Julie BroadYour Non-Fiction Sidekick for Writing, Publishing & Marketing a Book That Builds Your Brand and Grows Your Biz

The Book Deal I’m Glad I Didn’t Get #fallintoshorts #authorproblems

2 Nov 2025 · 1 min

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Julie Broad describes being rejected by Wiley for a traditional book deal because she supposedly lacked a strong platform. After initial disappointment, she self-published the same book, which she says outsold major titles on Amazon during its launch week; the success led her to sell thousands of copies and build a company helping other authors self-publish. She contrasts traditional publishing (lower royalties, loss of control) with self-publishing (higher earnings, control) and directs viewers to her updated book and website for strategy and guidance.

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Wiley, the publisher, approached me about writing a book for them. But in the end, after months of work on the book proposal, they rejected me. Yeah, they said I didn't have a strong enough platform to sell books. And you know what? It is the best thing that happened. I cried ugly toddler tears for 20 minutes and I wallowed in my what do they have that I don't have? Feelings for a few months as a few of my friends got deals, but ultimately I self published the exact book they said wouldn't sell. That book more than Cash Flow outsold the Game of Thrones on Amazon the week it launched and Dan Brown and some other books. And my goodness, am I glad that I self published. Traditional publishers pay you a small cut to do the work. They keep control and they keep the rights. Self publishing pays you way more for doing, well, almost the same amount of work. You just have to upfront some of the expenses. But the difference is control. If I'd signed that deal, I'd still be waiting for permission. Instead, I wrote the book that I knew needed to be written and I sold thousands and thousands and thousands of books. And eventually it led me to build a company that's helped thousands of authors do it their way. Your book does not need to be chosen. You just need a strategy. Learn how to create the right strategy to create your own. No boring book that is set up to sell in my new edition of Self Publish and succeed. You can get it@selfpublishandsucceed.com.