The Write Podcast with Sarah Williams

Do you really have to be on social media to sell books?

Indie fantasy author K.S. Elliott is proof of what happens when you do it on your own terms. With over 50,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram, K.S. has turned short videos and character POV reels into direct sales through her own store, a thriving street team, pre-order campaigns, and brand collaborations — all while writing her upcoming release, Ultan Academy.

In this episode, K.S. shares how she grew her platform from zero, the content that actually converts, how she balances posting with writing, and the honest answer to whether views become royalties. Whether you're camera-shy or chasing your first viral moment, this one's packed with practical takeaways.

Plus — meet K.S. in person at the Sunshine Coast Fiction Festival, hosted by Serenade Publishing, 30 October – 1 November at Venue 114, Bokarina.

Tickets: sunshinecoastfictionfestival.com.au✍️ Writers: Want help building a real writing career?Join my free weekly email for tips on writing, publishing, and growing your readership.→ www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —👋 About This ChannelHi, I’m Sarah Williams. I help writers turn their books into sustainable careers.Here we talk about:• writing and finishing books• publishing and the book industry• author marketing• building a long-term writing careerWhether you're writing your first book or already publishing, you're welcome here.— — — — — — — — — —🚀 Ready to go deeper?✦ The Author CEO – for writers ready to treat their books like a real business ✦ Author Retreats – immersive strategy and writing retreatsLearn more:www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —📌 Connect With MeInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/serenadepublishingTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@serenadepublishing

Money isn't just about pricing strategy or Amazon keywords. It's about the story you've carried since childhood, and most authors have no idea how much that story is running their business.

In this solo episode, I get personal about the money wounds I grew up with, a feast or famine household where cash came in and went straight back out, and how that shaped years of my adult life. I unpack why creative people are especially prone to money blocks, drawing on Denise Duffield-Thomas's work on limiting beliefs, and I walk through the patterns I see constantly in the author community: the unworthiness loop ("I'll charge more when I've earned it"), the fear of visibility disguised as a money block, and the quiet belief that financial competence just isn't in your DNA.

Then we get practical. I share five real starting points for rewiring your money story, from naming the belief out loud, to building an evidence file that proves the old story wrong. None of it is a three-step fix. All of it is work I've actually done myself.If you've ever underpriced a book, apologised for a price tag, or spent a royalty payment before it cleared, this one's for you.

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✍️ Writers: Want help building a real writing career?Join my free weekly email for tips on writing, publishing, and growing your readership.→ www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —👋 About This ChannelHi, I’m Sarah Williams. I help writers turn their books into sustainable careers.Here we talk about:• writing and finishing books• publishing and the book industry• author marketing• building a long-term writing careerWhether you're writing your first book or already publishing, you're welcome here.— — — — — — — — — —🚀 Ready to go deeper?✦ The Author CEO – for writers ready to treat their books like a real business ✦ Author Retreats – immersive strategy and writing retreatsLearn more:www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —📌 Connect With MeInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/serenadepublishingTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@serenadepublishing

Most authors end up running a business built on obligation and momentum rather than intention. In this episode, Sarah draws on Natalie Ellis's The Freedom Based Business and the Pareto Principle to help writers get honest about where their time is really going — and what it actually looks like to build an author career that fits their life.

In this episode:

• Why so many authors are busy but not making progress — and how the 80/20 rule reveals what's really driving results

• What "delegate or delete" looks like in a practical author business context

• Why clear communication (not mind-reading) is one of the most underrated CEO skills a writer can develop

From fantasy kingdoms to zookeeper rom-coms, A.K. Mulford has built an extraordinary multiverse of stories. This episode first aired August 2025, and I'm bringing it back because it's one of the most practical conversations I've had about writing fast and building a real author business, and because Ali is joining me at the Sunshine Coast Fiction Festival this year.

