108 You Have a Book in You Your database contains the people who will also buy the next 昀椀ve books you write, attend your retreat, and enroll for your telecourse. Basically, your database can put your kids through college. But this will only happen if you maintain a meaningful relationship with your data- base members over the years. Your database 昀椀nds suspects, quali昀椀es them as prospects, turns them into customers with their 昀椀rst purchase, and ultimately converts them into clients and raving fans who want to read everything you have written. I, for example, have read everything by Napoleon Hill, Bob Allen, Bob Proctor, Sydney Sheldon, Michael Crichton, Clive Cussler, R. Buckminster Fuller, and many other authors who populate my personal library. Handle your database delicately. It is possible to burn out an enormous database with a few careless choices on your part. It is also possible to have a small database that purchases everything you publish because they are crazy about your work. It is not about numbers; it is about temperature. In the book business, we refer to your database as your list, and lists are either hot or cold. You want a hot list. In other words, you want to talk to your list on a reg- ular basis, providing tons of value, and continually build your list without seeing people unsubscribe from it.