We're Back: Choosing Your Publishing Path

Thinking about an audiobook for your nonfiction book? The rules changed in 2026, and if your audiobook is already on ACX, you have a December 31 deadline.In this episode, Zach walks through the two decisions behind every great audiobook: whose voice your listeners hear, and where your audiobook lives. The stories come from his own clients, including a multi-voice business parable and an AI-cloned audiobook that couldn’t go on Audible.In this episode, you’ll learn:How to choose between a professional narrator, your own voice, or AI, based on your goals, time, budget, and bookWhy narrating your own audiobook builds authority, even though it won’t necessarily sell more copiesWhat happened when we cloned an author’s voice with AI, and why it couldn’t go on AudibleThe one question to answer before you make any audiobook decisionHear Juxtabook Press audiobooks:The Leadership Stroke by Frank Rowe Jr.: https://link.amazon/B0dZP0PicThe Only One in the Room by Denise M. Thomas: https://link.amazon/B0hgV0i1pThe Last Human Marketer by Josh Porter: https://link.amazon/B0eRcobR0Next episode: Your book is more than something to sell. Next week, Zach shares how to send your book to the right people and turn a single copy into a relationship that grows your business.Learn more about Your Path to Book Publishing by visiting Juxtabook.com  and discover if traditional publishing, self-publishing, or hybrid publishing is right for you. Connect with the Host on LinkedIn: @ZachKristensenLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Professional publishing is the fourth way to publish your business book: a publisher partners with you, shares in the royalties, and stays invested long after launch. In this series finale, we break down what it costs, how royalties work, who it fits, and how to tell a real partner from a vendor.In this episode:What professional publishing is (and isn’t), and how it compares with self-publishing and hybrid publishingWhat it really costs, from customizable packages to all-inclusive packages of $29,000 and up, plus the three ways publishers handle royaltiesWhen sharing royalties with a publisher makes sense, and when the critics are rightHow Denise Thomas can see exactly who buys her book, and why direct and bulk sales are where business authors earn the mostHow Frank Rowe’s book led to a surprise 40-copy order and an audiobook narrated by a friend from his boat clubEight questions to ask and the red flags that separate a partner from a vendorFeaturing: clips from Denise Thomas (The Only One in the Room) and Frank Rowe (The Leadership Stroke)Timestamps: 00:00 Names on the book orders 01:45 Why this episode is different 04:00 What professional publishing actually is 08:00 Follow the money: costs, royalties, and your own copies 14:00 One author, six steps: Frank Rowe 19:00 A year later: Denise Thomas 23:00 Partner or vendor? Questions and red flags 25:00 The four paths, side by sideBooks and resources mentioned:The Only One in the Room by Denise Thomas - https://link.amazon/B0hWI5tK9 The Leadership Stroke by Frank Rowe - https://link.amazon/B06Qm4Wd1Trust Me, I’m an Author by Zach Kristensen - https://link.amazon/B05IDB9eoIBPA Hybrid Publisher Criteria: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/hybridpublisherThis week’s LinkedIn article, with the eight questions, the red flags, and the full four-path comparison - Article LinkFree: 190+ publishing tools and resources at https://www.juxtabook.com/publishingresourcesNext week: Audiobooks are booming. Does your business book need one, and how do you make it?Learn more about Your Path to Book Publishing by visiting Juxtabook.com  and discover if traditional publishing, self-publishing, or hybrid publishing is right for you. Connect with the Host on LinkedIn: @ZachKristensenLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

How do you choose a hybrid publisher for your business book, and how do you tell a real one from a pay-to-publish imitation? "Hybrid" is one of the most misused words in publishing, and the wrong contract can cost you your rights, your royalties, and your book.In part three of a four-part series on publishing paths, Zach Kristensen walks nonfiction authors through what hybrid publishing really is, what it costs, what it should pay, and the red flags that tell you to walk away.In this episode:What separates a true hybrid publisher from a vanity press, based on the Independent Book Publishers Association's standardWhat hybrid publishing costs, from $25,000 to $75,000 or more, and the royalty you should hold out forWhy distribution is where a hybrid publisher earns its price, and the one question that exposes "available everywhere"Four contract clauses that should stop you before you signHow Jill Schulman worked with her publisher's team, and how The Bravery Effect opened doors to stages, press, and keynotesThe questions to ask any hybrid publisher before you commitBooks and resources mentioned:Daughter of God by Liam K. Scott  - https://link.amazon/B01KJmrhm The Bravery Effect by Jill Schulman - https://link.amazon/B05JL779R IBPA Hybrid Publisher Criteria: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/hybridpublisherThis week's LinkedIn article LINKFree: 190+ publishing tools and resources at https://www.juxtabook.com/publishingresourcesNext week: Professional publishing, for authors who want a professional team while staying the publisher of their own book.Learn more about Your Path to Book Publishing by visiting Juxtabook.com  and discover if traditional publishing, self-publishing, or hybrid publishing is right for you. Connect with the Host on LinkedIn: @ZachKristensenLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

How do you self-publish your business book, and who do you need on your team? Josh Porter wrote most of The Last Human Marketer himself. It still took a ghostwriter, a copyeditor, a designer, and a launch team to get him to launch night in New York.In part two of a four-part series on publishing paths, Zach Kristensen walks nonfiction authors through what self-publishing really costs, what it pays, and the one pattern that separates steady book launches from the ones that turn into a scramble.In this episode:The four goals that should decide who you hire, what you spend, and where you sellThe five roles every business book needs, and the order to bring them inWhat a professionally self-published book costs, with a line-by-line example that totals about $13,500Why a self-published author earns about $8 on a paperback, compared with $1.40 to $2.80 on a traditional hardcoverHow a six-week launch becomes four months, and why three to six months of runway changes everythingJosh Porter's advice on who to invite to your book launchFeaturing: Josh Porter, author of The Last Human Marketer https://amzn.to/4yfqjVWTimestamps (verify against final edit) 00:00 Cold open: launch night in New York 02:15 What I learned as an author-publisher 04:10 Your goals are your guardrails 07:15 A book is a team sport: the five roles 11:15 Choosing and vetting your team 13:00 Follow the money: what self-publishing costs 15:00 Royalties: $8 vs. $1.40 17:00 The runway: a cautionary tale 21:00 Is self-publishing your path? 22:30 Back to launch nightBooks and resources mentioned:The Last Human Marketer by Josh Porter - https://amzn.to/4yfqjVWTrust Me, I'm an Author by Zach Kristensen - https://amzn.to/4jBgnCPThis week's LinkedIn articleFree: 190+ publishing tools and resources at https://www.juxtabook.com/publishingresourcesNext week: Hybrid publishing, the middle ground between giving up control and doing everything yourself.Learn more about Your Path to Book Publishing by visiting Juxtabook.com  and discover if traditional publishing, self-publishing, or hybrid publishing is right for you. Connect with the Host on LinkedIn: @ZachKristensenLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

How do you land a traditional publisher for your business book, and is it the right publishing path for you? Even Stephen R. Covey, backed by FranklinCovey and Simon & Schuster, had a book that didn't take off as expected.In the first episode of a four-part series on publishing paths, Zach Kristensen, Cofounder & CEO of Juxtabook draws on a decade at FranklinCovey to walk nonfiction authors through what traditional publishing really takes, and what it really pays.In this episode:Why a big name and a big advance still don't guarantee a successful book launchThe steps to a traditional book deal, from proof of concept to signed contractWhat a $100,000 advance actually looks like in your bank account, and why most authors never earn outList price vs. net receipts: the royalty detail that can cut your earnings in halfThree contract clauses to read twice before you signThe three questions every publisher asks, and how to build an author platform that answers themTimestamps  00:00 Cold open: The 3rd Alternative 01:15 Why a big advance wasn't enough 03:45 The biggest traditional publishing myth 06:15 Big Five vs. no-advance publishers 08:15 The path to a book deal 11:30 Follow the money: advances and royalties 15:30 Contract clauses to read twice 17:30 What publishers ask, and the 4DX story 21:30 Is traditional publishing your path?Books and resources mentioned:The 3rd Alternative The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People The 4 Disciplines of Execution Jane Friedman's Key Book Publishing Paths Publishers MarketplaceThe Authors Guild - Contract and RoyaltiesFree 190+ Publishing ResourceNext week: Self-publishing, where you hold all the rights, all the control, and all the responsibility.Learn more about Your Path to Book Publishing by visiting Juxtabook.com  and discover if traditional publishing, self-publishing, or hybrid publishing is right for you. Connect with the Host on LinkedIn: @ZachKristensenLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

