The Write Podcast with Sarah Williams

Sarah Williams
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The Write Podcast helps aspiring and published fiction authors master creative writing, novel planning, book marketing, and self-publishing. Hosted by multi-bestselling author and CEO of Serenade Publishing, it delivers expert writing tips, publishing advice, interviews with authors and industry pros, and a monthly book club with special guests. Build your author platform, grow your writing career, and write books readers love. Subscribe to The Write Podcast today.

  1. 19h ago

    Fixing Your Shopify Ads with Melissa Storm

    You built the store. Maybe it's beautiful. Maybe it cost more than you want to admit. Now it's just sitting there, waiting for someone to find it. I sat down with Melissa Storm, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who's spent over a decade running one of publishing's most trusted ads agencies. She's the person authors turn to when their Facebook ads stop working and nobody can tell them why. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why interest-based targeting doesn't work like it used to - How to tell if you've trained the algorithm on the wrong reader, and how to fix it - What changes strategically when you sell direct instead of through a retailer Melissa doesn't do vague advice. She gives you the reason behind the rule, not just the steps. Connect with Melissa Storm: Take her free marketing quiz and find her courses at novelpublicity.com. Her Shopify ads program is only available through her live Kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/melstorm/shopify-ads — — — — — — — — — —✍️ Writers: Want help building a real writing career?Join my free weekly email for tips on writing, publishing, and growing your readership.→ www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —👋 About This ChannelHi, I’m Sarah Williams. I help writers turn their books into sustainable careers.Here we talk about:• writing and finishing books• publishing and the book industry• author marketing• building a long-term writing careerWhether you're writing your first book or already publishing, you're welcome here.— — — — — — — — — —🚀 Ready to go deeper?✦ The Author CEO – for writers ready to treat their books like a real business ✦ Author Retreats – immersive strategy and writing retreatsLearn more:www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —📌 Connect With MeInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/serenadepublishingTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@serenadepublishing

  2. 6d ago

    The PR Strategy Behind Jade May's Bestselling Romance Career

    This week I'm talking with Australian bestselling author Jade May. Jade writes the Eden Series, high heat, angst filled romance that's sold over 10,000 copies worldwide. And she's landed press most authors only dream about. SMH. Mamamia. News.com.au. Herald Sun. We get into the real story behind that coverage. Jade worked with a PR agency, and she walks us through what that actually looked like. What a publicist does day to day. What changed once she had one in her corner. And whether it's worth it for an author who's just starting to think about visibility. We also talk about her move to Penguin with the Eden Series, what that partnership actually looks like behind the scenes, and the story she's so generously shared about writing through chronic illness, and what that's meant for her and for her readers. And I'm so glad to share that Jade will be joining us at the Sunshine Coast Fiction Festival this year. https://www.sunshinecoastfictionfestival.com.au https://www.authorjademay.com/ https://www.righteouspr.com.au/ — — — — — — — — — —✍️ Writers: Want help building a real writing career?Join my free weekly email for tips on writing, publishing, and growing your readership.→ www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —👋 About This ChannelHi, I’m Sarah Williams. I help writers turn their books into sustainable careers.Here we talk about:• writing and finishing books• publishing and the book industry• author marketing• building a long-term writing careerWhether you're writing your first book or already publishing, you're welcome here.— — — — — — — — — —🚀 Ready to go deeper?✦ The Author CEO – for writers ready to treat their books like a real business ✦ Author Retreats – immersive strategy and writing retreatsLearn more:www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —📌 Connect With MeInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/serenadepublishingTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@serenadepublishing

  3. Sep 3

    Is your book actually done, or are you just tired of editing it?

