What if selling a book wasn’t about doing more, but about doing it together?
This live conversation centers on Becky Mollenkamp and the upcoming launch of her book, Liberate Your Business: A Radical Guide for Entrepreneurs Who Want to Build Without Harm. But what unfolds here is less a launch checklist and more an honest look at what it really takes to bring a book into the world when you care deeply about your values, your people, and your energy.
Joined by Andréa Jones, Meg Casebolt, and me, Becky shares what it means to write a book that challenges capitalism while still needing to exist inside it.
We talk about email lists, social media, community, street teams, advanced reader copies, and the emotional labor of asking for support.
If you’ve ever thought, I want to promote my work without losing myself in the process, this conversation is for you.
Highlights
It takes more than a book to sell a book
One of the clearest truths in this conversation comes straight from Becky. Writing the book matters, but it’s not the whole story. Books move because people care, and people care because they feel connected.
Becky puts it plainly:
“I think it takes… a community to sell a book. So if you’re… going to be writing a book, remember that… if you don’t have a community behind it, who’s buying it?”
Community isn’t something you tack on at the end. It’s the foundation everything else sits on.
Working within capitalism
Becky’s book doesn’t pretend there’s a clean escape from capitalism. Instead, she names the tension and works within it honestly.
As she describes it,
“It’s a radical guide for business owners who want to challenge capitalism while still existing inside of capitalism.”
That framing matters. It gives readers permission to question the system without pretending they can opt out overnight.
Email still matters because it’s based on consent
In a world full of noise, email stands out not because it’s trendy, but because it’s intentional. People choose to be there.
I shared this during the conversation because it keeps coming up again and again for authors:
“The email list is the only way that at this moment in time as marketers, we have specific direct consent to talk to people without being bombarded in all sorts of different ways.”
Email allows us to show up in a space where people have already said yes.
Word of mouth is still the quiet powerhouse
Algorithms change. Platforms shift. Trust, however, is stubbornly human.
That’s why I advocate for word of mouth. It is one of the most reliable forces in book marketing:
“Word of mouth is often better than any other thing because people trust each other and not things that they see online for the most part.”
People don’t just buy books. They follow recommendations from people they already believe.
Social media works when it feels like an invitation
Instead of treating social platforms like megaphones, Andréa reframes them as places to gather. The goal isn’t to convince. It’s to invite.
As she shared with Becky,
“It comes down to relationships at the end of the day. So, Becky, I think it would be interesting to put out a call on the various social platforms to say, hey, here’s what I’m doing. Who would like to support this project in any way that they can?”
That shift alone changes the energy from promotion to participation.
Community grows when you show up as a fan first
Andréa also speaks to something a lot of authors overlook. Don’t become part of a community because you have something to sell. Join a community because you care.
She reflects on her own experience, saying,
“I was so embedded in the queer romance community as a fan first that by the time it came to talking about my book, I almost felt like I was speaking to my peers at that point.”
That’s the difference between broadcasting and belonging.
Authority comes from clarity
During our conversation Meg brought the focus to positioning and long-term thinking. She explains how authority is built by being clear and knowing exactly what you stand for.
And she asked the question that anchors this whole launch:
“How can we build more authority? How can we make it so that people, when they think Becky Mollenkamp, they think liberatory feminist business?”
When the message is clear, the marketing has somewhere to land.
A strong launch supports more than just the author
Community isn’t a one-way street. When it’s done well, it becomes a place where people support each other, not just the book.
As Meg points out to Becky,
“This community of people is there to not only support you, but to support each other. And you are such a good maven for connection.”
That kind of ecosystem lasts longer than any launch.
Conclusion
What I appreciate most about this conversation is how grounded it is. No one pretends that marketing a book is easy. No one suggests there’s a perfect strategy that removes discomfort or doubt. And no one glosses over the reality that this work asks a lot of us, emotionally and energetically.
Instead, we keep returning to the same steady truth: you don’t do this alone, and you’re not meant to.
If you’re writing a book, launching one, or quietly wondering how to share your work without burning yourself out, I hope this conversation reminds you that community is essential.
Asking for support is part of the work. Resting is part of the work.
You’re allowed to care about impact and integrity at the same time. You’re allowed to build something that feels aligned and still wants to reach people.
This episode doesn’t give you all the answers. But it does offer something better: perspective, permission, and a reminder that you’re already doing more right than you think.
If you are in need of support for your next book launch, or any other project you want to bring to this world, message me here or sign up for a free call where we can figure out the best way forward.
Thank you Stephanie Graham, Tomesha Campbell, Adela Dalto Moraux, and many others for tuning. We didn’t realize the comments wouldn’t be visible in Riverside so next time I’ll look out for those but thanks for hanging out anyways!
And special thanks to Becky Mollenkamp, Andréa Jones, and Meg Casebolt for doing this experiment with me.
