This is the first half of my guide to launch a bestseller in 21 days. Get the full ebook and free video series when you sign up at my website: https://www.creativindie.com/21-day-bestselling-author-platform/

1. Getting Started
T H E 2 1 D A Y B E S T S E L L I N G A U T H O R P L A T F O R M
1. Get your platform in order
so you’re not embarrassed or overwhelmed.
2. Get clear on your audience
So you’re not speaking to an empty room.
3. Grow your following
So you can sell books without harassing people.

2. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
WHO? (Derek Murphy)
1. PhD in Literature
2. 5 millions views
3. 75K books sold
www.creativindie.com

3. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
WHAT/WHY
1. Platform: how people find you
content that matches their interests
2. Brand: how people feel about you
repeated positive exposure
3. Reputation: can they trust you
social proof and credibility boosters
What if I don’t want to do any of this?.

4. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
DISCLAIMERS
1. You can do none of this and succeed.
You can do all of this and fail.
2. Don’t force yourself to do things you hate.
But be open to discomfort.
3. More visibility will make a bad book fail faster.
But you’ll correct mistakes more quickly.
Education takes time. Execution is quick. This is what you want, not what you need.

5. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
FIND YOUR BRAND
1. Why do you write? Who for? (Them/You)
2. What’s your endgame?
3. Define your select minority. “People like us.”
4. Craft your Super Hero avatar.
5. Share what’s relevant
6. You are what you do, not what you say
7. Be the change (what do you stand for or against?)
Something they love/hate
8. Your two author bios
Epiphany bridge/vulnerable share
(story not summary)
9. Pennames/alter egos.
10. Author photos
11. Authoridentity.com

6. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
MARKET
1. Yourself/readers
2. Popular/any
3. Story/content vs “good” writing
4. Cardinal sin of self-publishing
5. Satisfy your minions | bookbutchers Editing
6. Define and confirm value (same as but diff.)
7. Deliver on genre expectations (overconform, not
compromise)
8. You can’t educate before you sell
Easier to change yourself than change the world.
WRITE TO

7. EASY
v s
VALUABLE
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
1. Passion/profit
2. Containers
- Genre = elements + setting
- Story = conflict + suspense
- These are not optional (craft is universal)
- Puzzle = the answer is on the box

8. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
SECRETS
1. Biggest Mistakes
2. Hook with feeling/genre
3. Three infallible layouts/humanizing
element
4. pass/fail vs. lickable (“pop” or “wow”)
5. Full print covers
6. Formatting print and ebook
7. Promo graphics | DIY book covers
BOOK DESIGN

9. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
BASICS
1. KU or wide?
2. Online (POD)/bookstores
3. Trad vs. Hybrid
4. Uploading Files diybookformats.com
5. Ingram vs KDP (returns/discounts)
6. Timing/pricing/editing
7. Consistent backlist
PUBLISHING

10. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
KEYWORDS
1. Product/market fit
2. What they need/want
3. Genre confirmation
4. Also-boughts
5. Repeated exposure
6. Consistent branding
7. Recognizable & memorable
8. Hook & surprise (features/benefits)
9. Inherent conflict/unresolved tension
BLURBS, SEO &

11. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
“I am also interested in market analysis, metadata
optimization, blurbs and Amazon page assistance.
I may even pursue platform assistance.”

12. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
PUBLISHING > MARKETING
1. Publishing determines conversion,
which you can’t fix with more visibility
2. Platform is whatever you don’t spend money on.
- “Sales dropped 40%! Now what?”
- “I sold 50 books but got zero reviews!”
which you can’t fix with more visibility
Education takes time. Execution is quick. This is what you want, not what you need.

13. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
REVIEWS
1. credible / authentic
2. highlight different features
3. cold ask/warm ask
4. be inclusive
5. make it about them
6. what are you offering?
7. percentage games
8. repetition
9. Netgalley, BookFunnel, Booksprout, Story Origin, ProlificWork
imlovingbooks.com
GET

14. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
WEBSITES
1. fast
2. relevant
3. effective
4. clear – author name/genre
5. trustworthy
6. sticky
7. landing page/blog Best Wordpress
AUTHOR

15. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
MARKETING
1. Do I even need it?! (relationships)
2. Potential fans >> fans
3. Targeted offer
4. Front end / back end
5. Giveaways
6. Teasers/novellas (bookfunnel,
storyorigin, booksprout)
7. Popups / subscribe forms
8. Mailerlite vs. others
9. Purging lists
EMAIL LIST

16. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
ADDICTS
1. Autoresponders vs broadcast
2. Welcome series
3. Invite them to respond
4. Get them to click
5. Open loops/clear/absurd
6. Good words and bad words
7. Start with story
NEWSLETTER

17. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
Derek this is great! You really are the only source I actually trust. You have re-kindled the
exhausted flame of a post menopausal woman. May The Mighty Spirit bring you and your
loved ones peace and contentment.
Don't ever take me off your email list. You are helping me tremendously with all the info on
your website and videos. If it wasn't for your help, It would have been impossible for me to
self-publish my first book. Thanks so much!

18. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
You know what I don't care about your opinion of your sh*t.
What I care about is
(1) Are you a real human with a real human story, and
(2) do you offer something I can benefit from.

19. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
Welcome series
1. Did you get the free book?
2. Just checking in (reviews)
3. Surprise bonus
4. Personal anecdote (favorite books?)
5. Geek out on something you love
6. Excerpt/WIP
7. Giveaway or call to action (time sensitive)
- Free or deal books
- Updates/WIP/excerpts
- Industry news
- Occasional free stuff
- Book launches
1. Cover reveal/premise
2. Personal story/motivation
3. Early reviews/excerpts
4. Reviews of similar best books in genre
5. Sale price or bonuses
6. Launch price / last chance
7. Thanks for the reviews
8. Celebrate successes
- Roughly 8 emails, either altogether or spread out.
- Occasional followups, when it’s on sale or you got a great
new review or when the next book is out.
- These are your blog posts…
Book launches

20. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
12 week email series (3 months)
1. Confirmation email
2. Welcome email
3. What you’re working on
4. Giveaway
5. Embarrassing moment
6. Surprise and Delight
7. Ask for a favor
8. Thank everyone
9. Give them a chance to raise their hands
10. Activity/event/challenge
11. Call for reviews
12. Thank everyone/celebrate again
13. Force them to make a choice

21. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
TACTICS
1. Worth doing poorly…
2. How search traffic works
3. The best content
(for humans and robots)
4. A content roadmap (start with a
plan)/SEO research
5. Know your audience
6. Content at scale | free SEO tools
BLOGGING

22. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
10 Blog Post Ideas to Write Now
1. Adorable childhood story (awww)
2. Biggest fear/doubt (thrill)
3. Work in progress (anticipation)
4. Favorite books and authors (relevance)
5. Rejection/embarrassment (sympathy)
6. Creative writing lifestyle (passion)
7. Peer projects/Pets (brand transference)
8. Things you love/hate
9. Top 10 listicles (give ready answers)
10. FAQ (what people are searching for)
11. Trending topics (stay informed/trust/reputable source)
* Brand Transference

23. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
BRAND
I made a video about this on
youtube:
https://youtu.be/cEk_pLTtGlQ
GUEST POSTS

24. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
PARTNERS
Get this and all the other 21 steps
to launch bestsellers on my blog
Here, with a free guide to book marketing!
CREATIVE

25. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
ADS
Can’t fix what you can’t measure
1. Audience (AMS/FB)
- Increase conversion/Training Amazon
- Freebie/preorder
- Direct or Indirect
- Group/page/boosted
- Retargeting
- Keywords/groups
- Narrow Interests
- Learn more button
- Excerpt/sales copy
- Social Proof
- FB/Instagram
- Email list + similar audience
TESTING

26. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
MEDIA
1. 75% value
2. Entertainment
3. Confirmation bias
4. Each platform is different
5. Hashtags #YAfantasy
6. Scheduled posts / bots
7. Stay informed
8. Share what interests you
9. Follow and support others
10. Ads/visibility
* Curate your feeds
• Facebook, Twitter
• Instagram, TikTok, BeReal
• VR/AR/metaverse
Main problem: ongoing consistency, relevancy *
- viral/shareable
SOCIAL

27. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
Case Study (fiction/nonfiction)
1. Research (be sure of your sources)
2. Include quotes
3. Turn them into image-quotes (graphics) – graaphics.co
+ with quotes from your book
4. Share quotes, image+text, tag @sourcename
5. 1 out of 4 is *your* quote
+ optin or preorder link
6. Add compelling AI images, memes or quotes
That are share-worthy (not promotional)
+ splice in some promo graphics with the offer
7. Search, follow and retweet. Figure out trends, keep an eye on what’s
trending. Interact, add your voice (or don’t).
8. Don’t let it control you. (3 weeks, scheduled) = 21 days of content.

28. Getting Started
N O V E L W R I T I N G B A S I C S
E S S E N T I A L E L E M E N T S
Fiction Case Study
1. Research (be sure of your sources)
2. Include quotes
3. Turn them into image-quotes (graphics)
+ with quotes from your book
4. Share quotes, image+text, tag @sourcename
5. 1 out of 4 is *your* quote
+ optin or preorder link
6. Add compelling AI images, memes or quotes
That are share-worthy (not promotional)
+ splice in some promo graphics with the offer
7. Search, follow and retweet. Figure out trends, keep an eye on what’s
trending. Interact, add your voice (or don’t).
8. Don’t let it control you. (3 weeks, scheduled) = 21 days of content.