Wish I'd Known Then: a Podcast for Self Published Indie Writers

Episode 196 / Bestselling fantasy author, Helen Scheuerer joins us to discuss the many ways to launch a series and how to craft your launch strategy so that it meshes with your personality, goals, and schedule. We dig into ARCS, preorders, mindset, dealing with disappointing launches, and common mistakes authors make when launching a series. Helen’s website: https://helenscheuerer.com/series-launch-bonus/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJVHJMYM💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a future episode. https://wishidknownforwriters.com/supportSponsor: The Two Authors Chat Show https://thetwoauthorschatshow.podbean.com Jami’s interview on the Two Authors Chat Show podcast: https://pod.link/1671876768/episode/734263342e60729be17faedacd41b408📥 Send us a Text Message Support the show🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

Episode 195 / What’s your favorite trope? We asked a range of authors this question, and we’re here to share the answers as well as unpack the benefits of writing tropes, why we love specific tropes, and where to find the best examples of the specific trope in books, movies, and television. Tropes discussed: found family, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, grumpy sunshine, and marriage of convenience.Authors included in this episode: Wendy Vella, Ines Johnson, Becca Syme, Daniel Willcocks, Matty Dalrymple, and Megan Haskell.💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a future episode. https://wishidknownforwriters.com/supportOur Sponsor: Bookfunnel.comhttps://www.bookfunnel.com/wikt-podcast📥 Send us a Text Message Support the show🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

Episode 194 / Patrick O’Donnell is a retired Milwaukee Police Department sergeant with a 25-year career as well as an author and podcaster. He shares common mistakes he sees in characterization and police procedure in genre fiction. We discuss how to go beyond overused tropes and how to get the details of investigations right without boring the reader.💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a future episode. https://wishidknownforwriters.com/supportLinks: Patrick O’Donnell’s Links: https://www.copsandwriters.comhttps://www.amazon.com/stores/Patrick-ODonnell/author/B01N1RBP40Cop Camp: https://sleuthsandstorytellers.com/cop-campOur Sponsor: BookFunnel.com/WIKT-Podcast📥 Send us a Text Message Support the show🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

Episode 193 / Kat Addams is an author of contemporary romantic comedies and women empowerment non-fiction titles. She shares how her career path looks different than she expected, but after learning she didn’t have to stay stuck in a toxic relationship or stay in a genre lane, she’s now where she’s supposed to be.We discuss giving yourself permission, self worth, confidence, and how important it is to realize that you can change your situation whether it's writing in a different genre or leaving an abusive relationship.Author website: kataddams.com💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a future episode. https://wishidknownforwriters.com/supportOur Sponsor: Bookfunnelhttps://bookfunnel.com/wikt-podcast/ - $50 off the yearly fee for new accounts excluding the first time author planMore links: 🚀 Jami’s Launch Plan https://www.jamialbright.com/authorservices❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcastResources from the Author and Reader Community to Help Ukrainians📥 Send us a Text Message Support the show🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

Episode 192 / Dark romance author Natlie Knight joins us to share how she sells to readers first on her website and uses the retail platforms for discovery. We also talk about the importance of highlighting back catalogue books, why you should start your newsletter early, and how Natalie uses branded merchandise to promote her books.Links: Jami on Two Authors Chatting podcast: https://pod.link/1671876768/episode/734263342e60729be17faedacd41b408Sara on Indy Author Podcast: https://bit.ly/TIAP210Author website: www.realtabooromance.com www.natalieknightromance.com💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a future episode. https://wishidknownforwriters.com/supportSponsor: Bookfunnel https://bookfunnel.com/wikt-podcast/ Damon’s InterviewMore links: 🚀 Jami’s Launch Plan https://www.jamialbright.com/authorservices❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcastResources from the Author and Reader Community to Help Ukrainians📥 Send us a Text Message Support the show🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

Episode 191 /  Historical fiction author Karen Heenan shares how her writing career started with a Tweet that drew the attention of a publisher, and how she eventually transitioned from working with a small press to indie publishing. We also talk about focusing on building a backlist, validation, and learning to filter out advice and writing practices that don’t work with your strengths. Author website: https://www.karenheenan.com💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a future episode. https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support⭐️ Podcast sponsor this month is BookFunnel! Get $50 off the yearly fee for new accounts. (Excludes the first time author plan.)  https://bookfunnel.com/wikt-podcast/  More links: 🚀 Jami’s Launch Plan https://www.jamialbright.com/authorservices❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcastResources from the Author and Reader Community to Help Ukrainians📥 Send us a Text Message Support the show🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

Episode 190 / Arlene McFarlane shares some unusual promotion ideas, including in-person sales and co-writing. We also talk about perfectionism and incorporating your background and interests into your writing and promotion.Links:Author website: https://www.arlenemcfarlane.com/Jami on the Two Authors’ Chat Show:https://pod.link/1671876768/episode/734263342e60729be17faedacd41b408💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a future episode. https://wishidknownforwriters.com/supportTime Stamps:00:39 Introduction13:21 Hitting Milestones15:15 Listening to Feedback20:11 Battling Perfectionism23:11 Not for the Faint of Heart27:14 Different ways to Market28:28 Authenticity33:02 CoWritingTranscript:https://wishidknownforwriters.com/190-2/More links: 🚀 Jami’s Launch Plan https://www.jamialbright.com/authorservices❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcastResources from the Author and Reader Community to Help Ukrainians📥 Send us a Text Message Support the show🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

Episode 189 / KimBook York writes across multiple genres including romance, fantasy, and non-fiction. We talk about why there’s no “correct” way to write a book and why it’s important to trust your instincts in both writing and marketing. We also discuss the structure of serials and how that can apply to other genres, how to be a discovery writer and maintain a subscription, and how to avoid burnout. Links:KimBook York website:  https://houseofyork.info https://houseofyork.substack.comKimboo’s spreadsheet for outlining a serial: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E6I6Z4TwKgVtUTaid28J2ng_tSxU0HjauV9OievkcTE/edit#gid=0Kimboo’s Podcast: Around the Writer's Table https://pod.link/1615627520Joanna Penn's Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thecreativepenn/writing-the-shadow-turn-your-inner-darkness-into-words💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a future episode. https://wishidknownforwriters.com/supportTime Stamps:0:37 Introduction9:56 3 Fs of Success11:32 No One Way14:25 Consistency in Marketing18:55 Joy of Writing22:41 Don't Stop27:03 What's a Serial?35:03 Structuring a Serial39:33 Serial Length42:10 Keeping Serials Fresh44:35 Ream & Subscription Tiers50:17 Avoiding Burnout with Subscriptions53:25 Subscriptions for Discovery Writers56:09 Importance of CommunityTranscript:https://wishidknownforwriters.com/189-2/More links: 🚀 Jami’s Launch Plan https://www.jamialbright.com/authorservices❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcastResources from the Author and Reader Community to Help Ukrainians📥 Send us a Text Message Support the show🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

Episode 188 / Contemporary romance author Cadence Keys has only been publishing for a few years. She describes how she's found success publishing wide and selling directly to readers. We also delve into the topic of setting back from social media, something Cadence has chosen to do. Instead of using the social platforms, she’s investing in her newsletter and in her Ream subscribers.  https://www.cadencekeysauthor.comLinks mentioned: https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/hb90-bootcampReam💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a future episode. https://wishidknownforwriters.com/supportTime Stamps:0:28 Introduction9:26 Cadence's Bio12:19 Definition of Success13:14 Integration of timelines & rewriting16:16 Opting out of Social Media18:36 False assumptions22:41 Cadence on the Comparison Game24:38 Connecting to readers through Direct Sales26:05 Various Direct Sales platforms30:53 Pivoting & Direct Sales Bundles33:08 Klavio and Sequences38:43 Time Management41:48 Ream47:08 Set up for SuccessTranscript:https://wishidknownforwriters.com/188-2/More links: 🚀 Jami’s Launch Plan https://www.jamialbright.com/authorservices❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcastResources from the Author and Reader Community to Help Ukrainians📥 Send us a Text Message Support the show🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

Episode 187 / Do you need help with your branding, ad copy, or writing career strategy? Do you have questions or ideas that you’d like to brainstorm with another author about?  Jami has helped many authors with everything from overwhelm to sales pages to branding. Jami shares the questions and topics that come up most often, the common mistakes she sees, and tips on when it’s time to ask for help. We talk about making money as an author, series creation, pen names, newsletter building, launching and much more.Author website: JamiAlbright.com/authorservices💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a future episode. https://wishidknownforwriters.com/supportTime Stamps:0:05 Introduction10:54 Supporter Chat12:05 Jami's Consulting14:54 Who can Jami help21:33 Should you go full time?27:19 When should you get help?28:18 Common issues37:31 Amazon Sales Pages44:11 Author WebsitesTranscript:https://wishidknownforwriters.com/187-2/More links: 🚀 Jami’s Launch Plan https://www.jamialbright.com/authorservices❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcastResources from the Author and Reader Community to Help Ukrainians📥 Send us a Text Message Support the show🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast