Iterate And Optimize: Optimize Your Creative Business for Profit

Build a publishing business that compounds — without the luck, the hype, or the gold rush. You've read Write. Publish. Repeat. You know the foundation: write the next one, publish the next one, do it again. Iterate and Optimize is what comes next. Sean Platt, Johnny B. Truant, and David Wright didn't grow Sterling & Stone into eight imprints, ten podcasts, and millions of words published by swinging for the fences. They got there by iterating — making small, deliberate improvements over the years that compounded into a business that mostly runs itself. This is the playbook for doing the same with yours. Inside, you'll learn how to optimize: Distribution strategy — exclusive vs. wide, and when to switch Advertising and marketing — the spend that pays for itself and the spend that burns money Conversion levers — covers, descriptions, and metadata that actually move sales Outsourcing and team-building — how to hire slowly without losing the thing that made you successful Product funnels — including the changed role of free books for indie authors today Workflow and systems — what to automate, what to keep hands-on, what to delegate The writing process itself — pre-writing, drafting, and revising faster without sacrificing quality If you've already read every "self-publishing 101" guide on the market and you're ready for the level above it, written by people who've actually built the business at scale, this is your guide. No silver bullets. No magic buttons. Just the small, sustainable improvements that compound into something real. Includes a free companion workbook with exercises and worksheets to apply each chapter to your own publishing business. Ready to get serious about the business behind the books? Iterate and Optimize. In this book, Platt, Truant, and Wright give you all the nitty-gritty they've learned and implemented since their last nonfiction publishing bestseller. You'll learn how to "iterate and optimize" the way you handle: • Exclusive versus "going wide" distribution • International and multi-format sales • Advertising and marketing • Optimizing book covers, descriptions, and metadata to increase conversion • Slowly and sustainable building your assistants or contractors, plus outsourcing right • Advanced product funnels, including the changed role of free books • Networking and in-person meet-ups • Workflow management and systems • The writing and pre-writing process so you can "write better faster" • Social media • Podcasting • Crowdfunding - what works and what doesn't • And much more! This book isn't for the faint of heart! It's only for serious "authorpreneurs" who've read and internalized the lessons of its predecessor Write. Publish. Repeat. and are ready to kick their businesses up a notch. In Iterate and Optimize, the authors hold nothing back … giving you a true insider's look at all the details that make Sterling & Stone run. Ready to get serious about your business? This is the guide you've been waiting for.