Pros Talking Prose

Stacey Smekofske
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Writing a book is hard. Publishing it is even harder. Succeeding as an author? That’s practically wizardry. Good thing you don’t have to figure it all out alone. Pros Talking Prose is your backstage pass to the writing and publishing world, hosted by seasoned pros Stacey Smekofske and Troy Lambert. We’ll help you skip the mistakes, laugh through the chaos, and build the writing career you actually want without the smoke and mirrors. New episodes every week. Therapy not included — but highly encouraged.

  1. 53m ago

    Could Trying to Sell Your Book Keep You from Finishing It?

    Could thinking about book sales before you finish your manuscript actually keep you from finishing it? You want to write a great book. You also want someone to buy the thing. But when should target readers, genre expectations, and book marketing enter the conversation? This week on Pros Talking Prose, Stacey Smekofske and Troy Lambert get a little feisty about where writing craft meets author business. Stacey makes the case for helping authors understand their book’s market potential early. Troy asks whether that same information can interrupt the creative process, create pressure, or send a perfectly good story in the wrong direction. Naturally, we debate it like reasonable adults. With a house of cards, a few musical detours, and the occasional “just write the damn story.” From manuscript reviews and developmental editing to author platforms, writing anxiety, and protecting your writing time, we explore a question that matters to new writers and experienced indie authors alike: How do you build a publishing business without getting in the way of the book you’re trying to write? Tell us what you think: Would knowing your book’s target audience and market potential help you revise—or make you overthink every sentence? Follow Pros Talking Prose for candid conversations about writing, editing, self-publishing, book marketing, and building a sustainable author career. CHAPTERS 00:00 A friendly publishing debate gets feisty 03:14 When should authors think about book marketability? 10:37 Can market expectations derail your story? 20:07 Author goals, manuscript revisions, and reader expectations 27:16 When should you build your author platform? 33:30 How publishing pressure can keep you from writing 40:32 Protecting creativity from the pressure to sell 46:36 How to protect your writing time and find your flow 52:04 When is an author ready for publishing advice? 1:00:07 Why writing advice depends on the author 1:03:50 Wayfinder Summit, Preptober, and upcoming author classes LINKS & RESOURCES • Print to Pro: Editing, manuscript reviews, publishing guidance, and author business resources https://printtopro.com/ • Print to Pro Power Sessions: Class schedule and registration, including the distribution session discussed in this episode https://printtopro.com/powersessions-2026/ • Troy Lambert / The Plot Dude: Writing courses, manuscript evaluations, and story resources https://theplotabides.com/ • The Plot Dude’s Craft Lab: Monthly writing webinars, including October’s Preptober session https://theplotabides.com/webinars/ • Wayfinder Summit: A virtual working retreat for authors—less distraction, more direction https://wayfindersummit.com/ Be kind. Keep writing. Stay weird. #WritingCommunity #SelfPublishing #AuthorBusiness

  2. Sep 26

    The Truth About Writing Advice: It Depends

    There’s a LOT of writing and publishing advice out there. Follow this formula. Use this tool. Publish this way. Market your book like this, but after 100 episodes of Pros Talking Prose, we keep coming back to two words: It depends. In our 100th episode, we hand the conversation over to you. We answer questions from our listeners about writing, editing, AI, indie vs. traditional publishing, staying focused long enough to actually write the damn book, series writing, the books every writer should read, and what we’ve learned from 100 episodes of talking about the publishing industry. We also revisit some of our favorite moments, arguments, guests, questionable conversations, and lessons from the show, including a few things we’ve changed our minds about along the way. Because whether you’re trying to improve your writing craft, decide how to publish your book, build an author business, use AI responsibly, market your work, or figure out which piece of author advice you should actually listen to, there usually isn’t one universal answer. Your goals matter. Your circumstances matter. You and your story are what matters. So come celebrate 100 episodes with us (not with a greatest-hits clip show) with the kind of messy, funny, occasionally inappropriate, real-world conversation that got us here in the first place. And thank you for being the fly on the wall for 100 episodes. We’re not done yet. Follow us for more at PrintToPro.com Join us at the Wayfinder Summit Writers Retreat October 15th.  https://WayfinderSummit.com Pros Talking Prose is a couple of working publishing and editing professionals talking about the information that authors really want to know. The real-life stuff. Chapters 00:00 100 Episodes of Writing, Publishing & Friendship 09:18 How AI Has Changed Writing and Publishing 14:35 Can AI Replace a Professional Book Editor? 35:04 Books Every Writer Should Read 56:22 Indie Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing: Where Should Authors Start? 1:16:17 How Writers Can Stop Distractions and Actually Write 1:24:40 The Biggest Mistakes Authors Make With Book Two 1:27:46 What 100 Episodes Taught Us About Writing and Publishing 1:36:05 The Truth About Writing Advice: It Depends #WritingAdvice #PublishingAdvice #IndiePublishing #SelfPublishing #WritingPodcast #AuthorBusiness #BookMarketing #WritingTips #Authors #ProsTalkingProse

