Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!

Click here to sign up for the Social Media for Authors + Writers Workshop (July 20, replay will be sent if you can't attend live!) 

*******

When it comes to book writing, "I'm waiting for inspiration/motivation" is often code for "I have no idea where this is going and it scares the sh*t out of me so I'll figure it out another day." 

But there are ways around (read: through) this challenge. 

In today's episode, I offer some of my favorite tips so that you can get out of "waiting" and into writing!

***

ELIZABETH'S CORE WRITING & PUBLISHING PROGRAMSBOOK WRITING MADE SIMPLE

A program for writing powerful, thought-provoking nonfiction or memoir so you can grow your business or simply share your story.

This is for you if you:

✍️ Want to write a powerful, top-quality book, making sure you're avoiding common (and unnecessary) mistakes along the way 

✍️ Crave the support of a proven book-writing process as well as knowledgeable guidance and compassionate ass-kicking (when necessary) when the adventure feels “sticky” and you begin feeling unsure of what you’re doing, why you started, or whether it’s going to be worth it (hint: it absolutely will)

✍️ Desire to be part of a community of authors who provide you with accountability, motivation, and support (not to mention a spot-on meme here and there!)

and

✍️ 2x/month group coaching /support/guidance sessions with Elizabeth to help you navigate roadblocks (both tactical and mindset-based) so you can get to the finish line of writing a book you're immensely proud of

Learn more >> 

 

PUBLISH A PROFITABLE BOOK

🗞️ The Damn Good "Can't Stop Writing" Formula

Grab the free nonfiction or memoir kickstart that's helped hundreds of authors get out of their heads and into the flow: 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook.com/chapterone

Your readers are waiting! Let's get your book published!

PublishAProfitableBook.com/Publish (use code AUTHOR25 for 25% off!)

Support the show

******

Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry.

Available wherever podcasts are available:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube

Let's Connect!
Instagram
Website

Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] com

The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.

To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written and published, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!

"Sometimes, the writing comes easy because we have been thinking about it for so long. It has taken years come to fruition, but it is already there. We are writing to explore both what we know and what we don’t know."

-Rick Rubin

Sometimes, content flows easily.

Sometimes, it’s like pulling a rock out of solid concrete with your bare fingers.

In this episode of the Write the Damn Book Already podcast, you'll discover often-overlooked reasons for why the writing sometimes feels "hard" (reasons that will have you both curious and eager to get your butt back in the chair!).

***

READY TO GET YOUR BOOK OUTLINED?

Consider enrolling in my pay-what-you-can Book Outlines Made Simple workshop!

 

***

MORE OF ELIZABETH'S WRITING & PUBLISHING PROGRAMS BOOK WRITING MADE SIMPLE

A program for writing powerful, thought-provoking nonfiction or memoir so you can grow your business or simply share your story.

This is for you if you:

✍️ Want to write a powerful, top-quality book, making sure you're avoiding common (and unnecessary) mistakes along the way 

✍️ Crave the support of a proven book-writing process as well as knowledgeable guidance and compassionate ass-kicking (when necessary) when the adventure feels “sticky” and you begin feeling unsure of what you’re doing, why you started, or whether it’s going to be worth it (hint: it absolutely will)

✍️ Desire to be part of a community of authors who provide you with accountability, motivation, and support (not to mention a spot-on meme here and there!)

and

✍️ 2x/month group coaching /support/guidance sessions with Elizabeth to help you navigate roadblocks (both tactical and mindset-based) so you can get to the

🗞️ The Damn Good "Can't Stop Writing" Formula

Grab the free nonfiction or memoir kickstart that's helped hundreds of authors get out of their heads and into the flow: 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook.com/chapterone

Your readers are waiting! Let's get your book published!

PublishAProfitableBook.com/Publish (use code AUTHOR25 for 25% off!)

Support the show

******

Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry.

Available wherever podcasts are available:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube

Let's Connect!
Instagram
Website

Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] com

The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.

To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written and published, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!

Few people (in my age bracket, anyway) aren't familiar with the perennial bestseller, Tuesdays with Morrie. Published in 2002, the book highlights the lessons passed down from Morrie Schwartz (a college professor) to his student, Mitch Albom.

Morrie passed away before the book was released (before a word of it was written, in fact). And years after his death, Rob discovered a manuscript in the drawer of his father's desk.

That manuscript would become The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully, released April 18, 2023 (Blackstone Publishing). 

On this episode of the Write the Damn Book Already podcast, Rob and I talked about his discovery of the manuscript, and the decision for him to edit it and seek a publisher who would help continue to spread Morrie's timeless insights. 

 

INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

• How Rob discovered the manuscript (and the surprising condition it was in)
• How "easy" it was to find an agent and then publisher for the book given the success of Tuesdays with Morrie (this will surprise you)
• What Rob most appreciates about his publisher (it's not one of the Big 5!)
• Why “waiting” so many y

🗞️ The Damn Good "Can't Stop Writing" Formula

Grab the free nonfiction or memoir kickstart that's helped hundreds of authors get out of their heads and into the flow: 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook.com/chapterone

✍️ You've Been Thinking About This Book Forever. So let's start writing (for real this time).
 
No incense, inspirational playlists, or fancy mantras. Just a clear, doable plan to get your nonfiction or memoir draft written in 33 days. 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook/writethebook

WANT TO SELL MORE BOOKS (WITHOUT THE SELF-PROMO CRINGE)?

Grab my 25+ done-for-you email templates, book launch graphics, and book promo tools designed to help nonfiction, memoir, and fiction authors build buzz and drive sales, without feeling pushy. 

🎉 CLICK HERE to access to the templates

Your readers are waiting! Let's get your book published!

PublishAProfitableBook.com/Publish (use code AUTHOR25 for 25% off!)

Support the show

******

Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry.

Available wherever podcasts are available:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube

Let's Connect!
Instagram
Website

Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] com

The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.

To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written and published, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!

Donna Norman-Carbone's debut novel, All That is Sacred, released on April 11, 2023 (Red Adept Publishing). 

In this episode of the Write the Damn Book Already podcast, we discussed her journey to writing and publishing the novel, which was inspired by true events. 

 

INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

• How Donna got started writing, and the story and characters who inspired her debut novel
• Donna's process of writing through both grief AND difficult conversations to sort through her feelings and thoughts (as a fellow emotional being, this made my ears perk up!)
• How long the book ended up taking to write and be published given all the other things going on in her life
• The details of her unique publishing journey, which started with querying agents and ended with her querying her publisher directly (which isn’t common)
• One of her favorite offerings provided by her publishing house (I think every publishing house should have this for their authors!)
• Within the editing process, a suggestion was made to go from 5 POVs (points of view) to 1 and to write an entirely new first chapter. We talked about how she responded and worked with those suggestions without feeling like she was starting all over.
• A perspective-shifting way to think about where you are in the book-writing process when you send your book to the editor (hint: you’re NOT 95% to the finish line)
• What Donna is most excited about when it comes to promotion (as someone who doesn’t like to speak in front of others, even though she’s a teache

🗞️ The Damn Good "Can't Stop Writing" Formula

Grab the free nonfiction or memoir kickstart that's helped hundreds of authors get out of their heads and into the flow: 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook.com/chapterone

✍️ You've Been Thinking About This Book Forever. So let's start writing (for real this time).
 
No incense, inspirational playlists, or fancy mantras. Just a clear, doable plan to get your nonfiction or memoir draft written in 33 days. 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook/writethebook

Your readers are waiting! Let's get your book published!

PublishAProfitableBook.com/Publish (use code AUTHOR25 for 25% off!)

Support the show

******

Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry.

Available wherever podcasts are available:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube

Let's Connect!
Instagram
Website

Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] com

The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.

To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written and published, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!

