If you’re going to go through all that work, you might as well go a step further and become a bestselling author.

You might as well learn what you need to learn and do what you need to do to make sure that your investment of time and energy result in money. More important to most of us, though, is the influence that comes when thousands of people actually buy, read, and tell others about our books.

I’ve worked with a number of bestselling authors, and there really is both and art and a science to it. I’ve been looking at a number of resources and I think one of the best is Mark Joyner’s Bestseller Blueprint.

This is a very comprehensive course that takes you step by step through exactly what you need to do to make your book a bestseller. Mark makes a very good point on his website: We are in an historic window of time when it’s not only more possible than ever to become a bestselling author–it may also be the last time being a bestselling author of a print book  means as much as it does right now.

As you know, I only recommend products and people if I’ve had a chance to get to know the person and/or thoroughly review and preferably use the product. I’ve interacted with Mark Joyner for a number of years, and have used various Simpleology products, all of which are topnotch. (If you haven’t tried Simpleology101, a free productivity tool, I recommend you sign up.)

The Bestseller Blueprint contains information I’ve never seen anywhere else. In fact, in all my years in publishing, I’d venture to say many publishers don’t understand some of what’s here. (Shhh about this, though.)

The lessons are simple, to the point, memorable, practical–and fun! (As are all the Simpleology lessons.)

And they work.  Mark Joyner made it to the bestseller lists not once–which would have been impressive enough–but four times, using this Blueprint. None of the suggestions are sneaky or underhanded, either. You won’t have to “sell out.” You just have to be willing to put in the effort. At least you’ll know it won’t be wasted.

As I said, if you’re going to go through all the work of writing a book, you might as well learn how to make it a bestseller so you can reap the full benefits of your work–getting as many people to read your book as possible. The Bestseller Blueprint is the best place I know of to show you how.

Most authors do.

But most authors also have a problem.

There is a word in the phrase “bestselling author” that is troublesome to many of us.

Can you guess what it is?

“Selling.”

We want our books to sell, yet we do NOT like the idea of “selling.”

Why is that?

Mostly because we have this idea that “selling” means “in-your-face, over-hyped copy.”

We see it everywhere. Over-the-top headlines that feel like they’re screaming at us.

Inflated promises that only make us more jaded.

We run from that kind of marketing ourselves. We certainly don’t want to impose it on others.

Yet we assume that’s what we have to do to “sell.”

Well, there is another approach, and I’m happy to say it works BETTER than the hype.

It’s a whole new approach to marketing that fits well with authors, called “Soft Sell Marketing.” It’s pioneered by my friends Judith & Jim Sniechowski, who are themselves authors of the excellent book and #1 bestseller, The Heart of Marketing: Love Your Customers and They Will Love You Back.

I love their concept of “selling as spiritual service and extended prayer.” They explain, “When you really know what you’re alive on this planet to fulfill, your life becomes a prayer and you move into more and more of who you are and what you’re here to produce and contribute. You are extended. And as you serve others, they extend the prayer. Then there is true meaning in what you do every minute of the day.”

In a conference that starts in just 10 days, they will we will show you how to incorporate these principles into the heart of your business as an author so you can best serve your followers while taking care of yourself at the same time in ways you have not yet imagined.

If you’ve gotten my Author Success Plan, you know that one of the keys to becoming a successful author is approaching it as a business. This conference will show you how to run a business with heart. I resonate with that.

In fact, here’s a free coaching tip:  I suggest you study this page carefully for an example of this very kind of “selling.” If the style appeals to you, then go ahead and sign up to learn how to do it for yourself.

The line-up of speakers is impressive. I know many of them, and have learned from many of them myself. It promises to be content-rich, not a “pitch-fest.”

The best thing about this conference is it’s VIRTUAL. You can attend from the comfort of your own home, and if you choose the Interactive option (recommended), you can get MP3 downloads that you can listen to at your own pace, and go over again and again.

This is the first year Judith and Jim are holding this conference virtually rather than live, and everyone benefits. It’s now eminently affordable. I highly recommend it! Sign up now!