  3. Sep 19

    Book Marketing Has Changed. Authors Need to Change With It.

    Book marketing has changed, and a lot of the advice authors are still following was built for an internet that doesn’t really exist anymore. In this episode of Pros Talking Prose, we sit down with marketing strategist Amanda Natividad, founder of Zero Click Marketing, Chief Evangelist at SparkToro, and co-author with Rand Fishkin of the upcoming book Zero Click Marketing: How to Build Brands and Earn Customers on a Traffic-Starved Web. We talk about what authors should be doing when Google sends fewer clicks, social media platforms want to keep people on-platform, AI tools are changing how people search, and traditional marketing attribution doesn’t always tell us where readers actually discovered us. And no, the answer is NOT “be everywhere.” Amanda walks us through how authors can figure out where their readers are already spending time, choose the right discovery platform, create content that actually connects to their books and brand, and stop letting algorithms dictate their entire marketing strategy. We also get into author websites, newsletters, blogs, direct sales, audience research, personal vs. author social media accounts, AI-generated content, going viral without making money, and why sometimes the best marketing goal isn’t an immediate sale. As Amanda puts it: “Find more meaning in your marketing beyond just the sales.” Oh, and somehow the Black Plague becomes a legitimate book marketing case study. Because apparently that’s where we are now.  If you’re an indie author, self-published author, traditionally published author, or authorpreneur trying to figure out what book marketing looks like in 2026, this conversation will give you plenty to think about. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Welcome to Pros Talking Prose 03:55 – What Is Zero Click Marketing? 06:12 – Why Traditional SEO and Website Traffic Have Changed 10:43 – How Authors Can Find Where Their Readers Actually Are 15:54 – Audience Research and Smarter Book Marketing 20:18 – Do Author Websites and Email Lists Still Matter? 22:08 – Are Blogs Still Worth It in the Age of AI Search? 26:15 – Why Book Marketing Attribution Is Broken 29:35 – Why Author Brand Recognition Matters More Than Ever 31:14 – What “Providing Value” Actually Means for Authors 32:03 – Yes, the Black Plague Becomes a Marketing Strategy 33:52 – Should Authors Have Separate Social Media Accounts? 38:01 – How Your Own Social Media Behavior Affects Discovery 41:16 – Amanda’s Own Book Publishing and Direct Sales Strategy 48:29 – Are Authors Giving Algorithms Too Much Power? 51:55 – Authenticity vs. Valuable Content: What Matters More? 57:06 – Why Author Newsletters Still Matter 58:49 – Marketing Advice That Makes Amanda Want to Throw Something 01:04:30 – Amanda’s #1 Book Marketing Advice: Pick ONE Platform 01:06:30 – Where to Find Amanda + Zero Click Marketing LINKS & RESOURCES Amanda Natividad https://amandanat.com/ Zero Click Marketing https://zeroclickmarketing.co/ Zero Click Marketing: The Book https://zeroclickmarketing.co/book SparkToro – Audience Research https://sparktoro.com/ The Menu Newsletter Find it through Amanda’s website: https://amandanat.com/ Wayfinder Summit https://wayfindersummit.com/ Print to Pro https://printtopro.com ABOUT PROS TALKING PROSE Pros Talking Prose is where we talk honestly about writing, publishing, book marketing, author business, and what it actually takes to build a sustainable career around your books. No magic formulas. No pretending every author needs the same marketing plan. Just real conversations about writing better books, reaching readers, and building an author business that actually works. Subscribe and join us for a new conversation every week. #bookmarketingtips #AuthorMarketing #AuthorPlatform #IndieAuthors #SelfPublishing #ZeroClickMarketing #BookMarketingTips #AuthorBusiness #WritingCommunity #SocialMediaMarketing

