276 / Ryder O’Malley, gay romance author cover designer, shares his path from art to indie publishing and the lessons learned along the way. He unpacks redefining success as an author, developing an authentic writing voice, and treating writing as a true business. Moving the goalposts on success and learning to celebrate wins The realities of marketing your books and understanding your audience Navigating the transition from day job to full-time author and the emotional aftermath It’s a great li...
Jul 16, 2025•53 min•Ep. 276
275 / Nicholas Harvey, adventure, suspense, and thriller novelist and digital nomad, shares his journey from race car driver and motorsports professional to full-time author. He discusses how his unique background shapes his storytelling, the challenges of writing female protagonists, and navigating the ever-evolving indie publishing landscape. Transitioning from a racing career to writing How his motorsports background fuels his creative process Lessons learned about genre, marketing What he wi...
Jul 09, 2025•52 min•Ep. 275
274 / We’ve had a month-long break and are back with a catch-up chat about what’s been going on with our writing and our lives, including ADHD and productivity, juggling creative projects, and book launches. Sara: special edition pre-production and timelines, launching on her direct store Jami: ADHA update, drafting a new novel, ads 💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support Access to backlist of exclusive supporter episodes Private slack group Shoutout on a f...
Jul 02, 2025•36 min•Ep. 274
Ep 273 / Trixie Silvertale joins us to discuss resilience and adaptability in business. Trixie shared how a personal tragedy shifted her writing and publishing and resulted in her leveraging her backlist. Plus keeping a long series fresh, and writing interesting small town settings. Topics: Trixie’s dictation process, which involves roller skates 🛼 Dealing with tragedy and loss, and how Trixie shifted away from rapid release to making the most of her backlist through repurposing her IP Allowing...
May 28, 2025•40 min•Ep. 273
Episode 272 / Andi Arndt joins us to discuss audiobook narration, including tips for finding and working with a narrator, how to write with narration in mind, and audiobook trends. Topics: How Andi preps to narrate a book Mistakes authors make when it comes to picking narrators Tips for writing with narration in mind Benefits of having a long-term relationship with a narrator or production company Trends in audiobook production, including duets and multicast productions The impact of AI on audio...
May 21, 2025•48 min•Ep. 272
Episode 271 / Jennifer Marchman, who combines historical fiction and time travel in her books, joins us to discuss embracing your own writing process, dealing with the constant changes in publishing, and the importance of community in the indie author space. Topics: Writing time travel historical fiction Influence of Texas history and Outlander Personal writing process and habits Setting realistic writing and publishing goals Founding Austin Indie Authors group 💙 Become a supporter of the podca...
May 14, 2025•39 min•Ep. 271
Episode 270 / Katy Cocking is multi-passionate creative who found the advice to “stay in her lane” constricting and to a writing-adjacent career, selling cozy subscription boxes, which combines the knowledge from her publishing background with her activator and ideation strengths. Topics: Transition from author to book box business Defining personal and financial success How Katy built and audience through giveaways and ads Challenges with physical product shipping Advice for authors creating on...
May 07, 2025•43 min•Ep. 270
Episode 269 / Christina Hovland shares how she moved out of KU and built a thriving direct sales store for her books. Topics: Transitioning from KU to direct sales Setting up a Shopify store for books Bundling books and pricing strategies Defining personal success as an author Why Christina likes working with coaches and mentors 💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support Access to backlist of exclusive supporter episodes Private slack group Shoutout on a futur...
Apr 30, 2025•55 min•Ep. 269
Episode 268 / Legal thriller author Aime Austin joins us to discuss writing legal thrillers, discovery writing, and blending psychological suspense. Topics: Choosing writing over practicing law Realities of learning writing craft and why writing is sometimes a “plumber job” Aime’s writing process and discussion of pantsing/discovery writing Crafting legal thrillers and legal details Insights from podcast conversations Committing to one creative path 💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://w...
Apr 23, 2025•37 min•Ep. 268
Episode 267 / T. Thorn Coyle writes several magic-filled series with diverse casts and is the author of The Midlist Indie Author Mindset. Thorn shares their journey of learning how to embrace curiosity to the importance of simply finishing what you start. We also dive into modular work strategies, leveraging Kickstarter, and the power of building genuine connections. Learned which marketing tactics work for you Building connections with readers Free first in series and small paid newsletters for...
Apr 16, 2025•49 min•Ep. 267
Episode 266 / Cozy mystery author Diana Xarissa joins us this week. With over 150 books in her backlist, Diana shared how she found success through rapid release (but she works a year ahead) and why embracing her passion was the key that helped her find and connect with readers. Topics: Diana's unique process for building a year-long advance writing schedule to maintain a steady release pace Tips for creating likeable characters and a “Scooby gang” that keep readers coming back and also keep Dia...
Apr 09, 2025•46 min•Ep. 266
Episode 265 / Jen discusses how she found her passion for working with authors, her experiences in developmental editing and coaching, and the importance of aligning your business with personal visions of success. Tips on how to find an editor Frequent mistakes she sees authors making Trends Jen sees in publishing Alternate pathways to success Effective social media use Different types of support teams and why you need them 💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/s...
Apr 02, 2025•59 min•Ep. 265
Episode 263 / Do you want to make your newsletters more personal and connect with readers? Bev Feldman, an email marketing strategist at Your Personal Tech Fairy, joins us today to share how to do just that through the type of content you share as well as sequences and segmenting. Setting expectations in a welcome sequence The value of letting subscribers go Basic ways to segment your newsletter list Tips to make resending to unopened more effective Common mistakes Bev sees people make with thei...
Mar 26, 2025•43 min•Ep. 263
Episode 262 / Jennifer Hilt shares how her writing career has evolved since she was with us in 2023, including expanding her trope thesaurus books to specific genres and her thoughts on launching an online event, TropeCon. She also shares her lessons learned for planning online events. If you want to connect with your readers through an online event, Jennifer has plenty of tips and ideas. Topics: The messy path to achievement and why you shouldn’t overthink or underestimate yourself How tropes r...
Mar 19, 2025•52 min•Ep. 262
Episode 261 / Elizabeth O’Roark shares about tapping into her creativity during the pandemic, tackling the ups and downs of switching genres, the power of tropes, and breakout success. Topics: Chasing success What Elizabeth wishes she’d started earlier Assessment of opportunity cost Benefits of shifting to a new genre How Elizabeth incorporates tropes and microtropes into her plan for a new book Moving into special editions and direct sales 💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknow...
Mar 12, 2025•47 min•Ep. 261
Episode 259 / Cat Johnson shares about writing resilience and creative innovation. We discuss Cat’s diversified distribution strategy that includes wide retailers as well as KU and her innovative promotion idea that lean into the personal and real life connections. Topics discussed: The power of pivoting in an unpredictable industry The value of building a strong backlist Out-of-the-box marketing ideas What Cat wishes she’d known about being a hybrid author Writing and promotion tips for multi-a...
Mar 05, 2025•46 min•Ep. 259
Episode 258 / We delve into your responses from our previous episode, "What Do You Want?" We’re all ears and sincerely grateful for the feedback! You shared your love for the podcast and some brilliant suggestions. We unpack your ideas, which range from having more diverse author guests to potential coaching sessions with listeners. You also chimed in with some fantastic new questions to ask guests. 📢 Suggest authors or volunteer to be on the podcast! https://bit.ly/WishGuests 📩 ✍️ Thank you f...
Feb 26, 2025•33 min•Ep. 258
Episode 257 / Catharine Bramkamp is a writing coach, workshop facilitator, poet, traveler, and has authored 27 fiction, non-fiction and poetry books. She joins us to share about creativity, finding joy in the process of writing, and common mistakes she sees as a writing coach. 💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support Access to backlist of exclusive supporter episodes Private slack group Shoutout on a future episode. 📥 Send us a Text Message ⚡Links: www.Cath...
Feb 19, 2025•44 min•Ep. 257
Episode 256 / Cozy fantasy author and illustrator Hanna Sandvig joins us to talk about working with illustrators to create gorgeous special editions. We also chat about how Hanna’s business has evolved over time as she’s incorporated illustration into her own books and begun using Kickstarter and Patreon. 💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support Access to backlist of exclusive supporter episodes Private slack group Shoutout on a future episode. 📥 Send us a ...
Feb 12, 2025•45 min•Ep. 256
Episode 255 / It’s time for a heart to heart. Jami and Sara want to hear what you want from the podcast. Are you still finding value in the podcast? Do you want to see a change in format or focus? Let us know! Sara also answers questions about her mystery letters. 💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support Access to backlist of exclusive supporter episodes Private slack group Shoutout on a future episode. 📥 Send us a Text Message What changes do you want to s...
Feb 05, 2025•17 min•Ep. 255
Episode 254 / Samatha Cummings writes YA fantasy chock full of magic, myths, and monsters and also hosts a podcast for writers, Pen to Paycheck. Topics: Samantha’s approach to treating NaNoWrMo as a game Why Samatha wishes she’d leaned into newsletter marketing earlier in her career How even one other person can be a community for you Mindset changes Samantha made around imposter syndrome and knowing her true value Starting a discord community for Young Adult Fantasy authors 💙 Become a supporte...
