Legacy Publishers' "Time Famine" Hinders Author Success and Sales

Infinite Loops · January 01, 2026 · Listen to Original Episode →

Original Title: Jimmy Soni — The Publishing System is Broken (EP. 295)

TL;DR

Traditional publishers' prestige-driven models create "time famine," hindering essential processes like A/B testing covers, which digital-first publishers leverage for significantly higher engagement and sales.
Authors possess more leverage than they realize due to their direct audience reach, enabling them to push legacy publishers for better practices and greater creative freedom.
A/B testing book covers, especially for online sales, provides crucial data to overcome team intuitions and optimize reader engagement, leading to statistically significant sales advantages.
The publishing industry's focus on short marketing windows (2-3 weeks) is a flawed investment strategy, neglecting the long-term potential of books as perpetual assets.
Legacy publishers' risk aversion and rigid genre labeling stifle author creativity, preventing potentially successful projects like memoirs from authors with established non-fiction track records.
The audiobook market, representing over 50% of unit sales in some categories, is largely ignored by atom-focused publishers, presenting an opportunity for innovation and cost reduction.
Collaborative "writer's rooms," enhanced by AI, offer a powerful method for authors to identify blind spots and refine projects mid-creation, improving quality and reducing attachment to early drafts.

Deep Dive

The traditional publishing industry is fundamentally misaligned with the realities of modern content creation and consumption, creating significant friction for authors and hindering the potential for books to reach their widest audience. This outdated system, often driven by prestige over outcomes and a focus on physical "atoms" rather than digital "bits," fails to leverage authorial power and modern technological capabilities. Infinite Books aims to disrupt this by prioritizing author success, data-driven decision-making, and a long-term marketing vision.

Infinite Books' core strategy is to empower authors by offering significantly higher royalty splits (70% to the author) and investing in a higher quality product and sustained marketing. This contrasts with legacy publishers who often operate on high volume, short marketing windows, and a "prestige-first" mentality that stifles creative risks. The implication is a fundamental shift in the author-publisher relationship, moving from a hierarchical structure to a partnership. This approach is already showing promise, as agents, who historically championed traditional models, are increasingly bringing projects to Infinite Books due to its author-centric model and willingness to consider diverse projects outside an author's established genre.

The publishing system's inherent inefficiencies are compounded by a short-term, "time famine" approach to marketing, where a book's promotional window is often a mere two to three weeks. This neglects the long-term potential of books as cultural assets. Infinite Books, conversely, embraces a long-term, data-informed marketing strategy, utilizing techniques like A/B testing for covers and hyper-targeted outreach for promotion. This extends the life of a book and maximizes its potential revenue, creating an annuity-like asset for both the publisher and the author. Furthermore, the company is actively exploring innovative production methods, particularly in audiobooks, where it sees significant untapped potential and cost-reduction opportunities through AI and author-led narration, aiming to make audiobooks more accessible and profitable.

Action Items

Audit publishing process: Identify 3-5 areas where automation can improve efficiency and reduce costs (ref: AI, digital-first).
Implement author dashboard: Provide real-time sales data and marketing insights to authors, fostering transparency and collaboration.
Create runbook template: Define 5 required sections (e.g., target audience, marketing channels, sales projections) for new book projects to ensure consistent quality.
Develop international rights strategy: Research and pilot 2-3 new mechanisms for reaching global audiences, leveraging AI for translation and market analysis.
Track 3-5 key performance indicators: Measure author millionaire status, book quality scores, and international market penetration to assess business impact.

Key Quotes

"when i got back the first renderings of the cover art just clearly not going to work and so what i said was well i'll pay for them you can take it out of my advance i will pay for a new cover to make this better and that's exactly what happened i'm not an illustrator i'm not a graphic designer i just asked the uncomfortable question nothing i just described as rocket science my instinct told me that i was doing the right thing by pushing back but then the test the audience test themselves revealed simple process improvements can make a huge difference in how a book finishes up and mine won by a country mile"

Jimmy Soni recounts an experience where he proactively funded a new book cover design when the publisher's initial options were unsatisfactory. This demonstrates his commitment to optimizing the product and his belief in audience testing, as his preferred cover design ultimately performed best. Soni highlights that even seemingly small process improvements can significantly impact a book's success.

"my basic i basically chanced into the story because i just asked the question well hold on like what was in the water like what was going on there like how do i get some of that right mainlined into me and it turned out that for a number of reasons nobody had really gone and done that deep look at that period of their lives"

Jimmy Soni explains his motivation for writing "The Founders," which stemmed from a simple question about the unique environment that fostered the success of individuals associated with PayPal. He realized that this critical period in their lives had not been thoroughly explored, prompting his deep dive into the subject. Soni's approach underscores the value of curiosity in uncovering overlooked narratives.

"the response i got back which was just dispiriting was well the women aren't a part of the getty archive or like we don't have publicly available photos of them so there's nothing we can do because we can't pay for rights to those photos because there are none and i said to myself well that's just not accept like that's not a good enough answer right there are clearly photos of these people they're human people they have photos somewhere"

Soni describes a frustrating interaction with his publisher regarding book cover art, where the publisher cited a lack of available images for women central to the story as a reason for their exclusion. Soni found this response unacceptable, believing that photos of these individuals must exist and that the publisher should have made a greater effort to find them. This illustrates a conflict between conventional publishing practices and the need for inclusive representation.

"the window is very unforgivingly short and so given that if you can gain even a little bit of advantage with a cover that's more eye catching it's a huge advantage statistically because most book buying happens online"

Soni emphasizes the critical importance of book cover design in the online retail environment. He argues that the limited attention span of online shoppers means that an eye-catching cover provides a significant statistical advantage. Soni's perspective highlights how the shift to digital sales necessitates a strategic approach to marketing elements like cover art.

"the world needs more problem authors right it actually because that's the only way that an industry like this is going to shift and is going to change and there by the way are editors who want to embrace these things"

Soni advocates for the necessity of "problem authors" to drive change within the publishing industry. He suggests that authors who are willing to question established norms and push boundaries are essential for industry evolution. Soni believes that while some within the industry may resist, there are also editors who are open to embracing new approaches.

"the idea that the author is the lowest part of the totem pole just makes no sense in today's world i think that's a big that's the other big difference in 2025 versus earlier eras is there has to be a fundamental respect for an author's intuition about their audience and for an author's understanding of who their reader is"

Soni asserts that the traditional hierarchy in publishing, where authors were at the bottom, is no longer relevant in the current landscape. He argues for a fundamental respect for authors' insights into their audience and readers. Soni's view reflects a shift in power dynamics, recognizing the author's unique knowledge in the digital age.

"mistakes are portals to discovery and better ideas and better processes to to do it yeah so like one of them is the email campaign yep that we are building i'm a huge believer as are you somebody sends me something i don't know the person right and if it looks like it's like a mass email and a hey jim please read this book and blurb it for me i'm probably not going to do that but we try to customize any of those campaigns to the person that's we're sending the email to"

Soni champions the idea that mistakes can be valuable learning opportunities, leading to better processes and discoveries. He illustrates this with their approach to email campaigns, emphasizing customization over mass outreach. Soni believes that personalized communication, tailored to the recipient, is far more effective than generic solicitations.

"we are moving into an era of mass customization and rather than you know spam people or do it the old way that's dying right and if you look at some of the traditional email marketing metrics we are so far above them that it's kind of like when jean marc was telling me about the click through rate and the open rate i'm kind of like are you telling me the exact truth here because it's you know orders of magnitude higher but it's only because it's getting sent to the right people"

Soni describes the current era as one of "mass customization," contrasting it with outdated marketing methods. He highlights that their highly targeted approach yields significantly better results than traditional, broad-stroke marketing. Soni's observation underscores the effectiveness of personalized outreach in reaching genuinely interested audiences.

"we want to make our authors millionaires the second is we want to keep the quality level of our books exceptionally high right they can measure that in all kinds of different ways but we don't want to be the place where you send we don't want to be the thing that we're criticizing where if there's a book in the system and it's not a famous name we don't care about it it doesn't get any editing support it doesn't get any marketing support"

Soni outlines two primary goals for Infinite Books: making authors millionaires and maintaining exceptionally high book quality. He explicitly states a desire to avoid the industry practice of neglecting books by less famous authors, ensuring that all projects receive dedicated editing and marketing support. Soni's vision prioritizes both author financial success and the integrity of the published work.

"the idea that like we have to talk about commerce because your point is a very valid one right like if we can make our authors millionaires they get to keep writing that's it that's a whole thing right and and it's also like it is doing a book shouldn't be a privilege reserved for like a small clutch of people who can do it because they

Resources

External Resources

Books

"Claude Shannon" by Jimmy Soni - Mentioned as the first book the speaker read by Jimmy Soni, sparking an interest in the author.
"Founders" by Jimmy Soni - Mentioned as an amazing book by Jimmy Soni, focusing on the origin story of PayPal and the PayPal Mafia.
"The Mamba Mentality" by Kobe Bryant - Mentioned as a book that assembles Kobe Bryant's wisdom from various sources, focusing on his life beyond basketball.
"The Almanac of Naval Ravikant" by Eric Jorgensen - Mentioned as a model for "The Mamba Mentality" book, based on curating and assembling wisdom from dispersed sources.
"How to Retire Rich" by Jimmy Soni - Mentioned as a book for which the author received a large advance and experienced significant publisher attention.
"A Mind to Play" by Jimmy Soni - Mentioned as a book about Claude Shannon, for which the author employed a hyper-targeted email marketing strategy.
"What Works on Wall Street" by Missy Soni - Mentioned as a book whose third edition cover was designed by the author's wife after dissatisfaction with the publisher's initial design.
"The Four Hour Work Week" by Tim Ferriss - Mentioned as an example of a book where the author ab-tested cover art in a physical bookstore.
"The Dao of Kobe" by Jimmy Soni - Mentioned as a forthcoming book about Kobe Bryant's creative and intellectual life beyond basketball.
"Dispatches from Grief" - Mentioned as a book with an artistic cover versus a more design-oriented cover, where the selfie cover won in testing.
"Slow Horses" - Mentioned as a canonical example of a book that gained significant traction after initial struggles, highlighting the importance of continued marketing.
"Boys in the Boat" - Mentioned as a book that did not sell well initially but gained popularity through word-of-mouth in a niche audience.

Articles & Papers

"The Founders" (Simon & Schuster) - Mentioned as the publisher and publication year (2022) for Jimmy Soni's book.

People

Jimmy Soni - CEO and editor-in-chief of Infinite Books, author of "Founders" and "Claude Shannon," and partner in Infinite Books.
Elon Musk - Mentioned as one of the household names associated with the PayPal Mafia.
Peter Thiel - Mentioned as one of the household names associated with the PayPal Mafia and his involvement with the Thiel Fellowship.
Reid Hoffman - Mentioned as one of the household names associated with the PayPal Mafia.
Claude Shannon - Subject of Jimmy Soni's book, described as an electrical engineer, mathematician, and creator of information theory.
Missy Soni - Wife of Jimmy Soni, a street photographer who designed the third edition cover of "What Works on Wall Street."
Tim Ferriss - Author of "The Four Hour Work Week," mentioned for his method of ab-testing book covers in bookstores.
Naval Ravikant - Mentioned in relation to Eric Jorgensen's book, "The Almanac of Naval Ravikant."
Kobe Bryant - Subject of Jimmy Soni's book "The Dao of Kobe," described as a creative individual beyond his basketball career, an Oscar winner, Emmy winner, and founder of Granity Studios.
Jane (Ms. Jane) - Kobe Bryant's high school writing teacher who inspired his interest in writing.
Joseph Campbell - Mentioned as an influence on Kobe Bryant, referenced in interviews.
Walt Disney - Mentioned as someone Kobe Bryant studied in his ambition to build Granity Studios into the next Disney.
David Roney - Subject of a forthcoming book from Infinite Books, for which a writers' room session is scheduled.
Jean Marc - A member of the Infinite Books team developing a tool for hyper-targeted email marketing.
Cal Fussman - Mentioned as the interviewer in a creativity-focused interview with Kobe Bryant that was not widely available on YouTube.

Organizations & Institutions

Infinite Books - A publishing company co-founded by Jimmy Soni, aiming to improve the publishing system.
Simon & Schuster - The publisher of Jimmy Soni's book "The Founders."
PayPal - The company whose origin story is detailed in Jimmy Soni's book "The Founders."
YouTube - Founders of YouTube are mentioned as part of the PayPal Mafia.
Yelp - Founders of Yelp are mentioned as part of the PayPal Mafia.
LinkedIn - Founders of LinkedIn are mentioned as part of the PayPal Mafia.
Tesla - Mentioned in relation to Elon Musk and the PayPal Mafia.
SpaceX - Mentioned in relation to Elon Musk and the PayPal Mafia.
Founders Fund - Mentioned as the first money into various ventures by the PayPal Mafia.
New Zealand - Mentioned in comparison to the combined net worth of the PayPal Mafia.
Xerox Park - Mentioned as a historical example of a concentrated period of talent.
Apple - Mentioned as a historical example of a concentrated period of talent.
Bell Labs - Mentioned as a historical example of a concentrated period of talent.
Getty Images - Mentioned as a source for cover art images that led to issues with representation.
National Football League (NFL) - Mentioned in relation to sports analytics and performance analysis.
New England Patriots - Mentioned as an example team for performance analysis.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) - Mentioned as a data source for player grading.
The Aspen Institute - Mentioned as a venue where Kobe Bryant spoke.
The Milken Institute - Mentioned as a venue where Kobe Bryant spoke.
USC Law School - Mentioned as a venue where Kobe Bryant spoke.
Ted Conference - Mentioned as a venue where Kobe Bryant spoke.
ESPN - Mentioned as a platform where Kobe Bryant broke down game tape.
Granity Studios - Kobe Bryant's creative studio, intended to be the next Disney, which published books and worked on other creative projects.
Disney - Mentioned as the benchmark for Kobe Bryant's ambition with Granity Studios.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the parent organization for which challenging assumptions is a central tenet.
McGraw Hill - Mentioned as a publisher that took a chance on the author's first book.
Broadway Books - Mentioned as a publisher that took a chance on the author's first book.
Amazon - Mentioned as a platform where book sales are tracked and where the author saw immediate sales after appearing on Oprah.
New York Times - Mentioned in comparison to the power of a Substack post for book promotion.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that offers fellowships.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that uses AI for efficient processes.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that offers author dashboards.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is building prototypes for author dashboards.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is moving into an era of mass customization.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is applying humanity and thoughtful marketing.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is building infrastructure to help authors.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is reviving books.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is testing titles with the audience and team.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is looking for projects the market missed.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that has a philosophy of infinite time horizons.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is building to scale.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that offers a 70/30 author royalty split.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that emphasizes taste and discrimination in project selection.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is looking for authors to make millionaires.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that aims to maintain a high quality level of books.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that aims to find international audiences.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is working on cracking the code for foreign rights and translations.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is doing a special thing with the author's book.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is providing incentive alignment.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is excited about what they are doing.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is trying to fix problems authors face.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is building a publisher.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that believes authors have more power than they think.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is looking for diamonds in the rough.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is working on the audiobook revolution.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is experimenting with AI in audio production.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is experimenting with audiobooks being different from the book.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is looking forward to doing a writers' room for David Roney's book.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is applying a classic Hollywood convention to fiction books.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is discovering secret algorithms.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is building email campaigns.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is hyper-targeting people.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is moving into an era of mass customization.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is applying humanity and thoughtful marketing.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is building infrastructure to help authors.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is reviving books.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures - Mentioned as the organization that is testing titles with the audience and team.
O'Shaughnessy Ventures -