Author Media

What Author Media does

Author Media is a family-owned, bootstrapped private company founded in 2007 by Thomas Umstattd Jr. and headquartered in Austin, TX. The company operates a vertically integrated platform serving fiction and nonfiction authors, providing book marketing education, AI-powered tools, coaching, and community. Its core asset is the Novel Marketing Podcast, claimed as the longest-running book marketing podcast in the world, with 500+ episodes produced since 2013 alongside the Christian Publishing Show and the 2025-launched Author Update. The company's technology stack centers on the Patron Toolbox, a suite of 36+ AI-powered tools gated behind a $10/month Patreon subscription, including AI Thomas (a custom chatbot trained on the proprietary podcast archive), Twain Bot, Jane Bot, blurb generators, website scanners, cover analyzers, and AI Knowledge Checkers for ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, and Claude.

The business model is multi-stream and grounded in the creator economy. Revenue is generated through one-time course sales (5-Year Plan, Obscure No More, Publishing A to Z, Amazing Author Websites, Book Launch Blueprint), recurring Patreon memberships, coaching groups priced at $495 for 6 months (capped at 10 authors per cohort), podcast production services, the annual Novel Marketing Conference, and affiliate referral commissions from recommended tools. Go-to-market is community-led: the podcast and blog serve as top-of-funnel content, AuthorMedia.social and Patreon function as mid-funnel community, and courses, coaching, and the conference act as bottom-of-funnel conversion. The company has 7 named team members (several family members) and operates under Castle Media Group, LLC. In 2019, Author Media divested its WordPress plugin business (MyBookTable, MyBookProgress, MySpeakingEvents) to Stormhill Media to consolidate focus on educational content and AI tools.

Name

Author Media

Legal name

Author Media

Website

https://authormedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Author Media is a bootstrapped, family-owned platform serving individual fiction and nonfiction authors with book marketing education, a suite of 36+ AI-powered tools, podcast content, online courses, coaching groups, and community, monetized through Patreon subscriptions, course sales, and an annual conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Author Marketing Education

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJAJAL

Author Marketing, PR & Launch Services (Ads, Book Tours, Influencers)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Self-Publishing Platforms & Author Services

SECONDARYMPAJAJAO

Author Business Tools & Analytics (Royalty Tracking, Pricing, Keyword/Market Research)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Self-Publishing Platforms & Author Services

SECONDARYMPAJAJAH

Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Self-Publishing Platforms & Author Services

SECONDARYMPAJAJAB

Author Service Marketplaces & Aggregators (Vetting, Bundled Services)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Self-Publishing Platforms & Author Services

Keywords

• Book marketing education
• Author platform building
• Publishing education services
• Author coaching programs
• Book marketing podcasts

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Online Courses: Step-by-step courses for writing, launching, and promoting books. Courses include The 5-Year Plan to Become a Bestselling Author, Obscure No More, Publishing A to Z, Amazing Author Websites, and Book Launch Blueprint.
2. Coaching Groups: Small group coaching (limited to 10 authors) led by Thomas Umstattd Jr. with monthly video sessions. Two tiers: Writers (focused on getting published) and Authors (focused on selling more books) at $495 for 6 months.
3. Patreon / Patron Membership: Novel Marketing Patrons at $10/mo and above gain access to the Patron Toolbox (36+ AI tools), Podcast Host Directory, exclusive monthly Q&A episodes, and discounts on courses. Patrons-only discounts worth over $500 on top courses.
4. Podcast Production Services: Since 2018, Author Media provides podcast production services for clients.
5. WordPress Plugins (Historical): Previously sold WordPress plugins including MyBookTable, MySpeakingEvents, MySpeakingPage, and MyBookProgress. Sold to Stormhill Media in 2019.
6. Affiliate Marketing: Recommends and earns commissions from third-party products and services including laptop hardware, web hosting, email marketing platforms (Kit, MailerLite), writing tools (Scrivener, Grammarly), and publishing services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Author Media sells book marketing education, online courses, AI-powered author tools, and small-group coaching to individual fiction and nonfiction authors. Revenue-generating offerings include online courses (5-Year Plan, Obscure No More, Publishing A to Z, Amazing Author Websites, Book Launch Blueprint), a Patreon-gated Patron Toolbox with 36+ AI tools (including AI Thomas, Twain Bot, Jane Bot, blurb generators, scanners, PR tools), small-group Mastermind coaching with the CEO ($495 for 6 months), the annual Novel Marketing Conference, and podcast production services for select clients. Free distribution is led by three podcasts — Novel Marketing, Author Update, and the Christian Publishing Show — and the AuthorMedia.social community platform.

Product overview

Author Media is a family business operating as a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on book marketing education and AI-powered tools for authors. The core platform consists of three podcasts — Novel Marketing (the longest-running book marketing podcast), Author Update (publishing news and zeitgeist analysis), and Christian Publishing Show — supplemented by online courses (5-Year Plan, Obscure No More, Publishing A to Z, How to Build an Amazing Author Website, Book Launch Blueprint), Mastermind Groups (small-group coaching), the annual Novel Marketing Conference, and the AuthorMedia.social community. The primary add-on module is the Patron Toolbox: a suite of 36+ AI-powered tools available to patrons at $10/month and above, including the AI Thomas chatbot (trained on 500+ podcast episodes), specialized bots (Twain Bot, Jane Bot, Not a Literary Agent, Not a Lawyer, Not a CPA, Cosmarch), blurb generators, website/book page scanners, editing tools, worldbuilding tools, PR tools, business tools, and free tools. A complementary sub-product is the Podcast Host Directory (access to 100,000+ podcast host contacts, patron-only). The portfolio also includes WordPress plugins (MyBookTable, MyBookProgress — originally built by Author Media and later sold to Stormhill Media). Together these products serve authors at every stage from writing craft through publishing, platform-building, and book marketing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Novel Marketing: The longest-running book marketing podcast in the world, helping writers build platforms, sell more books, and change the world with writing worth talking about.
• Christian Publishing Show
• Author Update
• AuthorMedia.social
• Patron Toolbox
• Novel Marketing Conference

Products and services

• Novel Marketing Podcast The longest-running book marketing podcast in the world, a weekly show hosted by Thomas Umstattd Jr. helping fiction and nonfiction authors build author platforms, sell more books, and grow their reach. Distributed free on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, and 15+ other platforms, with over 500 episodes and 1,680+ questions answered since 2013.
• Author Update A weekly live YouTube show and podcast providing publishing news that matters to authors' careers and cultural zeitgeist analysis, co-hosted by Thomas Umstattd Jr. and Jonathan Shuerger with live Q&A. Available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
• Christian Publishing Show A podcast helping Christian authors improve writing craft, get published, and market effectively, hosted by Thomas Umstattd Jr. with expert advice from industry insiders on writing, publishing, and theology.
• The 5-Year Plan to Become a Bestselling Author Course A step-by-step online course designed to help authors avoid costly mistakes early in their careers and build a five-year path toward becoming a bestselling author. Sold through training.authormedia.com and discounted for Patrons.
• Obscure No More Course Author Media's most comprehensive book marketing course, providing a complete plan for building an author platform and driving book sales. Available at training.authormedia.com with 50% off for Patrons.
• Publishing A to Z Course An online course that teaches writers both the traditional publishing path and the independent publishing path, covering the full spectrum of publishing options available to authors. Available at training.authormedia.com with 50% off for Patrons.
• How to Build an Amazing Author Website Course An online course that teaches authors how to build an author website that attracts readers, covering design, content strategy, and reader engagement. Available at training.authormedia.com.
• Book Launch Blueprint Course An online course providing a step-by-step blueprint for successfully launching a book, first released in 2018 and periodically updated. Available through training.authormedia.com.
• Patron Toolbox A curated collection of over 36 AI-powered author marketing tools available exclusively to Novel Marketing Patrons at $10/month and above, including AI Thomas, Twain Bot, Jane Bot, blurb generators, website and cover scanners, editing tools, worldbuilding tools, PR tools, business tools, and free tools (Review Linker, QR Code Generator, Barcode Generator). Bundled with over $500 in discounts on top courses.
• AI Thomas Chatbot An AI chatbot trained on over 500 episodes of Novel Marketing, Christian Publishing Show, and Author Update that delivers sourced answers to publishing and book marketing questions, with direct links to the specific episodes backing each response. Available to patrons at $10/mo and above.
• Podcast Host Directory A proprietary directory providing contact information (including email addresses) for over 100,000 podcast hosts worldwide, available exclusively to Novel Marketing Podcast patrons. Used by authors to identify and reach out to podcasts for guest appearances.
• Mastermind Groups (Coaching) Small-group coaching cohorts led personally by Thomas Umstattd Jr., limited to 10 authors per group, with monthly video conference calls focused on wins, challenges, and goals. Two tiers offered: Writers (focused on getting published) and Authors (focused on selling books), priced at $495 for 6 months. Includes access to a private coaching community and a special Brain badge on AuthorMedia.social. Sold via application, with preference for existing Author Media course students.
• Novel Marketing Conference An annual in-person book marketing conference, first held in Austin, TX in 2024, with 2026 and 2027 events announced. Tickets sold through training.authormedia.com. Serves both as a community gathering and a sales channel for higher-tier Author Media products.
• AuthorMedia.social Community Network A private social network and community platform for authors combining social features, discussion forums (Podcast, Craft, Publishing & Promotion), a Job Board, a Deals section, and student-only course areas. Free public areas plus premium student-only sections accessible to course subscribers.
• Podcast Production Services Podcast production services for external clients, provided by Author Media since 2018. Includes editing and production support for client podcasts (with Laurie Christine as Podcast Producer and William Umstattd as Podcast Editor on the team).

Quantifiable outcome

• Novel Marketing recognized as longest-running book marketing podcast in the world
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

AI capability12 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Kit (formerly ConvertKit)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecommended email marketing platform with affiliate relationship. Author Media uses Kit for its own email marketing and recommends it to authors for list building and automation.
• BlubrryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast hosting service used and recommended by Author Media. Coupon code 'novelmarketing' provides free month or two of hosting.
• BuzzsproutminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecommended podcast hosting platform for authors not using WordPress. Affiliated with Author Media with tutorial content and recommendations.
• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate partner for book-related purchases and KDP recommendations. Primary indie publishing platform recommended to authors.
• BookVaultminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrint-on-demand service recommended for authors. Novel Marketing Patrons receive free setup. Affiliated partnership providing discounted access to Patrons.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Draft2Digital: Draft2Digital is an ebook distribution aggregator and author services platform providing wide distribution to retailers — partially comparable as an indie author services platform, though more focused on distribution than marketing education, placing it as an adjacent direct peer.
• Book Brush: Book Brush provides book mockup, cover design, and marketing image tools for authors — directly comparable as a software-tools business serving indie authors' promotional workflow, overlapping with Author Media's cover design and mockup tools in the Patron Toolbox.
• BookBub: BookBub is a reader-facing book discovery and deals platform with a partner program used by authors to promote ebooks — directly comparable as an author marketing/promotion platform reaching the same reader/author segments as Author Media's courses and Podcast Host Directory.
• Reedsy: Reedsy is a marketplace and education platform connecting authors with editors, designers, and marketers, plus a blog and learning resources — directly comparable as a one-stop platform-plus-education offering for authors at the publishing/marketing stage.
• Written Word Media: Written Word Media operates BookBub and the BookBub Partners platform — a book promotion and discovery service for authors serving the same indie author customer base that Author Media targets, with overlapping value props in book marketing and audience growth.
• Kindlepreneur: Kindlepreneur is a book marketing education platform and tools site founded by Dave Chesson, focused on helping indie authors with KDP optimization, keywords, covers, and book marketing — directly comparable to Author Media's core offering to fiction/nonfiction indie authors.
• Self-Publishing Formula: Self-Publishing Formula is a course and podcast brand (Mark Dawson and James Blatch) offering indie author marketing education and ads training — directly comparable as a podcast-led education and courses business serving the same indie author segment.

Others

• IngramSpark: IngramSpark is a print-on-demand and distribution service from Ingram Content Group, recommended by Author Media as an affiliate partner. It is comparable as part of the broader author services ecosystem but does not directly compete with Author Media's marketing/education focus.
• BookFunnel: BookFunnel is an ebook and audiobook delivery platform integrated into Author Media's Patron Toolbox and used by indie authors for reader magnets — comparable as an enabling service in the indie author marketing stack rather than a direct competitor.
• StoryOrigin: StoryOrigin is a reader magnet, giveaway, and newsletter cross-promotion platform integrated with Author Media's Patron Toolbox — comparable as a complementary indie author marketing tool rather than a direct competitor to Author Media's broader education/AI suite.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AuthorMedia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Novel-Marketing
• Facebookfacebook.com/AuthorMedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/thomasumstattd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Author Media