Pre-release copies of our book, It Starts With Food, have arrived! We’ve got 100 books looking hot on our living room floor right now, and special review copies are arriving on East Coast Paleo bloggers’, Whole9 Nutrition Partners‘ and Whole9 Envoys‘ doorsteps as we speak. (Reviewers not on the East Coast, don’t worry… they’ll be there soon.)
Holding our actual book in our actual hands was a surreal moment, bringing to mind all the hard work that went into the project, and all of our hopes for the future. Which brings us to today’s post – and a heartfelt request for your help.
Our Wildest-Dreams Confession
We’ve got something to confess. Our wildest dream is to see It Starts With Food on the mainstream bestseller lists.
First, why should Forks Over Knives and (shudder) The China Study continue to hog all the nutrition limelight?!? We believe our nutrition program, based on a healthy balance of high-quality animal foods and copious amounts of nutrient-dense plant matter, is infinitely more healthy than any program they’re featuring on the current Top Ten lists. Paleo a fad?!? We know better – and the world needs to hear it, too.
Two, we’ll be honest… it would be totally rad to be able to say we are New York Times bestselling authors. No Paleo nutrition book has been able to do this since Robb Wolf’s groundbreaking The Paleo Solution – and if our book reaches and changes a tenth of as many lives as his, we’ll consider our efforts a smashing success.
So today, we’re sharing a few strategies for making It Starts With Food a success, and getting the message of Paleo nutrition and the life-changing results of our Whole30® program to as many people as we can.*
*Also, you should know that it feels really weird to be asking for your help in such a direct and public fashion. But we poured our hearts and souls into this project, and hope to reach thousands of new people with our Good Food Word – and we really need your help to do that!
ETA to It Starts With Food official release: 20 days
Strategy #1: Buy the book
Pre-order via Barnes & Noble or Amazon at a reduced price (just over $17). Pre-sales via these outlets count towards the New York Times bestseller list – we suspect perhaps B&N will make more of an impact than Amazon, in fact.
If you’re buying multiple copies to give as gifts or stock your gym’s library, it’s extremely helpful if you purchase each copy in a separate transaction. Even if you buy it in a bookstore, this is the only way to make ten copies of the book count as ten and not one.
If you are considering using the book as a holiday gift, purchasing the book during the first few days of sales (June 12th – 17th) is the most important time. (Just think – less gift-buying hassle during the busy month of December!)
Strategy #2: Post reviews on Barnes & Noble and Amazon!
Please, please, please… write reviews for It Starts With Food on Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Your honest reviews will inspire others to read It Starts With Food like nothing else.
We’d love to see 250 reviews on each of these sites within the first week the book is out! (Which means you’ll have to read fast… but we hope the book is so good, you won’t be able to put it down.)
Strategy #3: Blog, Post to Facebook, or Tweet!
If you have a website or blog, please write a review, and link to online purchase options. (And make sure to send us your review – email melissa@whole9life.com so we can share your review with our readers, too!)
Don’t forget about Facebook or Twitter, either! When you receive your copy of the book (or find it in your local bookstore) take a photo of you with the book, and tag yourself and Whole9 in the photo. You can do the same in Twitter, tweeting @whole9life.
Our sincere gratitude and thanks.
We wrote this book for you, and could not have done it without your stories, and your support throughout the years.
As a small token of our thanks, over the next three weeks we’ll be offering you sneak peeks of the book, and some amazing give-aways from U.S. Wellness Meats, Stronger Faster Healthier, TX Bar Organics, Pure Indian Foods, and more. Plus, we’ll be announcing book signing events in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Salt Lake City; along with podcast, print, and radio interviews we’ve got scheduled around the book release.
Thank you, thank you, thank you – from the bottom of our hearts.
Best in health,
Dallas & Melissa
We can help you live the Whole9 life.
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Can’t wait for mine to arrive, pre-ordered on Amazon awhile ago!! Good tip on purchasing with multiple transactions because I have a few gifts that need giving!
The book looks great. Please offer a Kindle/Nook version.
I’m so thrilled for you two — and super excited for all the people who’s lives will be improved by reading your book. Can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!
Congratulations!
Pre-ordering mine today and one for my parents. The Whole30 program has really helped me in my journey to better health. Can’t wait to dive into more information with the new book.
Pre-ordering your book today! Your work has helped me get off the extremes of the fitness lifestyle and simply eat good food. Incredibly, you give all this information away for free. I haven’t had the opportunity to attend a nutrition seminar, so this is my first chance to support your work financially. I’m jumping at it, and telling everyone I know to do the same. Thank you for helping change lives. I’m on board with spreading the good food word.
I’m looking forward to receiving mine in June =) i’m on my 3rd whole30 and this will be just what i need to read at the end of it!
Ok, so I pre-ordered my copy of the book on amazon a while ago but I want to purchase several more copies for friends and family…should I pre-order them or wait to purchase in the June 12-17 window? I have both amazon and BN accounts and I can use either one so which is better for you? And again it’s better to separate the orders, right?
Thank you all for your support!
Michael, the Kindle/Nook/iBook version will be available about a week after the hardcover comes out.
Andrea, they tell us that all of the pre-order sales count towards the first week of sales (and the bestseller lists), so no need to wait. (Plus the pre-order price is discounted – I’m not sure what will happen when the release date comes out.) We’ve been promoting Amazon quite a bit, so if you have both accounts, show some Barnes & Noble love and give them your business! (And yes, separate orders are best.)
THANK YOU for going out of your way to make ISWF a success!
Best,
Melissa
FYI: Snooki is a NYT Best-Selling Author. SNOOKI. Dude. Let’s make “It Starts With Food” on the NYT Best Seller list happen!
Also: Snooki is pregnant. I don’t know which one is scarier: Snooki selling books she wrote or Snooki having children.
Kass,
More people reading Snooki’s book than our book makes me fear for the health and future of our nation. For real.
You might enjoy this Someecard:
http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/MjAxMi01NzEyYWZkYzBjMGE3NWJi
Best,
M&D
Does this book contain the info in the Whole30 success guide, or replace it in any way?
Planning on buying both but not if they overlap significantly.
Thank you!!!
Andrea,
It Starts With Food is SO MUCH MORE than the Success Guide, our website information, or even our workshops. It’s literally a one-stop shop for a lifetime of healthy eating!
We’ve had this question more than once, however, so we’ll be posting a preview of the book, including the full table of contents, next week. You can see for yourself all of the great information we packed into 320 pages!
Best,
Melissa
Congratulations! Feels pretty cool to hold it and flip through it, I’ll bet. :)
Of course, I’ll be ordering a copy.
Just ordered it and cannot wait to get my copy! I’m starting my second Whole 30 (or hopefully my Whole Until My Wedding in October!) and I know this book will be a great motivater and a unparalleled source of information. Thanks for all you do! And come do a seminar in Vancouver soon please :-)
This looks great! Congratulations on the book!
Do you know if Kindle editions count toward the best seller lists?
Roland
I’ve ordered my copy! Yay! I do kinda wish I would have waited on the success guide – I spent $39 on it and $17 on the book and it sounds like there’s a lot more in the book. Oh well. Very excited for your book, I have my hi-lighter ready ;)
Thanks so much for the support, David, Katheryne and Bonnie!
Roland, I’m not sure if Kindle editions count – I think there are separate bestseller lists for e-books, and specifically for Kindle. The e-reader versions will all be out about a week after the hardcover.
Best,
Melissa
I am so excited about this book! Personally, I am waiting for the e-book, but I might get a hard copy for my parents.
Mine arrived yesterday! It has exceeded my expectations – and my expectations were sky-high. I should finish it this weekend and be ready to review it very very soon!
As always, my gratitude to both of you for making such a huge difference in my life and the lives of countless others.
Been following you guys for a few months now and I cannot wait to get my hands on this book! Congratulations on your accomplishment!
What about us Canadians–do sales through Amazon.ca count, or does NYT only pull numbers from American providers?
Sara, thanks for your support. but unfortunately only US sales (through US sales channels) count towards the NY Times bestseller list. Perhaps we can get on a similar list in Canada, though? That would make BC-native Dallas very happy.
Best,
Melissa
Please release on Kindle ASAP!