Can a business book actually make you a million dollars? The surprising answer is yes — but almost none of that money comes from book sales.
Tim's book DISCOVERABLE is now available for pre-order → ahrefs.com/discoverable
Best-selling author Jeff Goins breaks down the real economics of publishing: why books are "a bad business model," how the back-end (courses, consulting, software, higher-converting leads) is where the money lives, and why one enterprise company saw higher contract values simply by mailing their CEO's book to every lead in their CRM.
Jeff is the author of The Art of Work and Real Artists Don't Starve, and runs a consulting firm that helps thought leaders turn big ideas into bestselling books. He was also Tim's personal mentor throughout the writing of DISCOVERABLE — Tim's first book, where he distills the marketing fundamentals behind Ahrefs' growth into a framework any brand can use to get found.
You'll learn how much a first-time author can realistically sell, what it costs to buy your way onto the NYT or WSJ bestseller lists, why most business books suck, and whether you should self-publish, go hybrid, or go traditional.
In this episode:
(00:00) Intro
(00:39) How much money can a first-time author actually make?
(02:51) How many copies do Jeff's clients really sell?
(06:52) The real reasons people write books (that aren't money)
(10:40) Why writing a book humbles you — and the pay-to-play tricks in publishing
(13:03) Proving a book's value: the CRM story and building real authority
(24:43) Client anecdotes: General McChrystal and the payoff of a book
(27:26) Where to start: the book proposal vs. the book plan
(36:43) Why the central idea of a book almost always changes mid-writing
(45:31) Jeff's best writing advice: brain dump, front-load, don't restart
(54:35) Why do most business books suck?
(1:00:04) Publishing options: traditional vs. hybrid vs. self-publishing
Pre-order DISCOVERABLE → ahrefs.com/discoverable
Where to find Jeff Goins:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffgoins
Website: goinswriter.com
Where to find Tim:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timsoulo
X: @timsoulo
Website: timsoulo.com
Referenced:
DISCOVERABLE — Tim Soulo (ahrefs.com/discoverable)
The Art of Work — Jeff Goins
Real Artists Don't Starve — Jeff Goins
On Character — General Stanley McChrystal
Atomic Habits — James Clear
The One Thing — Gary Keller & Jay Papasan
The 4-Hour Workweek — Tim Ferriss
Ryan Holiday — ryanholiday.net
Ahrefs — ahrefs.com
