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HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
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Nick Thacker is a bestselling author of over 45 books across multiple genres, including the 16-book Harvey Bennett thriller series. What makes Nick's story unique is that he never wanted to be a writer—he hated writing in school and only started his first book as a Christmas gift for his father. After working in marketing and web design, Nick applied business principles to his author career and was able to quit his full-time job in 2017. Today, he runs Book Career in a Year, where he teaches authors how to build sustainable writing careers through strategic marketing, email list building, and treating their creative work as a business.
In this episode:
- Why Nick hated writing but became a prolific author anyway
- The "muddy middle" problem and how craft books saved his first manuscript
- How The Enigma Strain made only $80 in its first year but became a bestseller
- Why writing more books is the single best marketing strategy
- The crucial difference between fighting obscurity and making money
- Three marketing buckets every author needs: email, social media, and advertising
- How to build an email list as a fiction writer by giving away entire books
- Why you should make your social media attractive, not promotional
- Why "writing for yourself" is often an excuse to avoid marketing
- Productivity systems that work: the 12 Week Year and EOS (Traction)
- How to find your own writing process instead of copying famous authors
- Step-by-step guide to building a book career in one year
- When to start investing in Facebook and Amazon ads
- The importance of sending readers back to Amazon for algorithmic benefits
Resources mentioned:
- Book Career in a Year program: https://www.bookcareerinayear.com/
- Scrivener: https://scrivener.app/
- Email marketing platforms
- Amazon KDP: https://kdp.amazon.com/
- Facebook advertising platform: https://www.facebook.com/business/ads
- The 12 Week Year book: https://www.amazon.com/12-Week-Year-Others-Months/dp/1118509234
- Entrepreneur Operating System (EOS): https://www.eosworldwide.com/
Book recommendations:
- Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain: https://www.amazon.com/Techniques-Selling-Writer-Dwight-Swain/dp/0806111917
- Amazonia by James Rollins: https://www.amazon.com/Amazonia-James-Rollins/dp/0061965839
Connect with Nick:
- Website: https://www.nickthacker.com/
- Book Career in a Year Coaching Program: https://www.bookcareerinayear.com/
- Online courses and training: https://www.bookcareerinayear.com/coaching/
- Books by Nick: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B008A2W6XE
Connect with Teddy Smith:
- @teddyagsmith
- Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
- Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
- Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
- Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
- Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/
Discover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/
Chapters
1. Introduction: How to Become a Full-Time Author in a Year (00:00:00)
2. Nick’s Journey: From Hating Writing to Publishing 45+ Books (00:01:09)
3. How a Gift for His Father Turned Into a Writing Career (00:02:46)
4. Balancing Writing While Working a Full-Time Job (00:05:07)
5. How Long It Took Before Writing Became a Career (00:07:00)
6. Turning a Struggling Book into a Bestseller: The Enigma Strain (00:09:02)
7. Why Writing a Series Boosts Your Success (00:10:45)
8. How Nick Used His Marketing Background to Sell More Books (00:12:34)
9. The #1 Priority for New Authors: Fighting Obscurity, Not Just Making Money (00:14:24)
10. The Key Marketing Strategies That Helped Nick Go Full-Time (00:17:17)
11. Three Must-Have Marketing Tactics for Authors (Email, Social, Ads) (00:19:53)
12. How Fiction Writers Can Build a Mailing List Effectively (00:23:29)
13. Amazon’s Changing Algorithm & How to Stay Visible (00:26:26)
14. Productivity for Authors: Staying on Track & Treating It Like a Business (00:29:48)
15. Best Productivity Systems for Writers: EOS & The 12-Week Year (00:32:00)
16. The Mindset Shift Every Author Needs to Make (00:34:32)
17. How to Build Your Brand & Be Attractive to Readers (00:39:30)
18. The Power of Owning Your Website & Email List (00:41:23)
19. Where to Find Nick Thacker & His Career in a Year Program (00:43:18)
20. Nick’s Book Recommendations: “Techniques of the Selling Writer” & “Amazonia” (00:44:33)
133 episodes
