In this episode of Salt and Sage Books, Erin discusses her return to podcasting after a period of burnout.

She reflects on the challenges of balancing her business and personal writing journey, and shares insights from a conversation with a client about writing social justice themes.

Erin emphasizes the importance of understanding privilege, the mission of Salt and Sage Books, and the role of sensitivity readers in creating inclusive narratives. She encourages authors to approach their work with humility and compassion, recognizing the power of storytelling to effect change.

Main points:

Chapters

00:00 Welcome Back and Personal Reflections

01:39 Navigating Burnout and Change

03:28 The Role of Privilege in Storytelling

06:45 Understanding Allyship and Sensitivity Reading

13:55 The Importance of Community and Listening

19:30 Empowering Diverse Voices in Writing

This is an episode about writing, social justice, sensitivity reading, privilege, storytelling, compassion, community, representation, and authorship

You head to your bookshelf and pull off a childhood favorite... only to be shocked by some of the content you'd completely forgotten about! So... what now?

Kid lit is a complex subject, and it becomes even more complex give the passage of time and the way morals have moved since you were a kid.

Erin & Sachiko approach this from a parenting lens as well as an educational one, and we're curious how you would approach this, too. What are your favorite books that you've since realized are problematic? Have you decided to share them with your kids? If you did, how did you approach it?

This is the end of season one! We're taking a break, but we'll be back in September. If you just can't wait until then, we've got a lot of past episodes, courses, and our Incomplete Guides series. Find us all over social media, too!

All our links are on our website: https://www.saltandsagebooks.com

We'll see you in September!

*Audio has been corrected from a previous upload, thank you to everyone who let us know!*

Check out the previous episode for indie publishing part 1.

Sachiko has questions about indie publishing, and Erin has (some of) the answers! Last episode, we went over how to write to market, what exactly it means to write to market, and how to find an audience and category that are hungry for your writing.

In this episode, we move from writing the piece through publishing, including all the ins and outs of ISBNs, buying covers (and where to find them), what edits you can and should pursue for your project, formatting your book, and uploading all of it to Amazon.

If you'd like help with any of that, Salt and Sage Books would love to give you a hand! Learn more about us and book through our website: https://www.saltandsagebooks.com

If you're in the US, buy your ISBN on Bowker

For all things indie pub, 20Booksto50k is an amazing resource. Look at their files!

Sachiko's got some questions about her upcoming project--and Erin has way too much hyperfocus-fueled knowledge about how to make data-based decisions about your indie novel.

We talk about writing to market, and why that's a smart choice for indies; how to understand your chosen market, including tropes, reader expectations, and genre overlap; and how research the existing market to find the information you want and need. 

Erin covers the market research in this episode, from finding a profitable niche (and why that's important), to using specific categories to rank, to helpful tools that will make your indie journey easier. 

We'll talk about the rest of the publication process next week (finding covers, ISBNs, blurbs, uploading, keywords, etc.).

LINKS:

k-lytics: https://k-lytics.com/

KDSpy: https://www.kdspy.com/

The world is falling apart. Whether that’s your personal world, your community’s world, or the literal world around you, how do you cope? As a creative especially, what do you do? How do you keep writing, quilting, drawing, creating?

The answer might be that you don’t.

The answer might be that you do.

The answer might be that you switch mediums, switch stories, switch modes. It might be that you wait it out. It might be ready for you right out of the gate. 

Regardless of what you do (or don’t), we believe that the way that you process is going to be deeply unique, personal, and that, critically, there is no right answer.

It’s okay for you to be easy on yourself; you deserve grace and kindness, especially from yourself.

www.saltandsagebooks.com

References:

CW: This episode contains conversations about sexual situations and is not intended for anyone under the age of 18.

Our incredible editor, therapist, and featured sensitivity reader Amy joins us to talk about all things spicy!

You’ve probably all noticed the increase in “respectability” when it comes to spicy books, both erotica and smut alike — it’s a brave new world out there, and we are here for it!

As with all explosions of genres, there are all shades (wink) of things to think about when it comes to writing something that is interesting, relatable, and that sells well. Surely you’re not surprised to hear that there are some pitfalls when it comes to the juiciest of books.

