The Truth About Writing, Publishing, and Influence with Allison Trowbridge

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Truth About Writing, Publishing, and Influence with Allison Trowbridge

Podcast: Woman of Influence
Host: Julie Solomon
Guest: Allison Trowbridge, Founder of Copper Books
Date: April 29, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the realities of writing, publishing, and wielding meaningful influence as a woman entrepreneur, author, and thought leader. Julie Solomon and Allison Trowbridge offer a soulful and strategic conversation about the difference between power and influence, the modern publishing landscape, what it really means to be an author, and tangible advice for those yearning to put their story into the world. Allison, founder of the innovative hybrid publisher Copper Books, shares her personal journey, demystifies publishing myths, and offers inspiration and tactical advice for aspiring and established authors alike.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining Influence vs. Power [01:32–04:34]

• Allison on Influence: Influence is “a magnetism, a soft power” as opposed to the forceful, masculine energy of power.
  • Quote (Allison Trowbridge, 01:36):
    “Influence has such a level of subtlety, and it’s a magnetism... I think of the moon having influence over the world — casting light and moving the oceans. That’s how I want to show up.”
• Ellie & Allison’s Cosmic Take: Influence is “cosmic magnetism” — not just about status but about gentle resonance.
• Burnout From Power: Allison recounts burning out after chasing power through venture capital, realizing lasting impact comes from authentic influence.

2. The Courage to Step Into Authorship [04:47–08:21]

• Writer vs. Author: A Critical Distinction
  • Quote (Allison Trowbridge, 04:59):
    “There’s absolutely a difference... Writing should be a part of all of our lives because becoming a better writer makes you a better thinker… Becoming an author is the willingness to ship your work. It takes tremendous courage to put your name on something and put it out into the world.”
• Key insight: Writing is daily practice and self-discovery; authorship requires public ownership, identity, and a willingness to be seen and vulnerable.

3. Origin & Mission of Copper Books [08:21–12:28]

• Copper Books’ Mission: A boutique, innovative publishing house empowering thought leaders to amplify their influence and authority through books.
• Ally’s favorite analogy (09:00):
  “Your mission is this heavy thing... your message is a lever... but in order to do that, you need leverage. A book is that fulcrum. You lever your message against that fulcrum to lift your mission.”
• Copper specializes in nonfiction and helps clients attain authority via published work.

4. Allison’s Personal Publishing Journey [12:28–19:13]

• Childhood: A lifelong love of books shaped by her mother.
• Early Career: Witnessed books catalyze the modern anti-trafficking movement, realizing their culture-shifting power.
• The Genesis of “22”: Years nurturing her book idea, emphasizing the permission to let an idea take time.
  • Quote (Allison Trowbridge, 15:34):
    “So many of my best ideas... are like a ten-year time horizon of having the idea, sitting with it, allowing it to evolve... Who do you have to be to bring that idea into the world, to author that book?”
• Mystical Process: Inspiration as a “download,” writing as co-creation (“the book is writing you as you write the book”).
• Advocacy: Encourages listeners to trust in timing and personal evolution before publication.

5. Rethinking the Publishing Industry [19:13–27:56]

• Industry Disconnect: Authors frustrated by traditional publishing’s opacity and lack of alignment.
  • Turning Point: Professor at Oxford encouraged Allison to “reimagine the publishing industry.”
• Burnout and Sabbatical: Important personal reset leads to clarity.
• Traditional vs. Self-Publishing vs. Hybrid Models
  • Traditional publishers operate like venture capital: 1 in 100 books is a blockbuster; most lose money (24:00).
    • Quote (Allison Trowbridge, 23:59):
      “For every ten books published by a traditional publisher, eight out of ten lose money... one needs to hit big and ‘return the portfolio’.”
  • Self-publishing: Low barrier but can lack professionalism and reach.
  • Hybrid publishing: Author invests, retains rights & control, but gets traditional distribution and quality. Copper Books offers this model.

6. Making Books Stand Out in the Market [27:56–32:33]

• The Power of a Title & Big Idea
  • Quote (Allison Trowbridge, 28:30):
    “I buy wine by the label. I judge a book by its cover… You have to have one big idea that can be easily communicated from somebody literally picking the book up, reading the front cover, reading the back cover.”
• Word-of-Mouth is Everything: “The Body Keeps the Score” and “Atomic Habits” as exemplary titles that summarize their transformative promise.
• Marketing Tip: Boil your message down to a transformation your reader will experience and can easily share.

7. Aspiring Authors: Where to Start [34:07–41:05]

• Key Questions to Ask Yourself:

  1. Who are you serving?
  2. What does success look like?
  3. What is the impact or transformation you want for your reader?
  • Quote (Allison Trowbridge, 34:40):
    “First question I ask every author is: what does success look like? What do you actually want?”

• Choosing the Right Path (Traditional, Hybrid, Self-Publishing)

  • Traditional path: Requires platform, patience (up to 3 years), and “venture-backable” appeal.
  • Hybrid: Best for control-loving, resource-ready authors wanting professional results and reach.
  • Self-publishing: Fast and fulfilling for legacy/personal works.

8. The Reality and Joy of Book Marketing [41:05–49:41]

• Followers ≠ Sales: Social media to book conversion rates are dismal (~0.01%).

  • Quote (Allison Trowbridge, 42:05):
    “It is not enough to have followers. What you need to do is activate your audience in order to buy the book.”

• Strategy is Everything:

  • Tailor approach to what brings you joy (interviews, events, writing, etc.).
  • Focus on networks and nodes: Leverage other people’s audiences in mutually beneficial ways.
  • Be a Good Literary Citizen: Support other authors and communities long before launch.

• Reciprocity and Service: Authentically serve your reader and fellow authors, not just yourself.

  • Quote (Allison Trowbridge, 49:41):
    “If you are laser focused on… being of service, then your book is a vehicle out in the world making that transformation possible. And everyone can get excited and get on board for that.”

