What actually makes a bestseller? My two guests this episode, James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, which has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling book of the last decade, knows a thing or two about it. I also sit down with Madeline McIntosh, CEO of Penguin Random House US, where she's overseen the publication of over 1000 books. Together, James and Madeline have co-founded Authors Equity, a publishing model that completely inverts how authors are typically paid and how books are brought to market. In our conversation, they break down everything you need to know about publishing today, what works, what's broken, and how they're revolutionizing the industry with a win-win approach for authors.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:21 Publishing transformations Madeline has witnessed
02:59 Madeline's motivation for founding Author's Equity
05:14 The Author's Equity model compared to traditional publishing
09:20 Why the author's equity model is beneficial
14:03 The power of aligned incentives
18:22 Author pain points solved by Author's Equity
21:00 Selecting custom teams for each book
24:45 Author's Equity's willingness to learn from authors
28:22 Self-published authors joining Author's Equity
31:07 Who Author's Equity is not for
34:00 The win-win philosophy of Author's Equity
36:05 Crafting books that sell for years
39:00 The importance of building an audience as a nonfiction author
41:40 The timeless desire and new vessel for delivering information
46:00 Getting your best work in front of readers
50:08 What makes books keep selling in year two and beyond
53:10 Leveraging seasonal buying and promotional efforts
55:22 The New York Times Bestseller list: commercial vs. psychological
1:00:30 The most accurate bestseller list
1:02:10 Reaching out to Author's Equity

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Follow James:
Website: https://jamesclear.com
X: https://twitter.com/JamesClear
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesclear
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesclear

Follow Madeline:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelinemcintosh
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madmci

Featured in this episode:
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Authors Equity: https://authorsequity.com/
Atomic Habits: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits

Highlights:
01:21 – Publishing before the internet and email
09:20 – Authors no longer have to choose
21:00 – Hand-selecting custom teams for each book
31:07 – Avoiding books with a short shelf life
47:03 – Value in the push and pull of ideas
50:28 – The book has to sell itself
1:00:30 – The most accurate bestseller list

James Clear: How To Actually Make It As An Author In 2026 | 129

The Nathan Barry Show

James Clear: How To Actually Make It As An Author In 2026 | 129