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In this episode, we welcome Russell Nohelty to explore how authors can leverage AI for empowerment, not replacement. Russell shares insights into his innovative "Russell Bot" from Hapitalist, designed to provide personalized support, and his work with Plot Drive, a writing software that helps authors break through creative blocks. Visit our website https://bravenewbookshelf.com to view the full episode notes, links and apps mentioned in the episode, and the full transcript.
Why do some romance authors build decades-long careers while others vanish after one breakout book? What really separates a throwaway pen name and rapid release strategy from a legacy brand and a body of work you're proud of? How can you diversify with trad, indie, non-fiction, and Kickstarter without burning out—or selling out your creative freedom? With Jennifer Probst. In the intro, digital ebook signing [BookFunnel]; how to check terms and conditions; Business for Authors 2026 webinars; Music industry and AI music [BBC; The New Publishing Standard]; The Golden Age of Weird. This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Jennifer Probst is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over 60 books across different kinds of romance as well as non-fiction for writers. Her latest book is Write Free. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights, and the full transcript is below. Show Notes How Jennifer started writing at age 12, fell in love with romance, and persisted through decades of rejection A breakout success — and what happened when it moved to a traditional publisher Traditional vs indie publishing, diversification, and building a long-term, legacy-focused writing career Rapid-release pen names vs slow-burn author brands, and why Jennifer chooses quality and longevity Inspirational non-fiction for writers (Write Naked, Write True, Write Free) Using Kickstarter for special editions, re-releases, courses, and what she's learned from both successes and mistakes – plus what “writing free” really means in practice How can you ‘write free'? You can find Jennifer at JenniferProbst.com. Transcript of interview with Jennifer Probst Jo: Jennifer Probst is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over 60 books across different kinds of romance as well as non-fiction for writers. Her latest book is Write Free. So welcome, Jennifer. Jennifer: Thanks so much, Joanna. I am kind of fangirling. I'm really excited to be on The Creative Penn podcast. It's kind of a bucket list. Jo: Aw, that's exciting. I reached out to you after your recent Kickstarter, and we are going to come back to that in a minute. First up, take us back in time. Tell us a bit more about how you got into writing and publishing. Jennifer: This one is easy for me. I am one of those rarities. I think that I knew when I was seven that I was going to write. I just didn't know what I was going to write. At 12 years old, and now this will kind of date me in dinosaur era here, there was no internet, no information on how to be a writer, no connections out there. The only game in town was Writer's Digest. I would go to my library and pore over Writer's Digest to learn how to be a writer. At 12 years old, all I knew was, “Oh, if I want to be a famous writer, I have to write a book.” So I literally sat down at 12 and wrote my first young adult romance. Of course, I was the star, as we all are when we're young, and I have not stopped since. I always knew, since my dad came home from a library with a box of romance novels and got in trouble with my mum and said, basically, “She's reading everything anyway, just let her read these,” I was gone. From that moment on, I knew that my entire life was going to be about that. So for me, it wasn't the writing. I have written non-stop since I was 12 years old. For me, it was more about making this a career where I can make money, because I think there was a good 30 years where I wrote without a penny to my name. So it was more of a different journey for me. It was more about trying to find my way in the writing world, where everybody said it should be just a hobby, and I believed that it should be something more. Jo: I was literally just going back in my head there to the library I used to go to on my way home from school. Similar, probably early teens, maybe age 14. Going to that section and… I think it was Shirley Conran. Was that Lace? Yes, Lace books. That's literally how we all learned about sex back in the day. Jennifer: All from books. You didn't need parents, you didn't need friends. Amazing. Jo: Oh, those were the days. That must have been the eighties, right? Jennifer: It was the eighties. Yes. Seventies, eighties, but mostly right around in the eighties. Oh, it was so… Jo: I got lost about then because I was reminiscing. I was also the same one in the library, and people didn't really see what you were reading in the corner of the library. So I think that's quite funny. Tell us how you got into being an indie. Jennifer: What had happened is I had this manuscript and it had been shopped around New York for agents and for a bunch of publishers. I kept getting the same exact thing: “I love your voice.” I mean, Joanna, when you talk about papering your wall with rejections, I lived that. The only thing I can say is that when I got my first rejection, I looked at it as a rite of passage that created me as a writer, rather than taking the perspective that it meant I failed. To me, perspective is a really big thing in this career, how you look at things. So that really helped me. But after you get like 75 of them, you're like, “I don't know how much longer I can take of this.” What happened is, it was an interesting story, because I had gone to an RWA conference and I had shopped this everywhere, this book that I just kept coming back to. I kept saying, “I feel like this book could be big.” There was an indie publisher there. They had just started out, it was an indie publisher called Entangled. A lot of my friends were like, “What about Entangled? Why don't you try more digital things or more indie publishers coming up rather than the big traditional ones?” Lo and behold, I sent it out. They loved the book. They decided, in February of 2012, to launch it. It was their big debut. They were kind of competing with Harlequin, but it was going to be a new digital line. It was this new cutting-edge thing. The book went crazy. It went viral. The book was called The Marriage Bargain, and it put me on the map. All of a sudden I was inundated with agents, and the traditional publishers came knocking and they wanted to buy the series. It was everywhere. Then it hit USA Today, and then it spent 26 weeks on The New York Times. Everybody was like, “Wow, you're this overnight sensation.” And I'm like, “Not really!” That was kind of my leeway into everything. We ended up selling that series to Simon & Schuster because that was the smart move for then, because it kind of blew up and an indie publisher at that time knew it was a lot to take on. From then on, my goal was always to do both: to have a traditional contract, to work with indie publishers, and to do my own self-pub. I felt, even back then, the more diversified I am, the more control I have. If one bucket goes bad, I have two other buckets. Jo: Yes, I mean, I always say multiple streams of income. It's so surprising to me that people think that whatever it is that hits big is going to continue. So you obviously experienced there a massive high point, but it doesn't continue. You had all those weeks that were amazing, but then it drops off, right? Jennifer: Oh my goodness, yes. Great story about what happened. So 26 weeks on The New York Times, and it was selling like hotcakes. Then Simon & Schuster took it over and they bumped the price to their usual ebook price, which was, what, $12.99 or something? So it's going from $2.99. The day that they did it, I slid off all the bestseller lists. They were gone, and I lost a lot of control too. With indies, you have a little bit more control. But again, that kind of funnels me into a completely different kind of setup. Traditional is very different from indie. What you touched on, I think, is the biggest thing in the industry right now. When things are hot, it feels like forever. I learned a valuable lesson: it doesn't continue. It just doesn't. Maybe someone like Danielle Steel or some of the other big ones never had to pivot, but I feel like in romance it's very fluid. You have genres hitting big, you have niches hitting big, authors hitting big. Yes, I see some of them stay. I see Emily Henry still staying—maybe that will never pause—but I think for the majority, they find themselves saying, “Okay, that's done now. What's next?” It can either hit or not hit. Does that make sense to you? Do you feel the same? Jo: Yes, and I guess it's not just about the book. It's more about the tactic. You mentioned genres, and they do switch a lot in romance, a lot faster than other genres. In terms of how we do marketing… Now, as we record this, TikTok is still a thing, and we can see maybe generative AI search coming on the horizon and agentic buying. A decade ago it might have been different, more Facebook ads or whatever. Then before that it might have been something else. So there's always things changing along the way. Jennifer: Yes, there definitely is. It is a very oversaturated market. They talk about, I don't know, 2010 to 2016 maybe, as the gold rush, because that was where you could make a lot of money as an indie. Then we saw the total fallout of so many different things. I feel like I've gone through so many ups and downs in the industry. I do love it because the longer you're around, the more you learn how to pivot. If you want this career, you learn how to write differently or do whatever you need to do to keep going, in different aspects, with the changes. To me, that makes the industry exciting. Again, perspective is a big thing. But I have had to take a year to kind of rebuild when I was out of contract with a lot of things. I've had to say, “Okay, what do you see on the horizon now? Where is the new foundation? Where do you wanna restart?” Sometimes it takes a year or two of, “Maybe I won't be making big income and I cut back,” but then you're back in it, because it takes a while to write a few new books, or write under a pen name, or however you want to pivot your way back into the industry. Or, like you were saying, diversifying. I did a lot of non-fiction stuff because that's a big calling for me, so I put that into the primary for a while. I think it's important for authors to maybe not just have one thing. When that one thing goes away, you're scrambling. It's good to have a couple of different things like, “Well, okay, this genre is dead or this thing is dead or this isn't making money. Let me go to this for a little while until I see new things on the horizon.” Jo: Yes. There's a couple of things I want to come back to. You mentioned a pen name there, and one of the things I'm seeing a lot right now—I mean, it's always gone on, but it seems to be on overdrive—is people doing rapid-release, throwaway pen names. So there's a new sub-genre, they write the books really fast, they put them up under whatever pen name, and then when that goes away, they ditch that pen name altogether. Versus growing a name brand more slowly, like I think you and I have done. Under my J.F. Penn fiction brand, I put lots of different sub-genres. What are your thoughts on this throwaway pen name versus growing a name brand more slowly? Jennifer: Well, okay, the first thing I'm goign to say is: if that lights people up, if you love the idea of rapid release and just kind of shedding your skin and going on to the next one, I say go for it. As long as you're not pumping it out with AI so it's a complete AI book, but that's a different topic. I'm not saying using AI tools; I mean a completely AI-written book. That's the difference. If we're talking about an author going in and, every four weeks, writing a book and stuff like that, I do eventually think that anything in life that disturbs you, you're going to burn out eventually. That is a limited-time kind of thing, I believe. I don't know how long you can keep doing that and create decent enough books or make a living on it. But again, I really try not to judge, because I am very open to: if that gives you joy and that's working and it brings your family money, go for it. I have always wanted to be a writer for the long term. I want my work to be my legacy. I don't just pump out books. Every single book is my history. It's a marking of what I thought, what I put out in the world, what my beliefs are, what my story is. It marks different things, and I'm very proud of that. So I want a legacy of quality. As I got older, in my twenties and thirties, I was able to write books a lot faster. Then I had a family with two kids and I had to slow down a little bit. I also think life sometimes drives your career, and that's okay. If you're taking care of a sick parent or there's illness or whatever, maybe you need to slow down. I like the idea of a long-term backlist supporting me when I need to take a back seat and not do frontlist things. So that's how I feel. I will always say: choose a long, organic-growth type of career that will be there for you, where