July 23, 2025 • 27 mins
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Before publishing your book, set up a pre-order campaign to start making money and building buzz months in advance of your release date. Your voice and story have real monetary value—don't leave that money on the table by waiting until after publication to start earning.
• Pre-order campaigns require only a book cover, landing page, payment link, and release date
• Invest in professional cover design—avoid generic images and amateur photography that signal "unpublished"
• Choose a brandable title that could work for conferences, workshops, or other business extensions
• Register for ISBN (from Bowker) and Library of Congress Control Number before publication
• Create a professional online presence with at least a landing page to sell your pre-orders
• Treat your self-published book as a legitimate business product, not a hobby
• Early purchasers trust you with their money—reward them with special incentives or signed copies
• Use social media strategically, focusing on video content for platforms like TikTok and YouTube
Join my email list at publishwithtiffany.com, check out Publishing Black Magazine, and stay tuned for the Publishing Black Chamber of Commerce.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Stay tuned for Published in Black, the go-to
radio show for black authors,creatives and entrepreneurs
ready to turn their stories intosuccess.
Hosted by publishing expert andbrand strategist, tiffany A
Greenhood, each show willdeliver real talk, powerful
strategies and insider knowledgeon self-publishing, brand
building, wealth creation andmaking an impact with your voice
(00:22):
.
Whether you're writing yourfirst book, growing your
business or scaling yourinfluence, published in Black
will equip you with the tools,inspiration and unapologetic
confidence to thrive.
Listen now and be informed.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Hey, hello, hello, hello.
It's good to be back.
This is black radio.
I am your host.
Tiffany, a green hood.
How is everyone?
Today?
We're gonna hop right in.
So today I want to talk aboutwhat to do before you publish
(01:00):
the book.
Before you publish the book,before you publish the book,
there's some preparation andcertain things that can be done
that will affect everything whenit comes to marketing your book
, when it comes to you pushingthe message of your book, all
(01:21):
that good stuff.
So I want to hop right in andtalk about that today.
I hope everyone is well.
I hope you woke up, on the goodside and just really thanking
God to be here, because it's somuch going on now in 2025 that
everybody's not waking up period.
(01:42):
So stay woke is not waking upperiod.
So, um, stay woke, spiritually,mentally, physically.
Um, be thankful, make sure youare implementing gratitude in
your conversations every day,all that stuff.
And so you know my focus isdon't leave here without
publishing a book.
Do not leave here withoutpublishing a book one book, two
(02:05):
books, three books, whatever anddon't just publish it and let
it sit.
It is produced to make money.
So we're going to hop right in.
We can give a little homeworkreal quick.
Make sure that, if this is yourfirst time or you have listened
to me several times, make surethat you are on my email list.
(02:26):
Okay, you can join my emaillist.
At publishwithtiffanycom, youcan check out the magazine at
publishing black magazine andstay tuned for the publishing
black chamber of commerce, okay,so, um, publishwithtiffanycom
will give you every link that Ijust said, but you want to click
(02:46):
that first link when you go topublishwithtiffanycom and join
the email list.
Okay, so, let's hop right in.
So, before you publish your book, what is it that you need to do
?
The one thing that I try toeducate authors on is a
pre-order.
Make sure you do a pre-ordercampaign.
What is a pre-order campaign?
This is do a pre-order campaign.
What is a pre-order campaign?
This is where you're able tomake money before your book is
(03:08):
published.
Yes, you can do that.
People do it all the time.
They do it with the movies allthe time.
In the film industry.
It's always done.
You want to do a pre?
You can do a pre-order, even ifyou're launching a brand or
you're launching a course oryou're launching an event.
You can do that.
Ok, so, but today we're talkingabout books.
(03:30):
So you want to make sure thatyou set up a preorder campaign.
You only need your book cover,a landing page and a pay link
and your release date.
You definitely have to have arelease date in place, realistic
release date.
Okay, don't say you're going torelease next week and you know
(03:50):
there's no way possible.
You can get that done, okay.
So, but just to give you alittle comfort, you can plan a
pre-order campaign for your bookup to 12 months, up to a year.
Yes, you could do six months,you could do three months, 90
days, however you want to do.
But the thing is to takeadvantage of that time that you
(04:14):
can market that book as much aspossible and get those
pre-orders in.
People will pay for your bookprior to you releasing it.
That means they're paying upfront for your book.
The book is not out yet, thephysical copy is not ready yet,
but they will pay.
That means that people trustyou when they do that.
(04:36):
Okay.
So you want to keep up your endof the deal and make sure that
it is right and ready when itdoes release.
Okay, so for a pre-order, allyou need is your cover design, a
dope cover design.
Don't come out here with thesegeneric covers, with these
flower pots.
Yes, I see it.
I'm sick of seeing books likethat.
(04:58):
You think if you're doingsomething about increasing money
, that you got to put a flowerpot on the front.
Stop doing that.
Can't stand a flower pot, umcovers looking a hot mess.
Don't do that.
Don't do that.
Then you be mad when your bookdon't get chose for certain
stuff because you put a wetcover on there.
Stop doing that.
Okay, and if you're going to beon the cover of your book and
(05:22):
there's nothing wrong with thatyou want to go and get
professional photos.
Professional photos, okay, um,that's a biggie.
So, but you need your cover,your release date, decide on a
release date.
Okay, your cover and your titlemust be in line.
