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I used to throw around "six figures" like confetti.

In my course descriptions. In my emails. In conversations with authors who were making $200 a month.

"Here's how to scale to six figures."

It sounded impressive. Aspirational. The kind of thing you're supposed to say when you teach people about advertising and building an author business.

But I've stopped saying it.

Today's newsletter will explain why.

The Author Who Almost Quit

An author I've been working with for the past few months recently crossed $17,000 in a single month of royalties.

Just 12 months earlier? She was struggling to break a few hundred dollars in royalties.

She'd been publishing for years. Writing, hoping, putting money into ads that barely moved the needle. She was ready to walk away from it all.

Then she took my Facebook Ads course. That was the moment everything shifted.

She picked one advertising platform, focused on one series, and committed to the process.

Within months, a few hundred became a thousand. Then several thousand. Then more than she ever imagined possible.

But here's the part that matters most.

It wasn't the $17,000 month that changed her life and her trajectory.

It was the first time she crossed $1,000 in royalties in a single month.

Because that was the moment she stopped hoping and started believing.

The Shift From Hoping to Knowing

Before $1K, you're guessing. You're wondering if any of this actually works. You're questioning whether your books are good enough, whether the ads are worth it, whether you should just give up and get a "real job."

After $1K, you have proof.

Proof that readers want your books. Proof that the system works. Proof that you're not crazy for trying.

That shift — from hoping to knowing — is worth more than any revenue number I could put on a sales page.

What 1,000's Of Authors Taught Me

I've worked with 1,000's of authors at this point. I've helped many of them go on to achieve that coveted "six-figure" status — authors who now earn more from their books than they ever thought possible.

And I'm incredibly proud of every single one of them. 

But honestly? I'm just as proud of every author who has taken action and committed to the process, regardless of where they are right now.

Because that's the hard part.

Not the strategy. Not the ads. It's actually doing the work. Implementing. Showing up when you're not sure if it's going to pay off yet.

That takes guts. And it deserves recognition.

And here's what I've noticed after years of doing this:

The authors who reached six figures didn't get there by chasing six figures.

They got there by nailing their first $1K month. Then doing it again. And again.

Because $1K isn't just a number. It's a signal that the foundations are in place.

You've got books that convert. An audience that's growing. A system you can repeat.

That's the moment you stop being a hopeful author and start being a business owner.

Scaling from there is just turning the dials. Everything after that is refinement.

But getting to $1K? That's the hard part. That's where the real transformation happens.

Why "Six Figures" Is the Wrong Target

The problem with "six figures" is that it sounds like a destination.

Somewhere far away. Somewhere for other people. The ones with bigger backlists, bigger budgets, bigger audiences.

$1K/month sounds like something you could actually do.

Because you can.

It doesn't require a massive ad budget. It doesn't require 20 books. It doesn't require mastering three ad platforms at once.

It requires a book or two (or a series) that's ready to sell, a reader magnet, a basic email system, one advertising platform, and the patience to test and iterate for at least 90 days.

That's it.

Not sexy. Not complicated. But it works.

Your Next Move

So I'm done chasing the big headline number.

If you're reading this and you haven't hit your first $1K month yet, that's your target. Not six figures. Not quit-your-job money. Just $1,000 in a single month,

Get there first. Build the proof. Feel the shift.

The rest will follow.

That's all for today.

Thank you so much for reading.

See you next Saturday.

To Your Success
– Matt