your backlist can support you. I also don't want to trash people who do it differently. If that is how you can do it, if you can write a book in a month and keep doing it and keep it quality, go for it. Jo: I do have the word “legacy” on my board next to me, but I also have “create a body of work I'm proud of.” I have that next to me, and I have “Have you made art today?” So I think about these things too. As you say, people feel differently about work, and I will do other work to make faster cash rather than do that with books. But as we said, that's all good. Interestingly, you mentioned non-fiction there. Write Free is your latest one, but you've got some other writing books. So maybe— Talk about the difference between non-fiction book income and marketing compared to fiction, and why you added that in. Jennifer: Yes, it's completely different. I mean, it's two new dinosaurs. I came to writing non-fiction in a very strange way. Literally, I woke up on New Year's Day and I was on a romance book deadline. I could not do it. I'll tell you, my brain was filled with passages of teaching writing, of things I wanted to share in my writing career. Because again, I've been writing since I was 12, I've been a non-stop writer for over 30 years. I got to my computer and I wrote like three chapters of Write Naked (which was the first book). It was just pouring out of me. So I contacted my agent and I said, “Look, I don't know, this is what I want to do. I want to write this non-fiction book.” She's like, “What are you talking about? You're a romance author. You're on a romance deadline. What do you want me to do with this?” She was so confused. I said, “Yes, how do you write a non-fiction book proposal?” And she was just like, “This is not good, Jen. What are you doing?” Anyway, the funny story was, she said, “Just send me chapters.” I mean, God bless her, she's this wonderful agent, but I know she didn't get it. So I sent her like four chapters of what I was writing and she called me. I'll never forget it. She called me on the phone and she goes, “This is some of the best stuff I have ever read in my life. It's raw and it's truthful, and we've got to find a publisher for this.” And I was like, “Yay.” What happened was, I believe this was one of the most beautiful full circles in my life: Writer's Digest actually made me an offer. It was not about the money. I found that non-fiction for me had a much lower advance and a different type of sales. For me, when I was a kid, that is exactly what I was reading in the library, Writer's Digest. I would save my allowance to get the magazine. I would say to myself, “One day, maybe I will have a book with Writer's Digest.” So for me, it was one of the biggest full-circle moments. I will never forget it. Being published by them was amazing. Then I thought I was one-and-done, but the book just completely touched so many writers. I have never gotten so many emails: “Thank you for saying the truth,” or “Thank you for being vulnerable.” Right before it published, I had a panic attack. I told my husband, “Now everybody's going to know that I am a mess and I'm not fabulous and the world is going to know my craziness.” By being vulnerable about the career, and also that it was specifically for romance authors, it caused a bond. I think it caused some trust. I had been writing about writing for years. After that, I thought it was one-and-done. Then two or three years later I was like, “No, I have more to say.” So I leaned into my non-fiction. It also gives my fiction brain a rest, because when you're doing non-fiction, you're using a different part of your brain. It's a way for me to cleanse my palate. I gather more experiences about what I want to share, and then that goes into the next book. Jo: Yes, I also use the phrase “palate cleanser” for non-fiction versus fiction. I feel like you write one and then you feel like, “Oh, I really need to write the other now.” Jennifer: Yes! Isn't it wonderful? I love that. I love having the two brains and just giving one a break and totally leaning into it. Again, it's another way of income. It's another way. I also believe that this industry has given me so much that it is automatic that I want to give back. I just want to give as much as possible back because I'm so passionate about writing and the industry field. Jo: Well, interestingly though, Writer's Digest—the publisher who published that magazine and other things—went bankrupt in 2019. You've been in publishing a long time. It is not uncommon for publishers to go out of business or to get bought. Things happen with publishers, right? Jennifer: Yes. Jo: So what then happened? Jennifer: So Penguin Random House bought it. All the Writer's Digest authors did not know what they were going to do. Then Penguin Random House bought it and kept Writer's Digest completely separate, as an imprint under the umbrella. So Writer's Digest really hasn't changed. They still have the magazine, they still have books. So it ended up being okay. But what I did do is—because I sold Write Naked and I have no regrets about that, it was the best thing for me to do, to go that route—the second and the third books were self-published. I decided I'm going to self-publish. That way I have the rights for audio, I have the rights for myself, I can do a whole bunch of different things. So Write True, the second one, was self-published. Writers Inspiring Writers I paired up with somebody, so we self-published that. And Write Free, my newest one, is self-published. So I've decided to go that route now with my non-fiction. Jo: Well, as I said, I noticed your Kickstarter. I don't write romance, so I'm not really in that community. I had kind of heard your name before, but then I bought the book and joined the Kickstarter. Then I discovered that you've been doing so much and I was like, “Oh, how, why haven't we connected before?” It's very cool. So tell us about the Kickstarters you've done and what you know, because you've done, I think, a fiction one as well. What are your thoughts and tips around Kickstarter? Jennifer: Yes. When I was taking that year, I found myself kind of… let's just say fired from a lot of different publishers at the time. That was okay because I had contracts that ran out, and when I looked to see, “Okay, do we want to go back?” it just wasn't looking good. I was like, “Well, I don't want to spend a year if I'm not gonna be making the money anyway.” So I looked at the landscape and I said, “It's time to really pull in and do a lot more things on my own, but I've got to build foundations.” Kickstarter was one of them. I took a course with Russell Nohelty and Monica Leonelle. They did a big course for Kickstarter, and they were really the ones going around to all the conferences and basically saying, “Hey guys, you're missing out on a lot of publishing opportunities here,” because Kickstarter publishing was getting good. I took the course because I like to dive into things, but I also want to know the foundation of it. I want to know what I'm doing. I'm not one to just wing it when it comes to tech. So what happened is, the first one, I had rights coming back from a book. After 10 years, my rights came back. It was an older book and I said, “You know what? I am going to dip my foot in and see what kind of base I can grow there. What can I do?” I was going to get a new cover, add new scenes, re-release it anyway, right? So I said, “Let's do a Kickstarter for it, because then I can get paid for all of that work.” It worked out so fantastically. It made just enough for my goal. I knew I didn't want to make a killing; I knew I wanted to make a fund. I made my $5,000, which I thought was wonderful, and I was able to re-release it with a new cover, a large print hardback, and I added some scenes. I did a 10-year anniversary re-release for my fans. So I made it very fan-friendly, grew my audience, and I was like, “This was great.” The next year, I did something completely different. I was doing Kindle Vella back in the day. That was where you dropped a chapter at a time. I said, “I want to do this completely different kind of thing.” It was very not my brand at all. It was very reality TV-ish: young college students living in the city, very sexy, very angsty, love triangles, messy—everything I was not known for. Again, I was like, “I'm not doing a pen name because this is just me,” and I funnelled my audience. I said, “What I'm going to do is I'm going to start doing a chapter a week through Kindle Vella and make money there. Then when it's done, I'm going to bundle it all up and make a book out of it.” So I did a year of Kindle Vella. It was the best decision I made because I just did two chapters a week, which I was able to do. By one year I had like 180,000 words. I had two to three books in there. I did it as a hardback deluxe—the only place you could get it in print. Then Vella closed, or at least it went way down. So I was like, “Great, I'm going to do this Kickstarter for this entire new thing.” I partnered with a company that helps with special editions, because that was a whole other… oh Joanna, that was a whole other thing you have to go into. Getting the books, getting the art, getting the swag. I felt like I needed some help for that. Again, I went in, I funded. I did not make a killing on that, but that was okay. I learned some things that I would have changed with my Kickstarter and I also built a new audience for that. I had a lot of extra books that I then sold in my store, and it was another place to make money. The third Kickstarter I used specifically because I had always wanted to do a writing course. I go all over the world, I do keynotes, I do workshops, I've done books, and I wanted to reach new writers, but I don't travel a lot anymore. So I came up with the concept that I was going to do my very first course, and it was going to be very personal, kind of like me talking to them almost like in a keynote, like you're in a room with me. I gathered a whole bunch of stuff and I used Kickstarter to help me A) fund it and B) make myself do it, because it was two years in the making and I always had, “Oh, I've got this other thing to do,” you know how we do that, right? We have big projects. So I used Kickstarter as a deadline and I decided to launch it in the summer. In addition to that, I took years of my posts from all over. I copied and pasted, did new posts, and I created Write Free, which was a very personal, essay-driven book. I took it all together. I took a couple of months to do this, filmed the course, and the Kickstarter did better than I had ever imagined. I got quadruple what I wanted, and it literally financed all the video editing, the books, everything that I needed, plus extra. I feel like I'm growing in Kickstarter. I hope I'm not ranting. I'm trying to go over things that can help people. Jo: Oh no, that is super useful. Jennifer: So you don't have to go all in and say, “If it doesn't fund it's over,” or “I need to make $20,000.” There are people making so much money, and there are people that will do a project a year or two projects a year and just get enough to fund a new thing that they want to do. So that's how I've done it. Jo: I've done quite a few now, and my non-fiction ones have been a lot bigger—I have a big audience there—and my fiction have been all over the place. What I like about Kickstarter is that you can do these different things. We can do these special editions. I've just done a sprayed-edge short story collection. Short story collections are not the biggest genre. Jennifer: Yes. I love short stories too. I've always wanted to do an anthology of all my short stories. Jo: There you go. Jennifer: Yes, I love that for your Kickstarter. Love it. Jo: When I turned 50 earlier this year, I realised the thing that isn't in print is my short stories. They are out there digitally, and that's why I wanted to do it. I feel like Kickstarter is a really good way to do these creative projects. As you say, you don't have to make a ton of money, but at the end of the day, the definition of success for us, I think for both of us, is just being able to continue doing this, right? Jennifer: Absolutely. This is funding a creative full-time career, and every single thing that you do with your content is like a funnel. The more funnels that you have, the bigger your base. Especially if you love it. It would be different if I was struggling and thinking, “Do I get an editor job?” I would hate being an editor. But if you look at something else like, “Oh yes, I could do this and that would light me up, like doing a course—wow, that sounds amazing,” then that's different. It's kind of finding your alternates that also light you up. Jo: Hmm. So were there any mistakes in your Kickstarters that you think are worth sharing? In case people are thinking about it. Jennifer: Oh my God, yes. So many. One big thing was that I felt like I was a failure if I didn't make a certain amount of money because my name is pretty well known. It's not like I'm brand new and looking. One of the big things was that I could not understand and I felt like I was banging my head against the wall about why my newsletter subscribers wouldn't support the Kickstarter. I'm like, “Why aren't you doing this? I'm supposed to have thousands of people that just back.” Your expectations can really mess with you. Then I started to learn, “Oh my God, my newsletter audience wants nothing to do with my Kickstarter.” Maybe I had a handful. So then I learned that I needed longer tails, like putting it up for pre-order way ahead of time, and also that you can't just announce it in your newsletter and feel like everybody's going to go there. You need to find your streams, your Kickstarter audience, which includes ads. I had never done ads either and I didn't know how to do that, so I did that all wrong. I joined the Facebook group for Kickstarter authors. I didn't do that for the first one and then I learned about it. You share backer updates, so every time you go into your audience with a backer update, there's this whole community where you can share with like-minded people with their projects, and you post it under your updates. It does cross-networking and sharing with a lot of authors in their newsletters. For the Write Free one, I leaned into my networking a lot, using my connections. I used other authors' newsletters and people in the industry to share my Kickstarter. That was better for me than just relying on my own fanbase. So definitely more networking, more sharing, getting it out on different platforms rather than just doing your own narrow channel. Because a lot of the time, you think your audience will follow you into certain things and they don't, and that needs to be okay. The other thing was the time and the backend. I think a lot of authors can get super excited about swag. I love that, but I learned that I could have pulled back a little bit and been smarter with my financials. I did things I was passionate about, but I probably spent much more money on swag than I needed to. So looking at different aspects to make it more efficient. I think each time you do one, you learn what works best. As usual, I try to be patient with myself. I don't get mad at myself for trying things and failing. I think failing is spectacular because I learn something. I know: do I want to do this again? Do I want to do it differently? If we weren't so afraid of failingqu “in public”, I think we would do more things. I'm not saying I never think, “Oh my God, that was so embarrassing, I barely funded and this person is getting a hundred thousand.” We're human. We compare. I have my own reset that I do, but I really try to say, “But no, for me, maybe I'll do this, and if it doesn't work, that's okay.” Jo: I really like that you shared about the email list there because I feel like too many people have spent years driving people to Kindle or KU, and they have built an email list of readers who like a particular format at a particular price. Then we are saying, “Oh, now come over here and buy a beautiful hardback that's like ten times the price.” And we're surprised when nobody does it. Is that what happened? Jennifer: Exactly. Also, that list was for a non-fiction project. So I had to funnel where my writers were in my newsletter, and I have mostly readers. So I was like, “Okay…” But I think you're exactly right. First of all, it's the platform. When you ask anybody to go off a platform, whether it's buy direct at your Shopify store or go to Kickstarter, you are going to lose the majority right there. People are like, “No, I want to click a button from your newsletter and go to a site that I know.” So you've got that, and you've got to train them. That can take some time. Then you've got this project where people are like, “I don't understand.” Even my mum was like, “I would love to support you, honey, but what the heck is this? Where's the buy button and where's my book?” My women's fiction books tend to have some older readers who are like, “Hell no, I don't know what this is.” So you have to know your audience. If it's not translating, train them. I did a couple of videos where I said, “Look, I want to show you how easy this is,” and I showed them directly how to go in and how to back. I did that with Kindle Vella too. I did a video from my newsletter and on social: “Hey, do you not know how to read this chapter? Here's how.” Sometimes there's a barrier. Like you said, Joanna, if I have a majority that just want sexy contemporary, and I'm dropping angsty, cheating, forbidden love, they're like, “Oh no, that's not for me.” So you have to know whether there's a crossover. I go into my business with that already baked into my expectations. I don't go in thinking I'm going to make a killing. Then I'm more surprised when it does well, and then I can build it. Jo: Yes, exactly. Also if you are, like both of us, writing across genres, then you are always going to split your audience. People do not necessarily buy everything because they have their preferences. So I think that's great. Now we are almost out of time, but this latest book is Write Free. I wondered if you would maybe say— What does Write Free mean to you, and what might it help the listeners with? Jennifer: Write Free is an extremely personal book for me, and the title was really important because it goes with Write Naked, Write True, and Write Free. These are the ways that I believe a writer should always show up to the page. Freedom is being able to write your truth in whatever day that is. You're going to be a different writer when you're young and maybe hormonal and passionate and having love affairs. You're going to write differently when you're a mum with kids in nappies. You're going to write differently when you are maybe in your forties and you're killing your career. Your perspective changes, your life changes. Write Free is literally a collection of essays all through my 30 years of life. It's very personal. There are essays like, “I'm writing my 53rd book right now,” and essays like, “My kids are in front of SpongeBob and I'm trying to write right now,” and “I got another rejection letter and I don't know how to survive.” It is literally an imprint of essays that you can dip in and dip out of. It's easy, short, inspirational, and it's just me showing up for my writing life. That's what I wish for everybody: that they can show up for their writing life in the best way that they can at the time, because that changes all the time. Jo: We can say “write free” because we've got a lot of experience at writing. I feel like when I started writing—I was an IT consultant—I literally couldn't write anything creative. I didn't believe I could. There'll be people listening who are just like, “Well, Jennifer, I can't write free. I'm not free. My mind is shackled by all these expectations and everything.” How can they release that and aim for more freedom? Jennifer: I love that question so much. The thing is, I've spent so many years working on that part. That doesn't come overnight. I think sometimes when you have more clarification of, “Okay, this is really limiting me,” then when you can see where something is limiting you, at least you can look for answers. My answers came in the form of meditation. Meditation is a very big thing in my life. Changing my perspective. Learning life mottos to help me deal with those kinds of limitations. Learning that when I write a sex scene, I can't care about my elderly aunt who tells my mother, “Dear God, she ruined the family name.” It is your responsibility to figure out where these limitations are, and then slowly see how you can remove them. I've been in therapy. I have read hundreds of self-help books. I take meditation courses. I take workshop courses. I've done CliftonStrengths with Becca Syme. I don't even know if that's therapy, but it feels like therapy to me as a writer. Knowing my personality traits. I've done Enneagram work with Claire Taylor, which has been huge. The more you know yourself and how your brain is showing up for yourself, the more you can grab tools to use. I wish I could say, “Yes, if everybody meditates 30 minutes a day, you're going to have all blocks removed,” but it's so personal that it's a trick question. If everybody started today and said, “Where is my biggest limitation?” and be real with yourself, there are answers out there. You just have to go slowly and find them, and then the writing more free will come. I hope that wasn't one of those woo-woo answers, but I really do believe it. Jo: I agree. It just takes time. Like our writing career, it just takes time. Keep working on it, keep writing. Jennifer: Yes. And bravery, right? A lot of bravery. Just show up for yourself however you can. If “write free” feels too big, journal for yourself and put it in a locked drawer. Any kind of writing, I think, is therapeutic too. Jo: Brilliant. So where can people find you and your books and everything you do online? Jennifer: The best place to go is my website. I treat it like my home. It's www.JenniferProbst.com. There is so much on it. Not just books, not just free content and free stories. There's an entire section just for writers. There are videos on there. There are a lot of resources. I keep it up to date and it is the place where you can find me. Of course I'm everywhere on social media as Author Jennifer Probst. You can find me anywhere. I always tell everybody: I answer my messages, I answer my emails. That is really important to me. So if you heard this podcast and you want to reach out on anything, please do. I will answer. Jo: Fantastic. Well, thanks so much for your time, Jennifer. That was great. Jennifer: Thanks for having me, Joanna.The post Writing Free: Romance Author Jennifer Probst On A Long-Term Author Career first appeared on The Creative Penn.
290 / If you missed the first part of our interview with Lee and Russell, scroll back to the previous episode in your podcast feed and catch up. Part II of our conversation with Russell and Lee continues in this episode as we talk about money mindset, sustainability, collaboration, and more. Lee Savino, seven-figure romance author and mastermind founder, and Russell Nolte, USA Today bestselling fantasy author and co-host of the Six Figure Author Experiment podcast, discuss the realities of building and maintaining an author business.Redefining "hard" and "ease" in writing and businessChoosing the right kind of hard—and what to walk away fromLetting go of past successes and recalibrating your goalsCollaboration, co-creation, and building creative partnershipsStructuring your business for happiness and sustainability
Thank you Katie Chappell, Alyssa Polizzi, The Artist's Toolbox, Daria Diaz, New Harmony Homeopath, and many others for tuning into my live video with Russell Nohelty! If you want more of Russell Nohelty and I, you can buy our Secrets of Substack Bestseller's Masterclass. Two hours of the deep dive strategy that got us and our clients to be Substack bestsellers with 100s of paid subscribers.This class is free to my
289 / Are you struggling to find ease, joy, and sustainability in your writing career as the industry keeps evolving? Lee Savino, seven-figure romance author and mastermind founder, and Russell Nolte, USA Today bestselling fantasy author and co-host of the Six Figure Author Experiment podcast, discuss the realities of building and maintaining an author business.Redefining "hard" and "ease" in writing and businessChoosing the right kind of hard—and what to walk away fromLetting go of past successes and recalibrating your goalsCollaboration, co-creation, and building creative partnershipsStructuring your business for happiness and sustainability
Storycomic Presents: Interviews with Amazing Storytellers and Artists
#RussellNohelty #WriterEconomy #AuthorBusiness #CapitalistDystopia #WritingTips #StorycomicPresents #WritingCareer #AuthorAdvice #WriterMBA #TheAuthorStack In this episode of Storycomic Presents, I welcome back USA Today bestselling author Russell Nohelty to dive into his new release How to Thrive as a Writer in a Capitalist Dystopia. Russell shares actionable strategies for writers to not just survive but truly thrive—balancing craft, commerce, and self-care in today's hyper-capitalist publishing world. We'll also revisit his extensive work in fantasy—like Cosmic Weave, Ichabod Jones, and The Obsidian Spindle Saga—and explore how his Writer MBA and Substack The Author Stack help authors build sustainable careers Expect sharp insights, humor, and real-world advice for writers at any stage. The Title sequence was designed and created by Morgan Quaid. See more of Morgan's Work at: https://morganquaid.com/ Storycomic Logo designed by Gregory Giordano See more of Greg's work at: https://www.instagram.com/gregory_c_giordano_art/ Want to start your own podcast? Click on the link to get started: https://www.podbean.com/storycomic Follow us: Are you curious to see the video version of this interview? It's on our website too! www.storycomic.com www.patreon.com/storycomic www.facebook.com/storycomic1 https://www.instagram.com/storycomic/ https://twitter.com/storycomic1 For information on being a guest or curious to learn more about Storycomic? Contact us at info@storycomic.com Thank you to our Founders Club Patrons, Michael Winn, Higgins802, Von Allan, Stephanie Nina Pitsirilos, Marek Bennett, Donna Carr Roberts, Andrew Gronosky, Simki Kuznick, and Matt & Therese. Check out their fantastic work at: https://marekbennett.com/ https://www.hexapus-ink.com/ https://www.stephanieninapitsirilos.com/ https://www.vonallan.com/ https://higgins802.com/ https://shewstone.com/ https://www.simkikuznick.com/ Also to Michael Winn who is a member of our Founders Club!
