Penn Cole

And I saw a spike and I thought, this is it. Like I've made it, my book's going to be huge. And then two days later, you know, the sales dropped down to what they were before the view stopped because that's what virality is. It's a moment. Right. And I think I learned after that, that this is a long haul thing.

And I saw a spike and I thought, this is it. Like I've made it, my book's going to be huge. And then two days later, you know, the sales dropped down to what they were before the view stopped because that's what virality is. It's a moment. Right. And I think I learned after that, that this is a long haul thing.

And I saw a spike and I thought, this is it. Like I've made it, my book's going to be huge. And then two days later, you know, the sales dropped down to what they were before the view stopped because that's what virality is. It's a moment. Right. And I think I learned after that, that this is a long haul thing.

It was a lot of throwing spaghetti at the wall and waiting to see what sticks. I had joined a lot of groups on TikTok for authors and I was, you know, uploading art and making memes out of my characters. I was... you know, doing videos about me as an author. And so it was just every single day trying something new and hoping that something would strike a chord with readers.

It was a lot of throwing spaghetti at the wall and waiting to see what sticks. I had joined a lot of groups on TikTok for authors and I was, you know, uploading art and making memes out of my characters. I was... you know, doing videos about me as an author. And so it was just every single day trying something new and hoping that something would strike a chord with readers.

It was a lot of throwing spaghetti at the wall and waiting to see what sticks. I had joined a lot of groups on TikTok for authors and I was, you know, uploading art and making memes out of my characters. I was... you know, doing videos about me as an author. And so it was just every single day trying something new and hoping that something would strike a chord with readers.

Girl, how much time did this take? So much time.

Girl, how much time did this take? So much time.

Girl, how much time did this take? So much time.

I started to see my book growing in sales without a viral moment at a very steady, regular pace.

I started to see my book growing in sales without a viral moment at a very steady, regular pace.

I started to see my book growing in sales without a viral moment at a very steady, regular pace.

And it was just by talking to people, replying to comments when people said, oh, I'm interested in that book, or asking questions about it, looking at videos that people who had read my book, if they made a video about it, thanking them and talking to them in DMs about what they liked or what their theories were, really engaging with them. The first month, I sold maybe 100 copies.

And it was just by talking to people, replying to comments when people said, oh, I'm interested in that book, or asking questions about it, looking at videos that people who had read my book, if they made a video about it, thanking them and talking to them in DMs about what they liked or what their theories were, really engaging with them. The first month, I sold maybe 100 copies.

And it was just by talking to people, replying to comments when people said, oh, I'm interested in that book, or asking questions about it, looking at videos that people who had read my book, if they made a video about it, thanking them and talking to them in DMs about what they liked or what their theories were, really engaging with them. The first month, I sold maybe 100 copies.

I can't remember exactly. And it was like $1,000, and I was stoked. I was so excited. I thought I had just had the greatest, you know, debut release of all time, making that $1,000. Of course, it cost me way more than that to put out the book, so I was still deeply in the red. And then the next month, it like... quadrupled and then the next month it like added a digit. Wow.

I can't remember exactly. And it was like $1,000, and I was stoked. I was so excited. I thought I had just had the greatest, you know, debut release of all time, making that $1,000. Of course, it cost me way more than that to put out the book, so I was still deeply in the red. And then the next month, it like... quadrupled and then the next month it like added a digit. Wow.

I can't remember exactly. And it was like $1,000, and I was stoked. I was so excited. I thought I had just had the greatest, you know, debut release of all time, making that $1,000. Of course, it cost me way more than that to put out the book, so I was still deeply in the red. And then the next month, it like... quadrupled and then the next month it like added a digit. Wow.

And it grew and grew and grew. I think by the end of the first year, I think we'd sold like 300,000 copies of the books. Those numbers were just kind of mind boggling.

And it grew and grew and grew. I think by the end of the first year, I think we'd sold like 300,000 copies of the books. Those numbers were just kind of mind boggling.