Amy has a therapy-based take on all of it. Join our conversation as we discuss consent, why it matters, how to write it, and—most importantly!—the way that your stories are impacting real people for the better.

We’re always excited to get steamy content in our inbox, and we’ve got lots of editors who love to read it. You can find all of them at www.saltandsagebooks.com! If you’re not ready to book just yet, we’d love it if you’d give us a follow on social media.

Resources:

You know that you don’t know how to write a certain scene… say a kissing scene. And you want to learn how to do it—but how, exactly, do you figure out how to write like your favorite authors?

Join Erin & Sachiko today as they dive deep into how, exactly, you’re supposed to figure out how to be a good writer. Classes help, degrees help, but the best help of all is right on your book shelf.

Erin shares her personal strategy of “tracing” chapters, what they’ve taught her about how she writes, and how, exactly, she uses this wealth of information to move her forward in her writing journey.

You don’t have to have an MFA to learn from the books around you—just practice tracing!

If you’re ready to book with Salt and Sage Books, you can find us on our website at www.saltandsagebooks.com. If you’re not ready to book, come hang out with us on social media! We’re excited to see you.

The great war of indie publishing versus traditional publishing has begun!

No, not really. Erin actually thinks that they're both pretty cool. But if you have wondered which of those publication pathways is a better fit for you, Erin has some thoughts.

Depending on genre expectations, your goal audience, your ideal reader, and even your own personal interest in marketing, you might find that one sort of publication is a better fit for you than another.

Fair warning, that if you have ever thought that indie publication is less-than, Erin is going to challenge you to change your mind about that one.

For marketing concerns, potential financial investment, the amount of time that you're gonna have to wait, and interest in following market trends, there is a publication style that is good for everyone. You might even find that you like being a hybrid published author!

All the links:

Klytics - https://k-lytics.com/ 

20Booksto50K for all things indie content (read the pinned files, they are a WEALTH of information) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/781495321956934/

The Writing Gals (an indie pub group with a slight focus on sweet romance with lots of good business advice) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/170375933609063

Mal Cooper - https://www.thewritingwives.com/

The Incomplete Guides from Salt and Sage Books (and a peek at how the landing page for Draft2Digital looks) - https://books2read.com/ap/8Vy9vl/Salt-Sage-Books

For help with your query, we love working with:

Kim - https://www.saltandsagebooks.com/profiles/kim-vanderhorst/ 

Katie - https://www.saltandsagebooks.com/profiles/katie-degilio/

To book a time with Erin to talk about your specific book and if indie or trad is better for you, go to the consult on our website here - https://www.saltandsagebooks.com/request-a-consult/ 

Join us today as we meet the incredible David. David, is an editor at salt and Sage books, a sensitivity reader, and a big believer in looking into the shadows of what makes us human.

David loves horror, and talks a little bit more about what makes the genre so interesting to him. David has a background in psychotherapy, and uses many of those approaches in his reads. He is an incredible editor who is keen to put the author first, provide additional context, and give resources to anyone who needs them.

Our favorite thing about David is how much he really cares about the authors he’s working with. He has a sense for understanding the person behind the story. He cares about honoring the author’s intent while also giving them as much context and information as possible.

David told us about two books that changed his life: Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt - https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250866233/tellmeimworthless

All For the Game series by Nora Sakavic - https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nora-Sakavic/author/B00J23NV3E

Listen to David’s indie queer urban fantasy horror audio drama here: https://www.faustiannonsense.com/dos-after-you

You can hire David through the Salt and Sage Books website at www.saltandsagebooks.com . 

Erin and Sachiko dive headfirst into one of the most common issues we see in our writers: circling the same story for years.

You know the authors; you've heard the stories. You might even be one of them! There's something about this story, something about this plot. You might have "world builder's disease" or feel like you just can't quite get this story right.

Whether you've been writing (and rewriting) this story for years or you know what you want to write but can't quite bring yourself to actually start, this is the episode for you.

If you're ready to get some outside help on your novel, Salt and Sage Books is so excited to help you! Start with a beta read if you aren't sure where else to begin, and we promise to be as nice to your story as you need us to be.

Find us at www.saltandsagebooks.com !