Writer Craft Podcast

Hello Writers and Crafters!

I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 84 of the podcast and it's September 14, 2022 as we record this.

Main Topic: Production and Publication Schedules

PATREON:

No new patrons this weeks, but a big squeeze hug and Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in us and in the podcast.

This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a shout out on the podcast and we can make announcements for you on the podcast. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.

• Just finished:

• I'M READING: Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor Being the First Jane Austen Mystery by Stephanie Barron
• Up Next::
• Erick's Reading:
• Death Masks by Jim Butcher
• Joe Golem, the Occult Detective series graphic novels by Mike Mignola (Hell Boy guy)
• Update: extra shifts at the bookstore, started working on new author website, and thinking about a short story for anthology
• Announcements: Erick's new book, Chasing Shadows, is out now!
• Passion Planner launched their new line of annual dated planners for 2023. I've already received mine. And I'm thinking of more ways to use it and decorate it. Use my referral link https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx and discount code VALERIEO866.
• Writer Craft Writing Retreat is scheduled for next August 24-27, 2023. Tickets are $900 this year and include all lodging and gourmet meals, plus instruction and coaching and retreat time on the river, in Marcola, OR. Payment plans are available, and registration opens November 1st, 2022. Patrons receive a hefty discount AND can buy early, making their monthly payments even less expensive. Go to valerieihsan.com/retreat for more information.

Comments:

Show Notes:

For Erick: Character voice comes first. Needs the first line. Then golden. His plan: Three stories in two weeks, beta reader, line editor. Launch Patreon page in January. Treating the monthly stories (for the whole year) as the next writing project. (For January and February) He never writes to deadline; he finishes before.

Avoid comparing yourself to others UNTIL you know your process. Inside and out. (For instance: my plan for publishing two books a year didn't work and started off a spiral effect of "I can't" language. But then I learned to say, "I can, but not yet.")

Resources:

Contact Erick for business-starting advice.

Contact Valerie for book coaching for help writing your book.

Next Episode: spousal and partner receptivity to your work

Other Resources:

Thomas Umstattd Jr, at Novel Marketing Podcast. Ep255: How to Create an Email Onboarding Drip Campaign

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

Russell P. Nohelty and Monica Leonelle's book, Get Your Book Selling on Kickstarter.

Productivity for Creative People: How to Get Creative Work Done in an "Always on" World by Mark McGuiness

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black

Writing Scenes.: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/three-story-method-writing-scenes

The Author Life Community

Passion Planner: https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx (affiliate link) Discount Code: VALERIEO866

ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)

Find Us:

Valerie's Services: https://valerieihsan.com

Valerie's Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com

Valerie's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Erick's Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com

Erick's free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n

Erick's Author Site: https://erickmertzauthor.com

Erick's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Writer Craft Facebook Group

Patreon: https://patreon.com/valerieihsan

Some of the Books We've Read This Year:

• Drinking Games

• A Prayer for the Crown-Shy.

• How to be a Good Creature

• Billy Summers by Stephen King

• The Dude and the Zen Master

How to Write Light Novels and Webnovels by R.A. Paterson

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

• The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black

• The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

• Summer Night by Jim Butcher
• The Strange Bird by Jeff Vandermeer

• The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

• Newsletter Ninja 2)

Hello Writers and Crafters!

I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 83 of the podcast and it's September 7, 2022 as we record this.

Main Topic: The Author Services Side Hustle

PATREON:

No new patrons this weeks, but a big squeeze hug and Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in us and in the podcast.

This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a shout out on the podcast and we can make announcements for you on the podcast. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.

• Just finished: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy.

