SPA Girls Podcast

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

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.

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. Find Kathryn at: https://kathrynbouseleveque.com/ Dragonblade Publishing: https://www.dragonbladepublishing.com/ Kathryn’s previous appearance on the SPA Girls : http://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep159-interview-with-kathryn-le-veque/ 💗 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

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 and info

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

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.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info 😊Watch the recording on our YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast

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 – 👉️ Best Book Promotion Sites in 2023 • David Gaughran FB takeovers, newsletter swaps, etc

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  SPA Girls Podcast – EP378 – Be A Newsletter Ninja with Tammi Labrecque Mark Dawson’s Ads For Authors course  💗 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

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

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 authors and industry experts and contain up to date and actionable information. This conference access will: Reveal the latest business strategies that successful authors are using Show you how to increase sales, monetize your art and streamline efforts Propel you to write better novels, with more ease and confidence Help you break through plateaus so you can earn a consistent and dependable income Motivate you to confidently take the next steps in your career Allow you to connect with fellow authors in 50+ live video discussions Provide transcripts, slide decks, audio recordings, and video for maximum retention What’s Included in your online access ticket: 27 Premium Presentations For Authors… $997 value 12 Q&A’s with Bestselling Authors… $297 value Interactive Author Networking and Industry Discussions…. $397 value Private Online Author’s Community… $197 value Six years of access to this amazing content! —————————————— Total Value…. $1888 Your investment… $249 – less $50 with our discount code! All you have to do is use our coupon code, and you’ll get $50 off the price of a ticket, plus we’ll throw in a few freebies! You’ll get: Free copy of our book “Kick Author Overwhelm to the Curb”, Our productivity cheat sheet for authors (usually only available to our mastermind members!) And our Marketing 101 info sheet (packed with great marketing advice!). Head over to www.inkerscon.com and use the coupon code SPAGIRLS to get the deal! (To get your bonuses, send us a screenshot of your purchase and make sure you use our coupon code!)

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. http://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 their readers. Explore Ream 💗 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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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 https://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 SPA Girls Podcast – EP358 – Six Figures through Subscriptions with Emilia Rose SPA Girls Podcast – EP370 – Running A Successful Kickstarter – with Steffanie Holmes 💗 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

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

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! 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

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 YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast

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

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 YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast

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.

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 YouTube Channel @spagirlspodcast

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

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 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

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.

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.

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

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

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! 

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

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!

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 providerWhat red flags should you look for before you plunk down your $$ Mentioned in podcast:Maggie StiefvaterMargie Lawson – Dialogue courseLisa Cron – SPA Girls podcast EP#249 Creative live.comInkers Con – Allesandra Torre – SPA Girls Podcast EP235RWA Recordings – Jennifer Lynn BarnesMark Dawson – SPF coursesBecca Syme – write better fasterUdemyHolly Darling – newsletter – we interviewed Holly (then Holly Mortimer) EP#258Tammi Labrecque – newsletterninja.netDavid Gaughran – free Starting From ZeroSteff Green – Rage Against the Manuscript

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

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!

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

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 http://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.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

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

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. 🙂

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

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

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 http://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep230-interview-with-cora-seton-the-organised-author/ Laurelin Paige – #EP221 Revive Your Backlist http://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-ep221-reviving-your-backlist-with-laurelin-paige/ Morgana Best – #EP188 and #357 http://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep188-cozy-mysteries-with-morgana-best/ http://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep357-selling-direct-with-morgana-best/ Bella Andre – #EP148 Indie Superstar Bella Andre http://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep148-interview-with-indie-superstar-bella-andre/ Renee Rose – EP#365 Write To Riches & #EP293 Abundance Mindset http://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep365-write-to-riches-with-renee-rose%ef%bf%bc/ http://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-ep293-abundance-mindset-for-authors-with-renee-rose/ Lee Savino – #EP348 Millionaire Author Mindset http://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep348-millionaire-author-mindset-with-lee-savino/ Skye Warren’s Romance Author Mastermind https://romanceauthormastermind.com/ Cathy Heller – Don’t Keep Your Day Job Podcast https://www.cathyheller.com/blog/

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

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. 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

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

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

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

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 www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info