How Do I Get My Money Back if I Pay to Publish My Own Book?
One of the questions we hear most often is, “How many books do I need to sell to earn back the investment I’ve made in publishing my book?”
After more than two decades in publishing, I’ve learned this: the most successful authors don’t measure return by book sales alone—they measure it by influence, visibility, and opportunity.
Here’s the truth:
- We’re not going to plan your retirement on the sale of your book.
- It’s not about how well your book sells. It’s ALL about how well your book sells YOU!
The problem is misplaced expectations.
Amazon is not a Field of Dreams.
Just because you “build it” and post it on Amazon does not guarantee someone will find your book, let alone buy it.
Amazon keeps too much of your royalty money, so the trick is to sell the book yourself and let the book SELL YOU, if you want to see a return on your investment.
Take Jerry’s book. Jerry’s corporate career involved heading up a global sales department for a Fortune Top 100 business. He knew his topic, his product, and his mission. After a global corporate merger, Jerry accepted his early retirement offer and began his own consulting business, becoming a keynote speaker and global sales team trainer.
Each time he spoke at a conference, he’d include a copy of his book for every attendee. Because Jerry was his own publisher, he’d order only the number of books he needed for that event and have them pre-shipped. It gave his audience a chance to get to know him before he walked in the door. It also gave his audiences a way to remember him.
Then COVID hit. AND Jerry’s calendar took a BIG hit. But Jerry did MORE than survive. See, Jerry’s book was so much more than a fancy business card. It shared his vision, his theories, his hopes, and his dreams. His audiences felt like they KNEW him like a friend. Whereas a business card or brochure might have been tossed into the trash, Jerry’s book went on their bookshelf. People wanted to BE like Jerry. And because Jerry listened to our suggestions, his contact information was at the end of his bio in the back of the book.
So, when it came time to shift all training to online vs. in-person . . . YEP, THEY CALLED JERRY!
Your book is a marketing tool.
In the Know, Like, and Trust framework, your book is a great way to help your audience get to know you better.
- The more they know about you and your message, the more they like.
- The more they like, the more they trust.
- Trust becomes the key when you are ready to invite them into your world, where they pay you for your knowledge.
Successful business owners use books to:
- Market their business
- Build workshops and training programs around their book
- Attract better clients
- Open up speaking opportunities
- Establish authority and credibility
Your book isn’t the product.
It’s the platform.
When a book is written and positioned strategically, the ROI doesn’t come from Amazon; it comes from what the book unlocks.
At Davis Creative Publishing, we help you build your platform, publish your book, and create additional streams of revenue.
If this resonates with you and you’d like to learn more, schedule time on my calendar for a conversation.
I’d love to hear more about you and your book idea.