Hey folks,It's been a beautiful couple of years of wild collabs with Russell and I wanted to re-connect as we celebrate the first anniversary of our Substack book.Thank you Louise Tilbrook ✨, Marie-Elizabeth Mali, Dan Ehrenkrantz, Betty Williams, Annette Gendler, and many others for tuning into my live video with Russell Nohelty! Do subscribe to Russell Nohelty over at The Author Stack and follow along with his amazing publishing and writerly support journey.REMINDER - you can still buy our book How to Build a World Class Substack in ebook or paperback where ever you buy your books.Here is a link for Blackwells. Join me for my next live video in the app and make sure you stay subscribed to my notified of all the good stuff. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparkleon.substack.com/subscribe
Have you ever followed popular marketing advice that worked wonders for someone else but completely fell flat for you? Or have you watched another author succeed with a strategy you were told would never work?That's because book marketing isn't one-size-fits-all.In this week's episode, I talk with USA Today bestselling author Russell Nohelty about Author Ecosystems—a framework that helps you understand the type of author you are and which marketing strategies are most likely to work for you.You'll discover:Why some authors succeed with rapid release while others succeed with traditional launchesHow to identify your own ecosystem and tailor your marketing strategy accordinglyWhich types of authors complement one another bestWhether you're struggling to gain traction or just want to work smarter, this conversation will give you clarity and direction.Listen in or check out the blog post to find links to the Author Ecosystems quiz and other resources to help you determine where you fit in the author ecosystem. It's a great place to start.Support the show
In this episode of Brave New Bookshelf, hosts Steph Pajonas and Danica Favorite are joined by USA Today bestselling author Russell Nohelty to explore the transformative role of AI in both fiction and nonfiction writing. Russell shares his journey from AI skeptic to advocate, highlighting how AI tools have become invaluable co-creators in his expansive storytelling process. From crafting the intricate Cosmic Weave universe to organizing nonfiction concepts, Russell discusses the importance of understanding the craft of storytelling and how AI can enhance creativity through collaboration and brainstorming. Visit our website https://bravenewbookshelf.com to view the full episode notes, links and apps mentioned in the episode, and the full transcript.
Quick recapThe conversation among Russell, Monica, and Audrey revolved around the significance of planning in the writing and publishing process, with a focus on various planning and time management strategies. They also discussed the role of AI tools in creating content and the challenges of balancing work and personal life. The conversation highlighted the importance of managing expectations, setting and sticking to priorities, and maintaining a visible presence in business operations. The participants also shared their experiences with sleep cycles and work strategies, and the challenges of delivering quality work. The conversation concluded with a discussion on the importance of process improvement and transitioning into a mentor role.SummaryPlanning in Writing and Publishing ProcessThe conversation among Russell, Monica, and Audrey focused on the significance of planning in the writing and publishing process. Audrey, a planner expert, stressed the advantages of target-setting and planning for authors. The trio also reviewed the success of their author ecosystem efforts and upcoming projects. The discussion highlighted various planning and time management strategies, with Audrey and Monica sharing their experiences, while Russell expressed his struggles with content planning. Audrey and Monica also discussed the importance of time blocking and noted that it can be beneficial in different scenarios. The conversation ended without a definitive conclusion on which method was superior.Writing, Productivity, and AI in Creative ProcessesRussell Nohelty discussed his writing process, highlighting his ability to focus on his work due to not having any dependents. Monica Leonelle brought up the concept of women often being seen as support in others' lives. The conversation then shifted to productivity and Audrey Hughey shared her strategy of dedicating Saturday mornings to brainstorming and building her vision, which she found to be a highly productive time for her. Russell also mentioned the use of AI for writing and noted the recent release of Microsoft 365's Copilot Pro.AI Tools for Presentations and Task DelegationRussell, Audrey, and Monica discussed the benefits and limitations of AI tools in creating presentations and content calendars. Audrey shared her approach to monthly maintenance tasks, which involves using AI for content creation and delegating tasks to her team. The conversation concluded with Russell discussing the concept of 'chaos agents' and how they can disrupt plans, and Audrey bringing up the idea of 'yellow, red, and gray tines'.Balancing Life PrioritiesAudrey shared her top life priorities, which include self-care, family, her writing career, and income generation. She admitted struggling with balancing these priorities, particularly when her writing flow is disrupted and it affects her time with her family. Audrey, Monica, and Russell discussed the importance of setting and sticking to priorities, sharing their personal approaches. The conversation highlighted the challenges of balancing work and personal life, with Monica admitting that her family often takes precedence over her own needs.Managing Expectations in Project PlanningMonica shared her approach to project planning and meeting deadlines, emphasizing the importance of managing audience expectations. Russell expressed concerns over the fulfillment rate of a recent crowdfunding campaign and the need for maintaining a visible presence in business operations. Both Monica and Russell discussed the significance of managing expectations, particularly in terms of project timelines, and the importance of focusing on one goal at a time. The conversation also touched upon the varying expectations from different audiences and the psychological impact of losing supporters.Quality Work Challenges for Small BusinessesMonica, Audrey, and Russell discussed the challenges of delivering quality work, with Monica noting the struggle small businesses may face in balancing time and quality. Audrey emphasized the importance of prioritization, adaptability, and stakeholder communication, while Russell highlighted the subjective nature of quality. Audrey stressed the need for weekly evaluations, holistic planning, and strategic time management. Her suggestions were agreed upon by the team, with Russell and Monica acknowledging the practicality of her approach.Sleep Cycles and Work StrategiesThe participants discussed their experiences with sleep cycles and work strategies, noting how their approaches have changed as they've aged. Audrey emphasized the importance of self-care and limiting commitments to preserve energy. Russell shared how his strategies evolved as he had to adapt to chronic fatigue and reduced physical capacity. Monica mentioned her struggle with sleep deprivation and the need to shift her work habits. The conversation also touched upon the challenges of balancing work commitments and self-care when life circumstances change, such as becoming a parent or caring for a sick relative.Digital Products Income Boost: Planning, Efficiency, ChallengesAudrey Hughey highlighted the significance of planning and efficiency in boosting income from digital products, underscoring the need to balance income generation with personal fulfillment. Russell Nohelty and Monica Leonelle concurred, discussing their personal approaches to planning and the challenges of running a business, particularly in relation to digital presence and income generation. Russell shared his experience of losing his social media accounts and discussed the potential use of AI in advertising as a solution to regain lost revenue. The trio also explored various strategies such as finding more traffic sources, creating packages of old posts, and providing transformative experiences for clients.Writers Discuss Editing, Teamwork, and Outsourcing.Audrey Hughey shared her plans to package and edit her previously written short stories and flash fiction for her audience who enjoys horror and thriller genres. Russell Nohelty and Monica Leonelle reflected on the quality of their teams, noting their ability to work independently and deliver the desired experience. They emphasized the importance of hiring a well-suited team who require less oversight. The conversation concluded with the idea of documenting their processes for future reference, particularly in relation to a book project. Monica acknowledged her role as a bottleneck and decided to delegate much of her remaining workload to others. Russell emphasized the importance of investing in outsourcing and hiring professionals when possible.Marketing, Processes, and Leadership DiscussionsRussell, Audrey, and Monica discussed their experiences with marketing tool ConvertKit, with Audrey expressing satisfaction and Russell raising concerns about cost. They underscored the importance of understanding personal processes for improvement or outsourcing. Monica shared the benefits of gaining clarity about her work process and the advantages of outsourcing tasks. Russell introduced a new tool, Scroll, which uses AI for process documentation. The conversation also touched on the need for process improvement in their business ventures and the importance of transitioning into a mentor role, especially after turning 40. Audrey and Monica discussed the challenges faced by individuals who don't make this transition, with potential burnout being a significant concern. Additionally, they talked about the importance of training and leadership in the military, with Audrey emphasizing the potential for dismissal if one stagnates at the same rank.Work Challenges and Priorities: A Team DiscussionMonica, Audrey, and Russell discussed their work challenges and benefits. Monica mentioned an upcoming milestone birthday and the need for better systems. Audrey shared their bi-weekly meetings to focus on important projects and evaluate progress. Russell expressed interest in learning about their systems to avoid burnout and improve operations. Audrey admitted struggles with delegation, indicating a need to improve their system further. They also discussed the importance of having a team to manage and prioritize tasks, with Audrey sharing her strategy of breaking up projects into manageable tasks. Monica and Audrey discussed their respective strategies and priorities, with Monica emphasizing sales and marketing skills, and Audrey focusing on sales for the year. The conversation concluded with the group agreeing on the value of coaching for addressing planning problems and finding solutions. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.writermba.com/subscribe
Russell Nohelty is a USA Today bestselling author, publisher, and speaker.He is the author of many novels, including The Godsverse Chronicles, along with the creator of the Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter, Pixie Dust, and Katrina Hates the Dead graphic novels. He also edited the Cthulhu is Hard to Spell anthologies. He has raised over $400,000 on Kickstarter across 25 projects.https://www.russellnohelty.com/Sponsors:https://invideo.sjv.io/c/3290446/1543...https://mindbloom.sjv.io/c/3290446/15...https://daily-high-club-affiliate-pro...https://www.opus.pro/?via=a28600https://goodbru.com/?sca_ref=8203535....DONATE TO THE CHANNEL: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted...Join this channel to get access to perks:  / @minddog
Russell Nohelty is a USA Today bestselling fantasy and non-fiction author, publisher of Wannabe Press, co-host of the Kickstart Your Book Sales & Six Figure Author Experiment podcasts, and cofounder of the Writer MBA conference & The Future of Publishing Mastermind. He also co-created the Author Ecosystem archetype, a system he co-created to help authors embrace their natural tendencies to find success.Russell Nohelty joins us to talk about where craft & commerce meet in your author career and how to find both creative and commercial fulfillment with your writing.//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We'll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won't charge you a dime. We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan. • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.