Jan 29, 2025•44 min•Ep. 254
Episode 253 / It’s a Jami and Sara episode this week as we break down the recent chaos with TikTok (It’s gone! It’s back!) and what actions authors can take to make sure they’re able to connect with readers despite the unpredictable nature of social media platforms. 💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support Access to backlist of exclusive supporter episodes Private slack group Shoutout on a future episode. 📥 Send us a Text Message Will you do anything differ...
Jan 22, 2025•26 min•Ep. 253
Episode 252 / Has your well run dry when it comes to newsletter and social media content? Sara Shea has fresh ideas for you. Sara works full-time as the assistant (and sister) of author K.M. Shea. She's been lurking in the indie author shadows for over a decade and is here to share her love of content creation with everyone. Topics: Tips for working with assistants and contractors Creating an asset list to help you with your content creation Ideas for incorporating tropes and micro tropes How au...
Jan 15, 2025•58 min•Ep. 252
Episode 251 / Do you want to cut back on the time you spend on social media? Sandy Cooper and Mary K. Tiller have left social media altogether and have tips and how to cut back or depart social media. Topics: Benefits and drawbacks of leaving social media Advice for someone wanting to reduce time on social media or leave altogether Ways to promote without social media How to stay in touch with friends/author communities if you’re not on social media 💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://w...
Jan 08, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 251
Episode 250 / Guest: Sharmyn McGraw, mystery author and creator of planner/organizers for discovery writers. Sharmyn shares the challenges of dyslexia and how she became a successful writer. We also get into marketing hurdles, strategies for staying organized, the benefits of not being a full-time writer; and we also geek out over our love of office supplies. Topics: Tips for writing with dyslexia and the tools Sharmyn uses most How to find an editor if you have dyslexia Discovery writing How a ...
Dec 18, 2024•45 min•Ep. 250
Episode 249 / Guest: Matilda Swift, cozy mystery author and co-host of the Pen to Paycheck podcast Topics: Finding your genre: identifying and embracing what truly fascinates you Overcoming self-doubt Why releasing more books isn’t always the path to success Time and schedule management challenges The creative process behind Matilda’s engaging book titles and unique warm reader magnet Working in your “zone of genius,” (i.e. What is easy for you?) The story behind the Pen to Paycheck podcast and ...
Dec 11, 2024•47 min•Ep. 249
Episode 248 / Fantasy author and Kickstarter expert Anthea Sharp joins us to share tips on running crowdfunding campaigns as well as how Kickstarter has helped her move toward a mindset of relaxed prosperity. Topics: Relaxed prosperity Finding your voice Having the confidence to pick yourself Why Anthea has a “pruning list” and how she motivates herself to cut back instead of adding tasks to her writer life Advice for new authors Kickstarter tips Writing fantasy and romantasy 💙 Become a support...
Dec 04, 2024•49 min•Ep. 248
Episode 247 / We’ve both been traveling, so this week is a catch up episode about Jami’s experience at Author Nation, the biggest author conference in the world, and Sara’s cruise in the Mediterranean. Plus, details on Jami’s surprise European vacation. Join us for a chat about connecting with other writers, author business phases, and special editions as well as the dangerous combo of wide-leg pants and escalators in Roman train stations.👖 💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidkno...
Nov 27, 2024•24 min•Ep. 247
Episode 246 / It’s a Jami and Sara episode this week as they discuss the importance of endings, their favorite (and not-so-favorite endings) as well as the six different types of endings. Spoiler warning for these books/shows we discuss: Extraordinary Attorney Woo Pride and Prejudice Sugar Daddy Sixth Sense Ted Lasso The Partner Nobody Wants This Fourth Wing The Serpent and the Wings of Night Truly Devious Cheat on Me, If You Can And Then There Were None 💙 Become a supporter of the podcast http...
Nov 20, 2024•36 min•Ep. 246
Episode 245 / Ines Johnson joins us and shares strategies for book marketing in the age of direct sales. We discuss: Testing and tweaking to increase backlist sales Importance of thinking of your customer in marketing to create a personal connection Effective ad strategies using purchase ads Special editions and direct sales, including incorporating elements like foiling and character art in special edition books to attract high-value readers Leveraging direct sales platforms and tools like Payh...
Nov 13, 2024•50 min•Ep. 245
