Ray Brehm's Blog, page 22

The Cryptocurrency for Authors

*** For More: Check out our podcast https://ray.fm ***

Hi Blog,

By now, you have probably heard the term cryptocurrency.

Some examples are Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP.

You may not even understand it that well.

Even if you do, there is always so much more to learn.

But the basic reason behind the rise of cryptocurrency is decentralization.

No one person or entity controls the supply, and hence the value of the currency itself.

Most countries use a Central Banking system for their currency, including the US.

In a nutshell, that means a group of unelected bureaucrats controls the financial system.

They can print more money, change interest rates, etc…

All which affects the value of money, and many times who gets it first before it is devalued.

CRYPTOCURRENCY REMOVES THAT CONTROL. (as long as it is not a central bank created)

Bitcoin, for example, has a finite number of coins that will ever be created.

That means no central authority can devalue it.

The only way to get Bitcoin is to buy some, or mine it.

Mining is confusing, but basically it means if you let your computer’s CPU power process algorithms for Bitcoin, you are awarded Bitcoin.

Anyone can do that.

There is no gatekeeper.

It is truly a free money system, albeit there are plenty of growing pains and lots of interference from the status quo Central Banking system.

THE BEAUTY OF UNDERSTANDING ALL THAT IS, YOU HAVE AT YOUR DISPOSAL A TYPE OF CRYPTOCURRENCY AS AN AUTHOR.

This author cryptocurrency is extremely valuable, and you can in effect mine it yourself.

The more of this currency you have, the more it helps you meet and work with other influencers in your niche.

It will help you sell more books.

It will help you build businesses around your books.

And unlike Bitcoin, or fiat currencies like the US dollar…

WHEN YOU USE IT YOU DON’T LOSE IT.

You can spend it today and spend it again tomorrow.

_The Cryptocurrency of Authors is your email list._

It can cost nothing to “mine” (ie build a list).

The larger you build your list, the more access you will have to influencers and partnerships.

It will help you with your books.

It will help you with the business around your books.

And no one controls how valuable it is or how large you can build it, except you.

Truly a free enterprise system.

And the best way to rapidly build your email list?

A virtual summit.

If you are interested in hosting a summit (or even wondering why you should), check out my one-time pilot program here.

https://www.summitlab.io [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/5XTze86a...]

_Leap. Love. Grow._

RAY BREHM

P.S. The pilot (though it includes coaching and other things the course will not have in the future) is 50% off that future course price tag.

https://www.summitlab.io [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/5XTze86a...]

Why only running ads for your book is like treading water

*** For More: Check out our podcast https://ray.fm ***

Hi Blog,

When I was growing up, I used to take my swimming lessons at The Eastgate Coliseum, in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.

Later they tore it down and now I believe the spot hosts a Target and a Starbucks.

But back in the day, it was a completely old school swimming complex.

When you walked in, you were immediately immersed in the fine, musky aroma of chlorine and mildew.

And the lessons were not for the faint of heart.

I don’t think they let parents into the inner room (the pool area).

Once you got inside, you were on your own.

And there was no questioning what you had to do in your lessons. Today’s whining social justice warriors wouldn’t make it through one lesson.

Without fail, we ended every lesson with a minimum of 20 minutes of treading water.

Though you knew it strengthened you as a swimmer, that 20 minutes was torture.

You are treading water one foot away from the edge, but you can’t touch it.

The struggle and exhaustion almost always started immediately.

But the worst part was…

IT WAS ABSOLUTELY BORING.

If you were running a race or something similar meant to strengthen you, it may be painful, but you can focus on the runner in front of you.

You can focus on strategy.

Treading water is different.

If you can get through one minute, the next minute is waiting for you.

And the next minute is more boring than the last minute.

By the time we stopped going to lessons (sometime in Junior High), treading water was a 45 minute ordeal.

I can see the reason for that. It made me a strong swimmer.

But when it comes to other things, treading water is not a great strategy.

Take your book and its long-term aspirations.

Most gurus and courses teach you to tread water with ads.

Ads are about convincing a cold audience to invest in you.

They do work, but slowly, and you only make a little headway toward building a relationship.

You make one sale for 99¢ or $2.99, and then you have to start all over and try to make the next cold sale.

The whole exercise is transactional in nature.

RUNNING ADS IS LIKE TREADING WATER, JUST TRYING TO SURVIVE FOR THE NEXT MINUTE.

When you focus instead on audience building, you are focusing on building relationships.

That is why building an email list and connecting with other influencers is so very important.

