🎙 Welcome back to the SPA Girls Podcast! Today, we’re diving into one of the most powerful tools in your writer’s toolkit—story structure!

Whether you’re a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between, a strong story structure is the secret sauce that keeps readers turning the pages. In this episode, we’ll dive into chapter “rules”, beats, scenes and sequences, how to craft a compelling beginning, keep the momentum going in the middle, and deliver a satisfying, page-turning ending—while making sure your readers get exactly what they crave.

So grab a cup of coffee (or something stronger!), and let’s strengthen that story structure!

Resources mentioned:

Four Act Structure

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/four-act-structure

Helen Scheuerer on the SPA Girls Podcast EP #282

Rachel Bailey – The Black Moment – SPA Girls Podcast EP80

Sara Rosett – SPA Girls Podcast EP133

Book mentioned: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!

⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.

All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast

Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!

What ten editing tips should all authors know? We share in this classic replay of our interview with Editorial Consultant, Mary-Theresa Hussey.

Prior to becoming a freelance editorial consultant, Mary-Theresa (known as Matrice) worked at Harlequin for more than 25 years, editing nearly a thousand titles. As editor, senior and executive editor, she read, acquired, revised, rejected and critiqued triple that. Many of the books she has edited went on to find places on both the NYT and USA Today bestseller lists.

About Mary-Theresa Hussey

How do you recognize an editor? Aside from a love of finding typos in menus, guessing plots while halfway through movies, and an insatiable curiosity about the how and why, an editor will often be adaptable, flexible, know the rules—and know when to ignore them because it makes a better story.

Mary-Theresa Hussey–also known as Matrice–knew from the start she loved the stories found in books—and that she didn’t want to be a writer. Some courses in Villanova University where classmates critiqued each other’s papers made her intrigued by the role of the person behind the author.

A native New Yorker, she worked with Harlequin for over 25 years, editing nearly a thousand titles. As editor, senior and executive editor she read, acquired, revised, rejected and critiqued triple that. Now she’s bringing her experience to the freelance world.

Aside from her love of genre fiction, she likes tv and movies, traveling, taking pictures and browsing on the internet.

She’s always eager for the next good story—and hoping it’s well-told.

Contact her at [email protected]

Links Mentioned:

Resources mentioned:

Tiktok – follow @iamthatenglishteacher for grammar and punctuation tips

KM Weiland’s Structuring Your Novel (https://www.amazon.com/K-M-Weiland/e/B002RCXQ00/)

Enneagram : https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptions

Myers Briggs: https://www.truity.com/test/type-finder-personality-test-new

Purdue Writing resources: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/index.html

💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!

⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.

All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast

Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!

The SPA Girls get down and personal with a Q1 2025 catchup! From surprising successes, unexpected writing tips, hybrid publishing adventures to mindset resets, we Keep It Real in this wild author life.

Links mentioned:

Wendy Vella website , CA Phipps website, Trudi Jaye website

www.theauthorhelper.com

Vinci Books https://www.vinci-books.com/

Dragonblade Publishing https://www.dragonbladepublishing.com/

Maggie Marr (SPA Girls Podcast Episode #451 (https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep451-interview-with-maggie-marr/ )

Heather Hildenbrand (SPAGirls Podcast Episode #434 (https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep434-top-3-mindset-tips-for-authors-with-heather-hildenbrand/ )

Erin Wright (SPA Girls Podcast EP391 (https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep391-how-to-successfully-publish-wide-with-erin-wright/ )

Maggie Stiefvater (https://maggiestiefvater.com/ )

Waitomo Caves https://www.waitomo.com/

A Classic Replay of an episode we recorded with the fabulous NYT Bestseller, Laurelin Page, a few years ago. Her advice is just as relevant today to invigorate sales on your backlist books.

Laurelin defines a backlist as a book that’s more than 12 months old. Top tips she discussed in this podcast CRAMMED with amazing advice:

1. Keep a calendar for the upcoming year and write in your new releases, then pad around it with backlist titles for “working” once a month

2. The easiest thing to recharge a book is designing a new cover – even if the old cover is good, people want to look at something new. Don’t be precious with your covers.

3. Change your mindset from traditional book marketers: lean into the strengths that indie gives us – and that’s likely changing covers annually

When considering her backlist, Laurelin first looks at making cover changes (for entire series ideally – if you can’t afford to do them all at once, then save up rather than doing one at a time). She tries to pair a cover change with a bookbub / freebooksy / blog tour etc – treat the book like it’s a new thing

4. Experiment with lowering the price. A sale can attract new readers (once every six months). Always put your best book as your freebie.

Timeframe – it’s never too early to have a sale. Laurelin likes to wait to get the full price audience to see the book first, then reaches a new audience with a sale. For books in KU, she also prefers using five free days rather than a countdown deal.

5. Free Prequels – experiment with these (cliffhangery endings leading into the first book of the series) Need to be wide (can be just Nook for price matching) if you’re in KU. Can do these before AND after release.  Laurelin plans prequels ahead of time.

6. REPACKAGE – especially if getting rights back from trad pubbed books, re-edit, retitle (with a note for readers), recover, always tell readers where to go to the next book.

7. Front and back matter: Laurelin has her full backlist listed in the front matter with a newsletter signup (free book monthly given away thanks to newsletter swaps with similar authors); backmatter focuses on the next step you want readers to take – ie next book.

8. Work your newsletter – send 2 / 3 times per month. Mention your other books frequently. Don’t release then forget them – people need reminding. In every newsletter feature one of your backlist.

9. Marketing is cumulative. You have to keep pushing your backlist.

10. Consider moving in and out of KU if you have more than one book. Treat the move as a new release – do a blog tour etc.

11. Connect books in series, even if there’s no connection for better read through (eg “Summer Reading Series”.

12. Change Titles – is there a catchier way of reaching new readers? Ask what your title tells you about the book.

13. Make your book look new in a different way. Put it in a boxed set? If wide, look at what is ranking well in the Apple charts for your genre and examine cover trends; if KU, look at Amazon. 

14. Bundle with other authors – eg “Hot for the holidays” multi-author bundle

15. Don’t shy away from reworking (editing / rewriting / repackaging) existing backlist if they’re not selling

Don’t take these tips in isolation. It’s important to ask yourself the overarching question “What can I do to make people find this particular book?”

Stop focussing on release week and measuring your success (or failure!) with that. Get out of that mindset!

About Laurelin Paige

With millions of books sold worldwide, Laurelin Paige is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author. She is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Killing Eve, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio. She’s represented by Rebecca Friedman for literary and Jon Brown at Ensemble Entertainment for film.

Find Laurelin at: https://www.laurelinpaige.com/

Today we welcome back Tara Cremin, Director of Kobo Writing Life (KWL) to chat about exciting new opportunities for authors on Kobo and her very best tips and tricks for selling more books and finding your readers!

Bio: Tara is the Director of Kobo Writing Life (KWL), Kobo’s premier self-publishing platform, where she combines her passion for books with over a decade of expertise in indie publishing. As a dedicated advocate for independent authors, Tara works tirelessly to ensure KWL remains the most intuitive and author-friendly platform in the industry. She leads a team of enthusiastic book lovers who are deeply engaged in the indie publishing community, always striving to help authors expand their reach and connect with new readers worldwide.

In addition to her work behind the scenes, Tara regularly hosts live events featuring authors and industry experts, fostering conversations that inspire and inform the writing community. She’s also a familiar voice on the Kobo Writing Life Podcast, where she shares insights and interviews with leaders in the publishing world.

Links: 

Kobo Writing Life : https://www.kobo.com/us/en/p/writinglife

KWL Podcast : https://www.kobo.com/us/en/p/kwlpodcast

💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!

⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.

All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast

Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!

Lucy Score is an instant #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of our all time favorite podcast guests (we’ve interviewed her twice now). She is a fantastic example of great branding, great writing, great team work and immense talent for connecting with her readers. In this Classic Replay episode (2021), Lucy talked about her wonderful facebook group, connecting with readers and why relationships are SO important in your publishing business.

About Lucy

Lucy Score is an instant #1 New York Times bestselling author. She grew up in a literary family who insisted that the dinner table was for reading and earned a degree in journalism.

She writes full-time from the Pennsylvania home she and Mr. Lucy share with their obnoxious cat, Cleo. When not spending hours crafting heartbreaker heroes and kick-ass heroines, Lucy can be found on the couch, in the kitchen, or at the gym.

She hopes to someday write from a sailboat, oceanfront condo, or tropical island with reliable Wi-Fi.

Sign up for her never annoying newsletter at https://www.lucyscore.net/

💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!

⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.

All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast

Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!

If you’ve ever wondered about Kickstarter – where to start, if it’s right for you, and tips for running successful Kickstarter campaigns, this episode is for you!

We’re delighted to have Oriana Leckert from Kickstarter here today to explain All Things Kickstarter for authors! What is it, and why should authors be using it? Oriana answers best practices for running a successful campaign, the challenges of Kickstarter and common mistakes authors make – and how to avoid them!

Explore Kickstarter at: https://www.kickstarter.com/

About Oriana Leckert

Oriana Leckert is deeply passionate about the written word, in all its wild and wonderful forms. She is currently the Director of Publishing & Comics Outreach at Kickstarter, and has long been a writer, editor, publishing and crowdfunding consultant, and cultural hipstorian [sic] in Brooklyn, NY.

Having worked in and around the media for more than a decade, Oriana was Kickstarter’s Senior Journalism Outreach Lead, Creative Content Director for Per La Mente, Director of Matchmaking at Gotham Ghostwriters, Editor-at-Large for Hyperallergic, Copyeditor at MTV News, Associate Editor at Random House, and a store manager at New York’s famed Strand Bookstore. She has also served as a freelance editor for more than 100 publishers and websites, as well as offering a broad array of editorial services to individuals.

Find out more about Oriana at http://www.oriana-leckert.com/

This is a SPA Girls Classic Replay of an amazing interview we did a few years ago with Becca Syme.

Becca Syme holds a master’s degree in transformational leadership and has been a success coach (primarily utilizing the Gallup Strengthsfinder®) for over fifteen years. She’s coached over 5,000 individual authors and creatives through her Write Better-Faster and Strengths for Writers classes & coaching cohorts: six- and seven-figure authors, major award winners, midlisters, and new authors alike.

Becca talks to us about how we can all write better-faster in our writing careers, using our own unique skills to improve your chances of success. It’s not about tips and techniques for getting more words per hour – it’s about understanding who you are as a writer, your strengths within that, and using those talents in the best way to ensure you are successful.

Note that some of the links and courses mentioned in the recording may have been updated.

For up to date information go to : https://betterfasteracademy.com/

💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!

⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.

All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast

Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!

Holly Roberds, spicy romance author and Booktok fav is here to tell us all about Building Fandoms and reaching Critical Mass with her publishing strategy. From facebook ads, pinterest boards, to her readers group, Holly gives actionable tips you can apply to your own author career, today!

“People crave identity, specialness and a place to belong.” ~ Holly Roberds

Resources mentioned:

Ana Huang interview with the SPA Girls https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep404-interview-with-ana-huang/

RAM https://romanceauthormastermind.com/

BIO:

Holly Roberds started her writing journey with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Terminator fanfiction before creating her own fantastical worlds brimming with fierce, if not slightly unhinged, heroines and spicy encounters.

As an Amazon Top 100 Bestseller and Booktok favorite, her paranormal romances have captivated a global audience. Proudly a Colorado girl, Holly jokes about her outdoorsy nature, which is limited to enjoying drinks on patios in Denver.

She subsists on the tears of her readers and feeds on their lack of sleep like a vampire, savoring every late-night page-turner she inspires.

Find Holly at: https://hollyroberds.com/

Bella is a true Indie Superstar with more than 10 million books sold (so far!). We interviewed her when she visited New Zealand for the Romance Writers of NZ conference a few years ago and this is well worth a re-listen. Bella is an inspiration and talks about her path to self-publishing, how she made it as an Indie, and her advice for people aiming to follow in her footsteps…

Bella Andre is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Sullivans®, The Maverick Billionaires and The Davenports series.

Having sold more than 10 million books, Bella Andre’s novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world and have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists 93 times. She has been the #1 Ranked Author at Amazon (on a top 10 list that included Nora Roberts, JK Rowling, James Patterson and Stephen King). Apple iBooks named her one of their “Bestselling Authors of All Time” (alongside Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts and EL James). And Publishers Weekly named Oak Press, the publishing company she created to publish her own books, the Fastest-Growing Independent Publisher in the US. After signing a groundbreaking 7-figure print-only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella’s The Sullivans® series is being released in paperback in the US, Canada, and Australia.

Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into ten languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post called her “One of the top writers in America”; and she has been featured in Entertainment Weekly, NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and  TIME Magazine. A graduate of Stanford University, she has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco, including a standing-room-only keynote at Book Expo America in New York City.

Find Bella at www.bellaandre.com

💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!

⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you’ll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.

All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast

Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!