• I'M READING: an ARC of Drinking Games, a memoir by Sarah Levy (coming out January 3rd)
• Up Next: Either Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor: Being the First Jane Austen Mystery by Stephanie Barron, or A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny.
• Erick's Reading:
• Death Masks by Jim Butcher
• Update: sent off my manuscript to my line editor, so I have the next few weeks open until I get my notes back from her and I'll be working on my author website--due for an over-haul, my Reader Magnet, and some publishing back-end stuff (updating the Library of Congress number and ordering a new cover).
• Announcements: Erick's new book, Chasing Shadows, is out now!
• Passion Planner launched their new line of annual dated planners for 2023. I've already received mine. And I'm thinking of more ways to use it and decorate it. Use my referral link https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx and discount code VALERIEO866.
• Writer Craft Writing Retreat is scheduled for next August 24-27, 2023. Tickets are $900 this year and include all lodging and gourmet meals, plus instruction and coaching and retreat time on the river, in Marcola, OR. Payment plans are available, and registration opens November 1st, 2022. Patrons receive a hefty discount AND can buy early, making their monthly payments even less expensive. Go to valerieihsan.com/retreat for more information.

Comments: Re: Ep78: Finding the Core of Your Memoir, Mary says: The craft of writing Memoir is new to me.

Your discussion was both informative and interesting.

I had no idea how methodical and intuitive processes work together to create (write) Memoir.

Show Notes:

Types of author services: Ghostwriting (full length manuscripts) (screenplays); Copywriting and Marketing content for websites; Scripts for YT channels; Editing: Content edits (developmental edits), Manuscript assessment, Line editing/proof; Coaching

One project starting, one re-writing, several in finishing stages (organized by most imp two projects per week); or one client at a time until the job is done.

Marketing/Pricing: Look around at the market and see what the price ranges are. Choose on the lower end if you need experience or testimonials/reviews.

Resources:

Contact Erick for business-starting advice.

Contact Valerie for book coaching for help writing your book.

Next Episode: Publication and Production Schedules

Other Resources:

Thomas Umstattd Jr, at Novel Marketing Podcast. Ep255: How to Create an Email Onboarding Drip Campaign

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

Russell P. Nohelty and Monica Leonelle's book, Get Your Book Selling on Kickstarter.

Productivity for Creative People: How to Get Creative Work Done in an "Always on" World by Mark McGuiness

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black

Writing Scenes.: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/three-story-method-writing-scenes

The Author Life Community

Passion Planner: https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx (affiliate link) Discount Code: VALERIEO866

ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)

Find Us:

Valerie's Services: https://valerieihsan.com

Valerie's Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com

Valerie's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Erick's Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com

Erick's free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n

Erick's Author Site: https://erickmertzauthor.com

Erick's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Writer Craft Facebook Group

Patreon: https://patreon.com/valerieihsan

Some of the Books We've Read This Year:

• How to be a Good Creature

• Billy Summers by Stephen King

• The Dude and the Zen Master

How to Write Light Novels and Webnovels by R.A. Paterson

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

• The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black

• The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

• Summer Night by Jim Butcher
• The Strange Bird by Jeff Vandermeer

• The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

• Newsletter Ninja 2)

Hello Writers and Crafters!

I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 82 of the podcast and it's August 31, 2022 as we record this.

Main Topic: Email List Care and Onboarding Sequences

PATREON:

Thank you to new patron this week, Braxton Nagle. Thank you for believing in us and in the podcast.

This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a shout out on the podcast and we can make announcements for you on the podcast. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.

• I'M READING: Becky Chambers' new Monk and Robot book, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy.
• Up Next: an ARC of Drinking Games, a memoir by Sarah Levy (coming out January 3rd)
• Just finished: How to be a Good Creature
• Erick's Reading:
• Billy Summers by Stephen King
• Announcements: Erick's new book, Chasing Shadows, is out now!
• Passion Planner launched their new line of annual dated planners for 2023 last week. I've already ordered mine and it's already shipped. Use my referral link https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx and discount code VALERIEO866.
• Writer Craft Writing Retreat is scheduled for next August 24-27, 2023. Tickets are $900 this year and include all lodging and gourmet meals, plus instruction and coaching and retreat time on the river, in Marcola, OR. Payment plans are available, and registration opens November 1st, 2022. Patrons receive a hefty discount AND can buy early, making their monthly payments even less expensive. Go to valerieihsan.com/retreat for more information.

Comments: Re: solo episode last week on Focus and Productivity, Braxton says, Love it! Didn't know you were doing this.

Show Notes:

Thomas Umstattd Jr, at Novel Marketing Podcast. Ep255: How to Create an Email Onboarding Drip Campaign

Erick's version: 5 emails: 1) Need help? 2) Who I am... 3) The book I'm working on... 4) Books I like... 5) Review Request.

Based on the source of email sign-ups, where do I get best results?

Next Episode: The Author Services Side Hustle (what you can do, how to balance the time, setting realistic expectations.)

Resources:

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

Russell P. Nohelty and Monica Leonelle's book, Get Your Book Selling on Kickstarter.

Productivity for Creative People: How to Get Creative Work Done in an "Always on" World by Mark McGuiness

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black

Writing Scenes.: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/three-story-method-writing-scenes

The Author Life Community

Passion Planner: https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx (affiliate link) Discount Code: VALERIEO866

ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)

Find Us:

Valerie's Services: https://valerieihsan.com

Valerie's Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com

Valerie's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Erick's Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com

Erick's free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n

Erick's Author Site: https://erickmertzauthor.com

Erick's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Writer Craft Facebook Group

Patreon: https://patreon.com/valerieihsan

Some of the Books We've Read This Year:

• The Dude and the Zen Master

How to Write Light Novels and Webnovels by R.A. Paterson

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

• The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black

• The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

• Summer Night by Jim Butcher
• The Strange Bird by Jeff Vandermeer

• The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

• Newsletter Ninja 2)

No new patrons this week, but a big heartfelt jolly dance for existing patrons. You mean the world to me. Thank you for believing in me and in the podcast.

This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a shout out on the podcast and we can make announcements for you on the podcast. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.

• I'M READING: The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki and listening to The Mountains We Carry by Zaid Brifkani.
• Up Next: It's too early to start thinking of the next book. Though Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link, How to Be a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery, and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers are all contenders at the present moment.
• Announcements: Erick's new book, Chasing Shadows, is out now!
• Passion Planner is launching their new line of annual dated planners for 2023 tomorrow, August 25 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time. I've already got mine picked out! I've been using my planner more and more to take the edge off my stress. Playing with stickers and markers in my planner gives me a wee bit of creative time each week that is separate from my Book Making Time. USE MY DISCOUNT CODE: VALERIEO866
• Writer Craft Writing Retreat is scheduled for next August 24-27, 2023. Tickets are $900 this year and include all lodging and gourmet meals, plus instruction and coaching and retreat time on the river, in Marcola, OR. Payment plans are available, and registration opens November 1st, 2022. Patrons receive a hefty discount AND can buy early, making their monthly payments even less expensive. Go to valerieihsan.com/retreat for more information.

Show Notes:

• What's your one thing for the month of September?

Here's what I learned about accountability groups years ago.

They're awesome. And here's why:

I have some mutated Wonder Woman glitch in my brain that makes me volunteer for jobs or writing projects or helping friends out at a rate that would stagger a cheetah. And it ends badly.

I'm either stressed out so much that I start eating my weight in potato chips and chocolate bars (sometimes candy by the bag), crying, or I abandon everything. Jump ship and sleep. My sign that depression is looming. Overwhelm = Depression in my body and mind and spirit, so I need to be on guard. Which is difficult when my default setting is, "How hard could it be?"

So, accountability groups.

The biggest take-away from my group was this: If you have too much on your list, none of it gets done. Bam.

I remember hearing, Three things. That's all you can do. If you get those three things done and you have time and energy left, great. Do more. But you can only pick three things to focus on this week. And I'd cry. In Barnes and Noble's Starbucks cafe. Cry because I could only choose three things to focus on when I KNEW in my cells I had 84 things to do.

I remember hearing, I think you should not put anything else on your plate unless your house sells. And crying in Springfield's Public House because I couldn't bear the thought of not working forward on my dreams while I did this other humungous thing--fixing up and selling my rental house.

I hate being told that I need to prioritize. I despise the perceived weakness in not being able to do it all.

Sure, yes. Set a pomodoro timer for 25 minutes and focus on one thing at a time, but can't I do that 84 times?

No.

I'm too scattered. It's never the quality Deep Work that Cal Newport talks about, or The One Thing that Gary Keller writes about. And it's certainly not the Way of Essentialism that Greg McKeown talks about. Have you read this book? Here's a taste: (read pg. 7 with accompanying illustration).

Scattershot and spaghetti on the walls do not get things done. And you're perpetually in Putting out Fires mode. At the end of the day, answering your emails isn't nearly as satisfying and productive as writing 500 words in your manuscript, or building another page on your coaching and editing website.

I have to choose one thing so that I CAN get the other things done.

I know it's counter-intuitive. Seriously. I know.

But you know what else I do if left unchecked? Read ten books at the same time. And I don't retain any of it. I never read long enough in one book to sink into the meaning and message, or the character's lives. When that happens now (thankfully MUCH less frequently--like maybe once a year), I force myself to pick one book and finish it. And then I pick the next one and read it. And my pile diminishes. And then! I feel the glory of picking out a brand new book and reading it in its entirety, with no guilt, with no 'hurry up and get through this book because I have three others I'm half way through that I need to get to.'

And so it is with the author life. We all have hopes and dreams and goals and projects and maybe even tasks and backlog. The coolest thing that happens when we focus on one thing at a time is getting to the end of the year and reviewing what you've accomplished.

I spent most of last year running around higgledly-piggledly and feeling way more stressed than normal, and I STILL managed to start a podcast, and a Patreon page, adopt another dog, make important business decisions, sell a house, retire from my massage practice, start a new job at a bookstore I love, and design a signature coaching program that I'm hoping with one day fund my husband's retirement and our move to Costa Rica. That's a lot for someone that doesn't think they can get anything done.

Focus did that. Even the little I could scrape up in odd moments between depression-induced Netflix binges.

Another thing to remember about focus is that it really can prevent burnout. If you can pick out one or two things to focus on for a month (knowing there are those 82 other things from your list taunting you), you can build the self-confidence and self-esteem to start treating yourself with compassion and respect that will enable and empower you to tell yourself, "Yes, I know you are still there Big Fat List, and I'll get to each and every one of you. But you need to wait in line like everyone else here."

And that is power.

That is space to breathe without beating yourself up.

That is accomplishing what you set out to do.

That is Focusing and Finishing something.

If you pick one thing at a time to work on, you can't get burnout or overwhelm, because you've only got one thing in front of you right now. Blinders are a beautiful thing.

And why focus is so important to productivity.

I hope you were able to take something out of this (solo show) blog post that resonated with you and inspired you to find that One (Essential) Thing that you can focus on this month.

What is it? Leave a comment on the website or on YouTube or Patreon in the comments section and tell me what your one thing is this month.

Resources:

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

Russell P. Nohelty and Monica Leonelle's book, Get Your Book Selling on Kickstarter.

Productivity for Creative People: How to Get Creative Work Done in an "Always on" World by Mark McGuiness

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black

And the Kicker Is

Writing Scenes.: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/three-story-method-writing-scenes

The Author Life Community

Passion Planner: https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx (affiliate link)

ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)

Find Us:

Valerie's Services: https://valerieihsan.com

Valerie's Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com

Valerie's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Erick's Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com

Erick's free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n

Erick's Author Site: https://erickmertzauthor.com

Erick's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Writer Craft Facebook Group

Patreon: https://patreon.com/valerieihsan

Some of the Books We've Read This Year:

• The Dude and the Zen Master

How to Write Light Novels and Webnovels by R.A. Paterson

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

• The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black

• The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

• Summer Night by Jim Butcher
• The Strange Bird by Jeff Vandermeer

• The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

• Newsletter Ninja 2)

Hello Writers and Crafters!

I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 80 of the podcast and it's August 17, 2022 as we record this.

Main Topic: Crowdfunding

PATREON:

Thank you to new patron Valerie Brooks for upping her pledge.

This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a shout out on the podcast and we can make announcements for you on the podcast. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.

• I'M READING: The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
• Up Next:
• Just finished:
• Erick's Reading:
• Announcements: Erick's new book, Chasing Shadows, is out now!

Comments:

Show Notes:

• Tiers and Stretch goals keep people talking about your product.

Resources:

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

Russell P. Nohelty and Monica Leonelle's book, Get Your Book Selling on Kickstarter.

Productivity for Creative People: How to Get Creative Work Done in an "Always on" World by Mark McGuiness

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black

And the Kicker Is

Writing Scenes.: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/three-story-method-writing-scenes

The Author Life Community

Passion Planner: https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx (affiliate link)

ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)

Find Us:

Valerie's Services: https://valerieihsan.com

Valerie's Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com

Valerie's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Erick's Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com

Erick's free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n

Erick's Author Site: https://erickmertzauthor.com

Erick's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Writer Craft Facebook Group

Patreon: https://patreon.com/valerieihsan

Some of the Books We've Read This Year:

• The Dude and the Zen Master

How to Write Light Novels and Webnovels by R.A. Paterson

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

• The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black

• The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

• Summer Night by Jim Butcher
• The Strange Bird by Jeff Vandermeer

• The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

• Newsletter Ninja 2)

Hello Writers and Crafters!

I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 79 of the podcast and it's August 10, 2022 as we record this.

Main Topic: Planning Your Creative Path

PATREON:

Thank you to new patron Sean Sharp, and thanks to Mary Van Everbroeck for upping her pledge.

This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a shout out on the podcast and we can make announcements for you on the podcast. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.

• I'M READING: The Dude and the Zen Master (The Many Daughters of Afong Moy)
• Up Next: The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
• Just finished: (Newsletter Ninja 2)
• Erick's Reading: Summer Night by Jim Butcher
• The Strange Bird by Jeff Vandermeer
• Next episode: crowd-funding (kickstarter, indie go-go, Patreon)
• Announcements:

I'll be reading selections from the new memoir, along with Dante Zuniga-West, Rick Levine, and Jorah LaFluer on Sunday, August 14th at 4:00 p.m. at Tsunami Books in Eugene, OR.

Comments: Fantastic Discussion. It's very nice to know that the feelings, thinking and experiences I have as a writer are shared by accomplished authors! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences! (Re: Erick Mertz, part one)

Show Notes:

Resources:

Productivity for Creative People: How to Get Creative Work Done in an "Always on" World by Mark McGuiness

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black

And the Kicker Is

Writing Scenes.: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/three-story-method-writing-scenes

The Author Life Community

Passion Planner: https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx (affiliate link)

ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)

Find Us:

Valerie's Services: https://valerieihsan.com

Valerie's Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com

Valerie's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Erick's Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com

Erick's free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n

Erick's Author Site: https://erickmertzauthor.com

Erick's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Writer Craft Facebook Group

Patreon: https://patreon.com/valerieihsan

Some of the Books We've Read This Year:

How to Write Light Novels and Webnovels by R.A. Paterson

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

• The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black

Hello Writers and Crafters, this is Episode 78 of the podcast and it's August 2, 2022 as we record this.

Main Topic: finding the core message of your memoir

PATREON:

This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a shout out on the podcast and we can make announcements for you on the podcast. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.

Thank you to Mary Van Everbroeck for upping her pledge.

• I'M READING: The Dude and the Zen Master
• Up Next: (Newsletter Ninja 2) (The Many Daughters of Afong Moy)
• Just finished: The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black
• Erick's Reading: Summer Night by Jim Butcher
• Next episode: Passion Roadmap (one thing to work on in the next 30 days, and the steps)

Announcements:

I'll be reading selections from the new memoir, along with Dante Zuniga-West, and other writers from the Stonecutters Union on Sunday, August 14th at 4:00 p.m. at Tsunami Books in Eugene, OR.

Comments: "Fantastic Discussion. It's very nice to know that the feelings, thinking and experiences I have as a writer are shared by accomplished authors! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences!" (Re: Erick Mertz, part one)

Show Notes:

JP's episode on Story Hypothesis vs. Theme.

Body Work: the Radical Power of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos

Lady Gaga: Five Foot Two (on Netflix)

Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield

Resources:

Productivity for Creative People: How to Get Creative Work Done in an "Always on" World by Mark McGuiness

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Writing Scenes.: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/three-story-method-writing-scenes

The Author Life Community

Passion Planner: https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx (affiliate link)

ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)

Find Us:

Valerie's Services: https://valerieihsan.com

Valerie's Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com

Valerie's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Erick's Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com

Erick's free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n

Erick's Author Site: https://erickmertzauthor.com

Erick's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Writer Craft Facebook Group

Patreon: https://patreon.com/valerieihsan

Hello Writers and Crafters!

I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 77 of the podcast and it's July 27, 2022 as we record this.

Main Topic: a follow-up with Erick Mertz

PATREON:

We have two new patrons this week. Thank you thank you thank you! We appreciate you! A big shout out and personal thanks to BARB LACHENBRUCH, and to MARY VAN EVERBROECK.

This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a shout out on the podcast and we can make announcements for you on the podcast. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.

• I'M READING: The Sixth Wicked Child
• Erick's Reading: Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
• Next episode: Finding the Core of Your Memoir

Announcements:

I'll be reading selections from the new memoir, along with authors Joe Wilkins, Dante Zuniga-West, and other writers from the Stonecutter's Union on Sunday, August 14th at 4:00 p.m. at Tsunami Books in Eugene, OR.

Resources:

Writing Scenes.: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/three-story-method-writing-scenes

The Author Life Community

Passion Planner: https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx (affiliate link)

ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)

Find Us:

Valerie's Services: https://valerieihsan.com

Valerie's Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com

Valerie's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Erick's Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com

Erick's free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n

Erick's Author Site: https://erickmertzauthor.com

Erick's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Writer Craft Facebook Group

Patreon: https://patreon.com/valerieihsan

Books We've Read This Year:

Productivity for Creative People: How to Get Creative Work Done in an "Always on" World by Mark McGuiness

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

How to Write Light Novels and Webnovels by R.A. Paterson

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Hello Writers and Crafters!

I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 76 of the podcast and it's July 14, 2022 as we record this.

Main Topic: Marketing You Can Do While Drafting Your Book

This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a shout out on the podcast and we can make announcements for you on the podcast. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.

All marketing plans will be different based on your plans for the book, your career, and your personality, and--to some degree--your budget.

1) First, you'll need to decide what your plan is for this book and for any future books you plan to write. And you'll need to define TO YOU what success would look like for this particular book and also for your writing career. Do you want to write any more books? Do you want to be award-winning? Do you want to make a living with your writing? Et cetera. The answers to these types of questions will determine the answers to your other questions. Namely, how to market and promote your book(s).

It's also important to note that if your goal is to make a living with your writing, you cannot do that with book sales from one book. Think, 10 or 20, or more. UNLESS, you are also providing author services, like editing or retreats or teaching.

2) Paid Advertising. It's the way to go these days. It is a Pay to Play Market now. There are 8 million titles on Amazon alone.

The three top paid ads sites are BookBub, Facebook, and Amazon Ads. Additionally, there are FreeBooksy and BargainBooksy. As well as others. (For instance, if your e-book is published on the Kobo platform, there is a Promotions tab on your dashboard that enables you to partake in their promo days.)

Each of the ads platforms have different rules and suggested methods of operation. There are loads of books and other resources on all of them. (Help! My Facebook Ads Suck by Mal Cooper; Mastering Amazon Ads by Brian Meeks; Bookbub Ads by David Gaughrin; Bryan Cohen has an Amazon Ads School on his Instagram site @bryancohenblurbs--just to name a few.)

