Strategic Authorpreneur

Join indie authors Crystal Hunt and Michele Amitrani as we share ways to save time, money and energy as you level up your writing and publishing career.  In this episode we are reflecting on the past year of publishing, the past two years of the Strategic Authorpreneur Podcast, and what 2022 will bring for both of us. HIGHLIGHTS Our 'creator' goals and what we achieved in 2021Challenges we faced as marketers and how we were able to manage our authorpreneur livesThings we wished we did bestHow going wide changed the way we publish booksThings that surprised usOur objectives for 2022 SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES Complete show notes, transcripts and links to the tools and resources mentioned in this episode from our website at https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/067-reflecting-on-our-2021-progress/ SUPPORT THE SHOW If you find this show helpful—and like our independent, ads-free format—you can buy us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Join indie authors Crystal Hunt and Michele Amitrani as we share ways to save time, money and energy as you level up your writing and publishing career.  In this episode, we're chatting with special guest Ben Galley about how to write successful series and the pros and cons of wide publishing vs. exclusivity. We're also going to talk about how authors can leverage their IPs and create multiple revenue streams and some pitfalls of self-publishing you should be aware of. HIGHLIGHTS Tips for writing a successful, long seriesComparing going Wide with using KDP exclusivityCommon pitfall of self-publishingHow new releases help sell your catalogMultiple stream of revenues for authorsYour story is not just an ebook: How to leverage you IP SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES Complete show notes, transcripts and links to the tools and resources mentioned in this episode from our website at https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/066-kdp-select-vs-wide-with-ben-galley/ SUPPORT THE SHOW If you find this show helpful—and like our independent, ads-free format—you can buy us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Join indie authors Crystal Hunt and Michele Amitrani as we share ways to save time, money and energy as you level up your writing and publishing career.  In this episode we're digging into the topic of Challenging Ourselves—what it means and how our experience can benefit you. We've each done some major experiments in this area and we're going to try to distill down what worked, what didn't - what we learned about ourselves in the process. HIGHLIGHTS What was our yearly challengeWhy pushing your limits can help you become a better writerWhat were the challenges/rewards attached to the project we set out to accomplishHow to deal with feedbacks when they are not what you expect SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES Complete show notes, transcripts and links to the tools and resources mentioned in this episode from our website at https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/065-challenging-yourself/ SUPPORT THE SHOW If you find this show helpful—and like our independent, ads-free format—you can buy us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Join indie authors Crystal Hunt and Michele Amitrani as we share ways to save time, money and energy as you level up your writing and publishing career.  In today's episode we're digging into the topic of writing faster as this episode goes live halfway through this year's NaNoWriMo and you may be feeling the need for speed. Even if you're not doing NaNo, there are plenty of times when writing in faster will come in handy for you. We will also talk about staying motivated in the long run and ways to establish internal and external motivators to help you tackle your writing project. HIGHLIGHTS What has happened since the last episode?Why internal and external motivators can help you tackle your writing projectWhy keeping motivated it's important to enter into a better flow of writingWhat does it mean to write faster, and why it's important to adapt the word 'fast' to your personal situation SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES Complete show notes, transcripts and links to the tools and resources mentioned in this episode from our website at https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/064-writing-faster/ SUPPORT THE SHOW If you find this show helpful—and like our independent, ads-free format—you can buy us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Join indie authors Crystal Hunt and Michele Amitrani as we share ways to save time, money and energy as you level up your writing and publishing career.  National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a great way to start that writing project that has been taking hours of your sleeping time for the past year. In the end, it doesn't really matter if you have successfully written a 50,000-word manuscript, or a couple of novellas, or half a dozen short stories. If you sit down and write words that might be the beginning of a great idea, you are already ahead of the game. Remember, you can't fix what doesn't exist, so you might as well start writing! In this episode, we list the many things you can do to set yourself up for success when NaNoWriMo comes, what tips and tricks will help you power through your project and how to avoid distractions and burnouts that might stop your momentum. We also share our own experience writing stories on a deadline and how we dealt with difficulties and setbacks when they happened. HIGHLIGHTS What has happened since the last episode?What is NaNoWriMo and what does it mean for writers all over the world?How to make the most out of your NaNoWriMo by preparing everything you need before starting typing the first wordHow writer groups and accountability buddies might be the best thing ever happened to writersHow to turn a bad writing day into an awesome opportunity to level up your writing game SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES Complete show notes, transcripts and links to the tools and resources mentioned in this episode from our website at https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/063-preparing-to-rock-nanowrimo/ SUPPORT THE SHOW If you find this show helpful—and like our independent, ads-free format—you can buy us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Join indie authors Crystal Hunt and Michele Amitrani as we share ways to save time, money and energy as you level up your writing and publishing career.  