Podcast appearances and mentions of russell nohelty

As authors, we strive for success, but without the right mindset, it can be impossible to build a sustainable author career. Russell Nohelty of Hapitalist joins us to discuss how authors can find career success without sacrificing joy.  In this week's episode, you'll learn:  • The importance of balancing passion and business.  • The Philosophy behind Hapitalist.  • How to build a serious author career without taking yourself too seriously. //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. • 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.

How does Romani Gypsy ancestry play out in the life of an author and business coach with a passion for the tarot? The Hapitalist Business Tarot is entrepreneur Russell Nohelty's latest creation and the culmination of all that magical blood running through his veins. The deck is specifically designed to bring business insights and clear the blocks to success for authors and creative entrepreneurs.How to grow a business and entrepreneurial power without sacrificing your magic, and what this deck can bring to the business world, are the golden nuggets of a fascinating and inspirational conversation. To download the (free) digital deck and manual, and to back and buy the physical deck...Check out: Hapitalist Business Tarot  Listen to: Hapitalist Podcast Russell is a USA Today best-selling author of fantasy books and comics, and nonfiction books and courses for authors. He's an entrepreneur who sits at the intersection of craft and commerce, helping authors create sustainable businesses.*******************************************************Check out Sheena & Ian here:Sheena's TikTok page      Facebook Reader GroupIan's Instagram pageSheena's website: sheenacundy.comSign up for The Witch Wavelength Newsletter Sign up for The Witch Wavelength  Membership & Monthly WorkshopDownload & Stream Morrigans PathRewilding the Witch Summer CampSupport the show

Kickstarter has become a key part of the author business for those who want to make more money per book, connect directly with readers, and produce beautiful editions they're proud of. In this episode, I share excerpts from interviews with Oriana Leckert, Head of Publishing at Kickstarter, Russell Nohelty, and Sacha Black, alongside my own hard-won lessons from six campaigns that have now made over $140K combined. Whether you're considering your first campaign or looking to refine your process, we cover everything from overcoming your fears to rewards, fulfilment, shipping, marketing, and why I keep coming back for more. In the intro, Writing StoryBundle; Spotify Expands Audiobook Features and Printed Books; Draft2Digital Activation and Maintenance Fees; comment by Kevin McLaughlin; and Barnes & Noble Press change to Minimum Retail Price for Printed Books; AI-Assisted Artisan Author webinars. This show is supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Joanna Penn is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, short stories and travel memoir under J.F. Penn and also writes non-fiction for authors and hosts The Creative Penn Podcast. What Kickstarter is and why it works differently from a normal book launch The fears that held me back for almost a decade — and whether they were justified Starting small: Why you don't need sprayed edges and special hardbacks to run a successful campaign. Creative reward ideas beyond merch: digital rewards, experiential rewards, naming rights, and bundling your backlist Common mistakes that sink campaigns: overestimating your reach, getting shipping costs wrong, and not allowing enough time Fulfilment realities, printing timelines, and reinvesting profit into future stock Marketing your campaign: pre-launch signups, content marketing, email lists, social media scheduling, and Facebook/Meta ads My update for campaign #7, Bones of the Deep: what's changed, what I'm doing differently, and how AI tools are part of my process now Why I now love Kickstarter campaigns and how the spike income model fits a sustainable creative career You can find my Kickstarter campaign for Bones of the Deep here (until 5 May, 2026) and all my previous campaigns here. Introduction Jo: In this episode, I've included excerpts from my own previous solo show about Kickstarter, as well as excerpts from interviews with Oriana Leckert, the Head of Publishing at Kickstarter; Russell Nohelty, who has done lots of successful Kickstarter campaigns and teaches direct sales; and Sacha Black, who did a six-figure campaign last year. I've also added my updates to the end of the episode filling in any last thoughts. You can listen to the full episodes here: Kickstarter for Authors with Oriana Leckert The Mindset and Business of Selling Direct with Russell Nohelty Lessons Learned and Tips from Pilgrimage, My First Kickstarter Campaign Two Different Approaches to Selling Direct with Sacha Black and Joanna Penn What is Kickstarter, and why use it instead of a normal book launch? Here's Oriana Leckert, Head of Publishing at Kickstarter — and the numbers she shares will be higher now, as the episode is from February 2025. Oriana: Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform. We are unique in the crowdfunding landscape for a few reasons. We are only for creative projects, so you can't use Kickstarter for medical bills, investment funding, or charitable donations. Every project has to create something new to share with the world. Jo: Have you got any numbers on how big the Kickstarter industry is now with publishing, or anything you can share around that? Oriana: Yeah, I would love to. First I'll tell you Kickstarter overall by the numbers. Since our inception, there have been 273,000 projects funded, eight and a half billion — with a “b” — billion dollars pledged, from more than 24 million backers. In publishing specifically, we've had 69,000 projects launched, 3.2 million unique backers, and over $380 million pledged to campaigns. I have lots of other stats, but a few things I'll share. The publishing category keeps growing The publishing category has grown year over year, every year since 2017, in terms of number of projects launched, number of projects successful, and the overall success rate. There has never been a dip since 2017. Another stat I really love about the publishing category: if you look at campaigns that have at least 25 backers, the overall success rate is 84%. I think that's really telling, because 25 backers is a little bit more than your mum, your best friend, the folks who are essentially obligated to support anything you do. So if you can get a little bit beyond that inner circle, your chances of succeeding on the platform are tremendously high. Backers are paying more — and waiting longer Another thing I wanted to call out — I just got some new numbers around this. The average backing amount per backer across the whole category has nearly doubled since 2020. We used to see an average backing around $40, and it's currently at $72 per backer. I think this is clearly around the trend of special and deluxe editions, but it's a great indication that backer behaviour on Kickstarter is just very different from your general book-buying public. People don't come here looking for 99-cent ebooks — the lowest bargain-basement prices. Folks are really willing to pay more because they understand this is a different kind of thing. It's not exactly a purchase. It really is supporting, bringing a strange and wonderful new thing into the world that wouldn't exist before. People are also much more forgiving about timelines. If you buy something from most online booksellers, you're expecting to have it in your hands within a couple of days. People wait months and sometimes years to get their Kickstarter rewards, and they don't mind if the creator is clear and transparent. You're also doing the work of