The Author Burnout Coach

As authors, we spend a lot of time waiting in publishing. Waiting on submission to see if our book will sell. Waiting to hear back from our agent on whether our book is ready for sub. Waiting for your next edit letter, for cover design options, for responses from the authors who might blurb your book. All. The. Waiting. Today, I'm sharing a simple 5-step tool to help you make waiting suck just a little bit less. PS - There's still time to catch the final three days of the Consistent Writing Challenge! Sign up here: http://www.isabelsterling.com/challenge *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and schedule your free enrollment call, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter. You'll also get updates about free monthly trainings and coaching availability. Sign up by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Writing a novel is hard work. There's no getting around that. But! The way you fuel your writing sessions has a major impact on whether that work feels sustainable or burns you out. Listen in to learn how to intentionally choose how you're fueling your writing sessions to ensure the longevity of your author career. PS - The Consistent Writing Challenge is happening now! Sign up here: http://www.isabelsterling.com/challenge *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and schedule your free enrollment call, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter. You'll also get updates about free monthly trainings and coaching availability. Sign up by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Mark your calendars! I'm hosting a 2-week Consistent Writing Challenge (June 16 - 27) and I want YOU to join us! This free challenge is a deep-dive into all of the nuances of my consistent writing process. Each day will include a blend of teaching, coaching, and at least 30-mins dedicated to actually writing our books. Do not miss this! It's going to be a such a fun, transformational experience. Each session will be recorded, so register even if you can't attend all (or any) of the sessions live. Register here: http://www.isabelsterling.com/challenge *** Here are the challenge dates (all times are in eastern time): Week 1 Monday, June 16th: 6pm Tuesday, June 17th: 1pm Wednesday, June 18th: 6pm Thursday, June 19th: 1pm Friday, June 20th: 6pm Week 2 Monday, June 23rd: 1pm Tuesday, June 24th: 6pm Wednesday, June 25th: 6pm Thursday, June 26th: 6pm Friday, June 27th: 1pm

Being able to write consistently is the cornerstone of a successful fiction career - but consistent writing doesn't mean writing every day or even the same amount every week or month. But what do you do when life is really hard? How do you know whether to take a break or still find a way to show up and write? I went live on IG last week to share my thoughts on this, and I'm sharing the replay here with you. *** Reminder: Applications are open for the June 2025 cohort of The Confident Author Academy! This 6-month group coaching program will help you break up with burnout, write consistently, access creative flow, and put the fun back in your fiction career. Submit your application before June 12th: http://www.isabelsterling.com/application Need to talk through your decision? Get on my calendar here. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and join the June 2025 cohort go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Buckle up folks, you're in for a ranty episode. On today's episode, I'm breaking down my personal marketing pet peeves with a firm reminder that you don't have to market in a way that makes you miserable! Once the ranting is out of my system, I provide simple, actionable tips from my Bare Minimum Book Marketing strategy. Reminder: Applications are open for the June 2025 cohort of The Confident Author Academy! This 6-month group coaching program will help you break up with burnout, write consistently, access creative flow, and put the fun back in your fiction career. Submit your application before June 12th: http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and join the June 2025 cohort go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

If writing advice leaves you feeling discouraged rather than inspired, you're not alone. It's normal to unintentionally use writing advice as proof that something is wrong with the way that we work. We tend to give more weight to “expert advice” than our personal lived experience of how we tell stories. This episode will help you bring a sense of neutral curiosity to all types of writing and publishing advice so you can better evaluate whether it's good advice for YOU and your unique brain. Reminder: Applications are open for the June 2025 cohort of The Confident Author Academy! This 6-month group coaching program will help you break up with burnout, write consistently, access creative flow, and put the fun back in your fiction career. Submit your application before June 12th: http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and join the June 2025 cohort go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

A quick episode this week with my off-the-cuff tips to help you prep to moderate an author panel or serve as the in-conversation partner for someone else's book launch! Time Sensitive Reminders: The Bare Minimum Book Marketing workshop is happening today (5/21) at 6pm ET. You can register here: http://www.isabelsterling.com/minimum Applications are open for the June 2025 cohort of The Confident Author Academy! This 6-month group coaching program will help you break up with burnout and craft a sustainable fiction career. Apply by June 1st: http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and join the June 2025 cohort go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

