Easy Peasy Books

Gillian Whitney

This podcast is hosted by Gillian Whitney — Business Book Coach, Author Visibility Strategist, and 6x published author. – For more information visit:  EasyPeasyBooks.com – Connect with her at:  linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitney Easy Peasy Books: From Author to Authority is the inspiring and practical podcast for business professionals looking to transform their expertise into published works. This show features weekly conversations with successful writers who've navigated the journey from expertise to influence. Gillian also interviews industry experts in writing, publishing, and marketing to provide valuable insights. The podcast explores three key pillars: crafting your manuscript, navigating self-publishing in the digital age, and implementing marketing strategies to attract your target audience. Whether you're penning your first draft or seeking to leverage your published book, Easy Peasy Books offers simple strategies to turn your literary work into your ultimate business card — opening doors to new opportunities, speaking engagements, and more clients.

  1. 1d ago

    103: Beyond the Book: How to Turn Your Readers Into Clients with James Ranson

    You wrote the book. You published the book. And then you sat back and waited for the clients to roll in. But here's the thing nobody tells you. Getting your book onto Amazon isn't the finish line. It's the starting line. There's a gap between somebody reading your book and somebody actually becoming your client, and most authors don't even know it's there. They just wonder why the phone isn't ringing. In this week's episode of the Easy Peasy Books Podcast, I sit down with James Ranson, a book editor and ghostwriter who spent over a decade helping authors write their books before he made a big pivot. Now he helps them do the part that so many authors miss, turning readers into clients. We talk about why the "if you publish it, they will come" mindset quietly holds so many business authors back, and the surprisingly simple bridge James builds to close that gap. If you've got a book out there that just isn't bringing you the business you hoped for, this conversation is going to hit close to home. 0:41 – Turning Your Business Book Into a Business Tool 4:38 – Why Your Book Alone May Not Generate Clients 10:07 – Bridging the Gap Between Reader and Customer 13:41 – Building Trust With a Value-Packed Email Sequence 18:39 – Why This Isn't Just Another Online Course 23:39 – Connecting Your Book to Your Email Strategy 29:41 – How James Helps Authors Monetize Their Books James Ranson: linkedin.com/in/james-ranson Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

    103: Beyond the Book: How to Turn Your Readers Into Clients with James Ranson
  2. Aug 11

    102: You're Not Going Insane, You're Just Not Organized with Gillian Whitney

    You're not going insane, you're just not organized. That's the truth Gillian delivers in this solo episode, tackling a topic that sounds boring but might just save your book (and your sanity). Drawing on her surprising former career as a tech writer at a highly regulated blood bank, she explains why version control matters so much more than most authors realize, and shares two real stories, one about a colleague's confusing ebook update on Amazon, and one about a client who lost their entire manuscript after leaving a hybrid publisher with nothing to show for it. From Devon's copyright page numbering system, to tracking your ISBNs when you buy them in bulk, to the two simple tools Gillian recommends for busy professionals writing in the cracks of their day, this episode is a practical, no-fluff guide to keeping your author business organized. Because as Gillian puts it, borrowing from Ben Franklin himself, an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. You'll walk away with a simple system you can start using today, before your next revision turns into a full-blown crisis. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Amazon Help Topic: Update Your Kindle Book Version amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GBR7PXPE8JEJWM7U Trello: trello.com Penzu: penzu.com 0:41 – Why Document Control Matters for Authors 2:24 – What Happens When You Have No System 3:30 – Why Document Control Became My Superpower 6:47 – Keeping Track of the Right Version 12:32 – ISBNs and Tracking Your Book Formats 19:22 – Using Trello as Your Book Command Center 21:16 – Using Penzu to Track Your Writing Journey Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

    102: You're Not Going Insane, You're Just Not Organized with Gillian Whitney
  3. Aug 4

    101: The Unexpected Business Pivot That Came from Writing a Book with Anna Bravington

    Have you ever sat down to write something and had it completely rearrange the way you think about your own business? That's exactly what happened to this week's guest. She set out to write a book covering all the different ways she helps her clients, and partway through, she started noticing a pattern. The same three problems kept showing up again and again. What began as research for a book ended up reshaping her entire business, narrowing her focus to the three things she now realizes matter most. My guest this week is Anna Bravington, founder of Creating the Curve, where she helps hands-on founders get their offer right, become visible, and explain clearly what they do. Her recently released book, Building Sh*t No One Wants, grew out of that very pivot, and Anna's road to writing it took a few unexpected turns along the way, from an early idea she eventually let go of, to a chapter she contributed to a collaborative marketing book, to finally sitting down and writing something entirely her own. We talk about how noticing patterns in her own content changed the direction of her business, why she believes you don't need a blank page to start writing, and her hope that more people will get their own knowledge out into the world, however they can. 0:41 - Welcome & Meet Anna Bravington 3:11 - Why Writing a Business Book Took Years 8:56 - From Expertise to a Finished Manuscript 14:41 - AI, Existing Content & Smarter Book Creation 19:41 - Building a Business Around Your Expertise 25:41 - Lessons for First-Time Business Authors 30:41 - Final Thoughts & Where to Connect Anna Bravington: linkedin.com/in/annabravington Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

    101: The Unexpected Business Pivot That Came from Writing a Book with Anna Bravington
  4. Jun 30

    096: Amazon Only? Why That's My Advice for First-Time Authors with Gillian Whitney

    Should you just publish your book on Amazon and call it a day? It's one of the questions I get asked most, and a lot of people are surprised when I say that for first-time business authors, going Amazon only is often exactly what I recommend. With so many options out there now, from IngramSpark to Barnes and Noble Press to Draft2Digital, plus the option of selling straight from your own website, it's easy to feel overwhelmed before you've even hit publish. In this solo episode, I'm walking you through why I usually tell first-time authors to keep things simple and start with just one platform. Not because it's the only way it can be done, but because it's often the easiest way to get your book out into the world and actually working for your business. Most of the clients I work with aren't trying to build a retail book empire. They're writing a book to build credibility, attract clients, and open doors to speaking gigs and new opportunities. When that's the goal, the publishing process should keep your momentum going, not bog you down in dashboards and royalty reports. I'll share why an easy buying experience matters more than you might think, what really happens when authors try to sell books straight from their website (I've got a story about that one), and why starting simple now doesn't lock you in forever. If you've been carrying around a book idea and you don't want complicated publishing options slowing you down, this one's for you. Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

    096: Amazon Only? Why That's My Advice for First-Time Authors with Gillian Whitney
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About

This podcast is hosted by Gillian Whitney — Business Book Coach, Author Visibility Strategist, and 6x published author. – For more information visit:  EasyPeasyBooks.com – Connect with her at:  linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitney Easy Peasy Books: From Author to Authority is the inspiring and practical podcast for business professionals looking to transform their expertise into published works. This show features weekly conversations with successful writers who've navigated the journey from expertise to influence. Gillian also interviews industry experts in writing, publishing, and marketing to provide valuable insights. The podcast explores three key pillars: crafting your manuscript, navigating self-publishing in the digital age, and implementing marketing strategies to attract your target audience. Whether you're penning your first draft or seeking to leverage your published book, Easy Peasy Books offers simple strategies to turn your literary work into your ultimate business card — opening doors to new opportunities, speaking engagements, and more clients.