Your Breakout Book

As an author, you’ve probably heard people tell you, “Wow, you’ve written a book? I could never do that.” The idea of creating something so big out of nothing, writing and revising for months, and eventually putting it out in the world, feels overwhelming to most. Some may say it seems incomprehensible.

So how do you do it?

Chances are, you have a system.

It may not be a formal system. You may not utilize all the fancy tools like Scrivener or Plottr to craft your novels. In fact, you may not even realize you’re doing it. But if you’ve sat down day after day and put your hands keyboard, you have some system for creating.

Can you create a system that ensures your muse visits early and often? Let’s find out!

This is the season two finale of the Your Breakout Book podcast. I hope you’ve enjoyed this season’s themes, interviews, and trainings. While the podcast is going on summer vacation, the Your Breakout Community is still going strong, so if you’re looking for more guidance to help you launch your breakout book, now is the perfect time to join.

As a member, you’ll gain access to monthly roundtable discussions, live trainings, and a savvy community of authors. Click here to learn more!

Historically, the intersection of art and money was infrequent and in poor taste. If you were an artist, you were expected to solely focus on your craft and not worry about compensation or financial security. Hence the stereotype of the starving artist.

Today’s world is different. There is far less stigma around artists discussing money or expecting compensation for their work. In fact, there are entire communities of working artists and creative entrepreneurs, where the sole purpose is to discuss the business side of creativity. Sure, money is still an uncomfortable topic for many, but if you want to thwart your starving artist destiny, it’s necessary to get clear on your finances and begin seeing your writing career as a business.

All month long, we’re focusing on the systems and tools needed to create processes and streamline your workflow. In today’s episode, we’re focusing on the financial systems you need to get clear on your cash flow and improve your bottom line.

I get it. You’d much rather talk about craft, securing media coverage, really anything other than money. But I promise, this episode will leave you feeling empowered, confident, and ready to take control of your finances.

Resources mentioned:

• Quickbooks
• Freshbooks
• Dana's budget / forecast template (make a copy in order to input your  data)

You’ve written a book, that’s step one. Step two? Get that book into the hands of thousands of readers. That means, you have to promote.

But you didn’t become an author because you love marketing and publicity. You became an author because you love to tell stories. And now the thought of having to promote your book feels confusing and overwhelming. Perhaps that’s why you’re listening to this podcast?

In my experience, it isn’t always the actual promotion that overwhelms people; it’s all the promotional opportunities available. Should you start a Facebook author page? Should you host a virtual event? What about influencer marketing? And do I need a newsletter?

Today’s episode isn’t about how to market your book. If that’s what you’re looking for, scroll back to previous episodes. There’s plenty to listen to. Today’s episode is about the systems and tools to help you streamline and simplify your marketing process.

Resources mentioned:

• Buffer
• Later
• Hootsuite
• Canva
• MailerLite
• ActiveCampaign
• Mailchimp
• Zapier

Albert Einstein famously said, “Everything must be made as simple as possible. But not simpler.” When I think about that quote, I visualize stripping away aspects of  my life and business until everything is clear and straightforward, stopping before I strip away the things that make my life and business great.

This, is systematizing.

Much of what we do in our daily lives, whether it’s responding to emails, creating content, or meal-prepping, can be simplified and streamlined using systems.

This is particularly true of your writing career.

You may think that plotting a novel, writing your newsletter, or appearing at online events are all nuanced, individual propositions that cannot be duplicated or systematized. I’m here to show you that you can.

All month long, we’re diving into the systems and tools authors like you can use to save time, increase efficiency, AND deliver better work. We’ll be covering marketing tools, systems for keeping your finances on track, even software to help you craft your novels. But today, we’re starting with project management, which I believe serves as your foundation.

Resources Mentioned

• Airtable
• Asana
• Trello
• Notion

Today is the last day of our April theme: Writing for readers. All month long, we’ve been exploring how authors like you can leverage their writing skills to secure more readers for their books. But this podcast isn’t the only place we’ve been exploring writing for readers, this has also been an ongoing discussion in the Your Breakout Book community. All month, members have been re-purposing old blog posts for new newsletters, pitching book excerpts to websites, and placing guest articles with media outlets. It has been so rewarding to see these authors leverage their writing skills to reach new readers AND nurture relationships with their existing ones.

Earlier this month, I led a training to help our community members get a better understanding of the writing opportunities available to them and how they can re-purpose the content they create across several platforms. Today, I’m sharing a portion of that training with you!

Keep in mind, this was originally a video presentation, so you may have to hit pause at times to write down notes. Or better yet, become a member of Your Breakout Book today and access the full training, with video and slides. 

All month long, we’ve been exploring how authors like you can leverage their writing skills to secure more readers for their books. Today’s we’re looking at a different aspect of writing for readers: freelancing and podcasting.

Now, you may not think of podcasting as writing, but for many of us, our episodes are scripted and outlined, and we spend just as much time writing the content as we do reading it into a mic. 

You also heard in the first episode of the month how my freelance writing career better prepared me for a career as a publicist. Today, we’ll hear from full-time freelancer, podcaster, and book author Tori Telfer, who has created an ecosystem of content creation that all feeds on each other.

When we’re talking about freelance writing, we’re talking about paid writing gigs. Not highly paid writing gigs, but actual compensation other than publicity. I think this is an important distinction because while it’s great to write an op-ed or guest blog to gain exposure for your book, you’ll want to be wary of outlets asking you to write longer journalism pieces without any compensation. Plus, wouldn’t it be nice to BE paid for exposure?

About Tori Telfer
Tori Telfer is the author of Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History and Confident Women: Swindlers, Grifters, and Shapeshifters of the Feminine Persuasion. She is also the host of the podcast Criminal Broads. She lives in NYC with her husband and son.

Connect with Tori:
https://toritelfer.com
https://criminalbroads.com
https://instagram.com/tori__telfer
https://instagram.com/criminalbroads
https://https://www.harpercollins.com/products/confident-women-tori-telfer?variant=32180878868514

For today’s guest, Ellen Byron, writing frequently and on a deadline is not a challenge. She began her career as a playwright before moving to LA and transitioning to sitcom writing. As she says in this interview, there was no time to be precious with words or to not be inspired. If you weren’t contributing to the team, there was a line of writers waiting to take your seat.

Now, as a multi-published author of three cozy mystery series, Ellen is putting her writing skills to use to reach new readers, specifically through blogs and newsletters. Today, she shares how she approaches what she calls “shameless shilling”, how by approaching her newsletter differently she actually grew to love it, and how blogging has not only helped her connect with new readers, but a community of writers as well.

About Ellen Byron
Ellen Byron is the Agatha Award-winning author of the Cajun Country Mysteries. The USA Today bestselling series has also won multiple Best Humorous Mystery Lefty awards from the Left Coast Crime conference. She also writes The Catering Hall Mysteries (under the pen name Maria DiRico), which launched with Here Comes the Body.

Ellen’s TV credits include Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents. She’s written over 200 national magazine articles, and her published plays include the award-winning Graceland. She also worked as a cater-waiter for the legendary Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing. A native New Yorker who attended Tulane University, Ellen lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and rescue chi mix, Pogo. She still misses her hometown - and still drives like a New York cabbie.

Resources Mentioned

• Ellen's website and newsletter: https://www.ellenbyron.com
• Ellen's workshops: https://www.ellenbyron.com/workshops
• Chicks on the Case blog: https://chicksonthecase.com/
• Canva: http://canva.com

For most authors, email marketing is a four letter word. They cringe at the idea of growing an email list and writing a newsletter, thinking they’d be treated as spam and wondering who would be interested in what they would have to say.

Perhaps I’m describing you?

But the fact is, email marketing is the most powerful tool in your book promotion toolbox. Unlike social media, you own your newsletter list and aren’t reliant on algorithms to deliver your content. Plus, email marketing utilizes your number one skill: writing!

If you’re still with me, chances are you’re curious about email marketing, but want to make sure you get it right. That’s why I’m so excited to share my conversation with today’s guest, Eman Ismail. 

Eman is a copywriter, storyteller, pizza-lover, certified Ravenclaw, and the founder of InkHouse, where she helps business owners and non-profits communicate who they are, what they do, and how they do it. In today’s interview, she breaks down the different types of email marketing campaigns, shares some of her biggest email pet peeves, and how authors like you can nurture and sell your audience via email.

Did you know that when I started Kaye Publicity in 2009, I had zero PR experience? If’ I’m being honest, I don’t think I fully grasped the difference between publicity and marketing, or what the broader public relations umbrella looked like.

So how did I launch a successful book PR agency with zero experience? I relied on my writing skills.

All month long, we’re exploring how authors can put their writing skills to use in their book promotion, and why storytelling is the most powerful tool for attracting new readers. To start, I’m sharing my journey from freelance writer to agency owner, and how what I lacked in PR experience, I made up for with my storytelling abilities.

Resources mentioned:

• kayepublicity.com
• kayepublicity.com/yourbreakoutbook

This month’s theme is Writing for Readers. So many authors complain and lament about all the promotional responsibilities falling on their shoulders, throwing up their hands and saying, “But I’m not a marketer! I’m just a writer!”

What many authors don’t realize is their skills as a writer can be their greatest asset as a marketer.

Any type of promotion begins with storytelling. For books, you tell the story of how your book came to exist, what inspired you to write it, and why it’s important. You share your author journey, your path to publication, your research process, and sometimes insight into your personal life. You may do this through blog posts, newsletters, or social media content. You may apply these skills to your media pitches, op-eds, or written interviews. Writing skills are necessary for so many aspects of promotion that I’d argue you, as an author, have an advantage over many of the so-called professionals.

You have the skills, but how can you apply them to launch Your Breakout Book? That’s exactly the question I’m posing to this month’s guests. I’ll speak with content strategist Eman Ismail who will share the power and principles behind email marketing. We’ll hear from award-winning author and Your Breakout Book member, Ellen Byron, about the impact guest blogging has had on growing her audience. And tomorrow, I’ll share my personal journey of applying my writing skills to marketing and publicity.

Hit subscribe wherever you’re listening to this podcast and ensure you never miss an episode. I’ll be back in your earbuds tomorrow.