Author Platform Quickstart

Group coaching now enrolling!

As you may have heard (and lamented), these days it’s up to authors to market their own books.

Traditional publishers simply don’t offer decent marketing support to anyone but A-list authors.

And if you’re going the indie-publishing route, everything is on your shoulders.

But too many authors — whether traditional or indie — just don’t know where to start.

Many get bogged down in tactics.

They try Twitter, they try a new cover, they try Facebook ads, but nothing seems to actually sell books.

They want to do right by their books and give them the best chance in the world.

But they don’t want to be “salesy” or take away from their creative time.

If this sounds like you, I’d love to help

I’ll be working with a small group of writers like you by coaching them through a proven strategy for building an author platform.

I’ll give you the tools and mindset to sell more books without being pushy or salesy and without consuming all your creative time on marketing tactics that don’t work.

So you can get back to writing your next book and start smiling at your (finally!) increasing sales figures.

This Group Coaching Experience Includes...

8 group coaching sessions

Each session will tackle a marketing strategy lesson and give you homework so you can start building your author platform immediately. There will also be ample time for Q&A time so you can get your specific questions answered. All sessions are held via video conference and recorded for your later reference.

Slack channel + resources

You'll get a downloadable ebook and worksheets you can use to kickstart your author platform and you'll have access to a cohort Slack channel where you can post your homework for peer feedback and interact with your fellow authors.

*Optional* Platinum Package

Working in a group is very invigorating, but you also have your unique career to think of. You can opt for the platinum package which includes critiques of all your homework submissions from me, Sue Campbell, as well as two hours of one-on-one sessions to talk specifically about you and your career so you can customize your platform building plan. * The platinum cohort will be capped at 15 writers to ensure an in-depth homework critique experience.

Dates: October 9 - December 3, 2020

Every Friday at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET

*Note, there will no live session on Friday, November 27.

About Your Coach

I’m Sue Campbell, a certified book launch coach through Tim Grahl’s BookLaunch.com. My evidence-based approach to book marketing gets authors truly excited and happy about the process of selling books, and becomes a part of your creative process.

I’ve worked with both fiction and nonfiction writers including Kevin Sands, author of The Blackthorn Key Adventure Series, and KJ Dell’Antonia, author of How to be a Happier Parent.

I’m also a novelist, freelance writer, and content marketer with ten years of experience in the writing trenches. My work has been published with many outlets, including Prevention, Good Housekeeping and Mamalode, and used by many companies such as American Express, SAIF Corporation and The eLearning Company.

The Sessions

8 weeks of group coaching

  • Session 1

    We look at a better definition of marketing and get an overview of the Connection System, the marketing framework we'll be using to grow your platform sell books. We'll also talk about reader personas: why they're valuable and how to create one.

  • Session 2

    We'll look at author websites and you'll learn what components you need to make the best use of your author website and get a checklist to make updates to your site.

  • Session 3

    We'll look at how to set up or tweak your email list, what makes for a compelling reader magnet, and more.

  • Session 4

    Influencer outreach is perhaps the most powerful part of the Connection System marketing strategy. We'll look at how to find the right influencers to build an audience of your ideal readers.

  • Session 5

    Now we'll concentrate on pitching influencers, deciding what to pitch and how to write a customized pitch to maximize our chances of getting a YES.

  • Session 6

    This session will focus on ongoing content to serve to your audience and use with influencers. You'll make your unique content plan that will keep your audience engaged without burning you out.

  • Session 7

    We'll look at how to use all the components of the Connection System together to continuously build your audience and keep the relationship strong.

  • Session 8

    Our final session will give you the foundation you need to understand paid advertising and its (limited) place in your overall marketing plan. You'll leave with a concrete ongoing marketing plan and have plenty of time to get your questions answered.

  • *Optional* Private Session

    During your private session, you'll get the chance to focus on all the questions unique to your author career. I'll help you troubleshoot and brainstorm your marketing strategy so you proceed with clarity and confidence.

Happy Author Clients

KJ Dell'Antonia, author of How to Be a Happier Parent

“Sue is a creative force, and she brings with her a wealth of knowledge along with ideas that are tailored just for your specific book and launch, and she’s quick to take an author's glimmer of an idea and run with it. She's also reassuring, responsive and just plain fun to work with. Recommend!”

Gyata Stormon, author of On the Ball

“Sue Campbell’s seven-week book launch course provided me with a steady, guiding light through the surprising complicated process of launching a book. The weekly coaching calls, Sue’s encouraging attitude and her fast response whenever a question came up during the week, all contributed to an extremely valuable experience. I highly recommend this course to anyone who seriously wants to get their book or upcoming book into the world.”

Kevin Sands, author of the Blackthorn Key Adventure Series

“Sue Campbell helped me set up my email list and content plan so I can start truly connecting with fans. Always professional, she made the process simple -- and painless! Thanks to Sue, I now have a way to reach people who want to read my backlist and will be eager to buy my next book.”

Xina Uhl, author of many books

"Sue Campbell has the ability to get to the meat of marketing fundamentals in a concise, helpful manner. She listens to what you're looking for and responds with excellent suggestions. Not only does she give you tons of ideas for building your writing business, but she emphasizes the principles behind these ideas so that you can be sure you are making the best use of your time and energy. After working with Sue I feel much more capable and even excited to get started on this book marketing journey!"

