The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers

Joanna Penn
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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 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 30 SEPT

    How To Make Readers Laugh. Writing Humour With Dave Cohen

    How can you bring laughter into your books regardless of genre? What are the challenges of writing a novel after an award-winning career as a comedy writer for TV and radio? Dave Cohen shares his lessons learned in this interview. In the intro, how to keep a career fresh over multiple books [Author Nation Podcast]; Best practices of successful indie authors [Draft2Digital]; Director James Cameron joins the board of Stability AI [Hollywood Reporter]; Google NotebookLM; Full audio expanding snippet; Photos from Ely Cathedral; Blood Vintage. This episode is sponsored by Publisher Rocket, which will help you get your book in front of more Amazon readers so you can spend less time marketing and more time writing. I use Publisher Rocket for researching book titles, categories, and keywords — for new books and for updating my backlist. Check it out at www.PublisherRocket.com This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Dave Cohen is a multi-award-winning BBC comedy writer who has worked on shows like Horrible Histories, as well as a comedy novelist, podcaster, and author of nonfiction. His latest book is Funny Up Your Fiction: How to Add Light, Shade, and Laughs to Your Novel. 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 shift from writing for TV to self-publishing novels * Why comedy is important for writers * Writing for individual sense of humour vs. broader appeal * Constructing characters that readers will find funny * Avoiding cliches in comedy * Creating covers for comic novels based on genre crossovers * Cancel culture and its affect on writing humour * Tips for keeping a positive mindset and creating opportunities You can find Dave at DaveCohen.org.uk. Transcript of Interview with Dave Cohen Joanna: Dave Cohen is a multi-award-winning BBC comedy writer who has worked on sh...

    1h 2m

  7. 23 SEPT

    Selling Books In Person At Live Events With Mark Lefebvre

    How can you be successful at connecting with readers and selling books at live, in-person events? What are some practical tips as well as mindset shifts that can help you make the most of the opportunities? Mark Leslie Lefebvre shares his experience. In the intro, Beventi for author events, Reader survey results [Written Word Media]; “How do I market myself without feeling gross about it?” [Author Stack]; 12 Concepts for Authors to Make $8333/Month; Results of AI training survey [Draft2Digital]; LionsGate partnering with RunWayML; Networking workshop [LSF]; Blood Vintage. 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  Mark Leslie LeFebvre is the author of horror and paranormal fiction, as well as nonfiction books for authors. He's also an editor, professional speaker, and the Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital. His latest book is A Book in Hand: Strategies for Optimizing Print Book Sales via Signings and Other In Person Events. 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 does “going wide” really mean? * Benefits of in-person signings and events * Always connect. The power of creating personal relationships with readers * The different types of in-person events * Using props to attract the right readers to your booth * How to grow your email list and audience from in-person events * The logistics of in-person events — payment systems and inventory * Managing your energy when planning for and attending events * Staying relaxed about changing technology and using it to your advantage

    1h 9m

  8. 16 SEPT

    Pivoting Genres And Growing An Author Business With Sacha Black

    Success as an author comes with challenges around managing money, setting boundaries, and living sustainably without burning out. Sacha Black/Ruby Roe talks about her lessons learned after five years as a full-time author entrepreneur. In the intro, Content marketing for authors [BookBub]; Vineyard research [Books and Travel]; AI-generated voice cloning for select US Audible narrators [The Verge]; How AI is changing audiobooks and how it echoes changes in the music industry [Music Tectonics]; Blood Vintage; Comment écrire un roman — Joanna Penn; 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  Sacha Black writes spicy sapphic fantasy romance as Ruby Roe, as well as books for authors. She's the host of The Rebel Author Podcast and an international professional speaker. Sacha recently did a solo episode on her lessons learned after 5 years full-time, and we discuss aspects of that in the interview. 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 * Why pivot to a new genre — mindset and money shifts * Finding freedom from writing under a pen name * Publishing and business model changes required with rapid sales growth * Learning to outsource as your author business grows * Repurposing content across multiple social media platforms * Your books are not your pension. Your pension is your pension — so invest! (Check out my list of money books here.) * Avoiding burnout — spending time on hobbies and social activities You can find Sacha at SachaBlack.co.

    1h 2m
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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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