Author Your Dream

Query letters can be daunting, but with some research and the information Abigail K. Perry shares in this episode, you can give yourself a better chance of landing a literary agent.

We dive deep into the world of writing romance. In this episode, we’re thrilled to have bestselling romance author Olivia Gaines as our guest. Olivia shares valuable insights on how to overcome the common pitfalls that writers encounter when crafting love stories.

Whether you’re looking to create compelling love scenes, establish deep connections between your characters, or keep a romance series going strong, this interview is packed with practical tips and techniques. Olivia also delves into creating romantic tension, incorporating themes of self-love and self-discovery, and finding the right balance of drama in your stories. Aspiring romance writers and seasoned pros alike won’t want to miss this engaging conversation with Olivia Gaines. Tune in now and take your writing to the next level!

Highlights:

Olivia’s Journey

Common pitfalls when writing romance

Putting a feeling of depth in your romance

Tips for connecting with your readers at the start

Keeping a romance series going

Writing compelling love scenes

Creating romantic tension

How much drama is too much

Obligatory scenes

Incorporating themes of self-love and self-discovery

Author Action Point:

What kind of writer do you want to be? Once you determine what that looks like to you, it will really determine your writing career. Make sure

In today’s episode, we are talking about entering writing contests. Kenny talks with Paula Sheridan, the founder of the Page Turner Awards, about how authors can enter, what they can in, and why they should even consider entering in the first place. Paula shares her insights into this topic and provides some practical tips and mistakes to avoid.

Highlights

• Paula’s story

• Page Turner Awards

• Submitting to the Page Turner Awards

• What do you win?

• How writing contests can help you

• Who are contests for

• Biggest mistakes when entering contests

• When should a writer enter

Visit the Show Notes page for free resources and discount codes.

In this episode, we are talking about sensitivity readers. I had the pleasure of speaking with author J.H. Dahler about her experience of working with one. And as a bonus, we are joined by Candice Roma, who is an editor and and Jodie’s sensitivity reader.

They both share their perspective on the process and how sensitivity reading can improve representation in literature. This is an insightful conversation that sheds light on the importance of inclusivity in storytelling and the role of sensitivity readers in ensuring authentic representation.

Highlights

What is a sensitivity reader?

Jodie’s experience with the process

Candace’s perspective

About Jodie’s book Forest Girl

Qualifications for a sensitivity reader

Feedback

Giving Feedback

Mindset and attitudes authors should have

Does a sensitivity reader have an impact on a book’s success?

If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to categorize your writing or wondering why certain books fit into specific categories, then this episode is for you. We’ll start by discussing why genre is essential in fiction writing and how it helps readers find books that they enjoy. Next, we’ll delve into the two main types of genres: commercial genres and content genres. We’ll explain the differences between them and explore the various sub-genres that fall within each category.

Highlights

What is genre?

What to do when your story fits into multiple categories

5 things our content genre can tell you about your story

Internal and external genres

Avoiding getting overwhelmed

How this applies to science fiction and fantasy

Resources Mentioned

Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast

www.savannahgilbo.com/blog/genre

How to Structure a Scene with Emma Dhesi

Free Master Class

Sign Up for a FREE 30-Day Trial of the Novel Factory.

Do you have questions about traditional publishing? As a first-time author, you probably have a lot of questions about everything. In this episode, Kenny talks with traditionally published author Mary Adkins about the four biggest questions she gets asked all the time. She will share her experience on everything from agents to royalties and more.

Highlights:

How do I know if I need a literary agent?

How do I get a book deal?

What’s it like working with an editor?

How much can I expect to earn from publishing?

Sign Up for a FREE 30-Day Trial of the Novel Factory.

In this episode, Kenny talks with Katja Kane, the creator of the Novel Factory, a purpose-built software for novel writers. With her experience as an author, she created Novel Factory to help writers achieve their goals by providing them with the tools they need to streamline their writing process.

Katja’s software has been trusted by thousands of writers and has received widespread acclaim. During this episode, Katja will be sharing her journey as a writer and the story behind the creation of Novel Factory. She will also be discussing the challenges she faced while building the software and her future plans for Novel Factory. So, join us as we have an insightful conversation with Katja Kaine, the creator of Novel Factory.

Highlights

How does the software help authors

Key features of the Novel Factory

Writing Resources included

Price

Success Stories

Future Plans

Author Action Point

Author Action Point

To be a writer, one of the best things to have is a writing habit. Get into writing five to six days a week. Even if you can only write five minutes a day commit to that, but don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day.

In this episode, I talk with Emily Layne about how to write a book in 30 days. Emily has written several books in just 21 days, and she shares some tips and tricks to help you write yours. She shares how she writes fast and writes quality books that have been picked up by a traditional publisher.

Highlights

01:48 Emily’s story

05:55 Process of writing a book in a month

09:54 How do you create a quality book in a short time frame

19:42 Staying motivated

27:00 Tips to be more productive

35:09 The Prep before the writing

40:20 Author Action Point

Author Action Point

“I would say just to start. Whether for you, that does not look like plotting. If you think the idea of plotting is something you cannot fathom, that’s okay. Start writing. If you think plotting is something that would work for you, start plotting and. don’t stop. That’s, I think, something that is one of the hardest things for writers and for myself.

You get this shiny new idea, and you’re like, oh, I’m so excited. I’m gonna write this book, and the people are gonna love it. And then you hit the first roadblock, and you’re like, okay, well, I’ll leave that for later. I’ll come back to it at some other time, and then you don’t come back to it. So I think to start, set a goal and don’t stop and don’t give up until you have achieved that goal. Whatever that goal happens to be.”

Connect with Emily

www.emilylaynebooks.com

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Facebook

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Getting local media coverage for your book can be a great way to increase visibility and sales in your community. By reaching out to local newspapers, radio stations, and television programs, you can pitch your book to journalists and producers and potentially secure interviews or feature articles. This type of coverage can be especially valuable for authors who are self-publishing or have a small publisher, as it can help to build buzz and awareness for your book among your target audience.

In this episode, Kenny talks with Mickie Kennedy, the founder of eReleases. Mickie started his business twenty-four years ago to help small businesses, authors, and startups increase their visibility and credibility through press release marketing.

Highlights

01:45 Introduction to Mickie Kennedy

04:25 Why authors often shy away from media

07:23 Strategies for reaching out to local media outlets and pitching your book

10:55 Tips for pitching

16:29 Where to find local connections

22:02 Process of Working with eReleases

34:36 Press Release

35:59 One Sheet vs. Press Release

40:15 What is the wire?

46:55 Author Action Point

Author Action Point

Go out and create a list of local contacts. There are probably ten people in your area who would be willing to write about you and cover you on tv and radio. Make a list of those people and reach out to them. Don’t just do it once, but reach out to them quarterly. Try different approaches.

Continue to reachout to media outlets. Keep going until they say stop we’ve had enough.

Connect with Mickie

Free PR Master Class

www.ereleases.com

When Matty Dalrymple created the idea of the story frame, she didn’t want it to be just another name for an outline. For some, an outline is rigid, whereas the story frame feels a little more organic. This frame gives an author a clear picture of the overarching story and gives you something to hang everything else on.

05:45 The Indy Author Podcast

09:32 What a story frame is

15:16 Formatting

24:23 How long the process takes

33:21 How you can create a frame

41:54 Differentiating plots and subplots

43:49 How to know you’ve gone too far

50:17 Author Action Point