Jenna Moreci is an award-winning romantasy and writing craft author with a YouTube channel of hundreds of thousands of subscribers and tens of millions of views. In this classic replay (originally recorded 2023) episode she explains how she built the channel, and how a writer can do the same without it taking over the writing.
Her channel grew slowly for months. It took off the week she stopped trying to be polished and started being herself. Her advice to anyone starting now is the same: don’t copy another creator, and don’t make your first video about you. Give the audience something useful first. They get interested in you and your books once they’re loyal to the content.
She also covers the practical side. Film on your phone, spend money on a mic before anything else, and edit with free software. Post on the same day every week. Budget about a week a month for YouTube and protect the rest for writing. Treat the whole thing as an experiment, so if it isn’t for you, that isn’t a failure.
In this episode:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>From a finance degree to full-time writer and YouTuber</li>
<li>The channel grew when Jenna stopped trying to be polished and started being herself</li>
<li>Who she makes videos for: readers and writers who would like her books</li>
<li>Why “worst” outperforms “best” in a title, and why she caps the rants at one a month</li>
<li>Thumbnails that work: silly faces and the dog</li>
<li>Video length, Shorts, and why the bookish audience likes longer videos</li>
<li>One video a week, same day, same time</li>
<li>Writer first, YouTuber second: when to dial YouTube back</li>
<li>Starting on a budget: phone, a decent mic, iMovie</li>
<li>The pros: free marketing, six or seven revenue streams, an audience that likes you as you are</li>
<li>The cons: scripting, batch filming, editing, and the trolls</li>
<li>Give writing advice and readers will judge your books harder</li>
<li>Release videos: character art, backstories and worldbuilding around launch</li>
<li>Repurposing videos into Shorts, TikToks, Instagram clips and blog posts</li>
<li>Your first videos will be bad, and nobody is watching yet, so that’s fine</li>
<li>The biggest mistake: making your first video about yourself</li>
<li>How to find BookTube and AuthorTube</li>
</ul>
About Jenna Moreci
Jenna Moreci is an award-winning romantasy and writing craft author and YouTube sensation. Her first installment in The Savior’s Series, The Savior’s Champion, was voted one of the Best Books of All Time by Book Depository. Following the release of her first writing craft book, Shut Up and Write the Book, she has been asked to speak for many literary communities and affiliations about the writing process and romantasy genre, including Robinson College at the University of Cambridge, the University of Groningen, and the London Screenwriters’ Festival.
🔗 YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/JennaMoreci">https://www.youtube.com/JennaMoreci</a> 🔗 Website: <a href="https://www.jennamoreci.com">https://www.jennamoreci.com</a>
🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS:
🌐 Website & free self-publishing resources at <a href="http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/">www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com</a>
🎧 Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search “SPA Girls Podcast”
❤️ Watch our episode recordings on the SPA Girls Podcast YouTube Channel <a href="http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast">http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast</a>
💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: <a href="http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast">http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast</a>
#authortube #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #romancewriter
#SelfPublishing #romancewriter #writingpodcast #writingcommunity

Jenna Moreci is an award-winning romantasy and writing craft author with a YouTube channel of hundreds of thousands of subscribers and tens of millions of views. In this classic replay (originally recorded 2023) episode she explains how she built the channel, and how a writer can do the same without it taking over the writing. Her channel grew slowly for months. It took off the week she stopped trying to be polished and started being herself. Her advice to anyone starting now is the same: don’t copy another creator, and don’t make your first video about you. Give the audience something useful first. They get interested in you and your books once they’re loyal to the content. She also covers the practical side. Film on your phone, spend money on a mic before anything else, and edit with free software. Post on the same day every week. Budget about a week a month for YouTube and protect the rest for writing. Treat the whole thing as an experiment, so if it isn’t for you, that isn’t a failure. In this episode: From a finance degree to full-time writer and YouTuber The channel grew when Jenna stopped trying to be polished and started being herself Who she makes videos for: readers and writers who would like her books Why “worst” outperforms “best” in a title, and why she caps the rants at one a month Thumbnails that work: silly faces and the dog Video length, Shorts, and why the bookish audience likes longer videos One video a week, same day, same time Writer first, YouTuber second: when to dial YouTube back Starting on a budget: phone, a decent mic, iMovie The pros: free marketing, six or seven revenue streams, an audience that likes you as you are The cons: scripting, batch filming, editing, and the trolls Give writing advice and readers will judge your books harder Release videos: character art, backstories and worldbuilding around launch Repurposing videos into Shorts, TikToks, Instagram clips and blog posts Your first videos will be bad, and nobody is watching yet, so that’s fine The biggest mistake: making your first video about yourself How to find BookTube and AuthorTube About Jenna Moreci Jenna Moreci is an award-winning romantasy and writing craft author and YouTube sensation. Her first installment in The Savior’s Series, The Savior’s Champion, was voted one of the Best Books of All Time by Book Depository. Following the release of her first writing craft book, Shut Up and Write the Book, she has been asked to speak for many literary communities and affiliations about the writing process and romantasy genre, including Robinson College at the University of Cambridge, the University of Groningen, and the London Screenwriters’ Festival. 🔗 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JennaMoreci 🔗 Website: https://www.jennamoreci.com 🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS: 🌐 Website & free self-publishing resources at www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com 🎧 Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search “SPA Girls Podcast” ❤️ Watch our episode recordings on the SPA Girls Podcast YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast 💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast #authortube #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #romancewriter #SelfPublishing #romancewriter #writingpodcast #writingcommunity

