Have you ever left a workshop knowing what you wanted to do, then found those notes weeks later with nothing put into practice?
At the time, the idea felt right. You could see how it might help your book reach more people. You told yourself you’d get started when you got home.
Then an email needed answering. A client called. Your week filled up.
By the time you returned to your notes, you had to remind yourself why you’d been so excited.
Your book marketing can stall in the space between learning something and using it.
Give your learning a deadline
The 72-hour rule, attributed to Bodo Schäfer, encourages you to begin putting an idea into practice within three days of learning it.
For book marketing, that offers a useful personal deadline. You don’t have to complete a project in 72 hours. You need to take a first step while the idea still has your attention.
Suppose you listen to a podcast about selling books through associations. You realize your book could help members of a professional organization.
You could add “research associations” to your growing list.
Or you could find one association, read about its members, and identify a problem your book could help them solve.
The second choice gives you something to work with. Your next step becomes clearer because you’ve moved beyond the idea.
Choose something your book needs
A deadline helps when the action serves a purpose.
If your biggest challenge is explaining who your book helps, setting up another social media account won’t resolve it. You might spend your time writing a clearer description of your reader’s problem, then asking someone from that audience whether it rings true.
If you know your audience but struggle to reach them, your first step might involve finding an organization they trust.
Choose the learning that addresses the obstacle in front of you.
This matters because a workshop can leave you with more possibilities than your schedule can hold. Trying to use everything can send you back into overwhelm.
Give yourself permission to choose one idea. The others can stay in your notes.
Make the first step small enough to take
Imagine you’ve learned how podcast guesting could introduce your expertise to potential readers.
“Start pitching podcasts” sounds like another project demanding hours you don’t have.
Listening to one relevant episode feels manageable. As you listen, you notice a question the host raises that your book could help answer. Now you have the beginnings of a pitch.
Your first step has done more than cross something off a list. It has helped you understand where you could contribute.
The same principle applies after a networking event. If someone mentions an organization that might need your expertise, send a follow-up while the conversation is fresh. Refer to what you discussed and ask whether an introduction would make sense.
You don’t need a finished speaker kit to continue a conversation.
Let the response teach you
There’s another benefit to acting on what you learn.
You get information you can’t find in your notes.
An association director might explain that members need help with a different aspect of your topic. A podcast host might suggest a stronger angle. Someone reading your book description might misunderstand whom it’s for.
Each response gives you something to consider.
Even silence can prompt a useful review. Was your request clear? Did you approach someone whose audience needs your message?
Taking action gives you a chance to improve your approach.
Waiting until you feel ready can keep those lessons out of reach.
What’s already waiting in your notes?
Before you sign up for another training, open the notes from the last one.
Find an idea that still matters to your book. Decide what a first step would look like and put it on your calendar within the next 72 hours.
Keep it small enough to fit the life you have.
If three days pass, you haven’t lost your chance. Choose a new time and begin. The deadline is there to help you move.
Your notes may already contain something useful for your book’s future.
Which idea in your notes deserves your next hour?
In Thursday’s paid article, you’ll get a simple way to choose, examples you can adapt, and a 72-hour action planner to help you begin.
Bring one idea you’ve been meaning to use. You’ll leave with a first step that fits your schedule.