Profitable Publishing™ | Book Marketing | Brand Building for Coaches, Speakers, & Service Providers Podcast By Ashley D. Shepard | Self Publishing Consultant and Book Marketing Strategist cover art

Profitable Publishing™ | Book Marketing | Brand Building for Coaches, Speakers, & Service Providers

Profitable Publishing™ | Book Marketing | Brand Building for Coaches, Speakers, & Service Providers

By: Ashley D. Shepard | Self Publishing Consultant and Book Marketing Strategist
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Welcome to Profitable Publishing™! This podcast is for coaches, consultants, speakers, and service providers who want to package their expertise into a book that builds their brand, attracts their clients, and supports real business growth. This isn’t for authors who just want to get their book out there.

This is for business owners who want to position themselves as the go expert in their field and serve their audience on a deeper level.

If you help your readers get a result it’s time to leverage your book to do the same for you: open doors to speaking opportunities, attract premium clients, develop lasting partnerships, and make consistent income. This podcast shows you how to turn your expertise into a profitable publishing™ strategy aligned to your book.

On this podcast, you’ll learn how to:

  • Align your book with your brand identity, services, and offers
  • Build authority and visibility as a thought leader in your industry
  • Get consistent book sales before, during, and long after you launch
  • Go beyond royalties by turning your book into an income generating offer
  • Use your book to qualify clients, secure paid speaking gigs, sell your book to groups and not just individuals
  • Create a strategic book to attract leads or support clients

This isn’t just about selling more books.

This podcast is for business owners who know their book can open doors, land speaking opportunities, premium services, partnerships, and consistent income.

Profitable Publishing™ is hosted by Ashley D. Shepard is a 5x author, book marketing strategist, and self publishing consultant who supports independent and self published authors with generating revenue before they release. She’s also an Atlanta area wife and mom of two who understand building your author brand in the margins of your day.

It’s time to publish and market on your own terms, grow your brand intentionally, and use your book as a true business asset to support clients or generate leads.

So if you’re a coach, consultant, author, or service provider, subscribe now and discover how to make your book the most powerful part of your brand. Click play today to start your profitable publishing™ journey today.

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sheppublishing

Connect on Social

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@sheppublishing

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-d-shepard

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sheppublishing

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sheppublishing

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShepPublishing

marekting for authors, book sales strategies, self publishing, publish and market, author branding

2025 Ashley D. Shepard | Self Publishing Consultant and Book Marketing Strategist Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • 13. Your Book Is Not For Everyone: Marketing for Authors |Book As a Business Asset |Self Publishing

    13. Your Book Is Not For Everyone: Marketing for Authors |Book As a Business Asset |Self Publishing
    Mar 26 2026

    Marketing for authors means finding your reader before you write, publish, and market your book. Before you write your book, it’s important to know who you’re going to sell it to. Understanding your audience and knowing your book is not for everyone is key. In order to get people to buy your book you need to focus on identifying, serving, and engaging your ideal reader, as well as building confidence in selling to them.

    If you need support understanding how to find your reader and presell your book inside of the Preorder Profits™ Accelerator: www.PreorderProfits.com/join. This group coaching program walks you through the process of having a successful preorder form start to finish by showing how to grow your audience, build a buzz, and cover your self publishing costs BEFORE you release.

    (VIP day and course only options available as well.)

    Takeaways

    • Understanding your audience is crucial
    • Your book is not for everyone
    • Your readers are looking for you. Be sure to focus on them and not everyone else.

    Chapters

    • 00:00 The Importance of Understanding Your Audience
    • 06:09 Serving Your Ideal Reader
    • 12:05 Engaging Your Ideal Reader
    • 18:06 Being in Alignment with Your Ideal Reader
    • 24:05 Serving Your Ideal Reader Effectively

    Resource(s) Mentioned:

    • Preorder Profits™ Accelerator https://www.preorderprofits.com/join - This group coaching program walks you through the process of having a successful preorder form start to finish by showing how to grow your audience, build a buzz, and cover your self publishing costs BEFORE you release.

    Connect with Ashley D. Shepard on social media:

    • Website: www.sheppublishinghouse.com
    • Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ShepPublishing
    • YouTube: www.youtube.com/@sheppublishing
    • Instagram: www.Instagram.com/sheppublishing
    • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-d-shepard
    • Threads: https://www.threads.com/@sheppublishing

    Subscribe to Profitable Publishing™ on your favorite podcast platform and leave a review if you found this episode helpful!

    Preorders for authors, audience engagement, book marketing, author strategies, reader insights, profitable publishing, self-publishing, book research, marketing strategies, ideal reader

    How do I have a successful preorder for my book?

    How do I set up a preorder for my self-published book?

    Should I host my book preorder on Amazon?

    How do I sell book preorders on my website?

    How do I increase book sales before my launch?

    How do I use a book preorder to cover publishing costs?

    What mistakes do authors make with book preorders?

    Why is my Amazon KDP preorder not selling?

    How do I use my book preorder to grow my audience?
    Show more Show less
    26 mins
  • 12. When to Start Your Marketing | Book Preorders and Launching for Coaches, Speakers, and Authors

    12. When to Start Your Marketing | Book Preorders and Launching for Coaches, Speakers, and Authors
    Mar 18 2026

    The best way to sell your book is to tell people about it before you publish. Author marketing doesn’t start when your book is out. This is especially true when you’re building a brand or business. In this episode, you’ll learn about the best times to start your marketing, how preorders play an important role in the process, and how your capacity affects the whole marketing process. Waiting until your book is fully done is blocking sales and increasing your stress when it comes to your book launch and release. Use these strategies to know when to start your launch and preorder.

    TAKEAWAYS:

    • Best time to start your marketing
    • How preorder timing affects your launch
    • Why you should start your marketing before your book is done

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Introduction

    00:29 The Importance of Early Marketing

    01:24 Factors Influencing Book Launch Timing

    03:45 Understanding Your Capacity for Marketing

    06:27 Building Your Audience Before Launch

    09:44 The Fallacy of 'If You Build It, They Will Come'

    11:38 Engaging Your Audience During the Writing Process

    14:33 Maximizing Pre-Order Opportunities

    18:14 When to Start Your Marketing

    21:22 Strategic Marketing Timing for Success

    RESOURCES MENTIONED:

    →Join the Preorder Profits™ 4 Day Challenge to find out preorder mistakes and success strategies: www.PreorderProfits.com

    → CONNECT WITH ASHLEY D. SHEPARD:

    Website: www.sheppublishinghouse.com/contact

    Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ShepPublishing

    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@sheppublishing

    Instagram: www.Instagram.com/sheppublishing

    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-d-shepard

    Threads: https://www.threads.com/@sheppublishing

    ABOUT THIS PODCAST:

    Profitable Publishing® is the podcast for coaches, consultants, speakers, and service providers who want to package their expertise into a profitable book to build their brands, attract clients, and create multiple income streams.

    Subscribe to Profitable Publishing® on your favorite podcast platform, and leave a review if you found this episode helpful!

    When I start marketing my book?

    How do I sell book preorders on my website?

    How do I get paid faster for my book preorder?

    How do I increase book sales before my launch?

    How do I use a book preorder to cover publishing costs?

    What mistakes do authors make with book preorders?

    Why is my Amazon KDP preorder not selling?

    Why should I not use Amazon for my book preorder?

    How do I build an email list as a self-published author?

    How do I use my book preorder to grow my audience?
    Show more Show less
    26 mins
  • 11. Amazon KDP and Preorders: Avoid Common Self Publishing Mistakes | Author Marketing for Business

    11. Amazon KDP and Preorders: Avoid Common Self Publishing Mistakes | Author Marketing for Business
    Mar 11 2026

    Instead of assuming Amazon KDP is the only option for your preorder, find out about the drawbacks of using the platform for your initial sales and learn about another option that’s a better choice for most independently published authors.

    WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

    • The biggest mistake when hosting a preorder
    • Which platform gives the most access to learn about readers
    • Which platform I don’t recommend for preorders
    • Why most indie or self published authors shouldn’t choose Amazon KDP for their preorder

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 - Introduction

    01:25 Understanding Preorder Goals

    03:05 The Amazon Preorder Misconception

    06:51 Why Not to Use Amazon for Preorders

    11:46 Success Stories: Alternative Preorder Strategies

    14:32 The Drawbacks of Amazon KDP

    21:16 Benefits of Hosting Preorders on Your Website

    28:12 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

    RESOURCES MENTIONED:

    →Join the Preorder Profits™ Challenge to find out preorder mistakes and success strategies: www.PreorderProfits.com

    → Order your copy of Profitable Publishing™ with Preorders to learn this strategy start to finish - www.PreorderProfits.com/book

    CONNECT WITH ASHLEY D. SHEPARD:

    Website: www.sheppublishinghouse.com/contact

    Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ShepPublishing

    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@sheppublishing

    Instagram: www.Instagram.com/sheppublishing

    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-d-shepard

    Threads: https://www.threads.com/@sheppublishing

    ABOUT THIS PODCAST:

    Profitable Publishing® is the podcast for coaches, consultants, speakers, and service providers who want to package their expertise into a profitable book to build their brands, attract clients, and create multiple income streams.

    Subscribe to Profitable Publishing® on your favorite podcast platform, and leave a review if you found this episode helpful!

    How do I set up a preorder for my self-published book?

    Should I host my book preorder on Amazon?

    How do I sell book preorders on my website?

    Can you do a paperback preorder on Amazon KDP?

    When do you get paid for Amazon KDP preorders?

    How do I get paid faster for my book preorder?

    How do I increase book sales before my launch?

    How do I use a book preorder to cover publishing costs?

    What mistakes do authors make with book preorders?

    Why is my Amazon KDP preorder not selling?

    Can Amazon ban you from doing preorders?

    Why should I not use Amazon for my book preorder?

    How do I build an email list as a self-published author?

    How do I use my book preorder to grow my audience?
    Show more Show less
    30 mins
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