Jenna Moreci is an award-winning romantasy and writing craft author with a YouTube channel of hundreds of thousands of subscribers and tens of millions of views. In this classic replay (originally recorded 2023) episode she explains how she built the channel, and how a writer can do the same without it taking over the writing.
Her channel grew slowly for months. It took off the week she stopped trying to be polished and started being herself. Her advice to anyone starting now is the same: don’t copy another creator, and don’t make your first video about you. Give the audience something useful first. They get interested in you and your books once they’re loyal to the content.
She also covers the practical side. Film on your phone, spend money on a mic before anything else, and edit with free software. Post on the same day every week. Budget about a week a month for YouTube and protect the rest for writing. Treat the whole thing as an experiment, so if it isn’t for you, that isn’t a failure.
In this episode:
<ul>
<li>From a finance degree to full-time writer and YouTuber</li>
<li>The channel grew when Jenna stopped trying to be polished and started being herself</li>
<li>Who she makes videos for: readers and writers who would like her books</li>
<li>Why “worst” outperforms “best” in a title, and why she caps the rants at one a month</li>
<li>Thumbnails that work: silly faces and the dog</li>
<li>Video length, Shorts, and why the bookish audience likes longer videos</li>
<li>One video a week, same day, same time</li>
<li>Writer first, YouTuber second: when to dial YouTube back</li>
<li>Starting on a budget: phone, a decent mic, iMovie</li>
<li>The pros: free marketing, six or seven revenue streams, an audience that likes you as you are</li>
<li>The cons: scripting, batch filming, editing, and the trolls</li>
<li>Give writing advice and readers will judge your books harder</li>
<li>Release videos: character art, backstories and worldbuilding around launch</li>
<li>Repurposing videos into Shorts, TikToks, Instagram clips and blog posts</li>
<li>Your first videos will be bad, and nobody is watching yet, so that’s fine</li>
<li>The biggest mistake: making your first video about yourself</li>
<li>How to find BookTube and AuthorTube</li>
</ul>
About Jenna Moreci
Jenna Moreci is an award-winning romantasy and writing craft author and YouTube sensation. Her first installment in The Savior’s Series, The Savior’s Champion, was voted one of the Best Books of All Time by Book Depository. Following the release of her first writing craft book, Shut Up and Write the Book, she has been asked to speak for many literary communities and affiliations about the writing process and romantasy genre, including Robinson College at the University of Cambridge, the University of Groningen, and the London Screenwriters’ Festival.
🔗 YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/JennaMoreci" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/JennaMoreci</a> 🔗 Website: <a href="https://www.jennamoreci.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.jennamoreci.com</a>
🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS:
🌐 Website &amp; free self-publishing resources at <a href="http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com</a>
🎧 Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search “SPA Girls Podcast”
❤️ Watch our episode recordings on the SPA Girls Podcast YouTube Channel <a href="http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast</a>
💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: <a href="http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast</a>
#authortube #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #romancewriter
#SelfPublishing #romancewriter #writingpodcast #writingcommunity

How To Build Your Author Platform On Youtube, ft. Jenna Moreci (Classic Replay EP#575)

You don’t need a million readers. You need 1,000 who buy everything you write. Cheryl, Shar and Wendy take Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans model — 1,000 people spending $100 a year — and work out what it actually looks like for an indie novelist right now.
Wendy has a reader group of 1,000 and gives away a signed print copy with every release. Her bonus epilogues run 3,000 words and jump five or ten years ahead. Cheryl writes hers the day she finishes the book, sets it a week later so it leads into the next one, and delivers it through BookFunnel with her also-by page attached. Shar’s position is that a newsletter signup can be worth more to you than the next book sale, because the list is the only reader relationship you own.
Ad costs are climbing and social reach keeps shrinking — one author they follow has 25,000 followers and around 1,000 of them see a post. So the conversation is about what you can control: the list, the reader group, your own store, and the bonus content that makes people want to stay. Plus Amazon’s new limits on how many titles you can upload a week, why being a human being being a human is the one thing the AI flood can’t copy, and the professional line between talking to your readers and using them as a sounding board.
In this episode:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The 1,000 True Fans model, and why a number to build towards beats firing off in five directions</li>
<li>You’re not after a stadium — you’re after the people who buy whatever you make</li>
<li>Turning a reader into a superfan: the extras, and giving a little of yourself</li>
<li>Why the email list is the foundation — it’s the one thing you own</li>
<li>Reply to readers who email you, or acknowledge them in the next newsletter</li>
<li>Reader groups: giveaways, questions, and the posts that only they get</li>
<li>What to give away — signed print copies and special editions beat mugs and chocolate</li>
<li>Direct sales: better margins, promo codes, and the release two weeks early</li>
<li>Growing the list: the link in the back of the book, and what to offer for the signup</li>
<li>Bonus epilogues — Wendy’s and Cheryl’s two completely different approaches</li>
<li>Delivering bonus content through BookFunnel, and giving it to your existing subscribers</li>
<li>Amazon’s upload limits, AI pulp, and where human connection actually wins</li>
<li>Make yourself easy to find, and check your links</li>
<li>Keep the behind-the-scenes troubles off your reader-facing platforms</li>
<li>Send the tech problems to BookFunnel — that’s customer service done well</li>
<li>Be authentically you, pen name or not</li>
<li>Start with 10 true fans, not 1,000</li>
<li>Author buddies and brainstorming</li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/EP574-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-3787" srcset="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/EP574-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/EP574-300x169.jpg 300w, https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/EP574-768x432.jpg 768w, https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/EP574.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
Mentioned in this episode:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Kevin Kelly, 1,000 True Fans: <a href="https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/">kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans</a></li>
<li>BookFunnel: <a href="https://bookfunnel.com">https://bookfunnel.com</a></li>
<li>MailerLite: <a href="https://www.mailerlite.com">https://www.mailerlite.com</a> · Mailchimp: <a href="https://mailchimp.com">https://mailchimp.com</a></li>
</ul>
More on this from the SPA Girls:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep268-how-to-use-bonus-content-to-sell-books/">EP268 How to Use Bonus Content to Sell Books</a></li>
<li><a href="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep364-superfans-with-steffanie-holmes/">EP364 Superfans with Steffanie Holmes</a></li>
<li><a href="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep445-7-easy-tips-for-building-your-newsletter-list/">EP445 7 Easy Tips for Building Your Newsletter List</a></li>
<li><a href="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep378-be-a-newsletter-ninja-with-tammi-labrecque/">EP378 Be a Newsletter Ninja with Tammi Labrecque</a></li>
<li><a href="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep476-author-newsletters-with-holly-darling-classic/">EP476 Author Newsletters with Holly Darling</a></li>
<li><a href="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep-3433-selling-direct-with-katie-cross/">EP433 Selling Direct with Katie Cross</a></li>
<li><a href="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep479-interview-with-ines-johnson/">EP479 Interview with Ines Johnson</a></li>
</ul>
Support the show: Join us on Patreon at the $10 tier for the SPA Girls Superstars group — brainstorm your bonus content, get feedback on your marketing, and ask four working authors anything about self-publishing — patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

You don’t need a million readers. You need 1,000 who buy everything you write. Cheryl, Shar and Wendy take Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans model — 1,000 people spending $100 a year — and work out what it actually looks like for an indie novelist right now. Wendy has a reader group of 1,000 and gives away a signed print copy with every release. Her bonus epilogues run 3,000 words and jump five or ten years ahead. Cheryl writes hers the day she finishes the book, sets it a week later so it leads into the next one, and delivers it through BookFunnel with her also-by page attached. Shar’s position is that a newsletter signup can be worth more to you than the next book sale, because the list is the only reader relationship you own. Ad costs are climbing and social reach keeps shrinking — one author they follow has 25,000 followers and around 1,000 of them see a post. So the conversation is about what you can control: the list, the reader group, your own store, and the bonus content that makes people want to stay. Plus Amazon’s new limits on how many titles you can upload a week, why being a human being being a human is the one thing the AI flood can’t copy, and the professional line between talking to your readers and using them as a sounding board. In this episode: The 1,000 True Fans model, and why a number to build towards beats firing off in five directions You’re not after a stadium — you’re after the people who buy whatever you make Turning a reader into a superfan: the extras, and giving a little of yourself Why the email list is the foundation — it’s the one thing you own Reply to readers who email you, or acknowledge them in the next newsletter Reader groups: giveaways, questions, and the posts that only they get What to give away — signed print copies and special editions beat mugs and chocolate Direct sales: better margins, promo codes, and the release two weeks early Growing the list: the link in the back of the book, and what to offer for the signup Bonus epilogues — Wendy’s and Cheryl’s two completely different approaches Delivering bonus content through BookFunnel, and giving it to your existing subscribers Amazon’s upload limits, AI pulp, and where human connection actually wins Make yourself easy to find, and check your links Keep the behind-the-scenes troubles off your reader-facing platforms Send the tech problems to BookFunnel — that’s customer service done well Be authentically you, pen name or not Start with 10 true fans, not 1,000 Author buddies and brainstorming Mentioned in this episode: Kevin Kelly, 1,000 True Fans: kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans BookFunnel: https://bookfunnel.com MailerLite: https://www.mailerlite.com · Mailchimp: https://mailchimp.com More on this from the SPA Girls: EP268 How to Use Bonus Content to Sell Books EP364 Superfans with Steffanie Holmes EP445 7 Easy Tips for Building Your Newsletter List EP378 Be a Newsletter Ninja with Tammi Labrecque EP476 Author Newsletters with Holly Darling EP433 Selling Direct with Katie Cross EP479 Interview with Ines Johnson Support the show: Join us on Patreon at the $10 tier for the SPA Girls Superstars group — brainstorm your bonus content, get feedback on your marketing, and ask four working authors anything about self-publishing — patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

You don’t need a million readers. You need 1,000 who buy everything you write. Cheryl, Shar and Wendy take Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans model — 1,000 people spending $100 a year — and work out what it actually looks like for an indie novelist right now.
Wendy has a reader group of 1,000 and gives away a signed print copy with every release. Her bonus epilogues run 3,000 words and jump five or ten years ahead. Cheryl writes hers the day she finishes the book, sets it a week later so it leads into the next one, and delivers it through BookFunnel with her also-by page attached. Shar’s position is that a newsletter signup can be worth more to you than the next book sale, because the list is the only reader relationship you own.
Ad costs are climbing and social reach keeps shrinking — one author they follow has 25,000 followers and around 1,000 of them see a post. So the conversation is about what you can control: the list, the reader group, your own store, and the bonus content that makes people want to stay. Plus Amazon’s new limits on how many titles you can upload a week, why being a human being being a human is the one thing the AI flood can’t copy, and the professional line between talking to your readers and using them as a sounding board.
In this episode:
<ul>
<li>The 1,000 True Fans model, and why a number to build towards beats firing off in five directions</li>
<li>You’re not after a stadium — you’re after the people who buy whatever you make</li>
<li>Turning a reader into a superfan: the extras, and giving a little of yourself</li>
<li>Why the email list is the foundation — it’s the one thing you own</li>
<li>Reply to readers who email you, or acknowledge them in the next newsletter</li>
<li>Reader groups: giveaways, questions, and the posts that only they get</li>
<li>What to give away — signed print copies and special editions beat mugs and chocolate</li>
<li>Direct sales: better margins, promo codes, and the release two weeks early</li>
<li>Growing the list: the link in the back of the book, and what to offer for the signup</li>
<li>Bonus epilogues — Wendy’s and Cheryl’s two completely different approaches</li>
<li>Delivering bonus content through BookFunnel, and giving it to your existing subscribers</li>
<li>Amazon’s upload limits, AI pulp, and where human connection actually wins</li>
<li>Make yourself easy to find, and check your links</li>
<li>Keep the behind-the-scenes troubles off your reader-facing platforms</li>
<li>Send the tech problems to BookFunnel — that’s customer service done well</li>
<li>Be authentically you, pen name or not</li>
<li>Start with 10 true fans, not 1,000</li>
<li>Author buddies and brainstorming</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a>
Mentioned in this episode:
<ul>
<li>Kevin Kelly, 1,000 True Fans: <a href="https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/" rel="noopener noreferrer">kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans</a></li>
<li>BookFunnel: <a href="https://bookfunnel.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://bookfunnel.com</a></li>
<li>MailerLite: <a href="https://www.mailerlite.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.mailerlite.com</a> · Mailchimp: <a href="https://mailchimp.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://mailchimp.com</a></li>
</ul>
More on this from the SPA Girls:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep268-how-to-use-bonus-content-to-sell-books/" rel="noopener noreferrer">EP268 How to Use Bonus Content to Sell Books</a></li>
<li><a href="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep364-superfans-with-steffanie-holmes/" rel="noopener noreferrer">EP364 Superfans with Steffanie Holmes</a></li>
<li><a href="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep445-7-easy-tips-for-building-your-newsletter-list/" rel="noopener noreferrer">EP445 7 Easy Tips for Building Your Newsletter List</a></li>
<li><a href="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep378-be-a-newsletter-ninja-with-tammi-labrecque/" rel="noopener noreferrer">EP378 Be a Newsletter Ninja with Tammi Labrecque</a></li>
<li><a href="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep476-author-newsletters-with-holly-darling-classic/" rel="noopener noreferrer">EP476 Author Newsletters with Holly Darling</a></li>
<li><a href="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep-3433-selling-direct-with-katie-cross/" rel="noopener noreferrer">EP433 Selling Direct with Katie Cross</a></li>
<li><a href="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep479-interview-with-ines-johnson/" rel="noopener noreferrer">EP479 Interview with Ines Johnson</a></li>
</ul>
Support the show: Join us on Patreon at the $10 tier for the SPA Girls Superstars group — brainstorm your bonus content, get feedback on your marketing, and ask four working authors anything about self-publishing — patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

How To Build 1000 True Fans (Without Breaking The Bank) with the SPA Girls (EP#574)

🔁 CLASSIC REPLAY — This episode was originally recorded in 2023 and the writing craft advice is just as relevant today.
Matt Bird is a screenwriter and the author of two craft books for writers, The Secrets of Story and The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love. For the second book he read the first ten pages of dozens of great novels, memoirs, movies and TV pilots, and found the same three moves in nearly all of them: the reader has to believe in your hero, care about their circumstances, and invest their hopes in them. In this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast (EP573) he shows how to land all three before your plot has even started.
Whether you’re drafting an opening chapter, working out why readers aren’t connecting with your lead, or looking for concrete character development tools you can use today, this one is practical from end to end. Matt covers the first page of The Hunger Games, giving a character a unique object and a metaphor family, why repetition beats surprise early on, and how to set, upset and reset reader expectations. Plus why readers pick your hero for you, what James Bond’s first scene tells us about vulnerability, and the single thing he’d tell every writer to do — put an ironic object in their hand.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/EP572-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-3784" srcset="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/EP572-1024x576.png 1024w, https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/EP572-300x169.png 300w, https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/EP572-768x432.png 768w, https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/EP572.png 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
#SelfPublishing #WritingCraft #IndieAuthor
About Matt Bird
Matt Bird is the author of Secrets of Story, and creator of The Secrets of Story podcast and blog. He has an MFA in screenwriting from Columbia University. He lives and writes in Chicago where he and his wife Betsy are raising two delightful kids.
All episodes of his podcast with James Kennedy, The Secrets of Story: A Screenwriting & Novel Writing Podcast can be found on podcast apps. 
Matt’s latest podcast, A Good Story Well Told with co-host Jonathan Auxier, is also on all podcast platforms.
<a href="http://www.secretsofstory.com/">http://www.secretsofstory.com/</a>
🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS:
🌐 Website & free self-publishing resources at <a href="http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com">www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com</a>
🎧 Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search “SPA Girls Podcast”
❤️ Watch our episode recordings on the SPA Girls Podcast YouTube Channel <a href="http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast">http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast</a>
💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: <a href="http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast">http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast</a>
#authortube #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #romancewriter
#SelfPublishing #romancewriter #writingpodcast #writingcommunity

🔁 CLASSIC REPLAY — This episode was originally recorded in 2023 and the writing craft advice is just as relevant today. Matt Bird is a screenwriter and the author of two craft books for writers, The Secrets of Story and The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love. For the second book he read the first ten pages of dozens of great novels, memoirs, movies and TV pilots, and found the same three moves in nearly all of them: the reader has to believe in your hero, care about their circumstances, and invest their hopes in them. In this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast (EP573) he shows how to land all three before your plot has even started. Whether you’re drafting an opening chapter, working out why readers aren’t connecting with your lead, or looking for concrete character development tools you can use today, this one is practical from end to end. Matt covers the first page of The Hunger Games, giving a character a unique object and a metaphor family, why repetition beats surprise early on, and how to set, upset and reset reader expectations. Plus why readers pick your hero for you, what James Bond’s first scene tells us about vulnerability, and the single thing he’d tell every writer to do — put an ironic object in their hand. #SelfPublishing #WritingCraft #IndieAuthor About Matt Bird Matt Bird is the author of Secrets of Story, and creator of The Secrets of Story podcast and blog. He has an MFA in screenwriting from Columbia University. He lives and writes in Chicago where he and his wife Betsy are raising two delightful kids. All episodes of his podcast with James Kennedy, The Secrets of Story: A Screenwriting & Novel Writing Podcast can be found on podcast apps. Matt’s latest podcast, A Good Story Well Told with co-host Jonathan Auxier, is also on all podcast platforms. http://www.secretsofstory.com/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS: 🌐 Website & free self-publishing resources at www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com 🎧 Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search “SPA Girls Podcast” ❤️ Watch our episode recordings on the SPA Girls Podcast YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast 💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast #authortube #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #romancewriter #SelfPublishing #romancewriter #writingpodcast #writingcommunity

