Have you ever felt like your opinions don't matter? Like you should just keep quiet and not rock the boat? If you grew up in certain church or cultural contexts, you may have learned that being a "good woman" meant making yourself smaller. But what if that's not what Jesus modeled at all?

In this powerful conversation, Kathi sits down with author and friend Susy Flory to explore what it really takes to move from being a writer to becoming a thought leader. This isn't about having millions of followers or starting political movements—it’s about having the courage to share your unique perspective and trusting that your voice matters.

What You'll Discover in This Episode

Writers have a unique gift: the ability to see things others might miss and articulate truths through story. But that gift often gets buried under fear, people-pleasing, and the message that having opinions is somehow wrong—especially for women.

Kathi and Susy dive deep into:

A New Way to Think About Your Voice

Susy shares how her doctoral studies reinforced something crucial: your opinion is valid simply because it's yours. When you can back it up with personal experience, scripture, and reputable sources, even better. But disagreement isn't sin—it’s conversation.

As Kathi points out, if you're just rehashing what everyone else has already said, the world doesn't need your voice. But here's the truth: you don't believe everything you've grown up with. You've learned things. You've questioned things. And those insights? They matter.

Key Takeaways

Whether you're writing about faith, family, decluttering, or anything else, you have a unique perspective the world needs to hear. It's time to stop making yourself smaller and start raising your voice.

Have you ever dreamed of seeing yourself on local TV promoting your book or message—but had no idea where to start? You're not alone. Many writers feel overwhelmed by the idea of pitching media, building relationships with producers, and finding that newsworthy angle that gets them booked.

In this episode of the Writing at the Red House podcast, Kathi Lipp sits down with Tenneil Register, a writer and entrepreneur who has been appearing on local TV for nearly 20 years. Tenneil shares her practical, relationship-centered approach to building community partnerships that have put her in front of new audiences again and again—without ever feeling salesy or pushy.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

Key Takeaways

Lead with service, not self-promotion. The most successful media appearances happen when you focus on solving a problem for the audience rather than promoting yourself. When you serve the producer's goals and their viewers' needs, you become someone they want to book again.

Be supremely askbackable. Show up prepared, don't overstep boundaries, deliver everything a producer needs, and make their job as easy as possible. That's how you get invited back.

Your pitch should read like a news headline. Producers don't have time to read three-page emails. Be clear, succinct, and include the "why now" that connects your topic to their audience's current needs.

Relationships matter more than one-time appearances. Treat producers and hosts like the humans they are. Remember details about their lives, follow up with gratitude, and promote their show on your own platforms.

Whether you're a first-time author or a seasoned speaker looking to expand your reach, this episode will give you the confidence and clarity to start building your own community partnerships.

Do you find yourself hitting a new quarter and realizing you have no idea what you should be working on? You're not alone. Writing is a long game, and without intentional planning, it's easy for your creative dreams to fall to the bottom of your to-do list.

In this episode, Kathi Lipp and Tenneil Register pull back the curtain on the quarterly planning process they use inside the Red House Writers Collective. If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward with your writing, this episode offers a simple framework that can change everything.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why quarterly planning is the perfect unit of time for making real progress on your writing goals

• The Create, Serve, Build framework that helps writers focus on what matters most each month

• How to set realistic goals that fit your actual life—not some fantasy cabin-in-the-woods scenario

• Practical tips for keeping your goals in front of you (hint: sticky notes work!)

• Why 333 words a day can lead to 10,000 words in just 30 days

The Create, Serve, Build Framework

Create (July): Focus on your bigger projects—your book, a speech, a paid membership. This is the month for the 30-day 10K challenge where you aim to write 10,000 words on your work in progress.

Serve (August): How are you currently nurturing your audience? Whether it's social media, newsletters, or guest posting, this month is about showing up for the people who need your message right now—not just when your book comes out.

Build (September): This is about growing your business and platform. Maybe you're attending a conference, launching coaching services, or pitching to media. Build is how you create sustainability in your writing career.

Key Takeaways

• A quarter is the perfect balance—long enough to make real progress, short enough to stay focused

• You don't need a color-coded spreadsheet; three sentences on Post-it notes can get you started

• Planning too small or too big are both traps—find the realistic middle ground

• Serving your audience now builds the foundation for readers to care about your future book

• It's not too early to start planning for Q3—July, August, and September are closer than you think!

If you're planning to pitch a book this year, you might be surprised to learn that the strategies that worked just a few years ago may not cut it anymore. The publishing landscape has shifted dramatically, and understanding these changes could make all the difference in whether your book finds its audience.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

In this episode of the Writing at the Red House podcast, host Kathi Lipp sits down with literary agent Barb Roose from Books and Such Literary Agency to unpack the critical shifts in book pitching for 2026. Whether you're preparing for conference season or crafting your first query letter, this conversation will help you approach publishers and agents with confidence.

The AI Factor in Publishing

Barb explains why literary agents can often tell when a query has been AI-generated—and why that matters. She shares practical wisdom about using AI as a tool without letting it undermine your unique voice and intellectual property. The key takeaway? Publishers want books that come from the DNA of humans, especially in faith-based publishing where trust is paramount.

Understanding Discoverability in 2026

With 85% of books sold on Amazon and millions of titles competing for attention, how do readers find your book? Barb breaks down the concept of "niche felt need"—the specific problem readers are trying to solve or the exact type of story they're searching for. She offers a practical framework for researching your category and understanding what makes bestselling books in your space successful.

The Rule of Three

Barb shares her "rule of three" strategy for social media research: find three authors slightly ahead of you in your lane, study their social media comments, and identify what their readers are connecting with. This isn't about copying—it's about understanding what resonates and bringing your unique experience to meet that need.

Key Takeaways

If you're serious about getting your book into the hands of readers who need it, this episode will help you refine your approach and pitch with confidence in 2026.

Have you ever felt stuck trying to narrow down your target reader? What if your book naturally speaks to two very different audiences? In this episode of Writing at the Red House, Kathi Lipp sits down with bestselling author and acquisitions editor Jennifer Dukes Lee to explore what happens when you break the "one ideal reader" rule.

Jennifer opens up about the challenge she faced while writing her latest book, How to Love Your Morning. On one hand, she was writing to productivity-loving morning people who wanted to level up their routines. On the other, she was reaching out to those who dread mornings and have convinced themselves they could never change. How do you write—and market—a book that speaks to both?

What You'll Learn in This Episode

Key Takeaways for Writers

Jennifer's approach challenges the conventional wisdom that every book must have one narrowly defined reader. While she still narrowed her audience to women, she discovered that by being transparent about who she was writing to—and creating targeted marketing for each group—she could serve both audiences well.

For writers struggling with the "who is this for?" question, this episode offers permission to think creatively about your audience while still being strategic in your marketing approach.

Whether you're in the book proposal stage or knee-deep in promotion, Jennifer's insights will help you think differently about reaching the readers who need your message most.

You're sending newsletters faithfully, but it feels like they're disappearing into a black hole. No opens. No responses. Just silence. If you've ever wondered whether anyone actually reads what you write, this episode is for you.

Kathi Lipp and Tenneil Register dive into the real reason people aren't opening your emails—and it's probably not what you think. Spoiler alert: it's not about clever tricks or urgency-driven headlines. It's about something much more fundamental.

What You'll Discover in This Episode

Key Takeaways

Your email list is your owned audience. Unlike social media platforms that can change algorithms or shut down accounts, your newsletter subscribers belong to you. Publishers and agents are paying attention to this.

People open emails from people they trust. Before worrying about clever subject lines, focus on building genuine relationships with your readers. Do they believe you actually care about them?

Your voice isn't just a style choice—it's a signal. When readers open your email, they should hear YOU, not a polished, over-edited version that sounds like a research paper or a performance.

The text test works. If your subject line would feel weird to text a friend, it'll feel weird in their inbox too. Keep it personal and genuine.

If you're ready to transform your newsletter from something you dread writing into something your readers look forward to receiving, this conversation will give you the foundation you need to get started.

Do you find yourself staring at a blank page when it's time to write your newsletter? You know you should be connecting with your readers regularly, but between writing your book, managing social media, and all of life's other responsibilities, the newsletter keeps slipping through the cracks.

In this practical episode, Kathi and Roger Lipp dive into three specific ways AI can remove the friction from your newsletter workflow—without sacrificing your authentic voice or creative control.

What You'll Discover in This Episode

Whether you're sending newsletters weekly or struggling to get one out quarterly, this episode addresses the real barriers that keep writers from connecting with their audience consistently.

Finding Your Newsletter Themes

Learn how to feed AI your existing content—podcast transcripts, blog posts, speaking notes—and let it identify themes you may have missed. This approach helps you create cohesive newsletters that point readers to your deeper content while saving hours of brainstorming time.

Formatting Help That Actually Works

If drag-and-drop newsletter builders pull you out of your creative flow, discover how to ask AI to generate HTML that you can drop directly into your email platform. Roger shares specific tips for working with Claude and why it follows formatting instructions better than other AI tools.

Copy Editing With Purpose

Go beyond grammar and spelling checks. Learn how to use AI to ensure your copy reaches your target audience by providing your reader avatar and asking for specific feedback—while keeping yourself in the driver's seat of your message.

Key Takeaways

• AI should be your assistant, not your replacement—your readers signed up for YOUR voice

• A paid Claude subscription ($17/month) is worth the investment for newsletter formatting

• Always test links and verify dates before sending—AI makes assumptions and wants to be "helpful"

• Ask AI to highlight suggested changes rather than making them automatically

• An AI-assisted response is better than no response at all when connecting with your audience

This episode is perfect for writers who value their newsletter readers but struggle to maintain consistency. Kathi and Roger share the exact workflow they use for both their weekly Clutter Free newsletter and bi-monthly Writing at the Red House newsletter.

Want to go deeper? The Writing at the Red House Collective will be teaching these AI newsletter techniques step-by-step next month. Join the community of dedicated writers building AI-assisted content workflows that fit the way they work.

Life doesn't pause for our writing schedules. Between long COVID, emergency surgery, a tree crashing through the house, and a week without power, Kathi Lipp and Roger Lipp have navigated one of their most challenging seasons yet—all while keeping the podcast going and even submitting a new book proposal.

If you've ever wondered how to maintain your creative momentum when everything feels like it's falling apart, this episode is for you. Kathi Lipp and Roger Lipp pull back the curtain on what it really looks like to be a content creator during crisis and share why these difficult seasons might actually be the key to your most authentic, impactful writing.

What You'll Discover in This Episode

• Why hard seasons make your writing more real and relatable to readers

• How brainstorming counts as writing—even when you can't sit at your desk

• Practical ways to capture ideas during chaotic times (notes apps, emails, voice memos)

• The power of talking it out with a partner, friend, or even AI

• Why you don't need all the answers to write authentically about struggle

• How to give yourself permission to write badly—because editing is easier than creating from scratch

You've probably seen it a hundred times—an author posts their book cover on Instagram with a "Buy my book!" caption, and... crickets. If you've ever wondered why simply showing up with your book cover doesn't translate into sales, this episode is for you.

Social media strategist and author Ruthie Gray joins Kathi Lipp to share the real secret to Instagram book marketing: it's not about the launch week—it's about the runway you build long before your book ever hits shelves.

What You'll Discover in This Episode

• Why posting book covers alone never works (and what to do instead)

• The "breadcrumb" strategy that trains your audience to take action when it matters most

• How to connect your everyday life to your book's content in authentic ways

• What to start doing NOW even if your book doesn't release for another year

• Practical call-to-action ideas that build engagement without feeling salesy

• How to use Instagram Stories to test content before creating Reels

• Launch week strategies including Instagram Lives and collaborations

• The power of hitting pain points and creating content series

Why This Matters for Your Writing Journey

Whether your book releases next month or in 2027, the time to start building your Instagram presence is now. Ruthie shares from her own experience launching Empty Nest Awakening and preparing for her upcoming devotional, proving that consistency and authenticity trump flashy marketing every time.

Key Takeaways

• Start before you need it: Build your Instagram consistency and engagement long before launch

• Train your audience: Use simple calls to action so followers are ready for the big ask

• Live your message: Find the intersection between your daily life and your book's content

• Test in Stories: Use Stories to discover what resonates before creating polished Reels

• Collaborate for reach: Instagram Lives and collaborations expand your audience during launch

Have you ever poured your heart into a book idea, only to wonder if anyone will actually want to read it? What if there was a way to know—before you write a single chapter—that your message will resonate with readers?

In this episode of the Writing at the Red House podcast, Kathi Lipp and Cheri Gregory reveal the approach that separates successful authors from those whose books gather dust: writing your book before you write your book.

For writers who feel overwhelmed by the prospect of investing months (or years) into a manuscript without knowing if it will connect, this conversation offers a liberating path forward. Instead of hiding your ideas until they're "perfect," Kathi and Cheri share eight practical ways to test, refine, and develop your message while simultaneously building the audience who's waiting for it.

What You'll Discover in This Episode

Key Takeaways for Writers

Start serving now. Publishers, agents, and your future readers don't want you waiting for a book deal to share your message. The book becomes a synthesis of what you've already been teaching—not the starting point.

Use different platforms to access different parts of your brain. Speaking and writing engage different cognitive processes. What emerges in conversation may never appear when you're sitting alone trying to craft perfect sentences.

Fall in love with your people. The process of testing your message transforms you from someone who has something to say into someone who desperately wants to serve. That shift shows up in every word you write.

Whether you're just beginning to dream about your first book or you're refining ideas for your next project, this episode offers a roadmap for developing content that truly connects—long before you type "Chapter One."