Creating Happy Writers

Do you struggle to sit down and write consistently? Are you forever trying to make the words flow perfectly on the very first attempt? If that’s you, you’ll love this week’s episode with my brilliant guest, Vicki Weinberg. Vicki offers product creation support and specialises in selling on Amazon.  She is also the host of a weekly podcast for product-based entrepreneurs - Bring Your Product Idea t...

As an author, getting feedback on your writing is arguably one of the hardest things to do. What happens if it’s awful? How can you get the most out of your editorial experience? What if you disagree with your editor or beta reader? Oh, it’s a tricky one, that's for sure. But I’ve got some advice up my sleeve to help you accept feedback with ease and actually use it to your advantage. During the e...

Email marketing is one of - if not the - most important parts of your writer brand. To effectively sell books over the long term, you can’t just rely on social media. Building a list of fans and readers away from these popular platforms is necessary if you want long-term success.  But what should your author newsletter cover? What should it be about? How often should you send emails to your list?...

AI has been a hot topic in recent months for all of us - whether in the business world or in the writing world. We can’t avoid it, and, in my opinion, neither should we. But the question remains: how can we use it to write our books, and, most importantly, how can we use it responsibly and ethically to feel good about the process? In this episode, you’ll learn: About the surge in AI technology and...

I'm thrilled to welcome Anna Zannides onto the podcast for my very first author interview - and what a conversation we had! Anna is a published author, a UK-listed Mindfulness Teacher, and an accredited Life Coach with a background in education. She specialises in working with young people and individuals facing the challenges of cancer, loss and bereavement. Her book ‘How Did I Get Here?’ was pub...

Knowing how much of your personal story to use in your business book or self-help book is a tricky one. You’re not writing a memoir, after all. But if you don’t include it, your book can lose that connection to the reader.  So what’s the answer? Luckily for you, this week’s episode is going to cover all that and more. You’ll learn: How to get the right balance between telling your story to motivat...

Social media is an overwhelming beast at times. Which platforms should you be on if you want to sell your books? Are there any you shouldn’t be on? How can you create a community of avid readers? So many questions that it’s no wonder authors struggle to know where even to begin.  But don’t worry; I’ve got you covered with this episode devoted to all things social media. We’ll dive deep into: What...

Ah, writer’s block. Seen as a curse or a disease on many unsuspecting writers, it’s actually, more often than not, procrastination in disguise - and that’s something we’ve all experienced in one way or another. But I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be this way, and in this episode, you’ll discover five ways to beat the block, take action and get some consistency back into your writing life. ...

Writing the first draft of your business book is often an overwhelming thought. How should you do it? What if it sucks? How can you keep going when it all feels rather shitty? Yes, yes. All of those feelings - and more.  Well, this episode is here to stop all that and to give you the confidence you need to tackle your first draft like a pro.   In it, you’ll discover: What famous authors have done...

One of the questions I’m asked the most about writing is whether the idea someone has for a business book is a good one. It’s natural to worry about whether the hard work you’re putting into your writing will pay off in the long run. So, I’ve put together some advice for you so you can be sure your book has the best chance of success. And while there’s no guarantee of sales or people’s glowing opi...

Welcome back to Season 2 of the podcast, and we’re kicking off with a bang!  Often, September feels a bit like January for business owners and writers alike - we’ve hopefully had a bit of a break over the summer, and we’re now ready and raring to go. It’s natural to set some goals - including ones for your writing. But what if you took a slightly different approach to this process?  In this season...

It’s the end of Season 1 of the Creating Happy Writers podcast, and I asked listeners to write in with some of their questions about writing and publishing their non-fiction books.  And you guys didn’t disappoint! In this season finale, you’ll find out more about: The secrets to successful book launches - using my experience of working on the campaign for a Sunday Times’ Bestseller… What hybrid pu...

Outlining really is the best way to plan and structure your book - it stops you from facing the blank page each time you write, and it also means you get your message across in the right way for your reader.  For me, it’s an essential step of the writing process and one that all non-fiction writers should take to get the best possible book written.  But how do you create an outline? Don’t worry; y...

Think storytelling has no place in non-fiction - think again! In this episode, I’m diving into the science of storytelling and why I believe it’s an essential part of any business or self-help book.  You’ll learn: Why stories are hard-wired into the human brain and how you can use this to your advantage when inspiring and motivating your readers. The science behind storytelling and its effects on...

In this episode, we’re delving into the frustrating world of procrastination. Something we all struggle with from time to time - and not just with our writing! It can take many disguises.  From convincing yourself today is the day you must sort your Tupperware to find the matching lids to reorganising your clothes into seasonal sets, you’ve done them all to avoid sitting down to write. Perhaps it’...

Writing a book without really knowing your reader’s journey is a bit of an insult to them - and can be THE thing that means they finish your book and love it… or they don’t. When you’re writing, sometimes you’re so wrapped up in what YOU want to write about you almost forget the reader exists.  Now I’m pretty confident you’re not like that. But it’s easy to slip into writing a book without conside...

How would you describe your writing mindset? Are you someone who believes that your ability to write is fixed? That you’ll only ever be able to write at a certain level or with a certain amount of skill? Or are you someone who adopts a growth mindset? Believing that abilities aren’t fixed and that finding things hard is an opportunity for improvement? In this week’s episode, you’ll discover why de...

Publishing your non-fiction book is an exciting time - there’s no doubt about it. However, you can’t do it all by yourself - even if you think you can.  You’ve got to build your book team.  But who should be part of it? During this episode, you’ll find out just who you need to make your book as successful as possible.  You’ll learn: What you can learn from Henry Ford about building a book team - y...

Are you determined to get everything ‘just right’ when it comes to your writing environment? Want to make sure it will help rather than hinder your process? In this episode, I’m here to help you create your perfect writing environment - something that doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, the simpler you can make it, the better. Often, when you procrastinate over having the right pen, notebook, o...

In this episode, we look at what you can do if you’ve lost the motivation to write. It happens to all of us - from independent writers like me to the big guns who line the shelves in your local bookshop.  You see, writing when you’ve lost motivation is a bit like cleaning the oven. Something you keep putting off because you know it’s going to be hard work and, frankly, sitting down with a cuppa, a...

In this episode of the Creating Happy Writers podcast, we dive deep into the world of business book planning and uncover the expert strategies that can transform you from a successful entrepreneur into a successful (and happy!) author.  Because I get it. You have all the ideas; perhaps you even have a mountain of content from a podcast or a course that you want to distil into a book. But where do...

Do you find yourself comparing yourself to other writers? Perhaps wishing that you had the success/ability/popularity they have? It’s very common when doing anything creative to look at what others do and berate ourselves for not doing things ‘as well as they do.’  It’s exhausting, right? Well, it’s time to stop the endless comparison to other writers, and in this episode, you’ll learn how to do j...

If you’ve been thinking about writing a book for your business for a while now, you might be wondering what the benefits are.  Is it worth all that time, effort and energy? Time that, as a busy business owner, you don’t always have. It’s also an investment - in mentoring, editing and design. You’ve probably got a voice niggling away inside, suggesting it’s just too much of an investment in time (a...

As a non-fiction author, you have a range of publishing options to choose from - but which one is right for you? It can feel overwhelming to even know where to start. Will you choose self-publishing or traditional publishing? What about hybrid? What the heck is hybrid publishing anyway? We’ll cover all that in this episode…and more. You’ll learn: The pros and cons of traditional and self-publishin...

Writing a book is tough. It requires you to dig deep and draw on all your resources. But it also requires you to really know who you’re writing for.  Yes, you may well have a niche that you work in on a daily basis, but the niche your book sits in might be slightly different. If you really want to be seen as an expert, getting this bit right is vital. In this episode, we’ll explore how you can be...