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Writing a book can be a rewarding creative endeavor, and it can also be a profitable one if approached correctly. What are the strategies and steps needed to turn a book into a significant source of income? How do authors effectively market and sell their books, and what should they consider when navigating publishing options? As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Garrett Perkins.
Garrett Perkins is a seasoned business development and strategic communications expert with over 10 years of experience in publishing and e-commerce. Passionate about driving growth and excellence across multiple revenue channels, he currently serves as the Chief Revenue Officer at Givington’s. Publishing is on the cusp of some large shifts and Garrett is eager to help the industry move forward in a direct-to-consumer world by helping content brands recognize the power of using their book as a catalyst for bigger brand goals. He believes that the most successful books and authors are ones where revenue strategy is part of the equation. He is motivated by the mission of Givington’s to create content that inspires and empowers people to live generously.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share a pivotal story that shaped the course of your career?
Career is such a funny word because, honestly, I still feel like I just graduated from college. My wife loves to continue to remind me that is far from the truth (13 years and four kids later). Before my time working as a visionary and professional in the publishing and content world, I was a director at a large nonprofit. One of my primary jobs was recruiting college students to come work for our nonprofit over the summer. There I learned one of the most pivotal truths when it comes to developing people, business development, and many other things all tied up in one sentence: “Training starts in the interview process.” I realized that while I was interviewing literally hundreds of students across 40+ campuses, that 30–40 minute interview was also a pivotal opportunity for me to equip and train people in what it meant to work alongside of the organization I was a part of.
Every interaction is an opportunity to educate, equip and extend value to someone. That applies to everything in sales, content marketing, and in developing my staff at Givington’s as we seek to build our entire business around the brands we serve. We like to say, “we are built around you.” And we can’t just say that, we must exemplify that, and it starts from the jump.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Are you working on any new writing projects?
Well… the politically correct answer is, “all my projects are exciting at Givington’s!” But if I’m honest, we are an operational support agency for the publishing and retail world. And what we do is commodity. Anyone can ship packages, and sell books online, or create websites for authors and publishers. That’s not the exciting part about what we do. It’s the people that genuinely make what we do fun and exciting and who we get to do it with. But… if you made me pick, I would say this: Publishing is at a very interesting tipping point with the retail landscape changing from brick-and-mortar to direct-to-consumer. Givington’s continues to find itself at the epicenter of that change. So, I just believe that the most exciting part about our work is that we are getting to play a small part in a seismic shift in how people consume, capitalize, and commercialize books and content. That’s a really fun place to be!
Thank you for that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. In your opinion, what are the key strategies that authors should focus on if they want to generate significant income from their books?
If there was one right answer here, then the publishing industry wouldn’t be so crowded with multiple approaches and strategies. That’s what makes the publishing world so exciting!
But I would say this — If your primary goal is to make significant income on book sales then you’re in the wrong business. There are very few people in the world that, from the jump, can write a book and make millions. A book is not special. A book is literally 50–60lb paper with some ink glued at the spine. The real magic is actually what happens when someone engages with those pages. A book has an idea. What is special and VALUABLE about a book is the ideas within those pages. The people that are the most successful in publishing are those that recognize that the most valuable asset in your book is YOU, and that ideas and content are what makes that book valuable.
So… I would say your main strategy should be to view the book as a catalyst, not the sole product.
If you forced me to list other key strategies, I would point you to some of my favorite colleagues in the business that can help support you in the strategy to do that well: Industry professionals like Smith Publicity, who do so much more than PR to help you think about your brand past the book. Or, Peter Winick at Thought Leadership Leverage. Surrounding yourself with strategists that see beyond a book is always going to make your book efforts go much farther!
Marketing is crucial for book sales. What are the most effective marketing techniques you’ve used or seen others use to successfully promote their books?
Marketing is a funny and illusive word. I think Seth Godin in his book, This is Marketing, described it as communicating about the change you wish to make. Marketing does not equate to sales. But, marketing is extremely effective if done right to the right people. And I think this is where people make their first mistake.
I agree that marketing is crucial and vital for the success of any product, service, or idea. But… if marketing is communicating about the change you wish to make, I believe you must first accept that the change you wish to make will not resonate with everyone. And that’s okay! That’s actually a good thing. Because we just immediately made the bullseye much more attainable. Who needs, wants, or deserves this change that you are seeking to make in this book? And that’s who you focus on. Not convincing others, but focusing efforts, dollars, and time on the group that actually wants it.
And in the ever-changing publishing world, you are seeing a seismic shift from publishers putting big dollars in front of authors that have a loyal and engaged audience. One of the most valuable assets in publishing now is not just eyeballs, but consistent eyeballs. It’s not hard to get a large following, or what we would call a platform. But at Givington’s, we say the most important thing you do in your marketing efforts is cultivating a content-driven brand that focuses on developing a community! This takes time, effort, and as Eugene Peterson said it: “long obedience in the same direction.”
What role does social media play in book marketing, and how can authors leverage these platforms to boost their book sales?
Social media, whether we like it or not, is a mechanism we cannot ignore. Social media is the playground for new ideas. But, a content-driven brand needs more than just a following. We have worked with content brands that have millions of followers but can’t convert 50 people to buy a product from them. Why? Because they have a platform, not a community.
At Givington’s, we believe that a content-driven brand that can generate a healthy return on their books has a foundation of three things: CONTENT, COMMUNITY and COMMERCE. Social media is a wonderful place to distribute your content, but it cannot be the mechanism in which you develop a community. Social media is a must for exposure, but brands that last have developed a community off of the algorithm and actually have a direct relationship with them.
Brands built and reliant on social media have no foundation. Take a brand that my 8-year-old loves: Dude Perfect. These guys found themselves as social media phenoms 10 years ago. They had millions of eyeballs and were probably generating some serious money from ad deals on all the platforms. But they were wise to ensure that they created a direct relationship with their audience. And from there they could directly drive their audience to engage and buy directly from them. This immediately made their brand more valuable for every publishing deal, every licensing deal, and every product idea they had. And throughout the entire time, they had ownership of their audience because people came to their ecosystem to play.
How can you leverage the book to position you as an expert in your field?
Now this is where the value of a book really is at its best. A group of colleagues of ours got together and did an extensive research project to show why a book doesn’t just establish you as an expert but returns real ROI. I think a book is one of the greatest business cards a professional can have. It also shows that you have spent significant time developing thoughts. Few have the resilience to do just that. A TED talk is one thing, but an elongated idea over the course of thousands of words is a different animal. Anyone can jump on a YouTube video and share their thoughts. But a book establishes an entirely new level of credibility. Even with the amount of access anyone has to publish with Amazon KDP, and the hundreds of entities that help people self-publish, it is still extremely rare to actually finish a project like writing a book. Climbing that mountain puts you in a different category that naturally earns some credibility — credibility that a lot of other avenues can’t give you.
How important is building a personal brand for an author, and what steps can authors take to establish themselves as credible and influential figures in their niche?
I actually can’t think of many things more important than building a brand around the CONTENT and not just the book. But notice what I did there, I didn’t say building a personal brand, I said building a brand around the CONTENT. At Givington’s we believe at our core that content-driven brands last. Founders come and go, but ideas live on for a long time. When the content is the superpower, you are not reliant on a personality, but the content itself. That’s not to say that personal branding is bad either! We just believe that personal branding is only as good as the content and ideas connected to that person. So, there is nothing more important than developing a clear and robust brand identity that supports your business efforts much longer than the life of a book. If you want to last in this space, building a content-driven brand is paramount.
Do you know who your most valuable avatars are?
This is a hard one for us at Givington’s precisely because the industry of publishing is changing as we speak. So really, if you are a direct-to-consumer content brand that is wanting to build a sustainable and lasting business that surrounds your content — then we will find a way to serve you. Our services offerings: creative, product development, fulfillment, and retail sales for books, are built to support this changing industry of how books are sold. So, if you’re an author, publisher, or direct-to-consumer brand, I have a feeling we can help.
Beyond just selling books, what other revenue streams can authors explore to maximize their earnings, such as speaking engagements, online courses, or merchandise?
Now this is where we thrive. Book sales, quite candidly, are some of the smallest income streams for authors and business professionals that choose to write a book. And I can easily regurgitate facts and figures, but all of my answers here would be coming straight from the wonderful research done by several seasoned professionals in the publishing space that clearly shows where the maximum ROI comes from in publishing. But the spoiler alert is this: The book just supports your expertise in a way that makes all tides grow… but ONLY as much as you have a strong strategy around it.
