Latest / Six-Figure Chicks / Episode 27: Behind the Six-Figure Chicks Book Series with Mel C
Transcript
- Mel C: Today's episode is special. You get just me I'm gonna go over some frequently asked questions. About the Six-Figure Chicks book series and author journey. I get asked by other people who've been a part of other collaborations what sets Six-Figure Chicks book series apart from the others? Okay, so I've been a part of other anthologies, and I know firsthand authors' viewpoint of they're different. Not worse, they're just different. You usually work with a group of people from different states, maybe different countries. So I get it. It's challenging meeting in person. So it's all done virtually. And you maybe have one or two meetings with other collaborators. You may get some social graphics mostly around launch time because they want it to rank well. They want to be bestseller. They want to be international bestseller. And so that's what they are, focusing on with their authors of like, okay, write your chapter, turn it in, and then let's all meet for launch day. Get a badge and go on with our life, and that's pretty much how it is. Like, I'm not making it up. Even with the first Six-Figure Chicks book, we launched it back in 2022. Women from all over the US. So, of course, it was all virtual. However, there was one difference. Katrina Sawa was my publisher for the first book and mentor, and she ran a tight ship, everything was scheduled. We met off to Virtually to help with the writing, to answer questions, to ensure that everyone was on target to finish in time. And that support and kind of accountability is needed, especially for first-timers who have never written in a book or anything like that. They don't know what to expect. And then again, we're all busy. We've got a ton of other things going on. On, so we have to stay focused, and that's exactly what we did during the process. Three months we were done, we reached number one international bestseller, and it was a huge success. But the next day after book launch, I was like, Well, what now? Like, party's over, I'm not ready. So you know, fast forward a couple years later, we did it a little differently. I did the next book, Six-Figure Chicks Phoenix, Volume 1, in the city-specific community. So we had women all in Phoenix writing the book together, and it was a game changer. How different it was. We created relationships, we got to hang out with each other, we got to have in-person photo shoots because there are a few details that. I like to maintain with every one of our books and our clients' books is that if you're doing a collaboration, say you have 15-20 different authors, and you just say, Hey, turn in your headshot for the back cover if you do place authors on the back cover, and then inside with their chapter. You're gonna get photos from all over. Photos from years ago, decades ago, headshots, full body shots, pixelated, black and white, color. You're gonna put those all together in one book with all of them mismatched and not cohesive and Expect people to look at that book and go, Wow, that's a book full of successful women, Six-Figure Chicks. I want to read their stories and be inspired by what they've gone through and what they've created. And what kind of tactical, practical, golden nuggets are they gonna give me? People are gonna look at the book and go, hmm, they all kind of look a little too different. Like one has their hand on their head, the other has a black and white photoshopped headshot, you know, like all of those things they mean a lot. I look at the details, so I expect all of our authors to show up, be seen, and be proud of what we produce and publish together. It's a team effort. And so every book I hold the authors accountable and in a timeline And guide them in the direction to have a successful book launch. So, with all of the authors now in one city market, it's easier to manage. It's so much easier to have fun with the whole process because we got new authors, seasoned collaboration authors that expect one thing but they get so much more. So, you know, that's the actual difference. Accountability buddies, not just the deadline and a hope that you're gonna get best-selling status and you're gonna add one more book to your bookshelf. Though I do say the more books in your bookshelf, the better. Okay, so I love this when authors get ready to start writing. This is the next big thing. More for our author's journey. It's like, gosh, I don't know if I want to talk about this part of my life or how I can talk about this ex or the ex-business partner. And I love our editor chick in charge, Kristen Hugens. She always shares this line with the authors, and it it's perfect. Okay, so this is by Anne Lamont. "You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better." Now we say that with a grain of salt because we're not saying, call out your ex-husband in your book. Kristen is very good at being able to help you know, edit your story, massage your journey to where you can talk about those challenging parts of your life without calling them out by name or title. but I really like that to sit with the author. because they can really accept