Writer Mom Life

Writer Mom Life Episode 25: April M Woodard and Budgeting Mindset Tips

>>>get full show notes and free self-publishing workbook for moms at writermomlife.com

April M Woodard released her first book at the end of May but got started way before that on the writing and marketing side! We talk about her long journey to publication, her preparation for the launch, and how her community has supported her.

April also gives details on:

• How she found her ARC team – and tribe! – through Twitter
• The kinds of things an editor will notice that betas won't
• How it's sometimes better to hear from other authors instead of readers - Why she doesn't give writing advice to new authors
• Her plans for her vlog
• How she'll get in writing time during the summer

In the tips, Daphne and J. R. dive into the first of three tips on budgeting, where we discuss the importance of knowing if you're writing as a hobby or a business (both are totally cool!)

Writer Mom Life Episode 24: Mary Castillo and WML's favorite organization tools

>>Get full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook for moms at http://writermomlife.com/workbook

Mary Castillo is a hybrid author. She had some books traditionally published before the 2008, then self-published a few more, then tried erotica, and now has been focusing on her audiobooks. Mary talks a lot about the process of recording and releasing her own audiobooks, along with:

- How she makes her living as a writer

- How she structures her days to get in both client work and her work

- How her schedule in the 40s compares to that in her 20s

- How she markets her audiobooks

>>In the tips, JR and Daphne discuss their favorite organization tools, from planners to online note-taking.

Writer Mom Life Bonus Episode 3: Peter Barlow from Author Secret

>>> Get full show notes and your self-publishing workbook for moms at writermomlife.com/podcast

Writer Mom Jenna and her digital designer husband Peter joined forces to start Author Secret three years ago. Learn more about this A to Z, draft to marketing service, and listen closely for a special deal on the launch of Troubleshoot Your Book Marketing, coming out May 31st!

Writer Mom Life Episode 23: Elizabeth Ann West and Marketing Tools

>>get full show notes and a self-publishing workbook for writer moms at writermomlife.com/podcast

Elizabeth Ann West is a military wife and homeschooling mom who has been getting paid for her writing for over ten years. She writes Jane Austen derivative fiction but will be branching out into cozy mysteries this year. Diversifying is a big part of her strategy for success, and she talks to Daphne about her goals for this year and next.

Elizabeth also shares:

• Why she only plans 3 weeks at a time
• Why she doesn't write every day
• How her definition of success has changed as her daughter gets older
• A peek into her author education resources
• Why she is focusing on giving live classes
• Where she gets her indie author news - What she'd like to tell new authors on the scene (hint: you don't need to know everything right away! Really!)

>>In the tips, J. R. and Daphne go over the four basic marketing tools you need to get started in the indie author business (though traditionally published authors should probably be using them, too!)

Writer Mom Life Episode 22: Amy Hopkins and Writing Tools

>>get full show notes and a self-publishing workbook for writer moms at writermomlife.com/podcast

Australian Amy Hopkins knows how important having writer friends is: whether it's getting you out of a self-doubt funk or collaborating on new projects, she's found the support she needs to help her reach her goals. We talk a little about those goals, how she sets them (hint: not 5 years in advance! Just a few months at a time), and get into discussing her current and future projects.

Amy shares:

• What's different about her Writer Mom Life this year
• Why she focuses on quarterly goals
• How she started collaborating with Michael Anderle
• What that kind of massive collaboration project looks like (it sounds so fun!)
• Why it's been such a successful model for Michael (hint: it puts readers first!)
• Why she's doing a pen name for her next series
• Where she found her "family" of other writers
• What she hopes to be able to do in 3 years (not 3 months!)

In the tips, the first in a 3-part series on tools, J. R. and Daphne talk about their favorite writing tools.

Writer Mom Life Episode 21: Karen Tomlinson and the Importance of Ritual!

>> get full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com/podcast

It's the second international guest of the podcast! British author Karen Tomlinson works full-time for the NHS, released her first YA fantasy book a little over a year ago, and has already scored a USA Today bestseller tag thanks to a boxset with 25 other authors. Oh, and she has twins! She has a great optimistic and positive attitude about her work and writing that keeps her going, even though she hasn't hit all of her goals quite yet.

