The Story Funnel: An Un-Marketing System for Writers
It's 2 AM—you've just finished writing something brilliant...
You know that feeling. The cursor blinks on the last line. Your brain is buzzing with a post-creative high.
You crafted something real, something that matters. Then the dreaded thought:
Now what? How do I get people to actually read this thing?
You do what we all do — you open an incognito browser tab (no judgment here) and start googling things like:
--"how to sell books without being annoying"
--"I hate marketing my novel what do I do"
--"author newsletter ideas when I have nothing to say"
You find a wasteland of advice from people who toss around words like funnels, conversions, and lead magnets. Everything feels slick, soulless, and completely disconnected from the work you just poured your heart into. You can't go down this tunnel. You refuse.
It's not you, and you want to slam your laptop shut and never publish again.
WAIT! It's Not Your Fault
You're a writer, not a carnival barker.
The biggest lie in the creator world is that you have to choose between your art and your audience. They say to sell your work, you must morph into a literary used car salesman, complete with polyester smile and aggressive handshake. We're not playing that game.
After 50 years of writing professionally (and watching the industry evolve from typewriters to AI), I'll ask you this: What if, instead of trying to become an unskilled, insecure marketer, you just get better at what you already do?
What if you could build an audience and sell your work by doing the one thing you're already great at — telling stories?
The Story Funnel Changes Everything
This isn't another marketing course stuffed with buzzwords and empty promises. I offer you a comprehensive system designed specifically for writers who want to connect with readers without compromising their own integrity.
The Story Funnel transforms the terrifying world of email marketing into something familiar and comfortable — the act of telling a great story. Forget lead magnets, this is designed to help you create your first true Reader Magnet — an experience so compelling that it doesn't just attract subscribers; it creates genuine superfans.
Are you a novelist who would rather build a world than optimize conversion rates? A non-fiction writer who wants authentic connections, not just clicks? This package is for you. It's tailored for any creator who believes their work deserves an audience but refuses to sell their soul to find one.
What you get with the Story Funnel
This is a complete, step-by-step toolkit. No theory, no fluff — just practical systems you can implement in a single weekend. (Trust me, I learned this the hard way after nearly destroying my domestic relationship while writing a course project that should have taken two weeks but stretched into two months of pure agony.)
✅ The Authentic Creator's Manifesto: A passionate, brief guide that validates your hatred for sleazy marketing and gives you a new, empowering philosophy to work from.
✅ The "Story Sequence" Playbook: The heart of the entire system. Seven fill-in-the-blank email templates that create an automated, story-driven welcome sequence for new readers. These aren't generic templates — they're crafted specifically for writers who want to sound like humans, not robots, and you can customize them to suit your writing process
✅ The Tech Cheatsheets: Simple, visual, jargon-free step-by-step guides to setting up your Story Funnel using Systeme.io, Substack, or MailerLite. No tech-shame allowed here — if I can figure it out after nearly murdering my business partner over video uploads, you can too.
✅ The "Visual Anchor" AI Art Bonus: A creator's guide to using AI art to create stunning, memorable images that enhance your stories without requiring a degree in graphic design. Includes a bonus list of where you can download unique, non-AI license-free art.
✅ The "Superfan" Sales Page Template: The simple, authentic sales page template that lets you offer a deluxe version of your work directly to your most enthusiastic readers — no high-pressure tactics required.
Your Fellow Writers Love the Story Funnel
These writers, just like you, are focused on their writing and not thrilled about the need to promote the writing and the writer. We all know that's a necessary part of a micro business. Read what these people say about using the Story Funnel.
"Overall, you are providing a lot of valuable information. IMHO, the most important thing is the creation of the email sequence. The templates are very helpful and user-friendly." —Kris Downey
"Maryan, I love the framework for looking at this whole process differently — the analogy between elements of marketing to elements of a good story are really helpful. …The word “Story” in the title does not mean it’s only for fiction writers. What you’re teaching here applies to ALL writers… it applies to anyone who has something to promote. You have a direct, clear style that reduces techno-intimidation beautifully. Your email templates are brilliant." — Elizabeth Cottrell
"Story Funnel is full of information with extra appeal for the person/writer with an axe to grind about certain marketing practices." —Mike Searles
"After reading each component, I find your Playbook to be an exciting package that swiftly addresses writers' greatest pain points when it comes to marketing. … this product is so good, enticing, and exciting. Furthermore, this section gets to the heart of the matter in a manner that resonates immediately: Your job isn’t to trick people into buying from you. It’s to make it easy for the right people to find you." — Luna from LatinxBridges
"The layout for the template is familiar in structure. I have all three of Alex Hormozi's $100 Million Books, and this does provide a great framework for a compelling offer. I'm a non-fiction writer, so I'm looking at these sections."—Vince Mao
Stop worrying about marketing and
start telling your story!
You already have everything you need to build a loyal audience that genuinely wants to buy your work. The Story Funnel is simply the system that unlocks your skills and know-how.
After nearly five decades of making a living with words — through the rise and fall of traditional publishing, the content mill disasters, and the current AI chaos — I can tell you this: authentic storytelling never goes out of style. People will always crave real human connection, and that's exactly what you provide when you write.
Get lifetime access to the complete Story Funnel toolkit for $25
My No-nonsense Guarantee
I've got your back. I'm confident this system will change how you think about connecting with readers.
But if you're not completely satisfied (I'd be shocked), just reply to your receipt email within 15 days for a full refund. No hoops to jump through, no questions asked. You have my word.
I'm so confident that this will help you that I'll take on all the risk myself.
Write what sets you on fire. Edit everything else. Champion fellow storytellers.