How to Sell Millions with Self-Publishing - Hugh Howey, Bestselling Author of Wool

Hugh Howey is the New York Times bestselling author of Wool, Beacon 23, Sand, Machine Learning, Half Way Home, and more than a dozen other novels. His Silo trilogy was recently adapted by Apple TV, becoming their #1 drama of all time. Please enjoy!
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Timestamps:
[00:00] Preview
[00:52] Breaking the formula with a literary sleight of hand.
[05:22] A commitment to 10 years of obscurity.
[09:38] Buying back rights and self-publishing.
[17:07] Why authors should strive for a reader-first vs. publisher-first mindset.
[19:33] Hitting the NYT Best Sellers List with a self-pub book.
[23:11] Pricing logic.
[26:34] The undersold value of worldwide rights.
[29:54] How authors can find deal leverage early on.
[31:59] Establishing a daily writing habit.
[36:44] Fiction that inspires better writing.
[40:52] Collaboration vs. writing solo.
[42:34] Ways the publishing industry protects the status quo.
[45:39] Why Hugh makes publishing deals at all.
[46:32] Self-promotion as therapy.
[48:56] Keys to fruitful collaboration.
[51:49] Common mistakes creatives make.
[57:26] AI's present-and-future impact on publishing.
[01:02:52] AI-generated occupational and existential crises.
[01:07:18] Mid-term optimist, long-term pessimist
[01:12:25] Procreation in uncertain times.
[01:16:47] The future of religion.
[01:24:27] Free will and objective moral truth.
[01:29:18] Parting thoughts.
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 900 million downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running.
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[@timferriss]

This episode is brought to you by: Momentous high-quality supplements: livemomentous.com/tim (code TIM for 20% off) Helix Sleep premium mattresses: helixsleep.com/tim (20% off all mattress orders and two free pillows) Wealthfront high-yield savings account: wealthfront.com/tim (Start earning 5% interest on your savings. And when you open an account today, you’ll get an extra fifty-dollar bonus with a deposit of five hundred dollars or more.)

[@Dany_23L]

Tim, I think you're a champion. Can you like my comment below to verify you've seen it. My internet usage is so filtered in the last few years, I can't even find people that should be easily found on Instagram, so there's no way for me to know that my post is being seen by you. Normally I wouldn't ask, but this topic is most important. Thx dude

[@BradGosse]

This is one of the most eye opening conversations I’ve ever watched about the business of books. I have published 150 humor books and this has convinced me to jump genres under my own name. I’m so grateful for this interview!

[@JasonFuhrman]

What a fantastic chat. Being an indie writer myself, I remember the rise of Hugh Howey, reading the first Wool "short" and enjoying seeing the amazing success he's had. This conversation was like listening to two old friends talk openly like no one was listening. Thanks for the time.

[@tkinsey3]

I got my first e-reader in August of 2012 for my 25th birthday, and Wool #1 was my first e-book purchase! I've been following and cheering Hugh on ever since. He's obviously hugely talented, but what set him apart for me was the way he was always interacting with readers (including me!) and looking for ways to innovate the author/reader relationship. I remember being so excited for him when he signed his deal with Simon & Schuster, but then to see where careerhas gone from there?! Absolutely incredible. Super happy for you Hugh, and continuing to wish you all the best!

[@Hugh_Howey]

Interacting with readers has always been fun for me. ;)

[@MereMortalsPodcast]

Long term reader! Love it

[@stephenarivers]

I love that when Tim asks Hugh what fiction books inspire him he doesn't list the usual BS. This Is How You Lose the Time War, Circe, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and The Lincoln Highway are all PHENOMENAL books. Thank you, Tim and Hugh. This episode was great.

[@MereMortalsPodcast]

Very different book list for sure

[@kenneth1767]

Thanks for listing these.

