How do I get the book deal I crave?

Once I publish my book, how can I ensure I get the most book sales possible?

​How do I crack six or seven figures?

​How do I break into a new market where I know my work could thrive?

All these are common and understandable questions from entrepreneurs who desire to make a living from knowledge, ideas and methods.

Part of what is frustrating is seeing some of your competitors in the marketplace who seem to have figured out the best product-market fit and are thriving in an area where you know you could make a difference.

Because our heroes and mentors are accessible online, and because many people sell the dream of shortcuts and hacks to success, we often underestimate the amount of work it takes to achieve our goals.

We compare ourselves to others who might have huge unseen advantages, or years or even decades of invisible work that led to a market breakout that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Just like any other physical part of your body of work, for example, if you want to build a house from scratch, you have to save for and purchase materials, buy land, create the blueprint, then build each part piece by piece.

It is hard labor that is often tiring and frustrating.

If you want a beautiful, secure home that will withstand the weather and the humans living inside of it, you have to be committed to the work.

If you want to bring an idea to market, it needs your fuel, fire and commitment – it won’t survive half-assed effort.

It also will not flourish if you automate your content production and produce AI-fueled mediocre slop. The volume of content on a topic is not what makes it sticky — what makes it sticky is a clearly differentiated point of few, a human voice and an energy fueled by a sense of true purpose.

Here are some long-term behaviors that are not cheap hustle culture, but rather a demonstration of wholehearted commitment to your body of work:

I met my friend Ramit Sethi, founder of I Will Teach You to be Rich, 20 years ago when he was just starting his blog and selling low cost ebooks and programs. Through the years he has grown his site into a training and media powerhouse, has written books, and hosted a Netflix show and a podcast.

Ramit is a very direct person and frequently pisses off readers and followers. But he is exceptionally committed to his body of work and has stuck with his brand over many decades.

Very often, even when we have a strong point of view and really great content, we either don’t spend enough time building momentum and visibility, or we abandon a platform just when it starts to pick up steam.

I will never advocate sticking with an idea that is not working, that is draining your life force, or that won’t monetize.

I will share that like any home building project, expect it to take twice as long, and pay twice as much as you think when you start out.

Do you want to get a book deal from a traditional publisher?

I hate to break it to you, but the most important thing in this game is not having a great book or idea.

It is having a big platform — like hundreds of thousands of subscribers to your newsletters or 6+ figures of LinkedIn or Instagram followers.

Is it fair? No.​
Will that necessarily sell copies of your book? No.
Does it freeze out great talent and critical ideas? Yes.​
Will it greatly increase the likelihood of you getting a deal if you meet these numbers? Yes.
​If you do the work to build a big audience are you guaranteed a deal? No. You still have to have a book they deem worthy of the deal.
​Do some people buy their way onto bestseller lists? Yes.
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​Kind of overwhelming and yucky, isn’t it? Yet, if you are committed to the idea of getting a traditional deal, you have to know how the game is played. If it is important enough to you, you will find a way through the process and spend the time, money and energy to position yourself for success.

All of us have had a moment with our body of work when we are tired, bored or just exhausted from never feeling finished.

If at this moment you still desire to continue the work because you determine it is not done, you need to know that it is worth it.

My friend Todd Henry described it thus in his great book Die Empty:

​What are you willing to lay your body down for and say, “Not on my watch!”?

Passion can look like a lot of different things, much akin to relationships.

It can look like the kitchen counter sex kind of passion, portrayed in every racy movie on Netflix (to which I always think: “did they really need to break all those dishes to clear the counter? or “Which one of them is going to sterilize it afterwards?!?”)

It can look like bringing a cup of coffee to your partners’ bedside every morning without being asked.

Beyond concrete ways you demonstrate your commitment to your body of work, somewhere inside you have to know that it is worth doing, regardless of the outcome.

My Dad Lewis Stewart, whom I wrote about in Body of Work, spent over 40 years as a volunteer slowly restoring a 100 year old school in his town so it could be a community center. At the end of his life, right when real traction was happening, a group of local residents (who had rarely lifted a finger to help) suddenly decided they didn’t like the direction the project was going. They protested. It got ugly. My Dad’s heart shattered.

We never imagined such an outcome after such a tremendous commitment to a community project.

Was it worth it?

Hell yes it was worth it.

Committing to something you believe in, and having loved ones witness this commitment, will shape the drive and character of generations to come. No matter how things turn out.