9. Copper Books Offerings and Book Fair Event [51:11–54:12]

• Copper Books: Find out more at copperbooks.com
• Book Fair Event: May 8 in Nashville, one-stop for aspiring authors to learn, build community, and connect with industry leaders.
  • Discount code in show notes.
• Where to Connect:
  • Allison on IG: @alibridge
  • Copper Books on IG: @copperbooks

• Final Encouragement (Allison Trowbridge, 51:11):

  “If you feel that stirring of having a book in you… trust it, follow it. It is a divine scavenger hunt. Go on the scavenger hunt, find the next thing.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:36] Allison: “Influence… it's a soft subtlety. I think of the moon having influence over the world… That's how I want to show up.”
• [04:59] Allison: “Becoming an author is the willingness to ship your work. It takes tremendous courage to put your name on something and put it out into the world…”
• [15:34] Allison: “Who do you have to be to bring that idea into the world, to author that book?”
• [23:59] Allison: “Traditional publishers operate exactly like VC investors… For every ten books published… eight lose money.”
• [28:30] Allison: “I buy wine by the label. I judge a book by its cover… It’s having that one big idea that everything else hangs on.”
• [42:05] Allison: “It is not enough to have followers. What you need to do is activate your audience in order to buy the book.”
• [49:41] Allison: “If you are laser focused on, ‘How can I be of service?’… that is something you can get and stay passionate about talking about.”

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Important Timestamps

• 01:32 – Defining true influence vs. power
• 04:47–08:21 – Writer vs. author and the courage to publish
• 08:21–12:28 – The mission and philosophy behind Copper Books
• 12:28–19:13 – Allison’s personal journey to authorship
• 19:13–27:56 – Industry realities and new publishing models
• 28:30–32:33 – On book titles and the power of messaging
• 34:40–41:05 – Step-by-step advice for aspiring authors
• 41:05–49:41 – Key strategies and philosophy in book marketing
• 51:11–54:12 – How to connect with Copper, upcoming Book Fair event

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Resources Mentioned

• Copper Books website
• Copper Books and Allison Trowbridge on Instagram: @copperbooks / @alibridge
• “22” by Allison Trowbridge
• “The Body Keeps the Score,” “Atomic Habits,” “Let Them” (book references)
• Book Fair live event, May 8, Nashville

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Tone and Speaker Style

This episode is a blend of deeply personal storytelling, practical strategy, and soulful affirmation—delivered in a conversational, encouraging, and transparent manner. Both Julie and Allison speak with natural warmth, authority, and a focus on service to listeners and aspiring authors.

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For entrepreneurs and leaders burning to write, publish, and influence at a higher level, this episode is an invaluable guide—packed with wisdom, honesty, and practical next steps.

Transcript

[Ally Bridge]

Foreign.

[Julie Solomon]

Welcome to Woman of Influence. I'm Julie Solomon, and this is where high level women come to recalibrate their message, realign their leadership, and rise into the next era of impact. If you're ready to align your visibility with your true authority, if you're called to speak to women at the level you now lead, if you're ready for your business to feel as elevated as the woman running it, this is your space. Because real influence isn't built in the algorithm, it's embodied in your identity. Let's get started.

[Ellie]

Hello, Ellie.

[Ally Bridge]

Hello, beautiful. It's so good to be with you. Oh, it's so good to be with you.

[Ellie]

And I feel like it's. In some ways, it's weird that I haven't had you on the podcast yet, but I just kind of move this into an in person space. So it's really not that weird because I haven't had a lot of time yet to have people on, but we're just. Whenever we get together, it's always so meaningful and so deep and so real and authentic. And I feel like. I mean, I've known you for several years now, but I feel like I've known you for so long. And that's just a testament to you and how you make people feel.

[Ally Bridge]

Thank you, friend. Any excuse to get together with you. And also when we do get together socially, I'm like, where is the microphone? It's so good.

[Ellie]

So we got it today.

[Ally Bridge]

We got the microphone today.

[Ellie]

Well, I want to kick off. What does influence mean to you?

[Ally Bridge]

Ooh. Okay. I think a lot about the difference between influence and power. And power feels strong. Its position. It's, it's. There's an element of force to it. Influence has such a level of subtlety, and it's a magnetism, it's a draw, it's a soft power. And I actually, a couple of years ago, I kind of had this revelation that anything I try to do out of power, it's a very masculine energy. Anything I try to do out of power is going to burn out. Anything that I do out of influence, out of that magnetism, that softness, that draw. Like, I think of the moon having influence over the world and how it's casting light and moving the oceans. And that's how I want to show up in the world, is in that soft subtlety.

[Ellie]

That's beautiful.

[Ally Bridge]

Very feminine.

[Ellie]

It is. And I love that you made it cosmic because I always think about, like, to me, influence, it comes from the stars.

[Ally Bridge]

Yeah.

[Ellie]

It's like this cosmic magnetism.

[Ally Bridge]

Yeah.

[Ellie]

And light. So, okay, so with that to say, how has this kind of teetering, right this. This other end of the coin, how has power and. Or influence shaped, served or not served you as you've gone through this entrepreneurial path to really be where you are today?

[Ally Bridge]

Oof. I think power feels very. It feels very of the world and achieved. And I. I heard a VC say once, things that grind turn to dust. And for many years I was in a grind kind of energy where I raised millions in venture capital. And that's power. Money is it's power. It's hiring employees, it's growth, it's speed. And there's a time and place for those. But in that, I burned out so hard. My company burned out so hard. It felt like a crash and burn really personally, professionally. And through all of that, the influence is what maintained. And I think influence isn't gained through the normal channels that we think about of traditional success. I work with authors and so often the darkest, most painful parts of their stories, the greatest losses are the parts that actually give them authority in other people's lives. And we think that the world wants our power, that wants our wins, that wants our success, or at least other people want our authenticity. They want the realness of our humanity. And I think the beauty of influence is that it's hard won and it's inherent to who you are. It is manifested through your story and how you show up in the world. And so it's such a. It's so much more invitational because of that.

[Ellie]

And it reminds me of this idea. And it kind of. Kind of is a good segue into what I want to talk about. Because to me, it's the permission that you need to give yourself to say yes sometimes to that influence.

[Ally Bridge]

Yeah.

[Ellie]

So I want to know if you have an opinion or thought about, is there a difference between a writer and an author? And if so, what is the difference?

[Ally Bridge]

Ooh, that's a fun question. There's absolutely a difference. So being a writer, I think everyone should be a writer, especially in the AI era, because it's so easy to outsource the hard work of shaping an idea. And you can be a writer and you can write things in an Instagram caption, You can write things in your journal in the morning. You can do morning pages and be a writer. Writing should be a part of all of our lives because it's. Becoming a better writer makes you a better thinker. And so it's. There was a. I was a communication study major in college, and there was this great idea that if you can't say it, you actually don't know it, and you should be able to explain something, no matter how complex it is, if you can't explain it to a child or a young person, you actually don't understand it yourself. And so I think writing is such an important part of understanding, even for our own selves, if we're not sharing it with someone else. But being an author is. It moves in parallel to that. So being an author is the willingness to ship your work. And I think it takes tremendous courage to put your name on something and put it out into the world and to allow your reputation to lead, to share it with others and be open to the potential that some may love it, some may not love it, some may think it's the greatest thing they've ever encountered, and others may, you know, pose negative things about you online and being okay with that. Being an author is, I think, a lot about the idea of authority. And authoring something allows you to enter into a level of authority in the world and to lead with that authority. And to say, I'm going to put a stake in the ground, and especially when it comes to authoring a book where I'm going to publish something that isn't like a blog post, where I can turn around and go back and delete it. I can edit an Instagram post. I can't edit a book once it's been shipped. And I think that the risk and the courage in that is part of what makes it so special to author something and put it out into the zeitgeist and to actually publish it. So I've. I'll speak to people in the publishing industry, which is what I work in, and they actually don't even know what the word publish means. All kind of. It's a foregone conclusion of what it means to publish a book. The word publish actually just means to make something public. That's it. And the publishing process is going through the process of making it excellent and ready for the market, ready for public consumption. And so I think, again, it extends your authority when you're willing to publish something and to author it, and to say, this is my work, this is what I stand by, I may change my mind in 10 years, but now, in this moment, this is what I want to be known for, and this is what I want to author. And another place where that's different than being a writer, there are people with amazing ideas who are not great writers, who partner with great writers to help carry their ideas into the world. And there is total permission to do that. I encourage those to honor and thank and be open about the fact that they worked with a writer. But yeah, they're two very different things.

[Ellie]

Tell me about Copper Books.

[Ally Bridge]

So Copper, we are a publishing house. So we are a boutique, innovative publishing company, helping thought leaders put their stories out into the world and extend their influence, extend their authority through the power of having a book. And part of my philosophy on why books are so meaningful and important, especially today, is because of this idea of leverage. So there is a quote that I love so much by the Greek philosopher Archimedes where he says, give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world. And when I think about the idea of influence, your mission is this heavy thing that you want to lift. And your message, what you want to say is a lever that you're going to use to lift your mission. But in order to do that, you need leverage. And, and your leverage. A book is that fulcrum. It's that small, really tiny leverage point. A book is physically a very small thing. It's low cost, it spreads throughout the world. But you lever your message against that fulcrum in order to lift your mission. And that is what's going to catalyze your impact. It's what's going to ignite the energy behind the flywheel that is going to drive the momentum of everything else you're doing in your business. And so we will publish fiction books, but we mostly focus on nonfiction because my passion is helping authors gain authority by leveraging their message against a book and driving that impact and influence throughout the world in doing so.

[Julie Solomon]

I am so excited to share this,

[Ellie]

especially for those of you who tune

[Julie Solomon]

into the podcast every week and are ready to actually start putting a lot of this work that you're doing into really intentional action. We just opened up something really special inside the Growth collective, which is my messaging membership. And right now you can join and try it out for just $1 your first week when you use the link in the show notes. Now this is a special link just for my podcast listeners. And inside the collective you'll get access to the exact frameworks my high level clients use to create magnetic content that converts. So I am talking about power and pleasure content, mirror messaging, magnetic conversion method, and so much more, all built into an easy step by step path that helps you turn your clarity into consistent sales. And if that wasn't magical enough, all of this has also been updated into a custom GPT prompt to make creating any kind of messaging that you need so much easier and so much faster. It is literally as plug and play as you can get. Also, every month you get access to a live group coaching call with me where we refine in real time your message together and get you out of your head and back into your heart and your momentum. So if you've been listening and thinking, okay, I know my message could be clear. I just need someone to show me how. I need this to be easy for me. I need something that can meet me where I'm at. This is your sign. Head to the link in the show notes and join the Growth collective for just $1 your first week and start that week with clarity, connection and incredible community and conversions. Today I cannot wait to see you

[Ellie]

inside and I want to get into the tactics in a moment about for those that are watching or listening to this that have had a book on their heart and I know that so many of them have and they are either already authors through either a self publishing route or maybe a hybrid route, some traditional route or they are aspiring to be yeah so I want to get to the tactics but first I think it's really important in order to land us there first is to really understand and why you and why now? Why was Copper Books put on your lap in this lifetime to steward out into the world and what really cause you have such a beautiful story and a journey. What brought you to that place?

[Ally Bridge]

So my history and publishing actually goes back to my early twenties. Well actually it in all honesty goes back to a mom who read to me every night before bed. We would read, we would read 80 books a week because that was you could check out 40 at a time from the library and we'd go twice a week to check out books, books. And so it, it really embedded in me this deep love of books and the written word and the magic behind them. And fast forward to my early 20s. I worked in the anti trafficking space actually and I know this seems like a jump how do you go from slavery to to the book industry. But what what I realized was in the early mid 2000s I watched a small number of books, probably six to ten books on modern day slavery drive the entire social movement around human trafficking. And I would watch celebrities read these books and lawmakers and soccer moms and get activated around how can I become an advocate on this issue. And from there I saw documentaries get made, I saw entire news networks take on the issue to cover it all stemming back from somebody reading A book, because if you think about it, it's such an intimate way to deep dive onto a topic or an issue. And a book can change your life. And I would watch people read these books and then get activated and say I want to do something about this issue. And it sparked a massive social movement. When I got started in the anti trafficking industry, being a 21, 22 year old, newly college graduated, I would meet people and tell them I worked in anti slavery. And they would say, oh honey, slavery doesn't exist anymore. We took care of that in the 1800s. And I actually, it was like being gaslit by every person I met. I felt like I was out of my mind. And then I watched over a number of years this social movement build and I saw it all come back to books. So that's where my deep love, not only of the actual written word to change a personal life, but of the power of a book to change culture at large, to change society at large, to shift an entire social issue. That's where that deep love of books was really cemented. When I was 22, around that same time I pulled an all nighter. I was about to graduate college, pulled an all nighter with one of my best friends and I said to her, I wish there was a book that spoke to all the challenges that, that we are facing as 22 year old women. I felt like everything had been planned and charted in my life up until that point and then we about to go off of a cliff with nothing planned, no ground beneath us. And so I said to her, there needs to be a book, a mentorship book for women like us called 22 that gives us guidance and that book doesn't exist. And so whatever I do, career wise, I am going to write that book someday. And I really made a commitment to myself, to God, to the universe, that I felt like I had seen this thing that needed to exist and it didn't. And so I made a commitment that I was gonna do it someday. And I sat on that idea for gosh, seven years. I co wrote, ghostwrote a book with a pastor friend of mine during those years and that helped me learn the writing process while I was working full time and then. But it never left me. And I also wanna pause for a moment because a lot of people who are aspiring authors will get discouraged because they feel like they've been carrying this book idea for so long and they'll be like, well, if it hasn't happened yet, maybe it's not meant to happen. So many of my Best ideas and the biggest things I do in the world are like a 10 year time horizon of having the idea sitting with it, allowing it to evolve, allowing my life to teach me, to prepare me, to actually rise to the occasion, to bring it into the world. I'll say to authors, who do you have to be to bring that idea into the world to author that book? And how do you become that person who is capable of authoring that book and sharing it with others? And so this idea had stayed with me for many years. And when I was in my late 20s, I was on a business trip in London, still working in the human rights. Have I told you the story?

[Ellie]

I don't know if I've heard this.

[Ally Bridge]

I don't think I've told you this story. So I'm working in human rights, going to this big anti trafficking conference in London and I sit up in bed, jet lagged at like 5 or 6am, dead of winter. And it was like the entire concept was just downloaded into my head where I couldn't turn my brain off. And I just saw it and I saw, I'm like, okay, the book, it's called 22, but it's a series of letters to a young woman as she's going through college. And it's like what I saw was it's like Screwtape Letters meets Little women in the 21st century but with no demons is how I like to describe it. Where I'm like, it's one letter that I'm writing to her every other month through college, which would be 22 letters. And you never hear the main character's voice because I want the reader to feel like the book is written to them. I want the reader to feel like they're becoming the main character in the story. And the things that she's going through that I'm referencing are the things that they're going through. And then that character evolved even more as I began writing the book. I always say writing a book kind of feels like you're carving, you're chipping away at this marble stone where you have an idea of what it's going to be, but then it actually emerges and shows itself to you where you're like, oh my gosh, if that's the nose, that's what her mouth looks like, that's what her face looks like. It's like you're, you're uncovering it. The book is writing you as you're writing the book. And so this is a very long answer to your question. But going through that process of really getting that clear again, like this, this download. I really feel like becoming an author is this very mystical process. Liz Gilbert talks about in her book Big Magic. An idea coming to you and saying, will you work with me? And then you get to say yes or no to it. And I felt like that idea came to me and said, will you work with me? And I quit my job six months later and went full force into finding an agent and beginning the publishing process and, you know, cut to releasing the book while I was in business school at Oxford, doing my mba, looking at the publishing industry and asking a lot of questions around how it could be better. So that's how I feel. Like so many things in my life have been facing a problem and saying, how do I make it better for other people?

[Ellie]

What were those questions that you asked? And how did that shape your desire? Or that. How did that shape copper come into be?

[Ally Bridge]

Well, I felt at the time that there was. For one, every author I knew was frustrated, and it felt like there's a really big disconnect between expectations they didn't understand. It felt. Felt like the publishing industry was kind of this walled garden, and it was really unclear how you break in. And then once you were in, it still wasn't clear what was happening, what was expected of you, what was needed, how things operated on the back end. And so one was that I wanted to see more clarity, and then the other was I felt like there was financial misalignment where there. It. It wasn't. There wasn't alignment around. The more books and authors sold, the more money they made. And so I was trying to understand the business model at the time. And one my professors at Oxford was a very, very big author, and she came to me after class at one point and she said, I don't know what you're doing after graduation, but I think you should reimagine the publishing industry. I was so burnt out at the time, I was like, no, thank you, Ray. No, thank you.

[Ellie]

That is a Titanic of a ship to turn around. Thank you.

[Ally Bridge]

I know. I'm like, okay, I appreciate the idea. And I. After graduation, I. At the behest of a mentor of mine. That's a whole nother long story. But I. I took a sabbatical. He basically yelled at me to ctfo chill the f out was his advice, because I was so. I don't know if any of you have been through this, but when you. You've been running so hard that you don't even know how to stop running, yeah, And I was so burnt out. I was so exhausted. I was so tired. The sort of exhausted that a vacation cannot restore you from by any stretch of the imagination. And so I took a few months off, which was incredibly hard, asking a lot of existential questions of like, what am I doing with my life? I've just gone to business school, I've published a book. I feel like I should know what I'm doing and I have no idea what I'm doing. And I got this email from that professor and she said, do you figure out what you're doing post graduation? I was like, oh, thank God she has a job for me. She knows she's great. I'm going to get my marching orders. And I wrote back, no, I took a little time off trying to figure it out. I need a job. And she writes, writes me back and says, I still think you should reimagine the publishing industry. And I'm like, great, thank you. That sounds like a lot of work. But taking that time to be. To do a little sabbatical and to quiet my mind, I would just go for these long walks every day and allow the tight knot of my psyche to just relax and to release this idea that, like, who I am is what I do or the worth of my life is tied to my achievement and my success. I really was able to untie that knot and to release it. And in that space of relaxing into what does the world actually need? It was a light bulb went off of speaking to a friend's father and him saying, talking about trying to get published. And I, it was like an out of body experience. I was like, I need to reimagine this industry. What she said was exactly right. And then I was off to the races. So, yeah, it was a long time coming.

