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What’s the story you can’t stop telling? Fran and Bethany are here to help you write, sell, and launch it.
Critically acclaimed authors and bestselling book coaches Fran Hauser and Bethany Saltman are your hosts of Bookbound, the podcast for aspiring nonfiction authors who want to learn how to transform their ideas, expertise, and obsessions into successful books and publishing deals. Fran and Bethany interview accomplished authors who share the strategies and surprises behind their bookbound journeys. These behind-the-scenes conversations will inspire you to claim your own “author-ity” mindset and turn the story you can’t stop telling into a book the world needs to read.
To connect with the hosts and more, go to www.bookboundpodcast.com/
Ophira Edut [00:00:00]:
The publishing industry is great for a certain model and the people in the publishing industry, I believe, are wonderful. I love agent editor team great. But in the information age, things have changed so much with content and information that the old school publishing model has now become a narrow fit.
Bethany Saltman [00:00:24]:
My name is Bethany Saltman and I am an author and a best-selling book coach.
Fran Hauser [00:00:30]:
And I'm Fran Hauser. I'm an author, a keynote speaker, and a publishing strategist. These how I did it conversations will inspire listeners to claim their own authority mindset and turn the story they can't stop telling into a book the world needs to read.
Bethany Saltman [00:00:45]:
This is Bookbound, the podcast created in partnership with Share Your Genius.
Fran Hauser [00:00:52]:
Ophira Edut is one of the most sought after astrologers and intuitive advisors of our time. She's the resident astrologer for ELLE and a private advisor to a roster of CEO's, celebrities, global leaders, and successful entrepreneurs. Ophi is a publishing pro, having written and published 21 books. We always say that each book has its own path and she takes us through how she decides when to go the traditional path and when to self publish. She's also a marketing genius and shared several things you can do right now to drive book sales. And it was fascinating to hear how she created an accessible framework that she tested over five years and how that framework became the center of her new book, The Astrology Advantage. She gets very real in this interview and I know you'll walk away with more than a few pieces of inspiration. So without further ado, let's jump into our conversation with Ophie.
Fran Hauser [00:01:54]:
Thank you for joining us.
Ophira Edut [00:01:56]:
So excited. What are we gonna talk about? I can't wait.
Fran Hauser [00:01:59]:
So much to talk about. We have so many questions. So you have a new book that's coming out in August called The Astrology Advantage. Actually, by the time this airs, it will be out. And look at that gorgeous cover. For those of you that are on YouTube, we're so excited to talk to you about the book. And before we even go there, though, I was shocked to hear that you have written and published 21 books.
Fran Hauser [00:02:24]:
I think that's a record. I think that's a record for the Bookbound podcast. And you've traditionally published some of them, you've self-published others. It would be so great to hear from you–Like, how do you decide when you're thinking about a book and you're thinking about the publishing path? Do I go the traditional route? Do I self-publish? What is that thought process like for you?
Ophira Edut [00:02:48]:
It's how soon do I want to get this message I'm bursting at the seams to say into somebody's reality. Because traditional publishing, as probably everyone here knows, takes a couple years from pitch to publication, and the world is changing so quickly. I happened to go to art school at the University of Michigan, so kept my graphic design skills fresh and have trained my team. So you know the mechanics of actually making a book. You just have to have ideas, words, keyboard, write, design, and you can publish a book printable on demand that looks like the same books that come off the publisher's printing press. But we kind of have this mentality that it's not as legitimate or real.
Ophira Edut [00:03:41]:
What, we're measuring the standards of a real book? Like, did somebody read it? Well, then it's a real book. So I think it's my inner impatience that makes me do that. But there are advantages to working with publishers, too, like distribution and that sort of thing, too. And credibility.
Fran Hauser [00:04:00]:
That is probably the biggest advantage, right? Or one of the biggest advantages is that traditional publishers have the sales team that can sell the book into physical bookstores. But what you were telling me is that with your self-published books, they've sold really well on Amazon. Yeah, right. Amazon bestsellers.
