School for Writers

Having a powerful story that resonates with your audience is an integral part of your business and writing! (yes, remember writers are businesses too!).

In today's episode, Lauren goes over what a story capsule is and the three most powerful stories you can have in your business. By leveraging these stories, you will be able to strengthen your relationship, build trust, capture people's attention, and deepen your connection with your audience. The goal of this episode is to get you started on this so listen until the end to learn more about the 6 step process of creating your story capsule.

Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters

Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

Do you enjoy romance literature, sex toys, and good tropes?

If the answer is YES, you are going to love this episode!

Today on the show, Lauren welcomes debut author, Thien-Kim Lam to chat about all things diversity in writing, sex toys, and the importance of own voices.

Thien-Kim had been writing for years. However, it wasn't until May of 2021 when she published her first book Happy Endings, a romance story of an interracial couple with unfinished business.

In today's episode, Lauren and Thien-Kim discuss the process of getting our guest's book out into the world as well as her journey from professional writer to debut author, her take on romance tropes, what the term own voices mean, her experience with Avon open call, her sex toy business, and more.

Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters

Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

Hey writers! Are you ready to build an audience without paid advertising, while being authentic and in a place where you can shine? If the answer is YES, then this episode is for you!

In today's episode, Lauren talks about email marketing as an alternative to the social media popularity game and shares the top 10 benefits of having an active and well-fostered mailing list. We know dealing with the ever-changing social media algorithm can be exhausting and lead to burnout. But having a list of engaged people can help you share your writing publicly without constantly having to post to be seen. Plus, it is the perfect space to build trust with your audience at a fraction of what you would normally pay for ads!

Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters

Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

Do you feel confident when it comes to marketing your business as a writer?

It's time to address the primary issue that most writers have around marketing: how to get your offerings in front of the right people.

Today's episode is jam-packed with a bunch of vital information and actionable tips for those of you looking to market yourself as writers. Lauren is joined by Liz Mcvoy from Liz McVoy Creative. Liz shares her expertise on how to build connections through visual storytelling, how to build a marketing strategy that supports your life, tips for finding balance between your life and social media, she also describes what a launch and batching mean in marketing, the importance of showing up as your authentic self in front of your audience, and much more!

Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters

Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

In today's super informative episode, Lauren goes over the things you should think about when creating a book cover. She also talks about different platforms where you can hire professional experienced designers for your cover, things to think about when designing your book, and how to know what your ideal reader will love.

We hope this episode inspires you to create a unique book cover that compels your readers to buy your book! When you have it ready to go, share it with us on social media @schoolforwriters. We would love to see it!

Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters

Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

On a scale of 1 to 10, how afraid are you of niching down in writing? While this seems to be a common fear amongst most writers, there is a competitive advantage about having a niche market regardless of how small your audience is. After all, they say the riches are in the niches!

Today on the show, Lauren welcomes Director of Editorial & Acquisitions at the independent publishing house Ulysses Press, Casie Vogel. Casie is an avid fiction reader and author of The Hard Seltzer Cocktail Book. She has been working with Ulysses Press for the last 7 years and is here today to talk about her passion for helping book authors get their books out into the world and the role of small presses in amplifying marginalized, silenced voices within the publishing world.

This is a very educational and informative episode where Casie and Lauren discuss the benefits of niching down and how it allows you to know exactly who you're targeting as well as tailor every part of your book.

If you're wondering what it means to be an indie press and how that fits into the landscape of publishing, keep listening and learn more about the process of submitting your book idea to Ulysses Press, how distribution works for small publishing houses, and even listen to some examples of unsolicited projects Casie has worked on and how her team helps authors get their book ready to be published without the need of a literary agent.

Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters

Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

While self-publishing is often seen as a lesser form of publishing, thought to be unpolished, and oftentimes not taken seriously, there are always ways to combat that!

You don't need to wait for a traditional publisher to approve that your idea is worthy of being out in the world. Your audience needs your expertise now!

That is why in today's episode, Lauren is delving into how to write and edit your self-published book, the 3 part editing process to make sure it's ready for publication, why instead of focusing on being perfect, you should focus on being professional, why hiring a professional editor is vital for your book before you hit publish, how to make sure your book caters to your audience, and how to find the best way to speak to your ideal reader!

Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters

Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

Join Lauren and Suzy in episode 37, to learn how this seasoned writer has harnessed the power of writing groups and push through years of rejection before getting her book out into the world. Also, listen to Suzy's advice on niching down as a writer, how she started her developmental editing business, how to create an inner circle full of writers willing to support and keep showing up for each other, and lastly find out all about her book, Faultland.

Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters

Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

Finding the right beta readers is key if you're actually serious about publishing your writing one day. However, it is important to make sure that you not only choose the right beta readers but train them so you can get useful feedback that helps improve your book.

Beta readers are a crucial part of the book writing process. They're basically the very first people that read your book other than you!

In today's episode, Lauren talks about the exciting yet terrifying moment when you hand your book over to its first set of readers. She covers how to find beta readers for your book and how to train them to give the best possible feedback that moves your book forward on its path to publish and makes it the best book possible. You might want to share this episode with your beta readers as she also goes over important questions to ask yourself before, during, and after the beta reading process and shares 5 tips for being a helpful test reader.

Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters

Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

Today on the show, Lauren welcomes Kavita Das. Five years ago, Kavita transitioned from the world of social justice to the world of writing to tell the life story of Grammy-nominated Hindustani singer Lakshmi Shankar in her book Poignant Song: The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar. Aside from her amazing essays and articles, she also enjoys writing about social and cultural issues and encouraging diversity to find their own voices in the writing space.

In this episode, Lauren and Kavita chat about systemic racism behind rejection and how it plays into the publishing world. Kavita also shares what started her appetite for writing and specifically why she decided to write about someone else's life. She also highlights the importance of joining a writing community and how it can not only help you find inspiration and motivation but also serve as a constant reminder that other people share the same passion as well. She tells all about her class - Writing About Social Issues, a 6-week non-fiction workshop that teaches how to write responsibly and ethically but also compellingly about social issues, and much more!

Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters

Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!