The Rebel Author Podcast

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number thirty-eight between Rachael Herron and I.  To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you like dark humor, learning through examples and want to create perfect prose, then you'll love my guide to crafting sensational sentences. Read The Anatomy of Prose today and start creating kick-ass stories.

The History  I started my shopify store around the 10th December 2023 after a viral video on TikTok on December 8th. So I integrated with Bookvault and stayed with POD shipping until February 2025. Since February 2025, I've been distributing and fulfilling all orders from my website in my own warehouse. These are the lessons I've learned from the last ten months of running my own website sales and distribution. And yes, I will talk numbers, but I'm making you wait till the end! Please note, I will talk about finances, systems and the occasional legal thing. Absolutely nothing I say is financial, legal or tax advice. You must seek advice from professionals in your own countries and tax territories. I recognise that this model is not for 99% of authors. It's a LOT of work. It's a lot of logistics, a lot of peopling, team building, paperwork and problem solving. This is as far removed from sitting behind a desk and writing 24/7 as you can get.  Do not listen to this with an open heart. Be skeptical, that will keep you on the right track for creating a business you love. But know that I do love this and I am framing these lessons learned from that perspective. Why Direct? I'd always had a transactional website for Sacha Black work but it barely did £20 a month. So I knew the work I was about to scramble to do for Ruby may be for nothing. But I didn't want to be beholden to TikTok the way I'd been beholdened to other sources of income and I knew if I'd gone viral once, I could do it again and that would lead to relying on TikTok. What do I mean why? Two reasons: why should you as an author have a direct store but also why should readers come to you? For you, you can earn more per sale. POD companies integrating with shopify automatically give you more as there are no hidden fees. But when you shift to print runs you more than half the cost of printing each book. Of course you also give yourself a host of other problems like fulfillment and overheads, but you gain a lot more product flexibility and potential meaning you have the opportunity to make bigger profit. BUT and this is a big but, you have to work out what you want your business to look like. That said, there are consequences. I usually write and publish 3 books a year and this year I've dropped to 2 published. Though I will have written a 3rd and a short story by the end of the year. But I wasn't able to get that third one published. Despite that, this is going to be my biggest year ever for income. It already beat last year in 7 months. Which goes to show that you don't have to be rapid releasing anymore to make good money. The fact I've not published three, is a direct consequence of the warehouse and also the increasing team size and the need to train staff. Thankfully due to the Kickstarter, some rights deals an big increase in direct sales of products and merch, I haven't seen a dip in income. Which goes to show that you don't have to be rapid releasing anymore to make good money. There are other benefits like reader loyalty because you're treating them better, you are able to provide higher quality books and with extra goodies and sign all the books for example. And that's really the heart of the mindset shift you need to have and how you should frame thinking about a direct store. Why should a reader bother coming to you when they can get next day shipping for free on Amazon? Can you answer that before you set up your store? For me this looks like three promises: Every book that leaves the warehouse is handsigned by me (I do this in batches and sign for 4-5 hours and get several thousand books signed in one go so it doesn't disturb writing time.) They get extra bonuses for ordering directly like stickers, bookmarks and character art. Last, if they preorder a book in any format I have for sale on the website, it will get shipped BEFORE the public release date. We aim for delivery a couple of weeks prior but it depends on print runs and me hitting deadlines. Things to consider before leaving POD direct and moving to self fulfillment: Where are you going to stock your books? Do you have local warehousing facilities or somewhere you own you can use? Stock requires more space than you think. Because it's not just books you need space for, it's packaging, and space for parcels before collection and space for a computer and printer etc. What is your cash flow like? Do you have the capital that you can risk losing to spend on investing in this? Thanks to great advice from one of my closest author pals, I didn't buy shipping containers for conversion to put on family land which was a circa 40k investment. Instead I rented a warehouse so that I was only risking the cost of one year's rent circa 9k and I'd also be able to up and leave and close everything down if it went wrong. What's your problem solving resiliency like? Solving problems, if it's not your bag, is relentlessly exhausting. Problems arise in all areas of this business, from shipping to label printing to packaging to import and export paperwork, to sourcing products, VAT, pricing, website, delivery issues. Etc. The list is long. Honestly? There's rarely a day without some kind of issue that needs resolving. How does that make you feel? Excited or horrified? Pay attention to those emotions. The only business you should be building is one that brings you joy. Last, is the reality that if you want to fulfill direct yourself you *will* need staff—if you want to continue to write that is. If you think about it, POD direct staff your website for you. They have teams packing the boxes, printing labels and shipping everything for you. So no matter which way you cut it, whether it's you organising staff or your printers, someone has to do the leg work. Mindset shifts eCommerce  Yes I'm an author, but running your own fulfillment from website sales means you also run an eCommerce business. And over and above that, I now run a physical product business because we have merchandise. Those combined make for a very, very different business structure and set of problems compared to the old school models of being an indie author. Traffic Direction First of all and most basic of all. I direct all traffic to my website without exception. My primary links on social media are my website. If people ask where they can buy my books, it's my website. If they say they can't then I'll direct them online to a more well known store.   Schedules are a bitch.  When you're writing in a solo business and uploading your books online, your schedule is essentially your own. When you then bring on a team, they are reliant on you delivering on time to make sure they can do their job. How does that make you feel? Knowing you *have* to deliver for someone else? For a long time I really hated being beholden to deadlines—probably a corporate spill over. But being responsible for a team and needing to deliver for them is very different. I adore my team, I love them and care about them and I *want* to deliver on time for them. This is a total re-framing for me. It's the right kind of pressure and responsibility attached to a deadline. Does that mean my creativity needs to show up on time? Sure, but I find this motivating because it's the right people around me. However, the first book post warehouse opening, we were all still learning and mistakes were made. I delivered one book late. That pushed everything and made a lot of the timelines difficult including getting the printed books delivered on time. For Architecti there were two main problems: a solid 20% of the order arrived damaged by rain. But we'd already sold almost all the initial print run so we couldn't spare 20% and thus didn't have enough stock to cover our preorders. So this caused a lot of anxiety. Under ordering stock is a terrifying prospect. As is over ordering because do you have enough space for it and what if you then don't sell it?  The second mistake was releasing a book without checking the diaries of the warehouse team who happened to be on holiday during the fulfillment process. Which in a bout of shit timing, my mum then got sick in the crucial week. Meaning I had to stop writing and fulfill 1000 preorders single handedly. It was grueling physically, mentally and emotionally doing it on my own. We're never having that cluster fuck again.  So we've produced a heat map style document with everyone's leave, delivery dates, deadlines for me, product ordering dates, prepping dates and fulfillment periods etc. This was an enormous lesson in logistics of both a warehouse and people. Exclusivity Kindle Unlimited works for a reason. It has books exclusive to Amazon, you literally cannot get them anywhere else. Meaning you're forced to get them there. If that worked for Amazon, you can bet you're arse it works for others.  So I stole the idea. I have four novellas /short stories that I publish exclusively on my website. Does that mean a huge risk for loss of visibility and potential sales? Absolutely. No rank, no visibility in the biggest algorithm machine in the world. But it is also one of the key sales tactics I've used to get readers over to me. And boy has it worked. I make sure it's content I know they'll want, I flash the extra books on my reels and videos and then the questions flood in — how do I get those books… Well I'll tell you…! Preorders Preorders are both a gift and a logistical nightmare. How to get them? We ran an enormous campaign for Architecti. Ending up with 1027 paperbacks, 323 hardbacks and 193 ebooks. For a total 1543 preorders on my website. Plus over 1000 ebooks on Amazon. So the total preorders were in excess of 2500 preorders. Firstly you have to ask why should readers preorder direct to you? As mentioned earlier we make three promises: Everything is signed They get extras and goodies including a Roe-Mantics popsocket, series sticker and bookmark and an art print. As well as a Ruby Roe reading tracking and reading order and some stickers. They get the books delivered early (ebook and physical) We promoted the shit out of these three facts and I do believe this is the reason we did so well. That, plus almost two years of pushing direct sales and building reader trust. I won't go into all the marketing we did as this is a podcast about the warehouse. But we pushed HARD. We made a couple of mistakes: We didn't order enough books. We ordered 1000 paperbacks and ended up having to do a second print run because we sold over 1000 and obviously knew we needed stock on hand for general sales — a good problem to have obviously. But if we had ordered a higher quantity from the start we would have had a better price per book and saved ourselves some money and increased profit. That's a tough lesson to learn as we're always having to balance cashflow. The second mistake was packaging. We pride ourselves on making sure the books arrive in pristine condition. The consequence of that is how long it takes to package. The primary damage a book can fall prey to is the rain, or being dropped. We were individually wrapping each book in foam or bubble wrap before putting them inside bookwraps with the goodies to ship. This took me almost two weeks to do for circa a thousand parcels. I spoke to my warehouse neighbour who is a book box subscription company and discovered that they ship 1000 parcels in a couple of days because they uses origami boxes with packing peanuts and a plastic exterior envelope bag for water protection. This results in them working at a significantly faster rate than us. And has led us to get boxes designed and we're in the process of ordering 10k boxes. Customer Communication Customer communication has been an absolute maelstrom. The