Easy Peasy Books

Gillian Whitney
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Business
  • Updated Weekly

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. 6d ago

    109: Accountability Without the Angst: No More Buts, Just Write the Book with Jen Laffin

    Some conversations start over coffee and just keep going. That is exactly what happened when I sat down, virtually, with Jen Laffin, an accountability coach for women business owners. We started comparing notes on what we were each seeing in our businesses, and a week later we turned that conversation into a Substack live. This episode is that conversation, brought straight to your podcast feed. Jen and I talk about writing a book like driving a car with four wheels. Two of those wheels are mindset, the self-doubt, the mind drama, the fear that shows up right when things start working. The other two are the actual road map, the writing and the publishing logistics. Get one flat and you are not going anywhere. In this episode, we get into the difference between being a writer and being an author, why self-publishing does not make you less credible, and why "I don't have time" is often hiding something else entirely. Oh, and there's a phrase in here about what needs to happen next that we think you will love. Time to get off your buts. Not sure yet if you're ready to write your book? Take the free assessment: bit.ly/EPB-AreYouReady Chapters: 0:42 – Meet Jen Laffin and How This Episode Came Together 3:27 – Why a Business Book Is a PR Tool in Disguise 5:21 – Monkey Mind, the Primal Brain, and Your Comfort Cave 10:02 – The Four Wheels: Mindset Meets the Road Map 14:56 – Too Many Ideas? Getting Unstuck From the Options Trap 20:48 – Writer or Author, and Accountability Without the Angst 28:18 – Self-Publishing Credibility, Where to Find Them, and Getting Off Your Buts Jen Laffin: linkedin.com/in/jen-laffin Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

    109: Accountability Without the Angst: No More Buts, Just Write the Book with Jen Laffin

  2. Sep 22

    108: Safe Problems: Why Your Book Is Still Not Written and What to Do About It with Gillian Whitney

    You have the idea. You have the expertise. You might even have a landing page with a waiting list. But the book? Still not written. In this solo episode, Gillian Whitney gets honest about the real reasons smart, accomplished people stall out on writing their book. Spoiler: it is almost never about being too busy. From fear of judgment to perfectionism at the starting line to the surprisingly common issue of control, she unpacks what is really going on and why she calls them "safe problems." This episode is also for anyone who has been quietly wondering if they have left it too late. Gillian shares why there is no expiration date on writing your book, what Paulo Coelho's experience writing The Alchemist can teach us about just beginning, and two practical things you can do right now to get unstuck and moving forward. Because your book is not going to write itself. And the person waiting to read it is already out there. Chapters: 0:42 – The Colleague With All the Right Reasons 2:40 – Fear of Judgment (and What Paulo Coelho Can Teach Us) 5:59 – Perfectionism at the Starting Line 7:50 – The Control Issue Nobody Talks About 10:03 – Is This Even the Right Book? 13:19 – It's About Permission 15:13 – Two Things You Can Do Right Now Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

    108: Safe Problems: Why Your Book Is Still Not Written and What to Do About It with Gillian Whitney

  3. Sep 15

    107: Take Off the Author Hat, Put On the Marketing Hat: How Video Sells Books with Annette Richmond

    You wrote the book. But if you're not showing up on camera talking about it, does anyone actually know it exists? In this episode of the Easy Peasy Books Podcast, I'm sharing a conversation I originally recorded live on Substack with my friend Annette Richmond, a video coach who helps consultants and entrepreneurs stop dreading the camera and start showing up on it. Annette and I get into why every author needs to take off the author hat and put on the marketing hat, and why video is still the fastest way for people to get to know, like, and trust you enough to actually buy your book. We cover how to pull off an unboxing video without accidentally showing your home address, why a "why I wrote this book" video belongs in every author's launch plan, and how I used AI generated dachshund videos (yes, really) to promote my last book without ever feeling salesy. We also talk about why it's never too early and never too late to start documenting your book journey on camera, and what to do if the thought of turning on the camera still makes you want to run and hide. Chapters: 0:42 – Why This Conversation Belongs Here (My Intro) 2:57 – Author or Book: Picking One Focus Per Video 5:11 – Unboxing Videos Done Right (and the Address Mistake to Avoid) 6:56 – The "Why I Wrote This Book" Video Every Author Needs 11:18 – AI Video Tools: Dachshunds, Sora, and Having Fun With It 18:36 – Book Launch Lives and the FOMO Factor 22:33 – It's Never Too Early (or Too Late) to Start Filming 27:48 – Getting Over Camera Discomfort and the Wrap-Up Annette Richmond: linkedin.com/in/annetterichmond Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

