The Publishing Performance Show

• Chris Benetti - The Book Funnel System That Generated 10X ROI in 6 Months

  Chris Benetti is the founder of Smart Author Media and a book funnel marketing expert who has sold over 55,000 books for his clients. Specializing in self-liquidating book funnels and Facebook advertising, Chris helps authors turn their books into profitable lead generation tools that feed into higher-ticket offers and services. His agency focuses exclusively on the Meta suite (Facebook and Instagram) and has generated over $750,000 in revenue for clients while spending $250,000 on ads. Chris's systematic approach combines detailed funnel strategy, conversion rate optimization, and creative testing to help authors build sustainable book-based businesses rather than just selling individual books.In this episode:Understanding self-liquidating book funnels and how they pay for themselvesWhy books rarely make profit on their own and need strategic backend offersBuilding effective book sales pages with headlines, social proof, and bonusesOrder bump strategies that convert 40-50% of book buyersTwo-step order forms for lead capture and remarketing opportunitiesUpsell sequences that solve problems created by the book contentFacebook advertising strategies focused on creative testing over targetingThe ASCET framework for systematic ad testing and optimizationCase study: Nigel Moore's 10X ROI with free book funnel strategyWhy books should serve business purposes, not just generate book salesConversion rate benchmarks and key metrics for funnel optimizationThe importance of having backup offers and multiple ad creatives readyResources mentioned:Smart Author Media free resource page: https://smartauthormedia.com/resourcesMeta advertising suiteTwo-step order form systemsChatGPT: https://openai.com/index/chatgpt/GoHighLevel: https://www.gohighlevel.com/Kartra: https://kartra.com/Kajabi: https://kajabi.com/ClickFunnels: https://www.clickfunnels.com/Book funnel templatesAd copy swipe filesBook Recommendations:Strategic business and systems booksSystem distillation booksConnect with Chris Benetti:Website: https://smartauthormedia.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsbenetti/Connect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.cEveryday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan't keep up with AI? We've got you. Everyday AI helps you keep up and get ahead.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

  --------  

  43:37

  --------

  43:37
• Michael Stockham - How to Write Legal Thrillers When You Actually Know the Law

  Michael Stockham is a trial attorney and bestselling author who has successfully built a self-publishing business around his legal thriller series. Starting with a creative writing background before becoming what he calls an "accidental lawyer," Michael brings authentic courtroom detail to his novels through his 25+ years of trial experience. His debut novel "Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer" has garnered over 3,500 reviews and multiple awards, leading to his Jake Fox legal thriller series. Michael approaches his writing career as a business venture, developing systematic processes for planning, writing, and marketing his books while maintaining his full-time legal practice. He's also actively pursuing media adaptation opportunities, pitching his nine-book series concept at film festivals.In this episode:How his background as a trial attorney informs his legal thriller writingThe journey from creative writing degrees to accidental lawyer to novelistBuilding a systematic approach to writing with detailed chapter outlinesUsing story structure principles from Save the Cat and Hero's JourneyThe importance of authentic detail in courtroom and technical scenesMarketing strategies including BookBub feature deals and award submissionsWorking with book coach Aurora Winter for creative collaborationPlanning a nine-book series as three interconnected trilogiesSelf-publishing through Whistling Pigs Press with freelance contractorsPitching book-to-TV adaptations at the Banff World Media FestivalBuilding author business systems for long-term sustainabilityBalancing full-time legal career with consistent writing scheduleResources mentioned:BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/Authors AI: https://authors.ai/Save the Cat writing methodology: https://savethecat.com/Story Grid: https://storygrid.com/Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing: https://kdp.amazon.com/Whistling Pigs Press: https://whistlepigpress.com/Book Recommendations:Save the Cat Writes a Novel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0399579745?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlConnect with Michael Stockham:Publisher: https://whistlepigpress.com/Series: Jake Fox legal thrillers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQQFZVJJ?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlStandalone: Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5YDHHCC?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlConnect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - Everyday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan't keep up with AI? We've got you. Everyday AI helps you keep up and get ahead.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

  --------  

  34:33

  --------

  34:33
• Tony Lee - The "Write Backwards" Method That Creates Unputdownable Crime Thrillers