Don't forget Sparkle on Substack the membership is having a price rise to reflect the value of the archive and take into account new fees I have to pay. To get in at the current pricing and stay there for as long as you stay hit upgrade before 3rd April. Do it now if you've been thinking about it? I promise you will ADORE it here. Hi Sparklers,I wanted to record a little something to address two new Substack features that have been rolled out… Enjoy my eight minute take from my cottage office here on the Northumberland coast on… * The Rising Star Leaderboards * The new writer bio layout…If you'd prefer to watch you can do that here… Two beautiful opportunities for you in May … * (ONLINE) Join our Growth to Bestseller Challenge… b. (IRL) - I'd also love for you to join us for Substack for Ease Day Retreat with Tanya Lynch on 9 May 2025 in Oxfordshire. Here's more info on that. If you'd like to meet on zoom this Friday to learn more, hit reply to this email and I'll send you the linkLet me know any questions you have or thoughts on the new Substack features in the comments below…Sending sparkles and a HUGE permission slip for you to ignore leaderboards if you like and do your best work in connection to your readers. Claire ✨PS - Go deeper - explore Substack's article on leaderboards - https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/5999320475412-What-are-Substack-leaderboards and mine and Russell Nohelty hugely popular post and take on them too - This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparkleon.substack.com/subscribe
Episode Summary: Live from New Orleans – Six Figure Author ExperimentIn this episode, recorded live at a conference in New Orleans, hosts Monica Leonelle, Lee Savino, and Russell Nohelty reflect on a uniquely energizing experience. Unlike typical conferences that leave attendees drained, this event fostered connection, collaboration, and genuine breakthroughs.Key Takeaways1. Surprisingly Energizing Experience• Despite two full days of activities, the hosts felt energized instead of exhausted.• This is rare for conferences, especially when you're also organizing or speaking.2. Responsibility Was Shared—By Design• The event was intentionally structured so attendees, not just organizers, contributed to each other's success.• This created a more collaborative atmosphere and lightened the burden on the “core team.”3. Mastermind Format Delivered Results• The small group and one-on-one conversations during the mastermind led to powerful breakthroughs.• Attendees had space to talk, listen, and support one another—something often missing from big events.4. Hybrid Structure = Best of Both Worlds• The event included both a mastermind and a traditional conference portion.• The mastermind was experimental but impactful; the conference followed a more familiar format with vendors and speaker tracks.5. The People Made It Work• The success was largely due to curating a room full of generous, driven, “cool” people.• The team trusted that putting the right people together would lead to magic—and it did.Final ThoughtThis episode is proof that author events can go beyond panels and presentations. With intentional design and the right community, they can create meaningful momentum and real change in an author's career.Let me know if you'd like this turned into show notes, a newsletter, or something visual! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sixfigureauthorexperiment.com
Becoming a profitable writer requires more than just productivity, but consistently completing projects is essential for success in self-publishing. ALLi's Crowdfunding Adviser, USA Today bestselling author, and author-publishing expert Russell Nohelty shares strategies to help authors increase their writing output and turn finished projects into profitable ventures. This session offers practical insights to help indie authors make each year more productive and financially rewarding. This session is proudly sponsored by Publish Authority. This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event run free twice yearly in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
"I'm going to stay plugged into the Internet at large for a longer time, then I am going to have to be mindful of when the Orcs want to pop up, when I can have a cup of tea with the Dwarves and when I can just sit and chill and watch Wicked with my little selection box."Hi Sparklers,I hope 2024 wrapped up beautifully for you and you have some notes next to your reflections and thoughts about your directions? As we usher in 2025, I'm thrilled to share some reflections, exciting plans, and a sprinkle of gratitude with you. Reflecting on a Transformative 20242024 was a year packed with expansion, turbulence, and profound lessons. I felt like I was living in dual realities at times. Whether it was supporting our vibrant Substack community, receiving heartwarming feedback, or navigating the nuances of online presence, the year was richly complex.One invaluable lesson from 2024 for us all is the importance of protecting our peace amidst the fast-paced digital world. Let's carry this wisdom forward, ensuring our creative journeys are both fulfilling and balanced? What's Sparkling for members in 2025?✨ Goal Setting Session:Members - we're kickstarting the year with our goal-setting session on Monday at 9:30 AM UK time. If you haven't yet downloaded the free Substack Planner here you go.Print it out and bring it along—or simply grab some big pieces of paper. Excited to dive into my brilliant systems with you!✨ Five-Year Visioning Plan:Also in January - we'll embark on crafting our five-year vision, with Substack being a key component for many of us. Whether your Substack is a major part of your plan or a smaller element, all are welcome. Let's dream big together? ✨ Practical Workshops:In February, we'll focus on deepening connections with our readers and building a robust community around our publication. We also have the brilliant Amanda B. Hinton popping in to talk with Diamond Members on data and how to use it to help inform our curation. ✨ Personalised Guidance:The window is open in chat to submit your specific tutorial requests! Substack can change quickly, and I aim to stay responsive to your needs throughout the year.✨ Community Hot Seats:We'll be integrating more hot seat sessions during our calls, giving you the stage and fostering collaboration among our Sparklers. The Friday Writers' Room on Slack will continue to be your imaginative sanctuary and space to chat about lunch.
Discover the latest in self-publishing news! From Taylor Swift facing backlash over errors in her self-published book to Barnes & Noble Press warning about scams, and IngramSpark expanding distribution in Singapore, we've got you covered. Plus, other important updates every author needs to hear! Book Award Pro - https://DaleLinks.com/BookAwardPro (affiliate link) Subscribe to The Self-Publishing Hub - https://TheSelfPublishingHub.com Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@DaleLRoberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Sources: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour book dubbed ‘errors tour' over spelling mistakes, ‘blurry photos, and design flaws' - https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/taylor-swift-eras-tour-book-typos-b2658821.html Barnes & Noble Press - https://press.barnesandnoble.com Book Distribution in Singapore - https://www.ingramspark.com/Singapore Final Call: 30% Off PublishDrive Plans Ends on January 8 - https://DaleLinks.com/PublishDrive (affiliate link) Join my Discord community for access to free AI tools - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Unveiling 2025: Indie Authors Gear Up for AI Innovations and Craft Renaissance - https://indieauthormagazine.com/unveiling-2025-indie-authors-gear-up-for-ai-innovations-and-craft-renaissance/ Stop Missing Out: Monetize Your Writing with Audio | Spoken.Press - https://www.youtube.com/live/PgnK8ZnHC4M?si=1A62VesBIGWGOWPe Simplify Story Structure: Write Better, Faster Novels | Jason Hamilton - https://www.youtube.com/live/B4NKQspKEBg?si=Apv_D1ea4Q9vE0JB How to build an audience from scratch: Webinar with Russell Nohelty - https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EaX7Nu_9QI26PwF60zvCWw#/registration Authors Guild: Rights Reversion & Self-Publishing - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Gyc8GDBWRl6aT5Z-V51vMA#/registration Outstanding Creator Awards - https://www.outstandingcreator.com/winners--2024-clash-of-champions.html Global Book Awards - https://globalbookawards2024self.spread.name/?page=4 and https://globalbookawards2024self.spread.name/?page=5 My bookshelf - https://DaleLinks.com/Bookshelf Million Dollar Mastermind with Larry Weidel - https://podcasts.fame.so/million-dollar-mastermind-with-larry-weidel Credit: The Hot Sheet - https://hotsheetpub.com Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts
Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover: What Substack is and how it works Utilizing “Notes” on Substack effectively Substack as a new way for authors to monetize their work The importance of branding How to analyze the data from Substack How to increase engagement Find out more about Russell: The Author Stack Writer MBA How to Build a World Class Substack Rebel of the Week is: Karla If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Kat Vroman. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack This episode is sponsored by Fictionary Find out more about Fictionary Software + Fictionary Live! here. As a rebel listener you can get 25% off StoryTeller, StoryTeller Premium and certification with code REBEL25.
