Join book coach Ameesha Green and podcast producer Shakira Morar as they reflect on this series of Better Shelves. In the final chapter of the series, they compile top tips from the guest authors they’ve had the privilege of talking to and offer a chatty mix of publishing tips, tricks, and inspiration for aspiring authors to take into the future. 

They’ve pinned down the best writing tricks and lessons learned from each author in the series to help you implement these ideas on your own publishing journey. This final episode is a sweet goodbye to a year of interviews and conversations about self-publishing and nonfiction, from the show’s host and producer. 

Turn the page on this podcast to reflect on nine authors’ self-publishing journeys, with top tips on book marketing, PR strategies, writing, and the importance of believing in your creativity.

Turn the page (the time-stamp!)

[01:15] Writing to help the community

[03:40] How can authors best combine their journey and nonfiction writing to make a story that is both factual and engaging?

[06:50] How do you balance a full-time job and writing

[14:01] Does the publishing industry have a duty to publish taboo topics? 

[16:40] Where is the line between content editing and censorship from the perspective of an editor? 

[24:30] What would you say to writers struggling with perfectionism?

[25:01] What kind of gatekeeping occurs in the industry that you notice? 

[28:36] Being brave as a writer 

[31:40] Will my editor steal my manuscript?

[33:24] When do I start marketing my book? 

[34:00] The pros of working with an editor sooner

Sign up to The Book Shelf newsletter for monthly bonus tips, quotes, and book recommendations and exclusive insights into nonfiction. 

Instagram: @thebookshelf.ltd

Twitter: @thebookshelfltd

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Email: [email protected]

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE INCLUDE: 

Nonfiction

Self-publishing 

The self-publishing process

Writing your first book 

Creativity

Editing

Publishing

Traditional publishing 

Book marketing

Book PR 

Book publicity

Book awards

Writing

Book coach

Book editor

Write a book

Join book coach Ameesha Green and author Mark Lanyon as they discuss Who Stole Grandma?, his bestselling memoir that follows the most challenging and enriching period in Mark's life, as his mother lost her strength, independence, and role as hands-on grandmother.

His book was launched in dedication to Parkinson’s UK, raising over £4,500 and gaining support for his sister’s recent diagnosis as well as giving back to the community. There are moments of physical turmoil, emotional tribulations, and mini-triumphs, heartbreak, unanticipated hilarity, and love. 

In this chapter, they discuss the process of writing, Mark’s incredible charity campaign, and making a difference through writing books.

Buy the book: 

Who Stole Grandma? By Mark Lanyon

Sign up to The Book Shelf newsletter for monthly bonus tips, quotes, and book recommendations and exclusive insights into nonfiction. 

Instagram: @thebookshelf.ltd

Twitter: @thebookshelfltd

Hive: @thebookshelf

Email: [email protected]

TIME STAMPS: 

00:38 – What inspired you to write your book? 

07:08 – What do you think your biggest challenges were?

12:14 – What would you say was your happiest moment in the whole process?

15:34 – What made you come up with using a charity campaign to market and how did it go?

18:20 – Fundraising and marketing the book

20:53 – What skill do you think is most important in becoming an author?

21:28 –  If you could do anything differently, what would it be? 

22:40 –  Do you have any more books planned? 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE INCLUDE: 

Self-publishing

Facebook

Parkinsons UK

Grief

Community

Independent bookshops

Book launch

Proofreading

Reading community

Editing

Book editors

Typesetting

Book design

Charity campaign

Books for charity

Bestselling books

Join book coach Ameesha Green and author Jym Brown as they discuss human thinking and the potential for intellectual humility through the lens of philosophy and psychology.

Jym Brown is an author, TEDx speaker, lecturer, and consultant who has worked with professional sports clubs, business leaders, and hundreds of higher education students to improve critical thinking and improve performance. His current book Clever Enough to Be Stupid considers how human beings develop knowledge and the ways we might be wrong. It also explores public thinking, the dangers of social media, and emotional rhetoric, and it will certainly get you thinking. 

Turn the page on this podcast to experience Jym’s self-publishing journey with tips on working with an editor and doing ego-free marketing.

Turn the page (the time-stamp!)

[00:35] Can you tell us a little bit about the book? What inspired you to write it?

[02:32] Intellectual humility

[08:50] The importance of critical thinking 

[11:00] Hyper-fixations on what you can do rather than what you should do

[12:30] Social media propaganda

[13:02] Do you have any future book plans? 

[16:15] Editing at The Book Shelf 

[20:18] How long did it take you to write and design the book? 

[24:53] The importance of an editor 

[31:00] What skill has been the most important on this writing journey?

[40:01] What tips can you provide to writers?  

Buy the book: Clever Enough to be Stupid by Jym Brown

Sign up to The Book Shelf newsletter for monthly bonus tips, quotes, and book recommendations and exclusive insights into nonfiction. 

Instagram: @thebookshelf.ltd

Twitter: @thebookshelfltd

Hive: @thebookshelf

Email: [email protected]

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE INCLUDE: 

Book marketing

Intellectual humility

Social media

The ego

Emotional rhetoric

Critical thinking

Philosophy

Psychology

Book editors

Join book coach Ameesha Green and author Carly Peacock as they discuss A Pocketful of Porn, an intimate discussion for women to understand the systemic issues and indoctrination of female violence and abuse through pornography. As seen in Women’s Own, YOU magazine, and The Sun newspaper, Carly is taking a stand against the normalisation of pornography. 

The parties, fun, and glamour are fueled by abuse, violence, trafficking… but nobody wants to talk about it — and that's exactly why we should.

Time-stamps: 

[00:50] What made you want to write a book about the pornography industry?

[02:33] What did you discover while you were researching? 

[06:23] Who did you decide to write it for?

[07:10] It’s a difficult subject

[07:45] It’s still quite difficult to get a publishing deal from a traditional publisher when you’re writing about controversial or non-mainstream topics

[07:56] What did you find was your biggest challenge in that process? 

[08:24] Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?

[10:22] If you had one piece of advice for aspiring authors, what would it be?

[11:05] What skill do you feel is the most important when becoming an author?

[11:56] Do you think it’s possible for people to salvage their relationship if one of them is addicted to pornography?

[12:28] How do you think it’s best to confront your partner if they’ve been watching porn or if they want to watch it with you?

Buy the book: A Pocketful of Porn by Carly Peacock

Sign up for The Book Shelf newsletter for monthly bonus tips, quotes, book recommendations and exclusive insights into nonfiction. 

Instagram: @thebookshelf.ltd

Twitter: @thebookshelfltd

Hive: @thebookshelf

Email: [email protected]

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE INCLUDE: 

Abuse

Violence

Misogyny

The porn industry

Violence in the porn industry

Misogyny in the porn industry

Violence against women

Controversial subjects

Taboo subjects

Intimacy

Porn addiction

Publishing industry

Self-publishing

Traditional publishing

Join book coach Ameesha Green and author Katie Gray, author of Journey of the Empowered Heart, as they map the landscape of the deep inner journey from self-destruction to self-love.

In this expressive and raw discussion, Ameesha and Katie discuss writing anxieties, spiritual self-publishing, and using writing as a form of healing the past. 

Turn the page on this podcast to experience a journey of emotional healing, with a vulnerable, poignant approach to both writing books and healing trauma. You’ll also get insightful approaches to becoming a first-time author, as well as the importance of listening to your heart during the writing process. 

Turn the page (the time-stamp!)

[01:015] So, what made you want to decide to write a book in the first place?

[08:14] Why is the page count so important?

[08:34] Breaking genre boundaries 

[16:15] Did you find anything challenging? Editing? Writing?

[24:23] Do any particular moments stand out for you? 

[32:15] The importance of having the right editor

[41:32] Do you think you’ll write more books? 

Buy the book: Journey of the Empowered Heart by Katie Gray

Sign up to The Book Shelf newsletter for monthly bonus tips, quotes, and book recommendations and exclusive insights into nonfiction. 

Instagram: @thebookshelf.ltd

Twitter: @thebookshelfltd

Hive: @thebookshelf

Email: [email protected]

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE INCLUDE: 

Emotional therapy 

Emotional healing

Physical trauma 

Social media

Author insecurites

Self-publishing

Editorial anxieties 

Self-compassion

Join book coach Ameesha Green and author Adam Jones (AJ1) as they discuss his book You Are Going to Fucking Die, a modern memento mori for a society saturated by social media.

Adam specialises in hard-hitting self-help books for adults, with his signature wicked humour and swearing to accompany the uncomfortable in-your-face lessons. He is here to get yourself in gear, get off that sofa, and think hard about whether you’ll be happy to die having made it to level 8,000 on Candy Crush.

Turn the page on this podcast to experience Adam’s writing journey, with top tips on making the most of this mortal life, as well as the importance of understanding who you are and what really makes you happy. 

Turn the page (the time-stamp!)

[00:59] So, tell us a little bit about the book! What inspired you to write it?

[01:23] Memento mori 

[03:03] At the back of the book is a cut-out memento mori

[04:02] Addictions are linked to avoidance

[09:32] What was your happiest moment in the process?

[13:34] Political correctness in publishing 

[17:24] If you could do anything differently in this process what would it be?

[19:51] Read aloud function on Word

[20:04] Dealing with negativity

[22:33] What is your top-tip for aspiring authors?

[23:42] How did you market your book?

Buy the book: You Are Going to Fucking Die by Adam Jones

Sign up to The Book Shelf newsletter for monthly bonus tips, quotes, and book recommendations and exclusive insights into nonfiction. 

Instagram: @thebookshelf.ltd

Twitter: @thebookshelfltd

Hive: @thebookshelf

Email: [email protected]

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE INCLUDE: 

Death

Dying

Mortality

Memento mori

Self-awareness

Nonfiction

Self-publishing 

Book marketing

The self-publishing process

Writing your first book 

Social norms

Attitudes towards death

Dealing with negativity 

Political correctness

Tips for authors

Microsoft Word

Join book coach Ameesha Green and author Glen John Jones as they discuss his global book Think and Grow Vegan, which details his 5-step journey from meat eater to plant-based, through 5 stages: reducetarian, pescaratian, vegetarian, and mostly vegan.

Glen is a personal trainer and co-founder of Studio 234 with over 15 years’ experience in the fitness industry across some of the most well-known gyms in the UK. He approaches the topics of veganism and publishing from a relatable, down-to-earth perspective, with no patronising or preachy parts on the menu. 

Sip on an oat milk latte as you listen to Glen’s self-publishing journey, which led to distributions in all the major UK bookstores, and learn the importance of reading book contracts so you don’t get bit in the butt. 

Turn the page (the time-stamp!)

[00:55] How are you feeling now it’s finished? 

[01:12] So, what made you want to write a book in the first place? 

[02:43] The book is about five stages from meat-eater to vegan.

[09:01] Do you think you’ll be writing more books? Did you enjoy the experience? 

[12:25] How did you get your self-published book into bookstores? 

[15:37] You mentioned that you did end up having some problems with that distributor model eventually, so what advice would you have for authors that decide to go down that path?

[24:50] What’s that golden nugget advice to give to aspiring authors? 

Buy the book: Think and Grow Vegan by Glen John Jones

Sign up for The Book Shelf newsletter for monthly bonus tips, quotes, and book recommendations and exclusive insights into nonfiction. 

Socials:

Instagram: @thebookshelf.ltd

Twitter: @thebookshelfltd

Hive: @thebookshelf

Email: [email protected]

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE INCLUDE: 

Nonfiction

Self-publishing 

The self-publishing process

Writing your first book 

Creativity

Vegans

Plant-based diet

Veganism

Veganuary

Book pitching 

Book contracts

Bookstore distribution rights

Join book coach Ameesha Green and author Debbie Waggoner as they discuss The Connection Blueprint, a guide for leaders to have effective one-to-ones with their team members. As Nodus’ CEO, Debbie is at the forefront of spearheading leadership development with thoughtful and highly impactful strategies. Her guide provides a year’s worth of meeting plans so that managers can increase the productivity and interconnectivity of their employees. 

So, settle down with a hot drink and a notepad, and get ready to give value back to your business by improving the productivity, performance and morale of your team! Or better yet, buy Debbie’s spiral-bound, interactive book.

Time-stamps: 

[00:55] What is the purpose of The Connection Blueprint?

[02:40] The Great Reshuffle  

[03:30] Managing remote workers

[04:51] Have you had lots of feedback for you book? 

[05:19] The format and structure of The Connection Blueprint

[05:50] Creating a spiral bound book

[06:10] Sourcing printers for a spiral bound book

[06:45] The future of Amazon printing – Beta Hardback and Spiral Bound 

[07:02] What was the biggest challenge in the self-publishing process? 

[08:00] What was your writing strategy? 

[08:45] What was the happiest moment in the process? 

[09:38] The pride of self-publishing

[10:30] Book shepherding

[11:20] What skills do you think are most important in becoming an author? 

[14:20] Is there anything you would’ve done differently?

[15:38] Do you have any more books planned? 

[17:20] Marketing and networking a book

[19:35] If you had one top tip for aspiring authors, what would it be? 

Buy the book: The Connection Blueprint by Debbie Waggoner

Sign up for The Book Shelf newsletter for monthly bonus tips, quotes, book recommendations and exclusive insights into nonfiction. 

Instagram: @thebookshelf.ltd

Twitter: @thebookshelfltd

Hive: @thebookshelf

Email: [email protected]

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE INCLUDE: 

Corporate leadership 

Communication 

Professional relationships 

Employee management

Talent development 

Content strategy 

Performance strategy 

Remote workforce

Join book coach Ameesha Green and author Sam Sanders as they discuss his multi-award-winning book Your Next Big Idea, which teaches readers to be more creative, come up with innovative ideas, and improve their problem-solving skills. 

Sam is an entrepreneur and leader who has put his ideas into practice at a Fortune 500 company, an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company, and his own company Wundershirt. His book is a blueprint for creative thinking and practical action to develop game-changing ideas.

Turn the page on this podcast to experience Sam’ self-publishing journey, with top tips on book marketing and PR strategies, as well as the importance of letting your creative mind run wild. 

Turn the page (the time-stamp!)

[02:08] So, what made you want to decide to write a book in the first place?

[03:23] How did you get an idea for your book? 

[04:45] What is the creative process behind writing a book? 

[07:18] How long did it take to write the book? 

[09:58] What’s the editing process behind publishing a book? 

[12:34] What’s the design process behind publishing a book?

[17:01] How did you market his book? What was the process like? 

[31:36] How did you form a launch team for your book? 

[34:35] Amazon as a publishing marketplace 

[37:57] Would you publish another book? Did you enjoy the process? 

[38:40] How have you used to book to propel your business? 

Buy the book: Your Next Big Idea: Improve Your Creativity and Problem-Solving by Sam Sanders 

Sign up to The Book Shelf newsletter for monthly bonus tips, quotes, and book recommendations and exclusive insights into nonfiction. 

Instagram: @thebookshelf.ltd

Twitter: @thebookshelfltd

Hive: @thebookshelf

Email: [email protected]

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE INCLUDE: 

Nonfiction

Self-publishing 

The self-publishing process

Writing your first book 

Creativity

Problem solving

Entrepreneurs

Book marketing

Book PR 

Book publicity

Book awards

Join book coach Ameesha Green and author Anand Chockalingam MD as they discuss Seeking Hunger, a short book about the evolution of humans and their appetite, and the connection between our heart and our health. Anand is an Academic Clinical Cardiologist practicing at the University of Missouri-Columbia, specialising in Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology. His book gives back to the community with methods of cardiac rehabilitation, preventive health, and holistic heart health. This podcast on Anand’s writing journey takes us through the art of publishing, self-approval, modern medicine, and much more…

Sign up to The Book Shelf newsletter for monthly bonus tips, quotes, and book recommendations and exclusive insights into nonfiction.

Sign up to The Book Shelf newsletter for monthly bonus tips, quotes, and book recommendations and exclusive insights into nonfiction. 

Instagram: @thebookshelf.ltd

Twitter: @thebookshelfltd

Hive: @thebookshelf

Email: [email protected]

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE INCLUDE: 

Nonfiction

The human body

Heart health

Holistic medicine

Modern medicine

Self-publishing 

Writing your first book 

Habitual eating

The evolution of hunger