➡️ Before we dive in, if you want to learn the exact mindset and habits that turn aspiring writers into published authors, you can download it free: The Author’s Code: 10 Proven Mindset Shifts and Daily Habits That Transform Aspiring Writers Into Published Authors In the latest episode of the Substack Writer’s Salon, I sat down with Renee Puvvada who helps successful entrepreneurs build what she calls “immortal authority” through their self-published books. I’ve been reading Renee on Substack for a while, and we recently connected around one of my posts about how life can feel like an open-world game. When I saw her phrase immortal authority, I knew I had to ask: What does that actually mean for authors, especially self-published ones? This conversation was rich with practical tactics and mindset shifts, so I turned it into this post for all of you writing, publishing, or relaunching your books. What Is “Immortal Authority”? Renee works with entrepreneurs and business owners who aren’t beginners anymore. They’ve: * Been in the game for a while * Built skills * Made good money * Created a lot of content But now they want more than income or visibility. They want to be known for their wisdom in a way that outlives the latest algorithm update or social platform. That’s where immortal authority comes in. A book, especially a well-positioned, well-marketed one, becomes a long-term asset: * It compounds in sales * It compounds in reputation * It opens doors to podcasts, speaking, media, and opportunities long after launch week Renee helps people design their books and launches for that, not just for a quick spike on Amazon. Why She Works Only With Self-Published Authors I asked her the obvious question: “Why self-published books only? Why not all books?” Simple answer:That’s the world she knows and loves. She came into self-publishing through a classic internet promise: a course that told her she could sell books online, make money, and maybe just maybe retire to Bali with a laptop. She did most of those things… and then realized she wanted more out of life than just “escape to Bali.” That kicked off a deeper spiritual and professional journey, and she stayed in the self-publishing lane. Now she’s a genuine champion of self-publishing because of the mindset it requires: “I love the tenacious, scrappy energy of self-published authors. It’s very Taylor Swift energy — getting so good at your own marketing, branding, and sales that you don’t need a gatekeeper.” She points out that even some big names, like Robert Kiyosaki, started as self-published authors who rolled up their sleeves and figured it out. The Beyoncé Haircare Launch… and Your Book One of my favorite moments in our conversation was when Renee used Beyoncé’s Sacred Haircare launch as a metaphor for how we should be launching books. A lot of authors do this: * Write the book * Hit publish * Post “My book is out!” a few times * Send their audience to a lonely Amazon page with 10 reviews * Wonder why nothing is happening Renee compared that to setting up a lonely booth at a farmer’s market with no line and no social proof. People see the product and just… keep walking. Beyoncé did the opposite. By the time Renee opened an Ulta catalog and saw Sacred Haircare for the first time, it already had 5,000 five-star reviews. How? Because the pre-launch was doing the heavy lifting: * She rallied her “cousins” — her community and superfans * Got them to pre-buy, test, and give feedback * Primed the pump so that when launch day came, the product had social proof baked in Renee’s doing the same thing right now with Amy Suto’s upcoming book. Instead of just dropping a link and hoping for sales, they’re: * Selling pre-orders to Amy’s Substack audience * Giving away advanced reader copies * Lining up people who are ready to buy, download, review, and share the moment it goes live Think domino effect, not lonely farmer’s market booth. The Biggest Mistake Self-Published Authors Make When I asked Renee what biggest mistake she sees self-published authors make, she didn’t hesitate. It’s this: Writing and publishing the book first… and only then figuring out the marketing. She told the story of a client, Ann, who wrote a deeply personal book about her ovarian cancer journey. She poured a year of her life into it, hit publish… and then realized she had no clear idea: * Who the book was really for * How those readers currently solve their problem * What other books or content they were already consuming * Whether they wanted that type of book or something slightly different (more case studies, a framework, timelines, etc.) It’s not that writing from the heart is wrong. But when you’re trying to sell a book and build authority, market research first, book second will save you an enormous amount of money, time, and heartache. A Thousand Copies Can Change Everything A lot of people think you need some massive breakout hit — 5,000 or 10,000 copies — before anything meaningful happens. Renee’s first ever client proved otherwise. That client paid her $500 for six months of 1:1 help. They worked closely, implemented consistently, and in six months she had sold 1,000 copies of her book. Not “New York Times bestseller” numbers, but here’s what changed: * She could confidently say: “I’ve sold 1,000 copies and hit #1 in my Amazon category.” * She used that line in pitches to podcasts, TV, and brands * She landed a statewide TV appearance * She got on top 2% podcasts * She booked more speaking gigs * She landed a brand deal All from that initial 1,000. You don’t necessarily need a blockbuster. You need enough traction to open the next set of doors , and then you run with it. Amazon Ads vs. Everything Else I asked Renee about paid ads: Facebook? Instagram? Amazon? Her answer was very clear: Amazon ads are the bread and butter. She learned her system from publishing.com and has seen it work again and again, especially for nonfiction: * Her friend Dan has sold ~40,000 books * Another friend, Ollie, has sold ~200,000 * Renee herself has sold ~15,000 Why Amazon? Because it is, in her words, “the biggest, hungriest bookstore in the world.” People go there already in buying mode, and they often buy multiple books on one topic at once. Amazon lets you: * Target readers who are looking at similar books * Show up in the “customers also bought” ecosystem via ads * Ride that click-to-click browsing behavior straight into more sales Meta ads (Facebook/Instagram), on the other hand, are: * Usually more expensive * Harder to make profitable if your goal is selling a $20 book * Better suited for people who already know and love that ad ecosystem If you’re a scrappy self-published author with limited time and budget, Renee’s recommendation is to master Amazon ads first, not try to become a Meta ads wizard overnight. You can learn Amazon ads: * Through YouTube tutorials (plenty exist) * Or via a structured course / coach if you want to go faster and avoid mistakes In her own practice, she walks her paid clients through the setup and optimization step by step. The Year She 10x’d Her Business (and Didn’t Go Back to Corporate) One of the reasons I wanted Renee on the Salon is that she’s very honest about her business numbers. * Year 1 of her coaching business: $5,000 * Year 2: $50,000 Yes, that’s technically 10x — and yes, she used “10x” in the title because she knows it’s a hook. But the story behind those numbers is the real lesson. In year one, she was already a successful self-publisher. She’d sold six figures’ worth of books and thought of herself as “a marketing person.” So making only $5,000 with her new coaching offer was… humbling. She felt embarrassed. She worried about not pulling her financial weight in her marriage. And she had that classic internal dialogue: “Am I kidding myself? Should I just go back to a 9–5?” But going back to corporate, she says, would have felt like “dying a slow death.” So instead, she did something else: She mentally walked herself through the worst-case scenario. * What if she made no money? * What if her husband lost his job too? * What then? She followed that thought all the way down: “We’d probably have to move out of our home. Maybe move in with my in-laws or my mom. Then we’d get jobs. We’d rebuild.” Once she fully accepted even that worst case, the anxiety loosened its grip. She realized other successful entrepreneurs had done exactly that at some point. From that state of surrender, she did one very practical thing: 👉 She raised her prices. A lot. * First client: $500 for six months of 1:1 * Then: ~$2,500 for six months of 1:1 * Now: $10,000 for six months 1:1, and similar pricing for group programs She built out a group program, started selling at the new price, heard a lot of “no” and “are you serious?” — and then finally got a yes. That yes was Amy. Once someone says yes, your brain has evidence: “If one person sees the value, more people can too.” From there, it becomes a process of repetition, not reinvention. How She Actually Gets Clients I shared that most of my ghostwriting and book coaching clients come from LinkedIn DMs, especially using Sales Navigator. That’s what feels natural to me. For Renee, the main channel is different. Her primary client acquisition strategy: Free 3–5 day workshops. Here’s how she does it: * She promotes the workshop to her main Substack audience * She creates a separate Substack publication just for that workshop (e.g., “September Workshop”) * People subscribe to that workshop Substack, which acts like a pop-up community (almost like a Facebook group, but inside Substack) * All the Zoom links, replays, prompts, and chats live there * During the workshop, she delivers value, shows people the possibility of their book, and then invites
