We rarely get to see the impact of data on a client’s success. And when Hady Méndez shared her stats with us, we knew we needed to share them with you. Hady went through our group coaching program, Idea-to-Draft, and we have the privilege of watching her make an impact with her book, Calladita No More.
Since the launch of her book one year ago, Hady’s visibility as an author and coach has accelerated, through nearly 40 podcast interviews, highlights in book clubs, and a mix of public and private author events. Hady leans in to strategically promote her book. And by putting her book out in the world, she has sold almost 1,700 copies through retail, Audible, and bulk orders.
Here are a few things Hady shared with us.
Social Media
Choosing the best platform can be overwhelming, so if you’re not well-versed in social media, where do you start? The best place is to begin with what you’re most familiar with and then expand from there.
Hady focuses on three platforms: LinkedIn, Instagram, and Substack. The bulk of her leads come from LinkedIn, where she is very active, gathering close to 17,000 followers. Instagram has grown to almost 1,300 followers, and Substack has 567 subscribers. She runs campaigns and writes new content for her followers and subscribers, encouraging reader engagement.
Marketing and PR
There’s no one better to promote your book than you—and many times, it’s up to you to follow through with marketing. Hady invested in swag to give readers a reminder of her book and to increase visibility for her cover through totes, bookmarks, and stickers. She strategically partnered with nonprofit organizations and influencers and paid marketing with LinkedIn, Latinx digital magazine, Librarian email, and a Goodreads book giveaway.
Hady also creates content for guest essays and features, keeping her writing fresh and available. This is a great approach to create connections outside of your sphere of influence. She reaches her fan base through monthly newsletters, where she has about 300 subscribers. Engagement is high—upward to 60%—and everyone wants to stay because less than 1% unsubscribe. This shows wonderful engagement from her followers.
Recognition and Reach
Organizations don’t seek you out to consider you for an award. You, as the author, must seek them out by applying, and often paying a fee, to submit your book for consideration. The process takes research, time, and effort to make sure all requirements are met.
Hady didn’t just focus on great content. She spent a lot of time on her book cover, and her effort paid off because even that won an award for book cover design/nonfiction. She has won four other awards for multicultural nonfiction, best book nonfiction memoir, best book Hispanic/Latin, and the International Latino Book Awards Silver Medal for Best Cover Illustration. Almost one year later, Hady’s book appeared at #14 in best-selling Bios & Memoirs of Hispanic & Latino in the Kindle Store.
Total Investment Post-Launch
Publishing your book is not the end of the road. It’s definitely a milestone, but there’s more to consider. When you are planning your road map for publishing, it is extremely valuable to include a budget for after your book is launched. Here’s a rundown of Hady’s post-launch costs.
- Marketing/PR: $2,500
- Swag: $1,500
- Travel: $12,500
- Other (memberships, tech, shipping fees): $3,500
- Approximately $20K
These numbers will vary depending on your situation, but Hady’s experience gives you a great peek into one author’s journey. She has embraced that success reaches beyond book sales. Hady has more speaking engagements, paid writing opportunities, and author events. In fact, her fee for speaking engagements has increased by 50%. She is garnering a paid community, writing guest essays, and even launched a LinkedIn series called Authors Unplugged.
Hady’s book is helping her gain momentum in her business. She is able to focus more on 1:1 coaching, book clubs, and strategic partnerships. She’s even planning her second book—and the possibility of traditional publishing!
It has been very rewarding to watch Hady thrive as she puts her work out into the world, and it has been a privilege to work with her as she pursues her dreams. Our team is so proud of Hady and her success.
P.S. This is a genuinely human article. No AI was used to write this piece.
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