Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lee Savino. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Lee, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
In 2014, I was broke and unhappy working as an insurance sales person. I had a degree in creative writing, but no one in my life told me I could make a living as a writer. I’d tried to get a book published, but had given up. I was stuck. I went to a hypnotherapist for help. I’d hoped to remove any blocks I had to earning more commissions at my job. Instead, I walked out of his office believing that I could be an author. The meditation helped me remove that block to success, and within a month I’d self-published several books to Amazon.
From then on, it was like running down hill. I was happy as an author, and took my last savings to set up a website and go to an author conference, where I met a publisher and signed a book deal. I learned how to market books and made a lot of author friends. Everything I did took me closer to being a better writer and a more successful author.
By 2017, I’d published several books with the publisher and decided I preferred to work on my own. I’d met so many indie authors who were making a fortune, and I thought “why not me?” I had a new series out and scrambled to market it in as many ways I knew how. I made $6,000 in February and decided I would be a six figure author. I earned over $150,000 total that year and haven’t looked back.
f I could do it all over again, I would’ve told myself if others are doing it, it’s possible. If I had just looked for the people doing what I wanted to do, I would’ve found self publishing much sooner.
I’m so grateful for every step of my journey, but every time I get stuck, I remind myself that the block is in my mind. I look for the other people doing what I want to do, and study their moves. Eventually I break down their success into smaller steps. Then I can take that first baby step on the path towards what I want.
Lee, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m a seven-figure romance author with multiple USA Today and Top 100 Amazon bestsellers. I’ve also coached multiple authors. I have extensive expertise in selling direct, going wide, rapid releasing, and branding, as well as less commonly explored (but extremely lucrative) areas such as translations.
I run the Millionaire Author Mastermind Facebook group and co-teach the Money Magic Membership with Renee Rose. I’m co-host of the Six Figure Author Experiment Podcast, and teach the Seven Figure Author course to help authors make a fortune from their books.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Consistency is key to building a brand. Show up, day in and day out, and deliver. I think in terms of streams of customers. Online, the algorithms are working to showcase my work to the exact right person. I just have to train the algorithm properly so it can do its job well. To do that, I deliver series. Whether I’m creating books or Tiktok videos or podcast episodes, I deliver the same sort of product over and over. Same theme, topic, size, length, structure–like a restaurant serving the same dish over and over and over. The same customers come to the table over and over, and then the algorithm figures out exactly who will love my work. Then it’ll send those people to me. Think in terms of series–create a stream of products that deliver the same experience. Then the algorithm will find the stream of customers who enjoy that experience.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I thought I had to get an agent and a publisher to become an author. It turns out that was a waste of time. I much prefer being an indie author and the creative control I have over my brand. In other areas, I look for the old rules and ways people are breaking them. The internet allows us to keep removing gatekeepers. I’m now selling my books direct to customers versus simply uploading them to retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I learned from other millionaire authors how to hire audiobook producers and translators versus selling those rights. These moves 10xed my income.
I got a degree in creative writing, but I don’t recommend it. Just look for the people who are doing what you want to do and notice what they’re doing. Just by watching them, those successful people become your tribe. Your brain will slowly change your habits to match those of your tribe.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://leesavino.com/author-advice/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/millionaireauthormastermind
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXAJDPRUEvmBk2A8ZNz5b9g
- Other: https://www.sixfigureauthorexperiment.com/
Image Credits
Photos with hat by Paige Savino All others by WIld Heart Creative