Don't Fall for Traditional Publishing | Here's What Works

Hosts Wayne Pratt, Percy Barr and Bernie Franzgrote

GROWTH CATEGORY: Marketing & Branding

Book strategist Ben Gioia joins East Trade Winds to reveal the self-publishing truth that protects your IP and turns your book into a business asset.

Most authors finish their book and wonder why nothing changed. Ben Gioia knows exactly why. The strategy was missing before the first word was written. In this East Trade Winds session, he shows you what to do instead.

Watch the full conversation here:

WHO THIS IS FOR

This session is for SMB owners, solopreneurs, corporate escapees, and leaders building systems who have a message worth sharing and want their book to do real business work.

Key Lessons

1. Traditional publishing almost always costs you more than money.

When you sign with a traditional publisher, you hand over ownership of your book. That's your IP. Your message. Your asset. Gone. Ben has seen this end badly more times than he can count. Professional self-publishing — with the right team guiding you — keeps everything yours. You control the strategy, the timeline, and the revenue. There are over 500 steps to publish a book correctly. You don't need to know them all. You need someone who does.

2. The smart gap is where the real business happens.

Most authors make the same mistake. They release their book and try to launch a bestseller campaign on the same day. Ben calls this backwards. The smart gap is the window between your book release and your bestseller launch. Use it to get on podcasts, build relationships, and get your book into the right hands. By launch day you have a warm audience, real momentum, and people ready to share your work. Ben posted a book cover on LinkedIn before the book existed. One week later someone reached out about a Fortune 100 project. Ten months of consulting work from a cover image.

3. Your book starts working before it's done.

This is the insight most authors miss. Ben's clients regularly attract five and six figure opportunities from conversations about their book — before it's published. A $50,000 coaching program. A speaking engagement in Australia. A Fortune 100 consulting contract. The book signals that you are serious. That signal is enough to open doors. Stop waiting until the book is finished to start talking about it.

Practical Steps

• Take Ben's two-minute book assessment this week. Find out if your book is set up to work before you invest another hour in it. Visit influencewithaheart.com
• Post about your book before it's done. A cover image, a working title, a single idea from your manuscript. Start the conversation now. Watch what comes back.
• Map your smart gap. Decide now that your release date and your bestseller launch date will be different. Book two podcast appearances for the window in between.

About Ben Gioia

Ben Gioia is the founder of Influence With A Heart. He helps purpose-driven business owners write, produce, and launch high-quality books that generate real business results. He's been doing this for six years. His clients have landed speaking gigs, consulting contracts, and six figure programs — many of them before their book was even printed. Ben is based in Spain and has spoken on stages from Stanford University to Sydney, Australia. He knows what it takes to turn a book into a business asset because he's done it himself — more than once.

Connect with Ben on LinkedIn or visit influencewithaheart.com.

Listen on Audio

Listen to this session on Simplecast: S3E025

Browse all East Trade Wind episodes

FAQ

Q: What is the smart gap strategy in book publishing? The smart gap is the window between your book release and your bestseller launch. You use this time to build relationships, appear on podcasts, and get your book into the right hands so your launch lands with real momentum behind it.

Q: Why should I avoid traditional publishing? Traditional publishers typically take ownership of your book the moment you sign. That means your IP, your message, and your long-term revenue potential are no longer fully yours. Professional self-publishing keeps control where it belongs — with you.

Q: Can a book really generate business before it's published? Yes. Ben's clients regularly attract speaking gigs, consulting contracts, and coaching clients from conversations about their book before it's done. The book signals credibility. That signal starts working the moment you start talking about it.