21 Day Bestselling Author Platform
Build the simple author platform that brings readers to your book (even if you HATE book marketing)
Watch Promo Enroll in Course
Make Book Sales Predictable
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.
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. Getting ignored hurts, after you've put so much time and effort pursuing your dream of becoming a bestselling author.
But it's not too late...
The Secret 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 Bestselling Author Platform
A step-by-step program designed to take you from zero sales to feeling successful, accomplished, and supported in your author journey.
A field-tested book promotion strategy 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!
An offer that converts.
An audience that buys.
A launch you can repeat
A book launch roadmap for indie authors
Your next book launch doesn't have to start from zero.
Trying to build a platform and launch a book at the same time will be much harder: nobody can even see you, unless you pay to reach them. So here's the roadmap I'd follow instead, in order: fix the book and its page, build a simple home base and email list, bring in the right readers, then launch.
See the price and enrollSelf-paced · lifetime access · 30-day money-back guaranteeYou don't have to do all 21 lessons at once. Start with the stop your book needs, and ask questions by email or in the lesson comments.
The roadmap: 4 stops, 21 lessons
- The book 6 lessonsA cover and book page that tell the right reader, at a glance, this book is for them
- Your home base 3 lessonsAn author website with a reason to sign up, and welcome emails for new readers
- Reach 7 lessonsSteady ways for the right readers to find you, so you're not paying for every visit
- Launch 5 lessonsA launch plan you can run again for every book
- Also insideA series and boxset launch case study, and what to do when a book isn't selling
What authors say about my courses and advice
I wish I'd known about you and all this wonderful material several years ago. I feel like I FINALLY HAVE A ROADMAP that will lead me to the success I've been striving for. My "to do" list for fixing my books so they'll start converting to sales keeps growing with all of your ideas.
I just wanted to say thank you for the resources and the great information. By following your advice I've stablized my sales, redone my covers, and am about to have my MOST SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH yet for my third book. Since I've gobbled up all of your info, I've become a much better stwear of my fiction.
Like so many authors out there, I felt like I was drowning when it came to marketing, and struggling with how to find my audience. Your videos and lessons are just what I needed. Rather than gloss over the 'big picture' stuff needed to progress, you break down steps into MANAGEABLE OBJECTIVES and give your students actual examples from your experience. So helpful!
The problem
Stop waiting for someone to discover your book
At a conference in Taipei, someone asked me what a book launch looks like, and my immediate response was, it depends if you have a platform or not. Actually launching the book, in my case, is an email and a social media post, but only because all the platform building stuff I've done has worked well enough that I can get bigger results with less effort. That's what a "stress-free book launch" looks like, but it only works if you've gone through all the steps.
Without a platform, launch day goes differently. You post, you book a promo, maybe you try a few ads. Maybe you get a little bump. Then the book goes quiet again, and you start wondering what's wrong with it.
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.
What I figured out along the way is that the tactics weren't the real problem. Tactics send readers somewhere. If that somewhere is a weak book page, or a website with no reason to sign up, they leave and you can't reach them again. So you end up paying for the same attention every launch.
Where is your launch stuck? Start there.
They see the book, but don't buy.
Open your book page as if you'd never heard of yourself. Look at the cover at thumbnail size and read the first two lines of the description. Would you buy? If not, sending more people there won't fix it. Start with the book.
They're interested, then gone for good.
If the only choices on your site are "buy my book" or leave, you lose the readers who aren't ready yet. Give them a reason to sign up, and a welcome that makes them glad they did.
The page is ready, but nobody finds it.
Work on content your readers search for, guest posts, influencers and the sites where readers already hang out. Use ads to test what's working, not to cover for what isn't.
Launch day is coming.
Fix the critical issues first, plan how you'll show up without being annoying, and test your offer before you put money behind it.
Most authors have more than one of these. You don't have to work through all 21 lessons before you fix anything: start at the stop that matches your book, and come back for the rest before your next launch.
Why it's in this order
The book comes first. The launch comes last.
Here's how publishing works: write a great book, get a great cover and 15 reviews, tell a million people, and sell 10,000 copies. In that scenario, the important bit is conversion. What if, for the same visibility, you sold 50,000 copies? What about 1,000? If you're not sure whether you're operating at a loss or profit, spending money to launch a book is a gamble.
Create a book people want
Deliver real value to your readers. Ads and posts can't fix a cover, a blurb or a book page that sends the wrong signal, so the roadmap starts with the book itself.
Own the traffic
Build your platform, instead of paying for someone else's. The benefit nobody really talks about is attention over time: every reader on your own list is one you don't have to pay to reach again.
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.
What's inside
The whole roadmap, lesson by lesson
Author platforms are hard to learn one blog post at a time, because the pieces only work together. So I put them in order: 21 lessons in four stops. I cover a lot of material, so treat it as a roadmap, not a 21-day sprint. Here's the whole list, so you know exactly what you're getting.
