I’m Thankful & Grateful!
December 28, 2023
Help and Seek
January 11, 2024
As we step into 2024, I’m keeping a close eye on my accounts and expenses to document my journey as an entrepreneur selling my first book. Looking back at the accomplishments of 2023, I successfully wrote my first book, “You Khanh Do It: How to Manifest Your DREAMS.” Now, as I tackle the challenge of self-promotion, it feels like a significant hurdle that I never saw coming.
I began by setting up my website on IONOS, with the yearly hosting costing me $78. I got the domain name youkhanhdoit.co from namecheap for $9.48 and added an SSL for security at $25. Later on, I realized I needed a wildcard SSL to secure all my subdomains, which cost an extra $86.
To boost book promotion, I invested in several programs, spending an additional $300. Breaking down my advertising costs from Black Friday to the first day of the new year:
– Amazon: $37.75
– Bookbub: $7.68
– Facebook: $47.89
– YouTube: $39.28
– Written Word Media: $35
Total: $167.50
For essential tools in my promotional journey, I subscribed to:
– Convertkit (email marketing): $108/year for up to 300 subscribers
– Opinion Stage (quiz landing page): $99/month
– ElevenLabs (voice clone AI): $22/month
– Pubby (Amazon reviews): $17.99/month
Current stats on social media platforms:
– YouTube: 429
– Facebook group: 335
– Instagram: 443
– TikTok: 63
I’ve successfully sold 30 book units, generating a total income of $169.97.
Reflecting on these details, I aim to learn from my experiences and look back at this record as a reminder of where I started my entrepreneurial journey. Just like in a Rocky Balboa sequel, an idea popped into my head for a second book over the holidays. But for me to write my sequel, the first one must be a huge financial success.
My goal for this year is to recoup my initial investment. I realized that my book coach’s involvement was never about promoting my book. Now, I’m left alone, scratching my head, trying to figure this all out on my own. Believe me when I say this: promoting it is actually more challenging than writing the book. Writing had a structured template left by my coach, a plan to follow, and a routine to abide by. With book promotion, it’s like the Wild West—every person for themselves.
Now, I’m in the dark, spending countless hours on YouTube, learning how to promote this book. It’s almost like running a business; there’s no special or secret way to success but to try and keep going. I embrace these challenges like any other entrepreneur embracing a new business. I still have those honeymoon vibes from the beginning. I’ll be happy if the adrenaline rush doesn’t wear off until I reach success. Furthermore, I hope this one book opens up many more opportunities.
Looking back, I didn’t have to take on the challenge of writing a book, but I’m glad I did because now I can go to my death bed without wondering ‘what if’. The more difficult part is promoting it and getting the message out there. I’m going against a sea of 4 million other books that hit the market each year. Yes, I made the top 1–3% of the population here in the United States. The next task, and the most grueling part, is promoting it. I’m ready; let’s go! Happy New year!
Lastly, I had many generous donations at my book launch party, totaling $680.