(05:43):
It must be aligned with theinformation that you have inside
your book.
So if it's about your lifestory, you still need an overall
message.
What is the message?
What is the takeaway that youwant me to have after I read
your book?
Okay, so, and another thing Iwant to say stop putting your
whole life on the back of thebook.
We don't care.
We don't care about that.
(06:03):
Stop putting your whole life onthe back of the book.
We don't care.
We don't care about that.
Stop putting your whole life onthe back of the book.
I have had to go back and forthwith authors about that for
years.
They want to put their wholeentire life.
We don't care about all thewars you got and this, and that
there's a place for that.
Okay, that can go on yourwebsite.
That information can go on yourwebsite.
(06:24):
We ain't doing that muchreading on the back of your book
.
We really just want to see whatthe book is about.
So you need a brief, juicysynopsis.
Whether it's fiction,nonfiction, self-help, whatever
it is, we need a synopsis totell us whether or not we need
to purchase this book or not,because, keep in mind, your book
is not for everybody.
Okay, so cover design I have tostay focused because I will get
(06:46):
off on something else.
Cover design, landing page,release date Okay, and that is
what you need to start promotingyour book for pre-order.
Okay, you definitely want to beon social media, across social
(07:07):
media, if you, if you are not asocial media person and you have
the audience, that's not socialmedia great.
Just pre-sell the book.
You still need a link for themto pay you.
I mean, if they're gonna giveyou cash, that's you know, I
guess.
But you don't need a fullwebsite either.
Let me say that there areplatforms out here like Canva
(07:31):
you can create a landing page on.
You do need to Canva proaccount.
You can create a landing pageand a pay link for your book, so
your pay link would have to beconnected to a pay hip, a
gumroad stand store beacons,something like that.
Um, you can use paypal.
I don't promote paypal.
We don't do paypal no more.
(07:51):
Paypal do not support thebusiness owner.
But, um, you definitely need topay link.
If you already have a website,then you in business I.
You can even have a landingpage or page dedicated to the
book on your website, dependingon what kind of website you have
.
If you already have a websitethat is your name dot com and
it's all about you, that wouldbe the perfect website to place
(08:14):
your book on preorder.
Ok, just so you understand.
But I don't want you to panic.
If you don't have a website,you can definitely create a
landing page on other platformslike um, canva or Stan store.
Um, I love Stan store, that'swhat I have, and so it would
allow me to place.
Now, stan store is made fordigital products.
(08:35):
However, you can use one ofthose links to place a physical
product on there.
Okay, um, and you will put itfor um, whatever is the price.
So let me go over the price.
When you price your book forpre-order, you're going to do
your book.
Let's say your book is notscheduled to release in January.
Okay, that's the officialrelease date.
(08:56):
But you want to do pre-ordersand you want to start.
Let's say you want to start inAugust.
Okay, perfect example.
Say you want to start in August.
Okay, perfect example.
You will start your pre-orderin August.
But there must be some kind ofincentive that they're getting,
because you have to look at yourpre-order purchases, as these
are the people that want firstdibs.
(09:17):
You know what I'm saying.
They're kind of like your VIPpeople.
They trust you, they won't hate, they willing to give you their
money for your book that's notfinished yet.
So that's a big trust.
They trust in you, okay, so youwant to give them some kind of
incentive.
So, whatever it is, it could beum, they get a signed copy.
You want to put them some extrain there, like a book mark or,
(09:40):
um, thank you card.
You know, maybe get some cutelittle boxes for all the people
that pre-order, or cute littlebag or something.
You just want to be extra andmake them feel special because
they purchased your book beforethe official date.
That says a lot, you know.
So you want to keep that inmind when it comes to pre-orders
.
But all you need is a coverdesign, cover design um, all you
(10:07):
need is a cover design, coverdesign, release date and landing
page and pay link period.
That's it.
That is not a lot, okay.
So for all y'all to sit aroundand always tell me I don't know,
I don't know what to do, Idon't know what to do, listen,
you have no excuses.
I come on here, I give you thelinks, I give you the resources
and all that that you can atleast get started with okay, and
we're gonna get started withOkay, and we're going to get
started with our first song.
I'll be right back.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Cause you take me higher, higher.
There is nowhere I wouldn't go.
It's true, lord, take me higherand higher.
(11:13):
Give me more of your glory, yes, more of your spirit.
God, I just need more of you,cause I wanna be lost in your
(11:41):
presence.
Yes, I wanna be wrapped in yourlove.
Take me higher, higher To myglory.
Blessed by your story, I'mamazed at your love Healing up
(12:05):
for me Higher, higher.
Just a little.
Hide me the rest of you.
Show me the truth.
It's what I can boast of you,yes yes, so we want to.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
We don't want to leave out pre-orders, okay, and
so also, yes, you can.
Let me just say this leave outpre-orders, okay.
And so also, yes, you can.
Let me just say this you canpre-order your journals.
You can do a pre-order campaignfor your workbooks.
You can do a pre-order campaignfor your business launch.
If you launching a new businessor a new sector in your business
, right so, you already have abusiness, but you, you adding a
(12:50):
new recipe or a new um addition.
That's a part of your business,but just a different.
You know we have legs to ourbusiness, right so, um, you can
do a pre-order for anything,okay, but do not leave money on
the table when it comes to thisbook.
You want to get all the money,okay.
(13:12):
I'm always talking about how toget to the money.
