Although anyone can self-publish today, and many do and make an excellent living doing so, the publishing side of it is very different than the writing side.
Create a publishing house that specializes in self-publishing authors. Instead of the two current options – do it all yourself or give it all to the publisher – this publishing house is in between these options. It cooperates with the author and shares the work and duties, contributing the unique expertise needed like marketing, editing, etc., and also shares the income generated by the cooperation.
You as a marketer would like to know more about the consumption of your product.
A PDF reader app that the client gets for free with the PDF file you send them or they download. They can, of course, open the PDF file in any other app, but you incentive them to use your app by promising them real time up to date data, surprises, etc. The app has two primary functions:
1. Report to you their consumption of the PDF file (how often, how far they read etc.)
2. A real time communication device that adapts to how they interact with the PDF document (where they currently are, what have they already read, etc.)
You would like to know if your buyer does use the product you sold them and how often.
Have a “sticker” or “button” that you ask them to stick to the product they bought, and a smartphone app or the device can connect to a home wifi network directly (you can offer an incentive like a discount.) You explain to them that data is anonymized, and it will help you create better products for them in the future.
Whenever they use the product (make coffee with their new machine) or consume it (read the book to their child) they “activate” the sticker. They do so by waving their smartphone near it, or pressing a small button on the sticker), and you’ll get the data through their smartphone or directly through their home wifi.