Influencers can send their audiences to you, and in doing so, they are implying an endorsement.

We call this endorsement a warm lead.

Warm leads are the fastest way to build audiences.

Building audiences is the best way to build the business around your book.

Then you can stop treading water with ads in the hope something will catch on.

Full disclosure. I am not against running ads for your book.

I am just against YOU running ads and thinking that is the thing that will move the needle.

For most authors, it will not.

Ads are transactional in nature.

To build an audience, you need to make your connections relational.

There are many ways to build warm audiences.

One of the best ways to do that is an interactive virtual summit.

If you are interested in hosting a summit (or even wondering why you should), check out my one-time pilot program here.

https://www.summitlab.io [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/XFC0stfD...]

_Leap. Love. Grow._

RAY BREHM

P.S. The pilot (though it includes coaching and other things the course will not have in the future) is 50% off what the course will cost later.

And it ain’t much.

In fact, one of my new _pilot summiteers_ emailed me to tell me _”This is a no-brainer.”_

https://www.summitlab.io [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/XFC0stfD...]

I used subliminal messaging to get my dream job

*** For More: Check out our podcast https://ray.fm ***

Hi Blog,

True story.

Back in the day, I was miserable.

I was a Cobol programmer who sat in a 4×4 cube, and every minute of every day was painful.

I lived for the weekends, only to tell every new person I met how much I hated my job.

Then I discovered there existed positions for technical sales guys called sales engineers (or some name variation thereof).

I found a dream position and applied.

It was an average January day in Phoenix (80 degrees Fahrenheit) when I flew to Boston for the interview.

Boston was 40 below zero.

A brisk 120 degree change in temperature.

My interview focused on my ability to deliver a technical presentation (using PowerPoint) in front of my potential future manager, and another techie.

Peers are always the toughest to present to.

For added pressure, I decided I was going to show them my personality, and live or die by the result.

If they didn’t like my personality, it wouldn’t be a good fit anyway.

But this was my dream job, so I put off the decision to insert a little humor into my presentation until game time.

The time change, sleeping in a hotel, and the anticipation of the presentation were of little help for a good night’s sleep.

_If I looked tired, would my joke seem funny?_

The next morning, I got to the interview, set up the PowerPoint presentation and my laptop.

It was go time.

_Should I bail on the joke?_

I would never forgive myself if I did.

I moved to slide 1, which included my name and the title of the presentation.

_Here we go…just do it. _

I said,

_“I AM REQUIRED BY LAW TO TELL YOU THAT THIS PRESENTATION INCLUDES SOME SUBLIMINAL MESSAGING.”_

Patience is key to this.

The two of them looked at each other, perplexed, and then back at me.

I felt kinda like Mel Gibson in Braveheart, where he tells his troops to…

_Hold……Hold…._

They had to be the ones to ask.

Then they did.

Bonnie (my prospective boss), said,

_“Can you tell us what you mean by that?”_

I had practiced the timing on this, but you never know with PowerPoint.

Sometimes you can double tap a slide, especially when you are nervous.

I moved slowly (but kind of fast) from slide 1, to slide 2 and then to slide 3.

The pace was perfect.

Passing slide 2 direct to slide 3 was meant to mimic a subliminal message.

Slide 3 showed the normal presentation, but that quick, deliberate view of slide 2 revealed only two words in red…

_Hire Ray_

There was a millisecond of deafening silence…

Then they burst out laughing.

And I knew I had the job.

The rest of the interview and my presentation was a formality because I had created a bond with them, was willing to share my true personality and created authority around my confidence in presenting technical subjects with PowerPoint (especially using humor).

That moment changed my life and put me into my dream job at the time.

I realize now, I had that same feeling the day after my very first virtual summit ended.

The many points of contact helped me bond with attendees and the authority I built by interviewing expert after expert, gave me the confidence to make my core offer immediately after the summit.

And it worked like gangbusters.

That is what a virtual summit can do for you with your audience.

If you are interested in hosting a summit (or even wondering why you should), check it out here.

https://www.summitlab.io [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/i8bLQFKZ...]

_Leap. Love. Grow._

RAY BREHM

P.S. The pilot (though it includes coaching and other things the course will not have in the future) is 50% off of the future investment this week.

And it ain’t much.

In fact, one of my new _pilot-teers_ just emailed me to tell me _”This is a no-brainer.”_

https://www.summitlab.io [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/i8bLQFKZ...]

