Self-publishing since 2010, Amazon top 100 best-selling Amazon author with 1 million books sold, Sarra writes magical contemporary fantasy novels with both teen and college aged characters (and lots of twists you’ll never see coming). Do you feel like a hamster on a wheel? Sarra talks to us about her solution to planning without all the heartache and leading us to be more joyful. “When we sit down to plan we see the perfect scenario. Then Life gets in the way.” About Sarra Cannon: Sarra Cannon w...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr 1 min
We’re thrilled to welcome UF/PNR author Sarah Piper to the show today. Sarah has seen great success publishing across a number of genres, and we discuss her strategy moving from Amazon-exclusive to publishing wide, selling her audiobooks direct and working with your spouse! This episode is packed with incredible information and actionable advice from Sarah, so you’ll want to listen more than once – with a pad and pen nearby! About Sarah Piper Sarah Piper is a witchy, Tarot-card-slinging paranorm...
Oct 18, 2023•59 min
Amazon has moved the furniture again! This episode, Alex Newton, founder of K-Lytics, explains Amazon’s category changes, what they mean for authors, and how best to categorize your books now. We also discuss other recent Amazon changes dating back to September ’22, the impact on authors’ rankings and specific romance category changes and general trends. Alex Newton is the creator of K-lytics ( www.k-lytics.com ) a website where you can get in-depth reports on various genres and sub-genres on Am...
Oct 10, 2023•1 hr 15 min
This week we chatted with Angela Ackerman, one of the authors of the classic writing book, The Emotion Thesaurus. If you’ve never picked up one of the amazing thesauruses by Angela Ackerman and her co-writer, Becca Puglisi, you’re missing out! Created especially for writers, the ten different thesauruses will help you add emotion, be more creative, and make your book sing! In this particular episode (aside from Trudi and the other SPA Girls singing the praises of Angela’s books) we talk to Angel...
Oct 05, 2023•1 hr 8 min
There are many ways we get stuck as authors. Some ways you can get stuck is in the writing, editing, time management and making decisions areas. Getting unstuck is much harder and yet easier than we think. Letting go of perceptions of our writing or our characters helped Trudi a great deal when she put off writing the last book in a series – for years! Cheryl had to get past the fear of getting edits back and find a way to embrace the process to get them done. For Shar, it’s being done with the ...
Sep 26, 2023•45 min
We’re thrilled to welcome back Kathryn Le Veque to the SPA! Kathryn is a Publishing Powerhouse, with years of experience as a bestselling author, and CEO of Dragonblade Publishing. After first interviewing her back in 2018, we wanted to discuss what industry changes she’s seen in those five plus years, and what she predicts for the future in the wider publishing landscape. Kathryn shares her unique publishing insights and forecast, historical romance trends, why she doesn’t have an author newsle...
Sep 19, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Today’s topic was prompted by a commenter on youtube who asked us about reverse engineering bestsellers. What makes a book, be it your second one published or your tenth, sell more than others. We believe there are many variables to that. Timing, tropes, the first 10% of how a book starts. The cover, blurb, and other popular tv or books that may have similar aspects. There are many things to consider, and today we take a dive into why a book can launch a career! SPA Girls’ bestsellers at time of...
Sep 12, 2023•39 min
This week we talk to fiction and non-fiction author Katlyn Duncan, who wrote the non-fiction books The Successful Hybrid Author (all about being a hybrid author) and Take Back Your Book (all about how to get your rights back after being traditionally published). She shares her path to becoming a hybrid author, but also what you need to know about being hybrid, how it works, the pros and cons of traditional publishing versus indie publishing versus hybrid publishing, and how to get your rights ba...
Sep 07, 2023•55 min
Author Jenna Moreci is a YouTube sensation ! With almost 300k subscribers on her YouTube channel “ Writing with Jenna Moreci “, ten years of making videos, and over 28 MILLION views, she’s produced an incredible body of work and large community. So how has this impacted her writing and publishing, especially as her audience is both writers AND readers? We cover Jenna’s YouTube and writing journey, her best practices and tips for authors starting out (and whether it’s right for them) and how her ...
Aug 29, 2023•54 min
Marketing but not achieving results? Maybe you need to do a bit of a deep dive into why. Steady is good and not doing things at warp speed, but I think consistency is the real key. We tend to think if we try something and don’t get instant results, they don’t work. But that’s not always the case. Often what didn’t work first up may the second time around. We in the SPA have tried soooo many things, and what works for one of us doesn’t necessarily for another. So why is your marketing not working...
Aug 23, 2023•53 min
USA Today Bestseller, Sadie King has grown her publishing business from zero to six figures in less than four years, writing short instalove romances. Knowing her reader’s journey is vital to her success. In this episode we discuss Sadie’s: short romance publishing strategy rapid release strategy targeted wordcounts for Amazon Kindle’s 60m, 90m and 2 hour reads categories Techniques for writing short fiction Gaining visibility especially when you’re just starting out Keep readers hooked from one...
Aug 16, 2023•1 hr 7 min
This week we take an in-depth look at author brands – starting with what branding actually means, what your branding should look like as an author, and then how you can make sure your author brand is the best it can be. We talk about how newbie authors can set up a brand for the first time, and how more experienced authors can reassess your current brand and make any necessary changes. As always, we talk about decisions we’ve made with our own books, what we’ve done to create the branding for ea...
Aug 09, 2023•44 min
A New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Alessandra Torre has written twenty-three novels, including multiple New York Times bestsellers. She is also the creator of Alessandra Torre Ink – an authors community and online school with over 20,000 members. She is also the founder of INKERS CON , an annual authors conference. A self-publishing advocate, Alessandra speaks frequently to universities, conventions and author groups and we’re delighted to welcome her back t...
Aug 01, 2023•54 min
Today we’re joined by two dynamic guests – author Emilia Rose and Michael Evans, who, along with Emilia’s husband Sean Patnode, founded the REAM subscription service for authors. We cover a LOT in this episode – from “what is the Creator Economy” to making subscriptions work for authors, so settle in for a great episode! We first interview Emilia mid-2022 where she shared how she built a six-figure subscription income through her romance writing in a very short time. At the time of recording, th...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 11 min
We know there are still 5.5 months to go until the end of the year! But!! We think it’s important to start getting organized for the final push. Ads, blurbs, covers. In the SPA today we talk about the things you need to focus on! 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all thi...
Jul 18, 2023•30 min
This week we go in-depth with New York Times, USA Today, international and #1 Amazon bestselling author of new adult and contemporary romance, Ana Huang. Aside from being very successful (check out her Twisted series!) Ana is a super smart and hardworking author with a tonne of great advice that she generously shared with us in this information-packed episode. We range in topics from marketing, to TikTok, to branding, to translations, and everything in between. I guarantee there’s something in t...
Jul 12, 2023•58 min
In this episode, we’re looking at failure and putting a different slant on it. By changing the way you think of failing at a certain thing and thinking of it as simply a part of learning. You are future proofing the way you react to any result. Fail = First Attempt In Learning. Don’t measure yourself by how others are doing. They had their own journey and would have failed at something along the way. Successful people use those moments to push through, pivot, or try a new iteration. Learning is ...
Jul 04, 2023•39 min
Back in 1996, author Debra Dixon published Goal, Motivation and Conflict and ever since the letters GMC have been tattooed on our brains. This simple, yet powerful, concept is the driving force behind writing compelling fiction and building strong plots and character growth. This episode we cover the differing GMC’s found in different genres, including romance. Enjoy! Further reading: http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/02/goals-motivations-conflicts-engine-that.html 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is spo...
Jun 28, 2023•48 min
Today we talk to the amazingly talented author Lynn Raye Harris about series. Everything from multiple connected to branding. This is a must listen podcast! Lynn is a Southern girl, military wife, wannabe cat lady, and horse lover. She’s also the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the HOSTILE OPERATIONS TEAM Ⓡ SERIES of military romances, and 20 books about sexy billionaires for Harlequin. A former finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award and the National ...
Jun 21, 2023•1 hr 1 min
It’s celebration time! We’ve reached another milestone here in the SPA – FOUR HUNDRED EPISODES! And that’s 400 weekly episodes with no repeats, no “best of”s, and no stopping during the eight years we’ve been doing this. Phew! *wipes brow* This episode we’re looking back on that time, trying to figure out why we’re still here, and what we’ve learned along the way. Go behind the scenes with us as we discuss some of what we’ve learned, advice we wish we’d been given, inspiration we wish we’d had t...
Jun 14, 2023•35 min
Rachael Herron is the internationally bestselling author of more than two dozen books, including thrillers (under R.H. Herron), mainstream fiction, feminist romance, memoir, and nonfiction about writing. She received her MFA in writing from Mills College, Oakland, and she’s taught writing extension workshops at both UC Berkeley and Stanford. She is a proud member of the NaNoWriMo Writer’s Board . A New Zealand citizen as well as an American, she lives in Wellington, New Zealand with her banjo-pl...
Jun 07, 2023•53 min
How do you market a book that doesn’t quite fit a genre – or is a mash up of more than one genre? We talk on the SPA all the time about the importance of knowing what genre/sub genre you’re writing and what reader expectations for that genre are. But what happens if you’ve written a spectacular mashup of genres? Or you wanted to write a romance cross memoir? There’s no doubt it can be harder to market an off-genre book, so where do you start? Questions to consider: Is it one or a series? Can you...
May 31, 2023•34 min
Author Rebecca Hefner is passionate about marketing audio books wide. After several years of struggling early on, her audiobook sales now surpass her ebook sales most months. As Rebecca says, “I had an excruciating learning curve with wide audio and want to save other authors from this torture!” She shares her best practices and tips for wide audiobook success in this must-listen episode. Download Rebecca’s free tips for audiobook marketing here: Self-Publishing Advice & Resources And her (c...
May 23, 2023•1 hr
If you’ve been working on amping up your characters and writing a more compelling novel, this is the episode for you. We talk to Matt Bird – the Amazon bestselling author of The Secrets of Story: Innovative Tools for Perfecting Your Fiction and Captivating Readers and The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love – about characters and other secrets involved in writing an awesome story your readers will love. Matt talks to us about what readers expect from characters and how to ensur...
May 17, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 396
Erin Marcus is a business and life coach who helps authors take charge and get the results they’ve always wanted in their careers. Erin says she loves helping people take action they didn’t think possible, do things they didn’t think they could do, and succeed beyond what they dared to dream – and that’s what this episode is all about! Having made the successful leap from corporate executive to entrepreneur, Erin uses 20 years of experience, along with her MBA education and a street smart upbrin...
May 09, 2023•1 hr
This is a really important discussion for writer at all stages of their careers. Brenna has experienced publishing highs and has also dealt with the darker side of the writer’s journey. Her candour and courage discussing some difficult topics in this interview made it a very humbling experience for us, and we truly appreciate Brenna’s openness in wanting to help her fellow authors. From mindset and productivity, to branding, social media and your writing community – we cover the gamut of how to ...
May 03, 2023•1 hr 23 min
Today in the SPA we’re covering genre expectations for readers of romance and it’s subgenres and mystery. All are our opinion based on decades of reading and 20+ years writing romance and it’s various subgenres. It can be a bit messy and confusing and it’s subjective. But it’s also important to know the genre expectations for the “wrong” answers more so than the right. So let us help you define what sub category your book should be virtually “shelved” on! Links mentioned: EVLind – Supernatural S...
Apr 25, 2023•52 min
Skye MacKinnon is a USA Today and International Bestselling Author whose books are filled with strong heroines who don’t have to choose. She embraces her Scottishness with fantastical Scottish settings and a dash of mythology, no matter if she’s writing about aliens in kilts, Celtic gods, cat shifters, or the streets of Edinburgh. She’s also doing great with German translations and this week in the SPA she breaks down everything she’s been doing, including how to get started with a translator, w...
Apr 18, 2023•1 hr 5 min
USA today bestselling author of Western Romance, Erin Wright, has worked every job under the sun, including library director, barista, teacher, website designer, and ranch hand, helping brand cattle, before settling into the career she’s always dreamed about: Author. Despite starting out in KU in 2016, she went wide on all platforms in 2017 when she discovered she couldn’t get her books in libraries if she was exclusive to Amazon. She started the Wide for the Win Facebook group in 2019, to help ...
Apr 12, 2023•1 hr 8 min
This episode is for everyone who struggles with paid advertising! Today we’re joined by romance author Vanessa Vale . When her facebook ad account was shut down, Vanessa had to learn how to sell books WITHOUT paid ads and she shares how she came up with her solid marketing strategies in the episode. She not only writes amazing books, but also runs the Thrifty Tips For Authors group on Facebook where she shares ways to brand, market, publish, write, promote and THINK about selling books… without ...
Apr 04, 2023•1 hr 6 min
