Can you tell me in one compelling sentence what your book is about?

Author and media strategist Paula Rizzo says it's even hard for her to do, but that's why she develops and practices her pitch long before she ever starts promoting it and she gives some great tips for other writers to use when promoting their work.

The nonfiction author of Listful Living: A List-Making Journey to a Less-Stressed You comes from the world of television writing and producing, and now she coaches authors and entrepreneurs on how to effectively communicate their messages during interviews, even while she's working on a novel herself.

Paula also talks about how her writing process, how an accountability buddy 3,000 miles away helped her stay on track, and the challenges of moving between nonfiction and a novel.

Freebie: Get the Ten Questions Every Author Needs to Answer From Rizzo here https://paularizzo.com/10q/

And check out her book Listful Living, https://listproducer.com/listful-living-book/

Polly has been working through the book and has found it helpful when it comes to motivation and thinking about the why behind our work so we can set up an effective writing process and protect the time to write.

Join Polly and the Simply Write community at https:simplywrite.substack.com

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In 1978 two psychologists came up with a term that describes an experience many of us have had and it is called Imposter Syndrome.

If you are a striving writer who is also wracked by self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy and have a hard time saying that you are a writer, then congratulations you, like Neil Gaiman, Maya Angelou, Brene Brown, and so many other bestselling writers have felt it too.

Imposter syndrome is not uncommon but it can keep us from writing and publishing. In this show, author Polly Campbell explains what imposter syndrome is and the practical ways we can manage it right now so we can craft a writing career.

Connect with Polly and receive more writing tips, publishing insights, and author perspectives at Simply Write at https://simplywrite.substack.com

https://pollycampbell.com

Want to learn more about Imposter Syndrome?

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/imposter-syndrome

Join the Simply Write community at https://simplywrite.substack.com

Psychologist Dr. Pauline Clance, https://www.paulineroseclance.com/impostor_phenomenon.html

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Diverse Skills Mean More Opportunity and a More Interesting Career for Freelance Writer and Editor Jen Singer

Author, ghostwriter, blogger, editor, and writing coach Jen Singer has crafted a successful writing career by honing a diverse set of skills and drawing from personal experience to help others. Jen writes books, speeches, articles, and other pieces for a range of clients and editors. She also coaches, develops book proposals, and serves as a developmental editor to other writers. She can also quote Springsteen like a boss.

Jen Singer's newest work, The Just Diagnosed Guides, evolved out of her personal health crisis. In these short guides, she shares what she learned as a patient and offers practical strategies and insights others can use when managing their own health challenges.

Writing, Jen says, is a way to connect and help others and she always wants to deliver something that will improve the readers' experience.

But finding different ways to deliver that material is the key to creating a sustainable freelance career.

There are a lot of ways to build a freelance business, but rarely do writers succeed by doing only one thing. Jen tells Polly that to last in the profession, writers must think like writers and entrepreneurs and continue to develop, adapt, and learn new skills to keep up with changing markets and opportunities. And, tune it to hear the business advice she gives her son about freelance work.

Talk writing with Polly and Become part of the Simply Write Community https://simplywrite.substack.com

Work with Jen: https://jen-singer.com/

Buy the Guides https://justdxguides.com/just-dx-guides/

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Thriller author Alice Henderson happens to also be a wildlife biologist who spends a great deal of time in nature, tracking some of our most elusive animals. Whether it's a dry desert or a snowy mountain the characters she creates often face challenges from nature and antagonists. She pulls on her expertise and interests in biology and writing to create captivating tales about the things she cares most about.

An engaging story, she believes, is one way to get people interested in issues, such as wildlife preservation, that have big impacts on the real world.

In this fun conversation, Polly and Alice Henderson talk about the importance of setting in building suspense, how she threads her personal interests together to create a writing career, and how to write in a tent when there is no electricity.

Find more about Alice Henderson and her work at AliceHenderson.com

And find out more about Polly Campbell, crafting a writing career and living a writer's life at Simply Write at https://simplywrite. substack.com

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When Polly started her freelance career, she didn't sell a whole lot. At least not at the beginning. But then she took the advice of an established magazine writer and teacher and spent time at the front end studying potential markets for her ideas. Polly scrutinized the magazine pages and masthead, evaluated the list of editors, and contributors against the bylines she saw in the mags, and even looked at the advertisements to get a feel for the audience. Since she started studying markets, Polly's been selling and publishing regularly ever since.

In this episode Polly breaks it down, explaining how to study a market, shape your idea to the market you want to write for and create a pitch that editors can't refuse.

Looking for more about crafting a writing career and living a writer's life? Check out the Simply Write column writing here on https://simplywrite.substack.com

Contact Polly Campbell at www.pollycampbell.com

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Jen A. Miller has been freelancing for decades and continues to make a six-figure income. How? Marketing savvy, hard work, and good writing. In this episode, Miller talks with Polly about how she started her freelance career and the approach she takes to keep her writing business thriving. Hint, you don't have to work longer days to make more money, but Miller does market her work and skills, manages her budgets, and meets her deadlines and commitments. Those are the things that keep clients coming back.

Miller has also written a series of ebooks that will answer your freelancing questions and help you launch your own freelance career. Find her Notes From a Hired Pen, https://jenamiller.com/notes-from-a-hired-pen/.

In this talk on Simply Write w/Polly Miller and Polly talk about the importance of supporting and encouraging other writers in the freelance community. One way Miller does that is through her newsletter which you can access for free here https://jenamiller.com/

If you want to establish your freelance business, writing well is only part of the job. Today, we'll discuss other things that will help writers get their businesses rolling.

Looking for more of the inside scoop on crafting a writing career and living a writer's life? Check out the Simply Write column writing here on https://simplywrite.substack.com

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Blogs look different than they did more than a decade ago when Polly Campbell started blogging but they still provide a great opportunity to improve your writing, connect with readers and editors, and write about things that matter to you. Corporations, associations, and nonprofits also look to bloggers to help them build brand recognition, raise funds, connect with clients, and develop community partnerships. Blogging can be part of a solid writing business, as long as you do it well. In this episode, Polly shares some insights to help you build a better blog and grow your blogging business.

Looking for more of the inside scoop on crafting a writing career and living a writer's life? Check out the Simply Write column writing here on https://simplywrite.substack.com

Contact Polly Campbell at www.pollycampbell.com

Scott Chow has some easy-to-follow and good info if you are ready to launch your own blog, check it out here.

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Polly Campbell talks with writer and agent Kate McKean, vice-president of Howard Morhaim Literary Agency talks about how agents choose books to represent, the intangibles that result in a sale--or not, and how she works with writers. Instead of playing to trends Kate says to write the book you want to write and give her the book "I don't know I need."

"I want to help create a book that exemplifies the author's goals," Kate says.

And when it comes to writing and selling that nonfiction proposal Kate says to consider these questions: Why does the reader care about this book? What problem does the reader have that your book will solve? Then write that thing.

But whatever you do "don't kill the dog," Kate says.

In this episode, we cover the ins and outs of how agents work and what they are looking for from authors.

Learn more and join the Simply Write community for tips and feedback at https://simplywrite.substack.com

Comment and connect with Polly at www.pollycampbell.com and please leave a review and share this podcast.

Thank you for listening.

*We apologize for the wonky sound in the episode but Kate is fabulous and this episode is filled with helpful information so we hope you stay tuned.

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Too much and you'll lose the reader. Too little, well, that doesn't work either. We need the Goldilocks approach to descriptive writing. When done right descriptive language can build emotional resonance, develop character, create memorable settings, and elevate your writing in a way that has editors, readers, and publishers, clamoring for more. But if you come in heavy-handed or use cliche your work will flounder. In this episode Polly Campbell, talks about how to create descriptive writing, covering techniques like strong verbs, imagery, specific language, and the use of objects that will elevate the story not overwhelm it. And why it's important to use descriptive language in both nonfiction and fiction work.

Tune in to Simply Write w/ Polly and join the substack community at https://smplywrite.substack.com or find out more about Polly and her books at https://pollycampbell.com

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Polly Campbell talks with the award-winning nonfiction author of Simply Mindful and other books, Donald Altman, about how his writing process changed when he began writing his first novel The Travelers. Donald has written screenplays, short films, kids' television, and more than 20 nonfiction books after leaving behind a career as an electrician decades ago. In 2023 Donald launched his first novel and now talks with Simply Write about how his writing process has changed from a more structured approach utilizing outlines and research to create his personal-development books to a more organic way of writing in this novel The Travelers.

And if you want a career in writing and publishing, subscribe now to SimplyWrite.substack.com for weekly tips, essays, and inspiration from writing pros like Donald and Polly whose new book You, Recharged is now available.

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