In this New Year episode of The Six Figure Author Experiment, Lisa Vino and Russell Nolte are joined by David Viergutz, founder of Scare Mail and CEO of Epistolary.com, to talk about a business metric Lisa now can’t unsee: AOV (Average Order Value). What begins as a direct-sales strategy conversation quickly turns into a masterclass on premium experiences, fandom-building, and escaping the tired publishing “rat race.” David shares how he went from running ads in the 20 Books / SPS model to building a thriving story-letter empire, why epistolary fiction is story-first or die, and how authors can experiment with higher-priced offers without losing the magic. The through-line: in a world flooded with AI and noise, the advantage is human creativity, bold formats, and products that feel like experiences.

Topics Covered:

* What AOV (Average Order Value) is and why it matters for direct sales

* Thinking like a business owner without losing your author soul

* David’s origin story: list-building, ads, and long-term strategy

* Why niche audiences can still generate massive success

* “Taylor Swift pricing” as a mindset shift for premium offers

* Why experiences sell: readers remember how something made them feel

* The birth of Scare Mail: the mailbox as a storytelling medium

* Epistolary fiction basics: letters, artifacts, rabbit holes, and immersion

* Why some stories should never be “novelized”

* Building a blue ocean: creating a category people can’t comparison-shop

* Why the most online generation craves print and human touch

* How fandom deepens through participation and interactivity

* “Move closer to the customer” as a modern business principle

* Building a cult-level fanbase one person at a time

* The “thousand true fans” concept applied to premium fiction

* Author archetypes and why “aquatic” creators win by reinventing formats

* Premium experiences that scale like books: create once, sell forever

* The customer journey is the same for gum, books, and Teslas (attention is the difference)

* Why Amazon’s rules aren’t the only axis you can play on

* Why KU is not the whole market (and why authors mistake it for the whole audience)

* Pricing power: increasing prices without dips when the experience is unique

* The economics problem: $20 customer acquisition vs. $3.99 products

* Direct sales advantages: owning the customer relationship and reducing noise

* Indie presses and “algorithm rain” strategies that don’t actually market

* The Fire & Ice offer: two versions, premium pricing, and upsells to raise AOV

* Why customers should pay shipping (and why authors often sabotage margins)

* Risk reversal: refunding + buying a competitor’s book as a bold trust play

* Testing product ideas cheaply: MOQ realities and starting with paper-based artifacts

* Story-letter fundamentals: hook the story first, then explain the delivery

* The epistolary rule: if you can’t explain “why letters?” start over

* Artifacts defined: what counts, what works, and what’s lazy filler

* Examples of artifacts: polaroids, recipes, journal entries, QR codes, audio links, word searches, ribbons, puzzles

* Designing artifacts to enhance story, not add envelope weight

* The “scavenger hunt” model: clues, interaction, and layered payoff

* Creativity as competitive advantage in an AI-saturated world

* “Get weird” as strategy: uniqueness creates true blue-ocean differentiation

* Where to find David and how to pitch an epistolary project

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In this deeply honest and wide-ranging episode of The Six Figure Author Experiment, Lee and Russell dive into the often-overlooked connection between bodywork, burnout, creativity, and financial success. Drawing from neuroscience, somatic tracking, chronic illness research, and lived experience, they explore why mindset work alone often fails — and how unregulated nervous systems keep authors stuck in cycles of exhaustion, anxiety, and self-criticism. This episode reframes success through the lens of safety, regulation, and joy, offering practical tools for healing, creativity, and sustainable growth in 2026 and beyond.

Topics Covered:

* Why writer’s block and income plateaus often originate in the body, not the mind

* The mind-body connection: psychosomatic symptoms, TMS, and neuroplastic pain

* Burnout as a survival response, not a personal failure

* How hustle culture disconnects creators from their bodies

* Why affirmations alone don’t work without somatic safety

* Somatic tracking and checking in with the body throughout the day

* The role of chronic stress in shutting down creativity and desire

* Trauma responses and internal “protector parts” formed in childhood

* How negative self-talk operates below conscious awareness

* Why your nervous system doesn’t understand language — only sensation

* Rest vs. productivity: redefining what “success” feels like

* Neutral thinking and releasing judgment as a path to peace

* Parasympathetic vs. sympathetic nervous systems explained simply

* Why anxiety is not a signal of danger — and when it actually matters

* Fight, flight, freeze, fawn, and people-pleasing as stress responses

* The myth of boredom and anxiety as opposites

* How animals regulate stress — and what humans forgot

* Breathwork basics: resonant breathing, 4–7–8 breathing, and why box breathing isn’t enough

* Why most adults don’t breathe properly (and how to fix it gently)

* Pain reprocessing therapy, Curable, JournalSpeak, and brain retraining

* Yoga, stretching, movement, and ancient regulation practices across cultures

* Religion, ritual, and community as nervous system regulation tools

* Why creativity and marketing require safety, play, and embodiment

* The danger of perfectionism and the value of “good enough” action

* Closing stress cycles instead of suppressing emotion

* Why emotions naturally last 90 seconds — and what keeps them looping

* Radical acceptance of self, others, and life events

* Why most things actually work out for most people

* The “dog on the nail” metaphor and choosing relief sooner

* How fear-driven busyness blocks inspiration

* Why rest creates better ideas faster than grinding

* Cutting spinning plates instead of sustaining exhaustion

* Doing fewer things better as the true path to scaling

* Reverse time-blocking: designing work around life, not the opposite

* Why regulation is the foundation for creativity, income, and joy

* Choosing softness, safety, and pleasure as a radical success strategy

* Teaching the next generation emotional regulation as a superpower

* Redefining “paradise” as presence, peace, and creative flow

* Listen on Spotify

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In this delightfully rich episode of The Six Figure Author Experiment, Lee and Russell sit down with bestselling author and teacher Theodora Taylor to talk about Universal Fantasy, Butter Sponsors, and how to keep your creativity alive. Together, they explore how to rediscover joy in your work, why tropes resonate so deeply with readers, and how “butter” — those emotionally charged, sensory-rich story moments — can transform good books into unforgettable ones. From Batman and Beauty and the Beast to K-pop Demon Hunters, this conversation is a masterclass in emotional storytelling and audience connection.

Topics Covered:

* What Universal Fantasy really means (and how it differs from tropes)

* “Butter” and “Butter Sponsors”: how to find what makes your story delicious

* Why readers crave emotional payoff — and how to deliver it at an 11

* Turning familiar tropes into deeply resonant, character-driven moments

* How to use set-up and payoff to craft satisfying emotional arcs

* Common author fears about “too much butter” — and why it’s rarely enough

* How creative burnout often stems from disconnection from joy

* Using songs, movies, and aesthetics as inspiration (Butter Sponsors in action)

* Finding new creative sparks through The Artist’s Date and playful exploration

* How “Enemies to Lovers” and “One Bed” tropes can be done right

* Why professors taught us to avoid “cringe” — and why we must unlearn that

* Emotional truth vs. literary restraint: making readers feel

* The psychology of wounded heroes (and why Batman is the ultimate billionaire romance archetype)

* Writing as entertainment — embracing your role as storyteller and performer

* How to bring joy back into your author career through intention and play

* Theodora’s framework of “Butter Comps” — finding comp stories across media

* Building an “author butter” style unique to your voice and emotional palette

* The Happy Medium between structure and intuition in storytelling

* Why joy and generosity are the secret to long-term creative fulfillment