Erik made a mistake. It’s a mistake entrepreneurs make all the time.
He was at a party, talking to Scribe Media’s founder Tucker Max about publishing a book to grow his business. When Tucker told him writing and publishing a high-quality book would cost about $50,000…he balked. He thought, “I can do it myself for less.”
So he didn’t hire Scribe. He did it himself.
Three years later, he published his book – and spent $350,000 to do it! 
Erik has a unique story because he isn’t a Scribe author. But he refers people to Scribe because he knows how slow, painful, and wasteful it was to do it all himself.
Erik Huberman is the founder of Hawke Media, a performance marketing agency. He has clients like Crocs, Barstool Sports, and five thousand others. His book teaches you his marketing principles and their success stories.
Despite WASTING THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, his book was still a great investment. But next time, he’ll use Scribe.
Here is Erik’s lonely, expensive journey creating The Hawke Method on his own, and lessons you can use (that he had to learn the hard way). Check out his full interview with Scribe CEO Eric Jorgenson here.
When Erik Huberman knew he should write a book
Erik’s marketing strategy has three principles: awareness, nurturing, and trust. He applied these for clients and in his own business. In ten years, Hawke Media was worth more than $150 million.
He’d thought about writing a book for years, even drafting a manuscript which he later trashed. He just wasn’t sure he had a story to share.
Finally, he met a writer who understood his vision. Erik felt he had the help and support he needed, and the path became clear.
How Erik Huberman Wrote The Hawke Method
Erik wanted to distill his marketing methodology into a book and create a product that could serve as Hawke Media’s bible. He contacted Tucker Max, co-founder of Scribe Media, who laid out the services and pricing.
For all the writing and publishing services Erik needed, the total was about $50,000. This would have been a year’s worth of writing, editing, designing, proofreading, and publishing – it’s a lot of work.
Erik decided to go out on his own and put all the pieces together himself. He felt confident that he had enough resources to manage the timeline himself and get the job done for less money.
Like building your own house from scratch, it is possible – but not advisable. It’s a lot of searching, mistakes, sketchy subcontractors, dubious quality, and corners that are wonky on the first three tries.
The Book Is Still A Great Investment
The most amazing part of this story to me is not the $350,000 Erik spent. It is that he spent $350,000 on his book and still feels it was a great investment.
The Hawke Method became a USA Today bestseller and was the calling card Erik used to increase his customer base and gain exposure. His book tour included stops on The Drew Barrymore Show and The Adam Carolla Show. The Hawke Method is on A&E’s The Kings of Barbecue with Cedric the Entertainer and Anthony Anderson. It’s even part of NYU’s marketing curriculum.
The Hawke Method is a huge success. In Erik’s mind, though, it could’ve been easier, faster, cheaper, and more successful if he had hired Scribe. In the end, Erik paid $350,000 for the final product—seven times more than if he had chosen Scribe Media.
Key Takeaways
- Many authors spend months or years worrying about “When should I write my book?” Just start.
- If you’re on the fence about whether a book is a good investment – remember this story.
- The lowest price isn’t always the best option for a publisher, ghostwriter, or book marketer.
- Many book marketing initiatives (such as book tours) may not provide an immediate return, but pay off in surprising ways.
- Never doubt the power of a published book, no matter how many experts become authors.
Books are hard, but they build businesses.
Writing and publishing a book requires a lot of work from a variety of experts. Hire a company like Scribe where those experts work together in a well-defined process. It will save you time, angst, and huge sums of money.
Writing a book is an investment in yourself and your career. It may feel expensive to do it right, but the rewards come for years.