Jill Krzyzanowicz writes under the pen name Margo Reilly, which I found fascinating since her first book, When the Apple Falls Far from the Tree, is memoir.

Many people wonder whether they can (or should) write memoir under a pen name, and in all cases (up until speaking with Jill), I advised against it for a variety of reasons that Jill and I spoke about.

But Jill's rationale made perfect sense, and it provides a great additional perspective for anyone considering the same approach. 

In this episode of the Write the Damn Book Already podcast, Jill and I had a wonderful time chatting about the book writing, publishing, and marketing processes, as well as her plans for a second book.

 

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• Why pseudonyms (pen names) can be a real problem when you’re writing memoir, and why Jill chose to use one (plus, her publisher’s surprising direction on her choice of a pen name)
• The conversation with her friend, whose words, “This conversation will help so many more people than it will hurt” moved her to action
• How she (successfully) promotes a book that’s written under a pseudonym
• Jill's fears about whet

🗞️ The Damn Good "Can't Stop Writing" Formula

Grab the free nonfiction or memoir kickstart that's helped hundreds of authors get out of their heads and into the flow: 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook.com/chapterone

✍️ You've Been Thinking About This Book Forever. So let's start writing (for real this time).
 
No incense, inspirational playlists, or fancy mantras. Just a clear, doable plan to get your nonfiction or memoir draft written in 33 days. 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook/writethebook

WANT TO SELL MORE BOOKS (WITHOUT THE SELF-PROMO CRINGE)?

Grab my 25+ done-for-you email templates, book launch graphics, and book promo tools designed to help nonfiction, memoir, and fiction authors build buzz and drive sales, without feeling pushy. 

🎉 CLICK HERE to access to the templates

Your readers are waiting! Let's get your book published!

PublishAProfitableBook.com/Publish (use code AUTHOR25 for 25% off!)

Support the show

******

Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry.

Available wherever podcasts are available:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube

Let's Connect!
Instagram
Website

Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] com

The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.

To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written and published, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!

When people talk about selling 867,386 books (in a week), it sounds good. It's also probably a lie; most authors intent on making an impact on their readers, whether through entertainment, education, insights, or all three, have no idea what the numbers really are. That's not their focus.

What is their focus is the ONE person who needs their message and will be so grateful to have it in their life.

(And if one person will love it, two will. Twenty will. 1000 will. We start with one.)

In this episode of the Write the Damn Book Already podcast, Cara Sapida and I chatted about her book, Not the Breast Year of My Life (which, as of this posting, already has 66 5-star reviews on Amazon). 

 INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

• What compelled Cara to write a book on a topic that’s quite saturated in the book world
• How, when initially blogging about her breast cancer diagnosis and experience, she filtered out comments that didn’t serve her
• What someone in the publishing community said to her early on about her book that could have kept it off the market forever (and not in of the hands of at least 1,000 individuals who are alrea

🗞️ The Damn Good "Can't Stop Writing" Formula

Grab the free nonfiction or memoir kickstart that's helped hundreds of authors get out of their heads and into the flow: 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook.com/chapterone

✍️ You've Been Thinking About This Book Forever. So let's start writing (for real this time).
 
No incense, inspirational playlists, or fancy mantras. Just a clear, doable plan to get your nonfiction or memoir draft written in 33 days. 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook/writethebook

WANT TO SELL MORE BOOKS (WITHOUT THE SELF-PROMO CRINGE)?

Grab my 25+ done-for-you email templates, book launch graphics, and book promo tools designed to help nonfiction, memoir, and fiction authors build buzz and drive sales, without feeling pushy. 

🎉 CLICK HERE to access to the templates

Your readers are waiting! Let's get your book published!

PublishAProfitableBook.com/Publish (use code AUTHOR25 for 25% off!)

Support the show

******

Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry.

Available wherever podcasts are available:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube

Let's Connect!
Instagram
Website

Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] com

The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.

To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written and published, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!

Sam Garcia's first book, Regenerative Business: How to Align Your Business with Nature for More Abundance, Fulfillment, and Impact made quite a (quiet but impactful) splash right out of the gate.

It sold 2,589 copies in its first 30 hours on the market and hit #1 on several (large and relevant) Amazon lists, including Women in Business, Entrepreneurship, and Environmentalism. 

It also hit #72 in the entire Kindle store (which boasts millions of titles), and when I checked it was #949 in the entire paperback store. 

These are big accomplishments, without doubt. 

But did it all happen with nary a plan? Absolutely not. 

In this episode of the Write the Damn Book Already podcast, Sam and I chatted about exactly what led to this incredible launch (and how she's planning to keep the momentum going!). 

 INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

💥 The REAL reason she was able to hit all the charts and make all the sales (hint: it's all about authentic relationship building)

💥 The thought shift that got Sam writing again after a 4-month hiatus (and compelled her to finish the book in the next month)

🗞️ The Damn Good "Can't Stop Writing" Formula

Grab the free nonfiction or memoir kickstart that's helped hundreds of authors get out of their heads and into the flow: 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook.com/chapterone

✍️ You've Been Thinking About This Book Forever. So let's start writing (for real this time).
 
No incense, inspirational playlists, or fancy mantras. Just a clear, doable plan to get your nonfiction or memoir draft written in 33 days. 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook/writethebook

WANT TO SELL MORE BOOKS (WITHOUT THE SELF-PROMO CRINGE)?

Grab my 25+ done-for-you email templates, book launch graphics, and book promo tools designed to help nonfiction, memoir, and fiction authors build buzz and drive sales, without feeling pushy. 

🎉 CLICK HERE to access to the templates

Your readers are waiting! Let's get your book published!

PublishAProfitableBook.com/Publish (use code AUTHOR25 for 25% off!)

Support the show

******

Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry.

Available wherever podcasts are available:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube

Let's Connect!
Instagram
Website

Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] com

The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.

To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written and published, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!

If you love hearing other authors' experiences when it comes to querying, agent selection, and the publisher selection process, this episode is one to listen to!

Neely Tubati-Alexander's debut novel, Love Buzz, released on May 2, 2023. (It's so good, grab a copy through links below!).

In this episode of the Write the Damn Book Already podcast, Neely and I talked about: 

• Finding her creative outlet in the midst of Covid, and why she started writing (then stopped) another book entirely, felt amazing about it, then trashed it 
• Neely's experience identifying which agents to query and how she ultimately select hers (she has great tips on how to find agents in your genre)
• How she managed the mindf*ck of getting requests for partial or full manuscripts while also hearing “no thank you” from agents
• The most beneficial way to respond to an agent’s or editor's request for plot modifications 
• Why she passed on the first agent who offered to represent her book (even though she loved her) 
• How she ultimately selected her publisher (Harper Perennial) after her book went to auction and she received multiple offers
• How “asking for forgiveness” helped her get her dream agent 
• The “reality” of the advance for nonfiction versus fiction with a traditional publishing deal (plus, the lesser-talked about benefit of a smaller advance and a smaller publisher)
• The important role of diversity in publishing
• The value of writing groups (and how to get connected with one)

🗞️ The Damn Good "Can't Stop Writing" Formula

Grab the free nonfiction or memoir kickstart that's helped hundreds of authors get out of their heads and into the flow: 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook.com/chapterone

✍️ You've Been Thinking About This Book Forever. So let's start writing (for real this time).
 
No incense, inspirational playlists, or fancy mantras. Just a clear, doable plan to get your nonfiction or memoir draft written in 33 days. 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook/writethebook

Your readers are waiting! Let's get your book published!

PublishAProfitableBook.com/Publish (use code AUTHOR25 for 25% off!)

Support the show

******

Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry.

Available wherever podcasts are available:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube

Let's Connect!
Instagram
Website

Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] com

The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.

