Write With Impact with Glenn Leibowitz

In this episode of Write With Impact I spoke with Robbie Abed and Troy Sandidge. Robbie is the founder and CEO of No Middle, a content creation agency that helps busy tech entrepreneurs create engaging content on LinkedIn. Troy Sandidge is the COO of No Middle and works with Robbie to turn their clients' ideas into shareable content on LinkedIn. Robbie and Troy gave me an incredible insider's view of how they work with clients to create and distribute engaging content. With just a 30-minute interview, they can help a busy tech CEO create enough content they can use for several months on LinkedIn. They share several valuable nuggets of advice that can help you hone your LinkedIn content creation and marketing strategy. To watch the video of the entire conversation, go to my learning community for writers at Write With Impact Academy, which is hosted on Substack. It's entirely free. And if you learned something from this podcast, please share it with a friend or leave a positive review.  

If you're currently writing a book, or you're planning to write one, you'll understand the complexities involved with writing, editing, designing, publishing, and marketing your book. You may have thought about getting the help of a book publishing coach or consultant to help guide you through the process. Jenn T. Grace can help: as Founder and CEO of Publish Your Purpose, she and her team help aspiring authors turn their dreams into published pages that have an impact on the world. Jenn joined me recently for a Writing Masterclass, where she shared some of her best tips for writing, editing, and marketing your first book. In our conversation, Jenn covered a lot of ground, from techniques to help you gain clarity around your target reader, to fighting imposter syndrome and staying true to your authentic voice, to building an audience of potential readers even before you've published your book.   To learn more about Jenn and how she helps authors, visit her website at publishyourpurposepress.com. This is a free excerpt from a longer Writing Masterclass, which you can find on Write With Impact Academy here (subscription required). Sign-up for lots of free content to help you become a better writer at Write With Impact Academy here.

Alan McIvor is a headhunter based in Taipei at the Paul Wright Group. We met several years ago when he was just starting to build his clientele and presence on LinkedIn. Alan joined me recently for a LinkedIn Live video session where we exchanged tips for writing articles on LinkedIn. Alan has had a lot of success recently with several viral articles that have attracted tens of thousands of views and thousands of likes and shares. I asked Alan about his writing process, how he incorporates personal stories into articles that demonstrate his expertise, and how he crafts click-worthy headlines. He also shared some of his tips for writing outreach messages on LinkedIn. If you'd like to watch our entire LinkedIn Live session just go to my new learning community, Write With Impact Academy at writewithimpact.academy. Just enter your email to sign-up. And if you enjoyed this episode, or any other episodes of Write With Impact, I'd appreciate a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Follow Alan on LinkedIn here. And follow me, Glenn Leibowitz, on LinkedIn here.

This is an audio version of a post I published on Write With Impact Academy about the relevance of synchronicity, a concept introduced by Carl Jung, to my book writing process. Sign-up to Write With Impact Academy to start building your writing skills today.

Andrea Wilson Woods is an entrepreneur, patient advocate, speaker, podcaster, and author. She's the CEO and Co-founder of Cancer University, a for-profit, social-impact, health-tech startup. Andrea is also the president and founder of the nonprofit Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association. Her bestselling book "Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days" is a medical memoir about raising her younger sister Adrienne from the age of eight until she died from liver cancer at the age of 15. Her book has won numerous prestigious writing awards. In 2020, her book went on to win the Writer's Digest Self-Published E-book Award as well as the Independent Press Award. Visit Write With Impact Academy to watch a video of the entire Writing Masterclass with Andrea.  

Pamela Wilson is the Founder of Big Brand System and author of the Master Content book series. Pamela and I spoke on this podcast several years ago when she was publishing her first book, Master Content Marketing: A Simple Strategy to Cure the Blank Page Blues and Attract a Profitable Audience. She later followed that book with another one, Master Content Strategy: How to Maximize Your Reach and Boost Your Bottom Line Every Time You Hit Publish.  Both have been top-rated, bestselling books on Amazon. Today, she helps mid-career professionals build successful online businesses with her Offer Accelerator program. You can find out more about Pamela and her on her website at www.bigbrandsystem.com. In this Writing Masterclass for Write With Impact Academy, I spoke with Pamela about how she writes and self-publishes books. She shares her writing process, from outlining, to thinking through the content of each chapter before writing it, to the power of deadlines. To watch a video of our interview just head over to my learning community for writers, Write With Impact Academy at writewithimpact.academy. Just enter your email to sign-up for more video and podcast Writing Masterclasses.

Decades ago, I wrote my college application essays, and then went through the process again—twice in fact—when I applied to two different graduate school programs. While things have changed over the years—the numbers of applicants have exploded thanks to the common app and the internationalization of the applicant pool—one thing has remained the same: the importance of writing well-crafted essays that tell your story in a compelling way, in a way that sets you apart from the thousands of other applicants also vying for a spot at the school of your dreams. To offer some advice on this topic, I sat down recently with Dr. Aviva Legatt. Dr. Legatt is the founder of Ivy Insight Group, where she advises high school and college students on getting into competitive colleges and graduate programs. She's also the author of a brand new book, “Get Real and Get In: How to Get Into the College of Your Dreams by Being Your Authentic Self" (St. Martin's Griffin). In our conversation she explains how the college application process has changed over the years, and she shares some of the frameworks and tips she writes about in her book. To watch the video of our conversation, head over to my new learning community, Write With Impact Academy, and enter your email to sign-up. There you'll find lots more free videos, podcasts, and articles with writing advice.

After picking up an MBA from MIT and pursuing a career in the corporate world, Paul decided to shift gears completely and explore a totally different approach to work and living. He documents his approach with raw honesty and insight that cuts through the BS in his weekly Substack newsletter, which he calls Boundless, and on his podcast, Reimagine Work. Head over to my new learning community, Write With Impact Academy, and watch a few video clips from my conversation with Paul to get a flavor for the kind of wisdom he shared around his approach to writing and storytelling. Of if you want to go really deep, watch the entire conversation, which I've posted there as well. It's all free. Just head over to www.writewithimpact.academy, and just enter your email address to sign-up. We're part of Substack's growing community of writers and creators expanding the reach and impact of their art.

I recently sat down with Amy Blaschka for a special Writing Masterclass for Write With Impact Academy.   Amy is a social media ghostwriter and storyteller, helping busy clients craft compelling content that people want to click and share.   She also writes prolifically under her own name on LinkedIn and as a Forbes Leadership Contributor.  This year she launched a newsletter on Substack she calls, “Illuminate Me”, which you can subscribe to at amyblaschka.substack.com.   In her Writing Masterclass, Amy shares some of the strategies she uses to help her clients turn their ideas into clickable and shareable content, as well as some of the strategies she uses to consistently generate the excellent content she publishes under her own name.   Subscribe to Write With Impact Academy, hosted on Substack, and begin your journey to becoming a better writer.

Andrea was a correspondent for CNN before entering the nonprofit sector.  Today, Andrea is Founder of College2Career Academy, and helps confused college students, new grads, and young professionals build meaningful careers they'll love. Andrea is also the host of Time4Coffee, an Apple Top 100 podcast where she interviews successful professionals across different industries. She was named by LinkedIn as one of the top providers of career advice.

Jane Rosenzweig is the Director of the Writing Center at Harvard College, where she has taught thousands of undergraduates how to improve their writing skills for the past two decades. Prior to Harvard Jane was an editor at The Atlantic. Jane holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree in fiction from the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop. Earlier this year, Jane launched a newsletter on Substack called “Writing Hacks” where she shares some of the tips and techniques she teaches in her classroom. You can sign-up at writinghacks.substack.com. One more thing: this episode is just an excerpt from a much longer conversation we had. To listen to the entire conversation, go to writewithimpact.academy and subscribe.

Richard Rys, Editor of Wharton Magazine, helps address common writing challenges, from choosing a topic, to outlining your story, to writing the first draft.  This is an excerpt from a longer conversation you can find on Write With Impact Academy, a new learning community hosted on Substack dedicated to helping you become a better writer. Subscribe here.

Two years ago, after writing an article on LinkedIn consistently every week for nearly five years, I hit the pause button. Here's my story about why I stopped, and why I've decided to start writing again. Here's how I'm rediscovering the joy of writing. Subscribe to the Write With Impact newsletter on LinkedIn  Subscribe for the latest writing, podcasts, and resources from Write With Impact Subscribe to Write With Impact on Apple Podcasts

In this episode I chat with James Crabtree, a journalist and author of the new book, Billionaire Raj: A Journey Through India’s New Gilded Age. The Billionaire Raj charts the rise of the new billionaire class behind India’s rapid economic rise. In this eloquently-written page-turner, James combines on-the-ground reporting, rigorous economic research, and vivid storytelling as he brings to life the fascinating yet not very widely-known tale behind the world’s second most populous nation. Before writing his book, James was the Mumbai bureau chief for the Financial Times. He’s currently an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, where he teaches courses on leadership and political communication. Since it was published in July, Billionaire Raj has received several glowing reviews by top-tier media. Along with just a handful of newly published books, Billionaire Raj was short-listed for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award. It was also recently named by Amazon as one of the 100 best books of 2018. In our conversation, James explains the process he followed as he wrote his book, from 4 am writing sessions at a coffee shop across the street where he lives in Singapore, to his “a-ha” moment while doing laps in the swimming pool, a pivotal event that led to the three-part structure he eventually adopted for his book. James also explains how he balances research with writing, why having memorable characters matters, and why he rewrote his prologue 100 times before he felt it was ready for publication. You can find the show notes to this episode with links to James’s website and his book on Amazon over at writewithimpact.com/episode66 If you’re interested in reading more of my writing, head over to LinkedIn at writewithimpact.com/linkedin. There you’ll find my essays on writing, professional development, and a range of other topics. It’s because of the support of readers like you that I’ve been named a “Top Voice” by LinkedIn’s editorial team for the past four years in a row. So thank you!

Today I’m pleased to share a conversation I had recently with Dr. Simon Targett, the co-author with John Butman of the new book, New World, Inc.: The Making of America by England’s Merchant Adventurers. Dr. Targett holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge. He was a  journalist and editor with the Financial Times for over a dozen years, and later headed up the publishing arm of Boston Consulting Group before founding Thinking Cap Communications, a London-based strategic thought leadership and reputation management consultancy. Soon after its publication in March by Little, Brown and Company, New World, Inc. was named a “Best History Book of the Month” by Barnes and Noble. New World, Inc. tells the story of English merchant adventurers in the 16th and 17th centuries. In their search for China, where they hoped to trade woolen cloth, England’s chief export at the time, for China’s silk and other luxuries, they ended up establishing trading outposts and colonies in America. These adventurers, backed by a new breed of investors in England, were the earliest founders of America; not the Pilgrims, as the widely accepted narrative goes. This meticulously researched, well-written, and beautifully designed book tells the fascinating and largely untold story of the earliest days of globalization, of innovation and entrepreneurial risk-taking, and of the creation of some of the earliest venture-financed companies in the world. In our conversation, Dr. Targett explains the process he and John went through to research and write the book. He tells how they prepared their book proposal which led to a bidding war for their manuscript and eventually a book deal with a major publisher. And he offers advice for writers seeking to take on large non-fiction, “big idea” book projects like theirs. You can find links to the book and information about Dr. Targett over at writewithimpact.com/episode65.

Today I’m pleased to share a conversation I had recently with Syd Goldsmith. Syd is the author of the new book, Hong Kong on the Brink: An American Diplomat Relives 1967's Darkest Days, published by Blacksmith Books. In 1967, Syd was stationed in the American Consulate General in Hong Kong, still a British colony at the time. This was an extraordinary moment in history: China was in the grips of the Cultural Revolution, which was rapidly spilling over into Hong Kong. In his book, Syd gives us an armchair view of his life and work as a diplomat at the very center of a dangerous political storm. The South China Morning Post calls it “an informative, engaging read filled with vivid historical detail.” This is Syd’s third book and his first memoir. His previous two books were novels, one of which was a finalist for the Lupton New Voices in Literature Award. Two of his three books have been acquired by traditional publishers. While he currently lives in Taipei, Taiwan, Syd continues to maintain active ties to the writing community in the US. He has attended writing workshops at the University of Iowa, the Maui Writer’s Festival, and at the Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York.  He’s active in the Literary Arts Center there, and has served as vice chairman of the Writers’ Center. In our conversation, which we conducted in person in Taipei, Syd shares how, despite never considering himself a writer for many years, he eventually became a published author. He explains why it’s never too late to publish your first book: He published his first novel at the age of 68, and his latest book at the age of 79. He underscores the importance of getting honest and critical feedback on your writing. He talks about the value of attending writer’s conferences, and he shares the story of how he found his agent at one of them. He describes the process he went through to pitch his book and land a publishing contract within just 9 days. And he gives us a peek into his own writing process—a question I like to ask all of my guests on this podcast. For more information about Syd, to find out how to reach him, and to purchase his book on Amazon, go to writewithimpact.com/episode64.   *The link to Syd's book on Amazon is an affiliate link, which means I earn a nominal commission on sales, at no additional cost to you.