demystifying the publishing process. Why does it take so long? Where are books printed? How long does it take them to ship via freight over the ocean? What do all these things really look like? So it's really interesting just figuring out what your backers want and will bear versus the general book-buying public out in the world. Kickstarter is not just for “desperate” authors anymore Oriana: People used to think Kickstarter was just for desperate folks who couldn't get a book deal through the traditional systems. The change has been so dramatic — people now understand that Kickstarter can be transformative for an author's career, and that it can work for traditional publishing, indie publishing, hybrid publishing, all kinds of authors. Kickstarter is really about collapsing the boundaries between a writer and their readers, a publisher and their fan base, any creative person and their audience. And there are so many benefits to doing that. You get to really thrill your backers with new and exciting rewards. You get to turn what can be a standard book release into a moment. You get to build your brand, your profile, get press, test out ambitious projects. You get to understand so much more about your audience and what they want and how you can give it to them. It's been really marvellous seeing the great success that people can have on our platform and outside of it. Why do a Kickstarter campaign? Jo: Why Kickstarter and not a usual book launch? Benefits for backers If you back a Kickstarter, you get special editions, bonus content, interesting merchandise, bundles, digital specials, print specials, early access. All of them pretty much are really cool books from creators you either already love or those you've never heard of, because you just want to see their cool stuff. I've started buying books from people I have never heard of because I think their books are really cool. Once you start supporting campaigns on Kickstarter, the algorithm will recommend campaigns for you. It's essentially a different way of shopping for great books and other products, and it's just another part of my ecosystem for how I shop. It's a form of direct sales, so you also have a closer connection with the creator. You can message them, for example, and they get it — rather than buying through an online retailer or bookstore. Benefits for creators In terms of benefits for creators, you get to know people in a more personal way through the campaign, messaging with people and connecting more than you would when selling through a retailer, when you don't know who is buying your books. As an author, you can make more money more quickly and retain a higher percentage of the royalties, rather than wait months or years to get paid and have a large percentage taken out by everyone down the chain — publishers, platforms, distributors, and retailers. Brandon Sanderson's $41 million Kickstarter was clearly the pinnacle of what can be achieved, but many authors are happy making a few thousand for their book project upfront and use campaigns multiple times during the year. Kickstarter takes 5% for their fee, although of course you have to factor in the cost of production and marketing. But even then, I make more profit on my book sales through selling ebooks and audiobooks direct, and also printing with BookVault, than I do with KDP Print or IngramSpark print on demand. Higher average order and faster payment Another way you make more money is that the average order per customer is higher with Kickstarter than sales on the usual stores. The average order on my campaign was £37.24 — that's around $45 US — which is at least four times higher than I might have made selling Pilgrimage in the usual way on the major retailers. You get paid two weeks after the campaign finishes, so the money is in your bank account much faster than if you sell on retailers. In terms of cash flow, make sure you time your campaign so you get the money before you have to pay for printing, shipping, and other significant bills. Spike income vs monthly income There are many creators who now make Kickstarter the core of their business. It's a spike income model rather than a monthly income, which most indie authors are used to. The monthly income model is fantastic — I love getting money every month — but it also has the effect of making indie authors behave as if this is a normal job: work every month, get paid every month, put out another book so you get paid in another few months' time. With the Kickstarter model, you can get a bigger chunk of money in one go, so you could potentially move to a big launch and then take more time off before ramping up to the next launch months later. And amusingly, this sounds a bit more like traditional publishing. It's just that as an indie author, when you get that amount of money, it's much bigger. So that kind of launch tempo is an attractive prospect if you think about it: if I just get this big spike of money even once a year, that's really cool. And then of course you can sell it later. What are some of the fears that might stop you? Jo: I held back from doing a Kickstarter for years — almost a decade, in fact — where I backed campaigns and resisted doing a campaign for my own books. Here are some of my fears. Prepare to face your fears Jo: This entire experience thrust me out of my comfort zone and into a new way of creating, launching, and connecting with readers. Pilgrimage is my first memoir, my first special hardback with colour photos, and my first Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. So I had a lot to learn. The book is very personal and I bare my soul about some dark times, so that was terrifying in itself, let alone trying a new product edition and publishing platform. On the evening I clicked the launch button — and yes, you have to actually click an actual launch button — my heart was hammering out of my chest. I have not felt that nervous since probably the first time publishing on Amazon. I was afraid of failure. I was afraid of being embarrassed if my campaign didn't fund. I wrote a book on marketing — how to market a book — so I would be mortified if I had not funded. In fact, I even changed my target from £5,000 to £1,000 the night before, as I was so terrified it wouldn't fund. I was afraid of getting something terribly wrong and ending up out of pocket through issues with printing and shipping. I was afraid of letting backers down by promising something I might not be able to deliver. I was afraid I had overcommitted myself to a whole load of work I might even resent doing. I am a one-person business, and although I work with freelancers, I still do pretty much everything myself. I am a control freak — you might have noticed. So yes, there was a lot of apprehension and fear. You don't have to go huge Another fear might be the fear of failure — that you'll put up a campaign and no one will buy from you. But one answer is just to do a modest campaign. You don't have to do special hardbacks or merchandise. As Russell says: Russell: Somehow all of the teaching that we have given over the last two years has been executed in a way that makes it seem like you have to do this enormous campaign with sprayed edges and big, beautiful hardcovers and interior illustrations and vellum and all of that stuff. And I want to say first: that is absolutely not true. You don't have to do any of those things. If you look at two of the last three campaigns I've done, all I was offering was paperback books and ebooks, and then audio commentary for one of the campaigns. You can do a Kickstarter — and I often will tell people, especially if they're not an already successful author — do a campaign that is small and easy to get data on before you do something big. The direct connection is actually the point Jo: One of my resistances to this was a sort of, “Oh, I'm actually going to