April 8th Edition of the CraveBooks Author Newsletter
By Brett Stephan
Why does everyone scream at you Quantity! Quantity! Quantity!
Want to get better at book marketing? Then QUANTITY!
You’ve heard of the Ceramics Story, right?
- Story summary: A ceramics teacher divided students into two groups. One was graded on quantity (as many pots as possible), the other on quality (one perfect pot).
- Outcome: The quantity group produced the highest-quality work in the end—because they practiced more, made mistakes, and learned through doing.
- Moral: More reps = more learning = better results eventually.
But then why do so many authors give up even after they have put in the reps?
What are they missing?
What are you missing?
Well, it comes down to this simple variable. This variable determines whether you fall into a cycle of ‘Learned Helplessness’ or conquer book marketing.
Casual vs. Deliberate Improvement
Whether it’s Facebook ads, email marketing, social media, etc…, your success hinges on your learning. This is the variable that makes you or breaks you down to the point where you want to throw your phone in a river so you never have to think about Instagram again.
Where authors go wrong is how they are learning.
- Casual Improvement is being able to say you did something once and then “improved” the second time you did it. You don’t know why, but hey —it worked a little better.
- Deliberate Improvement is doing something multiple times, improving with each repetition, and understanding why you improved.
You get caught in casual improvement when you repeat the same thing because a “guru” told you that’s what you should be doing. So you do it. Then you do it again. Then again. Until you’re burnt out because your results are garbage.
In other words, it’s “Mindless Improvement.”
If you really want to improve your Facebook ads so they actually convert or create social media content that grows your email list, then you have to stop guessing. You need to be deliberate with your practice.
To be deliberate, each “practice session” needs to target a specific part of your performance. Here’s what that actually looks like:
Facebook Ads
- Casual: You throw $50 at a boosted post. It gets a few clicks. You run it again with a different picture. Then again with a different headline. You’re “testing” but not learning.
- Deliberate: You run 2 ads side by side with one variable changed (just the headline, for example). You track CTR, CPC, and conversion rate. You take notes. You know why Ad B worked better —and now you apply that insight to the next round.
Newsletter Campaign
- Casual: You send a promo email. It flops. You send another one with a new subject line. Still bad. So you decide to switch fonts, swap emojis, and hope.
- Deliberate: You isolate the subject line, test two versions on a segment of your list, and track open rates to determine your results. Next, you test CTA placement or storytelling style inside the email. One element at a time. You create a system where every send teaches you something.
Instagram Post
- Casual: You post a reel because reels are “hot.” Then you post a meme. Then a quote. Some get views. Some don’t. You’re stuck in a cycle of throw-it-and-see.
- Deliberate: You plan a week of posts focused on improving one thing —like the hook in the first 3 seconds of your reels. Or your caption style. Or your CTA. You analyze the data after a week. You track patterns. You improve the part that moves the needle.
Bottom line?
Repetition without intention is noise.
Repetition with analysis is growth.
Be deliberate —or burn out trying to guess your way there.
Author Resources
