In this episode, Alexa and Amy discuss best practices in the process of writing, publishing, and selling your book, whether fiction or non-fiction using proposals and successful pitch packages.

In this episode, Ellie and Alexa discuss:

•  How nonfiction book proposals differ from fiction queries. Nonfiction requires a detailed proposal, including an overview, competitive analysis, audience analysis, marketing plan, and annotated table of contents. Memoirs, although nonfiction, often follow different rules and may use a hybrid approach. 
•  Identifying competitive titles and its importance.
•  Defining a specific audience rather than claiming a broad appeal. This helps in targeted marketing and increases the book’s chances of success. 

Amy L. Bernstein writes stories that let readers feel while making them think. Her novels include The Potrero Complex; The Nighthawkers; Dreams of Song Times; and Fran, The Second Time Around. She is an award-winning journalist, speechwriter, playwright, and certified nonfiction book coach. Amy also teaches writing workshops and is a frequent guest on podcasts to discuss writing, publishing, and creativity. Her nonfiction book, Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding Inspiration will be published in October 2024.

Learn more about Amy L. Bernesein here:
https://facebook.com/AmyLBernsteinAuthor.com
https://instagram.com/amylbernstein
https://linkedin.com/in/amylbernstein

 Join Alexa Bigwarfe, with guest, Mel Torrefranca on this new episode of PublishHer Podcast for a fascinating interview with a very interesting young author. Mel and Alexa cover Mel's unique experience becoming a published author at the age of 17 while she was still a student in high school.  Fascinatingly, YouTube accidentally played a role in attracting readers to her book and she is now in the process of cowriting the screenplay for Leaving Wishville's short film adaptation of her book with director Sebastian Delgado.
 
She has now published four books, is still writing and her publishing company, named after a location in her debut novel, Lost Island Press, is publishing for many other authors and constantly growing. She offers advice for other young writers is to "share your work, even when it's scary."

Mel Torrefranca is an award-winning author from the San Francisco Bay Area, now residing in the jungle mountains of Northern Thailand. She is known for writing stories with dark vibes, morally ambiguous characters, and bold endings. In addition to her own projects, Mel shares the work of others at her indie publishing house Lost Island Press. She also drinks way too many lattes.

https://www.meltorrefranca.com
https://www.youtube.com/meltorrefranca
https://www.lostislandpress.com/book

Ellie set her sights on writing and publishing as many books as she could, and for years, operated on an aggressive timeline of publishing one book every month! With insights into her rapid publication model, disciplined writing routine, and challenges of maintaining a sustainable income, Ellie offers valuable lessons for aspiring indie authors seeking to achieve bestseller status. Her candid discussion about the fluctuating nature of book sales, the significance of building an email list, and the use of newsletters to connect with readers provides practical strategies for navigating the complexities of self-publishing. Ellie's commitment to meeting reader expectations while staying true to her creative passions underscores the importance of aligning personal interests with market demands. 

In this episode, Ellie and Alexa discuss:

• Writing - a LOT - to publish frequently and grow the backlist
• The importance of building an email list for increased engagement and readership.
• The benefits of newsletter swaps to expand your author network and reach new readers.
• How Ellie Achieved bestseller status as an indie author
• Her rapid book release strategy to maximize impact and visibility in the market.
• The importance of collaboration and the changing landscape of book lists.
• Writing schedules, outlining process, and the challenges of maintaining a fast-paced writing routine.
• Reflections on the challenges of balancing writing, social media engagement, and administrative tasks. 
• The importance of meeting reader expectations in writing.
• Why having a healthy backlist and diversifying formats like audiobooks and large print matters
• Ellie's three indispensable tools in the writing business: Mailerlite for newsletters, Canva for graphic design, and Vellum for book formatting. 

Ellie Hall is a USA Today bestselling author known for her expertise in romance novels. With a strong focus on collaborative efforts, Ellie achieved bestseller status as a self-published author, emphasizing the significance of a rapid release model and the advantages of connecting with a community of authors. Her commitment to a monthly release schedule since 2018 underscores her dedication to engaging with her audience.

Ellie's journey as an indie author exemplifies the importance of balancing creative output with the demands of administrative work and audience engagement, providing valuable insights for aspiring authors seeking to achieve bestseller status.
 
Learn more:
Ellie Hall Author Books
Ellie Hall | Facebook
Ellie Hall (@elliehallauthor) • Instagram 

Productivity and time blocking - these are important for authors, especially those who are busy trying to balance all of the things!

Throughout the conversation with Alexa, Stacy Ennis emphasizes the significance of time blocking and energy management in enhancing productivity, advocating for the creation of consistent, dedicated time for deep work. 

Stacy also addresses the challenges writers face in finding time for their craft amidst other obligations, advocating for scaling down goals and starting with small time increments to build self-trust and make progress. Ennis's practical advice and personal anecdotes provide a rich resource for writers seeking to optimize their creative process and achieve writing goals while leading a fulfilling life. 


Key takeaways:

• Learn to maximize your writing productivity with effective time management strategies.
• Discover the benefits of outsourcing for authors and how it can streamline your writing process.
• Explore the lifestyle benefits of building a location-independent writing career.
• Uncover the importance of incorporating rest into your creative professional routine for optimal productivity.
• Discover how to use time blocking and energy management to 4x your productivity—and free up more time for rest
• Learn why most of us have the definition of productivity wrong—and how we should define it instead
• Understand why hustle culture is dangerous to our health and how to reframe toward balance—while scaling your business, brand, or impact
• Listen to the power of discretionary time and how it can transform your work (and life!)
• My top tips for productivity: email/social/news-free mornings, move meetings to the afternoon, email blocking, etc.
• Why you need to start from the vision and work backwards to build a business to support the life you want
• Stacy's program, Idea to Launch, is launching soon! Find out more here! 

Idea to investment: Drawing on Stacy's work with 100-plus books throughout my 14 years in publishing, she's developed a step-by-step system to help aspiring authors write their nonfiction books. Over six months, they’ll walk through targeted trainings; the live program also includes workshops and group coaching alongside a community of other future authors. Stacy guides future authors through each step of writing their nonfiction book, from idea to finished manuscript, and teach a clear system to take the guesswork out of writing and unleash their creative genius—even if they don’t think they’re writers. Find out more here! 
Stacy Ennis is a best-selling author, coach, and speaker on a mission to help leaders clarify their ideas and harness their unique story to make an impact. Along with being the founder of Nonfiction Book School, an accelerated author program, her background includes ghostwriting for a Nobel Prize winner in medicine and leading as executive editor of Sam’s Club’s Healthy Living Made Simple, a publication that reached around 11 million readers. Her best-selling book, cowritten with Ron Price, is Growing Influence: A Story of How to Lead with Character, Expertise, and Impact. She’s also the host of Beyond Better, a podcast that explores how to create a business and life you love.

Learn More about Stacy Ennis:
https://stacyennis.com/
https://www.instagram.com/stacyennis/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacylynn/

In this episode, Alexa Bigwarfe and Jess Ekstrom dig into what it takes to create a fruitful speaking career.  These strategies are aimed at empowering women writing nonfiction books who want to take the stage to make a bigger impact.

Key Takeaways

• How to leverage connections as starting points for speaking engagements
• Negotiating for assets beyond speaking fees, such as professional event photos, testimonials, and referrals
• Essential steps to kick start a successful and impactful speaking career.
• How to empower yourself to seize public speaking opportunities and break barriers in the professional world
• Crafting a Captivating Keynote Speech: Learn the secrets to building a keynote speech that captivates and inspires audiences
• How to structure your talks and her formula to deliver concise, impactful messages
• The Mic Drop Workshop: A comprehensive program to learn everything you need to know to build your speaking career
• Visit here to learn more about her upcoming FREE challenge and the full program. https://womeninpublishingsummit.com/micdrop

Jess Ekstrom is the founder of Headbands of Hope and Mic Drop Workshop, investor in women, 2x best-selling author, Forbes Top Rated Speaker and new mom. Her first brush with success was selling all of her toys on eBay when she was twelve. Since then, Jess and her companies have been featured on Today and Good Morning America and in Seventeen, Vanity Fair, Forbes, and People. More importantly, they've helped millions of women and girls around the world. She’s the bestselling author of Chasing the Bright Side and Create Your Bright Ideas. Her hobbies include writing, hiking, board games with her husband, playing peekaboo with her baby, and searching for the best breakfast burrito in America.
www.instagram.com/jess_ekstrom
www.twitter.com/jess_ekstrom
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-ekstrom-59160342/

In this episode of the PublishHer Podcast, host Alexa Bigwarfe engages in a conversation with Katherine Graham from Autocrit, shedding light on the significance of AI-driven tools in the writing and editing process. 

Autocrit is an incredible tool that helps authors write and edit their books, analyze their chapters, and even brainstorm if you're stuck. 

Key Takeaways:

• Analyzing your manuscript with the Autocrit tool enhances quality and reduces editing costs for self-publishing authors.
• Dictating your voice to text streamlines the writing process and improves manuscript quality while minimizing editing expenses.
• Mastering fiction writing skills elevates the quality of your manuscript, resulting in reduced editing costs for self-publishing authors.
• Implementing genre conformity in book writing optimizes manuscript quality and decreases editing expenses for self-publishers.
• Check out Autocrit and get your lifetime license at https://womeninpublishingsummit.com/autocrit
  
  

Katherine Graham, from Autocrit, is recognized for her expertise in the self-publishing and editing landscape. Her proficiency in utilizing Autocrit as a tool for authors positions her as a valuable resource for self-publishing authors seeking to enhance manuscript quality and reduce editing costs. With a thorough understanding of Autocrit's applications across various writing genres, including fiction and nonfiction, Katherine offers essential insights and support to authors looking to refine their writing and align with specific genre criteria. Through her unwavering commitment to empowering writers and her significant contributions to the writing community, Katherine has established herself as a respected authority in the field of self-publishing and editing.

In this episode:

• Alexa Bigwarfe gives a short overview of what's to come in Season 4
• Alexa shares some encouragement around taking the small steps to see big wins
• Habit stacking - what is it, why is it important
• Life's short - don't push off til tomorrow what you can do today
• Join for upcoming webinars and workshops at https://womeninpublishingsummit.com/events

In this episode of the PublishHer podcast, Alexa Bigwarfe interviews Larissa Sohen, an established author and founder of Next Page Publishing Inc. Larissa shares her journey to becoming a book coach and provides insights into writing, publishing, and marketing books.

Key Takeaways:

• Larissa's Writing Journey: Larissa shares her unexpected entry into writing when she created a sci-fi novel based on a game she and her husband developed. This experience led her to become passionate about helping others tell their stories.
• Book Release: Larissa discusses her recent book, "How to Write a Book: Memoirs and Autobiographies," which focuses on guiding individuals through the process of writing and sharing their life stories.
• Transition to Book Coaching: Larissa explains how she transitioned from a career in the chemical industry to become a book coach, emphasizing the importance of making connections, networking, and learning from mentors in the writing industry.
• Advice for Aspiring Authors: Larissa encourages aspiring authors to start writing without waiting for the "perfect time." She highlights the importance of taking the leap and pursuing the dream of writing a book.
• Details on Coaching Program: Larissa describes her coaching program, targeting coaches in service-based industries who are looking to grow their businesses by incorporating book writing into their marketing strategy.

Larissa Soehn is a well-established author and the founder of Next Page Wellness Coaching. She has extensive experience in writing, publishing, and marketing books from various genres.

As the company’s founder, Larissa serves female entrepreneurs in client-based industries, namely coaches and service providers. Larissa’s mission is to help powerful women boost their businesses with a book. She guarantees a high level of service in all aspects of writing and publishing. Her programs include one-on-one writing, editing, publishing, and marketing support for all her authors.

Larissa is a certified professional coach from the International Coach Academy with training in applied psychology and communications. She has developed skills that directly support the writing and promoting of exceptional books. She has knowledge of human motivation, drive, and communication methods that coincides directly with what it takes to write, publish and market a book.

Larissa finds motivation in her family and works hard to be the best mom and wife she can be to her young daughter and wonderful husband.

Learn more here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/484234667003573
https://www.linkedin.com/in/larissa-soehn-4a67b01b9/

As a reminder, as this show publishes, we are counting down the days to the 2024 Women in Publishing Summit! Get your ticket today, and save $50 with either of the coupon codes: ALEXA50 or LOVEYOURSELF

In this episode, Alexa and Emily discuss:

• Her new book of poems and love, I Still Have Love to Give
• Exploring different genres to expand your writing skills and finding your unique voice in the literary world.
• Why she started writing in the genre of Mafia romance (largely because she understand its marketability)
• How poetry is a powerful tool for personal healing and emotional expression.
• Marketing challenges specific to writing nonfiction poetry as a romantic suspense/mafia author and what it was like to try to reach a new audience
• Finding your niche as a writer to stand out in the competitive literary landscape.
• And more!

Emily A. Myers is an award-winning author of romantic suspense. Her first novel, The Truth About Unspeakable Things, was a First Place winner for the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA) Clue Award (2021) for suspense/ thriller fiction. The Truth About Unspeakable Things was also a finalist for the CIBA Chatelaine Award (2021) for romance and a semi-finalist for the Somerset Award (2021) for contemporary fiction.

Emily followed up her stellar debut with the sequel Bound by the Unspeakable, completing the Unspeakable duet and releasing her first mafia romance, Mine to Protect, in December of 2022.

In January of 2024, Emily released her first poetry collection, I Still Have Love to Give. The collection is like a wine night with your bestie--raw, emotional, conversational, inspirational, and helpful. The poems and personal essays discuss her struggles with overcoming heartbreak post-divorce and re-entering the dating scene. It also includes a heartbreak survival guide with tons of big-sis advice for those going through the same things. 
 
When not writing, Emily enjoys traveling, devouring the latest Netflix series, and scouring the shelves of Sephora. To keep up with her, you can find her on all social media platforms @emilymyersauthor

If finding an editor, learning more about editors, and getting discounts on editing services is what you need, be SURE to grab your ticket to the next Women in Publishing Summit. We have an entire day focused heavily on production and editing, and are featuring great sponsors like FirstEditing, Speak Write Play, Inkworthy Books, ProWritingAid, and more. Grab your ticket to the Women in Publishing Summit to connect with YOUR just right editor!

In this episode, Alexa Bigwarfe and Jenny Hubert discuss:

• Finding the Right Editor: The conversation explores the factors to consider when finding the right editor. Genre expertise is highlighted as crucial, and the Editorial Freelancers Association and Reedsy are suggested as valuable resources for discovering editors.
• Understanding Types of Editing: Jenny outlines the five main types of editing: manuscript critique, developmental editing, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading. The conversation stresses the importance of understanding the order of these edits and their focus on different aspects of the book.
• Author's Mindset During Editing: The discussion touches on the emotional aspect of the editing process, acknowledging that it can be overwhelming for authors. It emphasizes the role of an editor as a supportive partner rather than someone aiming for perfection.
• The Role of an Editor: Jenny shares her philosophy as an editor, stating that the goal is not necessarily to achieve a perfect book but to elevate it to the next level. The importance of manageable and achievable feedback for authors is highlighted.
• The Importance of Genre Knowledge: The conversation stresses the significance of an editor understanding the author's genre and even subgenre. This knowledge helps in providing relevant guidance and maintaining consistency with genre conventions.
• Resources for Finding an Editor: The episode suggests utilizing platforms like the Editorial Freelancers Association and Reedsy for discovering suitable editors. It also emphasizes the value of author referrals for finding trusted editors.

Jenny Hubert is a freelance editor and writer based in the NYC area. She has edited #1 New Releases on Amazon for fantasy authors. She is also the author of The Book Editor Matchmaker, a short e-book that teaches authors how to vet and hire a book editor. Her favorite authors are Jane Austen and Agatha Christie. You can follow her for free editing tips on TikTok (@sweeter_than_fiction) and Instagram (@grammarwithjenny).

Learn more here:
www.jennyhubertedits.com
https://books2read.com/thebookeditormatchmaker