SPA Girls Podcast
Join the SPA Girls for a weekly show with information, tips and advice on how to get started with self publishing your books. If you're new to self publishing, we'll help you dip your toes in the water, answer the questions you were too afraid to ask, and generally show you that it's a great place to be!
Wed, April 30, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP498 – When To Pivot
What happens when your books don’t sell? When is it time to end a series? Or Pivot to a new penname? Wendy, Cheryl and Shar are here to give their advice and (strong!) opinions on when it’s the right time to pivot and the steps writers should take to make that decision. We’ve collectively written and published almost 200 books over the past 15 years, so we’ve experienced and witnessed a LOT of author angst, success and industry changes. We hope that this discussion is beneficial to authors at all stages of their journey! We believe in YOU! 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Wed, April 23, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP497 – Writing The Black Moment with Rachel Bailey (Classic Replay)
One of our most popular writing craft episodes deserves a replay: Writing the Black Moment with USA Today Bestseller, Rachel Bailey. (NB re audio quality, we apologise that this isn’t to our current standard. But we’re sure you’ll find the content worth listening to nevertheless!) A fantastic tutorial on how you can take your writing to the next level! In romance fiction, the black moment (also called the dark night of the soul ) is the emotional low point—when it seems like all hope is lost, the relationship is broken beyond repair, and the characters may not find their way back to each other. Some technique tips include: 1. Make It Deeply Personal The black moment hits hardest when it attacks the characters’ deepest fears or vulnerabilities. Ask: What is your character most afraid of? What do they believe about love that this moment confirms? How does this moment feel like the ultimate betrayal or failure? 2. Use Physical and Emotional Reactions Let your character feel it in their body—give them tears, anger, numbness, or gut-punch dread. Make readers feel it. 3. Let It Be Messy This moment is the emotional climax. Don’t hold back on drama, raw dialogue, misunderstandings, or irreversible decisions (or ones that feel that way). 4. Show the Stakes Make sure the reader understands what’s truly at risk—not just the relationship, but something deeper (identity, trust, belief in love). ABOUT RACHEL Rachel Bailey is a lover of books, dogs, and popcorn. Luckily, she has two dogs, a popcorn maker, and bookshelves overflowing with books, so she’s covered on all fronts. Despite spending her life trying to scam more time to read, she’s managed to graduate with degrees in psychology and social work, as well as a PhD in English, and now has her dream job – making up stories for a living. Her books have hit bestseller lists, ha
Wed, April 16, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP496 – How To Use Tropes Effectively – with Jennifer Hilt
Jennifer Hilt is a USA Today Bestselling author urban fantasy and non-fiction creator of The Trope Thesaurus series. She joins us this episode to really dig into how to use tropes in your fiction (no matter the genre), practical ways of applying them, how to use them to amp up the emotion and characterisation, and your characters’ GMC (goal, motivation and conflict). Jennifer gives lots of tips for practical application and if you’ve ever been confused about where to start writing with tropes, or how to identify the tropes in your existing work, then this episode will help! About Jennifer Jennifer Hilt is a USA Today Bestselling author of The Trope Thesaurus, Horror Trope Thesaurus, and Trope Thesaurus Romance. She has written twenty-four books across four pen names plus her urban fantasy series: The Undead Detective. With degrees in linguistics and literature, Jennifer loves talking about story development. She also collects dictionaries in unfamiliar languages, binges scandi-noir series, and shouts out tropes from the comfort of her couch. Check out her website at: https://www.jenniferhilt.com and her YouTube channel @tropetalk. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Pa
Tue, April 08, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP495 – Book Advertising Secrets with Nicholas Erik (Classic Replay)
This is a classic replay of one of our most popular advertising episodes, with guest Nicholas Erik, science fiction author and marketing expert. Whilst the facebook ad dashboard will have changed since we recorded this a few years ago, the strategy, tips and best practices discussed are just as relevant today. Well worth a relisten /rewatch! You can find Nick at https://nicholaserik.com/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Tue, April 01, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast- EP494 – How To Strengthen Your Story Structure
🎙 Welcome back to the SPA Girls Podcast! Today, we’re diving into one of the most powerful tools in your writer’s toolkit—story structure! Whether you’re a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between, a strong story structure is the secret sauce that keeps readers turning the pages. In this episode, we’ll dive into chapter “rules”, beats, scenes and sequences, how to craft a compelling beginning, keep the momentum going in the middle, and deliver a satisfying, page-turning ending—while making sure your readers get exactly what they crave. So grab a cup of coffee (or something stronger!), and let’s strengthen that story structure! Resources mentioned: Four Act Structure https://www.masterclass.com/articles/four-act-structure Helen Scheuerer on the SPA Girls Podcast EP #282 https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep282-interview-with-helen-scheuerer/ Rachel Bailey – The Black Moment – SPA Girls Podcast EP80 <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-p
Wed, March 26, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP493 – How To Edit Like A Pro (Classic Replay)
What ten editing tips should all authors know? We share in this classic replay of our interview with Editorial Consultant, Mary-Theresa Hussey. Prior to becoming a freelance editorial consultant, Mary-Theresa (known as Matrice) worked at Harlequin for more than 25 years, editing nearly a thousand titles. As editor, senior and executive editor, she read, acquired, revised, rejected and critiqued triple that. Many of the books she has edited went on to find places on both the NYT and USA Today bestseller lists. About Mary-Theresa Hussey How do you recognize an editor? Aside from a love of finding typos in menus, guessing plots while halfway through movies, and an insatiable curiosity about the how and why, an editor will often be adaptable, flexible, know the rules—and know when to ignore them because it makes a better story. Mary-Theresa Hussey–also known as Matrice–knew from the start she loved the stories found in books—and that she didn’t want to be a writer. Some courses in Villanova University where classmates critiqued each other’s papers made her intrigued by the role of the person behind the author. A native New Yorker, she worked with Harlequin for over 25 years, editing nearly a thousand titles. As editor, senior and executive editor she read, acquired, revised, rejected and critiqued triple that. Now she’s bringing her experience to the freelance world. Aside from her love of genre fiction, she likes tv and movies, traveling, taking pictures and browsing on the internet. She’s always eager for the next good story—and hoping it’s well-told. Contact her at Matrice@GoodStoriesWellTold.com Links Mentioned: Resources mentioned: Tiktok – follow @iamthatenglishteacher for grammar and punctuation tips KM Weiland’s Structuring Your Novel ( https://www.amazon.com/K-M-Weiland/e/B002RCXQ00/ ) Enneagram : https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptions Myers Briggs: https://www.truity.com/test/type-finder-personality-test-new Purdue Writing resources: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/index.html 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodc
Tue, March 18, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP492 – Writer Roundtable
The SPA Girls get down and personal with a Q1 2025 catchup! From surprising successes, unexpected writing tips, hybrid publishing adventures to mindset resets, we Keep It Real in this wild author life. Links mentioned: Wendy Vella website , CA Phipps website , Trudi Jaye website www.theauthorhelper.com Vinci Books https://www.vinci-books.com/ Dragonblade Publishing https://www.dragonbladepublishing.com/ Maggie Marr (SPA Girls Podcast Episode #451 ( https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep451-interview-with-maggie-marr/ ) Heather Hildenbrand (SPAGirls Podcast Episode #434 ( https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep434-top-3-mindset-tips-for-authors-with-heather-hildenbrand/ ) Erin Wright (SPA Girls Podcast EP391 ( https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep391-how-to-successfully-publish-wide-with-erin-wright/ ) Maggie Stiefvater ( https://maggiestiefvater.com/ ) Waitomo Caves https://www.waitomo.com/
Tue, March 11, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP491 – Maximizing Your Backlist Sales with Laurelin Paige (Classic Replay)
A Classic Replay of an episode we recorded with the fabulous NYT Bestseller, Laurelin Page , a few years ago. Her advice is just as relevant today to invigorate sales on your backlist books. Laurelin defines a backlist as a book that’s more than 12 months old. Top tips she discussed in this podcast CRAMMED with amazing advice: 1. Keep a calendar for the upcoming year and write in your new releases, then pad around it with backlist titles for “working” once a month 2. The easiest thing to recharge a book is designing a new cover – even if the old cover is good, people want to look at something new. Don’t be precious with your covers. 3. Change your mindset from traditional book marketers: lean into the strengths that indie gives us – and that’s likely changing covers annually When considering her backlist, Laurelin first looks at making cover changes (for entire series ideally – if you can’t afford to do them all at once, then save up rather than doing one at a time). She tries to pair a cover change with a bookbub / freebooksy / blog tour etc – treat the book like it’s a new thing 4. Experiment with lowering the price. A sale can attract new readers (once every six months). Always put your best book as your freebie. Timeframe – it’s never too early to have a sale. Laurelin likes to wait to get the full price audience to see the book first, then reaches a new audience with a sale. For books in KU, she also prefers using five free days rather than a countdown deal. 5. Free Prequels – experiment with these (cliffhangery endings leading into the first book of the series) Need to be wide (can be just Nook for price matching) if you’re in KU. Can do these before AND after release. Laurelin plans prequels ahead of time. 6. REPACKAGE – especially if getting rights back from trad pubbed books, re-edit, retitle (with a note for readers), recover, always tell readers where to go to the next book. 7. Front and back matter: Laurelin has her full backlist listed in the front matter with a newsletter signup (free book monthly given away thanks to newsletter swaps with simil
Tue, March 04, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP490 – Successful Publishing On Kobo – With Tara Cremin of KWL
Today we welcome back Tara Cremin, Director of Kobo Writing Life (KWL) to chat about exciting new opportunities for authors on Kobo and her very best tips and tricks for selling more books and finding your readers! Bio: Tara is the Director of Kobo Writing Life (KWL), Kobo’s premier self-publishing platform, where she combines her passion for books with over a decade of expertise in indie publishing. As a dedicated advocate for independent authors, Tara works tirelessly to ensure KWL remains the most intuitive and author-friendly platform in the industry. She leads a team of enthusiastic book lovers who are deeply engaged in the indie publishing community, always striving to help authors expand their reach and connect with new readers worldwide. In addition to her work behind the scenes, Tara regularly hosts live events featuring authors and industry experts, fostering conversations that inspire and inform the writing community. She’s also a familiar voice on the Kobo Writing Life Podcast, where she shares insights and interviews with leaders in the publishing world. Links: Kobo Writing Life : https://www.kobo.com/us/en/p/writinglife KWL Podcast : https://www.kobo.com/us/en/p/kwlpodcast 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Tue, February 25, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP489 – Interview with Lucy Score (Classic Replay)
Lucy Score is an instant #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of our all time favorite podcast guests (we’ve interviewed her twice now). She is a fantastic example of great branding, great writing, great team work and immense talent for connecting with her readers. In this Classic Replay episode (2021), Lucy talked about her wonderful facebook group, connecting with readers and why relationships are SO important in your publishing business. About Lucy Lucy Score is an instant #1 New York Times bestselling author. She grew up in a literary family who insisted that the dinner table was for reading and earned a degree in journalism. She writes full-time from the Pennsylvania home she and Mr. Lucy share with their obnoxious cat, Cleo. When not spending hours crafting heartbreaker heroes and kick-ass heroines, Lucy can be found on the couch, in the kitchen, or at the gym. She hopes to someday write from a sailboat, oceanfront condo, or tropical island with reliable Wi-Fi. Sign up for her never annoying newsletter at https://www.lucyscore.net/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Sel
Tue, February 18, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP488 – Kickstarter for Authors with Oriana Leckert
If you’ve ever wondered about Kickstarter – where to start, if it’s right for you, and tips for running successful Kickstarter campaigns, this episode is for you! We’re delighted to have Oriana Leckert from Kickstarter here today to explain All Things Kickstarter for authors! What is it, and why should authors be using it? Oriana answers best practices for running a successful campaign, the challenges of Kickstarter and common mistakes authors make – and how to avoid them! Explore Kickstarter at: https://www.kickstarter.com/ About Oriana Leckert Oriana Leckert is deeply passionate about the written word, in all its wild and wonderful forms. She is currently the Director of Publishing & Comics Outreach at Kickstarter, and has long been a writer, editor, publishing and crowdfunding consultant, and cultural hipstorian [ sic ] in Brooklyn, NY. Having worked in and around the media for more than a decade, Oriana was Kickstarter’s Senior Journalism Outreach Lead, Creative Content Director for Per La Mente, Director of Matchmaking at Gotham Ghostwriters, Editor-at-Large for Hyperallergic, Copyeditor at MTV News, Associate Editor at Random House, and a store manager at New York’s famed Strand Bookstore. She has also served as a freelance editor for more than 100 publishers and websites , as well as offering a broad array of editorial services to individuals. Find out more about Oriana at http://www.oriana-leckert.com/ <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/EP488-Kickstarter-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-3465" srcset="https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/EP488-Kickstarter-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.s
Wed, February 12, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP487 – Strengths For Writers with Becca Syme (Classic Replay)
This is a SPA Girls Classic Replay of an amazing interview we did a few years ago with Becca Syme. Becca Syme holds a master’s degree in transformational leadership and has been a success coach (primarily utilizing the Gallup Strengthsfinder®) for over fifteen years. She’s coached over 5,000 individual authors and creatives through her Write Better-Faster and Strengths for Writers classes & coaching cohorts: six- and seven-figure authors, major award winners, midlisters, and new authors alike. Becca talks to us about how we can all write better-faster in our writing careers, using our own unique skills to improve your chances of success. It’s not about tips and techniques for getting more words per hour – it’s about understanding who you are as a writer, your strengths within that, and using those talents in the best way to ensure you are successful. Note that some of the links and courses mentioned in the recording may have been updated. For up to date information go to : https://betterfasteracademy.com/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Wed, February 05, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP486 – Interview with Holly Roberds
Holly Roberds, spicy romance author and Booktok fav is here to tell us all about Building Fandoms and reaching Critical Mass with her publishing strategy. From facebook ads, pinterest boards, to her readers group, Holly gives actionable tips you can apply to your own author career, today! “People crave identity, specialness and a place to belong.” ~ Holly Roberds Resources mentioned: Ana Huang interview with the SPA Girls https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep404-interview-with-ana-huang/ RAM https://romanceauthormastermind.com/ BIO: Holly Roberds started her writing journey with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Terminator fanfiction before creating her own fantastical worlds brimming with fierce, if not slightly unhinged, heroines and spicy encounters. As an Amazon Top 100 Bestseller and Booktok favorite, her paranormal romances have captivated a global audience. Proudly a Colorado girl, Holly jokes about her outdoorsy nature, which is limited to enjoying drinks on patios in Denver. She subsists on the tears of her readers and feeds on their lack of sleep like a vampire, savoring every late-night page-turner she inspires. Find Holly at: <
Tue, January 28, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP485 – Interview with Bella Andre (Classic Replay)
Bella is a true Indie Superstar with more than 10 million books sold (so far!). We interviewed her when she visited New Zealand for the Romance Writers of NZ conference a few years ago and this is well worth a re-listen. Bella is an inspiration and talks about her path to self-publishing, how she made it as an Indie, and her advice for people aiming to follow in her footsteps… Bella Andre is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Sullivans ®, The Maverick Billionaires and The Davenports series. Having sold more than 10 million books , Bella Andre’s novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world and have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists 93 times. She has been the #1 Ranked Author at Amazon (on a top 10 list that included Nora Roberts, JK Rowling, James Patterson and Stephen King). Apple iBooks named her one of their “Bestselling Authors of All Time” (alongside Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts and EL James). And Publishers Weekly named Oak Press, the publishing company she created to publish her own books, the Fastest-Growing Independent Publisher in the US. After signing a groundbreaking 7-figure print-only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella’s The Sullivans ® series is being released in paperback in the US, Canada, and Australia. Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” ( Publishers Weekly ), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into ten languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post called her “One of the top writers in America”; and she has been featured in Entertainment Weekly , NPR, USA Today , Forbes , The Wall Street Journal, and TIME Magazine . A graduate of Stanford University, she has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco, including a standing-room-only keynote at Book Expo Amer
Tue, January 21, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP484 – Interview with Amy Award
You’ve heard of tropes – but have you heard of MICRO tropes? Today’s guest, romcom queen Amy Award , is sharing her incredible experience of incorporating readers fav micro-tropes, scenes and emotions that have made her books bestsellers! About Amy Romantic Comedy author Amy Award is a USA Today Bestselling author and TikTok Sensation. She writes curvy girl romance about real love and dirty fun, with happy ever afters because every girl deserves great sex and even better romance, no matter her size, shape or what the scale says. She’s also written more than 50 books under the paranormal romance pen name Aidy Award, and 4 books under the pen name Amy Award. https://www.authoramyaward.com/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit <a href="http://www.SelfPublishin
Tue, January 14, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP483 – Skye Warren Part 2 (Classic Replay)
Skye went from struggling to earn five figures while working all day, to earning over a million dollars a year working only four hours a day. This is part two of two episodes where Skye covers money mindset and her facebook advertising strategies that you don’t want to miss! Skye Warren is a publishing powerhouse and founder of the famed Romance Author Mastermind . This is a classic replay of an interview we recorded back in 2019 and is still absolutely as relevant and inspiring today as it was then. Enjoy! Find Skye at: https://www.skyewarren.com/ Skye Warren & Ines Johnson course for authors: https://www.authoradsintensive.com/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode
Wed, January 08, 2025
SPA Girls Podcast – EP482 – Million Dollar Author with Skye Warren (Classic Replay)
Skye went from struggling to earn five figures while working all day, to earning over a million dollars a year working only four hours a day. This is part one of two parts you don’t want to miss! Skye Warren is a publishing powerhouse and founder of the famed Romance Author Mastermind . This is a classic replay of an interview we recorded back in 2019 and is still absolutely as relevant and inspiring today as it was then. Enjoy! Find Skye at: https://www.skyewarren.com/ Skye Warren & Ines Johnson course for authors: https://www.authoradsintensive.com/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode
Tue, December 31, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP481 – New Year Planning
Start the New Year strong! From choosing your “word of the year” to planning tools that simplify your workflow, we share our picks. Tune in and make this your most productive year yet! 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Tue, December 24, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP480 – Christmas Shenanigans
Who’s been sassy and who’s been sweet, the SPA Girls bring the holiday heat!
Wed, December 18, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP479 – Interview with Ines Johnson
We’re thrilled to have Ines back in the SPA to teach us about Direct Selling for Authors AND Special Editions in a very special episode packed with great advice for writers at all stages. Ines is a former television producer and college professor, and alongside her fiction writing, is producing some amazing resources for author including her podcast and courses for authors. Links mentioned in the podcast: Katie Cross – SPA Girls EP433 Joanna Penn and Payhip https://www.ingramspark.com Ines and Skye Warren’s course Direct Sales For Romance Authors About Ines Johnson Ines writes books for strong women who suck at love. If you rocked out to the twisted triangle of Jem, Jericha, and Rio as a girl; if you were slayed by vampires with souls alongside Buffy; if you need your scandalous fix from Olivia Pope each week, then you’ll love her books! Aside from being a writer, professional reader, and teacher, Ines is a very bad Buddhist. She sits in sangha each week, and while others are meditating and getting their zen on, she’s contemplating how to use the teachings to strengthen her plots and character motivations. Ines lives outside Washington, DC with her two little sidekicks who are growing up way too fast. Ines’ author website : https://ineswrites.com/ Ines’ author courses: https://thebreakdown.teachable.com/
Wed, December 11, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP478 – The Productive Author with Samantha Price
A Replay Classic : Samantha Price is a USA Today bestselling author of Amish romance and cozy mysteries. Focused and organized, Samantha’s results speak for themselves, but it will amaze you to hear how prolific she is and how she built her career in a smaller niche than usual. About Samantha: Samantha grew up in the Brethren community and has a deep affinity for the Amish way of life, which she has studied in detail during over a decade of dedicated research. Her stories radiate authenticity and heart, transporting readers into the peaceful and inspiring world of the Amish community. Samantha is also an animal lover. She shares her home with two spoiled dogs and a rescued cat who thinks she’s also a dog. www.SamanthaPriceAuthor.com 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Wed, December 04, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP477 – Interview with Kaci Rose
Kaci Rose is a steamy romance author who published her first book in March 2020 and has since catapulted into six figure income thanks to intentionally connecting her books within a universe. We’re rapt she’s in the SPA to share how she connects her books, intentionally putting characters into “guest” appearances, selling bundles via her direct store and many more pearls of wisdom you won’t want to miss!. About Kaci Steamy Contemporary Romance author Kaci Rose runs on coffee, chocolate, and Oreos. She’s also a mom to five kids, a dog lover, and a bookworm. She loves romance books and has been jotting down ideas since she was in high school and is now putting all her ideas down on paper. She loves her book boyfriends with tattoos, muscles, beards, and a little dirty. She also believes in satisfying, happily ever afters with a lot of steam along the way. Find Kaci at KaciRose.com 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Tue, November 26, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP476 – Author Newsletters with Holly Darling (Classic Replay)
Stop dreading writing another author newsletter and get ready to sell more books with email! Holly Darling (Mortimer) is the “newsletter queen” and has fantastic, actionable tips. Holly talked with us a few years ago and her advice is still as relevant today as it was then. Get ready to ramp up your author newsletter in 2025! Find Holly at: https://pages.hollydarlinghq.com/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Wed, November 20, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP475 – 5 Quick Tips For Career Growth
A short but impactful (hopefully!) run down of great tips for growing your author career and staying (relatively) sane and focussed. Topics include: Consistency, no matter the speed Diversification / be nimble AI Personal Connection You Do You 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Wed, November 13, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP474 – Interview with Kel Carpenter – Special Editions, Kickstarter, Mindset
Kel Carpenter is a publishing powerhouse who has been a successful fulltime author since she was just 22 years old. With the goal of publishing 30 books by 30 years, she’s achieved that and more! Kel has incredible business-savvy and a “learning” mindset that has helped her achieve multi-six figure pa success, manage burnout, and diversify her income streams. As well as her fiction, Kel is the creator of the Rule Your Author Empire course (and book) at https://www.ruleyourauthorempire.com/ Resources mentioned: Heather Hildenbrand – SPA Girls EP434 – Manifest Your HEA Renee Rose – SPA Girls EP365 Write To Riches Karin Winter https://karinwinterauthor.com/edge-print You can find Kel at https://kelcarpenter.com/ and https://www.ruleyourauthorempire.com/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Wed, November 06, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP473 – Interview with Cathy Yardley
Cathy Yardley is an award-winning author of romance, chick lit, and urban fantasy, who has sold over 1.2 million copies of books for publishers like St. Martin’s, Avon, and Harlequin. We met Cathy at the 2024 Romance Writers of New Zealand conference, and immediately knew we had to get her on the show! This is a fantastic episode for writers at all stages of their careers. Cathy covers writing in your unique voice, writing your truth and how to ROCK YOUR PLOT. Books mentioned in the episode: Debra Dixon’s GMC (Goal, Motivation & Conflict) Jack Bickham’s Scene & Structure Cathy Yardley’s Will Write For Shoes About Cathy: Cathy Yardley is an award-winning author of romance, chick lit, and urban fantasy, who has sold over 1.2 million copies of books for publishers like St. Martin’s, Avon, and Harlequin. She writes fun, geeky, and diverse characters who believe that underdogs can make good and that sometimes being a little wrong is just right. She likes writing about quirky, crazy adventures, because she’s had plenty of her own: she had her own army in the Society of Creative Anachronism; she spent a New Year’s on a three-day solitary vision quest in the Mojave Desert; she had VIP access to the Viper Room in Los Angeles. Now, she spends her time writing in the wilds of East Seattle, trying to prevent her son from learning the truth of any of said adventures, and riding herd on her two dogs (and one husband.) You can find Cathy at : www.rockyourwriting.com (for writers) and cathyyardley.com 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info i
Wed, October 30, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP472 – Comparisonitis
Comparison is the thief of joy -Theodore Roosevelt Today we talk about comparisonitis in the SPA. A topic we’re sure is dear to many hearts. We live in a world where we can see what everyone else is doing online. Successes and failures. We are the ‘instant gratification’ generation, and have a need for success, so we compare ours with others! So sit back with your favorite beverage and let’s dive in, and see if we can work through a few things that may help. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Tue, October 22, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP471 – Interview with Juliette N. Banks
Get ready to be inspired this week by our guest interviewee, romance author Juliette N. Banks. “In 2020 I wrote a book, pitched it to a few agents, got rejected three times, and waited another 35 seconds before deciding to self-publish. One of the best decisions of my life.” ~ Juliette N. Banks Juliette is a bestselling romance author who has taken the genre by storm with her popular series The Moretti Blood Brothers, The Dark Kings of NYC, and The Dufort Dynasty. She has written more than 50 contemporary and paranormal romances (on the same pen name). Juliette has a vast background in consumer marketing and brings her business savvy to her business planning, release strategies, reader relationships and mindset. This is an incredibly inspirational episode and we cover everything from approaching self-publishing with a “business” mindset, combining genres on the one pen name, release strategies, getting regular bookbubs, building a a loyal audience, and encouragement for those starting out, as well as experienced authors. You can find Juliette at: www.juliettebanks.com Read her guest post for Bookbub : <a href="https://insigh
Tue, October 15, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP470 – Book Signings & Book Fairs
This episode we discuss Book Signings and Book Fairs – in person events where authors get out of the writing cave and actually (gasp!) interact with readers and fellow authors. These can be great fun – and a little intimidating. Wendy’s just returned from RARE Edinburgh so we grilled her on how she prepped, her table “set up”, how preorders worked, what merchandise she took and how she handled the signing. Cheryl’s done a number of book fairs in New Zealand and there is a definite benefit to starting locally and finding your feet at smaller events. Links: https://rarettes.wordpress.com/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit <a href="http://www.SelfPublishingAutho
Wed, October 09, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP469 – Marketing, Selling Wide & Direct Sales – with Rebecca Hefner
Rebecca Hefner is a USA Today bestselling author who is a passionate advocate for authors to reach more readers through publishing their books across a wide number of retailers, as well as on their own store. This episode she shares how she juggles her writing over three pen names, creating a monthly schedule for easy marketing and social media wrangling, and lots more marketing advice for connecting with readers. Rebecca’s has also created an amazing tools for authors: The website is BuyDirectFromAuthors.com . Here are the FAQs for authors who want to list their stores: Buy Direct From Authors FAQ Romance Audiobookworms – Stuff Your Earbuds events. The website is RomanceAudiobookworms.com . Here are the FAQs for authors who want to participate in the event: Romance Audiobookworms FAQs.docx Indie Audiobook Deals. There are lots of opportunities for authors to promote their wide audiobooks here: For Authors The 3 apps Rebecca finds most helpful on Shopify are: Selleasy (upsell app), King Linked Options (allows authors to combine separate product pages so they appear as variants on the same page), and Frequently Bought Together. Rebecca’s bio: USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Hefner writes steamy Romantasy and Dystopian Romance with sexy silver-fox heroes and the badass women who bring them to their knees. She also writes steamy Contemporary Romance under Ayla Asher, mostly with main characters over 35, because people of all ages deserve steamy romance too. Rebecca’s other passion is teaching authors how to be successful with wide audio and direct sales. She believes wide and direct selling is the future, and thinks corporate retailers have too much control over authors’ catalogs and reader
Tue, October 01, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP468 – Short Romance Success with Lana Love
Join us as we talk to Lana Love, the USA Today bestselling author of short romances featuring curvy heroines and the powerful men who can’t live without them. Lana talks to us about how she has achieved success in short romance in less than two years using a mix of mindset, research and plain old stubbornness (her words, not ours…). We talk about what she did to level up, including the research she did and the tough decisions she made. It’s a fascinating interview we know you’ll love! Find Lana Love at: https://loveheartbooks.com/ And in her facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/746330989530967 💗 💗 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! 💗 💗 💗 ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Wed, September 25, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP467 – Anne-Marie Meyer: Building a Multi-Million Author Career
Anne-Marie Meyer is an Amazon and Apple Top 100 best seller and a 3x USA Today Bestselling author. Sweet Romance Author, Anne-Marie Meyer is an Amazon and Apple Top 100 best seller and a 3x USA Today Bestselling author. With absolute intention Anee-Marie challenges herself to improve on how she sells. From Tik Tok to Direct sales she has hit heady heights, particularly in the last 12 months. After her Amazon account was shut down for 48 hrs in 2022 for false reasons, she’s decided that it would be best to bring her stories directly to her readers hands and it has worked! Listen up for all her tips. You won’t be disappointed. ETA The movie Anne-Marie references in this episode is Believe In Christmas, out 30 November 2024 from Hallmark Find her at https://authoranne-mariemeyer.com/ Building a Book Empire facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildingabookempire Writing Gals facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/170375933609063 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spa
Tue, September 17, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP466 – Covers That Convert
Your book cover is the “shop window” of your hard work, and it has to do the heavy lifting to attract potential readers to go on and read your blurb. So how do you figure out which cover is the best for you? This episode we give tips and tricks for choosing your cover and the elements that will connect with YOUR right readers. Resources mentioned (just put the episode number in your podcast app, or our website search bar) SPA Girls Podcast #457 Kindletrends SPA Girls Podcast #464 Alexa Rivers SPA Girls Podcast #206 Chris Fox SPA Girls Podcast #224 Rebekah Haskell SPA Girls Podcast #404 Ana Huang SPA Girls Podcast #221 Laurelin Paige 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Wed, September 11, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP465 – Theodora Taylor: Writing Buttery Blurbs
Theodora Taylor is back! And she’s here to tell us how to craft our blurbs that hook readers and skyrocket sales. Theodora Taylor is the bestselling author of the 50 Loving States Series. Despite writing within a niche genre (interracial romance), she has earned six KDP All-Star bonuses and grown a fanbase of rabid readers through the power of Universal Fantasy. Her book, 7 FIGURE FICTION: How to Use Universal Fantasy to SELL Your Books to ANYONE was an instant #1 non-fiction bestseller in the Writing Category on Amazon and has since been certified as Great by the world’s largest online bookseller. Most importantly, this book has become a valued and treasured resource for writers around the world. Theodora has been invited to give presentations on Universal Fantasy by NINC (Novelists Inc.) Conference, RAM (Romance Author Mastermind), and Inker’s Con. She’s also a highly sought-after podcast guest. She’s made appearances on The Creative Penn (hosted by Joanna Penn), Six Figure Authors, #AmWriting, Wish I’d Known Then, and SPA Girls (now twice!). For writers: Butter Blurb Master Class https://universalfantasycourse.thinkific.com/courses/butter-blurb-master-class https://7figurefiction.com/ For readers: https://theodorataylor.com/ Links mentioned: Theodora’s Universal Fantasies Episode with the SPA Girls EP#315 BOOKS Mentioned in recording: Ali Hazelwood: Check & Mate, Love Theoretically Sally Thorne: The Hating Game Deborah Harkness: A Discovery Of Witches Rebecca Yarros: Fourth Wing Lindsay Devin – Wolf King 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all thin
Tue, September 03, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP464 – Switching Genres and TikTok Success with Alexa Rivers
When she decided to write a palate cleanser novel in a completely different genre – with a brand new pen name – Alexa Rivers had no idea she would have a hit on her hands. In this interview she talks about why she wrote the book, how she picked the new pen name, the marketing she did, and how a book she wasn’t expecting to do much at all… kinda did awesome. 🙂 She also talks about the ups and downs of her journey with TikTok, and gives some great pieces of advice for everyone to use! SHOW NOTES: About Alexa Alexa Rivers writes about genuine characters living messy, imperfect lives and earning hard-won happily ever afters. She shares a house with a neurotic dog and a husband who thinks he’s hilarious. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, baking, eating too much chocolate, cuddling fluffy animals, drinking excessive amounts of tea, and absorbing herself in fictional worlds. Find her at alexarivers.com Resources mentioned in the episode: Kate Hall’s Tik Tok Course: https://www.alynedigital.com/?aff=103 SPA Girls Episode #443 with Kate Hall https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep443-book-marketing-and-tiktok-with-kate-hall/ SPA Girls Episode #276 Character Centric Plotting with Alexa Rivers https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-
Tue, August 27, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP463 – Get The Most Out Of Writer Conferences
Attending conferences helps us network with professionals in the author world and gain insights and ideas to make our jobs easier or to upskill. What can you hope to get out of conference? > Conference helps us find our tribe. The SPAGirls wouldn’t be here without RWNZ and their conferences. > Conferences show us we’re not alone. > Conferences are inspirational in so many ways. eg. Make us write more regularly, show us that we’re doing okay. > Conferences help us see where we can improve on what we already do. Tips: > Conferences are fun and can be exhausting. Soak up what you can while you’re there and let ideas percolate for a while before implementing them. You don’t have to try everything and you shouldn’t do it all at once. Pick one thing at a time. > Before you go decide on the workshops that excite you the most. > Be present when attending sessions. > Take downtime when needed. > Keep hydrated. About the SPA Girls Podcast: 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Tue, August 20, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP462 – Are You Making Boring Mistakes?
Welcome back to another SPA Girls minisode. This one is a bit of a controversial take on mistakes writers make that make their work B O R I N G. How do we know these? Because we’ve all made them! So learn from us in ten minutes or less with a quick SPA Girls minisode. Enjoy! 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Tue, August 13, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP461 – The Best Places To Publish Your Books
The best places to publish your books are the one/s that best suit you the best given your audience, energy, time and publishing philosophy. So how do you decide what platform is right for you? Should you “be Amazon exclusive, “go direct”, “publish wide” and/or use an aggregator? And what do those terms even mean? Firstly the definitions: Amazon Exclusive – means publishing your ebooks exclusively on Amazon and in the Kindle Unlimited subscription reading program for at least the initial 90 day period. This exclusivity requirement by Amazon applies to ebooks only; you can publish your print books and audio books on other platforms if you so wish. Publishing Wide – means publishing your ebooks on as many retailers as you choose, including the “big four” : Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Apple Books. Going Direct – means setting up your publishing account directly with each retailer and uploading your books yourself. Aggregators are service providers who you upload your books to, select which retailers you wish to publish on, and they then distribute them widely to your chosen online retailers in return for a percentage on sales. We use Draft2Digital . FIRST RULE no matter where you publish: ALWAYS read the terms and conditions for each online retailer so you understand what you’re agreeing to. Each retailer has clear guidelines and comprehensive information for authors. Take the time to understand them. The following is OUR summation as at the time of recording, August 2024. Things change in the self-publishing landscape, so do your due diligence. The pros and cons are for us; you may feel differently which is perfectly okay too! Amazon You want to sell on Amazon, the #1 book retailer that captures 60% of the market. However, you also want to maximize your sales potential by reaching the other 40% of the market with channels like Apple Books and Kobo. Amazon’s KDP Select program requires you to sell exclusively to them for 90
Wed, August 07, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP460 – How to Get Reviews and Find ARC Readers
If you’ve been scratching your head over how to get some more reviews on your newly published book, this is the episode for you! We break down how we have each built up and managed our ARC teams, and how we’ve gone from no reviews to hundreds of reviews. Loads of practical tips in this episode! Good resource: How to Get Free Book Reviews with No Blog, No List, and No Begging Reedsy’s blog on book review blogs: The Best Book Review Blogs in 2024 • How to Get Your Book Reviewed SPA Girls Interview with Alessandra Torre on Goodreads https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep235-interview-with-alessandra-torre/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.Self
Tue, July 30, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP459 – Why Your Book Isn’t Selling
Why is it some books sell well right out of the gate, and others wither on the retailer vine? Do you know why YOUR book isn’t selling? It can be for a number of reasons and this episode we run through the most common (and fixable!) options that’ll put you back on the right track. Resources mentioned: Kindletrends (make sure to listen to our recent episode with Nat Connors, creator of Kindletrends for a discount) Publisher Rocket Bklnk.com Bookbub <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/EP459-Why-Your-Book-Isnt-Selling-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-3330" srcset="https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/EP459-Why-Your-Book-Isnt-Selling-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/EP459-Why-Your-Book-Isnt-Selling-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/EP459-Why-Your-Book-Isnt-Selling-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/EP459-Why-Your-Book-Isnt-Selling-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/EP459-Why-Your-Book-Isnt-Selling-160x160.jpg 160w, https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/EP459-Why-Your-Book-Isnt-Selling-240x240.jpg 240w, https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/EP459-Why-Your-Book-Isnt-Selling-60x60.jpg 60w, https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/EP459-Why-Your-Book-Isnt-Selling-184x184
Wed, July 24, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP458 – Interview with Historical Women’s Fiction Author Soraya Lane
The decision to self publish her first historical women’s fiction novel – after a career writing romance – turned out to be a lucrative one for today’s guest, Kindle #1 bestselling historical women’s fiction author, Soraya Lane . The same year she self-published the novel – one that her agent told Soraya she couldn’t sell – she picked up a publishing deal (for the same book) with Amazon, and the rest, as they say, is history. Fast forward 10 years and Soraya now writes for two different traditional publishing houses – one of them still Amazon – she’s sold more than a million copies of her books and her work has been translated into more than 21 languages around the world. This week we talk about her journey into writing, what she’s learned about writing historical fiction and how translations have transformed her career. About Soraya: Soraya M. Lane graduated with a law degree before realizing that law wasn’t the career for her and that her future was in writing. She is the author of historical and contemporary women’s fiction, and her novel Wives of War was an Amazon Charts bestseller. Soraya lives on a small farm in her native New Zealand with her husband, their two young sons and a collection of four-legged friends. When she’s not writing, she loves to be outside playing make-believe with her children or snuggled up inside reading. Soraya is the Amazon Charts & #1 Kindle bestselling author of The Secret Midwife and The Lost Daughters series, with over 1 million copies of her historical women’s fiction novels sold! For more information about Soraya and her books, visit http://www.sorayalane.com or http://www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor , or follow her on Twitter @Soraya_Lane 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, mar
Tue, July 16, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP457 – How To Understand Your Market on the Amazon Store – with Nat Connors, Kindletrends
Nat Connors of Kindletrends returns to the SPA with a new analysis tool for indie authors – an interactive infographic to help us make sense of the book categories on the Kindle Store. Knowing where your book (or story idea before you’ve written it) fits into the market, and how it stacks up against the packaging (cover, pricing, categories etc), for the current top sellers in your specific genre is really important. It allows you to directly target the right readers and sell more books. Forget confusing tech stuff, Nat’s going to break down the UF and Small Town Romance markets in easy -to-understand ways! We highly recommend you watch the recording of this episode on our YouTube channel where you can see Nat’s screen sharing the reports watch here: https://youtu.be/n3ttp8HXy4U View SMALL TOWN ROMANCE example here: https://kindletrends.com/static/smalltown/ View URBAN FANTASY example here: https://kindletrends.com/static/uf/ BONUS OFFER: SPA Girls listeners/viewers … sign up to kindletrends.com , use the coupon code SPA and save $5/month making your subscript
Thu, July 11, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP456 – How Long To Make $1K?
Wondering how long it’s gonna be until you’ll make enough to quit the day job? Listen to this SPA Girls Minisode all about how long it will take you to make your first $1,000 dollars in self publishing! Full of great tips, sage advice and some vulnerable moments from our own self publishing careers. If earning money from your writing is your goal, there are certain things you can do to make this happen faster. Work out how much money you’ve spent on editing, covers, formatting (can be done cost effectively and don’t let lack of $ put you off publishing)! Previously we’ve said a great goal is to make your costs on publishing book back after 6 – 12 months but this is dependent on book, release schedule etc. It is possible to earn full time from bigger books and 2 releases/ year (See SPA Girls Podcast EP 282 with Helen Scheuerer ) It’s also possible to build to $1,000 in three months by publishing shorts. Both have been done by our guests. Many authors reach 1k with one book in first few weeks. Other authors might take 2, 3 or 5 books over a longer period. Still others might labour for years and never reach 1k/month. It depends on genre, tropes, state of the market, length, voice, cover, marketing effort. BUT IT IS POSSIBLE! See Fallyn Briggs episode (https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep297-fallyn-briggs-writing-to-trend-v-writing-to-market/ ) It’s not about how many books you have – you have to write what people want to read! 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info
Thu, July 11, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP455 – Interview with Clare Connelly
First published in 2014, romance author Clare Connelly hit success from her very first self-published book. Now with over 120 books published, she talks to us this episode about the pros and cons of hybrid publishing, balancing writing life with a young family, how to be focussed and productive plus the mindset new writers and self publishers MUST have! *** CONTEST CLOSED – THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED *** ABOUT CLARE : Clare Connelly is the bestselling author of more than one hundred angsty, passionate romance novels. Having self-published her first book in 2014, by the end of that year, she was an Amazon All-Star in the US and UK and has since sold millions of copies of her books. She continues to self-publish and also writes her trademar
Wed, July 10, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP456 – How Long Will It Take to Make $1K??
Wondering how long it’s gonna be until you’ll make enough to quit the day job? Listen to this SPA Girls Minisode all about how long it will take you to make your first $1,000 dollars in self publishing! Full of great tips, sage advice and some vulnerable moments from our own self publishing careers. This is an awesome, must-listen minisode, just for you. 🙂
Wed, June 26, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP454 – Craft Tips To Help You Sell More Books
Writing great books with emotional impact is key to building your readership. Today we discuss craft tips that will help you attract new readers, build your fanbase and sell more books! Resources mentioned: Lisa Cron on the SPA Girls Podcast EP249 Sacha Black on crafting great characters EP422 Writing For Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Tue, June 18, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP453 – Are You Ready To Be A Full-Time Writer?
Want to make the leap to full time author? How do you know when it’s the right time to make that leap? Going from hobbiest to full time writer has been a different journey for all of us. Today we discuss: how much money you need to make the leap other considerations do you have the right personality? what support do you have will you automatically double your productivity? is there a middle ground? taking a positive risk self discipline and self care and lots more! Resources mentioned: SPA Girls Podcast EP396 – the Secrets of Story with Matt Bird SPA Girls Podcast E249 – story coach, Lisa Cron
Wed, June 12, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP452 – Book Formatting Made Easy
Got your final manuscript all ready to go, and wondering how to format it for publication? This is the SPA Girls episode for you! Welcome back to another 20 min SPA Girls mini-tips session, where we break down the basics of self publishing, just for you! SHOW NOTES: What is formatting? It’s creating a file of your book so it’s delivered to readers smoothly, that it looks professional, meets the requirements of the publishing platforms and is accessible for readers with disabilities. What you need: Epub for digital / PDF for print. Book cover. Know where you’re publishing it Wide versus exclusive to Amazon? Make the decision. Final file should include: Front and back matter Front matter can include any (or all) of the following: List of your other books (optional) Copyright details Title page Dedication page Table of contents Foreword or Prologue Back matter can include: About the author Note from the author (optional) Sneak peaks Other books by the author newsletter sign uP Create the file using one of these options: Reedsy (free) Draft2Digital (free) Kindle Create (free) Microsoft Word Scrivener Vellum Atticus Adobe InDesign You can, of course, hire a professional to do this (if it’s a one-off project, or a complex layout with a lot of illustrations, that’s definitely a good option). However, investing the time in
Wed, June 05, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP451 – Contracts for Authors with Maggie Marr
If you’ve ever wondered how to deal with contracts and other business issues, this is the podcast for you! Maggie Marr the founder of Maggie Marr Legal PC and a USA Today Best Selling author of over 20 books. A former ICM motion picture literary and subsidiary rights (books to film/tv) agent, Maggie is the co-founder and legal advisor to the not-for-profit Women’s Fiction Writers Association and a member of Women In Film. The firm has negotiated deals with Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, Universal, Warner Bros, Disney. The firm provides services such as entertainment and publishing representation, trademark & copyright, packaging and sales, business legal affairs and corporate, production and distribution legal. Find Maggie at maggiemarr.net SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Wed, May 29, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP450 – Interview with Melanie Harlow
Branding, Marketing Books and Going All In with Small Town Romance USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow writes sweet, sexy, feel-good romance. She is a powerhouse of publishing, starting in 2013 with historical romance to today where she focuses on small town contemporary romance. In this incredible conversation, Melanie details her approach to: How She Changed Her Approach To Publishing Commercially Marketing & Branding Making Intentional Decisions Writing The Blurb First How She Built Her Newsletter List Learning From Reading Backlist Promo Planning Evergreen Ads Hybrid Publishing “I think about marketing before I write the book – it’s baked in.” ~ Melanie Harlow, SPA Girls Podcast EP450 About Melanie: USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow writes sweet, sexy, feel-good romance. She likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. If she’s not writing or reading, she’s probably at Orangetheory or watching Schitt’s Creek again. She lifts her glass to readers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit. She is represented by Rebecca Friedman of Friedman Literary. find Melanie
Wed, May 22, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP449 – 7 Ways To Boost Your Positivity
Feeling a bit blah about your writing and / or author career? Welcome back to another 15 min SPA Girls mini-tips session. Today’s topic is 7 easy ways to boost your positivity that you can put into action TODAY! 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Joi
Wed, May 15, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP448 – Changing From Frontlist to Backlist Focus with Maggie Dallen
This week we talk to regency romance and young adult author Maggie Dallen, who tells us how she changed her mindset and her author business model, with huge success! Maggie is a prolific author who was writing up to twenty books a year, but she was reaching a point where she wanted to slow down and diversify her writing skills by learning script writing. She realised she needed to find a system that would take advantage of her extensive backlist, and allow her more time for her other writing interests. In this fascinating interview, Maggie talks us through how she did it, what the major challenges were, and how you can do the same thing! Maggie was a delight to interview, and gave us so much useful advice – you’re going to love this one! ETA The movie Maggie references in this episode is Believe In Christmas, out 30 November 2024 from Hallmark For more about Maggie: https://maggiedallenbooks.com (Maggie’s Direct Sales website) About the SPA Girls Podcast: 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPubl
Tue, May 07, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP447 – Overcome Doubts & Back Yourself!
#WritingLife How to hone your instincts, trust your gut and back yourself! We all have that moment of cold dread that we’ve picked a dream we can’t turn into a reality, and it’s those moment we need to remember why we started. Find that self belief that set you on this journey and carry on. You got into this game because it was something you believed in. Believed that it was something you could do. Then you started listening and reading. Trying to understand about this business you want to succeed at. Doubts are the biggest creativity and success blocker. But it takes a strong person not to have them. No one said this was going to be easy, or everyone would be doing it. If you ask those that succeed in this business they will all tell you they’ve had knock backs. It’s about perseverance. It’s about holding on to your self belief and forging ahead. “Don’t give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you.” — John Wooden. The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Tue, April 30, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP446 – Patreon, Kickstarter & Serials – with Tao Wong
How do you build superfans and a sustainable income through patreon*, kickstarter, subscriptions and serial works? Bestselling author Tao Wong joins us this episode to reveal all the secrets of keeping readers begging for more (cliff-hangers anyone ?!), building a thriving community of superfans and, most importantly, diversifying your income streams. (For those who don’t know, Patreon is a subscription service, where people pay a monthly fee for different benefits/exclusive opportunities offered to them. For authors, this is usually books, excerpts, and other pieces of writing.) About Tao Tao Wong is a Canadian science fiction and fantasy author writing in LitRPG and Xianxia (a genre based on Chinese mythology and the concept of the chivalrous spirit, that is huge pop culture phenomenon in China) with five different series across a range of worlds. He’s been writing full time since 2019, and has his books in audio, paperback, hardcover and ebook formats as well as translations to German, Spanish, Portuguese and others. When he’s not writing and working, he’s practicing martial arts, reading (even more!) and taking care of his family. Other hobbies include occasional RPGs and board games as well as picking up new, random skillsets. Find Tao at MyLifeMyTao.com Links mentioned: <a href="https://www.brandons
Tue, April 23, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP445 – 7 Easy Tips For Building Your Newsletter List
How the heck do you build a reader newsletter list when you’re first starting out? We’re back with another SPA Girls minisode, to get your author career rocking. Listen up for how we built our own reader newsletters and what tools and services we recommend. 7 SIMPLE WAYS TO BUILD YOUR NEWSLETTER LIST: Join bookfunnel Provide a tasty sample Sign ups on social media Sign ups in books Join newsletter builder through Booksweeps etc Work with other authors Run a facebook ad to your free sample on bookfunnel SPA Girls EP378 Be Newsletter Ninja with Tammi Labrecque https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/?s=378 SPA Girls EP258 Nail Your Newsletter with Holly Mortimer SPA Girls EP177 & 178 with Larissa Reynolds SPA Girls EP424 with Dam
Wed, April 17, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP444 – Five Steps to Being a Resilient Author with Patricia McLinn
Being a resilient author means being able to bounce back after experiencing a knock – and we all know that being a self-published author can knock you around sometimes! This week we talk with Patricia McLinn, an author who’s been writing for more than 35 years, and who knows a thing or two about how to keep going when the going gets tough. Pat gives us her top five pieces of advice so you can stay focused and keep the positivity flowing when it seems like everything is falling apart around you. Show Notes: Pat’s favourite Affirmation: I write fast with ease and inspiration Links mentioned: Pat’s 3 words on writing video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2cmbmM9Hk4 Harlequin Settlement https://www.patriciamclinn.com/harlequin-lawsuit-happy-ending/ Pat’s podcast Authors Love Readers https://www.authorslovereaders.com/ SPA Girls Podcast EP189 PANTSING https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep189-pantsing-with-patricia-mclinn/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources,
Wed, April 10, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP443 – Book Marketing and TikTok with Kate Hall
Kate Hall is a paranormal romance and non-fiction author who has taken her marketing expertise and used it to kick butt on TikTok. She started Alyne Digital Solutions in an effort to help authors make a sustainable income from their books, and since starting has scaled two of her businesses and several others’ to six figure incomes. As well as discussing facts and figures for TikTok, we’re also delving into marketing for authors, and why you’re probably using the wrong hooks in your social media. A wonderful open and informative discussion that could unlock answers to questions we’re all asking right now! Links: Find Kate at: Alyne Digital – a 20% discount should be be applied at checkout using this link during May 2024. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Wed, April 03, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP442 – Newbie Mistakes / Chapter Endings
Welcome to the first SPA Girls double-minisode where we invite you into the SPA for a double mini-tips session. This week we’re covering two burning topics: what are the worst mistakes newbies are making, and how to write chapter endings that keep readers reading! Let us know what you think of this new sub-30 minute episode! Click the images below to watch on YouTube
Tue, March 26, 2024
SPA Girls – EP441 – Discovery Writing With Kimboo York
In this podcast we talk to KimBoo about her latest book Secrets of Discovery Writing. We dive into how you can successfully use discovery writing when crafting your novel. It’s an awesome podcast and one the pantsers among us will really enjoy. KimBoo York is a GenX elder-goth whose main life purpose is to provide a good life for her rescue mutt, Keely-Boo, who is perfect and beyond reproach in every way. She is also a librarian, former project manager, and a professional author who wears too many hats and crosses too many genres including romance, fantasy, and non-fiction. She is a bit grumpy, especially in the morning. House of York By the Seat of Your Pants: Secrets of Discovery Writing 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so y
Wed, March 20, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP440 – Launching a Successful New Pen Name with Melissa Pearl
Our guest today, Kiwi author Melissa Pearl, has five pen names across multiple genres and has been learning about self publishing since she published her first book in 2011. Since then she’s published more than 80 books, and shares with us some real and raw insights into the career of an indie author, including all the highs and the lows. When she launched her latest pen name last year, she made sure she used everything she’d learned over that time to ensure her new pen name was successful right from the start. Melissa generously tells us exactly what she did to create her latest pen name, and every step she took along the way to make it successful. Don’t miss this information packed episode! SHOW NOTES Find Melissa at – https://www.foreverlovepublishing.com/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Wed, March 13, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP439 – Using The Enneagram For Authors with Claire Taylor
The Enneagram is a personality typing system, where each person falls into one of nine types. Today we’re talking with author, educator and fiction strategist, Claire Taylor, about how understanding our enneagram type liberates writers from the “shoulds” and self-judgement, and helps us become more successful as authors. About Claire Fiction strategist and owner of FFS Media, Claire Taylor publishes her fiction through her company, under four pen names. She also helps authors through her Story Alignment and Author Alignment services, as well as her masterclasses and non-fiction for authors. An Advanced Certified Instructor through the Enneagram Spectrum Method, as well as an Accredited Practitioner of the Integrative Enneagram (iEQ9), Claire uses the Enneagram framework to help authors create stories that stand out and careers they love. Check out www.ffs.media . Sign up for Claire’s FREE 5-day Indie Author Alignment course here 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier,
Tue, March 05, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP438 – Overcoming Procrastination – with Kathryn Burnett
Procrastination takes many forms for writers, and it holds us back from writing, publishing and promoting our work. We discuss how to get out of your own way with our guest today, Kathryn Burnett . Kathryn is an award-winning screenwriter, playwright, author and writing coach who has worked in the television/film/arts industry for over 25 years. “It’s never been easier to put your work into the world and yet many writers don’t write as productively as they’d like to. They have the best intentions in the world but find themselves distracted, anxious about their work and deeply unsatisfied with their progress.” Kathryn Burnett Kathryn offers practical tips for us all to: ✔️ Identify the red flags of perfectionism ✔️ Uncover how you are procrastinating and then how to deal with this ✔️ Why self-reflection is so important – ask yourself “ Why am I not prioritizing my writing at the moment ?” ✔️ Time blocking ✔️ Wrestling with doubts and demons Resources mentioned: Kathryn’s non-fiction book for writers – Productive Writer Guidebook Julia Cameron’s morning p
Tue, February 27, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP437 – Facebook Ads For Beginners
Creating and running Facebook ads has gotten a lot easier! Wondering how to delve into facebook advertising or had poor experiences in the past and wondering where you went wrong? This episode is for you! We’re joined by Senior Marketing Manager of Written Word Media , Clayton Noblit, who’s an expert in getting authors books in front of the right readers through advertising and promotion. Clayton generously shares his top tips for getting your ads working well, and takes us through setting up your first facebook ads, the campaign structure, as well as the best targeting, budget and ad creative tips for beginners. We then discuss Promo Stacking, which is broadly defined as “a lot of marketing tactics conducted over a short period of time to increase your books’ rank and get more sales”. And finally, Clayton covers off some key insights from WWM’s Author Survey 2023 results: specifically around AI and Direct Sales. Links mentioned: Written Word Media is the company behind promo sites like Freebooksy and Bargain Booksy. Premium membership is a must-have if you are serio
Wed, February 21, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP436 – Fast Decisions, Big Results
Ever hesitate over making an important decision because you were trying to figure out what the ‘right’ thing to do was… and then miss out on an awesome opportunity because you didn’t take a leap of faith? Yeah, us too. That’s why this episode is all about making good decisions in your author career. In fact, we’re not only advocating making decisions and moving forward, we’re also suggesting that a FAST decision is even better than an average speed decision. Research has shown that fast decisions are often higher quality, perhaps proving that our subconscious brain can move faster than our conscious brain… or maybe it’s just our intuition is more capable than our overthinking brain? Whatever the reason, it’s a powerful reminder that we know more than we think we know… In this episode you’ll learn some ideas and techniques on how to assess decisions, learn when to make fast decisions and hear about some of the decisions we did and didn’t make in our careers and what we learned from them. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Tue, February 13, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – Episode 435 – Interview with Dan Wood from Draft2Digital
Today we’re interviewing Dan Wood, Chief Operating Officer at Draft2Digital , one of the best known distributors for eBooks, print and audio books. We last spoke to Dan in 2019 and a lot has happened since then! D2D has not only merged with Smashwords to make their reach even stronger, they build tools and services that let you focus on writing while they take care of layout, publishing, distribution, print-on-demand paperbacks, and more. If you’re a new author or simply want to level up and expand, Dan has lots of tips to help you, including promotional opportunities and Books2Read, an author promotions powerhouse that includes New Release Notifications, Universal Book Links (UBLs), B2R Author Pages, B2R Book Tabs, and so much more! Books2Read is a reader-facing, author-empowering tool, loaded with industry-first and industry-leading tools to help promote you and your books. Universal Book Links (UBLs) — a single link that lets readers click through to your books everywhere they’re sold online. Customize your UBL to use in marketing materials, and never worry about them expiring or becoming obsolete. They can be updated manually or automagically, with just a click. B2R Author Pages — consider these your home away from home page. If you don’t have a website, our Author Pages can do the job, giving you a place to send readers when they want to know more. Or use them as the “Books Page” for your existing website. Each Author Page can include your photo and bio, plus customizable carousels of your books, organized however you like. B2R Book Tabs — Powered by our Universal Book Links, a Book Tab is a product page that promotes your book without distractions. No ads, no also-boughts, no “find it cheaper” recommendations. Just your cover and book description, and a handy “GET IT NOW” button. You can also include a custom carousel if your book is part of a series. Find out more at: https://draft2digital.com/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love
Tue, February 06, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP434 – Top 3 Mindset Tips For Authors with Heather Hildenbrand
Your brain is a liar! Heather Hildenbrand is a bestselling author and business coach for creatives. This episode she demystifies how our results are determined by our beliefs first, and our efforts, second. Listen up for amazing (and do-able!) mindset tips for authors and how to overcome our blocks with less woo and more “do”! About Heather: Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school, and says she’s only slightly socially awkward as a result. She’s an award winning author who has written more than 50 paranormal, urban fantasy, science fiction and contemporary romance novels, and in 2016, her Imitation series was purchased by Warner Bros and optioned for TV by Jerry Bruckheimer studios. Heather also offers business and life coaching to authors and other creatives to create more abundance and attract the life & business they desire. A certified life coach, Reiki master, and public speaker Heather helps authors understand how to better attract their desires AND heal their wounds in the process. Find her at: HeatherHildenbrand.com ManifestYourHEA.com 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patr
Tue, January 30, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP433 – Selling Direct With Katie Cross
In this episode we chat to YA Fantasy author Katie Cross. She has so much passion and enthusiasm for what she does, and loves her readers! We talk about direct sales and how to relate to your readers, and these are just two of the topics we covered. Sit down with your favorite beverage and enjoy because it’s action packed and full of information! We first interviewed Katie back in 2017. Then she talked about a military wife, and learning to be a nap-time authorpreneur, and making every moment count. This was another informative podcast and well worth a listen! Link below ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ SPA Girls Podcast – EP101 – Interview with Katie Cross Find Katie here ➡️ https://katiecrossbooks.com/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Wed, January 24, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP432 – What To Do When You’ve Finished The Book
You are your own publishing house when you self-publish. There’s lots to do, and lots to think about, especially the first few times you publish a book. That’s why we’ve created this helpful, back-to-basics SPA Girls Podcast episode – to help you go from rough manuscript to published book, with our notes on what you need to plan for and schedule, and how to figure out what you’re going to need to actually do to get your book published on all the platforms. We haven’t given a specific order for these tasks to be done in – we know too many successful authors who get different aspects of the checklist done at different times. There are also tasks that can be done quickly and others that will take time. The important thing is to know what you need to do, to work out a schedule that suits you and your life, and then to actually do the tasks! To help out, we’ve also created a handy checklist for you to download; just click the links below! SHOW NOTES: I’ve finished the Manuscript, what now? Take a break – it’s always good to give yourself a bit of time to get perspective on your manuscript. Edits – once you’ve had a bit of time off, you can dive back into your edits with a fresh eye. We’re talking both self edits and then a professional edit. Get a friend to read through or get beta readers to check it over. Sometimes it takes someone who is completely removed from the book to spot the little niggling errors. Identify the genre, and where it sits on Amazon bookshelf, and find comparable books to yours. This will help with your marketing and to figure out what your blurb and cover should look like. Blurb – look at other blurbs, know what’s right for the genre you’ve chosen, write it, get feedback. The blurb is often the hardest piece of writing for this whole project! Don’t be afraid to get feedback from author friends. Cover – find a cover designer, or get a pre made cover that fits the genre. Set up the business side of things – this includes taxes, bank account, postal address, sole trader vs company etc, and y
Wed, January 17, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP431 – Graphic Design For Authors – with Book Brush
This episode, we’re joined again by the effervescent Kathleen Sweeney from Bookbrush. Book Brush is a platform where authors can easily create their own professional-looking ads and marketing images for social media. Kathleen is going to update us on best practices, new additions to Book Brush software and added service options that can save authors time and stress producing graphics. Kathleen’s kindly given us a coupon code for listeners that gives you 15% off a single author plan. Visit bookbrush.com and use SPA15 Bio: Kathleen Sweeney is the Customer Service Manager & Marketing Lead at Book Brush. She loves creating images. She brings over 20 years of client service experience, business assurance, strategy and problem solving to Book Brush. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Wed, January 10, 2024
SPA Girls Podcast – EP430 – Just One Thing: How To Simplify Your Writing Life
Inspired by Dr Michael Moseley’s JUST ONE THING ( https://michaelmosley.co.uk/ ) we use his framework to give practical tips for uncomplicating your writing and author business life. Keep It Simple Be Realistic Create A Trigger Know Your Why Stick With It For At Least A Month Try To Replace Bad Habits With Good Ones Try To Do It Daily Involve A Friend Or Loved One Be Kind To Yourself Keep A Record Dr Michael Mosley is a No. 1 international bestselling author and journalist. He trained as a doctor at the Royal Free Hospital in London before joining the BBC, where he spent three decades as a science journalist and executive producer. Resource mentioned: Ohwrite.co 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Tue, January 02, 2024
SPA Girls EP – 429 – How To Create Your Author Business Plan
Business Planning for authors isn’t too often discussed, but the minute you go from hobbyist writer to publishing-for-profit, congratulations! You’re now a business entrepreneur. So what is a business plan? It’s the foundation of your business, a road map of your business structure, future projects, markets, earnings and expenses. It sounds more complicated than it needs to be. With that in mind, we’ve put together a simple SPA Girls Business Plan template you can download for free from https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/businessplan/ Completing this as you’re recovering from the holiday season could be just the ticket to kicking off your new year with a clear mind and solid goals. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Wed, December 27, 2023
SPA Girls – EP428 – 8 Awesome Tips to Kickstart your New Year
Want to set yourself up for an awesome 2024? Then this is the SPA Girls podcast episode for you. We go through our top eight tips to help amp up your career and kickstart your year! From looking at the data and knowing what you want, to getting your newsletter humming and revamping blurbs, we give you all our best advice for 2024. SHOWNOTES: Our Top Eight Tips: 1. Know what you want 2. Reverse Engineer 3. Fine Tune Your Processes 4. Check Look Insides 5. Get Your Newsletter Humming 6. Revamp Blurbs 7. Reassess Your Keywords & Categories 8 Keep Moving Forward! Resources mentioned: SPA Girls Podcast with Laurelin Paige (#221) Amazon Categories with Alex Newton from K-Lytics Dave Chesson with the SPA Girls 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal
Tue, December 19, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP427 – Our 12 Christmas Wishes for you!
We’re celebrating you, our wonderful listeners, in the SPA today by sharing our 12 Christmas Wishes for you and your self-publishing journey. We want you to know how special to us. We’re so proud of this journey we’ve all embarked on and with what everyone has achieved. No matter where you are in the publishing process, it really is time to celebrate! May your holiday be filled with love, joy, good food, fun, books and time to relax and recharge yourself. 🥰
Tue, December 12, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP426 – How To Launch A Successful Series with Helen B. Scheuerer
Are you dreaming of an easy approach to create successful book releases? Listen up, because we’re joined again by the bestselling fantasy author, Helen Scheuerer, who shares all the secrets of a Successful Series Launch, including: How You Should Handle Your Book’s Backmatter Using Pre-Orders Effectively Getting ARC readers Running A Successful Street Team Easily Best Timing For Book Releases Helen is a rare “three timer” guest on the SPA Girls Podcast. Previously she was on EP#282 A Full Time Income From One Book A Year and EP#345 How To Write A Successful Series Helen’s latest non-fiction book for writers, How to Launch A Successful Series, has just been released and can be found on all bookstores in ebook and print. Introducing the ultimate guide to revolutionising your book series launches: How To Launch A Successful Series! This must-read resource will equip you with the tools and knowledge to conquer the world of book launches. Inside, you’ll learn invaluable lessons, including: Perfecting your backmatter to optimise read-through. Mastering the art of timing your launches for maximum impact and visibility. Nailing the management of reviewers and ARC campaigns to generate buzz. Harnessing the power of a dedicated street team to amplify your reach. Unleashing the potential of pre-orders as a crucial part of your launch strategy. Implementing content and outreach marketing tactics that guarantee results. Conquering the marketing game between releases to keep your momentum soaring. About Helen: Helen B. Scheuerer is the bestselling fantasy author of the series, The Oremere Chronicles, Curse of the Cyren Queen and The Legends of Thezmarr. Her work has been highly praised for its strong, flawed female characters and its action-packed plots. She
Tue, December 05, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP425 – Book Launch Strategies
Congratulations! You’ve finished your first book (or series) and are ready to hit the publish button! So what can you do to get your book noticed in the sea of other new books, and how can you find the right readers for you? In this episode, we’re getting down and dirty with practical suggestions for you to create your own successful launch plan, even if you have no existing fans / mailing list / backlist! If you’re releasing rapidly, we recommend listening to our podcast with Elana Johnson ( https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep228-interview-with-elana-johnson-part-two/ For bonus content information we recommend listening to our podcast EP 268 https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep268-how-to-use-bonus-content-to-sell-books/ The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info.
Tue, November 28, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP424 – BookFunnel Tips for Authors
Most authors know what BookFunnel is these days (just in case: it’s a platform that helps you deliver reader magnets, ARC copies, audio files, and so much more to your readers) but do we all know how to use it the best we can? I’m pretty sure the answer is no ! That’s why we spent this episode with Damon Courtney, creator and CEO of BookFunnel, going over all the functions, from the innovative ways that successful authors are using this platform to deliver ebook files, to using features like the one-on-one author swap tool, the group promo tool, certified mail, and the direct email integrations, to name a few. Because Damon is the creator of the platform, he knows every single thing about it, which means this episode is packed full of all the information you’ll ever need to make BookFunnel work for you! Grab your pen and paper, and take notes, because this episode is all gold! Don’t forget our special SPA Girls Listeners link for $50 off an annual plan for your first year! : https://bookfunnel.com/spa-girls-podcast-2023/ but hurry – offer expires Jan 31, 2024 SHOW NOTES: About Damon Courtney: Damon Courtney is the creator and CEO of BookFunnel, an ebook and audiobook delivery service for authors and publishers. As a lifelong software engineer, Damon is an expert in just about everything technical and can offer unique insight on publishing as it relates to software and technology. He is also the self-published author of his very own Fantasy trilogy and continues to spin stories in his head that he hopes to some day get around to writing. Click this link to go to BookFunnel. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer al
Wed, November 22, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP423 – Turn Setbacks Into Success
Bumps on the publishing path are unwelcome yet inevitable and they can affect us in a variety of ways. So how can we reset ourselves when the wobbles and disappointment set in? Today we’ve got a SPA Girls 6 – Step Guide to turning those setbacks into success: Embrace The Rain Reheat The Pasta Rapunzel It Be Like A Dog Jump Off The Cliff Be An Antelope, Not A Hyena (For an explanation of these and how to use them, you need to listen or watch the episode!)
Wed, November 15, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP422 – Writing Side Characters – with Sacha Black
Side characters – how do you make them memorable, but not over-take the spotlight? And what purpose do they serve in the story? This episode, the awesome author and educator, Sacha Black, gives us the scoop on developing incredible side characters that will take your story from blah to bleepin’ amazing. She takes us through three different types of side character and how to create juxtapositions that SELL BOOKS. Sacha says: “If your book is a body, then your protagonist is the heart, the theme is the soul and your side characters are the arteries feeding your protagonist-heart. Side characters are the arteries in a protagonist-heart, they are new perspectives and viewpoints, conflict generators, and subplot fulfillers.” About Sacha Black: Sacha Black is a best selling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, and professional speaker. She has five obsessions; words, expensive shoes, conspiracy theories, self-improvement, and breaking the rules. Sacha writes educational nonfiction books for writers and sapphic books for Young Adults. She also writes under a super secret pen name. When she’s not writing, she can be found laughing inappropriately loud, sniffing musty old books, fangirling film and TV soundtracks, or thinking up new ways to break the rules. She lives in Cambridgeshire, England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. <a href="http:/
Wed, November 08, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP421 – Book Marketing With Carrie Elks
This week we talk to Carrie Elks about amping up your book marketing. It’s a fantastic and informative interview packed with great tips and advice that you won’t want to miss! Carrie writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out. Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media. Find her at: carrieelks.com Resources mentioned in podcast: Skye Warren’s Ad course: https://www.authoradsintensive.com/ TikTok Sells Books Course: https://tiktoksellsbooks.com/ Theodora Taylor’s Universal Fantasies https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep315-interview-with-theodora-taylor/ Plottr Becca Syme https://betterfasteracademy.com/ NINC https://ninc.com/ RAM (Romance Author Mastermind) https://romanceauthormastermind.com/ Brighton Walsh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2lueij-iRU Plottr https://plottr.com/?ref=367 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listene
Wed, November 01, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP420 – Why Forward Planning is Vital for Authors
This week we talk about the forward planning we all do for our author careers. Because we’re all so different here in the SPA, we all plan differently, and have different goals. But that means there will be nuggets of gold for everyone in this episode! We go through what it means to forward plan in your author business, why it’s important, what we think about when we do our planning, and how to actually get it down in a format that works for you. No two people do it the same, and it has to be something that works for you and your goals. It’s all very well doing the planning, but it has to be done in such a way that you’ll take action on it as well! What we are all in agreement on is that if you don’t do any forward planning at all, it will be that much more difficult to achieve your dreams! PS – This is also the episode where Wendy finally reveals her Cliffton Strengths. For anyone who has heard Wendy moan about the Clifton Strengths and how much she dislikes them, you’ll understand how big a moment this is! (And believe me, her top five totally fits who she is!) This episode is worth a listen, just for that moment alone! SHOW NOTES: Forward planning / noun. 1. the process of making plans to take into account what is likely to happen or be needed in the future. “with a bit of forward planning, this party can be fun for all ages” taking into account future circumstances or requirements when you make a plan. Links mentioned: Skye Warren working 4 hours/day Parts 1 & 2 Sarra Cannon on the SPA Girls </p
Tue, October 24, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP419 – The Best Mindset for Organisation and Productivity with Sarra Cannon
Self-publishing since 2010, Amazon top 100 best-selling Amazon author with 1 million books sold, Sarra writes magical contemporary fantasy novels with both teen and college aged characters (and lots of twists you’ll never see coming). Do you feel like a hamster on a wheel? Sarra talks to us about her solution to planning without all the heartache and leading us to be more joyful. “When we sit down to plan we see the perfect scenario. Then Life gets in the way.” About Sarra Cannon: Sarra Cannon writes magical contemporary fantasy novels with both teen and college aged characters (and lots of twists you’ll never see coming). Her novels often stem from her own experiences growing up in the small town of Hawkinsville, Georgia, where she learned that being popular always comes at a price and relationships are rarely as simple as they seem. With over a million books sold, Sarra loves writing witchy books and connecting with fans. You can connect with her on her author website here at SarraCannon.com Click to visit Sarra’s Heartbreathings YouTube channel for authors, and Heartbreathings website with her courses for writers here
Wed, October 18, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP418 – Publishing Wide, Selling Audiobooks Direct, Working With Your Spouse – Interview with author Sarah Piper
We’re thrilled to welcome UF/PNR author Sarah Piper to the show today. Sarah has seen great success publishing across a number of genres, and we discuss her strategy moving from Amazon-exclusive to publishing wide, selling her audiobooks direct and working with your spouse! This episode is packed with incredible information and actionable advice from Sarah, so you’ll want to listen more than once – with a pad and pen nearby! About Sarah Piper Sarah Piper is a witchy, Tarot-card-slinging paranormal romance and urban fantasy author. Through her signature brew of dark magic, heart-pounding suspense, and steamy romance, Sarah promises a sexy, supernatural escape into a world where the magic is real, the monsters are sinfully hot, and the witches always get their magically-ever-afters. Readers have dubbed her work “super sexy,” “imaginative and original,” “off-the-walls good,” and “delightfully wicked in the best ways,” a quote Sarah hopes will appear on her tombstone. Originally from New York, Sarah now makes her home in northern Colorado with her husband (though that changes frequently) (the location, not the husband), where she spends her days sleeping like a vampire and her nights writing books, casting spells, gazing at the moon, playing with her ever-expanding collection of Tarot cards, binge-watching Supernatural (Team Dean!), and obsessing over the best way to brew a cup of tea. You can find her online at SarahPiperBooks.com and in her Facebook readers group, Sarah Piper’s Sassy Witches. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ New! <em
Tue, October 10, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP417 – How To Correctly Select Your Amazon Categories – with Alex Newton
Amazon has moved the furniture again! This episode, Alex Newton, founder of K-Lytics, explains Amazon’s category changes, what they mean for authors, and how best to categorize your books now. We also discuss other recent Amazon changes dating back to September ’22, the impact on authors’ rankings and specific romance category changes and general trends. Alex Newton is the creator of K-lytics ( www.k-lytics.com ) a website where you can get in-depth reports on various genres and sub-genres on Amazon that will help you find your niche, boost sales in your chosen genre, and give you information to help you stand out in this crowded publishing Links mentioned: K-Lytics Reedsy’s article on Category Changes 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Thu, October 05, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP416 – Emotional Wounds with Angela Ackerman
This week we chatted with Angela Ackerman, one of the authors of the classic writing book, The Emotion Thesaurus. If you’ve never picked up one of the amazing thesauruses by Angela Ackerman and her co-writer, Becca Puglisi, you’re missing out! Created especially for writers, the ten different thesauruses will help you add emotion, be more creative, and make your book sing! In this particular episode (aside from Trudi and the other SPA Girls singing the praises of Angela’s books) we talk to Angela about emotional wounds – what that means, why it’s important for our characters and how we can add emotional wounds into our writing and give our characters more depth. Check out Angela’s website, Writers helping Writers, by clicking here for more information. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Tue, September 26, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP415 – How To Get Unstuck
There are many ways we get stuck as authors. Some ways you can get stuck is in the writing, editing, time management and making decisions areas. Getting unstuck is much harder and yet easier than we think. Letting go of perceptions of our writing or our characters helped Trudi a great deal when she put off writing the last book in a series – for years! Cheryl had to get past the fear of getting edits back and find a way to embrace the process to get them done. For Shar, it’s being done with the book and accepting it. No one wants to put up sub-standard work and we all do our very best to make sure that happens, but agonizing over a book doesn’t move you forward. We discuss how to do these things while facing fears and preconceptions, as well as the overwhelm of too many ideas and choices. Some tools to help: Plottr Watching a program or reading a book that deals with plot holes or backstory that doesn’t feel forced, an info dump, or out of character. The Last of US – recommended by Cheryl is a series that weaves in the backstory as part of each episode.
