Podcasts about australian writers centre

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne are joined by Vivienne Pearson, who specialises in Opinion Writing. Vivienne talks about: What makes opinion writing different from regular journalism How and when to pitch to editors The topics that work for opinion writing Whether you can make a living from this style of writing Find out more about Vivienne at https://viviennepearson.com/  Information about her course with the Australian Writers Centre is here: https://www.writerscentre.com.au/store/courses/opinion-writing/  Don't forget... If you're an Aussie freelancer, please take our new pay rates survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6CSXSNV  Find us:  Rachel's website https://rachelsmith.com.au/         Lynne's website https://lynnetestoni.com/         Rachel's List https://rachelslist.com.au/      As always, thanks to Rounded https://rounded.com.au/  for sponsoring The Content Byte! Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This weeks guest has been writing stories since she was little, growing up in country NSW. Author of over twenty-five kids' books, including bestselling picture book series Human-Kind and Errol, She has been long-listed for CBCA Awards and short-listed for the Australian Book Design Awards. Her book Persistence was highly commended in the Australian Education Publishing Awards and Human-Kind was voted best picture book series by Bookstagang.  Her books are published in over twenty foreign territories. She also runs a picture book course online each year and if that wasn't enough teaches picture books and chapter books at the Australian Writers Centre, offers private mentoring, and travels to schools and festivals across Australia, helping creatives achieve their writing dreams.   Where to find Zanni www.zannilouise.com www.instagram.com/zannilouise  

Today's guest is an internationally published children's author, teacher and presenter at the Australian Writers Centre, where she teaches adults to write kids chapter books. She's popped in today for a taco and to tell us all about her awesome new picture book, Dinosaur Dads, to share her author journey and offer up some amazing writing gems. Ladies and gentlemen give it up for the dynamic, energetic and awesome author that is, Lesley Gibbes.

Kevin caught the news in a chat room on the Dark Web. NASA had detected an unidentified object on a collision course with Earth. He wasn't surprised NASA had kept the news secret from the public. It was further proof of a plan by scientists and elites, backed by billionaires, to create a new world order.The Dark Web is a short story from TallAndTrue.com, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead. At the end of the episode, Robert provides a writer’s insight into the story, which he wrote for #FuriousFiction in October 2020.The show notes include links to The Dark Web on Tall And True and the podcast's theme music and sound effects.Support the podcast: supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-readsWriter's Insight into The Dark WebThe Dark Web was my October 2020 entry for Furious Fiction, the Australian Writers’ Centre’s monthly short story writing competition. The rules for October were:• Each 500-word story had to include someone or something being CAUGHT• It had to include the words: OBJECT, WOUND, BAND, and ELABORATE• And the final two words had to be THE MOON.The final words, THE MOON, set me thinking of space and NASA and conspiracy theories. And this led me to write a story about a man who spends too much time in the dark alternate universes and truths of the internet and not enough time in the real world with his family. As for the other words, did you *catch* them in the story? If not, listen again and here’s a tip: each is only mentioned once and in the following order: CAUGHT, OBJECT, WOUND, BAND and ELABORATE. I didn't win October's #FuriousFiction. But once again, I enjoyed furiously working my imagination around the criteria and writing the short story in 55 hours, albeit a darker one than my previous entries.I hope you enjoyed The Dark Web. Please subscribe to the podcast and rate and review it via your favourite listening app. And don't forget to tell your family and friends about Tall And True Short Reads and the Tall And True website.The next episode of Tall And True Short Reads, Splendid Views, will be in your podcast feed shortly. In the meantime, check your feed to make sure you haven’t missed any of the earlier episodes, Five Meet On Zoom, A Moving Sculpture, Too Late Lenny, A Song on the Radio, The Cat in the Trunk, and A Jittery Journey.Read The Dark Web on tallandtrue.com.au/short-stories/the-dark-web.Podcast Theme Music and Sound EffectsRoyalty-free music from Pixabay.com: Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 'Pastorale' – IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non Troppo, performed by Karine Gilanyan.Sound effects licensed under Creative Commons 0 from FreeSound.org:Glass bottle chink: https://freesound.org/people/LampEight/sounds/259671/Woman laughing: https://freesound.org/people/sagetyrtle/sounds/33658/Quarrelling voices: https://freesound.org/people/therover/sounds/463804/Pouring liquid: https://freesound.org/people/FillSoko/sounds/257957/Sipping drink: https://freesound.org/people/Sheyvan/sounds/471078/Acast Podcast Supporter PageSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Shankar Jeyapandian of 4EB Tamil presents “Namma Australia”. Voicing: Pakiyashree. Produced by RaySel. - ஆஸ்திரேலியாவில் பல்வேறு தளங்களில் பரிசு பெற்ற சிறுகதைகளையும், அதன் ஆசிரியர்களையும் பற்றிய தொடர் இது. எழுத்தாளர் E.G.Nesbitt (NSW)அவர்களின் 'The Mirror' என்ற சிறுகதையை அறிமுகம் செய்கிறோம். Australian Writers Centre அமைப்பு இந்த ஆண்டு மார்ச் மாதம் தெரிவு செய்த சிறுகதை இது. “நம்ம ஆஸ்திரேலியா” நிகழ்ச்சியைப் படைப்பவர்: 4 EB தமிழ் ஒலியின் சங்கர் ஜெயபாண்டியன் அவர்கள். சுந்தர ராமசாமி அவர்களின் "ரத்னாபாயின் ஆங்கிலம்" கதையை வாசித்தது பாக்யஸ்ரீ அவர்கள்.நிகழ்ச்சியாக்கம்: றைசெல். கதை: 11

JITTERY. 16-down, “Nervous or unable to relax (7 letters)”. Loud voices in the street drown out the TV. I put down my crossword, walk to the front window and part the curtains. They're at it again, the neighbours across the way. I can see them pointing and shouting at each other under the pale street lights.A Jittery Journey is a short story from TallAndTrue.com, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead. At the end of the episode, Robert provides a writer’s insight into the story, which he wrote for #FuriousFiction in June 2020.The show notes include links to A Jittery Journey on Tall And True and the podcast's theme music and sound effects.Support the podcast: supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-readsWriter's Insight into A Song on the RadioI wrote A Jittery Journey for the Australian Writers’ Centre’s monthly 500-word short story competition, #FuriousFiction, in June 2020. The FIRST and LAST WORDS of the story had to begin with a “J”, and it had to include a GAME BEING PLAYED, and the phrase MISSED THE BOAT. A crossword puzzle provided me with the perfect device for my first and last words and the game. And I used our jittery COVID-times to tell the journey of an older person living alone under lockdown, while the neighbours argue. As for missing the boat, who wouldn’t wish they’d missed boarding a “COVID Princess” cruise ship? Once again, I didn't win or make the short or long lists for Furious Fiction. But I enjoyed the challenge of writing my short story in the 55-hour deadline. And I took great comfort in the knowledge June’s winning entry also featured a crossword.I hope you enjoyed A Jittery Journey. Please subscribe to the podcast and rate and review it via your favourite listening app. And don't forget to tell your family and friends about Tall And True Short Reads and the Tall And True website.The next episode of Tall And True Short Reads, The Dark Web, will be in your podcast feed shortly. In the meantime, check your feed to make sure you haven’t missed any of the earlier episodes, Five Meet On Zoom, A Moving Sculpture, Too Late Lenny, A Song on the Radio and The Cat in the Trunk.Read A Jittery Journey on tallandtrue.com.au/short-stories/a-jittery-journey.Podcast Theme Music and Sound EffectsRoyalty-free music from Pixabay.com: Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 'Pastorale' – IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non Troppo, performed by Karine Gilanyan.Sound effects licensed under Creative Commons 0 from FreeSound.org.Background TV: https://freesound.org/people/o_ciz/sounds/475477/Quarrelling in street and slammed door: https://freesound.org/people/therover/sounds/463804/Angry man: https://freesound.org/people/rachyray/sounds/273710/Glass bottle: https://freesound.org/people/LampEight/sounds/259671/Sips: https://freesound.org/people/Sheyvan/sounds/471078/Acast Podcast Supporter PageSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Shankar Jeyapandian of 4EB Tamil presents “Namma Australia”. Produced by RaySel. - ஆஸ்திரேலியாவில் பல்வேறு தளங்களில் பரிசு பெற்ற சிறுகதைகளைப் பற்றிய தொடர் இது. இன்று Eugenie Pusenjak (ACT) அவர்கள் எழுதிய A Long Wait எனும் சிறுகதையை முன்வைக்கிறோம். Australian Writers Centre அமைப்பினால் இந்த ஆண்டு ஏப்ரல் மாதம் தெரிவு செய்யப்பட்ட சிறுகதை இது. “கிழக்கு” வழங்கும் ஒலிப் புத்தகத்தில் K.Charles அவர்களின் குரலில் ஒலிக்கும் புதுமைப்பித்தனின் சிறுகதை ஒலிக்கீற்றும் உள்ளடக்ப்பட்டுள்ளது. “நம்ம ஆஸ்திரேலியா” நிகழ்ச்சிக்காக முன்வைப்பவர்: 4 EB தமிழ் ஒலியின் சங்கர் ஜெயபாண்டியன் அவர்கள். நிகழ்ச்சியாக்கம்: றைசெல். கதை: 10

