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Want to write, publish, and market your book, but feel overwhelmed by where to start?
Write the Damn Book Already breaks down the writing process, self-publishing, and traditional publishing so you can move from idea to finished book with clarity and confidence.
Hosted by Elizabeth Lyons—author, book writing coach, book editor, and self-publishing expert—this show untangles the often-confusing world of writing and publishing. From first draft to finished manuscript, indie publishing to traditional publishing, Amazon strategy to long-term book visibility, you’ll get practical guidance and honest conversations about what it really takes to get a book into the world.
Through solo episodes and interviews with both traditionally published and indie authors—across fiction and nonfiction—Elizabeth brings a well-rounded, no-hype perspective to the publishing industry. Whether you’re working on memoir, nonfiction, or a novel, you’ll walk away with clearer next steps and fewer mental roadblocks.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
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Ep 167: Self-Publishing Surprises with Allie Hill
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May 06, 2026 |
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Ep 166: Writing the Book That Scares You a Little (with Rachel Beanland)
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Apr 29, 2026 |
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Ep 165: How to Write a Memoir That Actually Lands With Rachel Weaver
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Apr 22, 2026 |
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Ep 164: Why Your Manuscript Stalls (and What Actually Helps)
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Apr 15, 2026 |
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Ep 163: The Truth About Traditional Publishing Nobody Tells First-Time Authors
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Apr 08, 2026 |
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Ep 162: From Academic to Fiction Author with Jennifer Brown
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Mar 25, 2026 |
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Ep 161: How to Avoid Getting Banned on Amazon: 5 Essential Tips for Indie Authors
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Mar 18, 2026 |
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Ep 160: The Hidden Struggles of TV and Book Success with Liz Astrof
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Mar 11, 2026 |
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Ep 159: Start at the End with Emma Grey
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Mar 04, 2026 |
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Ep 158: Inside Alexandra Potter's Writing Process
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Feb 25, 2026 |
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Ep 157: The Challenge of Anonymity in Memoir Writing
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Feb 18, 2026 |
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Ep 156: New Ebook Strategies for Indie Authors (2026)
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Feb 11, 2026 |
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Ep 155: A Lawyer's Flawed Characters Challenge the Idea of "Happily Ever After" (with Sarah Vacchiano)
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Feb 04, 2026 |
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Ep 154: Cassie Miller's Path to "Meet Me Under the Lights" (YA Contemporary Romance)
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Jan 21, 2026 |
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Ep 153: Authors: Overcoming the Fear of Failure
|
Jan 14, 2026 |
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Ep 152: Building Your Author Email List
|
Jan 07, 2026 |
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Ep 251: 2026: The Year of Ease, Not Hustle
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Dec 17, 2025 |
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Ep 150: Author & Book Marketing in 2026 with Jenn Hanson-dePaula
|
Dec 10, 2025 |
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Ep 149: Favorite Reads of 2025
|
Dec 03, 2025 |
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Ep 148: 5 Self-Publishing Mistakes First-Time Authors Make
|
Nov 26, 2025 |
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Ep 147: 5 Editing Rules that Instantly Improve Any Nonfiction Manuscript
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Nov 19, 2025 |
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Ep 146: I Wanted To Be Wonderful with Lihi Lapid
|
Nov 05, 2025 |
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Ep 145: Quick Wins For Self-Publishing Authors
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Oct 29, 2025 |
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Ep 144: What I'd Tell You About Book Writing (If I Wasn't Afraid You'd Block Me)
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Oct 22, 2025 |
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Ep 143: From Starbucks Barista to Thriller Novelist with Julie Doar
|
Oct 08, 2025 |
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Ep 142: Writing, Endings & Publishing Myths with Novelist Turner Gable Kahn
|
Oct 01, 2025 |
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Ep 141: From Fantasy to Memoir with Betsy Cornwell
|
Sep 24, 2025 |
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Ep 140: Writing Tips from Bestselling Author Jane Hamilton
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Sep 17, 2025 |
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Ep 139: How Indie Authors Can Shield Their Book from Copyright Infringement
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Sep 03, 2025 |
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Ep 138: How to Choose Best Kindle Keywords for Your Book (Guide for Indie Authors) (2025)
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Sep 02, 2025 |
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Ep 137: Amazon Ads for Authors Made Simple - FAQs
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Aug 20, 2025 |
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Ep 136: Writing a Novel While Raising Kids with Jill Beissel
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Aug 06, 2025 |
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Ep 135: Q&A: Kirkus Reviews, Writing with AI, and Bestseller Status
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Jul 30, 2025 |
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Ep 134: Crafting Complex Narratives with Lauren Oliver
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Jul 23, 2025 |
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Ep 133: Living Proof with Tiffany Graham Charkosky
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Jul 16, 2025 |
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Ep 132: What Nobody Tells You About Making Your Book "Take Off"
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Jul 09, 2025 |
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Ep 131: The Paper Palace and Beyond with Miranda Cowley Heller
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Jul 02, 2025 |
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Ep 130: When Fiction Meets AI with Lori Gold
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Jun 25, 2025 |
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Ep 129: From LinkedIn to Penguin Random House with Gigi Robinson
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Jun 18, 2025 |
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Ep 128: Book Publicity with Emily Florence
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Jun 11, 2025 |
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Ep 127: On Writing...Everything, with Melissa de la Cruz
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Jun 04, 2025 |
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Ep 126: Murder on the Page with N.L. Blandford
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May 28, 2025 |
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Ep 125: The Business of Being a Writer with Jane Friedman
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May 21, 2025 |
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Ep 124: From Attorney to Romance Author with Audrey Ingram
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May 14, 2025 |
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Ep 123: Reality TV and Romance with Neely Tubati-Alexander
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May 07, 2025 |
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Ep 122: From Nanny Diaries to The Best We Could Hope For, A Conversation with Nicola Kraus
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Apr 30, 2025 |
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Ep 121: Lights, Camera, Book Launch with Noël Stark
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Apr 23, 2025 |
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Ep 120: Writing a Novel (While Your House Falls Apart) with A. Morini
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Apr 16, 2025 |
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Ep 119: Inside Hybrid Publishing with Naren Aryal
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Apr 09, 2025 |
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Ep 118: Jordan Roter on her Journey From TV Writer to Novelist
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Apr 02, 2025 |
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Ep 117: Unconventional Ways to Promote Your Book (Without Breaking the Bank)
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Mar 26, 2025 |
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Ep 116: Beta Readers, Plot Twists, and Audiobook Magic with Nanda Reddy
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Mar 19, 2025 |
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Ep 115: The Tortoise Strategy-How Slow and Steady Wins the Publishing Race
|
Mar 12, 2025 |
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Ep 114: Getting Amazon Reviews That Sell More Books (The No-Cringe Guide)
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Mar 05, 2025 |
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Ep 113: Amazon Book Sales: What’s Working (and What’s Not) with Dave Chesson
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Feb 19, 2025 |
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Ep 112: Keyword Tips for Getting More Amazon Book Sales
|
Feb 05, 2025 |
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Ep 111: Behind the Scenes of Hybrid Publishing
|
Jan 29, 2025 |
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Ep 110: ISBN Essentials for Indie Authors
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Jan 22, 2025 |
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EP 109: From TV Writer to Author with Michael Jamin
|
Jan 08, 2025 |
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Ep 108: Passionately Crafting Memoir and Nonfiction with Patti Hall
|
Dec 11, 2024 |
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Ep 107: Author Marketing Strategies with Jenn Hanson-dePaula
|
Dec 04, 2024 |
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Ep 106: Writing Rom-Coms with Jane Costello
|
Nov 27, 2024 |
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Ep 105: Book Events (that Actually Sell Books) with Traci Thomas
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Nov 20, 2024 |
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Ep 104: Writing Personal Essays with Amy Wilson
|
Nov 13, 2024 |
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Ep 103: Memoir Writing with Sarah Gormley
|
Oct 30, 2024 |
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Ep 102: Literary Suspense with Sarah Sawyer
|
Oct 09, 2024 |
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Ep 101: Amazon Ads for Authors
|
Oct 02, 2024 |
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Ep 100: Navigating the Publishing Industry with Megan Tady
|
Sep 25, 2024 |
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Ep 99: The Novel AFTER a Bestseller, with Emma Grey
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Sep 04, 2024 |
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Ep 98: Wide vs. Amazon Exclusive: Understanding eBook Distribution Strategies
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Aug 28, 2024 |
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Ep 97: Offering Pre-Orders as a Self-Published Author
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Aug 14, 2024 |
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Ep 96: How to (Easily) Form a Publishing House
|
Aug 07, 2024 |
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Ep 95: Conquering Nonfiction and Memoir Chaos
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Jul 31, 2024 |
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Ep 94: WTH is an ISBN?
|
Jul 24, 2024 |
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Ep 93: The Art of Short Stories with Mary Jones
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Jul 17, 2024 |
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Ep 92: How to Navigate Writing Detours
|
Jul 10, 2024 |
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Ep 91: From Playwright to Novelist with Gail Priest
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Jun 19, 2024 |
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Ep 90: Creating Audiobooks with Drew Linsalata
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Jun 12, 2024 |
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Ep 89: When Fiction Incorporates History with Joselyn Takacs
|
Jun 05, 2024 |
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Ep 88: Writing From Multiple POVs with Ava Dellaira
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May 29, 2024 |
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Ep 87: Best Writing Advice (from Published Authors)
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May 15, 2024 |
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Ep 86: Understanding Indie Publishing Options
|
May 08, 2024 |
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Ep 85: Book Marketing Tips from Publicist and Industry Expert Kathleen Schmidt
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May 01, 2024 |
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Ep 84: Releasing the Sophomore Novel with Donna Norman Carbone
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Apr 24, 2024 |
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Ep 83: Self-Publishing Cookbooks and Children's Books
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Apr 17, 2024 |
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EP 82: On Submission with Diana Naranjo (Memoir)
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Apr 10, 2024 |
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Ep 81: The Short Chapter on Permission
|
Apr 03, 2024 |
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Ep 80: How to Avoid Copyright Infringement (and Other Listener Questions)
|
Mar 20, 2024 |
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Ep 79: Querying Literary Agents with Lauren Kay
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Mar 13, 2024 |
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Ep 78: Traditional Publishing Lessons with Neely Tubati Alexander
|
Mar 06, 2024 |
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Ep 77: Indie Publishing with Fiction Author Kathryn Biel
|
Feb 28, 2024 |
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Ep 76: When Going Viral Goes Very (Very) Wrong
|
Feb 21, 2024 |
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Ep 75: Writing Novels in the Operating Room with Elle Evans
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Feb 14, 2024 |
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Ep 74: First comes publisher, then comes agent, with Julie Chavez
|
Feb 07, 2024 |
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Ep 73: From Memoir to Fiction with Zibby Owens
|
Jan 31, 2024 |
|
Ep 72: Simple (and Essential) Reminders for Authors
|
Jan 24, 2024 |
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Ep 71: From Attorney to Author with Novelist Jessica Saunders
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Jan 17, 2024 |
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Ep 70: Self-Publishing Predictions for 2024
|
Jan 10, 2024 |
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Ep 69: Women's Fiction Writing with Sarahlyn Bruck
|
Jan 03, 2024 |
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Ep: 68: Creating Companion Journals for Your Book
|
Dec 20, 2023 |
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Ep 67: What Authors Will Need Most in 2024
|
Dec 13, 2023 |
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Ep 66: Reigniting Your Writing Passion: Strategies for Discipline, Inspiration, and Accountability
|
Dec 05, 2023 |
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Ep 65: Novel Writing with Donna Hemans
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Nov 29, 2023 |
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Ep 64: Novel Writing with Ann Garvin
|
Nov 15, 2023 |
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Ep 63: Fictionalizing Real Life with Pamela Kripke
|
Nov 08, 2023 |
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Ep 62: Writing Through Grief with Emma Grey
|
Nov 01, 2023 |
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Ep 61: Living Out Your Book's Message with Bethany Clemenson
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Oct 25, 2023 |
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Ep 60: The Art of Reissuing a Book with Alix Strauss
|
Oct 11, 2023 |
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Ep 59: After 6 books, what I wish I'd known sooner...
|
Oct 04, 2023 |
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Ep 58: From Traditional to Hybrid with Kristen McGuiness
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Sep 27, 2023 |
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Ep 57: Green Flags to Look for in a Publisher
|
Sep 20, 2023 |
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Ep 56: Navigating the Post-Publication "Funk"
|
Sep 20, 2023 |
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Ep 55: How to Write While Feeling Discomfort with Joanna Hardis
|
Sep 13, 2023 |
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Ep 54: Romance Writing and Marketing with Novelist Mary Belle
|
Sep 06, 2023 |
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Ep 53: Between the Lines: Navigating Book Editing
|
Aug 30, 2023 |
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Ep 52: ISBN Insights: What Authors Need to Know About Book Identification
|
Aug 23, 2023 |
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Ep 51: From First Draft to Book Deal with Novelist Neely Alexander
|
Aug 16, 2023 |
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Ep 50: Publishing Models: Unraveling the Paths to Bookshelf Success
|
Aug 09, 2023 |
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Ep 49: Unlocking the Creative Process: Insights from Novelist Jamie Varon
|
Aug 02, 2023 |
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Ep 48: The Power of Reels to Grow an Author's Audience
|
Jul 26, 2023 |
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Ep 47: Interview with Author and Book Coach Lauren Eckhardt
|
Jul 18, 2023 |
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Ep 46: When to Rethink Your Book's Core Message
|
Jul 13, 2023 |
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Ep 45: Does Your Writing Feel "Stuck"? Consider This...
|
Jul 05, 2023 |
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Ep 44: Interview with Rob Schwartz (The Wisdom of Morrie)
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Jun 28, 2023 |
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Ep 43: Donna Norman-Carbone (All That is Sacred)
|
Jun 21, 2023 |
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Ep 42: Interview with Jill Krzyzanowicz (aka Margo Reilly)
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Jun 14, 2023 |
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Ep 41: Interview with Cara Sapida
|
Jun 07, 2023 |
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Ep 40: How to Sell 2589 Books in 30 Hours (guest: Sam Garcia)
|
Jun 01, 2023 |
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Ep 39: Interview with Neely Alexander, author of Love Buzz
|
May 17, 2023 |
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Ep 38: How to Choose the Right Publisher
|
May 05, 2023 |
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Ep 37: Interview with Dr. Tanmeet Sethi (Joy is My Justice)
|
May 02, 2023 |
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Ep 36: Interview with Megan Tady (Superbloom)
|
Apr 25, 2023 |
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Ep 35: I Want to Write a Book. But Where Do I Start?
|
Apr 10, 2023 |
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Ep 34: Where to find motivation to write
|
Apr 03, 2023 |
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Ep 33: Interview with Emily Lynn Paulson
|
Mar 13, 2023 |
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Ep 32: Interview with Sam Garcia
|
Mar 07, 2023 |
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Ep 31: Interview with Laura Belgray
|
Feb 23, 2023 |
|
Ep 30: My reel went viral; here's what happened next
|
Feb 16, 2023 |
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Ep 29: How to Sustainably Increase Book Sales
|
Feb 08, 2023 |
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28: 5 Tips for Removing Writers Block
|
Jan 31, 2023 |
|
27: Interview with Linda Sivertsen
|
Jan 25, 2023 |
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26: Interview with Renata Trebing
|
Jan 15, 2023 |
|
25: Beware of this Self-Publishing Myth
|
Jan 04, 2023 |
|
24: Why being on the slow boat isn't bad
|
Dec 06, 2022 |
|
23: Interview with Jamie Gagnon (Children's Books)
|
Nov 21, 2022 |
|
22: Writing Breath Taking, a Memoir (with Jessica Fein)
|
Nov 10, 2022 |
|
21: Interview with Cory Goodrich (Pt 2)
|
Nov 01, 2022 |
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20: What to Do When "But What If..." Takes Over
|
Oct 17, 2022 |
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19: Interview with Chris Martinez
|
Oct 13, 2022 |
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18: Interview with Joanna Rakoff
|
Oct 03, 2022 |
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17: How to Write Without Immediate Feedback
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Sep 30, 2022 |
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16: On How We Decide to Navigate Challenges
|
Sep 29, 2022 |
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15: What to Do When Writing Feels "Hard"
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Sep 19, 2022 |
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14: Book Coincidences You Don't See Coming
|
Sep 14, 2022 |
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13: Getting to the "Third Layer Why" of Your Book
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Aug 31, 2022 |
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12: Interview with Annabel Monaghan
|
Aug 23, 2022 |
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11: Interview with Tyler Merritt
|
Aug 11, 2022 |
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10: Interview with Zibby Owens
|
Aug 04, 2022 |
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09: What Makes a Book a Bestseller?
|
Jul 26, 2022 |
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08: Get What You Want with Julie Solomon
|
Jul 08, 2022 |
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07: The hidden benefits of talking (less) about money
|
Jun 23, 2022 |
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06: American Idol's Justin Guarini
|
Jun 15, 2022 |
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05: The (Little Known) Quality Most Bestselling Books Have in Common
|
Jun 09, 2022 |
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04: What is the Difference Between Non-Fiction and Memoir?
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May 24, 2022 |
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03: Why you REALLY think you want your book in bookstores
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Apr 22, 2022 |
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02: Traditional Publishing Myths & Misconceptions
|
Mar 30, 2022 |
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01: Getting Your Book Into Bookstores
|
Mar 28, 2022 |
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TRAILER
|
Mar 25, 2022 |