SPS 053: Using Companion Courses To Turn 50%+ Of Readers Into Subscribers & Superfans with Pat Flynn (And How To Get Your Self Published Book Into Airport Bookstores)

Joining me today is Pat Flynn, host of Smart Passive Income Podcast. He is also the author of three books: Let It Go, Will It Fly, and his most recent book SuperFans. Today we are going to talk about SuperFans, his book launch, and how he has built his incredible ecosystem. He also shares updates about the email list building since he has last been on the show on Episode 19.

Pat unpacks the thought courses behind building companion courses for his books, what types of courses work well with books, how he transitions his classes into other revenue streams, and shares his results for Will It Fly.

He sets up his classes on Teachable, and in each course, he gives a deeper dive, a higher resolution image, or a video explaining a concept or example from his book. The course is only powerful because it compliments the book, the course cannot stand alone on its own.

Checking on the progress of his clients, Pat will send them an email follow-up or reward those who have completed the course, to encourage his clients and keep his content fresh in their mind. Make sure to provide your value in steps of progression for your customer.

Listen in to find out how Pat uses the email generation from his companion course to generate future income, how you can give your readers more value in your course, and how to increase your viral coefficient. Learn why Pat is writing SuperFans, why his ghostwriting process didn’t work, and how he was able to place his book at Barnes and Noble and airport book shops.

Show Notes

[02:34] Pat shares his updates with building email lists from Episode 19. [04:30] His inspiration for the companion course to provide more to his reader than what they are reading. [06:21] Adding complimentary links inside his book to his companion Teachable class. [07:25] How Pat uses the email list he generates from his course companion to his book. [10:35] The companion course is a “circle of life” to your published book. [14:00] Why Pat is writing SuperFans.  [17:24] Why writing SuperFans is so important to Pat. [18:58] The ghostwriting process for Pat and his book SuperFans. [20:56] Pat lets his followers in on what he is doing for accountability and to follow him on his journey. [23:41] Why Pat thinks the ghostwriting process didn’t work for his book. [25:00] What triggered him to come to the realization that he needed to write this book himself. [27:30] How he was able to get into airports and Barnes and Noble bookstores. [30:39] A hybrid publishing company can connect you with the selling outlets you need for your book.  [33:50] Different options with airport distribution and one example of an author who sold his book at airports. [34:43] How Pat’s audio book became his largest income stream. [37:52] Elements of books that can sell themselves. [43:01] Pat’s advice to new book authors.

Links and Resources

Self-publishingschool.com Spsfreetraining.com Circle of Profit Recorder Plus Smart Passive Income Podcast Pat Flynn Books Self Publishing School with Pat Flynn Episode 19 Will It Fly by Pat Flynn NewType Publishing