[Ellie]

And I know that there, I mean, there were so many trials and tribulations. You, you launched an app, you raised funding, you know, you hit many walls, you fell on your face, you got back up. I mean, there's so many, so many turns and twists to that. But Copper as it is today and where you've landed.

[Ally Bridge]

Yeah.

[Ellie]

Share a little bit more about exactly what it is, how it's different, you know, how that revolutionizing started to take place and who your ideal author is.

[Ally Bridge]

So where we landed today. So I had raised venture capital at one point. We had built a app for book lovers. So the irony is that I started, I incorporated as Copper Publishing house. And the idea, which was basically a hybrid publishing concept, was too early. Back in 2018, it didn't exist yet. I couldn't raise the money, we couldn't make the numbers work. And so I pivoted to try to serve authors in another way and I pivoted into launching an app for book lovers. So we raised venture money, built this app, and going through that process, my big revelation was that traditional publishers operate exactly like VC investors. And it's not a bad thing. That's actually a beautiful thing. We need venture funding. There is a time and a place for venture funding, but it doesn't work for everyone. And so if you look at every hundred books published, one out of 100 are a good fit for venture funding for traditional publishing.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Right?

[Ally Bridge]

And so the reason traditional publisher works like VC funding is because for every 10 books published by a traditional publisher, 8 out of 10 lose money and are complete tax write offs, one breaks even, and then one needs to hit big and quote, unquote, return the portfolio, which means they're looking for the next big thing thing. And so they're willing to take pretty big financial bets on what could potentially be the next big thing. And they're also going to metabolize the losses. And even when it comes to marketing dollars and support for the author, what I say is traditional publishers don't start fires, but they'll pour gasoline on a fire. That's already happening. So a lot of authors I was seeing get frustrated because they're like, where's my publisher? Where's my support? I don't have any marketing, I don't have any momentum, I can't get any publicity. And I'm so frustrated, I feel so alone. And it's because the publisher was looking at the, the early signal on the book and they're like, okay, it's not our hit. So we're going to redirect all of our energy and resources to the books that are that 1 out of 10 hit. So again, it makes sense when you understand the financial model, but it's so confusing when you're an author and you don't understand what's going on. So on the other side of the spectrum from traditional publishing, you have self publishing, which is amazing because it allows anybody to publish their own book. It lowers the barriers to entry. And I think we're in the golden era of publishing because I always say to authors, if you have a book idea in you, the only thing holding you back from publishing that book is you. It's you deciding to do it because there are different paths available. And choosing the right path is looking at your book. And as if you're looking at a startup as if you're looking at launching a product and saying, what do I have? What are my assets, what are my resources, what does success look like, what are my desires, what is my timeline? And just like I would finance a startup, how do I want to finance this book? You're choosing how you're going to produce it, and that's how you're choosing how to publish it. So on the self publishing end of things, it's amazing because you can get something to market really quickly. The downside is you play every instrument in the band. And so when you have an author who's editing their own book, who's designing the interior, who's designing their own cover in Canva, it looks self published, it looks homemade. And that's where historically you get self published. Books that don't get as much traction or momentum because they're only distributed digitally and they look self published. What you have in the middle, which is what we've launched, which is hybrid publishing, which is essentially a joint venture, we operate like a traditional publisher, except instead of us as the publisher being the investor, the author is the investor, and instead of us buying the intellectual property, the author owns their intellectual property. They get a lot of creative control and yet they get a traditional publishing experience in a much faster timeline. And then we're distributed through a traditional publisher, so we're distributed through Simon and Schuster, which means we can hit a New York Times bestseller list, we can hit the USA Today bestseller list, we can put the book in airports, we have a sales team behind it, but the author is really driving a lot of the process. Right. And so what I'm seeing, the authors who are drawn to that model are actually some of the biggest names who want a lot more control and have the resources to be their own investor as well as authors who serve more of a niche that have the opportunity to actually sell a lot of books, but they're, they're not trying to be that kind of venture back bull, next big thing. And so what's beautiful is that you have all of these options available to authors today. Which goes back to my earlier message of if you have a book idea, the only thing standing between you and that being on a bookshelf is you.

[Ellie]

And so I want to talk about some of these kind of things. Maybe it's maybe demystifying some myths, right? So like you just demystified a big one of that. Like you have to go through some big traditional publisher in order to get published. I know that There are a lot of people, like you said, you know, they can self publish and kind of throw up a book, and that's done. But maybe they're missing some of the key core components that it takes to really make a book pop beyond your corner of the Internet, so to speak. So I want to talk about what those are. I want to know how important is the title of a book?

[Ally Bridge]

Oh, the title is my favorite part. The title is my favorite part. So I always say, and the COVID Title and the COVID So I always say, I buy wine by the label. I judge a book by its cover. And why it's so important is because my philosophy on nonfiction books is that to make a book stand out in the market, you have to have one big idea that can be easily communicated from somebody literally picking the book up, reading the front cover, reading the back cover. They should understand what that big idea is and why they should buy that book. And why that's so important is because at the end of the day, what makes a book really take off is that word of mouth marketing. You can plaster it everywhere. But if you don't get people talking about it and saying, oh, my gosh, Julie, you have to read, read X because Y, it's going to change your life. That is what's going to allow the book to break through and cause people to go search it, order it, walk into a bookstore, look for it. It's having that one big idea that everything else hangs on. And a lot of people can write. They can write 12 chapters. But what's challenging is to actually create that skeleton of the book, that big idea that it all hangs on. I always say, if someone is going to read your whole book and walk away with their life changed, what is that transformation? Tell me in like 15 to 30 seconds, how do you want them to think differently, act differently? What do you want them to know? Like, you have. If they're reading your book, you have their attention for six to eight hours. That is an enormous opportunity and responsibility. What is that big takeaway that they're going to then talk to a friend and say, you need to have. You need to read this because of this reason, and I love to use the example of the book, the body keeps the score example. And that sits at the top of the New York Times to this day, 15 years later.

[Ellie]

Right.

[Ally Bridge]

This book is so powerful because it's such a big idea. The body keeps the score. The body holds onto emotional trauma and manifests it physically. I recommended that book to a hundred people. I have sold so Many copies of that book. I am helping to keep that book at the top of the New York Times. Have I read that book? No. But the idea is life changing and I have ordered the book, it's changed my life and I haven't actually gone through and read the whole book. And that is the catalytic power of the big idea behind a book. That is what can drive a social movement like these anti trafficking books. That's what can shift human consciousness around something that just an idea can change someone's life and then the book itself is an opportunity to actually spend all this time with them really investing into nurturing, watering that seed of an idea so it can actually take root and grow and change their life.

[Ellie]

I've really learned from you and kind of listening to you and walking me through this path as well of like, you know, when you think about a book, whether it's traditionally published or not, I mean, because there's so many different pieces to the puzzles that we could go, there's writing the book, there's editing the book, there's distributing the book, there's marketing the book. There's so many different steps to getting a book out into the world, no matter how big or small it is. But I think where a lot of authors may, depending on their goals.

[Ally Bridge]

Yeah.

[Ellie]

May miss the mark, so to speak, is that they will over complicate a topic or they forget how important a label the COVID and the title is. Because like you said, I mean, I don't have to read Atomic Habits to know exactly what it is. And if I have a friend that's talking about wanting to create better habits, I could send her that book.

[Ally Bridge]

Yeah.

[Ellie]

Or you know, I don't have to read the book. Let them to understand the big idea. The big idea.

[Ally Bridge]

Exactly.

[Ellie]

If someone is having a hard time, you know, releasing control, I may be like, well, maybe you should read.

[Ally Bridge]

Let them. Yeah.

[Ellie]

And I've never even read it. I don't even have it, you know, but it doesn't mean that I can't share the good news. And so I think that from a marketing perspective and from a reach and visibility of a book perspective, this is something that is huge.

[Ally Bridge]

Yeah.

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[Ellie]

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[Ellie]

so I want you to kind of walk us through a couple of more processes. If we've got someone that is watching this or listening to this and they're like, okay, so whether I want to admit it or not, I do have this idea on my heart. I have this story, I went through this thing and I've always thought about writing a book or people have told me, hey, you should really write a book. Yeah, walk us through some. How would somebody know if they should potentially explore Googling copper books and what comes through and what they should expect to find on if. If they know that that is a route for them to explore?

[Ally Bridge]

Yeah. Well, first I would say who are you serving? The first question I ask every author is what does success look like? What do you actually want? What is the vision? What is the goal? Like if you had the attention of the world for five minutes, what kind of change do you want to see in people's lives and who specifically are you writing to? I see audience like a target. Like if you imagine a big target. And because so many aspiring authors will say to me, well, this book is for everyone. And if a book is for everyone, it's for no one. And you do such a beautiful job with this. And how you coach and serve women is. Is helping them understand what does it look like to serve? Like who are they speaking to? Who are they serving and calling in that ideal client, that ideal reader, that ideal customer. So the more that you can get clear on that, that is stage one. Who are you writing? Who are you writing to and why are you writing to them? What kind of change do you want to see? Because ultimately, if you just enjoy the writing process, write in your journal, write a free blog, write on substack. Like, that's amazing if you just enjoy writing. But launching a book is like launching a product. I always say if you want to be an author, you have to think like an entrepreneur. You are the CEO of the book. So many aspiring authors think of themselves as talent. I'm just going to write a thing and I'm going to be this great talent and someone else is going to go take it to the world. I think the important mindset shift is you can write the most transformational concept, but you also need to be willing to take it to people, to be an advocate for the idea, to be its ambassador, to again, be the CEO of this product and launch it into the world. And then from there, once you know what success looks like and who you're serving, and you have a sense of like, what is that big idea that I want that person to take away the transformation I want to see, Then you get to say, okay, what is the right path for this book? And do I want to go the traditional path, which is finding a literary agent to work with you, working through a proposal, shopping the book, plan a longer time horizon. I would say plan about three years to go that route and make sure that in terms of being an author, you have. You look venture backable. Right. So that doesn't mean you need millions of followers. But there I always say you need three things to go the traditional or hybrid route. You need a great idea. So that what we just talked about, that great idea. You need great writing. So you either need to be a great writer or you need to hire. Hire a great writer to help and

[Ellie]

have the funds to do that and have the. Because they're not cheap.

[Ally Bridge]

Exactly. And number three, you need a great audience. And that great audience could follow you. They could also be the audience that buys the product in your company. Like for me, the book 22 was written to young women graduating college. I did not have a platform speaking to them, but I knew how to reach them and I, I knew where they were and they were well networked. And so that caught the attention of a traditional publisher because I was speaking to a great audience that needed the type of content that I was writing. So that's how I would think about the audience piece and then decide, do you want to go that traditional route and work with essentially a big investor, or do you have the resources and do you want the creative control and the ownership of your intellectual property to go the hybrid route, which is where you are going to more be working with a partner. So we act as a partner to the author and help take them through the process. But, but everything is around their needs, their timeline, their creative vision, making sure at no point are we ever going to strong arm and say like I've had authors, we finished the COVID and they're like I changed my mind, I want a different title. And I'm like, this is why you went hybrid. If I was a traditional publisher it would be like, sorry, deal with it. Or we have a very iconic founder whose book we're publishing and she was in the process of selling her company and we were getting ready to release the book and she's like, I want to hold until I know the end of the story. And we said, great, we're on hold. You tell us, you tell us when you're ready to go and then it's full steam ahead. And I love that at every turn we can be in service to the desire and to the goals of the author. So if that sounds like a fit and you want that, you want the book to be hardcover, jacket jacketed, traditional, like have that high end luxury feel, be on bookstore shelves, be available everywhere, maybe hit a bestseller list and you want that extra level of creative control, ownership of ip, ownership of the timeline, ownership of your voice, then I would look at going the hybrid route and then self publishing. Like I talked to some aspiring authors who their number one goal is that grandma would read it by Christmas. And I'm like, well let's not wait. Let's self publish that book and get it out really quick. That is a beautiful mission and a beautiful goal. Let's just ship it. And so that is where I would go the self publishing publishing route. Now I will say we are in the process of launching a new tier of service. So our gold tier is that like very extensive long term hybrid publishing. But we're launching a silver tier that's quite a bit more affordable. That's for someone who wants to self publish but wants to do it in a very high end professional way. We call it independent publishing. So you are your own publisher, but we will professionally design and run it through all of the high end editorial and do the interior of the book, load up the files and then you run with print on demand. We're releasing that as a product line so that we can serve even more authors who maybe don't have the time, money, or just need for the full force hybrid publishing. So I think if you have a book in you, like, listen to that. It's there for a reason. And a book can change someone's life, but no one is more changed than the author of the book. Yeah, nothing will change you more than writing a book. Back to what we were saying earlier, who do you have to become to write that book? Going through the process, it will take you to the mat. It will. It will be a mirror to every fear, every insecurity and every growth edge that you have it. You will be a different person on the other side of writing that book. And I encourage anyone who feels that stirring in them to follow it because it's there for a reason.

