Imagine this: You’re working on a new novel, and you’re in love with the concept. The writing is fun. The characters are intriguing. Even better, this feels new and fresh and original… Until you stumble upon a deal announcement that sound eerily familiar. Someone else has written a book with almost the exact same pitch as the one you’re writing!

Even worse, they finished their version first. They already got a book deal for it! What are you going to do??

If this happens to you, deep breath. This episode will help calm the panic screaming in your head.

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and join the waitlist for the June 2025 cohort go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Submission. The point in traditional publication that authors are simultaneously impatient to get to and yet also dread experiencing. There's the agony of waiting. Refreshing your inbox a million times. Being so freaking close to achieving a big goal yet having no control over the outcome.

This episode will help normalize your experiences on submission and provide tangible tools to help you reduce sub anxiety so you can actually write something new.

PS - for help shifting the stories you tell yourself while on sub, watch the Rewriting Your Author Story workshop here.

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and schedule your free enrollment call go to www.isabelsterling.com/academy.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

When something unfortunate, unwanted, or downright painful happens in your author career, it's helpful to shift the way you think about the situation. Except! You don't want to slather toxic positivity all over everything.

So, how do you thread the needle of reframing the painful thing in an empowering way without slipping into unhelpful toxic positivity? This episode will teach you how to tell the difference.

PS - You can watch the replay of Rewriting Your Author Story here for more support.

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and schedule your free enrollment call go to www.isabelsterling.com/academy.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Creating a sustainable fiction career requires you to write more than one book. Whether your current project is a massive success or a major flop, the next step is to write something new.

But when you’re shifting away from a more polished project (especially if it’s all the way to line edits or pass pages) to something that’s brand new, the shift in quality can be a bit dizzying and disheartening even though that shift is totally normal.

So, if you’re currently starting something new after putting the finishing touches on your last project, this pep talk is for you.

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Did you miss the Rewriting Your Author Story workshop? You can get the replay here.

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

People pleasing isn't exclusive to our personal lives. The hierarchies of publishing lead many authors into people pleasing patterns with their agents, editors, and even their readers. That's why I invited fellow coach, and people pleasing expert, Sara Bybee Fisk to join me on the podcast this week. She graciously shares her wisdom about the cause of people pleasing and provides actionable tips for what we can do to break the cycle.

You can learn more about Sara, including her Stop People Pleasing Program, at her website. And be sure to check out Sara's podcast, The Ex-Good Girl Podcast.

Finally, don't forget to register for my free workshop Rewriting Your Author Story HERE. The workshop is happening Tuesday, March 18th at 4pm and will teach you how to tell the story of your career in a way that helps you burn bright instead of burning out. 

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

If you struggle with confidence during the planning/outlining stage of writing, today’s episode is for you. I’m breaking down why the planning stage can feel fraught so you can bring more fun and confidence to this part of your writing process, including how to decide when to stop planning and start drafting. Sign up for the Rewriting Your Author Story workshop HERE. 

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

I finished the first revision of WITH ALL MY HAUNTED HEART over the weekend and turned it into my editor! So today on the podcast, I’m sharing how I celebrated this milestone and then dive into the process of intentionally setting up a unique blend of rest, refueling the creative well, and then diving into a new project… all without burnout.

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Middle grade author Celesta Rimington is on the podcast this week to share her wealth of knowledge about navigating school visits. We cover all your biggest questions, including what to charge for visits, how to facilitate book orders, what to include in your presentation, and so much more.

Even if you write for adults and don’t plan to offer school visits, there are so many valuable gems that can apply to all kinda of author events, including book clubs and unique marketing ideas. Don't skip this one!

To learn more about Celesta, visit her website. You can also find all the buy-links for her books here.

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

In today’s episode, I give you a behind-the-scenes look at the 75-day process of writing and selling my new book, WITH ALL MY HAUNTED HEART. I talk about how romance novels helped me through the grief of losing my foster son, put my new 6-figure book deal into context with the rest of my career, and explore the role of coaching and mindset in selling this book.

For monthly updates about my books–including WITH ALL MY HAUNTED HEART–make sure you’re subscribed to my reader newsletter (which is separate from the weekly newsletter for authors, liked below). You can sign up for the reader newsletter HERE.

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Your mindset is the most powerful tool in your author toolkit. Every challenge you face in writing, publishing, and life can be improved–if not outright solved!–by learning how to manage your mind. In this episode, you’ll learn a simple 3 question process for determining whether your current mindset is helping or hurting your situation.

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!