The power of networking, generosity, abundance mentality, and a mailing list to reach a broad audience and build a loyal subscription base
Five days ago, I announced my new book, published through a hybrid model with a flexible agreement with my trusted publisher. I submitted the manuscript to Amazon for presales as both an e-book and a paperback.
While the publisher approved the initial version, I wanted to ensure it was thoroughly reviewed and polished by pragmatic editors, so I sought feedback from beta readers. Unlike other authors, I opened this process to the public, allowing anyone access to my content for free. I began sharing a chapter daily on my website, Substack, and this platform.
Although the number of reads here was modest, the response from my website and Substack was substantial. Many people engaged with the content, providing significant feedback — most of it positive, with some insightful suggestions that highlighted blind spots I hadn’t noticed. This fulfilled my goal.
After sharing free chapters of my book with a select group of writers on my mailing list — those interested in repurposing their content across multiple platforms — the amount of meaningful and engaging feedback significantly increased.
Many freelance writers expressed that they had been waiting for a book like this as they felt overwhelmed by the noise in the industry. Some mentioned that while everyone talks about Substack and their success in many stories, not many are actually sharing the ‘how’ and ‘what’ when it comes to creating the right type of content or audience building.
Then something unexpected and magical happened. When I checked my Amazon dashboard after work today, I was amazed that presales exceeded my monthly income from the 2,000+ stories I have published on this platform. I was very grateful for this serendipitous blessing today.
As I mentioned in the book’s preface, I didn’t write this book to make money. I made it freely available to the public, with the option to purchase it for those who wish to support the project. Any income generated will be donated to our community Substack group to promote freelance writers’ newsletters with the help of professional marketers.
Then, something even more exciting occurred. The book started trending in three topics and hit the top 100 best-seller categories in two key areas (Global marketing and Direct Marketing) on various Amazon markets. This thrilled me, knowing that readers I had never met purchased the book even before the content was available.
And now it hits the top 3 in Amazon Hot New Releases.
I will explain the importance of this unique publishing model in another article. I learned it in 2021 when I first time tried self-publishing by selling 1000+ books in a month. It made me happy during that time as traditional publishing of many books which I poured my heart for years did not bring any monetary value to me.
I wrote this story because this success didn’t happen by chance. It is thanks to the power of the community, who found value in the chapters I shared for free. They enjoyed it, shared it on social media, and created a ripple effect. I am grateful to my audience for their selfless support.
Some writers have asked me why I offer so much content for free, wondering if I worry about people stealing and misusing it. My response is that while there will always be bad actors, they are a minority, and we can’t let them dictate our actions.
For example, in 2020, some bad actors cloned the entire ILLUMINATION publication and many other ones on this platform making writers’ content freely available to the public. I initially fought back hard by reporting it to authorities and the Medium support team, but they were unable to take action.
Similarly, in 2019, I learned that one of my books, which shares personal life hacks, was stolen and sold on the darknet. Since it was my first experience with something like this, it deeply hurt me.
However, just three days later, I received an email from a publisher in Frankfurt informing me that the book had become a bestseller in the German market.
I have no idea what those on the darknet did, but I believe their actions led to an unexpected and positive outcome — a serendipitous encounter in the universe. Ultimately, we can’t control every outcome, but by focusing on sharing value and connecting with our audience, we create opportunities that far outweigh the risks.
My biggest gratitude goes to my grandmother, who taught me the importance of an abundance mentality during my tender childhood.
One Wise Advice from My Grandma That Made Me Wealthy and Happy
Lessons from childhood snail hunting experiences on a Mediterranean farm over a half-century agomedium.com
As I was quite busy today, I couldn’t submit a new chapter, but I wanted to share this good news briefly as a token of my gratitude. I will continue posting a chapter for free on the three major platforms, as I have been.
For those who missed my previous story about the book and the four chapters, here are the links.
Thank you for reading this evolving book and for your generous feedback, which helps me refine the content and make it a valuable resource for our community. Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
If you are a new reader, you may want to check out some of my topics, including the brain, mental health, cognitive function, significant health conditions, longevity, nutrition/food, valuable nutrients, ketogenic lifestyle, self-healing, weight management, writing/reading, including 100+ Insightful Life Lessons from My Circles for the Last 50+ Years.
I publish my health and wellness stories on EUPHORIA and share distilled versions on SUBSTACK. My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.
If you are a writer, you are welcome to join my publications by sending a request via this link. I support 31K writers who contribute to my publications on this platform. You can contact me via my website. I also have another profile to write and curate tech stories.
You are welcome to join the ILLUMINATION Community on Medium and Substack and our education tool, Substack Mastery, curated by ILLUMINATION-Curators. Here is the Importance and Value of Medium Friendship for Writers and Readers
Join me on Substack, where I offer experience-based content on health, content strategy, and technology topics to inform and inspire my readers.
Get an email whenever Dr Mehmet Yildiz publishes. He is a top writer and editor on Medium. dr-mehmet-yildiz.medium.com
This story was initially published at DigitalMehmet.com. My blogs and website offer free access to inspiring and educational stories for freelancers and content entrepreneurs. Please use this portal to contact me with inquiries and feedback.
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