21 Day Bestselling Author Platform
A Book Launch Roadmap to Publish Your Bestseller (even if you HATE book marketing)
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Ship the assets that make book sales predictable—website, list, launch stack, and evergreen traffic.
Copy the templates in minutes, and leave with a repeatable system you can use for your next five books—not just this one.
You wrote the hard thing. The book exists. And yet, your dashboard is quiet. Not because the book is bad—but because visibility is not a virtue; it’s a system.
I’ve spent years testing the unglamorous pieces that make a book sell when the launch buzz fades: a site that converts cold traffic, a lead magnet real readers actually want, a welcome sequence that turns strangers into fans, an SEO backbone that brings you new subscribers every week, and a lightweight promo plan you can run without burning out.
That system is this course. Twenty-one days. Tangible assets. Repeatable results. No hype, no roulette, no “be everywhere.” You’ll ship the pieces that compound.
Most authors get stuck before they get started...
"Putting together a marketing strategy is a challenge because I don't have a plan. Maintaining visibility and sales (consistently) after launch is hard without spending tons of money on promotional sites."
"Marketing is my hardest challenge because I'm not sure how to build my email list. I'm not as tech savvy as I'd like to be, all the peripherals have been a nightmare!"
"Being heard above the white noise. I spend a ton of time and I'm spinning my wheels to reach readers... I feel like I'm missing a huge component of the puzzle and can't seem to figure out where to put my marketing efforts."
I used to feel that way, too.
I felt helpless, waiting for someone with a platform to discover my book and promote it for me. But I got tired of waiting, so I built my own platform - now I don't have to beg or pay for other people to help me market, and I have more enthusiasm and confidence to focus on my writing.
1) Most of what you're doing doesn't work, at all, and you don't know why your book is failing or how to fix it.
2) You think marketing means reaching out to strangers and telling them about your book. You feel sleazy marketing yourself, and think you need more confidence to keep doing it anyway.
Getting ignored hurts, after you've put so much time and effort dreaming about your success as a bestselling author and making your book as great as possible.
But you're running out of steam and ideas. Maybe you're even on the verge of giving up writing entirely, because even your friends and family have stopped showing their enthusiasm toward your projects.
Discover the Secrets to Successful Book Marketing
It took me years to discover a better way: attracting the right readers to you naturally, and building a system that sells your books on autopilot, so you can get back to writing. A well-built author platform is a marketing machine.
I can teach you to build one in just three weeks, and you'll never have to worry about these problems again. When you're done you'll have a solid plan, you'll know exactly what to do, and marketing will become easy, fun and enjoyable.
Introducing the "21 Day Author Platform" – a step-by-step program designed to take you from zero sales to feeling successful, accomplished, and supported in your author journey.
Introducing (drumroll please)...
The 21-Day Bestselling Author Platform
A field-tested sprint for authors: ship your conversion-ready site, lead magnet + email welcome, traffic plan, and launch campaign—with templates you can copy in minutes.
- Proven strategies for promoting your book and skyrocketing your sales
- How to build a loyal fan base that eagerly awaits your next release
- Insider secrets on getting your book noticed by influencers and reviewers
- And much more!
Build the platform that quietly sells your books
This week you’ll set up the core assets so readers can find you, trust you, and buy—without you hustling 24/7.
- ✓ Write a heroic author platform that inspires people to love and support you
- ✓ Write a book that millions of hungry readers will be hungry to buy
- ✓ Make a beautifully designed book that people will want to sleep with
- ✓ Self-publish and distribute your book around the world for free
- ✓ Stand out, get found, increase visibility
- ✓ Get blurbs and book reviews without begging
- ✓ Set up a perfect author website that sells books while you sleep
Bring new readers to you—every day
We’ll install the search, content, and partnership pieces that grow your audience steadily—then prove what’s working.
- ✓ Build your email list so quickly you’ll have to start culling subscribers
- ✓ Turn readers into addicts with an unmissable email series campaign
- ✓ Write 10 blog posts that bring you thousands of new readers a day
- ✓ Get famous overnight by writing guest posts for high-traffic blogs
- ✓ Get famous people with influence to promote your book for you
- ✓ Test your sales funnels with advertising to see where you’re losing buyers
- ✓ Master social media to easily build your platform and charm readers
Turn attention into sales—and repeat it
We’ll tighten the sales page, run a simple launch, and learn from the numbers—so the next book is easier.