Yeah, you get to the moneybefore the book is released.
You just, you just need to doit, plan it.
If you don't know how to do it,call me, you can, I can, you
can pay me to do it, set it up,okay, but you want to have it
and you cannot put it onpre-order and then just expect
the sales to come in.
(13:32):
We got to get rid of that typeof thinking.
You have to promote the and youcannot put it on pre-order and
then just expect the sales tocome in.
We got to get rid of that typeof thinking.
You have to promote the book.
You should be going live.
And of course, I'm talkingabout social media, because
that's what everybody is.
They own social media period.
I'm in the radio station butI'm still logged in to TikTok or
Facebook or something, becausethat's where people are.
(13:54):
So I'm going to promote myreplay to this episode and all
my other ones on social media.
That's what people are, period.
So, whether you like it or not,you're leaving money on the
table if you are not tuned inwith it.
Okay, so cover design Okay socover design.
We say a cover design.
(14:15):
Landing page release date andcover design, landing page,
release date and something else,but I'm sure I said it earlier.
Okay, so, moving right along,so things that you need to do
before your book is published.
You want to do a pre-ordercampaign.
We talked about that.
You want to make sure yourcover design is on point.
(14:37):
You want to make sure yourtitle is on point.
If your title I say this allthe time if your title cannot be
a conference workshop, if itcannot be a conference workshop
membership, something that youcan use that same title for, if
you can't take that title andplace it on top of an event or
(14:59):
something else, that's not yourright title.
And I'm speaking from you know,if you're writing about your
life, if you're writing about um, if you're writing a self-help,
you know seven steps to do X, y, z or something like that.
That could be slightlydifferent, but if you title it
right, it's a phrase, it's apower, it could be one.
(15:22):
Your title of your book can beone word.
Think about all the people thatyou know, celebrities or
popular, your favorite pastor,whoever that wrote a book and it
was one word.
One word can be powerful.
You don't want to havesomething long and drawn out
because you're trying to sayeverything in the title.
Stop doing that.
What you're doing is you'reoverdoing it, you're doing too
(15:43):
much, and too much will justwipe you out and nobody wants to
really hear about it.
Because you're doing too much.
Okay, more is less is more.
Just keep that in mind.
Less is more.
So one word can be totallypowerful.
Three words can be good.
Just don't.
And then, if you want to sayanything else, you can put that
(16:05):
in your subtitle, okay.
So, um, your pre-order campaigna dope cover design, a dope
title.
You want to purchase your ISBN.
You only purchase your ISBNfrom myidentifierscom, which is
balkercom B-O-W-K-E-R.
And then you want to registerfor your LCCN number, which is
(16:28):
your Library of Congress numberfor your book.
It goes on your copyright pageOkay, what that does is that
registers your book for theLibrary of Congress, which means
it makes it available to thelibraries and schools and all
that stuff.
Okay, that's very important.
So, when you go to becausethat's what I teach, your
(16:49):
regular publisher will not eventell you this, but I teach go to
the libraries and get yourbooks in these libraries.
Okay, some of them act funny,but you have a right to have
your book inside the library.
Each library has their ownprocess and what to do and all
(17:12):
of that the requirements.
So you want to, um, just walkin and ask them how do?
And all of that therequirements.
So you want to just walk in andask them how do I get my book
inside the library?
And they'll either give you apaper or something or tell you,
or whatever the case is, butdon't let them tell you that
your book cannot be in thelibrary.
And when you have your LCC in.
This is why I say this is veryimportant when you have that
already, that means that you arealready in their system period.
(17:38):
Most libraries order their booksfrom IngramSparkcom.
That is one of the largestpublishing companies.
Global Distribution Hubs is oneof the largest distribution
companies when it comes topublishing Okay companies when
it comes to publishing Okay, andthey service very well on a
large scale, self-publishedauthors Okay.
(18:00):
Don't let any library tell youthat you cannot get your book in
there.
Don't let them tell you thatthey and I'm telling y'all this
because I've experienced it, myclients have experienced it
Don't let them tell you thatthey don't usually place
self-published books.
That's they lying.
Okay, they be acting funny, butthey can't when you have all
(18:22):
your credentials.
See, that's the thing aboutbeing official when you have
your credentials in order whenit comes to your book and this.
This is another reason why I'mheavy on cover design, cause
when you come in there with thatflower pot book, they ain't
thinking about you.
You know what I'm saying.
But when you have aprofessionally professional
cover design and it's crisp andready, they can't deny you.
(18:47):
You come in there.
Your book should look like youalready a New York Times
bestseller.
Since y'all want that title sobad, then you should be doing
everything in your power to looklike what that looks like.
What does a New York Timesbestseller books cover look like
?
What does it look like?
You don't have flower pots.
They don't put flower pots ontheir covers.
I'm just saying I hope I'mstepping on somebody's toes
(19:10):
today because I'm sick of seeingit.
I'm sick of seeing the cellphone photos on your covers.
That's not going to get you towhat you think.
This book is going to bring youMillions, baby.
It's not going to bring youmillions with them.
Flower pots on them covers andthem blurry pictures and cell
phone pictures and stuff.
Come on, it's time to wake upand grow up and stand up when it
comes to this.
Self-publishing is a business,okay, so you need to treat it as
(19:38):
one.
Okay, it's not grandma business, it's your business.
And think about this this isnot 1985.
This is 2025.
We have no excuses to look topart when we show up with our
book for speaking engagements orwhatever it is we got going on.
We need to show up, like wealready, where we say we want to
be okay.
(19:58):
So y'all know, I'm uh, I can't.
It's certain things I justcan't leave out, all right.
So, um, your cover design, yourpre-order campaign, your isbn
and lccn okay.
Another thing that I want tosay that's important is to have
you a website If you can'tafford I can't even say you
(20:22):
can't afford, because websitesare minimal costs nowadays.
Wix is what?
About $20 a month, you know?
Um, canva has amazing.
I use their landing pages allthe time for my own stuff.
Um, shopify Shopify is now $39a month.
It's so worth it because youget to add in products.
(20:42):
I love Shopify.
I have three of them Okay.
So, um, you want to have yourwebsite.
If you can't do a whole fullwebsite right now, you can do a
landing page, something thatsays who you are and what you do
, a professional headshot onthere.
If you don't have money to do aphoto shoot, guess what Do you?
Some AI headshots period, Ihave them.
(21:03):
I use them all the time, okay.
So it's so many ways we canshow up.
We can show up and get exactlywhat is for us Okay, and we want
to show up looking like wherethey breaking their neck to
connect with you.
Otherwise, when you're tryingto connect with you, you got a
flower pot on your cover.
(21:23):
I'm just saying and we're goingto go to break.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Everything.
I don't want it, I don't needit.
God, won't you take everything.
I don't want it, I don't needit.
(21:56):
God, I just want you, I justwant you, I Just want you, I
Just want you, I just want you,we just want you, we just want
you, we just want you, we justwant you.
(22:21):
Yeah, we just want you, we justwant you.
So take everything.
I don't want it, I don't wantit, I don't want it.
So take everything.
I don't need, I don't need, Ijust want you, I just want you
(22:51):
All right.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
So, yes, we are going to show up.
We are not coming with all theold advice that people will be
trying to give us.
Oh, you know, you gotta wait toget your name out there.
Listen, in 2025 we got noexcuses.
If you show up the way you needto be showing up and you know
what you need to do, then youdon't have any excuses.
(23:13):
People will be breaking theirnecks to connect with you, to
ask you to speak at theirconference, to ask you to speak
at their workshop, to ask you to.
Can you their conference to askyou to speak at their workshop,
to ask you to.
Can you come to the church anddo a workshop?
What's your fee?
How do I get on a call with you?
People ask me that all the timewhen I especially when I'm
somewhere and I'm I speak.
You have to realize howpowerful your voice is, how
(23:35):
powerful your story is.
Okay, and your book?
Your book don't even have to beabout your story.
But let's just be honest.
Any books that we put out, it'sconnected to our story.
It's connected to us, period,that's it.
You get to a point to where youyou tired of watching, when
you're gonna get sick of sittingand watching everybody else
(23:56):
launch their stuff and youtrying to put together and
overthinking and doing this anddoing that.
Then you got your medicalissues and you got all these
excuses.
When are you going to get tothe point to where you just say
you know what I'm going all inwherever I'm at?
You cannot wait till the moneyshow up.
(24:18):
You got to help the money showup.
Your book helps the money showup.
I ain't about to go there today.
Your book helps the money showup, okay.
So define your purpose andprofit plan.
How much money do you want tomake with this book?
It don't come overnight, but ifyou set it up the right way and
(24:40):
you're consistent with showingup and consistent with promoting
yourself and consistent withmarketing, guess what?
You can get them.
Numbers that you want and don'tshade on.
If your goal is six figures orfive figures or four figures,
listen, they all numbers thatmoney spend the same way.
So don't shade yourself.
(25:03):
If you, your goal is fivefigures and you only made three
figures, right, it's okay, allright.
Books make real money.
This is what I need you to know.
Books make real money.
Your voice makes real money.
Ok, I need you to know that forreal.
(25:23):
Ok, people out here now I havecome across people who have
written their books and they'relike, oh no, I don't want to
sell it, I just want to.
I just want to bless somebody.
Ok, fine, this ain't the clubfor you.
Then we over here, we gonna, wegonna make some money with our
books, with our story, with allthe crap we've been through.
(25:45):
We're gonna make some moneywith that.
Okay, that's what books are for.
Okay, and and as long as youtitle your book right that's why
I talk about your title shouldbe brandable we should be able
to take that same title and putit on top of something else and
it's still pop.
That's how you know you got theright title.
Stop trying to be deep, stoptrying to put everything out
(26:06):
front and all that.
Stop it.
It's messing you up, you'rewasting time and then guess what
?
It's keeping you broke.
It's keeping you broke, okay.
So, um, so um.
You want to be presenting.
If you're on social media, youwant to definitely be presenting
your social media platforms inthe best capacity period.
(26:26):
What's popular now is videos,reels, stories.
Okay, take talk is a videoplatform.
Don't come on here postingpictures.
It's a video platform.
Okay, youtube.
I just started taking myyoutube series.
I've been on youtube since Isay it's 2011 on my account.
Don't judge me.
I've been posting consistentlythe last two, three weeks on on
(26:51):
youtube and I am gaining.
I'm almost at 200 subscribers.
What I'm at?
58 000 views.
Just had my first video hit12,000 views on YouTube.
Go follow me on YouTube.
All of my social media is blackwriter space.
One word with two s's blackwriter space.
(27:12):
So go follow me on all theplatforms, but listen, make
social media work for you.
Okay, it's there to promote you, your, your book, all that and
help you get to the money.
I'm here to help you.
Ok, join my email list andpublish with Tiffany dot com,
and you can also check out thereplays and publish in black
(27:34):
podcast dot com.
All right, I'll see y'all nextweek.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
You have been listening to, published in black
with publishing expert andbrand strategist, tiffany a
green hood.
Listen next week for real talk,powerful strategies and much
more.
Again, we thank you forlistening.
Stay tuned for Published in Black, the go-to
radio show for black authors,creatives and entrepreneurs
ready to turn their stories intosuccess.
Hosted by publishing expert andbrand strategist, tiffany A
Greenhood, each show willdeliver real talk, powerful
strategies and insider knowledgeon self-publishing, brand
building, wealth creation andmaking an impact with your voice
(00:22):
.
Whether you're writing yourfirst book, growing your
business or scaling yourinfluence, published in Black
will equip you with the tools,inspiration and unapologetic
confidence to thrive.
Listen now and be informed.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Hey, hello, hello, hello.
It's good to be back.
This is black radio.
I am your host.
Tiffany, a green hood.
How is everyone?
Today?
We're gonna hop right in.
So today I want to talk aboutwhat to do before you publish
(01:00):
the book.
Before you publish the book,before you publish the book,
there's some preparation andcertain things that can be done
that will affect everything whenit comes to marketing your book
, when it comes to you pushingthe message of your book, all
(01:21):
that good stuff.
So I want to hop right in andtalk about that today.
I hope everyone is well.
I hope you woke up, on the goodside and just really thanking
God to be here, because it's somuch going on now in 2025 that
everybody's not waking up period.
(01:42):
So stay woke is not waking upperiod.
So, um, stay woke, spiritually,mentally, physically.
Um, be thankful, make sure youare implementing gratitude in
your conversations every day,all that stuff.
And so you know my focus isdon't leave here without
publishing a book.
Do not leave here withoutpublishing a book one book, two
(02:05):
books, three books, whatever anddon't just publish it and let
it sit.
It is produced to make money.
So we're going to hop right in.
We can give a little homeworkreal quick.
Make sure that, if this is yourfirst time or you have listened
to me several times, make surethat you are on my email list.
(02:26):
Okay, you can join my emaillist.
At publishwithtiffanycom, youcan check out the magazine at
publishing black magazine andstay tuned for the publishing
black chamber of commerce, okay,so, um, publishwithtiffanycom
will give you every link that Ijust said, but you want to click
(02:46):
that first link when you go topublishwithtiffanycom and join
the email list.
Okay, so, let's hop right in.
So, before you publish your book, what is it that you need to do
?
The one thing that I try toeducate authors on is a
pre-order.
Make sure you do a pre-ordercampaign.
What is a pre-order campaign?
This is do a pre-order campaign.
What is a pre-order campaign?
This is where you're able tomake money before your book is
(03:08):
published.
Yes, you can do that.
People do it all the time.
They do it with the movies allthe time.
In the film industry.
It's always done.
You want to do a pre?
You can do a pre-order, even ifyou're launching a brand or
you're launching a course oryou're launching an event.
You can do that.
Ok, so, but today we're talkingabout books.
(03:30):
So you want to make sure thatyou set up a preorder campaign.
You only need your book cover,a landing page and a pay link
and your release date.
You definitely have to have arelease date in place, realistic
release date.
Okay, don't say you're going torelease next week and you know
(03:50):
there's no way possible.
You can get that done, okay.
So, but just to give you alittle comfort, you can plan a
pre-order campaign for your bookup to 12 months, up to a year.
Yes, you could do six months,you could do three months, 90
days, however you want to do.
But the thing is to takeadvantage of that time that you
(04:14):
can market that book as much aspossible and get those
pre-orders in.
People will pay for your bookprior to you releasing it.
That means they're paying upfront for your book.
The book is not out yet, thephysical copy is not ready yet,
but they will pay.
That means that people trustyou when they do that.
(04:36):
Okay.
So you want to keep up your endof the deal and make sure that
it is right and ready when itdoes release.
Okay, so for a pre-order, allyou need is your cover design, a
dope cover design.
Don't come out here with thesegeneric covers, with these
flower pots.
Yes, I see it.
I'm sick of seeing books likethat.
(04:58):
You think if you're doingsomething about increasing money
, that you got to put a flowerpot on the front.
Stop doing that.
Can't stand a flower pot, umcovers looking a hot mess.
Don't do that.
Don't do that.
Then you be mad when your bookdon't get chose for certain
stuff because you put a wetcover on there.
Stop doing that.
Okay, and if you're going to beon the cover of your book and
(05:22):
there's nothing wrong with thatyou want to go and get
professional photos.
Professional photos, okay, um,that's a biggie.
So, but you need your cover,your release date, decide on a
release date.
Okay, your cover and your titlemust be in line.
(05:43):
It must be aligned with theinformation that you have inside
your book.
So if it's about your lifestory, you still need an overall
message.
What is the message?
What is the takeaway that youwant me to have after I read
your book?
Okay, so, and another thing Iwant to say stop putting your
whole life on the back of thebook.
We don't care.
We don't care about that.
(06:03):
Stop putting your whole life onthe back of the book.
We don't care.
We don't care about that.
Stop putting your whole life onthe back of the book.
I have had to go back and forthwith authors about that for
years.
They want to put their wholeentire life.
We don't care about all thewars you got and this, and that
there's a place for that.
Okay, that can go on yourwebsite.
That information can go on yourwebsite.
(06:24):
We ain't doing that muchreading on the back of your book
.
We really just want to see whatthe book is about.
So you need a brief, juicysynopsis.
Whether it's fiction,nonfiction, self-help, whatever
it is, we need a synopsis totell us whether or not we need
to purchase this book or not,because, keep in mind, your book
is not for everybody.
Okay, so cover design I have tostay focused because I will get
(06:46):
off on something else.
Cover design, landing page,release date Okay, and that is
what you need to start promotingyour book for pre-order.
Okay, you definitely want to beon social media, across social
(07:07):
media, if you, if you are not asocial media person and you have
the audience, that's not socialmedia great.
Just pre-sell the book.
You still need a link for themto pay you.
I mean, if they're gonna giveyou cash, that's you know, I
guess.
But you don't need a fullwebsite either.
Let me say that there areplatforms out here like Canva
(07:31):
you can create a landing page on.
You do need to Canva proaccount.
You can create a landing pageand a pay link for your book, so
your pay link would have to beconnected to a pay hip, a
gumroad stand store beacons,something like that.
Um, you can use paypal.
I don't promote paypal.
We don't do paypal no more.
(07:51):
Paypal do not support thebusiness owner.
But, um, you definitely need topay link.
If you already have a website,then you in business I.
You can even have a landingpage or page dedicated to the
book on your website, dependingon what kind of website you have
.
If you already have a websitethat is your name dot com and
it's all about you, that wouldbe the perfect website to place
(08:14):
your book on preorder.
Ok, just so you understand.
But I don't want you to panic.
If you don't have a website,you can definitely create a
landing page on other platformslike um, canva or Stan store.
Um, I love Stan store, that'swhat I have, and so it would
allow me to place.
Now, stan store is made fordigital products.
(08:35):
However, you can use one ofthose links to place a physical
product on there.
Okay, um, and you will put itfor um, whatever is the price.
So let me go over the price.
When you price your book forpre-order, you're going to do
your book.
Let's say your book is notscheduled to release in January.
Okay, that's the officialrelease date.
(08:56):
But you want to do pre-ordersand you want to start.
Let's say you want to start inAugust.
Okay, perfect example.
Say you want to start in August.
Okay, perfect example.
You will start your pre-orderin August.
But there must be some kind ofincentive that they're getting,
because you have to look at yourpre-order purchases, as these
are the people that want firstdibs.
(09:17):
You know what I'm saying.
They're kind of like your VIPpeople.
They trust you, they won't hate, they willing to give you their
money for your book that's notfinished yet.
So that's a big trust.
They trust in you, okay, so youwant to give them some kind of
incentive.
So, whatever it is, it could beum, they get a signed copy.
You want to put them some extrain there, like a book mark or,
(09:40):
um, thank you card.
You know, maybe get some cutelittle boxes for all the people
that pre-order, or cute littlebag or something.
You just want to be extra andmake them feel special because
they purchased your book beforethe official date.
That says a lot, you know.
So you want to keep that inmind when it comes to pre-orders
.
But all you need is a coverdesign, cover design um, all you
(10:07):
need is a cover design, coverdesign, release date and landing
page and pay link period.
That's it.
That is not a lot, okay.
So for all y'all to sit aroundand always tell me I don't know,
I don't know what to do, Idon't know what to do, listen,
you have no excuses.
I come on here, I give you thelinks, I give you the resources
and all that that you can atleast get started with okay, and
we're gonna get started withOkay, and we're going to get
started with our first song.
I'll be right back.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Cause you take me higher, higher.
There is nowhere I wouldn't go.
It's true, lord, take me higherand higher.
(11:13):
Give me more of your glory, yes, more of your spirit.
God, I just need more of you,cause I wanna be lost in your
(11:41):
presence.
Yes, I wanna be wrapped in yourlove.
Take me higher, higher To myglory.
Blessed by your story, I'mamazed at your love Healing up
(12:05):
for me Higher, higher.
Just a little.
Hide me the rest of you.
Show me the truth.
It's what I can boast of you,yes yes, so we want to.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
We don't want to leave out pre-orders, okay, and
so also, yes, you can.
Let me just say this leave outpre-orders, okay.
And so also, yes, you can.
Let me just say this you canpre-order your journals.
You can do a pre-order campaignfor your workbooks.
You can do a pre-order campaignfor your business launch.
If you launching a new businessor a new sector in your business
, right so, you already have abusiness, but you, you adding a
(12:50):
new recipe or a new um addition.
That's a part of your business,but just a different.
You know we have legs to ourbusiness, right so, um, you can
do a pre-order for anything,okay, but do not leave money on
the table when it comes to thisbook.
You want to get all the money,okay.
(13:12):
I'm always talking about how toget to the money.
Yeah, you get to the moneybefore the book is released.
You just, you just need to doit, plan it.
If you don't know how to do it,call me, you can, I can, you
can pay me to do it, set it up,okay, but you want to have it
and you cannot put it onpre-order and then just expect
the sales to come in.
(13:32):
We got to get rid of that typeof thinking.
You have to promote the and youcannot put it on pre-order and
then just expect the sales tocome in.
We got to get rid of that typeof thinking.
You have to promote the book.
You should be going live.
And of course, I'm talkingabout social media, because
that's what everybody is.
They own social media period.
I'm in the radio station butI'm still logged in to TikTok or
Facebook or something, becausethat's where people are.
(13:54):
So I'm going to promote myreplay to this episode and all
my other ones on social media.
That's what people are, period.
So, whether you like it or not,you're leaving money on the
table if you are not tuned inwith it.
Okay, so cover design Okay socover design.
We say a cover design.
(14:15):
Landing page release date andcover design, landing page,
release date and something else,but I'm sure I said it earlier.
Okay, so, moving right along,so things that you need to do
before your book is published.
You want to do a pre-ordercampaign.
We talked about that.
You want to make sure yourcover design is on point.
(14:37):
You want to make sure yourtitle is on point.
If your title I say this allthe time if your title cannot be
a conference workshop, if itcannot be a conference workshop
membership, something that youcan use that same title for, if
you can't take that title andplace it on top of an event or
(14:59):
something else, that's not yourright title.
And I'm speaking from you know,if you're writing about your
life, if you're writing about um, if you're writing a self-help,
you know seven steps to do X, y, z or something like that.
That could be slightlydifferent, but if you title it
right, it's a phrase, it's apower, it could be one.
(15:22):
Your title of your book can beone word.
Think about all the people thatyou know, celebrities or
popular, your favorite pastor,whoever that wrote a book and it
was one word.
One word can be powerful.
You don't want to havesomething long and drawn out
because you're trying to sayeverything in the title.
Stop doing that.
What you're doing is you'reoverdoing it, you're doing too
(15:43):
much, and too much will justwipe you out and nobody wants to
really hear about it.
Because you're doing too much.
Okay, more is less is more.
Just keep that in mind.
Less is more.
So one word can be totallypowerful.
Three words can be good.
Just don't.
And then, if you want to sayanything else, you can put that
(16:05):
in your subtitle, okay.
So, um, your pre-order campaigna dope cover design, a dope
title.
You want to purchase your ISBN.
You only purchase your ISBNfrom myidentifierscom, which is
balkercom B-O-W-K-E-R.
And then you want to registerfor your LCCN number, which is
(16:28):
your Library of Congress numberfor your book.
It goes on your copyright pageOkay, what that does is that
registers your book for theLibrary of Congress, which means
it makes it available to thelibraries and schools and all
that stuff.
Okay, that's very important.
So, when you go to becausethat's what I teach, your
(16:49):
regular publisher will not eventell you this, but I teach go to
the libraries and get yourbooks in these libraries.
Okay, some of them act funny,but you have a right to have
your book inside the library.
Each library has their ownprocess and what to do and all
(17:12):
of that the requirements.
So you want to, um, just walkin and ask them how do?
And all of that therequirements.
So you want to just walk in andask them how do I get my book
inside the library?
And they'll either give you apaper or something or tell you,
or whatever the case is, butdon't let them tell you that
your book cannot be in thelibrary.
And when you have your LCC in.
This is why I say this is veryimportant when you have that
already, that means that you arealready in their system period.
(17:38):
Most libraries order their booksfrom IngramSparkcom.
That is one of the largestpublishing companies.
Global Distribution Hubs is oneof the largest distribution
companies when it comes topublishing Okay companies when
it comes to publishing Okay, andthey service very well on a
large scale, self-publishedauthors Okay.
(18:00):
Don't let any library tell youthat you cannot get your book in
there.
Don't let them tell you thatthey and I'm telling y'all this
because I've experienced it, myclients have experienced it
Don't let them tell you thatthey don't usually place
self-published books.
That's they lying.
Okay, they be acting funny, butthey can't when you have all
(18:22):
your credentials.
See, that's the thing aboutbeing official when you have
your credentials in order whenit comes to your book and this.
This is another reason why I'mheavy on cover design, cause
when you come in there with thatflower pot book, they ain't
thinking about you.
You know what I'm saying.
But when you have aprofessionally professional
cover design and it's crisp andready, they can't deny you.
(18:47):
You come in there.
Your book should look like youalready a New York Times
bestseller.
Since y'all want that title sobad, then you should be doing
everything in your power to looklike what that looks like.
What does a New York Timesbestseller books cover look like
?
What does it look like?
You don't have flower pots.
They don't put flower pots ontheir covers.
I'm just saying I hope I'mstepping on somebody's toes
(19:10):
today because I'm sick of seeingit.
I'm sick of seeing the cellphone photos on your covers.
That's not going to get you towhat you think.
This book is going to bring youMillions, baby.
It's not going to bring youmillions with them.
Flower pots on them covers andthem blurry pictures and cell
phone pictures and stuff.
Come on, it's time to wake upand grow up and stand up when it
comes to this.
Self-publishing is a business,okay, so you need to treat it as
(19:38):
one.
Okay, it's not grandma business, it's your business.
And think about this this isnot 1985.
This is 2025.
We have no excuses to look topart when we show up with our
book for speaking engagements orwhatever it is we got going on.
We need to show up, like wealready, where we say we want to
be okay.
(19:58):
So y'all know, I'm uh, I can't.
It's certain things I justcan't leave out, all right.
So, um, your cover design, yourpre-order campaign, your isbn
and lccn okay.
Another thing that I want tosay that's important is to have
you a website If you can'tafford I can't even say you
(20:22):
can't afford, because websitesare minimal costs nowadays.
Wix is what?
About $20 a month, you know?
Um, canva has amazing.
I use their landing pages allthe time for my own stuff.
Um, shopify Shopify is now $39a month.
It's so worth it because youget to add in products.
(20:42):
I love Shopify.
I have three of them Okay.
So, um, you want to have yourwebsite.
If you can't do a whole fullwebsite right now, you can do a
landing page, something thatsays who you are and what you do
, a professional headshot onthere.
If you don't have money to do aphoto shoot, guess what Do you?
Some AI headshots period, Ihave them.
(21:03):
I use them all the time, okay.
So it's so many ways we canshow up.
We can show up and get exactlywhat is for us Okay, and we want
to show up looking like wherethey breaking their neck to
connect with you.
Otherwise, when you're tryingto connect with you, you got a
flower pot on your cover.
(21:23):
I'm just saying and we're goingto go to break.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Everything.
I don't want it, I don't needit.
God, won't you take everything.
I don't want it, I don't needit.
(21:56):
God, I just want you, I justwant you, I Just want you, I
Just want you, I just want you,we just want you, we just want
you, we just want you, we justwant you.
(22:21):
Yeah, we just want you, we justwant you.
So take everything.
I don't want it, I don't wantit, I don't want it.
So take everything.
I don't need, I don't need, Ijust want you, I just want you
(22:51):
All right.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
So, yes, we are going to show up.
We are not coming with all theold advice that people will be
trying to give us.
Oh, you know, you gotta wait toget your name out there.
Listen, in 2025 we got noexcuses.
If you show up the way you needto be showing up and you know
what you need to do, then youdon't have any excuses.
(23:13):
People will be breaking theirnecks to connect with you, to
ask you to speak at theirconference, to ask you to speak
at their workshop, to ask you to.
Can you their conference to askyou to speak at their workshop,
to ask you to.
Can you come to the church anddo a workshop?
What's your fee?
How do I get on a call with you?
People ask me that all the timewhen I especially when I'm
somewhere and I'm I speak.
You have to realize howpowerful your voice is, how
(23:35):
powerful your story is.
Okay, and your book?
Your book don't even have to beabout your story.
But let's just be honest.
Any books that we put out, it'sconnected to our story.
It's connected to us, period,that's it.
You get to a point to where youyou tired of watching, when
you're gonna get sick of sittingand watching everybody else
(23:56):
launch their stuff and youtrying to put together and
overthinking and doing this anddoing that.
Then you got your medicalissues and you got all these
excuses.
When are you going to get tothe point to where you just say
you know what I'm going all inwherever I'm at?
You cannot wait till the moneyshow up.
(24:18):
You got to help the money showup.
Your book helps the money showup.
I ain't about to go there today.
Your book helps the money showup, okay.
So define your purpose andprofit plan.
How much money do you want tomake with this book?
It don't come overnight, but ifyou set it up the right way and
(24:40):
you're consistent with showingup and consistent with promoting
yourself and consistent withmarketing, guess what?
You can get them.
Numbers that you want and don'tshade on.
If your goal is six figures orfive figures or four figures,
listen, they all numbers thatmoney spend the same way.
So don't shade yourself.
(25:03):
If you, your goal is fivefigures and you only made three
figures, right, it's okay, allright.
Books make real money.
This is what I need you to know.
Books make real money.
Your voice makes real money.
Ok, I need you to know that forreal.
(25:23):
Ok, people out here now I havecome across people who have
written their books and they'relike, oh no, I don't want to
sell it, I just want to.
I just want to bless somebody.
Ok, fine, this ain't the clubfor you.
Then we over here, we gonna, wegonna make some money with our
books, with our story, with allthe crap we've been through.
(25:45):
We're gonna make some moneywith that.
Okay, that's what books are for.
Okay, and and as long as youtitle your book right that's why
I talk about your title shouldbe brandable we should be able
to take that same title and putit on top of something else and
it's still pop.
That's how you know you got theright title.
Stop trying to be deep, stoptrying to put everything out
(26:06):
front and all that.
Stop it.
It's messing you up, you'rewasting time and then guess what
?
It's keeping you broke.
It's keeping you broke, okay.
So, um, so um.
You want to be presenting.
If you're on social media, youwant to definitely be presenting
your social media platforms inthe best capacity period.
(26:26):
What's popular now is videos,reels, stories.
Okay, take talk is a videoplatform.
Don't come on here postingpictures.
It's a video platform.
Okay, youtube.
I just started taking myyoutube series.
I've been on youtube since Isay it's 2011 on my account.
Don't judge me.
I've been posting consistentlythe last two, three weeks on on
(26:51):
youtube and I am gaining.
I'm almost at 200 subscribers.
What I'm at?
58 000 views.
Just had my first video hit12,000 views on YouTube.
Go follow me on YouTube.
All of my social media is blackwriter space.
One word with two s's blackwriter space.
(27:12):
So go follow me on all theplatforms, but listen, make
social media work for you.
Okay, it's there to promote you, your, your book, all that and
help you get to the money.
I'm here to help you.
Ok, join my email list andpublish with Tiffany dot com,
and you can also check out thereplays and publish in black
(27:34):
podcast dot com.
All right, I'll see y'all nextweek.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
You have been listening to, published in black
with publishing expert andbrand strategist, tiffany a
green hood.
Listen next week for real talk,powerful strategies and much
more.
Again, we thank you forlistening.
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