Book Review: Your First 1000 Copies
Your First 1000 Copies: The Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your Book, 2nd Edition, by Tim Grahl; published 2020 by Story Grid
So many authors write their book, put in countless hours of editing, proofreading, choosing a cover, writing copy, figuring out how to publish, and then launching their book to… *crickets*.
It’s pretty well known that most books never sell more than 250 copies in their first year, even at publishing houses like where I work. And let me tell you, it’s the saddest thing—for authors and their publishing teams. I think most authors have the expectation that by publishing through a traditional publishing house, their book will miraculously sell thousands of copies. That is not the case. Once a book is selling steadily, a traditional publisher might be able to help it snowball faster—but the author ALWAYS has to start the snowball rolling down the hill.
This book is the best, most straightforward explanation I’ve seen for how to do that. I’ve really enjoyed Tim Grahl’s podcast, The Book Launch Show and often recommended it to authors, so when I saw the new edition of Your First 1000 Copies, I bought it immediately. Grahl walks you through the basic steps of setting up an email newsletter (and why this is a MUST for authors) and key tips for outreach (i.e. pitching podcasts, getting followers on social media, etc.). It’s written in a friendly, engaging style that follows the stories of Amy and John as they grow their platforms. You really can’t go wrong if you follow the advice in this book!
Be Relentlessly Helpful.
This is the key method for attracting potential readers, and Grahl reinforces it throughout the book. Being relentlessly helpful means that you are consistently giving your audience something valuable. And when they trust that you are a reliable source of value, they’ll keep coming back to the well.
And yet this is, I think, one of the hardest lessons for authors and publishers to learn. We’re afraid that if we give too much away, we won’t be able to sell more books. But over and over again we see that that isn’t true. Look at The Scribe Method by Tucker Max. Max gives away the ENTIRE book for free as a PDF download when you sign up for his email list. And yet, somehow, the book also has 180+ ratings on Amazon, where the hardcover sells for $19.99. Giving value doesn’t mean you receive nothing for it in return. What Max receives by giving away his book is my email address, my explicit permission for him to contact me and send me more resources. It’s the start of a relationship, where I learn to trust Max’s advice and look to him as an authority on writing. You can bet that if I need help, I’ll go back to him. I might even buy a physical copy of the ebook I already received, so that I can more easily mark it up, dog ear the pages, or give it away to a friend. Because I received a free copy of it, I know the value I’m getting and I know it’s worth the $19.99 cost.
This is an important mindshift for authors (and even, like I said, for publishers).
I can’t recommend this book enough. I’ve already implemented much of Grahl’s advice with my own resources and email list, and I’ll be sharing it with my authors! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
