7-Figure Educator

Most people think a book happens overnight. Mine took seven years from first idea to pub date — and every single step had a strategy behind it.

In this episode, I’m breaking down my complete book journey timeline, starting in 2019 when 7-Figure Educator was just an outline for a Harvard doctoral independent study, all the way to June 16, 2026, when the book officially publishes.

This is the hidden curriculum that nobody talks about. Not just writing the book — but the audience-building, the proposal, the agents, the offers, and everything that happens after you sign a deal.

What I cover:

How I practiced writing a book proposal as a Harvard doctoral student in 2019

Why I spent all of 2023 building my audience before writing a single word of the proposal

How my audience grew from 10,000 to 170,000 in three years

The 8 months it took me to write the book proposal (January to August 2024)

How I pitched agents, signed with my dream agent, and received 3 publishing offers all in the same year

Why I chose Hay House and signed my deal at the end of December 2024

The full manuscript process: writing, illustrator, cover designer, copy editing, and audio book recording

Pre-order 7-Figure Educator: www.7FEBook.com

Subscribe for more book launch strategy, business behind-the-scenes, and the blueprint for building a seven-figure education business.

7-Figure Educator Podcast | Season 5, Episode 4

Most people think a book happens overnight. Mine took seven years from first idea to pub date — and every single step had a strategy behind it.

In this episode, I’m breaking down my complete book journey timeline, starting in 2019 when 7-Figure Educator was just an outline for a Harvard doctoral independent study, all the way to June 16, 2026, when the book officially publishes.

This is the hidden curriculum that nobody talks about. Not just writing the book — but the audience-building, the proposal, the agents, the offers, and everything that happens after you sign a deal.

What I cover:

How I practiced writing a book proposal as a Harvard doctoral student in 2019

Why I spent all of 2023 building my audience before writing a single word of the proposal

How my audience grew from 10,000 to 170,000 in three years

The 8 months it took me to write the book proposal (January to August 2024)

How I pitched agents, signed with my dream agent, and received 3 publishing offers all in the same year

Why I chose Hay House and signed my deal at the end of December 2024

The full manuscript process: writing, illustrator, cover designer, copy editing, and audio book recording

Pre-order 7-Figure Educator: www.7FEBook.com

Subscribe for more book launch strategy, business behind-the-scenes, and the blueprint for building a seven-figure education business.

7-Figure Educator Podcast | Season 5, Episode 4

Most authors plan the tour after the book. I planned mine before. Four years before 7-Figure Educator published, I was already on the road building the infrastructure, the relationships, and the community I would need for launch day.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on exactly how I built a 12-city book tour strategy — starting with just 4 cities in 2023. This is what strategic planning actually looks like in practice: not a vision board moment, but bricks laid one year at a time.

What I cover:

Why I started touring in 2023 when my book wasn’t launching until 2026

How I scaled from 4 cities to 8 to 12 using a brick-laying strategy

The exact data I used to pick my tour cities: social analytics and email list reports

My popup strategy for testing new cities before committing to a full tour stop

How VIP dinners help me deepen relationships in anchor cities

Why I’m dropping 2026 tour stops in chapters instead of all at once

The strategic hire I made to manage 12 in-person events this year

Pre-order 7-Figure Educator: www.7FEBook.com

Subscribe for more book launch strategy, business behind-the-scenes, and the blueprint for building a seven-figure education business.

7-Figure Educator Podcast | Season 5, Episode 3

A book proposal isn’t about talent. It’s about clarity, market demand, and strategy. In this episode, I’m breaking down the full anatomy of a book proposal — and what traditional publishers are actually evaluating when they decide to invest in your book.

Here’s the truth most aspiring authors don’t know: a publisher isn’t asking if you can write. They’re asking if you can sell. Your book proposal is your sales plan — and the stronger it is, the bigger the deal you can negotiate.

I walk through every section of the book proposal I submitted to land a six-figure traditional publishing deal for 7-Figure Educator, publishing June 16, 2026.

What we cover:

Why a book proposal is a sales plan for you and your audience — not your book

How publishers use the 10% rule to project how many books you can sell

Why I chose traditional publishing and how I negotiated a six-figure advance

The 6 sections of a complete book proposal, broken down step by step

Why the marketing plan is the gold ticket of the entire proposal

Pre-order 7-Figure Educator: www.7FEbook.com

Subscribe for more business strategy, book launch tips, and the behind-the-scenes of building a seven-figure education business.

7-Figure Educator Podcast | Season 5, Episode 2

Building a book launch team is one of the most overlooked parts of becoming a bestselling author. In this episode, Dr. Erica Jordan Thomas breaks down the exact 5 hires she made to execute her New York Times bestselling book launch for "7-Figure Educator."

From hiring a book coach with a proven blueprint to bringing on a full-time marketing manager, brand designer, web designer, and editorial partner - this is the real behind-the-scenes of what it actually takes to launch a book at scale.

If you're an educator, coach, or consultant writing a book - or already in the process - this episode will shift how you think about your team and your launch strategy.

What we cover:

Why a book launch is really a 12-month marketing campaign

The difference between a marketing coordinator and a marketing manager

Why your book needs its own brand kit

What an editorial partner actually does (and why you need one)

The founder vs. CEO mindset shift that changes everything

Pre-order Seven Figure Educator: www.7FEbook.com

Subscribe for more business strategy, book launch tips, and the behind-the-scenes of building a seven-figure education business.

Seven Figure Educator Podcast | Season 5, Episode 1

Season 5 of the 7-Figure Educator Podcast is here — and this time, we are going all the way to the New York Times bestseller list.

I am Dr. Erica Jordan Thomas: former teacher, former principal, Harvard grad, and full-time entrepreneur. And this season, I am taking you inside every single piece of my New York Times bestselling book launch for 7-Figure Educator.

The goal: sell 15,000 copies in six months. The average book sells 2,000 in its entire lifetime. We are not doing average.

This season covers:

• The 5-person team I built to make this launch possible — and why each hire mattered

• The marketing strategy behind a 12-month book launch campaign

• The founder-to-CEO mindset shift every entrepreneur needs to make

• The behind-the-scenes of working with a publisher and managing a full manuscript

• What it actually takes to go from educator to New York Times bestselling author

If you are an educator, a coach, a consultant, or an entrepreneur who has a book inside you — or who is already on the publishing journey — this season was built for you.

New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe so you do not miss a single one.

Pre-order 7Figure Educator at www.7FEbook.com

7-Figure Educator Podcast | Season 5

This episode is the real behind-the-scenes of what it takes to build at movement level, especially when things don’t go as planned.

Discover how educators can earn millions and transform their lives at Seven Figure Educator Live 🚀. This inspiring event brings together passionate educators from around the globe to learn innovative strategies for turning their expertise into thriving businesses. Led by accomplished educators and entrepreneurs, it’s all about empowering educators to package their brilliance and achieve financial success while making a lasting impact. With heartfelt connections, strategic insights, and a supportive community, this event is the ultimate opportunity to level up and redefine what’s possible. Join this movement to create meaningful change in education and entrepreneurship!

RESOURCES:

[MEET] Are you an educator looking to start or grow your education consulting business? Click the link below to book a call with our team and learn more about our programs! https://updates.ericajordanthomas.com/widget/bookings/ejt-education-group-discovery