Tue, September 19, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP414 – Publishing Powerhouse, Kathryn Le Veque
We’re thrilled to welcome back Kathryn Le Veque to the SPA! Kathryn is a Publishing Powerhouse, with years of experience as a bestselling author, and CEO of Dragonblade Publishing. After first interviewing her back in 2018, we wanted to discuss what industry changes she’s seen in those five plus years, and what she predicts for the future in the wider publishing landscape. Kathryn shares her unique publishing insights and forecast, historical romance trends, why she doesn’t have an author newsletter, and behind the scenes insight of running Dragonblade. KATHRYN LE VEQUE is a critically acclaimed, USA TODAY Bestselling author (having hit the list over 30 times), an Indie Reader bestseller, a charter Amazon All-Star author, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance with over 150 published novels. In addition to her own published works, Kathryn is the President/CEO of Dragonblade Publishing, Amazon’s #1 ebook publisher of Historical Romance (K-Lytics reporting July 2020). Dragonblade Publishing has become known for its commitment to quality historical romance fiction and has gained a reputation as a trusted source for engaging and well-researched novels. Through her ownership of the publishing house, Kathryn has continued to contribute to the romance genre by nurturing and supporting other authors who share her passion for historical storytelling. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="450" src="https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/EP414-Kathryn-Le-Veque.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2966" srcset="https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/EP414-Kathryn-Le-Veque.jpg 800w, https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/EP414-Kathryn-Le-Veque-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/EP414-Kathryn-Le-Veque-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes
Tue, September 12, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP 413- Back Engineering a Bestseller
Today’s topic was prompted by a commenter on youtube who asked us about reverse engineering bestsellers. What makes a book, be it your second one published or your tenth, sell more than others. We believe there are many variables to that. Timing, tropes, the first 10% of how a book starts. The cover, blurb, and other popular tv or books that may have similar aspects. There are many things to consider, and today we take a dive into why a book can launch a career! SPA Girls’ bestsellers at time of recording: Wendy Vella, Sensing Danger Trudi Jaye, Hidden Danger Cheryl Phipps w/a CA Phipps , Apple Pie & Arsenic The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes
Thu, September 07, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP412 – Being Successful as a Hybrid Author with Katlyn Duncan
This week we talk to fiction and non-fiction author Katlyn Duncan, who wrote the non-fiction books The Successful Hybrid Author (all about being a hybrid author) and Take Back Your Book (all about how to get your rights back after being traditionally published). She shares her path to becoming a hybrid author, but also what you need to know about being hybrid, how it works, the pros and cons of traditional publishing versus indie publishing versus hybrid publishing, and how to get your rights back if you want to take up indie publishing. Katlyn has also ghostwritten over 40 novels for children and adults, and she talked about how she became a ghostwriter, how it all works, and the benefits to writers who want to get into this area of publishing. Another fabulously informative episode! Katlyn’s website Katlyn’s YouTube 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Wed, September 06, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP412 – Hybrid Publishing with Katlyn Duncan
This week we talk to fiction and non-fiction author Katlyn Duncan, who wrote the non-fiction books The Successful Hybrid Author (all about being a hybrid author) and Take Back Your Book (all about how to get your rights back after being traditionally published). She shares her path to becoming a hybrid author, but also what you need to know about being hybrid, how it works, the pros and cons of traditional publishing versus indie publishing versus hybrid publishing, and how to get your rights back if you want to take up indie publishing. Katlyn has also ghostwritten over 40 novels for children and adults, and she talked about how she became a ghostwriter, how it all works, and the benefits to writers who want to get into this area of publishing. Another fabulously informative episode! Check out Katlyn’s website here: https://www.katlynduncan.com/ And her YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/katlynduncanauthor 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Tue, August 29, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP411 – YouTube for Authors with Jenna Moreci
Author Jenna Moreci is a YouTube sensation ! With almost 300k subscribers on her YouTube channel “ Writing with Jenna Moreci “, ten years of making videos, and over 28 MILLION views, she’s produced an incredible body of work and large community. So how has this impacted her writing and publishing, especially as her audience is both writers AND readers? We cover Jenna’s YouTube and writing journey, her best practices and tips for authors starting out (and whether it’s right for them) and how her YouTube channel has impacted her as a creative. About Jenna Moreci : International #1 Amazon Bestseller YouTube’s Cyborg Queen Aquarius, tall person, & southpaw Jenna Moreci is a bestselling dark fantasy romance and writing craft author, as well as a YouTube sensation with hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Her first installment in The Savior’s Series, The Savior’s Champion , was voted one of the Best Books of All Time by Book Depository. Born and raised in Silicon Valley, Jenna spends her free time snuggling up with her charming partner and their tiny dog, Buttercup. You can find Jenna at jennamoreci.com and on Writing With Jenna on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/jennamoreci 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsP
Wed, August 23, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP410 – What To Do When Your Marketing Isn’t Working
Marketing but not achieving results? Maybe you need to do a bit of a deep dive into why. Steady is good and not doing things at warp speed, but I think consistency is the real key. We tend to think if we try something and don’t get instant results, they don’t work. But that’s not always the case. Often what didn’t work first up may the second time around. We in the SPA have tried soooo many things, and what works for one of us doesn’t necessarily for another. So why is your marketing not working for you? Before you assume it isn’t and you go back to bed and pull the covers over your head in defeat, maybe you need to have a really good look at those in your genre who are doing well. See where they can be found. Sign up for some promotion site emails. Check out places like the FB ads library. Having a solid marketing plan is key. You need to consider a few factors before you build your plan: How many books have you released? What marketing budget do you have to spend? (this will form your plan. Do you need to look for more free options? Or have you got the money to spend more?) What is your end goal? – Newsletter sign ups? – Pushing a permafree book with an eye to read through for the rest of the series – Target book sales specifically. What do you want to achieve? Is your cover, blurb etc tight? Do your research on marketing platforms, and what you think will suit your genre. Someone with one book to market will do so differently from someone with five. Marketing options Promo stacking (ads running one after the other in promo sites) Series promo FB, Amazon, BB ads Book promo sites – <a href="https://davidgaughran.com/best-promo-site
Wed, August 16, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP409 – Six Figures with Short Romance – with Sadie King
USA Today Bestseller, Sadie King has grown her publishing business from zero to six figures in less than four years, writing short instalove romances. Knowing her reader’s journey is vital to her success. In this episode we discuss Sadie’s: short romance publishing strategy rapid release strategy targeted wordcounts for Amazon Kindle’s 60m, 90m and 2 hour reads categories Techniques for writing short fiction Gaining visibility especially when you’re just starting out Keep readers hooked from one book to the next Crafting a funnel for readers. Must-have scenes in short romance Making paid advertising work for short fiction Sadie’s “must have” scenes for short romance: Quick meet cute Thrown together Get to the steam fast (1 – 3 steamy scenes) Conflict Resolution Epilogue She is currently writing 16k – 20k words with 1500 words (approx) per chapter; 2.99 price point Resources mentioned: Sadie’s new non-fiction book, Writing Short Romance for Pleasure & Profit Writing Short Romance for Pleasure and Profit: How I Became a Six Figure Author Writing Short Romance Tammi Labrecque’s Advanced Automations Course: Newsletter Ninja You can listen to Tammi being interviewed by the SPA Girls on Episode #378 <a href="https://www.se
Wed, August 09, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP408 – Branding for Authors
This week we take an in-depth look at author brands – starting with what branding actually means, what your branding should look like as an author, and then how you can make sure your author brand is the best it can be. We talk about how newbie authors can set up a brand for the first time, and how more experienced authors can reassess your current brand and make any necessary changes. As always, we talk about decisions we’ve made with our own books, what we’ve done to create the branding for each of our pen names, and how we use our branding to help us make decisions in our author business. And finally, we talk about the three ‘Cs’ – Consistency, Connection, Cohesiveness – and how to use them in the branding of your author business. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Tue, August 01, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP407 – Making Your Books Addictive with Alessandra Torre
A New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Alessandra Torre has written twenty-three novels, including multiple New York Times bestsellers. She is also the creator of Alessandra Torre Ink – an authors community and online school with over 20,000 members. She is also the founder of INKERS CON , an annual authors conference. A self-publishing advocate, Alessandra speaks frequently to universities, conventions and author groups and we’re delighted to welcome her back to the SPA! Today Alessandra is going to give us the lowdown not just about Inkers Con that’s just opened it’s doors, but also share how we can MASTER THE TWISTS and Write JAW-DROPPING and Addictive Books. How cool is that? So what is it EXACTLY that makes a book addictive? How do twists and turns come into play? And how do you create these elements with any genre of books? LINK to Alessandra’s webinar : https://event.webinarjam.com/replay/234/m0o73agobxvfmopkt229m All About Inkers Con 2023 With the Inkers Con online access, attendees can watch and re-watch professionally-filmed, high quality presentations from any location. All classes are taught by bestselling
Wed, July 26, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP406 – Subscriptions For Authors & Ream
Today we’re joined by two dynamic guests – author Emilia Rose and Michael Evans, who, along with Emilia’s husband Sean Patnode, founded the REAM subscription service for authors. We cover a LOT in this episode – from “what is the Creator Economy” to making subscriptions work for authors, so settle in for a great episode! We first interview Emilia mid-2022 where she shared how she built a six-figure subscription income through her romance writing in a very short time. At the time of recording, they were still in the development stages of Ream. Today, 10 months later, REAM is now live and thriving. https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep358-six-figures-through-subscriptions-with-emilia-rose/ Michael has kindly offered listeners a free copy of his book Creator Economy For Authors: A Guide To The Future of Publishing. Download from Bookfunnel here (no signup required): https://dl.bookfunnel.com/epnsy74vrn BIOS: Emilia Rose is an international bestselling author of steamy paranormal romance and has over 2,000 readers subscribing to her monthly. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2020 and now writes novels full-time, with over 70 million story views online. She is the CPO and co-founder of Ream, admin in the SFA Group, and co-host of the Subscriptions for Authors Podcast. She regularly speaks at conferences about subscriptions and building fandom as an author. Michael Evans is the author of a dozen sci-fi thriller novels, a serial founder of creator economy tech companies, and a Harvard student. He is the CEO of Ream, co-host of the Subscriptions for Authors Podcast, and an admin in the SFA Group. He’s also the author of Creator Economy for Authors: A Guide to the Future of Publishing, and is passionate about helping authors diversify their revenue streams and build direct relationships with
Tue, July 18, 2023
SPA Girls – EP405 – Hotwire Your Publishing Plan For The Holidays
We know there are still 5.5 months to go until the end of the year! But!! We think it’s important to start getting organized for the final push. Ads, blurbs, covers. In the SPA today we talk about the things you need to focus on! 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Wed, July 12, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP404 – Interview with Ana Huang
This week we go in-depth with New York Times, USA Today, international and #1 Amazon bestselling author of new adult and contemporary romance, Ana Huang. Aside from being very successful (check out her Twisted series!) Ana is a super smart and hardworking author with a tonne of great advice that she generously shared with us in this information-packed episode. We range in topics from marketing, to TikTok, to branding, to translations, and everything in between. I guarantee there’s something in this episode that you’ll learn that will help you with your Indie author career. Check it out now! Where to find Ana Huang: www.anahuang.com Instagram TikTok 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Tue, July 04, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – Ep403 – How Not To Fail at Self-publishing
In this episode, we’re looking at failure and putting a different slant on it. By changing the way you think of failing at a certain thing and thinking of it as simply a part of learning. You are future proofing the way you react to any result. Fail = First Attempt In Learning. Don’t measure yourself by how others are doing. They had their own journey and would have failed at something along the way. Successful people use those moments to push through, pivot, or try a new iteration. Learning is a part of the process. Letting go of a perception is hard, we get that. However, you shouldn’t let that outcome define you. Don’t dwell on it. Instead, find a way to deal with it and to stop the negative talk. A way that moves you forward. Tips: Try not to compare your achievements with other authors. When you don’t succeed, ask yourself if you put everything into the attempt. Can you write a different genre? Do you need more eyes on your work? Look at your process – did you follow it? Take the word fail out of your vocabulary. Find the next thing that will work for you. Do the best you can every time you start something. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Wed, June 28, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP402 – GMC for genres
Back in 1996, author Debra Dixon published Goal, Motivation and Conflict and ever since the letters GMC have been tattooed on our brains. This simple, yet powerful, concept is the driving force behind writing compelling fiction and building strong plots and character growth. This episode we cover the differing GMC’s found in different genres, including romance. Enjoy! Further reading: http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/02/goals-motivations-conflicts-engine-that.html 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Wed, June 21, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP401 – Lynn Raye Harris, Let’s Talk Series!
Today we talk to the amazingly talented author Lynn Raye Harris about series. Everything from multiple connected to branding. This is a must listen podcast! Lynn is a Southern girl, military wife, wannabe cat lady, and horse lover. She’s also the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the HOSTILE OPERATIONS TEAM Ⓡ SERIES of military romances, and 20 books about sexy billionaires for Harlequin. A former finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award and the National Readers Choice Award, Lynn lives in Alabama with her handsome former-military husband, one fluffy princess of a cat, and a very spoiled American Saddlebred horse who enjoys bucking at random in order to keep Lynn on her toes. LINKS: Website: www.LynnRayeHarris.com Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HOTReadersAndFans/ Talking about multiple connected series, breaking longer series into short series and series branding in general. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Wed, June 14, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP400 – Why On Earth Are We Still Here?
It’s celebration time! We’ve reached another milestone here in the SPA – FOUR HUNDRED EPISODES! And that’s 400 weekly episodes with no repeats, no “best of”s, and no stopping during the eight years we’ve been doing this. Phew! *wipes brow* This episode we’re looking back on that time, trying to figure out why we’re still here, and what we’ve learned along the way. Go behind the scenes with us as we discuss some of what we’ve learned, advice we wish we’d been given, inspiration we wish we’d had to get you writing and publishing!
Wed, June 07, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP399 – Diversification with Rachael Herron
Rachael Herron is the internationally bestselling author of more than two dozen books, including thrillers (under R.H. Herron), mainstream fiction, feminist romance, memoir, and nonfiction about writing. She received her MFA in writing from Mills College, Oakland, and she’s taught writing extension workshops at both UC Berkeley and Stanford. She is a proud member of the NaNoWriMo Writer’s Board . A New Zealand citizen as well as an American, she lives in Wellington, New Zealand with her banjo-playing wife and brick-eating dog. What is diversification? It could be as simple as putting your book up on all the platforms by taking it from KU and making it wide. We discussed how one product can be made into so many more by iterations such as: audio, translations, print – hardback and large print. You could put it in a box set that has three or more books and then put it another for the whole series, or make a first in series box set, or put it in an anthology with other authors Perhaps you need more money than you are currently earning, so Rachael explains the ways to earn outside of writing such as selling a service like coaching, or taking a part-time job that is far removed from writing to prevent burnout. It’s a fun podcast and definitely worth a listen! Find Rachael at h ttps://rachaelherron.com/ Make sure to check out Rachael’s podcast, How Do You Write Resources mentioned QUIT by Annie Duke SPA Girls Podcast – EP146 – Interview with Becca Syme on Writing Better Faster <a href="https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep358-six-figures-through-su
Wed, May 31, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP398 – Marketing Books That Straddle Genres
How do you market a book that doesn’t quite fit a genre – or is a mash up of more than one genre? We talk on the SPA all the time about the importance of knowing what genre/sub genre you’re writing and what reader expectations for that genre are. But what happens if you’ve written a spectacular mashup of genres? Or you wanted to write a romance cross memoir? There’s no doubt it can be harder to market an off-genre book, so where do you start? Questions to consider: Is it one or a series? Can you identify which genres it straddles? Is it worth editing it? Is it affecting your other sales? Could it work as bonus content for existing series? Is the cover missing the mark? Do you need more reviews? Is it a mashup because you don’t understand genre expectations? Beware the sunk cost fallacy – writing more books isn’t always the answer For a lot of writers, getting their first books out of their system is needed 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Tue, May 23, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP397 – Marketing Audiobooks with Rebecca Hefner
Author Rebecca Hefner is passionate about marketing audio books wide. After several years of struggling early on, her audiobook sales now surpass her ebook sales most months. As Rebecca says, “I had an excruciating learning curve with wide audio and want to save other authors from this torture!” She shares her best practices and tips for wide audiobook success in this must-listen episode. Download Rebecca’s free tips for audiobook marketing here: Self-Publishing Advice & Resources And her (currently free!) Promo site, Indie Audiobook Deals at indieaudiobookdeals | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Hefner grew up in Western NC and now calls the Hudson River of NYC home. In her youth, she would sneak into her mother’s bedroom and read the romance novels stashed on the bookshelf, cementing her love of HEAs. Before becoming an author, Rebecca had a successful twelve-year medical device sales career. After launching her own indie publishing company, she is now a full-time author who loves writing strong, complex characters who find their HEAs. Rebecca is passionate about marketing audiobooks WIDE and runs the Indie Audiobook Deals site to help authors promote their books, as well as the Marketing Audiobooks wide facebook Group for author support. Marketing Audiobooks Wide Facebook group www.RebeccaHefner.com 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there!</p
S1 E396 · Wed, May 17, 2023
Secrets of Story with Matt Bird
If you’ve been working on amping up your characters and writing a more compelling novel, this is the episode for you. We talk to Matt Bird – the Amazon bestselling author of The Secrets of Story: Innovative Tools for Perfecting Your Fiction and Captivating Readers and The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love – about characters and other secrets involved in writing an awesome story your readers will love. Matt talks to us about what readers expect from characters and how to ensure they connect and fall in love with your characters early in your novel. He also gives practical examples of techniques that will engage your readers by helping you create flawed, vulnerable and compelling characters. We loved having Matt in the SPA and we know you’ll enjoy this episode too! Find Matt at the Cockeyed Caravan blog – http://www.secretsofstory.com/ Also on Youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/@secretsofstory6921 Find Matt’s Book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Story-Innovative-Perfecting-Captivating-ebook/dp/B01N7HV0CT/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our <a href="http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast" target="_blank" rel="nore
Tue, May 09, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP395 – Conquer your Author Career with Erin Marcus
Erin Marcus is a business and life coach who helps authors take charge and get the results they’ve always wanted in their careers. Erin says she loves helping people take action they didn’t think possible, do things they didn’t think they could do, and succeed beyond what they dared to dream – and that’s what this episode is all about! Having made the successful leap from corporate executive to entrepreneur, Erin uses 20 years of experience, along with her MBA education and a street smart upbringing, to help her clients reach heights they never dreamed possible. And have fun doing it! This podcast is exciting and encouraging. Erin also pokes a few holes in how we look at what we do and how to do it better. You can find Erin at https://conqueryourbusiness.com . 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Wed, May 03, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP394 – Career Sustainability with Brenna Aubrey
This is a really important discussion for writer at all stages of their careers. Brenna has experienced publishing highs and has also dealt with the darker side of the writer’s journey. Her candour and courage discussing some difficult topics in this interview made it a very humbling experience for us, and we truly appreciate Brenna’s openness in wanting to help her fellow authors. From mindset and productivity, to branding, social media and your writing community – we cover the gamut of how to sustain your author career long term. About Brenna Aubrey Brenna Aubrey is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of contemporary romance featuring geek culture. Her bestselling romance series, Gaming The System , is available in eBook and print format across all vendors. When she’s not dreaming up people and worlds and writing them down, she’s also a mom, wife, teacher, avid reader, a proud geek-girl, a self-confessed gaming addict, a French-speaking Francophile, lover of nature and beautiful sunsets. Find her at https://brennaaubrey.net/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our <a href="http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noop
Tue, April 25, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP393 – Genre Expectations
Today in the SPA we’re covering genre expectations for readers of romance and it’s subgenres and mystery. All are our opinion based on decades of reading and 20+ years writing romance and it’s various subgenres. It can be a bit messy and confusing and it’s subjective. But it’s also important to know the genre expectations for the “wrong” answers more so than the right. So let us help you define what sub category your book should be virtually “shelved” on! Links mentioned: EVLind – Supernatural Suspense author Adam Richardson, The Writer’s Detective The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info.
Tue, April 18, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP392 – Translations with Skye MacKinnon
Skye MacKinnon is a USA Today and International Bestselling Author whose books are filled with strong heroines who don’t have to choose. She embraces her Scottishness with fantastical Scottish settings and a dash of mythology, no matter if she’s writing about aliens in kilts, Celtic gods, cat shifters, or the streets of Edinburgh. She’s also doing great with German translations and this week in the SPA she breaks down everything she’s been doing, including how to get started with a translator, what to watch out for, how and where to load your translated book, and how to market them once they’re up! According to Skye, the German e-book market is growing rapidly and readers are hungry for more books. Translations are no longer just reserved for big publishers and it can be a lucrative market. It’s a logical step for any successful author: you’ve already written the book, now find new ways to expand your reach. Take the first step into translations by listening to this episode with Skye! Show notes: If you want to find out more about german translations from Skye head to her facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/262551475032407/ Head to her website to check out her books here. If you’d like to purchase her book on translations, it is available by clicking here. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our <a href="http://www.youtube.com
Wed, April 12, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP391 – How to Successfully Publish Wide with Erin Wright
USA today bestselling author of Western Romance, Erin Wright, has worked every job under the sun, including library director, barista, teacher, website designer, and ranch hand, helping brand cattle, before settling into the career she’s always dreamed about: Author. Despite starting out in KU in 2016, she went wide on all platforms in 2017 when she discovered she couldn’t get her books in libraries if she was exclusive to Amazon. She started the Wide for the Win Facebook group in 2019, to help other authors find information about being wide, and now the group has grown to a community of 14,390. Erin breaks it down and lists the reasons why she made this decision. She uses serial apps, website direct sales, multi-author promotions, as well as many platforms that we had never heard of. Erin also does courses on going wide. If you are keen to diversify and find more ways to reach readers, this is the episode for you. You can find more information from Erin’s Website, and also her group, on the links below. Wide for The Win Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/wideforthewin https://erinwright.net 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast
Tue, April 04, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP390 – Thrifty Tips For Authors with Vanessa Vale
This episode is for everyone who struggles with paid advertising! Today we’re joined by romance author Vanessa Vale . When her facebook ad account was shut down, Vanessa had to learn how to sell books WITHOUT paid ads and she shares how she came up with her solid marketing strategies in the episode. She not only writes amazing books, but also runs the Thrifty Tips For Authors group on Facebook where she shares ways to brand, market, publish, write, promote and THINK about selling books… without spending a fortune. Vanessa is also launching her very first Thrifty Tips For Authors online course in April 2023. This is a must listen for writers of all genres! Learn more about Vanessa’s course Thrifty Tips For Authors here: https://thriftytipsforauthors.com/courses About Vanessa Vale Vanessa Vale is the USA Today bestselling author of sexy romance novels, including her popular Bridgewater historical series and hot contemporary romances. With over one million books sold, Vanessa writes about unapologetic bad boys who don’t just fall in love, they fall hard. Her books are available worldwide in multiple languages in e-book, print and audio. Within five years, Vanessa forged two pen names from scratch to seven figures —each using the strategies and techniques in the Thrifty Tips For Authors class. The beginnings of this program came when she was banned from Facebook ads, forcing her to develop strong branding and marketing steps that are enduring and withstand the changes and whims of the publishing industry. She is still the go-to author for steamy small town romances, however has retired from her second pen name. The enduring Interstellar Brides Program is left in the capable and amazing hands of her BFF co-author. Her Thrifty Tips for Authors group has over 2500 members ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriftytipsforauthors ) Vanessa’s Author website: https://vanessavaleauthor.com/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who suppor
Tue, March 28, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP389 – Small Town Romance with Kait Nolan
In today’s podcast we talk all things small town romance with the wonderful Kait Nolan. Kait is a USA Today best selling, RITA® Award-winning Mississippi author of smart, sassy, small town Southern romance. She calls everyone sugar, honey, or darlin’, and can wield a ‘Bless your heart’ like a Snuggie or a saber, depending on requirements. She believes in love, laughter, and that tacos are the world’s most perfect food. When she’s not writing, reading, or wrangling family (both the two-legged and the four-), you can find her obsessively watching The Great British Bake Off. https://kaitnolan.com/ The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info.
Wed, March 22, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP388 – Getting the Words Down
The number one thing you need to produce as an author is WRITTEN words, but sometimes that’s the hardest thing to do. So when words are hard to come by, when you’re avoiding the blank screen or finding yourself doing housework for hours instead of sitting your butt on the office chair (or couch) with your laptop, you need a cheerleader, an advocate, and champion… a human cattle prod, if you will. And that’s where we come in. This week we’re sharing our best tips and advice on how to get yourself motivated, beat resistance and get your $#@!! words down.
Mon, March 13, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP387 – TikTok For Authors With Brighton Walsh
Do it the easy way! Award-winning USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brighton Walsh spent a decade as a professional photographer before taking her storytelling in a different direction and reconnecting with her first love—writing. After getting a publishing deal, Brighton went on to become a hybrid author and is now mainly indie. She started on TikTok in January 2022 and used mainly page flips back then which went viral immediately. She has since developed her own brand of TIKTOK-ing which continues to impress. Today she brings you plenty of tips and tricks to start you off on the right foot. Brighton’s Tips: Don’t let it take over your life. You don’t have to use your face! Use a phone app to record so you can reuse it. Post once a day unless it is launch week and then do 2-3 posts. Reuse words and hooks often, but the video itself only occasionally. Uses bookish backgrounds with candles to make the post look attractive. A similar background saves a lot of time and becomes your brand. Her photography background helped. Encourage comments by making the post unique to you as well as be aesthetically pleasing. Viral = 100k or more. Be a consumer first and see what you are comfortable doing. Do not copy other videos exactly. Get ideas as you write the book and write them down. Plus, so much more! The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info
Wed, March 08, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP386 – Productivity Hacks For Writers
Ten proven productivity hacks for self-publishers, brought to you by the letter “P” 1. Planning – Make a plan and stick to it 2. Preparation – know what you’re going to do, and when you’re going to do it, and then stick to it. 3. Procrastination – look at whether it’s actually positive or negative procrastination, if it’s negative, look at what stories you’re telling yourself. 4. Prioritize – figure out what is most important, learn to say no to things/people, stay focused on what you want to achieve. 5. Positive Talk – don’t fall into negative thinking. 6. Play or gamify it. Example – Write at the top of the hour, until you get to 1000, then you get to have a break, then go back and write at the top of the hour again. 7. Put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) 8. Pivot if it’s not working. 9. Be Picky – lots of be people equate being busy with achieving alot, but it’s not true. I can spend all day being busy, and achieve a sum total of ZERO. 10. Permission – don’t be afraid to make mistakes. plus two bonus Ps~! Podcast & Patreon
Wed, March 01, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP385 – How to Write a Compelling Hero
Alpha, Beta, Tortured or Bad Boy? How do you like your heroes? This week Cheryl, Wendy and Shar discuss how to write a great hero (in their opinion) complete with controversial examples! In particular, we cover: Character Connection Creating Conflict from Character Main Characters Should Be Equals Characters Should Have Complementary Strengths Hero should Show Vulnerability Different hero types including Alpha, Beta, Bad Boy, Tortured and Playboy Don’t miss out on our take on writing a great hero!
Wed, February 22, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP384 – Write And Plot Faster with Plottr
Wanting to speed up your plotting and writing time? Today we’re talking about a writers tool that promises to do just that. Plottr is visual book planning software for writers that helps us outline faster, organize smarter, and turbocharge our productivity. Today we’re joined by Cameron Sutter and Troy Lambert of Plottr. Cameron is an independently published author and software engineer and the inventor and lead developer of Plottr. Troy is a mystery author, editor and Education Lead at Plottr. Learn more here: https://plottr.com?ref=367 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info
Tue, February 14, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP383 – Our Valentine To Writers
Love your Writing Self this Valentine’s Day Who says Valentine’s Day has to be about couples? We think it should be about all kinds of love and this year we’re promoting a little self-love. Go on, you deserve it! Treat yourself to a craft course or something else you would enjoy – find a course and do it! Do something awesome for your body – manicure, pedicure, massage, facial. Regular exercise – walk, run, bike, swim, yoga, pilates, sport. Combat stress – read, listen to music, have a bath, meditate – try Paul Mckenna and Youtube videos. Breathing exercises – breathe in for seven, hold for seven, out for seven. Eat healthy and drink more water. Try something different – puzzles, a new hobby like knitting, crochet or miniatures. Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
Wed, February 08, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP382 – Which Course Is Right For You?
This week Trudi and Shar go rogue … and discuss courses along with our writing friend and writing tutor Tania Hutley / Talia Hunter . We discuss the courses we’ve done over the years on craft, marketing, self-publishing and mindset and what we’ve learned from them. Disclaimer – we only discuss our personal experiences, and we are not affiliates for any of them with the exception of SPF. How do you know your best learning style? What do you need to be prepared for before you start? How to do due diligence on the course provider What red flags should you look for before you plunk down your $$ Mentioned in podcast: Maggie Stiefvater Margie Lawson – Dialogue course Lisa Cron – SPA Girls podcast EP#249 Creative live.com Inkers Con – Allesandra Torre – SPA Girls Podcast EP235 RWA Recordings – Jennifer Lynn Barnes Mark Dawson – SPF courses Becca Syme – write better faster Udemy Holly Darling – newsletter – we interviewed Holly (then Holly Mortimer) EP#258 Tammi Labrecque – newsletterninja.net David Gaughran – free Starting From Zero Steff Green – Rage Against the Manuscript
Tue, January 31, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP381 – Marketing Biases
So many times we’ve heard authors say that they don’t like this or that when it comes to promoting themselves. Like email marketing. Social media. Advertising Book signings Sure there are many who feel as you do, but not everyone does! So how can we work with our biases and not fight against them? 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info
S1 E380 · Wed, January 25, 2023
Facebook Ads with Mark Dawson
If there’s one person in the self publishing world who’s considered a bit of an expert at advertising… it’s Mark Dawson . This week Mark joins us in the SPA to talk about Facebook ads – how to set them up, what to do if they’re not working, and some of his best tips and advice to get them running well for you. He’s a genuine guy, and he still does all his own ads – which means he knows exactly what works and what doesn’t! Learn about Mark and the highly recommended Self Publishing Formula Ads For Authors Course here 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. ⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Tue, January 17, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP379 – How To Make a Trailer with Bookbrush
Kathleen Sweeney is Bookbrush’s Customer Service Manager & Marketing Lead. She brings over 17 years of client service experience, business assurance, strategy and problem solving to Book Brush. Kathleen loves creating images and is happy to share her knowledge. We’re talking trailers for Tik Tok, instagram, and other social media, as well as QR codes and where to use them. And so much more! 6 Typography Tips for Graphics and Book Covers (with 35+ font pairings) – Book Brush Pricing – Book Brush Book Brush 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info
Wed, January 11, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP378 – Be A Newsletter Ninja with Tammi Labrecque
Tammi Labrecque is an indie author, a mailing list whiz-kid, and the author of the best-selling non-fiction books for authors – Newsletter Ninja, and Newsletter Ninja 2. Tammi lives in Central Maine with three spoiled cats, two neurotic dogs, and dozens of fictional characters that keep her awake nights. When she’s not penning awesome books on how you can become a Newsletter Ninja too, she writes under a variety of pen names across several genres, including urban fantasy, thriller, and LitRPG. Our favourite line from the blurb of Newsletter Ninja is this – “Imagine having a large list of happy readers who devoured every email you sent. Or launching a book and activating an army of fans who did the selling for you. You could be that person, with the help of Newsletter Ninja.” Listen up and learn how you can up your newsletter game! Tammi has also created THE FIRST-EVER EMAIL CONTENT MEMBERSHIP JUST FOR AUTHORS – LISTEN UP FOR A BONUS DISCOUNT FOR AN EXCLUSIVE SPA GIRLS LISTENERS DISCOUNT www.newsletterninja.net/spagirls Resources mentioned: https://newsletterninja.net/ Tammi’s previous appearance on SPA Girls Podcast https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep145-newsletter-ninja-tammi-labrecque/ Bookfunnel https://bookfunnel.com/ Booksweeps https://www.booksweeps.com/ Story Origin https://storyoriginapp.com/ Email Tool Tester https://www.emailtooltester.com/en/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patre
Tue, January 03, 2023
SPA Girls Podcast – EP377 – New Year New You
Happy New Year from the SPA Girls ! In this episode we talk about what goals and plans we have for 2023, Rom Com style using Billy Mernit’s book, Writing The Romantic Comedy. We work through his story beats. Set Up. Catalyst. Turning Point. Midpoint. Second Turning Point. Crisis Climax. Resolution. The SPA Girls open a vein and talk about what we want to implement and change in 2023. (there will be no fries with this, ignore Trudi) The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info Links – Writing Romantic Comedy with Billy Mernit
S1 E376 · Wed, December 28, 2022
Our Top Tips for Writing and Publishing from 2022
This is an awesome episode just for you! We went through all of our episodes from 2022, and picked out the best pieces of advice, the most actionable tips, and the things we definitely think you should be doing for your writing career in 2023 and gave them to you here in one easy episode. You’re welcome. 🙂
Tue, December 20, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP375 – Celebrations And Things We’re Grateful For
The Spa Girls wish you a wonderful Christmas and today we’re sharing our celebrations and things we’re grateful for. From Shar’s first taste of travel in three years and reaching 1000 subscribers on Youtube, all Wendy’s historical books hitting the top in that category and doing German translations, Cheryl achieving her goal of four books for 2022 and opening a store, Trudi finally finished a series and found a course that resonated more than she could have hoped for, there is plenty celebrate. The grateful list was long and included our guests who keep things real, listeners old and new who make us want to continue, doing what we love, family and author friends who support and get us, and on to entrepreneurs who build products and supply services which make our lives easier—we thank you all. Listen in to for a more comprehensive list and maybe there are some things that resonate with you too. Take care and make sure to recharge over the season. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info
Wed, December 14, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP374 – 6 Tweaks To Improve Your Books Sales
If your book is not selling, what can you do? USA Today Bestseller, romance writer Leanna Morgan is here to day to help us sell more books PLUS offer wise ideas on advertising. Leanna discusses how to tweak your: 1. Cover 2. Blurb 3. Editing 4. Formatting 5. Universal links. 6. Categories. to improve your sales and find your readers. Bio: Leeanna Morgan is a USA Today bestselling author of more than 35 books. She lives in New Zealand and is surrounded by green hills on one side and the ocean on the other. She enjoys going for long walks, especially if she can convince her husband and two children to go with her! Leeanna writes contemporary romances and women’s fiction set in Montana. Her stories contain all of the things that are important to her; good friends, family, a strong sense of community and a happy ending. Find Leanna at: www.leannamorgan.com 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info
Wed, December 07, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP373 – Lightbulb Moments of Writing Advice
Lightbulb moments about writing and publishing that have turned you from gloomy to galloping along – have you had them? We have and today we’re sharing the nitty gritty self publishing and writing tips that positively impacted our craft and careers – plus, of course, the mentors who’ve given us great advice. Resources mentioned: Cora Seton – #EP230 The Organized Author https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep230-interview-with-cora-seton-the-organised-author/ Laurelin Paige – #EP221 Revive Your Backlist https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-ep221-reviving-your-backlist-with-laurelin-paige/ Morgana Best – #EP188 and #357 https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep188-cozy-mysteries-with-morgana-best/ https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep357-selling-direct-with-morgana-best/ Bella Andre – #EP148 Indie Superstar Bella Andre https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep148-interview-with-indie-superstar-bella-andre/ Renee Rose – EP#365 Write To Riches & #EP293 Abundance Mindset https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep365-write-to-riches-with-renee-rose%ef%bf%bc/ https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-ep293-abundance-mindset-for-authors-with-renee-rose/ Lee Savino – #EP348 Millionaire Author Mindset https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep348-millionaire-author-mindset-with-lee-savino/ Skye Warren’
Wed, November 30, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP372 – SciFi Romance with Honey Phillips
This episode is another deep dive into an intriguing genre that’s been doing really well for indie authors in recent years. USA Today bestselling author Honey Phillips joins us in the SPA to talk about Science Fiction Romance – what it is, what are readers looking for, how she got started writing in it, and everything in between. Sci-Fi Romance is a distant cousin to Monster Romance (see episode 368 with Lillian Lark), and there are some similarities between the two genres, but Honey gives us a fascinating breakdown of the main expectations of SciFi Romance readers, and what she does to be so successful in the genre… and it’s not always what you’d expect! (Side note: As her name suggests, Honey was a delight to talk to!) About Honey Phillips USA Today bestselling author Honey Phillips writes steamy science fiction romance about hot alien warriors and the Earth women they can’t resist. From abductions to invasions, the ride might be rough, but the end always satisfies. Honey wrote and illustrated her first book at the tender age of five. Her writing has improved since then. Her drawing skills, unfortunately, have not. She loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, and drinking champagne – not necessarily in that order. Find her at www.honeyphillips.com ! 💖 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much. We love our listeners and our patrons! Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us; we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info
Tue, November 22, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP371 – Interview with Dionne Lister
Part Time to Full Time in 1 year ! Today we’re talking to Dionne Lister about how she made the leap from part-time to full-time in one year, writing in two genres. USA Today bestselling author, Dionne Lister is an Australian with a degree in creative writing and two Siamese cats. Daydreaming has always been her passion, so writing was a natural progression from staring out the window in primary school, and being an author was a dream she held since childhood. Her books have reached #1 on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple Books charts worldwide, frequently occupying top 100 lists in fantasy and mystery. Dionne found that cozy mysteries was where she did the best, so that is where she concentrates her time. Both her series are set in the UK which came about after a visit to Westerham, which is where she has set her main series of 17 books! The big surprise to us was that she has a small newsletter list. That’s right, a newsletter list was an after-thought, as she was convinced no one wanted to hear from her. She is currently working on growing it and believes that organic is the best way to do so. The main marketing she uses is a mixture of Facebook, Bookbub and Amazon advertising. She has also done translations which are also doing well, and advertises to her German Amazon page separately. Listen in for the amounts she spends on each platform, what the turning point was to quit her other job, and for her hilarious take on her schedule and life in general. Find Dionne here : https://dionnelisterwriter.com/ Read “Sweetly Spellbound: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction and Paracozy Collection” here 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much.
