Lunch & Learn #16: Author Investment and the True ROI of Publishing a Book
Georgie Hockett, marketing director at Girl Friday Productions, hosts Karen McNally Upson, Girl Friday’s director of sales, and Stacy Ennis, bestselling author, book strategist, and book coach, for a conversation about what book coaching is, how it connects to the publishing process, and how authors should realistically think about their return on investment (ROI). Stacy walks through her six-month coaching process, Karen explains how Girl Friday follows up with developmental editing once a draft is complete, and both emphasize that a book’s true value lies far beyond unit sales.
Key takeaways:
A book’s ROI comes from credibility, speaking opportunities, and business growth—not primarily from sales revenue.
Authors should be “all in”—half-hearted commitment rarely leads to a successful book.
Authors should budget thoughtfully; publishing is a long-term business investment, not a quick project.
Authors should expect the process to take months; results materialize slowly and require sustained author hustle post-publication.
The model is a good fit for authors who are humble, coachable, and writing nonfiction with a social or professional impact.