Ophira Edut [00:04:21]:
I am a voracious, lifelong learner, and I'm always learning from people who are specialists and experts. You know, I don't go down the YouTube conspiracy rabbit holes, but I'll follow someone who's DIY'd their way to success and hear how they did it. So I was connected to a guy called, I forgot his last name, Dave from Kindlepreneur. And he has a tool that shows you how to rank as a bestseller in any category on any day. You just have to sell more copies of your book than the number one ranking title in that category. On that day.
Fran Hauser [00:04:59]:
On that day. On that one specific day.
Ophira Edut [00:05:02]:
Yeah, it's almost like the Wizard of Oz when you see him behind the curtain and you're like, oh, man. Like, oh, my God, this is awesome. But, damn, I thought he was a magical being. And when you discover that, like, there's actually a formula or a thing you can do, it's like, first it's a little, like, heartbreaking because we all want to feel special and better and superior, and then it's like, well, why don't I just try it and see? So one of our self published books, Supercouple, we tried it for the first time and with Kindle, and we did end up being number one on Valentine's Day in love and relationships over The Five Love Languages and Jay Shetty. And so after I did that, I was like, okay!
Fran Hauser [00:05:45]:
That's a competitive category, right?
Bethany Saltman [00:05:49]:
So how did you sell all those books in a day?
Ophira Edut [00:05:52]:
So you do need a platform and we can talk about this. Please, authors and aspiring and current, build your own platform, because I have a mailing list of 150,000 people, and I reduced the price of the Kindle to $0.99 for one day. Go get it. Happy Valentine's Day. I just needed to sell, I think, 138 copies of it. We sold a couple hundred, maybe more, and got the little number one badge.
Fran Hauser [00:06:22]:
Screenshot done, right, that you could put on social media. Exactly. It's that social proof, right?
Ophira Edut [00:06:28]:
Yeah. But it stayed there for a few days, which was exciting. And if I had opted to keep marketing and focusing on it, I could have come up with more savvy ways to do that. That time was just an experiment. So I guess I'm like a gigantic nerd and like to tinker around with things and have found in my tinkering like that I can help people who are despairing, dejected, you know, lost hope authors with amazing messages get their messages to people they can let go of the shiny object syndrome of being chosen by a major publisher.
Bethany Saltman [00:07:08]:
So important. A few minutes ago, I think you mentioned, I'm not totally sure if I was, if I heard this right, that when you were thinking about where to publish, you mentioned the word credibility.
Ophira Edut [00:07:19]:
I did.
Bethany Saltman [00:07:20]:
In terms of going with a traditional publisher. So when Fran and I teach aspiring writers, we talk about the three c's of your goal and how to align your goal with the publishing path. So we have craft, content, and credibility. Which is most important? Or, you know, there's a combination, and it helps guide a person in the publishing path. So my guess would be that you are, well, you tell me for different projects, perhaps you have different goals, and does that guide you in which path you're going to choose?
Ophira Edut [00:07:57]:
I think they're all important, but they sometimes have to be dealt with separately. I love those three c's. Couldn't agree more. Craft is always important. And, you know, another behind the curtain thing? I realized, like, oh, a lot of big, best selling authors have ghost writers. I write every word in my books, or my sister does, or people that I train may write parts of it, and then we go over it. But I was like, oh, they didn't write that. Okay.
Ophira Edut [00:08:24]:
But I call it author in a box. And that's kind of the formula. See, the publishing industry is great for a certain model, and the people in the publishing industry, I believe, are wonderful. I love agent, editor, team. Great. They all want to bring big ideas into the world. But in the information age, things have changed so much with content and information that the old school publishing model has now become a narrow fit. I liken it to like the plus size fashion business, which is booming.
Ophira Edut [00:09:00]:
Like all sizes of bodies always existed, but the market only made clothes for some of them. Now there's. Now that we have the information age, the vocal demand is out in the open. So it's the same thing. There's a vocal demand for ideas outside of just this narrow scope of ‘You have a PhD, you have a university job, you are in the c suite of a Fortune 500 company.’ I believe you may have a great message to share, but so does a person without those credentials. That's my person, I guess, and always has been.
