Jon Acuff has been featured in INC Magazine and is a NY Times Bestseller of six books. He is a speaker, writer, entertainer, and business guru. He’s an INC Magazine Top 100 Leadership speaker and has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at conferences and companies worldwide.
His extensive and highly engaged social media look to him for his unique blend of humor, honesty, and hope. He lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife and two teenage daughters. His latest book, Soundtracks, will be available nationwide on April 6, 2021. Jon’s coaching and work are based on a straightforward principle: He believes in you and believes in your goals.
Why Jon Uses Books for Business
Although creating books is challenging, Jon feels that most people who want to write a book never take on the work. You can hold a physical book, which gives value to the author as it shows what they created.
How Jon Creates His Books
He finds an idea that he is willing to spend the next two years writing about and talking about the rest of his life. A best-selling book has three elements: personal passion, being deeply connected to the content, and a need for the book.
“One of my biggest changes was to take real ideas from my office and test them with people that look and think differently from me.” Jon realizes that writing for yourself doesn’t always work; you need to take other’s ideas as well to incorporate them into your content to get a truly holistic perspective.
Book Marketing Advice from Jon
He encourages people to start talking about their book months before it’s published. “If you’re talking about your book and it comes out in three weeks, you’ve waited too long.” Jon includes a free audiobook with the purchase of a hard copy.
Listen in today’s episode to find out how Jon was able to give away his audiobook with his publisher, what he has learned from using four different publishers, and what he has learned about why certain books sell the best.
Show Notes
- [02:00] Why books are such a big part of Jon’s business.
- [04:00] How his process for writing books has evolved in the past years.
- [07:11] Why Jon tests his book ideas.
- [09:23] Speaking advice and examples of his favorite speakers and how to be funny.
- [13:31] How creating stand-up comedy has made Jon a better writer.
- [15:20] Jon’s advice on launching and marketing books.
- [22:05] Why your editor relationship matters the most when you go with a traditional publisher.
- [27:13] How his online course moves books and serves his business.
- [36:10] Breaking down the fourth wall as an author.
Links and Resources
- Visit Self Publishing School Online
- SPS Free Training Course
- Visit Jon Acuff on the web
- Grab a pre-order of his new book Soundtracks