How I Tricked Myself Into Thinking My Book Flopped

Lessons from working with a traditional publisher

Photo by Ayla Blaise on Unsplash

You may recall last August, I published this post announcing the launch of my new book, ‘The Investor’s Mindset.’

After self-publishing my first two books, this was the first book I wrote in partnership with a traditional publisher—in this case, “DK,” an Imprint of Penguin Random House.

It was a radically different experience working with a big publisher.

First, you are reminded at every corner that publishing is a massive, global industry.

As a self-published author, you do everything yourself—from writing the book, finding an editor, designing the manuscript and cover, and marketing the book.

Self-published authors are one-person small businesses.

Working with a traditional publisher reminded me that publishing is a big—and often intimidating—business.

Negotiating the terms of the book deal took months, and it nearly fell apart several times (Big thanks to

Todd Brison

&

Tim Denning

for the advice during this process).

Reviewing and signing the final contract was the scariest thing I have done as an author. There are many clauses in a boiler-plate book contract that are anxiety-inducing—especially the parts that talk about LEGAL LIABILITY and the fine print details about how much I will get paid.

I had the privilege of working with world-class editors. Perhaps the greatest lesson I learned from these talented people was to embrace brevity. After turning in my first draft, they asked me to cut out 20% of my writing. My initial reaction was shock and confusion.

I write about a technical topic (investing), and what makes me stand out in this area can also hold me back. I often feel the need to write out every single detail, include as much research and evidence as possible to back up my thoughts, and simply bludgeon my readers over the head with Knowledge.

It turns out that readers don’t need their hand held through every tiny step along the way. Having an assignment to cut 20% off my word count forced me to re-read my book line by line, constantly asking, “Do I need to say this?” or “Is this redundant or overkill?”

Ultimately, the final product was what I still believe to be the best thing I have ever written…

… Which is what made the book launch a (seeming) disappointment.

I let Amazon reviews trick me into thinking the book flopped

My book launched on August 3rd.

This was also the day my daughter was born—over three weeks early. I was a dad for the second time (we have a four-year-old, too), and suddenly, my life was entirely engulfed by family—I had no time to think about, let alone aggressively promote my new book.

I spent the next few months on paternity leave, which meant very little work—including writing.

In early October, I searched for Investor’s Mindset on Amazon and found only one review.

The book was a complete flop.

I felt like a complete failure.

I was too hesitant to even ask my publisher about how the book was selling. One review on Amazon means it probably sold under 100 copies, and they probably wish they had never signed me on as an author.

But, a few weeks ago, a funny thing happened.

I was in Indigo (think a Canadian Barnes and Nobel), and I stumbled across my book displayed next to some all-time best sellers in my genre like Freakonomics:

Then, this morning, I received my first royalty statement from Penguin Random House.

It detailed the number of books I sold between August and December. I was expecting something embarrassingly low, like 150.

I was pleasantly shocked to learn the book sold 4,916 copies in its first five months.

That is without me promoting the book as much as I planned. I had convinced myself the book was a failure and felt embarrassed to promote it. To be honest, it was an emotional, sleep-deprived time, having just become a father for the second time.

I assumed a lack of Amazon reviews meant nobody bought the book, and despite how proud I was of the final product, I wrote it off as a failure and decided to move on for the good of my mental health.

Having seen the sales, I feel completely re-energized and excited about this book.

It may not be a best-seller, but it is not a flop and definitely not a failure. I think this book has the potential to cross 10,000 copies sold—which I am told is the goal for non-fiction books.

Pick up a copy, and I’ll comp you a 1-year subscription

Given my renewed excitement about the book, here’s my incentive to help more people find the book:

For every copy of the book you buy, I will comp you a one year subscription to the paid version of MOAM (which gives you instant access to my first two self-published books.)

So, if you buy yourself a copy that is one year comped. Buy a second copy for your friend; that is a second-year comped.

I am happy to extend this offer to current paid subscribers. If you buy the book, I will extend your paid subscription by a year.

All you need to do is send proof of purchase (a screenshot of a receipt) to info@benlefort.com

This book is the best thing I have ever written and can help anyone—beginner or experienced investor—succeed as a long-term investor.

Here’s where to get your copy:

Pick up your copy on Amazon or wherever you buy books.

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