  4. Sep 12

    Authors Are Worrying About the Wrong Things

    Authors spend a lot of time worrying about book sales, reviews, algorithms, trends, AI, bestseller lists, agents, publishers, other authors’ success… and a whole lot of things we can’t control. All that noise can make it very easy to lose your way. In this episode of Pros Talking Prose, Troy and Stacey talk about the difference between the things authors can control, the things they can influence, and the things they may need to simply be aware of… and let go. There is no magic formula for author success. You can control the work you do, the choices you make, and how you show up in your author career. You can influence things like sales, reviews, opportunities, and visibility, but you can’t guarantee the outcome. When authors spend too much energy chasing algorithms, trends, bestseller status, or what everyone else is doing, those things can start controlling them. If you're an indie author, self-published author, traditionally published author, or writer building a sustainable author business, this conversation is for you. RESOURCES Wayfinder Summit — A Virtual Working Retreat for Authors Less Distraction. More Direction. https://wayfindersummit.com Beyond Author Scams: Protect Yourself & Your Author Business Free live class — September 23 https://learning.printtopro.com/beyondauthorscams/ The Author Platform Operating Plan — Power Session Learn how to build and nurture an author platform around the parts you can actually control. https://learning.printtopro.com/p2p-power-session-september-session/ Plot Dude Craft Lab: Character-Driven vs. Plot-Driven Fiction September 22 with Troy Lambert https://learning.printtopro.com/character-driven-vs-plot-driven-fiction/ Better-Faster Academy — Becca Syme Events We mention Becca’s upcoming Boise workshop in October. https://classes.betterfasteracademy.com/courses/23dfb71c-aa32-47e9-bacf-88b7e4eeaa38/salespage Pros Talking Prose is the place where publishing professionals Stacey Smekofske and Troy Lambert talk shop about writing craft, indie publishing, author business, book marketing, publishing trends, AI for authors, and what it really takes to build a sustainable writing career. No magic formulas. No guaranteed bestseller promises. Just real conversations about writing, publishing, and the business of being an author. If that sounds like your kind of weird, subscribe and join us each Saturday.Keep writing. Be kind. Stay weird. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Mystery Noise We Couldn't Control 03:29 What Authors Can—and Can't—Control 10:01 Why There Is No Formula for Author Success 21:37 Book Sales, Reviews & What Authors Can Influence 27:43 Your Author Reputation Is Something You CAN Control 42:06 When Worry Starts Controlling Your Author Career 48:26 Algorithms, Trends & the Fear of Falling Behind 57:36 AI, Search & the Changing Publishing Industry 1:23:15 Stop Worrying About What Doesn't Matter 1:29:37 Don't Lose Your Way #authorbusiness  #IndieAuthor #SelfPublishing #WritingCommunity #BookMarketing #AuthorLife #WritingMotivation #Publishing #WritingTips #ProsTalkingProse

  5. Sep 5

    Readers Aren’t Accepting “Good Enough” Books Anymore

    Readers aren’t accepting “good enough” books anymore. The quality bar in publishing has moved, and whether you publish independently, traditionally, or somewhere in between, readers are paying attention. In this episode, Stacey and Troy dig into what “professional quality” actually means today. Spoiler: professional means more than editing. A strong book is not just grammatically clean. The story must work. The cover must communicate the right promise. The formatting needs to disappear into the reading experience. Your genre expectations matter. Your presentation matters. And increasingly, readers can tell when an author has skipped the learning, rushed the process, or relied on technology to make decisions they weren’t equipped to evaluate. We also talk about how AI is raising the minimum quality floor without necessarily creating better books. AI can help create something passable, but if an author doesn’t understand story craft, cover design, editing, formatting, or reader expectations, “passable” may be exactly where the book stays. And readers are looking for more than passable. Ultimately, publishing professionally comes down to respecting the person on the other side of the book. Readers are investing their money, but more importantly, they are investing their time. Your job is to make that investment worthwhile. In this episode, we discuss: Why the publishing quality bar keeps rising Why AI can produce mediocrity surprisingly well The difference between copy editing, developmental editing, and manuscript evaluation Why readers notice poor covers and formatting—even when they can’t explain what feels wrong Why learning your craft still matters, regardless of the tools you use How genre expectations create a reader promise Why professional publishing is really about building reader trust The four things a professional book should accomplish As Stacey puts it near the end of the conversation: readers are not obligated to support your writing journey. Your responsibility is to give them an experience worth investing in. RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED Wayfinder Summit — A Virtual Working Retreat for Authors Three days of focused work, community, professional guidance, networking, and practical support for authors who want to make meaningful progress. Registration begins at $30. https://WayfinderSummit.com P2P Author Business Harbor Join the conversation with other writers and publishing professionals inside our author community. https://www.skool.com/p2p-author-business-harbor/about Editing Services / Manuscript Evaluations Not sure whether your manuscript needs developmental editing, substantive editing, copy editing, or something else? Stacey breaks down the different editorial services and what each one is designed to accomplish. https://PrintToPro.com Russell Nohelty We reference Russell’s discussion about AI writing and his argument that one of the biggest problems with AI-assisted writing is using the technology before developing the craft and judgment necessary to guide it. https://www.hapitalist.com/cv/ If you enjoy conversations about the realities of writing, publishing, author business, craft, AI, and the constantly changing publishing industry, subscribe and join us each week for Pros Talking Prose. Keep writing. Stay weird. Be kind. #WritingCommunity #IndieAuthors #SelfPublishing #BookPublishing #WritingCraft #AuthorBusiness #BookEditing #PublishingTips #AIWriting

  6. Aug 29

    The People Around You Can Change Your Author Career

    Writing may happen alone, but building an author career doesn’t. After a whirlwind weekend at Killer Nashville, Stacey and Troy came home thinking about something that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough in publishing: the people you surround yourself with can fundamentally change the direction of your career. A conversation with a stranger can become a friendship. A friendship can become an introduction. An introduction can lead to an editor, agent, publisher, printer, collaborator, client, or simply another writer who understands exactly what this strange career feels like. In this episode of Pros Talking Prose, we talk about what healthy professional relationships actually look like in the publishing industry, and where those relationships can go wrong. We get into networking without making it feel transactional, building genuine connections at writers’ conferences, maintaining professional boundaries with editors and clients, following up when someone gives you an opportunity, and why knowing someone should never mean ignoring the proper process. We also talk candidly about the author-editor relationship. Can your editor also be your friend? Absolutely. But friendship can complicate criticism, invoices, boundaries, and those difficult conversations every good editor eventually has to have. And sometimes, the most important relationship you build has nothing to do with what that person can do for your career. Sometimes you simply need people in your corner. Because authors are not competing for one tiny piece of the publishing world. We are colleagues navigating many of the same challenges, and learning how to support, recommend, celebrate, and connect with one another can make this career a whole lot less lonely. Go to https://WayfinderSummit.com to join us at our writers' retreat in October.  Find us at https://printtopro.com You can also go to our community at https://www.skool.com/p2p-author-business-harbor/about Chapters 00:00 – Back from Killer Nashville 02:00 – How Important Are Relationships in Publishing? 13:00 – How Relationships Open Doors for Authors 19:00 – Networking, Reputation & Professional Boundaries 28:00 – Publishing Companies, Printers & the Power of Real Connections 43:00 – Should You Be Friends With Your Editor? 1:07:00 – Stop Treating Other Authors Like Competition 1:13:00 – Why Writers Need Community If you’re an indie author, traditionally published author, aspiring writer, editor, publisher, or simply trying to figure out how to build a sustainable author career, subscribe to Pros Talking Prose. Every week, Stacey and Troy talk candidly about writing craft, publishing, book marketing, author business, editing, AI, and what it actually takes to stay in this industry for the long haul. #WritingCommunity #AuthorLife #IndieAuthor #Publishing #WritingTips #BookPublishing #AuthorBusiness #WritersConference #BookEditing #ProsTalkingProse