Tue, November 15, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP370 – Running A Successful Kickstarter – with Steffanie Holmes
USA Today Bestselling romance author, Steffanie Holmes, returns to the SPA to educate us on how to run a successful kickstarter. Inspired by the knockout success of Brandon Sanderson and many other authors, Steff ran an incredibly successful kickstarter in 2022 to fund limited-edition hardcovers of her books – in fact, it was fully funded in just FIVE HOURS! In this episode Steff walks us through all the steps needed – from deciding what to fund, to how to set reward levels, how to promote your kickstarter campaign, managing logistics, stretch goals, what fans want, how “unknown” authors can make it work, and the lessons she’s learned to take into her next kickstarter campaign. About Steffanie Holmes Steffanie Holmes is a USA Today bestselling author of dark, gothic, and sinful romance books. Her books feature clever, witty heroines, secret societies, creepy old mansions, and alpha heroes who always get what they want. Steff received the 2017 Attitude Award for Artistic Achievement, and was a finalist for a 2018 Women of Influence award. Her books are enjoyed by thousands of readers all over the world. Steff is also the creator of Rage Against the Manuscript , an online community for writers to learn about self-publishing, finding their readers, and building a badass author brand. Steff’s passionate about helping authors from all walks of life find their voice and tell their story. Watch Steff on national tv here: https://youtu.be/7nZLQQKBPrs
Tue, November 08, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP369 – Make Luck Through Belief
Today we talk about not relying on luck to build your career. We believe you can make your own luck, but don’t wait for it to happen! Ron Weasley (or not, we’re not really sure) says believing in yourself is 100% more powerful than luck! Overnight success may happen for some, but if you dig deeper often, what appears to be a lucky break is actually from years of hard work to get to that point. Wendy, Cheryl, and Trudi dig deeper into this subject in the podcast. ❤️ The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info
Wed, November 02, 2022
SPA Girl Podcast – EP 368 – Monster Romance With Lillian Lark
In this fun episode with Lillian Lark, we learn about monster romance – what it is, how it’s defined, who’s writing it well, and how to write one for yourself! Not only is Lillian doing well in the genre of monster romance, she’s also doing amazing things on TikTok, so we were able to quiz her on her tricks and techniques for the social media platform as well. About Lillian Lark: Born and raised in the saltiest of cities in Utah. Lillian is an avid reader, cat mom to three demons, and loves writing sexy stories that twist you up inside. Click here for Lillian’s website… 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info
Tue, October 25, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP367 – How To Self Edit Your Second Draft
There are many types of editing and today we’re discussing how the SPA Girls approach a second draft. Plus, we’ve produced a checklist, which is an amalgamation of all our processes. First, we suggest you start with a break from the project altogether, and how long that is will depend on your timeline, so going forward factor this in.There are many types of editing and today we’re discussing how the SPA Girls approach a second draft. Plus, we’ve produced a checklist, which is an amalgamation of all our processes. Here’s our checklist: Does your story make sense? Is there enough conflict? Pacing is vital – Does it flow and read well? It is too slow or fast? Does the tension build? Setting – Does it hit all the feels? Can I visualise it? Buildings, places, etc. Characterisation – Are your characters consistent? Do they do what they are supposed to? Do the support cast do their job? Do the hero or heroine achieve growth in the book? Or reach the goal you originally set for them? Description – are you recounting or summarising, or are you world building? Hooks – Does each of the last lines in chapters make you want to read on? Action – is it clear what the roles of your protagonists and antagonists are playing in your book? Black moments – that moment when everything is changed and there is no going back. Is it compelling, – or do the sentences run on, (overwriting) Does each scene move the book forward? Not all of them will be action-packed, but they must have a purpose. Would you want to read this book again? Because if you don’t no one else will. Love your book! There is so much more, so listen in to the podcast. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit <a href="http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/" target="_blank" rel="norefer
Mon, October 17, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP366 – How To Recover When You Screw Up
Even the most experienced writers and self-publishers make mistakes. It’s not what you do wrong – it’s how you overcome the hiccups and potholes in the road. This episode sees the SPA Girls sharing their own Big Oops and how they recovered / learned from them. Inspiration plus for indies at all stages of their careers 🙂 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info
Wed, October 12, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP365 – Write To Riches with Renee Rose
In this episode we talk to the amazing Renee Rose about her new release Write To Riches! We love having Renee on the show; she’s an amazing guest, and we always finish feeling so much more motivated and inspired. We hope you feel the same way. 🙂 Renee is a 15-time USA Today bestselling romance author who loves a dominant, dirty-talking alpha hero. In her career she’s sold over two million copies of steamy romance with varying levels of kink. She’s also passionate about helping other authors find and maintain an abundance mindset to catapult their careers and create their best future. She wrote Write to Riches so she could teach more people about the power of the abundance mindset, manifesting your desires, and attracting wealth. Find her at: write2riches.com reneeroseromance.com ❤️ Make sure you’re signed up to our weekly self-publishing tips newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bGkz8L Come say hi on Facebook and Twitter @spagirlspodcast
Tue, October 04, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP364 – Superfans with Steffanie Holmes
Ever wondered how authors create a reader base full of raving superfans… and how you could do it too?? Well, wonder no more! This week we have bestselling paranormal and contemporary romance author Steffanie Holmes on the show to talk about how to create superfans for your books. Steff talks about the methods she’s used to create stronger connections with her readers, including having a strong author brand, newsletters, interconnected stories, and so much more! We love having Steff in the SPA, and she’s super smart with her marketing, so this is an episode you don’t want to miss! Show notes: Steffanie Holmes is a USA Today bestselling author of dark, gothic, and sinful romance books. Her books feature clever, witty heroines, secret societies, creepy old mansions, and alpha heroes who always get what they want. Steff received the 2017 Attitude Award for Artistic Achievement, and was a finalist for a 2018 Women of Influence award. Her books are enjoyed by thousands of readers all over the world. Steff is also the creator of Rage Against the Manuscript, an online community for writers to learn about self-publishing, finding their readers, and building a badass author brand. Steff’s passionate about helping authors from all walks of life find their voice and tell their story. Find her at: https://www.steffanieholmes.com/home Also find her at: https://www.rageagainstthemanuscript.com/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingA
Tue, September 27, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP363 – World-building with Nalini Singh
A long-time friend of the SPA Girls Nalini Singh is here to talk about world-building, and if anyone knows how to do this–it’s Nalini! New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series of paranormal romances, Nalini also writes New Zealand-set thrillers, the most recently released of which is Quiet in Her Bones. Her contemporary romances include the Rock Kiss and Hard Play series, the latter of which revolves around a rugby-loving family in Auckland. 33 of Nalini’s solo titles have hit the New York Times Bestseller list (most recently Archangel’s Light, in November 2021). Her books have also hit the USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller lists. She’s received the Australian Romance Readers Award several times and won two Sir Julius Vogel awards. The first book in the Psy-Changeling series, Slave to Sensation, was named as one of the New York Public Library’s 125 books from the last 125 years that inspire a lifelong love of reading. Born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand, Nalini was first published in 2003. Her books are both traditionally and indie published and have sold over eight million copies worldwide with translations in multiple languages. Phew! Makes your head spin, right? Every book you write is part of a world and you need to know as much as possible about the world before you start writing—but be prepared to pivot! So how does Nalini tackle world-building? Every book you write is part of a world and you need to know as much as possible about the world before you start writing—but be prepared to pivot! This could include the history of the world / characters / weather seasons / politics / religion / culture and customs. Keep track of your world in book bible or whatever makes sense to you. Different genres require more, or less worldbuilding depending on what they are. E.g., Contemporary romance requires less than paranormal. Nalini’s latest release is Storm Echo in the Psy-Changeling series, with Archangel’s Resurrection coming in October 2022. Find her at www.nalinisingh.com – don’t forget to check ou
Tue, September 20, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP362 – Book Marketing Organization Made Easy
Looking for tips to make your marketing tasks more organized and less stressful? This is the episode for you! From marketing bibles to free online tools, your book marketing should become a whole lot less overwhelming. Plan your marketing early • Know your goals • Write out a simple plan • Be consistent • Take action on your plans • Complicated vs simple • Perfect is the enemy of done • Limit what you’re doing – don’t try to do it all • Brainstorm everything, then pick the most important to do first Lists • Write everything down. • Look at it every day – reminds you what you’re doing • Prioritize • Important vs urgent matrix Know your data • Don’t just guess or think you know. • Monthly scorecard • Be consistent and regular • Make decisions based on the data • Make changes based on the data Have everything prepared beforehand • A folder of information or a marketing bible. • Make it easier and faster for you to do the marketing you do on a regular basis Resources mentioned: Trello trello.com Tick Tick ticktick.com Heartbreathings with author Sarra Cannon Home · Heart Breathings Readerlinks Reach your independent author goals with The Author Helper Suite
Tue, September 13, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP361 – Mia Brody and Instalove Short Romance
This week we talk to the amazing Mia Brody all about how she makes a fulltime living writing instalove short romances. It’s an informative episode with plenty of wow moments, that you won’t want to miss! Mia writes steamy stories about alpha men who fall in love with big, beautiful women. She loves happy endings and every couple she writes will get one. When she’s not writing, Mia is searching for the perfect slice of cheesecake and watching way too many K-dramas. You can find her at miabrody.com Resources mentioned: Bookfunnel, Grit by Angela Duckworth, Writing Instalove Facebook Group Writing Instalove | Facebook The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast Don’t forget, all our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info are at: at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com
Wed, September 07, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP360 – How To Find What Works For You
One size doesn’t fit all – we’ve all heard that saying, but how do you know what DOES work for you? In this episode, we discuss how to identify what best works for you in three areas: Your Writing Process Your Publishing Strategy Your Marketing Strategy …and share tips and resources that we’ve learned along the way. Resources mentioned: Book Decoding Greatness by Rod Friedman https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-Greatness-Reverse-Engineer-Success/dp/1982135794 Becca Syme episode with the SPA Girls #146 https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep146-interview-with-becca-syme-on-writing-better-faster/ Elana Johnson episode with the SPA Girls #228 https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep228-interview-with-elana-johnson-part-two/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Don’t forget, all our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info are at: at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com
Wed, August 31, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP 359 – Film & TV Options for Authors with Michele Scott
It was our great pleasure to interview Michele Scott, a NYT, Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestselling thriller and cozy mystery author of over forty novels and the CEO/owner of equestrian sports medicine company Professional’s Choice, Inc. Michele has written in various genres including thrillers, mysteries, young adult mysteries, fantasy, and women’s fiction. Her thriller Daddy’s Home from her Holly Jennings’ Thriller series written under her pen name of AK Alexander has sold over one million copies and was the #1 bestselling book in the UK Amazon. Her thriller Mommy, May I? was number 2 on the Amazon list. Her Wine Lover’s Mysteries are currently optioned, and a movie version is projected to begin filming this year. Like most of our guests, Michele’s success didn’t happen overnight and there were huge ups and downs. We think you’ll agree that it wasn’t perseverance alone that took Michele down the path to finding the right agent and having books optioned. Firstly, it was all about loving what she did, but she also did her research, made contacts and made sure she was on brand. She also consistently produced products good enough for someone to take notice when she got it in front of the right eyes. Michele also talks about having a good marketing plan, so she knows where to use her budget and that she wears a professional hat when making important decisions. She also believes it’s important to block off time to learn, refresh your well with reading or writing in a different genre, and take time out, but writing time is sacred. Michele’s website: michelescott.com Facebook: @akalexanderauthor Instagram: @michelescottauthor Resources mentioned: How To Write a Damn Good Mystery by James N. Frey https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003E4CY8U/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d
Tue, August 23, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP358 – Six Figures through Subscriptions with Emilia Rose
Emilia Rose is an international bestselling author of steamy paranormal romance. With over 18 million story views online, Emilia loves creating the newest and sexiest paranormal romances for her fans. Emilia shares how she started by releasing her work for free on Wattpad and other serial platforms, and building a ravenous audience there. At that time she didn’t have the resources to invest and ads, covers or professional editing and thus her subscription-publishing concept was born: her fans on Wattpad could access one chapter extra per week through her Patreon and read it before anyone else. That snowballed quickly and Emilia was able to grow over six figures/year very quickly through this model. Then she was able to be able to afford professional covers, editing and advertising for the books she would later publish wide. We were inspired by Emilia’s success and entrepreneurial approach to self-publishing in a slightly different way to the “usual”, and we’re sure you’ll enjoy this episode! Find Emilia at: https://www.emiliarosewriting.com/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Don’t forget, all our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info are at: at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com
Tue, August 16, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP357 – Direct Selling with Morgana Best
USA Today Bestselling author of more than 50 books, Morgana Best writes cozy mysteries featuring witches, psychics, ghosts, mermaids, and anything else that tickles her imagination. Her books have landed on the Top 10 spot on Amazon and are beloved by readers in over 70 countries. Today she is talking to us about selling direct from your own author store, something Morgana has been doing for many years successfully. It’s an info-packed packed episode you will not want to miss! Morgana’s book Stop Making Others Rich: How Authors Can Make Bank Selling Direct is available now from Morgana’s store directly at morganabest.com and all online retailers including Amazon and Kobo And she has a course beginning in September: https://best-business-for-authors.teachable.com/p/authors-selling-books-on-shopify 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questi
Wed, August 10, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP356 – Running With Your Ideas
This week we talk about how to find new ideas, and how to use those ideas in new ways. How to find them in the everyday hustle and bustle of our lives, and how to turn them on their heads to create something intriguing and interesting to our readers. We go through a series of story starters, of intriguing kernels that you can use to create an awesome story that your readers will love to read… SHOW NOTES: Places to find ideas: 🌺 Invent something from irritation – create a list of everything that annoys you, and try to find a way to use it in your writing. 🌺 Change the weather – put in a storm, make it rain, put them in a heatwave. All things that will change how the characters will act. 🌺 Use writing prompts – for example Reedsy writing prompts – https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/ 🌺 Create something from a mash up – for example two tropes that don’t usually go together. An example could be Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. 🌺 It can be something small – one of the characters in Wendy’s book has a pet duck and her readers love it. 🌺 Find something funny about a particular situation. 🌺 Adjust the focus – write it from a different character’s viewpoint, or put the scene in a different setting, or take them out of their comfort zone, like a fish out of water scene. 🌺 Do the opposite – flip, reverse, and rotate. Make the familiar strange. 🌺 Turn up the heat – make things worse for your characters, add to their troubles. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us Patreon. Buy us a coffee from $3/month! If you join us on the $10 tier, you’ll have access to us (warts and all!) in our private Facebook group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing and answer your questions. www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast All SPA Girls Podcast Episodes, Resource Links and free Self-Publishing Info at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com
Tue, August 02, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP355 – Six Figure Amish Romance and Cozy Mystery Author Samantha Price
Samantha Price is a USA Today bestselling author of Amish romance books and cozy mysteries. Raised Brethren, she has a deep affinity for the Amish way of life, which she has explored extensively with over a decade of research. She is mother to two pampered rescue cats, and a very spoiled staffy with separation issues. Focused and organized, Samantha’s results speak for themselves, but it will amaze you to hear how prolific she is and how she built her career in a smaller niche than usual. Listen in to the episode for all the details of how understanding that niche inside and out made her such a popular and successful author. You can find her in all the places: samantha@samanthapriceauthor.com www.facebook.com/SamanthaPriceAuthor www.instagram.com/SamanthaPriceAuthor Twitter @AmishRomance www.pinterest.com/AmishRomance www.SamanthaPriceAuthor.com www.spagirlspodcast.com The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! 💜 💜Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast Don’t forget, all our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info are at: at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com
Tue, July 26, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP354 – It’s Time To Question The “Hustle”
This week we discuss burnout, protecting our creativity, being productive and not buying in to the hustle culture. You could say we’re “anti hustle” but pro making careers out of our writing! Recommended listening : SPA Girls Podcast with megastar BELLA ANDRE SPA Girls Podcast with Helen Scheurer – Six Figures with One Book A Year 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your questions. Come on in and join us, we’d love to see you there! www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Don’t forget, all our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info are at: at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com
Tue, July 19, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP353 – Book Launch Strategy
SPA Girl Wendy Vella has been self-publishing successfully since 2013 in Historical Romance and Contemporary Romance. Her romances are loved by a huge global audience who appreciate her trademark wit, strong family depiction, unique settings, and swoon-worthy heroes. Today, Wendy is a USA Today Bestseller and consistent Amazon bestseller, with 50 books published, and close to 3 million copies sold worldwide. Wendy has seen it all, and tried it all, self-publishing wise! We grill her on how she launched her most recent book, Defending Danger, and what strategies and tactics she uses to build buzz around her launch, reach existing and new readers and stay sane in the process! Topics covered include running pre-orders, why publishing print books before ebooks makes sense, wrangling an ARC team, paid and free advertising and promotion and harnessing Bookbub and Goodreads exposure. Whether you’re launching your first or your thirty-first book, this episode has something for you! About Wendy Vella: Wendy Vella is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and historical romances that have sold more than two million copies worldwide. Known for compelling and uplifting stories laced with witty humor, sensuality and intrigue, Wendy has hit the bestseller ranks many times with reader favorites, the Langley Sister series, Sinclair & Raven series and The Deville Brothers series. An incurable romantic, Wendy found writing romance a natural fit. When her children were small, she would find writing time in the early hours of the morning, sitting quietly with her grandfather’s old typewriter while the family slept. These works, however, she says, will never see the light of day! Wendy joined Romance Wri
Wed, July 13, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP352 – Interview with Dave Chesson from Kindlepreneur
Dave Chesson joins us in the SPA to chat about some of the awesome apps that he’s designed for authors on the Kindleprenuer website. Dave is a smart guy, and he knows his stuff when it comes to self publishing, so the apps are all super useful and on-point. This includes the free apps, such as the Book Description Generator and the Hashtag Generator (if you’ve ever struggled with finding good hashtags on any of the socials, that’s the app for you!) and his two powerful paid apps, Publisher Rocket and newbie Atticus. Join us for Dave’s insider tips and tricks on how to get the best use out of the apps, and hear some of his best insights into marketing for indies. Publisher Rocket has been around for years, and we all use it regularly in the SPA. Atticus is the new kid on the block – a program that Dave describes by saying – “If Scrivener, Google Docs, and Vellum got together and had a baby, its name would be Atticus.” Another information packed episode from the SPA! SHOW NOTES: About Dave Chesson He started out as a commissioned officer in the US Navy, became a nuclear engineer, served on submarines, and was even a military diplomat. But these days, when he’s not sipping tea with princesses or light saber dueling with little Jedi, Dave Chesson is a book marketing nut. He’s worked with New York Times bestselling authors on their marketing, and has been a paid consultant to major publishing companies, helping with digital sales, advertisement methods and sales page optimizations. His work in both publishing and book marketing has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, ALLi, Huffington Post, and even Market Watch. Even Amazon has recognized his book marketing strategies by officially saying that authors “…should gain insight from Kindlepreneur on how you can optimize marketing your books…” Find Dave on Kindlepreneur here. All about Kindlepreneur’s apps Free Apps Book sales generator Where you input a books best seller rank (BSR) and discover how much that book is making. With this BSR to sales calculator, you can have a pretty good idea of what your competitors are bringing in each day. Book Description Generator HTML text
Tue, July 05, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP351 – The Calm Entrepreneur, Corinne O’Flynn
When you feel the frantic need to achieve and you don’t, it’s easy to get stuck or suffer burnout. If that’s happened to you, then Corinne has some ideas to get you through. The Calm Entrepreneur was born out of a series of aha moments over the past several years. After a long time writing-to-market and chasing the algorithms with rapid release, she found herself in deep burnout. Deciding to write a book about recovery from burnout, Corinne soon realized that it wasn’t just about recovery – it was also about the practical things needed to move through the slow process and claw her way out. This was about getting back to basics on the admin side of her business and writing, and re-assessing and re-securing the foundational practices of her work. Focusing on the fundamental organizing and system principles of day-to-day life, and getting back in touch with all the things that were on auto-pilot (or had been ignored) was the thing that shifted everything. As she started sharing this with friends, other authors, and entrepreneurs, it became clear that almost everyone who ran their own business was feeling stressed and overwhelmed and craved some of what she was experiencing. “Before this burnout experience, I was not someone who operated from a place of stress. I loved my work and somehow got lost in the mire. Getting back to the place where I work in ease has been transformative for me, and it’s something I think I need to share with the world. I believe it’s possible to thrive in your business and live your full life without losing your mind in the process. Fundamental organizing principals are the key, and when you have those in place, you can build anything on top of them.” Organizing is not a personality trait; it’s a skill that anyone can learn. www.thecalmentrepreneur.com www.authorproductivity.com
Wed, June 29, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP350 – Let’s Celebrate!
This week we broadcast our 350th episode and in complete contrast to how laid-back Kiwis generally approach milestones, we’re celebrating the heck out of it! What have we learned, what have we regretted and what’s next? 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us Patreon. If you join us as a $10 Patreon patron, you’ll have access to us in our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things marketing, mindset and publishing and answer your questions. www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast All SPA Girls Podcast Episodes, Resource Links and free Self-Publishing Info at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com
Wed, June 22, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP349 – How To Build Reader Connection With Your Characters
Building a deep connection between your characters and your readers is what creates raving fans, books that stick like glue to the sales charts and fuels word-of-mouth recommendations. So how do we do this? Today we’re talking about tools and resources we use to build reader connection with our characters. “When readers recognize the character’s emotional state as one they’ve experienced in the past, it creates a sense of shared experience. Readers will connect with the character, even on a subconscious level, because of this thing they have in common. This is a common way for empathy to begin.” ~ Bella Puglisi, Know your characters and what makes them tick show not tell make them sympathetic & relatable character interviews – Wendy does them quarter of the way through the book she’s writing Use character’s senses Make character have to choose between making a bad choice or a worse choice re-read your favorite books for inspiration Recommended resource: The Connection between Character Emotion and Reader Empathy (https://www.livewritethrive.com/2019/02/04/the-connection-between-character-emotion-and-reader-empathy/#:~:text=When%20readers%20recognize%20the%20character’s,way%20for%20empathy%20to%20begin.) Writing For Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias : https://www.karliglesias.com/ How To Make Readers Feel Emotion: https://theeditorsblog.net/2011/01/30/creating-emotion-in-the-reader/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us Patreon. If you join us as a $10 Patreon patron, you’ll have access to us (warts and all!) in our private facebook group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing and answer your questions. www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast All SPA Girls Podcast Episodes, Resource Links and free Self-Publishing Info at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com
Thu, June 16, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP348 – Millionaire Author Mindset with Lee Savino
USA Today best-selling author Lee Savino is a bubble of energy, and this week’s podcast with her left us all feeling motivated and inspired. We know you’ll love this episode too! Lee talked to us about how the mindset of an indie author is vitally important, more important than any other aspect of writing and publishing, including all the tactics and systems we hear about all the time. If you can get your mindset right, you can achieve anything. We talk with Lee about all the mindset changes she had to make, and as well as her tips and tricks around mindset, all of which helped her to become a successful, million-dollars-a-year indie author. Links mentioned in the show: www.leesavino.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/millionaireauthormastermind 💜 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. 💜 If you join us as a $10 Patreon patron, you’ll have access to us (warts and all!) in our private Facebook group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing and answer your questions. www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast All SPA Girls Podcast Episodes, Resource Links and free Self-Publishing Info at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com
Mon, June 06, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP347 – The Power Of Writing Sprints
Are you struggling to get your words down each day? Why not give writing sprints a try? You can do them alone, however, you might find they work better with others like we did. How it works: Find a friend or a group and set aside a certain amount of time. Now break this into doable time slots. For example, if you had two hours, then the time could be 4 slots of 30 mins, or 2 times 1 hour each, or 8 times 15mins. Or any number that suits the majority. Sometimes it’s better to start small. It’s also a good idea to allocate time for a break at some stage. The SPA Girls will chat for a while, do a couple of sprints, then have a bathroom break. We have coffee or lunch if we’re together, otherwise it’s straight back into it. Listen to the podcast for more tips regarding: training yourself how to set up a sprint group the power of structure what length of sprint? top of the hour sprints tracking Resources mentioned: Ines Johnson with the SPA Girls – http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep242-interview-with-ines-johnson-part-one-pen-names-productivity/ https://writeordie.com https://www.mywriteclub.com 💜The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us Patreon. If you join us as a $10 Patreon patron, you’ll have access to us (warts and all!) in our private Facebook group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing and answer your questions. www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast All SPA Girls Podcast Episodes, Resource Links and free Self-Publishing Info at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com
Wed, June 01, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP346 – Interview with Julia Roberts, Creativity Coach
* we apologize for the technical gremlins that appear occasionally in this recording. Stick with it because the info is gold! Today we’re joined by Julia Roberts , MSc, writer, creativity coach, and soon-to-be Ted Talker. Julia is going to talk us through procrastination and the tools we can use to manage it. Goodness knows we all need this help! Her expertise is the creative process – she focuses on writers and writer’s block. She has her Masters of Science in Creativity and uses proven tools and concepts to help writers shift out of block and onward! She helps thousands of writers every year. Her book WRITE WITHOUT THE FIGHT – MASTER YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS TO WRITE WITH EASE AND SATISFACTION will debut in June 2022. About Julia: Julia Roberts helps writers predict and prevent writer’s block. She helps writers really see their creativity and talents with precision, so they can know their strengths and struggles and adjust their approach to writing. She helps writers limit their frustration, fears and setbacks so they can write their best work. Julia is a certified coach, has her Masters in the Science of Creativity and has three books published, including Amazon bestseller: Sex, Lies & Creativity – Gender Differences in Creative Thinking. She has addressed worldwide audiences live, at teleseminars and webinars, has been a guest on hundreds of radio shows, and a dozen tv talk and news shows, including Chicago Tribune, Redbook, Child Magazine, New York Times and New York Public Radio/NPR. After 25 years working as a brainstormer and marketing strategist for companies like Warner Bros, HBO, Sesame Workshop, she founded decodingcreativity.com in 2008 – where she serves serious writers in all media. Find more at DecodingCreativity.com or join the Write Without the Fight FB group. Julia’s new book: https://www.amazon.com/Write-Without-Fight-Creative-Satisfaction-ebook/dp/B09Z9VMK6X/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us Patreon. If you join us as a $10 Patreon patron, you’ll have access to us (warts and all!) in our private
Wed, May 25, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP345 – How To Write A Successful Series
Do you want to learn how to design a series that will hook and keep readers, AND set you up for long term success? Helen Scheuerer, YA fantasy author of the bestselling series, The Oremere Chronicles and the Curse of the Cyren Queen quartet, joins us today to discuss how we can write a successful series. Topics covered include: The REAL reasons you should write in a series How to find and use your target market to satisfy hungry readers How to use foreshadowing and cliffhangers to create binge-worthy instalments How to protect your career with series exit and expansion strategies And lots more! About Helen How To Write a Successful Series will be available August 11th, 2022 so go ahead and pre-order now! https://helenscheuerer.com/ Helen Scheuerer is the YA fantasy author of the bestselling series, The Oremere Chronicles and the Curse of the Cyren Queen quartet. Her work has been highly praised for its strong, flawed female characters and its action-packed plots. Her books have often been likened to Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass series, and the epic #girlpower film, Wonderwoman. Helen’s love of writing and books led her to pursue a Bachelor of Creative Writing, majoring at the University of Wollongong and a Masters of Publishing at the University of Sydney. Now a full-time author, Helen lives amidst the mountains in New Zealand and is constantly dreaming up new stories. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us Patreon. If you join us as a $10 Patreon patron, you’ll have access to us (warts and all!) in our private facebook group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing and answer your questions. www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast All SPA Girls Podcast Episodes, Resource Links and free Self-Publishing Info at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com
Wed, May 18, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP344 – Managing Book Projects
This week, in answer to a listener question, we talk about how we manage the process of writing a book. How many do we write at one time? Do we work on multiple projects at different stages, or just write and edit one book at a time? What do we do to ensure we stay on track and don’t procrastinate? Listen to this week’s podcast and find out!
Tue, May 10, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP343 – Interview with Asa Maria Bradley
Ignite your career with collaboration. Bestselling Author Asa Maria Bradley suggests collaboration as a way to get creative again. Asa grew up in Sweden surrounded by archaeology and Norse mythology, and uses her background to inspire her sexy and paranormal romance series. She also writes urban fantasy about empowered heroines who kick ass while saving the world. Her work has received a double nomination for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA contest, a Reviewers Choice Award nomination, a Holt Medallion win, and Bookseller’s Best Award win. The last couple of years were rough on Asa’s creativity, and almost by chance she joined a bunch of collaboration projects. With different strategies and aims, working with other writers gave her the creative spark needed to enjoy writing again. Besides providing accountability, the projects validated and inspired her work. Today she shares the challenges and rewards that she experienced from writing for and promoting several collaborations. Show Notes: The projects she worked on did extremely well. The 1001 Dark Nights Short Story Challenge 2020 Anthology which became an instant Amazon #1 bestseller in several categories in several countries and rose to #15 on the overall US Kindle list and #42 in the overall Apple store in the US. Also, the multi-author (20+) Grifter’s Song series, where she entered a novella out of her comfort zone and genre. Asa organised a holiday-themed multi-author (8) wolf shifter novella collection, Shifters and Mistletoe in 2021 which instantly became Amazon, B&N, and Apple bestsellers on release day. The multi-author (20+) paranormal romance and urban fantasy novella collection, Midnight Magic releases in May this year intent on making the USA Today bestsellers list. You’ll find Asa at https://www.asamariabradley.com https://www.facebook.com/AsaMariaBradley.Author/ 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us Patreon. If you join us as a $10 Patreon patron, you’ll have access to us (warts and all!) in our private facebook group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing and answer your questions. www.patreon.com/
Tue, May 03, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP342 – Interview with Mary-Theresa Hussey
Ten Mistakes Authors Make With Their Editing & How To Fix Them Today we’re thrilled to welcome editor extraordinaire, Mary-Theresa Hussey, to the SPA. Prior to becoming a freelance editorial consultant, Mary-Theresa (known as Matrice) worked at Harlequin for more than 25 years, editing nearly a thousand titles. As editor, senior and executive editor, she read, acquired, revised, rejected and critiqued triple that. Many of the books she has edited went on to find places on both the NYT and USA Today bestseller lists. Matrice shares the top ten mistakes she sees authors making and how to fix them! This is an incredible episode, packed with great info for writers at all stages of their careers. Bonus – it’s a long and juicy episode filled with amazing expert advice to help you polish your writing. Guest Bio: Mary-Theresa Hussey—also known as Matrice—knew from the start she loved the stories found in books—and that she didn’t want to be a writer. So she became an editor, putting her love of books to good use by helping authors write better stories. Prior to becoming a freelance editorial consultant, she worked at Harlequin for more than 25 years, editing nearly a thousand titles. As editor, senior and executive editor, she read, acquired, revised, rejected and critiqued triple that. Many of the books she has edited went on to find places on both the NYT and USA Today bestseller lists. Matrice is an award-winning editor, including the RWA Vivian Stephens Industry Professional award in 2015, the OCC Helping Hands Industry Award, Editor of the Year Award from the NYC RWA and multiple RITA and National Readers Choice Award nominees and winners among others). She loves a good story and wants to make sure it’s well told. Find her at http://www.goodstorieswelltold.com/ Resources mentioned: Tiktok – follow @iamthatenglishteacher for grammar and punctuation tips KM Weiland’s Structuring Your Novel ( https://www.amazon.com/K-M-Weiland/e/B002RCXQ00/ ) Enneagram : https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptions Myers Briggs: <a href="htt
Tue, April 26, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP341 – Graphics For Authors
Today’s podcast comes from a listener question. Thanks to Rachel, who asks “- I’ve been wondering about all the visual stuff that ISN’T a cover. For instance, how do you get nice, branded, coordinated headers for your website, your emails, your Facebook profile? Is that something an illustrator does, or a cover designer, or someone else? And logos? For instance for a series? Or I’ve noticed some writers have logos for themselves. How do you prefer to use them if you have one? Is a logo something an illustrator does? We answer (hopefully!) all of the above questions and give tips and pointers about what we think is fine to DIY and what you should outsource, where to start and how not to get overwhelmed by all this! Resource links: canva.com bookbrush.com coolors.co (for color palettes) covervault.com creativelive.com practicaltypography.com 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us Patreon. If you join us as a $10 Patreon patron, you’ll have access to us (warts and all!) in our private facebook group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing and answer your questions. www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast All SPA Girls Podcast Episodes, Resource Links and free Self-Publishing Info at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com
Wed, April 20, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP340 – Successful First Drafts
Hit the ground running with this episode all about how to successfully finish the first draft of your novel! We talk about how we stay motivated, what you need to know before you can start, how we keep going when we get to the saggy middle, what we plan beforehand, and what we leave to figure out as we go. If you’ve been struggling to get started on your first draft, or you’re wallowing somewhere in the middle, this is the episode for you!