more products we create, the more complex everything gets. Becca used to be primarily a scheduler for me. Now, she's moved to be a customer services manager. Major issues include: when they preorder a book and put a published book into the same order. This is a means we have to email them to let them know they have two options: either we refund and they order separately or they wait for both their books. This is a huge problem as there are a number of preorders live at any one time and thus a ton of customer communication needed. It has gotten better as we have educated our repeat customers, put messages and labels on the site. But it is an ever present problem. We have decided to commission a coder to write some code for shopify so that we can charge two lots of shipping and split ship. We've also had so many communications about the tariffs. This has been so difficult because we are not the ones charging but we are the first point of call. It is in large part due to the team being incredible that we got through this. Last, I still receive an email for every single order. So I do one additional thing. I make a point to keep an eye on when someone has ordered multiple times in short succession and then send them to the team to refund duplicate postage.  Protecting Writing Time This is so vital. And has been the hardest part of having a warehouse. I definitely feel like I lost 6 months of writing time. It's the reason I barely managed to get Architecti done, and the reason I didn't meet my primary goal of getting ahead of production this year. Staffing means interruptions. But more than that, having the discipline to put my phone on do not disturb or muting team chats while I write. Now that we're up to speed, refining processes and we have SOPs in place, I am finding it easier and easier to not go to the warehouse. We also stopped having the smaller deliveries sent to my house and instead they're going to my team's houses or direct to the warehouse. Regulations and Tariffs  With a physical product business there are so many more regulations and acronyms and pieces of law that you have to deal with. The level of bureaucracy is quite astonishing and has caused a number of headaches. These headaches are not the type of headaches that most authors would want to deal with. You have to choose the poison you want to drink and I genuinely recognise that 99% of authors would not want this headache. The other matter here is that the regulations have required a colossal amount of time spent on them. More time than we anticipated. Something new is always being thrown at us and usually things that we do not have knowledge on. So we're constantly in a state of adapting and learning. This is both wonderful and also a little gruelling.  As there's not many people doing this we don't have many options for checking we're on the right path, so having to trust ourselves that we've done the best we can with the knowledge we have. And also recognise that it's okay to not know everything. Logistics There's been a lot of logistic lessons learned too. Firstly, that shipping providers are a nightmare. They're massive organisations and that means corporate bureaucracy. Lots of being passed between departments and having to wait for responses. You're probably going to need additional app integrations some of which will cost. Just pay for the apps because it will make your life simpler. We have a DPD integration app that makes handling and managing preorders and labels considerably easier. Batch as much as you can: like signing books, preparing freebie packets, cutting foam and pre-building boxes. Batch packaging, in particular for preorders. For example, all the UK paperbacks then all the UK hardbacks etc. It's easier to do the same thing over and over and then task switch than it is to do it higgledy piggledy. Timelines  Understanding the timelines for launches has been quite the challenge. When you're a solo indie you are in charge of your own time. When you have a team, and other people do parts of the publishing process, you're no longer working on your own schedule. Combined with the fact that a huge percentage of my turnover comes from physical book sales. This means we have to do print runs. Instead of loading up to KDP or the POD services and knowing it will be live the next day or a few days later after a proof copy. Print runs take a couple of days to finalise the files (up to several months for international printers) and then 2-3 weeks to print and deliver to the warehouse for UK printers, and several weeks to months for international. We then have to unpack them and check the quality and then I have to sign them. I am pretty fast at signing now and choose to sign in long batches 4-5 hours at a time and usually manage 1-2000 books in that time. The other timelines that need to be considered are how long things take to pack. But I've already talked about that. But it is something that needs to be considered when planning preorder fulfillment. The more preorders we get, the more significant the time it takes, that or we need more people to help pack. The Money This is the bit everyone is interested. All costs are in GBP.  Set up costs for the warehouse were approximately £4-5000. This included the deposit, racking, furniture etc. In total, I've spent 100k on printing this year. However a significant portion of that was on the Kickstarter. So I don't count that in the costs for the warehouse. Those sit at £61,171. We are still holding a huge amount of stock in the warehouse so this spend should start to even out. In December 2023 I started the shop around 10th December, I made just shy of £1700 which I think was mostly due to the viral TikToks. In the month of May 2024 I broke £5000. November 2024 I broke 10k for the first time and in December 2024 I broke 15k. That was the month I knew I needed to take advantage of what I was building. I knew I wanted to do more for readers who were clearly willing to buy direct. In 2024, the website turned over £73.5k. I collected keys for the warehouse of January 31st. It took a couple of weeks to set the warehouse up and then we had print runs delivered around the 17th and started shipping on Feb 20th 2025. That was a £16k month, and the first time my Shopify sales beat my Amazon, only by a couple hundred pounds, but it still beat it. It wasn't lost on me that it was the first month I had taken control of distribution. April eclipsed Amazon at 29k and I've stayed between 15 and 29k a month since — Finally in November 2025, I surpassed 30k. As of 21st November we're standing at 222k for the year. I suspect we will end up with turnover somewhere between 230 and 250k for 2025.  