Thriving Authors Podcast

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m talking about what I call Overflowing Ideas Syndrome. It’s when you have so many ideas that it's really hard to commit to one idea and easy to get distracted.This will be a great episode for you if you have a bunch of half-finished manuscripts, but you don't have a completed book!I delve into:Why nothing is wrong with you and how you can reframe this into a strength.Tools that will help you focus your energy on one idea at a time.The importance of tuning in to the book YOU most want to write.What happens when you pay attention to what gives you energy and excites you.Journaling prompts that you can use whenever you need to find clarity about what direction to go in.After listening, I think you’ll understand why it's really common to get distracted by shiny new ideas and to abandon projects halfway – and how joining a container of support with a writing community and working with a coach can help you stay accountable to finishing your book.And if you are an entrepreneur who wants to write and publish the book inside your heart, I’d love for you to join me in my Facebook group called Women Entrepreneurs Becoming Best Selling Authors. This free community is the perfect place to share what came up for you with this episode and any goals you have so we can cheer you on – and also to provide a little extra accountability for you, too!

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m excited to share what has helped me write my back cover and my longer book descriptions. I even give an example of the description from my book “Your Book Matters: 52 love notes from my creative heart to yours.”On the surface, writing your book description seems pretty simple…but it is super common to struggle with this task because you need to condense so much into a short space! To write a compelling book description, you need to 1) give the reader a sense of what your book is about; 2) introduce the reader to your own authentic voice and style; 3) sell your book; 4) grab the reader’s attention and leave them wanting more!I dive into:The distinction between your book description and your back cover description.Some exercises that are really helpful with taking away the pressure and stress of writing the description of your book.Why I recommend writing your book description before you reach the end of your manuscript.How to grab the reader’s attention in your book description.A little trick I use to hone in on how to write to the ideal reader of your book.Check out the back cover description from my latest novel BEFORE & AFTER YOU & ME...Emma blames herself when a freak accident at a pool party leaves Hunter, the town’s rising track star and her former boyfriend, paralyzed from the waist down. As she struggles with anxiety, loneliness and regret, she begins to obsessively paint portraits of legs and feet—Hunter’s legs and feet—and for the first time receives critical acclaim and notice for her artwork.But what started as therapeutic for Emma ends up deepening her guilt. Does creating meaningful art require retreating inward toward self-expression, or striving outward toward recognition—or can it somehow be both?Searching for one whole, authentic identity, Emma grapples with love, ambition, grief, homecoming, and—ultimately—redemption.

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m sharing my own personal experience of coming out of a season of book launching–a topic that comes up a lot with my clients in Thriving Authors Academy.Do you ever wonder how you can:Create a sustainable creative practiceBuild a career as a writerActually get to the finish line of your book… without burning out?My answer: build plenty of self-care into your writing routine.In this episode, I delve into my TOP EIGHT self-care tips for writers. Listen, bookmark, and enjoy! This might be an episode you want to save and come back to when you need to hear it again. I always like to pause and reflect on my self-care practices after a book launch, after I finish a big project, when I hit a milestone in my life like a birthday or anniversary, or even with the change of seasons.You can also download a FREE PDF with all eight of these tips!

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m excited to feature my interview with author and coach Andrea Liebross from her talk, Build Your Belief Plan & Write Your Book, during last year’s Thriving Authors Summit.If you’ve ever had doubts about writing a book and felt yourself holding back, I think this will really resonate.Andrea’s found that no matter how good your strategic plan is, it won't succeed without a Belief Plan to counteract your inner Frenemy. This Frenemy pretends to be your friend but holds you back by keeping you "safe." Andrea will show you how to shift from these limiting beliefs to liberating truths, empowering you to turn your vision of writing a book into reality.About Andrea: Andrea Liebross is a business and life coach specializing in working with unapologetically ambitious women entrepreneurs from a variety of industries. A speaker and host of the Time to Level Up podcast, Andrea guides her clients to combine Big Thinking with solid systems that work together to unleash their success and find the freedom of time, money, and energy they crave. She is excited about the release of her book She Thinks Big: The Female Entrepreneur’s Guide to Moving Past the Messy Middle and into the Extraordinary. Connect with her on IG @andrea.liebross.coachingI have seen time and time again – how writing a book and claiming your authority by becoming an author opens up incredible new doors and opportunities and brings in a whole new level of thriving in your business.But I get it! Before you become a thriving author… you need to actually write your dang book, right?That’s why I put together THIS year’s virtual summit – The Write Your Book Summit!!! I want you to write your book because your book matters! There’s still time to register and join us! Find all the details and register for free at: bit.ly/writeyourbooksummit

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m excited to talk with author Maureen Wise about her newest cozy mystery in her Succulent Sleuth series, which she writes under her pen name Iris March!If you’ve wondered how you can intentionally incorporate your values and things you care about into not just the overarching themes of your book, but also in little ways – like through characters, settings and scenes – I think you’ll get a lot out of this episode!She shares:A solution for writing about events you’ve never experienced.Her process for writing mystery and incorporating plot twists.The types of characters make her put down books and not finish them.What makes writing fun for her.Maureen also gives us a sneak peek at what she is sharing about at my upcoming Write Your Book Summit. In her talk, How to Save the Planet AND Write Your Book, she’ll share ideas on how to normalize eco-minded characters and ways your writing can inspire people to spend time in nature, along with greener habits for writers. You’ll also be able to get her free gift: 25 Ways To Show (Don’t Tell) That Your Characters Have an Environmental Mindset. Sign up for the free summit at https://bit.ly/writeyourbooksummit.About Maureen: Maureen Wise has worked in the sustainability field her entire career. She is an author of the Succulent Sleuth Cozy Mystery Series and a hiking devotional. Wise has worked as a sustainability consultant, in higher education sustainability, in stream restoration, and has taught classes at the college level on environmental topics. Connect with her on IG @searchingformysteries

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m excited to share my conversation with author Kay Ross who has released books in multiple genres! Her contemporary romance A WORK IN PROGRESS came out earlier this year and her debut fantasy novel WHISPER was released in 2024.If you’re interested in writing in more than one genre, you'll be really inspired to hear about her journey adjusting to writing in different genres.She shares:Why it’s so important to protect why you write.The writing techniques she’s tried and her specific outlining process.How switching to write in a different genre felt like a palate cleanser.Advice for what to do when you get writing advice that distracts or depresses you.How writing fits into her daily life and what makes writing easier and more fun for her.I think you’ll really enjoy hearing about her inspiration and creative process!About the author: Kay loves stories so much that she can't just write in only one genre. You can find her fantasy works under the name Kay Ross, and her romance is under the name K.A. Ross. When she's not at work, she's finding new stories, discussing old stories, or writing her own. If she's ever not thinking about stories, she's either trying not to be too invested in sports or climbing up a mountain so she can run down it. She may live in Utah, but she says that she considers any open space with a view to be home. https://www.authorkayross.com

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m excited to spotlight two wonderful clients who went through this past round of Thriving Authors Academy. Both of these women, Rachel Surls and Yogani Singh, finished the drafts of their books during our time together! So, so proud of them! Listen in as they talk about their experiences being part of Thriving Authors Academy. You’ll hear them reflect on things like what caused them to sign up for the program, what surprised them about the program and what they most got out of it. I hope this is helpful for you, whether you're thinking about joining Thriving Authors Academy, or whether you're working through your book project on your own. They have a lot of wisdom to share around overcoming challenges, setting up writing routines and the importance of finding community and support throughout the process of writing a book.Rachel shares how joining Thriving Authors Academy helped her create a solid, sustainable writing routine and write the entire draft of her novel in six months -- something she never thought she could do!Yogani shares how joining Thriving Authors Academy helped her embrace her creativity, own her identity as a writer, establish a consistent writing routine and finish the entire draft of her novel in six months -- something she never dreamed possible!The doors are OPEN for the next round of Thriving Authors Academy! Will you join us? Come write your book these next six months! Claim your spot at www.thrivingauthorsacademy.com

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m diving into two common objections that I hear over and over from the women who are considering joining Thriving Authors Academy. These objections might resonate with you, too, so I wanted to talk about them and pose some questions for you to think about.If you’re feeling resistant to committing to write your book, this episode will help you figure out if now is the right time to jump in AND how you can guarantee that this investment is going to pay off.After listening to the episode, if you’re still wondering “Can I really do this?” – let's hop on a call and we can talk through it together. There's no pressure and you're not wasting my time. During our call I’ll be a mirror for you, reflecting back to you the truth that you are sharing, so that you are able to go after your dream of becoming a published author in whatever is the best way for you to do that.AND if now is the time – and you are ready to go all in to write your book – register by March 28th & get a BONUS Book Breakthrough 1:1 60-minute Intensive ($499 value) so that you can get personal support around wherever you are stuck on your book & can make the most of the Thriving Authors Academy when it starts April 5th! Find more details at ThrivingAuthorsAcademy.com

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I'm giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the timeline of drafting, editing and submitting (and editing and submitting again) that led to finally getting a publication deal for my new novel BEFORE & AFTER YOU & ME.It has been quite a long journey filled with ups and downs to get here! And I think it’s really important to hear the real stories behind others' success. In fact, many times books aren’t published in the order in which the writer wrote them (which has certainly been true for me!)In this episode you’ll hear:What inspired the idea for this story 12 years ago.How I played around with the structure, setting and POV.Ways I took feedback to make my book better while staying true to myself and my vision for the book.What I feared would happen if I made any big changes to the book.The discouragement after making it to an acquisitions meeting at a big publisher but not getting an offer… and how I was able to learn from that experience and later get a publication deal with my wonderful publisher Owl Hollow Press.The process of working with amazing editors to get the book to the next level, which helped me grow so much as a writer.So even if it’s a long journey to get YOUR book out into the world, who knows what's around the next corner. Just keep moving forward, find that next stepping stone and don't give up on yourself. You never know what opportunities and excitement are waiting for you!BEFORE & AFTER YOU & ME is available now and recently won the 2024 Indies Today Book Award for Best Teen Contemporary! I am so thrilled and honored by this news, and am eternally grateful to the team at Owl Hollow Press for bringing the best version of my book to life, and to everyone who has supported and spread the word about this story I poured my heart into for twelve years.P.S. If you decide you want to take the reins (and timeline) into your own hands and self-publish your book — but you don't want to worry about getting all the moving pieces coordinated and getting your book up on Amazon and Ingram Spark — you’re in luck. I have a Book Publishing Package where I can handle that all for you, in addition to editing and cover/interior design. Just reach out!

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m diving into all the moving pieces involved in self-publishing and giving you a checklist of what needs to get done before your book hits the shelves. By following this timeline, you’ll give yourself enough time so that it's not a stressful process, but instead, it’s a really fun and fulfilling and exciting process!I share:What you need to have done first, before moving your book into the production timeline.When to choose your cover designer and your interior book designer and what’s involved in that process.Why to consider having a book launch team and how you can involve them.The importance of pre-orders and early reviews – along with ideas for pre-order bonuses.Considerations for how you’re going to showcase your book.After listening, if you decide you don't want to worry about getting all the moving pieces coordinated and getting your book up on Amazon, you’re in luck. I have a Book Publishing Package where I can handle that all for you. Just reach out!>> Here’s the PDF << you can download to stay organized and on top of things as you release your book out into the world. Other episodes mentioned:Episode 89: My Top Tips for Connecting With a PublisherEpisode 66: 10 Tips to Crush Your Book Launch Episode 133: Tips for Writing Your Book DescriptionEpisode 64: Why are pre-orders so important?