The biggest challenge every author faces today?

Selling books.

My friend Yrmis Barroeta of My Headquarters. Club sent me a marketing move this week that immediately caught my attention.

An author named Ben Meer pre-sold 10,000 copies of his book in one week.

So how did he do it?

He offered something valuable alongside the book.

Buy the Book, Get a $297 Course

The concept is surprisingly simple.

Ben's website makes it easy to pre-order his book from whichever platform you prefer, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.

After purchasing, readers upload their receipt and get access to a $297 online course for free.  

Suddenly, the way people think about the purchase changes.

Instead of:

"I'm spending $8 or $20 on a book."

The perceived value becomes:

"I'm getting a $300 course, and the book comes with it."

That's a very different proposition.

The Digital Bonus Is What Makes This Work

Here's the part I especially love as a small business owner.

The course is digital.

Ben creates it once, and he can give it to thousands of people without having to produce another physical product every time someone buys the book.  

That's the beauty of a digital bonus.

It can be a:

• Mini-course
• Workbook
• Template library
• Workshop
• Private Q&A
• Resource guide

You create it once, and it can continue adding value to your book offer.

And Then There's the Email List

This might be my favorite part.

To claim the free course, the reader gives Ben their email address.

That's important because when you sell a book through Amazon, IngramSpark, or a traditional publisher, you generally don't receive the reader's email address.

You know you made the sale.

But you don't necessarily know who that reader is.

Ben's strategy creates another path.

He can sell the book through a retailer while also building a direct relationship with his readers.  

Now he has an audience he can communicate with beyond the initial book purchase.

You Don't Have to Be Famous to Try This

You don't need 10,000 pre-orders to use the idea.

You just need something your readers would genuinely want.

Think about what you could create that has high perceived value but little additional cost to deliver.

Maybe it's a workshop.

Maybe it's a workbook.

Maybe it's a collection of templates.

Maybe it's a short course.

Maybe it's a live Q&A.

Then pair it with your book pre-order.

The goal isn't simply to give something away.

It's to create an offer that makes someone think:

"I want that."

And then let your book become part of the reason they say yes.

A question for you:

What free bonus could you offer with your book?

That's the question I'd start with.

Tip of the Week: Build Your Irresistible Bonus

Brainstorm one digital gift you could give to everyone who buys your book.

A mini-course. A workbook. A resource pack. A live Q&A.

Aim for something with high perceived value and almost no additional cost to deliver.

Then attach it to your pre-order.