Ophira Edut [00:09:34]:
Yeah.
Fran Hauser [00:09:34]:
So with this book, with The Astrology Advantage, you decided to go back to traditional.
Ophira Edut [00:09:39]:
Yep.
Fran Hauser [00:09:40]:
Publishing. Right. So. And fun fact, Ophie and I have the same agent, Jackie Ashton, who's amazing. And the publisher for this book is Simon and Schuster.
Ophira Edut [00:09:50]:
Right.
Fran Hauser [00:09:51]:
It's Simon Element. So, can you tell us a little bit about why did you decide to work with an agent on this one and go the traditional publishing path?
Ophira Edut [00:10:00]:
Absolutely. And we'll get back to your three cs later. But, you know, I met Jackie. We're in a women's group together, and she was different than other agents I had talked to. She seemed like she was really open to new ideas, and I shared the idea. That's in The Astrology Advantage, which was to take astrology, which can be vast and confusing, but is also wildly popular, and make it into a topic that anyone could access without having to become an astrologer, which goes to your C of content. Craft is important, whether you write it or not. Content is key, but it has to be presented in a way that connects to people right now, has to be captivating as well.
Ophira Edut [00:10:43]:
So she got it, and I was like, you know, I kind of had gotten a little bit jaded. And I don't mean to sound jaded, but I probably do. I was like, I'm publishing my own books, keeping 97% of the profit, less what I have to pay to PayPal for the fees, and making six-figures on these books just by, you know, selling them to my list. So that's the other. The other C. Well, there's a sea of community where you want to build one of those because they're the ones that want your message. So I was like, I kind of have a model that's working.
Ophira Edut [00:11:17]:
But this book had a bigger idea that could be a little less niche. And I thought, well, I have an agent that I like. She believes that this idea is at least worth trying to put out. So we gave it a try, and we were lucky to know that we had somebody who was a reader of our horoscopes in the Simon and Schuster editorial department who wanted the book.
Fran Hauser [00:11:41]:
Amazing.
Ophira Edut [00:11:42]:
Yeah.
Bethany Saltman [00:11:43]:
So you wrote a proposal?
Ophira Edut [00:11:44]:
Wrote a proposal. And that is what I will say, that Jackie, as an agent, has real strength working together with her, so she really knows the business of writing a proposal. I heard one of your podcast episodes where someone was saying that she learned the hard way that you always want to go to a meeting with a proposal. I didn't know that, but it definitely seemed to be true. We wrote a very, very strong… it was like, practically, I think there's more in the proposal than even ended up in the book, honestly.
Bethany Saltman [00:12:13]:
Yeah.
Ophira Edut [00:12:15]:
Yeah. So she knew what to do. She sold it. So it's been fun. But however, I always, I think waiting for a publisher to pick you is like waiting to be chosen on The Bachelor by, like, the wealthiest 1%, hottest guy on sugar babies. You know, it's like, what kind of contortion do you have to do just to get that male gaze? It's a little bit like, can we like that? Love it.
Bethany Saltman [00:12:43]:
And are you gonna stay married?
Ophira Edut [00:12:44]:
Exactly. It's like, oh, my God. He noticed me and 20 other women, but, you know, who's counting? Maybe I'll get the final rose. And it's like, you don't have to wait for the final rose. Like, if you don't get the rose, like, play for the rose. But if you don't get the rose, plant your own damn garden, you know?
Bethany Saltman [00:13:02]:
Yes, yes.
Fran Hauser [00:13:03]:
I love that. I'm also thinking about, you know, as you're talking, working on the proposal. Like, did you know these three personality types that are really kind of the… it's the core framework of the book. The innovator, maven, and entrepreneur personality types.
Ophira Edut [00:13:22]:
Right.
Fran Hauser [00:13:23]:
Which, by the way, are such great words, and I think you're right. They make astrology so accessible. Right. Which I love. Did you know that that's what the book was going to be centered on when you were writing the proposal, or did that come later?
