Joining me today is JJ Virgin, who has been inducted into the Fitness Hall of Fame, television and media personality, and a four-time New York Times Best Selling Author. She has launched over 10 businesses and is a 2-time Inc 5000 Founder. She is recognized as an authority on transformational leadership, as a Top Ten Finalist for the John C. Maxwell Award, as well as winner of the Mindshare Summit Pinnacle award.
JJ’s first experience writing a book was with a screenwriter she was dating at the time. She had a connection with the publisher of Chicken Soup for the Soul, who offered her several thousand dollars for the book. Instead, she decided to self-publish her book and sign a contract with her boyfriend that gave him 50% of everything she did for the rest of her life.
Her second book, “Six Weeks from Sleeveless to Sexy,” went out to lunch with a publisher, went to an editor at Simon and Shuster, took off her jacket, and the editor immediately wanted to buy her book! However, JJ says, “If you are going with a traditional publisher, that’s not what you want to do!”.
When creating her cookbook, The Virgin Diet, another author published a cookbook with the same name six months earlier. The only reason JJ wasn’t able to get out ahead of the other author is that she was traditionally publishing, which takes a much longer process to get your book from idea to print.
She recommends self-publishing as you can easily create a second edition of your book with updates without a huge issue. Traditionally publishing costs a large amount of money to make changes to your finished first edition. JJ also gives advice about marketing and the creation of cookbooks that every cookbook author needs to know!
Listen in to find out how cookbooks are different from regular books, why a cookbook is harder, and what you should and shouldn’t do when you are writing a cookbook. Learn why you have to make sure your cookbook numbers are dialed in before you publish, and her tips on self-publishing cookbooks.
Show Notes
[02:52] JJ’s first book was created while dating a screenwriter. [04:54] How JJ made the mistake of traditional publishing her second book. [07:01] JJ’s process of frameworking her books as she doesn’t like to write. [08:47] Pairing up cookbooks with a regular book. What’s the difference between writing a cookbook and a regular book? [13:25] Why she can’t trademark her book name “The Virgin Diet.” [17:43] The best way you can find mistakes in your book is by doing a verbal readthrough out loud. [19:21] Differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing a cookbook. [22:57] Her tips and advice on creating a self-published cookbook. [28:34] How her product line and her books evolved over time. [32:07] The backend for her physical products - what she is doing and how she is marketing her products. [34:19] How JJ creates multiple income streams with her books and products. [39:29] Building loyalty to the brand gives your company a raving fan base to buy your products. [43:48] The process of getting people on board with your brand. [46:10] Advice for new authors that JJ wishes she knew before she published her first book.Links and Resources
Visit Self Publishing School Online SPS Free Training Course Circle of Profit Designs for Health on the Web JJ Virgin on the web Grab one of her books here Check out her Mindshare Summit Connect with on LinkedIn Follow on InstagramSP 222: How To Host An Epic Book Launch Party with Nick Gray (The 2 Hour Cocktail Party)
SPS 221: Mastering Marketing, Book Promotion and Hypnautic Writing with Dr. Joe Vitale
SPS 220: The Story Blender: How I Sold 1 Million Copies Of My Novels with Steven James
SPS 219: Selling 1M+ Copies Of Multiple Books & Getting Your Book In Airports with Jay Papasan
SPS 218: Portable Stories, Great Case Studies, And Writing Books People Share with Joey Coleman
SPS 217: Mastering the Art of Writing & Selling Books with Bestselling Author, Dr Shefali
SPS 216: Growing Your Marketing Agency Using A Book with Erik Huberman
SPS 215: The Secrets To Editing Success, Fictionary, And Making Your Story Unforgettable with Kristina Stanley
SPS 214: The Pursuit Of The Wall Street Journal Bestseller List…Exactly What It Takes with Steve Chou
SPS 213: She Builds: The Anti-Hustle Guide To Book Marketing & 1M+ Copies Sold with Jadah Sellner
SPS 212: Lessons Learned From 5,000+ Calls With Aspiring Authors with Chad Aleo (The Book On High Ticket Sales)
SPS 211: Writing A Book While Raising 8 Kids & Running A 7 Figure Business with January Donavan
It's my birthday, but guess who's getting a gift? That's right, it's YOU! Visit selfpublishing.com/birthday to grab it
SPS 210: Profitably Running Book Ads & Staying At #1 For 135 Days Straight with Nate Hambrick
Announcement: Life Changing Event, Huge Speakers, And Prices Going Up Soon
SPS 209: Your Two Weeks Notice & Doing $1M From Your Book Launch with Amy Porterfield (Behind The Scenes Of Her NYT Bestseller Launch)
SPS 208: Landing Your Dream Job & Advice From In The Trenches Doing 2,800+ Author Coaching Calls with Michael Lachance
SPS 207: How To Relaunch Your Book & Build Your Personal Brand with Andrew Biernat
SPS 206: From 100’s Of Copies To 230,000+ Books Sold In 2 Years…How I Did It with Tiffany Aliche
SPS 205: Mind Your Mindset: How To Think Like An Author with Michael Hyatt
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