Join us as we reflect on Months 6+7 of Going Wide and look at the progress made, the challenges encountered along the way, and discuss solutions to the obstacles we faced this past month. HIGHLIGHTS What has happened since the last episode?Creator hat updates and goalsManager hat updates and goalsMarketing hat updates and goals SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES Complete show notes, transcripts and links to the tools and resources mentioned in this episode from our website at https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/062-going-wide-progress-report-6-augustseptember-2021/ SUPPORT THE SHOW If you find this show helpful—and like our independent, ads-free format—you can buy us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Join indie authors Crystal Hunt and Michele Amitrani as we share ways to save time, money and energy as you level up your writing and publishing career. In this episode we're chatting with special guest Bella Mahaya Carter about how you can rethink your ambitions and trust in your heartfelt purpose and values in the journey to becoming, or continuing on, as an author. HIGHLIGHTS What has happened since the last episode?About Bella Mayaha CarterHow the three Principles of Mind, Consciousness, and Thought can influence an author's journeyWays of kindling your love for writingWhy it is better to embrace our story, rather than fight it SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES Complete show notes, transcripts and links to the tools and resources mentioned in this episode from our website at https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/061-balanced-writing-life-with-bella-mahaya-carter/ SUPPORT THE SHOW If you find this show helpful—and like our independent, ads-free format—you can buy us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Join indie authors Crystal Hunt and Michele Amitrani as we share ways to save time, money and energy as you level up your writing and publishing career. In this episode we're talking with special guest Clay Stafford—the founder of Killer Nashville conference and magazine that deals with all things Thriller, Mystery and Suspense. In this interview Clay talks about the importance of adding mystery and suspense elements to any story to turn it into an engaging novel readers won't be able to put down. He also discusses the number one difficulty writers face and how the Killer Nashville conference has helped some attendees establish a long-lasting author career. HIGHLIGHTS What has happened since the last episode?About Clay StaffordHow are mystery and thriller writers different from others?Clay's thriller recommendations About Killer NashvilleWhat is Clay working on right now?About Book packagingAwards at Killer NashvilleKiller Nashville magazine SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES Complete show notes, transcripts and links to the tools and resources mentioned in this episode from our website at https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/058-going-wide-progress-report-5-junejuly-2021/ SUPPORT THE SHOW If you find this show helpful—and like our independent, ads-free format—you can buy us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Join indie authors Crystal Hunt and Michele Amitrani as we share ways to save time, money and energy as you level up your writing and publishing career.  While some people love the structure and order of plotting and can't start writing until they know every twist and turn of the story, for Discover Writers (aka Pantsers) that takes all the fun right out of the process. But there are ways that you can implement a little plotting and planning without totally taking the fun out of discovering the story as you go. In this episode, we'll discuss some tips, tricks and strategies to help you shape your story while retaining the freedom to follow where inspiration leads. HIGHLIGHTS What has happened since the last episode?What is a ‘pantser'?Are you always a pantser?Ways to plot as a pantser SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES Complete show notes, transcripts and links to the tools and resources mentioned in this episode from our website at https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/058-going-wide-progress-report-5-junejuly-2021/ SUPPORT THE SHOW If you find this show helpful—and like our independent, ads-free format—you can buy us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Join indie authors Crystal Hunt and Michele Amitrani as we share ways to save time, money and energy as you level up your writing and publishing career.  Join us as we reflect on Months 6+7 of Going Wide and look at the progress made, the challenges encountered along the way, and discuss solutions to the obstacles we faced this past month. HIGHLIGHTS What has happened since the last episode?Creator hat updates and goalsManager hat updates and goalsMarketing hat updates and goalsBiggest wins and challenges SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES Complete show notes, transcripts and links to the tools and resources mentioned in this episode from our website at https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/058-going-wide-progress-report-5-junejuly-2021/ SUPPORT THE SHOW If you find this show helpful—and like our independent, ads-free format—you can buy us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Join indie authors Crystal Hunt and Michele Amitrani as we share ways to save time, money and energy as you level up your writing and publishing career. In this episode we're talking with special guest Mark Leslie about two topics all three of us are particularly passionate about—writing short, and publishing wide. Mark explains what options writers have when it comes to write successful short stories that sell, and how to use the power of 'WIDE publishing' to earn many stream of revenues that will last for a very long time. HIGHLIGHTS What has happened since the last episode?About Mark Leslie LefebvreFiguring yourself out as a writerWhat got you into writing short stories?Is Mark a plotter or a pantser?Using short fiction in your writing careerReleasing schedule with short storiesMethods to market your short fictionBiggest mistakes people make when going wideNew opportunities for indie authors SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES Complete show notes, transcripts and links to the tools and resources mentioned in this episode from our website at https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/057-writing-short-and-publishing-wide-with-mark-leslie-lefebvre/ SUPPORT THE SHOW If you find this show helpful—and like our independent, ads-free format—you can buy us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

As authors we have known this from day one: writing is not easy. There are many moving pieces when it comes to crafting the best story we can write. But is there a way to up our chances of writing a great story? Enter the flow. Today, we're going to talk about getting into a flow state with your writing and publishing activities in particular, what is it that takes you out of flow and how can you avoid that? And then on the flip side, what facilitates flow and how can you add some more of that into your writing life? Finding the podcast helpful? You can buy us a coffee to help keep us ads free and independent -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

We all heard about writer's 'voice'. Voice is the lens through which the reader sees the story, and speaks of the author's style as We all heard about writer's 'voice'. Voice is the lens through which the reader sees the story, and speaks of the author's style as nothing else can. Getting comfortable with your writer 'voice' means becoming less self-conscious about your writing. But what really is this ethereal concept? Is it something we consciously develop? How long does it take to settle into your voice? In this episode we answer these questions while providing actionable advices on how to experiment with yours. Finding the podcast helpful? You can buy us a coffee to help keep us ads free and independent -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Join us as we reflect on Months 4+5 of Going Wide and look at the progress made, the challenges encountered along the way, and discuss solutions to the obstacles we faced this past month. Finding the podcast helpful? You can buy us a coffee to help keep us ads free and independent -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Join us as we reflect on Month 3 of Going Wide and look at the progress made, the challenges encountered along the way, and discuss solutions to the obstacles we faced this past month. Finding the podcast helpful? You can buy us a coffee to help keep us ads free and independent -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST"

'Going wide' is a mindset few authors fully understand. Often seen merely as a 'strategy' that can benefit some authors, going wide is not only about reaching people in hundreds of markets. It's about diversifying, not settling for what is easy, and maximizing your income streams.  Join us today as we interview Erin Wright, founder of the Wide for the Win Facebook group who will walk us through the many reasons why you are missing out on something big if you have never considered publishing your books in all storefronts. Finding the podcast helpful? You can buy us a coffee to help keep us ads free and independent -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST"

One of the most critical skillsets an authorpreneur needs to develop to achieve success and maintain sanity is the ability to prioritize. A great story and good marketing can bring you far, but they are not enough. You can't measure your progress against yesterday's tasks if you do not have a system in place that lets you do just that. In this episode, we're going to chat about what to do when your to-do list gets bigger than the hours available to you and how to choose what's going to get your time, money, and attention—and what isn't. Finding the podcast helpful? You can buy us a coffee to help keep us ads free and independent -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST"

There are few things as necessary as reading in the life of a writer. Reading shapes the way we see the world; it also informs how we write, inspires us to create stories, and motivates us when we hit a roadblock or want to throw in the towel. However, this apparently simple activity can also be a challenge; it can get disrupted, and easing back into it might not be as simple as one thinks. Join us as we talk about how you can tackle a reading roadblock or hit the reset button when your reading gets off track. Finding the podcast helpful? You can buy us a coffee to help keep us ads free and independent -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST"

Join us as we reflect on Month 2 of Going Wide and look at the progress made, the challenges encountered along the way, and discuss solutions to the obstacles we faced this past month. Finding the podcast helpful? You can buy us a coffee to help keep us ads free and independent -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST"

"Please review my book" are the most important four words when it comes to launching your book. But this is so much more than a simple request, especially when it comes to being strategic about it. This week we're going to tackle ARC teams—what they are, why they are useful, how you get people to join one, and what you do with them once you have them. Finding the podcast helpful? You can buy us a coffee to help keep us ads free and independent -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

People really do judge a book by its cover—and you want your book to look professional and attract the right readers. Your cover is one of the main determinants of how well your book will sell. But we understand that budgets don't always stretch as far as we might like. In this episode we're talking about what makes a cover look professional, tips and tricks to help you level up your cover game if you're thinking about designing your own, and some great places to look for cover designers to suit every budget so you don't have to do your own. Finding the podcast helpful? You can buy us a coffee to help keep us ads free and independent -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Data management is the Achilles' heel for a lot of authors. But if you don't understand your numbers—where to get them, what they mean and how to use them to inform your strategy—then you're missing a huge opportunity to help your business grow. In today's episode we're tackling data for wide authors, and sharing some resources that will help you to better understand your data without getting overwhelmed by it. Finding the podcast helpful? You can buy us a coffee to help keep us ads free and independent -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

'Progress' is a power word that makes the journey worth taking. In this episode we share our first ever monthly progress report, and underline the three areas where we focused our efforts: creation of content, managing of resources and the marketing of books. There were wins and setbacks along the way, and a lot of lessons learned. We also share what our objectives for the next month are and how we're planning to achieve them. Finding the podcast helpful? You can buy us a coffee to help keep us ads free and independent -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

One of the most important decisions you will make when setting up your author business is how to reach your readers: will you sell your ebooks directly, set up distribution accounts through each online store, or use an aggregator as a centralized hub for distribution? In today's episode we talk about some of the elements you might consider when making this decision, such as market access, money, ease, time, platform specific promotions, metadata choices, direct advertising and much more. Finding the podcast helpful? You can buy us a coffee to help keep us ads free and independent -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Not sure if you should publish your eBooks wide or exclusive to Amazon? There is no one right answer to this question. In today's episode we are talking about advantages and disadvantages of both routes while providing our experience on both sides of the fence. We also explain the differences between selling books directly through individual retailers like Kobo, Apple and the GooglePlay store vs using an aggregator to do the distribution to a variety of places from one dashboard. Finding the podcast helpful? You can buy us a coffee to help keep us ads free and independent -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SAPPODCAST

Welcome back to the Strategic Authorpreneur Podcast. In the first episode of the second season we reflect upon what happened in our writing lives in 2020, and give you a clear view of what our objectives are for 2021. Last year was a challenging year in many ways, but also one ripe with opportunities. Michele talks about his 12X20 challenge and how it influenced his long term publication schedule, while Crystal reports data from on both her fiction and non-fiction. We get some hints about her future writing and business plans and we get a sneak peek into what 2021 has in store for her.

It's good-bye time for 2020. This was a year filled with events. Good and bad and unexpected. Everything was thrown into the mix. In this episode we reflect on what happened in our author lives in 2020 and on the many exciting things to come for the Strategic Authorpreneur Podcast in 2021. We talk about the podcast's updated format, the plan for the new website, the brand new monthly report and much, much more!

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a great way to tackle that writing project that has been nagging at you for the past year, or ten! It doesn't really matter if you have successfully written a 50,000 word manuscript before or are brand new to writing and have a few hundred words that might be the beginning of a great idea; in the end, working towards something is always better than staring at a blank page. In this episode we list the many things you can do with your finished (or half-finished) manuscript. We share ideas of how to keep the NaNoWriMo energy going, and debate when to push further and aim for a polished product or when to simply recharge your batteries. Sometimes it's best to sit on your manuscript and let it rest for a bit, at least until you know it's the best you can make it and you're ready to send it out into the world for feedback.

Who doesn't want to get paid to spend their work days lost in magical worlds with a bunch of imaginary friends? Yes, you've guessed it, today we're going to talk about making your full-time author dream come true by examining what it really takes to step up and become a business owner who day-dreams for a living. Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet. The road to authorly independence requires a lot of working hours, a system put in place to avoid things like writer's burnout. Not to mention balancing finances and staying sane while figuring out how to slay dragons, give an emotional wound to a talking tree your readers can relate to, and craft the perfect happily ever after. In this episode Eileen Cook—co-author of Full Time Author:  provides tips and tricks to get you to the point you want to be by explaining why a body of work is so important for your writing career, highlighting the top skills you need to master if you want a shot as a full-time author, and sharing how you can create a system that keeps you accountable and lets you do the most important thing there is: write down words, sell your stories and start the next phase of your writing adventures.

Managing a business is never easy. Savvy authorpreneurs know that their job is to produce great content, adapt quickly to the ever changing world of self-publishing and weather the occasional storms by keeping their eyes on the long term plan. There are things authors can do to disaster proof their online business and ensure as much as possible that they remain in control of their writing career. In this episode we'll dive deep into the strategies that can ensure you don't keep all of your eggs in one basket, manage your royalties and keep track of expenses, own the digital land you're building your platform on and keep up to date on new technologies and opportunities to repurpose content.

Writing collaboratively can be a great opportunity for indie, hybrid and traditionally published authors. Whether you're good at working with others or see the potential benefits that a collaboration could bring to your business, joining forces with another writer could help you level up many of your writing projects. This is what happened to Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, the authors of the well-loved series of thesaurus guides that sit on many writers' desks.  In this episode Angela and Becca tell us about the opportunities and the challenges of working collaboratively, how they compensate for each other's weaknesses by dividing up the work based on their strengths, and why looking at readers' needs is the best thing an author can do to level up their writing career. (Bonus! In the past episode we officially reached our first big milestone for downloads of the podcast! If you want to see how we celebrated this event, don't miss out the first ten minutes of the episode. Thanks to all the listeners and viewers out there that helped us achieve this. You're awesome! :D)

Virtual conferences are a great way to connect with other authors, to level up your writing craft and to learn the ins and outs of the business of being an authorpreneur.  In this episode we dive into what makes virtual conferences so valuable for writers—especially in this day and age. We explore why it's a good idea to participate in at least one of these virtual gatherings, how can you make the most out of the experience and how you can contribute as a part of the worldwide community of writers. We also look at some of the challenges of engaging in this virtual format, and how you can keep yourself energized and healthy to avoid zoom fatigue and screen burnout. 

Crafting a well-written, fast-paced book is not easy. Reading a lot in your genre and attending courses and conferences can get you far, but there is nothing as powerful as starting a book and finishing it; going through the process of actually putting together the first scene and then writing an ending is the single most important thing you can do to level up your writing.  In this episode of the Strategic Authorpreneur Podcast Vancouver based author Sam Wiebe explains what makes a book worth reading, why it's so difficult to translate our experiences into dramatic terms and what strategies we can use to level up our writing craft. Sam also mentions a number of useful books that can help writers at different stages of their author career and shares a number of experiences that defined his writing journey.

There is no one way to write a novel, and no matter what your approach is when you set off to craft a story, the best way is the one that gets you to finish what you started. Join us as we talk about the joy of writing from the seat of your pants and about the many advantages of plotting your novel strategically before you even start writing the first sentence.  With NaNoWriMo fast approaching, there is no better time to talk about what it means to be a discovery writer or a plotter, and the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches.

Book marketing is a source of frustration for many indie authors. BUT it's also one of the most important things writers can do to expose their stories to a wider audience. We've heard this thousands of times, and yet nowadays it is increasingly more difficult to put our books in front of our readers. Is there a simple, straightforward way to share our books with the right audience? Or are we destined to wander in an increasingly noisy world where everything seems important, and yet nothing seems to work?  Join us as we chat with book marketing expert Fauzia Burke and she shares her unique formula: ‘design + engagement + visibility = marketing success', a simple and yet powerful approach that helped her kickstart many authors' careers and that can help you single out what you need to do now, what you can delay, and what you can delegate or simply ignore.

In today's episode we chat with Jose Sotelo, Co-Founder of Lyrebird and an expert in speech synthesis technology. Serious authorpreneurs are always on the lookout for new tools that can help them share their books to a broader audience. In today's episode Jose unveils what possibilities lie ahead in the interesting field of speech synthesis technology, why progress in this field is important for authors and how they can benefit from software like Descript, a tool that has the potential to give the concept of ‘audiobook' a whole new meaning. Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com

Today we're going to talk about how to organize a book promo, and why it's a good idea to learn the best practices of book launching. What is a book promo push? When does it make sense to start one? What can it do for you languishing sales? How do you take advantage of your backlist and re-energize your catalogue? These are just a few of the questions we are going to tackle in today's episode. Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/032-promo-planning-for-your-book-or-series

In today's episode we're tackling what did NOT work for us when it comes to the process of actually publishing your books. We look at some of the most common things that go wrong, and how you can avoid them so your publishing process goes as smoothly as possible! Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/031-what-not-to-do-the-publishing-process

In today's episode we're tackling what did NOT work for us when it comes to keywords and categories, blurbs, and reviews. We look at some of the most common mistakes authors make in these areas, and how you can avoid them as well as sharing the best tips and tools to help you get it right.  Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/030-what-not-to-do-keywords-blurbs-and-reviews

In this episode, we're talking about what NOT to do when it comes to the interior layouts for your books. What tools do we recommend? What mistakes have we made? How to make sure to avoid looking like a rookie, and more! Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/029-what-not-to-do-interior-layouts

In this episode, we take a good hard look what NOT to do when tackling cover design as an indie author, and share some of our biggest mistakes so you can learn from our experiences—both good and bad. We're going to share a few pro tips that can help you, regardless of whether you're hiring somebody or not. Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/028-what-not-to-do-cover-design

In this episode we're focused on reflection and evolution. We're celebrating six months of weekly podcast recording, talking about how doing this podcast has impacted out author careers, and reflecting on our indie publishing careers as a whole.  Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/027-the-power-of-reflection-and-evolution

In this episode we're digging into translation and how you can convert your stories into multiple languages. We talk about what's involved in translating yourself, hiring a translator, and what opportunities exist for you to sell foreign translation rights to a 3rd party. Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/026-translating-your-stories

In this episode, we're talking about how and when to spend money to help you level up your writing career. How do you decide how much you're going to spend on promotion? When should you buy a tool and go the DIY route instead of paying someone to do a job for you? What questions do you need to ask yourself when you're analyzing any new “opportunity”? When and how do you know which tasks in the publication and promotion process you should hire out?  Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/025-when-to-spend-money-vs-d-i-y

In this episode we're chatting with USA Today bestselling author Angela Pepper about magic, romance, new adult, cozy mysteries, making money as a writer, burnout, and the “fire hose” approach to success in your author career. We talk about different ways to change up your process and approach to story, how to trick yourself into being productive and what the stages of building an author career can look like. We look at what's involved in launching a trilogy / new series, and what kind of strategies work for that. Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/024-the-firehose-approach-to-author-success-with-angela-pepper

In this episode we take a deep dive into ways you can put your VOICE to work for you as an author. We'll tackle some of the biggest fears people have around public speaking, how we get past those, and the various ways to put your voice to work for you. We discuss podcasts, presenting, teaching, book launches and using AI voices to generate audio versions of podcast articles. Oh yeah, and what it's like to have a robot voice double! (hint: it's cool, and freaky and fun) Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/023-harnessing-the-power-of-your-voice/

In this episode we're talking with Young Adult author Pam Withers about writing with a co-author, and how that can enhance the writing process and help you ‘get it right' when writing characters who have a different culture and background than the author does. We touch on different methods of working with co-authors, and what it's like getting started in indie publishing after being traditionally published through most of a writing career. Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/022-writing-collaboratively-with-pam-withers/

In this episode we're digging into the data and the numbers that we as authors can use to help us make decisions as we level up our writing careers. There is an overwhelming flood of numbers that come at you in the publishing world, so it's important to figure out which numbers matter to you. What you want to track, how you're going to track it, and what kinds of numbers will you pay attention to that will help make better decisions along your writing and publishing journey. Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/021-data-driven-decision-making-for-authors/

In this episode we're chatting with non-fiction, poetry and children's book author Bonni Goldberg about the process of getting rights back to a traditionally published book and re-publishing it as an indie author. We dig into what it means to get the rights back for a book. How do you go about that? And then what steps had to be taken to republish the book? How do you get around not considering yourself a technical person? What would you do differently if you could go back and start all over again? What can you do to help launch your book strategically? And if you've ever wondered how to organize your files to help your future self out, we've got some tips for you! Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/020-re-publishing-your-traditionally-published-book-as-an-indie-with-bonni-goldberg/

It's time to step through the looking glass and into the wonderful (and often overwhelming) world of newsletter / mailing list managment tools. What are the tools out there? How do you choose the right one for you? What are some of the benefits of the different main players in the mailing list world? What are the specific details you have to look at for each platform you're considering to make sure you get the right tool for YOU and your budget? Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/019-mailing-list-tool-options-for-authors/

In today's episode we are talking about Deep Story Design and the role of story in our lives with story coach April Bosshard. What does it mean to piece together the puzzle of your own writing life? What IS story? Story is the common element between film and fiction—how will knowing the rules for telling a story on the screen help you write a better novel? We dig into how telling stories helps us grow up as both people and writers, and the courage it takes to send your story off into world. How do you rise to the challenge of staying “up” in an industry that is designed to shoot you down.  Show notes, transcripts and resource links available from https://strategicauthorpreneur.com/podcast/018-deep-story-design-with-april-bosshard/