Ophira Edut [00:13:39]:
Well, the whole idea and framework came before the book, and that's something to encourage authors, too. Sometimes your ideas gotta take different forms. So in 2011, I took a class called B-School with Marie Forleo that some of you guys were.
Fran Hauser [00:13:55]:
Yeah.
Ophira Edut [00:13:55]:
Cause I was like, I saw some of my friends, learned some. I realized I didn't really know how to market myself the way I needed to. Like, that's when you started to have to. I think it was like, the advent of the tablet, the publishing industry shifted, and so I took it, and I applied stuff right away. That's when I actually self published a book called How To Get Along With Anyone: (Yes, Even That Person). And I made it…
Ophira Edut [00:14:20]:
It's a tiny little book, kind of like an astrological Dale Carnegie, How To Win Friends And Influence People. It's $2 to print on Amazon as an author, copy wholesale. And I was like, I can just give this to people. I'll just print a bunch of them, and instead of giving my business card, I'll just give it to them. Because then they'll really, it captures my personality, and it's become the framework for something that I teach people that I call cold plunge publishing, where you get, like, when you get really heated up about something, you just write it as a manifesto. You can make that into a little hundred page book, self publish it, and take it everywhere you go. So I work with people on their cold plunge book.
Fran Hauser [00:15:05]:
Oh, I love that.
Ophira Edut [00:15:06]:
So this system. So I loved B-School so much at the time that I became an affiliate for Marie, meaning I would sell people on my mailing list into her course, and then I'd offer them a little bonus thing that I called The Cosmic Success Incubator, where I train them on how to use little facets of their chart to also catalyze their businesses. And I realized I needed a little shortcut. So there's something in the chart called the chart dominance. It's like the qualities, your behavior drivers, they're called the cardinal, fixed, and mutable signs. Too much astro jargon. So I rename them innovator authority in Maven, which stands for I*AM, and started working with people on, like, which one they are. We have a little calculator quiz.
Ophira Edut [00:15:58]:
You can go to astrostyle.com/iam, take the quiz, find out. It takes 13 points of the chart and crunches them into one archetype that you are, and you can, and it's a complete roadmap. So I help people build businesses with that. Someone even sold their business in the first program, and I, we did what we called astroaudits of people, according to that. So it lived as that for about five years. And that's when I was like, I want to write a book about it. So that's what I pitched to Jackie. And that's what's in The Astrology Advantage book here.
Ophira Edut [00:16:30]:
Yes.
Bethany Saltman [00:16:32]:
Hey, Bookbound ones. If you're loving this interview as much as we are, we think you'll want to join us for this very special first of its kind. Read like a writer book club. What the heck is a read like a writer book club? I'm so glad you asked. This idea came to us after working with so many aspiring authors who were still reading books like a reader. Liking this, not liking that. Instead of studying successful books for lessons in how to weave their own stories into clear structures or develop frameworks that really change people's lives, and we thought, hey, why leave so much learning on the table? Then we realized that we have this incredible archive of author interviews. Yes, this very podcast.
Bethany Saltman [00:17:12]:
And so we put it all together and said, hey, let's host a Read Like a Writer Book Club. This is how it works. For the low price of $175, we'll meet once a month over Zoom for seven months. Our meetings will take place on Wednesdays at noon eastern time. We'll give you a list of books related podcast episodes to review and a simple reading guide. We'll meet up and discuss together and in small groups. Fran and I are so excited to get started. We love reading.
Bethany Saltman [00:17:42]:
We love you guys. And we love studying books with other women. Sign up at bookboundpodcast.com/club. We can't wait to see you there.
Bethany Saltman [00:17:57]:
So it's five years of testing your framework.
Ophira Edut [00:17:55]:
Yep. Yep.
Bethany Saltman [00:17:57]:
That is so important. Oh, my gosh. So I love this trajectory. It's so good. So from B-School with Marie Forleo, which I recommend, everybody checking.
Ophira Edut [00:18:08]:
Good one, podcast.
Bethany Saltman [00:18:09]:
You know, if you don't want to pay for B-Schools, it's quite reasonable.
