The Writer's Journey with Michael La Ronn

The Writer's Journey Podcast is now finished, but that doesn't mean we can't keep in touch! Continue my journey with me through my Indie Author Confidential book series: http://www.authorlevelup.com/confidential You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub Thank you again for an amazing 3 years. Happy writing!

In the final episode of The Writer's Journey, I discuss how grateful I am for your support, how much this show has meant to me, and what's next for me in my career. THANK YOU for listening to me for the past 3 years. It has been an amazing ride and I will always remember the fun times on the show! Continue my journey with me through my Indie Author Confidential book series: http://www.authorlevelup.com/confidential You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss recent thoughts about what it means to be happy as a writer. Check out The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell: https://geni.us/HNjbs (PAID link) You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss recent thoughts about happiness and how I have fundamentally changed how I view the writing life. Check out The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell: https://geni.us/HNjbs (PAID link) You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00 Announcements: I'm being published in the May/June edition of Writer's Digest I'm speaking at this year's annual Writer's Digest Conference in NYC: https://writersdigestconference.com/the-ultimate-self-publishing-masterclass/ I'm also speaking at Inkerscon (virtually): http://www.inkerscon.com 5:48 Wins for the Week: Finished the last first week of my last law school class work. 7:15 Lesson Learned This Week: The History of Semi-Colons. Check out Cecilia Watson's book: https://geni.us/zsWlFc(PAID link) 9:20 Idea of the Week: 80/20'ing your 80/20 activities 13:52 Topic(s) of the Week: I talk about a recent period of lower productivity, and how that's not all bad. Check out The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell: https://geni.us/HNjbs (PAID link) You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss a disturbing video online that shows the progress of how deepfakes, and it might not be all bad for authors. 1:00 Announcements: Watch the replay of my power hour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqZnMuwIkz8 Writer's Craft Super Stack 2.0 ENCORE! 21 courses, 17 ebooks, 6 masterclasses for one week only: https://authorlevelup--infostack.thrivecart.com/wc2/ (PAID link) 4:20 Wins for the Week: 20,000 words toward Book 2 of my new urban fantasy series. 6:52 Lesson Learned This Week: A new way of teaching author material. 10:50 Idea of the Week: Becoming cross-functional as an author 16:08 Topic(s) of the Week: Deepfakes for authors Tom Cruise Deepfake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyiOVUbsPcM Bill Hader Deepfake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPhUhypV27w You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode (which is a greatest hit from 2019), I discuss a concept I discovered called “liminality”, and why it describes my entire life. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss my craziest challenge yet and how I'm preparing for it.  0:58 Announcements: NEW BOOK: Indie Author Confidential, Vol. 4: http://www.authorlevelup.com/confidentialvol4 Next Writing Power Hour is Saturday, March 6 at 10AM Central Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqZnMuwIkz8 2:55 Wins for the Week: Finished Book #55 4:09 Lesson Learned This Week: PerfectIt software for proofreading. Check it out at http://www.intelligentediting.com. 7:20 Idea of the Week: Be cross-functional. 10:35 Topic(s) of the Week: My last law school class is coming up fast, and I want to try and finish Book 2 of my series before classes start. The result? A new challenge that will put Beast Mode to shame… You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: Announcements: N/A 1:18 Wins for the Week: My newest novel cover is done, and the edits are back from editor #1 and off to editor #2. 2:36 Lesson Learned This Week: How the PerfectIt Word Add-in can help you catch more errors in your manuscript. Check out a free trial of PerfectIt: http://www.intelligentediting.com 5:12 Idea of the Week: Genre-Based Music 6:25 Topic(s) of the Week: I summarize a great TED Talk by a Shaolin monk about mastering yourself. His talk perfectly encapsulates so many of the challenges that writers face daily. Watch Master Shi Heng Yi's incredible TED Talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-079YIasck Read a great article summarizing Master Shi Heng Yi's talk: https://medium.com/mind-cafe/how-to-master-yourself-like-a-shaolin-monk-65deec8c88ca Five Hindrances to Self-Mastery: Sensual Desires Aversion Heaviness/Trapped inside your mind Restlessness Self-doubt How to break past hindrances: Remember the phrase/acronym “Let it R.A.I.N” R-Recognize the hindrance A-Accept the hindrance I-Investigate why it happened and how you prevent it and respond differently next time N-(Non-Identity)-Control your response You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: Announcements: Watch the Power Hour Replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EVG6JApUDo Wins for the Week: See topic. Lesson Learned This Week: See topic. Idea of the Week: See topic. Topic(s) of the Week: I've started a pilot for a project I've been talking about for a while on this show: using data & analytics to help me edit my book and catch more errors before it goes to my editor. I talk about how it already taught me a great deal about how to become a better storyteller…and I haven't even deployed it yet!   You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: How I recently needed to find a cover designer and had a difficult time. I discuss my thoughts on an alarming trend I'm seeing among cover designers and how we may be on the verge of a cover designer shortage crisis, and what YOU can do about it. 1:13 Announcements: February Writing Power Hour: Saturday, Feb 6 at 10AM Central Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EVG6JApUDo 1:37 Wins for the Week: Got my new novel off to my first editor. 2:10 Lesson Learned This Week: How to weave in studying for law school classes with new workflow. 4:28 Idea of the Week: Greatest Hit: Book Cover Design Tutorials 6:10 Topic(s) of the Week: How I recently needed to find a cover designer and had a difficult time. I discuss my thoughts on an alarming trend I'm seeing among cover designers and how we may be on the verge of a cover designer shortage crisis, and what YOU can do about it. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!  

