Books & Bootstrap Marketing

06/09/23 • 35 min

In this episode, Jim talks to Madison about marketing her upcoming book, The Cipher of Sons. She discusses her inspiration for writing a book and why she used the pen name, Madison Gray. She dives into how she markets her book on TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms and why she chose the self-publishing platform IngramSpark.

Jim talks about the influence of Chat GPT and how it won’t replace authors and produce the same quality of books. He also chats about Kenya’s book, The Little Thoughts Inside, and how she found a publishing company after self-publishing on Amazon.

Finally, Jim talks about bootstrap marketing and how doing your own marketing is important at first when it’s a side hustle or passion project. You need to believe in yourself and put in that sweat equity to build your brand before you hire a marketing firm.

Key Moments From This Episode:

00:56 - Marketing in The News
05:23 - An introduction to Madison’s book, The Cipher of Sons
06:46 - Madison discusses what made her want to write a book
11:18 - Marketing a book before release on social media with #BookTalk
13:10 - ChatGPT’s impact on the writing industry
17:04 - Indie vs. Traditional Publishing
18:57 - Bootstrap Marketing
23:29 - An introduction to Kenya’s book, The Little Thoughts Inside
25:34 - Kindle Direct Publishing vs. IngramSpark
28:23 - The importance of doing your own marketing for a passion project
30:40 - Why Madison chose Wordpress.com vs. Wordpress.org for her author website

Links:

Madison Gray (Website) - https://madisongraytheauthor.com
Madison Gray (TikTok) - https://www.tiktok.com/@madisongraytheauthor
Madison Gray (Instagram) - https://www.instagram.com/madisongraytheauthor/
The Little Thoughts Inside (Pre-Order) - https://devorss.com/products/the-little-thoughts-inside
The Little Thoughts Inside (Facebook) - https://www.facebook.com/thelittlethoughtsinside
Kindle Direct Publishing - https://kdp.amazon.com
IngramSpark - https://www.ingramspark.com

Thank you for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe!

Watch This Episode On YouTube: https://youtu.be/HVEZQzMnGpY

Key Moments From This Episode:

00:56 - Marketing in The News
05:23 - An introduction to Madison’s book, The Cipher of Sons
06:46 - Madison discusses what made her want to write a book
11:18 - Marketing a book before release on social media with #BookTalk
13:10 - ChatGPT’s impact on the writing industry
17:04 - Indie vs. Traditional Publishing
18:57 - Bootstrap Marketing
23:29 - An introduction to Kenya’s book, The Little Thoughts Inside
25:34 - Kindle Direct Publishing vs. IngramSpark
28:23 - The importance of doing your own marketing for a passion project
30:40 - Why Madison chose Wordpress.com vs. Wordpress.org for her author website

Links:

Madison Gray (Website) - https://madisongraytheauthor.com
Madison Gray (TikTok) - https://www.tiktok.com/@madisongraytheauthor
Madison Gray (Instagram) - https://www.instagram.com/madisongraytheauthor/
The Little Thoughts Inside (Pre-Order) - https://devorss.com/products/the-little-thoughts-inside
The Little Thoughts Inside (Facebook) - https://www.facebook.com/thelittlethoughtsinside
Kindle Direct Publishing - https://kdp.amazon.com
IngramSpark - https://www.ingramspark.com

Thank you for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe!

Watch This Episode On YouTube: https://youtu.be/HVEZQzMnGpY

Previous Episode

Master Podcast Marketing with Kayla Wells

In this episode, Jim and Madison chat with their first guest Kayla Wells, a podcast marketing expert helping podcasters grow their shows since 2019. Kayla has become a go-to resource for businesses and content creators looking to get more attention for their shows. Having started her career in customer service, Kayla switched to podcasting when she discovered her passion for marketing. Today, Kayla hosts “Your Podcast Strategist Show,” where she shares valuable tips and insights for growing a successful podcast. Her show helped us on our podcast journey, and she’s a great resource if you need help with your podcast.

Kayla shares her top tips for businesses looking to grow their podcast by discussing content creation and guest management, creating searchable podcast titles, podcast marketing on social media and your website, revisiting previous episodes, and more helpful podcast marketing tips.

Key Moments From This Episode:

01:05 - Kayla Wells’ Background & Podcasting Journey
06:00 - Reviewing Kayla’s Podcast Episode #19, “5 Actionable Marketing Tips for Podcast Growth”
10:57 - Posting Frequency & Consistency
13:32 - The Importance of Frequency & Growth
15:44 - The Best Time to Post Your Podcast
22:12 - The Importance of Revisiting Previous Episodes
26:06 - The Struggles of Content Creation & Guest Management
29:02 - The Importance of Repetition in Marketing
30:27 - How Guesting on Podcasts Helps to Grow Your Audience
33:47 - Aligning with Your Target Audience
40:06 - Choosing the Right Social Platforms to Market Your Podcast
45:29 - The Importance of Searchable Podcast Titles
50:52 - The Importance of Conversational Podcasts

Where You Can Find Kayla Wells & “Your Podcast Strategist Show”:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kwellspodcastservices/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylaawells117
Website - https://KWellsCompanies.com/
Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-podcast-strategist-show/id1615460414

Thank you for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe!

Watch This Episode On YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z9A3D2-c7eE

Next Episode

Why We Love WordPress

Join Jim and Madison as they dive deep into the world of WordPress in celebration of its 20th anniversary. In this episode, they unveil the reasons behind the unrivaled popularity of the #1 website-building platform. From personal experiences to favorite plugins, they discuss why WordPress remains their top choice over other platforms.

Tune in to discover the secrets behind WordPress' widespread adoption - 43% of all websites and 64% of Content Management System (CMS) websites use WordPress. Plus, learn the benefits it offers beginners and the importance of finding the perfect WordPress hosting company for optimal speed and security.

Key Moments From This Episode:

01:09 - Jim’s WordPress Journey
06:36 - Madison’s WordPress Journey
08:57 - Why you should choose WordPress when starting a new website
12:18 - Why WordPress is so great
13:44 - CMS Market Share Overview (WordPress has a 64.2% Market Share)
17:50 - WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com
19:54 - Why Jim doesn’t like the Gutenberg block builder but loves Elementor
21:15 - The importance of website speed
22:13 - Our Favorite WordPress Plugins (ManageWP [22:29], Yoast SEO [23:45] & Gravity Forms [26:13])
29:35 - WordPress Hosting & Security

Thank you for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe!

Watch This Episode On YouTube: https://youtu.be/Nk84QrcGjTY