**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.

Back of the Book Summary She vanished at six.She returned at sixteen.But she didn’t come home. Ten years ago, six-year-old Emily Harper disappeared from her backyard during a family barbecue in small-town Oregon. Despite endless searches and fading hope, her parents never stopped believing she might still be alive. Now sixteen, a girl known as Sara Jones survives a devastating car accident in Texas. A routine DNA test reveals the impossible—she is the missing child the world forgot. Pulled back into a family she doesn’t remember, Sara struggles with a life that feels чужer than the one she lost. Overwhelmed by grief, expectation, and a love she doesn’t yet understand, she runs—only to fall into something far more dangerous. As Sara searches for freedom, she must confront a painful truth: not every place that welcomes you is safe, and not every home is easy to return to. Who Is Sara Jones is a gripping emotional novel about identity, trauma, and the desperate human need to belong—an unforgettable story of loss, survival, and choosing where you finally come to rest.

I’ve been playing with an idea and wanted to think it through... Instead of writing a book solo, I’m considering publishing an anthology—where I choose the topic as the publisher, then invite creators or industry experts to contribute content inside the book. 👉 Contributor Model - I select the topic + overall direction of the book - Reach out to ~6 aligned creators / experts - Each contributor pays $325 to submit their content 💥 They get: - Their work published in a book - Instant elevation + credibility - A way to say they’re a published contributor Contributors would not earn royalties from the book; instead, the primary goal would be to push the book toward bestseller status and use that momentum for visibility and credibility. As the publisher, this model would bring in close to $2k, which could be used to cover the costs of creating, publishing, and promoting the book. 👉 Overall, it feels like a win-win: contributors gain added visibility and authority by having their content featured in a published book, while the publisher maintains full control over the quality, branding, and launch strategy to ensure the strongest possible outcome. Curious if anyone has ever worked this model... Thoughts? Feedback?

Over the last couple of years, my medical team has gotten to know me pretty well. One of the things they’ve gently encouraged is writing — not as a book deal or a big reveal, but as part of recovery. There’s solid research behind it. Narrative and reflective writing are shown to help the brain process trauma, reduce cognitive load, and rebuild a sense of continuity after long periods of stress or injury. It’s less about reliving the past, and more about giving it a place to live so it doesn’t keep intruding. So I’m treating this as a five-year project, not a deadline. No rush. No performance. Just putting things down honestly, when they’re ready to be written. If it helps me heal, great. If it helps someone else feel less alone one day, even better. I would greatly appreciate any feedback on my cover design. I’m also going to publish it in Vietnamese as that is my home for my last chapter of my life.

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?