After a two-month pause, Your Path to Book Publishing is back, and we're returning to the basics of how to publish a book. All October, we'll break down traditional publishing, self-publishing, hybrid publishing, and a bonus option, professional publishing, so nonfiction authors can choose the right path for their book.Coming up next week: traditional publishing. We'll cover who it's best for, how the process works, and what you give up in exchange for a publisher's backing.Learn more about Your Path to Book Publishing by visiting Juxtabook.com  and discover if traditional publishing, self-publishing, or hybrid publishing is right for you. Connect with the Host on LinkedIn: @ZachKristensenLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Most nonfiction books on leadership and business are saying roughly the same thing — which means what sets yours apart has less to do with your idea and more to do with how you structure it and guide the reader through it. In this episode of Your Path to Book Publishing, Zach Kristensen closes out the month's series with the biggest takeaways from Juxtabook Press author Frank Rowe (The Leadership Stroke) and thought leadership strategist Peter Winick (The Thought Leadership Handbook).It starts with your why. Once you know why you're writing, you start to see what only you can bring — the stories, the expertise, the angle nobody else has lived. Everything after that is craft, focus, and testing.In this episode, you'll learn:Why your "why" is the fastest route to finding what only you can writeThe audience decision that unlocked Frank Rowe's book — and why narrowing his reader made the whole thing flow fasterWhy writing a book is a brand-new skill set, and what 40 years of rowing teaches about incremental gainsThe 1–2% precision that separates a finished manuscript from a book readers rememberPeter Winick's case for picking one delivery method — speaker, coach, or consultant — before trying to do all threeWhy it's cheap to test your idea early and expensive to test it lateBooks mentioned: The Leadership Stroke by Frank Rowe — https://amzn.to/4fxxiCzThe Handbook of Thought Leadership by Peter Winick — https://amzn.to/4b8hXa8 Learn more about Your Path to Book Publishing by visiting Juxtabook.com  and discover if traditional publishing, self-publishing, or hybrid publishing is right for you. Connect with the Host on LinkedIn: @ZachKristensenLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Most nonfiction authors will never make real money from book sales — and if that's your plan, book marketing won't save you. In this episode of Your Path to Book Publishing, Zach Kristensen talks with Peter Winick, co-author of The Thought Leadership Handbook: How the Experts Elevate Their Big Ideas—and How You Can Too, about the business that should exist around your book — and why the smartest authors put on their CEO hat before they write a word.Peter has spent close to two decades helping thought leaders, academics, and nonfiction authors scale and monetize their ideas. He's blunt about what most authors get wrong: they confuse activity with productivity, build before they validate, and treat a book as the destination instead of one place their ideas live.In this episode, you'll learn:The hobby → practice → business progression, and why most experts are stuck in the middle tier without realizing itWhy your book isn't the revenue generator — and what actually isHow to pair your high-ticket, low-volume work (keynotes, coaching, consulting) with low-ticket offers you can sell at volumeWhy strategy has to come before building, and how clarity makes prioritization possibleThe four elements of thought leadership: core idea, content library, offerings, and platform identityPeter's counterintuitive advice to aspiring authors: don't write the book — with a very big asteriskThis is the third episode in our series on making your book stand out.Book Link: The Thought Leadership Handbook — https://amzn.to/4bx2D71Learn more about Your Path to Book Publishing by visiting Juxtabook.com  and discover if traditional publishing, self-publishing, or hybrid publishing is right for you. Connect with the Host on LinkedIn: @ZachKristensenLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

For nonfiction authors wondering how to make a book stand out in a crowded market, this episode is a masterclass in turning your unique expertise into a book that actually sells. Executive coach and Juxtabook Press author Frank Rowe joins Zach to share how he wove 40+ years of competitive rowing into his book The Leadership Stroke: — and why a narrow niche became his biggest publishing advantage, not a limitation.Continuing this month's theme on making your book stand out, Frank's story is the perfect real-world example: dozens of leadership books get published every year, but only one connects Olympic rowing to how leaders build trust, alignment, and performance under pressure. That's the power of writing what only you can write.In this episode:Why "write what only you can write" is the key to standing out among the thousands of books published every yearHow Frank cracked his book's structure — the repeatable chapter template (quote → story → theme → examples → exercises) that finally made drafting flowWhy writing for one clearly defined reader instead of two made the whole book tighter, sharper, and more compellingThe "team sport" reality of publishing — leaning on reviewers, a designer, and even an audiobook narrator already in your own network (plus the reviewer who bought 40 copies at launch)The marginal-gains mindset: how getting just 1% better applies to rowing, leadership, and finishing your bookGrab Frank's book, The Leadership Stroke: Precision, Practice, and Performance Under Pressure, at your preferred retailer or directly at store.juxtabookpress.com.Learn more about Your Path to Book Publishing by visiting Juxtabook.com  and discover if traditional publishing, self-publishing, or hybrid publishing is right for you. Connect with the Host on LinkedIn: @ZachKristensenLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

What makes one nonfiction book unforgettable while others get forgotten? In this episode, Zach Kristensen kicks off a month on how to make your book stand out — starting with a truth most authors miss: readers rarely remember your frameworks, but they always remember your stories. Whether you're self-publishing, hybrid publishing, or traditionally publishing, here are four practical steps to surface the stories that make your book memorable and get readers recommending it to others.In this episode:Why readers remember your stories, not your frameworks — and what that means for how you writeThe two ingredients of a book that stands out: unique content and unforgettable storiesThe 4 steps to stories readers talk about: capture them as they come, choose the ones that fit your content, make them matter to the reader ("so what?"), and test them before you commitHow Juxtabook Press author Frank Rowe stood out in the crowded leadership market using rowing as his metaphor — and how it opened new podcast and media doors without narrowing his audienceResources mentioned:The Leadership Stroke by Frank Rowe — https://amzn.to/4vdjcvG Calling In by Loretta Ross — https://amzn.to/4y14LNXEnjoyed this episode? Share it with an author who needs it, and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts — it helps more nonfiction authors find the show.Learn more about Your Path to Book Publishing by visiting Juxtabook.com  and discover if traditional publishing, self-publishing, or hybrid publishing is right for you. Connect with the Host on LinkedIn: @ZachKristensenLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook