# Your First 10,000 Readers

> Nick Stephenson's author marketing platform featuring a free 7-day email course on growing book sales plus a premium 62-video training on building automated marketing systems.

Source: https://selfpublishingdirectory.com/courses/your-first-10k-readers
Website: https://www.yourfirst10kreaders.com
Category: Courses & Education (https://selfpublishingdirectory.com/courses)
Pricing: freemium — $0–$597/one-time
AI-powered: no
Editor's pick: yes
Tags: email-marketing, reader-magnets, author-marketing, list-building, automation, amazon, free
Last verified: 2026-06-18
Best For: Fiction authors with at least one book who want to build automated email marketing funnels rather than rely on ongoing paid ad spend
Commitment: self-paced, email-series
Course Focus: marketing-ads
Format: Video Course, Email Course
Instructor: Nick Stephenson
Skill Level: Intermediate
Topics: Email List Building, Reader Magnets, Amazon Marketing, Book Launch, Marketing Automation

Your First 10,000 Readers is the flagship author marketing platform from Nick Stephenson, a USA Today bestselling thriller author who has used his own methods to reach over one million readers. The platform is anchored by a free 7-day email course that teaches how to grow book sales from zero to $1,000 per month — a genuinely useful introduction even if you never purchase the premium course.

The premium course (62 videos, swipe files, and bonus author interviews) goes deep into the full author marketing stack, with a strong emphasis on automation — building systems that continue to sell books while the author writes. This focus on "set it and earn" marketing distinguishes it from many competitors who focus solely on active advertising.

**Free course:** The free 7-day email sequence covers reader magnets, building an email list, and the core mechanics of converting readers into fans. It is genuinely substantive — not a thinly veiled sales pitch — and serves as an honest preview of the premium content.

**Premium course areas:**
- Reader magnets — what they are, how to create them, and how to deploy them
- Email list building: platforms, welcome sequences, and automation
- Amazon marketing: Kindle Unlimited strategy, price promotions, and algorithm signals
- Launch planning and coordination with your email list
- Building an automated marketing funnel that runs without daily management
- Scaling: from your first 1,000 readers to 10,000 and beyond
- Case studies and interviews with bestselling authors on what actually worked

**Best for:** Authors who have published at least one book and want to move beyond hoping for organic discovery into building a deliberate, automated marketing machine. Particularly strong for fiction authors in Kindle Unlimited or authors publishing series.

**Instructor background:** Nick Stephenson is a bestselling crime thriller author (Leopold Blake series) who transitioned into author education after reaching over a million readers using the exact methods taught in the course. The platform has trained over 100,000 authors since 2013.

The premium course is built around six core modules — Rule the Retailers, Drive Endless Traffic, Convert Traffic into Subscribers, Engage Your Audience, The Ultimate Launch Template, and Scaling Up with Facebook Ads — backed by expert interviews, group coaching recordings, a "60 Day Author" bonus course, a private Facebook community, and downloadable cheat sheets. It includes lifetime access and a 30-day money-back guarantee, and can be paid as a one-time $597 fee or 12 monthly installments of $59 ($708 total).