and understand that those messy middles of their life, their journey, will impact somebody else's life. And Why hold it in and why not share it? We love giving the confidence back to our authors so that they can walk proudly, knowing that they have maybe shared something that they've never shared before inside the pages of the Six-Figure Chicks books. Okay, so what actually makes this different from writing their own book? It's not about you just like being in a book. Your name, your business, your story becomes part of a much bigger digital footprint. Like you're a part of a huge brand, Six-Figure Chicks. We have 150 plus and growing Six-Figure Chicks authors. They're all promoting their book, your book, the 15 to 20 authors that are in your book are promoting that book. And you, you get to reach new audiences, new communities, new eyes are on you, your brand, and your business. I like to say being a part of a book collaboration is the first taste of being an author, andor another collaboration written differently or shared different parts of your lives. Always great to add to your lineup of published pieces. Once you do a book collaboration, it gives you a little taste test of like what the editing and the publishing and all of the back-end stuff And then you're ready to move on, write your own book. Many of the authors and Six-Figure Chicks have gone on to write their own solo authored book or even other anthologies. And we help with that. Or, you know, we just gladly support them in their new book ventures. being a part of a book collaboration, you have a higher reach. Your visibility is stronger and strengthened. By all of the women standing beside you in this community. And the other benefits that come with the Six-Figure Chicks book series and being a part of the book and the marketing and the press releases and Just all of the SEO, the backlinks. Like I can go on and on, but I don't think we have time for that in this podcast. has the collaboration model changed since the first book? Yes. And I I shared that earlier. First book was virtual women all over the US. The second book, we wanted to have real connections, celebrations, deeper relationships, so we moved them into the city markets. We had Phoenix volume 1 and two, Scottsdale volume one and two, Houston, you are leading the way with 1, 2, & 3 volume. And volume 4 is coming out later this year, Then I thought, okay, my goal is to launch at least one book in every state. I can't be in every state all the time finding Six-Figure Chicks. So I created Six-Figure Chicks Global, which has women from nine different locations and our first international location in Calgary. And those women are now kind of like my ambassadors for those locations, those markets, of being able to invite their friends, their other Six-Figure Chicks that they know, like, and trust. Thanks, B and I, for that line. And you want women to be a part of your community, your sisterhood, your book that you love and respect and you want to see the best for. Because that's what we do in the Six-Figure Chicks movement. We uplift and empower each other. There's no judgment, there's no, you know, mean clickish. Groups of women, we are all here to see each other succeed and scale even more than they were before they came to this community. we got lots of questions about the money. What's the investment? Is it really worth it? I love answering this because I love talking about money. The book itself is just like one piece of the pie. Very first. First one, like you take a slice and you want more. wait, there is so much more. Okay, so being an author in the Six-Figure Chicks book series, right now it's three thousand dollars per author, and that covers everything. I talk about this a lot comparing it to other marketing costs in your business or anything you splurge money on that's high ticket value. People are gonna throw away your business cards. They will never throw away your book. You're sharing something personal, your real authentic self. When every other day online you're promoting all the best parts of you and your business or your personal brand and family, like, my gosh, look at me, I'm you know, traveling and doing all these things, and/or I'm having this amazing promotion. We talk about all the positive, polished, linked in versions, as I like to say. Why not open up and really? Connect with people on a much deeper level and share some of those messy middles so that people connect with you and realize: wow, I never knew that about Mel. I respect her so much. I'd like to have a conversation with her. I'd like to Ask about this or that, maybe a product or a service, because I feel closer to her. Like she's just one of us and she's a real person. She's not just you know posting all this flashy stuff, which you know I'm all about because my team does and I do all the time. We love celebrating our our wins and our great parts of our business. But it's also important to Share the real raw sides so that we can have those conversations that never would have happened without it. And that's what we do inside the books of Six-Figure Chicks. And With paying $3,000 to be a part of this amazing lifelong community, it covers everything: the editing, the publishing, the digital media graphics. We don't just hand you a couple of images and a one-page copy. We give you images before the launch. So, like right when you start the book to celebrate. We give you images pre-launch, we give you images on launch. Day post-launch celebrating your success, and tons of copy to use, and that is content. Copy, paste, done. I like to make it as easy as possible for our authors because I know our lives are busy. We don't have time for all of that. I'm asking enough by having our authors write their one chapter and answer some. of those questions, the challenges that we face, the roadblocks we've overcome, and best business practices so that the readers, the listeners for the audiobooks can say, Wow, okay. Mel, she went through imposter syndrome, and this is what she did to overcome it. That's what she used to move past these challenging times. Wow, if she did it, I can do it too. Or Wow, Mel is a public speaker. my gosh, I've been so scared to get on stages or speak up in my networking events. But she used that, she harnessed her voice and her story to really move the needle forward in her business. You know, that's again, if she did it, I can do it too. And that's why we share those things and those life experiences so other people can see it is possible. Is this open to anyone who wants to join? No. Short answer: okay, you A must be a woman and must be a six-figure earning female. I like to add, does not mean you have to own your own business. You can be a six-figure earning female corporate leader powerhouse and have a fantastic career. Or you can own a business. Like it's either or if you own a business, maybe your business earns the six figures and you don't yet, because you're heavily investing in your growth. I know because that's how it was for the first few years of my businesses. you have assets combined for six figures. I love being able to showcase professional women who have great careers as well as. Entrepreneurs because our readers can connect with different women and their stories for different reasons and go, Wow, okay, that's a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines, and she's a six-figure earning female. my gosh, I didn't know that was possible. Let me stay with this job that I love, serving other people and supporting them, in the air. Or I am, a coach and I have my own business, and I've been at It for 20 plus years. I never thought about doing a book. my gosh, that can help with my speaking engagements and up-leveling my expertise with potential clients and/or audience members. Like the list goes on and on, but I love being able to highlight any six-figure female, no matter what she does. And all it takes is a conversation with me. Like, you know, you trust your gut. If I like you and you're a six-figure chick, and you want to add to the book, empower other women, and invest in your own personal growth and business growth, then yes, I want you in the book. I want to invite you into our community. So what happens after the book launches? Is that it? No. So it's an ongoing community. We meet monthly, we have virtual sales marketing, PR training. The ladies in Houston are rocking and rolling. They meet quarterly in person for fun events. And Phoenix and Scottsdale, we try to meet as often as we can for happy hours and coffee dates and supporting each other. businesses and other events, l I love showing up to support fellow Six-Figure Chicks wherever and whenever I can. We have been in five modern luxury magazine photo shoot spreads with well over 70 different authors. We're going to New York in October of this year. So we're gonna be shining light on 20 different authors with their own solo billboard and giving them amazing marketing material. And again, up-leveling their expertise. We are sharing our stories with the world and with anyone and everyone that just needs to hear they matter. And we are right there beside them. And all of their growth and if they have any questions, we're here for them. Okay, next steps. You contact me. reach out, ask me a question. Be like, hey, can we hop on a virtual coffee? Or find me on social media, Six-Figure Chicks. I'm all over the place. The great thing about it is if you Google Six-Figure Chicks. I am full pages, multiple pages deep on Google. Myself, my different authors who are really leveraging and marketing being a six-figure chick, all the press releases, all the media coverages, podcasts, interviews, magazine articles, like the list goes on and on and on. I hope you guys grabbed some golden nugget from this conversation. Even if you're not wanting to be a part of Six-Figure Chicks. Or any book collaboration, I hope you grab something to use your story to market yourself, your business, grow your business in different ways that are more authentic and real. You can do it start small, little baby steps. Go on social media and share one little thing that nobody knows. Or contact me. If you're a six-figure chick, you don't want to be in the book. Come be on my podcast. I'd love to promote you and your awesomeness. Together we rise, together we change lives. See you next time.