Thank you Christopher Pepper, Allegra Chapman, Katie Andraski, Susan Kuenzi, Amber Horrox, and many others for tuning into my live video with Russell Nohelty! Join me for my next live video in the app.If you have questions on anything we talk about in our publication celebration, drop them below and we'll circle back after the holidays.Claire and Russell This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparkleon.substack.com/subscribe
IngramSpark is launching a new book promotion package with a hefty price tag. Will the services be worthwhile? Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) updated their sales report dashboard with some much-needed improvements. Is ACX still missing anything authors need beyond this update? And, the UK-based print on demand company Bookvault announced direct integration with the direct sales platform Payhip. All that and more in the self-publishing news! Book Award Pro - https://DaleLinks.com/BookAwardPro (affiliate link) Subscribe to The Self-Publishing Hub - https://TheSelfPublishingHub.com Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@DaleLRoberts Sources: Amazon Advertising - https://advertising.amazon.com/ Bookvault + Payhip Integration - https://bookvault.app/payhip/ ACX - https://www.acx.com/ Draft2Digital: Notification Regarding Weltbild - https://www.authoremail.com/email/campaigns/yd690y2ad6e9d/web-version/eq3389j0wvdc4 IngramSpark: Promote Your Book - https://www.ingramspark.com/title-discovery IngramSpark Academy: Self-Publishing Essentials - https://www.ingramspark.com/book-metadata-course-description Spotify's New Basic Plan Strips Out Audiobooks - https://selfpublishingadvice.org/podcast-spotify-audiobook-plan/ How to analyze what book covers sell in your genre? - https://miblart.substack.com/p/how-to-analyze-what-book-covers-sell Streetlib: July and August Apple Promos - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9wgHN_S8QYb6jyIq2suD6CbBw-WoKTOL_ApEHo9lrjVFYwQ/viewform PublishDrive - https://DaleLinks.com/PublishDrive (affiliate link) More Email Marketing Tips for Indie Authors - https://selfpublishingadvice.org/podcast-email-marketing-tips/ Book Brush presents: Level Up with the 5 Places You'll Make Money During a Kickstarter Campaign with Russell Nohelty - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsfu-hpjwtE9wZbalJOhDk8ovVeKUKEhLm#/registration Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale - https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/1/any/any My Smashwords Profile - https://dalelinks.com/smashwords Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts
Welcome to the Kickstart Your Book Sales podcast with USA Today bestselling authors Russell Nohelty and Monica Leonelle, where you'll learn how to supercharge your book sales, go aggressively wide, and take your author career to the next level.In this episode we break down billionairess Taylor Swift's writing with psychological triggers in mind! Taylor Swift is just one pop culture example that we will use in our new upcoming course, StoryUrge. You can get StoryUrge as a bonus if you are attending our in-person conferences: Writer MBA Conference or the Future of Publishing Mastermind!We hope you enjoy! Excuse the lack of polish—we just wanted to get this one out into the world for you.Listen and subscribe to our new podcast: SixFigureAuthorExperiment.com.You can get your tickets to Writer MBA Conference here:https://writermba.com/conferenceThe Future of Publishing Mastermind application process is open:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeo9-oM3DlmII-A_NDZ0pEFHN-0q7v_t9ZpmCX9gHoFV0IgWg/viewform*****Join the Author Ecosystems Membership: http://authorecosystem.com/join Or subscribe to our free email list here: https://authorecosystems.substack.com/
We have a new podcast! Listen and subscribe to the SixFigureAuthorExperiment.com.Welcome to the Kickstart Your Book Sales podcast with USA Today bestselling authors Russell Nohelty and Monica Leonelle, where you'll learn how to supercharge your book sales, go aggressively wide, and take your author career to the next level.Today, we are answering questions from the community and in the process, going DEEP behind-the-scenes of some of our problems within our own publishing businesses. Let's get vulnerable! We also talk a lot more about the Writer MBA Conference that you should come to.Listen and subscribe to our new podcast: SixFigureAuthorExperiment.com.You can get your tickets to Writer MBA Conference here:https://writermba.com/conferenceThe Future of Publishing Mastermind application process is open:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeo9-oM3DlmII-A_NDZ0pEFHN-0q7v_t9ZpmCX9gHoFV0IgWg/viewform*****Join the Author Ecosystems Membership: http://authorecosystem.com/join Or subscribe to our free email list here: https://authorecosystems.substack.com/
ComixLaunch: Crowdfunding for Writers, Artists & Self-Publishers on Kickstarter... and Beyond!
Writer Russell Nohelty returns to the ComixLaunch podcast for a discussion about Kickstarter collaboration, the world of romance and steamy NSFW comics crowdfunding, and what's working now for creatives. Get your popcorn ready and something to take notes with... it's going to be an awesome session!
“Welcome back for another top five favorite interviews episode. I'm going to introduce each one. Hope you enjoy them. And stay tuned for a little goody at the end.”In this special episode of How To Write the Future podcast, host Beth Barany shares clips from five of her favorite interviews featuring Russell Nohelty, Joe Tankersley, Denise Baden, Nina Hart, and one of the Paper Lantern Writers, Edit Cay. Beth also invites listeners to share their favorite episodes on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter: @BethBarany.ABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTThe How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers and get curious about the future of humanity.RESOURCESGet your free World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers here: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic here: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadec. 2023 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/--CONNECTContact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580Email: beth@bethbarany.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/CREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://www.descript.com?lmref=_w1WCAMUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465
In this empowering session, ALLi member Nick Kotar, who recently ran his first successful crowdfunder, interviews USA Today bestselling author and ALLi's crowdfunding advisor Russell Nohelty, about the world of crowdfunding and its growing role in the success of indie authors. This session will explore how adopting the right mindset is necessary to drive successful crowdfunding campaigns and create a thriving author business built around the crowd-funding model. Essential strategies, practical tips, and real-life success stories will fill you with the confidence and mindset you need to succeed and excel. This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org. About the Hosts Best-Selling Fantasy Author Russell Nohelty is a USA Today bestselling fantasy author who has written dozens of novels and graphic novels including The Godsverse Chronicles, The Obsidian Spindle Saga, and Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter. He is the publisher of Wannabe Press, co-host of the Kickstart Your Book Sales podcast, cofounder of the Writer MBA training academy, and cofounder of The Future of Publishing Mastermind. He also co-created the Author Ecosystem archetype system to help authors thrive. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and dogs. Epic Fantasy Author Nicholas Kotar is an author of epic fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales, a writing instructor and speaker, a freelance translator from Russian to English, the resident conductor of a men's choir at a Russian monastery in the middle of cow country, and a Grammy-nominated vocalist. His only regret in life is that he wasn't born in 19th century St. Petersburg, but he's doing everything he possibly can to remedy that error. If anyone knows where he can find a blue police box that's bigger on the inside, please let him know.
How can you shift your mindset from catalog sales to selling direct? How can you reframe the direct author business model to take advantage of creative possibilities for different kinds of products and long-term marketing? Russell Nohelty gives his tips in this interview. In the intro, Top 10 tips for indie authors [Clare Lydon]; 10 […] The post The Mindset And Business Of Selling Books Direct With Russell Nohelty first appeared on The Creative Penn.
#Comics #MentalHealth #BooktubeChuck Pineau returns to the podcast. This is the mental health episode. Chuck had took a sabbatical from social media to deal with his issues, and we talk about them. Chuck and I really go all honest in this one. I admire him for facing his own issues, and we talk about how he made those decisions, and what he's doing now.Chuck PIneau Bonfire PressKickstarterSupportSpider Squirrel and Trash Panda Special - My Kickstarter comic writing debut! I and many talented creators like Russell Nohelty, Paul Dori, Charlie McElvy, and countless others have contributed to the anthology of this amazing superhero universe. This is a great comic, and worth your pledge. Check it out!Patreon - Wondering where Just Joshing is going to go after episode 1000? It has already started. I've recorded new kinds of podcasts that are available now on the patreon. You can join in and see where the show is going months before anyone else, see episodes ahead of schedule, and interact with the podcast in whole new ways as I travel on the adventure I'm heading into. Click the link to join.ServicesAdvertising Services - Let me create your advertising for your next book or campaign. If you're a creative wondering how to create your advertising for your next project, I can create video, audio, written and graphics. Let me help you get your story, and your best story, out there.Available Now:Alice Won? - Available now. Alice escaped the asylum and pursues the Queen of Hearts to the Greek Labyrinth in the underworld, there she must engage in a game of croquet unlike any other, against Jason of the Argonauts. Illustrated by Kenzie Kats, written by yours truly.Support And Subscribe:Buy my MerchBuy Me A CoffeeNewsletterTwitchYoutube
#Comics #Illustrations #PodcastsThis drink and draw I am joined by the Creative Forces behind my story in Spider Squirrel and Trash Panda. Paul and Charlie join the show and Paul and I draw Condor man in this special drink and draw. Charlie, Paul and I talk about what makes art, a good comic story, and defining the word good in art. I had a blast with both men. Take a listen to this, and support the Kickstarter in the links below.Charlie McElvyWebsitePaul GoriInstagramSupportSpider Squirrel and Trash Panda Special - My Kickstarter comic writing debut! I and many talented creators like Russell Nohelty, Paul Dori, Charlie McElvy, and countless others have contributed to the anthology of this amazing superhero universe. This is a great comic, and worth your pledge. Check it out!Patreon - Wondering where Just Joshing is going to go after episode 1000? It has already started. I've recorded new kinds of podcasts that are available now on the patreon. You can join in and see where the show is going months before anyone else, see episodes ahead of schedule, and interact with the podcast in whole new ways as I travel on the adventure I'm heading into. Click the link to join.ServicesAdvertising Services - Let me create your advertising for your next book or campaign. If you're a creative wondering how to create your advertising for your next project, I can create video, audio, written and graphics. Let me help you get your story, and your best story, out there.Available Now:Alice Won? - Available now. Alice escaped the asylum and pursues the Queen of Hearts to the Greek Labyrinth in the underworld, there she must engage in a game of croquet unlike any other, against Jason of the Argonauts. Illustrated by Kenzie Kats, written by yours truly.Support And Subscribe:Buy my MerchBuy Me A CoffeeNewsletterTwitchYoutube
My guest this episode is Russell Nohelty, a bestselling fantasy author and ALLi's crowdfunding adviser. He has helped authors raise over $1.5 million through crowdfunding, and nearly $500,000 for his own publishing projects. And, lately, he's a big advocate of the Substack platform for indie authors. ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven't already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
#KakiOlson #Booktube #PodcastsCounting down to episode 1000, Kaki Olson returns. We talk about Kaki leaving Utah, as well as what it's like living in a mormon community. We compare stories and then talk shifts to the fear of success. This is one of the big targets of this episode. How do we deal with our imposter? Kaki is awesome. I enjoyed chatting with her.Kaki OlsonAmazon PageSupportSpider Squirrel and Trash Panda Special - My Kickstarter comic writing debut! I and many talented creators like Russell Nohelty, Paul Dori, Charlie McElvy, and countless others have contributed to the anthology of this amazing superhero universe. This is a great comic, and worth your pledge. Check it out!Patreon - Wondering where Just Joshing is going to go after episode 1000? It has already started. I've recorded new kinds of podcasts that are available now on the patreon. You can join in and see where the show is going months before anyone else, see episodes ahead of schedule, and interact with the podcast in whole new ways as I travel on the adventure I'm heading into. Click the link to join.ServicesAdvertising Services - Let me create your advertising for your next book or campaign. If you're a creative wondering how to create your advertising for your next project, I can create video, audio, written and graphics. Let me help you get your story, and your best story, out there.Available Now:Alice Won? - Available now. Alice escaped the asylum and pursues the Queen of Hearts to the Greek Labyrinth in the underworld, there she must engage in a game of croquet unlike any other, against Jason of the Argonauts. Illustrated by Kenzie Kats, written by yours truly.Support And Subscribe:Buy my MerchBuy Me A CoffeeNewsletterTwitchYoutube
