Hello to all my Modern Author friends!

Last week, I caught up with one of the very first authors in the program who had written and published her book back in 2019. We calculated that she was likely the 125th author to write and publish her book with our author community.

Today, we just had our 2,700th published author since then (which is insane)!

Her book has changed her life in numerous ways, including fast-tracking her career, leading to a side-hustle consulting business, securing a spot in an elite graduate program, and helping her land a paid speaking gig or workshop every quarter.

She asked me, "So what's different about the program today?"

I smiled, realizing how much had changed since I originally started this as a class at Georgetown.

"We don’t write books anymore. We build them."

I explained to her that a few years ago, something broke for me.

I had just finished publishing two of my books, Super Mentors and The Pennymores, and while both were very successful sales-wise, they also revealed something strange:

The old playbook for writing and launching books no longer worked.

I realized I wasn’t just trying to write words for a page. I wanted to build something that would change my business, my identity, my career, and for fiction, something that would change how my daughters saw the world.

What's happening now is great books aren't written... they are built.

I told her, "Today, I'm reverse engineering books to build bigger outcomes for every modern author in our community."

The Truth About Modern Books

A book used to be an end product.
Today, for modern authors, it’s the starting point.

Most people treat books like they’re writing a research paper:

• Get your idea down
• Clean it up
• Publish it
• Maybe post a few things online to help it sell

But the authors who actually break through in 2025? They’re doing something radically different.

They don’t write books.
They build books that serve a larger purpose.

They understand that:

• A book is a category creator
• A book is a personal brand system
• A book is a lead magnet and sales engine
• A book is a movement-starting artifact

And most importantly…

Why I Stopped Launching Books

The original course was called "Book Creators" Three years ago, we quietly shifted the entire model inside the Modern Author Accelerator.

We moved from focusing on launching books to launching authors.

And that one shift changed everything.

Before the shift, about 45% of our busy professional authors would finish a high-quality, publishable manuscript.
Today, we’re at over 90%.

Here’s why:

We stopped treating writing like a solitary experience and started treating it like what it really is—a professional transformation.

We built out what I call the Modern Author Operating System: A new approach based on architecture, intention, and outcome-first strategy.

How I’m Building My Next Book (And Why You Should Too)

Right now, I’m in the final stages of my next book, Modern Author OS, and I’ve done nearly everything differently.

Here’s what that looks like:

✅ Start with the outcomes.

I built a list of things I wanted this book to do before I ever wrote the introduction.
(Secure 3 keynote stages, build a 5-figure product, attract a partner org, and open 10+ consulting leads.)

✅ Create the author funnel first.

Before I wrote Chapter 1, I had already mapped the email list, landing pages, newsletter cadence, and social growth plan.

✅ Build the system before the script.

The book follows the exact framework I use with clients. Every chapter is part of the toolkit I use in my workshops.

✅ Atomize every idea into content.

Each part of the manuscript spawns 3–5 pieces of content: carousels, Reels, Twitter threads, or email sequences.

✅ Co-build with my community.

The Never Write Alone community has been part of it from Day 1, offering feedback, ideas, and early traction.

In short: I architected the book like a business, not a diary.

What the Best Are Doing (That Most Authors Aren’t)

One of the biggest reasons I was able to spot this trend was the fact that some amazingly generous and successful modern authors were willing to talk with me, people like Simon Sinek, Arianna Huffington, Gabby Bernstein, Dan Pink, and even Jim Kwik.

They all loved what we were doing, but all seemed to indicate that their journey needed more than just a book.

I started to see a pattern:

They don’t just publish.
​They build movements.

And to do that, you don't just need a book... you need a system.

Each one uses their book to fuel their flywheel:

They build the engine before the output.
As James Clear said, "we don't rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems.

It’s why we now teach authors to use our Modern Author Operating System framework:

• Start with the system (what you want to teach/sell/spread)
• Architect the book around that system
• Create micro-content to test and refine before it’s ever printed
• Design the reader journey to drive high-leverage outcomes

The Data Is Clear: Waiting Is the Real Risk

A recent study 366 recently published authors (including many from our community) from Thought Leadership Leverage showed something stunning:

And I’ve seen the same thing:

Every month you wait to get started is a month someone else builds audience, momentum, and advantage.

If you don't truly start your book within about 4-6 months of having the concept dialed in (outline, table of contents), you'll likely never finish it. If you know you have a book in you, and a bigger goal behind it, your move isn’t to wait until it’s ready.

It’s to build it to be ready.

That’s what the Modern Author model is all about.

And that’s the secret to why we’ve helped more than 400 authors become national/international award winners in just two years.

You don't start when you're ready.
You start when you have clarity on the outcome you want from your book.

A Final Word

If you’re a consultant, founder, speaker, educator, or creator, don’t think of your book as something you’ll “get to when you have more time.”

Time doesn’t make books better.

Systems do.

So stop writing books.
Start building your book.
And design it to build everything else you want.

Because this is your compounding moment—and the people who look far ahead tomorrow are the ones who simply started building today.

If you're looking for more specifics (and a mini-system) on how to start building your book concepts, start my free 5-day modern author e-course (it's a good way to start to architect and build a book the right way): https://modernauthoraccelerator.com/​

And once you've made some progress, shoot me a note and I'm happy to talk through things with you (just like my relationship started with that woman who was my 125th author back in 2019)!

Happy writing y'all!

Eric