Kristin Glasbergen, author of Dragon Canyon: Fire of Four

“Sue’s group coaching was exactly what I needed. Each session covered enough information to get me excited about the process but not so much that I felt overwhelmed. The weekly homework assignments helped me identify my ideal reader and discover where to look for them. Sue was always available to answer questions and provide feedback on the homework. Getting feedback on my marketing copy helped me feel more confident about putting it out in the world. I recommend Sue and her coaching method to anyone wanting a practical plan to reach readers and market a book.”

Susannah Kennedy, author of Reading Jane

"Sue Campbell’s Build your Author Platform program was recommended to me, and I learned so much I needed to know about my next steps to getting published. I was skeptical about an online teaching format, but found it very effective and easy to use. In weekly one-hour meetings, she offered concrete plans and advice and structure on outreach and networking, including examples from past students and colleagues, helping us understand what building a network really means and how to identify our unique messages. She is professional and enthusiastic and I will certainly sign up for her more advanced course as soon as I have mastered what I learned in this one."

Marlene Bumgarner, author of Back to the Land in Silicon Valley

"Sue Campbell’s group coaching class, Build Your Author Platform, guides the new or experienced author through four steps to build what she calls the Connection System. For me this was a whole new way to think about marketing my book. Sue first explained the importance of developing a permission mailing list and identifying our ideal readers. In the following weeks she presented several outreach tools and encouraged us to locate influencers and identify content to use in reader incentives, podcasts or blogs even before our books are published. Finally, she pointed out several ways in which we can turn the potential reader into an actual reader by expanding our knowledge of when and how we can sell our book. It was a lot to grapple with at first, but by the end of the class I understood the relationship between my author platform and future readers, and knew what I needed to do to connect them. I highly recommend this class for anyone who is writing a book."

Karen Campbell, author of Falling

“I am a recent student of Sue’s group coaching program and another voice of praise for her genuine and relentless help to her students. From the beginning it was clear to me that I was the weakest link in the technological chain. However, now I have a clear overview of how publishing has changed and the importance of having a contemporary platform. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I remain enthusiastic because of how Sue presented the material."

What to Expect

1. Once you enroll, you’ll receive a welcome email from me that invites you to tell me about your career and your marketing efforts so far — all writers are welcome — whether you’re a newbie or someone who’s already published multiple books. You’ll also get a link to book your one-to-one session with me, if you've opted for that. And as a special bonus, I’ll send you a digital copy of the book Your First 1000 Copies by my mentor and book marketing phenom, Tim Grahl.

2. On or before the program start date, you’ll get access to a community Slack channel where you can introduce yourself to the cohort.

3. At each meeting, you’ll get homework that will help you build your platform and marketing strategy. Post your homework on the Slack channel for peer review.

4. Provide helpful feedback to your cohort (and get some in return!) via the Slack channel. One of the wonders of group coaching is tapping into hive mind!

5. You’ll also get special bonus digital material that will help you on your writing and marketing journey such as ebooks, worksheets, reading lists, listening lists and more.

Important!

Investing real dollars in growing your career strengthens your commitment and gets you better results. Therefore, no refunds will be issues for any reason. Please make sure to ask any questions before enrolling. Click here for full terms and conditions.

Enroll now

Choose your program and your preferred payment structure: BASIC group coaching (8 weeks of group calls plus a peer-to-peer Slack channel + resources) - or - the PLATINUM experience, which includes group coaching + homework critique and 2 hours of private coaching with Sue.

Still have a question about this coaching program?

FAQ

  • When does the content start?

    The first live group coaching call will be on Friday, October 9 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time/3:00 p.m. Eastern. When you register, you’ll get a welcome email that offers some bonus material you can dive into right away. There’s a free copy of the book Your First 1000 Copies by Tim Grahl and a questionnaire about your writing career that will help us guide your platform building efforts.

  • What’s the time commitment?

    We’ll have a 1-hour Zoom call every Friday through November 20, but in addition to that, you should expect to spend about 2-3 hours per week working through the homework I give out on the call. The amount of time you devote to your marketing will directly impact the quality of your results, but we give you a strategy that will make the best use of your time.

  • How do I access the calls?

    We will use an app called Zoom for the conference calls. You will receive Zoom access details once you enroll. If you opt for a private call, you will also get a link to schedule that call at your convenience.

  • I subscribe to your newsletter but haven’t used my free 45-minute consultation call. Can I use that in addition to this program?

    Absolutely.

  • What if I can’t make all the calls?

    All the calls will be recorded and you will be given access to watch at your convenience. You can send questions ahead of time if you know you can't make it. However, I highly encourage live participation to get the most out of the program.

  • How much time will the homework take each week?

    Please budget at least 2-3 hours per week to complete the homework.

  • What’s Slack and how will we use it?

    Slack is a cloud-based application you can access through your computer or smartphone that allows multiple people to collaborate by exchanging messages and sharing files. You will be given free access to a special Slack channel where you can post your homework, access resources, and interact with other students.

  • Are you going to offer this again?

    The Author Platform Group Coaching will likely be offered again in the future, but the next cohort has not been scheduled yet and it's always possible the price will go up for the next session.

  • Do you follow the same model as Tim Grahl of BookLaunch.com?

    Yes! I use the same techniques that Tim developed. We'll be using Tim's Connection System, with a focus on outreach. I'll be right there with you to answer questions and brainstorm things that will work for your unique career. However, this course doesn’t have the extensive video library that Tim's courses have. Also different is that I focus heavily on mindset and have a few coaching methods of my own that are designed to help people figure out what will work for them -- it's not one-size-fits-all.