I’m excited to chat with Julia Zatta, a LinkedIn marketing expert who works with founders, entrepreneurs, and senior leaders to build strong personal brands. Julia has written more than 4,000 LinkedIn posts for clients across tech, wellness, finance, and marketing, and she hosts the podcast LinkedIn for Entrepreneurs. The conversation focuses on how authors can use LinkedIn to market their business books, starting with the foundation Julia insists every client must lay first: an optimized profile.

For authors marketing a book, the very first step is making sure your profile reflects your current offer. Julia stresses that your LinkedIn profile should function like a landing page with a clear value proposition, not a chronological career history. Your headline is the most important piece of copy on the page because it is the first thing people see when you send a connection request, and it determines whether they accept.

Once the profile is set, Julia recommends planning your LinkedIn strategy at least three months before your book launch. One underused tactic is creating LinkedIn events for book launches, which lets you invite up to 250 connections per month directly. Julia also highlights LinkedIn newsletters as an underrated tool: unlike regular posts, newsletters allow external links (like a book purchase link) without being penalized by the algorithm.

For authors starting from scratch with a small network, Julia sees this as an opportunity to build intentionally. Use Sales Navigator, which comes free for the first month with a LinkedIn Premium trial, to send up to 300 targeted connection requests by filtering for industry, location, company size, and recent activity. Julia shares a case study of an author client where they combined LinkedIn events, strategic tagging of publishers and editors, newsletter links, and regular posting to sustain momentum before and after launch.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Get 20% off Julia’s LinkedIn visibility sprint!

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

Can an AI editing tool really replace a professional human editor? With traditional editing costing anywhere from two to five thousand dollars, AI tools promise similar results for a fraction of the price, leaving authors wondering why they should pay for a professional. But that is the wrong choice, because AI cannot replicate what a human editor does, and the wrong decision can damage your content, waste time and money on rewrites, and ultimately harm your reputation.

I share several real client stories illustrating how AI gives flat-out wrong developmental advice, produces amateur-looking books riddled with mistakes, and strips away the expertise and credibility that make your book valuable. Poor editing has a real domino effect, since event coordinators talk to each other and won't hire authors whose books look sloppy or inauthentic, meaning the money you think you're saving actually costs you opportunities and income.

I walk through the common misconceptions on both sides, clarifying what AI editing tools genuinely do well versus where they fall short. The heart of the episode is a strategic editing workflow that uses AI appropriately for first-pass cleanup while reserving developmental editing, line editing, and final proofreading for skilled human editors who understand context, voice, industry nuance, and your target audience.

I also give an important caution that if you plan to pitch a traditional publisher, you cannot use AI at any point, since publishers will pull a contract the moment they discover you’ve used AI in any context of your work.

The bottom line is that AI and human editing serve different purposes, and you should never skip the human editor who protects your quality and your reputation.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

Sometimes traditional writer's block advice can fail busy professionals. This episode explores how to use AI as an ideation writing partner to move past your writing challenges while maintaining your authentic voice.

For executives, CEOs, and thought leaders, writer's block is especially costly because blocked writing time means lost billable hours, delayed publication timelines, and the frustration that can lead to abandoning a book entirely or watching a competitor publish first.

I discuss why both extremes with AI tend to fail, refusing to use it at all versus letting AI write your content, and how to find the sweet spot using AI purely as an ideation partner rather than a ghostwriter or a replacement for a professional editor.

Remember, copying and pasting AI output erases your voice, invites copyright issues, and produces bland content that readers can sense is inauthentic, so your unique perspective, stories, frameworks, and expertise must always remain the foundation of your book.

Using AI strategically to break through blocks, from overcoming opening paragraph paralysis to generating transitions, exploring multiple angles, and brainstorming chapter titles, always writing the final words in your own voice with the key being to use specific and detailed verbiage in your prompts, re-prompting until you get useful ideas, feeding in your own frameworks and examples, and choosing the content you want to use, then discarding the rest. Writer's block is solvable with the right approach, and when used well, AI enhances rather than erases your voice while you remain the expert.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read a book and asked the author, “Who did you hire for your editor?” only to find out that they hired one or more editors who didn’t do a quality editing job on their business book.

Today, I share the common mistakes I fix after another editor has already worked on my client's book, because it happens far more often than not. I look at a manuscript, and it doesn't appear anyone edited the work or only grammar was corrected. My goal is to help you avoid hiring an editor who won't do a good job, since an unprofessionally edited book does the opposite of what you want and can damage your reputation with reviews calling out mistakes that make your book hard to read.

