In which Pru discovers that Merry has been paying WAY more attention to first drafts than Pru has…and thereby turning Meredith Bond romances into tight, pithy, emotional jewels. “I want that, too!” declares Pru, and then grips her head at the emotional toll it’s going to take to get BETTER!

In which Merry teases apart the many onion-like layers in the word “editing,” from the developmental edit to the copy edit, from line edits to the Do No Skip This Step of proofreading. Plus, where to find these team members and how much to expect to pay. Pru remains wide-eyed and astonished, as usual.

In which Pru learns so much about tag lines that she forces a temporary stop in the recording so she can go apply what she learned. The results give Merry the giggles, which is either a very good or a very bad sign.

In which Merry whispers the secret of getting THREE EXTRA KEYWORDS on your Amazon book description, taking you from seven to TEN! Hotcha, Mama, that’s good listenin’!

Book Coaching—in which Pru learns that there are people (including Merry) who will act as a book tutor. More personal than classes, more targeted than how-to books; a coach costs money…but it’s an investment, like a college education. Pru decides she’s ready to hire Merry as her tutor. (Obviously. I’m inexperienced, but I’m not an idiot.) 

Book Covers—in which Merry guides Pru through a theoretical conversation with a book designer. What to expect, what to prepare for, how much to pay, why not to hyperventilate with the stress of it all. At this last part, Merry is only marginally successful, but some people will just NOT calm down.

Newsletters—in which an author with THIRTY-ONE newsletter subscribers learns from an author with MANY THOUSANDS of subscribers all kinds of useful things like how often to mail, what to include, and how to gain more subscribers without even publishing anything. Jeesh—that’s clever!

Episode #2: Deep POV (Point of View)—in which Merry finally breaks through Pru’s confusion on using sensory and emotional details to advance the story without filling up pages of vague ramblings like cholesterol in an artery.

In The Beginning… in which Meredith and Pru giggle unprofessionally as they outline the scope of the podcast, a mournful train whistle blows romantically in the background, and Pru begs Merry to make her wise. “We’re going to need a bigger boat."