• PATREON:

Thanks so much to new patron Faye Whyte.

Thank you to my existing patrons for believing in my work offline and here in the podcast. If you are a patron, in either tier, you get all my content, always. You can support me and my dreams and my writing and my aligned author life for $11.11 USD, and I will be so so grateful. Truly. Heart to heart. Gratitude for your gifts. If you want coaching too (with TWO LIVE CALLS EACH MONTH, you can BACK me at $55.55/mo USD). You will NEVER find coaching sessions for less money than this. If you've ever wanted continued support for your writing and accountability for your projects, this is the way to do it.

Become a patron of the arts and of me at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.

And you can support my friend and colleague and Visiting Co-Host author Erick Mertz at Patreon.com/strangeairstories for short stories in the paranormal mystery genre.

Announcements/Author Updates:

• hole in my roof (Feng shui story)
• seen the dentist
• Sunday Summit (weekly reflection from Soul-Sourced Entrepreneur)
• request to bring back a regular patron gathering for all members (paid and unpaid) Mini writing retreat (cozy, candle; oracle card pull to set intention; check-in: 1 struggle, 1 win, what you are working on tonight; guided meditation; writing words; share word count (optional)); PLEASE send me a DM or a comment where you heard this podcast, or in the Patreon community. Let me know if this is something you crave. It's not just shared writing space. It's a retreat from regular life (dishes, dogs, kids, day job) and a safe and sacred space to connect and to write.
• met with an architect
• What are you reading?

• Just finished: Smoke Screen (J.L. Kwak)
• Soul Sourced Entrepreneur (Christine Kane)

Back-burner Books: (Still on the stack but haven't finished reading them yet...)

• Wild Dark Shore (Charlotte McConaghy)
• We Need Your Art: Stop Messing Around and Make Something (Amie McNee) (resource tip)***
• Creative Act (Rick Rubin)
• Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman;

(Main Topic): Notes:

• What top two tips for new authors (clear on vision: why now, why you; make commitment so you don't stop when it's hard) (what is your voice? Physicality of voice, talk all the time, style/tone, brand personality)(go forth with a plan, use Amazon, use AI for marketing copy, learn what works best for your genre and your lane, then add more)(do it with intention)

For authors with an old back list: (branding) look at covers and the book, major trends change every 5 or 6 years, change the covers unless doing well, check manuscript for relevancy (check your reviews: rush the ending? Took too long to get started), make minor changes.

with a cold email list? (Manage: consistency and congruency. Write more books.) Learn the rules of email, tell stories in email, make offers (book is a product, series, themed package (events, retreats, talks, coaching, products, merchandise -- what can I create? Experiences, clothing, conferences.)

Promotion skills: mindset needs to be BOLD; carry books with you, leave them in airports, talk about your books all the time, get help for marketing plan

Build marketing into the book: 1. Have a layer of marketing understanding. Write as series, or a themed standalone. 2. Know and understand the genre and what the market expects from the genre, knowing where your story fits on the bookshelf.

Visibility: creative and production energy. Creative spirit is regenerative at the cellular level. Live longer. Moving into production energy, don't be careless, but care less.

How to move into production energy: marketing plan/to do (spinning wheels and squirrel), patience, show up, stand up (Sorry I'm late, I didn't want to be here by Jessica Pan), be distinctive (find your uniqueness is and plan on that) part of your brand (tagline, footer, tell the story in speech, work it in appropriately)

What about those writers that don't want to write to market, writing first then market afterwards

Fiction: idea/story --> How do I monetize?

Series marketing: amazon loves a series, book 1 watch, if does well, when book 2 comes out, amazon algorithm helps you.

Promo Hour, Monday, 4-5 p.m. ET boldauthorsnetwork.com zoom link via email. Fill out a form once.

Strong community.

Books by Kae Wagner: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/22232801.Kae_Wagner

Brewing Love (Building Dreams series), only on Amazon

And don't forget:

Go to valerieihsan.com to schedule a free consultation to see if Aligned Author is right for you.

Find Us:

Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan

Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor