Renée Puvvada on How to Revive a Dead Book and Sell Thousands (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 885)
Most business professionals think writing a book will catapult their visibility and lead to instant credibility and clients. But what happens when the book flops? Renée Puvvada, founder and CEO of Smokin’ Hot Books, joins host John Ray to reveal why most books don’t sell and how to fix them.
Renée shares the exact five-step strategy she used to take her own book from flop to 10,000+ copies sold and $120,000+ in revenue. Whether you’ve written a book already or are thinking about it, this conversation will change how you think about titles, Amazon listings, reviews, and the true business value of a well-positioned book.
Don’t miss this practical, myth-busting conversation that every author-entrepreneur needs to hear.
SPECIAL OFFER for North Fulton Business Radio listeners: if you’re ready to turn your book into a high-performing sales machine, follow this link.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Key Takeaways from this Episode
- The harsh truth: Most self-published books sell fewer than 250 copies in a lifetime.
- Success isn’t about the writing. It’s about positioning. A book isn’t just about something; it must be for someone.
- Your Amazon listing is your real storefront. A professional, conversion-driven Amazon profile (not just a cover and short blurb) is essential.
- 100 reviews is the magic number. Social proof makes or breaks a book’s credibility.
- Relaunching works. You can fix a “dead” book by reworking your title, cover, and launch strategy.
- Use podcasting like a modern book tour. A coordinated podcast release strategy can replicate the buzz of a national launch.
- Even niche books can thrive. Renée sold 10,000+ copies of a rainwater harvesting guide—a masterclass in targeting.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
02:12 Meet Renée Puvvada: Founder of Smoking Hot Books
03:31 Renee’s Journey to Success
05:33 The Struggles and Breakthroughs
10:17 Understanding Your Target Audience
15:02 Creating a Strong Amazon Profile
18:46 Relaunching and Revamping Your Book
19:47 The Power of a Successful Book Launch
20:09 The Importance of Reviews
23:13 James Clear’s Podcast Strategy
24:45 Planning Your Podcast Tour
28:14 Resurrecting a Dead Book
36:00 Success Stories and Client Testimonials
37:36 Final Thoughts and Offers
Smokin’ Hot Books and Renée Puvvada
Smokin’ Hot Books is a boutique publishing and marketing consultancy created and led by Renée Puvvada. As founder and CEO, Renée Puvvada is central to the company’s mission: empowering entrepreneurs, business owners, and thought leaders to turn their stories and expertise into influential business books. With her background in book marketing and entrepreneurship, Renée developed proprietary processes like the Viral Book Formula and the Lightning Book Launch Method. These strategies focus on rapidly transforming client ideas into professionally written, designed, and launched books, often within a fast six-month timeline, while ensuring every project is tailored to build authority, drive lead generation, and leave a lasting impact.
Renée’s leadership ensures that Smokin’ Hot Books delivers end-to-end support: from story development and ghostwriting through to editing, design, and public launches. Her approach goes beyond traditional publishing. By leveraging high-touch services and a handpicked team of publishing experts, Renée works directly with clients to establish their credibility, deepen audience engagement, and strategically position their book as a driver for business growth. Her personal reputation for results-driven book launches is integral to Smokin’ Hot Books’ standing as a trusted partner for driven professionals looking to scale their influence and business opportunities.
Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way to better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube
Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio
If you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.
Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.
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About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 880 episodes and having featured over 1,300 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their market, community, and profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, and it is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.
