Wish I'd Known Then Podcast For Writers

Episode 199 / Julia Stirling is a German romance author of over twenty books. She shares tips for when to go into translation, German covers, and connecting with German readers.  Julia also has some fantastic ideas on newsletter bonus content and a unique book giveaway that brings her new readers and also creates bonds between her readers. We delve into giving ourselves permission, knowing yoursel...

Episode 198 / Claire Kohler writes Scottish fantasy romance and is also an editor, tutor, and neurodiversity advocate. Claire shares how her autism and ADHD can be both a positive and a negative in her writing career and encourages neurodivergent writers to pursue their goals.  We also talk about slowing down, the power of writing routines, how to connect with other writers, and why representation...

Episode 197/ Tara Cremin is the Director of Kobo Writing Life and has great tips for how to go wide, how to reach readers globally, and how Kobo Plus, their non-exclusive subscription platform, helps authors reach new readers.  We also talk about common mistakes Tara sees authors make as well as  library distribution and cover trends.  Kobo website:  www.kobo.com/writinglife www.kobo.com/p/kwlpodc...

Episode 196 / Bestselling fantasy author, Helen Scheuerer joins us to discuss the many ways to launch a series and how to craft your launch strategy so that it meshes with your personality, goals, and schedule.  We dig into ARCS, preorders, mindset, dealing with disappointing launches, and common mistakes authors make when launching a series.  Helen’s website: https://helenscheuerer.com/series-lau...

Episode 195 / What’s your favorite trope? We asked a range of authors this question, and we’re here to share the answers as well as unpack the benefits of writing tropes, why we love specific tropes, and where to find the best examples of the specific trope in books, movies, and television.  Tropes discussed: found family, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, grumpy sunshine, and marriage of conv...

Episode 194 / Patrick O’Donnell is a retired Milwaukee Police Department sergeant with a 25-year career as well as an author and podcaster.  He shares common mistakes he sees in characterization and police procedure in genre fiction. We discuss how to go beyond overused tropes and how to get the details of investigations right without boring the reader. 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We c...

Episode 193 / Kat Addams is an author of contemporary romantic comedies and women empowerment non-fiction titles. She shares how her career path looks different than she expected, but after learning she didn’t have to stay stuck in a toxic relationship or stay in a genre lane, she’s now where she’s supposed to be. We discuss giving yourself permission, self worth, confidence, and how important it...

Episode 192 / Dark romance author Natlie Knight joins us to share how she sells to readers first on her website and uses the retail platforms for discovery.  We also talk about the importance of highlighting back catalogue books, why you should start your newsletter early, and how Natalie uses branded merchandise to promote her books. Links:  Jami on Two Authors Chatting podcast: https://pod.link/...

Episode 191 /  Historical fiction author Karen Heenan shares how her writing career started with a Tweet that drew the attention of a publisher, and how she eventually transitioned from working with a small press to indie publishing.  We also talk about focusing on building a backlist, validation, and learning to filter out advice and writing practices that don’t work with your strengths.  Author...

Episode 190 / Arlene McFarlane shares some unusual promotion ideas, including in-person sales and co-writing. We also talk about perfectionism and incorporating your background and interests into your writing and promotion. Links: Author website: https://www.arlenemcfarlane.com/ Jami on the Two Authors’ Chat Show: https://pod.link/1671876768/episode/734263342e60729be17faedacd41b408 💜 🎙 Become a s...

Episode 189 / KimBook York writes across multiple genres including romance, fantasy, and non-fiction. We talk about why there’s no “correct” way to write a book and why it’s important to trust your instincts in both writing and marketing.  We also discuss the structure of serials and how that can apply to other genres, how to be a discovery writer and maintain a subscription, and how to avoid burn...

Episode 188 / Contemporary romance author Cadence Keys has only been publishing for a few years. She describes how she's found success publishing wide and selling directly to readers.  We also delve into the topic of setting back from social media, something Cadence has chosen to do. Instead of using the social platforms, she’s investing in her newsletter and in her Ream subscribers.   https:...

Episode 187 / Do you need help with your branding, ad copy, or writing career strategy? Do you have questions or ideas that you’d like to brainstorm with another author about?  Jami has helped many authors with everything from overwhelm to sales pages to branding.  Jami shares the questions and topics that come up most often, the common mistakes she sees, and tips on when it’s time to ask for help...

Episode 186 / Would you like another stream of income that doesn’t involve ads or writing new content? In-person events like craft fairs and farmer’s markets might be a good option for you. Lisa Bourchard is a paranormal cozy mystery author who sells direct to readers at local events and shares her tips and lessons learned for in-person events.  Author website: LisaBouchard.com Lisa’s schedule: ht...

Episode 185 /  Do you want a better work/life balance? Would you like to declutter and systematize your life? ⚖️  Katlyn Duncan, multi-published author of adult and young adult fiction, joins us today to talk about how creatives, especially mom writers, can create a lifestyle that fits with their values and not be stressed out. 🦸‍♀️ 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give yo...

Episode 184 / Sara’s second Kickstarter closed out over $20,000 (🎉) and she shares what she’s learned from her second campaign.  If you’re thinking about running a Kickstarter campaign, you’ll want to hear Sara’s tips for creating a compelling Kickstarter Story page, staying organized, and info on changes to the Kickstarter platform. 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give y...

Episode 183 / Do you want to move away from depending on ads and social media for books sales? Marketing, business, and visibility strategist Kerrie Fitzgerald joins us to share six ways to grow your author business organically. 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a future episode. https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support Intro Links:  ❤️ Jami speaking...

Episode 182 / A.G. Riddle shares his definition of success and discusses how he balances creative fulfillment with the demands of the writing business. We also discussed a slower release schedule and how he transitioned from indie to traditional publishing. Author website: agriddle.com 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a future episode. https://wishidk...

Episode 181 / Contemporary romance author Catharina Maura shares how she combined her favorite trope, marriage of convenience, with lessons she learned writing her early books to create a best-selling series. We also delve into why marketing is an extension of storytelling, why you don’t have to do everything yourself, and how to keep readers thinking about your books and talking about them, using...

Episode 180 / Do you want to reach library readers? Erin Wright is here to help us understand how libraries buy books (ebooks, audio and print), what formats libraries prefer, and how to let libraries know about our books.  Author website: https://erinwright.net/authors ****Supporter chat Aug 27th at 3pm CST. *** 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a fut...

Episode 179 / We dug into the archives this week and pulled out one of our early episodes with David Gaughran, which is full of helpful and relevant advice. David decodes Amazon and breaks down Bookbub ads for authors in addition to writing historical fiction and sci fi. David shares how his mistakes have shaped his decision to reboot his fiction and nonfiction books. Supporter chat Aug 27th at 3p...

Episode 178 / Do you want to improve the dialogue in your novels? Author and dialogue coach Jeff Elkins shares tips on differentiating character voices and tips for using (or not!) dialogue tags. We also touch on the “rules” of writing versus reader expectations.  Author website: https://jeffelkinswriter.com/ https://dialoguedoctor.com/ 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give...

Episode 177 / Podcaster and mystery/ suspense author Matty Dalrymple joins us to talk about what she’s learned about how she’s learned to focus on writing her novels. We also chat about the benefits of writing short stories and podcasting for authors. Author website: https://www.mattydalrymple.com/   https://www.theindyauthor.com/ 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a...

Episode 176 / Direct sales is the current hot topic in the author community, but there’s lots of choices to be made. Landing page or store? Kickstarter or subscription? And taxes–what about taxes? Hello, decision fatigue. Fear not, we've got your back. In this episode, we break down direct sales into five main types 🖐️. We'll walk you through the difficulty level of each type, explain wh...

Episode 175 / Romance author and creator of the Wide for the Win Facebook group, Erin Wright, shares a blueprint for going from KU to wide as well as marketing tips for selling wide– without ads! Erin’s website: https://erinwright.net/   https://erinwright.net/authors https://erinwright.net/consulting Wide for the Win Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/wideforthewin 💜 🎙 Become a suppo...