Picture Book Project Playbook™ · Stage 1
Stop wondering if your book will sell. Watch me build one that does.
Most aspiring authors spend $2,000 on illustrations for a book that earns $200. They follow “inspiration” instead of a roadmap. I’m here to show you how to build a book that actually sells.
Project
IMPACT System
— Applied
The Problem
The Self-Publishing
Money Pit.
$2,000
Spent on illustrations
$200
Average first-year earnings
Self-publishing is famous for being a black hole for your time and money. You spend months writing, weeks formatting, and thousands on art — only to realize you have no way to reach customers. You’re left with a garage full of boxes (or a digital shelf of zeros) and a deflated dream.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
The Solution
The Picture Book Project Playbook™
I am currently building a real picture book from scratch. I’m using the IMPACT System™ to ensure every hour I spend and every dollar I invest is tied to a revenue goal.
This isn’t a theoretical program. It’s a Live Execution Playbook. You are watching me work, seeing my actual files, and using my exact worksheets to build your own.
One Program. Three Pillars of Execution.
Training. Tools. Tactical Support.
The Playbook is the tactical core of Stupid Simple Startup™. When you join, you get the full toolkit to move from idea to income.
01 · Training
The 6-Step Build
I document every step of my self-publishing workflow as I do it. No fluff, just the sequence:
Identify
See how I validated my niche and “proofed” the demand before writing a word.
Monetize
My “Green Light” spreadsheet. I show you exactly how I price for profit on Amazon and beyond.
Productize
My full production workflow. I’ll show you how I handle the technical side — from creating my own illustrations or hiring an artist on a budget, to interior layout, cover design, and the file specs required to actually get a book into print.
Activate
Building the “Minimum Viable Presence.” I show you how I set up the sales infrastructure and gather interested readers without spending a dollar on ads.
Campaign
The sales engine. You get the exact email scripts, social posts, and the campaign timing I use to generate repeatable selling pressure.
Triumph
The final numbers. What worked, what didn’t, and how I’ll scale the next one.
02 · Tools
Task-Specific Worksheets
I don’t give you the answers — I give you the questions. Every chapter comes with a Workbook — a structured collection of worksheets for every task in that step. Work through the worksheets, find the right answers for your specific project.
- Need to vet an artist? Use the worksheet to know what to ask.
- Need to calculate your margins? Use the worksheet to see which numbers matter.
You don’t just read — you execute.
Every task comes with a step-by-step tutorial.
Each checklist item in the full worksheet includes a “Learn how” button. Tap it and you get a focused, in-depth tutorial that walks you through exactly how to complete that specific task — not a general overview, but targeted instruction for the exact work you’re looking at.
It’s what turns a checklist into a system.
Step 1 Worksheet *** SAMPLE ***
Identify
Target Audience
- Map your concept’s target Lexile range and Guided Reading Level (GRL) — cross-reference against the top 20 bestsellers in your format category to identify the reading-level sweet spot your book should hit
- Score each potential buyer type (parent, teacher, librarian, gift-giver) across three axes: purchase authority, price sensitivity, and acquisition channel (retail, school catalog, library order) — identify which buyer drives your primary sales strategy
- For each adjacent audience segment, define a distinct purchase trigger (gift occasion, curriculum fit, therapeutic use, collectible) — each trigger represents a separate marketing angle with different messaging requirements
Market Research
- For each comp title, record 30-day average BSR, estimated monthly unit sales, and projected royalty at your target price point — use Publisher Rocket or K-lytics to validate the estimates
- Trace each comp title’s full Amazon category path — flag any subcategory with fewer than 100 competing titles and a #1 BSR under 50,000 as a viable ranking target
- Extract and categorize 1- and 2-star reviews from each comp by complaint type (content gap, age mismatch, format issue, production quality) — the most frequently recurring complaint is your positioning angle
Your Publishing Angle
Complete this sentence before moving to Step 2:
03 · Tactical Support
The Community
You aren’t doing this alone. When you buy the playbook, you get access to the Private Community.
Live updates
See it happen in real time
See my progress and pivots as they happen — not a polished recap after the fact.
Direct answers
Ask me directly
Stuck on your niche or need a second eye on a cover? Post it in the community and get a direct answer.
Focused space
No distractions
No noise, no spam, no tangents. Just a group of people building real businesses using the same system.
Why follow a “Live Build”?
Because the digital
landscape moves fast.
A static course recorded years ago won’t tell you how to leverage what’s working on social media today or show you the latest techniques for capturing leads and building an audience from scratch. By following a live project, you see the real-time decisions.
You see the “boring” technicalities that actually result in a paycheck.
The Stupid Simple Standard
I’m not here to do the work for you, and I’m not here to sell you a “magic button.” I’m here to show you the process. My worksheets won’t give you the answers — they’ll give you the right questions and the method to find the answers for yourself. If you follow the steps, do the research, and use the tools, you will end up with a professional, market-validated book. It’s that simple.
Get started
Picture Book Project Playbook
$179
One-time purchase. Immediate access.
- Six-chapter business playbook
- Worksheets for every step
- Private community access
- Updates as new chapters are released
Not ready to commit? and see how I validate an idea.
Not sure yet?
Read Step 1 for free.
Get the Identify chapter at no cost. See the format, the depth, and the approach before you decide.