The Merry Writer Podcast

By Ari & RachelBusiness Entrepreneurship Education Arts Books

The Merry Writer Podcast episodes

January 28What Should You Consider When Picking An Editor? | Ep. 305 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
You've finished your story, edited it to within an inch of its life, and now it's time to let a professional take a look! So just what do you need to consider when choosing an editor?
In this episode, we cover:
Qualifications
Contracts
AI clause
Cost
and lots more
Bonus
We created a bonus for our Ko-fi Members on where you can find an editor.
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
33 min
January 21Do Authors Still Need Newsletters? | Ep. 304 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
An author newsletter, or email list, is important to have for writers to connect with their readers and have a unique platform to promote their books. However, there's many pros and cons to having a list, and is it even still relevant in 2026?
In this episode, we cover:
What an author newsletter is and its purpose
Factors and stats to think about before starting an email list
Conversion rates
References:
What is a Good Open Rate?
What is a Click Rate?
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
35 min
January 14Do You Need A Digital Detox To Help Your Writing? | Ep. 303 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Do you ever come away from a doom-scrolling session and feel energised? Probably not. Our tech devices demand a lot of our time and often leave us feeling drained, down in the dumps and struggling to focus.
If that's you, then maybe a digital detox is in order. Check out today's episode as we discuss just that!
In this episode, we cover:
What is a digital detox?
Why do a digital detox?
Benefits of a digital detox
How to do a digital detox?
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 read 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
47 min
January 07What Are Our Writing Goals For 2026? | Ep. 302 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Happy New Year! With a new year comes new goals, of course. This week, we discuss accomplishments and goals for our writing in 2026.
In this episode, we cover:
Our writing accomplishments in 2025
Rachel's 2026 writing goals
Ari's 2026 writing goals
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
31 min
December 31, 2025Rapid Fire Questions 2.0 | Ep. 301 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Since this is the last episode of 2025, we thought we'd do another Rapid Fire Question episode (yes, we know it's seldom "rapid" but just go with it) :)
These questions are not just any questions; we are re-answering ones from way back... in 2020!
In this episode, we cover:
Are you a planner, pantser or plantser?
What is your typical writing routine?
Do you prefer hardbacks, paperbacks, ebooks or audiobooks?
What is the best / worst thing about writing?
How do you keep up with your writing goals?
How do you choose which story to write?
What do you do if you hit a roadblock in your novel?
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
40 min
December 24, 2025Revisiting Early Episodes | Ep. 300 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Happy 300 episodes! This means you've been listening to us talk every week for 300 weeks straight. Crazy, huh? This week, we thought it'd be fun (and horrifying) to listen back to some old episodes and see how far we've come as podcasters and writers. Thanks for listening for so long!
In this episode, we listen to:
Clips from episode 2
Clips from episode 6
Clips from episode 12
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
44 min
December 17, 2025 Who Are Some Of The Haters You May Have To Deal With As A Writer? | Ep. 299 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Since we are almost at the end of the year AND close to our 300th episode, we thought we do a silly-ish episode taking a look at some of the haters and crappy people you might meet when you become a writer.
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
31 min
December 10, 2025What Is An Author Brand Story? | Ep. 298 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
We all know the author bio, but have you heard of an author brand story? This week, we discuss what it is and why it could be beneficial to write one for your author career.
In this episode, we cover:
Brand story vs. bio
How to write one
How many should you write
Related Episode:
How Do You Write A Good Author Bio?
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
18 min
December 03, 2025Who Is KM Allan? | Ep. 297 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
This week, Ari is sadly absent due to timezones. So, I'm interviewing author KM Allan on my own. Join me as we talk about her routine, books, and more.
In this episode, we cover:
KM's writing process
Her new checklist book
Writing routine (writing and authoring)
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!
ABOUT KM Allan
K.M. Allan is the author of The Blackbirch Series and a blogger powered by chocolate and green tea. She's also an identical twin, but not the evil one.
Website | Instagram | Amazon
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
35 min
November 26, 2025Do You Need Write Or Die To Get You Writing? | Ep. 296 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
It's time for another writing challenge! This time, we decided to use Write or Die to get some work done and test if it can help (or hinder) your progress.
In this episode, we cover:
What Write or Die is
Our experiences with the program
Whether we'd recommend it
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?
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
17 min