how to create raving fan

www.PublishingAltitude.com | Copyright 2021, Wesley Atkins | All Rights Reserved

Book Publishing Cheat Sheets

- Issue No. 3 - by Wesley Atkins

How To Create Raving Fan Readers Who Buy From You Over & Over Again

In the last issue we talked about how to have absolute empathy with your prospective book buyers, ensuring your book becomes the primary choice during their buying decision.

We also talked about how to “construct” your TOC based on the research you’ve done on your market in terms of … their pain points, major questions, wants and needs.

If you haven’t completed the steps we spoke about – then you need to go back and read the last issue. It’s very tempting to just read all this great information and never act on it.

Do you want these cheat sheets to gather virtual dust … or do you actually want to make some cashola? If so … then follow along as you do the work. So, to recap.


Chosen a proven niche? Check. In-depth market analysis? Check. TOC & mind map? Check. Good work. Let’s proceed. Now you need to make a choice … one that I believe, you’re going to make based on the “effort” it’s going to take you. That choice, is…

To outsource or write the book yourself

My guess is outsource, right? Don’t get me wrong, I still outsource books … and I used to hate writing too, but once I found a niche that I resonated with, and like communicating with, I’m starting to enjoy writing more and more content. And I plan on writing a lot more books in my own voice as it’s far more profitable to build a “true relationship” with an audience that knows, likes and trusts you. Remember last time, we talked about having true empathy with our audience, far beyond our competitors? Well, this, in business, is… “The Secret” if there ever was one. And I highly recommend you re-read the last issue to get up to speed on that.


Sure, outsourcing is a great option for markets that are not your core business. Maybe you found a “hot selling” niche with a software product like KDSPY … but, for your core audience (you are building a real business in one niche aren’t you?) – I’d seriously consider writing the books yourself. No reason why you couldn’t outsource the 1st draft … and then turn the book into your own voice – don’t see anything wrong with that, at all. (I believe James Patterson himself, does this.) Your choice entirely. The point I just wanted to make is this: If all you do is outsource books in different “hot” niches in the hope that one day you’ll reach that elusive $10k per month mark … and be able quit your day job is, well … a “scary” business to have – with little, if any, foundation. Sure, there’s plenty of people operating on Amazon like that, right NOW, in fact. But, for how long?

Markets change. Algorithms change. Competition expands.

Nothing wrong with income streams on the side. But … FOCUS on “serving” ONE core market that gets 90% of your attention, by … Writing (or outsourcing) multiple books in ONE niche. Delivering value. Creating relationships.


And building trust, and a customer list. You simply can’t build true empathy in with one market, if your focus is split in a bunch of different niches. Impossible. Ok, I think I’ve hammered that one home enough. Let’s move on, and talk about something I know is on your mind …

How to find quality freelancers who can easily write your books

Here’s the funny thing about outsourcing. People believe there is this “magic secret” to ensure, what you get back from your freelancer is going to be EXACTLY what you wanted. The truth is … there is no magic secret. If you want to have a good experience when outsourcing your projects in the future … then there’s just 4 things you need to know to improve your chances (dramatically) of finding someone that actually does produce something of decent quality. What are they, you ask? Here goes. You want to ensure your freelancer has:

1. Attention to detail 2. Good feedback and reviews 3. Is competent and knowledgeable in the subject matter 4. Fully understands what you’re asking for


That’s it. Pretty simple, huh? Well, simple maybe, but not easy. Let’s address each in detail: 1. Attention to detail. So many freelancers on sites like Upwork.com are just using the typical “mass” response technique. Which is throw a load of shit at the wall and see what sticks. I’m serious. In other words, they’re responding to EVERY job they have a vague interest in … to see if they win the bid. Avoid people like this if you want to keep your hair … they’re just looking to make a fast buck.

To get around this, I use a “simple” strategy that asks them a direct question in the post of your job. For example, you’d say: “I like to work with people that have extreme attention to detail. Therefore, to ensure you are actually reading this job posting, please tell me the city you were born in?”

I generally like to add this to the post about ¾ of the way down. Don’t put it at the beginning or the end of the post, but somewhere towards the end.

Funny thing is, you’ll be surprised (even amazed) at how many people this will “weed out” off the bat.

I guarantee, at least 50% of respondents will not answer the question … and that’s good for you, as they’ll likely not pay much attention to the “specifics” of what you need completing. Again … keeping more hair “firmly” attached to your scalp. So, we discard 50% right off the bat – no attention to detail – GONE!


Next up, we want to look at their previous feedback. Now, I cannot speak for all freelance websites, but the one I use and recommend (www.upwork.com/) allows you to view the past feedback of any freelancer before you choose to work with em’. And I’m looking to “weed out” more people based on this. This is a personal choice … but, if they have less than 5 jobs under their belt and less than 4.5 stars I (generally) stay away. Then, I’ll read their portfolio and all the feedback they’ve gotten in the past. Again, I’m looking to discard. Most of the time, 20-40% of people make it to step 3, without being weeded out. Then it’s just a matter of communicating with them. Firstly, I’ll ask to see work they have completed in the past that is similar in topic to what I’m asking for. You’ll also want to ask for this in the job posting too, but if they don’t provide … ask em’ again. If they fail a second time. Discard. The next step is to send them a message and simple ask them another question, like this:

I’m interested in your proposal, but as this is the first time I’ve worked with you, I wanted to check that you fully understand what I’m after?

I also, like to ask them if they would be prepared to lower their bid, too. For no other reason, than to get the job done at a better price, and as this is the first time working with them.


Once I’ve narrowed my list down to around 2-3 candidates that I believe are going to product high quality work, I could go and choose ONE person based on their communication thread. Or … I could choose all 3 and then get each of them write a ONE page article on the subject matter and then evaluate all their work … and choose the best. This way you’re testing out the freelancers for cheap to find the best. This is precisely how I’ve approached outsourcing in the past … and would recommend you do the same. Initially anyway. I still find (some) outsourcers that produce low quality work, but again, there’s no magic secret apart from “weeding out” the wheat from the chaff. And then hanging onto the wheat once you’ve found em’.

Ok, so our book is firmly in the lap of the gods (with your freelancer) … and the final thing for you to do while your book is being written, is … Can you guess? We touched on this last week … So, now we want to start brainstorming on what you will give away for FREE with your book, in order to …

Overdeliver in VALUE!

Those “raving fans” are a stone’s throw away. Ones that will recommend you to their friends, leave 5-star reviews, optin to your list … and buy everything you ever produce. But first, you need to “build” that trust. To ensure your book is the primary choice in the minds of your prospects, you’ll want to create a compelling offer. Drooling in curiosity. Wrapped in value … and that is simple done with (useful) free stuff.


Who doesn’t like stuff for free? Heck, you’re getting these cheat sheets for free, and the feedback I’ve gotten about these has been, mind-blowing.

I actually had to set up a folder in my Gmail labelled “Testimonials” – so I can keep hold of all these wonderful comments. … It really means a lot – thanks so much J And the referrals I’ve gotten off the back of the work I’ve done? Incredible. Seriously.

The thing is it doesn’t matter whether you’re running a brick-and-mortar business, an ecommerce store, an information product business, selling software or books … human psychology does not change.

And human psychology dictates, that people value (useful) free stuff … Note the word (useful). In highlighter … this is the, often overlooked … but important “distinction”.

Anyone can give away free shit to people. There’s a (crap-load) steaming pile of the stuff you can use on the internet – available for you to swipe and deploy right NOW … but, it’s the same “regurgitated” manure that everyone and his dog has tried to palm off on people, before you …


That ain’t gonna cut it.

What’s that … You want some pointers? …

Ok, here’s some of my favourites:

o Cheatsheets o Checklists o Resource lists o Audio .mp3 o Video .mp4 o Bonus PDF reports

But again. It’s worth saying, that anyone and his dog can put together some lame junk following the above. I warn you not to fall into this trap. Your credibility is on the line here. Remember my Excel, ROI tracking spreadsheet you got as a free bonus with your purchase of KDSPY? I spent 2 days to create that file that works out your “return on investment” with each of your book projects … and I provide a video explaining how to use it effectively. Here’s another example. If I were to teach you how to create HTML code for your KDP book descriptions to make it look pretty … would you value that? Maybe. Maybe not. There’re tons of other places you can learn how to code in HTML … so chances are, it’s not that valuable in the minds of your prospects (or you).


However, if I were to outright give you a “fill in the blanks” template, along with what you should say in a compelling way … and the HTML code already in place to make it stand out – now, that’s freaking useful. Starting to get it? (I should be charging $27 a month for “nuggets” like this – seriously …)

This is just a small list of the things you could add, but let your imagination run wild. What else could you provide your prospects with … that would make their lives easier, enable them to “implement” your teachings quicker or more effectively? Seek to help them above your competition … and make them really happy they bought your book over anybody else. What’s that? You want more ideas … jeez. Tough crowd. Cheatsheets - Remember how you got your hands on what you are reading RIGHT now? You became a customer of mine for a small ticket software purchase. Then, one day I decided to over-deliver to you … and just write these for FREE. Why? … sometimes I ask myself the same question. Kidding. Because I want to provide an experience with me that “no one” else will deliver … that way, I hope, you will trust that I’m not some charlatan that will take your money and not provide value to you in the future.


In return you’ll (hopefully) recommend me to your friends and buy more of my products and services as you know I deliver on my promises – and then some. Think of it the same way for the reviews on your book. Now, I’m not saying you need to write like a madman, and create a bunch of cheat sheets like these – but how about ONE? A general overview. Covering all bases. A Quick-start guide. You get the point. Checklists - one of the most popular FREE additions you can create is a “checklist”. Generally, 1-3 pages in length that walks the reader through a chronological sequence of action steps to put into practice … so they can master whatever was taught in your book. These should be offered as a printable PDF they can download from your website, print it out … and actually check off the items. Something you can’t do with a book. What’s that you say? You don’t know how to put up a website? Well then … I guess you’ve overlooked, another free bonus I gave you for purchasing KDSPY. Take a close look in your members area and you’ll see a full-blown course about “how to create an author website in 2 hours”. (https://www.publishingaltitude.com/member/author-website/). Resource Lists – Another great one is a “resource list”. This is basically a supplementary list of external resources that your audience can use to find out more information on a particular topic. Maybe the resource is a YouTube video, a template, a blog post, a mind map. Whatever.


Video – Why not take your original mind map and organise it into PowerPoint slides. Then, add bullets for each of the talking points … and sit down with a screen recording software, like; Camtasia by Techsmith (http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html) and record yourself giving a 12-minute overview of the most important parts of your book? Think that would be useful? You bet.

This could easily have a value of $47+ … and giving it away for free with your book for $2.99 will see off any competition, that’s for sure. Audio – How about extracting the audios from the 12-minute video recording that I just talked about? Then, provide readers with an .MP3, so they can listen when they’re travelling? You could even offer a bonus audio that expands on a topic that’s discussed in the book. That’s adding value. Bonus PDF Reports – I’m sure you’re starting to get the point. But one more. How about creating small bonus reports on a “laser focused” topic. All you really need to do is take a section in your book … and then just expand on it in a bonus report. You could give this away in the book or use it to build a list of prospects. I hope this is all starting to sink in. I really do … because I wholeheartedly believe you’ll start to see more and more of this in the practice … when competition gets stronger, you need to adapt and stand out from the crowd. My lil’ fingers are killin’ me. So, I’m gonna leave it there for now. Please, though, don’t just read these cheat sheets and take no action…


That benefits no-one. More to come.

p.s. I wanted to summarize what I’m trying to teach here in *one paragraph*. You see, we all have different learning modalities … so, if I can sum up the 50,000ft view, I’m hoping it will resonate with more people. Let me point out – I see book publishing as a great starting point for creating a passive income. For longevity however … you want to “leverage” their platform (Amazon) in order to build a sustainable business in ONE niche. Here’s my summation:

You want to identify an in-demand problem that needs solving that you have an interest in. Ask questions to that specific audience to find out their “biggest” pain points, needs, and wants… Then, seek to overcome those by providing a unique and “curious” solution. Present it to them in a compelling way, while invoking curiosity, over-delivering on content, and in VALUE. Seek to build a relationship with that audience (your readers) – o-v-e-r-t-i-m-e – and you‘ll understand them better than your competitors (empathy). You’re then able provide MORE specific solutions (books, courses & consulting, if you choose) to your customers who already know, like and trust you – in order to create a sustainable, and growing, passive income.

how to create raving fan

Documents