The one thing they don’t teach online business owners but should

*** For More: Check out our podcast https://ray.fm ***

Hi Blog,

Before my online life, I had a career in tech, then sales, and finally as a real estate property manager.

I had real estate investments, so starting a property management company seemed like a no-brainer.

But what pushed me over the top on that decision was something the franchise owner said to me during one of our meetings.

_“You get paid first, and it is recurring.”_

The tenant pays the rent; you collect it, take your percentage as manager and pass the rest on to the property owner.

And it is automatic… ie. recurring.

This is an important focus for authors.

What a lot of online gurus teach is to give, give, give and hope to get paid last.

Recurring income should be one cornerstone of your author business, of any business. And royalties alone rarely ever suffice.

The sooner you start getting paid regularly, the sooner your motivation has a strong foundation.

In nearly every industry, it is much easier to sell to someone who has already bought from you than to acquire a new customer.

That is the topic of my interview with Stu McLaren.

He is the master of recurring income and memberships.

And it is much easier than you think.

This is all in today’s episode of Book Profit Secrets.

HTTPS://RAY.FM/012 [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/dAzVDSEQ...]

(THIS IS THE APPLE PODCASTS LOCATION)

[20286678_162343623252GPodcast_Cover_for_Email.png] [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/nzEuvRYi...]​

If you do listen, and like it, please consider leaving a review.

_Leap. Love. Grow._

RAY BREHM

P.S. By the way, getting a guy like Stu’s time for an interview is not an easy thing to do. Here, I opened that door using one of the connection strategies I will teach in my upcoming SUMMIT LAB.

I am opening enrollment for the pilot version of the course on Monday.

A pilot offers some great benefits, like more interaction with me and personalization for you.

Stay tuned.

P.P.S. You can also listen to the podcast on my site: https://podcast.raybrehm.com [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/6uDGrj2b...].

Are you the Bob Evans (or Cracker Barrel) of your niche?

*** For More: Check out our podcast https://ray.fm ***

Hi Blog,

When I was little, we used to travel and camp fairly frequently.

We started out with this orange pop-top van.

We called it the Orange Buffalo.

Many of our trips were 24 hour drives from Cleveland, Ohio to Tampa, Florida.

One thing that happened without fail is my dad would always be on the lookout to stay the night near a Bob Evans restaurant.

He loved breakfast, and he knew he could get exactly what he wanted there.

Between Bob Evans and Cracker Barrel, I learned to love breakfast…

* eggs over easy * hash browns * bacon “extra crisp” (that was my mom’s thing) * and grits…

There is always comfort in knowing what to expect when you enter a restaurant.

The same is true for books.

When I read a book I like, I want to read more from that author if it is available.

So I immediately look at their other books if they have any.

If they don’t, I will move on…

…and probably not check back later.

There are a tremendous amount of distractions available to our potential readers.

So, if we don’t have the next thing ready for them, we may lose them for good.

The next thing could be another book, or a course, or simply a way for them to opt into our list.

That is why I think our anthology books do so well, especially in pre-order, even before they are written.

People read book one in a series, and want more of it.

So, if a second book is available for purchase, even if it is not deliverable, people will order it as a placeholder or reminder.

When it gets delivered, it brings us back to the front of their minds once again.

That is why I love using the combination of pre-order and series.

Not sure what else to write about for your series?

Here is a tip I learned from a Ryan Deiss course.

Instead of writing one book, on say Social Media for Entrepreneurs, write four books.

_Facebook for Entrepreneurs,_

_Instagram for Entrepreneurs,_

_YouTube for Entrepreneurs_ and

_Twitter for Entrepreneurs._

Dividing one book up into a series also makes it easier for your reader to find the exact content he or she is looking for.

_Leap. Love. Grow._

RAY BREHM

P.S. We still have a few spots on The Entrepreneur Code, and it is guaranteed to be a bestseller on Amazon. That series is the perfect example of this Bob Evans effect. We sell copies just by putting the new books up on pre-order.

If that is of interest, read more about the contribution and enrollment here:

https://www.co-author.me [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/BaR8LkmD...]

How to sell 287 books without a book description or ads

*** For More: Check out our podcast https://ray.fm ***

Hi Blog,

These are the kind of statistics I love to see.

All organic, no trying to “game the Amazon Algorithm.”

Our current anthology, _THE WEALTH CODE_, exceeds all expectations…

and we just barely started.

It is released this coming Tuesday, but has been for sale on Amazon pre-order for a while.

Keep in mind, most published books (Amazon has over 6 million) fail to sell more than 200 copies in their lifetime.