Creating definitive turnover and net profit calculations are difficult. What I can tell you is that between the warehouse, staff for the warehouse, utilities and insurances I spend approximately 18-1900 a month (21-23k per year). Shipping varies between 500 and 1500 a week on average but on preorder weeks it can spike to 8k. The highest month for shipping was 11k. I suspect for the year it will be roughly 45-55k.  So for print costs, staffing, rent and shipping the total is approximately £133,971. I estimate 4-7k on other costs like packaging and freebies. So let's estimate £140k spend for £222k turnover. So I estimate approximately £82,000 in profit - to which I'll then have to pay tax. That's a 36% profit. Not as high as I'd like, but also it's year one and spend is always higher in year one because of set up. I expect that as we move into year two that will grow and my aim is to reach 45% but the ultimate goal will be 50% I'm not sure if this is possible but we will try. We have a lot of stock that we can sell without having to spend out anymore.  In terms of granular costs to give you an idea of profit on the detail level: The cost of each book is loosely £2.20 per paperback for which we charge £10.99 on average. We allow for £1 of that to cover packaging and freebies. Meaning £3.20 of costs. Though this doesn't include a % for warehouse overheads. I don't have any advertising costs. I have bought all customers in from my mailing list, TikTok and Instagram. On average my returning customer rate is 35%. However, in months where I set up a new product preorder, that rate shoots up. For November 2025 it's 56%. Similarly, my average conversion rate is 5.83% conversion rate. What's interesting is that in those early months my conversion rate was 3.18%. This month it's 8.53%. I think this increase is twofold. First, I have a high returning customer rate, this automatically increases the conversion rate as your customers want what you're providing. Second, I think my marketing has gotten better and better. We're providing more books, stories and products that my audience wants and we're also getting better at marketing to market. Cash Flow One of the best things I did was create multiple pots and accounts. For a long time I'd lived under the assumption you could only have one business bank account. That was bad advice from an accountant. I have since left them and now have an excellent accountant. I've also had lots of advice from a dear friend who knows far more about money and systems than me.  Cash flow can either sky rocket or cripple a business. And when you run a physical business the numbers you run with are so much higher that you can easily crush your company. One of my favourite tactics is to create mini pots and split money up. For every preorder we run I create a pot in my bank, like a mini bank and every week I put the amount earned for that preorder product into the pot. If the product requires a print run, I pay for it out of that pot. If we have to buy wholesale merch, I take it from that pot etc. I also set aside money for tax each month. I move both personal tax money and corporation tax money and set it aside in a high interest savings account. The biggest outflows for running a distribution warehouse are staffing, warehouse rent, shipping and print runs.  For Architecti specifically, we had to do two print runs because we under ordered books. Meaning I had to outflow huge amounts of money twice. The print runs totalled £11,630. Plus 11,000 in shipping fees for that month. If I didn't have the money set aside for this, it could easily have pushed me into debt. One of the main things I did to help prevent cashflow issues, is have dozens of pots inside my bank accounts.  Every week the team calculates the income for orders and shipping for each product we have on preorder (there are always usually 2 to 3) and then I transfer that money to individual pots. Meaning I save all the money from preorders right up until launch. I then take the money for the print runs from this pot and for the shipping. What's left is the profit which is taxable so I move the tax money into my tax pot and then keep the rest. This is the safest way I've found for managing cashflow and ensuring I don't spend money that needs to be saved for specific things. I also have an entirely separate account for my shopify. So all print runs are paid for out of the shopify account. All shipping payments go out of that account. All printing for freebies etc comes from that account. It becomes totally self managing and over time it increases. Then if I want to take out chunks of profit, I do and keep the account at 20k. This is the equivalent of the average monthly turnover for the shopify. So should cover all bills or worst case scenarios.  I also have a tax pot where I move money each month. My accountants have a report that generates each month and estimates my tax. I then place my tax in a high interest account and leave it to earn some money before I have to pay it. Next Steps Business infrastructure. I recently visited Author Nation – the Las Vegas conference that was once 20books. There are so many areas for growth and improvement and I realised that I have essentially brut forced my way to the position I'm in. Upsell app Integration with better email upsell marketing system Possibly advertising Branded packaging

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number thirty-seven between Rachael Herron and I. To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you like dark humour, learning through examples and want to create the best villains you can, then you'll love Sacha Black's guide to crafting superbad villains. Read 13 Steps to Evil today and start creating kick-ass villains.

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number thirty-six between Rachael Herron and I.  To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you like dark humor, learning through examples and want to create perfect prose, then you'll love my guide to crafting sensational sentences. Read The Anatomy of Prose today and start creating kick-ass stories.

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number thirty-five between Rachael Herron and I. To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you like dark humour, learning through examples and want to create the best villains you can, then you'll love Sacha Black's guide to crafting superbad villains. Read 13 Steps to Evil today and start creating kick-ass villains.  

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number thirty-four between Rachael Herron and I. To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you haven't read The Anatomy of a Best Seller, what are you waiting for? Grab my latest craft book and start deconstructing so you can write your own best seller today.

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number thirty-three between Rachael Herron and I. To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you haven't read The Anatomy of a Best Seller, what are you waiting for? Grab my latest craft book and start deconstructing so you can write your own best seller today.

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number thirty-two between Rachael Herron and I. Don't forget, Patrons get early access to these Black Herron episodes an entire month early and then we air them on the podcast feeds the following month. If you'd like to hear them early you can join me on Patreon from as little as $2 right here. To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you haven't read The Anatomy of a Best Seller, what are you waiting for? Grab my latest craft book and start deconstructing so you can write your own best seller today.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover: Income update Asset update Lesson 1: Understanding What I'm Good At Lesson 2: Understanding my Energy Flow Lesson 3: Growth Means Change Lesson 4: No Matter What, This is Always Better Read the full blog with graphics on my website.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Differences between serials and novels Planning your story when writing serials Knowing when to end each episode Is there money in writing serials? Marketing serialized fiction Find out more about KimBoo: houseofyork.info Rebel of the Week is: Karla If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack 

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Common roadblocks writers hit in their manuscripts How to get unstuck Navigating craft advice without getting overwhelmed Keeping readers engaged throughout a romance Tips for improving conflict and tension Find out more about Lori: LoriPuma.com Subscribe to the What Fiction Craft Books Leave Out series Scribophile Rebel of the Week is: Carey If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Lo Dodds. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  The concept of the hungry author mindset and how to develop it Building an author platform beyond social media How to use a book map Patterns of authors who have sustainable, long-term careers Biggest mistakes nonfiction writers make Find out more about Ariel: Instagram @hungryauthors hungryauthors.com Rebel of the Week is: Mark If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Nicole Hutton. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack 

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  The research process for historical fantasy Balancing historical accuracy and fantasy elements Crafting period-appropriate dialogue Writing series versus standalones Marketing historical fantasy books Find out more about Nicole: nicole-glover.com Instagram @authornicoleglover Bluesky @nicoleglover.bsky.social Substack Rebel of the Week is: Julie If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Anna Trolson. A big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack 

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number thirty-one between Rachael Herron and I. Don't forget, Patrons get early access to these Black Herron episodes an entire month early and then we air them on the podcast feeds the following month. If you'd like to hear them early you can join me on Patreon from as little as $2 right here. To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you like dark humour, learning through examples and want to create the best villains you can, then you'll love Sacha Black's guide to crafting superbad villains. Read 13 Steps to Evil today and start creating kick-ass villains.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  What Aristotle can teach us about writing novels Writing vs. story The six components of a story How to make story more believable Using logic to better create a villain Links I mentioned:  Girl Games: NSFW Special Edition Kickstarter Find out more about Douglas: Instagram @douglasvigliotti  AristotleforNovelists.com Rebel of the Week is: Zachary Kai If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 2 new patrons this week, welcome and thank you to Elle Mae and Effie. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack 

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  The logistics of selling on TikTok Shop What products sell the most Creating content to drive people to your TikTok Shop Selling on TikTok Shop vs. direct through your author website How TikTok Shop can affect your algorithm Links I mentioned: Girl Games: NSFW Special Edition Kickstarter Find out more about Emily: Instagram and TikTok: @authoremilyblackwood TikTok Shop: @blackwoodbooks Rebel of the Week is: Avril  If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Digging into identity when crafting characters Recognising our own unconscious biases  What intersectionality is – and its importance in writing Considerations when writing dialogue and accents Receiving feedback from sensitivity readers Links I mentioned: Girl Games: NSFW Special Edition Kickstarter Find out more about Alex: @Alex_Temblador (IG, Threads, Twitter) Writing an Identity Not Your Own AlexTemblador.com Rebel of the Week is: Morgan If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 2 new patrons this week, welcome and thank you to Rachel Beaney and Gerry Fitzgerald. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Mindset shifts to balance writing with family life How to find your creative identity again The benefits of pursuing your creative goals Finding time to write when busy Tips for reconnecting with your creativity Links I mentioned: Girl Games: NSFW Special Edition Kickstarter Find out more about Josee: Instagram @joseesmithbookcoach Rebel of the Week is: Karen  If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack 

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number thirty between Rachael Herron and I. Don't forget, Patrons get early access to these Black Herron episodes an entire month early and then we air them on the podcast feeds the following month. If you'd like to hear them early you can join me on Patreon from as little as $2 right here. To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you like dark humour, learning through examples and want to create the best villains you can, then you'll love Sacha Black's guide to crafting superbad villains. Read 13 Steps to Evil today and start creating kick-ass villains.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Working with a co-narrator What makes a book more fun/easy/hard to narrate Tips for narrating spicy scenes Tips to tailor your book more for audio Creating the voice of a character The process of narrators and authors working together Links I mentioned: Girl Games: NSFW Special Edition Kickstarter Find out more about Charlie: @albersactor on all socials AppleTreeAudio.com Rebel of the Week is: Melissa If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Exploring themes of identity and belonging The difference between conflict and tension Building sustainable tension across a novel and a series How to create subtle conflict between characters Using cliffhangers vs softer hooks Links I mentioned: Girl Games: NSFW Special Edition Kickstarter Find out more about A.Y.: Instagram @ay_chao Shanghai Immortal Rebel of the Week is: Jenn Storey If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Chris. A big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack

Episode Show Notes How important is an author website? Recommended platforms and features for author websites Optimising your author website to drive sales The importance of author branding in creating a cohesive website Using your website to build your mailing list Website metrics to pay attention to Links I mentioned: Page Turner Pacing Kickstarter Girl Games: NSFW Special Edition Kickstarter Find out more about Charlotte: CharlotteDuckworthStudio.com Instagram @charduck Rebel of the Week is: Eden the Pigeon Wrangler If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack  This episode is sponsored by Fictionary Find out more about Fictionary Software + Fictionary Live! here. As a rebel listener you can get 25% off StoryTeller, StoryTeller Premium and certification with code REBEL25.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Differences between developmental editing, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading What type of editing to invest in if you're on a budget What makes a good first line Common mistakes new authors make in story An editor's process of reviewing a manuscript Links I mentioned: Page Turner Pacing Kickstarter Girl Games: NSFW Special Edition Kickstarter Find out more about Rebecca: Instagram @beccafaithheyman rebeccafaitheditorial.com Rebel of the Week is: Gigi If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com Two new patrons this month, welcome and thank you to Lexi Le and Rasana Atreya. A big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number twenty-nine between Rachael Herron and I. Don't forget, Patrons get early access to these Black Herron episodes an entire month early and then we air them on the podcast feeds the following month. If you'd like to hear them early you can join me on Patreon from as little as $2 right here. To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you like dark humour, learning through examples and want to create the best villains you can, then you'll love Sacha Black's guide to crafting superbad villains. Read 13 Steps to Evil today and start creating kick-ass villains.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Using Pinterest to promote your books What content performs best for authors on Pinterest Key elements of setting up a good pin Planning Pinterest content for a book launch Keeping readers engaged in a series between book releases Links I mentioned: Page Turner Pacing Kickstarter Find out more about Heather: Instagram @heatherfarrisco_ YouTube Rebel of the Week is: Richard If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  What resonates with BookTok readers Tips for worldbuilding Creating a brand identity Tropes for cozy romance How social media is changing the landscape for romance authors and readers Dealing with increased attention from readers Links I mentioned: Page Turner Pacing Kickstarter Find out more about Melissa: Instagram @lauriegilmore_author Instagram @melissamcternan MelissaMct.com Rebel of the Week is: Anthony J If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 3 new patrons this week, welcome and thank you to Senja Laakso, Amber, and Kelsey labas. A big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  What makes tropes so powerful Using tropes to help outline Avoiding cliches when using tropes Tropes that consistently resonate with readers How to use tropes in marketing Find out more about Jennifer: The Trope Thesaurus : An Author Resource Guide Substack YouTube Facebook Rebel of the Week is: Chris If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 3 new patrons this week, welcome and thank you to Melanie Reber, Bethany Tucker, Heather Flyte. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack This episode is sponsored by Fictionary Find out more about Fictionary StoryCoach Certification here. As a rebel listener you can get 25% off StoryTeller, StoryTeller Premium and certification with code REBEL25.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  What does having your books “wide” mean Advantages and disadvantages of your books being wide Dealing with losing Kindle Unlimited page reads Different marketing approaches for different platforms Planning your releases when publishing wide Learn More about Erin: Erin's Website Sign up for free replays of courses Wide for the Win Courses Rebel of the Week is: Richard If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 2 new patrons this week, welcome and thank you to Erin Lynn Austin and Martha Knox. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

Links I mentioned: Follow the Girl Games Kickstarter   If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack 

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number twenty-eight between Rachael Herron and I. Don't forget, Patrons get early access to these episode an entire month early and then we air them on the podcast feeds the following month. If you'd like to hear them early you can join me on Patreon from as little as $2 right here. To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you haven't read The Anatomy of a Best Seller, what are you waiting for? Grab my latest craft book and start deconstructing so you can write your own best seller today.

