The Merry Writer Podcast

EPISODE SHOW NOTES

In today's episode we are discussing what things we were willing and happy to spend money on to help our writing life! 

In this episode, we cover:

As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!

WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?

We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you!

If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.

If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Ko-fi

You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.

Special Thanks

Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie

Share

If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.

CREDITS

Hosts

Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli

Music

Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES

We all know what writing prompts are, but what about writing exercises? If you want to improve your craft, writing exercises are a great way to do so. This week, we discuss what writing exercises are and the differences between them and prompts.

In this episode, we cover:

As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!

WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?

We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you!

If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.

If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Ko-fi

You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.

Special Thanks

Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie

Share

If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.

CREDITS

Hosts

Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli

Music

Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES

Please help us welcome another author to the show, Adina Chiles! Adina is a YA Fantasy author who’s a creator and collector of fictional worlds. Her book, Secrets of a Rose, is the first title in the Royal Blood series, and is available now.

In this episode, we cover:

As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!

ABOUT ADINA CHILES

ADINA CHILES has an obsession with all things; coffee, fantasy, and contemporary. She is both a creator and collector of fictional worlds and enjoys the company of a good book over peopling.

She was born and raised in Northern California, and outside of the book world, she enjoys creating new recipes for her baking business, traveling, and binge-watching shows.

Adina is currently published by Forever Young and Never & Ever, and she hopes in the near future to expand and publish a few contemporary pieces.

Website | Instagram

WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?

We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you!

If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.

If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Ko-fi

You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.

Special Thanks

Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie

Share

If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.

CREDITS

Hosts

Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli

Music

Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES

It's 2026, which means everything is online. It's important to promote your book on and offline, but one great way to get many eyes on your book is to run a virtual book blog tour. How does one do that? Well, that's what we're discussing this week.

In this episode, we cover:

As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!

WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?

We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you!

If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.

If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Ko-fi

You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.

Special Thanks

Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie

Share

If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.

CREDITS

Hosts

Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli

Music

Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES

Writing can be a lonely business and there's a lot to learn when you want to become a published author. Having connections to people who understand what it's like and building communities can be really useful. So today we are talking about networking and how to do it (according to us!) :)

In this episode, we cover:

What is networking (according to us)

Why networking can be important

How to network

As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!

WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?

We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you!

If you would like to be considered, please take a moment to review our FAQs Page.

If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are currently accepting submissions.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Ko-fi

You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going, and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.

Special Thanks

Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie

Share

If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.

CREDITS

Hosts

Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli

Music

Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES

A few episodes ago, we touched upon book launch roadmaps. It was then we realized that we had never discussed a roadmap on the show before, so here we are. Just what is a book launch roadmap and what does it entail? This week, we discuss how to use a roadmap to streamline your self-publishing journey.

In this episode, we cover:

As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!

WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?

We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you!

If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.

If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Ko-fi

You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.

Special Thanks

Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie

Share

If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.

CREDITS

Hosts

Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli

Music

Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES

This week, we’re getting to know author Jill Haymaker. Jill is a contemporary western romance author with several short stories published. She writes the Montana Pines series, which currently has eight books available now.

In this episode, we cover:

As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!

ABOUT JILL HAYMAKER

ill has always had a passion for writing. She resides on the front range of Colorado and enjoys getting up into the mountains and riding horses. If you love western small town romance, you will love the strong heroines and handsome cowboys in her books.

She has three contemporary romance series set high in the Colorado Rockies—the Peakview Series, the Aspen Ridge Series, and the Peaktop Dude Ranch Series. Currently she is writing a Montana Pines Series. She also has several short stories published by Chicken Soup for the Soul.

She practiced family law for over 20 years before closing her law office to become a full-time author. She has three grown children, and six granddaughters and one grandson.

When not writing, Jill enjoys the Colorado mountains, horseback riding, gardening, long walks with her Toy Australian Shepherd, Merlin, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Website | Instagram | Goodreads | TikTok

WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?

We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you!

If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.

If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Ko-fi

You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.

Special Thanks

Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie

Share

If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.

CREDITS

Hosts

Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli

Music

Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES

A crucial part of prepping your book for publication to ensuring it prints correctly and looks great without any errors. To check that, you need to order an author proof. This week, we discuss how to give your author proof a thorough look over to make sure it's 110% ready for publication.

In this episode, we cover:

As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!

WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?

We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you!

If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.

If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Ko-fi

You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.

Special Thanks

Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie

Share

If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.

CREDITS

Hosts

Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli

Music

Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES

EDIT: Apologies for the technical issues. During the recording our connection became unstable and both myself and Rachel ended up out of Zoom for brief periods  

Yes, we are back with another editing episode. For those new to writing, the editing process can be quite overwhelming, so we discuss some things that can help you get started and what to consider when editing your first manuscript.

In this episode, we cover:

Know the types of edits

Make a list of things to consider

Take a break

Use a style sheet

First pass read

Get outside help

and more

As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!

WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?

We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you!

If you would like to be considered, please take a moment to review our FAQs Page.

If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are currently accepting submissions.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Ko-fi

You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going, and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.

Special Thanks

Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie

Share

If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.

CREDITS

Hosts

Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli

Music

Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES

Unfortunately, we need to promote our books when we write them. In a digital world, social media is the way to go. But how can you take enticing book photos for your social channels? That's what we discuss this week.

In this episode, we cover:

As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!

WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?

We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you!

If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.

If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Ko-fi

You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.

Special Thanks

Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie

Share

If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.

CREDITS

Hosts

Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli

Music

Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0