But _The Wealth Code_ had sold over 287 before I even added a proper description.

It had a one-sentence description of learning the secrets of prosperity, and we ran zero ads (until yesterday).

But it was selling nonetheless.

_Why?_

There are many reasons, but here are a few:

* It is the third book in a series of similar books. * Being part of a series gives it some of the best marketing space on Amazon (at no cost). * The series is all anthologies, and anytime one author mentions his or her book, the entire series gets exposure.

I remember scrambling to make sales when I was first starting out, and wanting instant results.

And that can happen with the right marketing, but nothing beats hitting the pre-order publish button and making sales just because it is available out there.

That is part of a long-term organic process as an author.

Yesterday, I finally turned on three Bookbub Ads (only three) for _The Wealth Code_, and we hit Bestseller almost instantly because we already had natural organic momentum.

In fact, we have barely begun our standard launch marketing (that starts next week).

Even better, the fourth book in the series, _THE ENTREPRENEUR CODE_, has already sold 144 copies (and our authors haven’t even turned their chapters in yet).

Like _The Wealth Code_, it is on pre-order (to be released October 26th), with a three-sentence description, and no ads.

This is the beauty of building an organic author platform, and not chasing the algorithm (like many gurus will tell you to do).

Using a series really helps, and having more books to your name really helps.

That takes time, but is so worth it.

So, hang in there, the long haul is when it gets really fun.

_Leap. Love. Grow._

RAY BREHM

P.S. We still have a few spots on The Entrepreneur Code, and it is guaranteed to be a bestseller on Amazon. If that is of interest, read more about the contribution and enrollment here:

https://www.co-author.me [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/PsZ3qDFH...]

P.P.S. Here is a link to _The Wealth Code_. If you want to see what using a series looks like, then click on _The Entrepreneur Code_ from the series to see how skimpy the page is right now, yet still making sales…

https://ray.fm/wealthcode [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/UiEqQJrd...]

Is offering cookies a good strategy during a book launch?

*** For More: Check out our podcast https://ray.fm ***

Hi Blog,

My friend Matt McWilliams, aka _The Affiliate Guy,_ is well known in the affiliate world.

He recently managed the launch of Stu McLaren’s Tribe Membership course.

But here is a dirty little secret about Matt.

He has also managed many VERY SUCCESSFUL LARGE BOOK LAUNCHES.

What he does is basically the opposite of what a lot of gurus will tell you.

He focuses on people, not ads.

Working with authors and public figures that are within your niche and already familiar with affiliate marketing can translate into huge success, even if it’s your first time launching.

It is a matter of structuring your launch to benefit your affiliates, like back-end offers or helping them add email addresses to their lists.

In fact, offering a lifetime cookie (not the chocolate chip kind) for referrals is very attractive to potential partners.

This is all in today’s episode of Book Profit Secrets with Matt McWilliams.

HTTPS://RAY.FM/011 [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/WytPfZqk...] (THIS IS THE APPLE PODCASTS LOCATION)

[20286678_162343623252GPodcast_Cover_for_Email.png] [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/F1XYMgxb...]​

If you do listen, and like it, please consider leaving a review.

_Leap. Love. Grow._

RAY BREHM

P.S. You can also listen to the podcast on my site: https://podcast.raybrehm.com [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/l2h7k5F9...].

Stormy Seas Shape Strong Sailors

*** For More: Check out our podcast https://ray.fm ***

Hi Blog,

Last weekend was my birthday.

I am officially old enough to vote…

… ok, I have been for a while.

But I had an amazing birthday while out camping with the family.

One of my favorite presents (from my wife and the kids) was a super comfortable _Life is Good_ T-shirt with the slogan…

_Stormy Seas Shape Strong Sailors_

I grew up racing sailboats in Cleveland, so this T-shirt meant a lot in that regard.

It also reminds me of what the author’s journey is like.

At first, the idea of writing a book seems hard, maybe out of reach.

Then you realize how easy it is to publish using Amazon.

So you do it.

But the marketing is another “stormy sea” adventure.

Once you figure that out, you then have to deal with trolls (bad reviews) and most likely low royalties.

If it isn’t one thing, it’s another.

Yet, all along, you are learning and becoming more competent.

Life is like this.

The ones who succeed aren’t always the best or most qualified.

The successful are the ones who choose to face stormy seas.

Those stormy sea moments are painful and seem unconquerable at times.

But they make you stronger and more experienced at what you do.

