Authorpreneur Fm - Writing And Self Publishing Advice

In previous podcast episodes, I've mentioned that I want this podcast to be free of interviews unless they are about how an author writes, outlines or writes without an outline. Today, I'm making an exception with this bonus interview because I believe the discussion will benefit you even if you're in the planning stages of writing your first novel.As you can guess from the title of this show, I chatted with Dave Chesson from Kindlepreneur on writing, editing, formatting, and collaborating with Atticus. For those who don't know, Atticus is a brand new all-in-one writing software for writers launched at the end of 2021. That's when the reviews of the software first launched. One of the many things I like about Atticus is that the developers are making updates all the time, and these updates are free after the initial purchase of the programme. And they have a calendar available where you can see when certain features are due to be rolled out.Before we get into the interview, here'

So, you've created an outline for your novel. And now, you're ready to start writing. Diving into writing the first draft seems like the first logical step. However, I recommend you slow down and edit the outline for your novel. I learned this lesson the hard way after publishing my first-in-series novella.To this day, I regret not going back and editing the outline for that novel. There were minor things that were not wrapped up at the end that I believed wrapped up rather subtly, but the reader needed more clarity around them. If I had edited the outline before starting to write the first draft, I would have fixed these issues before they were issues. By the time you get to the revision stage, it's difficult to see all the errors, especially if you're a new writer and you don't have an established team of beta readers or a critique partner who is a little more seasoned than you.So stay tuned for all of this and much more.Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show NotesTA

Welcome to the third instalment of my mini-series on how I outline a novel. For those of you who are unaware, in the first episode, I discuss how I go from fleshing out a story idea to a basic outline. In episode TAP035, which is the second instalment in this three-part mini-series on outlining, I focused on sharing the steps in my outlining process that helped me create a structurally sound story with scenes that actively move the story forward. And in this episode, I will share more of those steps, plus a bunch of things that I add to my outline spreadsheet that are purely there to help me outline that I don't necessarily use while writing the first draft. If you haven't listened to episodes TAP034 and TAP035, I highly recommend you pause here and go back and listen to those shows.About this EpisodeThis episode is not scripted because I want it to be a chat about how I outline a novel. In saying that, I have compiled a list of steps and broken down exactly how I outline a story. Each of these step

Welcome to the second instalment of my three-part mini-series on how I outline a novel. For those of you who are unaware, I discuss how I go from fleshing out a story idea to a basic outline in the first episode. In this show, I share the steps in my outlining process that help me create a structurally sound story with scenes that actively move the story forward. If you haven't listened to episode TAP034, I highly recommend you pause here and go back and listen to that. The steps in this show take my outlining process and push it to the limits of being a zero draft.So stay tuned for all of this and much more.Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show NotesThe Previous Episode Scrivener (MacOS) *Scrivener (Windows) *Interested in the mini-course on how to outline a novel?Screenwriting: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee *The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know by Shawn Coyne *Types Of Conflict In Scenes by Writers WriteGet Pushy—Push Character Confli

Since 2014, I've written two novellas, one short story, and two full-length novels, three of which I have self-published. One novel is being rewritten because I wanted to change a story device and plot thread. For me, this second storyline was unrealistic and painted the character in an unprofessional light, thus creating a sense of trust with the reader. I needed the character to be seen as trustworthy for the reader. The second full-length novel is waiting for its turn to be published. After I wrote that novel, I realised the story occurred further on in the series. Between 2011 and 2014, I wrote screenplays, then changed to writing novels when I discovered self-publishing.But enough about my writing journey.About this EpisodeIn this episode, I will discuss how I go from a story idea to a fleshed-out outline. I know this is obvious, but this is my process instead of 'the way to outline a novel.' This process has evolved since my very first novel. As I wrote the next story, more steps were add

Before I dive into discussing how to outline a novel or the planning phase of writing, I thought it would be best to ask an obvious but nonetheless important question.Is outlining a good idea? Depending upon who you listen to, you will hear conflicting advice. Some authors will say in order to write quicker, you need to ditch the outlining phase. While others abide by the age-old saying, "fail to plan, plan to fail."So which option is best for you?In this episode, I will share the things you need to consider, an important question that you need to ask yourself, a piece of advice that you need to keep in mind, and my recommendations for new writers. On top of this, I talk about the downsides of creating an outline in order to give you a balanced and somewhat unbiased answer to this age-old question.Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show NotesThe Previous Episode Writing into the Dark (Workshop)Writing into the Dark (eBook) *Writing into the Dark (Paperback) *Book Review by AuthorLevel

Throughout the preorder and launch period of the release of The Candidate, I experienced a series of frustrating issues with Apple Books. While I was struggling with Apple Books, I decided to redesign the ebook's cover; then, I went on to design the paperback based on this new theme. And this new design had surprising results on the ARC giveaway for The Candidate. Also, I started paying attention to the results of using BookSirens and BookSprout. This led me to decide whether I recommend you use these Advanced Reader Services.So stay tuned for all of this and much more.Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show NotesThe Previous Episode BookSprout BookSirensGoodreadsKDP PrintIngram SparkNielsen ISBN Store (UK Only)Kindle Whisper-sync for VoiceBookBubWant the podcast straight to your inbox?My ServicesTry The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **The Formatting Templates offered by my services.Le Villain Book Covers (Affordable Premade Book Covers) **My BooksMy Short Story, the

