Authors, Use Scott Oldford’s Unfair Advantage Concept to Catapult Your Results
There are 6 key areas that will change how you position and market your books
In Scott Oldford’s book The Nuclear Effect: The Six Pillars of Building a 7+ Figure Online Business, he outlines six key areas where content creators/online businesses should amplify their unfair advantage — those unique qualities and experiences that set you apart in a crowded market. This is the kind of business you are building, author. And these areas aren’t about privilege, but about leveraging what makes you you.
Many happen to overlap nicely with Step 3 of my 7-Step Profitable Author Life Framework.
1. Your experience
Every author has an abundance of stories to tell. Don’t be afraid to mine your past for those experiences that bring a distinctive perspective to your work, your marketing, and the offerings of your author business.
Consider…
What life events have shaped your worldview?
What challenges have you overcome that your readers might resonate with? What can others learn from the adversity you’ve faced?
Where have you triumphed in way others would want to know about?
What hard-won insights can you offer based on your journey?
What experiences make you an expert in your field?
In light of your answers, how do you bring your experiences into your content creation, your marketing, your customer service, your business model?
2. Your skills
As an author, you already possess a valuable set of skills, but by identifying and employing all your skills — even those beyond writing — you can significantly boost your results.
Your skills inventory may include:
Writing: Likely your core strength, but are you proficient in multiple styles or genres?
Speaking: Can you confidently deliver engaging presentations and connect with audiences? What makes your style special?
Networking: Are you comfortable building relationships and fostering connections?
Teaching: Can you effectively share your knowledge and inspire others to learn?
Business: If you’ve been reading me here, you know I can’t emphasize business skills enough!
How will you leverage your special set of skills to nurture and grow your author business?
3. Your talents
Oldford distinguishes talents (those things that come easily and naturally to you) and skills (things you pick up from learning, training, and practice). For me, his talents overlap nicely with Sally Hogshead’s archteypes of fascination. What is it about you, yourself (and all your inborn characteristics), that draws other people to you? Your je ne sais quoi is an unfair advantage that you can tap and amplify.
Consider your friend group. Why do you suppose they like you and enjoy your company?
What about you seems to energize others?
What things are second nature to you that others consistently remark upon?
What intrigues and fascinates others about you?
Do you have easy abilities that others may envy?
Now, how do you use this special magnetism of yours to full advantage?
4. Your knowledge
The body of knowledge that you have amassed over your lifetime may be more unique to you than you realize and thus a source of unfair advantage. List some of the things you know that most other people don’t.
When you take those things as a whole, what distinctions come to light?
Where and how does your body of knowledge set you apart from others?
What does your knowledge bank have to offer the world?
In what ways can you lead with this knowledge?
Think about this foundation of knowledge and how your author business can use it to augment its offerings: New book formats? Classes and workshops — online and in-person? Speaking engagements and public events? Coaching and consulting services?
5. Your character
In a world of carefully curated online personas, authenticity is a superpower and wellspring of unfair advantage. Readers and customers are drawn to and seek out authors and business partners who are genuine, relatable, and true to themselves, so turn up the volume on your character and infuse your author platform with your personality and values.
Share your story and your passions.
Stand up for your beliefs and values.
Be transparent and vulnerable to the extent that makes sense for you.
Find ways for others to connect with the human behing the book.
Choose sales, marketing, and branding approaches that align with who you are and what matters to you.
6. Your connections
Being an author can feel like a solitary endeavor, but the truth is, relationships are the backbone of a successful author career/business. Take time to appreciate those you know who give you an unfair advantage and ponder how you can nurture these relationships and continue to expand your network.
How can you engage with your readers to build a loyal following?
How can you expand the circle of fellow authors you know for mutual support, collaboration, idea generation, and feedback exchange?
How can you best work with industry professionals like agents, editors, publishers you know and meet — those on your team and those who work with others?
What can you ask of others? How else can you activate your network for joint advantage?
Who else that you know is a potential partner for your books, projects, and enterprises?
Building a successful author business goes far beyond just writing a great book. By embracing Scott Oldford’s concept of unfair advantage and leveraging the six areas outlined above, you can position yourself for long-term thriving in the ever-evolving publishing landscape.
Winter Sweetheart Deal
Are you enjoying The Profitable Author / An Author Business You Love Substack? Would you like support in growing your author business this year and meeting author goals?
Authors, be your own valentine, and take advantage of my Winter Sweetheart Deal. Book a one hour call with me to discuss your author challenges, get all your book marketing and publishing questions answered, and beging creating a roadmap for your 2025 author success. Book by end of day February 14, 2025, and you also get:
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Thanks for reading. If you have found value here, please share with other authors you know.