It wasn’t too long ago I was really struggling to make a go of the whole author / online entrepreneur path.

I hit a financial and emotional rough patch (a huge storm).

I was ready to give up, but I decided to push forward just a bit more.

That last push made me a stronger sailor.

In fact, it became my origin story.

And because of it, I am far more confident than I would have been had I not experienced it.

So, the next time you are feeling frustrated, alone, overwhelmed and wondering if you are doing the right thing, just say to yourself:

_Stormy Seas Shape Strong Sailors_

Then say it five times fast.

_Leap. Love. Grow._

RAY BREHM

P.S. This month’s Youru.tv framework is 7 BOOK WRITING HACKS FOR ENTREPRENEURS, a framework for creating a book from other content you already have.

It will go back into the vault in a couple of days. Next month’s course is all about anthologies (so when you join at the end of the month, you get both courses within a week of each other).

https://www.youru.tv [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/YDTSHpxK...]

The Power of Flexible Goals

*** For More: Check out our podcast https://ray.fm ***

Hi Blog,

An early mentor of mine, Jack Dicks, of Celebrity Branding, once wrote a very eye-opening article on flexible goal setting.

This resonated with me, because I spent a lot of time making sure I had set the perfect goals, instead of just executing and moving forward.

The truth is, your original goals will rarely ever look the same in the end.

For me, I thought I would be creating a business around ghostwriting.

But I found (only by doing), that I was much better suited to helping people with book launches and back-end businesses.

I would never have discovered that, had I not started my business in ghostwriting.

My friend Sierra Melcher and I met a year and a half ago when she joined one of my anthology books.

At the same time, she was working on launching her own bestselling book (using my books as a guide). She is a true do-it-yourselfer.

During that time, she also changed the details of her goals.

At the time, she coached women on achieving their dreams.

But after she became an expert at publishing her own books, the demand for her help with writing and publishing grew quickly.

Her overall goal did not change: empowering women.

But the details of her goals were flexible.

And she pivoted to the publishing business.

SIERRA MELCHER’S STORY INCUBATOR is the result of her flexibility and the needs of her audience.

Her mission is to help women get their stories out to the world.

You can find out more here, and book a call with her to see if it is a fit for you. The next Story Incubator (for women) starts this month.

https://ray.fm/storyincubator [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/Z3hLmyqH...]

_Leap. Love. Grow._

RAY BREHM

P.S. Want to learn more about Sierra before jumping on a call, listen to the latest episode of Book Profit Secrets with Sierra Melcher.

https://ray.fm/010 [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/MiZcba3e...]

Then check out the Story Incubator here:

https://ray.fm/storyincubator [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/Z3hLmyqH...]

The Lesson of the Rainbow Trout

*** For More: Check out our podcast https://ray.fm ***

Hi Blog,

Yesterday, while on our camping trip, we decided to take the kids fishing.

I am the only one with any fishing experience, which isn’t saying much.

As a kid, when other kids got trophies for “biggest catch” and “fastest catch”, my first trophy was called…

_THE FISH STORY._

After my first fishing trip, I was asked if I caught anything.

I told them I was pretty sure I felt a nibble and then the fish left.

Hence, the trophy.

In fact, I am fairly certain I went on about 50 fishing trips before I ever caught anything.

So now you know what we were up against.

But I never mentioned the 50 trips to the kids, because there was no sense in discouraging them.

To make matters worse, we got to this fishing reservoir just before they were closing and we could only rent poles for 20 minutes.

I told them that I just wanted the kids to have the experience, and that 20 minutes was better than nothing.

Low and behold, my son Ray (9) caught a 10 inch Rainbow Trout on his 7th cast, 2 minutes before we had to turn in the fishing rods.

We were stunned and proud. He was very proud.

More importantly, it just goes to show you that you never know what will happen if you just give it a try.

The odds make no difference if you don’t take the chance.

That is why I am sharing SIERRA MELCHER’S STORY INCUBATOR with you this week. You never know what will happen after you try to get your book done.

Her mission is to help women get their stories out to the world.

You can find out more here, and book a call with her to see if it is a fit for you. The next Story Incubator (for women) starts this month.

https://ray.fm/storyincubator [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/AUZbJOLj...]

_Leap. Love. Grow._

RAY BREHM

P.S. Once we caught the fish, we were in a panic about what to do next. That is where an expert with advice is very helpful.

The same goes for your book. Get some expert help at the points you need and keep moving forward.

https://ray.fm/storyincubator [https://raybrehm.krtra.com/c/AUZbJOLj...]