Hey there Modern Authors,

A few years ago, I noticed something strange.

I’d ask people about books they loved, books that stuck with them, books they recommended to others.

And almost no one would explain the idea.

They wouldn’t say:
“It’s about habits”
“It’s about leadership”
“It’s about generosity”

They’d say something completely different:

“It made me feel like I was an Outlier.”
“I’m trying to be more of a Go-Giver.”
“I think I’m a Relauncher.”

That’s when it clicked.

The books that spread aren’t remembered for what they teach.

They’re remembered for what they name.

And most authors completely miss this.

The Mistake Almost Every Smart Author Makes

Most aspiring thought leaders think their job is to teach.

So they focus on:

• frameworks
• tactics
• insights

They try to make the book useful.

And it is useful.

But it doesn’t travel.

Because usefulness doesn’t spread.

Identity does.

That’s why so many well-written, thoughtful books quietly disappear.

They teach well.

But they don’t name anything.

The Moment I Realized This

When I was developing Super Mentors, I made the same mistake.

I thought I was writing a book about mentorship.

I had frameworks.
Stories.
Advice.

It was solid.

But something felt off.

It didn’t feel… sticky.

And then in a conversation, someone said something simple:

“This isn’t really about mentoring. It’s about a different kind of mentor. What would I call that kind of mentor?”

That’s when it hit me.

Not “mentorship.”

Super Mentors.

A specific type of person.

Someone who doesn’t just give advice, but changes trajectories.

The moment that clicked, everything changed:

• the writing got sharper
• the stories got clearer
• the message got easier to explain

And most importantly:

People started saying it back.

“I want to be a Super Mentor.”

That’s when I realized:

The book wasn’t working because of the ideas.

It was working because of the identity.

The Shift: From “What Should I Do?” to “Who Am I Becoming?”

As long as a book is teaching ideas, the reader stays in evaluation mode:

“Is this useful?”
“Should I try this?”

But when a book names an identity, the question changes:

“Is this me?”

And once that shift happens, everything else follows.

Because behavior doesn’t come from information.

It comes from identity.

People don’t ask:
“What should I do next?”

They ask:
“What would someone like me do?”

How to Build an Identity Into Your Book

If you want your book to travel, it needs to name something.

Here’s a simple way to think about it.

Your book should define:

1. The old identity

Who your reader is today.

Stuck. Frustrated. Misunderstood. Operating in the old way.

2. The new identity

Who they become.

Outlier. Go-Giver. Relauncher. Super Mentor.

Something simple, specific, and recognizable.

3. The bridge

The ideas, stories, and frameworks that help them move from one to the other.

Most authors jump straight to the bridge.

The best authors start with the identity.

Why Identity Beats Information

Most books assume the reader has an information problem.

If they knew more, they’d act differently.

Sometimes that’s true.

But most readers today are not short on information.
They’re short on language.

They already sense something about themselves:

They think differently.
They approach problems differently.
They care about things others overlook.

But they don’t have words for it yet.

When a book provides that language, recognition happens.

And recognition is powerful.

Because identity shapes behavior far more reliably than advice.

Once someone adopts an identity, the question changes.

Instead of asking:
“Should I do this?”

They begin asking:
“What would someone like me do next?”

That shift is subtle.

But it changes everything.

How I Actually Teach Modern Authors to Build an Identity Into Their Book

Because they try to invent something clever.

A catchy acronym.
A smart phrase.
A unique spin.

And that’s usually the wrong move.

When I work with authors, we don’t start by naming anything.

We start by listening for what already exists.

Step 1: Find the Pattern That Won’t Leave You Alone

Every strong identity comes from a pattern.

Not a topic. Not a niche. A pattern.

Something you keep seeing:

• in your work
• in conversations
• in your own life
• across different people and situations

For example:

• “People don’t lack mentors. They lack the right kind of mentors.”
• “Leaders don’t struggle with strategy. They struggle with hard conversations.”
• “Most people don’t fail because of bad ideas. They fail in the messy middle.”

If the pattern doesn’t feel a little obsessive…

It’s probably not strong enough.

Step 2: Turn the Pattern Into a Type of Person

This is where most authors go wrong.

They try to describe the problem.

But the breakthrough comes when you describe the person who solves it.

Not:
"mentorship"

But:
​Super Mentors

Not:
"having hard conversations"

But:
​Leaders who handle tough talks well

Not:
"starting over"

But:
​Relaunchers

You’re not naming a concept.

You’re naming a person someone can become.

Step 3: Pressure Test It in Conversation

This is the part almost everyone skips.

Before we lock anything in, I have authors say it out loud.

In real conversations.

Not polished. Not perfect.
Just try it.

And then watch:

• Do people lean in?
• Do they ask a follow-up question?
• Do they repeat it back?
• Do they ask how to be that person?

Or do they nod politely… and move on?

You’ll know very quickly if it works.
Because strong identities don’t need explanation.

They create recognition.

Step 4: Ask the Only Question That Matters

After every conversation, I tell authors to ask one thing:

“What stuck with you?”

Not:

“What did you think?”
“Was this helpful?”

What stuck.

Because what people remember…
is what belongs in the book.

If no one repeats the identity back to you, it’s not ready yet.

If they start using your language?

Now you’re onto something.

Step 5: Build the Book Around the Identity (Not the Other Way Around)

Once the identity clicks, everything else becomes easier.

• The title becomes clearer
• The stories become more relevant
• The framework becomes more focused
• The positioning becomes obvious

You’re no longer trying to cover everything.

You’re helping someone become something.

That’s a much tighter job.

Step 6: Stay Unrelenting

This is the part most people underestimate.

Once you land on the identity, you don’t move off it.

You repeat it.
Refine it.
Use it everywhere.

In your writing.
In your speaking.
In your content.

Not because you lack creativity.

Because consistency creates recognition.

And recognition is what makes ideas spread.

The Shortcut Most People Want (And Why It Doesn’t Work)

Most authors want to jump straight to:

“What’s my catchy or clever idea?”
"What's my acronym?"

But that skips the real work.

The real work is:

• seeing the pattern clearly
• understanding the person it describes
• testing it in the real world

The name comes last.

And when you get it right, it doesn’t feel clever.

It feels obvious.

Like it was always there.

The Identity Test

Now, here’s a simple test for your book:

Can someone say,

“I’m a ______.”

after reading it?

If not, you may have a strong book.

But you don’t yet have a book that spreads.

That’s why books like Outliers worked.

Not because of the 10,000-hour rule.

But because people could say:

“I’m an Outlier.”

The label did more work than the framework.

How the “Us” Forms Without Being Forced

Interestingly, the strongest books don’t try to force identity.

They don’t declare movements.
They don’t tell readers to adopt a label.

Instead they describe a worldview clearly enough that the right readers recognize themselves inside it.

If it resonates, you’re already part of it.
If it doesn’t, no persuasion is needed.

That clarity quietly draws a boundary.

Not everyone belongs.

But the right readers instantly know they do.

And that’s how the “us” forms.

Audience vs. “Us”

Most books think in terms of audience.

An audience is external.

You speak to them.
You explain ideas.
You try to hold their attention.

But an “us” works differently.

An “us” is internal.

The author writes from inside the same worldview.

Assumptions are shared.
Language feels natural.
Trust forms faster.

The author stops sounding like an expert delivering information.

They start sounding like someone who articulated something the reader already believed — but hadn’t named.

The Real Job of a Modern Author

Most authors think they’re writing to teach.

The best authors are writing to name something.

To give people language for something they already feel…
but haven’t been able to say.

Because once a book names the “us,” something powerful happens:

It stops being content.
It becomes a signal.

A filter.
A way for people to find each other.

And that’s when a book stops being read…
and starts being repeated.

Happy Writing Y'all!

Eric
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