Easy Peasy Books

Do you want to write a book, but something keeps holding you back? In this episode, I chat with Debs Penrice, a solution-focused therapist and founder of Story Healing in Bristol, England. Debs shares three things that can hold us back as writers... fear, shame, and pain. We talk about why healing comes before sharing, why you should get the whole story on the page first and decide what to share later, and how hypnotherapy calms the brain so the words can flow.

Debs also takes us behind the scenes of Untold and Retold, a collaborative book that started with a simple LinkedIn post and brought together therapists, coaches, and well-being practitioners to turn real stories into fiction. Plus, she shares easy ways to get unstuck today, from a walk outside to why birdsong tells your brain it’s safe.

Chapters:

0:42 – Welcome and Meet Debs Penrice
1:54 – Fear, Shame, and Pain: Why Writers Get Stuck
4:43 – How Much of Your Story Should You Share?
10:58 – Stepping Out of Your Story Like an Author
12:43 – What Hypnotherapy Really Is
14:27 – The Story Behind Untold and Retold
22:06 – What’s Next: Book Two in the Series
23:52 – Simple Ways to Get Unstuck
26:14 – Automatic Writing and Why Birdsong Calms Us
28:16 – Where to Find Debs

• Debs Penrice: linkedin.com/in/debspenrice27

• Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitney
• For more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

Do you ever sit down to promote your book and think, "I've already said everything"? Or worry that one more mention will sound like bragging? You're not alone. So many authors overthink this... and meanwhile, there's a whole book full of posts sitting right there on the desk. In this solo episode, I talk about why quotes from your own book are one of the easiest ways to keep the conversation going, and the three reasons most authors never use them.

Then I walk you through my easy peasy four-word system for turning your book into social posts. You'll learn where to look for your most quotable lines, how to tell if a quote is a keeper, and why you have full permission to edit your own words. I also share a simple caption pattern, plus how one quote can turn into a whole week of content. Grab your book and a highlighter, because there's a little homework at the end.

Chapters:

0:42 – Why Your Book Is Full of Posts
1:49 – The One Line People Remembered
3:20 – Three Reasons Authors Overthink This
5:57 – The Four-Word System and Step 1: Highlight
9:40 – Step 2: Trim (You Can Edit Your Own Words)
12:06 – Step 3: Share With a Simple Caption Pattern
14:13 – One Quote, a Whole Week of Posts
15:47 – Step 4: Repeat and Keep a Simple List
17:34 – Bonus Tip: Listen for Your Quotes
18:34 – Wrap-Up and Your Homework

• Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitney
• For more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

Kris Ward is the founder of Win the Hour Win the Day, where she helps overworked founders who have hired before, and taken the work right back, finally fix the setup underneath their business. She rebuilds how the work moves and then trains the person who steps into it, so the business can finally run without her clients being in the room for every decision. Kris is also the author of the book Win the Hour Win the Day, and in this conversation, we talk about why "I don't have time to write a book" is a myth worth busting. We dig into why "someday" doesn't actually exist on anyone's calendar, how working backwards from a deadline can turn an overwhelming project into five manageable pages a day, and why batching your work by energy type, not just task type, changes everything.

Kris also shares the real story behind her own book, including a season of life that forced her to put her systems to the ultimate test. If you've been telling yourself you'll write your book "someday," this episode is the nudge you need to put it on the calendar today.

Chapters:

0:42 – Welcome and introducing Kris Ward
2:01 – Gillian's confession: finally leaving a book review, years later
3:49 – Kris's origin story: the real "house on fire" moment
5:20 – A life-changing pivot: her husband's cancer diagnosis
9:16 – Why "someday" doesn't exist, and busting the "no time to write" myth
12:13 – The calendar mistake that's costing you hours
12:51 – Do your hardest work first and work backwards from your deadline
24:04 – What batching really means, and the Super Toolkits that replaced SOPs
25:40 – Christine's story: from burnout to working two weeks a month
29:30 – Where to find Kris and wrap-up

• Kris Ward: linkedin.com/in/kriswardscalewithvirtualassistants

• Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitney
• For more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

An email lands in your inbox. Someone loves your book. They want to share it with thousands of readers. And for a moment... you feel seen. In this solo episode, Gillian shares how she almost fell for an author scam. Twice. One email was full of gushing, personal praise about her book. The other was vague and generic, and seemed to come from a well-known media company. Two very different approaches, and both nearly worked.

Gillian walks through the red flags she spotted once she put her detective hat on, and explains why these emails work so well on authors who are proud of their books and hoping someone will notice. You'll hear seven warning signs to watch for, what to do (and not do) when one of these emails shows up, and three websites worth bookmarking so you can check before you reply. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Chapters:

0:42 – My Confession: I Almost Fell for a Scam
3:47 – Red Flags Hiding in the Goodreads Email
6:47 – The People Inc. Emails (Two Editors-in-Chief?)
10:25 – The "Do You Have a Literary Agent?" Trap
11:56 – Why Flattery Works So Well on Authors
13:41 – What These Scam Emails Look Like
15:16 – Seven Red Flags to Watch For
18:06 – What to Do (and Not Do) When One Lands in Your Inbox
19:46 – Three Websites Worth Bookmarking
20:56 – Wrap-Up: If It Sounds Too Good to Be True...

• Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitney
• For more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

Have you been getting messages in your LinkedIn inbox from someone you've never met, offering a brand-new AI tool that promises to save you time and grow your network? They're coming fast and furious. And a lot of authors are wondering… what's the harm? In this episode, I sit down with brand strategist and longtime LinkedIn expert Kevin D. Turner to talk about what these automation tools are really doing behind the scenes, and what saying yes could cost you. This conversation was originally recorded as an hour-long LinkedIn Live, and I've edited it down to the best 30 minutes for you.

Kevin breaks down the three levels of risk, explains why "LinkedIn approved" doesn't always mean what you think it means, and shares the one list you should check before you say yes to anything. I also share what happened when one persistent pitch turned into something that really got under my skin, and I ask Kevin what I should do about it. Plus, you'll hear how to use your own LinkedIn data to get many of the same benefits for free. Because your LinkedIn network is where people find you… and your book.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

LinkedIn Marketing Partner Directory
business.linkedin.com/advertise/partners/find-a-partner
Before you say yes to any automation tool, check this directory. If it's not on the list, you must resist.

LinkedIn Terms of Service: User Agreement
linkedin.com/legal/user-agreement
When was the last time you actually read these? They've changed over the years, so it's worth a fresh look, especially at what they say about automation.

LinkedIn Help: Download Your Data
linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1339364
Your data belongs to you. Here's how to download it so you can back it up and put it to work, no paid tool required.

Chapters:

0:42 – Those AI Pitches Flooding Your LinkedIn Inbox
2:18 – Meet Kevin D. Turner
4:13 – Why "Harmless" Tools Could Cost You Everything
10:28 – The Three Levels of Risk
16:30 – What "Scraping" Really Means
19:22 – When a Pest Put Me in His Demo
22:06 – Why You Should Download Your Own LinkedIn Data
27:20 – Report and Block
29:50 – If It's Not on the List, You Must Resist
32:02 – Red Flags and Final Takeaways

• Kevin D. Turner: linkedin.com/in/president

• Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitney
• For more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

Some conversations start over coffee and just keep going. That is exactly what happened when I sat down, virtually, with Jen Laffin, an accountability coach for women business owners. We started comparing notes on what we were each seeing in our businesses, and a week later we turned that conversation into a Substack live. This episode is that conversation, brought straight to your podcast feed.

Jen and I talk about writing a book like driving a car with four wheels. Two of those wheels are mindset, the self-doubt, the mind drama, the fear that shows up right when things start working. The other two are the actual road map, the writing and the publishing logistics. Get one flat and you are not going anywhere. In this episode, we get into the difference between being a writer and being an author, why self-publishing does not make you less credible, and why "I don't have time" is often hiding something else entirely. Oh, and there's a phrase in here about what needs to happen next that we think you will love. Time to get off your buts.

Not sure yet if you're ready to write your book? Take the free assessment: bit.ly/EPB-AreYouReady

Chapters:

0:42 – Meet Jen Laffin and How This Episode Came Together
3:27 – Why a Business Book Is a PR Tool in Disguise
5:21 – Monkey Mind, the Primal Brain, and Your Comfort Cave
10:02 – The Four Wheels: Mindset Meets the Road Map
14:56 – Too Many Ideas? Getting Unstuck From the Options Trap
20:48 – Writer or Author, and Accountability Without the Angst
28:18 – Self-Publishing Credibility, Where to Find Them, and Getting Off Your Buts

• Jen Laffin: linkedin.com/in/jen-laffin

• Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitney
• For more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

You have the idea. You have the expertise. You might even have a landing page with a waiting list. But the book? Still not written. In this solo episode, Gillian Whitney gets honest about the real reasons smart, accomplished people stall out on writing their book. Spoiler: it is almost never about being too busy. From fear of judgment to perfectionism at the starting line to the surprisingly common issue of control, she unpacks what is really going on and why she calls them "safe problems."

This episode is also for anyone who has been quietly wondering if they have left it too late. Gillian shares why there is no expiration date on writing your book, what Paulo Coelho's experience writing The Alchemist can teach us about just beginning, and two practical things you can do right now to get unstuck and moving forward. Because your book is not going to write itself. And the person waiting to read it is already out there.

Chapters:

0:42 – The Colleague With All the Right Reasons
2:40 – Fear of Judgment (and What Paulo Coelho Can Teach Us)
5:59 – Perfectionism at the Starting Line
7:50 – The Control Issue Nobody Talks About
10:03 – Is This Even the Right Book?
13:19 – It's About Permission
15:13 – Two Things You Can Do Right Now

• Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitney
• For more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

You wrote the book. But if you're not showing up on camera talking about it, does anyone actually know it exists?

In this episode of the Easy Peasy Books Podcast, I'm sharing a conversation I originally recorded live on Substack with my friend Annette Richmond, a video coach who helps consultants and entrepreneurs stop dreading the camera and start showing up on it. Annette and I get into why every author needs to take off the author hat and put on the marketing hat, and why video is still the fastest way for people to get to know, like, and trust you enough to actually buy your book.

We cover how to pull off an unboxing video without accidentally showing your home address, why a "why I wrote this book" video belongs in every author's launch plan, and how I used AI generated dachshund videos (yes, really) to promote my last book without ever feeling salesy. We also talk about why it's never too early and never too late to start documenting your book journey on camera, and what to do if the thought of turning on the camera still makes you want to run and hide.

Chapters:

0:42 – Why This Conversation Belongs Here (My Intro)
2:57 – Author or Book: Picking One Focus Per Video
5:11 – Unboxing Videos Done Right (and the Address Mistake to Avoid)
6:56 – The "Why I Wrote This Book" Video Every Author Needs
11:18 – AI Video Tools: Dachshunds, Sora, and Having Fun With It
18:36 – Book Launch Lives and the FOMO Factor
22:33 – It's Never Too Early (or Too Late) to Start Filming
27:48 – Getting Over Camera Discomfort and the Wrap-Up

• Annette Richmond: linkedin.com/in/annetterichmond

• Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitney
• For more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

You've written the book and now it's time to upload your manuscript to KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). You need to decide, right then and there, if you should exclusively go all in with Amazon only... or keep your options open, knowing it's not a decision you can just walk back tomorrow. Which is why it's critical you totally understand how KDP Select works before you say yay or nay.

In this week's solo episode, I'm walking you through exactly what KDP Select does, the exclusivity trade-off nobody explains clearly, and a renewal trap that's caught more than one of my clients off guard. I'll also share why I protect two of my own six books from ever going free, and a strategic trick for using your free days with an advance reader team before launch day even arrives. By the end, you'll know exactly what you're trading away, and what you're getting in return, before you ever tick that box.

Chapters: 

0:41 – What Is KDP Select?
3:24 – My Own Story: Fear and My First Book
5:56 – The Exclusivity Catch and Your Sales Rank
9:22 – Kindle Countdown Deals (and Why You Can't Do Both)
12:46 – Strategy: Who Should Actually Use This
19:11 – Two Traps to Watch For (Auto-Renewal and KU Pricing)
23:50 – Street Teams, New vs. Existing Authors, and the Wrap-Up

• Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitney
• For more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

You published your book. Now what? A lot of authors hit publish and just hope for the best, but that's not what today's guest did. She went after trade reviews, she applied for awards, and she found a way to get her self-published book into actual libraries. If you've ever wondered whether any of that stuff is worth the effort, this episode is going to answer that question.

In this week's episode of the Easy Peasy Books Podcast, I sit down with author and visibility coach Susan Barber to talk about her journey from twenty-six years in corporate I.T. to writing two books, The Visibility Factor and Your Journey to Visibility Workbook, and building a podcast around the same message. We get into how she landed trade reviews that compared her to Brene Brown, what it took to become a Foreword INDIES finalist and bronze winner, why she skipped an ebook version of her workbook, and her advice for introverted authors who feel like promoting their book is the hardest part of the whole process.

Chapters:

0:41 – Why Visibility Matters for Authors
5:59 – Turning a Book Into a Podcast and Expanding Your Message
8:12 – How Trade Reviews Build Credibility for Your Book
10:41 – Why Susan Created a Workbook as Her Second Book
16:41 – Publishing Decisions: Formats, Audiobooks, and Knowing When to Launch
21:48 – Book Awards, Libraries, and New Ways to Reach Readers
26:16 – Why Authors Have a Responsibility to Market Their Books

• Susan M. Barber: linkedin.com/in/susanbarbercoaching

• Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitney
• For more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com