  7. Aug 22

    Why So Many Authors Feel Like They’re Falling Behind

    Publishing is changing fast. AI is changing faster. Authors are being told to write more, publish more, build bigger platforms, learn new technology, follow every trend—and somehow keep producing better books while doing it all. No wonder so many writers feel like they’re losing ground. In this episode, Stacey and Troy talk about the pressure authors are putting on themselves, why imposter syndrome becomes so dangerous when it mixes with comparison and fear, and why the constant race to keep up may be hurting both your writing and your author career. We also dig into the growing anxiety surrounding AI, including concerns about AI-generated writing, transparency, Claude and AI watermarking, and the fear some authors have of being “found out” for using these tools. But this conversation isn't really about whether AI is good or bad, instead we think it's about knowing where your line is, being honest about the way you work, and refusing to let someone else's choices (or the latest publishing panic) determine whether you believe you're a legitimate writer. Because there is no race. Writing faster doesn't automatically make you more successful. Publishing more books doesn't automatically make you a better author. And chasing every new tool, strategy, controversy, or algorithm change can pull your attention away from the one thing that still matters: Writing a damn good story. We talk about slowing down, developing your craft, using tools intentionally, finding a writing community that supports you, and why patience and focus may become two of the most valuable skills an author can develop in the next few years. Wayfinder Summit: Our virtual working retreat for authors focused on clarity, community, productivity, and actually making progress on your work. https://WayfinderSummit.com We'd love to hear from you: Do you ever feel like you're falling behind as an author? What exactly makes you feel that way? Tell us in the comments. And if you know another writer who needs to hear this today, send this episode their way. #WritingCommunity #AuthorLife #WritingAdvice #ImposterSyndrome #WritingMotivation #AIForAuthors #SelfPublishing #WritingCraft #IndieAuthors #authors

  8. Aug 15

    We Accidentally Lived Through a Perfect Story Structure

    What happens when your entire travel plan falls apart and you suddenly realize you're living through the exact kind of story structure you teach authors to write? In this episode of Pros Talking Prose, we do something a little different. After a travel day filled with changing gates, missing pilots, canceled flights, expensive mistakes, unexpected allies, and one very important business conversation, we realized our disastrous trip had accidentally become a near-perfect example of story structure, escalating conflict, try/fail cycles, character change, and the difference between plot and story. So we broke it down. Because one of the most common problems we see in manuscripts is that authors are too nice to their characters. Conflict isn't something you sprinkle into a story to make it exciting. Conflict creates stakes. Failure forces characters to react, change, make decisions, and eventually become capable of doing something they couldn't have done at the beginning of the story, and what your character wants from the journey isn't what they actually need to get from it. We talk about: Why try/fail cycles make stories stronger How escalating conflict keeps readers invested Why the dark moment needs to actually hurt Reactive characters versus proactive characters How minor characters can change the direction of a story Why every scene needs to move the character toward the climax How failure reveals character Why your protagonist should be capable of something at the end that they couldn't do at the beginning The surprisingly important difference between “and then” storytelling and “if/then” storytelling Sometimes the difference between a plot and a story really is only two words, and sometimes failure makes the better story. If you enjoy conversations about writing craft, publishing, author business, and all the strange things that happen along the way, subscribe to Pros Talking Prose and join us each week. And tell us in the comments: Are you making things hard enough for your protagonist, or are you still protecting them? LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED 🧭 Wayfinder Summit WayfinderSummit.com The first 250 registered attendees will receive a Wayfinder Welcome Kit. Learn more about the virtual working retreat for authors and reserve your spot above. Craft Lab: Poisons with Troy Lambert https://theplotabides.com/free-plot-dude-webinars-2026 Power Sessions https://printtopro.com/powersessions-2026 Print to Pro PrintToPro.com We'll be at Killer Nashville this August, so if you're attending, come find us and say hello. #WritingCraft #StoryStructure #WritingTips #NovelWriting #ConflictInFiction #CharacterDevelopment #WritersCommunity #WritingAdvice #Authors #ProsTalkingProse

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About

Writing a book is hard. Publishing it is even harder. Succeeding as an author? That’s practically wizardry. Good thing you don’t have to figure it all out alone. Pros Talking Prose is your backstage pass to the writing and publishing world, hosted by seasoned pros Stacey Smekofske and Troy Lambert. We’ll help you skip the mistakes, laugh through the chaos, and build the writing career you actually want without the smoke and mirrors. New episodes every week. Therapy not included — but highly encouraged.

Information

  • Creator
    Stacey Smekofske
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    96
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Pros Talking Prose

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