The Modern Author
🚀 Want to write like Adam Grant or Brene Brown? The Modern Author gives you weekly templates, prompts & proven frameworks to turn your ideas into books, articles & authority. No fluff—just tactical steps to write with confidence. Subscribe now!
Hey There Modern AuthorsThis post isn't just a post... its an invitation (which is a little meta, but read on and hopefully it resonates). Okay, so most authors plan their book launch in the same way as they schedule their online content. Pick a date. Tell people it's out. Ask them to buy. A quiet ta-da. But the authors breaking records today? That’s the shift. If you want people to talk about your book, buy in bulk, or build a business around your ideas… You don’t need more readers. ​ You need fans. And fans don’t want self-interested social posts. They want a moment. A community. A shared story. It's the biggest thing I teach in our Modern Author Community. You need to announce your book waaaaaaay differently today. That’s why I’m hosting the Book Launch Builder Webinar in about two weeks (December 17th) to show you how to build a fan-first announcement and launch in the next 120 days. I'm keeping it small, so I've only opened 50 slots and y'all grabbed about half last week. So grab a spot (I'm using it to test a new tool we've built... hence why there's no cost for this). Save your free spot → https://stan.store/erickoester/p/free-book-launch-workshop--dec-17th-2-pm-est​ In this article, I’m going to break down exactly how to do it, using playbooks from:
That's right... we are even going to listen to some Life Of A Showgirl together (if you come!) First: The Book Announcement That Rewrote the RulesI've been preaching the gospel of book announcement events for a half decade. But in August 2025, Alex Hormozi announced $100M Money Models and essentially showed everyone how a modern book announcement is done at scale. And the numbers were wild:
That’s not a typo. Nearly 3 million books in a single day. While Hormozi already has a big audience, this wasn't just him posting to buy his book on X or IG. This was a playbook and I spent a month breaking this down song and verse. You see, Hormozi didn’t achieve that by writing a better back cover or running a few Facebook ads. He designed an announcement and launch event that felt like a movement. What He Did Differently:
This wasn’t a launch. It was a gathering. And it worked because he built it for fans. The way every Modern Author needs to see this... Your publishing date is for readers. And trust me, that's why those 2.9 million copies are just the tip of the iceberg for Alex... those fans will be paying to fly to Vegas for his trainings, submitting their financials for investment, and supporting every paid product and offer Alex feeds them for the next decade. Your book announcement should too. The Theory That Predicted It All: 1,000 True FansIn 2008, Kevin Kelly wrote a legendary essay that still shapes how creators launch today. His core idea? You don’t need millions of followers. You need 1,000 true fans. True fans:
Hormozi’s announcement launch wasn’t built on mass marketing. It was built on a fanbase who’d been invited in. And what's wild is in our Modern Author community, our research finds that every fan (someone who buys the book before its done) tells 3-5 more people to buy your book... or recommends your course... or suggests you for a speaking slot. Your 1,000 True Fans is the secret to leverage for any Modern Author. What Taylor Swift Can Teach Every Modern AuthorLet’s take a detour to Taylor Swift, because no one activates fans better. With her Eras Tour and album re-recordings, she created the most fan-powered entertainment machine in the world. And just this fall, her Life Of A Showgirl launch didn't start with mass media... it started with a fan event on Travis Kelce's podcast. This was an announcement built purely for fans. She doesn’t release content. She creates:
Swifties don’t consume. They contribute. That’s the playbook. If you can't learn from Swift, then who can you learn from?!?! And in the Book Launch Builder Webinar, I’ll break down how to adapt Swift’s model to nonfiction, coaching, consulting, or thought leadership book announcements.
Reserve your spot → https://stan.store/erickoester/p/free-book-launch-workshop--dec-17th-2-pm-est​ What We Did with Super MentorsWhen we announced Super Mentors, we didn’t aim for a viral spike. We aimed for meaningful momentum. Here’s how we built it:
How? Well, I personally "announced" the book to a group of about 1,500 college students and 20-somethings I'd curated. It wasn't loud or noisy or a big social splash. It was personal, targeted, and created momentum. We didn’t sell books. That’s what true fans do... they spread ideas because they feel part of the idea. And it only took about four months and four or five hours a week to pull off. The 120-Day Fan-First Announcement & Launch BlueprintHere’s how you turn your book into a fan-powered announcement and launch. It's the core of our Modern Author experience... the book announcement and presale campaign... it's how we've helped our authors sell $30 million in presales before their books were done. And it's way easier than people imagine (you just need to be disciplined). It’s the same structure I’ll teach and walk through live in the webinar (including access to a new template tool I've created)... but here’s the fast version. 🔵 Phase 1: Define the Fan Identity (Days 0–30)Before you market, decide:
Don’t aim to be clever. Be repeatable.
If people don’t use your language, they won’t spread your message. 🔵 Phase 2: Activate Early Believers (Days 31–60)
You don't activate them with a post on LinkedIn. You activate them with a DM, a text, a personal email, or a phone call. This is your launch seed team. These are your evangelists. 🔵 Phase 3: Build a Pre-Sale Experience (Days 61–100)
Keep it personal, keep it targeted, and don't ask them to do anything (yet). Make them belong. This phase builds momentum + meaning. You’re making people want to be first. 🔵 Phase 4: Make the Launch Live (Days 101–120)This is where the magic happens. And it's easy to get shy about and skip this. Don't. It's not complicated or expensive. You'll need some basic tools such as a premium Zoom account and an ecommerce site to sell, but otherwise it's not something to over-engineer.
You don't need 30,000 attendees like Hormozi. You need 10, 15, 25. And you need to share the heck out of the experience so people who couldn't make it, feel like they missed out. This is the Hormozi moment. The Swift drop. The thing your fans remember. The most powerful word-of-mouth moments happen live. Post-Launch Compounding: Don’t Let the Book Go QuietThe best launches don’t fade. They compound. Here’s how you build the after-party:
If people loved the launch, give them another way to contribute. TL;DR: Great Launches Don’t Sell Books. They Build Belonging.Don't get overwhelmed or think your too small to orchestrate a book launch this way... it isn't the size of your audience, it's the way you make whatever audience you have feel. Let’s be honest:
They won because they built launches people wanted to be part of. You don’t need more hype. And the best way to create it? Design a launch for fans—not just readers. If you’re planning a launch anytime in the next 12 months, join me for the Book Launch Builder Webinar:
👉 Reserve your free seat now →https://stan.store/erickoester/p/free-book-launch-workshop--dec-17th-2-pm-est​ And remember... You don’t need more blurbs. You need people who say:
“This book is ours.”
Let’s build your launch for them. Eric |
The Modern Author
🚀 Want to write like Adam Grant or Brene Brown? The Modern Author gives you weekly templates, prompts & proven frameworks to turn your ideas into books, articles & authority. No fluff—just tactical steps to write with confidence. Subscribe now!