Why Bestselling Authors Invest in Book Deals with Dr. Erica Jordan-Thomas

What if the book deal you want depends less on your idea and more on the business you build around it? In this episode of Kind of a Big Book Deal, Meghan Stevenson sits down with Dr. Erica Jordan-Thomas, founder of 7-Figure Educator™ and forthcoming author of 7-Figure Educator™. Erica shares the real journey behind preparing for a traditional publishing deal, from hearing the hard truth about audience size to spending two years growing her platform with strategy, consistency, and data. She explains why social media growth is not about vanity metrics, but about learning what your audience needs and proving you can sell your message. Erica also opens up about building the team, systems, and support needed to write a book while running a multiple seven-figure business. This episode is a grounded look at authorship, entrepreneurship, visibility, and why expert support can make the publishing process smoother, stronger, and more strategic. Dr. Erica Jordan-Thomas is the CEO and Founder of 7-Figure Educator™, a business development company shifting power in education and closing the racial wealth gap by equipping high-performing educators to build 7-figure consulting businesses. Through her programs, she’s worked with over 20,000 educators nationwide. Her clients earn an average of $92,000 in annual business revenue outside their 9-to-5s, 42% more than the average teacher’s salary. A former math teacher and school principal, Dr. Erica holds degrees from The Ohio State University, Relay Graduate School of Education, and Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she earned her doctorate. She’s also a real estate investor and CEO of Emma & Easter Realty Group, and the forthcoming Hay House author of 7-Figure Educator: Turn Your Experience as an Educator Into Income, Impact, and Freedom, available everywhere books are sold on June 16, 2026. Find Dr. Jordan-Thoma on social   / e_jordanthomas     / drericajordanthomas   Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (1:34) Meet Dr. Erica Jordan-Thomas (3:00) Starting the publishing journey in 2022 (4:21) Getting direct feedback on audience growth (6:24) Why platform size matters to publishers (9:25) Building a strategic social media presence (11:25) Hiring support without losing your voice (14:41) Preparing the business to write a book (20:06) Using time, joy, and revenue as filters (25:45) Balancing manuscript deadlines and live events (35:47) Finding the right literary agent (39:14) Why New York Times bestseller matters (42:39) Investing in a serious book launch (48:20) The best advice for growing an audience (51:26) Outro Have a great idea for a book but don't know where to start? MeghanStevenson.com/quiz Traditional publishing expert Meghan Stevenson blasts open the gates of the “Big 5”—Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Macmillan—to share what every entrepreneur and expert needs to know about landing a book deal. In episodes released every Monday, Meghan shares wisdom and stories from 20+ years in publishing as well as interviews with authors, literary agents, and editors. She also answers questions from listeners like you. Whether you are an experienced entrepreneur with an empire, or are just starting out—this podcast will help you understand what you need to do in order to turn your dream of being a bestselling author into real life.