You just spent two years writing a book. Now what? That's the question at the center of this conversation about book publicity, expectations, and the long game of building a body of work. Bill Sherman sits down with Sandy Smith, CEO of Smith Publicity, to unpack what a smart book launch actually looks like — and why most of the excitement (and anxiety) authors feel in the 60 days around publication misses the point. Sandy's first move with any client is to ask what success looks like a year out. That reframe — from launch week to long horizon — shapes everything else: how to define goals, how to find the right audience for a big idea, and why a book should be treated less like a product drop and more like a two-to-three-year (or longer) relationship-building asset. The conversation moves through sharp, practical territory: the difference between an audience that's ready for your message and one that isn't (yes, even when they need it most), how publicists match authors to podcasts, bylined articles, and expert commentary opportunities, and why revisiting an author's earlier books can sometimes be more valuable than pushing the new release. Sandy and Bill also talk through the emotional arc of a launch — the pre-launch momentum, the 60-day flurry, and the letdown that can follow once the initial push ends. Underneath the tactics is a bigger idea both return to again and again: books create relationships. They let readers spend time with an author's thinking in a low-stakes, high-trust way, and that trust compounds over years, not weeks. The episode also touches on what makes an idea worth an audience's attention in the first place, and why generosity — not ego — tends to separate thought leaders who build lasting influence from those who burn out chasing a moment. Whether you're planning a first book launch or trying to get more mileage out of one published years ago, this episode offers a grounded, experience-based look at what actually works. Three Key Takeaways: • A launch is a beginning, not a finish line. Treat the book as a two-to-three-year (or longer) asset rather than a 60-day sprint — the real payoff comes from what you do with it after publication week ends. • Define your goal before you plan tactics. Whether the aim is sparking conversation, building visibility, or attracting clients, that goal should shape everything from media targets to messaging. • Audience readiness matters more than audience size. The right strategy meets people who are already primed to hear your idea, then lets them bring others along — rather than forcing a conversation an audience isn't ready for.

This episode landed right in the middle of launch week for The Thought Leadership Handbook — the new book from Bill Sherman, Peter Winick, and Naren Aryal — and everything Sandy Smith unpacked about goals, audience readiness, and building a lasting asset is exactly what's behind it. If you want to see those ideas in practice, head to thoughtleadershiphandbook.com for a free excerpt, your own thought leadership avatar, and tools to sharpen your strategy. Then preorder your copy today at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, or Amplify — and become part of the conversation this book is meant to start.