To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written and published, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!

Hybrid publishing is a model whereby an author pays a publishing house to do the publishing legwork---including (sometimes) editing, cover design, interior formatting, and distribution channel setup---while retaining final say over the edits, title, cover design, interior layout, and retail price.

The cost to work with a hybrid publishing house is likely to fall somewhere between $1,500 and $50,000. I consider my publishing house, Finn-Phyllis Press, to be a hybrid publisher. Several of the bigger, more well-known traditional publishing houses offer a hybrid model: Hay House has Balboa Press, and Simon & Schuster has Archway Publishing.

Some publishing houses take no profit off sales, while others take 15% (or more). Some houses pay author royalties every month; others pay them every quarter. Some make it easier than others for authors to order author copies for events or promotion, but almost all of them up-charge when an author does so.

When I began publishing other authors’ books through Finn-Phyllis Press, I put in place the business model that I would’ve loved to have available to me when I started publishing. I wanted someone to help me with the publishing legwork, but I didn't want to give away a portion of my earnings, and I wanted to retain full control over my listing on Amazon and other distribution services post-publication. 

That model didn't exist two decades ago (that I was aware of), but thankfully, more and more author support partners have come on the scene since. 

Because I've learned of so many authors wh

🗞️ The Damn Good "Can't Stop Writing" Formula

Grab the free nonfiction or memoir kickstart that's helped hundreds of authors get out of their heads and into the flow: 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook.com/chapterone

✍️ You've Been Thinking About This Book Forever. So let's start writing (for real this time).
 
No incense, inspirational playlists, or fancy mantras. Just a clear, doable plan to get your nonfiction or memoir draft written in 33 days. 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook/writethebook

Your readers are waiting! Let's get your book published!

PublishAProfitableBook.com/Publish (use code AUTHOR25 for 25% off!)

Support the show

******

Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry.

Available wherever podcasts are available:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube

Let's Connect!
Instagram
Website

Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] com

The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.

To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written and published, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!

“It’s not about whether I believe this is good every day. It’s whether I can relate to this critical mind and understand that that’s just a part of my nervous system trying to protect me from the fear of ‘Will anyone read this?’…and understanding that the way I relate to that…is the journey.”

Dr. Tanmeet Sethi is a Joy Activist with a mission to give people access to their innate human right to their own joy practice. 

In this episode, we talked about the writing and publishing of her debut memoir, Joy is My Justice (May 2023, Hachette Go).

 INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS 

• What it felt like to sit down and start with a blank page
• How the theme of the book changed (quite dramatically) during the writing of it
• How Tanmeet vacillated between “I’m going to be on Oprah” and “Who ever thought they would put this in a book?”
• The importance of self-compassion, which Tanmeet believes is the seed for EVERYTHING

• How writers can understand how to feel safe when putting their stories and perspectives out there, on display, for the entire world
• How Tanmeet ensures that

🗞️ The Damn Good "Can't Stop Writing" Formula

Grab the free nonfiction or memoir kickstart that's helped hundreds of authors get out of their heads and into the flow: 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook.com/chapterone

✍️ You've Been Thinking About This Book Forever. So let's start writing (for real this time).
 
No incense, inspirational playlists, or fancy mantras. Just a clear, doable plan to get your nonfiction or memoir draft written in 33 days. 

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook/writethebook

WANT TO SELL MORE BOOKS (WITHOUT THE SELF-PROMO CRINGE)?

Grab my 25+ done-for-you email templates, book launch graphics, and book promo tools designed to help nonfiction, memoir, and fiction authors build buzz and drive sales, without feeling pushy. 

🎉 CLICK HERE to access to the templates

Your readers are waiting! Let's get your book published!

PublishAProfitableBook.com/Publish (use code AUTHOR25 for 25% off!)

Support the show

******

Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry.

Available wherever podcasts are available:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube

Let's Connect!
Instagram
Website

Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] com

The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.

To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written and published, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth