Hey Hey Hey!

I got a note last week asking me, "What is a Modern Author anyway?"

It was a great question. There are just two kinds of authors—ones who get paid, and ones who don’t. The difference? Whether they are a Modern Author. Here are the four commonalities I see in today's modern authors:

(a) Own your rights / intellectual property
(b) Own your audience
(c) Leverage modern tools & coaching, and
(d) Maximize your economic opportunities

Listen, I realized I was going to have to become a modern author the moment I got my first royalty check. It was tiny... like way smaller than I had ever contemplated when I poured my soul into the writing. For my second book, I didn't let book sales become a distraction. So, I stopped prioritizing sales and was way more intentional about direct opportunities. As a result, my second book was worth well in excess of seven figures for me from clients, startup equity, consulting, and other earnings.

I didn't know it at the time, but I had become a modern author... the type of author who writes a book as a way to create leverage (not just as a way to sell books).

Today, We Deliver & Sell Modern Knowledge (Differently)

Most authors believe the most challenging part of the journey is writing their book. But the real challenge? Turning that book into sustainable income.

Here’s why:

• Books don’t make (much) money. They make trust—and trust can be monetized.
• The average author earns $500–$5,000 from their book. But a Modern Author can generate $10K–$100K+ using the right monetization system.
• Without a monetization plan, your book is just a fancy business card.

I learned this lesson firsthand when I launched Super Mentors. I wasn't as intentional about the book as I should have been (aka I know better). After the book hit the shelves, I floundered for about six months. What was next? What was my system?

It wasn’t until I realized my knowledge monetization plan needed to be built around day-long workshops, keynotes, and small-group coaching that things changed. The Super Mentors book was the proof to sell my product. Now, I run these five or six times a year, and they generate $10K–$15K per event. The book became my trust-builder, but the workshops turned into sustainable revenue.

And the key? Systematizing it.

What we’ve learned from our 2,500+ Modern Author alumni is clear:

• Only 5–15% of their earnings come from retail book sales.
• Yes, book sales are valuable, but they work best when paired with other revenue streams.

The Modern Author Monetization Plan (3 Steps to Making Your Book an Asset)

The process isn't particularly earth-shattering, but it's unconventional. It requires a mindset shift to decide not to push people to Amazon to buy your book.

Modern Authors have to cut out middlemen (aka Amazon) and engage directly with readers. Once you do this, you'll see how much easier it is to actually spark conversations with the people you want to do business with!

✅ Step 1: Convert Attention Into Owned Assets

Your book shouldn’t just attract readers—it should build an audience you control.

• Strategy: Use your book to drive traffic to an email list, community, or platform.
• Example: A free book funnel where readers opt-in for exclusive content, behind-the-scenes insights, or additional training.
• Why It Works: Your book generates one-time revenue, but your audience generates long-term income.

✅ Step 2: Create High-Ticket Offers

If your book doesn’t lead to something worth $1K–$10K+, you’re leaving money on the table.

• What Works: Speaking, coaching, workshops, online courses, memberships.
• Example: A book on leadership could lead to executive coaching packages or corporate workshops.
• Why It Works: High-ticket offers maximize ROI per reader—turning a $20 book buyer into a $5,000+ client.

✅ Step 3: Automate & Scale Monetization

Your book should work for you 24/7—even while you sleep.

• How to Scale: Funnels, evergreen sales pages, AI-powered follow-ups.
• Example: Set up a regular webinar that sells a coaching program or course.
• Why It Works: Once set up, your book constantly drives revenue without additional effort.

Do You Want to Build a Modern Author Funnel?

You're probably saying to yourself, "Dude, this sounds awesome but complicated."

I get that. Last fall, I ran ten sessions with a group of authors called Modern Author Models. In it, I broke down the six modern author personas and the twenty-four modern author business models. It was really fun and very informative (for me and them).

What I discovered is if you're talking directly to your readers (aka Step 1), then you just need to know what you're selling them beyond the book (aka Step 2). My advice is to figure out your persona and your primary business model. Do that, and you'll be ahead of nearly every other knowledge entrepreneur you're competing with (then you can think about automation and scale from Step 3). Seriously, just this!

I recorded the Modern Author Models sessions and packaged up the slides and materials, as you can see below. Every person who attended live told me how valuable it was. If you want to review this and go through it, email me, and I'll send you the link to access it all for free. My only ask is you share feedback to help me as I turn this into a paid course this spring (yep, that's the goal... to make it a full, paid mastermind-style course to help systematize your Modern Author Monetization plan).

💰 Bottom Line: A Book Without a Monetization Plan Is Just a Product

Modern Authors don’t just write books—they build businesses. That usually begins by figuring out your Modern Author persona and the primary business model. That's what happened to me with Super Mentors, and it made all the difference.

If you don’t know your person and models, AND have a clear Knowledge Monetization Plan, your book will always be limited in impact and income.

But with the right system? Your book becomes an asset that drives opportunities, revenue, and long-term success.

I hope this helps explain why Modern Authors matter... and I'd love to help you apply it to your knowledge business, too.

Oh, and coming this Saturday, look out for a brand new post that does a deep dive into writing like a thought leader using the Pyramid Method. Trust me, worth the price of admission. ;)

Eric

🚀 Want to chat about how to develop and write your book? Our Spring 2025 Modern Author Community is enrolling soon. You can schedule a call with me to learn more.