That said, up until very recently--and is still considered truth by many--the industry "standard" advice for advertising for authors with less than three to five books in one series is to NOT advertise. The return on your investment won't pan out very well with nowhere for the reader to go after reading your one book. (I don't know how many books you've published.) If an author has several books, then paying for an ad on one book can often lead a reader to reading the other books in an author's backlist, thereby making the cost of the ad click go much farther.

3) I believe the best thing an author can do to build excitement about their books is to write the next book. Seriously. If you look at it like any other business, a business owner (read: bookseller) needs to create more than one product for their store. They need to create free content marketing for their audience and to build a(n) [author] brand through engagement with their [readers] customers.

The most important first step in getting people to buy your product is to get readers to know it exists. That comes with getting on podcast interviews, going to networking events, doing book readings, teaching workshops at libraries, etc. That's Attract Marketing. Letting people know you are out there.

Then, you Engage with them. Write a blog, or do a podcast, or create some other way of engaging with the people that now know you exist, but still have not become a customer of yours (like get them on your mailing list).

Then, you Nurture them. That's where they begin to Know, Like, and Trust you. Still before they buy! This is the time when you'd be posting regular content for them in a newsletter or FB Live posts, or pictures of your life on Instagram.

Only then can you Invite them to buy.

And, in order to keep them as an ongoing client [reader], you must Delight them. Create the best book(s) possible and they'll come back for the next one and tell their friends.

This process isn't something you do in a week or even a month. It's a long-term strategy. It's part of the author life and part of our job. Have fun with it.

***

I hope some of that was useful and has given you some ideas for your marketing/promotional plans.

Another resource I would recommend is How to Market Your Book by Joanna Penn.

• I'M READING: The Sixth Wicked Child
• Erick's Reading: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
• Next episode: Erick's Coaching Session, Part 2

Resources:

Productivity for Creative People: How to Get Creative Work Done in an "Always on" World by Mark McGuiness

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Lore podcast (and Prime series)

Announcements:

I wanted to announce that my friend, colleague, and mentor, J Thorn, just launched his new book, Writing Scenes.

I'm especially excited about this because I contributed to the making of this book in several ways, and I feel quite proud of all I did.

One of the example scenes in the book is one I submitted from my current work in progress (my memoir). I narrated that scene (in the Before and After example) in the audiobook. And I edited the book for J.

It would tickle me if you picked up the book for yourself. Here's the link: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/three-story-method-writing-scenes

Valerie's Services: https://valerieihsan.com

Valerie's Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com

Valerie's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Erick's Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com

Erick's free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n

Erick's Author Site: https://erickmertzauthor.com

Erick's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Writer Craft Facebook Group

The Author Life Community

Patreon: https://patreon.com/valerieihsan

Passion Planner: https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx (affiliate link)

ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)

Hello Writers and Crafters!

I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 75 of the podcast and it's July 6, 2022 as we record this.

Main Topic: Erick.

This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a shout out on the podcast and we can make announcements for you on the podcast. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.

I wanted to announce that my friend, colleague, and mentor, J Thorn, just launched his new book, Writing Scenes.

I'm especially excited about this because I contributed to the making of this book in several ways, and I feel quite proud of all I did.

One of the example scenes in the book is one I submitted from my current work in progress (my memoir). I narrated that scene (in the Before and After example) in the audiobook. And I edited the book for J.

It would tickle me if you picked up the book for yourself. Here's the link: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/three-story-method-writing-scenes

Valerie's Services: https://valerieihsan.com

Valerie's Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com

Valerie's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Erick's Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com

Erick's free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n

Erick's Author Site: https://erickmertzauthor.com

Erick's Facebook Page and Instagram account

Writer Craft Facebook Group

The Author Life Community

Patreon: https://patreon.com/valerieihsan

Passion Planner: https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx (affiliate link)

ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)