Make Money by Writing Books | Eric Jorgenson

Travis Makes Money

Eric Jorgenson is the CEO of Scribe Media, the industry's largest professional publishing service, dedicated to helping entrepreneurs, executives, and experts write, publish, and market their books. Eric is also the bestselling author of The Almanack of Naval Ravikant and The Anthology of Balaji, with over a million copies sold. Beyond his publishing expertise, Eric is an investor in deep tech startups and an influential blogger and podcaster. His unique journey from author and curator to CEO-especially after helping revive Scribe Media from bankruptcy-makes him a fascinating guest with deep insights into the evolving world of book publishing, authorship, and leveraging books for business growth.

On this episode we talk about:

– The origin story behind The Almanack of Naval Ravikant and why Eric created it

– The rise, fall, and rebirth of Scribe Media-and Eric’s path to CEO

– Key differences between traditional publishing, hybrid, and self-publishing models

– How books can serve as powerful business assets beyond just royalties

– The critical importance of quality and professionalism in publishing

– Navigating advances, control, and intellectual property as an author

– Why marketing and personal networks now drive book sales more than ever

– The realities of bookstore placement, bestseller lists, and the modern publishing landscape

Top 3 Takeaways

1. A book is more than a business card-it’s a credential. A well-written, high-quality book can serve as a lifelong asset, building trust, authority, and opening doors for speaking, consulting, and business opportunities.

2. Control and flexibility matter. Traditional publishing can offer credibility and advances, but often at the cost of creative and financial control. Many authors now succeed by self-publishing or using hybrid models, retaining rights and maximizing ROI.

3. Marketing trumps distribution. In today’s landscape, personal networks, podcasts, and word-of-mouth drive more book sales than traditional media or bookstore placement. Demonstrated demand online is what gets books into stores-not the publisher’s logo.

Notable Quotes

“A good book is much more like a PhD. It’s a credential you should be proud to put in front of whoever the most important person in your network is.”

“Half-professional is unprofessional. If you’re not proud to put your book in front of someone, you didn’t invest enough time and effort.”

“What really matters most is a great book. Your readers don’t care who published it-they care about the value inside.”

Connect with Eric Jorgenson:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erjorgenson

Website: ejorgenson.com

Scribe Media: scribemedia.com

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