    You finished the manuscript. So why does it still feel unfinished? In this episode, Sarah unpacks the real reason "I'm still polishing it" keeps so many writers stuck after the last page, why so many manuscripts end up waiting on someone else's opinion instead of moving forward, and shares her own story of sending an early manuscript to an agent and what it actually taught her about waiting for outside permission. In this episode:- Why "still polishing" is often a stand-in for "I'm scared to find out if this is good enough" - What's really happening when you can't quite claim "I finished a book" out loud - Sarah's story about sending an early manuscript to an agent, and why the silence that followed taught her more than a yes ever would have - Reframing the stall as a missing decision instead of a readiness problem - Two lists to check whether your manuscript is actually done, or you're stalling Links & resources mentioned:Free download: Is Your Manuscript Actually Finished? (or Are You Still Polishing?) Serenadepublishing.com/checklist ✍️ Writers: Want help building a real writing career?Join my free weekly email for tips on writing, publishing, and growing your readership.→ www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —👋 About This ChannelHi, I’m Sarah Williams. I help writers turn their books into sustainable careers.Here we talk about:• writing and finishing books• publishing and the book industry• author marketing• building a long-term writing careerWhether you're writing your first book or already publishing, you're welcome here.— — — — — — — — — —🚀 Ready to go deeper?✦ The Author CEO – for writers ready to treat their books like a real business ✦ Author Retreats – immersive strategy and writing retreatsLearn more:www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —📌 Connect With MeInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/serenadepublishingTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@serenadepublishing

  4. Aug 24

    How Willow Winters Built a Multi-Million Dollar Self-Publishing Empire

    Romance author Willow Winters started as a stay-at-home mum writing at night for coffee money. Today she's a USA Today and Wall Street Journal number-one bestseller with more than sixty books and a team running the business behind her. In this episode of The Write Podcast, she shares how she built a real self-publishing career, not by luck, but by decision. We get into the business most authors never see. How she made the leap from hobby writer to CEO. Why she hired a team when most indie authors go it alone. How she built multiple income streams, from direct sales to collector's editions to free audiobooks. And what it actually took to stop feeling like an imposter and start owning the word author. If you're a fiction writer who's serious about turning your writing into a career, this conversation is for you. Willow is proof that ambition and creativity can live in the same author business. In this episode: How Willow went from writing at night to a multimillion-dollar self-publishing business The moment writing stopped being a hobby and became a company Building a team as an indie author, and the first job she handed off Multiple income streams for authors: direct sales, collector's editions, audiobooks Selling straight to readers versus relying on Amazon and the retailers Overcoming imposter syndrome as a self-published author Avoiding burnout while running a real author business Ready to build the author business you choose instead of the one you fall into? Read the details and apply for Author CEO at serenadepublishing.com/the-author-ceo. ✍️ Writers: Want help building a real writing career?Join my free weekly email for tips on writing, publishing, and growing your readership.→ www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —👋 About This ChannelHi, I’m Sarah Williams. I help writers turn their books into sustainable careers.Here we talk about:• writing and finishing books• publishing and the book industry• author marketing• building a long-term writing careerWhether you're writing your first book or already publishing, you're welcome here.— — — — — — — — — —🚀 Ready to go deeper?✦ The Author CEO – for writers ready to treat their books like a real business ✦ Author Retreats – immersive strategy and writing retreatsLearn more:www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —📌 Connect With MeInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/serenadepublishingTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@serenadepublishing

  5. Aug 18

    Why Author Conferences Still Matter: Building a Sustainable Writing Business

    Fresh off presenting a workshop at the Romance Writers of New Zealand conference in Auckland, and still thinking about TL Swan's keynote on rebuilding her covers and blurbs nine times before Amazon finally took notice, this episode looks back at ten years of conferences, from Romance Writers of Australia to the biggest one yet in New York, and what showing up, year after year, has actually built. Plus, an invitation to the Sunshine Coast Fiction Festival's writer's day on October 30. In this episode: TL Swan's keynote on treating self-publishing like a business, and why she never gave up after nine attempts at her covers and blurbs The workshop I presented at RWNZ: Building a Writing Career That Actually Sustains You Ten years of Romance Writers of Australia, and the lessons from Michael Hauge, Melissa Storm and Bella Andre that I still use today Romance Writers of America, New York, 2019: the biggest and most overwhelming conference I've ever attended, and why I've never regretted it An invitation to the Sunshine Coast Fiction Festival writer's day, October 30 Links & resources mentioned: My full interview with TL Swan on grit, growth and going all in on your writing dreams: https://serenadepublishing.com/post/tl-swan-on-grit-growth-and-going-all-in-on-your-writing-dreams Michael Hauge's Six Stage Plot Structure: https://www.storyplanner.com/story/plan/michael-hauge-s-six-stage-plot-structure Sunshine Coast Fiction Festival, writer's day, October 30: https://serenadepublishing.com/scff/conference

  6. Aug 11

    Does Social Media Actually Sell Books? The Honest Answer with K.S. Elliott

    Do you really have to be on social media to sell books? Indie fantasy author K.S. Elliott is proof of what happens when you do it on your own terms. With over 50,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram, K.S. has turned short videos and character POV reels into direct sales through her own store, a thriving street team, pre-order campaigns, and brand collaborations — all while writing her upcoming release, Ultan Academy. In this episode, K.S. shares how she grew her platform from zero, the content that actually converts, how she balances posting with writing, and the honest answer to whether views become royalties. Whether you're camera-shy or chasing your first viral moment, this one's packed with practical takeaways. Plus — meet K.S. in person at the Sunshine Coast Fiction Festival, hosted by Serenade Publishing, 30 October – 1 November at Venue 114, Bokarina. Tickets: sunshinecoastfictionfestival.com.au✍️ Writers: Want help building a real writing career?Join my free weekly email for tips on writing, publishing, and growing your readership.→ www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —👋 About This ChannelHi, I’m Sarah Williams. I help writers turn their books into sustainable careers.Here we talk about:• writing and finishing books• publishing and the book industry• author marketing• building a long-term writing careerWhether you're writing your first book or already publishing, you're welcome here.— — — — — — — — — —🚀 Ready to go deeper?✦ The Author CEO – for writers ready to treat their books like a real business ✦ Author Retreats – immersive strategy and writing retreatsLearn more:www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —📌 Connect With MeInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/serenadepublishingTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@serenadepublishing

  7. Jul 6

    What Your Author Money Mindset Is Costing You

    Money isn't just about pricing strategy or Amazon keywords. It's about the story you've carried since childhood, and most authors have no idea how much that story is running their business. In this solo episode, I get personal about the money wounds I grew up with, a feast or famine household where cash came in and went straight back out, and how that shaped years of my adult life. I unpack why creative people are especially prone to money blocks, drawing on Denise Duffield-Thomas's work on limiting beliefs, and I walk through the patterns I see constantly in the author community: the unworthiness loop ("I'll charge more when I've earned it"), the fear of visibility disguised as a money block, and the quiet belief that financial competence just isn't in your DNA. Then we get practical. I share five real starting points for rewiring your money story, from naming the belief out loud, to building an evidence file that proves the old story wrong. None of it is a three-step fix. All of it is work I've actually done myself.If you've ever underpriced a book, apologised for a price tag, or spent a royalty payment before it cleared, this one's for you. — — — — — — — — — — ✍️ Writers: Want help building a real writing career?Join my free weekly email for tips on writing, publishing, and growing your readership.→ www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —👋 About This ChannelHi, I’m Sarah Williams. I help writers turn their books into sustainable careers.Here we talk about:• writing and finishing books• publishing and the book industry• author marketing• building a long-term writing careerWhether you're writing your first book or already publishing, you're welcome here.— — — — — — — — — —🚀 Ready to go deeper?✦ The Author CEO – for writers ready to treat their books like a real business ✦ Author Retreats – immersive strategy and writing retreatsLearn more:www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —📌 Connect With MeInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/serenadepublishingTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@serenadepublishing

  8. Jun 29

    The Freedom-Based Author Business

    Most authors end up running a business built on obligation and momentum rather than intention. In this episode, Sarah draws on Natalie Ellis's The Freedom Based Business and the Pareto Principle to help writers get honest about where their time is really going — and what it actually looks like to build an author career that fits their life. In this episode: Why so many authors are busy but not making progress — and how the 80/20 rule reveals what's really driving results What "delegate or delete" looks like in a practical author business context Why clear communication (not mind-reading) is one of the most underrated CEO skills a writer can develop

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The Write Podcast helps aspiring and published fiction authors master creative writing, novel planning, book marketing, and self-publishing. Hosted by multi-bestselling author and CEO of Serenade Publishing, it delivers expert writing tips, publishing advice, interviews with authors and industry pros, and a monthly book club with special guests. Build your author platform, grow your writing career, and write books readers love. Subscribe to The Write Podcast today.

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