Tue, April 12, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP339 – Becoming a Full Time Writer
Do you want to be a full-time author? Today we discuss how we transitioned to writing full time, including: how we approached the financial and business planning balancing the creative and business sides of the job mindset tips and corrections along the way our expectations versus reality courage and resourcefulness Show Notes: There are as many reasons to quit your day job, as there are to keep it. From being over your job, to making more than you ever could at it, or being able to do what you love (which are our reasons) and then there are your reasons. For most of us the decision could hinge on finances, but you’ll also have to understand how to treat this career as a business. A willingness to learn all aspects of the business is perhaps the biggest criteria after finance and it might take some time to get your head around everything so factoring that in will also impact the timing. Working from home isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and many people will understand y=this than previously, but friends and family will need to appreciate that you aren’t available at a moment’s notice. Make a plan, understand your process, know how much you need to earn and adopt the right mindset to ensure you’ll be ahead of the game. Listen at www.spagirlspodcast.com and if you join us as a $10 Patreon patron, you’ll have access to us (warts and all!) in our private facebook group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing and answer your questions. www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast
Tue, April 05, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP338 – Psychology Tools For Authors
Struggling to write compelling characters and compelling but realistic conflict in your stories? Well, have we got a show for you! Darian Smith is a prize winning fiction writer with a degree in psychology, and is a member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors. He combines these two sides of his background to provide simple, easy to follow tools that make use of established psychological theory to help writers develop fully rounded, interesting, realistic characters and inject conflict into their stories. We cover plot development AND character development and you’ll come away (hopefully!) with some awesome tips to improve your story telling and create compelling characters that your readers will love – or love to hate! Along with his fiction, Darian has written The Psychology Workbook for Writers: Tools for Creating Realistic Characters and Conflict in Fiction https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0143K2MNU/ You can find him at http://www.darian-smith.com/ About Darian Smith I’m a writer and reader of fiction and live in Auckland, New Zealand. While I have dabbled in non-fiction, my true love is crafting exciting stories that interest and move me – and hopefully my readers! I mainly write fantasy. I’m a member of SpecFicNZ, an organisation for writers of speculative fiction here in New Zealand, and also of RWNZ. I’ve won the Koru award and the Sir Julius Vogel award. My literary agent is Word|Link. In my day job, I’m a Fieldworker for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I’m also a counsellor/family therapist. I live with my beautiful partner, who is also a writer, and two naughty black cats named Apollo and Athena. The cats don’t write. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us Patreon. Your support allows us to create the weekly show for self-publishers, as well as for us to take time away from our own writing to produce it. Thank you so much! If you’d like to join our supporters community, click here to be a patron of SPA Girls. All SPA Girls Podcast Episodes, Resource Links and free Self-Publishing Info at <a href="http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/" targe
Wed, March 30, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP 337 – Creating Audio Books
In the Spa this week we talk to Audiobook Narrator Naomi Barton. With more people listening to audiobooks now, there has never been a better time to learn about this side of our industry. Naomi has produced audio books for many authors including our very own Cheryl, under CA Phipps, her cozy mystery pen name. We talk about processes, cost, and the industry. You won’t want to miss this one! https://www.naomibartonvoice.com/ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: www.spagirlspodcast.com Make sure you’re signed up to our weekly self-publishing tips newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bGkz8L Come say hi on Facebook and Twitter @spagirlspodcast If you would like to support us in continuing to produce informative and exciting content via the podcast come and join us there! Patreon
Wed, March 23, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP336 – PR for Authors with Lilian Sue
This week we talk to long-time PR coach and publicist Lilian Sue about how authors can successfully use PR to help with their author business. Her aim is to help authors fulfill their potential and become global industry leaders by focusing on how to build a healthy PR mindset above any strategy. We talk about authors can develop strong and healthy PR mindsets (by busting down fear and imposter syndrome) and how to use the right tools, knowledge, and resources to fulfill their goals. It’s another awesome episode! Where to find Lilian Sue: Copywriter, Social Media Strategist, Publicist www.inretrospectwritingservices.com https://in-retrospect-marketing-academy.thinkific.com/ Twitter:@LSue23 Instagram: liliansuecopywriterpr 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Your support allows us to create the weekly show for self-publishers, as well as for us to take time away from our own writing to produce it. Thank you so much! If you’d like to join our supporters community, click here to be a patron of SPA Girls. All SPA Girls Podcast Episodes, Resource Links and free Self-Publishing Info at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com
Tue, March 15, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP 335 – Romance Your Goals with Zoe York
Today we welcome back for a record 3rd time, Zoe York, to talk about Romancing Your Goals. Zoe is a thirteen-time USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance, often with military heroes, and always with scorching heat between the pages. Between her two pen names (she also writes erotic romance as USA Today bestselling author Ainsley Booth), she has published more than seventy books since her debut in 2013 with What Once Was Perfect. Like so many authors it was hard to read and write during 2020 which was the last time Zoe was with us. Yet, her latest book Romance Your Goals was written during the pandemic and highlights how to treat your business. It’s full of wonderful tips to build a marketable genre fiction series. At the end and beginning of our business plans emotions come in strong. They must be honest to get what we want. Deceiving ourselves or being dishonest is when we don’t achieve. Show Notes: We need Goals to move forward. Find a way to build a tool for yourself to help make the decision whether you make safe choices or step out of your comfort zone from time to time. Do you get a tingly feeling or is it the smart choice you must make right now? What is urgent and what is important and what is the difference? Zoe recommends a five-year goal then to break it down. In five years, what do you want to have written? Where does your book sit? Is it a standalone or part of a series? Where would it fit in a series. Product gets discovered via platform so what do you need to have on your platform to showcase your book. Focus on the thing you’re good at. Make yourself a vision board to show your goals and access your emotion which is what will drive you. If you don’t have it written down, it’s easy to lose sight of the goal. Chunk it down into bricks or boulders to make a ‘wall’ such as: Newsletters Pre orders Prequels Simultaneous audio release The next book You won’t get what you desire from the start and it may take some time so value the incremental success. Progressive cumulative results by trying, changing up and repeating make a difference long term. Do a deep dive into your metrics and track your numbe
Wed, March 09, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP334 – Amazon Ads with Deb Potter
We’re thrilled to welcome fellow Kiwi author, Deb Potter, to the SPA today to give us the breakdown on how to create, optimize and manage Amazon ads. Many of us have tried different methods to get AMS Ads to work: from creating hundred of ad variations to wrangling spreadsheets with thousands of keywords to try. And then there’s the whole bid price – how do we know what to bid? Can we trust auto ads? As a statistician by trade, and also a self-published author, Deb is fantastic at clearing the confusion and giving you clear guidance on how to get your Amazon ads humming. CLICK HERE to download Deb’s handout for SPA Girls Podcast listeners! About Deb: Deb Potter is an Amazon ads enthusiast. Deb wrote Amazon Ads for Authors to give new authors easy steps into advertising and more experienced authrs advanced tools and tips that other courses don’t cover. She updates Amazon Ads for Authors regularly – most recently January 2022. She says that keeps her on her toes Deb is a statistician by trade, she jokes she’s the most widely read author in New Zealand because she wrote a number of questions that come out every five years in the national Census. In her work with big data sets she’s written the specifications for algorithms many times – and that’s helped her think about how Amazon works. Deb comes from a theatrical family and started off writing plays. She started off publising interactive fiction on Amazon, after seeing that a Kindle meant stories could make good use of hyperlinks. Her You Say Which Way brand attracted more writers and before she knew it she was a publisher. Her advertising insights come from marketing multiple genres herself, and then coaching authors in many more genres. She admins the Facebook page: Authors Optimizing Amazon and Facebook Ads with four other experts. Deb is based in New Zealand and has a background in data and analytics, and public policy. She has a Masters in Creative Writing, a BA in Education and Social Policy and Certificates in
Tue, March 01, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP333 – MM Romance With Jay Hogan
Jay is a 2020 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Gay Romance and her book Off Balance was the 2021 New Zealand Romance Book of the Year. She is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. She writes character driven romances with lots of humour, a good dose of reality and a splash of angst. She’s travelled extensively, lived in many countries, and in a past life she was a critical care nurse, nurse educator and counsellor. Jay is owned by a huge Maine Coon cat and a gorgeous Cocker Spaniel Jay’s Website Jay’s Narrator ❤️ Learn to Self-publish with the SPA Girls! ➡️ Support us on patreon Patreon/SPAGirlsPodcast ➡️ Visit SpaGirlsPodcast.com for full show notes and all previous episodes 🔍 Subscribe on your fav podcast app – search “SPA Girls Podcast” 📧 Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors Get your FREE Cheat Sheet! You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: Podcast Episodes ✔️ Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ How To Self-Publish with the SPA Girls ✔️ Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Wed, February 23, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP332 – TikTok Tips with AK Mulford
This week we talk to fantasy author AK Mulford about how she got started on TikTok! We cover TikTok for authors in depth: how to start, who to follow, how to get your follower count up, best length of videos, what to post, how to create the videos, hashtags, sounds, dealing with comments, batching, duets, stitching, etiquette plus differences from other social media platforms. And most importantly: does it sell books? If you’ve ever considered jumping on TikTok, this is the episode for you! Some suggested authors to check out on TikTok: AK Mulford, Anne Malcom, Amo Jones, Jami Albright, Katee Robert, Caroline Peckham, Wendy Vella, Trudi Jaye, Miss Excel. Sign up for our free weekly self-publishers newsletter full of SPA Girls tips, resources and author info Learn self-publishing free with the SPA Girls on YouTube
Tue, February 15, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP331 – Reignite Your Writing Joy
Feeling a bit blah about your writing? Struggling with getting good words down and your word count UP? Today we’re taking inspiration from Marie Kondo, and we’re sparking back the joy in our writing lives! Our SPA Girls tried-and-true steps are: 1. Re-commit to your Why 2. Re-evaluate your ideal writing life / writing day 3. Let gooooooooo 4. Start with Simple 5. Be Like Marie and ask Does It Spark Joy? As always, a brutally honest and real-time discussion how we’re all struggling a bit for different reasons. Wendy’s tired, but she can still invent words – see “unbogging” as an example! All Episodes and Resource Links at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com Sign up for our free weekly self-publishers newsletter full of SPA Girls tips, resources and author info Learn self-publishing free with the SPA Girls on YouTube
Wed, February 09, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP330 – Covers That Sell
How do you get a cover that finds readers and converts to sales? Today we’re unpacking exactly how you can do that. What your cover needs to do What SHOULDN’T be on your cover What cover images risk getting your cover banned from advertising The Anatomy Of A Cover Why are fonts so important? How to find a good designer What to expect to pay for a good cover SPA Girls Podcasts mentioned: Nat Connors and Kindletrends – EP281 Rebecca Haskell – Cover Design – EP224 Chris Fox – Symbolism on Covers – EP206
Wed, February 02, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP329 – Success With Short Romance
Today we’re delighted to welcome Ella Barnard to the SPA. Ella is an author, a podcast host on Author Like A Boss podcast, and an author coach. She’s here today to talk about how she found success publishing short romances as Liz Fox, going from zero to $3k per month in just three months. You can find her at: http://authorlikeaboss.com/ Going from zero to $3k per month in just a few months is a dream for many of us and today’s guest achieved just that. Ella Barnard is here to talk how she did it, how she meets reader expectations, and most importantly, how we can still enjoy the process! All Episodes and Resource Links at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com Sign up for our free weekly self-publishers newsletter full of SPA Girls tips, resources and author info Learn self-publishing free with the SPA Girls on YouTube
Wed, January 26, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP328 – All About Preorders
Confused about preorders? Wondering if you should start using them? Wondering if you should stop using them? This is the episode for you! We talk about what preorders are and how they work, how we use them successfully, and when we think you shouldn’t use preorders. Show notes: Why Dave Chesson doesn’t recommend preorders. Jane Friedman Blog post by Penny Sansevieri on preorders SpaGirlsPodcast.com Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/ Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ How To Self-Publish with the SPA Girls Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Tue, January 18, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP327 – 8 Steps To Build Your Fictional Setting
Today we share our SPA Girls patented 😉 foolproof steps to create an awesome fictional setting for your book or series. Working through these steps will help solidify that setting in your mind, give your characters a realistic and compelling “stage” and help you build a complete world (whether contemporary, historical or futuristic) that resonates with readers. Location – where on the map is your setting located? What’s the geography, flora and fauna of the setting? Time – what time is it in your setting (present day, Regency etc), what are the seasons like, what is the climate? Connection to the outside world – what main centres are nearby your fictional setting? How do your characters travel (is there a local airport? / roads / highways) outside of your setting. Do outsiders travel to or through your setting, how and why? Population – what is the demographic and psychographic makeup of your setting, what languages are spoken? Characters – what side characters (that may well reappear in a series of books) occur in your setting, how do they interact with your main characters? Are they human or animal? Governance and Law Enforcement – how is your fictional town/city/country/world “run” ? Who enforces the rules? History – what events shaped your setting? Natural disasters? Feuds? When was it founded and by whom? 8.Customs and Culture – what unique customs and events occur in your setting? what’s the culture / vibe / mood of the setting? Further resources: How to Build Atmosphere: https://www.ignitedinkwriting.com/ignite-your-ink-blog-for-writers/how-to-build-atmosphere-in-creative-writing/2019 Create a Fictional Culture: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/creating-a-fictional-culture#how-to-create-a-fictional-culture
Wed, January 12, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP326 – How To Find Your Why
What’s the real reason you’re a writer? We’ve talked about finding your why before on the podcast, and today we’re delving deeper. Inspired by Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why, and Find Your Why, Trudi has us “on the couch” again, which Wendy, in particular, absolutely loves (not)! Sinek’s book is based on the idea that we’re a sum total of the experiences we’ve had growing up, the lessons we’ve learned and the teachers we’ve had and the things we’ve done. The process is all about looking for stories from your childhood that resonate with you, or seem important (good or bad) and then looking for themes in your stories, and then using those themes to come up with a why that resonates with you and helps you understand exactly why you’re a writer (or whatever you are). This process is great for us as writers for two reasons – 1. It’s about mining our past for stories, and I kind of think that’s something we do automatically when we’re writing anyway. 2. And 2. Once you’ve figured out your why, you can then use it to filter through all your decisions about your business. It takes away some of the indecision, because once you know and understand what’s driving you, you can use it to make decisions faster, and to keep you on track when you waver. Knowing why you’re in business, or why you chose writing as a career is a powerful way to keep you motivated and stay on track. Why statement is written like this: To ___________ so that ___________. First part is your contribution, and the second part is the impact your contribution has. Simon Sinek’s why: To inspire people to do the things that inspire them, so that, together, we can change our world. We uncover our Whys – have you analysed yours? Further resources: We interview LISA CRON Start with Why by Simon Sinek
Tue, January 04, 2022
SPA Girls Podcast – EP325 – All About Kobo with Tara Cremin
We’re delighted to welcome back the lovely Tara Cremin, Director of Kobo Writing Life. In this episode Tara brings us up to speed on Kobo’s new audiobook platform, other updates from Kobo including Kobo Plus, and top tips for marketing your books and audio. Enjoy! About Tara Cremin: Tara has an MA in American Literature and Film from University College Cork, Ireland and has worked for KWL since inception. Responsible for the overall author experience on Kobo Writing Life, from optimizing current features to looking for new avenues of growth, Tara’s aim is to make KWL the greatest and most user-friendly self-publishing platform available. Find out more at: https://kobowritinglife.com/ Kobo Writing Life podcast: https://kobowritinglife.com/category/kwl-podcast/
Thu, December 30, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP324 – Recharging For Authors
Happy New Year people! It’s a crazy time of year, and this episode is all about why you need to take time out, recharge your batteries and come back in the new year ten times more productive and energised!!!
Tue, December 21, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP323 – Christmas Special 2021
Despite 2021’s best efforts we’ve managed to do some great work this year and had some good times. From launching as planned when health or life got in the way, to self-improvement on many levels, we’ve hit the markers. Maybe not on time or in an effortless ballet-like movement, but we’re taking the wins and so should you! Listen in for: Our favourite moments of the year. Apologies as Wendy tells us dad jokes! Christmas recipes we love! Show Notes: Cheryl’s proudest moment: Launched 3 books after health issues put a spanner in the works several times. Favourite moments: Being able to see and hold grandchildren and children. Wendy’s proudest moment: Topped her pre-orders with a 1600 total on 1 book as well as a number 1 in her category and 3 best seller tags! Favourite moment: Retiring her husband and employing her daughter and daughter-in-law as well as moving to the beach. Trudi’s proudest moment: Doing some in depth analysis of her work with an expert and implementing changes to make it better. Favourite moment: Learning to declutter. Shar’s proudest moment: Changed from a Laptop to a large screen – no working in front of TV. Life-changer! Favourite moment: Conference. Being together at last! SPAGirls’ favourite moment: We spent 8 hours together on a train trip to conference where we ran a workshop, plus Wendy and Cheryl hosted a panel. Being with friends and other fellow writers was a tonic that needs to be bottled! Listen in for: ❤️ Learn to Self-publish with the SPA Girls! ➡️ Visit SpaGirlsPodcast.com for full show notes and all previous episodes 🔍 Subscribe on your fav podcast app – search “SPA Girls Podcast” 📧 Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors Get your FREE Cheat Sheet! You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: Podcast Episodes ✔️ Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ How To Self-Publish with the
Tue, December 14, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP322 – Uncommon Writing Advice
Uncommon Advice for Authors We’ve all heard the conventional wisdom for fiction writers – but is it actually appropriate for self-publishing today? We break down five pieces of uncommon advice that have stood us in good stead and why we think they’ll work for you too: Don’t Write What You Know In Austin Kleon’s book Steal Like An Artist , he notes the advice to “write what you know” leads to terrible stories in which nothing happens. And we agree! The best advice is to write the kind of story you like best – write the story you want to read Don’t Throw Any Of Yourself Away If you have more than one passion, don’t feel like you have to pick and choose between them. Don’t worry about a grand scheme or unified vision for your work, Kleon says. What unifies your work is the fact that you made it and one day you’ll appreciate that it all makes sense. Social Media doesn’t have to rule your life You don’t have to write every day Creativity Is Subtraction “ In this age of information abundance and overload, those who get ahead will be the folks who figure out what to leave out, so they can concentrate on what’s really important to them. Nothing is more paralyzing than the idea of limitless possibilities …” Austin Kleon, Steal Like An Artist The decisions you have to make as a selfpublisher can be overwhelming at times, we get it! To round out this episode we discuss how we filter them out and come out at the most important place – where we have fun, write great books and have a satisfying writing career.
Tue, December 07, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP321 – The Writing Process
In the SPA today, we talk about the evolution of our writing process. We delve into the changes that have taken place in our writing journeys over the last few years. Wendy discusses her collaboration with her son, and how merging two styles makes life interesting! Are you someone who has storyboards? Do you write linear, or do you start at chapter one and then skip to chapter five? Some authors need to see the cover of their book before they write it, others, pictures of the main characters. Everyone is different and trying to fit into a mould that doesn’t suit you can often stifle creativity. The point is, there is no right or wrong way to do things! This is your journey. Podcasts: https://www.patriciamclinn.com/blogpodcast/ https://www.thecreativepenn.com/podcasts/ ❤️ Learn to Self-publish with the SPA Girls! ➡️ Visit SpaGirlsPodcast.com for full show notes and all previous episodes 🔍 Subscribe on your fav podcast app – search “SPA Girls Podcast” 📧 Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors Get your FREE Cheat Sheet! You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: Podcast Episodes ✔️ Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ How To Self-Publish with the SPA Girls ✔️ Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Wed, December 01, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP320 – What Do I Write Next?
If you’re considering changing genres, starting a new series, trying new tropes, or are even just so confused about this writing malarky that you’re not even sure you’ll write anything next… this is the episode for you. It’s a difficult decision to move to a new genre, or to move on from a series that’s not doing as well as you’d like, or even from a series that you love, but just can’t write any more, but it’s a decision we’ve all made here in the SPA. We talk about what we do when trying to decide what to write next, how we’ve made the decisions to switch something up or change course, and how you can successfully do the same thing. We talk about what it took to make the decision, the things we took into account, and why we decided to make the changes. If you’re at the point where you’re asking yourself that dreaded writer question – What Do I Write Next? – then we hope this episode will help give you the answers you need. Links mentioned: Fallyn Briggs – Writing to Market vs Writing To Trend http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep297-fallyn-briggs-writing-to-trend-v-writing-to-market/ Patricia McLinn – http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep189-pantsing-with-patricia-mclinn/ Access your inner wisdom – interview with psychotherapist, Linda Pucci : http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep314-interview-with-linda-pucci/
Tue, November 23, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP319 – Reader Reach with Written Word Media
It’s no secret that we use Written Word Media for ads and while we don’t have affiliate links, we can’t think of a reason not to try Freebooksy and Bargainbooksy. But what would you say to them running Facebook ads for you? Today in the SPA we have Clayton Noblit, Senior Marketing Manager, along with Grant Shepherd, Ad Fulfilment Manager at Written Word Media, and they’re here to talk to us about Reader Reach. Reader Reach is a data-driven all-in-one ad solution that allows authors to reach thousands of readers on Facebook as efficiently as possible. Learning how to build ad images, audience research, or writing ad copy, the setting up and running ads can be time-consuming, costly, and stressful. Reader Reach does all the heavy lifting for you. The Reader Reach team handles everything, from ad creative and copy to audience targeting and bidding. Their goal is to help you find the right audience for your book, and let you focus on what matters most: writing your next book! Show Notes: How does it work? Reader Reach Ads are easy to book. Simply go through the checkout process, enter your book information, plus your desired run dates, and the team handles everything else. Schedule your ad campaign in 5 minutes. The Reader Reach Ads team designs the ad images, writes the copy, set budgets, picks the best audiences, and schedules your ads. Your Reader Reach Ads run for 5 days. During your campaign, the Reader Reach Ads team monitors your ads and optimizes the campaign to get the best results possible. The cost is currently $150 for 1 book. Usually they will do 2 ad sets, monitor them and move funds around if 1 ad is doing better than the others. If the ad does well you can repeat the process by having them copy it. All ads are done through Written Word Media Facebook pages. There is no price restriction for books, but$4.99 or less show the best results. You can find Reader Reach here: h
Tue, November 16, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP318 – Lessons For Writers from Brene Brown
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt Today we’re inspired by this quote from Franklin Roosevelt’s triumphant 1910 speech, dubbed “the man in the arena”. In particular, it’s use in Brene Brown’s work ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-JXOnFOXQk ) on facing your critics and dealing with self doubt. Courage Over Comfort How can we, as authors and self-publishers, deal with the internal (and external!) voices of criticism, meet our expectations and forge ahead with our publishing plans when we don’t feel at all confident we’re on the right path? How do you know when it’s time to move on from your book or books you loved writing, but no one else seems interested in buying? We hope you find this relatable – and uplifting! Resources mentioned: Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com/ Sunk Cost Fallacy further reading: https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/the-sunk-cost-fallacy/ 💗 Learn to Self-publish with the SPA Girls! * Visit SpaGirlsPodcast.com for full show notes and all previous episodes * Subscribe on your fav podcast app – search “SPA Girls Podcast” * Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors on our website * Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @SPAGirlsPodcast * Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Wed, November 10, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP317 – StoryOrigin
Evan Gow is the indie developer of StoryOrigin, a marketing tool and community of authors that work together to find reviewers, build mailing lists, increase sales, and stay on top of deadlines Evan studied the strategies that authors use to build their mailing lists, find reviewers, increase sales, or manage deadlines for nearly 4 years, while building features to make using all of those strategies easier. Cross-promotion Group Promos (multiple authors promoting a landing page where you all list your books) Newsletter Swaps (another author will promote your book directly in their newsletter – and vice verse – you promote theirs in your newsletter) Goals Finding reviewers (vetting reviewers, follow-up, pre- / post-publication, …) Increasing sales (universal book links, newsletter swaps, …) Building your mailing list (reader magnets, group promos, …) Managing deadlines (word count tracking, newsletter planning, …) Recently added – finding beta readers and collecting feedback. https://storyoriginapp.com/ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: www.spagirlspodcast.com Make sure you’re signed up to our weekly self-publishing tips newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bGkz8L Come say hi on Facebook and Twitter @spagirlspodcast
Wed, November 03, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP316 – Interview with Nicholas Erik
Wondering how to get started with Facebook ads, but not sure where to start? Join us for today’s podcast with Facebook ads guru, Nicholas Erik! Nicholas is a science fiction author with more than 20 books to his name. He’s also written books for authors including The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing and The Ultimate Guide to Productivity, as well as running courses about Facebook Ads, Amazon Ads and BookBub Ads for authors. He was awesome to talk to and gave a huge amount of useful information for authors – this is one of those episodes you really don’t want to miss! You can find Nicholas at www.nicholaserik.com
Tue, October 26, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP315 – Interview with Theodora Taylor
After logging time as a music journalist, playwright, and radio writer, Theodora Taylor fell in love with penning hot books with heart. Since deciding to become an author, she’s published 54 books in a range of genres—but with one thing in common—universal fantasies. When not thinking of ways to write and sell even more hot books with heart, she enjoys spending time with her amazing family, going on date nights with her wonderful husband, learning German, watching ALL the Shonda Rhimes shows ever, and attending parties thrown by others. She’s here to talk about universal fantasies with us today—what they are, and how you can use them to get your books on the bestseller lists! Some examples of universal fantasies • Banging the beast • Hot guy likes the geeky girl • Makeover scene • Love triangles • Not just any gift – the right gift • Wounded main character in need of love • Fixer upper Listen to What makes Universal Fantasies so powerful for authors and why readers love them so much. Find Theodora at: https://theodorataylor.com/ email at tt @ 7figurefiction.com Buy Theodora’s Book 💗 Learn to Self-publish with the SPA Girls! * Visit SpaGirlsPodcast.com for full show notes and all previous episodes * Subscribe on your fav podcast app – search “SPA Girls Podcast” * Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing aut
Tue, October 19, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast- EP314 – Interview with Linda Pucci
How To Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy! The Key To Success Is Between Your Ears! Linda Pucci, Ph.D is a retired psychologist who has turned into a romance novelist (under a separate penname). After working with people in therapy for 35 years and coaching for 20, she’s realized the key to building lasting relationships and being happy involves letting go of emotional baggage – something her fiction demonstrates through character arcs. Today Linda is here to talk about how we as creatives can overcome our limiting beliefs, fears of success, failure, being an imposter et al and how we can STOP being our own worst enemy! “I believe that all people carry within themselves the resources to solve their life’s challenges. They just don’t know how to access them. I help them find those inner resources and stand back as they change their lives.” – Linda Pucci, Ph.D. You’ll find this episode incredibly insightful and encouraging – one you’ll listen to again and again especially for the guided meditation! Don’t forget to let Linda and ourselves know what shift you will have experienced in 2021! You can reach Linda via email at linda @ innerresourcecenter.com Linda’s romance penname: Cassidy Wells http://www.cassidywells.com/ 💗 Learn to Self-publish with the SPA Girls! * Visit SpaGirlsPodcast.com for full show notes and all previous episodes * Subscribe on your fav podcast app – search “SPA Girls Podcast” * Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors on our website * Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @SPAGirlsPodcast * Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Tue, October 12, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP313 – The Best Writing Advice You Shouldn’t Take
Feeling a bit bombarded by conflicting advice re writing and self-publishing? Got FOMO about courses and conferences others are experiencing, but you can’t afford or attend? And how do you figure out what advice works best for YOU? Friends, you’re not alone – we’ve been there too. This episode we discuss The Best (and Worst!) Advice and … WHERE is it coming from WHO is giving it HOW it can derail you HOW it can also put you on the right path WHAT filters to apply so you’re listening to the right advice WHAT are the credentials of the advice giver? WHAT should you do when you’re overwhelmed by advice 💗 Learn to Self-publish with the SPA Girls! Visit SpaGirlsPodcast.com for full show notes and all previous episodes Subscribe on your fav podcast app – search “SPA Girls Podcast” Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors on our website Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @SPAGirlsPodcast Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Wed, October 06, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP312 – What To Do When You’re Stuck In A Creative Rut
Author and host of Become A Writer Today Podcast , Bryan Collins, joins the SPA today from Ireland. We love our Irish guests and are super stoked to welcome him here today to talk all things Creativity and how to pull yourself out of a creative rut. Topics covered include finding the time to write, author expectations, free writing, conquering writers block, simple ways to improve productivity and the power of crafting a personal mission statement for your own writing. About Bryan Bryan Collins: Bryan fell in love with the art of writing when he was just 7 years old. After failing as an Irish journalist and short story writer, he drifted in and out of other jobs and spent a year as a stay-at-home Dad. Broke, lacking self-belief and feeling a lack of purpose, Bryan decided to go back into writing but this time focused on learning skills like copywriting and content marketing. He became an award-winning senior content marketer for Sage – one of the top accounting software companies in the world and launched ‘Become a Writer Today’ which generated 2,500,000 page views over the past year. He’s been a guest writer for major publications like Lifehacker, FastCompany, and Copyblogger. He’s also a former Forbes contributor. His writing online has been viewed over 10 million times He’s also the author of several bestselling books including, ‘The Art of Writing a Non-Fiction Book’, ‘The Power of Creativity’, and ‘Yes, You Can Write’. On his top-ranked podcast, Bryan has interviewed NY Times bestselling authors including Daniel Pink, James Clear, and Joanna Penn. Bryan’s website is: http://www.becomeawritertoday.com/ Resources mentioned: Books: Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon Essays by Joan Didion (Essays — Joan Didion) https://www.thejoandidion.com/essays/ Story by Robert McKee Seven Habits of Effective People by Stephen Covey
Tue, September 28, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP311 – Top Ten Takeaways for 2021
This episode we’re sharing the key things that have moved our writing careers, and creativity, forward so far in 2021. It’s a typical “SPA Girls on the couch” episode with some raw honesty and bad humor thrown into the mix. We cover a lot of ground, so grab a coffee (or whatever you prefer) and get comfortable. SHOW NOTES: The first topic we all agree is super important – How to celebrate (and remember) your achievements. And why you should! Working less for more $$ How asking for help has worked The difference between writing speed and creativity Levelling up editing and the surprising result Recovering from being a control freak A checklist let down Gifts for your future self Loving what you do. We hope you enjoy the episode as much as we did. Learn to Self-publish with the SPA Girls! Visit www.spagirlspodcast.com for full show notes and all previous episodes Subscribe on your favorite podcast app—search “SPA Girls Podcast” Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors on our website Subscribe and watch episode recordings on YouTube @SPAGirlsPodcast Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Wed, September 22, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP310 – The Power Of Clever Copywriting with Jacob McMillen
Jacob McMillen is a professional copywriter, content strategist & freelancing coach and he’s here to share how we can use the power of clever copywriting to connect with our readers and build sales. We often struggle with what to write in our newsletters and social media posts in a way that’s authentic and reaches the right readers. And then there’s the copywriting skill needed for our book blurbs and advertising. So we’re thrilled to have an expert in the SPA today! This is a Copywriting Tip-packed episode that’ll empower you to up your copy skills tenfold! Lots of great nuggets of wisdom, including: The Two Fundamental Rules of Copywriting: Understand Your Audience and Be Clear The Light Bulb moment for blurb writing we uncovered talking with Jacob (hint: what got you excited to write the story in the first place?) Facebook ad text – why it’s different to book description and other copywriting Why the goal of your blurb writing is to reduce uncertainty in readers You can learn more about Jacob McMillen at: https://jacobmcmillen.com/ Learn to Self-publish with the SPA Girls! Visit SpaGirlsPodcast.com for full show notes and all previous episodes Subscribe on your fav podcast app – search “SPA Girls Podcast” Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors on our website Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @SPAGirlsPodcast Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Wed, September 15, 2021
SPA Girls – EP309 – Writing trilogies in successful settings with Jayne Castel
Today we talk about writing successful trilogies, and successful settings with award-winning author Jayne Castel. Jayne writes epic Historical and Fantasy Romance. Her vibrant characters, richly researched historical settings and action-packed adventure romance transport readers to forgotten times and imaginary worlds. Jayne is the author of a number of best-selling series. In love with all things Scottish, she writes romances set in both Dark Ages and Medieval Scotland. When she’s not writing, Jayne is reading (and re-reading) her favorite authors, cooking Italian feasts, and going on long walks with her husband. She lives in New Zealand’s beautiful South Island. www.jaynecastel.com ❤️ Learn to Self-publish with the SPA Girls! ➡️ Visit SpaGirlsPodcast.com for full show notes and all previous episodes 🔍 Subscribe on your fav podcast app – search “SPA Girls Podcast” 📧 Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors Get your FREE Cheat Sheet! You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: Podcast Episodes ✔️ Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ How To Self-Publish with the SPA Girls ✔️ Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Wed, September 08, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP308 – Interview with Virginia Milner from Kindle Vella
If you’ve been considering taking the plunge into Amazon’s new serials platform, Kindle Vella (and yes, Wendy asked if they’d named it after her), then this is the episode for you! We talked to Virginia Milner, the principal product manager for Kindle Direct Publishing, and leader of the Kindle Vella project, all about the new platform. She explained how Kindle Vella – which launched in July 2021 to readers – works, how authors are already using it to their advantage, and the possible ways that Kindle Vella could be used by authors in the future to broaden their readership, and sell more books. It was an awesome episode, and we really enjoyed having Virginia on the show to explain it all first hand! About Virginia: Virginia Milner is a principal product manager for Kindle Direct Publishing, leading the Kindle Vella product, business, and marketing teams. Virginia’s previous projects at Amazon include Great on Kindle and helping independent brands build their business selling on Amazon. Virginia started her career in the Bay Area working in public relations at LaunchSquad helping early stage startup companies, including Okta, Mindflash, and sharethis, tell their stories. She has a BA from Columbia University in New York and an MBA from the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley. A San Francisco native, she now lives in Seattle with her husband, son, and lhasa apso dog Lola. To find out more about Kindle Vella click this link to head over to Amazon. Learn to Self-publish with the SPA Girls! Subscribe on your fav podcast app – search “SPA Girls Podcast” Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors on our website Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @SPAGirlsPodcast Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
S1 E307 · Wed, September 01, 2021
Step Up Your Marketing Game
We’re delighted to welcome back Roseanne Cheng of Evergreen Authors to the SPA for this special two-part interview. In this episode we follow on from Roseanne’s approach outlined in EP306 (go listen if you haven’t already!) This is another power-packed show with tips that blew our minds! We cover: Pinterest marketing secrets for authors Why doing Less is better How to create your own marketing plan around what brings you joy The “bumper sticker test” Tough truths: Every bestselling author is marketing their books and why Making conscious decisions about social media and what you can let go Your author platform and the two vital ingredients every author needs: a website (basic is fine) and a newsletter/email list How amazon ads work with your marketing strategy – and it’s not just about building your sales Why data is your secret weapon And finally, we also discuss how everything, including your book, has a sales cycle. About Roseanne Roseanne Cheng is the author of five books including The Evergreen Author: Master the Art of Book Marketing. She worked in publishing as a marketing director in Minneapolis for four years before founding Evergreen Authors, the first of its kind school teaching authors how to create a career as writers. You can find Roseanne at: https://www.evergreenauthors.com/
Wed, August 25, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP306 – Finding Joy In Book Marketing with Roseanne Cheng
PART ONE of a two part series Today we welcome Roseanne Cheng of Evergreen Authors to the SPA and we’re going to talk about all about Book Marketing with Joy – especially for the reluctant or overwhelmed author. How do you decide what to do when people tell you to “Do All The Things”?! When the hustle is just too much, Roseanne has guidance for what works and what doesn’t. Roseanne, and her business partner Josie, run Evergreen Authors and offer courses and coaching to hundreds of authors. The Evergreen Author philosophy is that any book marketing you choose to do should bring you joy. We promise that this episode will generate a sigh of relief for many of you listening. If you’re ready to scream in frustration over learning facebook ads, tik tok dances and what on earth social media platform you should be on, listen up! About Roseanne Cheng Roseanne Cheng is the author of five books including The Evergreen Author: Master the Art of Book Marketing. She worked in publishing as a marketing director in Minneapolis for four years before founding Evergreen Authors, the first of its kind school teaching authors how to create a career as writers. Websites: Roseanne’s personal website: https://roseannecheng.com/ https://www.evergreenauthors.com/
Tue, August 17, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP305 – Talking Police Equipment For Fiction Authors
This is our second podcast with Veteran Police Detective Adam Richardson, who spent seventeen years of his almost 25-year law enforcement career as a detective. Today we talk to Adam about the police duty belt (gun belt), and what they carry on it. Adam goes into detail about each item and explains their use and when it would be needed. So strap in (see what I did there) for an amazingly informative podcast. Adam hosts The Writer’s Detective Bureau podcast where he answers questions about criminal investigation and police work posed by crime-fiction authors and screenwriters writing crime-related stories. Adam has also developed a crime fiction Guns Course for everything crime fiction authors need to know about firearms and ammunition. LINKS MENTIONED: Adam’s course: crimefictionguns.com COUPON CODE “SPA” for 10% off Book “THE TALENT CODE by Daniel Coyle https://www.amazon.com/Talent-Code-Greatness-Born-Grown/dp/055380684X Learn more from Adam at: Writer’s Detective Bureau where you can sign up to his All-Points Bulletin for writers. To submit a question for Adam, visit SUBMIT A QUESTION Don’t miss his facebook group: Facebook Groups Adam’s podcast Writer’s Detective Bureau: Writer’s Detective Bureau on Apple Podcasts ❤️ Learn to Self-publish with the SPA Girls! ➡️ Visit SpaGirlsPodcast.com for full show notes and all previous episodes 🔍 Subscribe on your fav podcast app – search “SPA Girls Podcast” 📧 S
Wed, August 11, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP304 – Interview with Rachael Herron
International bestselling author Rachael Herron joins us in the SPA today to talk to us about her writing journey, how she has created a career with multiple genres (including thriller (under R.H. Herron), mainstream fiction, feminist romance, memoir, and nonfiction about writing), how she deals with procrastination and blocks in her writing, and the main differences she sees between having books traditionally published and being an indie. It’s an awesome interview, and we loved having Rachael in the SPA! You can find out more about Rachael at https://rachaelherron.com/
Tue, August 03, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP303 Cleansing Your Writing Palate
Are you bored, or disheartened, with your writing? Many of us hit the wall of blahhsss or burnout. When persevering and grinding through it just doesn’t work, sometimes you really need to shake things up. From writing in a completely different genre, to rekindling your creative spark, we discuss how to cleanse your writing palate. Soon you’ll be moving from the wahs to the wahoos! Lots of practical tips in this episode including: -try changing things up like font, (bigger smaller) -writing space, move around -when you get to the saggy middle. Stop, go and write a few lines of something different. A side project, or a different genre. -Are you over writing your current genre? -try a side project of something different. Are you actually bored or bored with the process? Do you need to set better goals to get you motivated? -Changing things will help freshen your mind. LIke when we eat or do something we’ve never done before. Writing several genres : This is not that easy, but fun. Two of the SPA Girls do it. Are you burnt out? -Are you making your deadlines too tight? -Is the burnout coming from the pressure you’re putting on yourself? If your books aren’t selling, is that the right genre for you? It’s not good or bad to change, because things in your life change so you need to adjust and pivot too. We all go through this in one way or another – you are not alone! Often cleansing your palate will refresh your creative and get you up and going even stronger than ever! ❤️ Learn to Self-publish with the SPA Girls! ➡️ Visit SpaGirlsPodcast.com for full show notes and all previous episodes 🔍 Subscribe on your fav podcast app – search “SPA Girls Podcast” 📧 Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors Get your FREE Cheat Sheet! 🖱️ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: <a href="http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com
Tue, July 27, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP302 – Writing Cozy Mysteries with Nancy J. Cohen
Cozy Mysteries are hugely popular with readers and authors alike, and Nancy J. Cohen is with us today to share her fantastic advice for writing the successful cozy. Alongside her fiction, Nancy has also written the acclaimed “how to” for cozies “Writing The Cozy Mystery”, so we’re thrilled she agreed to give us the scoop on all things cozy. We discuss: Nancy’s writing journey. How she transitioned from traditionally published to self-published Shifting from writing romance to cozies Elements of a great cozy – what to include and what readers don’t want to see Her marketing and publishing strategies About Nancy: Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. These books have won numerous awards along with her nonfiction titles, Writing the Cozy Mystery and A Bad Hair Day Cookbook. Active in the writing community, Nancy is a past president of Florida Romance Writers and Mystery Writers of America, Florida Chapter. When not busy writing, she enjoys cooking, fine dining, cruising and visiting Disney World. Visit her at NancyJCohen.com
Tue, July 20, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP301 – 50 Shades Of Writing: Does Size Matter?
Conventional wisdom says ‘bigger is better’ for books, but is that really true? In this episode, we discuss what different word counts and book sizes mean for successful publishers today, how you can use different sizes to your advantage, and how to find your sweet spot. The Right Size isn’t a black and white thing – in fact, there are 50 shades of writing (size) to embrace! There is NO ONE RULE for word counts: Example: The Romance Writers of America defines a novella as 20,000 to 40,000 words and a novel as a work of fiction of 40,000 words or more as determined by computer word count. The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America organization defines: Short Story: less than 7,500 words; Novelette: at least 7,500 words but less than 17,500 words; Novella: at least 17,500 words but less than 40,000 words Novel: 40,000 words or more. Bookbub current rule for word count needed for a featured deal: A full-length book. Novels and collections of short stories or novellas should be at least 150 pages in length, works of nonfiction at least 100 pages, cookbooks at least 70 pages, middle-grade books at least 100 pages, and children’s picture books at least 20 pages. We currently do not feature stand-alone novellas or short stories.” Uses of shorter fiction: Short stories can be published on their own or used to create anthologies They can be used as newsletter subscription lures READER EXPECTATION is the key to what word count you should aim for Romance readers (generally) expect a full novel to be 50,000 to 80,000 words; however, there are some popular niches such as sexy shifter romance telling the story in a shorter word count eg 35,000. Thrillers and suspense normally are 60,000 – 90,000 Epic fantasy can have 120,000 words + Cozy mysteries tend to 40,000 to 60,000 Serialized fiction tends to be around 700 – 2000 words per episode The new Kindle Vella program states “between 600-5,000 words” IT”S NOT SET IN STONE and TRENDS DO CHANGE Advantage if you’re publishing exclusively with
Wed, July 14, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP300 – Pride and Perseverance
Join Shar, Wendy, Cher and Trudi for the 300th EPISODE of the SPA Girls Podcast! EEEEEEKKKKK!!!!! Can you believe it? It’s been a crazy ride, but we’ve loved every minute of it. 🙂 In this episode we talk about having pride in your work and being proud of everything you’ve achieved, and then how to persevere in the face of all the odds! This is a fun episode where we open up about some of the things we’ve been through over the last six years, and give our best advice for anyone looking to self publish!
Wed, July 07, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP299 – Book Marketing On A Shoestring
Get Results Spending $100/month (or less!) Marketing doesn’t have to mean Big Bucks spent on advertising. In fact, some of the best marketing you can do is free or low cost. If you’re just starting out there probably isn’t much left in the budget for paid marketing. We’ve been there! In this episode, we’ve dug deep to find all the tools we used instead of heavy investments—and some we still do. One thing to note, you’ll need to invest something in your marketing—if it’s not money, it’s your time. This episode we’ll cover: * Revising keywords * Tweaking your blurbs * Reach out to other authors for Facebook group intro / newsletter swaps / social media interviews * Writing another series “lead in” as a giveaway on bookfunnel * Revise your Goodreads strategy (see our interview with Alessandra Torres for ideas – https://spagirls.libsyn.com/spa-girls-ep235-interview-with-alessandra-torre) * Run some social media giveaways using ebook / bookfunnel * Review your author bio * Refresh your website and social media graphics with canva * Create quotes from your books and book review quotes for social media on canva (for example) * Join another social media platform and have fun – try Tik Tok – front facing videos “raw” are very popular and effective when done well. Free advertising! * Set up a free store on a merchandise site like Cafe Press, create some “reader focussed” designs yourself in canva (eg quotes if you’re not artistic) and use them as giveaways and for sale * Run a newsletter subscriber – specific poll or competition to encourage sharing of your social media posts * If in KU, use your 5 day free runs on Bk1s and run as many ads as you can afford on Day 1 with smaller advertiser lists like book vixens, book sends, book gorilla etc. * Paid per click ads like bookbub ads, Facebook ads and AMS ads generally cost more than $100/month so we’re focusing on lower priced ad lists with free book, concentrated over the 5 days, to give you a sales boost on back list * Box set your existing series books to create another product * Research the top 100 of your genre every day for the next 90 days – see who’s on top, who’s upcoming, what covers and what blurbs are selling. There’ll be things you can
Wed, June 30, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast- EP298 – Interview with Lucy Lennox: Success with MM Romance
We’ve got a very special treat for you this episode – the incredibly talented and savvy, Ms Lucy Lennox, is in the house! Lucy saw extraordinary success straight out the gate, from when she first published her MM romance, Borrowing Blue, in November 2016. In fact, by her second month of publishing, Lucy was earning five figures per month! Since then, Lucy’s books have soared the bestseller charts consistently and she’s built an incredible career, publishing prolifically (despite a serious health challenge) and building a rabid audience for her sweet and steamy male/male gay romances. From release strategies, co-writing tips, MM romance tropes to Writing For Your Id and the power of romance beats, Lucy’s honest, no-holds-barred advice will boost your mindset and your business. In fact, we know you’ll come away just as inspired and motivated to get butt-in-chair-hands-on-keyboard we were from talking with Lucy! No matter what genre you write, this podcast is a must-listen, with something for everyone. About Lucy Lennox: After enjoying creative writing as a child, Lucy didn’t write her first novel until she was over 40 years old. Her debut novel, Borrowing Blue, was published in the autumn of 2016. Lucy has an English Literature degree from Vanderbilt University, but that doesn’t hold a candle to the years and years of staying up all night reading tantalizing novels on her own. She has one husband, three children, plays tennis, and hates folding laundry. Lucy writes m
Tue, June 22, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP297 – Fallyn Briggs, Writing To Trend V Writing To Market
Dive into this amazing episode with six-figure author Fallyn Briggs, where she discusses the hot topic of writing to trend v writing to market! She has spent most of her life within the pages of a book and now she is thrilled to have the opportunity to invite people into the worlds she creates. When Fallyn is not writing sweet romances, she is traveling, eating too much cheesecake, and thinking about writing sweet romances. Fallyn says, “writing to market may have hungry readers, but writing to trend is hitting on a hot button trope, idea, theme, niche, or genre that has VERY voracious readers gobbling up that particular kind of book on a likely more limited time frame. Like Veruca Salt, they want it and they want it NOW.” You can find Fallyn at: https://fallynbriggs.com/ https://fallynbriggs.com Want more of the SPA Girls? ✔️ Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ ✔️ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/ ✔️ Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast ✔️ Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Wed, June 16, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP296 – Developing Character Wounds
In this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast we talk about emotional wounds, and why they’re so important in developing your characters, and creating an awesome story! From possible wounds that you could give your characters, to how those wounds will develop the story, and how you can use them to amp up the tension, and create a story that your readers will love – we talk about it all! SHOW NOTES: Emotional Wound Thesaurus – Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi Website – Writers Helping Writers Lisa Cron – Wired For Story Michael Hauge Donald Maas Want more of the SPA Girls? ✔️ Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ ✔️ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/ ✔️ Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast ✔️ Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Tue, June 08, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP295 – How To Build Your Author Village – with Celeste Barclay
Celeste Barclay joins us to discuss finding your village and what doing so did for her. Celeste has published an incredible 27 books since 2017, primarily in historical romance. Her popular series includes the medieval The Clan Sinclair novels and The Highland Ladies series which has an impressive 15 individual books and counting. Before becoming a full-time author, Celeste was a Social Studies and English teacher. She holds degrees in International Affairs (BA), Teaching Secondary Social Science (MAT), and Political Management (MPS). She channels that knowledge into creating rich historical romances that bring the steam. It was the third book in her first series which really took off and she’s been incredibly successful ever since. Celest says her Author Village “made her career” and today she talks to us about what that means to her, how to find and build your own village, and why it’s so important. Celeste defines her Author Village as her own network of fellow author peers who lend friendship, support, feedback, writing and business advice. They’re like-minded people who she trusts and respects. What a village offers: – anthology opportunities – increased business – newsletter swaps, Facebook group takeovers, etc Some ways to find your author village: attend in-person author events and signings and conferences Join author Facebook groups such as Millionaire Author Mastermind ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/millionaireauthormastermind/ ), or The Writing Gals – Abundance Mindset For Authors ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/abundancemindsetforauthors/ ) To find more, search within Facebook for your own genre group The hardest part is the first step – be brave enough to reach out! Find out more about Celeste at: https://www.celestebarclay.com You’ll find all the show notes at: www.spa
Wed, June 02, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast- EP294 – How To Embrace Change
This episode we’re back “on the couch” with the SPA Girls to discuss tools and resources we’ve used to cope with the ever changing climate of self-publishing, AND those big life events that we all face at times. As always, we share our own experiences and hard-won tips for rolling with the punches and utilizing change as a tool for growth and learning. Resources mentioned: BBC – Why Embracing Change Is The Key To A Good Life 🌸 SpaGirlsPodcast.com ✔️ Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ ✔️ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/ ✔️ Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ How To Self-Publish with the SPA Girls ✔️ Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Wed, May 26, 2021
SPA Girls – EP293 – Abundance Mindset for Authors with Renee Rose
You’re worth it and your work is worth it. This episode will blow your mind! Renee is passionate about helping authors and creatives get their mindset dialed to SUCCESS. So many nuggets of creativity and business wisdom in this episode, you’ll want to listen more than once. Scroll down for the link to join her private author’s Facebook group. USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR RENEE ROSE loves a dominant, dirty-talking alpha hero! She’s sold over a million copies of steamy romance with varying levels of kink. Her books have been featured in USA Today’s Happily Ever After and Popsugar. Named Eroticon USA’s Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won Spunky and Sassy’s Favorite Sci-Fi and Anthology author, The Romance Reviews Best Historical Romance, and has hit the USA Today list eight times with her Wolf Ranch books and various anthologies. FB – https://www.facebook.com/groups/abundancemindsetforauthors Sign up to receive a FREE ebook: subscribepage.com/alphastemp Visit her blog at www.reneeroseromance.com Follow Renee at www.Facebook.com/ReneeRoseRomance – She loves to chat with readers! Follow her on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/ReneeRoseAuthor **Follow her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/reneeroseromance 🌸 SpaGirlsPodcast.com ✔️ Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors <a href="http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.
Wed, May 19, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP292 – Wide vs Exclusive
It’s a heated debate that occurs regularly in the bars and cafes of self-publishing-land – should you go exclusive to Amazon and get the benefits of Kindle Unlimited, or should you go wide, and get the benefits of being able to upload your books on retailers like Kobo, Apple Books and Nook, as well as Amazon? There are arguments both ways, and in this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast, we take you through all the pros and cons of both, and try to give you some information that will help you make the decision when the time comes… 🌸 SpaGirlsPodcast.com ✔️ Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ ✔️ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/ ✔️ Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ How To Self-Publish with the SPA Girls ✔️ Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Sun, May 09, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP291 – 9 Writing Tools We Love!
We absolutely have more than 9 tools we could recommend because we don’t all use the same ones. Listen to find out which ones we can’t do without and who uses the others and why. Cheryl has a few homemade spreadsheets and tables – no surprises there – which she may be inclined to share. 😉 Resources mentioned: Plottr – https://plottr.com PromoRepublic – deal via AppSumo https://appsumo.com/ Cher’s Plot Timeline spreadsheet Trello – www.trello.com Readerlinks – https://readerlinks.com Bookfunnel – https://bookfunnel.com Grammarly – https://www.grammarly.com Cher’s Income Tracker Kindletrends https://kindletrends.com/ podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy89Sy_c1vM 🌸 SpaGirlsPodcast.com ✔️ Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ ✔️ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/ ✔️ Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ How To Self-Publish with the SPA Girls ✔️ Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Wed, May 05, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP290 – Dealing with Edits and Critiques
Getting edits and critiques is part of every author’s career, but sometimes it can feel worse than getting stung by a wasp on your eyeball. Like directly in the middle of your eyeball. By a really big wasp. Where it would really, really hurt. So that’s what we’re talking about this week in the SPA – how our thoughts on critiques have changed over the years, how we deal with the pangs when someone says something mean about our book babies, and why we think you can’t afford to go without critiques and edits. SHOW NOTES: Reedsy – platform to find an editor https://www.reedsy.com Hot Tree Edits – Podcast #60 Interview with Editor Olivia Ventura https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep60-interview-with-an-editor/ Spa Girls Podcast #209 Interview with editor Anne Victory https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep209-editing-with-anne-victory/
Tue, April 27, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP289 – Writing Romantic Comedy with Annika Martin
Writing bestselling romance with incredible character chemistry is something that NYT Bestseller Annika Martin excels in, and today she joins us in the SPA to give ALL THE TIPS! Annika, who also publishes romantic suspense as Carolyn Crane, has seen incredible success writing two books a year (on average) and publishing wide. This episode, she reveals her plotting and writing process, getting the most “comedy” in her writing, editing tips for deepening characterization, what point of view to choose for best results, cover trends and how she approaches her newsletter and advertising. This is a wonderful discussion, deserving of a long episode, where Annika reveals some absolute nuggets of GOLD that we hadn’t heard before. You’ll love this one, even if you’re not a “funny” writer – trust us! About Annika : Annika Martin is a NYT bestselling author who loves reading and writing fun, sexy books, taking pictures of her cats, rocking out, saving animals, taking long baths, and consuming boatloads of chocolate suckers. She can be found hanging out in Minneapolis coffee shops with her awesome writer husband and tending her very wild, bee-friendly garden. Find her at www.annikamartinbooks.com Resources mentioned: Romancing The Beat by Gwen Hayes 🌸 SpaGirlsPodcast.com ✔️ Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ ✔️ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: <a href="http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/" target="_blan
Tue, April 20, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP288 – TikTok and Instagram with Anne Malcom
We have a terrible confession to make. The SPA Girls have no idea what we’re doing when it comes to Instagram (well, Shar does, but the rest of us have no idea) and TikTok. It’s true. Shocking, I know. So we got in an expert. Someone who could tell us everything we ever wanted to know about how to post on social media to engage with readers and develop a deeper connection. (Because that’s what it’s about!) Anne Malcom is an awesome Kiwi author, kicking butt and taking names in the Dark Romance genre. She’s also genuine, savvy, and smart, and knows all about connecting with readers in an authentic way. Which is why you need to listen to this episode! To learn more about Anne Malcom check out her social media links here: https://linktr.ee/anne.malcomauthor Or go to her website here: https://www.AnneMalcomAuthor.com 🌸 SpaGirlsPodcast.com ✔️ Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ ✔️ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/ ✔️ Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast ✔️ Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Tue, April 13, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP287 – Plotting for Pantsers
Are you one or the other, or something in between? While Trudi is an outright plotter, Cheryl considers herself a hybrid and Wendy is a confirmed pantser. Shar isn’t with us today but we know she’s tried it all! But is this a hard and fast thing? You’ll find out when and how we plot and the struggles involved with pantsing. The differences intrigue us and we think you’ll agree there is a wide scope to fit in either camp or somewhere in between. If you’re starting out, plotting is a great way to begin your journey. In the time it takes you to write one book you might get another couple out if you plot. That said, if you’re like Wendy, no amount of plotting is going to work as you’ll end up somewhere else anyway, making the plotting a waste of time. What about research? Is that part of plotting? As we often say, writing is a journey, and your experience will never be exactly the same as anothers. Don’t let anyone tell you there is only one way or that theirs is the best way. Whatever type of writer you are, remember that no one writes like you and how you write affects your voice and your process. Before you decide what that is is, try all the ways we’ve suggested – you may be surprised! Mentioned in the podcast: Story Grid – https://storygrid.com Michael Hauge – https://www.storymastery.com Lisa Cron – http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep-249-interview-with-story-coach-lisa-cron/ Romancing the Beat – http://gwenhayes.com/free-stuff/ Snowflake Method – https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/
Wed, April 07, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP286 – Writers’ Fears
Resistance. Fear. Procrastination. Avoidance. Most of us writers struggle with these challenges at some point in their career (or day!). This episode we cover everything from the struggle to finish a manuscript through to fear of publishing, and everything in between. This blogpost inspired today’s episode : http://positivewriter.com/scared-writer/ Blog post by Harrison Demchick excerpt: Two Kinds of Scared Writers During my weekly writing group, I’ve been working on a screenplay that begins, oddly enough, with a weekly writing group. My main characters are a pair of best friends named Mindy and Lane, and what I’ve realized during the development of this story is that Mindy and Lane represent two particular kinds of scared writers. They’re the kinds we all see in our writing groups and workshops. There’s a very good chance we’re one of them. 1) Mindy is the writer who doesn’t finish. She has ideas, but she never really pursues them, because she sees every obstacle as a sign that she isn’t good enough. And if she did push on and did finish a draft of something, it would be bad, and then she’d know she could never be good enough. So she comes up with ideas, abandons them, and struggles with the next one. 2) Lane is the writer who doesn’t fight. He has a finished manuscript, but he doesn’t want to do anything with it. It’s the creative accomplishment that matters. But really, he fears what comes next—agents and publishers and rejection. Or he fears the marketing battle any author, traditionally published or self-published, must face. Maybe, at heart, he too doesn’t think he’s good enough, so he hides behind the pretense of contentment and never works for his real dreams.” ++ SPA Girls’ additions Along with Mindy and Lane, we’ve added: Mandy – Mindy’s sister, Shane – Lane’s twin brother, and Xanthe Listen up for their fears and how we can so relate (let’s not even get into Shar’s weighted hula hoop disaster) and tools for overcoming fears we’ve found that work. Recommend reading and resources: Steven Pressfield’s book War on Art and his <a
Thu, April 01, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP285 – Interview with Janie Crouch : Launching a romance series
Get ready to be inspired! Our guest today, USA Bestseller, Janie Crouch , writes passionate romantic suspense (both traditionally published and self-published) and she’s recently launched her indie Linear Tactical series to six-figure success. Janie is a winner and/or finalist of multiple romance literary awards including the Golden Quill Award for Best Romantic Suspense, the National Reader’s Choice Award, and the coveted RITA© Award by the Romance Writers of America. When she’s not listening to the voices in her head—and even when she is—she enjoys engaging in all sorts of crazy adventures (200-mile relay races; Ironman Triathlons, treks to Mt. Everest Base Camp) traveling, and movies of all kinds. Her doctoral dissertation focused on how people formed and maintained relationships with sci-fi/fantasy characters. In her academic writing she was often told she needed to “dial down the drama”. She’s glad to finally be writing something where no tells her that anymore. Her favorite quote: “Life is a daring adventure or nothing.” ~ Helen Keller. In keeping with that quote, Janie’s approach to launching her romantic suspense series was GO BIG and ALL IN. She discusses her release strategy, approach to advertising – what has worked for her and what HASN’T, as well being very upfront about her income and how much she’s spending on advertising to grow her sales. Janie also discusses how she launched wide initially, then took her books into Amazon exclusively – and the pros and cons of doing that. Connecting with her readers has been a key component to her success via her readergroup and newsletter. Janie shares tips and advice on how she built her readership, and how she approaches the Business of Authoring and separates it from the creative side of writing. This is a fascinating episode and we’re sure you’ll want to listen or watch it more than once!
Tue, March 23, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP284 – Lucy Score talks Reader Groups, Releases and Relationships
If you’ve ever considered starting up a Facebook reader group, then you need to listen to this episode. Lucy Score’s group is an example of a well run group that is positive, supportive and fun – everything you want in a reader group. She talks to us about how she set it up, and what makes it so great, as well as why she loves her readers so much. Lucy also gives us insight into her most recent book launch, how she connects to readers and why relationships are such an important part of her very successful Indie career. The best thing about Lucy? She’s awesome, genuine, and super smart. We love having her on the show, and we know you’ll get a whole bucket load of useful information for your author career in this podcast. Enjoy! Lucy’s official Bio: Lucy Score is a Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author. Small town contemporary rom-coms are her lady jam and she enjoys delivering the feels with a huge side of happily ever after. Her books have been translated into several languages, making readers around the world snort laugh, swoon, and sob. Lucy lives in Pennsylvania with the devastatingly handsome Mr. Lucy and their horrible cat. In her spare time she enjoys sleeping, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and reading all the romance novels in the universe. Links mentioned: Previous SPA Girls Podcast episode with Lucy: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep232-interview-with-lucy-score/ SPA Girls Podcast episdoe with Becca Syme: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep146-interview-with-becca-syme-on-writing-better-faster/ Write Better Faster by Becca Syme https://betterfasteracademy.com/wbf101/ SPA Girls Links: ✔️ Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resourc
Tue, March 16, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP283 – Interview with Kaye Kennedy
Success – Lucky or hard work? This episode we’re talking with Kaye Kennedy who had the successful experience we all hope for when we start out. Using her business acumen and spending years studying how to do it right, Kaye managed a million page reads in 6 months and she’s going to tell you how she did it. A CEO by day and a contemporary romance author by night, in her novels, you can always expect a happily ever after that kisses and tells. She’s had a love affair with reading and writing for as far back as she can remember, which led her to earning her degrees in English Literature. Kaye taught college composition & literature classes before switching gears entirely and becoming an entrepreneur, starting multiple businesses. Originally from New York, Kaye now lives on the Florida coast with her husband, who often inspires her characters (she’s a sucker for an alpha with a soft side). When she isn’t busy writing or running one of her companies, Kaye spends as much time as she can cuddling with her rescue mutt, Zeus, paddling on the water, or relaxing on the beach with a good book. Kaye’s Timeline: August 5, 2020: Published Book 1 August 18, 2020: Published Book 2 September 30, 2020: Published Book 3 November 11, 2020: Published Book 4 December 6, 2020: Published Christmas Novel (priced at $2.99) December 19, 2020: Published Box Set of books 1-4, plus exclusive short story (priced at $9.99) January 19, 2021: Published Book 5 February 18, 2021: Published Book 5.5, which is a short novella (I haven’t officially announced this yet) March 18, 2021: Published Book 6 Kaye’s website: kayekennedy.com SPA Girls Links: ✔️ Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ ✔️ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/ ✔️ Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ <a href="http://www.youtube.com/c
Wed, March 10, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast- EP282- Interview with Helen Scheuerer
Making six figures a year while publishing one book a year, isn’t the usual career path for most indies, but for our guest today, it absolutely is! We are thrilled to welcome Aus-Kiwi, Helen Scheuerer, to the SPA today. Helen is a talented YA Fantasy author who’s taken her traditional publishing education and transferred that to a highly successful indie career over the past four years. We discuss how Helen got into writing, her education and specifically what led her to self-publishing. Then we cover in detail her launch strategies and approach to successful publishing with an “outside the norm” annual release schedule. This is a great episode full of tips and inspiration from Helen, especially for listeners who cannot release multiple books in a year. Enjoy! About Helen Scheuerer Helen Scheuerer is the author of the bestselling YA fantasy trilogy, The Oremere Chronicles: Heart of Mist (2017), Reign of Mist (2018) and War of Mist (2019), as well as the prequel short story collection, Dawn of Mist (2020). The series has been highly praised for its strong, flawed female characters and its action-packed plots. It has often been likened to Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass series, and the epic #girlpower film, Wonderwoman. Helen’s love of writing and books led her to pursue a Bachelor of Creative Arts, majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Wollongong. Helen also completed a Masters of Publishing at the University of Sydney. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1000" height="667" src="http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Helen-Scheuerer.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-2250" srcset="https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Helen-Scheuerer.jpeg 1000w, https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Helen-Scheuerer-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast
Wed, March 03, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP281 – Kindletrends with Nat Connors
This episode we’re thrilled to welcome Nat Connors, founder of Kindletrends (and fellow New Zealander #gokiwis) to the SPA! Nat has been a self-published fiction author since 2016, and is also a research academic and data scientist. Kindletrends is a weekly data newsletter that tells you all about what’s happening across 12 different genres in the Kindle Store. Nat started using the information in Kindletrends to help outline, write and launch books, and then started sharing it with friends. Now just recently (launched November 2020), Kindletrends is available to the self-publishing community as a whole. We’ll go over contact info at the end of the podcast, but if you can’t wait, check out kindletrends.com . Subscribe for USD15/month (the first month is free) and every week you’ll get a data-rich newsletter on major categories in the Kindle Store, helping you plan every aspect of your publishing with confidence. *** BONUS FOR SPA GIRLS PODCAST LISTENERS – listen up for a fantastic discount code that’ll save you $5/month on your subscription – ends April 2021, so don’t delay! Nat goes into fascinating detail about: The inspiration behind Kindletrends How it works for beginners and authors with a large catalogue Benefits to your book planning process Marketing tips and tricks How to research your genre Trend spotting Bestselling blurb advice and more! We’re really excited about Kindletrends (and not just because it’s another case of Kiwi ingenuity 😉 This is going to be super helpful to all of us in different ways. As promised, here are some helpful visuals and video explanations that will help you use Kindletrends to help you write and market your books better! Here’s an example of a Kindletrends newsletter . Here’s an introductory video (2 minutes) which explains how to read a newsletter, and what
Tue, February 23, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP280 – Scheduling Like A Superstar
Trying to figure out how to finish your book? Keep getting distracted or discombobulated? This is the episode for you! We break down the processes we use to plan and schedule a book, from start to finish, including everything from booking a cover designer to working with your editor. We show how easy it is to get your writing done, when you know exactly how much you have to write and by when. Join us for another information packed episode… ✔️ Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ ✔️ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/ ✔️ Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast ✔️ Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Tue, February 16, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP279 – Overcoming Technology Barriers
For many of us, the thought of overcoming the technology barriers to self-publishing can be overwhelming and cause us to delay (or not try) publishing. Many authors have likely heard the talk about the all-important “meta data” and “algorithms” like they’re the bogeymen. Something to be avoided – and best done by someone else! WE GET IT. WE’VE BEEN THERE! But if we can do this, trust us, YOU can too! How we overcame our own barriers – mindset – you tube – courses – reading – group support – screwing up – unpublishing and republishing – out sourcing – pacing ourselves – facebook groups Useful links: David Gaughran talks with the SPA Girls http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep225-amazon-decoded/ Identify Your Learning Style: https://www.uow.edu.au/student/learning-co-op/effective-studying/identify-your-learning-style/ You heard right – the SPA Girls will be launching an online Get Started Self-Publishing Course in the next few months. Make sure to sign up for our newsletter and you’ll be the first to know when it launches http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/ Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Wed, February 10, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP278 – 7 Simple Steps To Self-Publishing
It’s super easy to be overwhelmed by all the steps required to self-publish. Whether you’re a traditionally published author looking to self-publish now, or a new author straight out of the blocks, we break down the seven simple steps to self-publishing. Step 1: Write the Book Step 2: Get It Edited Step 3: Get a Cover Step 4: Write A Blurb Step 5: Format It Step 6: Upload to retailers Step 7: Market and repeat Breaking news: If you’d like the SPA Girls to hold your hand through this process, make sure you’ve signed up to our newsletter because we’re currently putting together a detailed online course that will take you through from manuscript to finished ebook and print book and impart our collective wisdom to launch your authoring career!
Tue, February 02, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP277 – Answering Newbie Questions
Today we’re responding to questions from listeners who are just starting their self-publishing journey. From earning expectations to how to learning “All The Things” and being overwhelmed, we’ve got you covered! Some of questions answered: What type of writing SHOULD I focus on? Is genre important for good earnings? Are my expectations realistic? How am I going to support myself during this process? How much can I expect to earn? What do I have to know about self-publishing, there’s so much to learn! Can I just write and pay someone else to do the rest? How do I build a platform? What even IS a platform? What’s the one piece of advice you’d give someone starting out today? Remember, every single step of self-publishing is covered here on the podcast in detail – make sure to search on our website www.SPAGirlsPodcast.com for the topic, and the episodes will come right up. Facebook group mentioned is Author Support Network by Marie Force: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1020661671348562 David Gaughran’s excellent post about vanity publishers is here: https://davidgaughran.com/vanity-press-media-author-solutions/ YES! It’s true – the SPA Girls will be launching an online Get Started Self-Publishing Course in the next few months. Make sure to sign up for our newsletter and you’ll be the first to know when it launches: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ ✔️ Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ ✔️ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/ ✔️ Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ http://www
Wed, January 27, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP276 – Character-centric Plotting with Alexa Rivers
Today we’re joined by fellow Kiwi romance author – and one of the SPA Girls’ star pupils from their self-publishing workshops – ALEXA RIVERS. Alexa has written and published nine small town romance to date and has really nailed her plotting process, starting with a character. If you’ve been struggling to find a way to plot and love the idea of starting with those characters who are burning a hole inside your head, this is the episode for you! LISTENER BONUS: Click here to download Alexa’s CHARACTER PLOTTING WORKSHEET About Alexa Alexa Rivers is a New Zealand author of steamy and heartfelt small town romances. She lives in a small town herself, complete with nosy neighbors and quirky traditions. She shares a house with a neurotic dog and a husband who thinks he’s hilarious. You can find her at www.AlexaRivers.com Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/ Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast
Tue, January 19, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP275 – Read Through on a Series
Are your readers staying for the next book? This week’s podcast is all about read-through – ie what percentage of readers read from the first book in your series to the next, and onwards. Learn all about what it means, why it matters and how to increase your read through in this information-packed episode! We cover: * how to calculate read-through and why its important that you do! * What is the ideal percentage you should be aiming for * Red flags to look for if you DON’T get great read-through * How it affects advertising * How to deal with a “weak” book in the series * The difference between calculating wide read-through vs kindle unlimited * Tools for calculating read through including Readerlinks (https://readerlinks.com/) Great resource on Kindlepreneur from Malorie Cooper: https://kindlepreneur.com/calculate-series-read-through/ Malorie says : Your series sell-through is pretty easy to calculate. Take the sales of the last book in your series and divide that number by the sales of Book 1. Let’s say you sold 428 copies of Book 1, and 247 copies of Book 2. That gives us: 247 ÷ 428 = 57.7% That’s your total series read-through. “Many authors see something in the neighborhood of 50-60% from books 1 to 2. Unless you’re writing a more loosely connected series, the read-through from the first to the second book is very important.” Knowing if a series is doing well or where it’s falling down can help to make it easier to fix going forward. Book 1 should be your best book but sometimes it’s not. What should you do if that’s the case? Listen to the episode for some great tips! ✔️ Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with tips and resources for self-publishing authors http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ ✔️ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/ ✔️ Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ http://www.yo
Wed, January 13, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP274 – 5 Golden Guidelines For 2021 Goal Setting
Inspired by a post from The Greater Good Science Center* at the University of California, Berkeley, today we’re guiding you through five golden questions or guidelines to ask yourself when you’re setting your 2021 writing / author business goals. Be warned – this is a different approach to the usual SMART goal systems, but it really resonated with us, especially after 2020. We’ve come into the New Year probably like a lot of people – more intentional and aware of how we want to spend our time and what’s REALLY important to us. For us, it looks quite different to how we felt this time a year ago and we’ve adapted this especially to suit the writing life whether full time or part-time. So lets dive in… “Even if it feels like all you’re doing is trying to survive, these questions may help you gain a sense of control amid the uncertainty.” GOLDEN QUESTION 1 : What do you want to take with you when this is all over? Reflect on what HAS / IS working for you. GOLDEN QUESTION 2 : What are some aspirational goals that you could set for yourself? “Identify where can you do better despite the pandemic (and everything else). The goal is not to add more pressure to an already difficult time, but to identify goals that could help you feel better and have more energy at the end of the day.” GOLDEN QUESTION 3: What new habit have you wanted to get into for a while now? GOLDEN QUESTION 4: How can you invest in yourself? This is a GREAT one especially for women who are often handling the lion’s share of the emotional labour and the child / homeschooling / working / caregiving roles. “Remember, the best resource that you have for making a contribution to the world is YOU. When that resource is depleted, your most valuable asset is damaged. In other words: When we underinvest in our bodies, minds, or spirits, we destroy our most essential tools for leading our best lives.” GOLDEN QUESTION 5: What do you want to feel more of in 2021? For many of us, we want to feel less overwhelmed and MORE at peace or in control. This question is asking us to identify what behaviours or habits have in the past elicited the EMOTION that you are looking for? Maintenance habits (like doing daily writing sprint, emptying your inbox each week, removing social media apps from your phone, leaving your phone out of the
Wed, January 06, 2021
SPA Girls Podcast – EP273 – The One Right Way to Sell Books
Isn’t that what we’re all after? The ONE RIGHT answer to everything – the BEST newsletter strategy, the RIGHT way to sell books, the ONE secret to making ads work? Well, listen up folks because in this episode we’ve got the Magic Wand! Resources mentioned: Bella Andre with the SPA Girls http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep148-interview-with-indie-superstar-bella-andre/ Becca Syme’s Strengths For Writers Course https://betterfasteracademy.com/ Larissa Reynolds talks Newsletters with the SPA Girls http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep177-successful-newsletter-strategies-with-larissa-reynolds/ http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep178-newsletter-strategies-with-larissa-reynolds-part-2/ Tammi Labrecque the Newsletter Ninja http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep145-newsletter-ninja-tammi-labrecque/
Wed, December 30, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP272 – How To Believe In Yourself
Ever wondered why on earth you’re spending all this time writing? Ever think to yourself that maybe your writing isn’t that great? Ever think this self publishing lark is just too hard? Yeah, so have we. But this episode is all about how to throw away those dumb old negative thoughts, and learn how to believe in yourself and your writing! We talk through some of the most common misbeliefs that authors have, and give you some awesome ways to change your thinking, and learn to believe in yourself and most of all, keep going! Resources mentioned: Brooke Castillo https://thelifecoachschool.com/podcasts/
Tue, December 22, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP271 – Christmas Roundup 2020
Celebrating the season with a quick recap of our Words For 2020. Hahahahahaha And then onto Important Burning Questions about our Christmas favorites. Sometimes controversial, always tongue-in-cheek, our “unplugged” conversation will hopefully add some Christmas cheer to your day. click here to watch the live recording Thank you for all your support this year and we do hope, despite the 2020ness of the past 12 months, that you’ve made steps forward in your writing and publishing career. As the SPA Girls always say, one step at a time. And we’re here for you, right through the holiday period, with information and inspiration on our podcast. Merry Christmas, dear friends. Whatever you do, take care of yourself and those you love … and know that we are thinking of you. Love, The SPA Girls
Tue, December 15, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP270 – From Great Idea to Sellable Story
You’ve had a great idea for a story – now how do you turn it into a workable outline? This is a “live action” recording where the SPA Girls take a “great” idea – an Elf who hates Christmas – into a workable outline! Probably NSFW, you’ll hopefully find this episode informative and a lighthearted break from holiday stress! And don’t forget to visit us on facebook and let us know which story you think we should write! Included in the tips we discuss … figure out wordcount you want / how many chapters. list the chapters and just start filling in what happens in each chapter snowflake method -The Snowflake Method is an approach to writing that encourages starting with the simplest premise possible. From there, you systematically expand it to include plot and character details. don’t feel you have to outline the whole thing at the start write the blurb and flesh it out more from there keep raising the stakes for characters know what genre you’re writing from the start – same for heat level and character ages Resources mentioned: How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method (Advanced Fiction Writing Book 1) by Randy Ingermanson Gwen Haye’s book Romancing The Beat Jami Gold’s site Romance Beat Sheets
Tue, December 08, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP269 – What To Do When You Run Out Of Steam
What do you do when you’re running out of steam and you’re only in the middle of the book? Or you’re just running out of steam in general? This episode we share our suggestions for getting yourself re-energized and moving again. Some topics we cover: writing sprints writing with others either in person or on zoom/skype sexy times add more conflict change up environment – add music, go to a cafe or outside (depending on local quarantine measures) try dictation Trudi found shifting from 3 act structure to 4 act structure helpful set a deadline mindset affirmations try background music – rock or classical / brain fm take a break and be understanding of yourself! Resources mentioned: Level Up Romance Writers Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LevelUpRomanceWriters Brain FM: https://www.brain.fm/ Check out our You Tube Channel where you can watch us recording our episodes : http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast Sign up for our free weekly self-publishing tips newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bGkz8L Join us on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/SPAGirlsPodcast
Tue, December 01, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP268 – How to Use Bonus Content to Sell Books
Bonus content is an awesome marketing tool that can be used in a variety of ways – from encouraging people to sign up to newsletters, to convincing them to buy the next book in the series, or thanking superfans for their ongoing support. This week we talk about the ways we’ve used the bonus content we’ve created for our readers, from bonus scenes and epilogues, to short stories, prequel novellas and everything in between! We talk about what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what we think is the best option, no matter where you are in your writing career…
Wed, November 25, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP267 – Get Your First Book Right
Want to make sure you give your first book the best possible chance of success… and then have readers auto-buying the next in your series? Then this is the podcast for you! This week we give you a checklist of elements for a successful first book in a series, before you even start writing a single word! We talk about everything – including the tropes that sell, what back matter to use, what kind of characters readers love and much more in this overview of how to make sure the first book in your series is awesome and automatically sells the next book in your series to your readers! SHOW NOTES: Tropes – what sells? What covers sell best? Don’t be afraid to niche Don’t over-complicate your story Find comparable books (published by indies) Make your first book your BEST – it does the heavy lifting of selling the entire series Cast of characters Cover symbolism POV and tense Links discussed: SPA Girls Podcast with Zoe York: Romance Your Brand http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep226-romance-your-brand-with-zoe-york/ Zoe York’s book “Romance Your Brand: Building a Marketable Genre Fiction Series https://www.amazon.com/Romance-Your-Brand-Marketable-Publishing/dp/1989703232 SPA Girls Podcast with Chris Fox: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep206-interview-with-chris-fox-ads-for-authors-who-hate-maths/ K-lytics : https://k-lytics.com/ SPA Girls Podcast with Alex Newton of K-lytics: http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep244-alex-newton-from-k-lytics/
Wed, November 18, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP266 – Nail Your Keywords With Dave Chesson
Why does Amazon choose someone else’s book over yours in a search? How do we make sure we’re using the best keywords for sales? What exactly is a keyword, anyway? We have all these answers and more for you in this info-packed episode! We’re joined again by the awesome and knowledgeable Dave Chesson, Founder and CEO of Publisher Rocket and Kindlepreneur. Dave breaks down all the best practices for getting the right keywords to deliver your book to the right readers, every time. About Dave Chesson A former Navy engineer and super-passionate online marketing and SEO geek, Dave Chesson is the creator of Kindlepreneur.com , a blog and website which specializes in demystifying the Kindle ebook marketing for authors. And because he couldn’t just stop there, he’s also the creator of the even more helpful Publisher Rocket , a program that helps authors do market research as well as figure out their keywords and categories. Over his career he has created multiple consistently bestselling books that generate income from all sorts of sources and not just Amazon. He uses those books to test his tactics, and then share them with his community on the Kindlepreneur blog. Even Amazon KDP acknowledges Kindlepreneur as one of the best by telling users to “Gain insight from Kindlepreneur on how you can optimize marketing for your books.” Having worked with such authors as Orson Scott Card, Ted Dekker and more, his tactics help both Fiction and Nonfiction authors of all levels get their books discovered by the right readers. Some helpful links to the articles mentioned in the interview: Kindle Keywords – Do I Use all 50 Characters? Best Writing Software Thanks for visiting the SPA Girls! Make sure to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter full of tips on writing and self-publishing.
Tue, November 10, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP265 – Reader Groups
Today’s podcast is all about reader groups. Are they worthwhile? How they work and why you would you want one? Wendy has recently started one, and we discuss how that is working for her, and also talk about some more established reader groups the SPA Girls belong to like, Lucy Score, C N Crawford, and Marie Force. Once again an episode chock full of information! You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: www.spagirlspodcast.com Make sure you’re signed up to our weekly self-publishing tips newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bGkz8L Come say hi on Facebook and Twitter @spagirlspodcast
Wed, November 04, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP264 – Insider Writing Secrets
A good old fashioned craft episode from the SPA Girls this week. Shar, Wendy and Cheryl discuss insider writing secretes from James Scott Bell’s book Fiction Attack! They pull out five important secrets that have most impacted them, and discuss what they mean and how they’ve used them in their writing. From using conflict and suspense, to description, fuzzy POV, cliches and info dumps, they go deep on some of those writing secrets that will take you from average to amazing! SHOW NOTES: 1 . The two things every novel needs regardless of genre : Conflict (readers get emotionally hooked by TROUBLE) a nd Suspense (not just in suspense story – excite anticipation and don’t be predictable 2. Opening No Nos : excessive description, point of view fuzziness, cliches, info dumps, too much backstory 3. Go to the place you fear (see also Donald Maass’s craft books) ask “what is something your character would never ever do or say ?” Then find a place for that character to do or say that. Or at least Think it. It shows great inner conflict. 4. How to write a novella :(20-40k words) A) one plot b) one POV C) one central question – eg will x get y? D) one style and tone 5. The most important characteristics every writer needs 1. Motivation – desire drives discipline 2. Action 3. Assessment – at various times just like any business would you need to step back and asses where you are and where you need to improve 4 . Time – you must learn to manage time. That’s your real currency. James tips for finding time : (a) plan in advance (b) write it down and block it out (c) prioritise. “Discipline beats talent where talent isn’t disciplined”
Tue, October 27, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP263 – Listener Questions: Motivation, Time Management, Local Market
In this episode we’re answering listener questions – a couple around the change of life many are experiencing right now. We have a few suggestions that helped us through switching to full time writing and the fickle motivation issue. Then we discuss how to tackle being visible in your local market. If you’ve had to deal with these things or are going through them now, please tell us about it on our Facebook page or comment on this post. Keen to learn from the SPA Girls in a virtual course? Join our mailing list here and we’ll let you know the minute we have course bookings open. https://selfpublishingworkshop.co.nz/index.html Come say hi on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SPAGirlsPodcast/ and Twitter @spagirlspodcast.
Wed, October 21, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP262 – The Four Tendencies For Writers
Ever wondered why your best friend can organize her way out of anything, but you can’t follow the same processes she does? We might just have an answer: Gretchen Rubin has a system that involves what she calls the four tendencies. (Find the free online quiz here to identify your tendency here: https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/?fbclid=IwAR05fTL0NJEPsCUJ6OqGMJrm4EHY7tnHcXCmg56_HroP0qLkIhe0GOT5yL4 ) Gretchen Rubin is one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature. She’s the author of many books, including the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers The Four Tendencies, Better Than Before, and The Happiness Project. She has an enormous readership, both in print and online, and her books have sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide. On her top-ranking podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin, she discusses happiness and good habits with her sister Elizabeth Craft. (Gretchen is an Upholder, Elizabeth is an Obliger). In this podcast episode, we’re talking about the four tendencies and how they each might deal with situations relating to organisation, overwhelm and others. https://amzn.to/3ocV8YA From Gretchen Rubin’s website : One of the daily challenges of life is: How do I get people – including myself – to do what I want? The Four Tendencies framework makes this task much easier by revealing whether a person is an upholder, questioner, obliger or rebel. By asking the one simple question, “How do I respond to expectations
Tue, October 13, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP261 – Imposter Syndrome with Amira Alvarez
BONUS – enter before Friday 16 October to win one of three FREE tickets to the Unstoppable Woman virtual summit in November 2020 Here’s how to enter: Post on facebook (make it public – you may need to change settings for the post) and tell us ONE reason why you’d like to attend the summit, then hashtag #unstoppablesummit #spagirlspodcas t SIMPLE! >> Earlybird tickets for the summit close Friday 16 October (if you purchase a ticket, then win our lucky listener draw, you’ll be reimbursed) Go to https://theunstoppablewoman.com/SPAGirls Today we’re delighted to welcome back mindset coach, Amira Alvarez . We had such a wonderful response to our previous episode #253 on maximizing your mindset. So we’ve got her back to do a deeper dive into a syndrome that affects a lot of us – Imposter Syndrome . Just to refresh you, Amira Alvarez is the founder and CEO of The Unstoppable Woman, a global coaching company helping entrepreneurs, empire builders, athletes, creatives, and rising stars in all fields achieve their dreams and goals in record time. Show bonus: Amira is hosting an online summit in November for unstoppable women and we’ve got THREE free tickets to give away to listeners today. Stay tuned until the end when we’ll tell you how to enter. Amira’s Unstoppable Woman Summit is being held online, Nov 6 – 8, 2020. Amira will be teaching you personally how to become unstoppable in every way including your writing career. Check it out here: https://theunstoppablewoman.com/SPAGirls Watch the recording of this episode on our Youtube channel here
Wed, October 07, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP260 – Interview with Danielle Romero
This week we have an intriguing chat with author Danielle Annet t aka Danielle Romero, who has recently switched genres from Urban Fantasy to Contemporary Romance, with some amazing results. She talks us through the decision to change genres, and what she did to make it a success, including some of the big decisions she had to make, such as whether to create a new pen name, how to market it, and what kind of social media/website and newsletter presence she wanted to have with the new genre/name. Danielle is also an organisational superstar, and we talk a little bit about how she organises all the various segments in her life so successfully! We loved chatting to her, and we’re sure you’re going to enjoy listening to this episode. 🙂 Danielle’s Bio: Danielle Romero is a 🔥 Snarky AF 🃏 Latinx Author 👩🏻💻 Mom of 3 👩🏻 👦🏻 👶🏻 and proclaims that she 📚 writes HOT books 📚 She’s loud, proud, and a classic ENTJ. She uses the word ‘hella’ a lot when she talks and blames it on her NorCal roots. Born and raised in the San Francisco bay area she now lives in Spokane, WA with her little fam, an asshole parrot, and her dog who decided (even though she picked him) to prefer her husband’s attention. Danielle Annett is a USA Today Bestselling Author of Urban Fantasy and most recently Contemporary Romance under the pen name Daniela Romero. (She started out as a book blogger, and then decided to write her own books.) She likes to write about kick butt heroines in volatile settings and apologizes in advance for all of the cliffhangers in your future. She can’t help herself. But she promises that they’ll all be worth it in the end. LINKS: Danielle’s author website Danielle’s Coffee & Characters : http://www.coffeeandcharacters.com/ Becca Syme’s courses: https://betterfasteracademy.com/ Sara Cannon’s Heartbreathings: https://heartbreathings.com/
Tue, September 29, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP259 – Email Advertising Lists
What’s working for us. Plus, How to prepare your holiday season Advertising. Christmas is coming whether we like it or not and starting now, as far as advertising is concerned, you need to get your ducks in a row. Spaces will already be dwindling as authors lock in their ads and if you want to have any decent ones, take our advice and get to it today. This week we look at the major sites we use, as well as some of the smaller, and talk about our success, or lack of it, with each. The most important thing, which we will always stress, is that what works for one person might not be as successful for another, and often it’s hard to appreciate why. Cheryl – I’ve only had two Bookbubs and they were for International only. International is fine but nowhere near the scale of the US platform. While I still apply, I don’t consider it a major in any of my advertising. Obviously, if I got the BIG one I’d be more than delighted! My major ad spend is on Written Word Media who host Freebooksy and Bargain Booksy. I choose to use Freebooksy via their series promotions. It is more expensive than promoting 1 book but the rewards are much better as I get the read-through. Sales are more lucrative the more books you have in the series, and you must have at least 3 books. I also use ENT (ereader news today), Robin Reads and Fussy Librarian regularly. For other promo sites to prop up my bigger ones I use, Books butterfly, Red Feather Romance and Booksends. There are many others but for me they simply aren’t worth the investment. Wendy – I’m lucky enough to get a Bookbub most months for my Historical Romance. This has been a game changer! I rarely get them for my contemporary Romance but always apply because you never know if this might the time they choose you. ENT and Robin reads are my next 2 sites I use frequently and I’ll change up the lesser ones each month and fit them around the bigger ones. You should work out your budget first and this will dictate which sites you should apply to. Listen to the podcast for the rest of the discussion and other suggestions at http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com David Gaughran and Nikolas Erik have a more in depth look at all the sites and their costs. https://davidgaughran.com/best-promo-sites-books/ <figure class="wp-block-e
Tue, September 22, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP258 – Nail Your Newsletter with Holly Mortimer
This episode is a DOOZY! We’re thrilled to interview author and marketing expert, Holly Mortimer. Holly is the owner of the consulting firm, The Socialvert, and runs a successful membership base and mastermind for romance writers, The Socialvert Society. Her mission is to teach romance writers how to use digital marketing and email list building to increase their sales and cultivate a loyal fan base. We talk all things email marketing with Holly, and get you some ‘next level’ tips that’ll have your author newsletter nailed! About Holly Mortimer: Holly Mortimer is a self-published author of contemporary romance and sexy women’s fiction. She’s turned her passion for travel into a romance brand that travels the world discovering romance inside small tourism towns in the UK, Europe and North America. Based in the theatre city of Stratford, Ontario, she has self-published eight novels and is currently working on her ninth, a new sexy women’s fiction trilogy following three forty-something women as they explore their own second-chances at finding true love and personal growth. She graduated from college with a diploma in Music Business, and spent many of years working in Nashville, TN, and then Toronto promoting up and coming singer/songwriters. It was on the road with these artists where she found her true love, writing. Combining her love of writing and marketing, she is the owner of the consulting firm, The Socialvert and runs a successful membership base and mastermind for romance writers, The Socialvert Society. Her mission is to teach romance writers how to use digital marketing and email list building to increase their sales and cultivate a loyal fan base. Links: For Holly’s books: https://hollymortimer.com/ For Holly’s author services and courses: https://thesocialvert.com/ Visit the SPA Girls on facebook at: www.facebook.com/SPAGirlsPodcast Watch the live recording of this episode on our SPA Girls YouTube channel
Wed, September 16, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP257 – Juggling Writing & Family Life with Connie B. Dowell
Today we’re interviewing author Connie B. Dowell about juggling family responsibilities, pandemic postponements, and upheaval, with the responsibilities of being a working writer. Connie B. Dowell is an author of historical and cozy mysteries and nonfiction for writers. She is the host of the Book Echoes podcast for authors. After having two kids in less than two years, Connie developed a passion for time management and loves to chat author productivity and work-life balance. A former university writing center coordinator, she loves teaching other writers and guiding them toward success. Connie’s author website: http://conniebdowell.com/ Connie’s coaching website: http://bookechoes.com/ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: www.spagirlspodcast.com Make sure you’re signed up to our weekly self-publishing tips newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bGkz8L Come say hi on Facebook and Twitter @spagirlspodcast
Wed, September 09, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP256 – Self Publishing Versus Traditional Publishing
In response to a listener question, this week we attempt to answer the question: Knowing what you know now, if you were starting out in publishing today, would you go straight to self publishing, or would you try out traditional publishing first? It’s a hard question, because we’re not starting out now, we do know an awful lot more than we did when we first started and when we started (7-8 years ago) everything was different. And also, we all clearly believe in self publishing over traditional…! But… in the interests of helping our listeners make these kinds of decisions, we decided to give you the pros and cons of traditional vs self publishing. It’s a little skewed, we admit that. But we did our best… 🙂 So join us for another great episode!!
Wed, September 02, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP255 – Newsletter Strategies
This episode we discuss our (very!) different newsletter strategies: what provider we use and why, how we build our lists, our content, how frequently we email subscribers and what tips have worked for us. We also cover where to start for newbies – ie, keep it simple and doable! Resources mentioned: Our interview with Larissa Reynolds (two parts): https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep177-successful-newsletter-strategies-with-larissa-reynolds/ Our interview with Maria Luis (two parts): https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep182-facebook-ads-with-maria-luis/ Our interview with David Gaughran: https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep225-amazon-decoded/ Our interview with Tammi Labrecque : https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep145-newsletter-ninja-tammi-labrecque/ Tammi’s book: Newsletter Ninja: How to Become an Author Mailing List Expert Tammi L. Labrecque https://amzn.to/2Q9wZD5
Tue, August 25, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP254 – Interview with Tamsin Ley
Today we’re joined by fabulous Alaskan author, Tamsin Ley , who is seeing great success writing SciFi Romance! We talk about Tamsin’s writing journey, marketing strategies, paranormal romance quirks and her advice for self-publishers. You can find Tamsin at: TamsinLey.com About Tamsin Tamsin Ley builds worlds full of sexy heroes who don’t know they need a mate – that is, until they meet the woman they can’t resist. The romance is sizzling hot, a surprise twist waits around every corner, and the stories will never leave you hanging (although you may still crave more!) Wine-lover, beer-brewer, foodie, serious gardener, and secret zombie prepper, Tamsin lives in Alaska with her husband of twenty something years. In the long days of summer you can find her in the great outdoors, but when the long winter nights set in, she’ll be at the keyboard creating imaginary worlds. Resources mentioned: Susan Kaye Quinn’s website Indies Together Facebook group for authors Come visit the SPA Girls on facebook Watch the live recording of this podcast on the SPA Girls Youtube channel
Tue, August 18, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP253 – Maximize Your Mindset with Amira Alvarez
Amira Alvarez is the founder and CEO of The Unstoppable Woman, a global coaching company helping entrepreneurs, empire builders, athletes, creatives, and rising stars in all fields achieve their dreams and goals in record time. As someone who has made a quantum leap (going from barely making 6-figures to making $700k in one year, then onto 7-figures) and has lived to tell about it, she knows exactly what tactical strategies and mindset shifts are required to get out of your own way, live life on your own terms, and master the art of achieving any goal you set your mind to. Today we’re going to talk to Amira specifically on how we can find focus in this chaotic time, and be productive without burning ourselves out. Learn more at: https://www.TheUnstoppableWoman.com Free Resources: https://theunstoppablewoman.com/freestuff The Unstoppable Woman Podcast: https://theunstoppablewoman.com/listen/ website: TheUnstoppableWoman.com
Wed, August 12, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP252 – Uncomplicate Your Publishing
One thing we really believe in here at the SPA is that simple is better. There’s so much noise on the internet, and so many different things that we’re told that we “have” to do to be successful as self publishers, it can get confusing and overwhelming. So we decided to talk about ways to keep things simple in your publishing career, to prove that it doesn’t have to be complicated to be amazing. With that in mind, this week we talk about our own experiences of keeping things simple, and how it worked out for us. We also give our tips on ways that you can simplify what you’re doing, whilst also amplifying your career…
Tue, August 04, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – Ep251 – Alana Terry, Facebook Ads for Authors
Alana Terry is a 6-figure, USA Today bestseller with more than forty published Christian suspense novels. She hosts the Successful Writer Podcast which is a fabulous marketing-focused podcast for indie authors of any genre. Alana has also created several highly regarded courses to help authors reach their dreams of achieving creative and commercial success. Today we’re going to talk with Alana about how she uses advertising to grow her readership and how authors can navigate the sometimes confusing waters of Amazon ads and Facebook ads! Alana tells us how she got into writing and then we dive into demystifying Facebook Ads in particular. We discuss how you begin including which graphics and text work best. Also how much you’ll need to budget for. Then we move on to what to look for when checking your ads and how to know when and ad is working. Sometimes what you see is not what you get and that’s the case when you factor in advertising one book from a series. Readthrough is so important when calculating return on investment. (ROI)! Naturally we’re interested in any tricks we might use plus we weed out a few myths. You can find Alana’s website at www.AlanaTerry.com Her courses for authors are here: https://successfulwriter.podia.com/ Her course Smart Business for Authors, can be found here : https://your-author-engine.teachable.com/ Watch the recording of this episode on our You Tube Channel
Wed, July 29, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP250 – Celebrating 250 shows!
No, we can’t quite believe we’ve been around this long either! Five years of publishing a new SPA Girls Podcast episode every week, countless amazing guests, industry experts and inspiring authors, lots of banter and (hopefully!) actionable self-publishing advice for our listeners. We go right back to our first episode (don’t worry, we won’t replay it), discuss the ONE piece of advice we’d give to new self-publishers, and talk about what we’ve learned / what’s changed, over the years. Thank you to everyone who’s been on this journey with us, and to those who are new, WELCOME …. we’re looking forward to the next five years! Watch this week’s recording here Join our page on facebook
Tue, July 21, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP 249 – Interview with Story Coach Lisa Cron
Having trouble getting to ‘the end’ of your work in progress? then this podcast is for you. It’s packed with so much information you’ll have to replay it several times! Lisa Cron is a story coach and the author of Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers From the Very First Sentence and Story Genius: How To Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages that Go Nowhere) both published by Ten Speed Press. Lisa works with writers, nonprofits, educators and organizations, helping them master the unparalleled power of story, so they can move people to action – whether that action is turning the pages of a compelling novel, or taking to the streets to change the world for the better. Or both! Her 7 hour video class Wired for Story can be found at CreativeLive.com . Her video tutorial Writing Fundamentals: The Craft of Story can be found at Lynda.com . Lisa’s Website: http://wiredforstory.com/ Lisa’s Creative Live online course: https://www.creativelive.com/class/wired-for-story-lisa-cron
Wed, July 15, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP248 – Dealing With Limiting Beliefs
We’re on the couch again this week! We’re talking about our limiting beliefs and how we’re tackling them. If you’re not sure if you’ve got a limiting belief… we’re pretty sure you do. Probably more than one. It’s a belief that’s holding you back, and it’s the kind of thought pattern that you definitely want to bring out into the open, so you know it’s there, and can work on ways to change or amend it. Limiting beliefs are something you probably think is just a fact, or just true, about yourself or the way things work. Sometimes it’s about the way you react to things, or how you feel about yourself when something happens a certain way. They’re not always obvious, and they’re not always easy to recognise and understand, let alone get rid of! That’s why we decided to talk about how we’ve recognised our own limiting beliefs and what we’re doing to change them, so that you can look at your own beliefs and decide if any of them are holding you back from your dream publishing career! SHOW NOTES: If we don’t think we can be successful for some reason, we won’t be. It’s as simple as that. We can sabotage ourselves without even realising we’re doing it. That’s why it’s so important to know and understand any limiting beliefs we may have so we can work on them! Some examples of limiting beliefs: “I’m just a disorganised person.” “I’m just messy, always have been.” “I’m just not that technical.” “I don’t know how to do it.” “I’ve never done it before.” Gay Hendricks – The Big Leap : “Each of us has an inner thermostat setting that determines how much love, success, and creativity that we allow ourselves to enjoy. When we exceed our inner thermostat setting, we will often do something to sabotage ourselves, causing us to drop back into the old, familiar zone where we feel secure.”
Wed, July 08, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP247 – What Advertising Is Working For Us
This week we discuss what advertising is actually working for our romance, urban fantasy and cozy mystery books. From facebook to series promotions, we’ve picked up some helpfully tips and strategies for getting the most bang of your advertising buck! Trudi’s notes on Facebook Ads: – need more than one book to make it work. (at least to make a profit, if your goals are to get eyes on your book, or get a rank, that might be different.) My new series ads aren’t making me money, because there’s only one book. That’s why I’m frantically writing the next books in the series. – baby steps and you need to have patience. Small iterations win the day. Don’t freak out and give up (like I have in the past) and say they don’t work. Because they work for some people, so why not you too? – Set a budget, make a plan, check every day, but not for long. (data rules the world) – don’t spend all your time on your image, it’s a waste of time. (not a complete waste of time, it’s just that the ad image that wins in a test isn’t always the one you think is the best image.) – Don’t forget to iterate your Amazon page. (this is super important. It doesn’t matter if you have a kick ass ad, if they’re not buying because you’ve got a lame Amazon page, then it’s a waste of time) – Read through is really important for ads – Test everything, including the buttons. (with or without, different ones etc). This can add 5-10% to your conversion, and every little bit helps. – Different things work for different genres. What works for one author might not work exactly the same way for you, but that’s okay. Test until you find what works for you Cheryl’s Notes on Series Promotion through Written Word Media : Book One Free Book Two 99cents Book Three 2.99 Book Four full price Cheryl also discusses how she’s approach promo stacking and using Bookbub ads and new release promo. Wendy’s notes on facebook and fear: FB – doing a budget beginning of each month. Allocate how much to spent on -backlist, -new release etc, -email newsletter signups. Break down each book etc FB- get in and just do it! Wendy also discusses rebranding an entire series, and getting traction without a bookbub; using other plat
Wed, July 01, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP246 – Chirp Audiobooks Promotion
The delightful Carlyn Robertson from Bookbub returns to the SPA today to talk all things Chirp and audiobook promotion! What is Chirp? Chirp is an audiobook retailer powered by BookBub that highlights unbeatable discounts on audiobooks. Chirp offers listeners access to a full catalog of audiobooks that they can purchase á la carte with no subscription fees, but focuses especially on surfacing amazing, limited-time audiobook deals in members’ favorite genres. Their team works with publishers and authors to curate new deals every day, helping you drive significant increases in sales, reach new readers, and boost visibility for your audio titles. Cheryl and Shar quiz Carlyn on: * the key things an audiobook needs for success * pricing best practices * promotion strategies * other tips for audiobook promotion success * how to use bookbub ads to target audiobook listeners * when Chirp will open up to other regions (currently it’s just for US and Canadian residents) Guest Bio: Carlyn Robertson works in product marketing on BookBub’s Partners Team, where she ensures all authors & publishers know how to use BookBub’s tools to achieve their marketing goals. She writes content for the partners blog & website, speaks at conferences, & conducts market research. Find Carlyn at twitter: @CarlynAtBookBub and at Bookbub Partners blog for authors: https://insights.bookbub.com/ Resources: Chirpbooks.com Submit an audiobook for a Chirp deal Findaway Voices Promoting audiobooks with BookBub Ads Previous SPA Girls episodes with Findaway: https://www.s
Tue, June 23, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP 245 – Interview with Urban Fantasy author Keri Arthur
In this podcast, we speak to the wonderfully talented and successful Urban Fantasy author Keri Arthur. She talks to us about transitioning from traditional publishing to self-publishing and shares tips and processes from her writing journey. Keri Arthur is the New York Times bestselling author of fantasy, horror, and romance novels. She began writing at the age of twelve and has more than 70 novels to date. Her books have received many nominations and prizes, including nods from the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards and PNR’s PEARL Awards, and has won RT’s Career Achievement Award for urban fantasy. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her daughter. Keri is perhaps best known for a series of books revolving around the character Riley Jenson, who is a rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf and has a twin brother named Rhoan. Jensen works for an organization in Melbourne called the Directorate of Other Races, which was created to police supernatural races. www.keriarthur.com You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: www.spagirlspodcast.com Make sure you’re signed up to our weekly self-publishing tips newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bGkz8L Come say hi on Facebook and Twitter @spagirlspodcast
Wed, June 17, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP244 – Alex Newton From K-lytics
Knowing as much as you can about your category, genre or sub-genre is vitally important if you’re going to succeed as a self publisher, and Alex Newton is keen to help you with that. He’s the creator of K-lytics ( www.k-lytics.com ) a website where you can get in-depth reports on various genres and sub-genres on Amazon that will help you find your niche, boost sales in your chosen genre, and basically give you the information you need to stand out in this crowded publishing space. Alex explains the reports and how to use them, talks about the Amazon environment and how it works, and also dishes the dirt on the romance genre, giving us some helpful tips along the way! This is a must listen episode! WATCH this episode’s video recording on You Tube and you’ll be able to see Alex’s charts!
Tue, June 09, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP243 – Interview with Ines Johnson (Part Two) : Seven Screenwriting Secrets for Authors
Ines is back to give us great advice for incorporating screenwriting techniques to make our writing stronger and improve read through! Aside from being a writer and professional reader, Ines Johnson is a seasoned educator. She’s taught screenwriting, story development, and media history for an art college in Washington, DC. A lifelong learner (read: academic addict), she holds a Master’s in Instructional Design, and a Doctorate in Educational Technology. Here are those 7 Tips: 1. Seasons: try thinking in 3s (3 book series, 6 book series, 9 book series) – long series FTW! 2. Series / Serial A Series – can be read out of order – in romance, different couples but common element across series such as setting, community, event etc A Serial – needs to be read in order 3. Scene / Beat : a category of action that needs to happen and can be encapsulated by time and space – eg. in romance the “meet cute”, “black moment” etc For beat advice see Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes, Save the Cat, Heros Journey Ines writes in Scrivener and her chapters are usually a beat. There needs to be a purpose for each chapter / beat – needs to move the story forward, not just pretty words. 4. Teaser – in fiction, another name for prologue. Ines recommends downloading TV Scripts to see how they use a teaser at the beginning of an episode to give a jumping point into the story. At the END of Ines’ books, she uses a teaser of the next book to enhance reader clickthrough/buy through 5. Leads / Launches Same meaning for what starts the beginning of each chapter – can be action, character pov, narrative, setting description. Mix them up. So don’t have everyone chapter starting with the same lead (eg someone waking up). 6. Hooks & Twists Every scene needs five things: Scene purpose, goal, motivation, conflict, twist / hook The twist or hook at the end of the chapter or scene is what gets the reader turning the page. It’s asking an “end question” and leaves the reader on a … rather than a period. 7. Open Doors – this is the story question / conflict teaser for the next book. It leaves the door open for the reader to go into the next story. Not a cliffhanger – those don’t resolve the main story. Know your tropes! Ines’ open doors are short – no more than 500 words from the pov of the upcoming MC in next book. Links: Ine
Wed, June 03, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP242 – Interview with Ines Johnson (Part One) : Pen Names & Productivity
This is a special two-part series with the awesome Ines Johnson , a highly successful indie author who has an extensive background in television writing, media production and college education. In this episode, we cover Pen Names and Productivity. Ines has three pen names (that cover different genres) and she is the epitome of an organised, savvy and productive author that has so much to share with us! Topics we discuss include: Her fast-draft process and why Ines doesn’t write by wordcount How she thinks in scenes and seasons per her television writing roots Her advice for managing social media with more than one pen name Why focussing on backlist is a smart strategy Plotting and world building This is a must-listen episode that you will find incredibly motivating. Ines is a powerful educator and this is such a treat to have her in the Spa! (which is also why we’re convincing her to come back next week too 😉 ) Ines Johnson Bio: Lover of fairytales, folklore, and mythology, Ines Johnson spends her days reimagining the stories of old in a modern world. She writes books where damsels cause the distress, princesses wield swords, and moms save the world. Aside from being a writer and professional reader, Ines Johnson is a seasoned educator. She’s taught screenwriting, story development, and media history for an art college in Washington, DC. A lifelong learner (read: academic addict), she holds a Master’s in Instructional Design, and a Doctorate in Educational Technology. Ines’ website: https://ineswrites.com/ Links mentioned: Klytics: https://k-lytics.com/ Ines’ you tube channel for her plotting method and how she sets up her world building doc in scrivener: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClivO7XAP2GCRRz-7Bm3Nhw For all shownotes and previous episodes, visit www.SpaGirlsPodcast.com To watch the video recording of this episode go to the SPA Girls You Tube channel (and please subscribe!): http://www.yout
Wed, May 27, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP241 – Power Words
In this episode we talk about power words. Those take action words that entice your readers to click that BUY NOW button! Research and numerous studies from psychologists and social scientists have come to a consensus on the five most powerful words in the English language. You Free Instantly Because New But first, remember it’s really important to know: – Who you’re writing your advertising copy for – How that person thinks – What that person needs So before you craft your beautiful book description or facebook ad, keep top of mind your understanding of your readers – what tropes they like, what type of hero, what you actually want them to DO (eg buy now, read more, visit website, enter giveaway etc). David Ogilvy (“The Father of Advertising)*’s top twenty power words were: Startling Miracle Revolutionary Bargain Announcing Sensational Compare Improvement Now Suddenly Magic Quick Easy Hurry Wanted Offer Remarkable Amazing Greed words – we want more! Bargain, bonus, cheap, discount, 99c, ultimate, expires, limited, new, now, before, ultimate, value, running out. (don’t miss out!) Curiosity words – what’s going on? hush-hush, banned, be the first, behind the scenes, class full, little known, login required, sneak peek, strange, top secret, unauthorized, insider. (not everyone knows about this…) Sloth words – how can I make this easier? All-inclusive, cheat sheet, downloadable, easy, effortless, kickstart, how-to, in less than, piece of cake, roadmap, freebie, gift, guide, no problem. (I want to do it but only if it’s easy) Lust words – I really, really want this! Captivating, compelling, crave, dirty, mind-blowing, steamy, sex, urge, forbidden, exposed, mouthwatering, naughty. (How can I not want this?) Vanity words – I don’t want to look bad… At the top, amazing, awe-inspiring, boost, booming, fearless, sassy, saucy, spectacular, jaw-dropping, kick-ass, legendary, conquer, courage, hero, dazzling. (How can I be like this?) Trust words – They know what they’re talking about. Approved, accredited, authority, official, results, secure, refund, proven, well respected, world wide, USA Today bestseller, NYT bestseller. (I can trust this to be good) Anger words – This makes me angry! Abuse, agitate, arrogant, backstabbing, foul, greedy, hostile, lies, loser, ruthless, smug, sneaky, brutal, morally bankru
Wed, May 20, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP240 – BETA Readers, ARCs and Reviews
Have you been told you need more reviews, but you don’t know how to get them? Are you wanting to find some BETA readers, but can’t figure out where they lurk? Ever wondered who you send an ARC to, and what you get in return? This is the episode for you! We go through each topic, explaining the terms, telling you how to find more of them, and why they’re all so important to us as writers. SHOW NOTES Beta Readers A BETA reader is a (non-professional) reader who receives a pre-edited (NOT first draft- give them your best writing!) copy of your work. Ideally, this person will be someone who is in your target audience and who reads plenty of books in your genre. Once the BETA reader has read your work, they can provide helpful insight on how to improve your important elements of your story: characters, setting, and plot (point out plot holes and continuity issues). They can also provide suggestions for spelling, grammar, and fact-checking. You should begin gathering a list of BETA readers as early as possible so that you can send your work to them during the revision stage. Do this as soon as you can, giving them enough time to read the book and make notes. A good place to find BETA readers is to reach out on your own social media platforms (if you’re planning on releasing a book, you should already be developing a strong social media presence) or from your mailing list. Make a post for your sites or ask your mailing list if anyone would be interested in providing feedback for your work-in-progress. Make a list of who agrees to do this so you can keep track. ARC Readers – Advanced Reader Copy An ARC (Advanced Review Copy) reader is a person who receives a pre-published copy of your book (usually after final editing, but before proofreading). ARC readers are given a free copy of your book in exchange for leaving an honest book review (typically on Amazon and/or Goodreads) once the book is available for distribution. You should also make a list of ARC readers early on and send the copy of your book at least eight weeks prior to your book launch date. Where do I find ARC readers? <
Tue, May 12, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP239 – How to Be Creative When You Don’t Feel Like It
Sometimes the muse has left the building. Or you’re tired. Or something happens that you weren’t expecting. Yeah, like a pandemic. That’ll do it! There are probably very few people who haven’t felt the panic or sense of doom and gloom in some small way, and others far worse than the SPAGirls. It’s fair to say that we all took a moment (read a week or three) to get our heads back in the game, and even if you didn’t, that’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up about anything you didn’t do or won’t do if that is the case because it won’t change anything or make you feel better. However, if you’re like us, you’ll be ready to get back in the game. Writing is our livelihood, and we’re doing okay, so we thought we’d give you a few things that helped us. Show Notes: Firstly, let’s talk about how you feel. You don’t need a professional to listen, but if that’s how it plays at for you, then go for it. We have each other, but sometimes you need somebody else, right? Someone not to pass judgment but also someone who might offer advice. Someone who understands. Who could that be for you? We’ve talked about plans and how they may have changed. Perhaps it’s now an excellent time to look them over. Can you tweak them to make a new plan? One that suits your life better at this moment and makes more sense. Eg. If a book usually takes you four months from start to finish, working Monday to Friday, you would know precisely how many words that is a day, week, or month. (This is not an exact science, yet it could be the tool to get at least some work done.) Let’s look at the same book again, but with the understanding that the word count simply isn’t going to happen. Now the book could conceivably take six months or even a year. (Maybe way longer if you’re a slow writer or this isn’t your day job.) It’s a ball-park figure only. Or you could reverse engineer it and say I know I can do 500 words a day x 5 days=2500 words per week. Now that’s not too shabby, is it? Then 2500 words per week x 1 month is approx 10k. Maybe this book could be shorter? So, hey, what do you know? In 5 months you have a 50k book. Hurrah! Here are some more tips: – try something new – set a timer – when it’s done, you move on to something else. – go back to when you first started writing and look for your why, or how your schedule used to look – tiny chunks can take the pre
Wed, May 06, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP238 – Simple Marketing You Can Do Right Now
This week the SPA Girls cover free and cheap (and simple!) marketing activities you can do right now! Many of those we talk about require nothing but a short time block and some brain-juice. We hope this inspires you – but please don’t feel like you have to do them All At Once . Chip away, one activity at a time, as you have the time and energy and you’ll be on the road to better marketing. Here are some starters … (1) Tweak book description – add a single BOLD (use html) line at the top of your book descriptions on Amazon – that’s the only line most folk on mobiles see! (2) Add HTML to you book descriptions – use Dave Chesson’s free tool at https://kindlepreneur.com/amazon-book-description-generator/ (3) Check your categories on Amazon. Go to https://www.bklnk.com/categories5.php and put in your ASIN. Be is as many as you can (legitimately) and be OUT of any that don’t suit your book. Contact Amazon via Help and give them ALL the categories you wish to be listed in (full address) You can be listed in up to 10* (4) Do Kindlepreneur’s free AMS Ad course https://courses.kindlepreneur.com/courses/AMS?affiliate=kpreneur (Controversial opinion from Shar – Don’t overwhelm yourself with spreadsheets. Start with $5/day ads to 50-100 of the authors like you (use Goodreads / also-boughts and focus on indie’s only. If you’re game, run ads to book titles only). Spend 15 mins/day and watch your daily spend, daily income, and ranking on books advertised. FOCUS ON THE HOT books – your bestselling (and run to entire series). (5) Write a prequel short story or novella for your best selling book/series – give that away on bookfunnel, social media, anywhere you can give it away. (6) Write an epilogue for your best selling series – give away on social media, use as newsletter freebie, add link to back of relevant book for n/l signups. … and there are plenty more in the podcast! Enjoy! C’mon over to our facebook page and let us know how you’ve applied them. Want to watch this recording in video? It’s posted on our <a href="http://www
Tue, April 28, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP237 – Deep Editing For Beginners
In this episode, we talk with the wonderfully talented author Louisa George. She takes us through the editing process for those starting out in their publishing journey, or those of us who need a refresher on what should be done before we publish our books. The episode is packed full of wonderful tips and advice, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Award-winning author Louisa George has been a book addict her whole life. In between chapters she gained a degree in Communication Studies, trained as a nurse, married her doctor hero and had two sons. Now, she spends her days writing chapters of her own in the medical romance, contemporary romance and women’s fiction genres. Louisa’s books have variously been nominated for the RITA ® Award and the NZ Koru Award (which she won in 2014 and 2016). Her romcom Something Borrowed won the HOLT Medallion in 2017. She currently lives in Auckland, New Zealand and, when not writing or reading, likes to travel, drink mojitos and do Zumba ®- preferably all at the same time. www.louisageorge.com Books mentioned during the episode: -Goal, Motivation, Conflict by Deb Dixon: https://amzn.to/2xedNO9 -Elements of Fiction Writing – Conflict and Suspense by James -Scott Bell: https://amzn.to/2RmWcKK -Story Genius by Lisa Cron https://amzn.to/2JPDzLd -Margie Lawson https://www.margielawson.com/ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at www.spagirlspodcast.com
Wed, April 22, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP236 – Wellness for Writers at Home
If you’re anything like us, you’re sitting around even more than usual at the moment… But never fear, the SPA Girls have you covered! This week we talk with osteopath and pilates instructor Freya Scollay about how to keep active in difficult times, especially if you’re having to stay home more than usual, as well as what we can do as writers to keep ourselves in the best health possible. If you want to find out how to keep yourself healthy and fit in strange and unusual times (or even every day times) this is the episode for you! Find Freya at: https://www.facebook.com/symmetryinmotionpilates/
Tue, April 14, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP235 – Interview with Alessandra Torre
Goodreads for Authors We’re joined in this episode by NYT Bestseller, the fabulous Alessandra Torre , to talk All Things Goodreads. Some authors are wary of Goodreads due to harsh reviews, but there are good reasons to use this platform and in this episode, Allessandra explains why. About Goodreads Founded by Otis Chandler and launched in January 2007, Goodreads is the largest collection of readers and reviewers – with over 55 million members. It’s important that you establish a presence on this social media site – and use all of the free promotional tools it offers! Goodreads is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations. It is a great social media option for someone who doesn’t want to be on social media. You can pop in, make a post and leave. Everything is 100% book related and there is a layer of separation between the readers and authors that gives you a nice amount of privacy. A few things you can do on Goodreads See what books your friends are reading. Track the books you’re reading, have read, and want to read. Check out your personalized book recommendations. Our recommendation engine analyzes 20 billion data points to give suggestions tailored to your literary tastes. Find out if a book is a good fit for you from community’s reviews. Remember to be a good community member. Be polite and courteous. Don’t post anything that might lead to negative feedback! About Alessandra Torre: A New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Alessandra Torre has written twenty-two novels, including three New York Times bestsellers. Alessandra is the creator of Alessandra Torre Ink – an authors community and online school with over 10,000 members. She is also the founder of INKERS CON , an annual authors conference. A self-publishing advocate, Alessandra speaks frequently to universities, conventions and author groups. From her home in Key West, Florida, she devotes several hours each day to various writing projects and interacting with her fans on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. When not battling her husband at Scrabble, she chases her pet chickens, three dogs, and shoos away iguanas. To stay informed, consid
Tue, April 07, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP234 – How To Write When Your Schedule Is Disrupted
Disruption – the entire world is feeling it at the moment, so how can we, as writers, keep our creativity bubbling and stay focussed? It’s hard – we’re not going to deny that – but looking at your schedule and productivity in a different way can help you stay a bit calmer, get some work done and prepare for when you’re on a more even keel. For the Spa Girls, we’ve pivoted a wee bit to bring you Lockdown Sessions – a daily video of around 10 minutes where we just hang out, sometimes discuss self-publishing, but mostly just lift each other up with our usual cheek and bad jokes. Please join us – either on our facebook page or our new You Tube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCckftViKM301hH_MYlFUxXA This was a scary move for us all. We’re used to talking on our podcast now, but didn’t have the some confidence about “putting ourselves out there” on camera. Every day we do it though, we’re a little bit more relaxed, so it’s been a good thing that’s come from
Wed, April 01, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP233 – Ricci Wolman, Written Word Media
This episode we are delighted to welcome Ricci Wolman to the SPA! Ricci is founder and CEO of Written Word Media, the company that created author promo providers Freebooksy, BargainBooksy, Red Feather Romance, NewInBooks, and Reading Stacks. Ricci holds an MBA from Harvard and has over 10 years of experience building online audiences using data-driven customer acquisition techniques. (Which means she’s really good at building newsletters and connecting with customers!) She says that the philosophy of Written Word Media has remained unchanged from the day they launched their first site – to provide authors and publishers an affordable, effective marketing product with which to reach readers, and to help readers of varying preferences and budgets find their next great read. We discuss how Written Word Media began, how it’s developed and serves authors today and how authors can best use promotions companies/mailing lists to boost their brand and their sales. So many additional marketing tips in this podcast – it’s a must listen! Links: Written Word Media Checkout the Spa Girls’ new daily videos The Lockdown Sessions on youtube (please subscribe so Shar will stop begging!) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCckftViKM301hH_MYlFUxXA
S1 E232 · Wed, March 25, 2020
Interview with Lucy Score - Success with KU
If you’ve been wondering about how to make the most of being in KU…this is the episode for you! Lucy Score is the bestselling author of romantic comedy and contemporary romance novels and she’s been doing super well in KU. We asked her to be on the show to tell you how to make the most of being exclusive to Amazon as well! Lucy is smart and savvy, and gave us some fantastic tips, so be sure you have a pen and notepad with you as you listen to this one! She also has one of the best author taglines we’ve seen to date: “Writing romance so steamy, her family can’t look her in the eye!” Find Lucy’s website here.
S1 Enull · Tue, March 17, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – Ep 231 – What And Where To Post On Social Media
Understand Social Media Importance With 5 Benefits to Using It 1 It Shows The World Who You Are With social media, you have the opportunity to highlight all the best aspects of your business with one click. What information would be most useful for your potential and current clients to have easy access to? 2. Target and Attract Your Audience When it comes to the importance of social media, there are so many different purposes – it’s up to you to define how you want to use it! Is your business trying to gain a general following or is there a specific audience that would value from learning about your services? It’s critical to figure out exactly who are you trying to reach with your messages. With the advancements of social media, getting to reach and interact with your audience has never been easier! 3. Embrace Diversity In Your Content Work towards diversifying your interactions by evaluating the best social media platform to share your messages on! Major platforms can reach thousands or millions of people; your next client might be one of them. While social media increases your ability to connect, social media’s importance is also seen by allowing you a variety of options when evaluating which channel is best for you. 4. Create An Attainable Plan Translate your marketing goals into the online sphere! After you have critically assessed your needs as well as what you are looking to do, create a specific plan that to put that into effect. Determine a timeline for your social media campaign and start to create some SMART goals: 5. Easily Track Campaign Results You put in all this effort into planning and building your social media accounts, but how do you measure social media importance? Follow your content and deliverables with ease. The importance of social media comes down to creating a space for you to review and analyse the results of your work with impeccable detail and data! Easily evaluate tracked metrics to your original goals. Checking up on your social media’s data and statistics is a great way to re-evaluate if you are meeting your original intentions. Do not forget that even though social media can be saturated with information, some of your content will still require daily follow-up while others might not require as much attention. IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’RE POST
S1 Enull · Wed, March 11, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP230 – Interview with Cora Seton: The Organised Author
This week, we are absolutely delighted to talk with romance author and superstar, Cora Seton , about writing organisation, branding, mindset and having a stellar strategy. With over one million books sold, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Seton has created a world readers love in Chance Creek, Montana. She currently has thirty five novels and novellas set in her fictional town, with many more in the works. We had the privilege of hearing Cora speak at last year’s Romance Author Mastermind, and we knew immediately she was someone we desperately wanted on our podcast and to share her wisdom with you, our listeners. This episode will get you thinking (deeply) about your approach to your writing career and business. Buckle up, it’s going to be a fabulous ride! Find Cora at : www.coraseton.com
S1 Enull · Wed, March 04, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP229 – How To Write Great Description
How can we write more descriptively? Characters? Setting? What gives “visual” to readers? What is the point of description? – To enrich the readers understanding of a story, to move the story forward, and to help readers see a character. (Description by Monica Wood ;)) So how can we write great description without it sounding cliched, over-written or just plain boring? Listen up and we’ll share all our best description writing tips from ourselves and from some great writing teachers. We’ve compiled some great advice on how to use description effectively in your writing, without overwhelming or underwhelming your readers (or yourself!) … Describing Characters Often descriptions of characters tends to be like “she had red hair, blue eyes and was of medium build.” Consider instead, “She tucked a tendril of red hair behind her ear, and gave me a cheeky smile. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she took off on the trail ahead of me, her pack bouncing on her back.” Which one gives you more of a sense of who the character is? Describing Setting Put characters in uncomfortable situations Setting can be an amazing way to put our characters into uncomfortable positions. Consider the fish out of water kind of scenario, that will amp up a boring scene. A billionaire walks into a dirty dive and, all suited up in an expensive outfit, his Rolex on show, orders a tap beer. Or a whiskey. Or a house wine. Consider your infallible narrator Describe the scene through your character’s eyes (which you should be doing anyway, most of the time), but with an awareness of how they’d see it. Someone who was a neat freak would see a messy caravan set up on a ranch differently so someone who was used to dirt and disorder. Only give a hint as to the setting Readers like to spend time imagining the world for themselves. Beginner writers either describe nothing, and leave readers wondering where the action is taking place, or they describe everything, right down to the red pencil that’s balanced precariously on the edge of the desk. If the red pencil is really important to the story, sure, mention it, but if it’s not, don’t. Give a comparison Using comparisons is a great tip when writing descriptive scenes. (Walking into that room was like walking into battle wearing a suit of armor.) Well you get the idea! Use all your five senses Taste, touch, smell, sound, sight. Use them all. Often we rely o
Tue, February 25, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP228 – Interview with Elana Johnson – PART TWO
In this second episode with bestselling author Elana Johnson, she gives us all the juicy details of how she has created her bestselling career… From the new release strategies that she uses, to the kind of advertising she does, and even the right mindset for being successful – Elana talks about it all. She talks openly about her career, tells us about the mistakes as well as the successes, and gives us all the details on how she managed to have her first 100K month in January 2020. This is another amazing episode with a talented and hardworking indie author! Elana can be found at: http://elanajohnson.com/
Wed, February 19, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – Ep 227 – Elana Johnson Part One – Productivity
USA Today bestselling author Elana Johnson writes adult contemporary beach romance and Christian Cowboy Romance. She’s the author of over 130 books across two names, and in January 2020 just hit a 6 figure month for the first time. We talk to Elana about how she balances her workload because we know she’s doing well on the marketing front which is such a big topic these days and definitely needs to be factored in to your day. Elana works over 2 projects at a time. Once her current WIP and the second is a ‘fun’ project. When the main one is done then the second becomes her current WIP. This way she is always ahead of the game and there’s no wondering what to do next. But the most interesting fact about her amazing productivity is that Elana will write around 8k a day (more if she can) and some of this is around her commitments to her high school daughter. Every wait in the car after school and during practices is utilized. With the help of a car steering wheel desk (yes, it’s a thing!) she manages to work instead of wasting time. When most of us would be checking messages or Facebook Elana has that time factored into her schedule! With these questions and more, be inspired the way we are: – Did you start off being this fast? – Can you tell us how you do it? What are your best tips for the younger player? – What’s the most important aspect of being productive? What’s the most challenging? – Can anyone do it? You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at www.spagirls.podcast.com Join our mailing list to find out when we have any workshops or coaching coming up Come say hi on Facebook or Twitter @spagirlpodcast
S1 Enull · Tue, February 11, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP226 – Romance Your Brand with Zoe York
We are delighted to welcome back NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Zoe York , to the SPA! Zoe is a busy mom of two young boys and the creator of modern, sexy, small town contemporary romances, a sci-fi romance series and now non-fiction for authors. Since 2013, Zoe has published 56 books, lead numerous workshops both in person and online, and is a fellow podcaster – The SisterCast is where Zoe and her sister Amanda talk about media, marketing, and how awesome it is to be a perfectly average mom. Today we talk to Zoe about building a marketable genre fiction series as detailed in her first non-fiction book for writers: Romance Your Brand. For first time ever in print, Zoe York breaks down how she plans a series–something she has done ten times over. Romance Your Brand is an adaptation of an intensive four-week course, now available to authors everywhere. This book covers: high-concept pitches taglines and blurbs world building and casts of characters writing the first book in a series finding comparable series and covers how to write towards future marketing and why ALL OF THE ABOVE should be considered before you write a single word This episode has fabulous marketing advice from Zoe, so get out your notebook and be ready! “The truth is, success is found in trial and error. There’s no magic button, and maybe everything I’ve taught you so far might not be quite right for you. I still think it’s worth trying.” ~ Zoe York.
S1 Enull · Tue, February 04, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP225 – Amazon Decoded with David Gaughran
Is Amazon just one big mystery that you’re struggling to unravel? Then this is the podcast for you! David Gaughran gives us some tips and advice from his soon to be released non-fiction book, AMAZON DECODED. David says it’s important to understand Amazon’s approach to bookselling, and how that differs from the rest of the industry. It’s crucial to get to grips with the Kindle Store and how all the various parts work. And it can be extremely lucrative to apply that knowledge to your marketing strategies. David Gaughran has helped thousands of authors to self-publish their work via his workshops, blog, and books such as Let’s Get Digital, Let’s Get Visible, Amazon Decoded , and Strangers to Superfans . He has been featured in the Telegraph, the Irish Times, the Guardian, the Irish Examiner, the Sunday Times, Huffington Post, Business Insider, Forbes, Mashable, New York Observer, Newsweek Polska, il Giornale, The Star Malaysia, and a smattering of Wanted posters. https://davidgaughran.com/
Tue, January 28, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP224 – Amazing Covers with Rebekah Haskell
Are you about to get your cover organised? Or is there something wrong with the cover you currently have? This is a must listen episode for all authors, but especially for anyone who’s struggling with their covers. Rebekah Haskell is an illustrator and cover designer who has been doing graphic design since she was a kid. She was on the covers panel at 20Books Vegas 2019 , and definitely knows what she’s talking about. She’s got some amazing insights into covers, and definitely knows how to make sure your covers are the best they can possibly be. Learn how to figure out the best cover for your genre, how to work with designers and what your cover needs to be doing for you. I took copious notes, and we all learned something new about covers! My favourite quote from the interview: “Covers are a language, and every genre has its own dialect. You have to learn that dialect. You have to learn what language bestselling covers in your genre are using to communicate with the readers, and then you have to use that language to communicate with your readers as well.” Where to find Rebekah Haskell: www.vividcovers.com Facebook’s The Cover Clinic: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thecoverclinic/
Tue, January 21, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP223 – What’s Your Word?
We love the idea of visualising a word to describe how you’ll be in 2020. What difference could a word make? The answer is, it won’t unless you put it into play every day. If it’s a word that speaks to you, then make the most of it. Use it. Journal about it. Post it somewhere you can see it. Put it in your phone and calendar. You can find out our words and what we intend to do with them in this week’s episode of the SPA Girls Podcast. Helpful resources: How to Craft an Inspirational Mantra to Use All Year Long from Inc.com : “Rather than focus on new year’s resolutions that don’t stick, I prefer to focus on things that help me reach my goals in a more mindful and holistic way.” How To Choose Your Word For The Year from Cultivate What Matters blog : “Open a dictionary and thesaurus. Take your brainstorm list and use an old-fashioned dictionary/thesaurus to start researching your words! Look at the definition of each word, it’s origin, and synonyms and antonyms. You may be amazed at what you discover! “I HAVE MY ONE WORD, NOW WHAT? USE IT Make the most of it. Use it. Journal about it. Post it somewhere you can see it. I wrote it on my whiteboard at work so I see it every day. Likewise, I refer back to the page in my bullet journal often.” ~ via Intentional Pieces.com
Tue, January 14, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP222 – Write It Down, Make It Happen
Are you ready to make 2020 YOUR year?! This week we talk about the importance of physically writing down your goals to make them happen. Wendy is a perfect example of the power of writing them down: In 2006, superstar author Debbie Macomber, attended our Romance Writers of NZ conference where she gave each attendee an index card to write their wildest writing dreams down. Wendy kept her goalcard over the years and as she achieved each goal, she marked it off. Now her entire card has been checked off! As Debbie says in her blog: “One of the best ways to stick with your goals is to write them down. Over the years I’ve used a simple goals worksheet, and kept it in a place that I would see it regularly.” The science behind the power of writing goals down is explained in many books and blogs. Shar’s favorite is Henriette Anne Klauser’s book Write It Down Make It Happen. https://www.amazon.com/Write-Down-Make-Happen-Knowing/dp/0684850028 From Amazon: published in 2000, Henriette Anne Klauser, Ph.D. is a leading expert on communications and writing productivity. While she has written several books intended for writers, Write It Down, Make It Happen is an excellent resource for people struggling to achieve their goals, whatever those goals might be. In Write It Down, Make It Happen, Klauser explains, “The right side of the brain traditionally governs the feeling, non-verbal part of you, while the left hemisphere handles rational thought and logic. When your goal is not working, determine which side you are operating from, and make a conscious shift to the other.” For someone struggling to achieve any goal, understanding the psychology behind how you are experiencing a situation helps you refocus your efforts, rather than becoming mired dow
Tue, January 07, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP221 – Reviving Your Backlist With Laurelin Paige
This episode we are honored to chat with NYT Bestseller, Laurelin Paige , specifically about how we can REVIVE OUR BACKLIST (she defines backlist as a book that’s more than 12 months old). Top tips she discussed in this podcast CRAMMED with amazing advice: 1. Keep a calendar for the upcoming year and write in your new releases, then pad around it with backlist titles for “working” once a month 2. The easiest thing to recharge a book is designing a new cover – even if the old cover is good, people want to look at something new. Don’t be precious with your covers. 3. Change your mindset from traditional book marketers: lean into the strengths that indie gives us – and that’s likely changing covers annually When considering her backlist, Laurelin first looks at making cover changes (for entire series ideally – if you can’t afford to do them all at once, then save up rather than doing one at a time). She tries to pair a cover change with a bookbub / freebooksy / blog tour etc – treat the book like it’s a new thing 4. Experiment with lowering the price. A sale can attract new readers (once every six months). Always put your best book as your freebie. Timeframe – it’s never too early to have a sale. Laurelin likes to wait to get the full price audience to see the book first, then reaches a new audience with a sale. For books in KU, she also prefers using five free days rather than a countdown deal. 5. Free Prequels – experiment with these (cliffhangery endings leading into the first book of the series) Need to be wide (can be just Nook for price matching) if you’re in KU. Can do these before AND after release. Laurelin plans prequels ahead of time. 6. REPACKAGE – especially if getting rights back from trad pubbed books, re-edit, retitle (with a note for readers), recover, always tell readers where to go to the next book. 7. Front and back matter: Laurelin has her full backlist listed in the front matter with a newsletter signup (free book monthly given away thanks to newsletter swaps with similar authors); backmatter focuses on the next step you want readers to take – ie next book. 8. Work your newsletter – send 2 / 3 times per month. Mention your other books frequently. Don’t release then forget them – people need reminding. In every newsletter feature one of your backlist. 9. Marketing is cumulative. You have to keep pushing your backlist. 10. Consider moving in and out of KU if you have more than one book. Treat the move as a new release – do a blog tour etc. 11. Connect books in series, even if there’s no connection for better read t
Wed, January 01, 2020
SPA Girls Podcast – EP220 – Our Goals for 2020
Happy New Year! This episode is a round-up of the goals and visions that we, the SPA Girls, have for 2020. It’s gonna be a big year! It’s the year of opening ourselves up to all the opportunities out there, being efficient, and focusing on the daily wins. We talk about having the right mindset for achieving your goals, how we’re going to make everything happen for us, and how you can make it happen for you too. It’s going to be a great year. Bring on 2020!
Wed, December 18, 2019
Spa Girls Podcast – EP218 – Our 2019 Hits & Misses
This week’s episode is a Spa Girls retrospective of how our 2019 went – what our two big Hits were, and what we found challenging. As usual, we get deep and personal. And cheeky! We’ve also got a wee teaser about our teaching plans for next year – stay tuned for those! Thank you to all our listeners who’ve been so amazingly supportive this year. Your downloads, your comments, your social media shares and your reviews are very VERY appreciated!
Tue, December 10, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP217 – All About BookBrush
Today we interview Kathleen Sweeney, Customer Services Manager and Marketing Lead at BookBrush , an online platform designed to help authors with all their image creation needs. Kathleen helps us delve into what we as writers can get out of BookBrush, and all the features that we can use to create amazing social media and advertising images. She explains the platform, how it works, what options are available and some of her favourite tips to create the right images for your needs. Kathleen also tells us they’re always evolving and working on new and exciting things to help us create those wonderful graphics. “As someone who can be at times technologically challenged, I find BookBrush easy to navigate and am always pleasantly surprised at the quality of the graphics I’m able to produce in a short space of time.” – Wendy xx BookBrush has kindly offered our SPA Girls followers a 15% Lifetime Discount on the Plus Plan. Just use the coupon code: SPAGIRLS15 when you sign up. https://bookbrush.com/ Here is the link for the How To Get Started video: https://vimeo.com/331854725 Here is the link for today’s webinar “Hidden Gems, Tips & Tricks to Help You Make the Most of Book Brush”: https://zoom.us/recording/play/TrzDAkw0XYQXf6WMNjZ1-eBFZKla9uZvo9zZTF97WxSE_I03I3gzNbO3gHdwG98s?continueMode=true Here is a link to our Book Brush blog posts that can help folks learn more about Book Brush: https://bookbrush.com/blog/ Here is the link to the article on Print Codes: https://authors.bookfunnel.com/help/print-codes/
Wed, December 04, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP216 – Sharpen Up Your Author Career
It’s that time of year when we start looking back on the year, wondering how it all flew by so fast, and thinking about what we can do for the coming year. This week we’re talking about another lesson we learned at the Romance Author Mastermind (RAM) – making sure that you’ve crossed the t’s and dotted the i’s on all the areas in your author career, from your backlist to your website and everywhere in between. It’s about making sure everything is as tight and sharp as you can make it, and it turns out that it’s a vital part of your business. If you want to learn how to sharpen up your author career, this is a must listen episode!
Tue, November 26, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP215 – Taking Risks and Being Brave
If you’re anything like the rest of us in the SPA, you’re quite happy in your writing cave. You don’t really want to leave the comfort of your keyboard. But this episode is all about why you really should take risks, be brave, and learn how to say yes to some of the really scary things in the self publishing industry. We’re just recently back from the wonderful Romance Author Mastermind conference put on by Skye Warren, so we use examples from information we learned at this amazing event to help us illustrate our points for this podcast. Another episode full of tips and tidbits that will help your self publishing career!
Wed, November 20, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP214 – Interview with Lindsay Buroker
I (Trudi Jaye) was VERY EXCITED to get to interview super-successful fantasy author and fellow podcaster Lindsay Buroker at 20BooksVegas, and (OMG!!) she didn’t disappoint. Lindsay’s doing really well in the genres of Fantasy, Sci-Fi Romance, Fantasy Romance, and is about to publish a new Urban Fantasy series next year – so she talks about how she makes writing in multiple genres work so well for her career, how and why she switches between fantasy to sci-fi and, of course, how she’s so productive. Even if you’re not like me and a total fangirl, this is a must-listen episode from a super-smart self-publishing author. Check out Lindsay here: www.lindsayburoker.com
Wed, November 13, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP213 – Small Changes, Big Results With Bryan Cohen
This episode we talk with author, podcaster and coach, Bryan Cohen, about making small changes that can add up to big results for authors. We talk about why authors often overlook making small changes and how they can be just as important as big ones. We also discuss some of the most common tweaks that Bryan sees authors making that have made a difference to their success. About Bryan Cohen : Bryan’s taste for improv comedy at UNC-Chapel Hill brought him to Chicago and provided inspiration for his first book, 1,000 Creative Writing Prompts. He has since published 30+ fiction and non fiction books. After starting The Sell More Books Show with Jim Kukral, Bryan used his copywriting experience to create Best Page Forward, a book descriptions business. With 250,000+ downloads of his books and 400+ blurbs written, he created Selling for Authors, a step-by-step training program. In his spare time, Bryan co-hosts a comedy podcast called Something Nice to Say, writes YA fairy tales under the pen name Casey Lane , and captains a soccer team called Zombies FC. Keen to join the SPA Girls in a live workshop? Join our mailing list here and we’ll let you know the minute we have workshop bookings open. Info here: https://selfpublishingworkshop.co.nz/index.html Come say hi on Facebook and Twitter @spagirlspodcast
Tue, November 05, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP212 – Writing Great Characters
We all love it when we’re reading and we fall in love with a character. Not just in the book boyfriend way – although that’s cool too – but in a isn’t-she-so-great-I-wish-I-could-be-just-like-her-or-maybe-just-her-best-friend way. As an author, how do you make that happen for your readers? That’s what we’re talking about this week in the SPA. What makes a great character? How do we make them so memorable that our readers keep coming back for more? What do you need to know about them before you start? And how do you bring them to life on the page? Join us as we dissect everything you might ever need to know about writing great characters! SHOW NOTES: Wendy – I sometimes do a character interview when I get stuck. Who are your family? What’s your backstory etc. – It’s important to like your characters. If they’re mean, then show what made them that way, and also show a lighter side. (Do they like bunnies or something like that) – Give them redeeming qualities. – Your characters have to grow during the book. It’s an emotional journey and you need to share that with the reader. – Often opposites attract when writing a hero and heroine. – They can appear perfect, but can’t really be that way or they’d have no room for change. Trudi – Consider using personality types like Myers Briggs to give you a basis from which to work out your character and their motivations. Use Goal, Motivation, Conflict structure: What is their goal, why do they want it, and what is standing in their way? Examples of possible character motivations: Survival, fear, peer pressure, curiosity, guilt, desire, instability, love, loyalty, honor, obedience, vengeance, inequality, hatred, dishonor, pride, greed, revenge, lust, jealousy, death, humiliation, pain, rejection, loss, regret, shame. Michael Hauge talks about Identity and Essence, and I find this helpful to think about. What is the identity the character is hiding in, and what is the essence that is what they truly want to be (or just could be if they tried or believed differently). Or just g
Thu, October 31, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP211 – Self Care Isn’t Selfish
If you don’t take care of yourself, odds are no one else will. So what does it take to make sure you’re firing on all cylinders? We’ve all got our own take on self-care and yet there are plenty of similarities. Wendy -Remember you are a work in progress, allow room to grow. (no one is perfect) -Call yourself a writer -Stop worrying about what everyone else is thinking. -Limit social media -Make goals achievable -Find your tribe -Take breaks. -Exercise and stretch. Find a stretching routine. Trudi – Writing/working yourself to the bone makes you less productive, not more. – Take breaks to refresh your mind. You will come back thinking clearer and able to do things better. – Look at your negative self talk. What are you saying to yourself? This can be totally sub conscious, and really damaging. – Look after your health, both mental and physical – exercise, eat well, try not to give in to compulsive behaviours. – Schedule and plan, then stick to it. Give yourself breaks in the schedule and stick to them. – Rest is just as important to creative process as working hard. Down time is vital. Shar There’s a very fine line between creativity and mental health and a lot of us at times struggle with depression and anxiety (and a host of other fun things). The reality is, that’s super common in this community and while we all want to lift each other up and be supportive, it also isn’t an excuse for shitty behaviour or letting other people down like service providers, fellow authors and readers. So own it, get help, but don’t use it as a “get out of jail free card” cos tbh, that just makes it harder for everyone else to be understood. I’m crap at self-care personally, but that’s on me and it’s no-one else’s fault – or responsibility – than mine. So I’m trying to walk the talk and walk regularly, get better sleep and practice mindfulness. Cheryl – Be a good community member. Contribute to discussions and you’ll have that reciprocated when you need it. – Get out of the space you’re in and go somewhere else to write or simply recharge. You have the ability and power to work anywhere! – Listen to most things and only hold onto the things that matter to you or can make a difference. – Stretch yourself but not to the point of snapping. – Celebrate your succes
Wed, October 23, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP210 – Slow & Steady to Six Figures with Serenity Woods
Serenity Woods is a New Zealand self-publishing superstar with more than 70 books published (both traditionally and indie). She’s a USA Today bestselling author of sexy contemporary romances, most of which are set in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand, where she lives. Serenity joins the SPA Girls again this week to discuss her publishing strategy and the road to six figures – hint, it’s a marathon, not a sprint! Her SPA Girls Podcast episode from when she last appeared with us at the beginning of 2019 is one of our most downloaded episodes ever. This latest one is sure to be just as popular, with Serenity’s frank honesty, encouragement and keen insight into how you too can be a six-figure author. Find Serenity at: https://www.serenitywoodsromance.com /
Tue, October 15, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP209 – Editing with Anne Victory
Confused about the editing process? Today we talk with talented editor Anne Victory, founder of Victory Editing. Anne has always been a stickler for grammar, and at every job she was “volunteered” (or volun-told) to either write or proofread everything from menus to game manuals to advertising copy. That business writing and editing experience came in handy when she started to work in fiction. She enjoys reading, and polishing the written word. Common wisdom says do what you love and you’ll live a long and happy life. With her background in English literature, grammar, and library science, it was a fairly easy decision to work with authors. We discuss what it takes to work with an editor. What you need to think about when you are editing your manuscript and much more. Anne has written a wonderfully informative book that is a must-read! How to Polish your manuscript in 10 days: https://www.amazon.com/How-Polish-Your-Manuscript-Days/dp/1793364052 Check out Anne at her website: http://victoryediting.com/
Tue, October 08, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP208 – Writing to Market Versus Writing To Trend
What does ‘writing to trend’ mean? Isn’t it just the same as ‘writing to market’? In the SPA, we say NO, they’re not the same…and here’s why: basically, Shar told us so. 🙂 In this episode we explore the two terms, look at the differences between them, what they both mean for you as an author, and how you can use writing to market and writing to trend to help your writing career. If you’ve ever wondered if writing to market was for you, or thought you’d spotted a trend early, this is the episode for you!
Wed, October 02, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP207 – Meeting Reader Expectations
Ah, readers… They’re elusive. Magical. Confusing. But we all want them. This episode, we break down the topic of reader expectations, discussing what they are, what it means for you the author, and how to make sure you are fulfilling your readers’ expectations. Why do readers love certain books? What makes them pick one book over another? And more importantly, how do you make sure your book is the one that readers gravitate towards…? It’s all covered in this week’s episode of the SPA Girls Podcast! SHOW NOTES: Understanding reader expectations As readers, we all expect something when we open a book by our favourite author. And when we don’t get it, we don’t necessarily understand why, but we don’t enjoy that book. Reader expectations is the difference between a book that is dog eared and well-loved, read again and again, passed on to friends and family, kept in pride of place on the bookshelf…and a book that’s thrown away before it’s even finished. It’s important to know and understand the reader expectations in your genre. It’s different for every genre, including ones like literary fiction and women’s fiction. But’s it’s a formula – don’t get it confused with following a formula. People sometimes bristle at the word formula, and don’t want to write something to a preordained script. Writing to appease reader expectations isn’t a formula. It’s making sure your historical romance is set in a historical time, and has a happily ever after attached. It’s making sure your mystery novel has a mystery, usually involving a murder. It’s making sure your epic fantasy is set in a strange realm with magic. It’s making sure your urban fantasy has a kick butt hero or heroine who is surrounded by magic but in the present day. Some examples of reader expectations: The POV in UF is usually first person. The main character is the same from book to book in a series. Same for Mystery novels. The biggest and easiest way to think about this is a romance that doesn’t have a happily ever after (or at least a happily for now). But in romance, you also have to change up the protagonists each time. So any books that are primarily about the romance, like Paranormal Romance, or Historical Romance, or Contemporary Romance will generally change protagonists each time. Imagine an action ad
Wed, September 25, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP206 – Interview with Chris Fox: Ads For Authors Who Hate Maths
This week we have the pleasure of talking with Chris Fox , author of 20+ SFF novels and very popular non-fiction books for writers including his latest, Ads For Authors Who Hate Math. Chris once worked in Silicon Valley developing iPhone apps but he’s now come over to the dark side and very successfully writes books about dragons tearing apart starships, and gods blowing up planets. He published his first book in October 2014, and, in his own words, has sold a shit-ton of books. In this episode we talk about how to run your ads in 30 minutes a day; how to run profitable advertising campaigns using a simple aggregate sales model; and how not to stress out over figuring out your read-through and cost per click numbers. Chris also discusses how to create an audience for your ads, images, symbolic recognition and his key tips for ad copy and pruning ads. If you’re intimidated by advertising (and spreadsheets!) this episode will make you feel a WHOLE LOT better! Resource links: Find Chris at: www.chrisfoxwrites.com Everyone Starts At Zero: https://www.chrisfoxwrites.com/2016/04/13/motivation-everybody-starts-at-zero/
Wed, September 18, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP205 – Why Is My Series Not Selling?
Are your sales getting you down? Do you wish your series was selling better? Can you resuscitate it or is it DOA? This episode we talk through some of the possible reasons that your book or series might not be selling. From cover, editing and blurb writing, to content, tropes, meeting reader expectations, and much, much more. We attempt to help you troubleshoot what might be wrong, and what you can do to amp it up, make it work, and sell more books! Questions to ask yourself: Firstly look at editing, cover, blurb – are they top notch? Then content – is it hitting tropes? Is it straddling genres? Is it giving readers the emotional ride they’re expecting? What’s the word length? Is it usual for that genre? Are you giving readers a natural place to stop? Dont! How frequently are you publishing? How many in the series? Are they original stories or previously published? What does the look inside read like? What’s your author bio saying about the stories you can deliver to your readers? What’s your read through rate? Calculate it What other books are on your digital shelves? What reputation does your penname have? (Previous history) Have you considered republishing under new pename? Where are you selling? wide vs exclusive? How’s your newsletter game? How are you promoting? What advertising are you doing? Be open to pivoting Play the long game and don’t get discouraged – every book you’ve written to date, regardless of sales, is just one more step up the ladder. Write what sells – you find this out by looking at the stores!
Wed, September 11, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP204 – Snappy Beginnings With Amy Andrews
Ever been in a bookstore and opened a book to read the first couple of pages? (Or clicked the look inside on Amazon?) Ever put the book back, deciding it wasn’t that interesting? Yep, we have too. And that’s exactly what we talk to Australian romantic comedy author Amy Andrews about this week. She takes us through the concept of first pages, and how to make sure readers not only pick up your book, but find they can’t put it down again (until they’ve reached the end!). Should you start with dialogue? What words should you cull? Exactly what are readers looking for? Find out the answers to these questions and many more in this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast! Check out Amy’s website here: http://amyandrews.com.au/about/
Wed, September 04, 2019
SPA Girls – EP203 – How to Fail to Succeed
Do you feel like your writing career is filled with mistakes? Failures? Problems? Good! That means you’re putting yourself out there, trying new things, and moving in a positive direction in your writing career. If you’re not doing any of the above…start right now! Why, you ask, in horror? Because having a pile of failures next to your name means you’re getting out there and doing things in your author business. If you talk to the most successful entrepreneurs in the world, they’ll all tell you stories of the times they failed, the businesses that didn’t quite go as expected, and the problems they had to overcome. And that’s okay, because learning how to fail is integral to succeeding. It teaches us resilience, determination, and persistence. It shows us that we’re human, and that it’s okay to make mistakes, as long as we keep going. On the flip side, if you aren’t doing anything, you won’t fail. Guaranteed. Which would you prefer? SHOW NOTES: Failure is the chance to learn and grow – it’s not the end, it’s the beginning and an opportunity to evolve and improve your publishing / writing. Shar’s notes: Failure helps you conquer Fear Of Future Failure – from Psychology Today article ” Fear of failure is the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reaction to the negative consequences you anticipate for failing to achieve a goal. It is the intense worry, the negative thinking, and the reluctance to take action you experience, when you imagine all the horrible things that could happen if you failed to achieve a goal.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smashing-the-brainblocks/201712/why-fear-failure-can-keep-you-stuck The Podcast “How To Fail” by Elizabeth Day features interviews with people about their failures and has written a book of the same name. She talks about failure as a key to success. Day’s advice is to remember that we all fail which is obvious and comforting! “We are all going to fail in our life, that’s a fact. You might as well build up emotional resilience and you might as well confront failure so that the next time it happens, because it will happen, you feel better equipped, stronger and you can learn more from it.” ~ https://www.stylist.co.uk/life/tips-on-how-to
Wed, August 28, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP202 – Bookbub Ads With Melissa Storm
If you’ve been thinking about trying out Bookbub ads, then this is the episode for you! Melissa Storm was at the RWNZ conference in Christchurch with us, and we stole her away and made her tell us all about Bookbub ads just for you, our lovely listeners… From what Bookbub ads actually are, to what you’ll need to set one up, and all the tips and tricks in between, Melissa gives us everything you’ll need to be successful. Don’t miss this episode, it’s a doozy! For those of you who want the special code for the Bookbub ads course, go to Melissa’s site: https://your-author-engine.teachable.com/ As per the podcast, put in the code for a special discount: HOKEYPOKEY
Wed, August 21, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP201 – How To Avoid Saggy Middles
We’ve all had experience with saggy middles… (And no, we’re not talking about our stomachs…) Have you ever gotten to the middle of your manuscript and wondered what on earth you’re doing? Do you end up cleaning the whole house instead of getting back to your daily word count? Does it feel like you’re typing through concrete, and you couldn’t concentrate on getting more words down for the life of you? This is the episode for you! We talk about the middle of our books, what they should have in them, and how you can get over that terrible saggy story that sometimes emerges in the middle. We talk about getting over your blocks, fixing what might be wrong, and how to set yourself up for success. This episode is all about how to survive when you’ve moved past the exciting beginning, and are still miles from that thrilling ending… Resources mentioned: Michael Hauge https://www.storymastery.com/ Stuart Horwitz’s book Blueprint Your Bestseller James Scott Bell’s book Plot And Structure <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="324" height="499" src="http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/a3.jpg" alt="" data-id="1782" data-li
Wed, August 14, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP200 – What We’ve Learned From Our Amazing Guests
Here it is. Our 200th Episode! Yay! Who’d have thought that we’d ever make it this far?? First of all, we’d like to say thank you to everyone who listens to the show, we appreciate you all! It’s been an amazing few years, and we’ve loved every minute of it. This week is a celebration episode, where we look back over those 200 episodes, and talk about the common traits of all the successful self publishers we’ve spoken to. From the humbleness of Bella Andre and the flexible nature of Serena Woods, to the smart work ethic of Skye Warren and the focus of Kathryn Le Veque, we cover it all. We will give you the ultimate list of self publishing traits that will help you rise to the top of the Indie pile! Don’t miss it! Podcast interviews mentioned in the 200th Show Bella Andre http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep148-interview-with-indie-superstar-bella-andre/ Serenity Woods http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep171-interview-with-serenity-woods/ Kathryn LeVeque http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep159-interview-with-kathryn-le-veque/ Skye Warren http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep191-seven-figure-success-with-skye-warren/ Zoe York http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep65-interview-with-zoe-york/ Geoff Symon http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/
Wed, August 07, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP199 – Interview with Adam Croft
Want to hear how a world-wide bestselling author got to where he is today? Join us as we talk to UK crime novelist Adam Croft about his writing career, including how he generates his ideas, how he writes, and how he creates those amazing hooks that he’s so well known for. (No, really, would you murder your wife to save your daughter? And what would happen if you were married to a serial killer?) He also discusses the mindset shift he had to have before he could become a bestselling author and why he believes the best way to be successful as an Indie is by having a long term, organic, business-minded view of publishing. We loved talking to him for his sensible, rational view of publishing, and also for his smooth British accent…and you will too! You can find him at: https://www.adamcroft.net/
Wed, July 31, 2019
SPA Girls Podcast – EP198 – Find Your Sparkle With Julie Schooler
Has your sparkle gone soggy? Are you wondering why you’re not happier? Have you lost your creativity? Then this is the episode for you! We talk to fellow Kiwi author, Julie Schooler, about how to find your sparkle, and wake up happier! Many of us have lost the ability to dream big. We’re dealing with problems at every turn. It’s actually harder to be happy than it is to be sad. So in this episode, Julie gives us a whole bunch of really cool ways to actively be happy and turn our lives around. In fact, she gave us so many great ideas on how to tap into our creativity and imagination by becoming happier, that our minds were blown. In the kindest way possible, we hope yours are too! You can find Julie at: https://julieschooler.com/
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