SPA Girls Podcast

This week we talk about our own creative health, where we are at, and how we are attempting to ensure our creativity wells don't try up.

We use examples from our own writing lives, and give a whole bunch of suggestions for how you, too, can plan and execute your own creative health plans to ensure that you can keep writing, despite the other stresses in your lives. 

As Shar says, it's about keeping your muse massaged and your creative health tank topped up, and of course, the writing flowing...

This week we were lucky enough to talk to the delightful Carlyn Robertson from BookBub, all about how the email advertising platform works, and how it can help you as an author.

For some authors, BookBub has literally been a game changer, and it's well known in the Indie community as a way you can get a massive boost in sales. The downside is that every man and his dog wants to get a BookBub ad, and they get hundreds of applications every day, making it really freaking difficult to get a BookBub ad. Happily for all of us in the SPA, Carlyn takes us through exactly how it works, how to apply, what to expect when you apply, and some of the ways to make sure your application is more likely to succeed.

She was also able to give us insights into the way they write their amazing blurbs, and how they decide what content to provide to their millions of readers. (Hint: it's all about data and testing). It's an information packed episode, so make sure you have your notebooks out!

This week we were lucky enough to talk to the delightful Carlyn Robertson from BookBub, all about how the email advertising platform works, and how it can help you as an author.

For some authors, BookBub has literally been a game changer, and it's well known in the Indie community as a way you can get a massive boost in sales. The downside is that every man and his dog wants to get a BookBub ad, and they get hundreds of applications every day, making it really freaking difficult to get a BookBub ad. Happily for all of us in the SPA, Carlyn takes us through exactly how it works, how to apply, what to expect when you apply, and some of the ways to make sure your application is more likely to succeed.

She was also able to give us insights into the way they write their amazing blurbs, and how they decide what content to provide to their millions of readers. (Hint: it's all about data and testing). It's an information packed episode, so make sure you have your notebooks out!

This week we were privileged to have personal branding expert Lauren Clemett with us to discuss how to create your personal author brand, and why it's so important. Based in Australia, Lauren has a wealth of experience with advertising, marketing and branding from a distinguished career in England, New Zealand and Australia. She now helps entrepreneurs understand their personal brand, and how they can use that to amp up their business, and find the right clients. For us, she talks about how to create a personal brand for you the author, and how to figure out who your readers are, and why they should love you! (Hint: it's all about them) 

If the thought of branding gives you hives, then you need to sit down and have a listen to this episode! Lauren takes us through the basics, explains how to create a brand that represents you and your books, and talks about the ways that you can use this information to amp up your books and your author business. 

This is another tip-packed episode, so make sure you have your note book handy!

This week we were privileged to have personal branding expert Lauren Clemett with us to discuss how to create your personal author brand, and why it's so important. Based in Australia, Lauren has a wealth of experience with advertising, marketing and branding from a distinguished career in England, New Zealand and Australia. She now helps entrepreneurs understand their personal brand, and how they can use that to amp up their business, and find the right clients. For us, she talks about how to create a personal brand for you the author, and how to figure out who your readers are, and why they should love you! (Hint: it's all about them) 

If the thought of branding gives you hives, then you need to sit down and have a listen to this episode! Lauren takes us through the basics, explains how to create a brand that represents you and your books, and talks about the ways that you can use this information to amp up your books and your author business. 

This is another tip-packed episode, so make sure you have your note book handy!

Looking for some new online tools to help you in your publishing journey? Curious about what online time-savers other authors have, and how they use them to make their careers work better, faster, smarter? Is your budget creaking at the seams? Don't worry, we're here to help! 

This week we give you Ten FREE Online Tools and Websites that you can use to upskill, inform and educate yourself in your self publishing journey. Every single tool we give you is something that we've used ourselves, and that we can personally recommend to you. 

We were also slightly nutty this week, so be prepared for some craziness!!

Looking for some new online tools to help you in your publishing journey? Curious about what online time-savers other authors have, and how they use them to make their careers work better, faster, smarter? Is your budget creaking at the seams? Don't worry, we're here to help! 

This week we give you Ten FREE Online Tools and Websites that you can use to upskill, inform and educate yourself in your self publishing journey. Every single tool we give you is something that we've used ourselves, and that we can personally recommend to you. 

We were also slightly nutty this week, so be prepared for some craziness!!

Ever tried to distill your book down into the ultimate one-sentence tagline that will sell it to everyone you know? Yeah, so have we. It's a nightmare, right?

In this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast we break down hooks - what they are, why they're important, and how to actually find one in your story. To make it just that little bit easier for you, we use examples from actual books, and then use those examples to understand hooks just that little bit better. Then we talk about how to craft a hook that will be so intriguing and memorable for your readers, they'll immediately one-click your book on Amazon (or Kobo, or Nook). 

Then we use a sneaky five-step process to create a tagline from your hook that you can use in the elevator, by the pool or on the street - basically every time someone asks you about your latest book! As an added bonus you can also use that tagline in all your blurbs, advertising and promotion - whenever you need readers to get an instant grasp on your book and why they'd want to read it. Sorted. :)

Ever tried to distill your book down into the ultimate one-sentence tagline that will sell it to everyone you know? Yeah, so have we. It's a nightmare, right?

In this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast we break down hooks - what they are, why they're important, and how to actually find one in your story. To make it just that little bit easier for you, we use examples from actual books, and then use those examples to understand hooks just that little bit better. Then we talk about how to craft a hook that will be so intriguing and memorable for your readers, they'll immediately one-click your book on Amazon (or Kobo, or Nook). 

Then we use a sneaky five-step process to create a tagline from your hook that you can use in the elevator, by the pool or on the street - basically every time someone asks you about your latest book! As an added bonus you can also use that tagline in all your blurbs, advertising and promotion - whenever you need readers to get an instant grasp on your book and why they'd want to read it. Sorted. :)

This week we have Kelly Lytle from Findaway Voices with us in the SPA to talk about creating audio books for Indie authors.

If you've ever considered creating an audio book, but were concerned about the price, the technology or the difficulty involved, then this episode is a must listen. Kelly takes us through the whole process of creating and distributing an audio book with Findaway Voices, from the very moment an author contacts them, to finding the perfect narrator, to pricing, and then to the recording and approval process. He demystified the whole process for us, and showed us how doable it actually is! 

He also gave us some fantastic ideas for how we might market and promote a newly published audio books to our readers, both new and old. It's a fascinating subject, and Kelly was a great sport about answering all our silly questions, and giving us the kind of in-depth information on audio books that we've all wanted to know, but have been too afraid to ask. (Or maybe just too lazy? It's a close call. It's nice and cozy in the SPA.) 

It's a great episode - especially if you're thinking of diversifying your income by doing audio books at any time in the future (which you should be!).