Story of the Week
In February 2016, I published Will It Fly? — my first business book designed to help entrepreneurs test their ideas before investing time and money. But what happened after publication is where the real story begins.
I conducted what the military refers to as an "After-Action Review" (AAR), which is a way better term than what a lot of businesses use: a "post-mortem.”
Why? Just why? Anyway…
My AAR of Will it Fly? revealed insights that have shaped how I approach every book launch since.
I publicly shared an updated AAR on the blog three years after the launch here. But to summarize, here's what the numbers told me:
- Ebook sales: 19,221 units = $32,893.93
- Paperback sales: 13,556 units = $62,495.48
- Audiobook sales: 19,389 units = $96,945
- "Bounty units" from Audible: 490 × $50 = $24,500
Sales were great, especially for a self-published book. However, a huge discovery was that the audiobook generated nearly as much revenue as the paperback and ebook combined, despite similar unit sales.
This single insight completely restructured my approach to book formats and pricing.
Beyond direct book sales, I learned:
- The free companion course I created collected 26,680 email addresses — more than 50% of readers opted in! This email list became invaluable for reviews, feedback, and future launches.
- Those relationships led to another $215,308.71 in revenue through my follow-up course, Smart From Scratch — nearly matching the book's direct revenue.
- Foreign rights sales to Korea, Vietnam, Romania, Taiwan, and Poland brought in an additional $19,600.
Without this After-Action Review, I would have missed crucial patterns that now inform everything I do with book launches, including the upcoming Lean Learning release.
This just scratches the surface of what I learned from my review, but I want to share how you should approach your own.
How to Create Your Own After-Action Review
Whether you're launching a podcast, product, or service, here's a simple framework:
- Gather the Numbers: Document all measurable outcomes — sales, engagement, leads, conversion rates, etc.
- Track the Timeline: Note significant moments, unexpected turns, and customer responses throughout the project lifecycle.
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Ask the Right Questions:
- What worked exactly as planned?
- What surprised us (positively or negatively)?
- Where did we see unexpected traction?
- Which customer segments responded most enthusiastically?
- What assets or content performed best?
- Identify Future Opportunities: Look for patterns that suggest natural next steps or improvements.
With Will It Fly?, this process revealed that audiobooks weren't just another format — they were a significant revenue driver and relationship-building tool. It showed me that the real value wasn't just in the book itself, but in the follow-up offerings and community-building.
There were also a lot of things that didn’t work as well as I expected. For example, a podcast tour. Although it was super fun, it was the most time-consuming aspect of the launch, and it didn’t seem to move as many books as more direct selling methods like email list integrations and bulk bonus campaigns.
This comprehensive review has completely transformed my approach to my upcoming book, Lean Learning (launching June 3rd — pre-order here!).
Rather than relying on gut instinct or industry "best practices," I'm now making strategic decisions based on real historical data from my own experience.
Will Lean Learning be a success? I certainly hope so! But more importantly, I'm approaching this launch with informed confidence rather than wishful thinking. By learning from the past, I've dramatically improved my chances of creating something that truly resonates with you.
So yeah. After-Action Reviews are amazing. Don't rush ahead without first reflecting on what you've already done. Taking time to analyze your completed work isn't just looking backward — it's the clearest path forward.
What recent project could benefit from your own After-Action Review? The answers might surprise you — and transform your next launch.
P.S. Sometimes, the most valuable insights come from looking backward before moving forward. If you haven't conducted an After-Action Review on your recent work, block off 60 minutes this week. You might discover your next big opportunity has been hiding in plain sight.
