Wish I'd Known Then Podcast For Writers

276 / Ryder O’Malley, gay romance author cover designer, shares his path from art to indie publishing and the lessons learned along the way. He unpacks redefining success as an author, developing an authentic writing voice, and treating writing as a true business. Moving the goalposts on success and learning to celebrate wins The realities of marketing your books and understanding your audience Na...

275 / Nicholas Harvey, adventure, suspense, and thriller novelist and digital nomad, shares his journey from race car driver and motorsports professional to full-time author. He discusses how his unique background shapes his storytelling, the challenges of writing female protagonists, and navigating the ever-evolving indie publishing landscape. Transitioning from a racing career to writing How his...

274 / We’ve had a month-long break and are back with a catch-up chat about what’s been going on with our writing and our lives, including ADHD and productivity, juggling creative projects, and book launches.  Sara: special edition pre-production and timelines, launching on her direct store Jami: ADHA update, drafting a new novel, ads 💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwrite...

Ep 273 / Trixie Silvertale joins us to discuss resilience and adaptability in business. Trixie shared how a personal tragedy shifted her writing and publishing and resulted in her leveraging her backlist. Plus keeping a long series fresh, and writing interesting small town settings. Topics: Trixie’s dictation process, which involves roller skates 🛼 Dealing with tragedy and loss, and how Trixie sh...

Episode 272 / Andi Arndt joins us to discuss audiobook narration, including tips for finding and working with a narrator, how to write with narration in mind, and audiobook trends.  Topics: How Andi preps to narrate a book Mistakes authors make when it comes to picking narrators Tips for writing with narration in mind Benefits of  having a long-term relationship with a narrator or production compa...

Episode 271 / Jennifer Marchman, who combines historical fiction and time travel in her books, joins us to discuss embracing your own writing process, dealing with the constant changes in publishing, and the importance of community in the indie author space.  Topics: Writing time travel historical fiction Influence of Texas history and Outlander Personal writing process and habits Setting realisti...

Episode 270 / Katy Cocking is multi-passionate creative who found the advice to “stay in her lane” constricting and to a writing-adjacent career, selling cozy subscription boxes, which combines the knowledge from her publishing background with her activator and ideation strengths.   Topics: Transition from author to book box business Defining personal and financial success How Katy built and audie...

Episode 269 / Christina Hovland shares how she moved out of KU and built a thriving direct sales store for her books.  Topics: Transitioning from KU to direct sales Setting up a Shopify store for books Bundling books and pricing strategies Defining personal success as an author Why Christina likes working with coaches and mentors 💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.c...

Episode 268 / Legal thriller author Aime Austin joins us to discuss writing legal thrillers, discovery writing, and blending psychological suspense.  Topics: Choosing writing over practicing law Realities of learning writing craft and why writing is sometimes a “plumber job” Aime’s writing process and discussion of pantsing/discovery writing Crafting legal thrillers and legal details Insights from...

Episode 267 / T. Thorn Coyle writes several magic-filled series with diverse casts and is the author of The Midlist Indie Author Mindset. Thorn shares their journey of learning how to embrace curiosity to the importance of simply finishing what you start. We also dive into modular work strategies, leveraging Kickstarter, and the power of building genuine connections. Learned which marketing tactic...

Episode 266 / Cozy mystery author Diana Xarissa joins us this week. With over 150 books in her backlist, Diana shared how she found success through rapid release (but she works a year ahead) and why embracing her passion was the key that helped her find and connect with readers. Topics: Diana's unique process for building a year-long advance writing schedule to maintain a steady release pace...

Episode 265 / Jen discusses how she found her passion for working with authors, her experiences in developmental editing and coaching, and the importance of aligning your business with personal visions of success.  Tips on how to find an editor  Frequent mistakes she sees authors making Trends Jen sees in publishing Alternate pathways to success Effective social media use  Different types of suppo...

Episode 263 / Do you want to make your newsletters more personal and connect with readers? Bev Feldman, an email marketing strategist at Your Personal Tech Fairy, joins us today to share how to do just that through the type of content you share as well as sequences and segmenting. Setting expectations in a welcome sequence The value of letting subscribers go Basic ways to segment your newsletter l...

Episode 262 / Jennifer Hilt shares how her writing career has  evolved since she was with us in 2023, including expanding her trope thesaurus books to specific genres and her thoughts on launching an online event, TropeCon. She also shares her lessons learned for planning online events. If you want to connect with your readers through an online event, Jennifer has plenty of tips and ideas.  Topics...

Episode 261 / Elizabeth O’Roark shares about tapping into her creativity during the pandemic, tackling the ups and downs of switching genres, the power of tropes, and breakout success. Topics: Chasing success What Elizabeth wishes she’d started earlier  Assessment of opportunity cost Benefits of shifting to a new genre How Elizabeth incorporates tropes and microtropes into her plan for a new book...

Episode 259 / Cat Johnson shares about writing resilience and creative innovation. We discuss Cat’s diversified distribution strategy that includes wide retailers as well as KU and her innovative promotion idea that lean into the personal and real life connections. Topics discussed:  The power of pivoting in an unpredictable industry The value of building a strong backlist Out-of-the-box marketing...

Episode 258 / We delve into your responses from our previous episode, "What Do You Want?" We’re all ears and sincerely grateful for the feedback!  You shared your love for the podcast and some brilliant suggestions. We unpack your ideas, which range from having more diverse author guests to potential coaching sessions with listeners. You also chimed in with some fantastic new questions t...

Episode 257 / Catharine Bramkamp is a writing coach, workshop facilitator, poet, traveler, and has authored 27 fiction, non-fiction and poetry books. She joins us to share about creativity, finding joy in the process of writing, and common mistakes she sees as a writing coach.  💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support Access to backlist of exclusive supporter...

Episode 256 /  Cozy fantasy author and illustrator Hanna Sandvig joins us to talk about working with illustrators to create gorgeous special editions. We also chat about how Hanna’s business has evolved over time as she’s incorporated illustration into her own books and begun using Kickstarter and Patreon.  💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support Access to ba...

Episode 255 / It’s time for a heart to heart. Jami and Sara want to hear what you want from the podcast. Are you still finding value in the podcast? Do you want to see a change in format or focus? Let us know! Sara also answers questions about her mystery letters.  💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support Access to backlist of exclusive supporter episodes Priv...

Episode 254 / Samatha Cummings writes YA fantasy chock full of magic, myths, and monsters and also hosts a podcast for writers, Pen to Paycheck.  Topics: Samantha’s approach to treating NaNoWrMo as a game Why Samatha wishes she’d leaned into newsletter marketing earlier in her career How even one other person can be a community for you Mindset changes Samantha made around imposter syndrome and kno...

Episode 253 / It’s a Jami and Sara episode this week as we break down the recent chaos with TikTok (It’s gone! It’s back!) and what actions authors can take to make sure they’re able to connect with readers despite the unpredictable nature of social media platforms.  💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support Access to backlist of exclusive supporter episodes Pr...

Episode 252  / Has your well run dry when it comes to newsletter and social media content? Sara Shea has fresh ideas for you. Sara works full-time as the assistant (and sister) of author K.M. Shea. She's been lurking in the indie author shadows for over a decade and is here to share her love of content creation with everyone. Topics: Tips for working with assistants and contractors Creating a...

Episode 251 / Do you want to cut back on the time you spend on social media? Sandy Cooper and Mary K. Tiller have left social media altogether and have tips and how to cut back or depart social media.  Topics: Benefits and drawbacks of leaving social media Advice for someone wanting to reduce time on social media or leave altogether Ways to promote without social media  How to stay in touch with f...

Episode 250 / Guest: Sharmyn McGraw, mystery author and creator of planner/organizers for discovery writers.  Sharmyn shares the challenges of dyslexia and how she became a successful writer. We also get into marketing hurdles, strategies for staying organized, the benefits of not being a full-time writer; and we also geek out over our love of office supplies. Topics: Tips for writing with dyslexi...