Links I mentioned: Follow the Girl Games Kickstarter   If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack 

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  What Substack is and how it works Utilizing “Notes” on Substack effectively Substack as a new way for authors to monetize their work The importance of branding How to analyze the data from Substack How to increase engagement Find out more about Russell: The Author Stack Writer MBA How to Build a World Class Substack Rebel of the Week is: Karla If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Kat Vroman. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack This episode is sponsored by Fictionary Find out more about Fictionary Software + Fictionary Live! here. As a rebel listener you can get 25% off StoryTeller, StoryTeller Premium and certification with code REBEL25.  

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Breaking into the US market as an international author In-person and virtual signings  Main benefits of attending book signings Logistics of attending international book signing events Balancing travel time with your writing schedule Tips for energy management Links I mentioned:  Order House of Crimson Curses direct from me Order House of Crimson Curses on all platforms Find out more about Jacqueline: JacquelineHayleyAuthor.com HaileyJay.com Rebel of the Week is: Rachel If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Gina. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack  THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Changes in indie publishing in the last 8 years Necessary skill sets for returning to indie publishing Marketing and promotion differences between trad and indie Advice for switching from trad to indie publishing Current trends in trad and indie publishing Links I mentioned: Preorder House of Crimson Curses direct from me Preorder House of Crimson Curses on all platforms Find out more about Sasha: Preorder Ghostling Sasha's Website Instagram @sashawasley_author TikTok @ash.harrier Instagram @ashharrierbooks Rebel of the Week is: Liz If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number twenty-seven between Rachael Herron and I.  Don't forget, Patrons get early access to these episode an entire month early and then we air them on the podcast feeds the following month. If you'd like to hear them early you can join me on Patreon from as little as $2 here. To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you like dark humor, learning through examples and want to create perfect prose, then you'll love my guide to crafting sensational sentences. Read The Anatomy of Prose today and start creating kick-ass stories.  

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Why reader magnets are important for authors Using TikTok to excel your author career How to promote your reader magnet Keeping readers engaged after the freebies How to come up with prequel/novella ideas Links I mentioned: Preorder House of Crimson Curses direct from me Preorder House of Crimson Curses on all platforms Find out more about Zac: Socials: @zsdiamanti Get his free stories here Rebel of the Week is: Kiersten Lillis If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Anthony Paparello. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack  This episode is sponsored by Fictionary Find out more about Fictionary Software + Fictionary Live! here. As a rebel listener you can get 25% off StoryTeller, StoryTeller Premium and certification with code REBEL25.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Overview of the TikTok accountability challenge The biggest challenges in algorithm and audience shifts What content are they making on TikTok Keeping up with TikTok trends Building a sustainable business that doesn't rely on TikTok Links I mentioned: Preorder House of Crimson Curses direct from me Preorder House of Crimson Curses on all platforms Find out more about Adam and Cara: Adam's Author Website Cara's Author Website Rebel of the Week is: Karla If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack 

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  What brand keywords are and why authors should have them How keywords can guide an author's marketing Maintaining consistency in your branding across platforms Using other types of writing like “Scaremail” to increase revenue Building and maintaining and engaged email list Links I mentioned:  Preorder House of Crimson Curses direct from me Preorder House of Crimson Curses on all platforms Find out more about David: davidviergutz.com Rebel of the Week is: Chris If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack 

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Using the consumer journey to build your author business How to start building an author brand Balancing a brand promise with experimentation and growth Considerations for creating repeat readers Social media's effect on the author-reader relationship Links I mentioned:  Preorder House of Crimson Curses direct from me Preorder House of Crimson Curses on all platforms Find out more about Celeste: Celeste Barclay Facebook Instagram @celestebarclayauthor Sabine Barclay Facebook Instagram @sabinebarclayauthor Rebel of the Week is: Ciara If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack  THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number twenty-six between Rachael Herron and I. Don't forget, Patrons get early access to these episode an entire month early and then we air them on the podcast feeds the following month. If you'd like to hear them early you can join me on Patreon from as little as $2 right here. To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you haven't read The Anatomy of a Best Seller, what are you waiting for? Grab my latest craft book and start deconstructing so you can write your own best seller today.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Different writing approaches for different genres Creating realistic monsters Advice for switching between genres Balancing different elements when crafting a story Keys for reaching a wide audience Links I mentioned:  Preorder House of Crimson Curses direct from me Preorder House of Crimson Curses on all platforms Find out more about Jason: Tiktok @JerseyBookGuy Instagram @JasonPinter Read Dating & Dismemberment Rebel of the Week is: Lena If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Elle Thorpe. A big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Artistic decisions when setting up a series The different types of series Importance of series unity What a “skeleton blurb” is and how they help in planning a series The role of subplots throughout a series Story arcs for open and closed series Links I mentioned: Preorder House of Crimson Curses direct from me Preorder House of Crimson Curses on all platforms Release date: 5th December 2024 Find out more about Kristina and Lucy: fictionary.co Rebel of the Week is: Jo If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack   

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Maintaining a passion for writing while building a thriving business Dealing with rejection and criticism as a writer Finding your authentic writer's voice Overcoming writer's block and the need for perfectionism Imposter syndrome and quieting unhelpful internal voices Find out more about Tiffany: FoxPrint Editorial Tiffany's Books Instagram Facebook YouTube Rebel of the Week is: Trish If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 3 new patrons this week, welcome and thank you to Denise Yoko Berndt, Cheyanna Lynn, and Drayga. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack  This episode is sponsored by Fictionary Find out more about Fictionary Software + Fictionary Live! here. As a rebel listener you can get 25% off StoryTeller, StoryTeller Premium and certification with code REBEL25.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  The importance of humour in fiction Different types of humour The principles of writing funny fiction Making humour work on page Funny vs. offensive – where is the line? Embracing the rebel mindset Find out more about Dave: Bluesky @daveiswriting.bsky.social Funny Up Your Fiction: How to Add Light, Shade and Laughs to Your Novel Rebel of the Week is: Krista If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 2 new rebels this week, welcome and thank you to Bethany Hensel and Jo Narayan. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  The importance of personality in email marketing How often to send newsletters to your audience Tips for self-promotion How new authors can grow their email lists Measuring the success of your email marketing Links I mentioned:  Support my Kickstarter Find out more about Liz: The Email Sound Booth Facebook Group Instagram @thelizwilcox Rebel of the Week is: Jacqui If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 2 new patrons this week, welcome and thank you to Pavlov and GA Rea. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack 

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number twenty-five between Rachael Herron and I. This is The Black Herron episode twenty-five. Don't forget, Patrons get early access to these episode an entire month early and then we air them on the podcast feeds the following month. If you'd like to hear them early you can join me on Patreon from as little as $2 right here.   To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you like dark humour, learning through examples and want to create the best villains you can, then you'll love Sacha Black's guide to crafting superbad villains. Read 13 Steps to Evil today and start creating kick-ass villains.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  What Kickstarter is and why authors should use it How to project manage better Aligning your Kickstarter with your brand Different wants between Kickstarter backers and normal readers How long does a Kickstarter take – including post production Links I mentioned:  Support my Kickstarter Find out more about Petra: Petra's Contact Page Rebel of the Week is: Sasha Wasley If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 2 new patrons this week, welcome and thank you to Jacqueline Hayley and Sasha Wasley. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Elements of a multidimensional villain Villain's relationship with the protagonist Common mistakes when creating villains Developing back stories that add depth Building anticipation in your story Links I mentioned:  Support my Kickstarter Find out more about Dana: Danja Tales Rebel of the Week is: Matthew If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Kylie Haddix. A big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack This episode is sponsored by Fictionary Find out more about Fictionary StoryCoach Certification here. As a rebel listener you can get 25% off StoryTeller, StoryTeller Premium and certification with code REBEL25.  

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  How to use the enneagram in your work Infusing your personal experiences into your worldbuilding Fully embracing the “you” in your stories Steps for worldbuilding and story development Balancing an immersive universe with multidimensional characters Why stories have the power to change the world Links I mentioned:  Follow my Kickstarter Find out more about Dani: Instagram @daniabernathyauthor Untapped Writing Superpower Quiz Rebel of the Week is: Poornima If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Julia Gandrud. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.  

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Writing process of co-writing with an estate What the horror genre can uniquely express Common mistakes when writing horror How to deepen theme in your work George A. Romero – the man vs. the director Links I mentioned: Kimberly Grymes 4 Week Story Prep Find out more about Daniel: Pay the Piper danielkraus.com Rebel of the Week is: MJ If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 3 new patrons this week, welcome and thank you to Samantha Reynolds, May-Brit, and Trish Gillham. A big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack This Show is Sponsored by ProWritingAid Rebel Discount link Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Hello Rebels and welcome to fireside chat number twenty-four between Rachael Herron and I. This is The Black Herron Episode twenty-four. Don't forget, Patrons get early access to these episode an entire month early and then we air them on the podcast feeds the following month. If you'd like to hear them early you can join me on Patreon from as little as $2 right here. To find out more about Rachael, you can listen to her show “How Do You Write” or visit her website. * If you haven't read The Anatomy of a Best Seller, what are you waiting for? Grab my latest craft book and start deconstructing so you can write your own best seller today.