There are no guarantees in publishing. It seems an obvious statement, and yet so many authors get caught in a cycle of stressing about how they can “keep their publisher happy” in an effort to guarantee another book deal. But there are no guarantees. Even if you earn out your advance, meet every single deadline, and are a “pleasure to work with,” your publisher may not buy your next book. This truth doesn't have to feel scary. In fact, it can feel liberating when you let yourself show up for your career for YOU rather than your publisher. Listen in to learn how. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and join the June 2025 cohort go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

If getting an editor letter feels fraught, overwhelming, or stressful, you're not alone. Over the course of revising 13 novels, I've developed a streamlined process that can turn an edit letter into an effective scene-by-scene to-do list. This allows me to complete even the most massive revisions with a single pass through the manuscript, helps me trust that I've accomplished what I set out to do, and leaves me with a new draft that's ready to go straight to my editor. Listen in for a break down of the entire 7 step process. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and join the June 2025 cohort go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Failure is unavoidable when you're trying to stretch and grow as a creative professional. You will have drafts (or entire projects) that don't work on a storytelling level. You will have books that don't sell on submission. Books that don't reach as many readers as you hoped. Books that get ignored by trade reviewers. But failure doesn't determine the level of success that's possible for you in the future. How well you learn (and grow!) from failure does. Listen in to learn how to recover emotionally from failure and then evaluate what happened so you can make changes going forward. Reminder: today is the last day to apply for the June 2025 cohort of The Confident Author Academy! Click here to submit your application. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and join the waitlist for the June 2025 cohort go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Applications are open for the June 2025 cohort of The Confident Author Academy. Submit your application here. The June 2025 cohort is limited to 10 authors and applications close on April 30th. In this episode, I share all the things you'll learn when you join the June cohort. You'll get a look inside the different topics covered in the Academy's curriculum and hear how coaching supports the long-term sustainability of your career. Whether you're an agented writer dealing with submission stress, a debut author getting ready to launch your first book, or a multi-published author ready to create a burnout-free career, the June 2025 cohort is for you. Apply here.

You've probably already heard about the concept of “refilling your creative well.” This is when writers take time after finishing a draft to focus on creative input: reading for fun, watching movies/tv, or listening to music. But did you know that you can also increase the size of your creative well? Increasing the size of your creative well (aka increasing your creative capacity) allows you to write more in less time and also write for longer stretches of time without feeling drained. Listen in to learn how to increase your creative capacity. PS - I'm hosting a free workshop next week (Wed, 4/23/25 at 6pm eastern) that takes this concept of increased capacity and applies it to deadlines specifically. Click here to register for How to Thrive on Deadline. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and join the waitlist for the June 2025 cohort go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Imagine this: You're working on a new novel, and you're in love with the concept. The writing is fun. The characters are intriguing. Even better, this feels new and fresh and original… Until you stumble upon a deal announcement that sound eerily familiar. Someone else has written a book with almost the exact same pitch as the one you're writing! Even worse, they finished their version first. They already got a book deal for it! What are you going to do?? If this happens to you, deep breath. This episode will help calm the panic screaming in your head. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and join the waitlist for the June 2025 cohort go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Submission. The point in traditional publication that authors are simultaneously impatient to get to and yet also dread experiencing. There's the agony of waiting. Refreshing your inbox a million times. Being so freaking close to achieving a big goal yet having no control over the outcome. This episode will help normalize your experiences on submission and provide tangible tools to help you reduce sub anxiety so you can actually write something new. PS - for help shifting the stories you tell yourself while on sub, watch the Rewriting Your Author Story workshop here. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and schedule your free enrollment call go to www.isabelsterling.com/academy. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

When something unfortunate, unwanted, or downright painful happens in your author career, it's helpful to shift the way you think about the situation. Except! You don't want to slather toxic positivity all over everything. So, how do you thread the needle of reframing the painful thing in an empowering way without slipping into unhelpful toxic positivity? This episode will teach you how to tell the difference. PS - You can watch the replay of Rewriting Your Author Story here for more support. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and schedule your free enrollment call go to www.isabelsterling.com/academy. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Creating a sustainable fiction career requires you to write more than one book. Whether your current project is a massive success or a major flop, the next step is to write something new. But when you're shifting away from a more polished project (especially if it's all the way to line edits or pass pages) to something that's brand new, the shift in quality can be a bit dizzying and disheartening even though that shift is totally normal. So, if you're currently starting something new after putting the finishing touches on your last project, this pep talk is for you. *** Did you miss the Rewriting Your Author Story workshop? You can get the replay here. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

People pleasing isn't exclusive to our personal lives. The hierarchies of publishing lead many authors into people pleasing patterns with their agents, editors, and even their readers. That's why I invited fellow coach, and people pleasing expert, Sara Bybee Fisk to join me on the podcast this week. She graciously shares her wisdom about the cause of people pleasing and provides actionable tips for what we can do to break the cycle. You can learn more about Sara, including her Stop People Pleasing Program, at her website. And be sure to check out Sara's podcast, The Ex-Good Girl Podcast. Finally, don't forget to register for my free workshop Rewriting Your Author Story HERE. The workshop is happening Tuesday, March 18th at 4pm and will teach you how to tell the story of your career in a way that helps you burn bright instead of burning out. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

If you struggle with confidence during the planning/outlining stage of writing, today's episode is for you. I'm breaking down why the planning stage can feel fraught so you can bring more fun and confidence to this part of your writing process, including how to decide when to stop planning and start drafting. Sign up for the Rewriting Your Author Story workshop HERE. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

I finished the first revision of WITH ALL MY HAUNTED HEART over the weekend and turned it into my editor! So today on the podcast, I'm sharing how I celebrated this milestone and then dive into the process of intentionally setting up a unique blend of rest, refueling the creative well, and then diving into a new project… all without burnout. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Middle grade author Celesta Rimington is on the podcast this week to share her wealth of knowledge about navigating school visits. We cover all your biggest questions, including what to charge for visits, how to facilitate book orders, what to include in your presentation, and so much more. Even if you write for adults and don't plan to offer school visits, there are so many valuable gems that can apply to all kinda of author events, including book clubs and unique marketing ideas. Don't skip this one! To learn more about Celesta, visit her website. You can also find all the buy-links for her books here. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

In today's episode, I give you a behind-the-scenes look at the 75-day process of writing and selling my new book, WITH ALL MY HAUNTED HEART. I talk about how romance novels helped me through the grief of losing my foster son, put my new 6-figure book deal into context with the rest of my career, and explore the role of coaching and mindset in selling this book. For monthly updates about my books–including WITH ALL MY HAUNTED HEART–make sure you're subscribed to my reader newsletter (which is separate from the weekly newsletter for authors, liked below). You can sign up for the reader newsletter HERE. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Your mindset is the most powerful tool in your author toolkit. Every challenge you face in writing, publishing, and life can be improved–if not outright solved!–by learning how to manage your mind. In this episode, you'll learn a simple 3 question process for determining whether your current mindset is helping or hurting your situation. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Keeping track of your author finances does not have to be overwhelming or time consuming. In fact, it can also be fun and help provide additional motivation to continue to grow your career. Today, I'm walking you through how I keep tabs on my book income and set myself up for an easy tax season. Get a blank copy of my book finances spreadsheet here! *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

You want to write consistently… but life keeps getting in the way. There's an emergency at work. The kids are home sick from school. Your chronic migraines are acting up. Your friends want to surprise you with a night out. Every disruption leaves you feeling frustrated. You start to wonder whether you'll ever be a “consistent writer.” You can. You just need to set Writing Protocols for emergencies, common disruptions, and chronic conditions. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