#KatieSalidas #Podcasts #BooktubeKatie Salidas is back. We talk about getting out of our comfort zones, and catch up on what she was up to. Katie is one of the quiet backbones of indie publishing, with her show, Spilling Ink, we talk Jae Lavelle, her current works, and jiu jitsu. I dig Katie and think you'll dig this conversation.Katie SalidasWebsiteSpilling InkSupportSpider Squirrel and Trash Panda Special - My Kickstarter comic writing debut! I and many talented creators like Russell Nohelty, Paul Dori, Charlie McElvy, and countless others have contributed to the anthology of this amazing superhero universe. This is a great comic, and worth your pledge. Check it out!Patreon - Wondering where Just Joshing is going to go after episode 1000? It has already started. I've recorded new kinds of podcasts that are available now on the patreon. You can join in and see where the show is going months before anyone else, see episodes ahead of schedule, and interact with the podcast in whole new ways as I travel on the adventure I'm heading into. Click the link to join.ServicesAdvertising Services - Let me create your advertising for your next book or campaign. If you're a creative wondering how to create your advertising for your next project, I can create video, audio, written and graphics. Let me help you get your story, and your best story, out there.Available Now:Alice Won? - Available now. Alice escaped the asylum and pursues the Queen of Hearts to the Greek Labyrinth in the underworld, there she must engage in a game of croquet unlike any other, against Jason of the Argonauts. Illustrated by Kenzie Kats, written by yours truly.Support And Subscribe:Buy my MerchBuy Me A CoffeeNewsletterTwitchYoutube
#LKIngino #Poems #BooktubeCounting down to episode 1000, LK Ingino is back! Simplicity is the theme of this episode as Leanne and I talk about mourning separations, simplicity and how hard that can be, poetry, comics, and figuring out what's important in one's life. Leanne is an amazing person, and I'm glad we got to catch up.LK InginoHeadless GnomesSupportSpider Squirrel and Trash Panda Special - My Kickstarter comic writing debut! I and many talented creators like Russell Nohelty, Paul Dori, Charlie McElvy, and countless others have contributed to the anthology of this amazing superhero universe. This is a great comic, and worth your pledge. Check it out!Patreon - Wondering where Just Joshing is going to go after episode 1000? It has already started. I've recorded new kinds of podcasts that are available now on the patreon. You can join in and see where the show is going months before anyone else, see episodes ahead of schedule, and interact with the podcast in whole new ways as I travel on the adventure I'm heading into. Click the link to join.ServicesAdvertising Services - Let me create your advertising for your next book or campaign. If you're a creative wondering how to create your advertising for your next project, I can create video, audio, written and graphics. Let me help you get your story, and your best story, out there.Available Now:Alice Won? - Available now. Alice escaped the asylum and pursues the Queen of Hearts to the Greek Labyrinth in the underworld, there she must engage in a game of croquet unlike any other, against Jason of the Argonauts. Illustrated by Kenzie Kats, written by yours truly.Support And Subscribe:Buy my MerchBuy Me A CoffeeNewsletterTwitchYoutube
#KCWardell #Podcasts #BooktubeKC Wardell joins the podcast. The big conversation point in this episode is who is going to buy your book, and how you can use what you care about to find it. Writers write about themselves, whether we know it or not, and KC and I explore that topic thoroughly. Check it out.KC WardellWebsiteCarson Promise BookSupportRoadkill Rampage #4 Kickstarter - The final road trip begins here. Rodney Fyke crafts the final issue of the miniseries. We'll see who lives, and who goes to their final destinations. Written by Rodney Fyke, and edited by yours truly.Spider Squirrel and Trash Panda Special - My Kickstarter comic writing debut! I and many talented creators like Russell Nohelty, Paul Dori, Charlie McElvy, and countless others have contributed to the anthology of this amazing superhero universe. This is a great comic, and worth your pledge. Check it out!Patreon - Wondering where Just Joshing is going to go after episode 1000? It has already started. I've recorded new kinds of podcasts that are available now on the patreon. You can join in and see where the show is going months before anyone else, see episodes ahead of schedule, and interact with the podcast in whole new ways as I travel on the adventure I'm heading into. Click the link to join.ServicesAdvertising Services - Let me create your advertising for your next book or campaign. If you're a creative wondering how to create your advertising for your next project, I can create video, audio, written and graphics. Let me help you get your story, and your best story, out there.Available Now:Alice Won? - Available now. Alice escaped the asylum and pursues the Queen of Hearts to the Greek Labyrinth in the underworld, there she must engage in a game of croquet unlike any other, against Jason of the Argonauts. Illustrated by Kenzie Kats, written by yours truly.Support And Subscribe:Buy my MerchBuy Me A CoffeeNewsletterTwitchYoutube
ComixLaunch: Crowdfunding for Writers, Artists & Self-Publishers on Kickstarter... and Beyond!
Get ready for a high-level comic book crowdfunding discussion with some of the most experienced creators in the game! Laurie Foster of Unlikely Heroes Studios and writer Russell Nohelty are back to discuss their new launch for Lucifer Licorice on Kickstarter, as well as how Unlikely Heroes Studios is helping creators with the most cumbersome part of crowdfunding... fulfillment!
Russell Nohelty rose to Kickstarter fame after successfully funding over 20 publishing projects on the platform. Today we chat with him all about building a direct sales ecosystem that works for you, how to create a sustainable subscription, and where subscriptions fit in with other revenue streams for authors such as crowdfunding. This one was a lot of fun!Watch the 2023 Subscriptions for Authors Summit for free: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPzDkhC3gbo&list=PLdPLFc4z-u1aMu0kP0TeeHmyL8VMphdwV&pp=gAQBiAQBRussell's links:Future of Publishing Conference: https://thefutureofpublishingmastermind.com/Russell's Website: https://www.russellnohelty.com/EPISODE RESOURCES:Join Ream, the subscription platform by fiction authors for fiction authors: https://reamstories.comJoin our community of subscription authors: https://www.facebook.com/groups/subscriptionsforauthorsGet subscription insights delivered to your inbox each week + free access to the Subscriptions for Authors Starter Guide: https://subscriptionsforauthors.com/EPISODE OUTLINE:0:00:00 Introduction0:03:17 How to Brand Your Books When You Don't Fit into One Subgenre0:07:54 How Russell Began Selling Direct0:21:09 The Flaw in 1000 True Fans0:24:38 Having a Subscription that is Sustainable for Your Business and You0:34:40 Does a subscription cannibalize other revenue streams?0:43:39 How Readers Engage in Community and How to Build One That Works for You1:05:21 The Future of Publishing ConferenceABOUT SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR AUTHORSWe are the premier community to learn about making money from subscriptions as an author. We have this weekly podcast, our Facebook Group with hundreds of fellow authors, and a newsletter where we are committed to having the best free educational resources and networking for authors looking to break into this exciting new publishing model.ABOUT REAM:Ream is a platform that helps authors make money with subscriptions.The platform allows writers to build communities around their stories and charge a monthly fee that rewards their super fans with connection and access.You can join Ream and start making money from subscriptions on the only platform built by authors for authors: https://reamstories.comThank you so much for listening to this podcast! Always feel free to reach out to the team at contact@ream.ink. Happy writing everyone :)
Surprise! We have a special between-season episode for you!We asked our past and future guests the following question:What is the single best insight you've had or thing you've done to keep yourself motivated to finish the novel you were struggling with?We got some fantastic answers!Our contributors, in mention order were:Karen Sue Walker https://karensuewalker.com/Russell Nohelty https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/russellnohelty/tinab Beth Barany https://bethbarany.com/Ember Casey https://embercasey.com/ Claire Taylor http://www.ffs.media/Sara Rosett https://www.sararosett.com/Donovan Scherer https://studiomoonfall.com/Troy Lambert https://troylambertwrites.com/author-services/Matty Dalrymple https://www.theindyauthor.com/And of course, don't forget to check out our Kickstarter campaign, Foundations of Great Storytelling: Preparing to Write. We'll be back with our regular season in June! Support the showFREE Mini Email CourseHave you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel's new mini-course might be your solution. 7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language. Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it's free. Click here to learn more!
ComixLaunch: Crowdfunding for Writers, Artists & Self-Publishers on Kickstarter... and Beyond!
After three successful Kickstarters raising over $100K in funding on Kickstarter, Russell Nohelty is handing over his Cthulhu is Hard to Spell franchise to Laurie Foster, publisher at Unlikely Heroes Studios. With a new campaign collecting and expanding the first three volumes in new softcover editions launching on Backerkit this week, Tyler chats with the team about the transition, new launch and future of this popular anthology.
Part 2 of our 2-Part Interview with USA Today Bestselling Author Russell NoheltyLaunching a book on Kickstarter . . .Russell Nohelty is a USA Today bestselling author, publisher, and speaker. He runs Wannabe Press, a small press that publishes weird books for weird people. Russell is the author of dozens of novels and graphic novels including The Godsverse Chronicles, The Obsidian Spindle Saga, and Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter. He also edited the Cthulhu is Hard to Spell anthology series. To date, Russell Nohelty has raised over $400,000 on Kickstarter across more than twenty projects.Russell, along with his business partner Monica Leonelle, runs Writer MBA which offers courses for writers on everything from writing productivity to selling direct to readers. In this episode, Megan and Greta learn more about Kickstarter and how it's being used to launch books. Spoiler alert, after the interview, they joined Russell's Kickstarter Accelerator program and are excited to launch their first Kickstarter early next year! You can find all of Russell's books and lots more at http://www.russellnohelty.com/Question of the week: What do you think about using Kickstarter to launch a book and reach new readers? Let's chat on the Facebook page @AuthorWheelFeatured Program: The Kickstarter AcceleratorIn this paid course + community, Russell Nohelty and Monica Leonelle team up to give you feedback on your Kickstarter journey and help guide you to a successful campaign. Russell has launched 20+ campaigns on Kickstarter and personally raised over $400,000+ total with novels, comics, anthologies, nonfiction, and audio dramas, so you can be rest assured he definitely knows what he's talking about. Couple that with the direct sales + go wide expertise of Monica, and you've really got a winning combination! They have a 100% success rate for authors who launch their campaigns through the Accelerator, and the group so far has raised over $500,000+ on Kickstarter in 2022 alone!!!You can find more information about the Kickstarter Accelerator at the link below, since they just opened up the cart again for 2022 with the Early Bird pricing. https://writermba.teachable.com/a/aff_83z6264s/external?affcode=385310_wretpdc4The Author Wheel is an affiliate of the Accelerator, which means we earn a small commission from your purchase when you click our link. This does not affect your purchase price. But even more, we believe in this product so much, we signed up ourselves! We genuinely believe this is a phenomenal course to help build your (and our!) author career!Follow Us! Support the showFREE Mini Email CourseHave you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel's new mini-course might be your solution. 7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language. Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it's free. Click here to learn more!