One of the biggest issues I see is poor communication, where editors don't provide a timeline or updates and simply drop the edited book in the client's lap. My process is transparent from start to finish. Another common problem is weak line editing, where editors leave in fuzzy words like "sort of," "kind of," and "maybe" that weaken your content and make you sound less confident and professional. I also frequently clean up basic spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors that a previous so-called editor missed entirely.

Most editing problems come from hiring the wrong person, often someone without a proven track record, or a person who edits as a side gig rather than full-time. When hiring an editor, make sure they work in your specific genre, edit full-time or are a semi-retired professional, communicate with you promptly within 48 hours, and can provide sample work.

Always ask the key vetting questions, request a free 500-word sample using the same passage for every editor so you can compare, and consider a paid chapter-one sample before committing to your whole book. Avoid editors who claim they do all four types of editing well, since real professionals specialize. The right editor takes your thoughts and ideas and elevates them to a professional level so your reader has an amazing experience.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

If you've ever searched for help with the inside of your book, you've probably noticed that nobody seems to call book formatting the same term. One person says one name, another uses a completely different term, and before you know it, you're not even sure what service you’re looking for. In this episode, we're clearing up the naming confusion so you know exactly which service you need and the name for that service.

We walk through five different names that people use for book formatting, each with its own emphasis and meaning. Some focus on the technical side, some on the visual craft, and others on the overall design experience. They're often used interchangeably, which creates a lot of unnecessary confusion.

Understanding what each term actually means matters because it affects how you search for help and who you hire. The wrong term can lead you to the wrong service, or leave you unsure whether you're getting the level of care your book really needs.

If you want to know what each name means, how they differ, and which one describes what you're actually looking for, you'll want to listen to the full breakdown in this episode.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Ready to take your book idea and create your book framework and outline? Get my latest publication, From Idea to Outline, made for busy professionals who want to setup their book quickly and efficiently.

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific

In this essential episode, I clear up the confusing terminology around book formatting since one person says formatting, another says typesetting, and someone else calls it interior design, leaving authors unsure which service they actually need. I break down the five different names for what happens inside your book so you understand what each one means and can hire the right professional with confidence.

Book formatting is the practical foundation that makes your files work correctly on publishing platforms like Amazon KDP. Typesetting is the visual craft that makes your pages look polished and enjoyable to read. Book interior design is the holistic artistic approach that creates a cohesive reader experience, working best for more visual projects like art books or coffee table books. Page layout is the precise page-by-page execution of placing every element where it belongs. The book interior layout sits in the sweet spot combining design vision with mechanical execution, which is what I do for my clients.

The big takeaway is that each term carries a slightly different emphasis and signals a different level of service. When you know what each one means, you can make smarter hiring decisions and ensure you're getting the type and level of service your book truly deserves.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

I talk with Michael Nguyen, founder of Take This Podcast, a production company that assists real estate and finance creators in growing their shows without burnout. With seven years of experience and successes like Coach Carson's show (130,000+ YouTube subscribers), Michael makes the case for why authors should consider podcasting. Blog readership is declining in the AI era, while the active podcast landscape is far less crowded since most shows fade out before reaching ten episodes.

Michael stresses that the first step is identifying your ideal listener, their age, routine, and pain points. We explore two core formats: interview episodes, which create audience cross-pollination through guest swaps and networking, and solo episodes, which let you go deep on a topic and position yourself as the expert. For authors, a book is a goldmine of podcast content, including excerpts, behind-the-scenes stories, character inspiration, and writing process details, all of which act like Amazon's "Look Inside" preview, hooking listeners while leaving them wanting the full book.

Consistency is the through-line of the entire conversation. Michael breaks production into three phases and notes that even a 15-minute episode takes far more than 15 minutes to deliver. That workload drives podfade, which is where his production service steps in, handling editing, publishing, and admin so creators can focus on recording.

The strongest argument for podcasting is the trust factor. Listeners integrate shows into their daily commutes, meals, and walks, and that recurring presence creates a loyalty that is hard to replicate. Get organized with a content calendar, set mini-deadlines, and commit to a consistent schedule, because consistency and relevancy are key to podcasting success.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Get Michael’s free cheat sheet on How to Launch Your Podcast

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

I sat down with David Barnett, an author of ten books who has spent over a decade helping entrepreneurs buy and sell small businesses. David shares how a simple PDF lead magnet he created in 2014 evolved into his first published book, Invest Local, and how that experience revealed the power of books to serve as a lasting business card—one that opens doors to podcast appearances, speaking engagements, and unsolicited client inquiries from strangers discovering him on Amazon. Since then, he has built an entire catalog of titles, each designed to answer the exact questions his audience is already searching for.

David's approach to titling is deliberately data-driven. Several of his books began as free PDF downloads and only became full-length published works once the content expanded enough to justify it. His evergreen titles, like Franchise Warnings, have sold steadily for over a decade with no marketing push, proving that the right book in the right niche can quietly pay dividends year after year.

The conversation dives deep into David's 2024 launch strategy for Buying vs. Starting a Small Business, which marked a significant shift from his earlier approach of simply uploading a manuscript and walking away. The campaign revealed a frustrating reality about Amazon's review filter—roughly forty people told him they left a review, but many never appeared on the platform. Reviews from established Amazon reviewers were far more likely to survive the filter, and he repurposed unpublished reviews by placing them directly into the book's front pages, where they're visible in the free "Look Inside" preview and serve as marketing copy for prospective buyers.

Beyond book launches, David shares broader lessons from his eleven-year YouTube journey and his philosophy that the right audience matters far more than a large one. He also discusses how he uses transcription tools and AI-assisted editing to turn podcast conversations into case studies for updated book editions. The episode is a practical, grounded look at how a nonfiction author can build authority, generate leads, and create a self-reinforcing body of work without relying on paid advertising or viral moments.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Get David’s Free Download about Buying and Selling Small Businesses at https://www.DavidCBarnettList.com

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

Ray Hartjen is the author of five published books, including Revenue Orchestration in Today's New Era of B2B Sales and Marketing, to discuss how your business book can drive your inbound sales pipeline. Ray wrote his book because B2B buyers have dramatically changed how they purchase over the last five years, wanting to self-serve part of their buying journey just like they do as B2C consumers, yet most go-to-market teams remain stuck in archaic selling processes.

Ray designed his book as a thought leadership piece and calling card rather than a primary revenue source, introducing readers to his concepts as a quick read with his contact information inside. The key to writing a focused book is knowing your avatar or ideal customer profile before you start, then choosing topics within your genuine area of expertise rather than cramming everything you know into one book. A narrow focus lets you share thought leadership that sparks conversations expanding your network and business.

Some authors give books away free on LinkedIn as lead magnets while others charge on Amazon, and paperbacks provide a "thud factor" of authority when placed on a table at in-person events. Books also lend themselves to repurposing into website excerpts and tangential content that wins at search and AI answer engine optimization, guiding prospective customers back to your book and into your pipeline.

The biggest obstacle is simply getting started. Ray emphasizes that a twenty-thousand-word book written at five hundred words daily takes only about forty days. If you have a pitch deck, you already have a book since the talk track and concepts exist in your slide notes, ready to be translated into written words. Ray and I recommend writing first thing in the morning when energy is fresh, treating your book as a big rock to tackle before smaller tasks like email, blocking out dedicated time on your calendar, and tracking your daily word count for built-in motivation and accountability since creating a business book is a job function, not a hobby.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Visit Ray and get a free gift! https://rayhartjen.com/store/ols/products/outflanked

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereafter based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

The key distinction is between creative rest and destructive procrastination, since procrastination involves avoidance and guilt with no end point, while creative breaks involve intention and restoration with defined boundaries.

Signs you are procrastinating include endlessly researching without writing, constantly rewriting the same chapter, and waiting for perfect inspiration. Signs you need a creative break include forced mechanical writing, mental fatigue, and feeling disconnected from your story.

Creative break ideas include taking a walk, gardening, and journaling by hand, but always set a date to return so you don't fall into the procrastination rabbit hole. For story development, even nonfiction books need a story arc built around transformation showing who your reader is before and after your book, anchored by your inciting moment. Sources of inspiration include recurring client questions, old journals, industry trends, and your contrarian perspective since readers buy your book for your unique framework.

Accountability systems make a major difference including writing sprints, a writing partner, a book coach, public goals, and scheduled writing appointments. I recommend weekly goals over daily since life happens, and a word count chart helps you reverse-engineer your target so a 40,000-word book finished in six months requires 310 words daily. Finally, maintain a positive mindset by celebrating small wins, reviewing your why, and practicing self-compassion since finished books can be improved but unfinished books cannot.

Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep creating. Your book is waiting to be born!

Ready to write your authority-building book? Book a Path to Publishing Discovery Call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Podcast Resources

Looking for support to self-publish your book? Join me in my Skool Community filled with leaders who are adding “author” to their bio.

Unsure how to turn your idea into your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Ready to take your book idea and create your book framework and outline? Get my latest publication, From Idea to Outline, made for busy professionals who want to setup their book quickly and efficiently.

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.