The book I wrote in 52 days that made me $60K

What I learned - and what you can apply if you’re sitting on an idea.

May 22, 2025

I paid myself $60,000 in royalties from a book I wrote without a publisher, or big platform.

I don’t say that to brag. This book is not funding any retirement plans. But I say it because I wish I’d read something like this before I started.

And this week felt like the perfect time to share it.

Because The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint: Design Fast. Deliver Strong. Without Stress just turned two years old today.

Royalty screenshot from Amazon. The book has also been sold on other distribution platforms + private client sales.

Yep. Two years since I made a very public bet on a book that I hoped would be helpful.

It’s also created a wave of unexpected client work, opportunities, and conversations I could never have predicted.

While we’re not hitting any Wall Street Journal lists here, I thought it might be nice to share some work in public of what it takes to get better-than-mediocre sales for your book.

I’ll walk you through what worked, what didn’t, and what I’d do differently.

But first, here’s advice I rarely give:

Lower your expectations.

Writing a book is easy hard.

But selling it? That’s HARD HARD.

The average self-published book sells fewer than 250 copies in its lifetime. Many sell fewer than 10. The majority of the 1.7 million books published annually through Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing never earn their authors more than a few hundred dollars.

Yet here I am, having moved over 5,800 copies from a super-specific book about workshop facilitation. Not because I'm a marketing genius or had some secret sauce, but because I approached it systematically, without romance, and with a clear understanding that the real marketing efforts starts before you even have a book concept.

Let me save you some time upfront

If you want to sell books solve a real problem. Write your book for an actual person.

Don't make up fictional problems that no one actually has. (This is a message for myself btw…As I was brainstorming ideas for my next book, I realised I was just creating solutions for fake problems).

Why “Write for Future You” is the worst book advice I ever took

All the gurus out there write that you must write a book for a future version of yourself, so you can attract new and exciting opportunities your way.

But here’s the problem: Future You hasn’t done the work yet.

Future You hasn’t captured any case studies, results, experience, social proof, or really, any legitimacy to write the book to thrust you into hypothetical new world territory.

Future You doesn’t understand your reader’s challenges intimately to be able to guide them through a process / help them / make them feel like you’re in their corner.

That’s one helluva hard book to write (hello, writer’s block… Oh, I guess now you can use AI)!

BUT hey, that was the advice I was given. That’s why I was stuck. I had no idea who future Leanne was…

Then one day, I listen to a Voxer message.

It’s from

❤️ Jenny Blake

, saying, “Why not write a book about workshops? You have hundreds of podcast episodes about it, you’ve run so many workshops. It’s a low-hanging watermelon!” 🍉🍉🍉🍉

When I heard that, I felt so much lighter!

Yes. Why not?!

She was right. I didn't need to invent something new. I just needed to capture what I already knew, and make it useful for others.

It was a topic I’d already been speaking about for years, so the writing flowed.

I gave myself a deadline: 52 days. That’s when I was flying to California to speak at Andy Storch’s Talent Development Think Tank Conference and I refused to show up without a book in my hand. Or at least something that looked like one.

Here’s the unboxing moment of the V1/early reader edition. Thanks for the footage, Andy!

leannehughes

A post shared by @leannehughes

Why I didn’t wait for permission to publish

I didn't want to wait 12 months for a publisher to maybe pick up my book idea, maybe tweak it, and maybe release it.

I didn't want to hand over decisions on the title, the cover, or the way I wanted to market it (that’s exactly why I left employee life).

And I definitely didn't want to beg for permission to give the audiobook away as a bonus to my clients.

So I started my own publishing house. Big Charlie Press, named after my late uncle. Would a traditional publishing deal have added prestige? Possibly. Has anyone ever asked about that? Nope.

So I’ve had zero regrets.

If I want to run quirky marketing experiments, or give away the audiobook as part of a package for corporate clients, I don't need to check with anyone.

Plus of course, more profit from every book sold.

The marketing strategy that got the flywheel spinning

Community.

I didn't start from zero. I'd already spent years building a community around facilitation through the First Time Facilitator podcast, keynotes, and client work.

So when the book launched, I wasn’t shouting into the void, people already cared.

Plus, the facilitation community are so incredibly supportive. So, if you’re one of those early readers who shared the love on social media, wrote a review, thank you!!

(And that’s another issue about writing a book for Future You. You probably don’t have an existing audience/community that buys into your idea already).

Still, I didn't sit back and hope.

I pushed the flywheel manually, often uphill.

I asked for reviews. One by one. When readers posted photos and tagged me, or sent me DMs, I replied personally, and sent them the review link. I set a specific goal (100 Amazon reviews) because I knew the algorithm favours books that perform well early. Those reviews helped fuel visibility and discoverability.

I’ve stopped doing this but I probably should continue (you can see the downward trend on my Amazon royalty screenshot). Today, the book sits at over 146 reviews with an average rating of 4.7.

I leveraged my podcast. I recorded a 30-second audio ad and added it to every episode intro using dynamic ad insertion. That meant even listeners binging episodes even from five years ago were hearing about the book.

I ran Amazon ads. I manually targeted readers of The Coaching Habit and The Art of Gathering. If they were interested in coaching or facilitation, I figured they'd be into what I had to say. I kept the budget super tight (ranging from $5 - $15 USD/day) and learned through trial and error.

And I showed up consistently on LinkedIn. I shared behind-the-scenes moments, pre-order bonuses, Amazon milestones, and photos of readers holding the book. Not just promo, stories. And that made a difference.

Distribution: Dull but important

Let's talk logistics.

For that first California conference, I used 48 Hour Books to print the initial run in the U.S. In Malaysia, I also used a local printed to get early-version copies into reader’s hands. When I launched the official FINAL book from Brisbane, I paid a printer down the Gold Coast to do the first print run.

After that, Amazon KDP handled most of the heavy lifting. I also used IngramSpark so people could walk into any bookstore in the world, order it, and have it printed on demand.

Roughly 65% of my sales have been paperback, 25% ebook, 10% audio. And although I'm based in Australia, 80% of my sales have come from the United States.

I haven't pursued bookstore placements or airport distribution. Why? Because that's not where my audience is. My book isn't designed for mass retail. It's for a very specific group of people - normal people, who get tapped on their shoulder one day from a boss/ a client, asking them to host a short workshop.

Here's a breakdown of what I did to market the book

This isn't everything, but here's what helped:

THE ONLY RULE: I solved a specific problem that people were already searching for help with. Having to host a workshop in front of other people is TRULY a problem that people lose sleep over. It was also super niche. I could have written a generic book on 'workshops’, but as I was searching in my own community, The Flipchart, I realised, so many people were asking questions about running their own 2-hour workshop on xyz. That validated the concept.

I gift-wrapped two results for the reader: I get so much joy from readers who write to me and tell me they’ve used my book to design their training session, and how much it has dramatically helped them out. That creates powerful word of mouth. So of course, using the blueprint to design their workshop is result number one.

The second result? Readers actually finish the book. And they love that.

I invited 25 early readers, my Workshop Wingmates, to give feedback and be part of the creation process. I ran this through Helpthisbook.com and via our own private Whatsapp group (loooove the Workshop Wingmates!)

I spoke at two international conferences with early versions of the book in hand. I hired photographers and videographers to capture footage of me interacting with people and signing books. That content became invaluable for promotion.

I notified my email list multiple times, not just once. I shared personal stories, behind-the-scenes struggles, and lessons learned along the way.

I offered an audio version of the book via private podcast for anyone who bought the book within the first 30 days. It added urgency and created buzz.

I take copies of the book everywhere. I take photos with clients holding the book, post it online, and tag them. Sometimes, I leave signed copies in public places like airplane seats, or bookshelves at hotels.

I encouraged readers to post photos and tag me. When they did, I replied personally and sent them the Amazon review link.

I jumped into friends' communities and masterminds as a guest speaker. These rooms convert better than broad audiences because the trust is already built. Big thanks again to Andy Storch, who invited me to speak to his Talent Development Think Tank community the week my book was launched. That fired up the Amazon US algo!

I turned Amazon reviews into shareable social content. Don't let great feedback die on a product page. Screenshot and share.

I ran a dynamic podcast ad for 60 days, reminding every listener that the book existed and was ready for them.

Yes, it was hard yakka. But as Alan Weiss says, “If you don’t blow your own horn, there is no music”.

What I'd do differently

Not much…But here's what's on the list:

I'd throw a launch party. Not just for fun, but for the buzz, the energy, and the shareable moments it creates. I hosted my friend,

Jade Miller

’s book launch for Making Lemonade last year (btw, Jade illustrated my book, and the book cover), and instantly thought, "I should've done this” because it was such a great celebratory event.

I’d do more outreach for podcast guesting. I really did zero outreach but I do have lovely podcast peer hosts, who invited me on their shows in the first year after the book was released which absolutely helped. Btw, this article about book-writing was inspired after guesting on Jessica Mudditt’s Hembury Books podcast.

I'd plan my endorsements and blurbs earlier. I left it late, and while I did get INCREDIBLY brilliant support, it added stress I didn't need.

What would I keep the same? The speed. The scrappiness. But I also think next time I want to do more of a build-up with the pre-launch.

A few helpful links

Here’s a list (not even close to comprehensive) of some really helpful resources if you’re starting out:

Final thoughts for the author who wants to move books

Write for a real person. Solve a real problem.

Your book doesn’t need to change the world but it can change your business. It can create an inbox of opportunities, shift how people talk about you, and open doors you never expected.

🌴

Leanne “low-hanging-watermelon” Hughes

p.s. Join Alan Weiss and me for our next free LinkedIn live-stream on Thursday 29 May. Our topic is: Do you really need a Virtual Assistant?

p.p.s. If you’re a founder or consultant and the idea of turning bold ideas into unforgettable assets lights you up, we’ll be diving deep on that (and yep, books too) at my first-ever retreat: The Red Carpet Campout, 10–12 June. Only 1 spot left. Want it? Hit reply, I’ll send you the details.

p.p.p.s. My biggest lesson from writing this book? Consistency compounds. If you found this article helpful/interesting, a tap on the ❤️ helps it reach more people.