  Tony Lee is a New York Times bestselling author who has successfully reinvented himself multiple times throughout his career. Originally starting as a computer games reviewer at 16, he transitioned through street performing in Covent Garden, writing for Radio 4, newspapers, comics, film and TV, before the pandemic forced him to pivot into self-publishing. Writing under the pen name Jack Gatland, he has achieved remarkable success with his crime thriller series, generating over 277 million pages read on Kindle Unlimited. His unique background spans 30 years in traditional publishing before building a profitable self-publishing business that now outearns his entire previous career combined.In this episode:How the pandemic forced a complete career pivot from traditional to self-publishingWhy he chose Amazon exclusivity and Kindle Unlimited for maximum revenueThe psychology of removing buying obstacles and building reader loyaltyCreating reader magnets and building a newsletter army of passionate fansHis unique "writing backwards" process developed from comic book experienceWhy aiming for 3-star books beats perfectionism paralysisThe 25-step checklist he uses for every book releaseBuilding authentic relationships in Facebook groups and reader communitiesHow 70% of his income comes from Kindle Unlimited page readsThe transition from hired gun to publisher mindsetWhy rapid release schedules work better than perfect manuscriptsTurning beta readers into weapons specialists and expert consultantsResources mentioned:BookFunnel: https://bookfunnel.com/StoryOrigin: https://storyoriginapp.com/Book Linker: https://booklinker.com/ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com/Plotter: https://plottr.com/Notion: https://www.notion.com/Vellum: https://www.vellum.ai/Book Recommendations:Jack Gatland crime thriller series (starting with "Letter from the Dead"): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08N1SJ447?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlThe Lionheart Curse by Tony Lee: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09P2HKFHZ?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlTom Marlowe spy seriesEllie Reckless spin-off novelsConnect with Tony Lee:Website: https://jackgatland.com/Personal website: https://tonylee.co.uk/Email: [email protected] media: @MrTonyLee (Twitter, BlueSky, Facebook)Hooded Man Media publishing: https://hoodedmanmedia.com/Upcoming: Liam Harper series and Iron Maiden comic collaborationConnect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https:/Everyday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan't keep up with AI? We've got you. Everyday AI helps you keep up and get ahead.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

  --------  

  1:00:13

  --------

  1:00:13
• William Gasner - Why Micro-Influencers Beat Celebrities for Book Marketing (And Cost 90% Less)

  William Gasner is the founder and CMO of Stack Influence, an influencer marketing platform that specializes in connecting brands with micro and nano-influencers. With extensive experience in e-commerce and digital marketing, William has helped thousands of brands scale their marketing efforts through authentic influencer partnerships. Stack Influence operates as a marketplace platform where vetted influencers can choose products they genuinely want to promote, creating more authentic and effective campaigns. His expertise in leveraging smaller creators for product seeding campaigns has helped numerous authors and publishers reach new audiences and boost their Amazon rankings through external traffic strategies.In this episode:Why micro and nano-influencers are more effective than celebrity influencersThe difference between mega, macro, micro, and nano-influencer categoriesHow authentic word-of-mouth marketing scales through smaller creatorsWhy books are perfect products for influencer marketing campaignsBudget considerations for different influencer tiers and campaign sizesFinding the right influencers through hashtag research and niche targetingCreative content strategies including trending formats like "book face"Tracking ROI beyond immediate sales: content, awareness, and algorithm benefitsHow external traffic from influencers boosts Amazon algorithm rankingsThe Stack Influence marketplace model and community approachCase studies showing 3X to 15X ROI improvementsStarting strategies for authors with limited budgetsResources mentioned:Stack Influence: https://stackinfluence.com/InstagramTikTokBook Recommendations:Stack Influence Case Study - https://stackinfluence.com/book-influencers/Connect with William Gasner:Website: https://stackinfluence.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-gasnerEmail: [email protected] media: @StackInfluence (all platforms)Book a consultation call through Stack Influence websiteConnect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/Everyday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan't keep up with AI? We've got you. Everyday AI helps you keep up and get ahead.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

  --------  

  45:35

  --------

  45:35
• Eddie Rice - Why Fiction Authors Are Missing Out on Podcast Goldmines

  Eddie Rice is the founder of Eloquent Mind and author of the bestselling book "Toast: Short Speeches, Big Impact." With a background in PR and public relations, Eddie specializes in helping authors transition from invisible to in-demand through strategic podcast appearances and speech writing. His "Your Book, Your Voice" approach focuses on helping authors leverage their written expertise into spoken word opportunities, whether through podcast guesting, keynote speeches, TEDx talks, or virtual speaking engagements. Eddie believes that appearing on 100 episodes of other people's podcasts is far more effective than starting your own podcast with 100 episodes.In this episode:Why podcast guesting is more effective than starting your own podcastThe importance of positioning and finding your unique angleHow to research and find the right podcasts for your nicheCreating a compelling 2-3 page media kit that gets resultsSpecific strategies for fiction authors to get podcast bookingsThe ladder method: starting small and building up to bigger showsLive case study with Teddy demonstrating the consultation processTools and platforms for podcast research and content repurposingHow to maximize each podcast appearance through promotionBuilding long-term partnerships with podcast hostsResources mentioned:ListenNotes.com (free podcast directory with listener scores)Rephonic (premium podcast directory - $99/month with detailed analytics)Headliner app (for creating audiograms from podcast clips)Blaze.ai (automated content creation and scheduling)ChatGPT (for repurposing podcast content into blogs and social posts)Commit Action program (high-leverage task prioritization)Trust Me, I'm Lying by Ryan Holiday (PR strategy book)Book Recommendations:"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy: https://www.amazon.com/Road-Cormac-McCarthy/dp/0307387895"Trust Me, I'm Lying" by Ryan Holiday: https://www.amazon.com/Trust-Me-Lying-Confessions-Manipulator/dp/1591846285Connect with Eddie Rice:Website: eloquentmind.coCourse: https://eddie-s-school-406c.thinkific.com/courses/speak-to-podcast-guest-course?utm_source=website&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=organicConnect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -httpsEveryday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan't keep up with AI? We've got you. Everyday AI helps you keep up and get ahead.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

  --------  

  41:15

  --------

  41:15

More Arts podcasts

Trending Arts podcasts

About The Publishing Performance Show