    107: Take Off the Author Hat, Put On the Marketing Hat: How Video Sells Books with Annette Richmond

  4. Sep 8

    106: KDP Select: Yay or Nay for Your Business Book? with Gillian Whitney

    You've written the book and now it's time to upload your manuscript to KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). You need to decide, right then and there, if you should exclusively go all in with Amazon only... or keep your options open, knowing it's not a decision you can just walk back tomorrow. Which is why it's critical you totally understand how KDP Select works before you say yay or nay. In this week's solo episode, I'm walking you through exactly what KDP Select does, the exclusivity trade-off nobody explains clearly, and a renewal trap that's caught more than one of my clients off guard. I'll also share why I protect two of my own six books from ever going free, and a strategic trick for using your free days with an advance reader team before launch day even arrives. By the end, you'll know exactly what you're trading away, and what you're getting in return, before you ever tick that box. Chapters:  0:41 – What Is KDP Select? 3:24 – My Own Story: Fear and My First Book 5:56 – The Exclusivity Catch and Your Sales Rank 9:22 – Kindle Countdown Deals (and Why You Can't Do Both) 12:46 – Strategy: Who Should Actually Use This 19:11 – Two Traps to Watch For (Auto-Renewal and KU Pricing) 23:50 – Street Teams, New vs. Existing Authors, and the Wrap-Up Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

    106: KDP Select: Yay or Nay for Your Business Book? with Gillian Whitney

  5. Sep 1

    105: Leveraging Visibility: Trade Reviews, Awards, and Author Credibility with Susan M. Barber

    You published your book. Now what? A lot of authors hit publish and just hope for the best, but that's not what today's guest did. She went after trade reviews, she applied for awards, and she found a way to get her self-published book into actual libraries. If you've ever wondered whether any of that stuff is worth the effort, this episode is going to answer that question. In this week's episode of the Easy Peasy Books Podcast, I sit down with author and visibility coach Susan Barber to talk about her journey from twenty-six years in corporate I.T. to writing two books, The Visibility Factor and Your Journey to Visibility Workbook, and building a podcast around the same message. We get into how she landed trade reviews that compared her to Brene Brown, what it took to become a Foreword INDIES finalist and bronze winner, why she skipped an ebook version of her workbook, and her advice for introverted authors who feel like promoting their book is the hardest part of the whole process. Chapters: 0:41 – Why Visibility Matters for Authors 5:59 – Turning a Book Into a Podcast and Expanding Your Message 8:12 – How Trade Reviews Build Credibility for Your Book 10:41 – Why Susan Created a Workbook as Her Second Book 16:41 – Publishing Decisions: Formats, Audiobooks, and Knowing When to Launch 21:48 – Book Awards, Libraries, and New Ways to Reach Readers 26:16 – Why Authors Have a Responsibility to Market Their Books Susan M. Barber: linkedin.com/in/susanbarbercoaching Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

    105: Leveraging Visibility: Trade Reviews, Awards, and Author Credibility with Susan M. Barber

  6. Aug 25

    104: Can't You Just Decide? What I Wish I'd Known With My First Book with Gillian Whitney

    I still remember the exact moment my husband Devon, who handled all my typesetting and layout, looked at me and said, "But it's your book." I had just yelled out, in complete frustration, "Can't you just decide?" after being hit with question after question about fonts, trim sizes, paragraph styles, and everything in between. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of decisions that come with self-publishing, this episode is for you. In this solo episode, I'm sharing exactly what I wish I'd known before I published my first book. I'll give you some simple, free homework you can start today, even if you haven't written a word yet, along with a surprising tip about paper color that could throw off your entire cover design if you don't catch it early. Plus, I'm sharing what six books' worth of trial and error taught me about finally landing on a system that works. Because here's the thing: how your book looks says just as much about your professionalism as what it says. 0:41 – Why Authors Need to Start Looking at Books Differently 2:41 – The Publishing Decisions That Overwhelmed Me 6:00 – How I Learned to Study Books Like a Publisher 9:10 – Using Amazon to Research Your Book Design 12:19 – The Book Design Decisions You Didn't Know You Had to Make 17:24 – What Six Self-Published Books Taught Me Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

    104: Can't You Just Decide? What I Wish I'd Known With My First Book with Gillian Whitney

  7. Aug 18

    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. Chapters: 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

  8. 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 Chapters: 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
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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.

Information

  • Creator
    Gillian Whitney
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    109
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Easy Peasy Books
  • Show Website
    Easy Peasy Books