Wondering how long it’s gonna be until you’ll make enough to quit the day job?

Listen to this SPA Girls Minisode all about how long it will take you to make your first $1,000 dollars in self publishing! Full of great tips, sage advice and some vulnerable moments from our own self publishing careers, this is an awesome, must-listen mini-sode, just for you. 🙂 

Show Notes

Fallen Briggs Episode 297 on Writing to Trend Versus Writing to Market.

Steffanie Holmes (Episode 164) on Writing Reverse Harem.

Emilia Rose Episode 358 on Earning Six Figures through Subscriptions.

Explore Reem.

💗 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.

⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis.

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!

Writing great books with emotional impact is key to building your readership. Today we discuss craft tips that will help you attract new readers, build your fanbase and sell more books!

Resources mentioned:
Lisa Cron on the SPA Girls Podcast EP249

Sacha Black on crafting great characters EP422

Writing For Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias

💗 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.

⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis.

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!

Want to make the leap to full time author? How do you know when it’s the right time to make that leap? Going from hobbiest to full time writer has been a different journey for all of us. Today we discuss:

and lots more!

Resources mentioned:

SPA Girls Podcast EP396 – the Secrets of Story with Matt Bird

SPA Girls Podcast E249 – story coach, Lisa Cron

Got your final manuscript all ready to go, and wondering how to format it for publication? This is the SPA Girls episode for you! Welcome back to another 20 min SPA Girls mini-tips session, where we break down the basics of self publishing, just for you! 

SHOW NOTES:

What is formatting?

It’s creating a file of your book so it’s delivered to readers smoothly, that it looks professional, meets the requirements of the publishing platforms and is accessible for readers with disabilities.

What you need:

Epub for digital / PDF for print.

Book cover.

Know where you’re publishing it

Wide versus exclusive to Amazon? Make the decision.

Final file should include:

Front and back matter

Front matter can include any (or all) of the following:

Back matter can include:

Create the file using one of these options:

You can, of course, hire a professional to do this (if it’s a one-off project, or a complex layout with a lot of illustrations, that’s definitely a good option). However, investing the time into doing it yourself will pay dividends in the long run!

We recommend and use Atticus and Vellum!

Atticus Link

Vellum Link (affiliate link)

Other places to gather more information:

David Gaughran – https://davidgaughran.com/how-to-format-ebooks-for-free-ebook-formatting/

Reedsy – https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-format-a-book

Kindlepreneur – https://kindlepreneur.com/how-to-format-a-book

SPA Girls Podcast: EP432 What to Do when you’ve finished the book https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/?s=432

💗 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.

⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis.

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 how to deal with contracts and other business issues, this is the podcast for you!

Maggie Marr the founder of Maggie Marr Legal PC and a USA Today Best Selling author of over 20 books. A former ICM motion picture literary and subsidiary rights (books to film/tv) agent, Maggie is the co-founder and legal advisor to the not-for-profit Women’s Fiction Writers Association and a member of Women In Film. The firm has negotiated deals with Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, Universal, Warner Bros, Disney. 

The firm provides services such as entertainment and publishing representation, trademark & copyright, packaging and sales, business legal affairs and corporate, production and distribution legal.

Find Maggie at maggiemarr.net

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.

⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis.

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!

Branding, Marketing Books and Going All In with Small Town Romance

USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow writes sweet, sexy, feel-good romance. She is a powerhouse of publishing, starting in 2013 with historical romance to today where she focuses on small town contemporary romance.

In this incredible conversation, Melanie details her approach to:

How She Changed Her Approach To Publishing Commercially

“I think about marketing before I write the book – it’s baked in.” ~ Melanie Harlow, SPA Girls Podcast EP450

About Melanie:

USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow writes sweet, sexy, feel-good romance. She likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. If she’s not writing or reading, she’s probably at Orangetheory or watching Schitt’s Creek again. She lifts her glass to readers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

She is represented by Rebecca Friedman of Friedman Literary.

find Melanie at: melanieharlow.com

Resources Mentioned:

Elana Johnson’s Writing Killer Cover Copy

Elana Johnson’s SPA Girls Podcast Episode #227 and #228

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.

⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis.

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!

Feeling a bit blah about your writing and / or author career? Welcome back to another 15 min SPA Girls mini-tips session. Today’s topic is 7 easy ways to boost your positivity that you can put into action TODAY!

💗 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.

⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis.

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!

This week we talk to regency romance and young adult author Maggie Dallen, who tells us how she changed her mindset and her author business model, with huge success! Maggie is a prolific author who was writing up to twenty books a year, but she was reaching a point where she wanted to slow down and diversify her writing skills by learning script writing.

She realised she needed to find a system that would take advantage of her extensive backlist, and allow her more time for her other writing interests. In this fascinating interview, Maggie talks us through how she did it, what the major challenges were, and how you can do the same thing! 

Maggie was a delight to interview, and gave us so much useful advice – you’re going to love this one! 

ETA The movie Maggie references in this episode is Believe In Christmas, out 30 November 2024 from Hallmark

For more about Maggie:

https://maggiedallenbooks.com (Maggie’s Direct Sales website)

About the SPA Girls Podcast:

💗 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.

⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis.

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!

#WritingLife How to hone your instincts, trust your gut and back yourself!

We all have that moment of cold dread that we’ve picked a dream we can’t turn into a reality, and it’s those moment we need to remember why we started. Find that self belief  that set you on this journey and carry on.

You got into this game because it was something you believed in. Believed that it was something you could do. Then you started listening and reading. Trying to understand about this business you want to succeed at.

Doubts are the biggest creativity and success blocker. But it takes a strong person not to have them.

No one said this was going to be easy, or everyone would be doing it. If you ask those that succeed in this business they will all tell you they’ve had knock backs. It’s about perseverance. It’s about holding on to your self belief and forging ahead.

“Don’t give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you.” — John Wooden.

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.

⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis.

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!

How do you build superfans and a sustainable income through patreon*, kickstarter, subscriptions and serial works? Bestselling author Tao Wong joins us this episode to reveal all the secrets of keeping readers begging for more (cliff-hangers anyone ?!), building a thriving community of superfans and, most importantly, diversifying your income streams.

‌(For those who don’t know, Patreon is a subscription service, where people pay a monthly fee for different benefits/exclusive opportunities offered to them. For authors, this is usually books, excerpts, and other pieces of writing.)

About Tao

Tao Wong is a Canadian science fiction and fantasy author writing in LitRPG and Xianxia (a genre based on Chinese mythology and the concept of the chivalrous spirit, that is huge pop culture phenomenon in China) with five different series across a range of worlds. He’s been writing full time since 2019, and has his books in audio, paperback, hardcover and ebook formats as well as translations to German, Spanish, Portuguese and others.

‌When he’s not writing and working, he’s practicing martial arts, reading (even more!) and taking care of his family. Other hobbies include occasional RPGs and board games as well as picking up new, random skillsets.

Find Tao at MyLifeMyTao.com

Links mentioned:

Brandon Sanderson

Royal Road https://www.royalroad.com/home

💗 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.

⭐ Get personal online coaching with the SPA Girls each month through our $100 tier. Spots for this are strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis.

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!