Hey hey hey Modern Authors!

Last week, I had a meeting with the marketing team to discuss my upcoming book launches. I'm scheduled for a nonfiction book to launch this fall and (assuming things stay on schedule) a multi-book fiction launch for the Pennymores saga in Q1 2026.

First, it's a pretty exciting thing... even having done it before. However, secondly, having published and launched half a dozen books now, this meeting was vastly different from the meetings I had about my launches and publishing a decade ago.

In short... The Book Launch Is Dead. Long Live the Book Year (or Years).

A decade and a half ago, I had a meeting with the marketing team of my first publisher. Looking back, it was pretty underwhelming, but what I remember most is the complete and total focus on the book launch. In their mind, the only thing that mattered was that first week... heck, that first day. If you killed it, then everything else took care of itself.

If you flubbed it, then your life as an author was probably over, and good luck getting a second book deal (seriously, one of the marketing interns said something like that to me).

A few years ago, I spoke with Simon Sinek, who shared that Start With Why didn't appear on any bestseller lists in its first week. None. Nada. And yet, over the ten years after its launch, it outsold all the new books that made the bestseller lists that week... combined.

He told me, "Design your book for a ten-year launch, not a ten-day launch."

Simon is right: things are different... especially when it comes to how to design the launch of a book. Even what we did for Pennymores and Super Mentors, just three years ago (which have sold 20,000 and 30,000 copies, respectively), has changed.

The Goal Isn’t to Publish Fast. It’s to Launch Smartly & Profitably.

I thought I'd share what I'm doing differently as I map out my next books to help other Modern Authors launch better and bigger. Over the next two months, I'll delve deeper into what I'm calling my "Profitable Author" series, providing a closer look at how to achieve better and bigger outcomes from your book (based on my own experiences with mine!)

The Myth of the Launch Day

When I published my last book, I treated launch day like a wedding. A single date on the calendar. Months of build-up. Everything had to be perfect.

We had the email sequences. We had the social drops, the podcast interviews, and the virtual event. I hit #1 in my Amazon category for 96 straight hours and was rated #14 across all of Barnes & Noble.

And then…

Crickets.

The dopamine vanished.

That moment was when I learned the hard truth:

The way we’ve been taught to launch a book is broken.

It’s built for bookstores, not for platforms.
It’s built for one big day, not for long-term impact.
It’s built to make noise, not momentum.

And that’s exactly why I’m doing it differently now, rethinking my launch strategy from the ground up.

Why “Launch Week” No Longer Works

The traditional launch model (let’s be honest) was built by and for traditional publishers.

They needed a short sales spike to trigger attention from bookstores and media. So launch week became the entire focus:

• Hit preorders
• Land media hits
• Blitz social
• Hope you chart

But here’s what I’ve seen after helping 2,500+ authors publish in the past three years:

The best books don’t win launch week.

They win:

✅ Presale periods
✅ Post-launch ecosystems
✅ Multi-channel momentum

And more than anything:

📈 They’re built to spread over time, not spike for a week.

The New Playbook: Win Your Presale Period, Not Just Launch Week

One of the most powerful changes we’ve made?

We now help authors win before their book is even out.

Here’s why:

• Every person who preorders your book will tell 3–5 people about it
• Every person who buys your book after launch (even if they love it) will tell… zero

That stat alone flipped my strategy.

Today, our authors focus on building a group of 200–300 early fans, partners, or ambassadors—people who feel like they’re part of the journey.

These aren’t just buyers. They’re evangelists. I'm aiming for 500 of them.

They:
• Share the book before it’s out
• Bring it into their companies
• Refer others to your newsletter, offers, and launch events

And here's the funny thing... if you get just 200-300 people involved in you're book, you're on the fast-track to the 1,000 sale trigger (which is when sites like Amazon begin to send way more organic traffic to your book).

Want your book to spread?

Don’t aim for 10,000 buyers. Aim for 200 believers.

The Goal Isn’t to Publish Fast. It’s to Publish Smart.

Old model: “Get your book out as fast as possible.”

New model: “Architect your book to last 24 months or more.”

We now design launches in phases—each one extending the life and momentum of your book:
1. Presale Launch (PDFs, early access bundles, referrals)
2. Ebook Launch (Kindle + direct download)
3. Paperback Launch (on your site and Amazon)
4. Audiobook Launch (recorded early, released late)
5. Hardcover / Gift Edition (holiday push or milestone)
6. Course or Workbook Edition (monetized lead gen)
7. Speaking or Book Tour Launch (online or in-person events)

Each of those can be a “mini-launch” with its own story, angle, and CTA.

Instead of aiming for a one-week spike, we give you 24+ months of opportunities, connections, stories, content, and growth.

And here’s the best part?

Each launch creates new reasons to email your list, post online, and reach out to partners.

Stop Driving Sales to Amazon. Start Driving Them to You.

Look, I like Amazon. But Amazon doesn’t like you back.

They:

• Don’t tell you who bought your book
• Don’t let you retarget buyers
• Don’t help you grow your platform

The best authors I know still list their book on Amazon…

But they promote their book through:
• Their own websites
• Email funnels
• Lead magnets
• Free+shipping offers
• Bulk order or team bundles

Why? Because the book isn’t just the product.

It’s the entry point into a profitable relationship.

When someone buys through your site (or downloads a chapter), they join your world:
• You can email them
• You can upsell them
• You can invite them to talks, courses, events, or coaching

That’s not just smart marketing. That’s modern authorship.

Sell Fewer Copies. Give Away More.

This one feels counterintuitive… until it clicks.

Most people treat book sales like a cash register.

But the best authors treat books like business cards—ones people actually keep.

Here’s what David Meltzer told me:

“I bought the rights back to my book from McGraw Hill. Why? Because every book I give away leads to 2–4 people buying it or hiring me.”

Let that sink in.

Giving your book away (in the right way) can grow your revenue, reputation, and reach.

Smart ways to do it:
• Free + shipping offers (with a funnel behind them)
• Giveaway campaigns (e.g., 100 free copies to top referrers)
• Bulk book bonuses (buy 10, get a private session or toolkit)
• Gift campaigns for clients, teams, or conferences

Books aren’t trophies.

They’re tools.

Use them. I've set a goal to give away 5,000 digital copies of my next book, knowing that with Super Mentors for every book I've given away, it's let to 1-2 more sales.

Don’t Wait to Make the Audiobook. Lead With It.

One of the biggest mistakes I see?

Waiting to record the audiobook “once the book does well.”

Here’s the truth: In the nonfiction world, especially business, self-help, or thought leadership, audiobooks are often 40–50% of your total sales.

But they’re not just a format.

They’re a different audience:
• People who never read paperbacks
• People who find you on Audible, not Amazon
• People who’ll binge your voice while running, commuting, or cooking

Pro tip:
• Record your audiobook early (even if your book isn’t done)
• Use audiobook samples as podcast pitches and launch content
• Offer early access bundles for presale

If your book only exists in text, you’re leaving half your readers behind.

Rethink the Publicist. Rethink the Spend.

Another old publishing myth?

“If I just get a publicist or land a speaker’s bureau, everything will take off.”

Here’s the deal:

• Most publicists won’t move the needle until your book’s already moving (5,000+ copies sold)
• Most speakers bureaus won’t book you until you’re already booking yourself

So what should you do instead?

📊 Use that money to build your funnel.

Things that actually move books:
• Simple sales pages
• Retargeting ads (on Meta, YouTube, Amazon)
• Social content with strategic boosts
• Warm audience campaigns and JV swaps

You don’t need a PR hit to sell books.

You need a system that spreads your message—repeatedly, efficiently, and affordably.

What I'm Doing Differently for 2025–2026

I’m walking this with my own launches right now.

We’re planning multiple books between the end of 2025 and early 2026... and here’s how we’re doing it differently:
• Building presale communities of 200–300 true believers
• Designing multi-phase launch stacks with 6+ campaigns
• Focusing on ecosystem growth, not retail growth
• Giving away more copies than we sell
• Leading with audio, bundling with offers
• Using funnels and retargeting in place of PR

We’re not just writing books.

We’re architecting growth platforms.

And that’s what every modern author needs to understand:

🚫 You’re not launching a book.
✅ You’re building a flywheel.

One Final Shift

Publishing used to be about perfection. Today, it’s about platforms, positioning, and persistence.

Don’t wait for the perfect day.

Build a system that compounds every day. Remember, the book launch is dead, but the book year or years is perhaps one of the most powerful things a person can do.

If you’re ready to rethink your launch, and architect a system that actually grows your reach, revenue, and reputation, we’ve got two author cohorts starting soon. Schedule a 15-minute call and I'm happy to see if this could be aligned to your book and goals: https://go.oncehub.com/ManuscriptsBookTopicChatf Or reply directly to this note.

Not many spots. But we go deep with the ones we do.

Let’s build it the modern way.

Eric

📚 Coming Next: The Profitable Author Series

If you’re planning to write, finish... or relaunch... a book in the next 18 months, don’t miss this.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be breaking down how modern authors design books that build businesses, not just credibility. We’ll cover:

→ The 7 author personas (and how they shape your business model)
→ How Builders, Coaches, Speakers & Teachers monetize their books
→ The behind-the-scenes teams it takes to launch a book like a pro
→ Real examples from authors earning 6–7 figures from their ideas

This is the most strategic series I’ve ever shared on modern authorship.