Part 1 of our 2-Part Interview with USA Today Bestselling Author Russell NoheltyValidation, Indie vs. Traditional publishing, and there's no substitute for time and experience . . . Russell Nohelty is a USA Today bestselling author, publisher, and speaker. He runs Wannabe Press, a small press that publishes weird books for weird people. Russell is the author of dozens of novels and graphic novels including The Godsverse Chronicles, The Obsidian Spindle Saga, and Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter. He also edited the Cthulhu is Hard to Spell anthology series. To date, Russell Nohelty has raised over $400,000 on Kickstarter across more than twenty projects.Russell, along with his business partner Monica Leonelle, runs Writer MBA which offers courses for writers on everything from writing productivity to selling direct to readers. In this episode, Megan and Greta take a deep dive into the publishing industry and why it can be better to seek validation from readers than from publishers. You can find all of Russell's books and lots more at http://www.russellnohelty.com/Question of the week: How do you find validation for your work? Let's chat on the Facebook page @AuthorWheelFree Resource: The Top 5 Roadblocks Aspiring Authors Must Overcome, available for free when you join our newsletter at www.AuthorWheel.com/stuff.Follow Us! Russell NoheltyWebsite: http://www.russellnohelty.com/Facebook & Twitter: @RussellNoheltyThe Author Wheel:Website: www.AuthorWheel.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheelGreta Boris:Website: www.GretaBoris.comFacebook: @GretaBorisAuthorInstagram: @GretaBorisMegan Haskell:Website: www.MeganHaskell.comFacebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor Support the showFREE Mini Email CourseHave you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel's new mini-course might be your solution. 7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language. Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it's free. Click here to learn more!
On today's episode I speak to comic book writer and very energetic individual, Russell Nohelty, about what comics he would take into a super intelligent ape uprising apocalypse. ---Russell's Links--- https://www.russellnohelty.com/ https://www.facebook.com/russellnohelty https://twitter.com/russellnohelty https://www.linkedin.com/in/noheltyr/ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/russellnohelty/ichabodcomplete ---ComicScene Links--- https://comicscene.org/ https://comicscene.org/join-comic-club/ https://getmycomics.com/comicscene https://www.facebook.com/groups/comicscenecommunity ---Apocalyptic Links--- https://twitter.com/SamuelGLondon https://soundcloud.com/comicsapocalypse https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/comics-for-the-apocalypse/id1448698111 https://open.spotify.com/show/2ri0g2yoyBKxX4x0IKYkCl https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SignalComics
Storycomic Presents: Interviews with Amazing Storytellers and Artists
We are excited to have with us is the highly acclaimed and celebrated author, Russell Nohelty. He is here to chat about his latest Kickstarter, Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter. You can follow the Kickstarter at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/russellnohelty/ichabodcomplete See more of Russell at: https://www.russellnohelty.com/ Follow us: Curious to see the video version of this interview? it's on our website too! www.storycomic.com www.patreon.com/storycomic www.facebook.com/storycomic1 https://www.instagram.com/storycomic/ https://twitter.com/storycomic1 For information on being a guest or curious to learn more about Storycomic? Contact us at info@storycomic.com Thank you to our Founders Club Patrons, Marek Bennett and Matt & Therese Check out their amazing work at: https://marekbennett.com/ https://www.hexapus-ink.com/
Proving once again that fools rush in where angels fear to tread, Pru blurts all over Merry as she talks about her plan to launch her next trilogy with a detour into the Kickstarter universe. Listening is clearly taking advice from a novice, so be warned…but maybe this is a good place for you to start thinking about the Kickstarter opportunity! Here's the great book by Russell Nohelty on using Kickstarter for books.
Join Tacey and her special guest: author, publisher and speaker: Russell Nohelty as they discuss How to grow both your audience and your mailing list from scratch. Timestamp: 01:47: Russell's story Timestamp: 09:30: Value Ladders Timestamp: 16:24: List Segmentation Find Russell @russellnohelty on Twitter & Facebook Link to Russell's free gift: https://tinyurl.com/4pkbn6s5 find Tacey @taceyatkinson on all the platforms
This week we are joined by a panel of amazing creators from the anthology series Cthulhu is Hard to Spell series. In this episode you will hear from JD Olivia, Jessica Maison, Tara Clarkson, Timothy Fling, and of course Russell Nohelty. Make sure to check out all of Russell's work as well as the Kickstarter campaign for Cthulhu is Hard to Spell Vol. 3 with the links below.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/russellnohelty/cthulhubattleroyalehttps://www.russellnohelty.com/ Support the show by using our Amazon Associate Link. Click below and shop:https://amzn.to/3LQPuaGGet 20% off your Geek Grind Coffee with the promo code: CHRIR20https://geekgrindcoffee.com?p=rJRo_vrPdGet your Fortress Comics merchandise with the link belowhttps://www.teepublic.com/user/fortress-comicsGet your copy of Battle Monsters #1 on Comixology or the Fortress of Comic News online storehttps://www.comixology.com/Fortress-Comics/comics-publisher/20312-0?ref=Y29taWMvdmlldy9kZXNrdG9wL2JyZWFkY3J1bWJzWant to talk comics and chat with the hosts of your favorite Fortress Comics content? Join our facebook group with the link below:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1607250199464647/?ref=shareFortressofComicNews.comYouTube.com/FortressComicsChris twitter @fortresschrisMike twitter @fortressrickerPatreon.com/FortressComicsThanks for Listening!#marvel #marvelcomics #mcu #dccomics #comicbooks #comicnews #podcast #indiecomics #batman
Tips and tricks on kickstarting your creative ideas are okay, but finding a home for your concepts is even better. Bestselling author Russell Nohelty believes that art and creative expression are essential to society. Russell joins Ella Barnard in this episode to present a new, innovative, safe space for artists to showcase their work. Kickstarter is a platform that aims to bring people together and bring their creative ideas to life. Listen in and learn more as Russell talks about how this platform provides an opportunity for creators to connect directly with their communities, putting power where it belongs.
This week Joey speaks with Russell Nohelty about his new book “Black Market Heroine” , Russell gives a ton of information about his God's verse, and the creative process! Scout Comics is a proud Sponsor of The Geek Collective so they've given us the opportunity to give something special to you at checkout insert code: GEEK at check and save 10% off. also grab their Sub Box, you can't beat the price of $33.99 click here https://www.scoutcomics.com/collections/deluxe-boxes/products/scout-comics-monthly-subscription-box If you're looking for an alternative to purchase books online try My Comic Shop . Com click the link below to help our show by shopping pre-orders and new releases or whatever you may be looking for. https://www.mycomicshop.com/?AffID=1895487P01 www.houseofindiepod.com https://www.ageofradio.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we get our first male perspective on Impostor Syndrome. My guest, Russell Nohelty, shares his experience as a best-selling author and creative. He also offers a powerful framework for managing perfectionism and overwork.To join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge, visit:https://executivecareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/To learn more about the Leading Women discussion group, visit:https://executivecareersuccess.com/leading-women-discussion-group/To schedule time to speak with me directly about your questions/challenges, visit:https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-sessionAbout My GuestRussell Nohelty is a USA Today Bestselling author, speaker, and six-figure creative entrepreneur. He's raised over $170,000 on Kickstarter, built a mailing list of over 20,000 people, and exhibited at more than 150 events since 2016. Now, he teaches creatives how to lead a complete and successful life through his teaching academy and podcast The Complete Creative, www.thecompletecreative.com.www.russellnohelty.com
Internet Marketing: Insider Tips and Advice for Online Marketing
This week we welcome to the podcast Janene Liston, a.k.a The Pricing Lady. Janene discovered her passion for pricing after an early career that saw her as an engineer, before venturing into marketing and product management.Since 2014 Janene has been working independently as 'The Pricing Lady', supporting small business in Europe become more confident in their pricing.In this episode she shares some of her most important pricing lessons with our listeners.In today's episode we discuss:Why price is only important in the context of valueAvoiding the trap of pricing based on your competitionHow to respond when a client or prospect says 'that's too expensive'Why you should avoid using the word 'costs' in pitches and the better alternativesThe importance of tiered pricing and how it can help frame your value and move your prospect towards making a decisionHow reframing rejections and objections may help you overcome fear during pitchesHow meditation and mindfulness can support improved confidence in pricing and negotiationCONNECT WITH JANENE THE PRICING LADY:https://janeneliston.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/thepricinglady/https://www.facebook.com/thepricinglady/https://twitter.com/thepricingladyhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGZwi8otsnH07t98Bo9gogREFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE:Book: How To Build Your Creative Career by Russell Nohelty: https://amzn.to/3oQOojsPodcast: The Advertising Hour - Selling Out with USA Today Best-Selling Science-Fiction & Fantasy https://pod.co/the-advertising-hour/7-selling-out-with-usa-today-best-selling-fantasy-and-science-fiction-author-russell-noheltyArticle: Pricing Experiments You Might Not Know But Can Learn From https://cxl.com/blog/pricing-experiments-you-might-not-know-but-can-learn-from/The Handy Brain Method from Dan Siegel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm9CIJ74OxwCONNECT WITH SCOTT:scott.colenutt@sitevisibility.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcolenuttCONNECT WITH SITEVISIBILITY:https://www.sitevisibility.co.uk/https://www.youtube.com/user/SiteVisibilityhttps://twitter.com/sitevisibilityhttps://www.facebook.com/SiteVisibility
In this episode of The House Of Indie Joey Invites Russell Nohelty Author and creator of Ichabod Jones, and Cthulhu Is Hard To Spell and so much more into the virtual THOI Studio. They have a really great conversation about his work in the industry, the creative process, what makes people tick and How can the creative person keep the spark going. Stay tuned for a fun time! If you're looking for an alternative to purchase books online try My Comic Shop . Com click the link below to help our show by shopping pre-orders and new releases or whatever you may be looking for. https://www.mycomicshop.com/?AffID=1895487P01 https://143podcasts.weebly.com/the-house-of-indie.html https://www.facebook.com/groups/1508464392664597/ https://twitter.com/houseofindiepod https://www.instagram.com/thehouseofindiepod/?hl=en https://linktr.ee/TheHouseOfIndie ~The House Of Indie Is a proud member of The 143 Podcast Network A Partner of Age Of Radio- https://www.ageofradio.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices