Wish I'd Known Then . . . For Writers

Episode 143 / Tess Thompson, author of small town romances and American historical romances, joins us to talk about mindset changes she made that have helped her achieve career goals. We delve into resistance, limiting beliefs, and discoverability. Tess also shares tips for writing a small town romance series. Intro links:  Subscriptions for Authors Show notes: How Tess was traditionally published and then went indie in 2017, essentially starting over from scratch What Tess has learned that helped her writing career take off: finish a series, find your genre sweet spot, use cover styles that readers expect Why the thing that we resist is often the thing we should be doing The discoverability problem and how Tess fixed it How Tess moved from a fear-based mindset to a mindset of letting her dreams live Why conferences are a good investment even when your revenue is low Small town world building How Tess researches her historicals   Come over and say hi to Jami and Sara in the WIKT Facebook group! You can find show notes and links at wishidknownforwriters.com. Links:  Tess’ website The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes  Jami’s Launch Plan Sara’s BookSend us a textSupport the show🚀 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-podcast

Episode 142 / Karen McQuestion shares how she successfully writes across different genres and how that has contributed to her longevity in publishing. Show notes: Trusting your instinct when it comes to storytelling Marketing tips for authors who’d rather do online promotion instead of in-person events Following the story idea even if it takes you to a different genre category or genre-adjacent category How the abundance mindset helps break the habit of “comparison-itis” How Karen propelled one of her books to #3 in the Kindle Store overall for 2021 Her hybrid approach for translations (doing it herself as well as having a foreign rights agent)   Come over and say hi to Jami and Sara in the WIKT Facebook group! You can find show notes and links at wishidknownforwriters.com. Links:  Author website https://www.karenmcquestion.com/ The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes  Jami’s Launch Plan Sara’s Book Release Timeline Checklist Jami’s books Sara’s books Resources from the Author and Reader Community to Help UkrainansSend us a textSupport the show🚀 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-podcast

Episode 141 / Do you want to up your newsletter game? Newsletter expert Tammi Lebrecque joins us to discuss building an email list, automations, reader magnets, the unique value you provide to readers, and much more.  Intro links:  Kickstarter Accelerator - open until Nov 23rd (Affiliate Link) Show notes: Tammi’s definition of success How Tammi went through burnout and what she learned from the experience What to write in your newsletter Why it’s important to define the unique value you give to readers Why new authors need a list, even a small one, when they launch Newsletter recommendations for:  -New authors -Established authors -Authors who haven’t emailed in a while Tammi’s Freebie: https://newsletterninja.net/newsletter/ Come over and say hi to Jami and Sara in the WIKT Facebook group! You can find show notes and links at wishidknownforwriters.com. Links:  Tammi’s website: newsletterninja.net https://newsletterninja.net/newsletter/ The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodesSend us a textSupport the show🚀 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-podcast

Episode 140 / Paranormal cozy mystery author Trixie Silvertale joins us to discuss secret pen names. This episode is part of our New Author series.  Show notes: Marketing and promotion tips for introverted authors Holding back books for a rapid release launch Shifting from monthly releases to quarterly releases  Benefits and challenges of a secret pen name Working with other authors on a shared world series Tips for writing a long series (20+ books) Why it’s important to be a functional creative Come over and say hi to Jami and Sara in the WIKT Facebook group! You can find show notes and links at wishidknownforwriters.com. Links:  Author website: http://trixiesilvertale.com Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Trixie-Silvertale/e/B07XGGRTWK  BookBub Author https://www.bookbub.com/authors/trixie-silvertale Instagram https://www.instagram.com/trixiesilvertale/  Facebook Author https://www.facebook.com/TrixieSilvertale/   The Big List of Craft and marketinSend us a textSupport the show🚀 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-podcast

Episode 139 / Jami updates us this week, sharing about the difficult time her family has been through as well as how grateful she is to be an indie author, which allowed her to spend extended time with her sister before she passed away.  Sara’s Kickstarter is over and it exceeded all her expectations! Sara shares what she learned from running her first Kickstarter, including: She needed more graphics than she realized It’s a good idea to run the pre-launch page for weeks or even months A low funding goal can help your launch Sara had to help her list understand what Kickstarter was, how it worked, and why she was doing it She created stretch goals on the fly and will put more planning into it next time Sara took the Kickstarter Accelerator course and recommends it (#affiliate link)   Links:  Becca Syme’s YouTube Quitcast episode  Sara on The Rebel Author podcast talking about cozy mysteries Daniel Willcocks’ 50K Writing Camp for NaNoWriMo Kickstarter Accelerator course (Affiliate link)Send us a textSupport the show🚀 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-podcast

Episode 138 / We’re going back to the archives this week as we re-air an episode with J. Thorn. Sci-fi author, podcaster, teacher, and event organizer J. Thorn joins us to discuss creative ways to diversify your author income, podcasting, and what he wishes he’d known about co-writing.  Intro links: Sara’s Kickstarter In this podcast episode, you’ll discover: How J. came to creative writing after teaching J.’s transition to full-time writing What he wishes he’d known about creative writing The difference between developmental editing and proofreading J.’s dislike of running paid ads and how he runs his business so that he doesn't have to use them Why podcasting is better for lead-generation than revenue generation Why it’s not too late to get into podcasting The downside of completely original ideas How being a musician influences J.’s co-writing projects J.’s long-running collaboration with Zach Bohannon and what J. wishes he’d known about co-writing  How J., a self-identifying introvert, runs writing events  The most difficult aspects of planning author events J.’s mistake of quitting his full time job without a financial safety net, and how that turned out to be a good thing  Changes J. has seen and how he’s adapted to them Thinking outside the box to create multiple streams of income  Send us a textSupport the show🚀 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-podcast

Episode 137 / Helen Scheuerer, bestselling fantasy, joins us this week to talk about writing a series. We also discuss finding breathing room in your career, reaching out to other authors to develop friendships in the writing community, and work/life balance.  Intro links:  Author Wheel podcast Sara’s Kickstarter Show notes: How Helen learned to love her own writing process Why the groundwork of learning the market before writing is so important How Helen reached out to other authors and developed friendships in the writing community How she came to write a book for authors about writing a series Why the book includes tactics for outliners as well as discovery writers Helen’s tips for creating a series bible How Helen outlines her books and plans her series   Come over and say hi to Jami and Sara in the WIKT Facebook group! You can find show notes and links at wishidknownforwriters.com. Links:  www.helenscheuerer.com https://helenscheuerer.com/for-authors/   GoFundMe for Jami’s sister: Joni’s Hospice Journey Send us a textSupport the show🚀 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-podcast

Episode 136 / Cozy mystery author Morgana Best joins us today to talk about direct sales. We discuss how to get started as well as advanced tactics like SMS marketing and influencer marketing.   Intro links:  GoFundMe for Jami’s sister: Joni’s Hospice Journey Sara’s Kickstarter Show notes: Why Morgana looks at mistakes as opportunities for discovery What authors should consider before starting direct sales Who shouldn’t go all-in with direct sales  Why starting slowly is a good thing when it comes to direct sales Considerations when it comes to organizing your store How authors can us SMS (Text) marketing as well as influencer marketing Helpful links: Payhip Shopify Klaviyo ShoutCart Lulu Express Book Vault Come over and say hi to Jami and Sara in the WIKT Facebook group! You can find show notes and links at wishidknownforwriters.com. Links:  Morgana’s website The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes  Send us a textSupport the show🚀 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-podcast

Episode 135 / Brad West, one of the creators of Vellum software, joins us to talk about how authors format their books, both ebook and print, what’s changed in the publishing industry, and unique ways authors are using Vellum.  Intro links:  Troy Lambert WIKT interview - promotion idea: bookstore giveaway copies Free Little Library Show notes: Brad shares how he came to work with authors after working at Pixar Why authors don’t need to know every small detail about the formatting software to have beautiful books A common mistake of new authors when it comes to publishing their first book How Vellum expanded from ebook formatting into print formatting How authors are using Vellum to create special editions What’s changed in publishing and what’s stayed the same  Come over and say hi to Jami and Sara in the WIKT Facebook group! You can find show notes and links at wishidknownforwriters.com. Links:  Vellum website The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes  Jami’s Launch Plan Sara’s Book Release Timeline Checklist Jami’s books Sara’s booksSend us a textSupport the show🚀 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-podcast

Episode 134 / Do you want to add subscription income to your business? Emilia Rose, USA Today bestselling author of steamy romance, joined Sara to give tips and ideas on how authors can include a recurring income stream in their business models.  Intro link:  Bookvault.app Sara’s Kickstarter Show notes: How Emilia uses subscriptions to connect with readers  Why your story isn’t for everyone How writing organically helps Emilia bring out emotions in her characters and in her readers Why going from a one-time payment for content to a subscription is a big mindset shift Why subscription models are great for authors: connections with readers, recurring income, and stability  Tips for getting started with a subscriptions  What to watch out for if you’re thinking of using subscriptions  How to attract people to your subscription– hint: free content and cliffhangers are excellent at pulling readers to your subscriptions Tips to maximize your subscription Ream - Patreon but for fiction authors is coming soon! Come over and say hi to Jami and Sara in the WIKT Facebook group! You can find show notes and links at wishidknownforwriters.com. Links:  Author website The Big List of Craft and marketing books menSend us a textSupport the show🚀 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-podcast