Lately, I have been working on skill development, finding little things I can learn, and expanding opportunities around what I can do with those skills. I ended up going back and working on a fantasy sci-fi series that mostly I was working on as a side project.
As I was doing it, I wrote a few chapters to one of the books, and I passed it along to a friend to read it over and see what they thought of it. They gave me good feedback, but really, I wanted someone to tell me it was bad and needed some work. So, I did the same thing again and passed it to another friend asking them to tell me how they felt about it. The process repeated and at a certain point, I wasn't sure if they didn't want to hurt my feelings or actually thought it was good.
However, something clicked, and I saw an opportunity. To preface I never really thought about self-publishing a book before, yet the man himself, MJ, did it. Why couldn't I? So started thinking about the process and execution I could use to make that happen. I returned to my friends that I asked to read the chapters for me before. I asked, "If there were more pages after what I wrote would you turn to page X?" They both responded that yes, they would. Now that led me to think about other follow-up questions that could be asked.
So, this is the idea I got from doing that. The problem was how I create intrigue for people to want to read the books. How can I get an assessment of people who would buy my books? I decided to create a webpage, that would work as a sales funnel, but without it actually selling anything, just gathering information. Later I could use this site to sell the books from. What it would do is offer people to read a few chapters of the book for free, with a survey at the end asking questions similar to those above, and then offering them a newsletter sign-up, in which they would be given updates to the books release date, offer more details about the worldbuilding to build more intrigue.
What I hope to get out of this is a list of potential buyers, who already find value in the limited writing so that when I release the books they will read it, then tell their friends and family about it, and they too buy, and also potentially join the newsletter. Eventually, I would like to create a story that is told through anybody's preferred media. Whether they read, watch, or experience through play, that's later down the line after I have gotten a following of interested people.
I was wondering what some of you think about this idea, or if any of you have had experience in self-publishing. I'm still working to flesh out the copywriting, and marketing so any ideas are more than welcome. Thank you for any responses, criticism, and insight.
As I was doing it, I wrote a few chapters to one of the books, and I passed it along to a friend to read it over and see what they thought of it. They gave me good feedback, but really, I wanted someone to tell me it was bad and needed some work. So, I did the same thing again and passed it to another friend asking them to tell me how they felt about it. The process repeated and at a certain point, I wasn't sure if they didn't want to hurt my feelings or actually thought it was good.
However, something clicked, and I saw an opportunity. To preface I never really thought about self-publishing a book before, yet the man himself, MJ, did it. Why couldn't I? So started thinking about the process and execution I could use to make that happen. I returned to my friends that I asked to read the chapters for me before. I asked, "If there were more pages after what I wrote would you turn to page X?" They both responded that yes, they would. Now that led me to think about other follow-up questions that could be asked.
So, this is the idea I got from doing that. The problem was how I create intrigue for people to want to read the books. How can I get an assessment of people who would buy my books? I decided to create a webpage, that would work as a sales funnel, but without it actually selling anything, just gathering information. Later I could use this site to sell the books from. What it would do is offer people to read a few chapters of the book for free, with a survey at the end asking questions similar to those above, and then offering them a newsletter sign-up, in which they would be given updates to the books release date, offer more details about the worldbuilding to build more intrigue.
What I hope to get out of this is a list of potential buyers, who already find value in the limited writing so that when I release the books they will read it, then tell their friends and family about it, and they too buy, and also potentially join the newsletter. Eventually, I would like to create a story that is told through anybody's preferred media. Whether they read, watch, or experience through play, that's later down the line after I have gotten a following of interested people.
I was wondering what some of you think about this idea, or if any of you have had experience in self-publishing. I'm still working to flesh out the copywriting, and marketing so any ideas are more than welcome. Thank you for any responses, criticism, and insight.
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
