Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work That Lasts
Kindle
$13.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$16.08
Paperback
$20.57
Audible Logo Your audiobook is waiting!
Enjoy a free trial on us
$0.00
  • Click above for unlimited listening to select audiobooks, Audible Originals, and podcasts.
  • One credit a month to pick any title from our entire premium selection — yours to keep (you'll use your first credit now).
  • You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
  • $14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel online anytime.
Learn more about membership
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
List Price: $15.75
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible’s Conditions Of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice.
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work That Lasts Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Ryan Holiday (Author, Narrator), Penguin Audio (Publisher)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 964 ratings
See all formats and editions

The book that Inc. says "every entrepreneur should read" and an FT Book of the Month selection...

How did the movie The Shawshank Redemption fail at the box office but go on to gross more than $100 million as a cult classic?

How did The 48 Laws of Power miss the best-seller lists for more than a decade and still sell more than a million copies?

How is Iron Maiden still filling stadiums worldwide without radio or TV exposure 40 years after the band was founded?

Best-selling author and marketer Ryan Holiday calls such works and artists perennial sellers. How do they endure and thrive while most books, movies, songs, video games, and pieces of art disappear quickly after initial success? How can we create and market creative works that achieve longevity?

Holiday explores this mystery by drawing on his extensive experience working with businesses and creators such as Google, American Apparel, and the author John Grisham as well as his interviews with the minds behind some of the greatest perennial sellers of our time. His fascinating examples include:

  • Rick Rubin, producer for Adele, Jay-Z, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who teaches his artists to push past short-term thinking and root their work in long-term inspiration.
  • Tim Ferriss, whose books have sold millions of copies, in part because he rigorously tests every element of his work to see what generates the strongest response.
  • Seinfeld, which managed to capture both the essence of the '90s and timeless themes to become a modern classic.
  • Harper Lee, who transformed a muddled manuscript into To Kill a Mockingbird with the help of the right editor and feedback.
  • Winston Churchill, Stefan Zweig, and Lady Gaga, who each learned the essential tenets of building a platform of loyal, dedicated supporters.

Holiday reveals that the key to success for many perennial sellers is that their creators don't distinguish between the making and the marketing. The product's purpose and audience are in the creator's mind from day one. By thinking holistically about the relationship between their audience and their work, creators of all kinds improve the chances that their offerings will stand the test of time.

Previous page
  1. Listening Length
    7 hours
  2. Author
    Ryan Holiday
  3. Narrator
    Ryan Holiday
  4. Audible release date
    July 18, 2017
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Penguin Audio
  7. ASIN
    B0733RT7VL
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
Next page

Read & Listen

Switch between reading the Kindle book & listening to the Audible audiobook with Whispersync for Voice.
Get the Audible audiobook for the reduced price of $5.25 after you buy the Kindle book.

Product details

Listening Length 7 hours
Author Ryan Holiday
Narrator Ryan Holiday
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date July 18, 2017
Publisher Penguin Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B0733RT7VL
Best Sellers Rank #36,291 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#61 in E-Commerce (Audible Books & Originals)
#92 in Popular Psychology Creativity & Genius
#135 in Marketing (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
964 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Bradley Bevers
5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Practical - Valuable Book Well Worth The Time
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2017
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )Verified Purchase
Years ago now, I stumbled across Holiday's reading list and have been following it and his writing ever since. As an avid reader, one thing that I have grown tired of is non-fiction writer's putting out the same thing, over and over again in different ways. I have given up on entire genres because no one has anything original to say, they just copy each other ad nauseum, and the books are stale before they hit the shelves.

Holiday is an exception to that rule, and everything he has written so far is always original and in his distinct voice. For this book in particular, I have read a lot in the genre of book creation/marketing. I helped run a small publishing company at one point and for part of my learning, I bought and read as many books on the business of books as I could. While Perennial Seller is not focused exclusively on books, authors will find more here that is useful than other creatives. Of all the books I have read on writing, this one stands out as my top recommendation moving forward. It succinctly covers Creation, Positioning, Marketing, and Platform and wastes no space in doing so. Some highlights include:

"While many dream perennial-selling dreams, they think that the wanting–instead of the work–is what matters."

"The difference between a great work and an idea for a great work is all the seat, time, effort, and agony that go into engaging that idea and turning it into something real. That difference is not trivial."

The two best things to focus on as a nonfiction writer are enjoyability and utility.

"At a very basic level, if you're not amazing in every facet, you're replaceable. To publishers, studios, investors, and customers alike."

The one sentence, one paragraph, one page exercise to make your product clear is invaluable.

". . . nothing has sunk more creators and caused more unhappiness than this: our inherently human tendency to pursue a strategy aimed at accomplishing one goal while simultaneously expecting to achieve other goals we've specifically deprioritized."

Only one thing matters in marketing: word of mouth.

Bottom line: This is an extremely practical and enjoyable book, both original and drawing on the wisdom of many other creatives. If you are at the idea stage and haven't been able to break through to do the work, buy this book. Reading it gave me the push I needed to start working on other things that have been in the idea stage for too long. Highly Recommended.
41 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Douglas Burdett
5.0 out of 5 stars Learn How To Create Something That Will Never Stop Selling!
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
The media could not be loaded.
 Hi I’m Douglas Burdett, host of The Marketing Book Podcast and I’d like to tell you about the book "Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts" by Ryan Holiday.

So what is a perennial seller? The author explains that in every industry, from books to movies to restaurants to bands and software, certain creations can be described as “perennial.” Meaning that regardless of how well they may have sold in the beginning, these products have found continued success and more customers over time. They are the kind of art or products that we keep coming back to and recommend to others, even if they're no longer trendy or brand new. In this way they are timeless, dependable resources and consistent money-makers, paying like annuities to their owners.

In "Perennial Seller", Ryan Holiday explores how certain things last seemingly forever. He reveals the common creative mindset behind work that lasts and how it is different from work that’s popular one day and gone the next. The book explores how creators of perennially selling products package their work and the kinds of relationships they have with their fans and followers.

"Perennial Seller" walks you through how to make and market your own classic work. It includes interviews with some of the world’s greatest creatives, and it’s based in a deep analysis of the classics in many genres. What you get is a foundational set of innovative principles. So, whether you have a book or a business, a song or the next great screenplay, this book reveals how to achieve long-lasting success.

And to listen to an interview with Ryan Holiday about "Perennial Seller", visit MarketingBookPodcast.com
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Max
4.0 out of 5 stars Holiday insists that great creators see "every part of the process as their ...
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2017
Verified Purchase
In my 2013 personal annual review, I wrote that I wanted to build something that would last 100 years. I have made no progress over the last four years. It is such a large and intimidating goal that it seems impossible to begin. Where to start? What are the steps along the path? Ryan Holiday's "Perennial Seller" promises to help us "make something that can stand the test of time," and he delivers.

The book surprised me with its focus on the marketing side of things. A quarter of the book is about actually creating a masterpiece. The remainder of the book deals with the positioning, marketing, and platform strategy needed to make a work grow and endure. This part of the process had always been a mystery to me. I was one of those naive people who thought writers just handed off their works to their publishing companies ("kissing it up to God") and then their work was done.

Holiday insists that great creators see "every part of the process as their responsibility" and he relentlessly pushes us build a platform to connect with our fans. I had never thought about having a pre-built platform/network of people to help jumpstart the spread of my work. It's such an obvious idea that I can't believe I hadn't been doing it before. And to give us a clear and achievable target, Holiday quotes Kevin Kelly who says: "Anyone producing works of art — needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living"

Beyond the importance of a platform strategy, I found Holiday's thoughts on the advertising interesting. While the initial launch is an important opportunity, he discounts the long-term importance of advertising: "If a product is going to sell forever, it must have strong word of mouth. It must drive its own adoption. Over the long haul, this is the only thing that lasts"

But how to rate this book? It's certainly not great literature itself. Most of Holiday's recent work (including his "Obstacle is the Way" - http://books.max-nova.com/obstacle-way/) is written according to the same formula. Find a bunch of great quotes and then include a very thin veneer of analysis and add some link to modern situations.

Having followed Holiday for years, I feel like he recycles the same guys (Churchill, Epictetus, Lincoln, Robert Greene, Aurelius) over and over again. He seems brilliant and widely read when you first encounter him, but repeated exposure threatens to expose the shallowness beneath the surface. I'm particularly concerned by his increasing promotion of James Altucher (one of his clients at Brass Check) who follows a similar but less well-executed formula for writing his own mediocre books. See my 2-star review of Altucher's "The Choose Yourself Guide to Wealth" (http://books.max-nova.com/choose-yourself-wealth/) for why I think this is a bad direction for Holiday.

Yet this book accomplishes what few other books have - it made me change my behavior. Taking Holiday's advice that, "the best time to have built your network was yesterday. The second best time is right now," I have started to set up my own "platform" for connecting with people who enjoy my book reviews. One day, when I write my great American novel, I'll be well-prepared to begin the next step of the journey: turning it into a perennial seller.

Full review and highlights at http://books.max-nova.com/perennial-seller/
8 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Javier Sánchez Serrano
5.0 out of 5 stars Buen libro para aprender sobre el trabajo que perdura
Reviewed in Mexico on December 18, 2021
Verified Purchase
El libro tiene datos y ejemplos interesantes, me hubiera gustado gustado profundizara aún más, pero sin duda planta la semilla del pensamiento que debemos tener. Pienso que este y el Libro Maestría de Robert Greene son una guía muy buena de lo que necesitas hacer para ser perdurable y exitoso en lo que sea que deseas ser.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Todavía no lo termino.... Pero ya vibrando con el contenido!!
Reviewed in Spain on March 27, 2022
Verified Purchase
A nivel de tiempos, me llego 1 día antes de lo previsto.
En cuanto a material, tiene un cover de papel y es de tapa dura de tela con letras en dorado, una pieza para conservar por muchos años en nuestras bibliotecas!
Report
Andrea
5.0 out of 5 stars Consigliatissimo
Reviewed in Italy on March 28, 2021
Verified Purchase
Grandissimo libro, ottimo!
Occhio che è in inglese
Report
Kanchan Singh Satpathy
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely fabulous!!
Reviewed in India on March 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
Absolutely fabulous!! The book is an easy read with ample examples and real time stories that leads an authentic grace to read!! Would recommend this book to every person who wishes to create anything or especially write, it is just the Perfect gude line. This book was recommended by a friend who is god sent to me and this book is a sign for me from the universe.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
Nano Fregonese
4.0 out of 5 stars Ryan Holiday nunca decepciona
Reviewed in Brazil on September 1, 2017
Verified Purchase
Eu gosto muito dos textos do Ryan Holiday. O considero um autor sério, que faz boas reflexões e que tem muito a ensinar. Este é mais um dos seus bons livros e vai agradar a criadores/criativos em geral. Contudo, senti falta de algumas partes mais práticas e com planos de ação. O livro não é um "How To", mas mesmo assim deixa boas dicas. Vale bastante pelo fator motivacional também. Se você ainda não conhece o trabalho do Ryan, pode comprar sem medo; caso acompanhe seus textos e outros livros, talvez não veja grandes novidades, mas ainda assim eu recomendaria este livro.
2 people found this helpful
 Report