Book Boot Camp 2:
Marketing
Four days of live training to build the marketing engine behind a real author career — from newsletters and reader magnets to ads, social media, and building an audience you actually own.
Writing the book was the easy part. Now what?
You've written a good book. Maybe a great one. But it's sitting at zero reviews, buried on page 47 of Amazon, and the only people who've read it are your mum and your writing partner.
You've tried posting on social media. You've maybe boosted a post or two. You've heard you "need a newsletter" but yours has 23 subscribers and you don't know what to send them. The advice online is overwhelming — everyone says something different, and most of it assumes you have a budget you don't have.
Here's what most authors get wrong: they try to do everything at once, do none of it well, and burn out before anything gains traction. The authors building real careers aren't doing more marketing — they're doing the right marketing, consistently, in the right order.
That's exactly what we build in four days.
Four days. From invisible to discoverable.
This boot camp gives you a complete marketing system — built step by step in live sessions where Coral walks you through every tool, every setup, and every strategy. No theory dumps. You'll be doing the work in real time.
The Core 4 Funnel: Discovery → Reader Magnet → Newsletter → Sales. You'll define your author brand (pen name, genre identity, reader promise, brand aesthetic), set up your reader magnet using BookFunnel or StoryOrigin, and learn why your newsletter is the highest-ROI marketing asset you'll ever build.
Coral also covers website essentials, SEO basics (even if you don't blog), BookClicker for daily promo testing, and the zero-budget strategies every author should start with before spending a cent on ads. The core principle: master one thing at a time, do it consistently and well, before adding more.
Most authors waste money on ads because their listing isn't ready. Coral starts with the Ad Readiness Checklist — strong cover, optimised blurb, solid metadata, good read-through, and a newsletter base — before touching a single ad platform. Her rule: if the book isn't already getting some organic traction, ads won't fix it.
Then you walk through four ad platforms: Meta Ads (creative-first, great for visual hooks in romance), Amazon Ads (bottom-of-funnel for buyer intent), BookBub Ads (KU-optimised with low CPCs), and Pinterest Ads (long-tail discovery for cozy and seasonal niches). For each, you'll learn when they work, when they don't, how to test at $5/day, and how to track what's actually profitable.
TikTok for authors. Instagram Reels. Pinterest. Goodreads. Coral covers what actually works on each platform — the content formulas, posting cadences, and the funnel from follower to newsletter subscriber. You'll learn the Reels/TikTok formula (hook → clip → trope → CTA), how to batch-create months of content from a single spreadsheet, and why Goodreads is an underused goldmine for organic discovery.
Then: promo stacking. You'll build launch week and backlist boost plans using Freebooksy, BargainBooksy, BookClicker, Written Word Media, newsletter swaps, and ARC pushes — stacked in sequence for maximum visibility. Coral walks through real promo stack templates you can customise for any release.
The single most important lesson in author marketing: platforms change, algorithms change, audiences move — but your email list, ARC team, and reader community stay with you. If every reader comes from TikTok or Amazon, then your career belongs to TikTok or Amazon.
Coral builds the "holy trinity": newsletter strategy (content types, frequency, welcome sequences), ARC team system (recruitment, management, review flow), and reader community plan. You'll see how every other marketing activity — social, ads, promos — should funnel back into this owned audience. This is what makes launch weeks spike automatically, ranking sustainable, and backlist sales passive.
"Using what I learned in Boot Camp 1, I have a second draft of a book and I'm in the middle of edits now! I should have it ready to publish by the end of the week and I'm so excited."
What you'll walk away with
- A complete author marketing funnel — from discovery to repeat buyers
- Your reader magnet set up and connected to your newsletter
- A newsletter strategy with content ideas you can run with immediately
- An ad readiness assessment — know if you're ready before spending a cent
- Platform-by-platform social media playbook (TikTok, Reels, Pinterest, Goodreads)
- Promo stacking templates for launch week, backlist boosts, and free runs
- A budget and ROI tracking system so you know what's working
- An audience-building plan that compounds over time
"You really are amazing at creating something special."
Everything that's included
Monday to Thursday, live with Coral. Interactive, hands-on training — not slides you read at home.
A comprehensive workbook covering brand definition, reader personas, aesthetic planning, content calendars, and tracking sheets.
Step-by-step guides for Meta Ads, Amazon Ads, BookBub Ads, and Pinterest Ads — with budget templates and KPI trackers.
Content formulas, posting strategies, and how to drive followers from TikTok to your newsletter.
Ready-to-use 3-day free stacks, 7-day launch week plans, and backlist boost sequences using BookClicker, Freebooksy, and Written Word Media.
Pre-built promotional plans for key sales periods throughout the year.
Ad readiness checklist, blurb rewrite checklist, backmatter optimisation checklist, keyword tracker, and sales dashboard templates.
This boot camp is for you if:
- You've published a book but have no idea how to get it in front of readers
- You're overwhelmed by marketing advice and don't know where to start
- You've tried ads and lost money — or you're afraid to try
- Your newsletter is tiny (or non-existent) and you want to grow it properly
- You want a step-by-step system instead of random tactics
- You're ready to treat your author career like a business, not a hobby
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a published book to take this?
Ideally, yes — or at least one close to publication. The strategies work best when you have a book to market. But if you're pre-publication, you'll still walk away with your entire marketing infrastructure set up and ready to go on launch day.
Are there recordings?
No. This is a live, attend-once experience. Coral demos tools in real time, answers questions live, and adapts the session to the room. There are no recordings or replays.
Do I need to take Boot Camp 1 first?
It's recommended but not required. Boot Camp 1 covers craft and writing; Boot Camp 2 is entirely focused on marketing. If your book is already written and you need help getting it seen, you can start here.
How much budget do I need for ads?
Coral covers zero-budget strategies first. For paid ads, she recommends starting with as little as $5/day for testing. You'll learn how to assess whether your book is even ready for ads before spending anything.
Is this for a specific genre?
No. The marketing principles apply across all fiction genres. Coral uses examples from romance, thriller, fantasy, cozy mystery, and more — and helps you adapt strategies to your specific genre and audience.
What tools or subscriptions do I need?
A newsletter provider (free tiers exist), and optionally BookFunnel or StoryOrigin for reader magnets. Coral walks through all the tools during the sessions — you don't need everything set up beforehand.
Ready to get your books in front of readers?
Four days. Live with Coral. Walk away with a complete marketing system — from newsletters and ads to audience building.