I sit down with A.K. Mulford, fantasy novelist, rom-com writer, cosy paranormal creator and TikTok favourite, to explore Ali's path to becoming a hybrid author, balancing indie and traditional publishing, and writing across multiple genres. Ali is one of those authors who treats her writing and her books as a business, and she does it exceptionally well. That's the thread that runs through this whole conversation.

I hear how Ali went from filling notebooks as a child to living in jungles as a wildlife biologist, then self-publishing her breakout fantasy The High Mountain Court in 2021, which racked up over a million page reads in its first month. Since then she's signed with Harper Voyager, launched multiple pen names, and built a loyal global readership through an authentic presence on TikTok and Instagram.

What you'll learn in this episode:

👉 How to write fast without sacrificing quality. Ali shares the mindset and systems behind publishing at speed, averaging 50,000 words per novel.

👉 The benefits of being a hybrid author. Why she started in self-publishing and then expanded into traditional, plus the honest pros and cons of each.

👉 The 3-Day 30K Challenge. Ali's neurodivergent-friendly writing sprint that helps authors hit their word count goals in three days.

👉 How to juggle multiple genres and pen names. From epic fantasy to steamy rom-coms to cosy paranormal mysteries, why switching tones keeps her creative energy high.

👉 TikTok for authors. Ali's unconventional approach to BookTok, built on community and long-term readership rather than chasing viral trends.

👉 Creative balance. How she homeschools two kids, manages multiple series, and still protects her joy in the writing.

About A.K. Mulford: A.K. Mulford is an international bestselling author of romantic fantasy, rom-com and paranormal fiction. Her works include The High Mountain Court, She's a Keeper, and the cosy paranormal hit Pumpkin Spice and Poltergeist. She's passionate about helping writers find their own path, through the 3-Day 30K Challenge, her YouTube channel for authors, and her social media presence.

Where to start in the Mulford multiverse: Fantasy lovers: The High Mountain Court or A River of Golden Bones Rom-com fans: She's a Keeper (Zookeeper Rom-Com Series) Cosy paranormal readers: Pumpkin Spice and Poltergeist

Connect with A.K. Mulford:

🌐 Website: https://akmulford.com

📱 TikTok & Instagram: @akmulfordauthor

📺 YouTube: A.K. Mulford

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✍️ Writers: Want help building a real writing career?Join my free weekly email for tips on writing, publishing, and growing your readership.→ www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —👋 About This ChannelHi, I’m Sarah Williams. I help writers turn their books into sustainable careers.Here we talk about:• writing and finishing books• publishing and the book industry• author marketing• building a long-term writing careerWhether you're writing your first book or already publishing, you're welcome here.— — — — — — — — — —🚀 Ready to go deeper?✦ The Author CEO – for writers ready to treat their books like a real business ✦ Author Retreats – immersive strategy and writing retreatsLearn more:www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —📌 Connect With MeInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/serenadepublishingTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@serenadepublishing

How does one book series make money in more than a dozen ways? In this solo episode, I break down how I turned my four-book cowboy romance series, Brigadier Station, into five separate author income streams:

• Ebooks and paperbacks — all four books, available wide

• Audio — three audiobooks narrated by Myles Pollard, plus a set that sells for a single Audible credit

• The ebook boxset — turning existing work into a brand new product

• The premium direct edition — a foil, sprayed-edge special edition I sell only direct, and why that's the most profitable move most authors never make

• Self-published translations — German, Italian, Spanish, and French, all of which I translate and upload myself

This is catalogue thinking in action. Stop counting books, start counting income streams.

It's also the work I do with women authors inside the Author CEO Private Mentorship. Learn more at serenadepublishing.com/the-author-ceo (link in show notes).

In this episode, I'm sharing the four investments I come back to again and again in my work with authors. These aren't things I learned from a course. They're the things I see actually move the needle for the women who are serious about building real, sustainable author careers.

