Writing is like any other business: That said, no amount of marketing or sales can save a terrible product. That’s because good writing is good marketing. If it’s well-written, people will talk about the book. They’ll recommend it. Word of mouth will keep it selling long after your launch window closes. Your book may never hit a bestseller list (at least not officially—looking at you, New York Times), but it will keep selling hundreds of copies a month for years after publication. On the flip side, if your book is poorly written or fails to make an impact, you might get a short-term spark from a big marketing push… but it’ll fizzle. Worse, it’ll rack up bad reviews. The one part of the publishing process the author has total control over is the writing. And based on the feedback so far? I nailed it. Why I hate blurbs but love reviewsAs I write this, we’re just 72 hours out from the launch of Hard Lessons From The Hurt Business: Boxing And The Art of Life. If you’re new here, that’s my latest book—a memoir of growing up in the projects, failing out of high school, becoming an alcoholic, and rebuilding my life through boxing, sobriety, and studying physics. It’s also my first book published with a major publisher. And as part of their marketing process, I had to collect blurbs—those little endorsements on the back of the book from people with recognizable names. Here’s the problem with blurbs: they’re not reviews. At least not when it comes to non-fiction. (Fiction’s a different beast.) Blurbs are basically character references, not reader reactions. They’re designed to help push someone off the fence and into the “buy” column. That’s fine, but they don’t tell me anything about what someone actually thinks of the book. Fortunately, over the past week, real feedback has started to roll in. And the feedback? It’s making my heart sing. I've done my job. I've written a great book. Now, I just need your help. The Vanity Metric I'm obsessed withMy goal with this book is to hit a bestseller list—NYT, USA Today, or Publishers Weekly. To get there, I need to sell a certain number of copies during launch week. Here’s the kicker: every pre-order counts toward that first week’s total. The press that comes from hitting one of those lists can goes a long way towards selling more copies of the book. It's very much a case of the rich getting richer, except it's book sales and almost no one is getting rich from the royalties on a non-fiction book. If you’re on this list, that means you already dig my writing. You’ve seen the reviews. You know you’re in for one hell of a ride and some damn good storytelling. So here’s what I need from you:
I appreciate all of your support and help. I put a lot of myself into this book, and based on how people are responding to it, I succeeded in bringing you a great experience. 3 days away from launching the best thing I've ever written. I hope I can count on you to help me share my story with the rest of the world. |
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Forgiving myself has been the most challenging thing I've done. I'm not sure I've done it, but I try every day. As of the writing of these words, I've got 12 years of sobriety. This isn't enough time to forgive myself, as I still feel guilty for my behavior under the influence and beyond. But each day is a new one I approach with humility and gratitude for my luck and second chances. The main idea I remember when forgiving myself is that the past isn't real. Understanding this concept is...
Before we get into today's newsletter, here are some announcements and updates. We're not one week out from my return to the ring after 8 years off. July 12th, I fight here in my city at the Highmark Stadium. I feel fortunate that I'm able to fight on this card in the heart of the city. The card is not broadcast or streamed. I know my email list spans the entire world, but I also know there are some people in the Pittsburgh area where I live. If you want to come down and enjoy a great night...
You keep getting scammed for three reasons—and none of them have anything to do with how smart you are, how much experience you have, or even whether you’ve got street smarts. Now, don’t get me wrong—lack of street smarts definitely makes you an easier target. But hustling follows a different law. It’s the same rule that determines who survives anything summed up nicely in the quote, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives, but the one...