The Strategic Author Webinar Replay

Hosted by Booklinker

 

Replay good until 1/18/26
For continued access to this and past webinars,  join The Book Business Collective
https://geni.us/TBBCHalfOff1month

In this replay, publishing strategist Linda Secondari walks authors through how publishers actually evaluate books and why positioning matters just as much for indie authors as it does for traditional publishing.

Using her Four Questions framework (Why, What, Who, How), Linda explains how to assess your manuscript like a publisher, use comparable titles to clarify market fit, understand audience expectations, and choose publishing paths that make sense for where you are right now.

 
From Linda
The Strategic Author Program

As promised, I’m sharing details about the February cohort of THE STRATEGIC AUTHOR, along with a $250 thank-you discount for all attendees.
Discount code: NEWYEAR26
Valid through: January 20, 2026
 
 
Most authors focus on how to write a book or how to market one. Very few understand how publishing actually works, regardless of where they are in the process.
 
The Strategic Author fills that gap.
This cohort is designed for authors at any stage, from early idea to published book. I help authors develop or refine a publishing strategy so they can make informed decisions, set grounded expectations, and clearly understand where their book lives in the world.

Condensed Timestamp Highlights

(Times are approximate and all within the ~50 minute session.)

00:00 – 04:30 | Welcome and Introduction
Kerrie Flanagan welcomes attendees, outlines the session flow, and introduces Linda Secondari and her background in traditional and independent publishing.

04:30 – 09:30 | Thinking Like a Publisher
How publishing committees make decisions, what “positioning” really means, and why manuscripts are evaluated on market fit, comps, audience, and sales potential.

09:30 – 13:55 | The Four Questions Framework
Overview of Linda’s core framework: Why, What, Who, How, and how answering these creates a clear publishing roadmap.

13:55 – 19:50 | WHY: Motivation That Lasts
Why bestseller dreams are not enough to carry you through the process, the “pit of despair,” and why purpose driven motivations lead to better long term outcomes.

19:50 – 24:40 | WHAT: Comps, the Bookshelf, and Positioning
How to do comparable title research, what publishers look for in comps, using the “bookshelf” concept, and understanding genre expectations for price, length, and format.

24:40 – 27:40 | Trends, Time, and Backlist Refresh
Why trends shift, how packaging and positioning can get dated, and when to reassess covers, marketing, and audience fit across your backlist.

27:40 – 30:45 | WHO: Audience Clarity
Identifying where readers discover, buy, and read books, using social platforms and libraries for insight, and understanding primary vs secondary audiences.

30:45 – 33:45 | HOW: Publishing Paths and Economics
Overview of traditional, hybrid, crowdfunded, and self publishing paths, plus a clear explanation of advances, royalties, and earn out using real numbers.

33:45 – 35:30 | Summary and Strategic Author Program
Linda recaps the framework and shares details about her Strategic Author Program and resources.

35:30 – 43:40 | Live Q and A
Discussion on whether authors need a social media following for traditional publishing, current pricing realities for print books, moving away from 99 cent pricing, distribution beyond Amazon, and how publishers are approaching AI.

43:40 – 50:00 | Book Business Collective and Wrap Up
Kerrie shares details about the Book Business Collective, webinar replay access, upcoming trainings, and final takeaways on choosing publishing paths that fit your goals right now.

Want to sell more books?
Join The Book Business Collective. 
https://geni.us/TBBCHalfOff1month