Have you created scaleable derivatives of your work? Can you explain?
Just like each book is unique, our work at Givington’s is specialized and customized depending on the content brand we’re working with. However, there are processes we have in place — especially around distribution and fulfillment — that serve as a jumping off point. We also do have a number of great case studies on our website to serve as inspiration to other content brands looking to amplify their message and their book.
The world of book publishing is constantly evolving. What trends do you see shaping the future of book marketing and sales, and how can authors stay ahead of the curve?
Man… I could write a book on this. Maybe I should?! Here’s what I would say though…. The publishing world is where the music industry was 10–15 years ago with record labels. More creators want to control and own their audience, and publishers are continuing to have to adapt in this ever-changing economy. Our friends at Authors Equity are a perfect example of those that are seeing the shift and trying to get ahead of it. Just like record labels were found more or less obsolete because musicians and artists just needed music producers and recording studios, I believe you are going to continue to see more and more authors, and publishers adapt to new models. For example, in the compensation structure for authors, the distribution mechanism for books, and lastly, the very platforms in which books are sold. And we believe the “yellow brick road” points to the direct-to-consumer world. The more direct-to-audience authors can get, the better it will be for all parties involved. And publishing is starting to see this.
Based on your own experience and success, what are the “Three Things You Need to Know to be a Successful Writer?”
Well, I’m not a writer so I don’t want to be a phony here. I haven’t actually done the work. But my job at Givington’s is to serve these people operationally while they do amazing things. So, why don’t I just highlight clients and partners of ours that we believe have built a unique and powerful content-driven brand that is thriving in this changing industry?
- Our friend and long-time client, multiple time New York Times bestselling author Lysa Terkeurst. She has gone from a traditionally published author to CEO and Founder of one of the largest female direct-to-consumer content-driven brands in the nation. Her nonprofit that equips women in their faith shows how to develop CONTENT and cultivate a COMMUNITY that drives COMMERCE — it’s a masterclass.
- Instagram influencers Audrey and Jeremy Roloff took their Instagram eyeballs and over the course of five years, moved people from the algorithm to their own ecosystem. And now they have an extremely successful content-driven brand that sells a variety of products and continue to traditionally publish books. And when they launched their first book with HarperCollins years ago, it blew up and became a New York Times bestseller. And then it only grew their direct-to-consumer community all the more.
- Not all stories need to be big like the first two though. Another example of an individual leveraging a book to establish authority and then capitalizing on that is my friend, Alex Demczek. He co-wrote a book with Jon Gordon called The Sale. And from that, he turned it into a healthy speaking business that is completely separate from Jon Gordon’s ecosystem. He then continued to leverage the connections he made and position from the book, to launch a business centered on helping others write their own books. He is now the CEO and Founder of Streamline Books. I love stories like this, because it shows the impact of books — and how it is so much more than just a book.
For authors just starting out, what common mistakes should they avoid when trying to turn their books into a significant source of income?
- Don’t worry about outcomes. Play the long game.
- Surround yourself with partners that have experience working with authors like you.
- It’s more than a book. Say it with me… It’s. More. Than. A. Book
Can you share any success stories or case studies of authors who have effectively turned their books into profitable businesses? What lessons can other writers learn from their experiences?
I mean… those three above are great examples! If you’re looking for more, check out some of our case studies: retail.givingtons.com.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them 🙂
I’m going to give two answers because I like to cheat…… My fake answer, that I think will relate to most, is going to be Steph Curry. I grew up in the Bay Area and suffered through the Golden State Warriors horrific years and still loved them. Steph brough the joy, and RINGS back to the Bay. Steph deserves the title of greatest point guard of all time, don’t @ me.
But the real answer is probably my hero from afar. He’s this wonderful 79-year-old giant of a man that I have never met, but I have read every word he’s ever written and am enamored with his faithful simple life. John Piper is a theologian, and I believe one of the greatest thinkers of my lifetime. He worked at the same place for his entire career and I just admire the simplicity and beauty in the way he has lived his life. I want to take John Piper to breakfast or lunch and just say thank you for his words.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Easy! Come follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/garrett-perkins-4a5802176
Or, check us out at Givingtons.com.
Thank you for these excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent. We wish you continued success with your book promotion and growing your brand.
Garrett Perkins Of Givington’s On How to Make Money by Writing a Book was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.