Thriving Authors Podcast

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m sharing a conversation that I had on Instagram Live with my friend Tara K. Ross, who is an amazing author and podcast host. She read an early copy of my book BEFORE & AFTER YOU & ME, which is now officially available, and we chatted a few days before publication to talk about my book.

We talk about:

• The journey from first draft to publication.

• What inside this book stemmed from real life.

• The inspiration behind the characters.

• What genres the book falls into.

• Why I chose to tell this story in a very unique structure.

We also talked about the process of getting feedback and choosing what to integrate and what to let go of. I think you’ll find that piece helpful as you journey through your creative projects!And if you struggle to find time to work on your writing or are inspired to carve out time to get back to a story you started years ago, join me May 28-30 for my FREE CHALLENGE "Clear the Way to Write" that will help you *finally* make time to write.

Three days. Three simple action steps. Big-time shifts in your writing and creative life. Register now at http://bit.ly/clearthewaytowrite
About Tara:

Tara K. Ross lives with her husband, two daughters, and rescued fur-babies in the artisanal town of Eden Mills, Ontario. She works as a school speech-language pathologist and mentors new and emerging creatives. When Tara is not writing or reading, you can find her rock climbing the Ontario escarpment, interviewing authors for The Hope Prose Podcast, or blogging at www.tarakross.com. FADE TO WHITE is her debut novel.

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m excited to share what has helped me write my back cover and my longer book descriptions. I even give an example of the description from my book that came out in December called “Your Book Matters: 52 love notes from my creative heart to yours.”

On the surface, writing your book description seems pretty simple…but it is super common to struggle with this task because you need to condense so much into a short space! To write a compelling book description, you need to 1) give the reader a sense of what your book is about; 2) introduce the reader to your own authentic voice and style; 3) sell your book; 4) grab the reader’s attention and leave them wanting more!

I dive into:

• The distinction between your book description and your back cover description.

• Some exercises that are really helpful with taking away the pressure and stress of writing the description of your book.

• Why I recommend writing your book description before you reach the end of your manuscript.

• How to grab the reader’s attention in your book description.

• A little trick I use to hone in on how to write to the ideal reader of your book.

Check out the back cover description from my new novel BEFORE & AFTER YOU & ME, coming May 7th from @OwlHollowPress & now available for pre-order!! #linkinbioEmma blames herself when a freak accident at a pool party leaves Hunter, the town’s rising track star and her former boyfriend, paralyzed from the waist down. As she struggles with anxiety, loneliness and regret, she begins to obsessively paint portraits of legs and feet—Hunter’s legs and feet—and for the first time receives critical acclaim and notice for her artwork.

But what started as therapeutic for Emma ends up deepening her guilt. Does creating meaningful art require retreating inward toward self-expression, or striving outward toward recognition—or can it somehow be both?

Searching for one whole, authentic identity, Emma grapples with love, ambition, grief, homecoming, and—ultimately—redemption.

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m talking with money mentor and writing coach Katy Almstrom about writing a better money story – something especially important for us entrepreneurs and creatives!

Ready to reach your money goals? Or feel like you’re not a numbers person? This is such an encouraging episode to listen to!Katy shares insights on what entrepreneurs need to know to manage their money in each season of business, not only so you can plan ahead but so you can build a healthy relationship with money. She also provides practical ideas to simplify your money habits and create more consistency with irregular income.

And pssst: so much of what Katy talks about parallels the writing journey! So be prepared to be inspired with tips to implement in your creative life, too!Speaking of writing and money… I’m hosting a writing contest with cash prizes! Inspired by my novel Before and After You and Me that comes out May 7th, the prompt is to write about a time that split your life into "before" and "after." This could have been a huge, life-altering event, or it could have been something small that changed your internal landscape. It could be beautiful or painful, joyful or devastating, or any combination of emotion. It could have been something you noticed at the time, or only recognized looking back, years later.

Find the complete details here: https://bit.ly/beforeafterwritingcontest
About Katy:

Katy is a leading money mentor and wealth coach, a teacher and speaker who works with ambitious women who are ready to steward their money in their business and life by creating a sustainable strategy, simplify their process, and build limitless confidence in their money habits and behaviors. With over a decade of experience in teaching and coaching combined with her own debt-free entrepreneurial journey and simplified life, Katy provides a unique service for her clients to help them slow down, map out their own joyful wealth-building journey, and create a life that has WAY less stress around money. Connect with her on Instagram at @katy_almstrom

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m talking with nonfiction book coach and editor Danielle Anderson about how to map out a transformative reader journey—all the way from the timeline to major scenes, to themes and reader desires.

She explains:

• The five essential elements crucial to structuring your book, especially if it’s a memoir.

• What desires to tap into that will attract readers who resonate with the journey.

• Ways you can play with timeline and examples of the different shapes it can take.

• How to know what scenes really need to be amplified and where to use backstory.

This episode will help you weave a captivating story that will have a lasting impact on the hearts and minds of your readers.

And I encourage you to flex that writing muscle and enter the writing contest that I’m hosting! It’s inspired by my novel Before and After You and Me that comes out May 7th. The prompt is to write about a time that split your life into "before" and "after." This could have been a huge, life-altering event, or it could have been something small that changed your internal landscape. It could be beautiful or painful, joyful or devastating, or any combination of emotion. It could have been something you noticed at the time, or only recognized looking back, years later.

Find the complete details here: https://bit.ly/beforeafterwritingcontest

About Danielle: Danielle Anderson is a trained nonfiction book coach and editor, bringing over thirteen years of writing and publishing experience to help passionate writers amplify their story, voice, and message. She is the founder of Ink Worthy Books, an editorial and publication services company where they believe everyone has a story worth telling, and every story has the power to change the world. Connect with Danielle on IG at inkworthybooks

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I'm sharing my best tips for entering writing contests!

Including:

• How to approach entering contests from a place of freedom, joy and non-attachment.

• Ways to move past the doubts you have about your work so that you can go for it anyway.

• When the best time to celebrate is!

• Ideas for how to keep track of the contests you enter.

• What you need to know before you enter the contest.

I hope that this information gets you excited to enter writing contents in a way that feels good!!And I encourage you to flex that writing muscle and enter the writing contest that I’m hosting! It’s inspired by my novel Before and After You and Me that comes out May 7th. The prompt is to write about a time that split your life into "before" and "after." This could have been a huge, life-altering event, or it could have been something small that changed your internal landscape. It could be beautiful or painful, joyful or devastating, or any combination of emotion. It could have been something you noticed at the time, or only recognized looking back, years later.

Find the complete details here: https://bit.ly/beforeafterwritingcontest

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m talking with my wonderful friend Greta Woolley about her incredible book “S.O.S.: Survival Guide for Teachers, Old and New”. I was honored to be able to support her in writing this book over the course of my 8-week writing program Your Book Roadmap.

It was really so beautiful and incredible for me to witness and journey with her as this book poured out of her!

Greta shares:

• How she knew she was ready to write her book and how it wasn’t the spectacular moment she thought it would be.

• The challenges she went through during her writing process and what kept her going.

• Her favorite writing exercise to implement when she was worrying about her book.

• What she feels and how she’s different now that her book is out in the world.

I think you’ll be inspired by this conversation and what you can do when you allow yourself to be supported along your writing journey.

About Greta:
Greta Woolley is a behavior specialist at Miles Elementary, where she walks alongside students, families, and educators to create needs-fulfilling environments that positively support academic achievement while growing students’ social and emotional competence. She has spent the past 35 years working as a front-line teacher in the trenches for both general and exceptional student education settings, as a District Trainer, ESE Specialist, Instructional Mentor, and Site-Based Behavior Specialist. Woolley examines the relationship between your “head and your heart” with the firm belief that they must be synchronized for maximum learning to occur. She also models the power of self-examination and reflection necessary for teachers to always remain in an upward trajectory of growth and improvement. She lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband Chris and two daughters, Julia and Jaclyn. Connect with her on Instagram @themindfulmentor_

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m diving into two common objections that I hear over and over from the women who are considering joining Thriving Authors Academy. These objections might resonate with you, too, so I wanted to talk about them and pose some questions for you to think about.

If you’re feeling resistant to committing to write your book, this episode will help you figure out if now is the right time to jump in AND how you can guarantee that this investment is going to pay off.

After listening to the episode, if you’re still wondering “Can I really do this?” – let's hop on a call and we can talk through it together. There's no pressure and you're not wasting my time. During our call I’ll be a mirror for you, reflecting back to you the truth that you are sharing, so that you are able to go after your dream of becoming a published author in whatever is the best way for you to do that.

AND if now is the time – and you are ready to go all in to write your book – register by March 29th & get a BONUS Book Breakthrough 1:1 60-minute Intensive ($499 value) so that you can get personal support around wherever you are stuck on your book & can make the most of the Thriving Authors Academy when it starts April 8th! Find more details at ThrivingAuthorsAcademy.com

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m talking with Amy Michelle Carpenter, publisher of Monster Ivy Publishing and author of several science fiction books. I love that she’s able to come at this conversation from both the publisher’s side and also from the author’s side.

Amy shares:

• Her thoughts about what publishers love to see authors do in their query letters and social posts.

• The various steps publishers take to help authors get a book from manuscript to published book on the shelf – and how they create buzz to make it a success.

• A glimpse inside stages of editing that happen once you sign a contract.

• How you can set yourself up for success when approaching publishers.

I think you’ll gain so much insight about how you can be the best partner possible when working with a publisher!

>> If this episode inspired you to get your writing in front of more readers, enter my Before & After Writing Contest!! You could win $100 and publication of your work here on my IG and in my newsletter that reaches thousands of readers. Here's the prompt: Write about a time that split your life into "before" and "after." This could have been a huge, life-altering event, or it could have been something small that changed your internal landscape. Deadline: 11:59pm PT on May 7th. Enter at http://bit.ly/beforeafterwritingcontest

About Amy:

Amy Michelle Carpenter is the publisher of Monster Ivy Publishing, a company of award-winning, bestselling book titles. Monster Ivy emphasizes "edgy, clean" fiction with a PG13 or less rating. The Kiss List was filmed as a movie by Marvista starring Megan Suri (Never Have I Ever) and Parminder Nagra (ER). In her personal life, Michelle received her Masters from Western Colorado University where she studied directly under NYT bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson, and she is the author of several YA science fiction books. Connect with Amy on Instagram at @monsterivypublishing

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m recapping the highlights and key takeaways from the Revamp Your Writing Routine Challenge that I hosted in my free Facebook group, Women Entrepreneurs Becoming Best-Selling Authors, last year. We’ve also just gone through the challenge again this past week!! The Facebook group is full of heart centered writers sharing resources and supporting each other and I would be thrilled if you joined us!

The recap includes:

• Tips for claiming your writing space.

• Steps to take when you need a reset of your writing routine.

• Ways to help your brain shift into writing time.

• Ideas from other writers and so much more!

After listening I think you’ll agree, it’s not just about writing your book to check it off your list, but really wanting to enjoy that experience of writing your book – and it can be such a transformational process!

If you enjoyed our week together last year or our most recent week of the Revamp Your Writing Routine Challenge, or enjoyed listening to this recap, I think that Thriving Authors Academy would be such a wonderful fit for you. The momentum that we built this week and the sense of community – being supported, inspired and not being alone – is such an integral part of the Thriving Authors Academy. Find more details at www.ThrivingAuthorsAcademy.com and send me a message to join the waitlist!

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, it was so wonderful to talk with writer Leigh Shulman who shared so many beautiful gems during her summit talk “Why Rejection is Your Best Friend.”

And because rejection is something that EVERY writer experiences, I think it's important to highlight a couple mindset shifts that she brought up, including:

• How rejection can actually be a positive force in your life.

• Ways to strengthen your mindset so rejection doesn’t hurt (as much!)

• A reframe that can open new opportunities and help you learn the purpose of your work.

Leigh’s insights are so powerful. While she understands it doesn’t feel good to be rejected, she shared, “There's a difference between ‘I'm disappointed’ and ‘I'm no good.’”

If this episode inspired you to approach your writing with renewed bravery, I’d love you to join my “Revamp Your Writing Routine” FREE 5-day challenge that starts Monday, February 26th.

I'll be giving little tips and action steps every day to help you create the perfect, energizing, supportive writing routine for YOU. You deserve a writing practice you can do consistently and with joy! Sign up to join me at http://bit.ly/revampwritingroutine

About Leigh:

Leigh Shulman is a writer and mentor living in Argentina. She founded the Inspired Writer Community for women writers to success through mentorship and mindset coaching. Her international writing retreats and website are among The Write Life’s top resources for writers. Her work appears in Guernica, The Washington Post, Longreads among others. Connect with her on Instagram at @theleighshulman