Write the Damn Book Already

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! When it comes to book publishing, there are 3 main models available: traditional, independent, and self. None is the best across the board. One is the best for each author and each book!  I find it curious that still (and we've somehow made it to 2023), self-publishing (or hybrid publishing, or author-financed publishing, as it&apo...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! I don't know it it's an end-of-year thing or an all-year-round thing, but I'm hearing a lot of people saying, quietly, that they feel like they're a bit "behind.  Honestly, I get it. I'm about to turn 50, and I certainly have days where I think, "I can't possibly be 50, because I haven't yet...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Jamie Gagnon’s first book, Imagine My Love (an illustrated children’s book), was released in September 2022 . With a degree in early childhood education and preschool teacher certification, it makes sense that she'd write a children's book. But it was ultimately the love for her two children (combined with an "interesting...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! One of Jessica's most remarkable accomplishments is as a mom of three amazing kids. When her beautiful daughter Dalia passed away in March 2022 from an ultra-rare mitochondrial disease called MERRF syndrome, she was compelled to transition from how-to format and personal essay to long-form memoir. Her newest book, Breath Taking , w...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Being able to interview Cory Goodrich a second time ( click here to listen to our first interview ), this time doing a deeper dive into the writing of Folksong: A Ballad of Death, Discovery, and DNA , was a gift that's I just know is going to keep on giving.  An actor, painter, singer, songwriter, and all-around creative person, it...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Even the most optimistic, curious, open-minded of us occasionally have moments when we worry, "Oh sh*t. What if...?"  If you're like me, it's enough to keep you stuck in one place for hours (if not days. Or months).  Many of us have two sides: we have a side that says, "Oh sh*t, what if...?" and  we have a...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Chris Martinez's journey as an author is one I've had the privilege of being part of since the beginning.  We've now worked on six books together, and his perspective on being of service through a published book (as well as why he keeps writing more!) is one that every author can benefit from hearing.  In this episode of...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Joanna Rakoff has been a writer for as long as she can remember---even back to the days when people more routinely stated things like, "A career in the arts isn't realistic."  That said, her journey has taken more than a few twists and turns. From believing she wanted to follow a specific writing journey that didn't...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Talking to people face-to-face (whether 1:1, in a small group, or from a stage) allows you to gauge their response (and pivot if/when necessary). But when you’re writing a book, you don’t have that luxury. Even when writing posts, you can get pretty quick feedback. But a book feels so…permanent! In this episode, I'll guide you thro...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! As a book coach, I hear a lot of people say, "What I've gone through happened for a reason" or "I'm sharing my experience so that it has purpose." I ALSO hear a lot of people say, "I made a decision to write this book, and everyone says the universe starts moving things around in your favor once you ma...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! You have the vision and the hook and the Third-Layer Why and the outline, but it STILL feels "hard" to sit down and actually do the writing. What's the deal? The deal is simple. You're telling yourself a story that: It's different for other authors You're doing it "wrong" In this episode, I invite...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Meeting Cory Goodrich and working on her book, Folksong: A Ballad of Death, Discover, and DNA  has been one of the greatest gifts. Yes, she's wonderful. And kind. And funny. And talented as hell.   It also reminded me that there are no coincidences in this life.  While Cory will join me again in coming weeks to chat about the writi...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Identifying your motivation for writing a book is about far more than simply saying, "I want to write a book about my experience learning how to nurture an organic garden" (for example). One thing I've discovered over the past nearly 2 decades is that stopping at that layer of clarity is what keeps many authors in a state...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Annabel Monaghan's debut adult novel, Nora Goes Off Script , was released on June 7, 2022. In her words, "Writing it was probably the most fun I’ve ever had" (and she did it during quarantine, so there's that!) Before Nora, she wrote YA fiction and the popular column, "Does this Volvo Make My Butt Look Big?&quot...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Tyler Merritt is an Actor, Author, Activist, and Encourager, and speaking with him on this latest episode of Write the Damn Book Already was nothing short of joy-giving. His first book, I Take My Coffee Black, is part personal story, part history lesson, part laugh-out-loud humor, and part perspective-considering/shifting, and it's...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!   If you've ever wondered whether other people  really have it easier than you do when it comes to writing and publishing a bestselling book, my interview with the incredible Zibby Owens is one to listen to.   Author of the recently released, Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Literature , as well as editor of Moms Don't Ha...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! What makes a book a bestseller? I was asked a question last week about how I define success for my book writing programs. The reason the answer made me so excited was that the answer has changed. Truthfully, my answer to this question a few years ago was very dangerous, even though I didn't realize it at the time. If you have a sim...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Julie Solomon has built quite a name for herself in the coaching space as the creator of multiple high-value programs and masterclasses and as the host of The Influencer Podcast.     In this episode of Write the Damn Book Already, we discussed her recently released first book,  Get What You Want: How to Go from Unseen to Unstoppable . ...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Listen, I love money. I welcome it. I appreciate it. I celebrate when my clients receive it in exchange for their guidance. And I celebrate when I receive it in exchange for mine. An overflow of money makes a lot of things easier. But let’s be honest. It’s just one type of win. It feels like lately, in the coaching space, the focus is h...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Justin Guarini became a household name in 2002 as the runner-up in Season 1 of American Idol. From there, he's starred in multiple Broadway shows and, in 2015, began appearing in Diet Dr. Pepper commercials as "Lil' Sweet." But the road to success has not always been an easy one. Through the ups, down, and complete d...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Being able to claim "bestseller" status is all the rage, but what creates a REAL bestseller? What creates a book that is recommended again and again because it deeply touches the hearts of its readers? What creates a book that truly transforms not only the readers but the author as well?  In this episode, you'll discover:...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! This episode of Write the Damn Book Already clarifies the answer to a common question: What the heck is the difference between non-fiction and memoir? Episode highlights: [1:24] Why it's important to clarify "common concepts" covered in your book [3:40] The BIGGEST difference between non-fiction and memoir (and it's...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Most of us have walked through a bookstore and imagined what it would feel like to see our own book sitting on one of the shelves (or, preferably, a front-of-store table!).  It's incredibly common (and understandable!), therefore, that aspiring authors dream of seeing their book in the bookstore and wonder how to make this happen. ...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! "I want my book to be published by a big publishing house." I hear this often. And more often than not, that belief is bolstered by a few misconceptions when it comes to traditional publishing. In episode 2 of the Write the Damn Book Already podcast, I clarify the reality of the 3 biggest misconceptions when it comes to tradit...

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! "How do I get my book into bookstores" is an often-asked question by new authors.   Boy do I get it.   I LOVE bookstores...as a reader. As an author, not so much!   I'll address the REAL reason most authors want to see their book in bookstores in Episode 3, but for now, let's break down the actual behind-the-scenes o...