**Think In Themes** One of the biggest shifts successful self-published authors make is this: they stop thinking in *single books* and start thinking in *themes*.✨ A theme is the bigger problem your reader is trying to solve. Your first book is just the entry point. From there, you create supporting content that overlaps, deepens, or solves the next logical problem your reader will have. ✨It looks like this... - Book #1 solves the core problem - Book #2 supports it from a different angle - Book #3 goes deeper or more specific ✨ Eventually, books get **bundled** - Two existing books - One new title - New positioning - Same content, new asset This is how authors build **series**, **bundles**, and **long-term income**, instead of starting from scratch every time. 🤔 Think like this: - What does my reader struggle with *before* this book? - What do they still need *after* they finish it? - What related problem keeps showing up? Those answers become future books. You’ll notice in the examples shared (see images) that authors aren’t random. Everything connects. Same reader. Same theme. Different angles. **Your turn:** 1. Write down your first book idea. 2. List 3–5 branch-off ideas that could support the same reader. 3. Circle any two that could eventually be bundled into a new book with a fresh title. This is how you turn one idea into a publishing journey instead of a one-off book.

I know most of you are still in your writing phase, and getting everything put together, but let's not skip thinking about how to promote the book before it's published. Pre-launch marketing isn’t extra work it’s how you: - build momentum - attract early readers - start an email list before day one Here are 3 things you can do right now, even if your book isn’t finished yet 👇 1️⃣ Talk about the problem your book solves on social media - the struggle your reader is dealing with - common mistakes they’re making - small mindset shifts or “aha” moments This is how you start building your audience. Do a challenge where you post about problems and solutions within your niche for 30 days or more. You don't even have to mention the book yet. If people relate to the problem, they’ll want the solution when your book drops. 2️⃣ Start collecting emails early (even with a simple freebie)This can be: - a short checklist - a 1-page PDF - a few journal prompts - a “coming soon” interest list Start setting up a funnel now, and thinking about how you can grow your audience. Those videos you spend time creating in step one get those followers off your socials and into your email list. How do you do that? You give something away, a quiz, a checklist, a custom GPT. Your goal isn’t perfection — it’s ownership. Social platforms change. Your email list doesn’t. 3️⃣ Consider a pre-launch podcast tour to share: - why you’re writing the book - how your book will help people - give an estimate of your launch month and say you're looking for early readers. This is a great way to build trust and collect reviews quickly when your book comes out. People love rooting for something in progress. When they feel part of the journey, they’re more likely to buy. 📌 Reminder: Books that sell well usually don’t start at launch — they start before launch. 👇 What is one activity you will choose start doing right now to grow awareness of your upcoming book?

I’m realizing this at the perfect time since today is the last day of the month — so it’s time to recognize our January Leaderboard Winner 👏 🏆 Bradley Deacon - @Bradley Deacon Bradley has been consistently showing up in this community. He’s been asking thoughtful questions, giving solid feedback, and generously sharing his AI workflows. That kind of engagement truly helps this community grow, and I want to say thank you. I see the effort, and it matters. 🎁 Winner Rewards STANDARD MEMBERS • Win the monthly leaderboard → unlock any workshop replay in the classroom• Just DM me and tell me which one you want PREMIUM MEMBERS • Win the monthly leaderboard → 1:1 30-minute strategy call with me @Bradley Deacon — shoot me a DM and let me know which workshop replay you’d like unlocked or you can wait for a future one for me to unlock up to you👏 🚀 February starts tomorrow, so the leaderboard resets… Let’s see who’s taking the top spot next month 👀🔥 (If you want to win, the formula is simple: post, comment, ask questions, and help others.)

💥 If you don’t have a massive following, your book title has to do the heavy lifting. On Amazon, people aren’t browsing for fun—they’re searching for solutions. That means your title needs to immediately tell the right reader, “this book is for you.” 🔥 This is exactly why I always start with keyword research and choose topics with: - Strong search demand - Lower competition Example 👇 Let’s say your keyphrase is “How to Parent Kids with Anxiety.” That phrase gets around 475 monthly searches. 👀 In this case, your title should either: - Use that exact phrase, or - Be very close to it Why? Because when your title matches what people are already typing into Amazon, the algorithm naturally knows who to show your book to. Now, this changes a bit on platforms like TikTok. People on TikTok usually aren’t there to shop. They’re there to scroll, feel something, or relate. That’s why books that perform well on TikTok often lean more emotional. For the same topic, a TikTok-friendly title might look more like: “When Your Child Worries About Everything” or “Raising an Anxious Child in an Overstimulated World” Different platforms. Different intent. Amazon = clarity and search alignment and TikTok = emotion and relatability You can blend both—but you need to be intentional. ❓Are you leaning more toward a search-based approach or an emotional appeal?

Has anyone ever thought about writing a book… about nothing? 🤔📘 Hear me out. I’ve got a very analytical brain (occupational hazard from my past life as a cyber-crime analyst 🕵️‍♂️), but I’ve always loved Seinfeld — the greatest show about nothing ever made. Every episode: nothing happens. Yet somehow it’s brilliant. You’ve got Kramer bursting through doors, Elaine losing her mind over tiny injustices, George Costanza doing everything wrong with absolute confidence, and of course Jerry Seinfeld calmly observing the madness like a philosopher with a laundry problem. So it got me wondering… What would a book about nothing look like? No grand plot. No epic quest. Just observations, minor annoyances, inner monologues, missed phone calls, awkward silences, and the quiet absurdity of everyday life. Would readers love it? Would Amazon’s algorithm have an existential crisis? Would George self-publish it and still complain? Curious to hear your thoughts — has anyone tried this, or secretly wanted to? 😄