why this famous author got rejected 144 times (true story)

True story:

Jack Canfield was on Tim Ferriss’s podcast recently and told a wild story I’d never heard before.

In case you’re not familiar with him…

He co-authored Chicken Soup for the Soul, which turned into a series that sold over 500 million copies worldwide.

Which is an UNGODLY amount of copies lol.

Anyhow:

The manuscript for the original book was a collection of short stories they'd been testing in front of live audiences for years.

And every time they told these stories at conferences, workshops, or churches…

People would give them standing ovations.

They'd come up afterwards with tears in their eyes asking, "Where can I buy this book?"

So Jack and co-author Mark KNEW the stories worked.

They'd tested them over and over again.

Yet when they took the manuscript to New York publishers…

They got rejected 144 times.

Can you believe that?

Publishers said:

- "Collections of short stories never work"
- "Nobody wants to read this"
- "It's too short”

But here's the thing:

Jack and Mark didn't give up.

Because they'd already proven the concept worked.

They'd seen it work in real time, in front of real audiences, over and over again.

So they kept going.

Eventually, a small publisher agreed to print 20,000 copies…

Even though Jack told anyone who’d listen that they were gonna sell 1.5 million in 18 months.

The publisher laughed out loud when heard that.

Yet 18 months later?

They'd sold a staggering 1.3 million copies.

Moral of the story is:

When you understand what actually works…

You don't just "hope" for results.

You KNOW they're coming.

And the same rule applies to ad copy.

Except here's the good news:

I've already done the testing for you.

You see, over the past 9 years, I've tested hundreds of different hooks, angles, and frameworks with Meta Ads…

And spent 7+ figures figuring out what actually converts cold traffic into buyers.

So you don't have to waste money testing random stuff…

Or guess what might work…

Or burn through your budget hoping for the best.

And on November 11, I'm finally pulling back the curtain inside a new live training called:

“The 7-Figure Ad Copy Codex”

Because anyone can teach you how to launch a campaign in Ads Manager…

But knowing how to write cold traffic ads that convert is about as close as it gets to making money appear out of thin air.

Inside, you’ll discover:

- 7 proven ad copy frameworks I’ve used to drive 7+ figures in sales with Meta Ads (including real examples)

- The organic traffic paradox (and why most entrepreneurs can’t get traction on social media)

- Forget YouTube and TikTok. Here’s why Meta is the #1 advertising platform for knowledge-based businesses in 2026 and beyond

- What NEVER to do when writing Meta Ads (I see this mistake all the time… even with experienced advertisers)

-  My simple 6-step “DISARM” Method for writing long-form ads that convert ice cold traffic into high-quality leads and customers (your ads can run for 6-12+ months without fatiguing once you nail this… which is pretty friggin’ sweet ;)

- The counterintuitive hook writing lesson I learned from “the godfather of marketing” (this guy’s generated billions of dollars in sales and consults for Tony Robbins, Daymond John, Brian Tracy, and many other entrepreneurial celebrities)

- The “quiz lead” ad that made an obscure manual therapy program go viral (screw delivering value… this is how I racked up 1.7k comments and 3.1k shares on a paid AD promoting a client’s business!)

- Why “selling the click” can kill the profitability of your ads (and what smart advertisers do instead)

- How to turn market trends and mainstream media headlines into automatic subscriber windfalls (this is arguably the most valuable piece of advice I ever got from Dan Kennedy… and it’s based on a simple psychological loophole that all great ads exploit)

- The anatomy of a 7-figure Meta Ad (and why most ads I see ignore the #1 most valuable piece of real estate)

- How building your list with Meta Ads can turn you into a niche celebrity (and bring you lucrative inbound opportunities… even if you don’t have any inside connections or high-profile testimonials)

- PLUS: Fill-in-the-blanks templates you can use to spin up winning ads in virtually any niche ASAP

- And a whole lot more

By the end of the training, you’ll walk away with 7 proven ad copy frameworks responsible for generating millions of leads and driving millions of DOLLARS in sales…

That you can swipe to start building YOUR list.

The training is happening LIVE on Tuesday at 11 AM ET.

You can grab a ticket below for only $97.

And if you can’t make it live, no worries.

You’ll get lifetime access to the recording, templates, and training doc.

But tickets are only available until Monday at midnight.

After that, this offer disappears.

That means you’ve got less than 36 hours left to sign up.

So if you're tired of being stuck on the organic content hamster wheel…

And you're ready to start building your list faster with long-form Meta Ads that actually convert…

Without wasting thousands on ads that flop…

Or clogging up your list with low-quality subscribers who won’t ever read or buy…

Then tap below to grab your ticket before it's too late:​

Grab your ticket for The 7-Figure Ad Copy Codex here

Jim Hamilton


​