After The Book Podcast

About After The Book Podcast

A podcast for authors thinking about what comes next after the book, and how a book quietly becomes a business, without the noise. booktobusinessblueprint.com (https://booktobusinessblueprint.com/s/after-the-book-podcast?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Lee H. Baucom, PhD

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Jan 2026

Latest episode

11 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

22 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   11 Jun 2026

   When Charging Feels Wrong

   Episode: 22Title: When Charging Feels Wrong In this episode:A listener question from Rachel, an author who ran a successful free workshop and found herself stuck when it came time to charge for it. This episode explores the beliefs many authors carry about money, accessibility, generosity, and the sustainability of their work. The question Rachel teaches mindfulness for overwhelmed professionals. After running a free workshop based on her book, she received strong engagement and follow-up interest. But when she considered charging for future workshops, she felt conflicted. Would charging undermine her message? Would it exclude the people who need the work most? Would turning it into a business compromise the reason she wrote the book in the first place? Key ideas Pricing is often a belief issue before it's a business issue Many authors feel uncomfortable being compensated for work they love Sustainability is part of service Accessibility and compensation are not opposites Your book and your deeper work can serve different purposes Building a business around your message doesn't have to contradict your message The trap Many people carry an unspoken belief: If it comes naturally to me, it shouldn't cost anything. Or: If it's my gift, I should give it away. The problem is that this often leads people to undervalue the work that helps others most. The distinction Your book can remain the accessible entry point. Your deeper work can become the place where people receive: guidance support accountability implementation Those are different levels of engagement. And they can coexist. From the episode "Free isn't generous if it means you eventually have to stop." A different way to think about charging Charging isn't necessarily about maximizing revenue. Sometimes it's about creating: sustainability commitment engagement longevity Because if the work matters, finding a way to keep doing it matters too. Reflection Questions Where did you learn that your best work should be free? If you had to either charge or stop, which would you choose? What would it look like to build a business that reflects your message? How might accessibility and sustainability coexist in your work? What would change if you gave yourself permission to be compensated for your deepest expertise? Next Step If you'd like to continue thinking about how a book becomes a sustainable business, visit BookToBusinessBlueprint.com (http://BookToBusinessBlueprint.com). Get full access to The Book-To-Business Blueprint at booktobusinessblueprint.com/subscribe (https://booktobusinessblueprint.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   4 Jun 2026

   How to Know If It’s Working - Episode 21

   Episode: 21Title: How to Know If It's Working In this episode:After testing a coaching offer, workshop, resource, or small program, how do you know whether it actually worked? This episode explores what to measure, what to ignore, and how to recognize real traction before the numbers look impressive. Key ideas Most authors measure the wrong things after a test Sales, attention, and praise are incomplete signals Transformation is more important than applause Encouragement and evidence are not the same thing Silence is often ambiguous, not failure One test rarely tells the whole story Learning is part of the result The four questions to ask after every test Did it help someone? Did anything actually shift? Was there a meaningful result? Did anyone come back or refer someone else? Return and referral are powerful signals. What questions came back? Questions reveal both value and gaps. What did I learn? About the audience About the offer About the delivery About yourself Encouragement vs. Evidence One of the most important distinctions in this episode: Encouragement "That was great." "I loved it." "You're really good at this." Evidence "I tried this and here's what happened." "This changed how I think about my situation." "I shared this with someone else who needed it." Evidence points toward transformation. When silence isn't failure Sometimes a test gets little or no response. That doesn't automatically mean the idea failed. Silence may indicate: limited reach unclear messaging poor timing the wrong audience or simply an incomplete test One quiet result is often inconclusive—not definitive. From the episode "Stop measuring whether people liked it. Start measuring whether it helped." Reflection Questions What evidence do you have that your work helped someone? What questions came back that surprised you? If a recent test was quiet, what might that silence actually mean? What did you learn from the test that you didn't know before? Are you looking for encouragement or evidence? Next Episode We'll continue exploring the practical side of building a book-based business and how small tests become real direction over time. Get full access to The Book-To-Business Blueprint at booktobusinessblueprint.com/subscribe (https://booktobusinessblueprint.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   28 May 2026

   How to Test Something Small

   Episode: 20Title: How to Test Something Small In this episode:A practical look at how to test ideas before overbuilding them. This episode explores why authors often skip testing, how to create small real-world experiments, and what you can learn before investing months building something bigger. Key ideas:– Most authors build too much before they test anything– Testing is the bridge between thinking and building– Small tests reduce assumptions and accelerate learning– The goal is not perfection—it’s real feedback– Businesses built through testing are stronger than businesses built through guessing What testing actually means:– Offering something real– Delivering actual value– Keeping the format small and simple– Learning from the response before expanding Examples of small tests:– A 3-session coaching package– A one-time workshop– A small pilot group– A short PDF or single training What testing reveals:– What people actually struggle with– What language resonates– Where transformation happens– What’s missing from your framework– What kind of work fits your temperament From the episode:“Testing isn’t about putting out bad work. It’s about putting out small work.” Core principle:Test before you build. What happens if you don’t test:– You build on assumptions– You overinvest too early– You lose time fixing preventable problems– You confuse lack of fit with failure Reflection questions:– What is one thing you’ve been thinking about building that you could test this month?– What is the smallest version of it?– What could you strip away?– Who could you test it with?– What is stopping you from testing it this week? Next step:Continue the thinking—and take one step at a time—at BookToBusinessBlueprint.com (http://BookToBusinessBlueprint.com) Get full access to The Book-To-Business Blueprint at booktobusinessblueprint.com/subscribe (https://booktobusinessblueprint.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.