“To write a book that’s effective, you have to know it’s effective, first.” On this episode of Don’t Write That Book, AJ Harper and Mike Michalowicz break down a common mistake authors of prescriptive nonfiction make: not taking their content for a test drive to ensure it actually is doable.

They’ll talk about how they’ve developed their process to build out action steps, identify gaps in their expertise and the reader’s understanding, and implement a test drive to fine tune those action steps until there is no doubt they’ll work.

(They even throw in some bonus insider baseball knowledge about crucial steps in publishing many who opt to self-publish skip, steps that are a dead giveaway the author is a newbie.)

Be sure to visit https://dwtbpodcast.com for more information and add your name to start receiving their newsletter. If you’d like to support this show, rate, subscribe and leave a review on your podcast app.

Delight in the Limelight, by Linda Ugelow: https://a.co/d/451dei5

Test Drive Your Content program: https://top-three-book-workshop.mykajabi.com/offers/eTgyWRGj

AJ Harper: 

https://ajharper.com

Write A Must-Read: https://a.co/d/4H0xQ7G

Free resources: https://writeamustread.com

Mike Michalowicz:

Profit First:  https://mikemichalowicz.com/profit-first/

Toilet-Paper Entrepreneur:  https://mikemichalowicz.com/the-toilet-paper-entrepreneur/

All In: https://mikemichalowicz.com/all-in/

Surge: https://mikemichalowicz.com/surge/

Pumpkin Plan: https://mikemichalowicz.com/pumpkin-plan/

Get Different: https://mikemichalowicz.com/get-different/

Fix This Next: https://mikemichalowicz.com/fix-this-next-book/

Clockwork: https://mikemichalowicz.com/clockwork/

Mike Michalowicz resources: https://mikemichalowicz.com

All books: https://mikemichalowicz.com/books/

Socials:  

IG: https://www.instagram.com/mikemichalowicz/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/MikeMichalowiczFanPage/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemichalowicz/

Welcome to the first episode of Don’t Write That Book, where AJ Harper and Mike Michalowicz will share their journey as authors, with plenty of tips and earned wisdom from their decade and change of co-writing best-selling books together.

In this episode, they’ll talk about the mindset shift that they wish all authors would make, from thinking a book is only a “better business card” to knowing that it requires time and careful consideration to write a must-read, a book that can truly change a reader’s life. You’ll also hear about how they met and started writing game-changing books.

They’ll share their fundamental belief that if the reader is the focus, it can answer every question you have about writing a transformational book. From this core value, they’ll explain how this helps authors meet their reader where they are. You’ll learn how the “reader first” mindset can help writers filter content and draft a transformational outline, and even help in marketing.

Be sure to visit https://dwtbpodcast.com for more information and add your name to start receiving their newsletter. If you’d like to support this show, rate, subscribe and leave a review on your podcast app.

Ramit Sethi’s I’ll Teach You How to be Rich: https://a.co/d/g0nK8LS

Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act: https://a.co/d/bf02xBc

AJ Harper: 

https://ajharper.com

Write A Must-Read: https://a.co/d/4H0xQ7G

Free resources_:_ https://writeamustread.com

Mike Michalowicz:

Profit First:  https://mikemichalowicz.com/profit-first/

Toilet-Paper Entrepreneur:  https://mikemichalowicz.com/the-toilet-paper-entrepreneur/

All In: https://mikemichalowicz.com/all-in/

Surge: https://mikemichalowicz.com/surge/

Pumpkin Plan: https://mikemichalowicz.com/pumpkin-plan/

Get Different: https://mikemichalowicz.com/get-different/

Fix This Next: https://mikemichalowicz.com/fix-this-next-book/

Clockwork: https://mikemichalowicz.com/clockwork/

Mike Michalowicz resources_:_ https://mikemichalowicz.com

All books: https://mikemichalowicz.com/books/

Socials:  

IG: https://www.instagram.com/mikemichalowicz/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/MikeMichalowiczFanPage/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemichalowicz/

It’s not always sunshine and roses… On this episode of DWTB, AJ Harper and Mike Michalowicz discuss the challenges and lessons learned from their least successful book, Surge. How could this book tank, after the astronomical success of Profit First? (Hint: you’ll find out!) You’ll also hear about the mindset shifts they both had to make to keep working together because this episode details their never-before-spoken-about partnership break.

(Spoiler alert: they got the band back together.)