If you've decided not to ask for a deadline extension–but you also don't want to burnout–this is the episode for you. Learn my 5-step process for tackling tight deadlines so you can work hard without risking burnout. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Your deadline is fast approaching, but you still have a lot of work left to do on your novel. Should you ask for more time or power through? What will your editor think if you need more time? And if you DO decide you need more time…how do you ask without seeming unprofessional? I answer all these deadline questions and more in this week's episode. Before you dive into the episode, don't forget to register for Author Goal Setting 2025 HERE. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Happy New Year! Have you set goals for the upcoming year yet? If so, there's a good chance you made yourself a list of project to-dos rather than setting a goal that focuses on how you want to EXPERIENCE your author career in 2025. While there's nothing wrong with listing the projects on your desk for the coming 12 months, I invite you to reframe how you think about goal setting and go a step deeper. By setting a goal for how you want the process of achieving that bookish to-do list to feel, you open yourself up for better problem solving and a more enjoyable year. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Do you go after writerly milestones, expecting to feel happy when you meet them, only to find yourself disappointed and moving the goal post further away? Do you feel emotionally disconnected from your work and then struggle to show up for writing sessions? This week, I have a 2-for-1 solution for you called Emotional Time Travel. Listen in to learn how connecting to the future success that you want and embodying that emotional experience NOW can help you both show up for writing sessions and actually enjoy your success when you get there. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

When you tell yourself that you're “behind” or that you “should be further along” (whether in your draft or in your career overall), you inadvertently make it harder to achieve your writing and publishing goals. In order to speed up your writing progress or make bigger strides toward the next big milestone, you need to start by accepting where you are instead of focusing on where you think you should be. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

As a debut author, you've worked for years (if not decades!) honing your writing and storytelling skills. Yet you're ALSO a beginner in so many ways. Editing under deadline, planning a book launch, and navigating the world of marketing are all new skills. Even writing your next book--whether a sequel or another standalone--comes with a slew of firsts. In this episode, Isabel breaks down the top 10 essential skills to not only survive--but thrive--as a first-time author. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

It's normal to have multiple agents throughout your career. As you grow as an author, you need different things out of the author/agent relationship. On today's podcast, Dahlia Adler (author of Home Field Advantage, Cool for the Summer, and many other titles and founder of LGBTQreads.com) shares her insights on the skills you'll want to look for when signing with an agent as a debut vs a mid-career author. Check out Dahlia's books on her website and follow her on Instagram or Bluesky! *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

The prioritization of a sustainable, joyful writing life doesn't mean that every writing session feels like rainbows shooting out of your fingertips. Sometimes, you feel bad (because of personal, writing, or publishing reasons) *and* you still want to write. When that happens, you need to be able to hold space for whatever emotion you're feeling while still tapping into your creativity. This episode will show you how. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

If you struggle to trust your writing process–or you often doubt your ability to produce a novel despite a history of finished projects–this episode is for you. You'll learn how to look back at previous experiences to figure out your unique writing patterns and how to test out new techniques to determine what tools belong in your custom tailored writing toolkit. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

If world events (or personal challenges) have you feeling too stressed to write, this episode will help you find your way forward again. Isabel walks you through how to care for yourself in the immediate aftermath of grief, how to find safety and reconnect with the importance of telling stories, and then ends the episode with a guided exercise to help you connect to your story before your next writing session. If you'd like to jump to the guided meditation, go to [22:44]. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

With the devastating election results coming in today, I've pivoted this week's episode to a replay of my How to Be Resilient AF workshop. Resilience is going to be more important than ever, and while this training was written with publishing in mind, the same emotional processing tools apply here, too. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

You did the thing! You sold your debut novel, earned out your advance, or finished a draft of a book you love. So… why don't you feel happy? Why can't you feel proud or excited about what you've done? Why are you already anxious about the next step before the ink is even dry on the contract? In today's episode, Isabel breaks down why it's so hard to feel good about your accomplishments and how to increase your capacity for positive emotions. You can watch the replay of How to Be Resilient AF here. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

If you want to write more often (or for longer periods of time), you need to build up your writing stamina. Trying to go from no writing to daily 2-hour sessions is like a non-runner trying to run a marathon without any training. You gotta build your way up to that! Today's podcast episode walks you through why starting with short sessions is so important and how to build up to the number of hours you want to spend. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

