Maybe you’ve felt that way, too. Have you ever considered that one reason you might feel blocked is that you need to forgive someone?

Grab a copy of the book I wrote for my son: 18 Words to Live By: A Father’s Wisdom on What Matters Most

You can grab my book on creativity here: The Artist’s Suitcase: 26 Essentials for the Creative Journey

I answer her question by offering three simple tips to help you write more content, more often.

Grab a copy of 18 Words to Live By: A Father’s Wisdom on What Matters Most

I’d love to hear what you’ve been working on lately. Email me at kent@kentsanders.net.

Grab a copy of 18 Words to Live By: A Father’s Wisdom on What Matters Most

I’d love to hear what you’ve been working on lately. Email me at kent@kentsanders.net.

It’s all about authorship—not just writing books, but taking ownership of your writing, career, and life. 

I’d love to hear what you’ve been working on lately. Email me at kent@kentsanders.net.

In this episode, I share why having someone in your corner matters so much—not just for writing, but for life. We all need people who believe in us, encourage us, and help us keep going when things get tough.

Who’s in YOUR corner?

I’d love to hear what you’ve been working on lately. Email me at kent@kentsanders.net.

In this episode, I share how a small writing workshop with only seven attendees led to a conversation that ultimately changed the trajectory of my career. You never know which invitation, opportunity, or relationship might lead to something meaningful.

I’d love to hear what you’ve said “yes” to lately. Email me at kent@kentsanders.net.

The same is true with writing.

In this episode, I share how marathon training mirrors the writing process—and why the most important thing you can do today is stop preparing and start writing.

I’d love to hear what you’re working on. Email me at kent@kentsanders.net.

In this episode, I share why I’m bringing back The Daily Writer podcast, what prompted the change from The Profitable Writer, and where the show is headed in the coming weeks.

The central idea behind everything I do comes down to one word: authorship. My goal is to help writers become the authors of their own lives and careers.

I’d love to hear what you’re working on these days. Email me at kent@kentsanders.net.

That’s why I’m excited to share this conversation with J.D. Barker, who’s here to help us understand how to navigate the business of being a writer.

J.D. Barker is a New York Times and international bestselling American author whose work has been broadly described as suspense thrillers, often incorporating elements of horror, crime, mystery, science fiction, and the supernatural.

He is the bestselling author of Dracul, The Fourth Monkey, and Something I Keep Upstairs, his newest novel inspired by a real-life haunted house. He brings decades of experience as an author, coauthor, and creative entrepreneur. J.D. is also the co-host of the excellent podcast for writers, Writers, Ink.

In this conversation, J.D. shares his insights about building an author platform, developing income streams, his collaboration with James Patterson, mindset shifts you need as an author, the value of traditional publishing, how ghostwriting can help build your own writing business, and much more.

Make sure to check out J.D.’s site, https://jdbarker.com/ as well as the Writers, Ink podcast at https://writersinkpodcast.com/.

That’s why I’m excited to bring you this exceptionally fun and inspiring conversation with Jim Daneker.

Jim is an award-winning and Billboard-charting composer and producer who specializes in the bold, evocative, and memorable.

In addition to 27 years as keyboardist, musical director, and producer for CCM icon Michael W. Smith, Jim has enjoyed a diverse musical career. He has produced albums, created a virtual instrument series called Backstage Pass, and arranged and written music for film. His film music work includes trailers for Hollywood blockbusters such as The Fast and The Furious franchise, Transformers 2, The Chronicles of Narnia, and several Disney projects.

After two decades of serving other artists, Jim took two years to pursue his dream of scoring a cinematic instrumental album, called AD ALTA, which was released in 2017. In 2018, Jim produced another Billboard #1 album, this time for quadruple #1 artist Paul Cardall—an album that had the unprecedented distinction of debuting on nine charts simultaneously and won a Dove Award for Instrumental Album of the Year.

In February 2023, Jim announced his retirement from touring and the launch of a lifetime dream project called Arcade Orchestra, which reimagines the biggest hits of the 80s in an epic live show.

In this conversation, we dive into all things Arcade Orchestra. He shares his vision for AO, why the 80s were such an incredible decade for music and movies, what is was like to transition away from a steady music gig into building his own thing, and much more.

In addition to being a very fun conversation about all things 80s, this is going to especially inspire you if you have been focusing exclusively on client work and have been dreaming of putting yourself out there in the spotlight more.

I should note that Jim was very kind in opening up his home, near Nashville, to me for an in-person interview! It was so much fun to see his studio setup.

To find out more about Jim and Arcade Orchestra, make sure to visit https://jimdaneker.com and https://arcadeorchestra.com.

I certainly relate to that! Which is probably why I’m a full-time writer instead of some other job that requires me to spend time with people all day.

One of the dilemmas you have to face as an introverted writer is knowing how to navigate conferences. While we recognize the immense value of conferences and events for learning our craft and building relationships, we also have to figure out how to be involved without completely draining ourselves.

That’s why I’m excited to bring you this conversation with Ami McConnell, who runs WriterFest, a conference for writers in Nashville each November. Ami joins me to chat about what makes WriterFest unique, how to get the most out of it, how to navigate events as an introvert, and much more.

Although WriterFest has already happened in 2025, I want to give you a heads up to make plans and attend WriterFest in 2026. Make sure to get on the mailing list for WriterFest so you’re notified about updates. You can do so by visiting https://writerfestnashville.com.

Before we get into the conversation, let me tell you a bit about Ami, who in addition to being the Founder and President of WriterFest Nashville, is also the Founder and President of Ami McConnell Literary Agency.

Ami is an author, writer, and editor with over twenty years of experience in-house at major trade book publishers. Having edited numerous New York Times bestsellers and award winners, she now works with authors of all stripes to create bestselling books.

She’s a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller who has collaborated with singers, songwriters, psychologists, doctors, therapists, film and TV actors, and artists. Ami also serves on the board of Women’s National Book Association/Nashville Chapter and lives in the Nashville area with her family.

You can find out more about Ami by visiting her website, https://amimcconnell.com, and the WriterFest site at https://writerfestnashville.com.

You’ve probably heard of Gotham Ghostwriters, a New York City ghostwriting agency. It’s headed up CEO Dan Gerstein, who is a nationally recognized political writer, communications strategist, and idea man. He’s been writing professionally for more than thirty years.

Gotham Ghostwriters has seen incredible growth in recent years, and I had the pleasure of talking to Dan about Gotham, as well as their annual event, Gathering of the Ghosts. This year’s event was recently held in NYC, and next year’s event is sure to be even bigger.

Gotham also recently released a fantastic resource for ghostwriters—a course titled Ghostmasters 101: How to Break into the Business of Ghostwriting. And if you’re interested in joining the Gotham Ghostwriters network, you can find more info about how to do that on the Gotham website.

In this conversation with Dan, we dive into all of these topics and much more. If you’re currently ghostwriting, you’ll find a lot to chew on here. And if you’re looking for a way to make extra income with your writing skills, or even build a robust full-time career as a ghostwriter just like I’ve done, this conversation will inspire and empower you to take the next steps. You can find out more about Gotham Ghostwriters and all it has to offer by visiting https://gothamghostwriters.com.

I’ve been a subscriber to the magazine for a couple of years now. If you’re looking for a fantastic resource to help you navigate the often-complicated world of being an indie author, look no further! Indie Author magazine will give you an incredible bang for your buck! I highly recommend the print version, which I am thrilled to receive myself.

In this conversation, Chelle and I dive into her journey of starting this incredible publication, how each issue comes together, why it’s so awesome to be an indie author, and so much more.

If you’ve been sitting on a great idea for a while and have been afraid to take action, this conversation with Chelle is going to inspire you to finally get moving toward your dreams!

And of course, I want to encourage you to subscribe to Indie Author magazine. You can do so by visiting https://indieauthormagazine.com/

Maria Chapman is the Founder of Connected Ghostwriting, a writing agency built on one clear principle: connection drives success. Her agency does a variety of services, including books, web content, marketing materials, and more. Her site is https://connectedghostwriting.com.

Karen Anderson is a Strategic Book Coach and Associate Publisher for Morgan James Publishing. She has worked in various roles in the book business and as a marketer for over 25 years. One of her most notable collaborations is The Bezos Letters, which she wrote with her husband, Steve. Her site is https://strategicbookcoach.com.

And last but not least, Blake Atwood is a ghostwriter and editor who recently had two books he helped edit appear simultaneously on the New York Times bestseller list. Those two books are Atomic Habits by James Clear and The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher. Blake’s site is https://blakeatwood.com.

I’ve asked each of these friends to be a part of this roundtable discussion because I not only respect their work, but I also appreciate their philosophy and wisdom when it comes to ghostwriting.

A few of the topics we talk about include: how to get started as a ghostwriter, the money side of ghostwriting, how to balance between writing for clients and writing for yourself, some of the biggest mistakes ghostwriters make, and much more.

But somewhere along the way, you probably lost the spark a bit. You grew up, life got hard, and you felt overwhelmed with responsibilities in your family and career.

It’s a common story most of us have experienced, especially if we do this full-time. It’s hard not to let the task of writing and business totally consume our thoughts and habits. We have to be intentional about injecting a sense of fun, wonder, and curiosity into our lives again.

My guest today is here to help us do exactly that. Mike Brennan is an author and artist who tells stories on pages and stages. He’s a passionate advocate for reigniting the lost art of fun and creativity in our lives. He does this by the transformative power of play, fun, and creativity in both his storytelling and his work with clients.

Mike is the author of several books on creativity, including Creative Power: 30 Days of Creative Affirmations, Make Fun a Habit: The Creative PLAYbook for Making Life and Work Fun Again, and the Daily Creative Habit Creative Journal.

This call was from a session in our Profitable Writer membership last year. Mike helped our group explore our creative side and work toward building meaningful creative habits into our life and writing. I think you’ll enjoy this session as well. And of course, I always encourage you to check out our membership at https://theprofitablewriter.com.

In addition, make sure to check out all of Mike Brennan’s books and offerings at https://www.mikebrennan.me.

My guest today is Steve Woodruff, and this conversation is all about helping you get a glimpse into his business as a consultant, and how his books have been a great entry point for the people who hire him. Let me tell you a bit about Steve.

Steve’s goal is to help people flip the script on the corporate status quo by finding their focus and making themselves clear.

He believes that with the right tactics, anyone can win at work through better communication. He wrote his first book, Clarity Wins: Get Heard, Get Referred, to teach people how to rise above the noise and get referred. In his second book, The Point: How to Win with Clarity-Fueled Conversations, he trains people to use his Clarity Fuel Formula, backed by practical brain science, to communicate with clarity and focus.

Steve’s career spans three decades, progressing from a sales and marketing director to a trusted consultant for corporate clients such as Pfizer and many others. Today he gets to focus full-time on helping others discern, articulate, and maximize their own strengths as an author, speaker, facilitator, and trainer.

He enjoys spending time with his wife, Sandy, a lifelong educator, and sharing his love of the great outdoors and photography with his family.

In this conversation, Steve gives us the inside scoop on the role his books play in his larger business. You’ll learn why he wrote them and chose the particular publishing pathways he did, how his books build the other parts of his business, how he markets them to the people who might hire him, and his advice for nonfiction authors who want to use their books to grow their speaking, training, consulting, and related services.

As a side note, most of the business books I ghostwrite are intended to do the exact thing Steve talks about—act as a gateway that leads to more profitable parts of their business. If you’re a business author, or you ghostwrite books for business authors, you’ll learn a lot from Steve’s approach. 

Make sure to check out Steve’s books and other offerings at https://www.stevewoodruff.com.

It’s tempting to feel like you’re getting a late start, but I believe the opposite is actually true: you have a head start because you have a wealth of knowledge from your previous career that you can apply to your writing.

That’s certainly the case with my guest today, Patrick O’Donnell. He’s built a very successful career writing fiction, and I know you’ll be inspired by his journey. Let me tell you a bit about him.

Sgt. Patrick O’Donnell worked in one of the nation’s largest police departments for 25 years. He has been in charge of thousands of crime scenes and investigations, including homicides, sexual assaults, and robberies. Now as an author, he helps people write the best crime-related novel or screenplay possible.

Patrick is the product of two young Irish immigrants. He was born and spent his early childhood in the great city of Chicago.

He lives with his wife, kids, and three dogs. Patrick has published self-help books under different pen names and made Amazon’s bestseller lists. His hobbies include physical fitness, travel, and riding motorcycles.

In our conversation, Patrick and I discuss how he became interested in writing after a long career in law enforcement, his experience working with a co-writer, how he develops stories, how he uses podcasting in his business, how he markets and promotes his books, and much more.

You can connect with Patrick and find out more about his resources and books at https://copsandwriters.com.

However, I confess that until recently, I had never heard of MAPs, otherwise known as Multi-Author Projects. These are typically a series of books written by different authors, but set in the same world or universe, and often some of the same characters.

I was talking via email with my friend, Mary Felkins, who is a fantastic author herself, about something entirely different. She mentioned she was participating in these kinds of collaborative projects, and I thought it would be fun to interview Mary and two of her collaborators, Dalyn Weller and Kit Morgan.

Some of the topics we dive into include: What are the parameters of a MAP and how they work, why you might want to collaborate in this way, how cross-promotion works when doing these kinds of projects, the limitations and benefits, and much more.

You can check out each of our guests’ individual sites by visiting https://maryfelkins.com, https://dalynweller.com, and https://authorkitmorgan.com.

Billy grew up with Elvis and spent 17 years by his side, working for Elvis, sharing his life, and being a core part of his entourage. Very few people knew Elvis as well as Billy and his brothers.

We had an absolutely fantastic time putting the book together. In honor of the book’s two-year anniversary last Fall, I hosted a Q&A session with Billy where he answered lots of burning questions about Elvis from people who read the book or loved Elvis.

A few of the questions Billy answers include:

- Did Elvis do his own Bible study on Sundays since it was hard for him to attend church like a regular person?

- Was Elvis a Republican or Democrat?

- How did Elvis handle the appearance of ghosts at Graceland?

- Was there a movie he made he didn’t like?

… and many more!

If you haven’t read the book, I highly encourage to check it out. It’s heartfelt, inspiring, funny, and will make you want to learn more about the one-of-a-kind human and amazing musical talent who was Elvis Presley.

Hope you enjoy this Q&A session!

The questions come from all perspectives. Writers who want to build a business ask me about how I got started and what it takes to build a successful ghostwriting business.

Business leaders and others who want to write a book, but don’t have the time or skills to do it themselves, ask me how the process works.

And many other people who are simply curious about ghostwriting ask me what a ghostwriter is and what I actually do all day!

No matter which perspective you come from, you will be interested in this conversation with my former client, Adam Boggs. We worked together on his book, The Business Artist: A Human Approach to Sales, Storytelling, and Creativity in a Data-Driven World.

Adam describes himself as a self-proclaimed social theorist who loves diving into the intricate workings of our world. He has a deep-seated passion for blending the beauty of artistic principles with technology, business, and society, unlocking fascinating new viewpoints along the way.

Adam is also the CEO of Meahana, an intelligent platform to design, guide, and enhance every step of the meeting process. With over thirteen years of experience in co-creating workshops and designing facilitated experiences for leading technology giants like Google, SAP, and Cisco, he has a deep understanding of what it takes to lead memorable meetings.

In this conversation, Adam and I pull back the curtain on what it’s really like to work with a ghostwriter. We talk about the role he wanted the book to play in his business, why he wanted to self-publish instead of using a publisher, how we worked together through initial ideas, drafts, and revisions, his advice for people thinking about hiring a ghostwriter, and his advice for people considering ghostwriting as a career.

You can find out much more about Adam and his book, The Business Artist, by going to his website, https://adamboggs.io, and I encourage you to check out his company, Meahana, by visiting https://meahana.io.

But we do ourselves a huge disservice when we neglect the other component, which is the Profitable part. Profit isn’t just about making more money. It’s also about keeping more of the money we make.

That’s why I’m thrilled to share this conversation with Danielle Hayden from Kickstart Accounting. Danielle is a genius when it comes to accounting and entrepreneurship—so much so that I entrust Kickstart Accounting with my own bookkeeping.

Let me tell you a bit about her. Danielle is the Co-Founder and CEO of Kickstart Accounting, Inc. a bookkeeping and accounting firm that is on a mission to coach six figure (+ beyond) entrepreneurs so they can better understand their numbers through bookkeeping, financial analysis, and support in order to grow profitable, sustainable and enjoyable businesses.

With over 15 years of experience in the world of finance, Danielle has worked her way from accounting firm intern to the Co-Founder of Kickstart Accounting. She understands how complex business finances can be, and she knows that entrepreneurs need more than just a bookkeeper; they need real financial analysis and support in order to get the confidence required to create the sustainable wealth they deserve.  She is also the host of the Business By the Books podcast.

When Danielle isn't in her money mindset work, you can find her hiking or spending time with her family.

In this conversation, Danielle and I focus on topics related to healthy business spending, what to pay yourself as a business owner, and other accounting and business essentials.

Before we dive into this conversation, let me be direct: I know a lot of writers who ignore accounting and business basics because they don’t understand it, or they’re not sure what to do next. I can tell you from firsthand experience that when you engage with a great bookkeeping firm like I’ve found with Kickstart, it makes your life so much easier. I’ve been extremely happy with their services the last few years, and I encourage you to check them out.

You can find out more about Danielle and Kickstart Accounting by visiting their site, https://kickstartaccountinginc.com.

In my experience, most full-time writers do a mix of client work in addition to their own projects. Regardless of the specific kinds of client work they do, or the particular projects they create for themselves, the common element is that they have multiple streams of income.

Their careers are like diamonds that sparkle from several angles. Each of those angles represents a different line of products or services.

That’s certainly true of my guest today, John David Mann.

John is the author, ghostwriter, or co-author of dozens of books in multiple genres, including personal development, business parables, military memoir, and thriller. His many, many titles include The Go-Giver (with Bob Burg) and The Finn Thriller series (with Brandon Webb), which is currently in development for a streaming series. Many of his books have been NY Times bestsellers.

In this conversation, which was a guest expert session from my Profitable Writer membership, John shares how he has developed a multi-faceted writing career that includes collaborations, courses, client work, and more.

I was really inspired by this conversation, and I know will be, too! You can find out more about John’s writing and work at https://johndavidmann.com.

We crave stories so much that even at night, when we’re asleep, our brains continue to concoct stories for us!

Many writers give life and breath to their storytelling dreams by writing fiction. Whether you are a fiction veteran and have published your own books, or whether you have always wanted to write fiction but weren’t sure where to begin, you’ll love my conversation today with Jim Woods.

Jim is a great friend who has been a creative inspiration to me for many years. I don’t remember how we first met, but it was well over ten years ago when we connected in some online writing circles. Jim has been a constant encourager to both me and lots of other writers. He is also one of the most superb writers and storytellers I know.

Jim is a writing and story coach, and the author of many books, including his new western series, which includes Standoff at Sundown, Red Rock Justice, and Red Rock Vengeance, which just came out a few days ago.

In this conversation, Jim and I talk at length about how to get started writing fiction. The topics range from his process of writing a novel, daily writing goals, his thoughts on story templates like the Hero’s Journey and Save the Cat, the purpose of scenes, first steps in writing fiction, and more.

You can connect with Jim at his site: https://jimwoodswrites.com.

And what’s not love? You can listen to audiobooks anywhere, you can listen while you’re doing other things, and most people can listen to a book faster than they can read them.

If you’ve ever considered creating audiobooks as a companion to your print books or ebooks, you’ll love this episode. I’m joined by Trenton Bennett and Lynn Smargis for a conversation about options and processes for producing and narrating audiobooks.

Trenton is an audiobook narrator who has nearly ten years of voiceover training, coaching, and work. He is also skilled in related areas such as podcasting and professional audio production. He has narrated dozens of books in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mysteries & Thrillers, Religion & Spirituality, Military Adventure, and more. You can find out more about Trenton at https://www.trentonbennett.com/.

Lynn Smargis helps leaders, executives, and consultants transform their expertise into published works. Her books include Sensible Senior Solutions: Long Term Care Choices and Funding Options for Seniors and 9 Stumbling Blocks Preventing Creatives From Tapping Into Free Grant Funds, co-authored with Danielle Corbett and Leo York, which reveals the hidden pathways to creative funding.

Lynn is also the host and producer of Publishing for Professionals, a podcast that sprinkles publishing wisdom across all major platforms and YouTube. You can find out more about Lynn at https://www.writeforyou.me/.

In this conversation, we talk about why authors should produce audiobooks, options for production, how to actually get it done, and whether you should narrate your books yourself or use a narrator.

No matter where you are on your author journey, this episode will help you make some critical decisions about where audiobooks fit into your business.

That’s certainly true of today’s conversation with Catherine Bramkamp. Catharine is the author of Out Loud: A Writing Adventure for Women. Even though it’s specifically a book for women, I found a lot of value in it as a writer.

Catharine has written nearly 30 books in total, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. She is a world traveler in addition to being a writing coach and workshop facilitator. She lives in Nevada City, CA, and to the great relief of her children, she is not currently writing a memoir.

On today’s episode, Catharine and I talk about a few themes from her book, Out Loud, including how the Muse keeps appointments, the value of journaling, and how to function as a writer when you’re socially challenged. You can find out more about Catharine and her books by visiting her site, https://catharine-bramkamp.com.

Yet failing to plan out the journey is exactly what many authors do when it comes to their books. That’s why putting together a book proposal is so important.

We usually think of book proposals as a document that is only used when authors are pitching an agent or a traditional publisher. However, every time I write a book for myself or a client, I always put together a detailed document that contains elements of a book proposal.

Regardless of your publishing pathway, a proposal is a powerful tool to help you determine whether you’re truly ready to write and publish. My guest today is here to share some valuable tips on improving your next nonfiction book proposal.

Margot Starbuck is a graduate of Westmont College and Princeton Seminary, is a New York Times bestselling writer, and has written over forty­ books. She has touched over 200 major publishing projects as an author, writer, coach, or editor.

As a collaborator serving publishers and communicators, Margot treasures the privilege of writing alongside athletes, entertainers, and overcomers. She counts it a privilege to journey with individuals as they share their most compelling and intimate stories with readers.

As a speaker at writing conferences around the country, Margot equips writers who want to be published. She reviews book proposals and manuscripts, showing writers what’s working well and what can be improved, as well as offering practical strategies to execute those changes. She’s particularly passionate about working to elevate the voices of communicators of color within Christian publishing.

Margot lives in a neighborhood in Durham, North Carolina, that’s built around friends with disabilities. You can find all of Margot’s books, resources, and grab her free Nonfiction Book Readiness Quiz at https://margotstarbuck.com

My guest today is here to help us understand that our pain and suffering can be a useful tool for writing. In fact, if we are willing to face our pain in life and use it as a pathway to sharing our story, it’s a powerful way to serve others.

Jim Barnard is a pastor, author, speaker, and the founder of Tiller Coaching. He offers coaching to those who are suffering the reality of the expectation gap, where disappointment, dissatisfaction, and distress can cause real damage.

Jim is the author of The Suffering Guy, a book that details his wife’s rare chronic illness that set in three months after their marriage and has led them on a challenging journey ever since. Told from Jim's point of view, the book details the real struggle to find hope amid suffering.

This is a very raw and real conversation, somewhat different than the usual topics on this podcast. I hope you find comfort and guidance as Jim shares his story and we explore how our pain can be a pathway to writing that changes people’s lives.

You can find out more Jim, his book, and his work by visiting https://tillercoaching.org and https://thesufferingguy.com.

No matter what the specific income streams are, the common element of almost all successful career writers is that they have a variety of outlets for their writing. That’s certainly the case for my guest today.

Savannah Carlisle is the pen name of Kristi Dosh, who has spent more than a decade as a sports business reporter for outlets such as ESPN and Forbes. She is also the author of two books on college sports. The first is Saturday Millionaires: How Winning Football Builds Winning Colleges, and the most recent one is The Athlete's NIL Playbook: The Complete Guide to Owning and Profiting from Your Name, Image, and Likeness.

However, Kristi also wanted to write romance novels, so she created the pen name Savannah Carlisle for that side of her writing and business.

My debut novel, The Library of Second Chances, was released last year, and her second novel, The Summer of Starting Over, was just released a few months ago.

On this episode, you’ll hear me refer to her as Savannah since that’s how I was introduced to her—and also since we are focusing more on that side of her writing in this conversation. Savannah and I discuss how she built her career, offer her advice for building a multifaceted business, share her writing process for fiction, and much more.

Check out her books and writing at https://savannahcarlisle.com and https://businessofcollegesports.com.

Most of us would gravitate toward one or more of those terms. But I’ve never heard anyone in the writing and publishing world use the term “sales professional” or perhaps “salesperson” to describe what they do.

Which is a bit funny if you think about it, since if you have a business, you are definitely in sales!

That’s why I’m excited to feature this conversation with Phil Whitebloom, who is here to help us handle objections better and close more sales—no matter how you make your living as a writer.

Phil has been a sales professional for more than 40 years. His employers and customers have included Sony, the White House, the Department of Defense, NASA, professional sports teams, universities, Fortune 500 companies, communication giants, small and medium-sized businesses, and startups.

Phil is also the co-host of the “Been There, Sold That” podcast with Brianna Hendley.

I have gotten to know Phil over the last couple of years since we have both been members of Honorée Corder’s Empire Builders Mastermind. During that time, I’ve come to know Phil as not only a great conversationalist and consummate expert in sales, but a genuinely kind and thoughtful human being as well.

In this conversation, we dive into some themes from Phil’s excellent book, Handling Objections: Clues for Closing the Sale. You’ll learn how to start embracing idea of selling by shifting your mindset, how to address some common objections to pricing, lots of practical tips on sales, and much more.

You’ll want to grab a pen and paper to take plenty of notes because Phil is such a wealth of knowledge!

You can find out more about Phil’s book, Handling Objections, his podcast, and services by visiting his website, https://beentherecs.com.

But as I’m sure you know, there is a whole wide world of opportunities out there for writers. That’s why I’m excited to bring you this interview with Tim Carter. He is not only a novelist, but has also done extensive writing for feature films, video games, and other mediums.

Tim always wanted to tell stories since he was a kid. After years in corporate writing and magazines, he jumped into film and TV in 2004, selling his first television pilot to CBS. He produced the groundbreaking digital series MORTAL KOMBAT: LEGACY for Warner Brothers and later wrote and produced the DEAD RISING movies for Legendary Pictures and Sony.

As a lifelong gamer, he started writing for Computer Gaming World in 1991. Soon after breaking into film, he began to do double duty writing games. To date, he has written or consulted for more than a dozen games of all sizes. He is best known for writing the award-winning AAA game SLEEPING DOGS.

Tim is also the author of Majordomo: A Novella as well as the novel, Jester, which was released this past Spring.

In this conversation, I get to ask Tim all my nerdy questions about what it’s like to write for films and games, how to get started in that career, how stories are developed, and more.

Make sure to check out Tim’s books and projects at https://timbcarter.com.

Whether you write blog posts, books, material for clients, and of course, novels, you can always learn to become a better storyteller. Today we’re going all the way back to one of the most important sources for learning how to tell stories better: the original teacher of story, Aristotle himself.

My guest is Doug Vigliotti, author of Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story. He the author of three additional books, including Tom Collins: A ‘Slightly Crooked’ Novel, which is available to listen to on, Slightly Crooked: Good Stories, Told Well, a podcast that also features his raw and unorthodox poem collection mini heartbreaks (or, little poems about life). Doug is also the host of Books for Men, a weekly podcast to inspire more men to read. He lives in New Haven, Connecticut.

Aristotle for Novelists is, of course, based on Aristotle’s classic work, Poetics, which lays out the timeless rules of drama. Doug has done every writer a huge favor by distilling these principles down into an easy-to-understand format for every storyteller.

In our conversation, we talk about how these principles apply to nonfiction writers, the six components of story, the three big questions a writer must answer in order to write their story, and much more.

This was a fun conversation filled with creative tips for every kind of writer. Make sure to check out Doug’s books, podcasts, and more at https://douglasvigliotti.com/.

Doug has generously agreed to give away a copy of Aristotle for Novelists. You can enter the drawing by visiting https://douglasvigliotti.com/kent.

Who knows, maybe it’s just writers! We are a bit of a crazy group, after all!

Whatever way you slice it, the fact remains that a lot of people right now seem to be spinning their wheels, paralyzed by all the options before them in life. That’s certainly true of writers. Today, we have more options for how to build a business than ever before. We have all had those moments when we have to stop and assess our situation, take a breath, and then figure out the pathway forward.

That’s why I’m honored to feature this conversation with Carol Enneking. She is the author of the book The Rebalancing Act: Wisdom from Working Women for Success That Matters. Carol’s journey to “have it all” led her to interview over seventy men and women of all ages, uncovering common challenges that hold back working women from true fulfillment.

Her book blends these insights with her personal experiences to provide practical strategies for restoring balance in our busy lives. Even though she wrote this book for women, I have often found that books written for a niche audience often have great insights for people outside that niche—that’s certainly the case with Carol’s book.

In addition to being an author, Carol Enneking brings years of deep experience as a senior executive specializing in talent management, coaching, and leadership to her clients. Carol’s career has spanned major corporations, entrepreneurial ventures as a business owner, and collaborations with over 100 companies. Her passion is helping businesses leverage talent, learning, and culture to deliver excellent results through their people.

Carol’s greatest joy is her family: her husband Eric, children Bradley, Bethany, her bonus daughter, Alyssa, and the world’s best dog, a Great Pyrenees named Molly. Some of her favorite things include live music, chocolate, G70s and 80s song lyrics, ice cream, traveling, trivia, faith, and history. What a great list!

In this conversation, Carol and I talk about how writers can frequently get stuck, and how to start moving forward by addressing the seven archetypes, the traps that hold us back.

The reality is that all of us have to face decision points in our complicated, fast-paced world today. I know you’ll enjoy Carol’s insights just as much as I did.

Be sure to check out Carol’s book, The Rebalancing Act, and her website, https://carolenneking.com/. Here’s our conversation.

There’s a clear reason we feel this way sometimes when listening to interviews. It’s because in public settings, people generally only share their wins, their successes, the things that make them look good.

Everybody has good AND challenging times in their business. But we don’t often hear about the challenging times.

That’s why we’re turning the tables a bit today. My good friend and fellow ghostwriter, Alice Sullivan, actually suggested the topic of this episode. We had talked before about how we handled it when client work goes wrong for various reasons. She thought it would be fun to make an episode about it, and I completely agreed.

So in that spirit, what you’re about to hear is two ghostwriters sharing crazy stories about what happens when things go off the rails with clients, and how we have handled it.

These situations include clients who take a long time to pay (or don’t pay at all), getting fired from jobs, dealing with a client’s personal crisis, clients who hate what you’ve written, how to deal with tricky situations with publishers, and much more.

Just to be clear, in my experience these kinds of crazy situations have been pretty rare. Most the clients I’ve worked with have been amazing and delightful, and it was a pleasure to work on their books.

But just like in real life, sometimes things don’t go according to plan. I hope this episode will not only be a fun listen, but will also give you some strategies for handling future tricky situations with clients.

Before we get into the conversation, let me tell you a bit about Alice Sullivan.

She is a #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling ghostwriter, New York Times bestselling editor (11 times over), collaborator, and speaker. A natural-born storyteller, she has written nearly 70 books and edited over 1,300 titles since 2001.

In addition to her NYT and WSJ bestsellers, other books have achieved Amazon bestseller status and won several awards, such as Readers’ Favorite, Living Now Book Award, and Nashville’s Best Local Children’s Book Award.

Alice has written for Forbes, Hay House, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Abingdon Press, Made for Grace Publishing, and many more publishers and outlets.

Alice specializes in memoir, self-help, personal growth, and leadership because she loves personal stories and practical advice. Her favorite projects challenge her point of view, expand her knowledge, and add meaning to her life.

Alice is not just a consummate storyteller and writer. She's also one of the most kind and down-to-earth people I know. Make sure to connect with her at https://alicesullivan.com.

As a recognized thought leader, published author, and advocate for health equity, Mr. Pullin was named one of the Top 10 Healthcare Leaders in the U.S. by Healthcare Digital in 2024. The year before, Modern Healthcare selected him as one of the 25 Top Innovators in Healthcare and one of the 100 Most Influential People in the industry nationwide. Prior to that, Modern Healthcare recognized him as one of the nation’s Top 25 Diversity Leaders in Healthcare on three occasions.

Since 2020, Mr. Pullin has hosted the award-winning Here for Good podcast, where he engages in meaningful conversations with transformational leaders and Virtua colleagues about how they create a positive impact on the world around them. Nearly 100 episodes have been recorded and released to date.

Today, Dennis joins me to talk about his new book, Suited for Leadership: How to Show Up with Purpose to Have a Lasting Impact. The book compiles two dozen of the important life lessons he has learned in his years of leadership. The book is not just for people in healthcare: every leader, at every level, will benefit from the book, which is a fun, practical read.

It was an absolute blast to collaborate with Dennis on his book, and I’m thrilled to share this conversation with you! We talk about several topics, which include:

- What Dennis’s day-to-day life looks like as a healthcare CEO

- How to deal with imposter syndrome

- How to reconnect with your purpose when you’re feeling stuck

- What he learned as a healthcare leader going through the Covid crisis

- His advice for writers who want to stand out as an expert in a crowded space

This conversation was an absolute blast, and I encourage you to check out his book, Suited for Leadership. There are lots of great lessons for writers and leaders of all kinds.

I can say in all honesty that today is a momentous occasion here on the podcast!

Why do I say that? Because today is the culmination of a nearly 20-year journey to hold a very special book in my hands. It’s titled, Carson the Magnificent, and it’s the long-awaited biography of one of my entertainment heroes, the late Johnny Carson.

For those who aren’t very familiar with Johnny Carson, he was the host of NBC’s Tonight Show for 30 years, from 1962-1992. They called him “The King of Late Night” because he ruled the late-night airwaves for decades.

When Johnny Carson retired from the Tonight Show in 1992, at the top of his game, he famously went into his retirement cave and rarely came back out except for a few public appearances in the years afterwards.

That’s why it was such a big deal when the writer and journalist Bill Zehme was able to score an interview in Esquire magazine in 2002, ten years after Carson retired. It was the only formal interview that Carson had granted since his retirement.

A few years later, Carson agreed to let Zehme write his full biography. The book was announced, and he went to work on it. Then the years crept by and the book never came out. Zehme got cancer, which obviously stalled progress on the book. Then he passed away last year with most of the book written, but still incomplete. Over the years it had become known as one of the great unfinished biographies, almost achieving legendary status, but not for reason that Zehme or the publisher wanted.

But then earlier this year, nearly 20 years after Zehme started work on the Carson biography, Simon & Schuster announced that Chicago writer Mike Thomas would be taking up the reigns of the book and completing Zehme’s work. This was the perfect match because Thomas was a well-established entertainment writer, as well as a friend and former research assistant of Bill Zehme.

You have to understand how excited I was to see this announcement earlier this year. This is no exaggeration: for the last 20 years, every 6-8 months I would try to find some little scrap of news about the book. That’s how excited I was. So when I saw that Simon & Schuster was still going to release the book, I was over the moon.

Which brings us today. I knew the book was coming out on November 5, so a few weeks ago I got in touch with Mike Thomas to see if he’d be interested in talking about the book here on the podcast. He graciously agreed, and with the help of Anne Pearce, the Associate Director of PR at Simon & Schuster, we arranged this conversation.

So that’s how this conversation came about. It’s more backstory than usual, but I thought it might be interesting for listeners. Let me tell you a bit about my guest!

Mike Thomas is the author of two critically acclaimed books, The Second City Unscripted: Revolution and Revelation at the World-Famous Comedy Theater and You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman. He spent more than fourteen years as an arts and entertainment features writer at the Chicago Sun-Times and is a regular contributor to Chicago magazine. He lives in Chicago with his family.

In this conversation, we dive into all sorts of topics related to Mike, his writing career, and of course the book that brought us together, Carson the Magnificent. Our conversation topics include:

• How he knew he wanted to be a writer.
• How he became acquainted with Bill Zehme in the 1990s.
• Why Bill struggled to finish the Carson book.
• Mike’s process of taking Bill’s work and seeing it to completion, and what it was like to pick up the writing mantle from someone else.
• Mike’s advice for people who want to begin or expand their career as a writer.

Many thanks to Mike Thomas for an engaging and inspiring conversation!

If you love Johnny Carson or entertainment biographies, you'll love Carson the Magnificent. And if you’re a ghostwriter, editor, or biographer, you'll love the book even more because it's a perfect example of telling someone's story without getting in the way.

In this case, Thomas had the double task of telling two stories: Caron's life story, and the story of Zehme's journey to complete the book. My hat is off to a job well done!

50 is an interesting age: a watershed moment when many people re-evaluate their lives. Over the last few years, I’ve started paying more attention to how different people deal with this important transition in life.

I’ve noticed that people generally make one of two choices when it comes to middle age.

When you enter this period of life, you stand before two objects: a ladder and a recliner. You have the choice of whether you are going to sit down in the recliner and focus on being comfortable … or whether you’re going to accept the challenge to keep climbing up the ladder of personal success.

Most people choose the recliner. At this point in life, many people are tired, beaten down from life, and have no interest in new challenges. So they sit down in the recliner with no intention to grow and learn as a person.

On the other hand, a much smaller percentage of people realize that life isn’t about being comfortable. It’s about growing into your full potential and using the challenges of life to propel you to new heights. So instead of turning away from the challenges and checking out of life, they take a good, long look at the ladder … and they start climbing.

Which brings me to my guest on this episode, my friend Laura Venecia Rodriguez.

Laura is an author, researcher, and speaker dedicated to helping individuals over 50 regain or discover their mojo and “shine” with renewed purpose and passion after reaching an impasse or experiencing a major upheaval or change in their lives.

She shares information on ancient and contemporary tips, techniques, and wisdom that enhance the body, mind, and spirit. You can find her inspiration and wisdom in her weekly newsletter, “Shine After 50:  Regain Your Sparkle” as well as her “Shine After 50” Youtube channel.

Laura is also the author of Gentle Yoga After 50: Get Fit, Flexible, and Feel Fantastic!, where you’ll learn information and insights about yoga that Laura has learned since starting yoga at age 15. You can find out more about Laura and her writing at her website, https://shineafter50.com.

I’ve asked Laura to be a guest on today’s episode to especially help those of us 50 or older (or who are approaching that age) to understand what we can better to shine and succeed as writers.

You’ll learn about some of the key challenges we face in this period of life, how to navigate life transitions, lots of insights about how yoga can help you be more healthy and centered, and much more.

My answer to these friends is sometimes a little disappointing because almost all of my clients have come to me via referrals from colleagues, friends, and previous clients.

A great network takes time to build, but it’s worth it because those relationships are the foundation for a client-based business over the long haul. However, there are other sources for client work as well. One of the most popular ones is Reedsy, a marketplace for writers, editors, marketers, and designers.

I've asked my friend, Alice Sullivan, to join me for a conversation about Reedsy since she's had a lot of success connecting with ghostwriting clients there over the last few years.

Alice Sullivan is a #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling ghostwriter, New York Times bestselling editor (11 times over), collaborator, and speaker. A natural-born storyteller, she has written 64 books and edited over 1,300 titles since 2001.

In addition to her NYT and WSJ bestsellers, other books have achieved Amazon bestseller status and won several awards, such as Readers’ Favorite, Living Now Book Award, and Nashville’s Best Local Children’s Book Award.

She has written for Forbes, Hay House, Thomas Nelson Publishers (Harper Collins), Abingdon Press, Made for Grace Publishing, World Net Daily, Changing Lives Press, Carpenters Son Publishing, Clovercroft, and KN Literary Arts.

Alice specializes in memoir, self-help, personal growth, and leadership because she loves personal stories and practical advice. Her favorite projects challenge her point of view, expand her knowledge, and add meaning to her life.

Alice is not just a consummate storyteller and writer. She's also one of the most kind and down-to-earth people I know.

In this conversation, I get to ask Alice all my burning questions about getting started on Reedsy. We talk about:

• Alice’s experience on Reedsy.
• How to connect with clients and be successful there.
• Alice's income from Reedsy projects.
• How to get started on Reedsy.
• How the platform is different than going to clients directly.

If you want to expand your client base as a ghostwriter, editor, or designer, you'll love Alice's advice! Make sure to connect with Alice at https://alicesullivan.com.

Why? Because ultimately, your business depends on people and their willingness to buy from you.

That’s why I’m excited today to feature this incredible interview with Bryan Harris, CEO of Growth Tools, a monthly coaching and done-for-you partner matching service that makes it nearly impossible to fail at getting more customers.

They combine proven growth playbooks, 1:1 coaching, peer support, and matching you with your best fit partners who will promote your offer, so you’re never overwhelmed, stuck, or left wondering what to do next.

On this episode, I had a chance to talk to Bryan about an innovative and very successful method of growing your audience, which is borrowing other people’s audiences. He’s had great success with this method, and he shares which audiences to borrow, how to borrow them, and what to do afterward.

Bryan and I also talk quite a bit about ghostwriting. He gives some fantastic advice for connecting with clients and dealing with some of the problems that can come up with client work.

I was blown away not just by Bryan’s strategies, but also by his humility and honesty. He shares some of his own mistakes and disappointments in business—which we can all relate to.

Bryan and his team have also been kind enough to put together a very cool page of resources he mentioned during the conversation. This is not a static page on their website—it’s an actual list he made while we were talking, so it’s completely customized for Profitable Writer listeners.

You can grab it at https://growthtools.com/kent. You can also learn more about Growth Tools by visiting https://growthtools.com.

Which is all well and good … except that there’s a lot more to building a business than doing the work. The other 50% of having a successful writing-based business is the business side.

That’s why I regularly have guests on the show who have all kinds of businesses. There is much we can learn from other industries about what it takes to be successful as a business owner.

Today I’m very excited to bring you an incredible conversation with one of the most successful business leaders I personally know. Ali Hemyari is the founder and owner of Nashville K-9, which is Nashville’s premier dog training facility. He’s a serial entrepreneur who’s started various businesses, from advertising, to becoming a pet industry expert, and much more.

Ali is a multi-event triathlete, a helicopter and airplane pilot, real estate guru, certified SWAT Operator, Sniper/Firearms Instructor, and a general try-hard, servant-hearted, overachiever who wants to make a difference in today’s world.

He’s a husband and father, a God Seeker, and an inspiring leader who hopes that his story can effect a significant change in someone who wants to be better, do more, accomplish, and help. You can visit his websites, https://nashvillek9.com and https://hemyaricompanies.com to learn more and see a complete list of his companies.

I’ve asked Ali to join me for a conversation about his fantastic new book, Discipline: What It Really Takes to Build a Seven-Figure Business. This is a short book you can read in less than an hour, but it’s absolutely packed with wisdom about how you can actually build a successful business, no matter your industry.

In this conversation, we explore some of the principles in his book and how they apply to writers building their business. We talk about:

• Ali’s story of how he built his very successful dog training business.
• How writers doing client work can better market themselves.
• Sales principles and working with clients.
• The importance of giving back to your community.
• And much more!

Many thanks to my good friend, Honorée Corder, a shout-out for introducing me to Ali.

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Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

 There are external elements that people see: the websites, the blog, the books, the client conversations, the work you produce, and so forth. But then there is also the internal element—the mental and emotional journey you are taking.

When you start taking your business seriously, it feels like the external elements are going to be what make or break you. You think it’s all about learning to connect with certain types of people or understanding the craft of writing.

But as you get your feet wet and establish yourself a bit, you come to understand that it’s really more about the mental and emotional journey you’re taking. People typically don’t self-destruct because they don’t know how to write a book outline or they get something wrong when putting their book on Amazon. They self-destruct because they haven’t gotten a handle on their emotional and mental life as a creative and a business owner.

That’s why I’m honored and excited to have my friend, Chris Morris, as a guest today on the show. He’s going to help us navigate some of these issues from the perspective of building our resilience and mental health as writers and business owners.

Chris is the author of the excellent new book, Resilient and Redeemed: Lessons About Suicidality and Depression from the Psych Ward. He’s written several other books on topics such mental health, faith, and chronic illness. Chris is also the host of the “Resilience and Other Things” podcast.

I got to know Chris a number of years ago through my good friend, Jim Woods. I soon discovered that Chris, who is accountant by trade, was not only a thoughtful and kind person, but one of the most gifted writers I know.

