Most book launches fail before they begin. Not because the book is bad. Because the author started marketing on launch day.

By then, it is already too late.

In this episode, we map out the complete book launch timeline. Six months of strategic preparation that creates a concentrated burst of activity, triggers algorithms, and generates real momentum.

We cover:→ Phase one: Foundation (six months out)→ Phase two: Building anticipation (three months out)→ Phase three: Activation (one month out)→ Phase four: Launch week execution→ Launch team strategy and management→ Pricing strategies for maximum impact→ When and how to use paid advertising→ What to do when launch disappoints

A successful launch is not luck. It is engineering.

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Resources mentioned:

• The Architect's Method podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/65N4rQG15xvZzsyYtAf7Qa
• Blood and Bones interactive experience: bloodandbones.rondanini.com

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Have questions? Reach out at rondanini.com

Audiobooks are the fastest growing format in publishing. And most authors are ignoring them completely.

One in four books consumed in English-speaking countries is now an audiobook. The average audiobook listener consumes fifteen books per year. That is three times more than the average print reader.

If you do not have an audiobook, you are invisible to this entire audience.

In this episode, we break down everything you need to know about audiobooks as an author income stream.

We cover:→ The production options: professional narrators, royalty share, AI narration, and narrating yourself→ Distribution strategy: ACX, Audible, Findaway, and going wide→ Selling audiobooks direct (seven times more revenue per sale)→ Pricing and bundling strategies→ The strategic value beyond direct revenue→ A six-step practical audiobook strategy→ The five mistakes that sink audiobook projects

This is not optional anymore. Audiobooks are how a significant portion of your potential readers consume books.

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Resources mentioned:

• The Architect's Method podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/65N4rQG15xvZzsyYtAf7Qa
• Blood and Bones interactive experience: bloodandbones.rondanini.com

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Have questions? Reach out at rondanini.com

Amazon takes sixty five percent. You write the book, edit the book, design the cover, run the ads. And Amazon keeps sixty five percent of every sale.

What if you could keep eighty percent instead?

In this episode, we break down the emerging model that is changing how authors think about their careers. Direct-to-reader publishing. Selling to your audience without the middleman. Owning your customer relationships instead of renting them.

We cover:→ The stark math of traditional vs self-pub vs direct sales→ Who direct-to-reader works for (and who should wait)→ What you actually need to start selling direct→ How to drive traffic to your own store→ Pricing, bundles, and special editions→ Why owning your audience changes everything→ A week-by-week implementation plan

This is not about abandoning Amazon. This is about not depending on it entirely.

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Resources mentioned:

• The Architect's Method podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/65N4rQG15xvZzsyYtAf7Qa
• Blood and Bones interactive experience:

Your first book is not your career. It is your audition.

In this episode, we zoom out to the long game. Why thinking in terms of five books changes everything. Why your backlist is your retirement plan. Why every book you write makes all your other books more valuable.

We cover:→ Why every book sells every other book→ The compound math of a multi-book career→ Series versus standalones (and when to use pen names)→ How to recover when a book fails→ Permission to write fast without sacrificing quality→ The five-book career framework

The only way to fail as an author is to stop writing. Everything else is just learning.

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Resources mentioned:

• The Architect's Method podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/65N4rQG15xvZzsyYtAf7Qa
• Blood and Bones interactive experience: bloodandbones.rondanini.com

You do not need one hundred thousand followers. You need five hundred people who care.

In this episode, we map out the realistic timeline for building an author platform from zero to ten thousand engaged subscribers. No growth hacks. No overnight success stories. Just consistent, sustainable effort that compounds over time.

We cover:→ Phase one: Zero to one hundred subscribers→ Phase two: One hundred to five hundred subscribers→ Phase three: Five hundred to two thousand subscribers→ Phase four: Two thousand to five thousand subscribers→ Phase five: Five thousand to ten thousand and beyond→ The five mistakes that kill author platforms→ Why email lists beat social media followers

If platform building has ever felt overwhelming, this episode gives you the roadmap.

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Resources mentioned:

• The Architect's Method podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/65N4rQG15xvZzsyYtAf7Qa
• Blood and Bones interactive experience: bloodandbones.rondanini.com

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Have questions? Reach out at rondanini.com

You love writing. You love the craft. But that love might be exactly what is keeping you stuck.

In this episode, we confront the mindset that separates authors who survive from authors who thrive. The romantic myth of the suffering artist. The permission problem. The business decisions that make creatives uncomfortable.

We cover:→ Why the starving artist myth is a twentieth century invention→ Five identity shifts from artist to entrepreneur→ The difference between a writing life and a writing career→ What you are actually selling (hint: not paper and ink)→ How to make peace with marketing without selling out

This is the episode where we stop waiting to be discovered and start building to be found.

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Resources mentioned:

• The Architect's Method podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/65N4rQG15xvZzsyYtAf7Qa

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Have questions? Reach out at rondanini.com

Your book just sold 5,000 copies and earned you £7,500 in royalties. The author next door? Same sales, same publisher — but she made £50,000 last year. What does she know that you don't?

In this episode, we break down the four income pillars that transform a modest royalty stream into a sustainable author career: workshops, courses, speaking, and consulting. Learn why your book isn't the product — it's the door. And discover how to walk through it.

We cover:→ The real economics of author income streams→ How to price your expertise (and why you're probably charging too little)→ Permission-based selling that feels authentic, not pushy→ Which pillar to build first based on where you are→ The long game: seeing your book as a decade-long asset

Plus: A recommendation for writers working on their next book — introducing The Architect's Method podcast.

Episode 5 asked what authors actually earn. Episode 6 asks what authors can actually build.

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Resources mentioned:

• The Architect's Method podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/65N4rQG15xvZzsyYtAf7Qa

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Have questions? Reach out at rondanini.com

💰 The uncomfortable truth: the median author makes £2,000 per year. So where does the real money come from?

In this episode, Luigi breaks down author income across publishing paths (traditional, self-published, hybrid). Learn actual royalty structures, the ecosystem model that successful authors use, and how to make strategic decisions about your publishing future.

You'll discover:

- What book advances really are (spoiler: loans, not gifts)

- How royalties actually work (paperback vs ebook vs hardcover)

- Why the book is the credential, not the income

- The three publishing paths compared with real numbers

Perfect for: Authors considering publishing, anyone wondering if a book deal will pay their rent.

Previous episodes:

Episode 1: Why Rejection Isn't Personal

Episode 2: The Business Side of Publishing

Episode 3: Building Your Platform Without Burning Out

Episode 4: What Agents & Editors Are Really Looking For

👉 Full essay

📋 Interactive calculator

🌐 Rondanini Publishing: