What No One Tells You About Launching a Book
Getting people to notice and care about your story.
Dear friends,
Apologies for being late to the party. A couple of weeks ago, my book launched into the world, and promoting it has been a full-time job. So I thought I might share some insights about this process and what it has taught me.
Writing this book has been a pinnacle of my life. It’s something I never thought I’d do, until I realized I had something important to say about strength, women’s potential, and what our bodies were truly designed for, historically and scientifically. It took me, from start to finish, over four years to write, and meeting my readers has been worth every weekend writing alone in an empty office. One reader approached me at People’s Book to tell me she drove two hours to hear me speak. My coach Tina Peratino (whom you’ll meet tomorrow) said she heard from a 78-year-old woman in Georgia who asked to start working with her. “You’re making an impact,” Tina emailed me.
That means the world to me, more than any plastic trophy I could ever win on a bodybuilding stage.
Throughout this process, I’ve learned so much, and I want to share those lessons. If you ever want to write a book, be sure you really want to live with the subject for four years—because you’ll have to live, think, breathe, and repeat its messages. A lot.
If you’re naturally introverted, as I am, you’ll be pushed outside your comfort zone. You have to get potential readers to pay attention. You have to get famous people to pay attention. You’ll write countless emails to countless editors, hoping they’ll cover your story or pick up your excerpt. You’ll do tons of podcasts, which have largely replaced bookstore visits (the traditional book tour is an expensive adventure, and often a gamble in today’s attention economy: flying out, staying somewhere, speaking at a bookstore, and hoping people show up). You’ll have to be willing to ask—again and again—for people to buy or share your book. Did you know I have a book? Let me tell you about my book.
But above all, you will have to truly believe in what you’ve written. And I do.
Turning a No into a Yes
I may not be the best at everything, but I’m relentless about throwing spaghetti at the wall, calling everyone I know, and turning a “no” into a “maybe.” I’ll circle back, ask again, find another angle—it’s important because getting press coverage brings your book to life for readers.
Think strategically: what’s the angle? Who knows who? A warm introduction makes a huge difference. And if your email goes ignored, find someone else at the organization. When someone I considered a friend ignored my email, I waited a couple of weeks, emailed the editor-in-chief directly (who responded immediately) and the piece ran within days.
That being said…
Get Comfortable with Rejection
Most of your asks won’t pan out. I asked countless people for blurbs, and most sent polite no-thank yous— if they responded at all.
But a few said yes. In fact, I could count them on one hand.
And in the end, those were the ones that mattered: they’re the endorsements on the back of my book.
So swallow the rejections. Take the Hail Mary shots. The worst that can happen is a “no,” and it’s over email, so who cares?
Sometimes, you’ll be surprised. One of my emails turned into a phone call with Daniel Pink ,an author and thinker I really admire. Liz Plosser, a wonderful Substacker and friend, connected me with an editor at Women’s Health, where she was once editor in chief. Paul von Zielbauer, who left the New York Times to write about strength, hosted me on his Substack. Friends old and new took time to interview me or introduce me to others; colleagues I hadn’t talked to in years opened their Rolodexes. Those moments meant everything.
I guess what I’m saying is, I’m posting all the ‘wins’, but behind every one of those is a ton of nos. Don’t get weighed down by negativity. Expect it. Embrace it. Because ten percent of it is the stuff that makes all the difference.
Lean on Friends and Family
This was huge. I sent a mass email to everyone I know, asking them to post about the book on their socials. Their networks—sometimes hundreds or thousands of people—helped amplify the message.
You remember the ones who helped you: Pattie Sellers and Nina Easton not only came to my events, but spoke at them and brought along their wonderful world of powerful women. Gwendolyn Perry Davis came all the way from Chicago for my bookstore reading. Brody Mullins opened up his excel spreadsheet of media contacts with me.
Some People Suck
But that’s clarifying. It shows you who’s in your corner and who’s not. When someone goes the extra mile for you, you’ll want to do something wonderful for them in return. And for those you thought were friends who didn’t step up? That’s noted, too.
If this resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments—or share this post with someone who needs a nudge to go after what matters. And if you didn’t already know… I have a book. 😉
Congratulations 🎊 👏
Turning your empowering story into wisdom for others. Can’t think of a better way to make an impact. Looking forward to hearing you and Tina discuss everything and then peppering you with questions of my own soon!