SPA Girls Podcast

Today we welcome back for a record 3rd time, Zoe York, to talk about Romancing Your Goals. Like so many authors it was hard to read and write during 2020 which was the last time Zoe was with us. Yet, her latest book Romancing Your Goals was written during the pandemic and highlights how to treat your business and is full of wonderful tips to build a marketable genre fiction series.  At the end and...

We're thrilled to welcome fellow Kiwi author, Deb Potter, to the SPA today to give us the breakdown on how to create, manage and optimize Amazon ads.  Many of us have tried different methods to get AMS Ads to work: from creating hundred of ad variations to wrangling spreadsheets with thousands of keywords to try. And then there's the whole bid price conundrum – how do we know what to bid? Can we t...

Jay is a 2020 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Gay Romance and her book Off Balance was the 2021 New Zealand Romance Book of the Year. She is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. She writes character driven romances with lots of humour, a good dose of reality and a splash of angst. She's travelled extensively, lived in many countries, and in...

This week we talk to fantasy author AK Mulford about how she got started on TikTok! We cover TikTok for authors in depth: how to start, who to follow, how to get your follower count up, best length of videos, what to post, how to create the videos, hashtags, sounds, dealing with comments, batching, duets, stitching, etiquette plus differences from other social media platforms. And most importantly...

Feeling a bit blah about your writing? Struggling with getting good words down and your word count UP? Today we're taking inspiration from Marie Kondo, and we're sparking back the joy in our writing lives! Our SPA Girls tried-and-true steps are: Re-commit to your Why Re-evaluate your ideal writing life / writing day Let gooooooooo Start with Simple Be Like Marie and ask Does It Spark Joy? As alway...

How do you get a cover that finds readers and converts to sales? Today we're unpacking exactly how you can do that. What your cover needs to do What SHOULDN'T be on your cover What cover images risk getting your cover banned from advertising The Anatomy Of A Cover Why are fonts so important? How to find a good designer What to expect to pay for a good cover 💗 Full Show Notes and Resource Links at...

Today we're delighted to welcome Ella Barnard to the SPA. Ella is an author, a podcast host on Author Like A Boss podcast, and an author coach. She's here today to talk about how she found success publishing short romances as Liz Fox, going from zero to $3k per month in just three months. You can find her at: http://authorlikeaboss.com/   Going from zero to $3k per month in just a few months is a...

Confused by preorders? Wondering if you should start using them? Wondering if you should stop using them? This is the episode for you! We talk about what preorders are and how they work, how we use preorders, and when we think you shouldn't use preorders. Join us for another intriguing episode in the SPA!

Today we share our SPA Girls patented ;) foolproof steps to create a fictional setting for your book or series. Working through these steps will help solidify that setting in your mind, give your characters a realistic and compelling "stage" and help you build a complete world (whether contemporary, historical or futuristic) that resonates with readers.   Full show notes and resource links at: www...

What's the real reason you're a writer? We've talked about finding your why before on the podcast, and today we're delving deeper. Inspired by Simon Sinek's book Start With Why, and Find Your Why, Trudi has us "on the couch" again, which Wendy, in particular, absolutely loves (not)! Sinek's book is based on the idea that we're a sum total of the experiences we've had growing up, the lessons we've...

We're delighted to welcome back the lovely Tara Cremin, Director of Kobo Writing Life. In this episode Tara brings us up to speed on Kobo's new audiobook platform, other updates from Kobo, and top tips for marketing your books and audio.   Enjoy!   About Tara Cremin:   Tara has an MA in American Literature and Film from University College Cork, Ireland and has worked for KWL since inception. Respo...

Happy New Year people! It's a crazy time of year, and this episode is all about why you need to take time out, recharge your batteries and come back in the new year ten times more productive and energised!!!   

Despite 2021's best efforts we've managed to do some great work this year and had some good times. From launching as planned when health or life got in the way, to self-improvement on many levels, we've hit the markers. Maybe not on time or in an effortless ballet-like movement, but we're taking the wins and so should you! Show Notes: Cheryl's proudest moment: Launched 3 books after health issues...

We've all heard the conventional wisdom for fiction writers – but is it actually appropriate for self-publishing today?  We break down five pieces of uncommon advice that have stood us in good stead and why we think they'll work for you too:   💗 Learn to Self-publish with the SPA Girls! * Visit SpaGirlsPodcast.com for full show notes and all previous episodes * Subscribe on your fav podcast app -...

In the SPA today, we talk about the evolution of our writing process. We delve into the changes that have taken place in our writing journeys over the last few years. Wendy discusses her collaboration with her son, and how merging two styles makes life interesting! Are you someone who has storyboards? Do you write linear, or do you start at chapter one and then skip to chapter five? Some authors n...

If you're considering changing genres, starting a new series, trying new tropes, or are even just so confused about this writing malarky that you're not even sure you'll write anything next... this is the episode for you. It's a difficult decision to move to a new genre, or to move on from a series that's not doing as well as you'd like, or even from a series that you love, but just can't write an...

It's no secret that we use Written Word Media for ads and while we don't have affiliate links or say you should use them, we can't think of a reason not to try Freebooksy and Bargain booksy. But, What would you say to them running Facebook ads for you? Today we have Clayton Noblit, senior marketing manager, along with Grant Shepherd, Ad Fulfillment Manager at Written Word Media and they're here to...

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actuall...

Evan is the indie developer of StoryOrigin, a marketing tool and community of authors that work together to find reviewers, build mailing lists, increase sales, and stay on top of deadlines. Today Evan is teaching everything we need to know about this amazing one stop shop for authors! https://storyoriginapp.com/ You'll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: www.spagirlspodcast...

Wondering how to get started with Facebook Ads, but not sure where to start? Join us for today's podcast with Facebook ads guru, Nicholas Erik! Nicholas is a science fiction author with more than 20 books to his name. He's also written books for authors including The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing and The Ultimate Guide to Productivity, as well as running courses about Facebook Ads, Amazon Ads a...

Today we have Theodora Taylor in the SPA to talk about universal fantasies – what they are, and how you can use them to get your books on the bestseller lists!  After logging time as a music journalist, playwright, and radio writer, Theodora fell in love with penning hot books with heart. Since deciding to become an author, she's published 54 books in a range of genres—but with one thing in common...

The Key To Success Is Between Your Ears! Linda Pucci, Ph. D is a retired psychologist who has turned into a romance novelist (under a separate penname).  After working with people in therapy for 35 years and coaching for 20, she's realized the key to building lasting relationships and being happy involves letting go of emotional baggage - something her fiction demonstrates through character arcs. ...

Feeling a bit bombarded by conflicting advice re writing and self-publishing? Got FOMO about courses and conferences others are experiencing, but you can't afford or attend? And how do you figure out what advice works best for YOU? Friends, you're not alone - we've been there too. This episode we discuss The Best (and Worst!) Advice and ... WHERE is it coming from WHO is giving it HOW it can derai...

Author and host of Become A Writer Today Podcast , Bryan Collins, joins the SPA today from Ireland. We love our Irish guests and are super stoked to welcome him here today to talk all things Creativity and how to pull yourself out of a creative rut. Topics covered include finding the time to write, author expectations, free writing, conquering writers block, simple ways to improve productivity and...

This episode we're sharing the key things that have moved our writing careers, and creativity, forward so far in 2021. It's a typical "SPA Girls on the couch" episode with some raw honesty and bad humor thrown into the mix. We cover a lot of ground, including: How to celebrate (and remember) your achievements. And why you should! Working less for more $$ How asking for help has worked The differen...