When I got the call about Nell Mead's book launch, I knew this wasn't going to be your typical "please share my Amazon link" campaign. 

2024 was the year Nell got bored of her own bullshit and decided this was the year her book would finally be published.

No more procrastination.

No more "someday"

Now.

With 20+ years as a physio, starting off in the Army and then becoming one of London’s top and most respected experts, Nell has honed her method of the Health & Performance Pyramid. It’s this that Nell wanted to share with the world and make top-notch physio available to everyone. We all deserve the freedom of living a pain-free and mobile life.

She took the BRAVE step of choosing to do a book in a week with Colette Mason, the dominatrix of book coaches! And my partner-in-crime for book launches and relaunches.

Colette moved into Nell’s house and helped her transform two decades of experience into a solid 68,000-word first draft in just 5 days.

It was then road tested by 60 people, polished up and improved based on the feedback, illustrated, formatted, and published as a game-changing physiotherapy insightful guide that helps people break free from pain and movement limitations, in under 3 months.

Meanwhile, Nell and I had three months to turn this intensive writing sprint into a coordinated, multi-phase book launch that wouldn't exhaust everyone's goodwill.

The Launch Strategy Challenge

Looking at the scope, I needed to orchestrate:

• A limited edition hardback release for super-fans

• A mainstream paperback and Kindle version

• A well-attended, lively and interactive online launch event for global reach 

• An exclusive London book party for in-person impact in a prestigious location

And it had to be done without making everyone mute their social media accounts and email Inboxes due to launch fatigue. Challenge accepted!

Building the Launch Framework

First order of business: mapping out a strategy that would maintain momentum without burning out our audience. We had a "Pyramid of Interest" (fitting for a physiotherapy book, right?):

• Top Tier: Limited Edition Hardback

  • Created exclusivity without feeling manipulative

  • Built anticipation for the main launch

  • Gave super-fans something special to champion

• Middle Tier: Dual Launch Events

  • Online launch for global accessibility

  • London party for local connection

  • Cross-pollinated audiences between both events

• Foundation: Wide Release

  • Paperback and Kindle versions

  • Broad accessibility

  • Long-term visibility plan

Sarah Fletcher and Colette Mason, book launch partner-in-crime

Content That Actually Converted

Instead of the usual "buy my book!" spam fest yawn, I developed a content strategy that focused on:

• Stories of Nell

• Real stories of people the Health & Performance Pyramid had helped

• Practical tips people could use immediately

• Sneak peeks that provided genuine value

We coordinated this across tailored email sequences for each tier and social media posts and graphics, maintaining different tracks for:

• Early adopters interested in the limited edition

• General audience waiting for the wide release

• Cheerleaders from the London crowd for the in-person event

• Global audience for the online launch

The Results: Dancing with Giants

Here's the thing about bestseller charts - they don't just happen because you wrote a good book. They happen when you're willing to get uncomfortable, step into the spotlight, and do the work. For Nell, that meant embracing "shouty self-promotion" even though it felt about as natural as a penguin in a disco.

But the strategy and her courage paid off. 

During Launch Week, Nell's book wasn't just performing well - it was trading punches with household names:

• Over 120 Limited Editions sold before the main launch

• #2 in Health and Fitness Hot New Releases (right behind Olympian Sir Chris Hoy)

• #1 in Personal Health Hot New Releases (outperforming TV personality Fern Britton)

• #4 in Medicine Bestsellers, nipping at the heels of Dr Chris van Tulleken's "Ultraprocessed People"

• Dominated the all important Physiotherapy category at #1, fighting off a recommended physiotherapy textbook for students which guarantees steady sales all year round!

• PLUS, all 100 Limited Edition hardbacks were quickly snapped up!

Let's be clear: this wasn't a case of celebrity status or a massive following creating artificial success. Nell achieved these rankings through strategic planning, consistent execution, and yes - being willing to grasp those "author nettles" and promote her work.

Four weeks later...

Over 500 copies sold and 27 5-star Amazon reviews. 

Nell has been approached by two universities to speak to their physiotherapy students, and there's potential coverage coming in the February edition of Sainsbury's Magazine. This is already more than most books achieve in their lifetime.

The average author sells 100 copies in their lifetime.

Nell says

Having spent around a decade procrastinating about writing my book, I knew the launch needed to be done properly - and Sarah came highly recommended by my editor. Having Sarah meant I could (mostly!) focus on my day job of being a physio while she orchestrated a complex multi-phase launch that felt authentic rather than too pushy. Sarah's expertise and guidance helped me step out of my comfort zone to promote the book effectively, without feeling too overwhelmed or inauthentic. The results speak for themselves - selling out the Limited Edition hardbacks, reaching #1 in Physiotherapy on Amazon and outperforming established textbooks. These are things I would never have been able to do on my own, and have opened up new opportunities I hadn't even considered.

What Made It Work

The key elements that drove these results:

• Coordinated email sequences that built anticipation without overwhelming subscribers

• Multi-platform social media presence that kept momentum building

• Dual launch events (online and offline) that created multiple engagement opportunities

• Strategic timing of Limited Edition and regular release phases

Of course, there were challenges. 

Coordinating delivery timelines for certain parts of the book cover design, Limited Editions and paperbacks proof copies tested our patience, and we had our share of "interesting moments" during the campaign. But having a solid framework meant we could adapt without losing momentum.

Plus some aspects of ‘tech’ not doing what it should do that made us want to scream!

The Real Impact

Beyond the charts and rankings, the true measure of success was seeing Nell's Health & Performance Pyramid system reaching people who needed it. We weren't just selling books - we were helping people reclaim the joy of movement.

Sarah and Nell at the London book launch of How To Be Your Own Physio

But wait, there's more!

How to take advantage of the momentum generated by the launch?

This needs to be sustained or book sales drop off and you sink into the abyss that is Amazon and it's 30+ million books!

Plus your book is your dynamic marketing tool for the credibility as the expert in your industry. Don't stop talking about it!

With this in mind, I also built the 'Cookie Jar of Content' for ongoing book marketing.

A valuable vault of approximately 200 pieces of evergreen social media content. It's a powerful system that is designed to remind people that you are a published expert author (without being a spammy dick), keep the book visible to the right eyeballs, and use it to attract potential clients into your world (lead generation is the name of the game!).

This releases the stress of having to keep thinking about what to say about it and maximises the time, love, money and effort invested in the book. Nell is a busy professional, all of our authors are.

Key Takeaways for Authors

1. Bestseller status comes from strategy, not hope

2. You don't need a massive following - but you do need a loyal, dedicated network who respect you and everything you have achieved leading to this moment. Plus a solid plan

3. Be willing to step into the spotlight, even when it feels uncomfortable

4. Coordinate multiple launch elements to create sustained momentum

5. Remember why you wrote the book in the first place - let that drive your promotion

Buy Nell Mead’s book, How To Be Your Own Physio, here on Amazon.

Find out more about Nell Mead here.

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You've poured your knowledge and experience into your nonfiction book.

Whether you're preparing for launch or your book needs a fresh spark, let's talk about getting it in front of the right eyes. I help expert authors create strategic, sustainable launches that showcase their authority without burning out their audience (or themselves).

We create engaging social media campaigns that actually convert by building a launch plan that feels authentic to you.

Book a chat with me to explore how we can get your expertise the attention it deserves. 

Because your book isn't just another title on Amazon - it's a powerful tool for expanding your impact.