- ✓ Cast a wider net: Reddit, LibraryThing, LinkedIn, Goodreads and more
- ✓ Use Slideshare and YouTube to double traffic and win the internet
- ✓ Generate early interest in your book by asking questions
- ✓ Identify, target and detour your target readers like bees to honey
- ✓ Make your offer more valuable with prizes, awards and incentives
- ✓ The automatic bestseller book launch campaign that works every time
- ✓ Stay relevant by newsjacking current events and trends in your field
Build the assets that make book sales predictable
In 21 days you’ll stop guessing and ship the pieces that quietly sell your books—even when you’re not online.
If sales feel random, it’s not your writing—it’s your assets. Readers can’t buy what they can’t see, and they won’t trust what isn’t packaged clearly.
I felt the same way until I stopped chasing tactics and built a simple platform that brought the right readers to me every week.
What I found was a repeatable system: a conversion-ready site, a list that buys, and a small launch plan you can run again and again.
Real results from published writers.
Featured Reviews
Introducing: The 21-Day Bestselling Author Platform
A focused, three-week sprint where you publish the core assets above—and leave with a platform that keeps working while you write.
Ship the assets that sell your books—every week
21 days. A website that converts. A list that buys. A launch you can repeat.
Build the platform that quietly sells your books
This week you’ll set up the core assets so readers can find you, trust you, and buy—without you hustling 24/7.
Bring new readers to you—every day
We’ll install the search, content, and partnership pieces that grow your audience steadily—then prove what’s working.
Turn attention into sales—and repeat it
We’ll tighten the sales page, run a simple launch, and learn from the numbers—so the next book is easier.
Your book is the cargo; your platform is the ship.
Querying or self-publishing, a great book still drifts past buyers if there’s nothing sturdy carrying it. Build the ship and every launch after this one gets safer.
Most authors wait until launch to think about the ship—that’s why good books sink.
To launch bestsellers, you need three things:
- A book readers love (and actually find)
- Standout design & formatting (professional, on-genre, friction-free)
- A platform of supportive readers (people who trust you and show up)
Most “marketing” fails because it’s random. This sprint installs the only three systems that compound: (1) a site that converts, (2) a list that buys, (3) a traffic engine that brings new readers every week. Once these are in place, every launch gets easier.
- Week 1 — Foundations: set your promise, build a simple home base, and create a warm welcome so new readers stick.
- Week 2 — Discoverability: get found—search-friendly content and smart partnerships that bring the right readers every week.
- Week 3 — Conversion & Launch: polish cover/blurb/formatting, run a clear 7-day launch, and use light testing to learn what works.
After the course is done, you'll have a very specific, highly detailed, actionable book marketing plan you can begin to implement, and you'll finally start seeing the results you've been looking for.
You don't have to settle. It's time to become the successful author you deserve to be.
For authors who want a platform that makes sales predictable—without living on social media.
What you’ll have by Day 21 (deliverables, not theory)
You’ll leave with a specific, actionable plan—and a repeatable system that keeps working while you write the next book. If you take action on the daily tasks, we'll help you create an author platform from scratch, or fix up one that's not working.
- A conversion-ready author website (home, book page, opt-in) you can publish today
- A lead magnet (cover + landing + delivery) that attracts your true readers
- A 5-email welcome sequence (plug-and-play swipes) that turns visitors into fans
- A 10-post SEO skeleton so new readers find you every week
- An optimized book page (blurb framework + metadata cheat sheet)
- A 7-day launch/promo calendar for organic + light paid
- Simple ad tests (FB/IG/AMS) with guardrail budgets and success metrics
You’re not buying information. You’re buying finished assets and a repeatable plan.
More Author Reviews
Field-tested, updated 2025
I mapped out the 21-Day Bestselling Author Platform at the beginning of my publishing journey, but I wanted to wait until I tested everything out and knew for certain what works and what doesn't. While things change quickly, this course represents a decade of publishing industry experience.
This isn’t a theory course, and it's also not some sneaky or trending method that won't work in 3 months. Every tactic in this sprint was field-tested in 2024–2025 across multiple genres and budgets. You’ll see what worked, what didn’t, and exactly how to copy the winners—without burning months or money.
Getting the basics right is the only way to succeed, and most authors struggle to clear that first, lowest hurdle. But we'll also dive deep into book marketing insights and tactics nobody else is talking about (yet).
Evergreen platform methods that compound over time.
This is the big secret to making money online. It's taken me a decade of work, but now that I know what I'm doing I can boost traffic easily with organic traffic from natural search results.
Action Plan / Time Commitment
Each day we will focus on only one major goal or topic, but it will be packed full of stuff you need to do. There will be lots of written guidance but also practical videos on how to actually do all the steps, so you can watch along and copy what I do.
You can pace yourself to a lesson a day, or binge them all at once. After each lesson, take a look over your current material / platform and make notes on what can be improved. Small, achievable steps will build confidence, especially when you start seeing results.
I'll be hands-on in the private membership area, answering questions and giving feedback, so you don't get stuck, even if you're short on time.
Translation: the platform that makes sales predictable—without living on social media.
Ready to join? Let's get started!
Choose your path
Same system, different support. Pay in full or use a friendly plan.
Choose your path
Same system, different support. Pay in full or use a friendly plan.
Some authors are spending thousands of dollars on advertising just to break even - and that's fine for them, but how can you afford to spend that much if your books aren't already earning money? I constantly hear authors ask for FREE and EASY book marketing tactics that work, but there aren't any.
The truth is, you're going to need to spend some time or money promoting your books. But there are two big secrets that will allow you to get ahead.
#1: Create a Book People Want (deliver real value to your readers)
#2: Own the Traffic (build your platform, instead of paying for someone else's)
These are completely different topics and it can be hard for our artist hearts to wear business hats. As a writer, you'll continue honing your skills, and as a marketer, your platform will grow and scale over time, as long as you plant the seed now.
As a developmental editor, book designer and occasional bestselling consultant, I've spent thousands of hours figuring this stuff out already, and I want you to have everything you need to succeed - so I'm including a collection of premium bonuses to encourage you to take action today... including my courses on writing and editing books, formatting and cover design templates, and personalized feedback.
I'm also including my flagship course, Guerrilla Publishing - the 21 Day Platform was meant to be a more concise, streamlined version, to get everything done in three weeks instead of the original three month structure. Just in case you need deeper, more-indepth explanations of any of these topics (plus a whole lot more, that course is huge!)
- Author site wireframe (home / book / opt-in)
- 5-email welcome swipe file
- 10 SEO post briefs (by niche)
- 7-day launch calendar (printable)
Private Community (new) — group coaching that gets work done
Most courses give you videos. This gives you progress. For three focused weeks we work together in a private space with daily prompts, fast feedback, and light accountability so you stop stalling and start shipping. If you’ve ever fallen off a course after week one, this is the antidote: short tasks, visible momentum, and a coach plus peers keeping you on track.
What you get
– 15-minute daily check-ins: one clear prompt, you post proof, we keep you moving
– Guided feedback threads: covers, blurbs, pages, emails, ads — post in the right lane, get precise notes
– Three small-group calls: hot seats, tear-downs, Q&A; replays included
– Accountability that sticks: simple scoreboard and weekly “wins” recap so you see progress
– Lifetime access: the community archive, recordings, and materials stay available after the cohort ends
How it works
- Check in each day (about 15 minutes) and complete the prompt.
- Get quick feedback from me and the group so you never spin your wheels.
- Ship weekly: each week ends with a publishable asset you can use immediately.
Why this matters
Working alongside other authors multiplies focus, motivation, and follow-through. You’ll build faster, fix smarter, and actually finish. I typically charge 500 for coaching; this is the affordable way to get guided help while you build.
Spots are limited so feedback stays personal.
Ready to join the cohort and build with us? Choose your level below.
Even More Author Reviews
Guaranteed Results
14-Day “Do the Work” Guarantee
If you complete Week 1 (publish your opt-in, site wireframe live, send your first email) and don’t feel you have a clear, repeatable plan to grow your audience, email support for a full refund.
Results Safety Net
If you complete Week 2 (one SEO post live + welcome sequence) and see zero list growth after 30 days, we’ll record a personal 10-minute audit of your set-up to get you unstuck.
Got Questions?
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Your Instructor
Derek Murphy has a PhD in Literature and has been featured in CNN for hosting writing retreats in medieval castles. After working with thousands of authors as a writing coach and developmental author, he began developing plotting cheatsheets and advanced writing tips for authors that now have nearly 3 million views on YouTube.
Choose your path
Same system, different support. Pay in full or use a friendly plan.
I've been doing this awhile, and have helped a lot of authors succeed faster. The 21 Day Platform is the latest material, with up-to-date resources, but it's meant to be a lighter, less overwhelming course with only the most useful stuff. You get all my secrets at a discount, but only until I remove the bonuses and raise the price.
Free Book Marketing Guides
If you're not ready to launch your book yet but still need some help, I've several guides to book marketing for indie authors, so you can start there if you prefer!
You can find some of these free books on my website.
PS. This is a package deal, and possibly a last hurrah, to make sure people get as much value as they can from me before I disappear into the woods for a few years to write fiction... I'll make it worth your while and have cleared the next month to be aggressively helpful, and have some top-secret new author tools I plan to share with insiders. If you want an advantage, this is it.