Ophira Edut [00:18:12]:
It is these days, your podcast.
Bethany Saltman [00:18:14]:
She is just a queen. And Fran looks like her.
Fran Hauser [00:18:17]:
I hear that all the time. I was waiting for it.
Bethany Saltman [00:18:21]:
So from learning, from studying up on how to build the life and business that you love, which is her tagline, and then applying the framework to your interest, your authority, yourself as an astrologer, and then develop those frameworks from the likes of it, framework after framework, which I really want to talk about, like how you get into these frameworks. But then you let the framework brew for five years before pitching it as a book. So I want all of our listeners to really take heed here because we're an impatient bunch. We want the bachelor to choose us. We want the rose, and we want it now. You are a pro in publishing and in astrology, and you let that thing sit for five years before even pitching it as a book. So I just want to put a pin in that. And so I also really like to ask you about how, like, the mechanics of how you go from thinking about something, observing something, studying something, and then how does it become this framework? Fran and I were talking before the show about how obscure that is to us.
Bethany Saltman [00:19:29]:
You know, we develop frameworks. We help other people develop frameworks. The process is a little obscure. Like, how do we do that? It's a human thing to do. It's a beautiful thing to do. Like, to boil something down to an essence. Do you have a framework for frameworks?
Ophira Edut [00:19:44]:
Yeah, I have quite a few of them. We have a class that we teach. I'm not teaching it right now, but it's called Astropreneurs, and that's where I did my incubator and everything. So once, you know, if you're an innovator, authority, or Maven, I think each of those types is best suited to different frameworks. So, Fran, you and I are innovators. So we sometimes start with the big idea, and then it comes… it boils down into something over time. The authorities, which none of us here, are ready for a framework right away.
Ophira Edut [00:20:17]:
They're the masters and the experts and the step by step process makers and the mavens, which you are, Bethany, are, like, more of the facilitators of other people's frameworks, or taking an existing one. Like, you could take something like a Myers Briggs as an example and make it simplified and palatable to the masses or teach it or train coaches in it. So not everyone needs a framework, but you do need a signature thing, whatever that is. And I am teaching a small group right now of practitioners who are using astrology either in the front of the house or the back of the house of their business, but want to have something that's really suited to them. And one of our long time students has a platform called Drunk Astrology. He was Lady Gaga's backup dancer at the Super bowl. He is just this fun dancing machine, and it's so his personality, but he still has to. You know, he's been working with us since 2020 and on his own, and he did B-School with us originally and how to convey what that is, because it's like, what does that even mean? It's intriguing.
Ophira Edut [00:21:32]:
So he's had to take the time to just keep showing up and showing that, like, the essence of what that really means is to be joyful and exuberant and just. Just having fun wherever you go. So now the name doesn't even matter as much because people have connected his personality, and they just want whatever that is that he has.
Fran Hauser [00:21:55]:
That's so interesting, this idea of a signature thing. It could be a framework, it might be a method, it might be, in this case, it's just his energy and vibe that people just want. You know, maybe it's a mindset. So I love that. I just want everybody to think about that. This idea of, like, the signature thing. And what is that for you?
Bethany Saltman [00:22:20]:
Right. Because one of the things we work with people on a lot is the structure of their book. They know they want the book. They're not sure even how, if it's self hybrid or traditional. They have a lot of thoughts, ideas, passions, concerns. So this conversation about, is it a framework, is it a method, is it a list, is it a chronology, is it three parts? Like, what is it? It can take a long time.
Ophira Edut [00:22:42]:
Yeah.
Bethany Saltman [00:22:43]:
And we got showing up. Yeah. Well, like you said, just keep showing.
Ophira Edut [00:22:48]:
Up for it in a way with a caveat, because there are people that just keep showing up and like, you know, they keep posting. You know, I had an example of someone who quit a really good job, not at my advisement, but she fell in love with astrology, quit her job, and just tried to map what she did onto astrology. And she showed up kind of giving these astrology type of weather reports. And I'm just gonna say it, it was boring. There was nothing special or differentiated about it. The parts of her that worked in her more traditional corporate world did not work when she tried to break out as a solo personality, personal brand. But she kept doggedly posting, maybe hoping that, like, you know, that tipping point would be reached. There's a point where you have to be like, it ain't working.
Ophira Edut [00:23:39]:
Why not? But she was really just doing what was familiar, turning on the camera and being on.
Fran Hauser [00:23:45]:
Yeah. And being open to that. Being open to, like, sometimes it doesn't work. Don't attach.
Ophira Edut [00:23:50]:
Don't attach. But follow the breadcrumb trail. Pivot.
Fran Hauser [00:23:55]:
Yeah, 1000%. I mean, Ophie, we're in July. Your book is coming out in six weeks. Something like that, right?
Ophira Edut [00:24:04]:
Yeah.
Fran Hauser [00:24:04]:
What does your life look like right now with respect to this book? Like, where are you spending your time? Doing lots of interviews, I'm sure. Just like this one.
Ophira Edut [00:24:13]:
Yeah, but it's from elastic waistband to makeup in a t -30 but I'll tell you the honest, transparent truth, because I think that's another thing. That's why I said that. Jokingly but seriously about the final rose, because the traditional publisher route, they do have resources and expertise, but you are still expected to be highly participatory, if not, co driving the car. So they do the things that they do well. But we have a brand that's been around for 20 years and this book is one of the things we're doing. So in addition to doing all the other things of running my business. But every day is a mindset marathon because I do wake up like, oh my God, oh my God. How's this going to ever have enough bulk buys or bestsellers or this, or what should I do? Or nobody bought any today, or yeah, you know, it's like you have to control and manage your mind and come up constantly with innovative ways to get the message out there.
Ophira Edut [00:25:13]:
One of my favorite books right now that I'm using is called Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestley. And he has a formula. Can you tell? I love a formula called 7-11-4 and I am just following it for this book launch. He says in order to, because I'm doing something weird, you know, I'm taking Astrology and trying to bring it into a personality test business world. It's like it's not that easy to explain, so it's easier to show people. So he says that people have to have 7 hours of bingeable content about your topic of expertise. Interesting. Bingeable content.
Ophira Edut [00:25:54]:
Eleven different kind of touch points. Like, I could talk about the I*AM framework, with relationships, with career, with parenting. What are eleven ways I could slice and dice this topic and then four different platforms? I'm thinking maybe I'll be on LinkedIn a little more. I'm on Instagram. I'm trying some more TikTok. Maybe I should do YouTube. I'm gonna see which ones are a good fit. So he uses 7-11-4 as an action verb, and I am now too.
Ophira Edut [00:26:22]:
So I'm like, I don't expect that this book is coming out and I'm just gonna be just, I just sit back and wait for people to discover it and rush to the book store to buy it. That's not going to happen unless I give them a damn good reason to. And that's my job. So every day is 7-11-4 boot camp for me.
Bethany Saltman [00:26:43]:
So for someone who's newer to this than you are, of course, what would the bingeable content look like?
Ophira Edut [00:26:50]:
I love that. I love that question because it's a thing that people aren't doing and there's so much opportunity that could be self publishing your cold plunge book. It could be just getting on other people's podcasts, like writing blogs. It might be. And I'm the people I'm coaching right now. I'm like, stockpile over the summer. You don't have an audience yet. That's okay.
Ophira Edut [00:27:14]:
Just, you know, maybe offer some free things, but write your ass off or record like the wind. Because when someone goes searching in the middle of the night for the problem that you have a unique solution to, and they happen to find you, if they only see one post and be like, oh, that was good. Well, it doesn't look like they're here too much, so. Hmm. I wonder if they'll publish again. And if you're lucky, they'll remember you and maybe come back. But more likely than not, if they don't see a library of resources and your turned up personality and voice and you don't own that uniqueness, they're not going to remember you. But if you do do that, there's a chance that they will.
Fran Hauser [00:27:56]:
Where does that bingeable content live predominantly for you? Like, I know you're on these different platforms, but, like, if you had one place to send people to, like, would it be your website? Would it be Instagram?