We cover:

• The money mindset shift that changes how you invest in your career

• Why I recommend getting a coach sooner than feels comfortable, and what it actually gives you

• What retreats offer that no online experience can replicate, and the connections that change careers

• Why showing up at conferences and industry events is one of the most strategic things you can do

• The manifesting practice I recommend to students and what it actually does for clarity and confidence

• The identity principle that connects all of it

If you're ready to stop waiting and start building with real strategy and support, I'd love for you to look into The Author CEO Private Mentorship. Applications are open at www.serenadepublishing.com/the-author-ceo.

If you're serious about building an author career — not just finishing a book, but actually turning your writing into a sustainable business — this episode is going to change how you think about everything.

I've written ten novels, built Serenade Publishing from the ground up, and spent years coaching women fiction authors through the publishing decisions that make or break a long-term career. And the single biggest difference I see between authors who build something lasting and authors who stay stuck? It's not talent. It's not even hard work. It's how they think about their books.

In this episode, I'm sharing the Author CEO mindset — the framework I've used in my own career and that I now teach inside The Author CEO Private Mentorship — including three specific mental shifts that will change how you approach every publishing decision you make from here.

In this episode we cover:

• Why your books are employees — and what it means to give each one a job description
• The self-publishing strategy question most authors never ask (and why it's costing them)
• How to make money as an author beyond royalties, and why your back catalogue is your most underused asset
• The ideal reader clarity practice that changes your book marketing, your covers, your content, and your income
• Why publishing rights are a wealth decision, not just a contract detail
• The money mindset shift that women authors are rarely given permission to make
• How manifestation and business strategy work together — and why you actually need both

This episode is for you if:

• You're a fiction author who wants to build a real, financially sustainable writing career
• You've been self-publishing or considering it, and you want a clear strategy — not just more information
• You feel like you're making publishing decisions in the dark and you're ready for that to change
• You want to understand how indie authors actually build passive income from their books over time
• You're done treating your writing like a hobby and ready to run it like a business

Resources mentioned:

The Author CEO Private Mentorship — 4 months, 1:1, for women authors who are ready to build strategically: serenadepublishing.com/the-author-ceo

Connect with Sarah:

Website: serenadepublishing.comInstagram: @serenadepublishingThe Write Podcast: serenadepublishing.com/thewritepodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review — it helps other women fiction authors find this podcast and the support they've been looking for.

Are you a writer or creative entrepreneur with ADHD—or suspect you might be? In this powerful episode of The Write Podcast, host Sarah Williams chats with certified Gallup Strengths Coach and author Samara Thorn about how understanding your unique strengths can transform your writing process, boost your productivity, and help you thrive as a neurodivergent creator.

You’ll learn:

• How ADHD affects writers and entrepreneurs

• Why traditional productivity hacks often don’t work for neurodivergent brains

• How Gallup Strengths can help you write and work in alignment with your personality

• Real-life strategies for harnessing focus, confidence, and creativity—even with a busy brain
  

Whether you’re struggling with motivation, consistency, or the overwhelm of running a creative business, this episode offers hope, encouragement, and actionable insights to help you embrace your ADHD and succeed on your own terms.

In 2016, I was offered a traditional publishing contract. I said no — and that decision shaped everything that came after it.

In this episode I share the real reasons why: the royalty maths that didn't add up, the value of freedom that I wasn't willing to compromise, my honest lack of patience for a four-year timeline, and the bigger picture of wanting to build a sustainable business for myself and my family.

This isn't a case against traditional publishing. It's a case for knowing yourself well enough to make the right decision for you.

She went viral overnight, landed a Penguin deal, and is somehow doing it all as a brand new mum.

Lauren Jackson is a Gold Coast romance author and BookTok creator whose path to publishing is one of the most exciting stories in Australian romance right now. She started by self-publishing, built a devoted readership one book at a time, and when Tierney Page featured her work on TikTok — everything changed.

In this episode, Lauren and I talk about her journey from self-published author to Penguin Books, what it was like to go viral and have the industry suddenly come knocking, how she's built such a genuine and loyal community online, and what life looks like now that she's navigating a creative career with a newborn in the mix.

This is a conversation about persistence, timing, and what happens when the right person discovers your book at the right moment.