Shankar Jeyapandian of 4EB Tamil presents “Namma Australia”. Produced by RaySel. - ஆஸ்திரேலியாவில் பல்வேறு தளங்களில் பரிசு பெற்ற சிறுகதைகளையும், அதன் ஆசிரியர்களையும் பற்றிய தொடர் இது. எழுத்தாளர் Tara June Winch அவர்களின் 'Happy' என்ற சிறுகதையை அறிமுகம் செய்கிறோம். Lauren Ford (QLD) அவர்களின் “To the young reader” எனும் சிறுகதை. Australian Writers Centre அமைப்பு 2019 ஆம் ஆண்டு நவம்பர் மாதம் தெரிவு செய்த சிறுகதை இது. “நம்ம ஆஸ்திரேலியா” நிகழ்ச்சியைப் படைப்பவர்: 4 EB தமிழ் ஒலியின் சங்கர் ஜெயபாண்டியன் அவர்கள். நிகழ்ச்சியாக்கம்: றைசெல். கதை: 9

The worlds of business and creativity have combined. Exploring your interests and giving in to your creative curiosity can energise you AND innovate your business. It turns out that allowing yourself to be passionate about something other than your business can energise you, and benefit your business. While we may see creativity as an indulgence, the little thing that piques your interest may be the next opportunity to grow your business.  Valerie Khoo, visual artist and National Director of the Australian Writers’ Centre, recently threw herself into the world of art. This sparked growth in her business, her career, and developed her “Creative Quotient”. Valerie is the featured guest in this episode of the HerBusiness podcast. In this episode we look at:  How your creative interests can lead to innovation in your business Why creativity is a vital factor in determining your bottom line How to incorporate creativity into your life The perils of ignoring your 'creative quotient' How to tap into your inner genius Take a listen. And, be sure to subscribe for more great interviews with inspiring entrepreneurs.  Here are some popular recent episodes: Lessons for Living an Inspired, Creative and Meaningful Life with Guy Kawasaki Becoming a Big Deal in Your Niche with Amy Porterfield How to Stop Marketing AT Your Customers and Start Marketing with Them with Seth Godin HerBusiness Facebook Page: https:/facebook.com/HerBusiness/ HerBusiness Network for Women Business Owners: herbusinessnetwork.com

Ep8.Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce my guest this week to you, 2018's Ampersand Prize winner, Frances Chapman.I've had the pleasure to have known Frances for a few years since we first met at a creative writing course @ The Australian Writers Centre in Sydney,What I admire most about Frances is her work ethic, and make no mistake, she approaches writing like it is a job.She turns up everyday.She does the work.And as a result she's become an amazing writer of both fiction and non-fiction. All her efforts have culminated in her being awarded The Hardie Grant Egmont Award Ampersand Prize last year for her ‘vibrant’ (their word) debut YA novel, What it Takes.In our chat today we get stuck right into her journey and her process.Frances is honest and thoughtful and has all the grit and persistence of someone who's worked out what it takes to bring her goals and dreams to life.I can't express enough how excited I was to get to sit down with Frances to learn more about how she's become the writer she is.You'll love this one.Check all all that Frances is up to here:The Ampersand Award announcement: www.hardiegrant.com/au/egmont/ampersand-prize@Mamamia: www.mamamia.com.au/author/frances-chapman-5/Twitter: @fchapmanwriterFacebook here tooThanks to:eight and a half for “Piece by Piece” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U_MC4mabNMTara Ward for the art and design – http://www.tarawardphotography.com.au/Podcast homepage – https://widtaabbqs.home.blog/

How Fleur Ferris traded in her police uniform for an award-winning publishing career. Fleur writes popular YA crime thrillers, and she is able to draw on her experience as a former police officer and paramedic. Learn about the value of an online critiquing group, and why you should write every chapter as though it’s for a competition. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Listen to Alexa Moses’s journey to writing action-packed kids fiction. Alexa knows that kids books have to full of action, just like in television, and she keeps her stories rollicking along. Learn how serious plotting can cut back on revisions, how to find an angle that publishers like, and why it always pays to be a bit funny. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Meet Wendy Orr, author of many books including Nim’s Island, which was made into a film starring Jodie Foster. Wendy has published more than 40 books for children and adults and has won many prestigious awards. Learn how to deal with the ups and downs of the publishing process, how to have a collaborative relationship with your editor, and why you shouldn’t quit your day job. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

How Emily Gale went from editing kids books to writing her own. Emily was nervous about taking the plunge into writing after establishing a successful career in publishing. But she jumped bravely in and has now published six books for kids and young adults. Learn why you shouldn’t try to copy your own work, how setting little goals leads to big achievements, and how making it doesn’t always mean success. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Belinda Murrell quit journalism for a successful fiction writing career. Belinda is the author of more than 20 books, including The Sun Sword fantasy trilogy and the Lulu Bell series for younger readers. Learn how much historical detail is just enough, why you need talent, technique and tenacity, and exactly what year egg beaters were invented. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Meet internationally best selling writer Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent series. While Veronica’s success came as a surprise to her, she thinks that YA will always have a broad appeal. Learn how success has changed her writing style, how to balance accepting and rejecting feedback, and why fanfiction is a great writing sandbox. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Kim Wilkins balances a successful writing career with a fulltime job. Kim is one busy lady, publishing as both Kim Wilkins and Kimberley Freeman, all while having a family, and a career as a university professor. Learn how Kim makes time to write, how reading nonfiction helps her fiction writing, and why she is definitely a plotter. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Carole Wilkinson found publishing success after 40. Carole heartily believes in saying yes to every opportunity, no matter how small, and that’s how she has built a successful career as a writer of fiction for kids and young adults. Learn how to find the story in nonfiction books, why plotting is a waste of time, and how it’s never too late to start. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Find out how Rachael Craw turned a dream into a bestselling YA trilogy. After dreaming the prologue for her Spark series, Rachael carefully worked through important questions about plot, motivation and character. Writing is 99% sweat, after all! Learn how to stay sane between stories, the benefits of hiring a manuscript assessor, and why you should respect your readers. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Learn how Allison Rushby has found success in both traditional and self-publishing. Allison has published more than 20 books for middle grade, YA and adults, but recently she began self-publishing her backlist. Learn why volume is more important than social media, the importance of good design, and why you don’t really have to write every day. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

How Gabrielle Tozer uses her marketing knowledge to promote her books. Gabrielle always knew she wanted to be a writer, and worked in magazines for many years before turning her hand to fiction. She has now published three YA novels and a picture book. Learn why you really should write what you know, why you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket, and why it’s important to look after yourself. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Meet Nicole Hayes, award-winning author, podcaster, and writing teacher. Nicole has written three YA novels and writes and podcasts about Australian Rules football. It’s all about writing what you love, as she says. Learn how point of view can radically change a story, how to push through a tough manuscript, and how you can learn from teaching. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

How Ellie Marney discovered her crime-writing superpower. Ellie had written in many genres, but after winning the Sisters in Crime award, decided to focus on crime writing for young adults. Learn how much you need to watch your language for a YA audience, why an author should be like a plumber, and why a writer doesn’t need to know who dunnit until the end. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Meet Jacqueline Harvey, author of the successful Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose series. Jacqueline started her publishing career after winning a picture book competition, and is now a bestselling junior fiction writer. Learn the questions you need to ask yourself as a writer, how to find your point of difference, and why kids are still the best inspiration for stories. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Meet Kimberly McCreight, best selling author of the Outliers YA trilogy. When Kimberly missed out on a job, she took it as a sign that she had to publish her next manuscript. Fortunately, her book Reconstructing Amelia was picked up and she has gone on to forge a successful career as a YA author. Learn why you should treat writing like a job, how to tolerate a messy manuscript, and why it’s okay to lower your standards. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Meet Marisa Pintado, YA publisher for Hardie Grant Egmont in Melbourne. Marisa is also the author of award-winning middle grade and YA fiction and manages the Ampersand Prize for debut novelists. As a publisher, Marisa knows exactly what she wants from YA authors: a sense of fun, an understanding of the market, and a willingness to collaborate. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Meet Suzanne O’Sullivan, commissioning editor for Lothian Children’s Books and the Associate Publisher of Children’s Books for Hachette Australia. Suzanne is looking for authors with strong and fresh voices who tell unique stories. Learn what else Suzanne looks out for when considering a new author, including social media presence, school visits, and more middle grade, please! This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Discover how Meg McKinlay found her strangest self - and publishing success! Meg started off writing poetry, and doesn’t consider herself a natural plotter, but that hasn’t stopped her from publishing 20 books for kids and adults. Learn how to connect random ideas, why you can always fix a plot, and why you shouldn’t be afraid of boredom. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

How Judith Rossell went from being a scientist, to illustrating and writing children’s fiction. Judith has illustrated more than 80 books and written 13 of her own in a career that spans every type and genre of kids book. Learn how pictures and text work together, how to create compelling characters, and why Judith will never write for adults. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

How Catherine Pelosi aimed for the stars and landed a book deal. Catherine was initially skeptical of joining a critique group, but by finding a supportive creative community, she has thrived and published three books for kids. Learn how to find your tribe, and why you don’t need to have kids to make it as a kids author. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

How middle grade author Tristan Bancks takes each manuscript from chaos to polished thriller. Tristan has published several successful books and knows his routine well - every story starts as a Frankenstein first draft of chaos. Learn why it can take up to six drafts to find your rhythm, the value of doing school visits, and why ninth graders aren’t This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

How a vision board helped Shelly Unwin find success as a picture book author. Shelly’s popular You’re series has been a huge hit. She hadn’t planned on being a writer, but once she committed, she was all in. Learn why every picture book needs a commercial hook, the benefits of a critiquing group, and why you should definitely do a course! This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Discover how popular kids author Jen Storer finally cracked picture books. After leaving behind nursing to launch a successful writing career, Jen still struggled to write a picture book. She had to learn how to vanquish her inner critic. Learn how even successful authors feel doubt, how design can affect a picture’s book success, and why you should always write from the heart. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Award-winning author Emma Allen reveals who she found her confidence. Emma’s very first picture book The Terrible Suitcase was a CBCA winner, but she still struggles with self-doubt. Learn how studying can help you feel like a professional writer, the power of industry acceptance, and why you should always keep a backup of your work. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Tamsin Janu writes just one day a week is a successful middle grade fiction writer with four books, all while keeping her day job. Learn how to let a manuscript breathe, how to fit writing around work, and that yes, it really is possible to become a writer. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Discover how Sue Whiting successfully writes across a diverse range of genres. Sue has worked on both sides of publishing and written popular books for different genres and age groups. Picture books are still her first love, although she finds them uniquely challenging. Learn how you can write a novel in 20 minutes a day, why you should write ALL of the things, and why you should read like a writer. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Meet publishing sensation Andy Griffiths, who just wants to make kids laugh. Andy is genius behind the popular Treehouse and Bum books. It all started when he wrote what he loved, not what he thought he should write. Learn why you must trust your inner voice, how writing every day can quell your doubt, and why bums are always funny. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

How Lesley Gibbes went from primary school teacher to successful kids author. Lesley’s experience reading to kids definitely helped when she launched her writing career, and her picture books and junior fiction series have won several awards. Learn how writing is an act of bravery, why it’s okay to write badly, and why you should always finish your manuscript. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Dragonslayer Louise Park is actually quite serious about kids books. Louise loves to come up with outrageous adventure stories for kids - but she always has her reader in mind, and that means doing tonnes of research. Learn why reconnaissance is not just for spies, the importance of plotting, and why every chapter book needs a bit of muesli. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

How Danny Parker turned his poetry into picture books. Danny didn’t realise he was writing picture books until illustrator Matt Otley showed him the potential his words had. Since then, Danny has published five picture books. Learn about the power of collaboration, how to edit fearlessly, and why you should never be afraid to share your work. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Find out how managing llamas prepared Deb Abela for a successful writing career. Deb has written more than 25 books for kids, but she started out in TV, managing every aspect of production on a kids show. She was also writing six scripts a week every week, and that discipline was invaluable when she started her publishing career. Learn how chapter breakdowns can help make writing easier, how to prepare for a school visit, and why you need to stay connected to your readers. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

This is how Allison Tait found her voice and publishing success as a middle grade author. Allison had a long and successful career in magazines and freelance writing, but couldn’t break through into fiction until she quit trying to write what she thought she should write, and found her own voice. Learn how to find ideas everywhere, why you should listen to your inner motivation, and why keeping a part-time job can give you the security to take chances. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Hazel Edwards has written more than 200 books - and shows no signs of stopping! Hazel is an incredibly successful and prolific kids author, and part of her success comes down to collaboration. She’s constantly pushing herself and learning something new. Learn why you should rewrite at least ten times, how to tackle tough topics in kids stories, and what a realistic success ratio looks like. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

How actor Richard Roxburgh wrote his first kids book. Richard is one of Australia’s most famous actors and directors, but he was keen to try out his creative writing muscles. Learn how structure can set you free, why kids need humour, and how to find the right balance with your illustrations. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Meet Lauren Child, author of the super successful Charlie and Lola, Clarice Bean, and Ruby Redfort books. Lauren started as an illustrator but has found success as a children’s author. Learn how to become a brutal editor, when to turn to experts, and how to find your own way of storytelling. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Oliver Phommavanh turns stereotypes into bestselling stories. Oliver is a self-confessed nerd, so it’s no surprise he read more than 300 kids books before sitting down to write his own. Learn why attending festivals is so important, how to make fun of yourself, and why your writing should always be playful. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

This is how Tim Harris found success with short stories for kids. Tim started out as a primary school teacher, reading out his first short story to a bunch of first graders. Since then, he’s released four volumes of his popular Exploding Endings collections. Learn how to prepare for a school visit, why you should give up watching TV, and why you should submit to small publishers. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

How Nova Weetman turned her screenwriting skills to middle grade and young adult fiction. Nova has been writing professionally for over 20 years, but when she couldn’t make a dark and real kids TV series, she wrote it as a book instead. Learn how structure can invigorate your plot, how to accept revisions, and why you have to be fearless.. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

Tania McCartney writes non-fiction picture books for kids and reveals how to build a career in this niche. Tania's love of facts and figures has seen her publish more than 40 books and illustrated maps, including biographies for the National Library of Australia. Learn from Tania about finding your passion, how to work within the limits of kids publishing, and the importance of community. This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free ebook at magicandmayhem.com.au.

To build an EPIC business today you need to connect in more meaningful ways with your customers than you EVER have before... and one of THE most powerful ways to do that is to tell your STORIES. In this episode your hosts Suzi Dafnis and Michelle Falzon talk to Valerie Khoo, author of Power Stories and CEO and founder of the Australian Writers’ Centre about powerful ways to share your stories as part of your content marketing strategy. How do you find your stories? Where should you share them and how can you use them to influence followers and convert customers? It’s all in this episode… along with the opportunity to access a brand new content writing coursefrom Valerie and her team at the Australian Writers’ Centre. Listen to this episode to hear more about: The most under-utilised tool in your small business arsenal How to use stories to demonstrate your “care factor” and bring your customers closer to you How to harness the power of your story with one sentence Why you need to be telling your “Passion” story (and an example of Val’s Passion Story) How to go from a “swirl” of ideas to a fully fledged, powerful story How to find relevance in your story for your audience The one story you need to tell succinctly when you first meet a new customer The single biggest mistake almost all small businesses make on their “About” page on their website The 3 parts to a customer story that distinguish it from “just another testimonial” How “The Biggest Loser” TV show can teach you to write AMAZING customer stories The 3 ingredients you need to include to tell your customer stories successfully How to make your stories easier to share and, importantly, easier for others to tell on your behalf The very first place you should be sharing your customer stories (and it’s not what you might think) Ways to tell stories about your product that your audience will love How Val used the power of storytelling to sell a 2 year old Bunnings outdoor furniture set on eBay that could change everything about the way you market YOUR products The simple piece of advice about your product stories that saves you having to make it “whizz bang” and just gets you started! Also mentioned in this episode: Australian Writers’ Centre Brand new Australian Writers’ Centre content writing course

Julie MacDonald (International News Anchor) — & I Discuss Actionable Strategies Around Using Authenticity To Build An Enduring Business Brand Share this Episode: Click to Tweet Links Mentioned: Click here to download the podcast shownotes www.ClanMacMedia.com www.TheDailyJuggle.com www.CallAshRoy.com www.ProductiveInsights.com/126 Related Episodes: 003. Jon Morrow (Copyblogger) On How To Use Blogging To Build A Highly Successful Business 070. Valerie Khoo - Founder of the Australian Writers Centre on Power Stories (And The 8 Stories You Must Tell) 075. Joe Pulizzi — Founder of Content Marketing Institute — Does Your Content Fit Into Your Buyer’s Journey? 116. Brian Clark — Founder of Copyblogger — On How To Create Content That Converts, Empathy 117. How to Create An Empathy Map Key Points and Insights 03:00 Why is authenticity in the media so critical in terms of building a strong business brand and online presence? 04:06 Despite recent technological advances, we still live in a 'tribal' world online 09:52 Keep it simple 10:09 Be Human 11:27 The sales process 12:45 Explanation made fascinating 15:57 Actions steps 15:09 Human communication 16:30 Meeting your customer when they are on their journey 18:00 Listen to your customers 18:25 Understand the goals of your business? 18:36 Who are you and what is your story? 19:50 What value do you offer? 23:40 Understanding your customer 24:42 Problem-solving 25:25 Unity is important 27:16 Biggest challenges that people face in building a brand 29:15 How does a CEO stay authentic and tell the truth despite challenging circumstances? 33:45 Specific actions to increase brand authenticity and align your brand with your values? 40:00 Action steps to get you started 46:40 Tell the story in the organization first 49:47 Book/s that had a big impact on you and why? 53:44 Message from Julie Four Steps to Storytelling Get clear by listening to your audience Decide on your goals Get clear on your values Tell stories Action Steps Keep it simple. Understand that storytelling is about listening first and talking later.

Valerie Khoo is an award-winning feature writer who has been writing for Fairfax for the past 15 years. Her articles appear regularly in The Sydney Morning Herald. She is the author of six books, her latest being Power Stories: The 8 Stories You MUST Tell to Build an Epic Business. She is a former accountant with PwC but switched careers when she gave in to her passion for writing. She mentors feature writers who want to carve out a freelance writing career as well as entrepreneurs and thought leaders who want to showcase their expertise in their own business book. Many of Valerie's students successfully publish their work and carve out careers as successful writers. Valerie has worked at the three publishing giants – ACP Magazines (now Bauer Media), Pacific Magazines and EMAP – and currently works as a freelance editor for several consumer and corporate publications. Her work has appeared in publications such as Voyeur, Silver Kris, Australian Financial Review and The Age. Before becoming a freelance writer 15 years ago, Valerie was features director for CLEO. For seven years, she was also the journalist behind the popular Enterprise blog on smh.com.au, theage.com.au, brisbanetimes.com.au, watoday.com.au, canberratimes.com.au and businessday.com.au. Along with Allison Tait, Valerie co-hosts the popular top-rating podcast “So you want to be a writer". In this episode of Breaking Digital I talk with Valerie Khoo, Founder and CEO of Australian Writers Centre based out of Sydney (with offices across Australia). We have a wonderful discussion about what it means to build your profile, the difference between branding, and most importantly how to find your passion. What is remarkable about Valerie is that her true passion is helping people achieve what they once thought was impossible … empowering people to achieve their dreams. Through her years of expansive journalistic experience in the small business and entrepreneurial space she has seen the trajectory between those who tell a good story and thereby become a highly successful online presence and those who simply fade away. She explains how to produce useful and powerful content because “you can't outsource your thought leadership”. We delve into being why being “helpful” is the key to being relevant in a cluttered online space. If you are having trouble identifying your brands “hook” or you don't know if your story feels authentic then you do not want to miss this fascinating discussion about leadership, branding, social media, digital profiles and personal profiles with Valerie Khoo, Founder and CEO of Australia Writers Centre. Digital Leadership Podcast interviews by Doyle Buehler - The Digital Entrepreneur http://www.twitter.com/doylebuehler https://au.linkedin.com/in/doylebuehler For speaking engagements and interview requests for digital strategy, social media and online marketing, please email: doyle@thedigitaldelusion.com More details on each digital strategy podcast episode available here: http://www.thedigitaldelusion.com/podcast Join the discussion of digital strategy, leadership and marketing online on our Facebook Exclusive Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlineinnercircle/ Get a copy of the international best seller - The Digital Delusion -www.thedigitaldelusion.com/3 or on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1V819mQ Take the Digital Leadership Quiz: http://www.leadership.digital www.thedigitaldelusion.com (C) 2016 Doyle Buehler

LA (Louisa) Larkin is a is famous for her thrillers The Genesis Flaw, Thirst and her latest novel Devour. She has been likened to Matthew Reilly and Michael Crichton and is a presenter at the Australian Writers’ Centre. The Murder and Mayhem podcast is brought to you by the course "How to Write About Murder". www MurderCourse.com

Kate Hennessy is a freelance writer and editor. I first read Kate's work in about 2009, when we were both contributors to the Australian music website Mess+Noise, where she was a critic and feature writer whose work I admired greatly from afar, since she was based in Sydney. It wasn't until 2016 that we met for the first time, at the Rock & Roll Writers Festival in Brisbane, where we were both guest speakers. In the intervening years since I first saw her byline, Kate has worked as a music and arts critic for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian Australia and The Quietus, among others, as well as travel writing for a range of Australian and overseas publications. Outside of freelancing, she works in corporate writing and editing, and teaches courses on music journalism and professional business writing. It was the latter skillset that brought Kate to Brisbane in mid-May, and we met at her hotel room so I could ask her a few questions over a bottle of white wine. Our conversation touches on how she learned to make boring things interesting while working for a corporate writing agency; why she decided to become a freelancer as she approached the age of 30, and how it turned out to be a perfect fit for her; why she received hate mail from a musician after writing about his band in The Sydney Morning Herald; why the supply-and-demand in the travel writing business is worse than in music journalism, and why she thinks live music is like sex. Kate Hennessy's music and arts criticism appears in The Guardian, ABC Arts, Fairfax, Australian Book Review, Noisey, Limelight, Mess+Noise and UK magazines The Wire and The Quietus. Kate talks about arts on ABC TV and has spoken at Vivid Ideas, Darwin Writers' Festival, the Rock & Roll Writers' Festival, Bigsound and at live events for Sydney's FBi Radio. Kate is an Australian Music Prize judge, a founding member of feminist collective LISTEN and a teacher of five years at the Australian Writers’ Centre. She developed a masterclass for The Guardian called 'How To Be A Music Journalist', offered in Sydney and Melbourne, and as a festival workshop at Hobart's Dark Mofo festival. Kate's travel journalism has taken her to Africa, Papua New Guinea, Turkey, Solomon Islands, Germany, Peru, Taiwan and remote Indigenous communities in Australia. She has a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Creative Writing major) from Wollongong University and won a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley, where she completed a double major in Political Science and History.  Show notes and links to what was discussed in this episode: http://penmanshippodcast.com/episode-30-kate-hennessy/ Kate Hennessy on Twitter: @smallestroom Penmanship on Twitter: @PenmanshipAU penmanshippodcast.com

Power Stories (And The 8 Stories You Must Tell) with Valerie Khoo — Founder Of The Australian Writers Centre   Share This Episode Click To Tweet Share on Facebook Resources Mentioned http://valeriekhoo.com/ http://www.writerscentre.com.au/ https://penzu.com/ http://dayoneapp.com/ Simon Sinek’s video – start with why Books Mentioned Power Stories: The 8 Stories You Must Tell to Build an […]

Valerie Khoo — Founder Of The Australian Writers Centre On Power Stories (And The 8 Stories You Must Tell)

Valerie Khoo is the founder and national director of the Australian Writers’ Centre, Australia’s leading centre for writing courses, a journalist, small business commentator and author of the best selling book “Power Stories: The 8 Stories You MUST Tell to Build an Epic Business”. Over 25,000 students have learnt at the Australian Writers’ Centre and the centre has campuses in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth - as well as a huge online learning community enrolling from all over the world. The centre helps students get published, score book deals, change careers and improve their job prospects. It was a previous winner in the Telstra Business Awards and was named by Dell as one of the 10 most innovative small businesses in Australia. Follow Valerie’s fascinating career path from gaining an economics and accounting degree, becoming a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse Coopers before transitioning into communications and focusing on corporate Public Relations and then following her true passion – journalism and writing. Valerie has been a successful women’s magazine editor and business owner. She also started her own fashion and homewares label, which is a social enterprise to benefit Cambodian orphanages. This talented and community minded businesswoman shares her stories and tells us how the Australian Writers’ Centre now benefits all those who dream of becoming a journalist, a writer and author. Follow Valerie on Twitter @valeriekhoo Valerie blogs at www.ValerieKhoo.com Find out more about the Australian Writers’ Centre at www.WritersCentre.com.au

Valerie Khoo is a journalist, author and keynote speaker. She founded the Australian Writers’ Centre in 2005. It has since become the leading writers’ centre in the country with a community of more than 30,000 people. Valerie still loves teaching and mentoring students and is often asked to deliver  presentations at conferences about writing, publishing, entrepreneurship and social media. When she is not writing, you’ll find her Tweeting, Facebooking and Instagramming. Along with Allison Tait, Valerie co-hosts the popular top-rating podcast “So you want to be a writer“. She blogs at valeriekhoo.com Twitter: @valeriekhoo   This episode is brought to you by my book "So You Want to Start a Business; the 7 steps to create, start and grow your own business" This is the only advertising on this podcast! My guess is that you are here because you are curious about what it might be like to start a business? Perhaps you’ve been wondering if you have what it takes? If your idea will work or even how much it actually costs to build a successful business? Perhaps you've been in business for a few months or a year or 2 and things aren't going quite the way you thought they might? I’ve written a book that can answer pretty much all your questions “So You Want to Start a Business” and you can download the first 20 pages at www.thestartupsteps.com My 15 years of experience working with start up and small businesses are condensed into this book. It’s your step by step guide to launch your business smarter and faster and I’m so excited to be sharing it with you and can’t wait to hear about your progress. Are you ready to grab your excerpt? Click here http://www.thestartupsteps.com Are you ready to buy the book? Head over to Amazon Happy reading!    

The founder of the award winning Australian Writers Centre, Valerie has a passionate following online and offline. In fact, her blog is consistently ranked in the Top 20 business blogs in Australia and she’s been described as one of the best content marketers in Australia. Plus she has such a wicked sense of humour she always makes me laugh. The post Valerie Khoo: Tribal Leader Spotlight appeared first on Romance Your Tribe.

Valerie Khoo Valerie Khoo is National Director of the Australian Writers’ Centre, the country’s leading centre for writing courses. With campuses in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Online, the centre has helped more than 17,000 students to get published, change careers, or write with confidence. Valerie is also an adviser and investor in start-ups. Her blog has consistently been named as one of the Top 20 Business Blogs in Australia. Highlights of our conversation: Identifying your passion and turning it into a business success The process, development and delivery of online courses on the Open Learning platform Breaking in and setting up the CRM Infusions soft Online tools Valerie Khoo uses in her business The benefits of learning to write for a business person Transcript Heather:        Hello, today I‘m speaking with Valerie Khoo, the National Director of the Australian Writer’s Centre. Hello Valerie, welcome to our show today. Valerie :         It’s great to be here Heather. Heather:        Thank you so much for sharing your time with us today. Really appreciate it, I’m really excited about talking with you today and I know from listening to you speak in so many other capacities that our listeners will really appreciate what you have to share with them today. Valerie:          Well I hope I can share a few insights that people can learn from. Heather:        Sensational, that’s exactly what we want to hear. So Valerie you run the Australian Writer’s Centre which is something that I’ve sort of been involved in on the side. You’ve currently got campuses in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and online and you’ve helped more than 17,000 students which is amazing. Can you give us an outline how your business operates and sort of what sort of courses it offers? Valerie:          Sure. As you mentioned we are the Australian Writer’s Centre. We actually just started off in Sydney but then we grew over time. Our first foray into another state was the centre in Melbourne that’s going really well. And then earlier this year we opened in Perth. We have another one in the wings I’ve just been checking out venues for that but that’s yet to be announced. Heather:        Anywhere close to me? Valerie:          It’s not official yet, I can’t say anything. You’ll have to stay tuned. Heather:        I hope it is. Valerie:          But we also have a very, very active and large online campus so to speak. About 40-45% of our students study online from all over Australia and the world. What we do is we offer writing courses and they are designed to help people; adults improve their writing, or get published, or change careers or write with just more confidence. So they are in all different genres of writing and the beauty about our course is they’re pretty short. So you can just do a tester, you can do five weeks, or you can do a weekend course that sort of thing. The good thing is if you decide that you like it you can build on it. You can do the next course, and you can do the next course and they’re all relatively short so that it’s all in manageable bite size chunks. We find that, as with most people these days’ time is a scarce commodity so we want to make sure that it’s something that people can do and commit to. Heather:        That’s interesting; I hadn’t realised they were around as being short courses that you have like this first course, then second course. You’re completely right. People get overwhelmed if it’s too much involved. I know that while they are short courses I’ve done two of them now. They’re packed with lots of insight and information. Valerie:          Yeah that’s one thing I’m really committed to because I’m a course junkie from way back and I’ve done many, many courses. I’m never without doing a course and one of the things I don’t’ like about some courses is when they treat you like a dummy or treat you like an idiot. They think you’re not capable of learning more and I do believe people are capable of learning more. I do believe that people want to learn more and have a thirst of that knowledge.             So I make sure that we do have a lot of information and really interesting things in our courses. Heather:        Absolutely, that’s sensational. I completely agree with that. People are really into content specific courses these days and it probably leads to a whole other conversation of whether people need to go out and do further education. Whether they should just tailor their life around content specific short courses like the ones you offer.   Why did you actually start your business? Valerie:          Well I started it because I was at a period in my life when I was thinking to myself I really want to do something different and I really want to make a difference in people’s lives. But I also needed to eat and pay the mortgage. I thought to myself well what am I passionate about? And as clichéd as this may sound it is the honest to God truth, what I love doing, what gets me excited is when I help people realise their potential. Or help people realize the steps that they can take to get what they really want in life or achieve what they really want as a goal. So I know that sounds little bit ra-ra. Heather:        No it doesn’t, I’ve seen you in action so I’m not going to disagree with that because I know that you do that and I know that you’re very good actually pinpointing people. I’m not speaking about myself but I’ve seen you in action pinpointing people and just extracting what bringing the cream to the top and saying go for it. Valerie:          I just love doing it and I love to see them go on that journey and nothing makes me happier. I thought well okay could I do? I didn’t want to be a life coach really or didn’t want to be a business coach. But I did have the technical skill; I was very experienced with writing, success as a writer. I thought well while I may not be able to help somebody climb Mount Everest because I would have no idea or win at Master Chef because you know I can’t cook. I could certainly help them with their writing goals.             That’s where it started. What’s interesting though is even though that’s where it started and I thought okay I can help people achieve their writing dreams because I can teach them that technical skill and I can provide courses that can equip them with the right skills, it actually spilled over a lot. Because even though it starts off as writing, some people discover writing and it actually changes their life because they can suddenly have a lifestyle that they wanted, or they can actually can earn more money than they thought than they would as a stay at home mom perhaps.             They get more confidence in doing something that they’ve always wanted to do. It’s just been the most rewarding experience so that’s where it started, me kind of trying to marry my passion with the technical skill if you know what I mean. Heather:        How long did it take you to formulate your passion? Valerie:          I think my passion has been with me for a long time. I kind of even remember I think I’ve just always felt this way because even my friends will tell you that I’m slightly annoying in that I’m the one when you catch up for drinks, or dinner or whatever I’m the one that says, “Of course you can do it.” Just do this, do this, do this- you know what I mean.             So I’m a little bit of a- they probably think I’m a little bit of a nagger even though I think I’m a cheer squad. So it’s something that I’ve always done for as long as I can remember. But it took me just a little while to articulate it and figure it out when I was thinking what I wanted to do for my business or my career. Heather:        It’s interesting that isn’t it? When you actually need to do it to monetise it, it’s like what’s my passion? It can take people a second to think about it. Valerie:          Yeah, I didn’t really know. I didn’t sort of identify it until I thought well what really fuels me and I sat down and made myself think about that and I realized that’s what I do to all my friends is what I love because I care about them and I want to see them succeed. It expanded from there. Heather:        Excellent. So can I ask you, what platform are the business online courses built on? Valerie:          Lots of different parts. Heather:        I grammatically phrased that really badly. Valerie:          We understood you so that’s okay. Lots of different ones but the main one that the online course specifically is built on is an application called Open Learning which is a fantastic company in Sydney. I’m fortunate enough to also be one of their advisors because I really believe in their product.             Basically it’s an online learning platform so like a learning management system which is designed to obviously deliver online courses but design for the students to have a great user experience that is similar to sort of Facebook. In the sense because so many people are used to that these days so then you can reply to each other, you can like each other’s comments, you can dip into different areas. Just like in Facebook you dip into different pages, or groups, or whatever. Yeah it’s called Open Learning. Heather:        Okay, thank you for sharing that with us. How long does it take you to go through the development of a course? Sort of what process do you go through? Valerie:          You mean from scratch? Heather:        I guess so, from the formulation or conception of a course. Valerie:          Forever. Heather:        Forever, okay. Valerie:          It takes a really long time to be honest. Because typically we start our courses in a classroom setting, in real life, in most cases. Because that is where you figure out what works and what doesn’t, you know what I mean. You get immediate reactions to certain things and you can see all the pennies drop, or you can see blank faces.             Typically we start off in a classroom experience and once we know that we’ve nailed it, and then we know that we can turn this into an online course. And that takes way more time than you think; it’s a lot of work. Heather:        I think it takes a long time in that I’ve tried to develop my own and it’s like, it’s life sapping. Wow. Valerie:          It takes a really long time because you need to make sure that every I is dotted and every T is crossed because you just never know when someone’s listening. They could be listening on the bus, or in front of the computer, or doing the laundry or whatever in the car. You’ve got to make sure that the information is conveyed not in a lecture style but almost in a conversational story telling style so that it’s easily absorbed and remembered.             It takes quite a while to change information into something that’s digestible like that because unlike a classroom course you can see people’s reactions on their faces. They can ask you a question immediately and you can fill in that particular gap. You have to think of every gap at first before you do an online course so that all those gaps are already filled and that any possible question is answered.             Of course people may still have their own other questions and certainly in our course they have the opportunity to ask them but in the first instance you need to make sure that as much as possible is covered. And so it’s not only the creation and the structure, and the design of the course, it’s then also the creation of the actual course materials. The MP3s, the handouts, the online delivery all that kind of stuff. So yeah a long time. Heather:        It’s interesting to hear you say that because you didn’t have a teacher’s background did you? Valerie:          But I lectured at Sydney University at both within the faculty of Economics but also I did for years I was a teacher at the Centre for Continuing Education at Sydney University. Heather:        That gives you an understanding of the course development from a teacher’s perspective. Because I always kind of wondered whether you had teachers in there just guiding on that structure of things rather than coming along as the expert and applying it. Valerie:          I had that background for oh gosh, I was lecture at Sydney Uni more than 20 years ago. Heather:        So what’s the most popular course that you offer these days? Valerie:          I would say that creative writing is currently very popular. They all go in peaks and troughs of course depending on what’s fashionable at the time. Creative writing is very popular and is a perennially popular one because it is a great first step for people who think they might be interested in writing. They’re not sure but they love reading or they kind of, in the back of their mind think that they love to write a novel one day. They just love telling stories.             That’s a good one because then people get a taste for what it’s like in a slightly more structured environment so then they kind of see yeah that structure actually helps my writing. And I might be taking the next step. Heather:        It’s interesting seeing people because I’m in one of your community groups and seeing people, how they kind of need to be prodded along by people. My goal posts and settings, and people are encouraged and motivated by other people pushing them along or other people doing what they’re doing. That is interesting. Valerie:          Definitely, it’s inspiring to see. Heather:        It’s very inspiring. The Writer’s Centre has had so much success which has been so impressive for what you’ve done. I understand you use a product called Infusionsoft, do you still use that product? Valerie:          I do. Heather:        Okay, so Infusionsoft for those who are listening is a sales and marketing automation software for small business that combines CRM, email marketing and ecommerce. That was a pre-prepared question because I thought I’ll go on the website and make sure I get everything that it does.             Can you give listeners a bit of an insight about this Infusionsoft product and how you’re using it, and what it’s done for your business? Valerie:          So basically as you mentioned Infusionsoft is a cloud based application that uses a combination of a CRM but also has an email marketing function. It has kind of like ten bazillion features of which I’m using maybe five, not quite.             We are using quite a few of the features but there are many more that suit different types of industries and businesses which just wouldn’t be relevant for my particular business. So we have only been using that since around January 2014. I had actually explored it a few years ago and when I was exploring similar applications to decide which one to use and I decided against it at the time.             I wasn’t impressed with it at the time to be honest. But over the last sort of year or prior to moving to it, quite a few people who I respect said that they had started using it and that they were finding it good. I thought it was time to give it a second look and so I did a lot of research again and decided to give it a second look. And I ended up deciding to give it a second go.             It’s worked out well so far, I’m glad we made the decision to move to it. We were on a different application before that and so what it does is that it powers back end if you know what I mean. That means the back end when you book into a course, or so in terms of communication to students and perspective students that’s done by Infusionsoft.             In some cases you may fill in some web forms and that’s done by Infusionsoft. The delivery of the courses is not done by Infusionsoft as I mentioned that’s done through Open Learning. But essentially it powers our back end. The booking system, and the communication system, and the database system. Heather:        No, it sounds very impressive. It seems to sound like you have to set up a huge number of email templates. People have told me about it sort of responsive to everyone’s reaction to different ways to the way that they react and what they’re interested in. Valerie:          You can make it really complex where you have a bazillion email templates because you may have really complex sort of decision trees. If someone clicks on this then they get this email, if they do not click on this than they get this email. If they do not click on this after five days then they get an email.             But we haven’t actually gone to that level of complexity. As is its simpler than that. At this stage, however there is potential for you to create really complex journeys if you want to. Heather:        Yeah absolutely. One of the things that’s always impressed me about you is I know how thorough you are about researching something. You’re actually using something I know a huge amount of researchers got into that product. Valerie:          Yes. Heather:        And it does seem to be that more businesses in Australia are exploring that product and seeing good results. As with anything it needs to be properly implemented so I’m sure that took you a bit of time and there are a few experts out there who do the implementation. Because you did a course didn’t you or something like that, or training sessions with them. Valerie:          I think I was really lucky in the sense that typically what I found, I’ve meet many Infusionsoft users now and typically what I have found is that a huge number of them like almost all of them who aren’t Infusionsoft consultants. Almost all of the non-consultants, just like normal businesses say yeah I had it for six months or a year and I only did one campaign. Then I finally decided to get into it and oh my God it blew my mind and I realized I could have been saving so much time over the last year.             So people seem to get it because they realize it’s a good idea but they seem to step very slowly into it because it can seem kind of overwhelming and daunting. However we were in this unique situation where we decided it’s going to start in January. And our quietest time of year is the period between Christmas and New Year. Heather:        Really that’s surprising. Valerie:          For obvious reasons you know. Everyone’s just on holidays in Christmas and New Year. Heather:        And not being creative. Valerie:          They start on January 1 their New Year’s resolutions but Christmas and New Year they’re busy eating, drinking. We had no choice but to create the entire business of Infusionsoft between Christmas and New Year. Heather:        Of course no choice whatsoever, yes. Valerie:          I had no Christmas break. Every working hour I was creating Infusionsoft campaigns. I was kind of lucky in the sense that I went bang straight into it, very in depth and therefore got to learn it very quickly. I didn’t do that stepped approach so I got to understand what its capabilities in a very short concentrated space of time.             Yeah it was an interesting period. Heather:        It’s interesting to hear you like you’re a national director of a big organisation with numerous employees and you actually say I went in, I got into the detail, I know how to do it. So it’s always one of those things I like I always wonder in business, I get very into the detail. I’m like maybe I should be pulling back from the detail. It’s interesting to hear you say that you really got into the detail of it. Valerie:          Probably that’s because I have a curiosity. Heather:        Yeah. Valerie:          Probably because I just am a little bit geeky and I kind of want to know stuff. Once I know a certain level and once I know I have the staff member who knows way more than me about this, I step back and I let it go.             But you know it was new to every staff member at that time so we were all starting at ground zero. We all had to learn it. Heather:        They all like spending their Christmas with you, hulking down on working with Infusionsoft. Valerie:          Not quite.  We didn’t to make the Christmas and New Year but as soon as one or I think two January we were straight into it. But you were referring to a course I didn’t actually go to a course. I went to a conference run by Infusionsoft in Phoenix, Arizona which interestingly wasn’t all about the platform itself.             Only about 30% of the sessions were platform specific, the rest was about marketing and growing a business. Heather:        Interesting, that’s interesting that they do that. Cool.             Okay I’m sure some of our listeners will find that product interesting if they’re not already using it. Go off and explore that.             In your business you’ve mentioned that you have a tendency to be a bit geeky and curious. What other online tools do you use in your business that you think your listeners might benefit from? Valerie:          Cloud File storage changed my life. So it’s really normal now but I’ve been using it for years and years. The fact that I can be on any device in any city, well any of my devices. Because I spend a lot of time in between Sydney and Melbourne and here I have an office in Sydney but I have a home in Sydney. And then I have an office in Melbourne and a home in Melbourne.             There’s already four places that I got devices that I spend time to work. I needed from years ago I wanted something to liberate me from the desk, from the single computer and so the first thing I discovered which I still love is SugarSync which is cloud file syncing application.             Of course similar things can be done with Google Drive, and Dropbox, and Cubby and I use all of them actually for different reasons. For me I love SugarSync the best. But because they all have slightly different limitations and parameters, Sugar Sync it doesn’t do everything. It doesn’t work with a server whereas Cubby works with a server and Google Drive works with server.             Dropbox is a little bit annoying because you have to put everything in the Dropbox. So yeah. I think that cloud file sharing services just liberates you so that you can actually work from anywhere with internet. Heather:        Absolutely, they are amazing. Amazing tools.             When you have SugarSync can you just go and like search and it will just pull up the document you’re searching for? Valerie:          You have it locally on your computer that’s the bit that I love as well. Even if you do it and you change it locally on your Macbook, on your laptop it will sync to the cloud and this cloud will then sync to every other device where it’s also stored locally.             You can just base it in the cloud if you want but I like having my files locally on whatever I’m working on. Heather:        Yeah absolutely. I think it’s also quicker if you do that. Just push it to the cloud but if you’re using it, if you can pull it back down and work on it, and then push it back up into the cloud. Valerie:          Definitely. Heather:        I think it all comes down to sometimes the speed of the internet connection. I know sometimes we see you frustrated by your internet connection in certain areas of Australia. Valerie:          Yes. Heather:        So having that versatility is beneficial. Do you use cloud accounting? Valerie:          That’s definitely been a game changer to have cloud accounting. I remember the days when I just had to go to this particular computer in the office. I could only use that computer because that’s where the accounting license was on. Therefore I had to drive in at specific times to do it whereas with cloud accounting you can do it anywhere, from wherever you want and it’s so easy to transfer the files, or to look it up from a whole other country. I love that.             The other one it’s not about business but I love it to pieces which is sort of cloud based is two things the Foxtel TV guide, I love it to pieces because I can be in Las Vegas and go oh my god I got to tape The Good Wife or whatever. I can be in my hotel room in Las Vegas because I’ve got two Foxtel boxes. I can choose which room even to tape it. Heather:        Really. So you set it up and you can set it up to record and you come home and you’ve got all your recording sitting there. Valerie;          I love the Foxtel app. Heather:        Well that’s cool and is it like on your iPhone? Valerie:          Your iPhone or your iPad. You can be having a conversation with somebody. Oh have you seen that documentary about whatever and you can search for it on the Foxtel app. And when you find it you can just tape it and choose to tape it in my bedroom, or in lounge room. Heather:        Excellent. That’s a great share, I’m sure people can record some business shows on their using that as well.             Many of our listeners probably come from a business background so what course does the Australian Writer’s Centre offer that you recommend to a business person interested in writing? Valerie:          it depends on what they want to write. But typically most business owners I find are keen to do a couple of things. Potentially write a blog in order to build their profile but also to write for the industry publications, or even consumer publications to build their profile.             One course that I think is useful is the course Magazine and Newspaper writing because even if you don’t necessarily want to write for a newspaper, what it teaches you is a great structure for any article that can translate to a blog post but is ideal for writing articles for magazines. That’s a great way to build your profile when you have a column or a regular article placement in your industry magazine.             One of the things it also teaches you is when you understand how journalists want to write the magazine article and if you’re on the other side of the fence like you’re being interviewed you can also help them with the kind of content that’s going to make the magazine article sound good if you know what I mean. Heather:        Absolutely. That’s actually been an interesting phenomena that I’ve been realising lately in that I did one of those courses and got a lot of blog posts out there and they don’t take a long time to write it but then you see a journalist looking for a source to talk about X, Y, Zed and you know what the key things are to tell them, to entice them to use you. And then you’re like well I didn’t have to write the article, I got an article in Sydney Morning Herald and I’m quoted as the expert and it took maybe ten minutes work. Valerie:          That’s right. Heather:        You do learn that structure from these are the key thing that I should be highlighting and this is a way to phrase a sentence, etcetera. Whereas sometimes you speak to people and they don’t get to that point quickly. Valerie:          Yeah exactly right. Heather:        That’s really good. Now one of the questions I wanted to ask of you was, you had been involved with a lot of podcasts and I know you currently, what’s the name of it. You’re doing a writer’s podcast with Alison. Valerie:          Yeah it’s called So You Want to be a Writer and it’s with Alison Tate. Heather:        Yes, and it was recently featured on the best new podcasts or new featured podcasts on iTunes is that correct. Valerie:          Yeah new and noteworthy. Heather:        New and noteworthy podcast that’s very good. So what suggestions do you have for me since starting up a new podcast. Valerie:          Do something that you’re passionate about. Clearly your passion is about various concepts to do with cloud, and productivity that can be enhanced as a result of cloud which I think is a wonderful niche. I think cloud is a game changer. People often think cloud and they just think cloud accounting but there are so many applications that are really useful in the cloud.             I probably use even another 20 but they’re such a normal part of my life I don’t even think, I’m going to use the cloud you know what I mean. Heather:        I think that’s right. People turn to me and go, well how do you manage to get so much done? It’s like well I just sort of activate this, and I activate that and it’s all done. But yeah it does make life easier, it’s quite funny. I did a productivity session in a meeting business group the other day and the outcome of the productivity session was sharing calendars with your children to get them to do the work as well.             But yeah it was kind of interesting how you do adopt a lot of them without even thinking about it. Valerie:          Yeah absolutely. Heather:        So you’ve told us the future for Australian Writer’s Centre, you’re perhaps looking at having another location here in Australia. IS there anything else in the future for the Australian Writers Centre? Valerie:          Well we definitely will be transforming more of our business writing courses online. Because we find that there’s a real need for people to access that information wherever they are. They can’t necessarily take a day off work to come to a cause, a business writing course, because these are typically one day courses during the day in a week. And also if we can transform them into online courses which are modularised, people can do two hours each and they might be able to do two hours on Wednesday, or two hours on Friday.             They didn’t have to do it in a whole chunk of time. That’s definitely one of the next things on our agenda. Quite a few people have asked for various courses to be transformed online and we’re definitely looking into that. As I mentioned it’s a very long and involved process. We just need to decide in which order we’re going to deliver them. Heather:        Yeah absolutely. So Valerie one last question for you. What advice would you have for your 17 year old self? Valerie:          Oh my goodness what a good question. Okay that’s quite a hard one. My 17 year old self, I would say- that’s a really tough one.             I would say that if it was specifically to me I would say that, see I was very lucky in that even at 17 I truly believed that anything was possible. But what I didn’t know was that sometimes in life things, circumstances, people will disappoint you. Will let you down.             That’s okay. Don’t let it in the way of you or don’t let it get you down even if they let you down. Just accept that that’s part of life. It may not have been personal, or anything like that. It’s just going to happen throughout life. But don’t even sort of try and view it as a letdown just kind of go okay, and move on. Don’t take it to heart.             I don’t want to end on a negative thing though. Heather:        Because I asked that question because I have a 17 year old child myself and so I’m asking that question of everyone sort of thinking that he’s going out into the world. It’s kind of what does he need to know or how is he going to quickly get to where he needs to get to. I know you’re a CPA, would you have still gone down that route? Valerie:          What do you mean would I have still gone down- Heather:        Because you went and did accounting initially didn’t you? Valerie:          Yeah, no I still would have taken the route that I’ve taken now. Because I always fundamentally believed in doing what you love. I just happen to love writing more. I would have definitely gone down this path anyway because it was just what was going to be nagging at me. Like I would have always felt that thing inside me, that itch that I had to scratch and I knew I had to go down this path in a sense.             But if I had to I would just have sort of changed it around a bit. If I had to give advice to your 17 year old son as opposed to my 17 year old self I would probably say A, anything truly is possible if you put your mind to it. B, just wanting it isn’t enough though. You need to work out the steps you need to take to get there. It’s not going to be handed to you on a platter but it is in your reach and once you work out the steps you need to take to get there, you just need to take them.             It’s as simple as that and once you take them if you’re serious about it, you will get whatever it is that you want in life. Heather:        Absolutely. On that very positive note thank you so much Valerie for sharing your time with listeners today. I know that you’ve always been such an inspiration to me and I’ve benefitted so much from the number of courses that I have done through the Australia Writer’s Centre.             I look forward to more success from you and with the Australian Writers Centre growing and taking over the world, improving English one course at a time. Thank you very much. Valerie:          It’s been my pleasure. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed talking to you Heather. Heather:        Sensational. Mentions ·         Infusionsoft : http://www.infusionsoft.com   @Infusionsoft ·         SugarSync https://www.sugarsync.com  @sugarsync ·         Foxtel TV guide ·         Google Drive https://drive.google.com   ·         Dropbox https://db.tt/PxaW85E  @Dropbox ·         Cubby https://www.cubby.com  @Cubby ·         Cloud File https://shellycloud.com/documentation/cloudfile  @ShellyCloud ·         Open Learning https://www.openlearning.com  @openlrning ·         Facebook https://www.facebook.com  @FaceBook Contact Valerie Khoo Australian Writers’ Centre http://www.writerscentre.com.au https://twitter.com/ValerieKhoo https://twitter.com/WritersCentreAU Contact Heather Smith http://www.heathersmithsmallbusiness.com/ https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU/ https://www.facebook.com/HeatherSmithAU   http://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersmithau

Robert speaks with Valerie Khoo, journo, blogger, founder of the Australian Writers Centre and multiple small business award winner. Valerie shares her views of business awards and why she thinks entering is such a good discipline for business...whether you think you'll win or not.

Robert speaks with Valerie Khoo, journo, blogger, founder of the Australian Writers Centre and multiple small business award winner. Valerie shares her views of business awards and why she thinks entering is such a good discipline for business...whether you think you'll win or not.