Active vs. Passive Book Marketing Strategies for Business Owner Authors
In this episode, Jodi breaks down what sustainable book marketing really looks like for business owners and leaders, and why long-term promotion should feel manageable rather than exhausting. She explains how marketing energy shifts after launch, why business owners need a different approach than traditional authors use, and how combining active and passive strategies creates a marketing plan your book (and your schedule) can sustain. Time Stamps: 00:00 — Introduction: Why sustainable book marketing matters 01:00 — Burnout and overwhelm in book marketing 02:20 — Launch energy vs. long-term marketing energy 03:30 — Why business owners market books differently than traditional authors 04:45 — Experimentation and data in book marketing 05:40 — Active vs. passive marketing explained 06:45 — Practical day-to-day marketing approaches 07:15 — Simple visibility tactics that work quietly 08:15 — Quarterly promotion pushes and marketing cycles 09:30 — Building a sustainable long-term marketing plan Keywords: sustainable book marketing, book marketing for business owners, long-term book marketing strategy, author marketing plan, book promotion strategy, passive book marketing, active book marketing, book launch vs long-term marketing, marketing a business book, entrepreneur author marketing, book marketing burnout, evergreen book funnels, book marketing systems, book marketing for CEOs, book ROI strategy, business book promotion, marketing after book launch, author platform growth, book visibility strategy, marketing books sustainably, book writing for business owners, business owners writing books Resources Mentioned: Coffee + Commas signup: https://bit.ly/coffeeandcommassignup Write Publish Market Episode 179: Effective Long-Term Book Marketing for Business Owners Writing Books Write Publish Market Episode 143: Think Beyond the Book Launch LINK TO FULL EPISODE (RAW) TRANSCRIPT: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15HlbN4esX56SHyL9fgJlh0hyTYoF6txEsGTfoOQkeqc/edit?usp=sharing
Episode 208: Use Direct Book Sales to Grow Your Business Ecosystem
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
Episode 207: Self-Publishing: A Business-First Approach for Business Owners
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
Episode 206: Stop Overthinking Your Book Project, Business Owner!
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
Episode 205: Protect Your Book: Copyright Essentials for Business Owner Authors
In this episode, Jodi breaks down why registering your copyright is essential—especially in the age of AI and digital piracy. She explains what automatic copyright does (and doesn't) protect, shares a recent real-world case involving AI scraping thousands of books, and walks through what to do if your work is pirated. If your book is part of your business ecosystem, this episode is a must-listen. Time Stamps: 00:00 – Welcome and introduction 00:55 – Why copyright registration matters more than ever 02:05 – Automatic copyright vs. registered copyright: what's the difference? 03:15 – The Anthropic/Claude AI scraping case and what authors learned 06:00 – Why some authors received settlements and others didn't 07:20 – Why registration is a powerful "insurance policy" 08:30 – Human-generated content and what can be copyrighted 09:45 – The $35 decision that protects your IP 10:30 – What to do if your work is pirated or used without permission 12:15 – DMCA takedown notices and how they work 13:45 – Legal disclaimers (Jodi is not a lawyer!) 15:00 – Final encouragement: protect your work, protect your business Keywords: copyright registration, book piracy, DMCA takedown, Claude AI case, author rights, book protection, intellectual property for authors, US Copyright Office, AI and copyright, publishing law, business owner authors, book copyright basics, protecting your book, legal steps for authors, copyright infringement Resources Mentioned: U.S. Copyright Office: https://copyright.gov/ Anthropic/Claude AI lawsuit coverage: https://www.anthropic.com/ DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act): https://www.copyright.gov/dmca/ Coffee + Commas signup: https://bit.ly/coffeeandcommassignup Ready Set Write Challenge: www.jodibrandoneditorial.com/readysetwrite LINK TO FULL EPISODE (RAW) TRANSCRIPT: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TwagY7clIYTeqeEWZA13BMhiNZQYJ0kc_iutoSgyfpY/edit?usp=sharing