The failure of Surge reinforced for AJ and Mike that they must stick to their rules, or as AJ calls them, their Immutable Laws when writing transformational nonfiction. Listen to the episode to learn what some of those rules are!

Be sure to visit https://dwtbpodcast.com for more information and add your name to start receiving their newsletter. If you’d like to support this show, rate, subscribe and leave a review on your podcast app.

Profit First for eCommerce, by Cyndi Thomason: https://a.co/d/ca188rm

Motherhood, Apple Pie and All that Happy Horseshit, by Cyndi Thomason: https://a.co/d/dxqaB6K

The War of Art, by Stephen Pressfield: https://a.co/d/bmeqF4b

AJ Harper: 

https://ajharper.com

Write A Must-Read: https://a.co/d/4H0xQ7G

Free resources: https://writeamustread.com

Mike Michalowicz:

Profit First:  https://mikemichalowicz.com/profit-first/

Toilet-Paper Entrepreneur:  https://mikemichalowicz.com/the-toilet-paper-entrepreneur/

All In: https://mikemichalowicz.com/all-in/

Surge: https://mikemichalowicz.com/surge/

Pumpkin Plan: https://mikemichalowicz.com/pumpkin-plan/

Get Different: https://mikemichalowicz.com/get-different/

Fix This Next: https://mikemichalowicz.com/fix-this-next-book/

Clockwork: https://mikemichalowicz.com/clockwork/

Mike Michalowicz resources: https://mikemichalowicz.com

All books: https://mikemichalowicz.com/books/

Socials:  

IG: https://www.instagram.com/mikemichalowicz/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/MikeMichalowiczFanPage/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemichalowicz/

On this episode of Don’t Write That Book, AJ Harper and Mike Michalowicz focus on how they came to write Mike’s best-selling book, Profit First, using the “reader first” method. They self-published the book as their publisher didn’t believe it could sell and wanted them to write a different book entirely. (The book went on to sell over a million copies…) AJ and Mike explain how they came to understand what their readers needed after The Pumpkin Plan as opposed to the book the publisher pitched, then set out to write that book.

In this episode, you’ll learn that a must-read book not only must be compelling, but that it must deliver on its promise. They’ll touch on using the Hero’s Journey to not only keep the reader on the page, but how it can help authors structure their books and ultimately build trust.

(You’ll even get some insider baseball knowledge on how to accurately track book sales and some of Mike’s gonzo methods for marketing!)

Be sure to visit https://dwtbpodcast.com for more information and add your name to start receiving their newsletter. If you’d like to support this show, rate, subscribe and leave a review on your podcast app.

The Coaching Habit, by Michael Bungay Stanier: https://boxofcrayons.com/boc/the-coaching-habit-book/

AJ Harper: 

https://ajharper.com

Write A Must-Read: https://a.co/d/4H0xQ7G

Free resources: https://writeamustread.com

Mike Michalowicz:

Profit First:  https://mikemichalowicz.com/profit-first/

Toilet-Paper Entrepreneur:  https://mikemichalowicz.com/the-toilet-paper-entrepreneur/

All In: https://mikemichalowicz.com/all-in/

Surge: https://mikemichalowicz.com/surge/

Pumpkin Plan: https://mikemichalowicz.com/pumpkin-plan/

Get Different: https://mikemichalowicz.com/get-different/

Fix This Next: https://mikemichalowicz.com/fix-this-next-book/

Clockwork: https://mikemichalowicz.com/clockwork/

Mike Michalowicz resources: https://mikemichalowicz.com

All books: https://mikemichalowicz.com/books/

Socials:  

IG: https://www.instagram.com/mikemichalowicz/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/MikeMichalowiczFanPage/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemichalowicz/

Each year, roughly four million books are published. Four million. Considering that staggering number, how can an author hope to make it—make a living, make their mark, make a difference? First and foremost, by avoiding the “better business card” and other shortcut approaches to writing and publishing a book.

In their podcast, Don’t Write That Book, writing partners Mike Michalowicz (Profit First, Clockwork, The Pumpkin Plan, and more) and AJ Harper (Write a Must-Read) offer a rare behind-the-scenes look into what it really takes to write a must-read book—and sell the heck out of it. Building on their decades of experience in publishing, Mike and AJ share frank conversations and deep dives about every aspect of authorship in the hopes of inspiring you to write a better book—the book you were called to write.

Subscribe now and listen now on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Spotify, or Pandora.