The Six Figure Author Experiment Podcast

Episode 7 It’s Opposite Day! Russell is launching Amazon so Lee’s going to launch her project, The Millionaire Author Mindset, on Kickstarter. This is the first part of a 2-part episode. Part 2 can be found below. Opening credits and editing by the amazing Jim Wilbourne. Join us as we discuss: * Why nonfiction can be perfect for Kickstarter* The nonfiction funnel - book to courses* How kickstarter allows you to test your ideas * How to get over your fear of doing something new* “Investment comes before growth”* The question to ask yourself when you are writing nonfiction: Who am I helping?* Harnessing your inner Aquatic: Lee becomes a mermaid * Branding to attract and repel your idea reader/customer * An anti-authoritarian bee, a purple psychedelic pig and other customer avatars / psychographics * “If you’re talking to everybody, you’re talking to nobody” * “Are you speaking to the 99% of people who aren’t going to buy your thing, or the 1% who are?”* What to put in a Kickstarter stack: $1, $20, $50, $100, $300, $600 pledge tiers* Ideas for nonfiction tiers and rewards: checklist, ebook, audiobook, paperback, workbooks, physical decks, VIP live calls and hot seats, master classes, masterminds, coaching cohorts, courses * The Kickstarter spillover effect * Book launch and pre-order strategy in tandem with Kickstarter * Russell’s foolproof clipboard strategy * What are Kickstarter perks and stretch goals, and why do we care?* The best time to launch a Kickstarter* How long should my Kickstarter be? *  Lee’s homework: complete the simple "perfect" sales page worksheet and walkthrough from Russell’s course https://writermba.teachable.com/p/the-kickstarter-acceleratorLet us know what you think of this episode, and what you’d like to see in Lee Savino’s Millionaire Author Mindset kickstarter!  Resources:* The Kickstarter Accelerator course: https://writermba.teachable.com/p/the-kickstarter-accelerator* The Seven Figure Author course:millionaire-author-coaching.teachable.com/p/seven-figure-author * The author ecosystem: https://authorecosystem.com/overview This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sixfigureauthorexperiment.com

Episode 6: Self-liquidating offers: a boring term that makes us sound super smart! Join Lee and Russell as they discuss ways to advertise and push a pre-order using a direct store bundle–the author version of a self-liquidating offer.Opening credits and editing by the amazing Jim Wilbourne. * Self-liquidating offers in courses and nonfiction, and now fiction* Russell’s pre-order marketing strategy  * Launch marketing strategy * Nick Erik’s 5x5 ad creation strategy* Nick’s recommended romance audience: Diana Gabaldon, Danielle Steele, Nora Roberts, EL James, Sylvia Day, Contemporary romance   * How to test ads* What is the halo/spillover effect and why is it worth millions?* “He was everything, he was nothing…and now he’s a potato!” * The two ways to make a direct store: Shopify or landing page with a store plug in like Optimize Press * The benefits of running ads to your own store versus Amazon or other retailers Resources: * Free Book Launch Checklist (includes how to apply for merchandising)* Russell’s book launch checklist (the generic one tailored to him): https://BookHip.com/BDJDMNG * Solid marketing and ad advice: nicholaserik.com* Steve Pieper’s direct sales course: app.stevepieper.com * Russell’s offers* www.russellnohelty.com/obsidiansales* russellnohelty.myflodesk.com/rc0k0kug3u* www.russellnohelty.com/ichabodcomplete/* www.russellnohelty.com/series/the-godsverse-chronicles/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sixfigureauthorexperiment.com

Episode 5: Monica Leonelle joins Lee and Russell to discuss big launches. We run down a laundry list of the things Lee Savino and her cowriter did for their biggest launches (which resulted in each book hitting the USA today bestseller list back in 2021-2022). Then we asked Russell: What sounds fun for you? Opening credits and editing by the amazing Jim Wilbourne. The Book Launch Laundry list: * Bookbub pre-order promotions * Social media posts, giveaway posts* Goodreads giveaways* ARC Team vs Street Team * Your own newsletter * Newsletter Swaps with author peers* Merchandising at Kobo, Barnes and Noble* Newsletter promo sites like Bargainbooksy (Lee used Book-rank.com/Ram’s Promo stacker and clicked “Give me the Max”) * Pay per click ads Lee hasn’t had much success with: Amazon ads, tiktok ads, Bookbub ads, Snap chat ads, Google ads, Pinterest ads * Facebook ads, including self-liquidating offers like running ads to a direct store* Not discussed: affiliate marketing and video content marketing on Reels, Tiktok and Youtube shorts  Ask yourself “What on this list sounds fun to try for my next launch?” Resources: * Free Book Launch Checklist (includes how to apply for merchandising)* Book-rank.com (formerly Ram’s promo stacker)* Recommended book Promotion sites by Nicholas Erik: https://nicholaserik.com/promo-sites/* Stats on the revamped USA Today Bestseller list: https://hotsheetpub.com/2023/10/the-revamped-usa-today-bestseller-list-isnt-what-it-used-to-be/* What’s your Author Ecosystem? (Forest, Tundra, Desert, etc): * Free book on Author Ecosystems: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/dddd61c9j4Monica Leonelle’s Book Sales Supercharged seriesAnd the Written Word Media Book Marketing template: https://geni.us/Bookmarketingtemplate This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sixfigureauthorexperiment.com

Mike Hourigan from Written Word Media discusses promo stacking, newsletter growth, and book marketing tools with Lee and Russell. They delve into maximizing marketing strategies, testing book blurbs, and covers, utilizing promo stacking for book marketing success, and boosting book rankings through strategic advertising. The conversation emphasizes the importance of engaging with a loyal fanbase and effective book launch promotion strategies.