[Ellie]

And then I want to also talk a little bit about marketing the book because I feel like this is something that, I don't know, gets talked about enough because there's again, there's so many different components to marketing a book. But I would just love to hear a little bit of your take. No matter the route you go, how important is the marketing of the book and what are some of your key tips or takeaways that like, if you are an author in 20, 26 or beyond, like, you really want to think through and be very intentional about this thing or these things in to make sure again, based on your goals, you're really giving the book the leverage that it needs to open all of those doors.

[Ally Bridge]

Yeah. So a friend of mine, Rory Vaden, did a deep dive into the numbers on social media followers. How do those convert to book sales? Because most people have an assumption of I just need millions of Instagram followers and that's what's going to sell books. Conversion rate. 0.01%.

[Ellie]

I was going to say 1%.

[Ally Bridge]

So 0, 0.

[Ellie]

Wow.

[Ally Bridge]

Is the conversion rate right? So it is not enough to have followers. What you need to do is activate your audience in order to buy the book.

[Ellie]

Right.

[Ally Bridge]

And that takes a strategy, it takes a plan, it often takes a team. It takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of energy, a lot of nurture. So one of my authors, her name's Simone, she wrote a book called Real Confidence. Her book released a couple weeks ago, hit the USA Today bestseller list. I was so proud of her. She self published her first book and she, she would say to me, she's like, that first book, I really thought if you write it, they will come. She's like, they will not come.

[Ellie]

No.

[Ally Bridge]

They will not know about it. They will not care.

[Julie Solomon]

No.

[Ally Bridge]

It is not enough to Write the book. No, if you want them to come, you need to tell them about it. Hold their hand, walk them to the

[Ellie]

counter, put it in their hands, open

[Ally Bridge]

it up for them, sign it for them as they're sitting there, tell them to read it like. Like it. And you need to. To have the confidence in your message to be able to tell people, no, you really need this, and I want to see you read it. And so, number one, in terms of marketing, I always say, start with things that bring you joy and bring you life. And this is the biggest mistake I see authors make. They try to boil the ocean. Because the beautiful thing about launching a book today, it is not like 20 years ago where there was kind of like, you get press, get it placed in the media, and that's it. Today, there is a thousand ways to reach an audience. And so instead of trying to do every single thing and burning out really quickly, look at what gives you energy, what gives you joy, and what brings a sense of momentum to you as you're doing it. So if you hate talking and being in interviews, like, don't do an interview heavy strategy. If you don't enjoy the writing process and you worked with a writer, don't focus on a substack strategy, Right? But instead, think about what you love and what you enjoy. So I have one author right now who he's like, I hate social media, but I love talking about the book. I'm like, great, we're going to do a podcast tour. And how do we get you on dozens of podcasts so that you are able to talk about the book as much as possible? Because I often encourage authors to think in terms of, of networks and nodes in those networks. So the people who already follow you, that's your current network, that's your email list. That is your social media following. That is your podcast listeners. But then there are other networks that reach that target reader that you identified at the very beginning of the book. If you can find those other networks and then look for the nodes in those networks, if you can reach those nodes, then you'll reach new networks. So, for example, if I was launching my next book right now, and I said, okay, Julie speaks to the type of woman who I want reading my book, then I might come to you and say, julie, I would love to talk about my book on your podcast. Would you be open to featuring it? You're looking for great content. I'm here to talk about it. This is a book that's going to change the life of your listeners. That is a Great, great partnership. Right? And so I would also say, so look for those networks that you want to reach and then look for ways that you can be of service. This is one of my. The things I get most passionate about is that so many authors, as in the lead up to their book coming out, they start to panic and say, well, who's going to show up for me? Who's going to post about it on social? Who's going to have me on their podcast? Who's going to write reviews? Who's going to order it? And I say to them, well, first, first, have you been a good literary citizen? Like, how do you begin by being a good literary citizen? Do unto others. If you want people showing up for you, buying your book, coming to your launch event, writing those reviews, inviting you on podcasts, look for ways that you can be of service to other authors, other nodes in those networks. And focus in the year or years leading up to your book launch, just giving. This is. My next book is called Relational Equity. And this is.

[Ellie]

I'm so glad you're talking about it. I was like, can we talk about it? About it?

[Ally Bridge]

I wanted to talk about it. I, I have to because I, I get so passionate about it because so many people are like, drawing on an empty account. They're just debiting from an empty account, going out and asking instead of saying, how in the years leading up to a book launch do I actually pour into others? And, and for, for authors, I say, be a good literary citizen. So look for ways that you can be championing other authors long before you ever ask anyone else to champion you. Because when your book does come out, you will be surprised all the people who show up for you when you've been showing up for others for so long beforehand.

[Ellie]

So, so, so good. And the other thing that I remember too, and I think this goes back to why it's so important on getting clear on who your ideal reader is, is you also want to make sure that you're, you're getting in front of the places where your ideal reader is. So, for example, you know, know, if I'm going to write a book and have to market the book, I'm going to go on podcasts because I know that that is where my reader is. Yeah, if I was writing a book for my mom, I would not be going on podcasts. She doesn't listen to podcasts. She watches the Today Show.

[Ally Bridge]

Such a good point.

[Ellie]

And so I would be thinking about, like, so my focus would be like, okay, how do I get on Good Morning America, how do I get on the Today show? I wouldn't even be worrying about podcasts.

[Ally Bridge]

Yeah.

[Ellie]

So I think it's also about getting really clear on the, like, who am I speaking to? But where is she?

[Ally Bridge]

Yes.

[Ellie]

What is she consuming? What is she reading? Magazines? Is she listening to podcasts? Is she watching Good Morning America? Or is she talking to her friend about something at coffee? Like, how do I get in front of him or her? And I think that that's another key indicator. And kind of, again, going back to what you're saying, being of service. Because once you're clear on where they are, then you can figure out, how do I make this feel authentically in reciprocity instead of this transactional thing.

[Ally Bridge]

Yes.

[Ellie]

Because when you come from that place, and I love the analogy that you used, it's like you're trying to pull from an. From an empty, you know, debit machine. People can kind of close up shop really quick.

[Ally Bridge]

Yeah.

[Ellie]

If they feel that it's like you're kind of taking and taking and taking and there's not this. This kind of give. So, yeah, it could be something as little as, like, you're going to give away books on the podcast. You're going to invite their community to something that only people from, you know, the podcast communities are getting invited to. Like, what are the things that you can create that feel very intentional?

[Ally Bridge]

Yes.

[Ellie]

And that are really going to make more of a bang to that community, I think is huge.

[Ally Bridge]

And this is why it is so important at the very beginning, before you ever write a single word, who are you serving? What kind of transformation are you giving them? What kinds of problems are you solving for them? Because if you are laser focused on that, you are being of service. And then when it comes to marketing the book. Book, you're not just talking about something saying, buy my book so that I get more notoriety. You're saying, I am being of service to this community. And then you're going to people who speak to them and saying, let me give you this tool to be of service to your community, to your listeners, to your readers, to your watchers, to your followers. I want to help you help them. And then when you are of service, service to. To the nodes in the network, when you are of service to the ultimate end reader, then you're also. You don't burn out because you're not talking about yourself.

[Ellie]

Right.

[Ally Bridge]

Authors burn out when it's like, look at me, Buy my thing, support me, follow my, like, me, me, me. It's the picture of narcissus looking in the water and falling in. Right? It's like. But if you are so laser focused on, I am creating something to fulfill a need and to be of service. That is something you can get. You can get and stay passionate about talking about because then your book is a vehicle out in the world making that transformation possible. And everyone can get excited and get on board for that.

[Ellie]

So good. Okay, Ally, I want you to toot your own horn and be your own publicist for a moment. Please let our listeners and our viewers know where they can find you, where they can learn more about copper, where they can learn more about your services. I am not just saying this because you are a friend. I'm going to break the fourth wall here for a moment. She is the real effing deal. I am going to be working with her on my next book. So like, I do not say this lightly. She is the real deal and she has already come into some of my paid communities. Important to them. We have so many women in my world that are going to start writing books this year because of Ally. So do not sit on this. Know that there is support available to you, know that there is a path that is probably not as overwhelming or scary as you may think that it is. And just do yourself the gift of just allowing yourself to permit into the first step, which is learning more about this process and how it can work for you.

[Ally Bridge]

So with that to say, thank you, friend. I value you and appreciate you so much. You're so welcome and I love your voice in the world. And I would say to anyone listening or watching, if you feel that stirring of having a book in you, like I said before, that is there for a reason. Trust it, follow it. It is a divine scavenger hunt. Go on the scavenger hunt, find the next thing. And one of the most important things you can do is to get in community and be surrounded by other people who are on that journey. We are hosting an event in May, May 8, Friday, May 8, in Nashville. We have some extraordinary speakers, including yours truly, me.

[Ellie]

I'm so excited. I can't wait to be there.

[Ally Bridge]

The event is called Book Fair and it is the mission Event is to be the one day, one stop shop for anyone who's ever had a dream of writing a book so that you can show up and we'll be talking about everything from creating your personal brand, defining your message, the actual writing process. How do I write the thing, how do I market the thing? What does publicity look like? What does a podcasting strategy look like? Who are the leading executives from publishing houses I want to hear from? If I want to go the traditional route, who are the agents I need to be meeting with? We'll have some top agents there. It's going to be anybody and everybody who works in and around publishing meant to educate you in the process, inspire you so that you actually feel motivated and realize that you can do it. Climbing a mountain, you go one step at a time. Writing a book is a mountain, but it is absolutely doable and achievable. I always say there is no silver bullet, but it's not rocket science. You can learn how to do it and it's going to be the community of people who are going to surround you, come alongside you, that you can build the friendships with and the support. It's going to be the people that you can champion and who will ultimately champion you someday when your book is coming out. So for anyone who's had a dream, I would just invite you to join us. And we do have a special discount code for your listeners as well. So maybe we can drop that in the show notes.

[Ellie]

They are. That's going to be in the show notes as well. So go there. We'll also have it on our email list. We're going to be doing several announcements about this. You'll see it on social media as well. But while you're listening to this, just go to the show Notes. That discount code and the link will be there if you want to join us live in Nashville and then your where they can find you online and on social media.

[Ally Bridge]

Online, copperbooks.com and for social media, I'm at Alibridge and Copper is at Copper Books and we would love to see you there. And I'm on there every day. So DM me message follow.

[Julie Solomon]

Yep.

[Ally Bridge]

Come find us and come to book fair.

[Ellie]

We're gonna have a good time. There's gonna be some fun power players in that room. I mean legitimate. These are some people that, that, that make some of the biggest names that have books in the world right now like this. These are the people who make all of that happen behind the scenes. So you are not strategic.

[Ally Bridge]

Yes. If you want a New York Times bestseller, this is the room to be in. This is the room to be in.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Beautiful.

[Ellie]

Yay.

[Julie Solomon]

If today's episode served you, don't forget to hit subscribe, leave a review and share it with a woman you know is ready for more. You can now watch every episode, every week on Spotify and YouTube and continue to listen on the platform of your choice. And if you want behind the scenes updates on business messaging, leadership, special promos, the first access to what's happening in my business, in my world, I would encourage you to join my weekly email [e-mail] newsletter. That is where all of this goes down. The is not normally shared publicly. This is where your next era begins and I'm so glad that you're here.