Daphne had a lot of fun talking with Karen about her writing and self-publishing journey, including:

• How long it took her to write her first draft of 250k words! (Hint: not as long as you might think!)
• Transferable skills between her training role and her writing
• How the 25 authors worked together to hit the USA Today bestseller list
• Her strategy for getting her list to pay for itself
• Her weekly schedule (that includes a day off from everything business every week!)
• What her short-term goals are -Why she may not ever want to transition to full-time writer
• Why writing to market just isn't for her

>> In the tips, J. R. and Daphne talk about the importance of ritual in our daily lives, and especially as it relates to writing!

Writer Mom Life Episode 20: Sarah Woodbury and Staying in Your Own Boat

>> get full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com

When you're in the trenches of writing in between changing dirty diapers, it can be hard to picture that it will all amount to something. So talking with Sarah Woodbury was a great opportunity to see what a Writer Mom Life can look like a few years (and 40 books!) down the line. Sarah shares her story from writing her book, getting an agent, not being able to sell it to a publisher, then finally deciding to self-publish back in the "wild west" of the early days of the e-reader.

While it can be tempting for those of us starting out to feel a little jealous of those who were around during the "golden age" of the Kindle, Sarah is amazed at how much easier it is now for people with all the resources and connections and support for self-publishing. And whether you have 1 or 40 books – you still have to market!

Sarah also shares:

• How many words she writes per day
• Her writing/editing process and her "posse" who help her
• What she'd do if she were starting now (hint: the same thing she did 7 years ago!)
• Why she doesn't worry about individual launches or books anymore
• How many books she's sold
• Learning to write in the middle of the chaos of homeschooling 4 kids

>> In the tips, J. R. and Daphne talk about why you haven't missed the boat and should just stay in your own.

Writer Mom Life Episode 19: Lee Savino and dealing with an unsupportive family

>> Get the full show notes and your free writer mom life self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com/podcast

Lee Savino decided to make the transition to stay at home mom and writer when she was pregnant with her first child. Now just two years later with baby number 2 due any day, she's at six figures thanks to her sexy short romances based on Norse mythology. Lee shares her author journey with lots of little tips and tricks sprinkled in. It's a longer episode but packed full of great stuff! Such as:

• How she didn't quite meet her expectations of motherhood – and that's okay!
• The two essential elements of her success
• How hard and fast and write to market play into her strategy
• Why she doesn't read baby books (but devours craft books!)
• Her daily word count (it's not even close to the 10k you might think it is!)
• Whether you need an MFA to be a writer
• How choosing to unconditionally love herself set her on the path to success

In the tips, J. R. goes through the suggestions from our Facebook group members on how to keep going when your family isn't as supportive of your writing as you'd like.

Writer Mom Life Bonus Episode 2: Amanda Cherry Talks Small Press Publishing

>>get full show notes and your free self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com/podcast

In Bonus Episode 2, Daphne talks to Amanda Cherry, a writer mom who worked with a small press for her first book. Just like there are many definitions of success, there are all sorts of ways to get there. Self-publishing isn't for everyone, and Amanda's experience may sound more like the route for you. She talks about how her community of creative people (including her husband who she met during her first NaNoWriMo!) has given her the support and encouragement needed to feel like she has a place at the writing table.

We hope you enjoy this bonus episode with Amanda, and give small press publishing a look if you think it may help you with your writer mom life journey!

Writer Mom Life Episode 18: Eva Moore and tips for structuring your time!

>>> Get full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com

Romance author Eva Moore may seem like a "fast" writer – publishing 5 books in one year is no easy feat! But as with almost everything in self-publishing, there is more to the story than it first appears. Winning a marketing contest gave her the push to put out all 5 much faster than she'd originally planned, and she shares some lessons learned to apply to her next series.

Eva also shares:

• Her definition of success for her books
• Why "fresh eyes" on your work are so important
• When and where she gets in her writing time
• How a shift in schedule affected her social media presence
• How she started using social media 2 full years before she first published to build her author platform
• Why newsletters are still important for her, despite a very active Facebook presence
• Her favorite part of being a writer

Eva had to shift how she used her time when her husband's schedule changed. In the tips, J. R. and Daphne talk about time-saving tips like batching and learning to concentrate on one thing at a time (yes it can be done!) in order to maximize the precious minutes Writer Moms have available to them.