Marc's Blog

Content Writing and Marketing Services

books

Case Study: How To Read 30 Books In 30 Days

by Leave a Comment

 

readAfter my first year of college, I decided to do something different over the summer—read a lot of books.

I used a portion of my Monthly Performance Reports to put my reading lists on full display. While I normally read 5-10 books in a given month, the summer days allowed that reading list to morph into 30 books every month.

I didn’t take time off from my business during this time. In fact, I dramatically increased the amount of books I read while preparing to lead a Content Marketing Success Summit, one of the biggest projects of my life up to that point.

In this blog post, I’ll share my story so you can reap the benefits of reading 30 books every month without feeling overwhelmed by work, your personal life, or anything else.

#1: Have The Books On Hand

Before I began my 30-book per month reading journey, I knew I needed to have all of the books readily accessible. So, to put it bluntly, I went on a bargain buying spree.

I knew that by the time I finished reading any given book it would be filled with notes and underlines, so I didn’t mind buying used books (as long as they didn’t have any underlining or highlighting included).

My adventure began on eBay where some people are desperate to part ways with their books. Because the bulk lots included anywhere from 10-20 books per order, I bought books at a rate from $1 to $4 per book depending on who was selling them.

And all of these books were LEGIT, not aged books that are no longer relevant. In fact, I published several books before social media taught me the marketing tactics that work today (often overlooked in the new age of digital marketing).

If you prefer to read books on a device, you’re all set. You can buy all of your books in a few clicks. I prefer reading paperback editions, which is why I decided to purchase books in bulk on eBay.

Buy in bulk

The only problem with book lots is that you don’t get to choose the books on offer; I have multiple copies of the same books because they were a part of a bulk order.

But eventually I learned about Thrift Books, which help you avoid that problem as well as enjoy a wider range of choices and ridiculous bargains.

You may think it’s not worth going through the trouble to find book bargains, but if you want to read 30 books per month, that’s 360 books every year.

In a worst case scenario, saving an average of $10 per book (very possible with book lots and Thrift Books) results in a savings of $3,600 every year!

Don’t Read Word-For-Word

Once you have assembled all of your books, it’s time to read them. But don’t read them in the traditional word-for-word style. Sure, you’ll absorb all of the material if you do, but it will take a longer period of time before you move onto the next book.

When I read books, I skim through them for the most pertinent information. If there’s a section that explains how to create a Twitter account, for example, I skip it because I already have a Twitter account. There’s no need to waste time reading things that you already know.

Similarly, when I buy a productivity book I skip through familiar tips like setting deadlines, 3-Year Plans, and how to set SMART goals. Unless the author shares these common tactics with a very different flavor, I skip to the next part of the book.

Skip Entire Chapters

Not only should you skip over things you already know, you should also get into the habit of skipping portions, or even chapters, of books containing information you don’t want to learn. For instance, I don’t want to learn much about Vine because Vine is a dead social network.

And yet, many of these books have entire chapters dedicated to Vine. Some books are dedicated entirely to the social network. Just remember that information that was once relevant may be outdated today.

You can also skip chapters outlining tasks you don’t want to perform. For instance, I’ll skip a chapter in a podcasting book about editing episodes because I already have a trustworthy freelancer who edits my podcast episodes.

Skipping that chapter allows me to move to the next chapter sooner and, ultimately, to a new book.

Write In Your Book

For a long time I resisted writing in my books, especially signed copies. While I rarely write in books, I often underline with a pencil.

Underlining important points in each of your books makes the re-reading process easier. After all, you have a plan to re-read the best books, right?

At the beginning of each month, I go through my favorite books from the previous month. I skim through what I underlined, and brainstorm ideas. I commit a few hours of one day to this task.

Underlining important text makes this process much faster as I can literally skip hundreds of pages of content. I only focus on what I’d underlined previously because my past self regarded only those points as important.

A Technicality On Book Length

One thing to remember when reading 30 books in 30 days is that book length matters. It’s much easier to read 30 books that average 200 pages than to read 30 books that average 600 pages.

When dozens of books are delivered to me in one day, I start by reading the shorter books first. It’s likely a good thing that I read Tools Of Titans before I began taking my reading goal seriously.

I like reading the shorter books first because finishing a shorter book gives me the dopamine rush to start reading (and finishing) another book.

Get a string of small wins, and it won’t be long before you can read the occasional 400-600 page book with ease.

It It’s Not Scheduled, It Won’t Happen

If you want reading to become a habit, you must schedule it into your day. I schedule at least one hour of reading time every day.

You should also choose one day a week to dedicate entirely to reading books, no professional work. I designate Fridays as my reading days. And even though I spend several hours reading books on Fridays, it doesn’t feel rigorous. Why? Because Fridays feel like a day off from work.

It’s important to find what works for you, but don’t forget that if it’s not scheduled, it won’t happen.

Turn Your TV And Surfing Time Into Reading Time

Professional work can take up hours of your day, but so can TV and internet surfing. You need to eliminate digital surfing from your life because you’re simply watching life happen instead of making life happen. Spectators watch, superstars perform.

The average American watches 32 hours of television every week. If we all switched from digital surfing to reading self-development books, the world would truly be a better place.

The next time you want to watch a marathon, the last episode of a series, or reruns, crack open a book instead. Repeat the process with other bad habits, and with greater intensity, and you’ll have no problem reading 30 books in 30 days.

In Conclusion

Reading 30 books every 30 days will dramatically expand your knowledge and open the door to a variety of possibilities. Reading all of these books requires a mindset shift and the elimination of bad habits. And, of course, the 30+ books you’ll need on hand before you get started.

What are your thoughts on reading 30 books every day? Have any good book recommendations for us? Please share how you plan to implement this habit into your own life. Sound off in the comments section below.

How I Went From Zero Books To Reading 10+ Books Every Month

by Leave a Comment

It turns out the advice our parents and teachers gave us was spot on. Reading is good for you. I remember the days of reading short fiction books. Those were the days when reading could easily become a hobby.

That was in 2nd grade. Now the world is getting busier and busier. And teenagers don’t have as much time to pick up new hobbies as the typical 2nd grader.

I built a successful blog, wrote several books myself, and grew my business on social media. But I slacked off on my reading. Sure, I read a blog post every now and then, but skimping on reading showed in my results.

Once I stopped acquiring additional knowledge related to my niche, I didn’t make big improvements. I either produced the same results or saw a slight decline. Blog traffic went down. My Twitter growth stayed the same.

Then everything started to grow, and I attribute that in large part to reading 10+ books every month.

But I didn’t just read any books. I read books with the specific aim of growing my personal brand. And I can tell you right now that reading 10+ books about your brand every month can completely transform your business (as in get you the results you’ve been dreaming of).

Here are some tips you can start utilizing today so you too will get through 10 books every month.

#1: Listen To Audiobooks

I don’t actually read all of the books that I consume. Sometimes, I will listen to an audiobook. There are certain activities that are nearly impossible to engage in while reading, but are very doable if listening to an audiobook.

For instance, I listen to an audiobook while I ride a workout bike for 30 minutes each day. To get the most information out of those 30 minutes, I have the built-in narrator read the book 2-3 times faster than the original pace.

That means during a 30 minute bike ride, I hear 1-1.5 hours of audiobook content. That totals up to 30-45 hours of audiobooks every month. Most of the audiobooks I read are within the five hour range. Just by riding on the bike for 30 minutes while listening to an audiobook each day, I read 6-9 books and get physically stronger at the same time.

I tried listening to an audiobook in the middle of a run, but that didn’t work well for me. I can more easily listen to an audiobook on a workout bike.

What activities do you do every day that can also become moments of knowledge acquisition? The more you can think of, the more audiobooks you can listen to from start to finish. Just find 30 minutes in your day, every day. You’ll thank yourself later.

#2: Read Quickly 

I listen to anywhere from 6-9 audiobooks each month. That means I read my way through the 10+ book milestone. I blaze my way through the finish line. The key information for almost any book can be condensed into 20 pages. Authors don’t do that because a 20 page book wouldn’t sell.

As you read more books about your niche, you’ll come across similar insights. I don’t need to hear another story about someone who regrets not building an email list earlier. I’ve heard that story before. And the only difference between this story and the other ones I’ve heard is that each person tells the story from a unique perspective (but always arrives at a similar conclusion).

The overall message is the same. Many books tell you that making excuses is bad and suggest ways to combat excuse making. I skip right to the suggestions. I don’t need to be told that avoiding excuses is a good thing. I already know that. And if I’ve already heard the suggestions in an earlier book, I skip those too.

Some books intentionally or unintentionally borrow ideas from each other. Why re-read the same thing more than once when you can acquire more knowledge instead?

#3: Publicly Announce Your Goal

I have been very public about my goal to consume 10 books every month. In fact, I also state which books I read each month in my performance reports. When I first got started with my performance reports, I struggled with reading five books in a given month.

Now I effortlessly get through 10+ books. Every. Single. Month.

As I came out with more performance reports, my reading increased. I made myself accountable to my entire audience—email list, social media audience, blog visitors… just about everyone.

If I don’t perform, I feel like I’ve let my audience down. I automatically obligate myself to read at least 10 books in a given month.

What’s Your Excuse?

I’m a student-athlete in college. I wake up at 5:30am to get ready for 7:30am practice. I get my homework done and also squeeze in time to hang out with friends. But I still have a personal brand that demands my attention.

Oh, did I mention that I read a bunch of books every month, too?

I’m not saying that I have the hardest schedule in the world, but I don’t have a crazy amount of time to play with, either. My obligations take up most of my time.

If you don’t have at least 30 minutes each day to read a book or listen to an audiobook, then you have a basket of lame excuses. Anyone can find 30 extra minutes each day by reducing the time spent on less productive activities.

Would it kill you to turn off the TV a little earlier? Would it hurt to avoid surfing YouTube? While it may be difficult in the beginning, once you make the adjustment over 66 days, it will stick.

If you feel you can’t commit to 30 minutes of reading or listening each day, you can AT LEAST commit to 15 minutes of reading or listening each day.

In the end, I don’t care about excuses. I only care about whether or not the work gets done.

Compound It!

Gradual evolution leads to massive evolution. The easiest way to go from zero pages to 100 pages per day within three months is to read an additional page each day. Start with a baseline of 11 pages, which is very doable.

On Day #2, read 12 pages. On Day #3, read 13 pages. Soon enough, you’ll begin to approach 100 pages. And if you count audiobooks, you can easily get through over 100 pages each day.

When I’m actually reading a book, I can usually get through 30-50 pages in a given day.

All of this knowledge compounded together will turn you into an expert in your niche and help you achieve your dreams.

As with anything in life, if you do something every day, and make continuous progress, you’ll be shocked by what you’ve achieved in a year from now.

In Conclusion

Reading books and listening to audiobooks allows you to acquire more knowledge about your niche. As you acquire more knowledge, your mind will expand.

The remaining challenge is to implement what you’ve learned, but you will already have the information you need. What happens then? Do you continue reading?

No matter how established you become, reading is still important. Reading fires up your brain cells, gives you new knowledge, and reminds you of things that you may have forgotten.

I mentioned earlier that I sometimes skip sections of a book if I have an idea of what’s coming. I may skip those sections, but I also remember what I’d learned previously.

Reading is a way of acquiring new knowledge while tapping into prior knowledge.

How many books do you read each month? Do you have any book recommendations for me? Sound off in the comments section below.

 

4 Ways To Read Twice As Many Books

by 2 Comments

stack of books
Without feeling exhausted or hurting your vision.

Ever since I went back to my YouTube channel, I decided to read and review one book each week on my YouTube channel.

So far, I have reviewed books like Thrive by Arianna Huffington, Power Of Broke by Daymond John, and The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz (The Pumpkin Plan review was a while ago so I may read the book again and create a new video of me reviewing the book).

Since I suddenly went from not reading at all to forcing myself to get through at least one book every week, I had to read these books fast. The faster I read these books, the quicker I can review them and do other things for my business.

At the same time, I don’t want to rush the books. Rush the books, and then you don’t remember the insights.

I was about to get started with a speed reading course and do some research about that. However, my brother pointed out that speed reading hurts your eyes big-time.

He read an eye yoga book and told me that the speed reading methods make your eyes function similarly to a lazy eye.

Basic summary: speed reading can hurt your vision. And since I have bad long-range vision to begin with, I don’t need that to get any worse.

So this blog post won’t contain tips about skimming through pages or when to rotate your eyes to the next line of text.

I will be discussing the methods that will help you speed read, but at the same time, not hurt your vision.

 

#1: Read Shorter Books 

Theoretically, you could read a 100 page book twice as fast as a 200 page book. Unless it’s ancient text because that always takes forever to read.

If you read shorter books, you will get them done sooner. I like to read shorter books because they give me a lot of great information, usually cost less, and involve less of my time.

A few caveats though. If there is a particular book you want to read, but it is a lengthy book, then read it. I wasn’t going to stop myself from reading Think and Grow Rich because it’s over 200 pages long.

I have read many books that surpassed 200 pages. I don’t care how many pages Seth Godin’s books are. If it’s sitting on my desk, I am going to read it to completion.

But here’s a caveat in favor of reading shorter books. It’s easy to look at a short book and think something like this:

“This book has less than 100 pages. It must be worthless.”

Well, this blog post would barely be 10 pages if that. The fact that you are reading to this point proves this blog post has been useful in some way.

A blog post is not a book, but don’t think that a small page count indicates a bad book or that a book with a lot of pages must be the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Some short books do a good job at summarizing the same points that lengthy books explain within hundreds of extra pages.

I like to have a mixture of both types of books, but when I am reading, I almost always read the shorter books.

So how do I read the longer books?

 

#2: Listen To Audiobooks

I am currently experimenting with this option, but I think it has a lot of promise.

The idea behind audiobooks is that you can’t read a book all of the time, so you can listen to the audio version instead. There are certain scenarios that prevent us from reading, but audio wouldn’t be a problem.

I run every day, and if you have ever tried to run and read at the same time, you know it’s a disaster. However, what about running and listening to a book at the same time?

People listen to music all of the time while they run. Why can’t I listen to a book every once in a while?

Say what you may about the audiobook audio speed. First off, if you think the audiobook is too slow, there are ways to enhance the speed. The lowest rate I have seen so far for an audiobook is 150 WPM. I run anywhere from 1-2 hours per day.

When I try this out, I’ll hear anywhere from 9,000 to 18,000 words in each run. I can increase the amount of words I hear during each run by speeding up the audio rate.

Not all books are available as audiobooks. That is why when you create your book list, you should look to see which books on your list have audiobook versions and which ones do not before you decide on which hardcovers to buy.

I use Audible to read my audiobooks. You’ll get a free book every month just for signing up!

 

#3: Turn Reading Into A Daily Habit

I’m not Charles Duhigg, but I do take habits seriously. Habits will make or break you in anything that you pursue. If you want to read more books, you have to read every day.

It doesn’t matter how often you read. On some days, I manage to read for over an hour. On other days, I can barely read for more than five minutes.

However, I read every day, and each day adds more momentum to the last.

Once you turn reading books into a daily habit, it gets much easier to read the books. According to science, it takes about 66 days for something to become a habit.

That means the first 66 days are going to be the hardest, but after that, it’s all smooth sailing from there.

 

#4: Only Read Books That You Want To Read

This is the golden rule. Only choose to read the books that you would want to read. If you are forced to read a book that you don’t want to read, then you will find yourself slogging through it (unless the plot or content is really good).

But why take a chance when it comes to your reading (and your time). Only read the books that you know will fascinate you right from the start. Before you buy a book, you should get an idea of whether that book will be the right one for you or not.

You can do that by reading the author’s blog posts, customer reviews, and/or by reading the first few pages of the book’s free preview (assuming it’s on Amazon).

Once you decide on the book you want to read next, the final decision is deciding which format you will read the book in.

 

In Conclusion

Reading is important because it expands your knowledge. If you get new insights from the books that you read, then you are moving closer and closer to the dreams you wish to accomplish.

Before I put myself in a position where I could start calling myself a digital marketing expert, I read the books and blog posts written by the experts (experts are people who don’t have to tell you that they are experts for you to believe in their expertise).

Each time I read a book or blog post, I saw myself as inching closer and closer to my own digital marketing empire. Also my singing empire.

What books do you read? What are your reading habits? How do you read books quickly? Sound off in the comments section below.

 

The 12 Week Year, Page 3

by Leave a Comment

I recently got the book The 12 Week Year, and I’m almost done reading it. The first full sentence on page 3 is one of the most important sentences you will ever read.

“The marketplace only rewards those ideas that get implemented.”

I’ll be coming out with a YouTube video about The 12 Week Year soon enough, but here’s a brief review of the book:

The 12 Week Year, written by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington isn’t a book for you to get a good kickstart for 2014. This book kickstarts you for every 12 weeks. The problem with a year is that there is no sense of urgency. If you don’t get anything done in January, there’s always the other 11 months to catch up. This mentality will take most people past March, April, May, and so on without getting anything done. The 12 Week Year creates a sense of urgency for every week . After you read this book, you’ll find it much easier to successfully execute your ideas and thrive.

If you want to get more accomplished in a much shorter amount of time, The 12 Week Year is the perfect book for you.

Three Upcoming Books

by Leave a Comment

I get a lot of my work done over the summer, and some of that work includes writing books. Writing is a hobby for me, and I write on multiple blogs and tweet on my account everyday. These are some of the books that you can expect to see by the end of summer:

  1. Fool’s Gold: Not everything in business is as it seems. Some methods that were working a decade ago to improve businesses don’t work now. There are also some methods you are being taught today that are inaccurate and do not apply to having a successful business. Fool’s Gold highlights the methods that work and the methods that no longer work. This book will be published by the end of June.
  2. How To Be Successful On Twitter: There are more people creating Twitter accounts everyday. However, getting thousands of quality followers takes a lot of work. This book will guide you through the process of getting thousands of followers, making money on Twitter, getting more interaction with your current followers, and other aspects of Twitter. This book will be published by the end of July.
  3. How To Become A Pro Blogger: I have been blogging for over 2 years now, and I have turned blogging into a career. I share some of the reasons that my blogs have been successful as well as the characteristics that make a successful blog. I compare three blogs that I feel stand out from the crowd. These blogs stood out from the crowd based on style, earnings, sharing, and a combination of other factors as well. All of those blogs are described in great detail in my book. There are other goodies throughout the book such as a giant list of ways to get more traffic to your blog (with explanations for each method) and various ways to monetize your blog. This book will be published by the end of August.

I’ll Be Publishing A Lot Of eBooks

by Leave a Comment

My goal is to be able to publish 1 eBook every month. My first eBook was about Honest Ways To Make Money Online. My next eBook will be about something else. I hope to have this eBook released at around mid-May. Publishing eBooks on the Kindle is a great way to make money online and get millions of potential customers. eBooks, or anything else that starts with an “e” is the way to go.