[@Von_Patrick_Arts]

Hugh Howey is next level for sure. Time to get that book done y’all 🤙🏽

[@PatriceFitzgerald]

Excellent interview-thanks to Tim for hosting Hugh and thanks to Hugh for his ongoing generosity to fans and fellow writers. He’s always helped support and encourage the rest of us!

[@bloodstreamcity]

I don't think I've nodded as much during an interview as I am right now listening to Hugh.

[@SusanRing-bi2um]

Love it Hugh!! Babies with Shay are in the making! I knew you'd find the right girl and change your mind. ; ) Do more of these talks, love them.

[@andrearobinson7526]

Multi-layered, relevant and highly captivating - especially the final 3rd part. Was it just me that noticed there was no intro at the beginning about Hugh? I even rewound to see if I missed it (?). After a bit, it became woven in. Tim - since you like to sometimes delve into philosophy, there's some deep KZbins devoted to that space, along with Civilization Researchers and Big Thinkers. Would love to see a merging of your mind and inquiries with some of those folks.

[@JohnRamstedt]

Very good interview, I really like the segment where you mentioned that you kept the rights to publish your own sequels. Interesting and cool tactics, congratulations!

[@MereMortalsPodcast]

Seeing this concept more and more across all domains, one part why V4V is of such interest to us.

[@cag1]

That teaser clip in the beginning reminds me of Robert Downey Jr. on JRE: "70 % [of success] is getting out of your own way"

[@PeppefromReveri]

Awesome conversation, thanks TF

[@jacopoiasiellobroker2735]

I love this humble interview! :)

[@GG-fs9st]

Thank you so much for this Hugh❤️ confirmation 🙌🏾🥰

[@MereMortalsPodcast]

Thanks for the conversation Tim

[@rickwalkertx]

01:22:00 Excellent comments by Tim. Which is more imminent, religion or science? Which is more relevant to actual life? Which has reordered time? I'm finishing up a book with these themes and was happy to hear Tim articulate it.

[@natechess]

Tim ferris you saved my life with your Ted talk speech because I could literally relate one to one but like I honestly can't relate to anyone and feel I shouldn't have been born in this world. Thanks

[@catmerchant1592]

Ha - disagree on tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. I thought it was incredible until 3/4 of the way through and then I thought it just wasn’t as enjoyable- kinda like just kids by Patti Smith - blown away for the first 2/3 and then not so much. Fascinating how we all differ in what does it for us.

[@videobyredjade]

Thank you

[@MichaelMassie]

Howey is a black swan. His was an accidental success. Nothing he did to achieve his initial success was planned or intentional except writing his first series. Taking advice from him on succeeding in the business of self-publishing is like taking advice from a lottery winner on how to get rich.

[@belnel863]

I just published my first book. Why Cults are Addictive: A Satirical Guide to Destructive Cults

[@BallietBran]

❤

[@amazing444]

I literally stopped in the middle of reading one of his book (which I was enjoying) and returned it after seeing this and his pro A.I. take. By Howey's own logic, why would anyone want to buy any of his books in the future when we can just use A.I. to write (and sell) our own sci-fi books using his work as a prompt? And "write" it in just 15 minutes. While he is spending a year writing a book, others will be doing it with A.I. and beat him to the shelves EASILY. Dude here happily authoring the demise of his own career field. A.I. in creative fields is terribly self-destructive, to say the least, and I'd expect better thinking from a futurist, sci-fi author. Long term pessimist indeed, since the universe is eventually going to end, might as well fuck over fellow creatives now while there's still time.

[@vikinginger1889]

Well I'm somewhat disappointed. I wanted/expected him to get down Into the nuts and bolts of HOW he indie published. He was so vague. I am writing a few books and want to Indie publish. Anyone know of a different video/interview where he talks about specific details and websites how he published independently?

[@James-jk9lk]

filmed in a polystyrene box

[@britishcomedybroncorothschild]

Authors dream come true information overload. Michael Knudsen

[@getwetsoon]

oh what did he work durting the first ten years where he couldnt do a liveing from books?