The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers

Joanna Penn
  • 4.8 (147)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED FORTNIGHTLY
The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers

Information, inspiration and interviews on writing, self-publishing, book marketing and making a living with your writing. If you need help with writing your book, or you want to learn how to navigate the new world of publishing and book marketing, then join Joanna Penn and her guests every Monday. Also covers the business of being a writer and how to make money with your books.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    Writing Memoir And Dealing With Haters With Natalie Maclean

    How can you write memoir with deep sensory detail? How does terroir in wine equate to the writer's voice? How can you manage your online presence while still protecting yourself from the haters? Multi-award-winning wine writer Natalie MacLean shares her tips. In the intro, initial thoughts on Author Nation 2024, photos from Death Valley @jfpennauthor, Folk horror on The Nightmare Engine Podcast, Walking the Camino de Santiago on the Action Packed Travel Podcast; Introversion and writing the shadow on The Quiet and Strong Podcast. Today’s show is sponsored by FindawayVoices by Spotify, the platform for independent authors who want to unlock the world’s largest audiobook platforms. Take your audiobook everywhere to earn everywhere with Findaway Voices by Spotify. Go to findawayvoices.com/penn to publish your next audiobook project. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Natalie MacLean is a multi-award-winning wine writer, named World's Best Drinks Writer at The World Food Media Awards, as well as a sommelier, TV wine expert, and host of The Unreserved Wine Talk Podcast. She's also the bestselling author of multiple nonfiction books on wine, including Unquenchable, named as one of Amazon's best books of the year. Her latest book is Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below.  Show Notes * Challenges of writing memoir compared to journalistic writing * Using memoir to tell your Truth * Tips for sensory writing from a ‘super taster' * What is terroir and how to use it in your writing * Maintaining boundaries while still marketing your author brand * Dealing with crisis management and managing your mental health * How to reach and engage with book clubs * Connecting multiple streams of income * Utilising podcasting for book marketing in your author business You can find Natalie at NatalieMaclean.com. Transcript of Interview with Natalie Maclean Joanna: Natalie MacLean is a multi-award-winning wine writer, named World's Best Drinks Writer at The World Food Media Awards, as well as a sommelier, TV wine expert,

    1h 3m

  2. 11 NOV

    Dark Tourism And Self-Publishing Premium Print Books With Images With Leon Mcanally

    What is dark tourism and why are many of us interested in places associated with death and tragedy? How can you write and self-publish a premium print guidebook while managing complicated design elements, image permissions, and more? With Leon Mcanally. In the intro, level up with author assistants [Written Word Media]; and Blood Vintage signing pics. This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Leon McAnally is the author of A Guide to Dark Attractions in the UK. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below.  Show Notes * The definition of dark tourism and what types of places it includes * Public opinion around dark tourism sites * Self-publishing to keep creative control of book design and content * Researching historical sites and keeping an organized system * How to obtain permissions for publishing images * Working with a designer on a photo-heavy book * Using book signings and social media as part of a book marketing strategy * Managing expectations for research- and design-extensive projects You can find Leon on his Facebook page: Dark Attractions in the UK. Transcript of Interview with Leon McAnally Joanna: Leon McAnally is the author of A Guide to Dark Attractions in the UK, which is brilliant. My quote is on the back, and I said, “A fascinating book for all the dark little souls out there.” So welcome to the show, Leon. Leon: Thank you, Joanna, for having me. Joanna: I'm excited to talk about this topic, and you and I are both dark little souls. First up— Tell us a bit more about you and how you got into writing and self-publishing. Leon: Well, I studied travel and tourism in college. That's where I first learned of this term called dark tourism, places associated with death, suffering and tragedy. I came away looking into these places and was really fascinated with the tourism aspect and the history aspect. My university touched on this topic more,