have to do a more higher-touch thing.” But as you say, the reframe is: oh my goodness, this is amazing, because I actually do get to connect with people. Just yesterday I sent a signed book — Pilgrimage, which I did my last Kickstarter on — and this guy was like, “I bought it for myself. Can you sign it to me, because I'm going to do the Camino in a wheelchair?” And I was just so touched. Emailing him back, I just felt, oh my goodness, I'm having a connection with this person that if they'd just bought a book on Amazon, I would not have had. So now it's almost like — it's this totally different view of my business, which is that direct-first means a much more personal way. It really is like we're in that thousand true fans moment that we first talked about 20 years ago. Were my fears realised? Jo: Just to recap, I was afraid of failure and embarrassment if I failed to fund, of getting something wrong and being out of pocket, of letting backers down, and of overcommitting myself and resenting the workload. Really, the only thing that happened was overcommitment and a lot more work than I expected. But the time I put in was also likely the reason for the campaign's success and the reason that the other things didn't happen. I had to learn a new platform and a new approach to publishing and book marketing, so it was kind of a mini degree at the same time. So yes, I will do another Kickstarter — but only for special projects that are suited to this kind of intensive campaign. Tips for campaigns In this section, Oriana shares her thoughts on rewards, and then I'll go into some more of my tips. Thinking beyond merch Oriana: The rewards are really at the heart of the Kickstarter proposition and what makes this kind of fundraising so interesting and thrilling. Basically, your process is you're inviting people on a creative journey. You're saying, “I'm going to make this cool thing. I want your support, and in exchange, you're going to get stuff, you're going to get to be part of my process.” Obviously your main reward is going to be your book, or your series, or if you're a publishing company, your season — whatever it is. That's your main tier. Then you're going to build everything else out above and below that. A lot of people think rewards means swag and merch. Which is fine, but merch can add a lot to your production costs. It's causing you to learn how to produce all kinds of things that maybe you've never done before. So that's not the only way to do it. If you're going to do some merch, I think it's nice to come up with some custom items that feel really related to the work that you're doing. If you've got a romance novel with a pivotal scene on the beach, maybe you'd make some candles that smell like the ocean. Maybe you do some kind of handkerchief that's printed with the pattern of the dress your heroine is wearing. Digital and experiential rewards Oriana: But you can really think beyond merch into digital rewards and experiential rewards. There are a lot of parts of the writing process that can be pulled out and packaged as rewards — things like notes from the field, outtakes, deleted scenes. I've had people write bloopers, as if it were a comedy movie, added new scenes or novellas, other pieces from different works that you've done. Certainly your backlist and other books you've written can all be included. We've seen people do tours of the writer's studio, things like that. Also think about what skills you have in addition to your writing. Perhaps you're excellent at marketing or social media or poetry — you can offer webinars on those sorts of things. Other kinds of ways that people can experience your creative practice. High-end and naming rewards Oriana: Then you can get into high-end, one-off, crazy rewards. One whole section of rewards I love is naming rights. We've seen all kinds — “We'll name the dragon after your dog, or after your mother-in-law. We'll name the hero after your son.” There's a LitRPG novelist named Matt Dinniman who does this really well. He writes these big-cast novels — there are dungeons, and you're in an intergalactic reality TV show with hundreds of characters. In his last campaign, for $666 he would kill you off in his next book, and for $777 he'd let you live and write a whole scene around you personally. You can also do book release parties. You can do book clubs. If you're writing children's books, you can do colouring pages or supplemental material for teachers or other educators. The sky is really the limit, and it is based on your creativity and the things that both you can make and that your audience wants. This is another opportunity — talk to them. Ask them: if I'm going to do a piece of swag, would you rather have an enamel pin or a makeup bag? If I'm going to do alternate covers, would you like the blue cover or the red cover? See what your people are interested in, and then figure out whether it's possible for you to deliver it to them. Learn about the platform from experts Jo: I've been publishing and selling books through online retailers, as well as my own store, since 2008. I know what I'm doing, but I still had a lot to learn. With Kickstarter, it's essentially a completely different ecosystem, with different rules and a different audience, so you have to learn the ropes. Even if you're super successful in other places, you might crash and burn on Kickstarter unless you understand how it works and change your approach accordingly. Start backing campaigns Jo: See how it feels to back Kickstarter campaigns and discover what draws you in as a reader and a fan of specific things. You might find projects you love outside of books — there's plenty of other projects outside of books. You can browse the publishing category to find new books, and also use the search to find things you might like. In this way, you can support fellow creators and learn how the Kickstarter site works for discoverability and marketing. Make sure you go through the Kickstarter.com resources — they have a creator pack which will give you direction on the campaign. Also, their terms of use are really important to read, as there are some assumptions you'll have because you've published on another platform that are incorrect. So do not assume you know what you're doing if this is your first campaign. Ask for feedback before launch Jo: Once you have a draft of your campaign, ask specific people to review it before it launches. You can share a preview prior to launch and get feedback on your page. This helps you refine your story and the rewards, answer any questions before the campaign goes live, and it can also help pique the interest of your audience. I asked specific people who had done Kickstarter campaigns for help at different stages of the process, and this was really useful too. Review common mistakes from other campaigns Jo: If you examine how others made mistakes, you can learn from them. The most common seem to be: Not finishing the book before the campaign Getting the financials wrong for production, shipping, and any other rewards. I know some authors who have ended up breaking even, or sometimes even out of pocket from campaigns. Don't do that. Not making the most of the story sales page and not including everything necessary, so backers don't understand and don't want to support the campaign — essentially, not being clear enough Setting unrealistic goals, like expecting to make six figures on a first campaign Not allowing enough time for everything Not seeking feedback from people who have done it before Not marketing the campaign enough Overpromising and under-delivering Poor communication with backers about the status of rewards Set aside more time than you think you need Jo: The campaign ended up being far more significant than I expected in terms of workload and time to complete. Everyone told me that beforehand, but it was still a surprise. It took time to prepare the multiple editions for the rewards. I usually produce an ebook, paperback, and a large print edition, and I narrate my own nonfiction audiobooks. But for this Kickstarter, I also wanted to do this special hardback with colour photos, a flyleaf cover and silver foil. I wanted to create a special print product I could be proud of. I'm proud of all my books in terms of the content, but the usual paperback print-on-demand books are more about the content than the true beauty of the product. For Pilgrimage: A Book of My Heart, I wanted a special edition, so I worked with Jane on the design, going through my photos from the various pilgrimages to find those that resonated with the content — for example, the cadaver tomb at Canterbury, and my Compostela from the Camino de Santiago. Once we finished, I had that proof copy rushed so we could turn around everything. And I love, love, love the hardback. It has a silken-finish cover and it feels lovely and weighty. The pictures came out well, as the paper is of a higher quality and weight to allow for colour printing. Overall, I am incredibly proud of the finished product. I even sent a copy to my mother-in-law, which I have never done before. And yes, she thinks it's good. I definitely should have allowed more time, as I spent most of the Christmas and New Year period working on the book, recording and editing the audiobook, and preparing for the campaign. I also didn't have time to prepare, record, edit, and produce the Writing Setting and Sense of Place course until after the campaign, and it was really hard to find the energy to do this afterwards. Building the campaign page Jo: It took time to build the Kickstarter campaign page, create the video, and incorporate feedback. Most authors don't write sales pages anymore. Sure, we write a sales description for the book page on the retailers, but we don't often do a whole page for multiple editions. On Kickstarter, you are basically writing a sales page for your campaign, which they call a “story.” Some of your existing audience might just click through and back the campaign without reading it, but most backers will check out the details to find answers to any questions they have. It is a very long page, and you also need a video — or you don't need one, but it's highly recommended. It's best to record the video at the last stage when everything else is done. You can still see my Kickstarter video on my campaign page, so I won't go through everything in detail. But the key aspects are: Who the campaign is aimed at Why the campaign is important to me and the book What products are available Pictures of everything — the page should be really visual — and I included the images in the video as well Sample chapters and sample audio Specifications, with weight, pages, listening time, table of contents About me, the author Stretch goals Add-ons Any questions, risks, and challenges So it's pretty long. Then the reward levels have to be set up carefully for each pledge level with shipping costs, and specific details about what's included. Eventually, I felt like my page had way too much information, but since I didn't really get many backer questions, I guess it did what it was supposed to do. I rewrote and edited that page so many times — adding and changing the order of things, responding to feedback, switching things around. But hopefully I can use that as a template for other campaigns. Marketing takes time too Jo: It took time to prepare the marketing for the campaign. I'm pretty low-key for most launches these days — I publish a book, send a few emails to my lists, announce it on the podcast, do a little social media, update my websites, and move on to the next book. So this was probably my biggest effort in terms of a launch since my first novel back in 2011. I only had a two-week campaign, so I needed to make the most of that window. I'm going to detail the marketing in a separate section, but it took a lot of time to prepare the various things and execute them, as well as keep the energy up for promotion during the campaign. Two weeks was definitely the longest I would want to do — I was really over it by the end. Delivering stretch rewards Jo: It took more time to create and deliver the extra stretch rewards I promised. Since I had pretty low expectations of funding, I set my first stretch goal at £10,000 for “Lessons Learned from Writing a Travel Memoir.” When I promised it, I thought it might be a few pages of tips, and I didn't even think we would get there. But I'm incapable of delivering something that is half done. So when we did hit £10,000, I wrote essentially a short book on the topic, which I then formatted as an ebook and recorded as an audiobook. I'm actually going to turn that into a proper book at some point, so the content will get reused. But that definitely took more time than I expected, because I hadn't prepared it in advance. The backer spreadsheet and fulfilment Jo: It took time to figure out the backer spreadsheet and check all the fulfilment details. Once you finish your campaign, you send out surveys for mailing addresses and to fulfil rewards. I also needed to turn the backer report into a printing order for BookVault, and that was nerve-wracking. The spreadsheets were different formats, and then we spot-checked the orders to make sure people got the right books based on their orders. I was petrified that some people might get the wrong book, and I checked and checked and checked — both on the spreadsheet, and then once the orders were loaded, I checked BookVault as well. I was worried I'd have to resend the right book, which would end up with me out of pocket because they'd have to do double printing and shipping. But thankfully, all the checking made everything good, and I haven't heard from anyone who got the wrong book. Following up with backers Jo: It took time to follow up on failed payments and address issues. Most backers were easy to deal with — they received the updates and Kickstarter emails, they filled in the surveys, and I didn't have any problems. But there were problems with about 5% of backers, most of which were not their fault. There were failed payments when banks thought Kickstarter might be fraud. There were missed emails because of issues with deliverability, so backers didn't receive the rewards, or they didn't fill in the survey and return their address, which meant I couldn't do the order with BookVault — I had to do it later or manually. I had to follow up with every single one of these, some of them multiple times, and I slowly reduced my list of outstanding backers. A tip: If you back a Kickstarter campaign, please log on to Kickstarter a few weeks after the campaign has finished and check for updates. It's possible that you're not receiving the emails from Kickstarter, and the creator may need details from you in order to fulfil your pledge. Tax implications Jo: It took time to figure out the tax implications. This is not legal or financial advice, and your taxes will vary by jurisdiction. Please ask your accountant how you need to treat Kickstarter or any other book-related income. Wherever you are in the world, you will need to pay tax on the income, because we all have income tax, but the complicating factor is whether you also need to consider sales tax. And this definitely differs by jurisdiction. I went to my accountant, who said we should handle it as per any other book sales. I followed my accountant's advice, which treats backers the same way as my customers who buy on Shopify. Ask a professional in your jurisdiction about taxes and finances, even if you are in the UK. I cannot answer any questions. I'm not an accountant. Closing the loop Jo: I haven't had much time to do anything else, as I felt like I couldn't start anything new until everything in the campaign was finished. As soon as the campaign window closed, I felt like I had an open loop in my brain. I desperately wanted to close it in order to say the project was done. I have now delivered all the book and course rewards, and these lessons learned are really the last part of it. I've talked before about the different kinds of energy you need as an author — starting energy, pushing-through energy, and finishing energy. Once the campaign was funded, my finishing energy kicked in and I was driven to get everything finished as soon as possible. I sent the digital rewards out within a few days of the campaign closing, and also shipped the unsigned books, ordered the print books, then went and signed them, and then recorded the course. It has been my primary focus for the last few months, and I haven't been able to do much else except the podcast, which is my weekly commitment to you. Once again, I should have blocked out the time. Bonus tip: Don't plan an international speaking and book research trip during the campaign. International shipping and fulfilment Jo: Be careful with international shipping and fulfilment of signed books or products. Shipping costs can sink your campaign if you get them wrong, so be very careful with this area. I have sold books in 175 countries, and this podcast has a listenership in 228 countries, so I really wanted to have a completely international campaign. I wanted to ship Pilgrimage in any format to any country. Originally I thought I would just charge a bit extra for the book and include shipping. But once I set the book editions up at BookVault and I had the weight and dimensions sorted, I started checking the shipping costs to different countries. For example, we lived in New Zealand for seven years — my husband is a New Zealander, so we go back — so I definitely had to sell in New Zealand. And of course the shipping to New Zealand is very, very different to the US, for example. It is crazy how much shipping costs vary. I discovered I couldn't just assume it would all wash out and I'd end up making a profit somehow. I had to be a lot more careful with the calculations. So I focused on my biggest markets, which in terms of my book sales are the US, UK, European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. I added a note on the campaign to say I would add any other country for print shipping if people contacted me. As it turned out, no one asked for any other countries, so that was the best way to go in the end. If you're in a country where the shipping is outrageous — if you're willing to pay for the shipping, then that's absolutely fine. It's just that for the campaign, I had to focus. When the unexpected happens Jo: Of course, you can try to prepare for everything and then something unexpected and out of your control happens. A big spanner in the works for my campaign was the Russian hack, which took down the UK Royal Mail just before my launch. If you're not in the UK, you wouldn't have heard about this, because in some ways it's a very small issue — but it basically took down Royal Mail and a lot of shipping went into flux. It specifically hit the international side, and other shipping firms ramped up to take the slack. But it made planning for the launch difficult, as the prices were shifting and I didn't know how delivery was going to work. Even for posting in the UK it was hard, because the mail offices were getting backed up. Once again, I'm grateful for BookVault's adaptability, because I could check different addresses and shipping prices even as things changed, and they added new providers for shipping. About 95% of my shipping ended up being within an acceptable range of what I charged. So do your research, weigh and measure your items so you can get exact quotes for each. Check what kind of packaging you need. If you're doing your own shipping, you have to actually type in the shipping costs per reward and per country — it's a lot of manual setup to get it right. But this is critical, so check and double-check — and in fact, I triple- and quadruple-checked, then went to sleep, and then the next day checked again. Having spent 13 years as an IT consultant prior to this career as an author, I will always remember and have learned from the fact that something just might not be working, and then literally if you just go away, go to bed, come back the next day, it'll probably just be working. Sometimes it actually works. So yes, I did that, and every time I checked, pretty much I found something I'd typed in that didn't quite match, because you also have to retype — if you include all the books in the add-ons, you have to type it again. I didn't stop checking until the day before the launch, and then it was right. I was happy, and everything seemed to be fine. Shipping is always a moving target Jo: Revisiting this section made me laugh, because as I record this, in the week before I launch Bones of the Deep, international shipping is disrupted again — by the war in Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz being closed, which is affecting fuel prices. This underscores yet again how important it is to check your shipping. Of course, you can add shipping on later — Kickstarter allows this, as does BackerKit and other services. But as a backer, a customer of people on the platform, I hate being asked to pay shipping later. And since I hate that myself, I don't want other people to feel the same way. So just add a little buffer in, as asking people to pay an extra dollar in their pledge is not that big a deal, but you being out of pocket for every book shipped may well be. Sacha Black on pre-launch and fulfilment In an interview I did with Sacha Black, who writes as Ruby Roe, in December 2025, we talked about her issues with fulfilment. Sacha does a lot of complex printing, shipping, and custom book boxes and more. Her last campaign made over six figures, but of course it had its challenges. Here's Sacha with some of her tips, and then Oriana to close out this section with some other mistakes. Sacha: The first thing is — even before you start your Kickstarter — the pre-launch followers are critical. A lot of people think, “Well…” I guess there's a lot of loud noise about all these big numbers about how much people can make on Kickstarter, but actually a lot of it is driven by you, the author, pushing your audience to Kickstarter. You need more pre-launch followers than you think you do. Lots of people don't put enough impetus on the marketing beforehand. Almost all of our Kickstarter marketing is beforehand, because we drive so many people to that follow button. The other thing we do is early-bird pricing. We get the majority of our income on a campaign on day one. I think it was something wild, like 80% this time was on day one, so that's really important. Fulfilment takes longer than you think Sacha: The second thing is, it takes so, so very much longer than you think it does to fulfil a campaign, and you must factor in that cost. Because if it's not you fulfilling, you're paying somebody else to fulfil it. And if it is you fulfilling it, you must account for your own time in the pricing of your campaign. The other thing is that the amount of time it takes to fulfil is directly proportionate to the size of the campaign. So you do have to think about that. The other lesson we have learned is that overseas printing will drag your timelines out far longer than you think. So whatever you think it's going to take you to fulfil — add several months more onto that, and put that information in your campaign. Reinvesting profit and exclusive rewards Sacha: The last thing — if you have some profit in the Kickstarter, because not all Kickstarters are actually massively profitable. They either don't account enough for shipping, or they don't account enough in the pricing. Thankfully, ours have been profitable, but we've actually reinvested that profit back into buying more stock and more merchandise, which not everybody would want to do if they don't have a warehouse. However, we do have one. We are stockpiling merchandise and books so that we can do mystery boxes later on down the line. It's probably a year away, but we are buying extra of everything so that we have that in the warehouse. So it depends on what you want to do with your profit. For us, it was all about buying more books, basically. The other thing to think about is: what is it that you're doing that's exclusive to Kickstarter? Because you will get backers on Kickstarter who want that quirky, unique thing that they're not going to be able to get anywhere else. But what about you? You've done more Kickstarters than me — what do you think is the biggest lesson you've learned? Tiers, bundles, and AI for planning rewards Jo: Well, I think all of mine together add up to the one you just did. Although I will comment — you said something like £75 per pre-launch backer. That is obviously dependent on your tiers for the rewards, so most authors won't have that amount. My average order value, which I know is slightly different, but I don't offer things like book boxes as you have — so a lot of it will depend on the tiers. Some people will do a Kickstarter just with an ebook — just with one ebook and maybe a bundle of ebooks — so you're never going to make it up to that kind of value. So this is important too: have a look at what people offer on their different levels of Kickstarter. In fact, here's my AI tip for the day. What you can do — what I did with my Buried and the Drowned campaign recently — is, you know, I'm happy uploading my book. I uploaded it to ChatGPT and said, “Tell me, what are some ideas for the different reward tiers that I can do on Kickstarter?” And it will give you some ideas for what you can do, what kind of bundles you might want to do. So bundling your backlist is another thing you can do — as upsells, or you can just do it like I did for Blood Vintage, where I did a horror bundle of four standalone horror books in one of the upper tiers. Bundling is a good way to do it, and also upselling your backlist is a really good way to up things. And also, if you do it digitally — for ebooks and audiobooks — there's a lot less time in fulfilment. Oriana on the biggest mistakes Jo: What are some of the top mistakes you see that mean the campaign doesn't fund, or there are other issues? Oriana: Totally. I mean, the biggest mistake I think authors make — or any creator — is overestimating their ability to reach their crowd. Making sure that your ambition matches your reach is the number one most important thing to come close to guaranteeing that you will be successful. If you're an emerging writer and you're still building your audience and you don't have that many followers or subscribers out in the world, you should not try to fund a multi-volume leather-bound omnibus. Do a real honest assessment of who's in your crowd, how to find them, what percentage of them are likely to support what you're doing, and then find a project that feels realistic based on those numbers. That's really the biggest thing, conceptually. Building a strong project page Oriana: As far as tips for a project page — again, back campaigns and look at what other people are doing. A project page can be either as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. You definitely want to talk about the book: what is in it, what you're writing. Do a trope card if you want — we're seeing those all over the site. Say what kind of book it is, and the specs: page count, trim size, cover design. Obviously if you're doing a special edition, exactly what sorts of bells and whistles, with a prototype if you can. But you can be really expansive from there. What are your inspirations? Who are your collaborators? What brought you to this work? What are some of the things that make you excited about your writing practice, your timeline, your budget? What made you choose these rewards and how you're going to produce them? All those sorts of things will make backers feel both more trusting that you will do the things you're promising, and just more excited to be part of your journey. Marketing your Kickstarter campaign Let's talk about marketing. First, a snippet from Oriana, and then I'll share specifics around marketing tips — many of which are useful if you're launching in any other way. Kickstarter's algorithm rewards attention Oriana: Being on Kickstarter will help you grow your audience, but it's definitely not everything. You really do need to bring your people first. Our algorithm works on attention, so any project that's getting clicks, getting backings, getting comments — our algorithm says, “Oh, people want to look at this. We will expose it to more and more people.” That means raising it up in search results, slotting it into various of the macros and carousels around the site. Our recommendation engine powers recommended projects on the top of campaigns and at the bottom of emails. We are doing a lot to make sure that projects are being surfaced to folks who want to see them. Talk about the book while you're writing it Jo: Talk and share about the book while you're writing it, even though you might not know what it will turn into. I always share my book research and projects in progress, so this was nothing new. But Pilgrimage was years in the making, so I had years of sharing aspects of it. I've shared pictures from every pilgrimage walk on Instagram at @jfpennauthor and Facebook at J.F. Penn Author, and sometimes Facebook The Creative Penn. I've talked on this podcast about each walk, and I've done solo episodes and blog posts about each on my Books and Travel podcast and blog. I also did a poll and shared my book cover design process, and then I did an article on why I ignored target-reader feedback in the end. All this meant that many in my community — including you listening — became aware of my solo walking and also my ecclesiastical interest, my architecture interest, and you enjoyed my photos along the way if you follow me on social media. So when I announced the launch, it was the culmination of years of build-up. Use the pre-launch page early Jo: Set up the Kickstarter pre-launch page as early as possible, and keep promoting it. You can launch a pre-launch page once Kickstarter has approved your project, and you don't have to have finished everything to make it available — just complete the personal and business setup, and fill in enough detail so they can verify your identity and judge the campaign to be real and within the guidelines, and not a scam or spam campaign. I started to promote my pre-launch page, and by the time we went live, I had people signed up on launch. Those people get an email from Kickstarter. Those people were responsible for my campaign funding within the first few minutes, and then taking it to 5x the target within the first 24 hours. Then I started to email my lists, and all of this type of thing. But it was those pre-launch signups that really kick-started — see what I did there? — the whole thing. The benefit of using Kickstarter for multiple projects is that previous backers are notified of your new project. This compounds the effect over time, and is why those who use Kickstarter successfully do multiple campaigns. Kickstarter SEO and on-platform marketing Jo: Kickstarter has its own ecosystem. There's a discovery algorithm that can help you find projects you might like as a backer, and there are different ways to search, but only certain aspects appear in the search. So your title, subtitle, and your header image need to be optimised so people can find you. Your story sales page needs to be clear, with a compelling pitch. People also have to want your rewards, so marketing has to be baked into the products you're offering and who you're trying to attract. Your video doesn't need to be a professional-level product, but it does need to connect with potential backers, so take the time to make a good one. If you've never made a video before, you will need time to upskill. Kickstarter also has social media. Use #KickstarterReads and tag @KickstarterReads. If your project funds quickly and has a good trajectory, you might get picked for the “Projects We Love” badge, which also gives you better discoverability. I got that pretty fast. You can also tag Kickstarter on social media and inform them of your campaign. Content marketing Jo: Content marketing is offering something useful or interesting or inspiring or funny or entertaining for free, in order to attract your target market so they buy your book. This might be an article or blog post, video, audio, podcast, social media, whatever. For fiction, it's usually a free book or a short story or other free examples of your writing that draw people in. Content marketing is my favourite form of marketing, as it is about attraction, not interruption. It also involves creating something in the world that lasts over time, as opposed to an ephemeral spike ad or a social media post that quickly disappears. Each has its place, of course, and I use them all. This podcast is content marketing, although it now also provides direct revenue in the form of corporate advertising and Patreon support. Thank you, patrons and advertisers — and I consider this to be part of my creative body of work. My Books and Travel podcast is also content marketing. Guest appearances for the launch Jo: For this launch, I did content marketing on my own sites and shows, as well as other people's, which I arranged and recorded in advance. I've also mentioned the campaign in the introduction to every one of these shows leading up to the launch and during the launch. I was on some podcasts: Sacred Steps with Kevin Donahue, Wish I'd Known Then… For Writers with Sara Rosett and Jami Albright, Travel Writing World with Jeremy Bassetti, and Into the Woods with Holly Worton. I also did several of my own. I did one on this feed. I did another on the Books and Travel feed. I also included two chapters from the audiobook on the Books and Travel podcast. All of these took time to prepare and produce, but each is a chance for another person to hear about the book. Plus, they're evergreen, and Pilgrimage is available for everyone to buy now, so I can point people at Pilgrimage on other stores. Use a redirection URL Jo: For all my marketing, I used JFPenn.com/pilgrimage, which I can redirect using the Pretty Links plugin on WordPress and point to wherever I want it to go. Before the launch, it went to the pre-launch page; then the campaign itself; and now it goes to the book page. Once I build a special landing page, it will go there. Depending on where you're listening will depend on where it goes, but that's JFPenn.com/pilgrimage. The URL needs to be easy to say out loud for use in podcast interviews and audio-first media. Email your list multiple times Jo: Some things change in book marketing — like the emergence of new platforms like TikTok — but one thing has stayed the same for decades: if you have an email list, you can always sell books. Your email list consists of people who have opted in to hear from you, so you can email them about normal launches as well as your Kickstarter campaign. I have two email lists: one for The Creative Penn around writing, and the other around J.F. Penn for my fiction. I emailed both lists multiple times at different times in the campaign. I use ConvertKit for my email, but there are other options for authors. Use referral links for tracking Jo: Use specific referral links for different aspects of the campaign for tracking returns. Kickstarter allows you to create different tracking links so you can link revenue to specific marketing events. For example, I used one link for my Creative Penn email list, another for my J.F. Penn email list, and yet another for my Facebook advertising. You can also add the Meta pixel and Google Analytics code to the campaign, which can also help with figuring out advertising. And if you don't know what those are, don't worry — you don't have to use them. Book images and social media Jo: I initially mocked up the book using cover images on MockupShots.com, and then resized them in Canva in order to create social media images. I later did a book photo shoot with the hardback in different places to give me more marketing assets to play with — all of which I will use over time as part of ongoing marketing. I prepared and scheduled social media posts to go out every day, and I did that in advance, primarily for Twitter at @thecreativepenn, my Instagram and Facebook at J.F. Penn Author, and also Facebook at The Creative Penn. It was a lot of work, but I really enjoyed it — weirdly — and I need to do more of this for my other books, especially as with Shopify, Facebook, and Instagram link directly into my store, so I can tag books. These days social commerce is a lot smoother through mobile, so someone can see an image on social, click through, and buy immediately. I also did some quotes from the book — so I did pictures, I also did quotes — and I blatantly used our cute British Shorthair cats, Cashew and Ramen, for marketing reasons. I use Buffer to schedule my social media, but there are other tools. I also asked some friends who are travel influencers to share the book, and I sent them the hardback in advance so they could review if they liked. Thanks to Sarah Baxter and Alastair Humphreys for sharing the book, and especially a big thank you to Anna McNuff, who gave birth to twins that week and still managed to share about Pilgrimage. Backer engagement and stretch goals Jo: Let's be clear — it was not natural for me to push a book every day for two weeks. I also felt awkward about engaging with backers multiple times, let alone the wider community who I was sure was sick of my book, but I did it anyway, as it was only a short campaign of two weeks. I sent four updates during the campaign to backers, some of which are visible to the public on my Kickstarter, and then I sent updates afterwards with delivery of the rewards. Although I did resist the stretch goals, as I mentioned earlier, I went with “Notes on Writing a Travel Memoir” and the backer live Q&A. I did scramble to decide on and deliver those, as I really didn't think I would need them — which is crazy. I had such low expectations of what I might achieve. But next time I would definitely plan stretch goals in advance and in more detail. Facebook advertising Jo: I did some Facebook ads for the campaign — although I should call them Meta ads, because they're also on Instagram. I primarily aimed them at my email lists and people who follow my pages, but also some wider reach using lookalike lists and walking interests. I used a tracking link, so I know that the revenue that came in through people backing it more than paid for the ads. So I would do more of this next time. Marketing things I didn't do Jo: I didn't try to get any press or traditional media attention, mainly because I would have had to approach outlets much earlier in the process. I didn't have the hardback finished until a few weeks before the campaign, rather than a few months before, which is when pitching for press is a better idea. I also didn't collaborate with other creators on Kickstarter, even though I knew other authors doing campaigns at the same time. A couple of people asked me about cross-promotion, but their campaigns were not at all related to Pilgrimage. As with all book marketing, there is only a point to cross-promotion if you target the same readers. I had intended to do some Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Live videos, but I struggle with live videos in general — and especially when I'm tired — so I didn't go ahead with those. I might consider more of those next time. Do a survey for everyone Jo: My tip is — do a survey for everyone. As part of a campaign I previously backed, I noticed that I didn't actually need to do a survey for the digital backers, because they could just get the rewards if I emailed through Kickstarter. And sure enough, you can just email the BookFunnel links, the course discount code, etc., through the campaign. But this was a mistake. I should have done a survey for everyone. If you do a survey, you can get the real email, as some people use a cloaked email. You can also include a checkbox asking people if they want to sign up for your email list. Respecting backer data Jo: So while you do get the email addresses of everyone who backs your campaign in your backer report, you cannot just upload them to your email provider and start emailing them about your other books. Kickstarter's terms of use include the following: When you use Kickstarter, and especially if you create a successful project, you may receive information about other users, including things like their names, email addresses, and postal addresses. This information is provided for the purpose of participating in a Kickstarter project. Don't use it for other purposes and don't abuse it. This is about data protection and privacy laws. Basically, Kickstarter is the platform in this instance, and people have signed up to receive emails from Kickstarter, but not from you. All emails about the campaign go through Kickstarter, and you don't have permission to just upload that list to your own email system and start sending more emails. They have not specifically said they want that, unless they have in a survey with opt-in — which I didn't do. Of course, there are indirect ways to attract people to sign up for your list. My book Pilgrimage includes ways to hear from me further, so some backers will go on and sign up for my free thriller ebook at JFPenn.com/free, or my Author Blueprint at TheCreativePenn.com/blueprint. You can also do updates later, for example when you have a new campaign, and in this way Kickstarter acts as a different ecosystem for email. Should you consider a Kickstarter campaign for your book? Jo: To be honest — only if you consider this to be a career you want to invest in, and a platform you want to do more than one campaign with. If you just have one book or a couple of books, or you're just starting out, or you don't want to do marketing and connect with readers, then definitely don't do a Kickstarter. It is not some magic button that will make you money — like uploading to Amazon is not a magic button that will make you money. It takes time and effort to have a successful campaign. But if you do want to build a long-term author business, then selling direct should have some part to play, and Kickstarter is a great way to make more money per book and connect with readers. It's really only the beginning of the trend of authors selling direct, so don't worry — you can learn how to do this over time. Update for Bones of the Deep, my 7th campaign in April 2026 Jo: It was interesting to revisit my lessons learned and other people's tips, and really, there are only a few things that have changed. I love doing Kickstarter campaigns now Firstly, I absolutely love doing Kickstarter campaigns. I am not nervous at all anymore, and I am just so thrilled to produce gorgeous hardback editions of my books this way. I love delivering beautiful books and new stories or nonfiction to my readers. I love doing the discovery writing webinars and the coaching, and just in general, I appreciate the opportunity to publish this way. I feel like a “real author” — with beautiful hardbacks, doing a signing, getting photos and emails from readers who receive the books. Custom printing keeps expanding In terms of other changes, over the last few years since Pilgrimage, BookVault has expanded their custom printing, so now I have custom endpapers, sprayed edges, different kinds of foil, as well as the silken paper and the ribbon and photos inside. These gorgeous editions are my personal creative reason to keep doing campaigns. I love saying “I made this!” And over time, I would love to get all my backlist into special editions. A repeatable process I'm still doing similar kinds of rewards — the book in all editions — and it's all finished so it's lower stress. Even the audiobook narration is done, so I can fulfil immediately. There's just the live discovery writing webinar to do, and stretch goal Q&A and consulting sessions. I'm also doing bundles, and all my backlist gets bundled in the add-ons, so I have a repeatable process, which makes things easier. Using AI in production I'm using more AI, specifically in the images and video. I love making book images with ChatGPT and Gemini's Nano Banana, and story images with Midjourney, and I use ElevenLabs with my voice clone for audiobooks. I fill in all the details in the AI section of the Kickstarter page, so you can go have a look at that and model it as you like. Spike income, realistic expectations I still like the spike income — but to be clear, my campaigns have varied in terms of financial success, as would be expected given they are all so different. My highest was Writing the Shadow at over £36,000 ($48,000), and my lowest was The Buried and the Drowned, a short story collection, at just under £8,000 ($10,700) — not a surprise at how different they are, given the audiences. Together my campaigns have now made £105,868 (just over $140,000), which I am very happy with. And of course, that's just the beginning, as then I put the books on my stores — JFPennBooks.com and CreativePennBooks.com — and on the usual platforms. A sustainable launch rhythm I still like the project approach — the short-term campaign focus — as I am good at sustaining marketing energy for a short period, and then I can drop off again. As I discussed with Sara Rosett last week as well, it feels sustainable for my career, unlike constant social media or ads. Lower-key marketing this time around I'm putting a lot less energy into marketing in general, relying on pre-launch signups over months of build-up as I talk about my writing process on the podcast, then emailing my lists, announcing it here, and scheduling some social media. It's pretty low-key these days, and that is a happy thing. However, for this campaign, I am planning to run some Meta ads direct to the campaign page, since I have Claude Code/Cowork to help me set them up and run them and crunch the data — and that takes the strain off considerably. More campaigns to come I will definitely be doing more Kickstarter campaigns, most likely a nonfiction one next. I am so glad I was able to get over my fears and do that first one, and I hope that encourages you to consider what might be possible for you and your book. So, if you'd like to check out my campaign for Bones of the Deep — even if you don't want the book, you can always model the sales page, or check out the book trailer — it's at JFPenn.com/bones. That link will go to the Kickstarter campaign from 20 April until early May 2026, and will then redirect. The post Kickstarter Tips for Authors: Rewards, Shipping, Marketing, and Lessons Learned first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Thank you Mary Beth Kaplan

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.

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

#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.

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

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

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!

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

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

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