Throughout Season Two, I'm talking about all the obstacles that keep folks from working on their book project.

In today's episode, I'm covering how to get UNstuck after an initial, early burst of writing on an idea. This is something I see all the time with first time authors -- it's so normal!  

You're excited and passionate about your book idea all you want to do is get going! So you do. 

Until you peter out.... In this episode, we talk about how to get back on track by creating a Blueprint for Your Book. 

We talk about 5 key elements of a Blueprint, and how to create them for your book:

1. What’s the point of your book

2. What’s the title of your book

3. What is your table of contents 

4. Who is your reader

5. How will you market and promote this book

If you feel you could use some one-on-one help, we can work through the Blueprint for Your Book process together. It’s these five elements plus much, much more. You will come away with a complete plan for your book including your first chapters — and will be ready to develop your book proposal, or if your plan includes self-publishing, you will be ready to start writing your book!

In this episode, I'm digging into commitment and really deciding that you are going to prioritize your book project and how to do that.

We get into my 3 part framework to help you commit in real life.

Real-Life Friendly Framework for Committing to Your Book

• Part 1: Committing to your book isn’t something you do just one day — it’s something you will need to return to again and again.
• Part 2: Commitment to something new means something else probably needs to go.
• Part 3: Commitment in a vacuum is a recipe for disaster — you will need a support plan.

Mentioned on the show:

• Adam's Grant's tweet

This is the second episode in my series on common obstacles that keep you from working on your book project.

In this episode, I'm digging into the idea of not having enough time, and challenging you to think about IF you in fact did have more time would really use it to do serious, focused, committed work on your book, or might you instead find yourself going down an Instagram rabbit hole?

So instead of just finding more "time", what I talk about is creating "Quality Time".

7 thought-starters for creating Quality Time for your book project that we talk about are:

1. Be clear with yourself what your Quality Time is for

2. Get support for your Quality Tim

3. Get inspiration for your Quality Time

4. Decide where Quality Time takes place

5. Don’t be skimpy with your Quality Time

6. Protect your Quality Time

7. Unplug (ish) during your Quality Time

Resources I mentioned:

• Noises.online and Brain.fm

In this very first episode of Season Two, I am talking about obstacles that keep folks from working on their book project.

I cover the five most common messages that the voice of self-doubt sends that end up getting in the way. 

1. Self Doubt Message #1:  You’re Not “Expert Enough” to Write this Book

2. Self-Doubt Message #2:  Your Book Idea Isn’t Good Enough

3. Self-Doubt Message #3:  You’re Not Popular Enough

4. Self-Doubt Message #4:  Who You, a Writer?

5. Self-Doubt Message #5:  You’re Too Old to Be a “First-Time Author”

Resources I mentioned:

• Two of my favorite teachers are Kate Swoboda aka Kate Courageous and Tanya Geisler. Here is something about Tanya’s Yum & Yay folder idea.
• If you are in midlife like I am, there are some wonderful voices out there, check out Sara Smeaton’s Midlife Manifesto and Lou Blaser’s Midlife Cues newsletter & podcast.
• Also, here’s an article I wrote on the same topic of self-doubt that also includes additional actions to try.

If you’re enjoying the podcast be sure to subscribe & consider leaving a 5-star rating and brief review on Apple Podcasts.

In this last episode of Season One, I'm talking with Amy Bishop.  Amy is a literary agent at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. She's the second book agent I've had on the show this season and I'll continue to bring agents on because I think it's so important to hear different perspectives. Also, remember -- while you're going to be pitching many agents, you just need to find one!

Be sure to listen all the way through because Amy drops some serious wisdom about:
-What agents are really doing after you've pitched them and are sitting on pins and needles, waiting to hear from them.
-How she's found some of her authors from articles, online publications that they've written in, and how she's reached out to them.
-Why she loves "untold history" AND why we need to hear from diverse perspectives and BIPOC (yes we do!)
-What not to do when you pitch her or seriously, any other agent, please!

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Amy's agency: Dystel.com 

We talked about: The Last Story of Mina Lee

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Get your copy of 3 Questions You Must Be Able to Answer About Your Book Idea 
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If you're enjoying the podcast be sure to subscribe & consider leaving a 5-star rating and brief review on Apple Podcasts.

In this episode, I'm talking with Rachel Allen, who heads up copywriting agency Bolt from the Blue.  And in this episode, Rachel just drops multiple nuggets of wisdom, including how any idea can be a book, and she tells us how to do it. She also talks about the "paint by numbers" approach she uses with authors who are self-publishing their books -- which even got me thinking I could maybe write a book!  So be sure to listen all the way through and get all of her nuggets of wisdom. 
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See Rachel's method
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Get your copy of 3 Questions You Must Be Able to Answer About Your Book Idea 
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If you're enjoying the podcast be sure to subscribe & consider leaving a 5-star rating and brief review on Apple Podcasts.

In today's episode, I'm sharing a tool that I call the Book One Pager.  It's basically a way to whittle your book idea down into one page so you can see what it is, what's missing, what you need to work on, what you love, and maybe what you want to change. 

If you have multiple book ideas it's also a great way to figure out where you want to focus.
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Be sure to grab your copy of the Book One Pager now! 
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If you're enjoying the podcast be sure to subscribe & consider leaving a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

In this episode, I talk with Dan Blank of We Grow Media. Dan helps writers connect with readers, and I wanted to bring him on the show because I know many of you are trying to figure out how to build your author platform.  Dan shares a wealth of tips and a whole new way of thinking about things like promotion and marketing, all about how to make it feel personal and why social media is both similar and different from that neighborhood coffee house he worked at back in the nineties. 

Dan’s website https://wegrowmedia.com/

Ira Glass “Taste Gap” video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91FQKciKfHI

Dan’s book, Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience
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Get your copy of 3 Questions You Must Be Able to Answer About Your Book Idea 
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If you're enjoying the podcast be sure to subscribe & consider leaving a rating and short review on Apple Podcasts.

In this episode, I talk with Zoe Sandler a literary agent at ICM Partners. In this conversation, she really demystifies the role of a literary agent, how they work with and support authors, how they connect authors with publishers.  She also shares some killer tips about what not to do when you're pitching her,  and the query she's crossing, her fingers will land in her inbox this year.  If you happen to see herself as a modern-day, Emerson or Thoreau, you'll definitely want to listen all the way through. 
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ICM Parners https://www.icmpartners.com/literary/
Query Zoe at: Zoe dot sander at icmpartners dot com
The Overstory by Richard Powers
My neighborhood bookstore in Vallejo, CA - Alibi Bookshop
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Get your copy of 3 Questions You Must Be Able to Answer About Your Book Idea 
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If you're enjoying the podcast be sure to subscribe & consider leaving a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Jo Casey works with "artisanal business owners" who she describes as people who run a business based on their love of the work and the impact it can have rather than simply the money they can make, though a great income is also important to them.
We talk about how many of the people she works with are people like coaches and healers and makers, and they don't necessarily see themselves as someone with a book inside them, until she suggests it might be possible. And once they get used to the idea, they see a huge value that a long-form book could offer them and sharing their expertise in a deeper way. So if you're someone who feels very much called to write your book, but you also struggle with seeing this as a possibility for yourself, this is absolutely the episode for you.
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Find Jo at jocasey.com, on Instagram, and Facebook
Nilofer Merchant's concept of "your onlyness"
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Get your copy of 3 Questions You Must Be Able to Answer About Your Book Idea 
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If you're enjoying the podcast be sure to subscribe & consider leaving a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts.