Beyond Better with Stacy Ennis

I’ve been in the publishing industry for more than thirteen years. And while I don’t claim expertise as a publisher—I anchor heavily to the writing side of the industry—I’ve been around long enough and seen enough to know things are not as they should be. In 2020, I was cautiously optimistic that things might change. As racial protests broke out across the country, big publishers sought out more v...

In this week’s podcast episode, I share an update on our life here and what we’re thinking through as the kids get older. I talk through some of the cons of living in the Algarve and the pros of the life we lead. I talk through the balance we’ve been able to achieve here and how intertwined our everyday life is with nature. And I share the challenges we’re facing as we consider life beyond our kid...

Jeffrey is often described as an advocate for self-employed business owners. His journey began with selling eggs door-to-door at fourteen years old to becoming one of the most sought-after portrait photographers for affluent families in the U.S. in his twenties, a business he ran for more than three decades. Today, Jeffrey is an author, the host of The Self-Employed Life podcast with nearly two-mi...

Amy Mangueira experienced the full range of life’s wild ride, all the way to rock bottom, when she hit such extreme burnout that she permanently lost hearing in her left ear. On the pod this week, we talk about what led her to this moment—and what she’s done to find her way back to balance. Amy is a 4x entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker on a mission to rid the world of burnout. Amy’s g...

Looking to build a platform to establish yourself as a thought leader? I've got you covered. This week's solo episode dives deeply into both the experience of building one (mine) and nine practical steps to build yours. Whether you're an aspiring or published author, entrepreneur, or looking to build a powerful personal brand, this episode is for you. Best of all, I’ve created a free,...

Jovelle Fernandez is the author of The Expat. She’s also an obstetrician gynecologist with a subspecialty in reproductive endocrinology, infertility, and oncology, as well as a multi-award-winning and highly respected health care executive. In this conversation, we talk about her unique experiences of an expatriate, including various challenges living and working as a foreigner in academia in a ma...

This week, I’m answering some of my guests’ latest questions about the book-writing process. From refining and clarifying your book idea to how to properly cite others’ work, this episode is highly practical. I also discuss some behind the scenes about ghostwriting, including different ways you can engage a ghostwriter and how I structure fees. Show notes: Nonfiction Book School Self-Study Program...

In this episode, we talk through how to transplant your career—essentially, how to do the same thing you’re doing now, but in another area. We discuss practical steps to move abroad, how to set expectations, and the mindset needed to successfully move to another country. We also cover Vanessa’s fifteen income streams (!) and how she is working hard now to secure her financial future. Vanessa and I...

In this podcast episode, I speak with Plottr’s founder, Cameron Sutter, and education lead, Troy Lambert, about their powerful outlining software. I am a planner . I build a vision, strategy, and tactical plan for nearly everything I do. And that includes book writing. In my own work, I create detailed book outlines. And in my self-study book-writing program, I spend the first four lessons teachin...

This week, I’m sharing a conversation with adventure coach and Nonfiction Book School alum Mike Green. Mike is currently living his dream life leading Alaskan Leadership adventures. He says his life today in large part is a direct result of writing and publishing his book,  Wandermust: A Hero’s Journey to Seven Truths . In this episode, we talk about the ways publishing Mike’s book positively impa...

I’m excited to share a conversation on my podcast with an individual who has had a profound impact on my career: Tim Vandehey. = Tim is a friend and business mentor—not to mention a renowned writer. A freelance writer since 1995, he is an award-winning New York Times best-selling ghostwriter of more than sixty-five nonfiction books. In this week’s episode, we talk about why we humans are notorious...

Not only is Misty a dear friend, but she’s also a lighthouse for women around the world. We recently hosted a conversation live on LinkedIn that ended up being so powerful I had to share it again on my podcast. It’s short—about twenty minutes—and so inspiring. Listen to this week’s episode on how to set yourself up as an expert. In our conversation, we also talk about the transition from expert to...

This week, I’m joined by parenting and confidence coach, May Lam Rocco. May is an author, entrepreneur, businesswoman, and former Nonfiction Book School student who recently released her memoir, Confi-Dance: Memoirs of an Asian Businesswoman’s Journey from a Traditional Upbringing into Unconditional Love . Her book has been endorsed by the former president of Gucci China; the speaker-elect of the...

This week, I’m joined by Shaheen Shamavati, a fellow US expat and business owner living in Malaga, Spain. Shaheen is CEO and Founder of Vera Content and is a multilingual context expert, managing global social media and marketing channels for international brands. I met Shaheen through an entrepreneurship group I’m part of and instantly connected with her. Not only is she a smart business leader,...

At least once a week, but often more frequently, I get questions on all things Portugal. They range from how we afford our life to how we do schooling to why we would choose to leave everything we know in pursuit of an unknown life abroad. This week, I am digging into the looooong list of questions to . . . well, answer them. In this episode, I dive into more of the visa and legal specifics, diggi...

Many aspiring writers want to be able to make a living as a writer. But how in the world does someone go from dreaming to doing the thing? This week, I’ve got answers for you. Along with sharing my own experience in nonfiction, I’m joined by novelist Mindy McGinnis to share her journey on the fiction side. Mindy is an Edgar Award-winning novelist who writes across multiple genres, including post-a...

At least once a week, but often more frequently, I get questions on all things Portugal. They range from how we afford our life to how we do schooling to why we would choose to leave everything we know in pursuit of an unknown life abroad. This week, I am digging into the looooong list of questions to . . . well, answer them. In this episode, I answer questions on why we chose to move, how we sele...

Ghostwriting has been made more visible recently with Prince Harry’s writer, J. R. Moehringer. But the practice has been around long before the prince’s memoir—and is utilized by people other than princes. In fact, an estimated 60 percent of all nonfiction books and 70 percent on the New York Time’s best-seller list are ghostwritten. In this episode, I am demystifying all things ghostwriting with...

Last year, I hosted an alumni celebration for graduates of my program, Nonfiction Book School. As part of the event, I asked past students to share their stories. And—wow—I was so inspired! I knew I had to share their stories with you too. This week, I’m sharing a live Facebook broadcast with five authors discussing how they accomplished their goal of authorhood. Don’t miss this inspiring episode!...

Many aspiring authors anchor to one thing early in the book-writing process—often before they’ve even written a word: potential book sales. They do the math: how many books will I have to sell to make back my investment (time and money)? But that’s a false equation, because the true ROI of a book isn’t as simple as calculating the number of books sold by your author royalty per book. In fact, the...

Answers to your burning questions on all things writing, publishing, platform, and more—part 2! I often say that entering the world of publishing is like learning a new language. I should know. I’ve tried to learn Spanish, Vietnamese, Thai, and Portuguese. And I’ve only been successful at near-fluency in one so far! (Portuguese is also coming along. Slowly.) First, you embark on a project to achie...

Joseph Perry is a publishing attorney and literary agent. As an attorney, Joseph counsels clients in the publishing industry, where he drafts and negotiates various publishing agreements, gives legal reads of manuscripts, registers copyrights, and helps authors start their own publishing companies. As an agent, he represents best-selling cookbook authors, athletes, musicians, journa...

This week, I’m answering your burning questions on all things writing, publishing, platform, and more. I often say that entering the world of publishing is like learning a new language. I should know. I’ve tried to learn Spanish, Vietnamese, Thai, and Portuguese. And I’ve only been successful at near-fluency in one so far! (Portuguese is also coming along. Slowly.) First, you embark on a project t...

This week, I’m joined by author David Morales. His book, American Familia: A Memoir of Perseverance , was released in February 2022 and already has dozens of five-star reviews and has impacted readers across the US and beyond. In this conversation, David shares the inspiration behind the book and his larger vision of impact, including the work he’s doing through Ahora Inc., a nonprofit organizatio...

This short and sweet episode details my plans for season 4 (!!!) of this podcast. I need your support to reach more listeners. Please rate and review this show—and share with a friend! Get my accelerated author self-study program, Nonfiction Book School: www.nonfictionbookschool.com/selfstudy . Connect with me at http://stacyennis.com . Follow me on: Instagram @stacyennis Facebook @stacyenniscreat...