There is a lot of waiting in traditional publishing. Waiting to hear back from agents. Waiting for notes form your editor. Waiting for permission to share your good book news. All of this waiting can lead to frustration, impatience, and even anxiety. It doesn't have to, though. In this episode, you'll learn how to figure out WHY waiting feels so awful and how to handle the wait without pulling your hair out. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

What you believe about yourself, the types of books you write, and your place in publishing has a huge impact on how you show up to writing sessions. But how do you find out what you belief? And if you find a not-so-great belief, how do you change it? In this episode, Isabel teaches you how to find your current beliefs and offers two different techniques for believing something new. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Only 5% of authors stay in publishing long enough to release 12 books over the course of their career. And while that's an admittedly small percentage, it doesn't have to be cause for alarm. Today on the podcast, I break down what actually determines whether an author reaches this 12 book milestone. Spoiler: the success of your debut novel is NOT on that list. In this episode, I cite an interview with Jane Freidman, which is where I got my statistics. You can listen to that interview here. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Isabel coaches picture book author Katie Venit as she makes the shift to writing novels. While Katie enjoys planning, outlining, and revising, she feels a lot of resistance to writing the first draft. Isabel coaches Katie on how to lean into her writing strengths and how to use brackets to make drafting easier. Katie's first two pictures books, FORTS and CASSINI'S MISSION, are due out summer 2025. Learn more about Katie and her work on her website. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Isabel coaches debut author Erica Eberhart on the overwhelm that comes from juggling multiple deadlines for different books in her series. Her first novel, Tarnished, comes out January 21, 2025. To learn more about Erica visit her website or follow her on Instagram. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Isabel coaches debut romantasy author, Shalini Abeysekara, on defining success, putting less importance on social media metrics, and connecting to what she loves about her story. Her debut, The Monster of Mine, is due out in Spring 2025. Learn more at Shalini's website, add her book on Goodreads, and follow her on Instagram. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Isabel coaches debut author Lacey N. Dunham on her Book 2 anxiety, including how to lean into your natural process and when to loop in your agent to get clarity about the pros and cons of different delivery dates for the proposal. To learn more about Lacey visit her website, follow her on Instagram, or subscribe to her substack. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Isabel coaches L.L. Madrid about what to do when you feel yourself freezing up when you sit down to write. This is a common response for many authors who achieve a new level of success in their career (such as finally selling a debut or writing the follow-up to a surprise hit). L.L.'s debut, My Lips, Her Voice comes out Fall 2025. You can learn more on her website here. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Isabel coaches Sasa Hawk on the (very normal!) insecurities about her second book, imposter syndrome, and the fear of disappointing her editor. Later in the episode, the pair talk about simplifying marketing and social media. Sasa's debut, Unlock the Dark, is available for preorder here and releases on February 25, 2025. You can follow Sasa on Instagram or Threads. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Isabel coaches Michelle J on how to choose which project to write next and how to make the most of short downtime between edit passes. Michelle's debut, The Divide that Binds Us, releases May 16, 2025. You can preorder the book here or add it on Goodreads. You can learn more about Michelle on her website. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Isabel coaches 2025 debut author, Veronica Bane, about how to make connections with fellow authors at events without feeling salesy, including how to lean into your natural social superpowers. Veronica's debut, Difficult Girls, is coming out summer 2025. Follow Veronica on Instagram. Add Difficult Girls on Goodreads. The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Isabel coaches debut author Jamie D'Amato on drafting under deadline for the first time. We discuss how to decrease self-imposed pressure, the desire for the first draft to be "right," and taking the fear out of worst case scenarios. The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

It's time for another nerdy episode, friends! I love, love, love using Google Calendar to organize my writing life. I use it to schedule time to write, keep track of my progress, and prevent Accomplishment Amnesia. Today, I'm breaking down exactly how I use my calendar, why those techniques are so effective, and how you can make calendaring work for you and your brain. The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Once you have a book under contract, gone are the days when you can spend your time between deadlines doing nothing. At least, that's how it feels. Authors face all sorts of pressures to always be working, to have multiple projects at different stages, in an effort to prevent any gaps in their publications. But how do you juggle those projects without burnout? Listen in for the answer. The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!