As November flips open on my calendar, so does the launch date for my novella. In amongst the busyness of preparing for my book release, I ran into an alarming issue with Etsy that led me to question whether I will continue recommending them to creative businesses. But back to preparing for my book release, I decided to take the plunge and use BookSirens to find advanced readers after feeling disappointed by another reader service. On top of this, I discuss the highs and lows of reading my reviews.So stay tuned for all of this and much more.Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show NotesThe Previous Episode BookSprout BookSirensVellumWant the podcast straight to your inbox?My ServicesTry The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **The Formatting Templates offered by my services.Le Villain Book Covers (Affordable Premade Book Covers) **My BooksMy Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidateSuspicion | https://books2r

The writing has come to an end. And the line editing and proofreading phases are underway. In the final hours of editing, I made a story decision that I suspected would cost me more money. While I waited for the next phase of the editing process to begin, I dived into the process of preparing to self-publish my novella. This led me to finally make a decision about preorders after months of changing my mind.So stay tuned for all of this and much more.Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show NotesThe Previous Episode BookSprout Publisher Rocket (formally KDP Rocket)GrammarlyVellumWant the podcast straight to your inbox?The Mystery Nerd PodcastMy ServicesTry The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **The Formatting Templates offered by my services.Le Villain Book Covers (Affordable Premade Book Covers) **My BooksMy Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidateSuspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicionDuplicity | htt

Up until now, I've wanted the seasons of this podcast to be evergreen and act as a resource on how to write a particular element of a story. My desire to create short, evergreen episodes focused on a single topic is the reason this podcast tends to be free of interviews. However, throughout season three, I will share short interviews with other writers discussing how they write stories, and in particular, I will try to interview as many writers who "pants" novels. In light of that, in this bonus episode, I chat with Michaelbrent Collings on how he writes his fiction novels. Before we dive into the interview, here is a brief introduction to Michaebrent Collings.About Michaelbrent CollingsWhile he is best known for horror (and is one of the most successful indie horror authors in the world), Michaelbrent Collings has also written internationally-bestselling thriller, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, humour, young adult, and middle-grade works, and romance. In addition to being a bestselling nov

Revision is like pulling teeth. Well, that's how it feels to me at the moment. I'm so over revising this story. But at the same time, I feel so insecure about this novella. Long gone is that innocent, naive Amelia, who was excited to publish her first piece of fiction. Perhaps I know better now. Or, more realistically, I'm more cynical. I know what awaits me if I screw up and publish a book with plot holes, however minor. In this behind-the-scenes author diary episode, I discuss the highs and lows of my revision process, what prompted me to move into the professional editing phase and my struggles with writer's insecurity. Yes, spoiler alert, I'm riddled with it. And I share an exciting milestone with Le Villain Book Covers.Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show NotesThe Previous Episode Fiverr*Pro Writing Aid*GrammarlyAutoCritAuthors.aiWant the podcast straight to your inbox?My ServicesTry The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **The Formatting Templa

Welcome to the final instalment of this two-part mini-series on how to write a novel with genre expectations in mind. There's nothing worse than reaching the halfway mark as you write your first draft or even as you're starting the revision stage to realise that you're not sure if there's a market for your book. If this is where you are at, then don't panic; it's quite normal not to know what genre you're writing in as you write or finish your first book. But there's something you can do about it. In this episode, I'm going to share with you five steps to revising your story with genre expectations in mind.Thanks for listening, and happy reading and writing, everybody.Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show NotesThe Previous EpisodeTAP021, How to Choose the Right Ending for Your StoryGenre Tropes Cheat SheetFiverr *Write to Market by Chris Fox *How to Outline a Cozy Mystery by Sara Rosette *Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes *Mystery: How to Write Trad

Writing to market or writing with genre expectations in mind is often seen as a dirty word. And I think there are a few misconceptions, largely to do with confusing the strategy with writing to a trend which is very different. For the sake of clarity, writing to trend is all about writing what's popular. An example of that strategy is writing a paranormal romance feature vampires because they're hot right now; that's writing to trend. By the way, I have no idea whether that's a hot trend, so don't take that as gospel because it's just an example I plucked from my mind a few seconds ago. However, writing with genre expectations in mind is all about writing for your audience. I know you want to write what you love, but just hear me out. As a writer, I get it; you need to love what you write, but you also need to write something that others will enjoy and want to stick around for the long-term. What to ExpectBefore we get into the tips, this episode is the first in a two-part series

At the start of season two, I started off with the best of intentions. Just like this episode, I set the expectations for the season. And that's when everything went pear-shaped. In fact, things aren't back to normal for me either. I don't need to remind you because, technically, we're still at this place. Now that I’ve said this, I’m going to immediately follow through with this and devote this short episode to what you can expect from season three. And I'll share a few changes to the podcast that you can expect from season three.In this episode, I will discuss:What you can expect from season threeThe start date of the new season.Changes to the podcast in season three onwards.My podcasting plans until the end of the year.As always, I have an important question to ask. Are you writing a novel, short story, or novella? And if so, is there a topic you want me to cover in the upcoming season of The Authorpreneur Podcast? Let me know by coming over to the blog post or the YouTube video an

In the last two weeks of August, I started revising a murder mystery novella. Also, during this period, I created a book marketing plan for the Candidate. As I was revising my murder mystery novella, I began to feel scared to self-publish. To be honest, I've been feeling this way for a while. This month, I purchased a few courses, and I share what prompted me to make these purchases.So stay tuned for all of this and much more.Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show NotesThe Previous Episode Fiverr *Scrivener *BookSproutBook DoggyBargain BooksyWMG Publishing Lectures and WorkshopsWant the podcast straight to your inbox?My ServicesTry The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **The Formatting Templates offered by my services.Le Villain Book Covers (Affordable Premade Book Covers) **My BooksMy Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidateSuspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicionDuplicity | https://books2read.c

During the first two weeks of August, I focused my time on preparing a murder mystery novel for beta readers; then, as I waited for feedback, I focused on the second book in my other series. And this is what juggling multiple projects at once is like. You spend much of your time jumping between projects, and it does get overwhelming at times. In light of that, I share a tip on dealing with overwhelm when jumping between manuscripts.So stay tuned for all of this and much more.Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show NotesThe Previous Episode Scrivener *Fiverr*Grammarly ProWritingAid *Want the podcast straight to your inbox?My ServicesTry The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **The Formatting Templates offered by my services.Le Villain Book Covers (Affordable Premade Book Covers) **My BooksMy Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidateSuspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicionDuplicity | https://books2read.com

If you listened to the previous episodes of this podcast, you'd know that I've been struggling to finish my next novel. By now, you're probably wondering what drama got in the way of me achieving my writing and publishing goals. In this show, I'll share a momentous writing update. On top of this, I discuss my fears and a surprising update on my Fussy Librarian book promotion. And, I discovered a great tool for self-published authors at a great price.Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show NotesThe Previous EpisodeFussy LibrarianBetaReader.ioHeyBetaBetaBooksTry The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **The Formatting Templates offered by my services.Want the podcast straight to your inbox?My BooksMy Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidateSuspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicionDuplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/The Locked Room | https://books2read.com/locked-roomSuppor

During May and June, I experimented with more low-budget book promotions on a 99-cent sale on my first-in-series novella, Missing. Naturally, things didn't go as expected. In this episode, I dive into why I believe my low-budget book promotions went horribly wrong. But before I delve into all of that, I discuss what I achieved in terms of writing and share a milestone that I've hit with writing the Candidate. Plus, I discuss the progress I made with Duplicity. Also, I made an interesting discovery concerning book reviews on Amazon. And I share an update on the new income stream that I've added to my business, as well as some lessons learned.Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show NotesThe previous episodeBook AngelAwesome GangBook DoggyJust Kindle BooksBook Runes ***Reddit: Handling foreign language in your fictional writing?Reddit: How do I convey another language in a dialogue section?Blog Post: How to Use Foreign Languages in FictionBlog Post: 5 Ways To Incorporate Multiple La

For some reason, I put off sharing this author diary update because I believed I didn't do that much writing, and I was a little embarrassed. Well, I was partly correct. As I look back over my completed tasks on ToDoist and the notes on my daily writing habit spreadsheet, I realise that my assumption was incorrect. And I did get some writing done during the first four months of the year. But more on that later. I set Missing to free and scheduled various low-budget book promotions during February and March, and I experimented with Facebook Ads with some surprising results. In this show, I share my download statistics, cost per click and click-through rate when these statistics are available. Also, during this period, I started experimenting with multiple streams of income in my author business. I share the things I've tried and the things you need to consider when you're just starting. So stay tuned for all of this and much more. Thank You to These Supporters of the PodcastJ. S. RogersPodcasts,

The results of my very first story origin newsletter swap are in, and it's not what I expected. As I cast my mind back, I decided whether I would do another newsletter swap in the future. And I share my biggest lessons learned. In November, I managed to secure another free mystery and thriller eBook promotion on Kobo. Due to this change in price on Kobo, I decided to change the price to free across all other platforms. This led me to send an email to Amazon asking them to price match Missing on their store. And, this request had surprising results. While we're on the topic of Amazon, I finally felt brave enough to ask Amazon to lift the preorder penalty on Duplicity. Just in case you're wondering, yes, I managed to make progress with the revisions for Duplicity. Yay! On top of all of this, I share details on how you can be a guest on the Authorpreneur Podcast. Just as a word of warning in this podcast, I do say the word "merde." It's French for sh#t. So stay tuned for all of this