SPA Girls Podcast

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 

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

Building a deep connection between your characters and your readers is whatcreates 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

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

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://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

* 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 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

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 seriesHow to find and use your target market to satisfy hungry readersHow to use foreshadowing and cliffhangers to create binge-worthy instalmentsHow 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

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! 

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/spagirlspodcast All SPA Girls Podcast Episodes, Resource Links and free Self-Publishing Info at www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com

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: https://www.truity.com/test/type-finder-personality-test-new Purdue Writing resources: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/index.html

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.combookbrush.comcoolors.co (for color palettes)covervault.comcreativelive.compracticaltypography.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

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! 

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

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 www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com

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

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, Publicistwww.inretrospectwritingservices.comhttps://in-retrospect-marketing-academy.thinkific.com/Twitter:@LSue23Instagram: 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

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 numbers to see if what you’re doing is working. Adjust things to see what might make a difference.  Two things that made a big difference for Zoe: Introducing 3 lost leaders in 1 year which lifted her sales. Became serious about her Newsletter. Seriously, there is so much more so come listen! You can find Zoe at https://www.zoeyork.com And her book Romance Your Goals https://www.amazon.com/Romance-Your-Goals-Publishing-Book-ebook/dp/B0948F1HKS/ Eisenhower matrix https://miro.com/aq/ps/templates/eisenhower-matrix/ 💗 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

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 Children’s Literature and Journalism.  She has a quarter acre with four chickens AND a vege garden and keeping them both alive might be the topic for her next non-fiction book. Resources mentioned: https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Ads-Authors-Strategies-Books-ebook/dp/B07TVXQBMY/ Authors Optimizing Amazon and Facebook Ads – Support Group 20BooksTo50K® 💗 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 www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com

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

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

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

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

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

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://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/join/ You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: http://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/ Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ How To Self-Publish with the SPA Girls Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast

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

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 Sinekhttps://www.amazon.com/Start-Why-Leaders-Inspire-Everyone/dp/1591846447 Find Your Why by Simon Sinek https://www.amazon.com/Find-Your-Why-Practical-Discovering/dp/0143111728/ Simon Sinek Ted Talk: TEDxMaastricht – Simon Sinek – “First why and then trust” 💗 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

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/

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!!! 

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 SPA Girls ✔️ Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast SPA Girls Podcast – www.spagirlspodcast.com

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.

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

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 Trendhttp://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep297-fallyn-briggs-writing-to-trend-v-writing-to-market/ Patricia McLinn – http://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep189-pantsing-with-patricia-mclinn/ Access your inner wisdom – interview with psychotherapist, Linda Pucci : http://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep314-interview-with-linda-pucci/

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: https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/reader-reach 💗 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

“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

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-promotionGroup 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)GoalsFinding 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  

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

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 authors on our website * Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @SPAGirlsPodcast * Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast

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

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 fromWHO is giving itHOW it can derail youHOW it can also put you on the right pathWHAT filters to apply so you’re listening to the right adviceWHAT 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

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

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

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

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

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

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 authorsWhy doing Less is betterHow to create your own marketing plan around what brings you joyThe “bumper sticker test”Tough truths: Every bestselling author is marketing their books and whyMaking 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 listHow amazon ads work with your marketing strategy – and it’s not just about building your salesWhy data is your secret weapon And finally, we also discuss how everything, including your book, has a sales cycle. About RoseanneRoseanne 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/

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 ChengRoseanne 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/

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” 📧 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

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/

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: Podcast Episodes ✔️ Subscribe and Watch episode recordings on YouTube @ How To Self-Publish with the SPA Girls ✔️ Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SPAGirlsPodcast

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