#203. Why Writing Advice Is Keeping You Stuck (And What to Do Instead)

It’s no secret that one of the biggest roadblocks to getting traditionally published is the dreaded literary agent rejection. But to find the right literary agent for you and your story, you have to go through the process of querying a handful of agents—which means you should expect to get a handful of rejections before finding your perfect match. In this episode, I’m sharing the three most common literary agent rejection scenarios and, more importantly, what you can do in each scenario to...

29 Loka 202417min

Ever wonder what happens when you ditch your agent and decide to self-publish instead? This episode is a must-listen if you're curious about the ins and outs of self-publishing and how it can possibly safeguard your creative control. In this episode, Stefanie Medrek is back on the podcast—and boy, has her story changed! The last time we chatted, she had just landed an agent and was about to go out on submission. But now she's releasing her debut romantic suspense novel as a self-publish...

22 Loka 202443min

You finished your book and now you’re looking for a cover designer, but where do you start? Where can you find a good book cover designer? And how much should you expect to pay them for a quality book cover? These are all questions my guest, Zoe Norvell, will answer in this week’s brand-new podcast episode! Zoe is the mastermind behind INeedABookCover.com and INeedABookInterior.com—and she’s been designing book covers professionally since 2011 (both for big publishers and self-published auth...

15 Loka 202445min

One of the questions I get asked by a lot of aspiring authors is, “What books should I read to learn how to start writing a novel?” I get asked this question so often that I decided to turn my answer into a podcast episode! Tune in to this episode to hear my take on the 5 best writing books that have had the biggest impact on me and the authors I work with. I’ll share what the books are, why I like them, and what kind of writer they’d be best for. In other words, you’ll hear me talk about:...

8 Loka 202422min

Have you ever Googled things like “how many words should be in a novel?” Or “how many scenes should a novel have?” If so, you’ve probably gotten answers like “80,000 words.” Or “somewherre between 40 and 60 scenes.” Easy enough, in theory…But if you’re like most of the writers I’ve worked with, you’ve probably also had trouble sticking to these guidelines because there’s just so much stuff that needs to go into a novel, right? Well, in this episode, I’m going to help clear up some of the co...

1 Loka 202419min

How do you know if you’re actually getting better at writing? In this episode, my guest, Tim Grahl, the CEO of Story Grid and the author of multiple books, both fiction and non-fiction, shares his answer to this question. Tim believes that his new book, The Shithead, is the best book he’s ever written—and I happen to agree with him! So, how did he get here? What did he do to become a better writer? And more importantly, what can YOU learn from Tim’s story to become a better writer yourself?...

24 Syys 202444min

Want a peek behind the scenes into my work week? 👀 In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes and sharing what I do as a developmental editor and book coach. I’ll talk through the projects I’m working on, what I’m excited (or not excited) about, what’s coming up in the next few weeks, what I learn from the writers I work with, and basically anything else that happens during the week! Tune into the episode to hear me talk about things like: [01:55] How I use a paper planner to map...

17 Syys 202421min

Would you believe me if I said social media could make you a better writer? If you’re shaking your head NO, you’ll want to check out this episode. My guest, Lara Ferrari, is an Instagram marketing specialist who has helped hundreds of writers grow engaged communities of readers online (and have FUN while doing it). In this episode, she’s sharing how you can use social media to increase your creativity and motivation, get reader input and feedback, do market research, and find the accountab...

10 Syys 202441min