Episode 3: Lee and Russell are joined by Melissa Storm to discuss releasing a NSFW paranormal romance comic book on Kickstarter. They’re two days into this launch and are already fully funded. Content warnings: dirty jokes. It’s Lee’s fault. Put your headphones in. * The basics of Kickstarter projects* Popular genres on Kickstarter  * Pros and cons of working with a comic publisher * Best practices for collaborating or co-writing with another creator * The three stages of a Kickstarter launch* The challenges of publishing a French and English version simultaneously * The optimal length of a Kickstarter campaign* What to include in a Kickstarter campaign * A crash course in different types of comic covers (metal FTW) * The stages of making a comic * Color printing options with Bookvault * Russell’s most important tip for authors who want to turn their books into comics Resources: * Free Book Launch Checklist* How to build an email sequence for a book launch - * 5 biggest mistakes writers make transitioning their book into comics - * Romance class - russellnohelty.com/sexytimecomicclass* More about Melissa Storm’s services for authors: https://www.novelpublicity.com/about/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sixfigureauthorexperiment.com

Episode 2: We’re still covering the OG Six Figure Author Experiment: the launch of Russell’s fantasy series, the Godsverse Chronicles. In this episode Russell updates us on his experience uploading four of his novels to book retailers. He and Lee discuss mindset and the fear that bubbles up on your author journey–fear of both failure and success. Fear is the mind killer but there are antidotes that don’t involve riding a giant worm. Content warnings: discussion of depression, mental illness and suicidal ideation. * The busywork that’s part of an indie author’s life * “The Busy Mom” publishing option for authors who have no time* Boo to Ingram Spark, yay to PublishDrive and Draft to Digital  * Character-driven writing * How dysfunction in the mind is NORMAL * How to expand your comfort zone * How Russell caused the apocalypse* A useful approach to success or failure* “Every decision you make in writing is also a marketing decision” * The ideal number of books for a successful series * The advice Lee gave to a millionaire author * Russell’s dog’s happily ever after  * The #1 thing you can do to realize instant success Your Homework:* Make a list of things you’re grateful for, especially regarding your books and your writing career so far. * Choose a book from your catalog and make a list of things that are holding that book back–the cover, the plot, the writing style, the audience and market you’re targetingWe want to hear from you! Let us know how the homework goes and what was your favorite part of this episode. Resources: * Free Book Launch Checklist* The Secrets of Story: Innovative Tools for Perfecting Your Fiction and Captivating Readers by Matt Bird: https://amzn.to/4cuqC5P* Jim Butcher’s Livejournal: https://jimbutcher.livejournal.com/969.html* An excellent resource for shifting your mindset and relieving anxiety: The Rapid Resolution Technique by Jon Connelly: https://www.rapidresolutiontherapy.com/* Author ecosystems: https://authorecosystem.com/overview/Gratitude StudiesWong Y J, et al. Does Gratitude Writing Improve the Mental Health of Psychotherapy Clients? Bartlett M, Condon P, et al. Gratitude: prompting behaviors that build relationships Yu H. Gao X, et al. Decomposing Gratitude: Representation and Integration of Cognitive Antecedents of Gratitude in the Brain Lúzie Fofonka Cunha, et al. Positive Psychology and Gratitude Interventions: A Randomized Clinical Trial Philip Watkins: Thieves of Thankfulness: Traits that inhibit gratitudePhilip Watkins: Grateful recounting enhances subjective well-being: The importance of grateful processingP. Kini, et al. The effects of gratitude expression on neural activityFor more, check out the excellent video “An Antidote to Dissatisfaction” by Kurzgesagt This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sixfigureauthorexperiment.com

Episode 1: Join us for our first Six Figure Author Experiment: launching Russell’s fantasy series, the Godsverse Chronicles. The series is written and complete, with covers and audio done and ready to go. Russell had great success launching this series on Kickstarter and now it’s time to publish them wide on book retailers. Lee and Russell discuss pre-order strategy with Monica Leonelle, including: * The best way to juice the algorithm for success over on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, Kobo and other book retailers * How to maximize your launch week on Amazon by publishing audio, paperback, hardback and ebook formats together to get an algorithmic boost*  What ‘merchandising’ on wide retailers is and why it can give your book the best chance of success* How PublishDrive, Draft to Digital and Findaway Voices by Spotify can save you time and sanity * Pricing strategies including whether to launch full price or at a discountResources:* Free Book Launch ChecklistWe want to hear from you! Let us know what you’re launching now and what was your favorite part of this episode.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sixfigureauthorexperiment.com