VIP Case-Study Deal · Authors Edition

Two writers. One automation engine. Books on the shelf in 90 days.

A one-page look at what we'd build together — concept directions for both of you, revenue projections grounded in real KDP math, what we handle on our side, and what we'd need from you.

[Author One] · [Author Two] — Authors Pilot 2026

Two distinct voices, one shared system

Different genres, different audiences, same content engine running behind both. Your stories, our automation, your royalties.

Author One · Children's Books

Picture books + early-reader chapter series

Soft-illustrated picture books (ages 3-7) and the first chapter-book series (ages 5-8). Cozy themes, big feelings, characters kids ask for by name. Built for the library + bedtime + birthday-gift market.

Author Two · Skateboarding Storytelling

Skate-culture novellas + graphic shorts

Coming-of-age fiction grounded in skate-park life. Novellas for middle-grade and YA, plus a graphic short collection. Honest, lived-in voice — the kind of book your 14-year-old self would have hidden under the bed.

5 starter concepts — kids books

Quick idea sketches to spark direction. These aren't the books — they're the doors. Pick the ones that feel like yours, swap in your own, or remix.

The Tiny Dragon Who Couldn't Breathe Fire — picture book cover

The Tiny Dragon Who Couldn't Breathe Fire

Picture Book · Ages 3-6

A small dragon discovers her gift isn't fire — it's bringing other dragons together. Self-acceptance + community. Series-ready.

Marigold and the Moon Garden — picture book cover

Marigold and the Moon Garden

Picture Book · Ages 4-7

Marigold tends a garden that only blooms at night. Lyrical, dreamy, wonder-led. Built for a 4-book seasonal series (Moon Garden, Ocean Tides, Mountain Echo, Desert Bloom).

Detective Daisy's Backyard Mysteries — early chapter book cover

Detective Daisy's Backyard Mysteries

Early Chapter Book · Ages 5-8

An 8-year-old detective solves neighborhood mysteries (missing socks, the case of the giggling fence, who took grandma's hat). Series-format with 6-8 short books.

The Last Marshmallow — picture book cover

The Last Marshmallow

Picture Book · Ages 3-6

Two siblings, one marshmallow, a campfire, and a quiet lesson about sharing without anyone using the word "share." Bedtime-friendly.

Grandma's Storm Stories — picture book cover

Grandma's Storm Stories

Picture Book · Ages 4-7

A child afraid of thunderstorms hears grandma's stories of every big storm she's lived through. Courage + intergenerational warmth. Emotional + giftable.

5 starter concepts — skate storytelling

Voicy, lived-in, not preachy. Skateboarding as the backdrop for stories about identity, recovery, friendship, family. None of them feel like teen-fiction-checklist territory.

The Concrete Wave — YA novella cover

The Concrete Wave

Novella · YA

A teen learns to skate at his late dad's old park. Finding the line his father left behind without trying to replicate it. Legacy + voice.

Lines and Bruises — adult crossover novella cover

Lines and Bruises

Novella · Adult / Crossover

A pro skater's first year after blowing his knee. Recovery, reinvention, the shop owner who lets him sweep floors when nothing else is making sense. Quiet, real, hopeful.

The Last Trick — middle-grade novel cover

The Last Trick

Middle-Grade · Ages 10-13

12-year-old training for a local comp with a crew of three friends and a coach who's seen better days. Friendship + perseverance + the trick that almost breaks them.

Wax and Concrete — YA/adult short stories cover

Wax & Concrete

Short Stories · YA / Adult

Ten vignettes from skate culture: the first ollie, losing your favorite spot, finding your crew, getting hassled by cops, the perfect run. Each piece stands alone.

Ride or Bail — YA graphic novella cover

Ride or Bail

Graphic Novella · YA

An 18-year-old facing the pressure to go pro vs go to college. Modern skate-bro narrative with illustrations that carry half the story. High-visual, high-share.

Real revenue math — what this actually looks like

Kindle Direct Publishing royalties, paperback + ebook + audiobook, conservative-to-aggressive scenarios. Numbers based on actual self-pub data, not vibes.

Conservative
$900/mo
By month 12 — 5 books shipped
  • 30 units/book/mo × $3 avg royalty
  • 5 titles in catalog by month 12
  • No paid ads, organic discovery
  • Skate audience nichier but loyal
Moderate
$2,400/mo
By month 12 — 8 books shipped
  • 100 units/book/mo × $3 royalty
  • 8 titles, light Amazon Ads spend
  • Audiobook + ebook bundles live
  • Email list at ~500 subscribers
Aggressive
$5,800/mo
By month 18 — 12 books + series flywheel
  • 250+ units/book/mo on the series anchors
  • 2 series in flow (Detective Daisy + Marigold)
  • Skate graphic novella going TikTok-viral
  • Email list at 2K+, Amazon Ads compounding

Royalty assumption: $3 average across paperback ($1-2) + ebook ($2-4) + audiobook (~$1.50 per sale). Children's picture books trend lower per-unit, skate novellas trend higher. Roblox / game adaptations potentially layer on top once a series gets traction — not modeled here.

How the work gets done

You bring the soul. We bring the system. Here's the split.

What ARF brings

The whole back office, automated.

  • Notion content engine — story bible, character DB, plot tracker, release calendar per author
  • AI co-writing layer — outline generation, dialogue passes, beta-read feedback, copy edits
  • AI cover + interior art — generated, refined, finalized to print-ready spec
  • KDP listing automation — title, description, keywords, BISAC categories, A+ content
  • Email list + Klaviyo flows — welcome sequence, new-release drops, series re-engagement
  • Social automation — Buffer + AI-generated posts for each release across IG / TikTok / Threads
  • ManyChat AI receptionist — readers DM the author, get book recs + sequel teasers + signed-copy info, fully automated
  • Royalty + sales tracking — daily dashboard, monthly P&L per author per title
What you bring

The creative core. That's it.

  • Story seeds — concepts you actually care about (we expand from there)
  • Brand voice — 1-2 sample writing pieces each to capture your tone
  • 30-60 minutes per week of review time per author for approvals on covers + key plot beats
  • Optional: your own illustrations / photos / sketches if you want them woven in (not required)
  • Your face + name — author bio, headshot, social handles you're comfortable using
  • One final sign-off on each book before it goes to KDP — your name is on the cover, you say the final word

The deal — same as the rest of the case-study family

Free to start. Pay only when it's working. No catches, no hidden fees, you keep all your IP and royalties either way.

Phase 1

Free until you hit $10K/mo

You pay $0 while we get your catalog stood up, voice established, and first books shipping. No subscription, no setup fee, no clock. Same unified case-study terms we're running with Ryan (Watrsco) and Baker (Unique Equality).

Phase 2 trigger

$10,000/mo book revenue

When combined monthly royalties from your titles hit $10K, we move to the standard ARF tier. Until then, system stays free.

Phase 2 rate

$797/mo Optimizer + 25% recommend on paid marketing

Standard ongoing ARF Optimizer tier — less than 8% of your $10K monthly floor. Plus 25% strong-recommendation for ARF-managed paid marketing if you elect it. Cancel anytime, no annual contract, you keep everything we built either way.

Ownership

You keep all IP + royalties

Every book, cover, character, series — yours. KDP account in your name. Royalties land in your bank account. We're the engine, you're the author.

If this feels right — here's what's next

15-minute call to walk through the concepts, swap in your real ideas where mine don't fit, sign off on the deal, and we start the engine. First book in 4-6 weeks if we're moving.

Set up the 15-min call →

Or text Rick directly. You have his number.