The book
What you write and who it's for, your cover and book page, and getting found and reviewed.
- Day 1Find your brand
- Day 2Write to market
- Day 3Cover design basics
- Day 4How to publish a book
- Day 5How to get your book found
- Day 6Get more book reviews
Your home base
A simple author website, a reason to sign up, and the emails new readers get.
- Day 7Author website basics
- Day 8Email list building
- Day 9Newsletter marketing
Reach
Steady ways for the right readers to find you, so you're not paying for every visit.
- Day 10Website tactics to get traffic fast
- Day 11Guest posts and branding
- Day 12Influencer marketing
- Day 13Facebook and Amazon ads, used to test what's working
- Day 14Social media marketing
- Day 15Best sites for writers (Reddit, LibraryThing, LinkedIn, Goodreads)
- Day 16Repurpose content
Launch
The fixes to make before launch, an offer worth sharing, and a launch plan you can run again.
- Day 17Fix critical issues before you launch
- Day 18Show up without being annoying
- Day 19Testing offers and boosting value
- Day 20Launching your book to #1
- Day 21PR and newsjacking
Also inside
- A launch case study: a series and boxset launch, with preorders, email blasts and ad stacking, newsletter swaps, Amazon ads, BookBub and Facebook boosting, and SEO.
- Reviving a dead book: what to do when you're exhausted and a book isn't selling, and how to give it a total makeover.
- Start-here lessons, including "Do you really need an author platform?"
Day 20 is called "Launching your book to #1." I can't promise you'll hit #1. Unlike most other self-proclaimed self-publishing gurus, I'll never promise you Big Results. For me, if you can sell a hundred books to strangers on your first book launch and get 25+ reviews, that's a huge win.
How it works
Schedules and spreadsheets make me cringe, so this won't be a rigorous bootcamp. It'll be more like a chill hang. Do a lesson a day, or catch up on the weekend in your pajamas.
- Your pace. Go in order, or skip to the stop you need right now. There's no deadline to miss.
- Ask as you go. Post in the lesson comments or email support when you're stuck on a lesson or a step.
- Keep it. Lifetime access, so you can come back to it for your next launch.
From the lessons
What the lessons actually sound like
A few lines from the lesson transcripts:
"A lot of people ask, do I even need an email list? Or maybe nobody signs up for my email list or it's too small. Or perhaps my email list doesn't do anything. Nobody on my list buys anything."
"It's not just about selling books. It's about testing the sales funnel, because if advertising does not work, then you're not converting enough of the right target audience into buyers, and that signifies a problem."
Proof
More from authors who've used my courses and advice
Collected over the years. Several are from Guerrilla Publishing students (Guerrilla Publishing now includes this course). Their results are their own; yours will depend on your book and the work you put in.
I've worked with thousands of authors to help them nail their story and market their books, and I always refer them to Derek Murphy's work. Derek has the most creative ideas for marketing books. He draws from his previous background as a cover designer, blogger, and internet marketer to bring fresh techniques and tactics to the book industry. More importantly, he tests everything he teaches with his books and gets serious results! What I love about Derek is that he believes first and foremost in giving value to the world. He has given so much of his resources and time to the communities he builds, and he really cares about helping each person make progress. Derek is the type of person who way overdelivers on everything he does. He works hard to help people find success and will do the same for you.
As a new indie author with one unsuccessful book launch, I needed a way forward. Cue Derek Murphy, the Creativ-Indie. I could have spent hours poring the internet and refining my methods, but why would I when it is all in one place? And that's what the Guerrilla Publishing course is - EVERYTHING NEEDED to produce and release a book, all in one place. I'm hugely excited about moving forward and putting all this into action.
Both series popped within an hour of going live on Amazon and sold double what they had previously this month. Yesterday was the best sales day of the month so far in all my books. And that was just the first day. I did ZERO PROMOTIONS for any of this. Today is shaping up to be even better. You are a breath of fresh air in this business, and I'll keep up with the course and implement some of it. It has already given me value back.
Oh my gosh, thank you Thank You THANK YOU! This is exactly what I needed. Step-by-step of exactly what to do. Fumbling around for the past year trying to figure out how to get reviews. This is direct, to the point, understandable! I've made a lot of mistakes on the 3 books I currently have out, and as you can guess, they're not selling. But the next one...now I'm armed with knowledge! I'm dedicating my next book to Derek!
As consultant with 30 years in advertising and marketing I am appalled at the level of ignorance and shallow thinking that so many book marketing gurus exhibit. You, however, are a peacock among common fowl. There are so few voices worth listening to in self-publishing and yours is one of them.
Man, your courses have so much detail, and so many GREAT IDEAS! And the videos...I have to constantly pause and write stuff down, then I go back and rewatch several times. This course is the juiciest marketing/publishing course I've ever taken, and I've been through a few. Thanks for what you do!
Derek, thank you so much for sharing your learnings. You are a genius! Thanks to you I worked on a marketing strategy that helped my book be a #1 BESTSELLER last week. Please keep sharing because it makes a difference.
Is this for you?
Good fit
- You have a launch coming up, or a book that launched quietly, and you want the steps in order.
- You've published, or you're about to, and you want readers to keep finding the book after launch week.
- You don't have a website or list yet and want to set them up in the right order.
- You have a website or an email list, but the pieces don't feel connected.
- You'd rather build something you keep than pay for attention every launch.
- You write fiction or nonfiction. The platform pieces are the same.
Not a fit
- You want someone to do it all for you. The core course is do-it-yourself. If you want hands-on help, the VIP options in the enrollment box below add coaching and feedback.
- You want a live group on a fixed schedule. The core course is self-paced, with email support and lesson-comment Q&A.
- You want a guaranteed bestseller. Nobody can honestly promise that.
- You want polished, up-to-the-minute software tutorials. Some screens are older; the lessons are about decisions more than buttons.
Who's teaching this
Hi, I'm Derek Murphy.
I have a PhD in Literature. I supported myself as an editor and then a book cover designer, working with over a thousand writers, and a few of the covers I've designed have hit the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. CNN once featured me for renting castles for writing retreats.
I've also written over a dozen novels. I've built my email lists to tens of thousands of subscribers, for fiction and nonfiction, and sold tens of thousands of books. And yet, when I launch a new book, like everyone else I struggle to get the first dozen reviews.
Before I told anyone about the book version of this course, I took a hard look at its Amazon page and fixed the cover, price and blurb. That's basically the final step in this roadmap, done on my own book. It picked up three bestseller tags, which was my goal.
At my first big book conference, my wife and I literally hid under our display table rather than talk to people about my books. So this isn't a course from a natural salesperson. It's the platform I built because I'm not one.
The offer
Start before your next launch
Every reader who lands on your site today and leaves without a way to hear from you again is someone you can't reach on launch day.
Start with one stop. The rest will be there when you're ready for it.
30-day money-back guarantee
Work through the stops your book needs. If the course and my support don't help you sell more books, email support within 30 days for a full refund.
The book launch roadmap
21 Day Bestselling Author Platform
- 21 lessons in four stops: the book, your home base, reach and launch
- The series and boxset launch case study
- The "reviving a dead book" lessons
- Self-paced, with lifetime access and course updates
- Email support and lesson-comment Q&A when you get stuck
- 30-day money-back guarantee
List price
$297or 11 monthly payments of $27 (same total)
Choose your plan and enrollFollowed a link with a discount code? Your discount shows in the enrollment box below.
Want more help? The enrollment box below also has VIP options, with coaching and feedback from me.
Already own Guerrilla Publishing? It includes this course, so log in and check your courses before you buy it again.
Questions
Before you enroll
Do I have to do a lesson a day for 21 days?
No. It's self-paced: the lessons are laid out as 21 daily steps, but you can go faster or slower, and start whenever you're ready. There's a lot of material, so you can start with the stop your book needs most and come back for the rest before your next launch.
How long do I have access to the course?
After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like, across any and all devices you own. You'll get course updates as long as the course is live.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
30-day money-back guarantee: if the course and my support don't help you sell more books, email support within 30 days for a full refund.
Can I call you?
I'm a die-hard introvert with a sleep disorder; phone calls scare me like spiders. So there are no calls. But I'm pretty responsive by email and in the lesson comments, so ask there when you get stuck.
Can you do it for me?
The core course is do-it-yourself: you build your own platform with the lessons, and you can ask questions by email or in the lesson comments when you get stuck. If you want hands-on help, the Make Me Famous option in the enrollment box adds keyword and category research, a blurb rewrite and a developmental edit of your first chapter.
What's the difference between the options?
Pay Monthly and Pay in Full are the same self-paced course, with email support and lesson-comment Q&A; one is split into 11 payments of $27, the other is one payment of $297. The two VIP options add coaching and feedback from me; each one lists what it includes in the enrollment box.
I already own Guerrilla Publishing. Do I need this?
Probably not: Guerrilla Publishing includes the 21 Day Bestselling Author Platform. Log in and check your courses before you buy it again.
Do I need a big audience already?
No. You can build the foundations before you have a list: a clear book page, a simple website, a reason to sign up and a welcome for new readers. If you already have those, use the course to review them and reach more of the right people.
Why THIS course?
There are several good courses on self-publishing basics. Any of them are fine. This one comes at marketing as an editor and cover designer, so a lot of it is about the book, the cover and the book page, because ads and posts won't fix those. If you just need a clean, simple, basic course to self-publishing... This isn't it. This program is huge, and messy, and authentic.
What if I fail?
THERE IS NO SUCH THING: it's silly to start out in a new career and expect it to be easy. Self-publishing is challenging and competitive. That said, the vast majority of writers never even begin. They fail by default, by overpaying for an expensive vanity press, having an ugly cover and no book reviews, no platform, no conversions, dead on arrival (that's if they even finish their book!) We learn through failure and experimentation. Usually it takes years of frustration; this course puts the steps in order, so you're not figuring them out one blog post at a time. And if the course and my support don't help you sell more books, email support within 30 days for a full refund.
Will this work for me?
If you're not ready to sign up now, keep me in mind for when sales slow down and you're feeling stuck. I've worked as a developmental editor, a cover designer (a few of my covers have hit the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists) and a marketer. I also write fiction and nonfiction and teach story craft, so this course covers the parts most marketing courses skip: the book, the cover and the offer, not just the ads.
Can I join later?
Yes. There's no deadline and no cohort to miss. You get lifetime access, so you can start now and come back to it for your next book.
Book not selling?
It’s not your writing—it’s your platform.
Readers can’t buy what they can’t see, and they won’t trust what isn’t packaged clearly. I felt invisible in a sea of new releases, 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.
Here's how it works...
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.
This guided author platform creation course 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.
Don't have time for an online course? Join the at the VIP level and I'll make sure you get results!
Get the visibility your book needs.
For authors who want a platform that makes sales predictable—without living on social media.
By Day 21, You'll Have...
(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 just buying information. You’re buying finished assets and a repeatable plan.
Success Stories from Published Authors
Build something you can keep using.
I built my author platform because I was tired of waiting for someone else to discover my books. Learning how to connect my website, useful content and email list gave me a way to reach readers again when I had something new to share.
That is what I want you to build here: a place readers can find you, a reason to stay in touch, and a clear next step toward your books.
The course draws on my own publishing and marketing work. Some software screens and examples are older; use the lessons to make decisions about your own site, audience and books. Results will depend on those choices and the work you put into them.
Small Daily Steps, Big Author Wins
Schedules and spreadsheets make me cringe, so this won't be a rigorous bootcamp - it'll be more like a chill hang. Get active in the daily activities, or catch up on the weekend in your pajamas.
I'll be hands-on in the private membership area, answering questions and giving feedback, so you won't get stuck, even if you're short on time.
Built for Busy Authors Who Need Accountability
Each day we will focus on only one major goal or topic, with written guidance, practical step-by-step tutorials, and personal feedback. Small, achievable steps will build confidence, especially when you start seeing results.
Ready to join? Let's get started!
Choose your path
Pay in full, or spread it over monthly payments.
But Wait, There's More!
(You didn’t come this far for “just a course,” did you?)
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)
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.
Ready to Leap Ahead? Here’s What the Savviest Authors Grab Next—
Claim access to my private toolkit, advanced author shortcuts, and VIP resources... special extras you literally can’t find anywhere else: an exclusive collection of premium bonuses, handpicked to launch your book—and your brand—into bestseller territory.
Don’t Miss What Comes Next!
Self-paced, with help when you get stuck
There's no live schedule to keep up with. Work through the daily lessons at your own pace: three weeks if you're focused, longer if life gets in the way. Most authors come back to it for their next book.
Results You Can Measure
Top 100 Kindle placements, 25,000+ copies sold, and $2.5K/month case studies.
Everything you need to build, launch, and grow
When you join the 21-Day Bestselling Author Platform, you’re not just getting a course—you’re getting structure, ready-to-use templates, email support, and a repeatable system you can use for every book.
Most courses give you videos. This one gives you a finished platform.
Each day is one short task. Do it, check it off, move to the next. If you've ever quit a course after week one, the fix isn't more motivation; it's smaller steps and a clear finish line.
It's self-paced: take 21 days, or take three months. When you get stuck, ask in the lesson comments or email support and you'll get a straight answer about your own site, book page or emails.
Ready to build it? Choose how you want to pay below.
Choose your path
Pay in full, or spread it over monthly payments.
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Work through the lessons and start building. If the course isn't right for you, email support within 30 days of your purchase and you'll get a full refund.
Got Questions?
Get Started Now
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.
Start with the part of your platform that is missing. If you have a website but no way to stay in touch with visitors, work on your signup offer and email list. If those already work, move on to finding readers and planning your next promotion. Use the daily lessons as a sequence, or return to the topic you need.
Want to start with a book?
You can explore my approach before choosing a course. These books cover reader-focused marketing, publishing and building an author platform. The course is for when you want the lessons and tasks laid out together while you work on your own setup.
You can find some of these free books on my website.