The Author Wheel Podcast

Have you ever considered going back to school for a Masters in Creative Writing?

This week's guest did, but she realized what a privileged position she was in. Not everyone can afford the time and money to go back to school. So she set out to create a program that brings together the best of the MFA experience while allowing students to complete the coursework on their own timeline for a fraction of the cost.

Thus was born DIY MFA.

Gabriela Pereira is an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and author of the book DIY MFA: Write with Focus, Read with Purpose, Build Your Community. As the instigator of DIYMFA.com, her mission is to challenge the status quo of higher education. She speaks at national conferences, industry events, and college campuses, and also hosts the podcast DIY MFA Radio.

Question of the week:  What part of the DIY MFA program is the most exciting for you? Let's chat on the Facebook page @AuthorWheel.

Follow Us!

Gabriela Pereira:
Website: https://DIYMFA.com
Courses: https://diymfa.com/join/ (DIY MFA Starter Kit)
Twitter & Instagram: @diymfa

The Author Wheel:
Website: www.AuthorWheel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheel

Greta Boris:
Website: www.GretaBoris.com
Facebook: @GretaBorisAuthor
Instagram: @GretaBoris

Megan Haskell:
Website: www.MeganHaskell.com
Facebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor

Support the show

FREE Mini Email Course

Have you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel’s new mini-course might be your solution.

7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language.

Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it’s free.

Click here to learn more!

A realistic strategy for new indie authors.

In this interview, Greta and Megan pick Paul Austin Ardoin's brain about his slow-and-steady wins. Paul's marketing approach is commonsense. He tells us how we can implement the same strategies he's used to make a steady $1,000 plus dollars a month on a single series.

Paul Austin Ardoin is the USA TODAY bestselling indie author of The Fenway Stevenson Mysteries and The Woodhead & Becker Mysteries. He holds a B.A. in creative writing from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an M.B.A. in marketing from the University of Phoenix. His articles have been published in Indie Author Magazine and European Communications, and he’s been a guest on several writing podcasts, including Kobo Writing Life, Stark Reflections, and The Bestseller Experiment Deep-Dive.

Question of the week:  Have you tried any of the strategies Paul talks about? How have they worked for you? Let's chat on the Facebook page @AuthorWheel.

Follow Us!

Paul Austin Ardoin:
Website: https://www.paulaustinardoin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulardoinauthor
Twitter: @paulardoin

The Author Wheel:
Website: www.AuthorWheel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheel

Greta Boris:
Website: www.GretaBoris.com
Facebook: @GretaBorisAuthor
Instagram: @GretaBoris

Megan Haskell:
Website: www.MeganHaskell.com
Facebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor

Support the show

FREE Mini Email Course

Have you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel’s new mini-course might be your solution.

7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language.

Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it’s free.

Click here to learn more!

Do you know your top 5 Clifton Strengths?

This week's guest is an expert at using the Clifton's Strengths to help writers understand themselves so they can write more, write better, and build a writing career that they love.

Becca Syme (MATL) is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and has been coaching success alignment for more than a decade. She is the author of the Quitbooks for Writers series and the popular Write Better-Faster course. She also writes mystery novels in her spare time and lives on one of the thousand lakes in Minnesota.

Question of the week:  What are your strengths? Let's chat on the Facebook page @AuthorWheel.

Follow Us!

Becca Syme:
Website: http://betterfasteracademy.com
Instagram: @becca_syme
TikTok: becca_syme

The Author Wheel:
Website: www.AuthorWheel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheel

Greta Boris:
Website: www.GretaBoris.com
Facebook: @GretaBorisAuthor
Instagram: @GretaBoris

Megan Haskell:
Website: www.MeganHaskell.com
Facebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor

Support the show

FREE Mini Email Course

Have you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel’s new mini-course might be your solution.

7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language.

Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it’s free.

Click here to learn more!

Buckle up for this episode!

This week Sacha Black helps us mold our writing careers by dialing into our personalities. For instance, she shares how she leaned into her competitive nature to triple her writing time! She shared so many fantastic ideas about craft, the author business, and productivity our heads were spinning.

Sacha Black is an author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes writing craft books for authors, and spicy sapphic fantasy romance as Ruby Roe.

Question of the week:  How many words do you write per hour? Let's chat on the Facebook page @AuthorWheel.

Follow Us!

Sacha Black:
Website: www.sachablack.co.uk
Courses: https://sachablack.thinkific.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/sachablackauthor/ 

The Author Wheel:
Website: www.AuthorWheel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheel

Greta Boris:
Website: www.GretaBoris.com
Facebook: @GretaBorisAuthor
Instagram: @GretaBoris

Megan Haskell:
Website: www.MeganHaskell.com
Facebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor

Support the show

FREE Mini Email Course

Have you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel’s new mini-course might be your solution.

7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language.

Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it’s free.

Click here to learn more!

Finishing the first draft, finding yourself, and achieving your definition of success…

This week we’re thrilled to be chatting with podcaster and book coach, Emma Dhesi. She talks about being a staying at home mom and how to balance caring for her family with building her own writing career. Tip of the day: do what you can, when you can!

Emma Dhesi is a book coach and author mentor who specialises in helping beginner authors write their first novel. She is the host of the podcast Turning Readers Into Writers, which focuses on the challenges new authors face when trying to balance ‘all the things’. She's also the co-author of Launch Pad: The Countdown to Writing Your Book, a guide for authors.

Question of the week: How do you keep motivated in your writing? Let's chat on the Facebook page @AuthorWheel.

Follow Us!

Emma Dhesi:
Website: http://www.emmadhesi.com/
Book: https://launchpadcountdown.com/

The Author Wheel:
Website: www.AuthorWheel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheel

Greta Boris:
Website: www.GretaBoris.com
Facebook: @GretaBorisAuthor
Instagram: @GretaBoris

Megan Haskell:
Website: www.MeganHaskell.com
Facebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor

Support the show

FREE Mini Email Course

Have you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel’s new mini-course might be your solution.

7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language.

Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it’s free.

Click here to learn more!

The biggest risks can lead to things you never expected...

The conflict between the maker's life and the manager's world is a constant struggle. It's something that every creative entrepreneur has to deal with. Luckily, this week we have Brock Swinson on the show to share the productivity secrets of some of the most prolific writers around.

Brock Swinson is an interviewer for Creative Screenwriting, the host of Creative Principles Podcast and the author of Ink by the Barrel. He's giving away 100,000 copies of his recent release, Ink by the Barrel: Secrets from Prolific Writers and is currently working on a DocuSeries called Daredevil Society.

Question of the week:   Let's chat on the Facebook page @AuthorWheel.

Follow Us!

Brock Swinson:
Download the book for free! https://www.brockswinson.com/ink
Website: Creative Screenwriting
Podcast: Creative Principles
Instagram: @brockswinson

The Author Wheel:
Website: www.AuthorWheel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheel

Greta Boris:
Website: www.GretaBoris.com
Facebook: @GretaBorisAuthor
Instagram: @GretaBoris

Megan Haskell:
Website: www.MeganHaskell.com
Facebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor

Support the show

FREE Mini Email Course

Have you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel’s new mini-course might be your solution.

7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language.

Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it’s free.

Click here to learn more!

One hour a day is all it takes.

Some episodes of the podcast are contemplative, some are inspirational, this week's is full of absolutely practical information on how to find new readers for your books and increase your income.

Our guest, Matt Holmes, brought the monthly income from his wife's fantasy series into five-figures through advertising, and he tells us how he does it. One thing he doesn't do is fiddle too much with things. More than an hour a day, and you'll probably screw things up.

Matt Holmes is a book marketing consultant, helping self-published authors bring their work into the world through intentional and strategic marketing and advertising.

He writes a free book marketing newsletter received by thousands of authors, called "The Saturday Self-Published Author", and also offers various other resources, tools, and courses

We're Affiliates!
After airing this episode, we talked with Matt about becoming affiliates for the Facebook Ads course. Greta says this course changed her career.

Interested? Click the link below! You'll get an awesome course and support The Author Wheel Podcast at the same time, without any additional cost to you.

https://www.matthewjholmes.com/a/2147523688/zHt2PJpf

Question of the week:   What are you doing to market your books? Let's chat on the Facebook page @AuthorWheel.

Follow Us!

Matthew Holmes:
Website: https://www.matthewjholmes.com
Courses: https://www.matthewjholmes.com/courses
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewJHolmes1

The Author Wheel:
Website: www.AuthorWheel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheel

Greta Boris:
Website: www.GretaBoris.com
Facebook: @GretaBorisAuthor
Instagram: @GretaBoris

Megan Haskell:
Website: www.MeganHaskell.com
Facebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor

Facebook Ads for Authors-Matthew Holmes
Greta loves this course. It's changed her career!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

FREE Mini Email Course

Have you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel’s new mini-course might be your solution.

7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language.

Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it’s free.

Click here to learn more!

Perfectionism, time management, and saying "no" . . .

This week we're talking with Maddie Margarita, a local author friend who is a community organizer for writers all over Southern California. She generously shares her time with different writing groups, sometimes at the expense of her own writing time.

Maddie Margarita writes mystery/romantic suspense. She is the host of Lit Up! OC --a popular monthly writer’s salon in Southern California, and the Southern California Writers Association HUMP DAY BOOK TOUR broadcast live on Facebook every Wednesday morning, available on YouTube @SCWAwritersonline. When not writing, or talking, Maddie serves on the Board of the Southern California Writer’s Association and as President of Sisters-in Crime Orange County. A teaching artist at the Muzeo Museum & Cultural Center in Anaheim, CA., her short stories can be found in IT’S ALL IN THE STORY CALIFORNIA and BLOOD FICTION, both anthologies of short fiction.

Maddie's biggest roadblock is managing her time and learning how to set goals and say "no," so we're digging into our strategies to help her find clarity for her work.

Question of the week: How do you protect your writing time?  Let's chat on the Facebook page @AuthorWheel.

Follow Us!

Maddie Margarita:
Website: Maddiemargarita.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/madeline.tighemargarita
Instagram: @Maddiemargaritawrites

The Author Wheel:
Website: www.AuthorWheel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheel

Greta Boris:
Website: www.GretaBoris.com
Facebook: @GretaBorisAuthor
Instagram: @GretaBoris

Megan Haskell:
Website: www.MeganHaskell.com
Facebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor

Support the show

FREE Mini Email Course

Have you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel’s new mini-course might be your solution.

7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language.

Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it’s free.

Click here to learn more!

The cover's sole purpose is to attract readers . . .

Once again, we're talking about how critical it is to understand your genre when you're trying to reach readers, and the cover is a part of that package! But sometimes, you need to lean into the experts. 

We were thrilled to have Mariah Sinclair, "Queen of Cozy" Covers, on the show. She's an award-winning cover designer who has worked for advertising agencies as a designer and digital marketer serving Fortune 500 companies and the City of Los Angeles. Then she designed her first book cover in 2001. Now known as the “Queen of Cozy,” Mariah has designed over 1500 book covers with her clients regularly dominating the top of the cozy mystery charts on Amazon. 

This was a fascinating conversation about the process behind the cover design.

Question of the week: What do you look for in a cover designer?  Let's chat on the Facebook page @AuthorWheel.

Follow Us!

Mariah Sinclair:
Website: www.mariahsinclair.com

The Author Wheel:
Website: www.AuthorWheel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheel

Greta Boris:
Website: www.GretaBoris.com
Facebook: @GretaBorisAuthor
Instagram: @GretaBoris

Megan Haskell:
Website: www.MeganHaskell.com
Facebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor

Support the show

FREE Mini Email Course

Have you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel’s new mini-course might be your solution.

7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language.

Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it’s free.

Click here to learn more!

This week on the podcast, Megan and Greta talk with the amazing Dan Blank. Dan has worked in the publishing industry for decades. In this interview, we step back and take a look at the big picture before we drill down to what all of it means to us as individuals.

He also gives us a peek into how he works with his writing clients. There are so many great pointers in this episode, it feels like a coaching session. Plus, you get to hear Megan fan-girl all over the place.

Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers develop their author platforms, connect with readers, and launch their books. He is the author of the book Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience. He has worked with thousands of writers, and amazing organizations who support creative people such as Penguin Random House, Sesame Workshop, Hachette Book Group, Workman Publishing, J. Walter Thompson, Abrams Books, Writers House, The Kenyon Review, Writer’s Digest, Library Journal, and many others. 

Question of the week: What's one thing you've decided you'll NEVER do as an author? Let's chat on the Facebook page @AuthorWheel.

Follow Us!

Dan Blank:
Website: https://wegrowmedia.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danblank/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danblank

The Author Wheel:
Website: www.AuthorWheel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheel

Greta Boris:
Website: www.GretaBoris.com
Facebook: @GretaBorisAuthor
Instagram: @GretaBoris

Megan Haskell:
Website: www.MeganHaskell.com
Facebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor

Support the show

FREE Mini Email Course

Have you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel’s new mini-course might be your solution.

7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language.

Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it’s free.

Click here to learn more!