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Model Breakers by Charlene Wang

Model Breakers is about the struggle to be fully ourselves. My book will publish in April 2021.

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Model Breakers by Charlene Wang

Model Breakers by Charlene Wang

Model Breakers by Charlene Wang

Model Breakers by Charlene Wang

Model Breakers by Charlene Wang

Model Breakers is about the struggle to be fully ourselves. My book will publish in April 2021.

Model Breakers is about the struggle to be fully ourselves. My book will publish in April 2021.

Model Breakers is about the struggle to be fully ourselves. My book will publish in April 2021.

Model Breakers is about the struggle to be fully ourselves. My book will publish in April 2021.

Charlene Wang
Charlene Wang
Charlene Wang
Charlene Wang
1 Campaign |
Washington, United States
$8,402 USD 208 backers
168% of $5,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

The book is now live on Amazon!

Model Breakers is about the struggle we all experience, the struggle to be fully ourselves.

The most important stories are often left untold in the cultural dialogue. This is certainly the case for Chinese Americans. The insidious model minority stereotype rampant in America has affected the lives of every Chinese person living in the US, who feel vulnerable or invisible. I hope to shatter the model minority stereotype and show why our individual stories and histories matter.

My name is Charlene Wang and I am the author of Model Breakers. I wrote this book because I wanted to help my little brother Warren avoid the pitfalls and overcome the stereotypes in America. I started writing to my brother through a series of letters titled, “Dear Warren” that went viral. I investigated the hurdles for Chinese Americans and questioned how to have a fulfilling college—and life—experience in America. While I wasn’t sure how many letters Warren had actually read (he only responded to one), I got overwhelming responses from readers who asked for more. 

My hope is that, in reading this book, you will discover how to break up with the model minority stereotype. In turn, we can change the immigrant narrative at large.

I hope to instill in you the same sort of passion and excitement that I have for the pain and pride of being Chinese in America. You will learn about how lack of self-awareness made Chinese Americans vulnerable and how lack of community made us victims of the model minority stereotype. You'll learn how to challenge the beliefs that kept us quiet, appeal the rules that limited our dreams, and turn limiting stereotypes into powerful narratives.

I want to redefine where we stand in society.

You'll hear stories such as...

  • How model minority reinforces that we are “minor” and distant from our true selves
  • How self-awareness and growth mindset redefine stereotypes in a powerful way 
  • How emotional and social awareness helps us go from surviving to thriving
  • How it is okay to not feel okay

You will love this book if you are a Chinese Immigrant who took the risk to come to America and start a new chapter or a Chinese American who does not see themselves as Chinese but does not feel American enough. You will also love this book if you are a curious citizen who wants to learn more about the people in your life that are Chinese.

Model Breakers is a work of nonfiction that speaks to people like my brother Warren—all the first, second, and third-generation Chinese Americans—and allies who want to create empowering identities for themselves. 

The Book - Model Breakers

The book is written in three parts.

Part 1 contains the introduction + chapters 1-3.

In the 2016 United States Presidential election, the Chinese American voting demographic had one of the lowest voter turnouts. This would indicate Chinese Americans don’t organize, or feel disenfranchised around American politics, which supports the toxic myth that Chinese are “naturally” quiet. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are, after all, talking about the same people who organized the Tiananmen Square Protests — one of the most revolutionary movements in recent history. Now is the time to defend against fragility, redefine the stereotypes, and start our own movement.

Part 2 contains chapters 4-8.

Chinese immigrants need a job to survive and a visa to stay — all that could be taken away if we don't fit in. While it is convenient to fit in and follow the rules, it is dangerous to hand our power away. If we don’t think for ourselves, we are subject to the stereotypes and judgments that limit us. To liberate us from the false expectations, we need to know who we are, take the risk to break the model minority, and build networks to change the perceptions at large.

Part 3 contains chapters 9-12.

Despite systematic racism, most of the harm is reinforced by the rest of us who have no intention to harm ourselves. We have invested so much into educating our next generations, but we forgot to invest in our community. We are so used to coping with microaggressions and bullying that we forget that the world doesn’t have to be this way. We are weaponized as a political token, from “Model Minority” to “Chinese Virus.” It is time for all of us, whether we're studying, starting our professional careers, or becoming a role model to start these conversations and tell our own stories.

What I Need & What You'll Get

This book will be published with New Degree Press. I set up the pre-order tiers to help cover the costs for publishing my book. Money raised will go towards the following:

  • The editor I will work with to revise and publish my manuscript in April, 2021.
  • The cover design of my book. (The mockups you see currently are a placeholder!)
  • The layout design for the interior of my book (physical copy, ebook formats).
  • The copy editing for my book to polish the grammar and spelling prior to publication.
  • The launch & promotion efforts for my book when I ultimately publish this upcoming Spring. 

When I pre-sell 120 copies of my book, I will publish a paperback and ebook. When I pre-sell 150 copies of my book, I will also publish a hardcover edition. When I pre-sell 200 copies of my book, I will publish a hardcover edition and an audiobook.

I am also offering some exclusive rewards for people who pre-order my book now:

  • You will receive a personally signed copy of my book when I publish.
  • Your name will appear in the Acknowledgments section of my book.
  • You will receive early access to the Introduction and other excerpts from my book, with the opportunity to review them and give me early feedback.
  • You will have the opportunity to be involved in selecting my cover and title.
  • You will be invited to join my Author Community and get behind-the-scenes sneak peeks into the publishing process.
  • And much more!

About the Author

Charlene Wang is a model breaker. She is the founder of LivingOS, an online community dedicated to helping high achievers get more out of life. Charlene has spent years coaching high achievers and her pioneering coaching practice has helped startup founders, angel investors, and seasoned operators find their true values and motivations in life. 

She wrote this book to break the model minority stereotype and change the Chinese immigrant narrative at scale. 

Charlene received her B.Sc. from Brown University and works as a product manager at Google. Charlene lives in the Bay Area with her fiancé and is a bit obsessed with oolong tea. 

For more information, you can connect with Charlene Wang at charlene@mylivingos.com.

Risks & Challenges

The biggest challenge with publishing a book is delivering the finished book to the backer, specifically my mailing of the book to you. I have eliminated this risk by including the cost of mailing and shipping the signed copies into each pre-order tier. 

The risk of delivering the pre-sale copies of my book is contingent on the publisher we use. I will be working closely with New Degree Press to make sure we ship the pre-order rewards to you as early as possible. We will keep all pre-sale backers up-to-date as to when my book will publish. You will know when the copies of my book you pre-ordered are expected to ship.

Other Ways You Can Help

Some people just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean they can't help:

  • Please share my pre-sale campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn with your friends, family and network. Please use #ModelBreakers and tag me as well as my publisher, New Degree Press, so that we can help amplify your efforts.
  • You can easily share my pre-sale campaign via Indiegogo at the top of the page.
  • Please share my book with 5 friends, family members, or co-workers who you think would enjoy it via text or direct message on social media.

Thank you so much for all of your love and support!

Thanks again,
Charlene

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Choose your Perk

Preorder My Paperback
featured

Preorder My Paperback

$39 USD
1 Signed Paperback Edition of my book when I publish. You'll be invited to join my Author Community, where you'll get early access to my Introduction, help me select my cover, and be with me throughout my journey. Your name will appear in the Acknowledgments section of my book.
Included Items
  • Signed Paperback
  • Join My Author Community
  • Invitation to My Launch Party
  • Read My Introduction Early
  • Acknowledgments Recognition
  • Help Me Select My Cover
Estimated Shipping
April 2021
77 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Preorder My Ebook

$15 USD
You will receive a Digital Copy of my book when I publish. You'll be invited to join my Author Community, where you'll get early access to my Introduction, help me select my cover, and be with me throughout my journey. Your name will appear in the Acknowledgments section of my book.
Included Items
  • Digital Copy of My Book
  • Join My Author Community
  • Read My Introduction Early
  • Acknowledgments Recognition
  • Help Me Select My Cover
Estimated Shipping
April 2021
73 claimed
2 Copies + Personal Note

2 Copies + Personal Note

$100 USD
2 Signed Paperback Editions of my book when I publish and a personal thank you note. You'll be invited to join my Author Community, where you'll get early access to my Introduction, help me select my cover, and be with me throughout my journey. Your name will appear in the Acknowledgments section of my book.
Included Items
  • Signed Paperback (2)
  • Join My Author Community
  • Invitation to My Launch Party
  • Read My Introduction Early
  • Personal Thank You Note
  • Acknowledgments Recognition
  • Help Me Select My Cover
Estimated Shipping
April 2021
15 claimed
Ships worldwide.
5 Copies + Launch Workshop

5 Copies + Launch Workshop

$200 USD
5 Signed Paperback Editions of my book when I publish and a personal note. You'll be invited to join the Virtual Book Launch Workshop and my Author Community, where you'll get early access to my Introduction, help me select my cover, and be with me throughout my journey. Your name will appear in the Acknowledgments section of my book.
Included Items
  • Signed Paperback (5)
  • Join My Author Community
  • Invitation to My Launch Party
  • Read My Introduction Early
  • Personal Thank You Note
  • Acknowledgments Recognition
  • Help Me Select My Cover
  • Virtual Book Launch Workshop
Estimated Shipping
April 2021
3 claimed
Ships worldwide.
10 Copies + Book Talk

10 Copies + Book Talk

$500 USD
10 Signed Paperback Editions of my book when I publish. We'll plan a Book Talk and a Virtual Book Launch Workshop for your company or community of choice. You'll be invited to join my Author Community, where you'll be with me throughout my journey. Your name will appear in the Acknowledgments section of my book.
Included Items
  • Signed Paperback (10)
  • Join My Author Community
  • Invitation to My Launch Party
  • Read My Introduction Early
  • Personal Thank You Note
  • Acknowledgments Recognition
  • Help Me Select My Cover
  • Author Book Talk
  • Virtual Book Launch Workshop
Estimated Shipping
April 2021
0 claimed
Ships worldwide.
25 Copies + 1hr Coaching

25 Copies + 1hr Coaching

$1,000 USD
25 Signed Paperback Editions of my book when I publish. We'll plan a Book Talk and a Virtual Book Launch Workshop for your company or community of choice. You'll also get a powerful coaching session and be invited to join my Author Community, where you'll be with me throughout my journey. Your name will appear in the Acknowledgments of my book.
Included Items
  • Signed Paperback (25)
  • Join My Author Community
  • Invitation to My Launch Party
  • Read My Introduction Early
  • Personal Thank You Note
  • Acknowledgments Recognition
  • Help Me Select My Cover
  • Author Book Talk
  • 1:1 Powerful Coaching Session
  • Virtual Book Launch Workshop
Estimated Shipping
April 2021
0 claimed
Ships worldwide.

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