I had the great pleasure to chat once again with Mark Vanhoenacker. Mark is a Senior First Officer for British Airways. He flies the Boeing 747 to major cities around the world. When he’s not hurtling through the air 35,000 feet above the earth, Mark writes for The New York Times, the Financial Times, Wired, and the Guardian. He’s also the author of the critically-acclaimed book, Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot, which he published three years ago. A huge international bestseller, the book has been translated into a dozen languages. I interviewed Mark back in 2015 shortly after his book was released. I would encourage you to go back and listen to that episode over at writewithimpact.com/episode23. In this conversation, I chat with Mark about his new book, How to Land a Plane. It’s a very different book from Skyfaring, which was a poetic meditation on the wonders of flying. In just 58 pages, How to Land a Plane teaches you the essentials of landing just about any type of aircraft. With his signature humor and poetic flair, Mark takes a complex topic and spells it out in language that anyone can readily understand. You can order the book by going to the show notes to this episode over at writewithimpact.com/episode63.  Or visit Mark’s website at skyfaring.com.    

Mei Fong is a journalist with more than a decade of reporting in Asia, most recently as China correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, which is where she was working when I met her several years ago in Beijing. Her stories on China’s transformative process in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics formed part of the package that won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, an honor she shared with her colleagues at the Journal. Her work has also won awards from Amnesty International, New York’s Society of Professional Journalists, and the Society of Publishers in Asia. Mei appears regularly as a China commentator on NPR, CBS, CNN, and PBS. She has taught at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism and at Shantou University in China.  And she is currently the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fellow at New America, a think-tank in Washington, DC. Last year she published her first book, One Child: The Story of China’s Most Radical Experiment. The book recounts the history and after-effects of China’s one-child policy, the country's longest-running and most radical social experiment. Through a combination of in-depth research, on-the-ground reporting, and vivid storytelling that draws on her time as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in China, One Child explores the far-reaching social and economic impact of the policy. In our conversation, Mei explains how she got the idea for the book, how she meticulously conducted the research that went into it, and the process she went through to pitch it to publishers, write it, and edit it. She also shares some inspiring and very practical advice for writers, and she reveals her favorite writing craft book—which happens to be one of my favorites as well! For more information about Mei, and to find a link to her book on Amazon, just head to writewithimpact.com/episode62.  You can also learn more about Mei on her website at meifong.org.  

Two years ago, I interviewed bestselling author Jeff Goins on my podcast about a book he had just published then, The Art of Work. That book was about finding your calling and figuring out how to pursue it, and it went on to become a USA Today bestseller. I invited Jeff back on the show to talk about his latest book, Real Artists Don’t Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age, which recently hit The Wall Street Journal bestseller list. In our conversation, Jeff shares a few of the practical and time-tested strategies that writers, artists, and other creative professionals can use to earn a living while pursuing their art. Jeff also dives deep into the exact process he followed when he wrote the book, from crafting the big question he wanted to answer, to conducting extensive research into the lives of some of the most successful artists of the past 500 years, like Michelangelo and Van Gogh. To buy Jeff’s book just head over to writewithimpact.com/artist. That will take you to Jeff's Amazon page where you can instantly download the book for your Kindle app, or purchase a print copy. You can also find out more about Jeff and find his other books over at his website, goinswriter.com. For more episodes of Write With Impact and to find my writing just head over to writewithimpact.com/episode61 Follow Write With Impact on Facebook here Follow Write With Impact on Twitter here

Robin Rice has been an online teacher for more than a decade. She’s an internationally published author of both fiction and non-fiction. And she has created social change projects that have been covered by media around the world. She’s also a professional thinking partner to leaders. In my conversation with Robin, we talk about how you can find your writing voice, a challenge that I had a few years ago when I just started to blog, and a challenge I see many others have as well.  What does it take to break-through the fears and mental blocks holding you back from sharing your writing with the world?  And what should you even write about? These and many other questions Robin addresses and helps you tackle in a new writing program she’s launching on Monday, May 1st. She calls it “Speaking Your Sage; Writing Your Wise.” It’s 28 days of writing and speaking practice and mentoring. Each day, you'll get a short mentoring video, a writing prompt that is paired with a professional photograph, and a range of opportunities to explore and practice speaking your truth around the subject of the day. You can share your work —or not —on her website, socially on Instagram or Facebook with a designated hashtag, on your own website or blog, or just privately with a friend. While live facilitation is limited to May 1st through the 28th, this course can be enjoyed at your own pace. So while you may be listening to this podcast conversation long after the live facilitation is over, you can still sign-up for it and benefit from it. Check out the show notes to this episode over at writewithimpact.com/episode60.   Or head over to Robin’s website, bewhoyouare.com, where you can find information about the course. Subscribe to Write With Impact on iTunes here.

I'm very pleased to introduce Laura Brown back to the show. Laura was my very first guest on the podcast two years ago. She had just published her encyclopaedic book on writing, How to Write Anything. You can listen to that first conversation over at writewithimpact.com/episode1. Please be kind when listening, that was my first episode after all! Two years after that first foray into the world of podcasting, Laura has returned to the show to share some good news: she just sold her second book about writing to her publisher, W.W. Norton.  I asked her to share everything she knows about how to write a book proposal that will make a publisher want to buy your book. While we talk a lot about how to sell your book to a traditional publisher, the practical tips she shares are useful for anyone planning to self-publish their book.  You can find the show notes with links to Laura’s first book and her website over at writewithimpact.com/episode59 Like Write With Impact on Facebook Follow Write With Impact on Twitter Subscribe to Write With Impact on iTunes

Just a quick thank you to everyone who read, liked, or shared my articles on LinkedIn over the past year. It’s because of your interest and support that I was recently named — for the second year in a row — a LinkedIn Top Voice in marketing and social media. You can find my articles on LinkedIn over at writewithimpact.com/linkedin. Please reach out and connect with me there. I’m very pleased to introduce my guest today, Professor Joshua Spodek, an Adjunct Professor of leadership at New York University.  Professor Spodek is a leadership expert and executive coach, an astrophysicist who built a satellite for NASA, an inventor with several patents to his name, and an entrepreneur. Professor Spodek is also a prolific writer and blogger, and he was recently named by medium.com as a Top Writer in three categories: leadership, inspiration, and self improvement.  He’s pulled together what he knows and teaches about becoming an exceptional leader into a new book, Leadership Step by Step: Become the Person Others Follow. In my conversation with Professor Spodek, he talks about some of the writing exercises that form the basis of his approach to cultivating effective leadership skills.  He also shares how he started a daily blogging habit six years ago. Since starting his blog back in January of 2011, he’s published over 2,400 posts, and he’s never gone a day without publishing an article. He also shares the strategy he developed to cultivate habits like his daily blogging routine. And he relates the story of how he once wrote 100 gratitude emails, and what he learned from the process. I’ve put a link to his new book on Amazon in the show notes to this episode over at writewithimpact.com/episode58.  There you can also find links to his blog, his online leadership academy, and his column on inc.com. And while you’re there, be sure to sign-up for my newsletter in which I share my advice on writing and the latest episodes of this podcast. Follow Write With Impact on Twitter. Like Write With Impact on Facebook.

Tom Morkes is a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point, and served as an officer in the US Army in Iraq. After retiring from the military, he decided to pursue his passion for publishing and digital marketing. Today, Tom is the CEO of Insurgent Publishing, a book publishing and marketing company he founded a few years ago. In addition to having published half a dozen books, he provides book marketing services for authors. He recently worked with Neil Patel and his two co-authors on the marketing of their new book, Hustle, which hit the New York Times bestseller list. You might recall my recent conversation with Neil back on episode 54. In this episode of Write With Impact, Tom dives deep into some of the strategies you can use to build an audience of what he calls “superfans” for your book, and the approach you can use to reach out to influencers and persuade them to become ambassadors for your book. Whether you’re self-publishing or releasing your book with a traditional publisher, you’ll get some actionable marketing advice from Tom in this episode. Find out more about Tom and sign-up for my newsletter over at writewithimpact.com/episode57 Follow Write With Impact on Twitter Like Write With Impact on Facebook Subscribe to Write With Impact on iTunes

Clay Collins is Co-Founder and CEO of Leadpages, a powerful and easy-to-use software tool that allows marketers to build customized landing pages and opt-in forms to capture email addresses. Leadpages also lets you collect emails through email links and text messages. Clay shares the incredible story of how his lifestyle blog eventually turned into Leadpages, which has become a fast-growing, multi-million-dollar business with 46,000 customers and $38 million in venture financing. In our conversation, Clay explains why you should focus on first building what he calls a “Minimum Viable Audience” before you start to build a “Minimum Viable Product.” He also shares practical strategies you can use for building your email list. These are the same strategies his marketing team at Leadpages uses to build their massive email list. Clay also gives us a peek behind the doors of Leadpages, and he talks about how he runs one of the fastest-growing marketing software businesses around. Clay explains why Leadpages recently acquired Drip, another easy-to-use software tool that gives small businesses the chance to affordably use powerful marketing automation tools that were once only available to large companies with big marketing budgets. If you’re a writer or blogger trying to build your audience (and what writer doesn’t want to do that?), you’ll get a lot out of this conversation. If you’re an entrepreneur thinking of building a software product that customers will love and want to pay you money for, you’ll also get some great tips from Clay. I’d also encourage you to check out the excellent email marketing course that Leadpages offers completely for free.   It’s a 9-video course that takes you from start to finish through an email marketing campaign. Find out more about Clay, Leadpages, and Drip at writewithimpact.com/episode56.

Chris Fox is a bestselling novelist who quit his job as an iOS app developer earlier this year to write full-time. In addition to writing thriller and science fiction novels, Chris has published several excellent writing guides, a few of which I’ve discussed with him on earlier episodes of this podcast. In our conversation, Chris shares some of the practical tactics for developing a daily—and eventually lifelong—writing habit that he covers in his book, Lifelong Writing Habit: The Secret to Writing Every Day. He also tells the story of how he has reprogrammed his own writing habits to become the prolific, bestselling author that he is today. Find out more about Chris at writewithimpact.com/episode55 If you enjoyed this episode (or other episodes of this podcast), I'd be grateful if you shared a positive review on iTunes. And don't forget to subscribe!

Neil Patel is a legend in the digital marketing space. He’s a serial entrepreneur who has co-founded companies like Crazy Egg, Hello Bar and KISSmetrics. He also helps major companies like Amazon, NBC, GM, HP and Viacom grow their revenue.  The Wall Street Journal calls him a top influencer on the web, Forbes says he’s one of the top 10 online marketers, and Entrepreneur Magazine says he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies in the world.  Neil was recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama and he was named one of the top 100 entrepreneurs under the age of 35 by the United Nations. He writes frequently for publications such as inc.com, and his new book, Hustle: The Power to Charge Your Life with Money, Meaning, and Momentum, landed on the New York Times Bestseller list.  Neil packs a lot of great tips into this episode. In our conversation, Neil shares some of his tips for formatting and writing a great blog post. He talks about some of the strategies he uses to maximize readership of his blog posts, and he reveals the exact strategies he uses to build his massive email list. Neil also tells me about some big changes to the format, length, and frequency of his own blog posts that his readers should expect to see him put into action soon. And near the end of our conversation, Neil tells me why he’s expanding his blog internationally, how he’s doing it, and the tremendous impact he’s seeing from his efforts. I included several links to Neil’s websites as well as to the sites he mentioned in this episode in the show notes to this episode, so be sure to head over to writewithimpact.com/episode54. And don’t forget to pick up some of my writing tips while you’re there. I’d also like to make a special shout-out to Tom Morkes who helped me make this episode happen. You can find Tom at his website at tommorkes.com.   One more thing before I get started: I’d love to hear from you! If you have any feedback on my podcast or suggestions for future guests, please drop me an email over at glenn@writewithimpact.com.  I’ll be sure to get back to you. Subscribe to Write With Impact on iTunes here. Follow Write With Impact on Twitter and on Facebook.

I’ve invited Chris Fox back on the show again. Chris is a novelist who has published several thriller novels. He’s also published several writing craft books, including the bestselling 5,000 Words Per Hour, and Write to Market. In 5,000 Words Per Hour, which I discussed with him back in episode 29, Chris explained the exact process he developed for writing incredibly fast. And in Write to Market, which we discussed on episode 42, he explained how he researches categories on Amazon to identify potential markets for his books. Back in February, Chris decided to write a novel using the methodologies he laid out in both of these books. He called it the 21-Day Novel Writing Challenge. That’s right: He decided to write, edit, and publish to Amazon a complete novel. And he documented the entire process by producing and uploading a video to Youtube every day. The book— Destroyer — went on to sell more than 5,000 copies in the first month after publication, and then another 5,000 copies since then.  It quickly rose to become a bestseller in the military science fiction category on Amazon, and has held steady across that and several other categories. It has 240 reviews on Amazon, most of which are either five or four stars. Since publishing Destroyer, Chris has gone on to publish the sequel, Void Wraith, and most recently, Eradication, the third book in the trilogy. In this episode, Chris explains, for the first time since completing the challenge, how he accomplished such an extraordinary feat. If you’re writing a novel, or you're planning to write one, perhaps in November during National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, you won’t want to miss Chris’s story. Find Chris's books and websites at writewithimpact.com/episode53 Follow Write With Impact on Twitter Like Write With Impact on Facebook  

I just hit publish on my 100th blog post on LinkedIn. When I started writing on LinkedIn nearly two and a half years ago, I wasn’t sure about what I would even write about. I just knew I wanted to write. After a few posts that attracted only a few hundred views, I struck LinkedIn gold with my first viral post: A personal account about how my parents spent a good chunk of their savings to buy my first computer, an Apple II+. The response that post generated was overwhelming. It attracted over 34,000 views, more than 580 likes and over 160 comments from readers around the world. It quickly rose to become the third most popular post on LinkedIn Pulse. I was hooked. Read the rest of this post on Inc.com Listen to an audio version of this article on iTunes Download a free ebook with some of my writing tips

Today I’ve invited a guest back onto the show: Aaron Pierson. Aaron was on this podcast back in episode 15 last year, where we talked about how to create a killer brand strategy. In this episode, we dive deep into the strategies he used to launch his first book, Brand Dominance: How to Create a Disruptive Social Brand. In our conversation, Aaron shares the exact steps he took to make his book quickly hit the bestseller lists on Amazon. Some of the strategies you might already be familiar with, but to hear Aaron talk about his story of how he took his very first book and made it an Amazon bestseller is inspiring. Aaron also has some contrarian advice about email, which is powerful he admits, but has its limitations. He talks about Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat, and the relative impact of each social media media platform on his book launch. And he offers some really practical, roll-up-your-sleeves tips for what you can do to get people excited about buying, reading, and reviewing your book. Links Aaron Pierson’s website Aaron on Twitter Buy Aaron's book on Amazon

Today I’ve got a really special guest on the show. Aaron Dowd is a podcasting expert who has been editing podcasts for over 5 years now.  He edits all of the podcasts for the very popular Seanwes podcast, as well as several other shows in the Seanwes podcast network. Last year, he launched his own podcast called The Podcast Dude, where he shares everything he knows about podcasting. I’m a fan of his podcast and I’ve watched over the past year how Aaron has grown his audience and his reputation as an expert podcaster through his podcast. It’s an excellent example of how, through high quality content and excellent production values, you can rapidly build your reputation as an authority in your field. Of course, as a podcaster myself, podcasting is a topic I enjoy reading about, and, occasionally, I like to write about it. And I thought, given how much is changing--and changing fast--in this emerging industry, it’s worth a conversation on the topic. And who better to talk about podcasting than The Podcast Dude himself, Aaron Dowd. In addition to sharing 5 things he’s learned about growing an audience and making money with podcasting, Aaron shares a bunch of other tips and insights that I managed to squeeze out of him during our chat. Links The Podcast Dude podcast Successful Podcasting Course Aaron on Twitter Aaron on Youtube

Download a free ebook with writing tips and subscribe to my newsletter at writewithimpact.com/episode49 Brian Clark is a legendary figure in the content marketing space. He’s the founder of Copyblogger, the world’s most widely followed website on all things content marketing. He’s also the CEO of Rainmaker Digital, the company he formed through the merger of several successful companies he had built over the years. Their Rainmaker Platform is an integrated content management system that digital entrepreneurs can use to build their businesses without having to worry about getting their hands dirty with code and other technical aspects of building and maintaining a website. Brian also hosts Unemployable, a podcast where he interviews freelancers and digital entrepreneurs who share their stories and strategies for building profitable businesses while doing what they love. And most recently, Brian launched a personal development newsletter called Further, in which he curates articles and other content from around the Web on personal development topics. In our conversation, Brian shares the story of how he quit a lucrative but unsatisfying career in law to strike out on his own as an entrepreneur, first serving the real estate industry, and later setting up Copyblogger, and eventually Rainmaker Digital, which today is a $12 million business the helps content creators and digital marketers around the world. Brian also shares insights from his experience as a successful entrepreneur, and has advice for writers and other content creators: Why writers have an advantage because they can turn their work into intellectual property that they can then sell. Why entrepreneurs should learn about the craft of copywriting so they can better understand how to communicate with their customers — and why they should still hire experienced writers like us to help them create great content. Why podcasting is just beginning; why it’s an effective and low-cost way to build your audience; and why now is the best time to start. and much more… Links to Brian’s sites Rainmaker Digital Unemployable Copyblogger Further   Download a free ebook with writing tips and subscribe to my newsletter at writewithimpact.com/episode49

Read the show notes to this episode and get a free ebook with writing strategies at writewithimpact.com/episode48 Pamela Wilson is Executive Vice President of Educational Content at Rainmaker Digital. There she manages, among other things, their flagship website, Copyblogger, which is one of the most widely followed websites in the world, where you can learn all you need to know about content marketing. Pamela is a long-time blogger for Copyblogger. And while she’s written a lot of blog posts, she has yet to write a book. She’s setting out to change that with her first book which will be about content marketing, a topic she’s a deep expert in, and a topic that she has been blogging about for many years now. What’s unusual, and I think incredibly fascinating, is the process she’s going through as she writes her book. Earlier this year, she launched a podcast called “Zero to Book” with Jeff Goins, the bestselling author and blogger, where she discusses the process she’s going through as she writes and self-publishes her first book. It’s what I like to call a “reality podcast”, where Pamela and Jeff walk you through, in realtime, the process of writing, publishing, and marketing a book. She's also sharing chapter drafts on her website and getting feedback from beta readers that she is then incorporating into her book. She calls it “crowdsourced feedback” and “crowdsourced marketing”, and it’s turning out to be a powerful way to get free advice while building a tribe of potential readers and advocates of the book. In our conversation, Pamela shares why she decided to take this approach to writing and publishing her first book, how exactly she’s doing it, and what she’s learned so far. It’s a fascinating story that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. At the end of the conversation, Pamela also talks about why content marketing is such a powerful strategy for building authority and for building a business. Read the show notes to this episode and get a free ebook with writing strategies at writewithimpact.com/episode48  

My guest today is Jennifer Keishin Armstrong. Jennifer is a pop culture writer who writes for BBC Culture, The New York Times Book Review, Fast Company and many more publications. She’s also the author of four books, her latest being about Seinfeld, the wildly popular TV show that became a cultural phenomenon in the US. Her book is due out this coming July, and it’s being published by Simon & Schuster. In our conversation, Jennifer talks about how she fell in love with writing — freelance writing, specifically — at the ripe young age of 8, and how she turned her obsession with pop culture into a full-time job at Entertainment Weekly, where she worked for a decade.   She also shares the process she went through to research and write her upcoming book about Seinfeld. And in the last part of our conversation she walks me through the 5-part process for writing a great blog post, a technique she teaches her students at Gotham Writers Workshop, where she teaches blog writing. You can find the show notes to this episode with links to Jennifer’s website and books on Amazon over at writewithimpact.com/episode47  And be sure to sign-up for my weekly newsletter so you can get the latest podcast episodes and my latest articles about writing and other topics, which I usually publish on Inc. and LinkedIn. Follow Write With Impact on Twitter @impactfulwriter Like Write With Impact on Facebook  

Today I’m talking once again to Chris Fox. Chris was on episode 42 of this podcast when we talked about his new book which he had just published, “Write to Market“. He also discussed his 21-day writing challenge in which he wrote and published “Destroyer“, his first science fiction title, which has gone on to become a bestseller on Amazon. This time, we spoke about a fun topic: Dungeons & Dragons, or D&D as it’s known to those who play it. Created by Gary Gygax in the 1970s, Dungeons & Dragons rapidly became massively popular. The game triggered several copycats and inspired the explosion in role-playing video games that continues to this day. I haven’t played D&D since I was a young teen — that was a long time ago. But in the past couple of years, I’ve noticed a revival of interest in the game. There have also been several articles in mainstream publications, and blog posts that have discussed the influence of the game on the writing careers of many well-regarded authors. It’s a connection I had never made before, to be honest — playing D&D and the art of storytelling — and when I read these pieces they triggered a sense of nostalgia for the days I played the game, and also piqued my curiosity about the linkage between the game and the art of storytelling. In our conversation, Chris explains the impact playing D&D has had on his career as a novelist. He talks about the three types of Dungeons & Dragonsplayers, and how playing the game — which requires players to develop characters and create stories on the fly — can help writers become better storytellers. Don’t worry! While we do geek out a bit on D&D, you don’t have to be a player of the game to follow our conversation. Click here for the show notes to this episode and sign-up for my newsletter and get the latest podcast episodes and blog posts.

Today I’m very pleased to introduce Kirun Kapur. Kirun is a poet whose first book, “Visiting Indira Gandhi's Palmist”, was awarded the 2013 Antivenom Poetry Award and was published in January 2015 by Elixir Press. In addition to writing poetry, Kirun also teaches poetry and creative writing at Brandeis University in Boston. Kirun is the Poetry Editor for The Drum Literary Magazine, which publishes short fiction, poetry, and essays exclusively in audio form. Last year, NBC News named her to their list of Asian-American Poets to Watch. Several themes run through Kirun’s collection of poetry, including the partition of India in 1947 and the mass migration of people between India and the newly-created Pakistan. She also touches on themes around family that are featured in the book of Genesis in the Bible.  In our conversation, Kirun talks about how she approaches the reading, writing, and teaching of poetry. She explains how to tell a story through poetry, and how to create music through a poem.  Kirun also explains what writers writing in any form including nonfiction can learn from the craft of poetry.  Near the end of our conversation, Kirun reads two poems from her book, which I know you’ll enjoy.  You can find the show notes to this episode over at writewithimpact.com/episode45. There you’ll find a link to Kirun’s book on Amazon, as well as a link to her website.  

Find the notes to this episode at writewithimpact.com/episode44 Dustin McKissen and I met on LinkedIn nearly two years ago, when we were both starting to blog there. Since then, we’ve become friends - virtual friends, at least - since we’ve never actually met in person yet. In fact, this conversation is the very first time we’ve ever spoken to each other beyond email or LinkedIn messaging. I’m a huge fan of Dustin’s writing on LinkedIn. While the word “authenticity” is on the verge of becoming cliche, Dustin epitomizes what this word really means. In his posts, he draws heavily from his personal experiences, sometimes very painful ones, sometimes humorous ones, and in doing so connects with readers in a way few other writers on LinkedIn can. He’s also a prolific writer: he’s published nearly 200 posts that have been viewed over 2 million times, and which have generated tens of thousands of likes, comments, and social shares. Last December, LinkedIn recognized Dustin as one of 90 “Top Voices” from among the 1 million LinkedIn members who publish posts.  Earlier this year, he was invited to become a contributor to inc.com, where he writes a column called, “The Brand New Entrepreneur”. And while Dustin clearly enjoys writing on LinkedIn, he’s also managed to turn it into something more than just a personal passion project. Today, largely on the back of the reputation and professional network he’s established on LinkedIn, Dustin has built a profitable and growing business advising clients on their communication plans. In our conversation, Dustin shares some of the strategies he uses to write posts that touch readers around the world. He also talks about how to engage with readers and other writers on LinkedIn to grow your network. Follow Write With Impact on Twitter Like Write With Impact on Facebook Download a free ebook with writing tips  

Joan Dempsey is a writer and teacher who provides developmental editing advice to writers. She also offers several online courses that focus on teaching you how to revise your work. In this episode we talk about why the process of revising your writing is just as creative as the process of writing your first draft. Joan also shares some of the most common writing mistakes she sees many writers make, and offers insight into how to fix them.  Joan also talks about her writing shed, the place where she does her writing and teaching. It’s actually a renovated chicken coop! It’s a gorgeous writing space she designed herself, and it’s lined with ceiling to floor book shelves that will make any book lover envious.   I’ve included some photos of her writing shed in the show notes to this episode, along with links to Joan’s website, over at writewithimpact.com/episode43 . Before we get started, just a quick announcement: I’ve started to write a column for inc.com. My first article covers some of the most common writing mistakes I see people make. You can check out that article and other pieces I’m publishing there on my author page on inc.com.  Just go to writewithimpact.com/inc   

Read the complete show notes to this episode and pick up a free ebook with writing tips at writewithimpact.com/episode42 Today I’m talking once again to Chris Fox. Chris was on episode 29 of this podcast last year, when we talked about his new book at the time, 5,000 Words Per Hour, which has gone on to be a major bestseller on Amazon. This time, we talk about his latest book, Write to Market: Deliver a Book That Sells.   In our conversation, Chris walks us through the strategies that he shares in his book for conducting the kind of thorough market research you need to do before you even start writing your first draft. He offers very practical advice around identifying profitable but currently underserved genres on Amazon, understanding what your readers are really looking for, and why you need to be reading much more in your target genre if you want to write books that appeal to your target readers. And he shows how he has successfully applied his “Write to Market” methodology to his own fiction and nonfiction books. In this podcast, Chris also shares two major announcements regarding his writing career. First, Chris has committed publicly to writing a 70,000-word novel over the next 21 days. And he’s not just writing his first draft, which is what National Novel Writing Month is all about. No, Chris intends to write and publish a complete novel on Amazon in just 21 days. It’s a gutsy challenge and I look forward to following him throughout the process to see how he works his magic. To find out about his other major announcement, you’ll have to listen to our conversation! It’s a very big milestone for Chris, and I’m sure it’ll inspire many of you part-time writers out there when you hear about it. Subscribe to Write With Impact on iTunes   Links Chris Fox Writes 21 Day Novel Writing Challenge Chris Fox on Amazon Chris Fox on Facebook Chris Fox on Twitter  

Maggie James is a novelist who writes psychological suspense thrillers that are usually set in her hometown of Bristol, England.  In our conversation, Maggie shares her very inspiring story about how she finally published her first novel once she left her job as an accountant, and she offers practical advice for aspiring novelists who are trying to write and publish their first book.  You can find links to Maggie’s gripping novels, as well as a link to the excellent book she published last year about how to write your first novel, over at writewithimpact.com/episode41. Follow Write With Impact on Twitter @impactfulwriter Like Write With Impact on Facebook

In this brief episode, I’ll be talking about a topic that I think all writers can relate to, and one that has fascinated me for some time now.  It’s about the power of books to inspire a person to pick up a pen and start writing.  Since launching my podcast last Spring, I’ve interviewed over 30 authors of fiction and non-fiction. If you’ve been listening to some of the earlier episodes, you’ll know that I like to ask my guests if they can name a book or author that at some point in their life inspired them to become a writer, or otherwise had an outsized influence on their writing career. Some of them reach back to their childhood and recall the literary classics that awakened them to the power of great storytelling and the beauty of finely crafted sentences.  Others point to books that gave them the inspiration, confidence, and practical guidance they needed to break free from their 9-to-5 jobs so they could pursue their lifelong dream of becoming a full-time writer. I’m going to quote what some of my guests have said about the books that helped them become the writers they are today.  But before I get started: you can check out links to all of the episodes from which these clips are taken in this podcast by heading to my website at writewithimpact.com/episode40.  While you’re there be sure to sign-up for my newsletter and grab a free ebook with some of my writing tips.  Follow Write With Impact on Twitter @impactfulwriter Like Write With Impact on Facebook at Facebook.com/writewithimpact  

Voice is one of the most important aspects of writing well, whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction. Yet it’s also one of the most elusive things for a writer. What does it mean exactly, when you talk about “voice”? And what can you do to cultivate a voice that will grab readers and not let them go until they’ve hit the end of your story? This is exactly the topic that James Scott Bell tackles in his latest book, Voice: The Secret Power of Great Writing. In his book, James reveals the true source of voice, and what any writer in any genre can do to capture it for their own work. I had the privilege of speaking with James about the methodology he’s developed over the years as a novelist to create a distinctive voice. In our conversation, James breaks down the steps he goes through as he develops his characters, and shares the process and techniques he uses as he writes. He also talks about the writers who had the biggest influence on his career. James is an award-winning author of bestselling thriller novels, and he’s published more than half a dozen bestselling books on the craft of writing. He’s also a frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest and Kill Zone, a popular writing blog. James is also known as one of America’s most acclaimed writing coaches. Read the show notes and find links to James' website and books at writewithimpact.com/episode39 Follow Write With Impact on Twitter @impactfulwriter Like Write With Impact on Facebook Download a free ebook with writing tips at writewithimpact.com/gift

Joe Pulizzi is the founder of the Content Marketing Institute, the leading content marketing educational resource for large enterprises. CMI was recognized by Inc. magazine as the fastest growing business media company in 2014. CMI produces Content Marketing World, the largest content marketing event in the world, and they publish Chief Content Officer magazine. I invited him to the show because I had the chance to read his latest book, Content Inc., and I thought it might be relevant to those of you writers out there who produce content for a living, and are interested in how to use content marketing more strategically to build an audience and, eventually, to monetize that audience. In our conversation, Joe goes through his six-part framework that he presents in his book, all the way from identifying what he calls your “sweet spot” — the area where your skills intersect with your personal passion — to converting one-time visitors into long-term subscribers —  to eventually charging money for your products or services. Joe also shares why he’s so obsessed with the color orange!  And he reveals ones of his biggest personal goals of 2016. Find links to Joe's websites, podcasts, and books over at writewithimpact.com/episode38

First of all, I just wanted to wish all of my listeners a happy new year! I also wanted to thank everyone who has read, liked, or shared one of my blog posts on LinkedIn over the past year. In early December, LinkedIn’s editors named me as one of 90 top writers of the year, an honor that took me completely by surprise.  So thanks for reading my work on LinkedIn. You can check out some of my writing by going to writewithimpact.com/linkedin. That’ll take you to my LinkedIn profile where you can read my posts. And while you’re there, send me a request to connect! So today’s episode is all about video. You’re a writer, so why should you care about video?  Isn’t video expensive and difficult to produce? What kind of equipment should you buy? Should you script it out in advance, or just shoot and edit?  These are some of the questions I discuss with my guest today, Caleb Wojcik. Caleb is a video producer who spent several years filming games for major national level sports leagues before setting up his own business teaching video production, marketing, and strategy for the web, which he calls DIY Video Guy.  He also runs Caleb Wojcik Films, a video production studio. Caleb produces videos for some of the biggest names in the online entrepreneurial space, like Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income. Through his web TV show and podcast, Caleb shares incredibly useful tips for making great videos by yourself, without having to hire a large and expensive crew. I’ve been following Caleb for a number of years now and I’ve learned a lot from him about video production. And if you ever need to go deeper on the topics that he covers, you can check out one of the excellent online courses he offers. You can find links to Caleb’s website, podcasts, and courses in the show notes to this episode over at writewithimpact.com/episode37. While you're there, pick up a free ebook with some of my writing tips. Follow Write With Impact on Twitter Like Write With Impact on Facebook  

Justin Bariso is the founder of Insight, a consultancy that helps organizations to think differently and communicate with impact. He’s also a columnist for Inc.com where he writes about leadership, communications, technology, and more. Justin also writes a lot on LinkedIn, which is where I connected with him. In our conversation, Justin shares some of the strategies he uses to pick topics, plan and write posts, and engage with readers.  If you’re interested in writing on LinkedIn, or you’ve already published a few posts but you’re looking for practical tips on how to attract more views and engagement, then you’ll get a lot out of this conversation. Read the show notes and download a free ebook with writing tips at writewithimpact.com/episode36 Follow Write With Impact on Twitter Like Write With Impact on Facebook  

Today I’m gonna mix things up a bit and focus on a problem that I think just about every writer encounters at one point or another: how to start writing and keep writing, even when you’re distracted or don’t feel like you’re in the mood to write. It’s a topic that has come up several times during my interviews with the writers I’ve talked to on this podcast.  What I’ve done is collect some of the comments my guests have made and put them together here into a set of 9 lessons or tips that you can use to help you break out of those ruts and blocks or whatever you want to call them, that just prevent you from getting words down on the page. I’ve personally gotten a lot from these tips and have applied most of them to my own writing and I’ve seen some really good results.  Read the full transcript to this episode with links to the episodes that are quoted in here over at writewithimpact.com/episode35.  Be sure to pick up a free ebook with my writing tips while you're there. Follow Write With Impact on Twitter Like Write With Impact on Facebook

[Heads up: adult language ahead! If you've got kids listening to this with you, I suggest you press pause and find another time or place to listen to this episode] I’ve got a fun episode today. The topic? Romance fiction. My guest is Sarah Wendell. Sarah is the founder and editor of the popular romance fiction blog, Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. She’s also the author of two books on the topic of romance fiction, including Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches' Guide to Romance Novels. In our conversation, Sarah talks about: Why the romance genre deserves its rightful place among other popular fiction genres. What romance readers are looking for, and what she likes best in novels that she reads. How she created one of the most widely read blogs on romance fiction, and how she successfully monetizes it through advertising, affiliate marketing, and sponsorships. And she gives us a peek into her own writing process. ...and much, much more Find more info and links to Sarah's popular blog, podcast, and books at writewithimpact.com/episode34 Download a free ebook with writing tips at writewithimpact.com/gift Follow Write With Impact on Twitter Like Write With Impact on Facebook

Find the show notes to this episode and pick-up a free ebook with writing tips over at writewithimpact.com/episode33 This episode is all about using the power of storytelling to have more impact with your communications at work. My guest Paul Smith is the author of a bestselling book about this topic, “Lead With a Story”. Before writing his book and launching his career as a speaker and corporate trainer helping people to develop their storytelling skills, Paul headed up the market research group for a $6 billion division of consumer products giant Procter & Gamble. In his book, and on his popular podcast that goes by the same title, Paul shares stories of how people have used the power of storytelling to make break-through changes in their relationships at work, and how they’ve used storytelling to inspire others to rally around a vision or a cause, and substantially improved their ability to have impact. In addition to sharing some fascinating stories, Paul gets very practical in this episode, and shows you how, for example, you can take the typical, boring corporate email, and transform it into a powerful tool for inspiring change and encouraging the flow of innovative ideas in your organization. If you’re wondering how to have more impact as a leader and communicator - no matter how big or small your company might be - then you’ll want to hear what Paul has to say about the power of storytelling. Paul is a master at telling stories that have impact. Several of the stories he shares in his book and on his podcast are actually quite moving and as a result, truly memorable. I think you can learn a lot about the craft of storytelling and how to apply stories to your communications, whether you’re writing an email to a colleague, or writing a blog post, or preparing a presentation or speech. Find the show notes to this episode and pick-up a free ebook with writing tips over at writewithimpact.com/episode33 Follow Write With Impact on Twitter Like Write With Impact on Facebook Visit WriteWithImpact.com

Libbie Hawker is a novelist who writes historical fiction. Since launching her career, she’s published over 20 novels and novellas. In this episode, I talk to Libbie about her bestselling non-fiction book, Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing.  In her book, she shares the approach she uses to outline her novels. It’s an approach that has enabled her to drastically improve her writing productivity. In our conversation, we cover a lot of ground: She dives deep into the outlining approach she discusses in her book, which is essentially a method for planning your novel to ensure that it has all the elements in place for a story that your readers won’t want to put down. Libbie also shares her advice for encouraging readers to leave reviews and for dealing with negative reviews. She talks about advertising on Facebook and other sites and when the best time is to invest in advertising your books. And, Libbie talks about what it’s like to pursue a hybrid publishing strategy: while she still publishes independently, she also has a contract with a traditional publisher as well. It’s a fun conversation that’s packed with advice for novelists and non-fiction writers as well. For more information about Libbie and links to her books, check out the show notes to this episode over at writewithimpact.com/episode32. Download a free PDF with 10 writing tips at Write With Impact. Follow Write With Impact on Twitter Like Write With Impact on Facebook

Sean McCabe is a hand lettering artist, writer, podcaster, musician, and successful entrepreneur who has helped thousands of people around the world to discover what they are truly passionate about. Through his popular seanwes podcast, daily Youtube show, hand lettering course, and online community, Sean provides practical advice for creative professionals and digital entrepreneurs seeking to turn their passion into sources of additional income and even stand-alone businesses. In our conversation, Sean explains how writing has completely transformed his business and how today, writing is the source of all forms of content that he produces. Each year, Sean writes about a million words a year, words that become blog posts, podcast outlines and show notes, online course transcripts, Youtube episodes, book chapters, email newsletters, and more. He shares some of the techniques he uses for getting into a daily writing habit and for getting words down on the page quickly that you can then edit later. He also talks about what I believe is one of the most fascinating and radical experiments in work-life balance I’ve ever heard of: week-long sabbaticals that he and his team take every 7 weeks to pursue what he calls “secondary passions.” There’s a lot packed into this episode and I recommend you listen through to the end, when talks about a brand-new online writing workshop he’s preparing to launch soon: Supercharge Your Writing.   Website, Podcasts, Video seanwes website seanwes podcast seanwes tv   Courses Learn Lettering 2.0 Supercharge Your Writing Value-Based Pricing   Conference Seanwes Conference 2016   Social media @seanwes on Twitter seanwes on Instagram  

Hey everyone, This is a short "coffeecast" episode of Write With Impact. I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to download and listen to my podcast. I really appreciate all of the positive feedback I've been getting lately about the podcast. Since launching Write With Impact in April, it's been downloaded tens of thousands of times. I'm very grateful for your support and I hope you continue to listen and share episodes you like with your friends. I also have a very special guest today as well... Dig into the growing archive of interviews with great writers and sign-up for my weekly newsletter over at writewithimpact.com Follow Write With Impact on Twitter @impactfulwriter Like Write With Impact on Facebook: facebook.com/WriteWithImpact Keep writing!  

Chris Fox is an indie author who has in just the past few years built a successful career as a novelist. He’s also recently begun to publish books on the craft of writing.  This is impressive enough, but what’s amazing is that he does this all while holding down a full-time job as a mobile app developer in San Francisco. Because of his busy work schedule, Chris has figured out a system for concentrating his writing time into a very short window during his morning commute to work. He only has about an hour and a half to write each day. This means he not only needs to maintain a consistent, daily writing habit, he’s also developed a system for writing really really fast.   He recently codified what he has learned about writing fast in a new book, 5,000 Words Per Hour: A Guide to Writing Faster, Better & Smarter. The book has gone on to sell thousands of copies. Since Chris is a coder, he developed a new iPhone app that accompanies the book. It allows you to track your writing sessions so you can measure your progress. And it gives you some encouragement along the way.  In our conversation, we dive deep into some of the key elements of the system he shares in his book, like timed writing sprints that enable you to put yourself into a state of flow on command. He shares how he plans his book before he starts writing, which includes what he calls “turning on the movie projector in his mind” so he can visualize the scenes that he’s about to write. He talks about the mindset shifts you need to make that will allow you to maximize your writing productivity. Since NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month - is coming up in a few weeks, Chris also shares a few tips for aspiring novelists who plan to take up the challenge. Chris told me he plans to participate in NaNoWriMo this year, but with his own twist on the challenge. What’s that? Well, just listen to the podcast and find out!   If you head over to the show notes to this episode, you’ll find links to Chris’ books on Amazon, as well as a link to his new app over on the App Store. Just head over to writewithimpact.com/episode29.  While you’re there be sure to grab some of my writing tips and sign-up for my e-newsletter so you can be the first to know when I’ve published new episodes, blog posts, and more. Follow Write With Impact on Twitter @impactfulwriter Like Write With Impact on Facebook at facebook.com/WriteWithImpact Keep writing!