    46 min

  3. 4 NOV

    Self-Publishing A Second Edition Of A Non-Fiction Book With Gin Stephens

    How do you approach writing a second edition of a non-fiction book? How does self-publishing compare to working with a traditional publisher? Can you build a viable business without active social media use? Gin Stephens shares her tips. In the intro, the end of Kindle Vella [Amazon]; Lessons from week one of the book launch for This is Strategy [Seth Godin]; Seahenge is out now on my store, and on pre-order elsewhere; ChatGPT launched Search [OpenAI]; How Generative AI Search Will Impact Book Discoverability in the Next Decade. Write and format stunning books with Atticus. Create professional print books and eBooks easily with the all-in-one book writing software. Try it out at Atticus.io This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Gin Stephens is the New York Times bestselling author of Delay, Don't Deny, Fast. Feast. Repeat., Clean(ish), and other health-related nonfiction books. She's also a podcaster at Intermittent Fasting Stories. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below.  Show Notes * Pros and cons of publishing a second edition of a nonfiction book * Tips for bringing a heavy subject alive * Breaking through the noise when misinformation surrounds your subject * Reasons for going the indie route after traditionally publishing * The power of word of mouth marketing * How a small paywall can create a more respectful community * Social media's impact on mental health * Creating an ecosystem — podcast, community, and books You can find Gin at GinStephens.com. Transcript of Interview with Gin Stephens Joanna: Gin Stephens is the New York Times bestselling author of Delay, Don't Deny, Fast. Feast. Repeat., Clean(ish), and other health-related nonfiction books. She's also a podcaster at Intermittent Fasting Stories. So welcome back to the show, Gin. Gin: It is so great to talk to you again. Joanna: Yes, it's been a few years [Gin's previous interview here]. Now,

    1h 6m

  4. 28 OCT

    Writing Horror With Boris Bacic

    What are some of the key elements in writing horror? How can you be successful writing and self-publishing in the genre? With Boris Bacic. In the intro, ISBNs made easy [Self-publishing Advice]; Written Word Media’s 2024 author survey; Taylor Swift self-publishing [Morning Brew]; Thoughts on audiobooks [Seth Godin]; This is Strategy: Make Better Plans – Seth Godin; Plus, Orna Ross and I talk about our response to Google NotebookLM, while the AI hosts discuss indie author myths [Self-Publishing Advice Podcast]; Seahenge: A Short Story available now and on pre-order. This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Boris Bacic is a bestselling horror author from Serbia, with more than 30 books and short stories. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below.  Show Notes * Unique platforms for publishing horror short stories * Subgenres of horror and how they have evolved * Catering to an English-speaking market * Finding inspiration from personal experience and place * Deciding whether an idea is best for a short story or full-length book * Different channels to earn an income from short stories * Why some books succeed in KU and others flop * Considerations when writing a horror series * Networking and community for horror writers You can find Boris at AuthorBorisBacic.com. Transcript of Interview with Boris Bacic Joanna: Boris Bacic is a bestselling horror author from Serbia, with more than 30 books and short stories. So welcome to the show, Boris. Boris: Thanks for having me here.

    1h 5m

  5. 21 OCT

    Scaling An Author Business With Rachel McLean

    How do you successfully scale an author business? How do you delegate to your team as well as continue to research and write the books you love? With award-winning crime author, Rachel McLean. In the intro, new Kindle devices [Amazon]; new European markets for Spotify audiobooks [Spotify]; customisable audio with Google NotebookLM; Amazon Ads launches new AI tools for advertisers; Enhancing Creativity with AI Tools [ALLi]; My Lessons Learned from 10 Million Downloads of the show; and Blood Vintage Kickstarter wrap-up. Today's show is sponsored by Draft2Digital, self-publishing with support, where you can get free formatting, free distribution to multiple stores, and a host of other benefits. Just go to www.draft2digital.com to get started. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Rachel McLean is the award-winning author of the Dorset Crime series, as well as other crime books, and has now sold over 2 million copies. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below.  Show Notes * Making the decision to scale your author business * Hiring multiple freelancers with different skillsets * Money and lifestyle as a source of motivation * Writing with multiple co-authors and creating a small imprint * How to write what readers want to read * Moving your readers from KU to other platforms * Selling audiobooks direct using Shopify and BookFunnel * Using AI tools for location research * Publishing videos on socials to humanize your brand You can find Rachel at Rachel...

