It’s conference debrief time! We’re here with all our best writer tips and reflections from the recent Romance Writers of New Zealand annual conference!

Links mentioned:
Sadie King talks series planning : https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep409-six-figures-with-short-romance-with-sadie-king/

AK Mulford talks TikTok : https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep332-tiktok-tips-with-ak-mulford/

AK Mulford’s How I Write You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@A.K.Mulford

Johnny B Truant on being an Artisan Author https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep509-the-artisan-author-interview-with-johnny-b-truant/

Steffanie Holmes on running a successful Kickstarter : https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep370-running-a-successful-kickstarter-with-steffanie-holmes/

Sarah McLean’s Fated Mates Podcast: https://fatedmates.net/episodes

Romance Writers of New Zealand https://www.romancewriters.co.nz/

Lucille Henry https://diamondhealing.co.nz/

Catherine Bilson’s AI Translations book https://amzn.to/4lLYEWm

Writing bestselling romance with incredible character chemistry is something that NYT Bestseller Annika Martin excels in. Annika, who also publishes romantic suspense as Carolyn Crane, has seen incredible success writing two books a year (on average) and publishing wide. This is a classic replay episode (originally recorded in 2021) where Annika reveals her plotting and writing process, getting the most “comedy” in her writing, editing tips for deepening characterization, what point of view to choose for best results, cover trends and how she approaches her newsletter and advertising.

This episode is well worth a replay because Annika reveals some absolute nuggets of GOLD for all authors!

About Annika
Annika Martin is a NYT bestselling author who loves reading and writing fun, sexy books, taking pictures of her cats, rocking out, saving animals, taking long baths, and consuming boatloads of chocolate suckers. She can be found hanging out in Minneapolis coffee shops with her awesome writer husband and tending her very wild, bee-friendly garden.

Newsletter: www.annikamartinbooks.com/newsletter
Find Annika at: https://annika-martin.myshopify.com/
and on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/annikamartinauthor/#

💗 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!

When the going gets tough, it can be really hard to get (or keep) going. Today’s episode has empathetic and practical advice from the incredible Anya Mora about working through life challenges, recovering from burnout, trusting your instincts and dealing with things that often throw us “off course” from our author life.

About Anya

Anya Mora is the bestselling author of domestic suspense and psychological thrillers, as well as an extensive romance catalogue under the pen name Frankie Love. She is also the host of I Am The Miracle Podcast on manifestation, creativity and living life out loud.

Anya lives a ferry ride from Seattle, WA with her family. Her novels, while leaning toward the dark, ultimately reflect light, courage, and her innate belief that love rewards the brave.

Find her at: anyamora.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!

You’re worth it and your work is worth it. 15-time USA Today bestselling romance author Renee Rose is passionate about helping other authors find and maintain an abundance mindset to catapult their careers and create their best future. She employs energetic tools and techniques to help her clients clear resistance and money blocks, access their inner guidance, and tap into their love and appreciation for their books so they can achieve their dreams. This is a classic replay of an episode we recorded with the amazing Renee Rose back in 2021 with these timeless tips.

About Renee

USA Today Bestselling Author Renee Rose loves a dominant, dirty-talking alpha hero! Readers have devoured over five million copies of her steamy romance with varying levels of kink. Her books have been featured in USA Today’s Happily Ever After and Popsugar. Named Eroticon USA’s Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she’s gone on to hit the USA Today list fifteen times with her Chicago Bratva, Bad Boy Alpha, Wolf Ranch books, and various anthologies.

Renee’s author website: https://shop.reneeroseromance.com/

Write2Riches.com https://write2riches.com/

Renee’s facebook group for authors: https://www.facebook.com/groups/abundancemindsetforauthors

Listen to our previous episodes with Renee and Lee Savino here:

SPA Girls Podcast – EP365 – Write to Riches with Renee Rose
https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep365-write-to-riches-with-renee-rose%ef%bf%bc/

SPA Girls Podcast – EP348 – Millionaire Author Mindset with Lee Savino

https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep348-millionaire-author-mindset-with-lee-savino/

💗 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!

Wendy, Cheryl and Trudi are off to RARE Melbourne in October 2025 and busy organising ALL the things! So this episode we share all our BEST TIPS (merchandise sourcing, what works, what doesn’t), table set up, what to wear, how to approach reader events, how many books to take (or offer on preorder) and how to calm the nerves / talk to strangers (ha!)

Links mentioned:

Author websites:

Wendy Vella / Lani Blake https://wendyvella.com/index.html
https://laniblake.com/

CA Phipps https://caphipps.com/

Trudi Jaye https://www.trudijayewrites.com/

Beventi https://beventi.co/
RARE (Romance Author Reader Events) https://rarettes.wordpress.com/

Ages of Pages NZ reader event https://www.agesofpagesbookfair.com/

Vellum https://store.vellum.pub/?via=spagirls
Ingram Spark : https://www.ingramspark.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!

Wondering how to write a great paranormal romance? What’s the difference between paranormal and monster romance and what are readers looking for? And how to connect with readers on tiktok and other social media?

This is a replay of a fun episode we recorded a few years ago with the awesome author, Lillian Lark. It’s well worth a listen no matter what genre you’re writing!

About Lillian Lark:

Born and raised in the saltiest of cities in Utah. Lillian is an avid reader, cat mom to three demons, and loves writing sexy stories that twist you up inside.
Find Lillian at: https://www.lillianlark.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!

Tired of chasing the “Amazon Algorithm”? We’re delighted to welcome Johnny B. Truant to the SPA. Johnny is here to discuss the alternatives to “rapid release / fast publishing” mindset to one of an artisanal author and publisher.

We always try to emphasise there is NO ONE RIGHT WAY to approach your self-publishing business and writing, and we think this conversation and approach is really worth understanding. Not just for writers’ physical care, but mental health too. Enjoy!

“If modern indie publishing feels like a high-stress race to the bottom, the good news is there’s another way. Most authors start writing for the love of it, but in recent years the reality of “writing for a living” has soured. Now, for a lot of us, it no longer looks fun — or creatively fulfilling — at all.” ~ Johnny B. Truant, author of The Artisan Author

Johnny B. Truant is the bestselling author of more than 120 titles across multiple genres, including the Fat Vampire series which was recently adapted by the SyFy network. He was one of the co-hosts of the Self Publishing Podcast, he hosted the Smart Artist Summit conference in Austin, Texas, and he co-authored the industry bible, Write. Publish. Repeat.
LINKS:
Johnny’s Substack: https://johnnybtruant.substack.com/

Website: https://johnnybtruant.com/

Kickstarter for The Artisan Author: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/johnnybtruant/the-artisan-author-your-way-out-of-the-self-pub-rat-race

Our previous episode with Johnny and Sean Platt recorded in 2018 is here
https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep128-interview-with-sean-platt-and-johnny-b-truant/

Joanna Penn’s The Creative Penn https://www.thecreativepenn.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!

Keri Arthur is a NYT Bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Initially traditionally published, she is now fully self-published, and in this episode she talks to us about that transition and shares tips and processes from her writing journey.
This is a classic replay, originally recorded in 2020.

About Keri Arthur

Keri Arthur, the author of the New York Times bestselling Riley Jenson Guardian series, has written more than fifty-five novels–35 of them with traditional publishers Random House/Penguin/Piatkus. She is now fully self-published. She’s won six Australian Romance Readers Awards for Favourite Sci-Fi, Fantasy, or Futuristic Romance & the Romance Writers of Australia RBY Award for Speculative Fiction. Her Lizzie Grace series won ARRA’s Fav Continuing Romance Series in 2022 and she has in the past won The Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Urban Fantasy. When she’s not at her computer writing the next book, she can be found somewhere in the Australian countryside taking photos.
Find her at: www.keriarthur.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!

USA Today Bestseller, Erin Wright, is the Queen of Publishing Wide and shares with us fantastic advice on:
direct sales, AI audio and human narration, AI translations, woo commerce v shopify, kickstarter and platform specific tips.

About Erin Wright
USA Today Bestselling author Erin Wright has worked every job under the sun, including library director, barista, teacher, website designer, and ranch hand helping brand cattle, before settling into the career she’s always dreamed about: Author.

She went wide on all platforms in 2017 when she discovered that she couldn’t get her books in libraries if she was exclusive to Amazon. Then being the kind of person who likes to help others, she founded the Wide for the Win platform in 2019, and now does consulting for authors who want to find out more about how to be a successful wide author.
Find her at erinwright.net

Resources mentioned:
Draft2Digital https://draft2digital.com/
PublishDrive https://publishdrive.com/

Street Lib https://www.streetlib.com/

Scribe Shadow https://app.scribeshadow.com/
Previous SPA Girls Episode with Erin #391

Erin’s WFTW facebook group and website :

erinwright.net/authors
https://wideforthewin.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!

BEST SELLING ROMANCE AUTHOR JAY HOGAN is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. This is a fantastic episode, well worth a replay, with Jay’s unique insights into writing MM romance, marketing, craft and the writing life.

About Jay
Heart, Humour, & Keepin’ It Real

Jay is a two-time Lambda Literary Award finalist for her books Digging Deep and The Art of Husbandry in 2020 and 2024. Her book Off Balance was the 2021 New Zealand Romance Book of the Year.

She is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. She writes character driven romances with lots of humour, a good dose of reality and a splash of angst. She’s travelled extensively, lived in many countries, and in a past life she was a critical care nurse, nurse educator and counsellor.

Jay is owned by a huge Maine Coon cat and a gorgeous Cocker Spaniel.

Find Jay at www.jayhogan.com