My Embarrassing Meeting With a Publisher…

Publisher MeetingI’ll never forget it: 12 years ago, I was at my first big conference, meeting with publishers. I was in my 20s, still in college, and I lined up face-to-face meetings with editors. Marketers. Decision-makers. I had a book idea that I thought could change the world.

Jamie*and I sat at the Starbucks near the conference site as I pitched my book and showed him my samples. He was interested in its content, but even more than that he was interested in what kind of buzz I could generate, on my own, about the book if his publishing house accepted it.

“I think I could sell 50,000 copies through my efforts,” I told him, full of sincerity.

Jamie was a nice guy, but he couldn’t suppress a laugh. “Mike, if you can move 50,000 copies on your own, you don’t need me.”

And he was right. I wouldn’t have needed him or any publisher. The problem is, I had an inflated sense of what I could accomplish at the time. That day a dozen years ago, Jamie gave me some pointers on more realistically assessing what kind of impact and buzz I could generate – and I’ve been learning and practicing this quest ever since.

In the intervening years, I’ve worked with 100+ clients to turn their published books into messengers that reach their intended readerships. Sometimes these readerships number in the hundreds, or the thousands; one of my clients, using the word-of-mouth, buzz-building, relational-sharing approach I teach has sold over 18 million copies of his worldwide best-selling book.

I’ve used this same approach to help launch a startup national festival, transforming it from just an idea to 1700 attendees in its first year of existence.

Do you write books?

Do you blog?

Do you run a business that makes a living from people knowing about its existence?

If so, I think you’ll be interested in a powerful two-day training I’ve developed that will enable you to turn your passion into profit.

I’ve distilled my last 12 years of learning into The Buzz Seminar, happening this July 4-5 in Orlando.

Why my distinguished co-host puts ‘celebrity’ bloggers to shame…and why you want to learn from him.

I’m co-leading this seminar with author and blogger Frank Viola, a friend and early client that I connected with this relational-sharing approach back in 2008. Frank built slowly, meticulously documented his rise, and these days has built what I consider to be very solid credentials:

  • Frank’s blog is consistently ranked in the Top 10 in his genre by traffic and subscribers.
  • In 2013, he approached 5 million unique page views.
  • Frank earned six figures in 2013 from blog-based revenue alone.
  • Frank also writes books. Books that serve a loyal reader base with whom he consistently stays in touch with through his blog; readers who consistently help launch his books onto bestseller lists, where 5 of his 9 published books have landed.

What’s amazing to me is that Frank, while impressive in his message and output, is not a household name. He’s not a prominent CEO, a notorious politician, or an infamous mega-church preacher. He doesn’t have a television show. He has built buzz, consistently and creatively, over the past few years – using a relational-sharing approach that can be taught…and learned.

At The Buzz Seminar, we want to teach you what we know. It will be a no-frills, content-packed training – that you’ll be able to get to work on immediately in your own life and business.

Unlike other conferences out there, we’re not promising that you’ll get “rich” off of your passion and talent. What we are saying is that if you have a compelling message and can share it, and are willing to work, then you have what it takes to make a sustainable living from your craft. That’s why we’ve tag-lined The Buzz Blue Collar Blogging and Publishing for Profit.

Registration closes June 1st. Register today!

The Buzz Seminar - Logo 2At this time, we only have room to take on the first 125 buzz-builders for this two-day training.

At this time, we only have room to take on the first 125 registrants for this two-day training. If you want to reserve your spot, register today.

Interested? Then I hope to see you this July!

*Name changed to protect the innocent! 

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