Nick Thacker is a bestselling author of over 45 books across multiple genres, including the 16-book Harvey Bennett thriller series. What makes Nick's story unique is that he never wanted to be a writer—he hated writing in school and only started his first book as a Christmas gift for his father. After working in marketing and web design, Nick applied business principles to his author career and was able to quit his full-time job in 2017. Today, he runs Book Career in a Year, where he teaches authors how to build sustainable writing careers through strategic marketing, email list building, and treating their creative work as a business.

In this episode:

• Why Nick hated writing but became a prolific author anyway
• The "muddy middle" problem and how craft books saved his first manuscript
• How The Enigma Strain made only $80 in its first year but became a bestseller
• Why writing more books is the single best marketing strategy
• The crucial difference between fighting obscurity and making money
• Three marketing buckets every author needs: email, social media, and advertising
• How to build an email list as a fiction writer by giving away entire books
• Why you should make your social media attractive, not promotional
• Why "writing for yourself" is often an excuse to avoid marketing
• Productivity systems that work: the 12 Week Year and EOS (Traction)
• How to find your own writing process instead of copying famous authors
• Step-by-step guide to building a book career in one year
• When to start investing in Facebook and Amazon ads
• The importance of sending readers back to Amazon for algorithmic benefits
  
  

Resources mentioned:

• Book Career in a Year program: https://www.bookcareerinayear.com/
• Scrivener: https://scrivener.app/
• Email marketing platforms
• Amazon KDP: https://kdp.amazon.com/
• Facebook advertising platform: https://www.facebook.com/business/ads
• The 12 Week Year book: https://www.amazon.com/12-Week-Year-Others-Months/dp/1118509234
• Entrepreneur Operating System (EOS): https://www.eosworldwide.com/

Book recommendations:

• Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain: https://www.amazon.com/Techniques-Selling-Writer-Dwight-Swain/dp/0806111917
• Amazonia by James Rollins: https://www.amazon.com/Amazonia-James-Rollins/dp/0061965839

Connect with Nick:

• Website: https://www.nickthacker.com/
• Book Career in a Year Coaching Program: https://www.bookcareerinayear.com/
• Online courses and training: https://www.bookcareerinayear.com/coaching/
• Books by Nick: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B008A2W6XE

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• @teddyagsmith
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