Ophira Edut [00:28:10]:
It would be my website, yeah. And I mean, Instagram and social media, undeniably important. But as we all know, we don't own the algorithm, and we can get shadow banned, and people can stop seeing us. We could get totally banned. So if you're on Instagram, please do set up a website. I don't care if AI is coming for our websites and people think the web is dead. It's not.
Ophira Edut [00:28:34]:
Even perplexity pulls up your site in a search. So learn about keywords. I mean, I did. I realized when I learned about 7-11-4 I'm even publishing my astrology horoscope prediction website for 15 plus years, so I have more than 7-11-4 that. But content about success, and I am. I have it.
Ophira Edut [00:28:59]:
So we created a micro site on our site @astrostyle.com/success. And right now, it just has more information about the I*AM archetypes. But the month of July, after I get off this recording with you guys, I'm gonna go right back to my keyboard, because I've been describing it as, like, if Fast Company and Inc. and astrology had a baby. That's what this is. So I'm like, how can I show what that is?
Bethany Saltman [00:29:28]:
Like?
Ophira Edut [00:29:29]:
I'm going to write an article about communication. Like the three, the two words never to say to every I am. That's one of the posts I'm working on, how to delegate and let go of your control for each. How's the best way to do it? So there's going to be a lot of really useful and then some celebrity analyses I've won on why JLO and Ben should never live together again if they have hope for a Bennifer. 2.1.1 so just making fresh content that they see is so important.
Fran Hauser [00:30:04]:
Yeah. I have to say, I also love that you created an online media kit, and this is something that I'm always recommending to authors that I work with. So, you know, if anyone is listening who has a book coming out, if you haven't created an online media kit, I would highly recommend that you do. I love Ophie’s and it's astrostyle.com/newbook. Right? I think I got that.
Ophira Edut [00:30:33]:
Steal anything you want in terms of the template.
Fran Hauser [00:30:36]:
Yeah. And it's. Look, it's great because it's the place where you're going to send media because everything is. All your assets are going to be there, your headshot, your bio, all the language that you need to know about the book. And you're basically just making it really easy for people to interview you and to amplify your book. You're putting everything on that one webpage. So it's such a great tactical tool that not enough people do. So I just wanted to mention that.
Ophira Edut [00:31:08]:
Thank you.
Bethany Saltman [00:31:10]:
I learned the hard way, even for beginners. You know, people say, well, I don't have anything to put in my media kit. Well, yes, you do. You have your job, you have your contacts. You have a beautiful photo of yourself. You have a couple bylines. You have a testimonial from a client or two or three. So people, I just really want to encourage people.
Bethany Saltman [00:31:30]:
People can look at someone like you and feel overwhelmed and intimidated, but everything you're saying is absolutely actionable from the beginning.
Ophira Edut [00:31:38]:
Yep. And you know what else you have, or you damn well better have if you want people to pay attention, you better have a belief and a point of view. Yep. But people can hook up because that's what people are going to hook on to. Or an energy or, you know, like, whatever that is. Like, oh, I want that volume.
Bethany Saltman [00:31:58]:
Yeah. We say, find your taboo. Turn up the volume. Don't be shy. Really? Like, get in there.
Ophira Edut [00:32:04]:
Exactly. And people are really afraid to do that. They get into that author in a box. Good person, good girl, good boy, whatever your pronoun syndrome, because that feels safe and you're scared and your brain is going to go crazy when you do something scary and put yourself out there. I get it. Mine does. Every morning. There's a lot of mental management that goes on when I wake up.
Ophira Edut [00:32:27]:
My brain doesn't always. Doesn't usually, especially not now. Wake up, like, yay. Can't wait to maybe not sell enough books for my publisher that I ventured into and convinced to give me an advance to be happy with.
Bethany Saltman [00:32:42]:
So how do you work with yourself? What practices do you have to work with yourself?
Ophira Edut [00:32:46]:
I mean, I am a fan of some Kabbalah principles which align with a part of astrology that I follow called the north node, your destiny point. And the idea is that we have past lives and we've mastered things in our past lives and we're comfortable in what that is, but we also have this stretch goal that we're born into, so. And as we pursue it, we're going to get resistance from the universe. Our job is to, like, break through that resistance. So I start to look at it as like, this is a game, this competition. This is a test. Doesn't mean it always works. I have plenty of freak outs and despair, but coffee does help.
Ophira Edut [00:33:30]:
And you have to have other people besides the voices in your head. I do. I'm constantly begging people with puppies to come over and co work with me in my garden.
Fran Hauser [00:33:40]:
I love that.
Ophira Edut [00:33:40]:
Or not puppies, but just come, please. Can we just get together and ignore each other and do things? Because the calm of.
Bethany Saltman [00:33:49]:
What's your Myers Briggs Ophie?
Ophira Edut [00:33:51]:
ENFP.
Bethany Saltman [00:33:52]:
I knew that that e was there.
Ophira Edut [00:33:54]:
Yes, yes.
Fran Hauser [00:33:56]:
It all makes sense. NFP. All of it. Oh, my gosh. Yeah, totally. I just love it. You are just such a joy and delight. Like, it just makes me happy seeing you right now because I feel it really does.
Fran Hauser [00:34:09]:
So as we wrap up, is there any. Just any other advice that you would share? I mean, you've shared so much, but is there anything else? Like, especially for somebody who's, like, just getting started on this journey, you know, maybe they have an idea for a book. They've never written a book before, and they're feeling really overwhelmed. Is there any advice that you would give them?
Ophira Edut [00:34:33]:
Yeah, don't tell everybody what you're up to. You know, like, I believe in transparency, authenticity, vulnerability. But when I was doing my cosmic success incubator, which I realized was the incubator was really important, I would speak to people on video, and I noticed they would all be, like, in a part of their house, sort of, maybe not with a door, but hunkered down with bookshelves and art. And I called them encouragement assets and kind of shielding themselves from their family members who are well meaning but discouraging a lot of the times. Most people, when they have a crazy idea, which could end up being their genius book, get a lot of unsupportive feedback from their because you're vulnerable and your heart is on your sleeve, and you tell your family, I think I want to write a book about this. And then they're like, well, maybe you should do… And it's like, do not put yourself in that because it's like, let the seed take root before you do that. So get in a community of people like yours where they can get that protection.
Bethany Saltman [00:35:42]:
Oh, thank you for saying that. Yes, because I think we really do need to protect that seed, that really tender artists, the craft person. And then once we get rolling and it has taken root, like you said, then you can start to get some help. And of course, we love to help people, but it is really a, it's such a special honor to have been gifted with a book idea. And so often we get it out there and then we get the wind taken out of our sails or the doubt creeps in. So I absolutely love that. Thank you so much for that.
Ophira Edut [00:36:18]:
Yeah, yeah. The book itself may change form and shape, but you need to work with people like you guys who are going to believe, let's start. But like, we unconditionally believe in you and that you have an idea. The form of the idea may shift, but your worthiness is not up for question. Your qualification is not Ophie.
Fran Hauser [00:36:42]:
Thank you so much. Thank you for your time and your wisdom and your energy, your work, your everything. You're amazing. What's the best way for people to stay connected with you?
Ophira Edut [00:36:54]:
Follow us on instagram at AstroTwins and head over to our website, astrostyle.com. check out the success section if you want to learn about I*AM and The Astrology Advantage. And we also have a new weekly and monthly podcast. We just launched this year, too. Predictions to stay encouraged every week.
Fran Hauser [00:37:16]:
Oh, we'll have to check that out and buy this book. The Astrology Advantage. So, so good. Thank you Ophie. Have a great day. Good luck. Good luck with the launch.
Ophira Edut [00:37:28]:
Bye.
Bethany Saltman [00:37:31]:
Thank you for joining us on Bookbound.
Fran Hauser [00:37:33]:
If you like what you heard, please subscribe and rate and review us on your favorite podcast listening platform.
Bethany Saltman [00:37:40]:
Please visit us at bookboundpodcast.com for more on us and how we work with authors.