    1h 3m

  6. 16 OCT

    7 Lessons Learned From Over 10 Million Downloads Of The Creative Penn Podcast

    The Creative Penn Podcast just hit 10 million downloads as reported by my audio host, Blubrry! The podcast is also the main content on my YouTube channel @thecreativepenn, which has had over 3.9 million views, so the total could be closer to 14m. I'm pretty happy with that, so thanks for listening! Here are some fun stats, and then I share 7 lessons learned that are also applicable for authors and other creatives. * Start where you are and improve your craft, tools, and technology over time * Focus on value for the listeners (or readers) * Everyone starts with no audience, no email list — and no clue! * It's all about the relationships you build along the way * People want to know about you. Decide on your boundaries — before you're forced to. * Podcasting (or being an author) can be a viable business — if you design it that way. * You will only sustain what is ‘worth it' to you over the long term. Persistence and time in the market make a big difference. You can find The Creative Penn Podcast on your favourite podcast app, or the backlist and links are here. The Creative Penn Podcast Stats My first episode went out on 15 March 2009, and there are now 775 episodes of the podcast. Links to all at TheCreativePenn.com/podcast. The show has been downloaded in 229 countries with the top three countries being the USA (61%), UK (12%), and Australia (7%), and the most surprising being 2 downloads from Antarctica! The four most downloaded episodes through Blubrry are as follows: * Writing fiction and improving your fiction book description with Michaelbrent Collings (28,264 downloads) * How to use mystery to hook your readers with Jonah Lehrer (28,215) * Tips for indie author success and 20BooksTo50K with Craig Martelle (28,199) * Author mindset: Strengths for writers with Becca Syme (27,786) The four most watched/listened to on YouTube are quite different: * Improve your dialogue with James Scott Bell (75,200) * How to sell a million books with CJ Lyons (59,689) * How to write a novel with the snowflake method with Randy Ingermanson (54,209) * a href="https://youtu.be/wGq84WOQfqM" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title=""...

    38 min

  7. 14 OCT

    Writing Historical Fiction And Non-Fiction With Emily E K Murdoch

    Can you be successful as an author across different genres and different pen names? How do traditional publishing and going indie compare? How can you diversify into multiple streams of income as an author? With Emily E.K. Murdoch. In the intro, Planning for retirement [Self-Publishing Advice]; my list of money books; Red flags in serialised (and other) fiction contracts [Self-Published Advice]; The Author's Guild partners with Created by Humans for AI licensing; Nobel Prizes for AI-related research [The Economist]; Last chance for Blood Vintage, and where did the idea come from?; plus, what I'm working on next. Today's show is sponsored by ProWritingAid, writing and editing software that goes way beyond just grammar and typo checking. With its detailed reports on how to improve your writing and integration with writing software, ProWritingAid will help you improve your book before you send it to an editor, agent or publisher. Check it out for free or get 15% off the premium edition at www.ProWritingAid.com/joanna This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Emily E K Murdoch is the USA Today bestselling author of over 100 historical romances across medieval, western and regency, and mixed between steamy and sweet. She's also the author of nonfiction history book Regina: The Queens Who Could Have Been under Emily Murdoch Perkins. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below.  Show Notes * Discovery writing vs outlining — how it affects your drafting and editing speed * How to research in-person and online * Securing a nonfiction traditional publishing deal * Maintaining creative autonomy with a traditional publishing contract * Opportunities that arise from being traditionally published * Writing under different names for different genres * Tips for pitching blurbs for your book * How traditional publishers help with PR * Diversifying your author business and creating multiple streams of income

    1h 3m

  8. 7 OCT

    Author Mindset, Writing And Marketing Non-Fiction With Ariel Curry

    How can the ‘hungry author' mindset help you become more of a successful author? Why do you need to shift your point of view to that of the reader so your book resonates with them? What are some of the key aspects of writing and marketing non-fiction books? Ariel Curry gives her tips in this episode. In the intro, tackling imposter syndrome [Ink in Your Veins]; Novel Study: Decoding the Secrets and Structures of Contemporary Fiction by Kristen Tate; StoryBundle for Writers; Publishing for Profit conference from ALLi; Tap to Pay on mobile for live events [Zettle/PayPal]; Blood Vintage and Discovery Writing webinar; I'm on The Unreserved Wine Talk Podcast, and The Nightmare Engine Podcast. Plus, Leveraging AI for book covers and ads [Brave New Bookshelf]; More controls coming for Google NotebookLM [VentureBeat]; Meta’s new generative video model, Movie Gen. Today’s show is sponsored by FindawayVoices by Spotify, the platform for independent authors who want to unlock the world’s largest audiobook platforms. Take your audiobook everywhere to earn everywhere with Findaway Voices by Spotify. Go to findawayvoices.com/penn to publish your next audiobook project. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Ariel Curry is a writer, editor and book coach, and the co-author of Hungry Authors: The Indispensable Guide to Planning, Writing, and Publishing a Nonfiction Book. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below.  Show Notes * What is a hungry author? * The mindset needed for a long-term author career * Subgenres of nonfiction and how to find and market to their audiences * Key elements of a book map * Writing with a reader-focused mindset * Top reasons why editors and agents reject books

    58 min
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Information, inspiration and interviews on writing, self-publishing, book marketing and making a living with your writing. If you need help with writing your book, or you want to learn how to navigate the new world of publishing and book marketing, then join Joanna Penn and her guests every Monday. Also covers the business of being a writer and how to make money with your books.

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