I wanted to share another publishing and marketing mistake from this week so you can learn from it. As many of you know, I don't just sell books on Amazon. I also have some of my titles listed on alternative platforms like TikTok Shop. The problem is that I haven't been very active on TikTok lately. Growing there requires posting a lot of content, and honestly, I just haven't had the bandwidth to keep up with creating videos. Then out of nowhere, orders started coming in for one of my Father's Day books. Great news, right? Well... not exactly. I was convinced I had inventory sitting somewhere in my house. So I started tearing apart bookshelves, closets, storage boxes, and every random place I could think of looking for these books. Nothing. I couldn't find them anywhere. The last thing I wanted to do was cancel customer orders and potentially hurt my seller reputation on TikTok Shop. Unfortunately, author copies typically take 2-3 weeks to arrive, which doesn't work when Father's Day is right around the corner. So instead, I had to order copies directly from Amazon and have them shipped to me so I can turn around and mail them to the customers. That means I'm not making money on these sales. In fact, I'm actually losing money. But sometimes protecting your reputation and keeping customers happy is worth more than the profit from a few orders. I also had to mark the book as out of stock on TikTok Shop so additional orders wouldn't come through before I can replenish inventory. That's another missed opportunity, especially this close to Father's Day. The lesson? As your publishing business grows, inventory management becomes important. It's easy to lose track of what you have, where it is, and what is listed for sale across multiple platforms. The truth is, when you're juggling books, marketing, content creation, ads, a full-time job, family, and everything else, it's impossible to keep your eye on every project all the time. Sometimes mistakes happen.

I'm excited to announce that our May Leaderboard Winner is @Lara Knutzen 🏆 Not only has Lara been consistently showing up, but she has also been adding tremendous value to this community. In fact, Lara isn't just the winner for May—she currently holds the title of the most active member in the history of this community! 👏 To recognize her contributions, I've decided to create a special reward this month. Lara will receive a one-week pinned post where she can showcase and promote her audiobook-focused community. 👉 🎧 FRIENDS OF AUDIOBOOKS I love supporting members who are actively building something and giving back to others. 👉 I also want to give a special shoutout to all of our Level 6 members. Reaching Level 6 takes dedication, consistency, and a willingness to engage with and support others. Your contributions help make this community what it is. ❤️ Because of that, I'm excited to announce a new Level 6 unlock! ⭐ Level 6 Reward: A FREE 24-hour pinned post in the community. OTHER LEVEL 6 MEMBERS - @Gemma Coles - Gemma launched her book AI for Busy Professionals on Amazon not too long ago, I highly recommend you go and check it out and also jump in and join her skool community Smart Skills Academy @Sybil Hall - Sybil is also a best selling author but also sells products on Amazon FBA if you want to seek her excellent knowledge make sure you find her at Income without Burnout @Jeff Baer - Jeff is not an author but has a really great software solution to build out bio pages for your social media and create custom QR codes to have readers go from your book to your community or somewhere else. Check it out at Bio Builders

I'm curious to get a read of the room and learn a little more about what everyone here is working toward. What is your main goal with your book? 📚 Is your goal to support or grow your business? 💰 Is your goal to create an additional stream of income? 🧠 Is your goal to get your thoughts, knowledge, or story out into the world? 🏆 Is your goal to build authority or become known for something? ❤️ Is it something more personal? ✨ Or is your goal something completely different? There’s no right or wrong answer here. Everyone comes into self-publishing for different reasons, and I always think it’s interesting to see what’s driving people. Drop your goal below 👇 I’d love to see what everyone is building.

Welcome to all the new members joining the community! If you're just getting started with self-publishing and want a step-by-step path to getting your book completed and listed on Amazon, unlocking the classroom will give you access to the full training library. Membership is only $40/month and includes the tools, lessons, and guidance to help you move from idea to published author. If you're looking for a deeper level of support, accountability, and strategy, the VIP Program is designed for serious action-takers who want personalized guidance throughout the process. VIP is $997 for the year and includes advanced training, ongoing accountability, and 6 one-on-one calls to help you stay on track and build momentum faster. ✨👉 LEVEL UP HERE✨✨ @Meera Gopal - Hi, I'm Meera, ex-physician turned multidimensional healer. I heal people at their core so they can return to and embrace their authentic selves. @Alicia Smith - Helping young moms navigate with challenges while empowering them to pursue their dreams with confidence, balance, and support. ❤️ (Referred by @Valarie Smith ) @Ian Bosler - I help coaches to unlock an additional $250 - $500k pa. I do this by leveraging their expertise to create passive income. @Huanxin Chen - Business intelligence expert and KDP creator building elegant digital brands around wellness, discipline, and timeless living with bold vision daily!! @Michael Whisenant - New Author seeking advice to learn from those who have already succeeded or working towards similar goals @Rakesh Singla - Meditation Coach @Eva Blomert - Empath ❤️ AI enthusiast ✨ Writer 🌿 Founder of Healer Empaths — protect your energy & belong with souls who truly understand ❤️ (Referred by @Vanessa Delich )

Huge congratulations, @Krista Brea for bringing in 1000+ members to this beautiful group! 🎉 Thank you for all that you offer us!