Let me share a bit about Chris in his own words. This is from the bio section of his website, https://chrismorriswrites.com. He says, “I spend my time writing about how to balance faith and difficult times. I have both mental illnesses and chronic illnesses, but I’m learning to thrive anyway. I’ve never been good friends with normal, but I’m well-acquainted with disappointment and pain. I guess that’s why Redefining Normal is part of the code here, because it’s been part of my journey.”

Chris and I talk about several topics in this conversation, including:

• Why writers and creatives often uniquely struggle with mental health.
• The role that writing has played in his recovery.
• How he finds resilience in dark times.
• Practices and routines for staying mentally healthy.
• His thoughts on publishing pathways for authors.
• And more!

You can check out Chris’s books and podcast at https://chrismorriswrites.com.

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Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

Now that you’ve written the book, that’s only part of the journey of bringing this book to life! One of the areas many writers don’t think about much is the design of their book.

As writers, we like to focus on the words and storytelling. However, the design of your book has a huge impact on the reader’s experience, not to mention how you will market it—and how it will be perceived—by your ideal reader.

That’s why I’m excited to bring you this conversation with my friend, Kaycee Parker. She is a graphic designer and writer who has been freelance designing for various clients nationwide for over ten years.

Kaycee published her first devotional book in 2023, titled Devotions on Diabetes: A 30-Day Journey to Anchor Your Soul. (You can grab your copy by visiting https://devotionsondiabetes.com/book.) She enjoys cover design and interior formatting, but more than anything, she loves to help bring a book to life for an author.

In this conversation, we dive into 5 ways to improve the design of your book. This is based on her excellent free guide, which walks you through each of these steps. You can download it by visiting https://kpcommunications.net/bookdesign.

Let me say this as plainly as I can—I see a LOT of self-published authors publish books with mediocre or even terrible covers, or formatting that doesn’t look good. Don’t compromise the quality of your book by letting poor design detract from the reading experience.

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Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

Most of us gravitate toward the creative side of writing and struggle with the business side. It doesn’t come as naturally to us. That’s why I’m excited to feature this interview with Liz Wilcox.

I originally ran this interview last year, but shortly after the interview came out, Liz applied to be a contestant on the CBS show Survivor … and made it! I’m re-running this episode not only because you can watch Liz compete on Survivor right now, but also because I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback on this conversation.

Liz is the mastermind behind the wildly successful Email Marketing Membership, a simple $9 per month subscription that helps you improve your email marketing through templates. In our conversation, we dive into the story of how she created a business with 3,500 members and moved away from doing client work so she could focus on serving her students and growing her membership.

Liz is going to inspire and motivate you to start putting more time into creating your own content and moving toward building a business that fits your lifestyle and personality! She also happens to have the most fun website I’ve seen in a long time.

You can check out Liz’s Email Marketing Membership at https://lizwilcox.com and grab her free email swipe files, which include templates for an email welcome sequence and more!

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Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

Honorée Corder is the #1 expert on self-publishing. You can scour the internet, and I promise you will not find anyone who has more experience, credibility, or success when it comes to publishing and marketing their own books and creating a multi-layered, successful business from their ideas.

She is also the author of dozens of books, including: You Must Write a Book, The Prosperous Writer book series, Vision to Reality, The Bestselling Book Formula, Write Your First Nonfiction Book, She’s sold millions of books, so she definitely knows a thing or two about selling and success. Honoree also runs the Empire Builders Mastermind, which has been an awesome experience these last couple of years.

One of the ways we work together is that Honorée offers bespoke book creation to clients, and I’m the ghostwriter for those projects. Basically, this means it’s ghostwriting, publishing, and marketing at a very high level. It’s been an honor and a pleasure working on her team because she not only knows about marketing … she’s also written dozens of books and has sold books in every conceivable way.

Today’s episode is a recording from Honorée’s recent appearance as a guest expert in our Profitable Writer Community. We do a call each week, and once a month we feature an expert. Honorée shared some thoughts about money mindset and book monetization from her brand-new book, You Must Monetize Your Book.

On this call, we hit on several key topics:

• The meaning of the phrase, “Scared money don’t make money.”
• Using the filter ELFF (easy, lucrative, fast, fun) to decide which income streams to develop.
• Why you need to start thinking a lot bigger.
• Various income streams you can develop.

I encourage you to grab a copy of her new book because she shares a lot more detail than what you’ll hear on this call. But I hope it whets your appetite for more!

You can connect with Honorée and learn more about her books, courses, and more, by visiting https://honoreecorder.com.

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Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

Other times, I bring on a guest because they have an interesting story and I believe we can learn some things, and be deeply inspired by, their journey as a writer. Today’s episode definitely falls into that category because I know you’ll be just as encouraged and inspired as I was by our guest. Let me tell you a bit about her.

Barbara Richter is an accomplished author, public speaker, French-to-English translator, podcast host of Writing for Immortality, and founder of DIYBook and In Ink Ghostwriting.

Barbara has had a multifaceted career, including roles as the Managing Editor for Literary Features Syndicate, columnist for Fine Books and Collections Magazine, and contributor to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Daily News, and other outlets.

She launched DIYBook in 2023, a comprehensive solution designed to make book writing and publishing accessible and affordable for authors at all levels, from novices to seasoned professionals. On her podcast, Writing for Immortality, Barbara shares insider advice and strategies for writers at every stage of the writing process featuring discussions with a wide array of guests from the industry.

Barbara is also the founder of In Ink Ghostwriting, one of the premier ghostwriting firms in the NYC area with clients from around the world, which delivers an assortment of writing services. From business books to memoirs and novels, the firm caters to a diverse clientele, such as best-selling authors, NFL players, Fortune 500 CEOs, artists, musicians, doctors, entrepreneurs, and attorneys.

She lives in Westchester, New York, with her family and beloved basset hounds. You can connect with Barbara via her website, https://www.ininkghostwriting.com or https://www.diybook.us. Please note that you can get a free 7-day trial of the DIYBook program, no code needed, when you sign up.

In today’s conversation, Barbara and I talk about her journey as a professional writer: how she got started, different roles she’s had, her experience in ghostwriting and podcast, starting DIYBook, and more.

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Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

Well … of course you did! You’re not just a writer, but a reader as well. If your life resembles mine, you probably buy books from Amazon all the time because of the price, speed, and convenience. But Amazon is only one of the many, many places where readers can find your books!

My guest today, Susan Neal, is here to help us learn how to get our books into bookstores and libraries—two absolutely vital places our books need to be.

Susan Neal, RN has a Masters in health science and an MBA. She lives her life with a passion to help others improve their health. After suffering a health crisis, she became an author and health coach to provide others with the tools they needed to heal their bodies and reclaim their ideal weight.

Her award-winning #1 Amazon best-seller is 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates. The third book in her Healthy Living Series, The Healthy Living Journal, won the Golden Scrolls award “Best Inspirational Gift Book.” Her newest release is 12 Ways to Age Gracefully: How to Look and Feel Younger, which releases near the end of May.

Susan has been featured in many media outlets including CTN’s Bridges TV show, WATC-TV Atlanta Live and Friends & Neighbors, TCT’s Julie and Friends, Charisma magazine, and numerous podcasts and radio shows. You can learn more about Susan at https://susanuneal.com.

Susan is also the Director of the Christian Indie Publishing Association, an incredible resource for faith-based authors to grow your author platform, book sales, and much more. I’m a member myself and recommend it highly! Learn more about https://christianpublishers.net.

In this conversation, Susan and I talk about several key topics related to getting your book into bookstores and libraries:

• Why get your book into those places when you can just Amazon?
• The importance of having your own imprint.
• Why you need to have the retail price printed on the back cover.
• Why your book should be available through a major distributor, not just IngramSpark.
• The value of speaking to a manager at local Barnes & Noble stores, or indie bookstores.
• Susan’s thoughts on getting in libraries.

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Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

That’s why I’m excited to bring you this conversation with my friend Anastasia Forrest, a rockstar real estate agent!

Anastasia Forrest is a lifelong learner, creative, and sobriety-enthusiast based out of St. Augustine, Florida. She has two amazing daughters and an awesome husband who builds beautiful houses.

Her main profession is helping people buy and sell homes as a Real Estate Broker Associate with EXP Realty. Her creative passions are songwriting, authoring books, and painting. Her favorite things to do with her family are to go out on boat adventures, explore new places together, and have pizza and movie nights.

Anastasia is also the author of The Creative Real Estate Agent: How to Build a Rocking Real Estate Business and Be More Creatively Productive Than Ever in addition to her previous book, The 30-Day Sobriety Experiment: A Guided Journey of Self-Discovery.

I was fascinated by Anastasia’s ability to write a compelling book for real estate agents, but do it through the lens of creativity, which is a passion of hers. On today’s episode, she shares some lessons from her experience as an author and real estate agent that you can use to boost your creativity and grow your business.

Topics in our conversation include:

• Why real estate is indeed a creative field
• How she developed a unique take on a familiar topic
• Various ways to cultivate a creative mindset to work and wealth
• How to build great relationships … especially if you’re an introvert
• How she has found success on social media by just being herself

Be sure to check out Anastasia’s book, music, and real estate business at https://www.anastasiaforrest.com.

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Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

I want to encourage you think bigger—much bigger! Today’s episode is different kind of conversation, where we’ll focus more on the philosophy of achievement and how to set really big goals for yourself.

My guest is Brianna Hendley. I met her a couple of years ago through Honorée Corder’s Empire Builders Mastermind, and I soon discovered that Brianna is razor sharp, with an incredible business instinct. I’m excited to introduce her to you today.

Brianna owns Achievant Coaching, which focuses on business, executive, and career coaching services. She describes herself as a problem-solving, goal-focused, process-driven morning person. Brianna is also a mother, wife, entrepreneur, and much more.

In this conversation, Brianna and I talk about the mindset it takes to double your revenue and triple your time off. Sound impossible? It won’t after you’ve heard Brianna’s brilliant thinking and strategy for going after the life you truly want.

You can connect with Brianna at https://achievantcoaching.com, where you can learn more about her coaching services and programs.

* * * 

Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

When you’re a solo business owner, you wear both hats. It can be hard to see the difference between those two roles, especially if you don’t come from a business background and you feel swamped by all the things you have to get done.

I’m excited about this conversation my guest, Johnna Lacey, who is a long-time writer and advocate of better systems in our business.

Johnna Lacey is the CEO and head writer and editor of J.M. Lacey Communications, which focuses on writing and brand storytelling, training, and coaching. Built on empathy and the desire to eliminate frustration for business owners, leaders, and nonprofits, Johnna seeks ways to simplify what has been unnecessarily complicated using proven systems to achieve results.

She has been writing professionally for more than twenty years, but writing creatively for forty. She is also a poet, and is working on a novel and essays. Johnna also enjoys macro photography, gardening, cooking, exploring museums, and all things related to the arts.

You can connect with Johnna through her website, https://jmlacey.com.

In today’s conversation, we talk through a variety of questions:

• What are solopreneurs, particularly writers, consultants, and coaches, doing to prevent business growth?
• What does our mindset have to do with operating our business?
• Why should we, as creators, separate ourselves from the business?
• What does it mean to think about how we do things vs. what we do?
• Why is it important to have standards, company policies, benchmarks, SOPs, and objectives in a business of one?
• Why should you never tackle projects over which you cannot control?

This is a great conversation filled with practical advice for every writer!

* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

It’s pretty easy for us to distinguish reality from fiction when it comes to figures like Santa Claus. However, it’s not so easy for writers to distinguish fact from fiction when it comes to publishing. That’s why I’m glad my friend Terry Whalin is here to help us dispel publishing myths that can lead you astray. Let me tell you a bit about him.

Terry Whalin understands both sides of the editorial desk. A former literary agent, Terry is an Acquisitions Editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 books for traditional publishers and several books have sold over 100,000 copies. Terry has also written for more than 50 magazines.

As a frustrated editor in 2004, Terry wrote Book Proposals That Sell: 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success, which has nearly 200 5-star reviews and has helped many authors. Terry is an active member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and lives in Southern California.

Today we’re here to talk about another one of his fantastic book, which is 10 Publishing Myths: Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed. These are some of the myths we discuss (you’ll love these!):

• My publisher will sell and promote my book.
• Writing a book will make me famous.
• I can’t call myself a writer unless I publish a book.
• The editor will fix all my mistakes.
• Good writers are born, not made.
• My book will be a NYT bestseller.
• The life of a writer is glamourous.

You can connect with Terry at his website, https://terrywhalin.com, as well as visit https://publishingoffer.com, where you can download the 11th publishing myth.

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Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

On today's episode, we dive into three key ways you can demonstrate your credibility to prospective clients.

***

Thanks to today's sponsor! Vellum is the go-to book formatting software for indie authors who care about creating beautiful ebooks and print books. Use the link to download Vellum for FREE. 

However, today I’m honored to feature a guest who is here to share tips and advice on writing and marketing historical fiction.

Melissa LaShure is the host of the LiteraryScape Podcast, where she discusses and recommends books in the historical Christian romance genre to readers around the world, as well as offering writing tips, tricks, and tools for aspiring authors. She is also the creator of HCRW (Historical Christian Romance Writers), a membership group where authors of historical Christian romance can learn and grow together. You can connect with Melissa at her website: https://literaryscape.com.

Our conversation focuses on a variety of topics, including:

• Her journey as a writer.
• How to find and target your reader.
• What makes a historical Christian romance novel memorable.
• What she’s doing this year to market her fiction.
• Tips for authors who are just getting started.

Although Melissa’s genre is historical Christian romance, the vast majority of her advice will apply to authors writing in a variety of genres.

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Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

As a ghostwriter (or someone who wants to be), it's easy to worry about whether you have the right credentials to be perceived as a pro. However, there's a far more important question you must ask first.

***

Thanks to today's sponsor! Vellum is the go-to book formatting software for indie authors who care about creating beautiful ebooks and print books. Use the link to download Vellum for FREE. 

Many authors write a book, publish it, and then ask, “Now what?” My guest today is going to help us think about various ways to take your book or message and turn it into dollars.

Thomas Umstattd, Jr. is the CEO of Author Media, a professional speaker and nonfiction author, and host of the Novel Marketing Podcast and the Christian Publishing Show. He is a wealth of knowledge on all things related to book marketing, media for authors, author branding, and much more. He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and children.

You can connect with Thomas at https://authormedia.com and his personal website. https://www.thomasumstattd.com.

In this conversation, Thomas and I discuss:

• Non-book related ways to monetize your author platform.
• How to diversify your income stream.
• The role of Patreon in his business.
• And more!

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Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

1. You can work on your own time.

2. Books are pretty straightforward to write. 

3. You only need a few projects per year to make a good income.

4. “Ghostwriter” is a compelling term that makes people curious. 

5. Ghostwriting is easy to explain to people.   

6. Everybody wants a book!

7. You can set your own income.  

8. Ghostwriting is not a commodity-based business.

9. You become a trusted confidante to your clients. 

10. As a ghostwriter, you can explore your curiosity.

***

Thanks to today's sponsor! Vellum is the go-to book formatting software for indie authors who care about creating beautiful ebooks and print books. Use the link to download Vellum for FREE. 

It’s easy to lose sight of the forest because we’re so focused on the tree, isn’t it?

On today’s episode, I had the honor of sitting down (on Zoom, of course) with two good friends, Ariel Curry and Liz Morrow, to reflect on the long-term journey of building our careers as authors.

Ariel Curry is a writer, editor, & book coach at Ariel Curry Editorial with over 10 years of experience in traditional publishing. She lives in Chattanooga, TN, with her husband, foster children, two rescue dogs, a kitten, and a beehive. You can connect with her at https://www.arielcurry.com.

Liz Morrow is a traditionally-published ghostwriter for entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and business experts. She specializes in personal and professional development and memoir. When she’s not writing, you can find Liz listening to long-form podcasts, rewatching “The Office” and drinking margaritas with friends. She lives in Greenville, SC with her husband, two children, and goldendoodle. You can connect with her at https://www.wellwrittenco.com.

Ariel and Liz have teamed up to create the Hungry Authors brand, which includes an excellent podcast by the same name as well as their upcoming book, Hungry Authors: The Indispensable Guide to Planning, Writing, and Publishing a Nonfiction Book. You can find out more visiting https://hungryauthors.com, and I encourage you to pre-order the Hungry Authors book via the link above, which goes to Bookshop.org. By doing so, you’ll help support indie bookstores.

Ariel, Liz, and I wanted to explore the long-term journey of building an author career in this conversation. Some of the topics include:

• What kinds of things each of us is working on now.
• Our long-term career goals.
• How we got started as writers.
• Some of our challenges right now.
• How we balance client work vs. our own author brands.
• How to balance a writing career with parenthood.

We actually used this episode on both of our podcasts, so if you’re a listener of Hungry Authors, this conversation might sound familiar!

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Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

For some reason, though, many writers struggle when it comes to communicating about themselves!

It’s critical that we feel confident and assertive when it comes to talking about our work, our services, our value, and how we can help and serve others with our writing. That’s why I’m excited to bring you this conversation with Lindsey Hughes.

Known as the Pitchmaster, Lindsey loves helping people discover their superpower, create compelling content, and feel excited about pitching and networking. She teaches how to pitch like a boss, network like a VIP, and write like an Oscar winner. 

In her wide-ranging career as a Hollywood development executive, Lindsey has worked in everything from feature films, television movies, and TV series, to animation and live action. She began her career reading scripts for Robert Zemeckis and Kathryn Bigelow, worked under Michael Eisner at Walt Disney Feature Animation, and developed projects for John H. Williams, producer of the billion-dollar Shrek franchise. 

You can connect with Lindsey at her site, https://thepitchmaster.com, where you can also subscribe to her weekly newsletter for actionable creativity and career tips.

In this conversation, Lindsey and I talk about ways we can improve our author bio, our branding, and various other means we use to communicate to people how we can serve them. This episode is going to be super valuable to every writer who wants to create more value for their ideas and services—that includes you as well!

Lindsey is full of energy and insights, and you’ll come away with lots of great ideas to boost your business profile. 

* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

Dan discovered he had pancreatic cancer in December of last year, and in just a few short weeks, he was gone. It was a shock to the many thousands of people who knew, loved, and respected Dan.

In the early years of my journey in building a writing business, no one was more influential and helpful to my thinking than Dan Miller. I remember going to his “Write to the Bank” conference in 2012, feeling so intimidated by being around highly successful authors and business leaders that I barely spoke to anyone the whole time.

Yet I immediately found that Dan and his wife, Joanne, along with other conference attendees, were incredibly gracious and kind.

It’s no exaggeration to say that I would absolutely not have a writing business today if it weren’t for Dan. He impacted countless people, and some of those in turn had a big impact on me as well. I will forever be grateful for what Dan did for my life through his writing, podcast, events, and simply caring about me as an individual.

Here’s a quick story that was so typical of Dan. A few weeks before he discovered he had pancreatic cancer, he sent me an email totally out of the blue. Back in 2018, I had sent in a question to him to answer on his podcast. At the time, I was a college professor and was looking to transition away from teaching. I asked him if it would be possible to do it within five years, and how I would go about that.

Wouldn’t you know it … five years later, Dan emailed me to see how things were going. Of course, we had interacted in the years between then, but I was absolutely amazed that he remembered to check on how I was doing five years after I’d sent that message. Of course, he knew that I’d gone on to build a business, but he was curious about my thoughts on my transition.

That was pretty typical of Dan—always an encourager who helped you become something better than you’d be on your own.

On this episode, you’ll hear some amazing stories from Dan’s adventures as an author, including how he developed the first edition of the 48 Days book, why a book is like a business card, what it means to have SWISS dollars (you’ll see what he means by that), and how his podcast helped grow his business.

Although Dan is gone, you can still access his books, podcast, and all things 48 Days-related at https://48days.com.

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Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

That’s why I’m excited to bring you this conversation with Mike Abramowitz. He is a speaker, author, and transformational coach who helps turn your greatest insecurities into your superpowers.

Mike Abramowitz has twenty years of direct sales experience training 5000+ sales reps for $17M sold, has nine books in the self-help space (including G.R.A.B. TOMORROW: Your Best Year Ever), and founded PB&J for Tampa Bay (which has provided over 80,000 meals to the homeless). He has scaled his several six-figure businesses and nonprofits to be run without him so he can experience time freedom that he desires.

Mike is a busy father and husband who helps other busy entrepreneurs implement systems in their businesses by leveraging automation and delegation to help business operators become business owners and truly experience the financial and time freedom that drew them to entrepreneurship in the first place.

He is also the co-host of the Better Than Rich podcast, and he leads a community called Automate, Delegate, Systemize. You can check out his site at https://mikeabramowitz.com.

In this conversation, Mike helps us sort out issues we all face as writers who are also business owners and entrepreneurs. We talk about:

• The benefit of using systems and automation, and how to use them well for social media, podcasting, and other business elements
• What kinds of things you should delegate
• Knowing what your time is worth
• Thoughts on using AI to stay competitive
• How to hire a VA

You can visit https://va.betterthanrich.com and click “schedule free consultation.” When you do, you’ll receive a free 25-page workbook.

* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

Dave Pelzer is a man who represents overcoming adversity, and he has dedicated his life to helping others so they can help themselves.

As a former Air Force Combat Air Crew Member, Dave’s job entailed midair refueling of the once highly secretive SR-71 Blackbird and the F-117 Stealth Fighter. While on active duty, Dave was selected as California Volunteer of the Year.

Dave has received personal commendations from four U. S. Presidents. He was honored as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans, and later, was the only American to be honored as The Outstanding Young Person of the World.

Dave is also the recipient of the National Jefferson Award which is considered the Pulitzer Prize for public service. Other recipients include Sandra Day O’Connor and Colin Powell.

Dave is the author of nine inspirational books. His books have been on bestseller lists for well over thirteen years combined. His most famous book, A Child Called “It”: One Child’s Courage to Survive has been on the New York Times bestseller list for well over six years. In fact, Dave is the first author to have four #1 International bestsellers and to have four books simultaneously on the New York Times Bestseller List.

For nearly the last ten years, Dave has served as a California Fire Captain in two separate districts. During that time, he’s been deployed to the state’s most horrendous fires. You can find out more about Dave at https://davepelzer.com.

In this conversation, Dave shares how he came to write A Child Called “It” and how that led to an extraordinary writing career. We discuss:

• How he first got into writing.
• What it’s like being on the NYT bestseller list for so long.
• His marketing strategies.
• His thoughts on building a long-term successful writing career.
• His new book, Return to the River: Reflections on Life Choices During a Pandemic.
• The most important things an author can do to build their business.

I’ve never interviewed anyone quite like Dave! I know you’ll enjoy this conversation just as much as I did.

* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

Last Fall, my good friend Jody Maberry and I co-led a webinar called “Podcast to Published.” The goal of the webinar was to test-drive some material we may later use to help podcasters use their podcast material as the basis for a book.

I’ve been podcasting since 2013, and I’m a huge fan of repurposing your podcast content into books.

Let me tell you a bit about Jody. He’s a former Park Ranger who is now a sought-after podcast producer, speaker, and consultant. He’s been featured in Inc., Entrepreneur, The Business Journals, at Podcast Movement, and many other places.

Jody works closely with business leaders such as David Hancock, Lee Cockerell, Dan Cockerell, and others to bring their podcasts to life. In addition, he hosts three of his own podcasts: The Jody Maberry Show, The Park Leaders Show (for Park Rangers), and In the Front Row, a show he created for his son.

Jody is not only one of the most brilliant minds in podcasting, but a kind and generous human being as well. I encourage you to check out Jody’s site at https://jodymaberry.com to find out more.

In this webinar, you’ll learn all about the benefits of turning your podcast into a book, including what kind of book you should write based on your podcast, how to outline a great nonfiction book, and the steps to move from podcast to published book.

* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

If you’ve ever wondered how to use Kickstarter to fund your book launch, today’s your lucky day!

Lestie May Zachary is a Southwest USA native who loves to write about her family roots. She is a veteran homeschool teacher of sixteen years. When Lestie isn’t writing or doting on family, she and her husband enjoy the cabin life on Crown Lake in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas.

I wanted to have Lestie as a guest today to talk about her new When Old School Meets New School, which is an exciting new guidebook from LMZ Publishing, perfect for children ages 11-14.

When Old School Meets New School is full of fun and engaging activities that mix old-fashioned games and activities with modern technology, giving children the opportunity to learn and have fun in equal measure. With puzzles, activities and stories, this book helps children bridge the gap between the traditional and the contemporary.

She funded the book through an impressive Kickstarter campaign last Fall, and I was thrilled to be one of her backers. I was even more impressed that this was Lestie’s first time using Kickstarter. The campaign was a lot of fun, and the book itself is even more impressive. You can really tell she put her heart and soul into it!

In this interview, we discuss:

• Her book production process
• Various assets she created for the book launch
• Why she used Kickstarter, and the process for using it
• Details about the number of backers, her expenses, and other numbers
• The biggest challenges and benefits of using Kickstarter
• Her recommendations for authors considering using Kickstarter

If you’ve never considered this unique way to fund a book, this conversation will give you insights you’ve probably not heard before. You can connect with Lestie through her website, https://www.lestiemayzachary.com.

* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

We know that a writing habit is the bridge to everything we want as writers. Of course, marketing, relationships, handling your money wisely … all those things are vital, but none of it matters if you’re not producing the work.

As creatives, we naturally resist routines and habits. But writing is a blue-collar job, like carpentry, plumbing, or anything else requiring regular, sustained labor.

Without a writing habit, you will never get that blog built, you will never finish that book you’ve been thinking about all these years, and you will certainly never build a successful writing business.

A great writing habit is the pathway to everything you have dreamed about as a writer. On this episode, we dive into the four "wheels" that keep it moving.

***

Thanks to today's sponsor! Vellum is the go-to book formatting software for indie authors who care about creating beautiful ebooks and print books. Use the link to download Vellum for FREE. 

Brock Swinson hosts the Creative Principles podcast, where he speaks with writers, actors, directors, musicians, and more. He has interviewed figures such as Aaron Sorkin, Ethan Hawke, Jim Gaffigan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylor Sheridan, Judd Apatow, and hundreds more for his show.

Recently, Brock has packed all of this knowledge into the book Ink by the Barrel: Secrets From Prolific Writers, which you can get completely for free by visiting https://www.brockswinson.com/ink. The book is divided into three parts: Time, Voice, and Process. It contains advice on every single page to help novice writers become prolific.

Brock has also been a copywriter for the last decade, working with entrepreneurs like Russell Brunson, Grant Cardone, and Tony Robbins.

In this conversation, Brock and I discuss how he got into screenwriting, using your time well, why you need to take action now, how podcasting has helped his career, and much more.

***

 A big thank you to our sponsors:

There is No Such Thing as Writer’s Block is the brand-new book from Honorée Corder. You’ll learn what’s really blocking you, the value of building your writer tribe, how to become the writer you’ve always dreamed of, and much more. Grab your copy today!

Vellum is the go-to book formatting software for indie authors who care about creating beautiful ebooks and print books. Use the link to download Vellum for FREE.

Need a great book cover? Kristi Griffith from Thumbprint Creative has created the cover design and interior layout for many of my own books, and books of my ghostwriting clients and friends. She works closely with you to create a design that perfectly captures the theme, message, and genre of your book.  

When you stop and think about where you’ve been, it’s much easier to figure out where you’re going.

In the spirit of reflection, I’m excited to share 10 lessons I’ve learned about life, writing, and business I’ve learned over the last twelve months. 

***

Today’s podcast is sponsored by editor Karen Hunsanger, also known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

Today’s podcast is also sponsored by Plottr, the #1 visual book planning software for writers that helps you plan books in the same way you think. Plottr helps fiction and nonfiction authors, podcasters, speakers, and anyone creating content to organize their material and story points. Visit the link above to start your free 14-day trial.

My guest today is here to help us develop our business chops as writers. Paul Leon is a training leader and sales manager with nearly twenty years of experience providing sales management in many industries. 

He has extensive experience developing and delivering sales training materials, including developing curriculum aligned with product training, facilitating new hire training, providing in-person and online classes, meeting and exceeding sales training goals, and leading cross-function teams. 

Paul also hosts the Persistence Mastery podcast, a great show about helping professionals grow their communication skills. 

In this conversation, Paul and I discuss creating your value proposition as a writer. What value do you bring to your clients, customers, and readers? How do you improve their lives? We also dive into the difference between cost and investment, and why this difference is so crucial.

If you do client work as a writer, you’ll love this episode and the actionable steps you can put to work in your business immediately.

***

 A big thank you to our sponsors:

There is No Such Thing as Writer’s Block is the brand-new book from Honorée Corder. You’ll learn what’s really blocking you, the value of building your writer tribe, how to become the writer you’ve always dreamed of, and much more. Grab your copy today!

Vellum is the go-to book formatting software for indie authors who care about creating beautiful ebooks and print books. Use the link to download Vellum for FREE.

Need a great book cover? Kristi Griffith from Thumbprint Creative has created the cover design and interior layout for many of my own books, and books of my ghostwriting clients and friends. She works closely with you to create a design that perfectly captures the theme, message, and genre of your book.  

As I’ve examined the past year in my business and talked to lots of writers about their experiences, I’ve concluded what’s holding most of us back from the success we want:

You’re trying to do too much.

If you want to grow exponentially in 2023, stop trying to do everything. Instead, focus on what truly matters in your business. 

The answer is not trying to do more. It’s focusing on doing less. On this episode, we look at four ways to do that.

1. Determine the #1 thing you want to grow next year.

2. Be brutally honest about where you are most likely to win.

3. Maintain, eliminate, or defer everything else. 

4. Have the courage to say “no.” 

***

Today’s podcast is sponsored by editor Karen Hunsanger, also known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

Today’s podcast is also sponsored by Plottr, the #1 visual book planning software for writers that helps you plan books in the same way you think. Plottr helps fiction and nonfiction authors, podcasters, speakers, and anyone creating content to organize their material and story points. Visit the link above to start your free 14-day trial.

I’m excited to have a guest today who can help us do that. Valerie Cockerell was born and raised in France, where she graduated with a degree in Business Hospitality. She eventually joined Disneyland Paris in 1991 as a retail manager. After succeeding in a number of roles, she eventually oversaw the planning for all Resort merchandise locations in the park.

Upon moving to Florida in 1997, Valerie worked as the Assortment Planning Manager at Downtown Disney and Epcot Center, eventually moving to Merchandise Brand Management for both Epcot and the Disney Cruise Line.

Valerie left the company and started consulting for outside organizations in the retail world. She returned to Disney in 2013 to become a contract facilitator for Disney Institute, where she facilitated professional development classes and custom programs in both French and English. She drew from her international management experience in retail and operations to teach Disney’s approach to Leadership Excellence and Customer Service. 

Since May 2019, Valerie has been a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator with her husband, Dan Cockerell. In her speaking, she shares her expertise and methodology in leading teams and delivering outstanding customer service. 

Valerie joins me today for a conversation about her new book, Manage like a Mother: Leadership Lessons Drawn from the Wisdom of Mom, which offers a simple-to-understand and easy-to-implement take on leadership inspired by a mother’s playbook.

We talk about her career working for the Disney organization, how everyone can learn to become a better leader and manager by borrowing concepts from mothers (even men!), how writers can implement these principles, and more.

You can connect with Valerie at https://cockerellconsulting.com.

* * *

A big thank you to our sponsors, who keep this podcast free for listeners: 

Vellum is the go-to book formatting software for indie authors who care about creating beautiful ebooks and print books. I’ve used it for years and love it! Use the link to download Vellum for FREE.

Feeling blocked as a writer? Grab a copy of There is No Such Thing as Writer’s Block by Honorée Corder. You’ll learn what’s really blocking you, the value of building your writer tribe, how to become the writer you’ve always dreamed of, and much more.

Looking for a great book cover designer and formatter? I use and recommend Kristi Griffith, owner of Thumbprint Creative. She works closely with you to create a design that perfectly captures the theme, message, and genre of your book.  

1. Relationships with people

2. Excellence in your craft

3. Attitude toward business and money

4. Leadership in your business and industry

Imagine if you could sit down with a bona-fide expert who knows the industry and has gotten her book clients on every conceivable platform. You’d come away with some golden nuggets of PR wisdom to apply to your current or future books, no matter what your genre or publishing path.

I’ve got you covered. My guest today is Morgan Canclini-Mitchell, who is the Principal and Founder of two|pr.

Two|pr is a boutique publicity firm representing talent and brands in a variety of verticals, including television stars, nonprofits, best-selling authors, professional athletes, film projects, and more. The firm has a unique niche in representing a variety of crossover entertainment personalities/brands/organizations, positioning them securely in both the faith-based and mainstream media landscape.

In her role, Morgan spearheads publicity and influencer marketing campaigns for her clients. She has been featured in Fast Company magazine, Bustle, Her Story of Success podcast, Inspire Magazine, Christianity Today, Nashville Lifestyles magazine, and other outlets. She’s also been a speaker at WriterFest, Baylor University, Vanderbilt University, Belmont University, and more.

Morgan’s past and current clients include: New York Times best-selling authors, an Academy Award-winning documentary, award-winning radio show hosts, ASCAP’s Songwriters of the Century, Bravo and TLC reality show stars, cable news correspondents, NBA championship players, feature films, and Grammy award-winning recording artists.

Morgan and I talk about paid vs. unpaid marketing, features you can bake into your books that help with PR, the best and worst time to launch books, how a PR agency works, avoiding common mistakes authors make with PR, and much more.

You can find out more about Morgan and two|pr by visiting https://twopr.com.

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A big thank you to our sponsors, who keep this email free for readers:

Vellum is the go-to book formatting software for indie authors who care about creating beautiful ebooks and print books. I’ve used it for years and love it! Use the link to download Vellum for FREE.

Feeling blocked as a writer? Grab a copy of There is No Such Thing as Writer’s Block by Honorée Corder. You’ll learn what’s really blocking you, the value of building your writer tribe, how to become the writer you’ve always dreamed of, and much more.

Looking for a great book cover designer and formatter? I use and recommend Kristi Griffith, owner of Thumbprint Creative. She works closely with you to create a design that perfectly captures the theme, message, and genre of your book.  

On this episode, you'll learn:

• What problem we're solving with Profitable Writer
• The 9 steps of the Profitable Writer Pathway
• Who Profitable Writer is for
• What to expect from this podcast

This is the last official episode for The Daily Writer podcast! Thank you for listening and supporting the show. The Profitable Writer will launch in a few days and I hope to see you there!

First, you can self-publish your books, which means you assume all the risks, responsibilities, and rewards.

Second, you can work with a hybrid publisher, which usually means you pay for their help with specific services, and they provide some of the functions of a traditional publisher.

The third option, and the one most familiar to everyone, is traditional publishing. In this scenario, you sell your book to a publisher in exchange for an advance. They own the book but also take all the risk of producing and distributing the book, in addition to some marketing.

Even though self-publishing has come a long way in the last ten or fifteen years, many authors still dream of getting a traditional publishing deal, especially with one of the big five New York publishers. If that’s your goal, you will need help in pitching your book to publishers to secure the best deal.

That’s where a literary agent comes in. On today’s episode, I’m honored to talk with Mark Gottlieb, a New York literary agent who is here to give us the inside scoop on how to find and work with an agent.

Mark is the vice president and literary agent at book publishing’s leading literary agency, Trident Media Group in New York City. He attended Emerson College and was President of its Publishing Club, and established Wilde Press. After graduating with a degree in writing, literature and publishing, he began his career with Penguin’s VP.

His first position at Trident Media Group was in foreign rights. He was the EA to Trident Media Group’s Chairman and ran the Audio Department. He is currently working with his own client list, helping to manage and grow author careers with the unique resources available to Trident Media Group. He is ranked highly among literary agents in overall deals and other categories.

Some of the topics I talk about with Mark are: how he became a literary agent, what an agent actually does in the publishing ecosystem, the benefits of traditional publishing, what kinds of projects he looks for and how to stand out as an author, what the most successful authors do when pitching and working with an agent, and some common mistakes to avoid when trying to secure an agent.

You can connect with Mark at https://literaryagentmarkgottlieb.com and find out more about the Trident Media Group at https://tridentmediagroup.com.

* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by Vellum, the go-to book formatting software for indie authors who care about creating beautiful ebooks and print books. Use the link to download Vellum for FREE.

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* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by Kristi Griffith, owner of Thumbprint Creative. Kristi has created the cover design and interior layout for many of my own books, and books of my ghostwriting clients and friends. She works closely with you to create a design that perfectly captures the theme, message, and genre of your book.  

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* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by editor Karen Hunsanger, also known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

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We all know that profound changes can happen during this phase of life, the biggest of which is that your kids leave home and you become what’s known as an “empty nester.”

When the kids are no longer at home, everything about your family life changes. I’m going through this to some degree right now since my son, Ash, is 19. He’s been out of high school a year and still lives at home, but will probably be moving out in the not-too-distant future.

If this phase of life describes you, or if it describes someone you’re close to, you’ll relate very much to our guest today. Her name is Ruthie Gray and she’s been a guest here on the podcast before, talking about Instagram marketing.

However, Ruthie recently released a new book called Empty Next Awakening: Weaving the Threads of Your Passions into Purpose. The book is really wonderful and is a real gift to anyone in this stage of life, men or women.

Ruthie Gray is a wife, grandmother, empty nester, and marketing coach for Christian female entrepreneurs, specializing in Instagram and newsletter strategy. Her hobbies include Florida beach walks, RV-ing with her hubby, and voraciously reading historical fiction.

She is also the founder of the Authentic Online Marketing School and Insider Mentorship, and podcasts at Authentic Online Marketing. She’s getting ready to launch her Authentic Online Marketing School, which can learn more about when you visit https://authenticonlinemarketing.com.

In this conversation, Ruthie and I talk about the challenges of the empty nest phase of life, why you can still have a business even if you have a ministry, her book writing and publishing process, and much more. If you’re considering writing a book, I think you’ll be very encouraged by Ruthie’s writing experience.

* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by Vellum, the go-to book formatting software for indie authors who care about creating beautiful ebooks and print books. Use the link to download Vellum for FREE.

📚 Download your FREE Daily Writer Starter Kit at https://dailywriterlife.com/free

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Click here to register for our free training

In this FREE training, we will cover:

- Why a book is the ultimate tool to grow your platform and influence.

- How to repurpose the podcast content you’ve already created into a book (no matter what your show format).

- A simple process for writing your book quickly (even if you’ve never written a book before).

This webinar is a must if you’re interested in leveraging your podcast and guests to promote your book, or if you want to use your book to promote and grow your podcast.

Even if you don’t yet have a podcast, and you haven’t yet written a book, join us to discover how these two powerful tools can work together to build your impact, influence, and income!

I hope you’ll join us on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 4:00pm EST for Podcast to Published!

* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by editor Karen Hunsanger, also known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

📚 Download your FREE Daily Writer Starter Kit at https://dailywriterlife.com/free

✉️ Want writing tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Writer email at https://dailywriterlife.com/dailyemail

🚀 Want to grow your writing business and accelerate your success? Check out our Daily Writer Club.

📱 Follow us: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter

Click here to register for our free training

In this FREE training, we will cover:

- Why a book is the ultimate tool to grow your platform and influence.

- How to repurpose the podcast content you’ve already created into a book (no matter what your show format).

- A simple process for writing your book quickly (even if you’ve never written a book before).

This webinar is a must if you’re interested in leveraging your podcast and guests to promote your book, or if you want to use your book to promote and grow your podcast.

Even if you don’t yet have a podcast, and you haven’t yet written a book, join us to discover how these two powerful tools can work together to build your impact, influence, and income!

I hope you’ll join us on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 4:00pm EST for Podcast to Published!

* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by Plottr, the #1 visual book planning software for writers that helps you plan books in the same way you think. Plottr helps fiction and nonfiction authors, podcasters, speakers, and anyone creating content to organize their material and story points. Visit the link above to start your free 14-day trial.

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Today’s episode is no exception. I’m excited to bring you my conversation with the amazing Ginny Owens. I was introduced to her music back in 1999 with her album Without Condition, and I’ve been a fan ever since.

Ginny Owens has spent the past two decades sharing her heart with listeners and readers as a singer/songwriter, author, teacher, and advocate. Her unique musical style and inspirational lyrics have transcended genre definition and taken her to diverse venues that include the White House, the Sundance Film Festival, Lilith Fair and the National Day of Prayer in Washington, D.C.

Ginny has also been an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Belmont University, served as a worship leader, partnered with non-profits, and authored two books, the latest of which is Singing in the Dark: Finding Hope in the Songs of Scripture.

She also just released her newest album a few weeks ago! It’s called I Know a Secret, and it’s fantastic! If you’re a fan of thought-provoking music and great songwriting, you’ll love it as well.

Ginny and I talked about her life as a recording artist, how she got started in music, her songwriting process, the value of having a portfolio of creative work, and much more.

As a side note, one of the most frequent frustrations I hear from writers is that they want to write, but they don’t like marketing. If you have ever felt that way, I know you’ll be encouraged by Ginny’s perspective, which is that it’s not marketing—it’s encouraging.

This was definitely a very encouraging conversation, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by Vellum, the go-to book formatting software for indie authors who care about creating beautiful ebooks and print books. Use the link to download Vellum for FREE.

📚 Download your FREE Daily Writer Starter Kit at https://dailywriterlife.com/free

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We all know that writing is hard work. But that’s only part of it. There’s the marketing, the business side, the relationship building, and so many other elements of running a writing business that can sap your energy.

When things don’t go the way you planned, it’s easy to quit… unless you’ve decided ahead of time that you’re going to stick it out and persevere.

That’s why I’m excited to introduce you to my friend Chris Bystriansky, who recently released his book, New Steel: Replace Doubt and Fear with Resolve and Courage: From Two Hip Replacements to Two Triathlon Finishes. Chris tells the story of going through a major health challenge, then going on to finish not just one, but two, triathlons.

Chris is a husband, father, real estate investor, attorney, author, speaker, coach, IRONMAN, golfer, traveler, and much more. He has a BA in Psychology from Illinois Wesleyan University, a law degree from the University of Houston, and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth Graduate School of Business.

Chris is also the author of a fantastic book with a great title: Renting From My 6-Year Old: The Right Actions That Can Make and Keep Your Family Rich.

In this conversation, Chris and I talk about his journey from hip replacements to finishing two triathlons and what writers can learn about persevering through hard challenges. We also talk about why writers need to set health and fitness goals and where to start.

Finally, Chris shares some thoughts on how he wrote his memoir. If you’ve been considering writing your own story, you’ll find a lot of value in what Chris shares.

You can connect with Chris via his website, https://chrisbystriansky.com/.

* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by Vellum, the go-to book formatting software for indie authors who care about creating beautiful ebooks and print books. Use the link to download Vellum for FREE.

📚 Download your FREE Daily Writer Starter Kit at https://dailywriterlife.com/free

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• I’m stuck.
• I don’t know what to write about.
• I don’t know how to get started.

When you get stuck in the “writer’s vortex,” it can feel debilitating with no clear way of escape.

Thankfully, my guest today has a fantastic, brand-new resource to help both aspiring and seasoned authors alike. Her name is Honorée Corder, and this past Monday, she released her newest book, There is No Such Thing as Writer's Block: You Can Unleash Your Inner Prolific Writer.

You’ve probably heard Honorée on the podcast before, and she’s made multiple appearances here for a good reason: she’s not only a good friend, but also my business coach, and leader of the Empire Builders Mastermind, which has been an awesome resource for me the last couple of years.

Honorée Corder is the author of dozens of books, including: You Must Write a Book, You Must Market Your Book, The Prosperous Writers book series, The Bestselling Book Formula, The Successful Single Mom book series, and many more.

In this episode, we do a deep dive into several topics related to writer’s block. We talk about what it means to be a professional writer, how to remove the blocks holding you back, writing to the container of the book, surrounding yourself with other writers, and much more.

You can get There is No Such Thing as Writer's Block on Amazon, and I also recommend signing up for Honorée’s extremely helpful email list at https://honoreecorder.com.

We also have 5 copies of the book available as a giveaway. The first 5 to leave a review of the Daily Writer Podcast on Apple Podcasts will receive a print copy in the mail. Just leave a review, take a screenshot, email it to me at kent@dailywriterlife.com along with your address, and I’ll drop it in the mail!

* * *

Today’s episode is sponsored by Vellum, the go-to book formatting software for indie authors who care about creating beautiful ebooks and print books. Use the link to download Vellum for FREE.

📚 Download your FREE Daily Writer Starter Kit at https://dailywriterlife.com/free

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