🔁 CLASSIC REPLAY — This episode was originally recorded in 2023 and the writing craft advice is just as relevant today.
Matt Bird is a screenwriter and the author of two craft books for writers, The Secrets of Story and The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love. For the second book he read the first ten pages of dozens of great novels, memoirs, movies and TV pilots, and found the same three moves in nearly all of them: the reader has to believe in your hero, care about their circumstances, and invest their hopes in them. In this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast (EP573) he shows how to land all three before your plot has even started.
Whether you’re drafting an opening chapter, working out why readers aren’t connecting with your lead, or looking for concrete character development tools you can use today, this one is practical from end to end. Matt covers the first page of The Hunger Games, giving a character a unique object and a metaphor family, why repetition beats surprise early on, and how to set, upset and reset reader expectations. Plus why readers pick your hero for you, what James Bond’s first scene tells us about vulnerability, and the single thing he’d tell every writer to do — put an ironic object in their hand.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a>
#SelfPublishing #WritingCraft #IndieAuthor
About Matt Bird
Matt Bird is the author of Secrets of Story, and creator of The Secrets of Story podcast and blog. He has an MFA in screenwriting from Columbia University. He lives and writes in Chicago where he and his wife Betsy are raising two delightful kids.
All episodes of his podcast with James Kennedy, The Secrets of Story: A Screenwriting &amp; Novel Writing Podcast can be found on podcast apps. 
Matt’s latest podcast, A Good Story Well Told with co-host Jonathan Auxier, is also on all podcast platforms.
<a href="http://www.secretsofstory.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.secretsofstory.com/</a>
🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS:
🌐 Website &amp; free self-publishing resources at <a href="http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com</a>
🎧 Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search “SPA Girls Podcast”
❤️ Watch our episode recordings on the SPA Girls Podcast YouTube Channel <a href="http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast</a>
💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: <a href="http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast</a>
#authortube #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #romancewriter
#SelfPublishing #romancewriter #writingpodcast #writingcommunity

Hook Readers By Page 10: The Secrets Of Character with Matt Bird (Classic Replay EP#573)

This is a concrete, numbers-heavy conversation about what diversification actually means for a working author. Million-selling author <a href="https://craigmartelle.com/">Craig Martelle</a> has published over 200 books since 2015, across 28 series, and has around 25 different sources of income. Craig’s definition of Author Diversification is multiple revenue streams, and he counts formats, distributors, languages, genres and co-authors as part of it. He walks through where to start when you’ve only got five books out, why paperback belongs in your Amazon ads, what a SAG-AFTRA narrator really costs and why he pays it anyway, and how he translated nine books into German for almost nothing using three AIs checking each other.
Craig is also very open about his pace pace of publishing. In 2019 he published 30 books in 30 weeks, quadrupled his costs, halved his revenue and ended up having heart surgery the following January. He publishes 12 to 20 books a year now, reads every word of every collaboration, and takes the dog out for two hours a day. The three medical thrillers he co-writes with a surgeon are his current bestsellers, and every dollar they earn goes into an investment account for his grandchildren.
And the golden nugget is the best argument against perfectionism we’ve had on the show: if you rewrite one book ten times you still have one book, but if you write ten books you have ten books’ worth of experience.
In this episode:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>From Marine Corps intelligence and Russian linguist work to law school to full-time author in October 2015</li>
<li>Over 200 books, 28 series, and roughly 25 separate sources of income</li>
<li>Buying his first series back from its traditional publisher — and earning the buyout fee back in one month on free YouTube audio</li>
<li>Audiobooks on 40 distributors, plus 70 to 80 titles in libraries while staying in Kindle Unlimited</li>
<li>Why genre counts as diversification: readership ceilings and burnout in a single niche</li>
<li>“Write with the reader in mind” — the Venn diagram of what you know and what people actually read</li>
<li>The first step with five books out: one genre, one series, and learning read-through</li>
<li>Where to diversify next, and how to choose an adjacent genre</li>
<li>Translations and which markets are worth translating for, and which ones aren’t</li>
<li>Formats first: why paperback and a full-wrap cover are the cheapest diversification there is</li>
<li>The Amazon ads trick — bundling ebook and paperback in one sponsored ad to drop your cost per click</li>
<li>Crowdfunding an audiobook you can’t otherwise afford, and the snowball effect across campaigns</li>
<li>Why some books sell and some don’t </li>
<li>Marketing the backlist</li>
</ul>
Resources mentioned INaudio (Voices by INaudio) · Chirp (BookBub) · Kindle Unlimited & KDP Select · Kindle Countdown Deals · BookBub featured deals · Kickstarter · BackerKit · SAG-AFTRA · DeepL · Learn Self Publishing (AI translation course) · Baen Books · Become a Successful Indie Author · the A Surgeon’s… medical thrillers with James Toouli · the I, Soldier military sci-fi series · Battleship Leviathan · the Ian Bragg thrillers
About Craig
Craig Martelle is a science fiction, thriller and fantasy author who has sold millions of books worldwide.
Before he became an author, he had a long career in the Marine Corps, specifically in the military intelligence community where he worked with most of the U.S. Government’s three-letter agencies. When he retired from the Marine Corps, he attended law school, graduated summa cum laude, and went into business consulting.
Craig was also the original organizer of the 20Books Conference in Las Vegas, which he ran for many years, and he now organizes writing retreats for both beginner and more experienced authors around the world. He also writes non-fiction to help indie authors be more successful in this industry.
Through a bizarre series of events, Craig now lives in in Fairbanks, Alaska. He says he never expected to retire to a place where golf courses are only open for four months out of the year, but he and his wife get to watch the northern lights from their driveway and their dog has lots of room to run – until temperatures reach fifty below zero.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast"><img decoding="async" width="1000" height="400" src="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/NL-Patreon-SPA-Girls-3.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-3411" srcset="https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/NL-Patreon-SPA-Girls-3.jpg 1000w, https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/NL-Patreon-SPA-Girls-3-300x120.jpg 300w, https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/NL-Patreon-SPA-Girls-3-768x307.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></a></figure>
🎧 Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search “SPA Girls Podcast”
❤️ Watch our episode recordings on the SPA Girls Podcast YouTube Channel <a href="http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast">http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast</a>
💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: <a href="http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast">http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast</a>
#authortube #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #romancewriter
#SelfPublishing #romancewriter #writingpodcast #writingcommunity

This is a concrete, numbers-heavy conversation about what diversification actually means for a working author. Million-selling author Craig Martelle has published over 200 books since 2015, across 28 series, and has around 25 different sources of income. Craig’s definition of Author Diversification is multiple revenue streams, and he counts formats, distributors, languages, genres and co-authors as part of it. He walks through where to start when you’ve only got five books out, why paperback belongs in your Amazon ads, what a SAG-AFTRA narrator really costs and why he pays it anyway, and how he translated nine books into German for almost nothing using three AIs checking each other. Craig is also very open about his pace pace of publishing. In 2019 he published 30 books in 30 weeks, quadrupled his costs, halved his revenue and ended up having heart surgery the following January. He publishes 12 to 20 books a year now, reads every word of every collaboration, and takes the dog out for two hours a day. The three medical thrillers he co-writes with a surgeon are his current bestsellers, and every dollar they earn goes into an investment account for his grandchildren. And the golden nugget is the best argument against perfectionism we’ve had on the show: if you rewrite one book ten times you still have one book, but if you write ten books you have ten books’ worth of experience. In this episode: From Marine Corps intelligence and Russian linguist work to law school to full-time author in October 2015 Over 200 books, 28 series, and roughly 25 separate sources of income Buying his first series back from its traditional publisher — and earning the buyout fee back in one month on free YouTube audio Audiobooks on 40 distributors, plus 70 to 80 titles in libraries while staying in Kindle Unlimited Why genre counts as diversification: readership ceilings and burnout in a single niche “Write with the reader in mind” — the Venn diagram of what you know and what people actually read The first step with five books out: one genre, one series, and learning read-through Where to diversify next, and how to choose an adjacent genre Translations and which markets are worth translating for, and which ones aren’t Formats first: why paperback and a full-wrap cover are the cheapest diversification there is The Amazon ads trick — bundling ebook and paperback in one sponsored ad to drop your cost per click Crowdfunding an audiobook you can’t otherwise afford, and the snowball effect across campaigns Why some books sell and some don’t Marketing the backlist Resources mentionedINaudio (Voices by INaudio) · Chirp (BookBub) · Kindle Unlimited & KDP Select · Kindle Countdown Deals · BookBub featured deals · Kickstarter · BackerKit · SAG-AFTRA · DeepL · Learn Self Publishing (AI translation course) · Baen Books · Become a Successful Indie Author · the A Surgeon’s… medical thrillers with James Toouli · the I, Soldier military sci-fi series · Battleship Leviathan · the Ian Bragg thrillers About Craig Craig Martelle is a science fiction, thriller and fantasy author who has sold millions of books worldwide. Before he became an author, he had a long career in the Marine Corps, specifically in the military intelligence community where he worked with most of the U.S. Government’s three-letter agencies. When he retired from the Marine Corps, he attended law school, graduated summa cum laude, and went into business consulting. Craig was also the original organizer of the 20Books Conference in Las Vegas, which he ran for many years, and he now organizes writing retreats for both beginner and more experienced authors around the world. He also writes non-fiction to help indie authors be more successful in this industry. Through a bizarre series of events, Craig now lives in in Fairbanks, Alaska. He says he never expected to retire to a place where golf courses are only open for four months out of the year, but he and his wife get to watch the northern lights from their driveway and their dog has lots of room to run – until temperatures reach fifty below zero. 🎧 Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search “SPA Girls Podcast” ❤️ Watch our episode recordings on the SPA Girls Podcast YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast 💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast #authortube #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #romancewriter #SelfPublishing #romancewriter #writingpodcast #writingcommunity

This is a concrete, numbers-heavy conversation about what diversification actually means for a working author. Million-selling author <a href="https://craigmartelle.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Craig Martelle</a> has published over 200 books since 2015, across 28 series, and has around 25 different sources of income. Craig’s definition of Author Diversification is multiple revenue streams, and he counts formats, distributors, languages, genres and co-authors as part of it. He walks through where to start when you’ve only got five books out, why paperback belongs in your Amazon ads, what a SAG-AFTRA narrator really costs and why he pays it anyway, and how he translated nine books into German for almost nothing using three AIs checking each other.
Craig is also very open about his pace pace of publishing. In 2019 he published 30 books in 30 weeks, quadrupled his costs, halved his revenue and ended up having heart surgery the following January. He publishes 12 to 20 books a year now, reads every word of every collaboration, and takes the dog out for two hours a day. The three medical thrillers he co-writes with a surgeon are his current bestsellers, and every dollar they earn goes into an investment account for his grandchildren.
And the golden nugget is the best argument against perfectionism we’ve had on the show: if you rewrite one book ten times you still have one book, but if you write ten books you have ten books’ worth of experience.
In this episode:
<ul>
<li>From Marine Corps intelligence and Russian linguist work to law school to full-time author in October 2015</li>
<li>Over 200 books, 28 series, and roughly 25 separate sources of income</li>
<li>Buying his first series back from its traditional publisher — and earning the buyout fee back in one month on free YouTube audio</li>
<li>Audiobooks on 40 distributors, plus 70 to 80 titles in libraries while staying in Kindle Unlimited</li>
<li>Why genre counts as diversification: readership ceilings and burnout in a single niche</li>
<li>“Write with the reader in mind” — the Venn diagram of what you know and what people actually read</li>
<li>The first step with five books out: one genre, one series, and learning read-through</li>
<li>Where to diversify next, and how to choose an adjacent genre</li>
<li>Translations and which markets are worth translating for, and which ones aren’t</li>
<li>Formats first: why paperback and a full-wrap cover are the cheapest diversification there is</li>
<li>The Amazon ads trick — bundling ebook and paperback in one sponsored ad to drop your cost per click</li>
<li>Crowdfunding an audiobook you can’t otherwise afford, and the snowball effect across campaigns</li>
<li>Why some books sell and some don’t </li>
<li>Marketing the backlist</li>
</ul>
Resources mentioned INaudio (Voices by INaudio) · Chirp (BookBub) · Kindle Unlimited &amp; KDP Select · Kindle Countdown Deals · BookBub featured deals · Kickstarter · BackerKit · SAG-AFTRA · DeepL · Learn Self Publishing (AI translation course) · Baen Books · Become a Successful Indie Author · the A Surgeon’s… medical thrillers with James Toouli · the I, Soldier military sci-fi series · Battleship Leviathan · the Ian Bragg thrillers
About Craig
Craig Martelle is a science fiction, thriller and fantasy author who has sold millions of books worldwide.
Before he became an author, he had a long career in the Marine Corps, specifically in the military intelligence community where he worked with most of the U.S. Government’s three-letter agencies. When he retired from the Marine Corps, he attended law school, graduated summa cum laude, and went into business consulting.
Craig was also the original organizer of the 20Books Conference in Las Vegas, which he ran for many years, and he now organizes writing retreats for both beginner and more experienced authors around the world. He also writes non-fiction to help indie authors be more successful in this industry.
Through a bizarre series of events, Craig now lives in in Fairbanks, Alaska. He says he never expected to retire to a place where golf courses are only open for four months out of the year, but he and his wife get to watch the northern lights from their driveway and their dog has lots of room to run – until temperatures reach fifty below zero.
<a href="http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a>
🎧 Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search “SPA Girls Podcast”
❤️ Watch our episode recordings on the SPA Girls Podcast YouTube Channel <a href="http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast</a>
💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: <a href="http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast</a>
#authortube #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #romancewriter
#SelfPublishing #romancewriter #writingpodcast #writingcommunity

How To Diversify Your Income ft. Craig Martelle (EP#572)

Today, we give you an overview of the whole self publishing process from start to finish!

SPA Girls Podcast – EP07 – Overview Of The Self-Publishing Process

We all think it's important to have someone you aspire to be like in any career, and self publishing is no different, so we set the challenge in episode one to research someone who is successfully managing a self publishing career. Today we report back on our own personal self-publishing heroes: Joanna Penn, Courtney Milan, Lindsay Buroker and Marie Force!

SPA Girls Podcast – EP06 – Successful Self-Publishers’ Challenge

This episode is all about genre - what it is, why you should know about it, and what it means to you as a self publishing author. There are certain conventions in every genre - especially in romance. No happily ever after? Then it's not romance, and your readers are going to be disappointed! This is why it's important to know your genre. Listen on for details ...

SPA Girls Podcast – EP05 – What Is Genre?

Love it or hate it, facebook is THE place to be for romance authors wanting to extend their platform and talk to new readers. We talk about why you should be on there, the difference between a profile and a page, and get the hard word on the do's and don'ts of facebook.

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