take you from where you are today to where you want to go.
What Do You Want To Get Out of It?
One of the first questions we ask when discussing your book, is what you want to get out of writing a book.
Some of the following may apply to you:
You Want To Write A Book To Simply Write A Book. You simply want to create something and go through the creative process of writing a book. Often that is the best only reason you will ever need. Simply enjoying the process and finishing is a success.
You Have Stories To Tell.
You Have Wisdom and Skills to Teach.
You Want to Enlighten The World.
You Want to Change The World.
You Want Influence and Authority.
You Want A Lead Magnet
Another Calling …
You may not know why you are feeling compelled to write a book and that is okay.
Writing and creating is a human gift and simply taking the writing journey is reason enough.
The true reason may not be clear until you have finished.
Or the reason is clear to you now, which will help clarify the choices you plan on your writing and publishing journey.
Your Book Ideas
Do you know what you want your book to be about?
What titles do you have in mind?
Do you have many ideas and possible titles in mind?
Write them all down.
Brainstorming
Brainstorm you ideas, capture them for building a process.
You can carry index cards with you, speak into your phone, jot them down in a notebook, or whatever system that appeals to you.
Set a time each day to sit with your idea and gather more ideas.
When you begin to build the creative habit, it becomes easier to get the flow going.
Capturing
Put your notes together and see what common threads appear. Find themes that you want to develop.
Outlining
Outlining is a fabulous tool to plan and expand your book (or plans for almost anything).
Think of the arc of meaning that you want your book to encompass.
Find a beginning, middle, and end to the topic and put together a series of chapter headings that outline your topics.
This will be used to give your book a coherent structure and make a creative flow appear naturally as you get clear about exactly what you want to present.
The outline is like the skeleton of the human body, holding up the muscles of the meaning and the flow of energetic feeling that makes the book have a life of its own.
Google Drive Folders
With Google Drive, it is simple to share information among people on the team and collaborate effectively in real-time.
Topics, media, chapter materials, each can have its own place in a system built to serve your exact needs.
Author Coaching
Many people find that having a writing coach is good for developing the content of the book, gaining more depth in what is being presented through guidance and focused questions that build the creative momentum.
Betty is experienced in this and finds that when people get focused clarity, the momentum of writing is greatly enhanced.
Often people do not realize how much knowledge they have to offer the world.
Gain a perspective that can broaden the appeal of your book and make it more useful for your business application, so you can make the most of your book project.
For fiction, Betty can support character and plot definition, clarify questions about the voice and tone of the book, and give support to make the plot line flow smoothly.
Ghostwriting
For those who don’t have the time to write a book, Betty will work with you to make your book appear with your own voice and showing your expertise to the world.
Through recorded interviews and collaboration on outlining, themes, and more, Betty’s process will make it simple and easy for you to accomplish your goal of having a book that establishes your authority and brings you the benefits of having your knowledge and experience highlighted for the world to see.
Developmental Editing
An effective editing process is crucial to the success of a book, making it readable and engaging. Ideas that need to be expressed fully will be brought to your attention and Betty will ask you specific and detailed questions so that you can add depth to your presentation.
Syntax, flow of ideas, fundamentals of grammar structure, all of these contribute to making your book enjoyable to your reader.
The goal is to have every idea flow seamlessly into the next, fostering thoughtful reflection and engagement so that your information is simple and easy for your audience to understand and absorb.
Manuscript Preparation
We conduct a careful review of the words and spelling in your book along with a review of the flow of information and copy correction makes your book manuscript reflect your professional approach to your work.
Book Formatting
Greg will format your book using modern software that gives a polished appearance to every page.
Table of contents, footnotes, other additions to the book, all are put into pages that are pleasing in layout and draw in the reader.
You will have different formatting options for different types of platforms.
Cover Design
What kind of cover do you want to have?
We offer several options at different pricing levels to suit your book’s purpose and your budget.
Publishing
Uploads to online platforms like Amazon, IngramSpark, Lulu, BookBaby, ….
We will also discuss the route to getting a traditional book publisher if that is your goal.
Launching
Unless you are writing the book for the sheer joy of writing it, you will want to run a book launch with marketing buzz, press releases, and other actions to launch your book.
We can help with that.
Marketing
Betty Withrow Greg Dixon offer a full range of marketing services that could be applied to your book launch and promotion.
Repurposing
The content of your book can be repurposed as online courses, podcasts, blog posts, social media posts, and more.
Our Service Packages
Here are our book publishing services and packages.
Book Writing
We work with you to go from idea to completing the book.
Book Publishing
We provided editing, formatting, and publishing services to get your book launched.
Book Marketing
We help you get your book in front of readers.
Book Repurposing
We help leverage your book for a wide range of media outlets.
