BILF (Books in Lieu of Fee) Service

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BILF (Books in Lieu of Fee) Service

Inspired by a conversation on:

The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast

The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast

SPI 895: What's Working in Publishing Books Right Now

Host: Pat Flynn

Timestamp: 00:21:11 - 00:21:41

Listen to Episode • View Podcast • All Ideas from The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast

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Feather Flow

Direct Quote

"I did speak a little bit more this year because of the book. But instead of my speaking fee, I sold books in exchange for me to show up."

Market Gap

Speakers often struggle to monetize speaking engagements effectively.

Many speakers face the challenge of monetizing their appearances effectively, especially in a competitive market where engagement fees can vary greatly. Traditional speaking engagements often only provide a flat fee, which may not reflect the value of the speaker's expertise or the potential revenue generated from book sales or related products. This lack of flexibility can limit the speaker's ability to capitalize on their audience and build a sustainable revenue stream. A service that facilitates book sales as part of the speaking engagement can provide a dual benefit, enhancing both the speaker's income and the audience's experience.

Summary

The BILF (Books in Lieu of Fee) Service is a platform that facilitates speakers in exchanging their books for speaking fees at events. This service allows speakers to promote their books while engaging with audiences, effectively creating a win-win situation. By leveraging the popularity of their book, speakers can attract more attendees and generate additional revenue through book sales. This method not only increases the speaker's income but also adds value to the audience, who receive a copy of the book as part of the experience. This innovative approach can help speakers build a loyal following and encourage ongoing engagement with their work.

Categorization

Business Model
Service
Target Founder
Subject Matter Expert
Difficulty
Medium
Time to Revenue
1-3 months
Initial Investment
< $100

Potential MRR (18-24 months)

Conservative
$1,000 - $3,000 MRR
Moderate (Most Likely)
$5,000 - $10,000 MRR
Optimistic
$15,000 - $30,000 MRR

* Estimates assume solo founder/bootstrap scenario with competent execution

Scores

Clarity
9/10
Novelty
8/10
Feasibility
8/10
Market Potential
8/10
Evidence
8/10
Overall
8.2/10
Found on October 14, 2025 • Analyzed on October 14, 2025 4:57 PM

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How should I validate this service idea before building it?

2:34 PM

Great question! For a service idea like this, I'd recommend starting with these validation steps:

  1. Customer interviews: Talk to Subject Matter Expert to understand their pain points
  2. MVP approach: Build a simple landing page to test demand
  3. Competitor analysis: Research existing solutions and identify gaps

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