Podcast Summary: The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers
Episode 847 | Selling Books Live On Social Media With Adam Beswick
Host: Joanna Penn
Guest: Adam Beswick
Date: January 26, 2026
Theme: Writing Craft and Creative Business/Selling Books Live on Social Media
Episode Overview
This episode dives into the emerging trend of live social media selling for authors, focusing on the practical case study of Adam Beswick. Adam, a best-selling fantasy author and expert in TikTok marketing, shares how direct, live video selling has transformed his business—offering actionable insight for indie authors eager to leverage new tools for sales, branding, and community. The discussion explores the differences between traditional content marketing and sales-driven live streams, the operational challenges and opportunities of scaling up, and the practicalities of selling direct versus through retailers like Amazon or Shopify.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
Marketing vs. Promotion for Authors
-
Joanna highlights foundational advice:
- Marketing is ongoing and "evergreen," involving your brand promise, platform, book descriptions, and metadata, all working every day.
- Promotion is short-term, aiming for sales spikes (ads, launches, Kickstarters).
- Quote [02:40]:
"Marketing is this kind of ongoing stuff... promotion, yes, doing an ad campaign for a specific launch period... but mainly I focus on long term marketing." — Joanna Penn
-
Identify your publishing style:
- Engagement publishers (community/social driven)
- Craft publishers (focus on book quality and prestige)
- Volume publishers (rapid release, paid ads, less long-term engagement)
Importance of Choosing the Right Partners
- Joanna underscores researching founders of platforms/businesses authors depend on (e.g., Shopify/WordPress)—look for alignment in values and stability.
- Cites Toby Lutke’s interview as “brilliant,” especially his philosophy:
- Quote [10:13]:
"He views books as the ultimate tool for acquiring knowledge, describing them as cheat codes for real life. If you do not read, you only live one lifetime. But if you read, you access the entire learnings of someone else’s career in a few hours." — Joanna summarizing Toby Lutke
- Quote [10:13]:
Adam Beswick: From Indie Author to Live Seller
Business Growth & Team Building
- Adam's author business has “turbocharged” since 2024—scaling from a garden office to a warehouse and hiring his wife, a former structural engineer, as operations manager.
- Quote [25:00]:
"I'm at heart, I'm the creative... but one of the biggest mistakes that creative first authors make is not getting somebody else to help them. You can't do it alone." — Joanna Penn
"Absolutely not. I would have drowned long before now." — Adam Beswick - Adam and Sarah (his wife) have drawn clear boundaries and roles to preserve both the business and marriage.
Direct, Organic Marketing and Live Selling
-
Adam explains "organic marketing" as content that doesn’t require paid ads—video, slideshows, livestreams on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook—used to directly convert viewers to buyers.
-
Quote [31:17]:
“Marketing your books in a way that is a detriment to your bank balance...using video marketing...to find the content that does resonate with your readers, that generate sales and it doesn’t cost you anything.” — Adam Beswick
-
Key distinction vs. classic content marketing:
- Content marketing is about creating valuable free content, hoping to attract buyers over time.
- Adam’s approach is about content optimized for immediate and trackable conversion to sales.
The Power of Live Sales on Social Media
The Model
- Live sales channel: Adam goes live once a week (Friday mornings), packing direct orders live from his warehouse.
- Viewers can purchase books in real time via TikTok Shop, with seamless product links during the stream.
- Engagement is high—viewers enjoy seeing their orders packed, get special bonuses (art prints, bookmarks), and exclusive branded items occasionally thrown in.
Impact & Results
-
Black Friday example [37:30]:
"Within that one live stream, we generated three and a half thousand pounds of organic book sales...one live was making more money than me posting content and burning myself out every single day." — Adam Beswick
-
Building true fans:
- Many customers now attend every stream and want every new release—community and brand loyalty are growing.
- Addition of branded merchandise (beanies, tote bags) by request from superfans.
Repurposing & Tech
- Adam keeps the setup simple: phone + tripod, sometimes with a laptop for comments.
- No professional lighting—authenticity is key.
- Streams are usually not publicly archived, but he plans to repurpose livestream content into social clips (via Opus Clip).
- Quote [56:27]:
"You can download [the livestream] afterwards...put it into Opus Clip and that will then generate short form content for you..."
Live Selling Beyond TikTok
- TikTok Shop is UK-only for now, but the live sales principle works for Instagram (via Meta’s integration with Shopify) and YouTube.
- The essential ingredient: ability for viewers to click and buy directly, without leaving the stream.
Scalability & Entry Points
- You don’t need a warehouse—start with a few signed copies and see how sales go.
- Live-selling skills can be learned and improved; authors without big resources (or even on Amazon-only) can use live sessions for engagement and sales.
- Community encouragement: Adam’s Facebook group "Novel Gains" supports authors doing monthly organic marketing challenges.
Success Stories
- Case study: author Lee Mountford scaled from zero live/book sales to live selling making 50% of his income, after joining Adam’s challenges and persisting.
- Teamwork is common: several husband-wife teams now co-run growing, book-selling enterprises.
Strategic Insights: Platform & Ownership
- Platforms change—algorithms may throttle reach. Use what works, but prioritize building email lists and direct relationships.
- Direct sales (e.g., Shopify store) provide customer data and mailing list growth. TikTok Shop, by contrast, keeps customer details private unless directly linked to your store.
- Quote [62:40]:
"If you sell direct and you do get the customer data, you're building an email list of actual buyers as opposed to freebie seekers..." — Joanna Penn
Mindset & Healthy Growth
- Adam balances intense work with self-care—his background as a mental health nurse helps him recognize burnout.
- Systems, delegation, and continual innovation are keys to his sustained growth.
- Customizing “mystery book bags” and gamifying sales are among strategies that keep engagement and sales high.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "For me, live selling is going to be the next big thing. If you are not live selling your books at the moment and you are not paying attention to it, start paying attention to it."
— Adam Beswick [37:01] - "I’m passionate about learning, but also sharing what’s working for me so that other authors can succeed...without it being stuck behind a paywall."
— Adam Beswick [36:26] - "With our books, people want that human connection more than ever, ever because of AI. So use that to your advantage."
— Adam Beswick [52:01]
Important Timestamps
- Interview starts: 22:36
- Adam's business evolution & team: 22:56–27:52
- Scaling challenges & work/life balance: 27:52–29:38
- Organic marketing explained: 31:17–34:10
- Difference between content and live sales: 34:10–36:26
- Live selling mechanics & success: 36:26–41:22
- Applicability to Amazon/other platforms: 43:23–47:07
- Facebook group Novel Gains: 48:21
- Technical set-up for live sales: 49:10–50:39
- AI & future of live sales: 51:05–52:01
- Product innovation (mystery book bags): 52:21–54:16
- Repurposing live streams: 56:27
- TikTok shop and data ownership: 61:22–62:53
- Wrap up, product catalog, and live times: 63:57–64:35
Final Thoughts
Joanna notes that while live selling may not appeal to every author, it's a powerful example of “what’s old is new again”—personal connection, trust, and human interaction stand out even in an AI-driven world. Adam’s story demonstrates that with creativity, authenticity, and persistence, indie authors can carve out thriving, innovative businesses beyond the big retailers.
Where to Find Adam & Resources
- AP Beswick Publications & Shop: apbeswickpublications.com
- TikTok Shop: AP Beswick Publications
- Fantasy Books UK: TikTok channel (non-spicy fantasy)
- Novel Gains Group: Facebook (free, community-driven organic marketing support)
- Live stream schedule: Fridays, 8 a.m. UK time
Connect with Joanna Penn:
If you’re an author seeking fresh ways to connect with readers and grow your business, this episode is full of actionable inspiration and candid behind-the-scenes details on what it takes to sell books in the social media era.