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00 Announcements: Thanks to everyone who attended the Writing Power Hour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqXovG9feBY Next Writing Power Hour is Saturday, February 6 at 10AM Central Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EVG6JApUDo 1:50 Wins for the Week: My newest novel is officially in post-production. 3:00 Lesson Learned This Week: Clever dictation hack. 7:10 Idea of the Week: Intelligent curation of self-publishing news and events. 13:14 Topic(s) of the Week: What I've been focusing on after finishing my 30th novel, and how I find that I'm “addicted” to progress, which can sometimes be unhealthy. Check out the Writer's Knowledge Base by Elizabeth Spann Craig: https://hiveword.com/wkb/search You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: Announcements: Writing Power this Saturday, January 23 at 10AM Central Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqXovG9feBY (not sure when this is for your time zone? Check the world clock: http://www.worldclock.com) Wins for the Week: Finished my novel?? Lesson Learned This Week: Fun uses for AI in writing fiction Idea of the Week: Novel Fact-Checkers Topic(s) of the Week: I learned a new writing method this week that helped me have one of my best writing days in the last two months. That got me thinking about all the different ways that exist to help you write your novel. Which one suits you best? You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:30 Announcements: Next Writing Power Hour will be Saturday, January 23, 2021 at 10AM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqXovG9feBY I'm appearing at the Indie Author Prosperity Conference, which is completely free and will help you build your author brand. Sign up here: https://rahelduncan.com/michael I'm also appearing at The Creative Prosperity Festival with Noelia Velasco. Sign up here: https://bit.ly/393XwKn 4:55 Wins for the Week: Reorganized my studio for better productivity. 8:20 Lesson Learned This Week: I was rejected for my TED Talk—thoughts about that. 13:00 Idea of the Week: The Royal Order of Editing 18:25 Topic(s) of the Week: How the last week was one of my worst productivity weeks in a long time, and why that's okay. I talk about the process of getting back on the horse and picking up the pieces so I can continue being productive. Sign up to be a beta reader for my UF series (for UF readers only, please): https://forms.gle/8rPm43jzVbHQbaX9A You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: Announcements: N/A 2:00 Wins for the Week: Finally bought a standing desk 5:00 Lesson Learned This Week: Sometimes we go through writing slumps, and it's okay. 7:12 Idea of the Week: Keyword/Branding Consultant 13:42 Topic(s) of the Week: An oldie but a goodie—I talk about what the writing apps of the future MUST HAVE, and how the current landscape of writing apps is nearly irrelevant. All it will take is one killer mold-breaker to completely revolutionize the space. Listen to learn some bold ideas that we should start demanding from writing app developers. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this week's episode I talk about my new challenge: dictating my newest novel on an exercise bike, into the dark, one in draft! Did I crash and burn, fall off my bike and cry, or did I accomplish something? Listen to find out! (Hint: I wrote half a novel in the first seven days…) 1:15 Announcements: Follow my dictation/exercise challenge at http://www.authorlevelup.com/blog Christmas Sale: Use coupon code TRUEFAN2020 on Authorlevelup.com to get 20% off any book you buy from me directly: http://www.authorlevelup.com/books 2:36 Wins for the Week: N/A 2:36 Lesson Learned This Week: N/A 2:53 Idea of the Week: Genre Consultant 7:00 Topic(s) of the Week: How my new dictation/exercise challenge is going. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:01 Announcements: Christmas Sale: Use coupon code TRUEFAN2020 on Authorlevelup.com to get 20% off any book you buy from me directly: http://www.authorlevelup.com/books 2:00 Wins for the Week: Finished Amnesia Mode strong, with a streak of 12 profitable Amazon ad days in a row 3:01 Lesson Learned This Week: Why I'm leery about traditional publishing contracts: https://www.thepassivevoice.com/star-wars-novelists-seek-years-of-missing-royalty-payments-from-disney/ 11:03 Idea of the Week: “Book Cover Hunter” 13:03 Topic(s) of the Week: How my Amnesia Mode challenge went, and how my research is going for my new urban fantasy series. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00 Announcements: Don't forget to grab the Indie Author Confidential series Vol 1-3: http://www.authorlevelup.com/confidential 1:25 Wins for the Week: I started dictating again, and my first few sessions went smoothly. 2:00 Lesson Learned This Week: A new service called Book Sirens that makes it easier to secure reviews. Check it out at http://www.authorlevelup.com/booksirens (paid link) 6:45 Idea of the Week: The power of writing a pilot series. 10:08 Topic(s) of the Week: How my Amnesia Mode is going, how I plan to wrap it up, and the insane challenge that will start as soon as next week. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: Announcements: The newest volume of my book series, Indie Author Confidential is now available. Buy here: http://www.authorlevelup.com/confidentialvol3 Watch my Scrivener Essentials Workshop #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H0WRgm1oR0 Listen to my interview on Rebel Author Podcast with Sacha Black: https://wp.me/p885Ux-2GJ There will be no December Power Hour this month. We'll pick up in 2021. Wins for the Week: Managed to write over 5,000 words despite a bad back this week Lesson Learned This Week: Lessons from Joanna Penn's new book on AI: https://geni.us/723qTH (paid link) Idea of the Week: Hiring an audiobook proofer Topic(s) of the Week: This week I'm taking it easy due to my back, but I'll be back with more content next week. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:10 Announcements: My interview with Matty Dalrymple on The Indy Author Podcast is now live: https://www.theindyauthor.com/055---costs-of-self-publishing-a-book.html 3:00 Wins for the Week: 60% of my books that I ran ads to were profitable in November. 6:19 Lesson Learned This Week: The idea of a “typo” reporter. Check out Kevin Tumlinson's books at http://www.kevintumlinson.net 9:00 Idea of the Week: Tax resources for writers 12:18 Topic(s) of the Week: An interesting idea for a writing routine that I picked up from Arnold Schwarzenegger. Who knew the Governator had sage writing advice?? You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:25 Announcements: Black Friday Sale: Get an amazing bundle (including one of my new books) with the Writer's Craft Super Stack (Paid link): http://www.authorlevelup.com/wc2 3:44 Wins for the Week: I turned on almost 200 Amazon Ads this week for many of my books, almost all of which were duds. However, I got my ads for my poetry and short story collections to start driving sales. 10:05 Lesson Learned This Week: A couple key Amazon ad strategies that helped me sell more books. 13:06 Idea of the Week: Microsoft Word macros to help you catch errors that the spell-checker often misses. 17:50 Topic(s) of the Week: Some thoughts on recent criticism I received, fanmail I received, and an attempt to tie them together. If you're not happy with your writing career and feel like you should be further faster…listen to this episode. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com

In this episode, I discuss: 1:30 Announcements: My interview on the Lawyerpreneur Podcast: https://www.jeremywrichter.com/2020/11/12/make-time-in-the-margins-for-your-creative-work-with-michael-la-ronn/ My interview on the Hidden Falls Media Experience podcast: https://www.hiddenfallsmedia.com/podcast/episode/fc08762b/the-power-of-storytelling-w-michael-la-ronn Beast Mode Collection offer has been extended to Saturday, November 21st at 10PM Central. Get it before it goes away forever: http://www.authorlevelup.com/beastmode Watch my 2021 Strategy Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GdtNQEUFuA&t=5s 4:39 Wins for the Week: Created a new slew of AMS Ads for books I haven't advertised before 6:10 Lesson Learned This Week: Developed a semi-automated way to write amazing copy for my book descriptions every time. 13:18 Idea of the Week: Have you started thinking about 2021? What are your “bigger picture” goals outside of just writing books? What about your writing business, your relationships/network with other writers, the tools/technology you use, and your marketing? Time to start preparing! 18:00 Topic(s) of the Week: How Amnesia Mode is in full swing, and a completely new mindset shift that I've adopted that will position me for massive success in 2021. View my public 2021 Strategy mind map: http://www.authorlevelup.com/2021strategy You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!  

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00 Announcements: I am appearing on The Lawyerpreneur Podcast with Jeremy Richter: https://www.jeremywrichter.com/category/lawyerpreneur-podcast/ I am also appearing on The Hidden Falls Experience Podcast (link coming later in the month) Watch my recent Scrivener workshop on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x69YyKA8DHA&feature=youtu.be Don't forget to grab the Beast Mode Collection by Nov 14 at 11:59PM. I may extend the deadline. http://www.authorlevelup.com/beastmode - use the coupon code TRUEFAN2020 for 10% off. 4:00 Wins for the Week: 6 speaking appearances in one week—I'm tired! 5:30 Lesson Learned This Week: The secret of bulletpoints in copywriting Get Copy That Sells by Ray Edwards: https://geni.us/BsiP2 6:45 Idea of the Week: Automated bookkeeping. 10:12 Topic(s) of the Week: I put my Amnesia Mode learnings to the test with a very interesting opportunity—applying for a TED Talk! I talk about the process I followed to come up with an idea and pitch it. TED Talks are notoriously difficult to land, and this will probably be the ultimate test in whether my marketing is on-point or if I have a lot more to learn. Get the 3-Minute Rule by Brant Pinvidic: https://geni.us/SQomWw You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00 Announcements: Next Writing Power Hour will be with Dale Roberts on Saturday, November 7 at 11:15AM Central Time My Beast Mode Collection will be on sale until Saturday, November 14 at 11:59PM. Anyone who buys directly from me will be entered into a drawing for two free consultations with me: http://www.authorlevelup.com/beastmode 8:00 Wins for the Week: Been exercising a lot lately, which is a big deal for me. 8:45 Lesson Learned This Week: Read up and learned some lessons on copywriting. 9:54 Idea of the Week: A digital swipe file. 14:30 Topic(s) of the Week: How “Amnesia Mode” is going and what I've learned so far. Ray Edwards Copywriting book: https://geni.us/BsiP2 You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00 Announcements: New Books: The Indie Author Atlas: http://www.authorlevelup.com/atlas Beast Mode Collection (All 7 Beast Mode Books): http://www.authorlevelup.com/beastmode - only available until Saturday, Nov 14 at 11:59. Anyone who buys directly from my site will be entered into a drawing where I'm giving away a FREE 30-min consultation session with me to TWO lucky people! 4:15 Wins for the Week: Implemented a direct sale storefront onto authorlevelup.com - Use the code TRUEFAN2020 to get 10% off any purchase through the end of 2020! 8:40 Lesson Learned This Week: Zapier for automation. 11:01 Idea of the Week: Typo Bounty Hunter. 13:40 Topic(s) of the Week: Final lessons learned about Beast Mode, how many words I wrote, books I published, and what my next challenge will be starting November 1. View my 2021 Strategy: http://www.authorlevelup.com/2021strategy You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00 Announcements: New Books: 250+ Writing Tips Vol 1: http://www.authorlevelup.com/writingtips1 The Author Income Problem: http://www.authorlevelup.com/theauthorincomeproblem The Indie Author Bestiary: http://www.authorlevelup.com/bestiary I'm speaking at the Escape the Plot Forest Summit this weekend: https://forest.plotsummit.com/?sc=rmliHW9q&ac=TRlKwHjC (paid link) Livestream Reminder: Saturday, October 24 from 11:00AM-12:30PM. Join here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ6KeUImw_Y Wins for the Week: Will discuss in the topic of the week. 7:00 Lesson Learned This Week: Happy Money vs. Unhappy money. 8:50 Idea of the Week: Happy books vs. Unhappy books??? 10:50 Topic(s) of the Week: I talk about how my travels to STL went, and whether I met my goals to keep BEAST MODE alive. Also, I talk about what my next project after Beast Mode will be. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:10 Announcements: I'm on The Creative Penn this week as a guest. Listen at https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2020/10/12/empowered-indie-author/ I'm speaking at the Escape the Plot Forest Summit run by Daniel David Wallace on Oct 22-25. Completely FREE if you need outlining help, with an option to buy a premium pass if you like: https://forest.plotsummit.com/?sc=rmliHW9q&ac=TRlKwHjC (paid link) 3:27 Wins for the Week: Successful speaking event at the GDEX Gaming Conference! Published two more books. Indie Author Confidential Vol 2: http://www.authorlevelup.com/indieauthorconfidential The Reader's Bill of Rights: http://www.authorlevelup.com/billofrights 6:48 Lesson Learned This Week: Fun statistics from the Urban Fantasy Book Database tool that I created in 2019. It's really taking off! http://www.authorlevelup.com/ufbookdatabase 12:35 Idea of the Week: A “History of” a certain subgenre. 15:00 Topic(s) of the Week: How I'm traveling this week but still plan to keep beast mode alive. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at http://www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: http://www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00 Announcements: Twitter Chat with Tim Lewis at The Alliance of Independent Authors about Mental Models for Writers: https://selfpublishingadvice.org/twitterchat-mental-models-for-writers-with-michael-la-ronn/ Guest interview with Huw Collingbourne: http://www.darkneon.co.uk/2020/10/michael-la-ronn-interview-sf-fantasy.html I'm speaking at the GDEX Gaming Conference (virtually) this weekend: register for FREE and sign up at http://www.thegdex.com Next Writing Power Hour will be October 24 @ 11:00AM-12:30PM Central Standard Time. Mark your calendar! I'll be doing another power hour with Dale Roberts on Nov. 7th. 6:14 Wins for the Week: Got a new planner. Check out the Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt: http://www.fullfocusplanner.com 7:42 Lesson Learned This Week: Setting as an “ecosystem” from bestselling author Arthur Hailey. 10:34 Idea of the Week: Author IT cooperative. 14:23 Topic(s) of the Week: How my newest book is a weird rollercoaster ride. It's a very “wandering” book, so I want to talk about what that means and how I'm dealing with it.

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00 Announcements: I published a new book: Indie Author Confidential, Vol. 1. Get it at http://www.authorlevelup.com/confidentialvol1 I appeared on Marx Pyle's Genretainment podcast. I'll share the link when it's available, but you can listen to my 2016 interview on the show here: http://www.scifipulse.net/genretainment-115-featuring-writer-michael-la-ronn/ More books coming next week 6:03 Wins for the Week: Published a book. That's all the win I need. Got 4 books edited from my editor Started a new morning routine 7:16 Lesson Learned This Week: Book Brush's new cover designer feature is (not surprisingly) good. It's the only and most effective tool I've ever seen that can do ebook, paperback, and audio covers without any difficulty. Very impressive. Check out Book Brush at http://www.bookbrush.com 11:52 Idea of the Week: What would a year of 30-day public challenges look like? 13:45 Topic(s) of the Week: How I'm sensing a slowdown in productivity in my nonfiction books. My spirit is prepping me for a return to fiction, and I'm leaning into it. I talk about what I'm doing to wrap up loose ends so I can spend the rest of beast mode in fiction, which will be a different kind of beast. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast  Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com  Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com  My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup  Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub  If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:53 Announcements: I'm a guest lecturer at Fiction Marketing Academy, run by Brian Berni of Authorstech. Check it out and watch for free (limited time) at http://www.authorlevelup.com/fictionmarketingacademy  (PAID LINK) Follow my Beast Mode Diaries on my blog: http://www.authorlevelup.com/blog  3:52 Wins for the Week: Crazy week with a lot of little accomplishments 4:12 Lesson Learned This Week: Ulysses for auto-posting to Wordpress 9:35 Idea of the Week: The Holy Grail of Self-Publishing. No, I'm not telling you here. You have to listen to find out… 16:21 Topic(s) of the Week: Some of the hidden costs of my beast mode. I've been insanely productive but I've paid some very real prices. There are consequences to hyper-productivity and I'm paying the piper this week. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast  Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com  Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com  My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup  Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub  If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

1:00 Apologies for last week's episode 1:42 Livestream result: 60 people, all over United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia. 23,000 words as a community in 90 minutes. Watch the replay:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOdw008LH0g&feature=youtu.be 3:50 Wins for the Week: First illustration for Project Atlas is done! 6:33 Lesson Learned: “Full Page Images” in Vellum. 8:02 Idea of the Week: AI for slush piles 11:33 Topic of the Week: How a recent life event almost plunged me into despair, and how the universe helped me along. Buy the Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker(PAID LINK): https://geni.us/giftoffear Watch the talk by De Becker that inspired me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNtXjIiJ0PU You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast  Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com  Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com  My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup  Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub  If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00 Announcements: Saturday, September 12 at 11:00AM-12:15PM Central Standard Time, join me for a Writing Sprint! We'll shoot the breeze, write a crap ton of words, and accomplish our goals together. 2:30 Wins for the Week: Improved my affiliate income with Genius Link. Sign up here: http://www.authorlevelup.com/genius (PAID LINK) 6:52 Lesson Learned This Week: Integrated writing and spelling and grammar checker apps are the future. 10:48 Idea of the Week: How easy it is to commission artwork, if you want to. 13:30 Topic(s) of the Week: How I'm navigating my new paradigm shift with a new schedule How I'm beginning the process of publishing my “Beast mode” books and a special offer I'm preparing You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00 Announcements: I'll be speaking at this year's The GDEX conference: Columbus, OH's premier gaming conference. It's digital and free: https://www.thegdex.com/ 3:34 Wins for the Week: Finished Book 4 of my Beast Mode Adventures. I wrote 100,000 words in August 2020 5:50 Lesson Learned This Week: How to improvise on a nonfiction book. 10:30 Idea of the Week: Part-time assistant for email only. 13:00 Topic(s) of the Week: An important lesson in what it means to be consistent, and how my daughter starting school means a giant paradigm shift in how I continue my productivity. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast  Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com  Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup  Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub  If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 0:56 Announcements: I will be doing a writing sprint livestream. Date to come, but if you're available on a Saturday morning, come ready to write and have some fun! Writing app reviews coming back to my YouTube channel 3:58 Wins for the Week: Close to finishing yet another book. This is my fastest book yet. 4:37 Lesson Learned This Week: I can easily sustain a 5000 word per day pace without any trouble (for nonfiction). 6:48 Idea of the Week: Physical audiobooks? 9:58 Topic(s) of the Week: How I'm continuing to plug away at my beast mode, and what's next You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast  Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com  Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com  My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup  Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub  If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

Episode 128: Beast Mode Diaries, Week 3 In this episode, I discuss: 0:35 Announcements: - I'm appearing on The Creative Penn in the coming weeks!!! (2nd time) Stay tuned for me. - I will be speaking at this year's annual Writer's Digest Conference. Learn more at http://www.writersdigestconference.com - Audiobook for 150 Self-Publishing Questions is now LIVE: http://www.authorlevelup.com/150  4:17 Wins for the Week: - My first narrated book passed ACX QA with no technical issues. Huge win and sets the groundwork for me to start producing audiobook faster. - Finished my next book for writers! Still can't share any details, but my illustrator is working on it as we speak. 8:50 Lesson Learned This Week: An interesting terms of service issue that came up last week with Amazon and how I navigated the decision. Listen to my episode where I talk about my misadventure with a bad terms of service: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/michaellaronn/Episode_101.mp3  14:55 Idea of the Week: - An Author Efficiency Coach??? 17:39 Topic(s) of the Week: - How I wrote my latest book in less than 2 weeks and the setbacks I encountered along the way. - How I have started my NEXT book You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast  Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com  Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com  My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup  Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub  If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00 Announcements: In celebration of my birthday this week, all my courses for writers are 33% off. Get them at www.authorlevelup.com/courses  2:00 Wins for the Week: How I survived a major thunderstorm and power outage this week, and how I STILL managed to keep momentum on my manuscript How I almost missed this week's episode due to Mother Nature 3:17 Lesson Learned This Week: Importance of contingency plans in disasters 7:38 Idea of the Week: What if the self-publishing community hired a futurist to project the future we need to start preparing for? Kickstarter, maybe? 9:38 Topic(s) of the Week: How week 2 of my beast mode is going, plus some thoughts from the power outage and how I leveled up my response to disasters this year. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast  Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com  Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com  My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup  Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub  If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:10 Announcements: Huge thank you to everyone who bought 150 Self-Publishing Questions Answered. Get your copy at http://www.authorlevelup.com/150  1:30 Wins for the Week: Huge thank you to long-time fan Cariad Eccleston for helping me achieve a HUGE MILESTONE with artificial intelligence and editing my work. 3:28 Lesson Learned This Week: I found an email service (Email Meter) that gave me critical insights into my email inbox 8:22 Idea of the Week: Unique idea of tracking your writing time 10:40 Topic(s) of the Week: How week 1 of my “Beast Mode” quarter is going. Watch my first video from my new editor at Author Level Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYszfLiKXxs  Watch my video on my Top 10 Lessons Learned in My First Year of Writing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acOj8tVRZl8  You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast  Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com  Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com  My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup  Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub  If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 0:54 Announcements: - My new book, 150 Self-Publishing Questions is now LIVE! Get it at http://www.authorlevelup.com/150 . Thank you to everyone who left early reviews! - What readers are saying about my new book 4:52 Wins for the Week: - My new book for writers is edited and I've begun the audiobook recording. Cover is being designed as we speak and should be done by weekend. 5:45 Lesson Learned This Week: - The power of pre-video ads 7:33 Idea of the Week: - The neuroscience and biology of writing and reading—what a fascinating book idea! 9:46 Topic(s) of the Week: How I'm between chapters of my writing career right now, and possibly what's to come. Also, a new infrastructure project I'm working on that has me shaking in my boots. It will either work beautifully or be a gigantic dumpster fire. Listen to find out more... You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast  Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com  Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com  My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup  Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub  If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00: Announcements: My book, 150 Self-Publishing Questions Answered, launches Monday, July 27th! Get your review copy at http://www.authorlevelup.com/qaadvance  Update to Lessons Learned segment I was a guest panelist on The Oasis Writing Retreat this weekend. We talked about Outlining and Drafting. Watch it here: https://t.co/onbo3x6X7B?amp=1 A cool tool that you can use to outline your novel easily: http://www.storylattice.com Call to action for writing app developers to reach out to me. I'm committing to reviewing every major writing app on my YouTube channel by end of 2021. 5:30: Wins for the Week: Successfully got 2-3 videos in the pocket for my YouTube channel. My new video editor DOMINATED these videos. Finished new book for writers that will be coming soon 7:50: Lesson Learned This Week: How to write 4 EXTRA books per year with just 30 minutes per week. 9:02: Idea of the Week: Royalty solution for literary agents that can track royalties and split income 10:35: Topic(s) of the Week: What the “writer of the future” might look like 20-30 years from now. I invite you to dream with me as I make predictions, controversy, and connect some dots that you probably never thought connectable. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast  Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com  Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com  My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup  Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub  If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

This episode is slightly longer than usual because I wanted to use this show to catalog the things I've done this year. In this episode, I discuss: 1:15: Announcements: ARC copies of 150 Self-Publishing Questions Answered went out over the weekend. If you'd like a copy, contact me at http://www.authorlevelup.com/contact I will be a panelist on The Writing Oasis Retreat this weekend, which is a 2-hour craft workshop. Check my social media channels for links. 2:57: Wins for the Week: Podcast interview with Kevin Tumlinson at Draft2Digital Podcast interview with Ethan Freckleton of The Fearless Storyteller: https://www.ethanfreckleton.com/the-fearless-storyteller/ 4:00: No Lessons or Ideas This Week. 4:11: Topic(s) of the Week: My mid year scorecard and what I've managed to accomplish despite the pandemic 5:20: World-Class Content Creation: How much content did I create, and how did I improve the quality of my offerings? 18:03: Marketing: How did I improve my sales and my relationship with my readers and strategic partners? 25:33: Technology: How did I use technology to drive sales and reduce expenses? 47:10: Data: How did I use data to improve my sales and reduce expenses? 49:30: Future: How did I improve my standing as a writer today and orient myself to tomorrow's writing landscape? 1:00:00: 2020 Opportunities: 1:01:00: Biggest successes: 1:02:00: Biggest failures: 1:03:25: Focuses for Q3-Q4 You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00: Announcements: 1:01: I was a guest on The Inspirational Indie Author Interview Podcast with Howard Lovy. Listen here: https://selfpublishingadvice.org/michael-la-ronn/ 1:51: This week's the week! ARC copies of 150 Self-Publishing Questions will go out this weekend. Sign up here: http://www.authorlevelup.com/qaadvance 3:10: Wins for the Week: 150 Self-Publishing Questions Audiobook uploaded to Audible and awaiting approval! 4:30: Video quality upgrades at Author Level Up 7:10: Lesson Learned This Week: Writing Lesson: Copywriting Ads for YouTube 10:35: Idea of the Week: A Book Cover Design YouTube channel. 14:40: Topic(s) of the Week: Why I decided to hire a video editor for my YouTube channel My hiring process and how I'm applying important lessons I learned last time around When to know when it's time to outsource, and why I've resisted it for years How much time I'm saving per week How (I am gambling) that this effort will generate ROI and grow my YouTube channel. 31:48: Another exclusive demo of the 150 Self-Publishing Questions Answered audiobook Check out the book, The Signals are Talking (Affiliate link): https://geni.us/ytZf You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:15: Announcements: ARCs for 150 Self-Publishing Questions Answered will go out next week. Sign up at www.authorlevelup.com/qaadvance Next audiobook will be Mental Models for Writers, set for launch in August/September 3:44: Wins for the Week: I was a guest on the Inspirational Indie Author Interview podcast with Howard Lovy--link to come next week 4:35: Lesson Learned This Week: Writing Lesson: How to Write Minor Characters Like the MAJOR Bestsellers video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8UMQAXeGOo 5:20: Business Lesson: The ONIX standard and Metadata…and why it matters for indies in the next 5-10 years. 9:42: Copyright Lesson: Creative Commons licenses cannot be revoked…no matter what. 11:58: Idea of the Week: Idea #1: Giving your book away on torrent sites. What would happen if you did? 13:15: Idea #2: Crowd-funding in reverse for publishing projects. 16:18: Idea #3: Practicing in public…what is this, and would you want to see me do it? 17:54: Topic(s) of the Week: More thoughts about AI and authors If we don't adopt AI in some form, we will get left behind 19:15: What the real advantage of indie authors is in the next 10 years 20:57: What ways indie authors romanticizes the way we do business…much like traditional publishers did in 2011 25:15 The business of AI and our biggest hurdles as indies 27:38: 4 ways AI can revolutionize how indie authors do business Listen to Episode 69: How AI will replace us: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/michaellaronn/Episode_69.mp3 You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

Maybe you need to hear this message today. In this episode, I discuss: 1:28: Announcements: My interview with Dan Blank on The Creative Shift Podcast: https://wegrowmedia.com/make-every-moment-a-creative-moment-with-author-michael-la-ronn/ Reminder that Advance Review Copies of Your Self-Publishing Questions Answered (in ebook and audio) will be soon be available. Reserve your copy at www.authorlevelup.com/qaadvance 3:23: Wins for the Week: Audiobook is DONE 50 people have joined my ARC list for Your Self-Publishing Questions Answered, which is a record. How STOKED I am that Vellum now supports internal links in ebooks!!! It means I may return to interactive fiction again in the future. 7:28: Lessons Learned This Week: Writing Lesson: When writing fight scenes, avoid sports broadcasting…Watch my fight scene video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7csKnHKRw8 Business Lesson: Personalized videos for fans. Copyright Lesson: If you look up a copyright registration, sometimes the entry will have contact information of how you can contact the copyright owner for permission. 11:12: Idea of the Week: A comprehensive brand monitoring system that actually works 13:10: Topic(s) of the Week: My near-death experience in 2012 and how it made me a writer How the pandemic reminds me of 2012 in so many ways…but for other people How difficult it has been to get to where I am today, and the very real social and financial consequences I have chosen to bear in my journey to become a bestselling writer You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

The end of this episode contains a sneak peek of the audiobook for my upcoming book, Your Self-Publishing Questions Answered! In this episode, I discuss: 1:14: Announcements: My recent video on George Floyd and the racial unrest in the United States, and a thank you for the outpouring of support. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/inSmlLsxfgU Advanced Review Copies of Your Self-Publishing Questions Answered in ebook AND audio will be available in the next few days. Reserve your copy here: http://www.authorlevelup.com/qaadvance 4:25: Wins for the Week: My first audiobook is officially recorded 5:53: Lessons Learned This Week: Writing Lesson: With audiobooks, accessibility, length, and profit are intertwined. Marketing Lesson: The only 3 steps to sales that you need to know. Copyright Lesson: Copyright renewals and a word of caution. 12:08: Idea of the Week: Customized, localized review links 13:58: Topic(s) of the Week: How releasing my first audiobook took me back to what it felt like to release my first book. Took way too long to produce, mainly because I made silly mistakes I was so focused on the technical aspects that I almost lost sight of the performance. Represents all my hopes and fears Expensive investment Sneak peek at the audiobook of Your Self-Publishing Questions Answered. 29:20: Audiobook Sneak Peek Check out my first book, Magic Souls: http://www.michaellaronn.com/magicsouls Reserve your copy of Your Self-Publishing Questions Answered: http://www.authorlevelup.com/qaadvance You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

This episode is dedicated to my author friend Maya Goode, who passed away in April of 2019. I will miss her. Please check out her books: https://www.amazon.com/Maya-Goode/e/B01G02PIT4 In this episode, I discuss: 1:58: Announcements: My statements and remarks around the George Floyd murder and political unrest, and my experience with racism 4:00: Wins for the Week: Successfully recorded my first audiobook! I figured out how to automate my podcasts more cheaply using Audacity macros. 6:05: Lesson Learned This Week: Business Lesson: Automating emails with Outlook's Rules Feature Writing Lesson: How to write future books for audio. I unnecessarily made my narration more difficult on myself. 10:55: Idea of the Week: Tool that helps your book transition better to audio. 12:48: Topic(s) of the Week: My 3-5 year strategy for audio, how I built my vocal booth, recorded my first audiobook project, and how I got it to sound super “pro.” This episode is dedicated to my author friend Maya Goode, who passed away in April of 2019. I will miss her. Please check out her books: https://www.amazon.com/Maya-Goode/e/B01G02PIT4 You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:05: Announcements: - Reminder to join my Fan Club to get notifications when my newest book, Your Self-Publishing Questions Answered, releases 3:00: Wins (And Losses) for the Week: - Win: My vocal booth is built and I've begun recording my first audiobook - Loss: Early testing of a Mac-only alternative of my sales tool has failed and it is not financially worth moving forward. Apple just isn't setup to do what I need it to do. This means that the tool will ONLY be available to Windows users and Mac users who can run Windows on their computer. That's a COLOSSAL failure for the marketability and viability of my product, but it's not a surprise. Probably one of the biggest failures of my career so far. 11:45: Lesson Learned This Week: - Writing Lesson: The power of experimenting and going with the flow, in the moment. I'm doing that right now with my new book, The Author Income Problem. - Business Lesson: Sometimes minimum viable products fail. - Copyright Lesson: Text spinner software and AI: an impending copyright infringement disaster for writers? 17:20: Idea of the Week: - Integrating my book database with my (next) website 23:21: Topic(s) of the Week: - Thoughts about failure in light of my recent project. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:03: Announcements: - Sales Report Beta Testers—check your emails. My new product is ready for testing and if all goes well, will be ready by end of June. - Shoutout to friend Oz du Soleil—Microsoft Excel MVP whose Excel courses revolutionized the way I see and use Excel. Check out his Power Query book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RVD4X1N - Oz's website: www.ozdusoleil.com 6:35: Wins for the Week: - Put finishing touches on my sales report tool. - All my equipment for building vocal booth has arrived; now it's time to build it so I can record my own audiobooks. 11:45: Lessons Learned This Week: - Writing Lesson: No matter how much of a break you've had, you can always keep writing. It's like riding a bike. - Business Lesson: The “power” of Excel Power Query and Microsoft Power BI. Wow is it a game-changer for writers, if they only knew about it. - Copyright Lesson: How much does it cost to play music on a stereo at a restaurant? 16:35: Idea of the Week: - A dedicated (physical) planner tailored for self-published writers. 18:25: Topic(s) of the Week: - How I'm batching content again for the summer and what I'll be focusing on - Lessons in reader satisfaction You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:00 Announcements: I'm building a vocal booth in my basement to narrate my audiobooks If you signed up to test my author sales database, look for an email from me in the next week or so. If you'd like to help me test my new author sales report tool, reach out at http://www.authorlevelup.com/contact 08:07: Wins for the Week: Huge breakthroughs with my database, so much that I will be offering a product for it. 8:35: Lesson Learned This Week: Writing Lesson: Writing is the original thought leadership. Business Lesson #1: Adjust your messaging like an optometrist. Business Lesson #2: Bridges and tunnels…Which one are you building? Copyright Lesson: Sublicensing 17:32: Idea of the Week: Personalized Editing Rules Engine that helps you become a better version of yourself. AI Episode 21:00: Topic(s) of the Week: Sometimes, if people won't listen, you just have to keep talking and be persistent anyway…the same goes with marketing. Beware falling into the trap of convenience as an author…but understand that it's also human nature. Why it's worth investing in automating (in small steps) right now. Check out my Last Dragon Lord series: http://www.michaellaronn.com/thelastdragonlord You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:05: Announcements: - Thanks to all who reached out about royalties and gave me words of encouragement. It was very valuable. - Writing a manifesto/thought experiment that compiled all the existing attempts to solve this problem, and publishing them as a free ebook. Think of it like a time capsule. 6:49: Wins for the Week: - All my sales are now in my royalty database and I have some amazing insights into my readers now. - Finished proofing my new book, Your Self-Publishing Questions Answered and decided to produce the audiobook edition 10:36: Lesson Learned This Week: - Business Lesson: Even established authors are not doing their own royalties. 15:20: Idea of the Week: Microsoft Excel for Writers. The Writer's Guide to Getting the Most out of Excel. Take it and run with it. 16:42: Topic(s) of the Week: What would your life be like if you had to plan for dual futures? What if Future A was bright but Future B was bleak, and there was a 50-50 chance of either one coming to pass any day now? That's an interesting question I've been trying to answer for this week. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:07: Announcements: - My new book with The Alliance of Independent Authors, Your Self-Publishing Questions Answered, will be out soon! 4:30: Wins for the Week: - Put the finishing touches on my database and got it up and running officially. 7:00: Lesson Learned This Week: - Business Lesson: My audience isn't interested in getting help with royalties. - Copyright Lesson: Your books are like real estate. They need to be managed just like a landlord manages their properties. 12:16: Idea of the Week: An author marketing coop. 16:55: Topic(s) of the Week: Take my Author Royalty Survey: http://www.authorlevelup.com/royaltysurvey - I share a recent survey result around author royalties and talk about why authors don't want/need help with royalties and why it's unfortunate. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:29: Announcements: Be sure to read my Building a Copyright Database blog series if you're interested in my database adventures: http://www.authorlevelup.com/copyrightdatabase If you are Excel-savvy and would like to test my macros, feel free to email me at www.authorlevelup.com/contact. The macros will be free for you to use if you find them helpful. Otherwise, I'll share them for free soon once they've been tweaked. 2:34: Wins for the Week: I successfully learned basic Excel VBA in about 48 hours. I wrote about 10,000 lines of code that worked flawlessly. 6:06: Lesson Learned This Week: Business Lesson: Excel is not as evil as I thought it was, but it's still not intuitive for most writers, myself included. Copyright Lesson: Ebook.bike copyright infringement case, and how it's a lesson in how expensive it is to litigate pirates. Read the article at http://file770.com/john-van-stry-wins-suit-against-book-pirate/ 10:07: Idea of the Week: A Marketing Optimization Engine (MEO), or what I affectionately call Moogle. It's like Google, but for marketers… 15:20: Topic(s) of the Week: I'm plugging along on my database adventures and should have a working, showable product to display in about 1 week I conquered the sales problem and found an unexpected solution to the age-old problem of calculating royalties Shout-out to one of my listeners, Tom Donahue, who helped me out tremendously. You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!