The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers Joanna Penn

How can you prevent self-doubt and fear from blocking your creative expression? What if you've built an audience for your books, but then you want to change direction? I discuss these issues and more with Holly Worton.



In the intro, Draft2Digital introduce payment splitting; Long-term and ‘wide' thinking with Sarah Painter on the 6 Figure Author Podcast; the Alliance of Independent Authors downgrades ACX to Caution as a self-publishing service and The Authors Guild starts a petition to stop Audible's unfair exchange policy; and more on #Audiblegate at Fair Deal for Rights Holders and Narrators on Facebook. My thoughts on the UK's FutureBook conference including audio and unlimited streaming and subscription services, global, digital-first publishing, and more. Check out #futurebook20 on Twitter if you want to see some highlights. 

Plus, Your Author Business Plan: Take Your Author Career to the Next Level is on pre-order for ebooks at some stores, and available on 10 Dec everywhere.



Today's show is sponsored by Draft2Digital, where you can get free ebook formatting, free distribution to multiple stores, and a host of other benefits. Get your free Author Marketing Guide at www.draft2digital.com/penn



Holly Worton is the author of 17 nonfiction and self-help books about business mindset and personal growth, as well as on walking and the wisdom of trees and nature. She's also the host of the Into the Woods podcast.

You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and full transcript below.

Show Notes



* Common mindset issues that authors face

* How to move past the beliefs or fears that block our creative freedom and business success

* Building the ‘vulnerability' muscle

* Taking action on what we really want

* Making space to allow for a new direction

* Creating book assets from podcast transcriptions

* How do you know if you have an issue with money?

* How to use a ‘workation' to finish your book

* How to pivot your author career when you've already established a brand



You can find Holly Worton at HollyWorton.com and on Twitter @hollyworton



Transcript of Interview with Holly Worton

Joanna: Holly Worton is the author of 17 nonfictio...

How can you use video to attract readers to your books — and create multiple streams of income? Meg La Torre gives some tips for video marketing.



In the intro, ACX emails the community apologizing for an incredibly slow production process; but doesn't address the serious issue of returns [Susan May Writer]; ALLi revokes ACX as a recommended self-publishing service; Level up your author business [ALLi]; and Tree of Life, ARKANE 11, is in the final stages of production. Out 9 Dec 2020.



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.



Meg LaTorre is a bestselling science fiction and fantasy author, YouTuber at iWriterly, speaker, and a blogger. She previously worked at a literary agency and has a background in magazine publishing, medical and technical writing, and journalism. Her latest book is The Cyborg Tinkerer.

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 below.

Show Notes



* Thoughts on publishing options and what authors get wrong when pitching agents

* The difference between AuthorTubers and BookTubers

* What works, and doesn’t work, when selling books on YouTube

* What kind of personality suits video marketing

* Tips for YouTube video titles and graphics

* Why consistency matters for feeding the YouTube algorithms

* How YouTube can add to an author’s multiple streams of income



You can find Meg LaTorre at iWriterly.com and on YouTube.com/iwriterly and on Twitter @MegLaTorre



Transcript of Interview with Meg LaTorre

Joanna: Meg LaTorre is a bestselling science fiction and fantasy author, YouTuber at iWriterly, speaker, and a blogger. She previously worked at a literary agency and has a background in magazine publishing, medical and technical writing, and journalism. Her latest book is The Cyborg Tinkerer. Welcome, Meg.

Meg: Hi. Thank you so much for having me.

Joanna: It's great to have you on the show.

Tell us a bit more about you and how you got into writing and publishing?

Meg: Like a lot of people, I've been writing since I was a kid. I always knew I wanted to write books, but I didn't actively start writing books until probably about 10 years ago. After I'd been working in corporate for a few years as a journalist and technical writer a...

How do you build a network of author friends and peers over the long-term? How can you overcome anxiety about online or in-person events in order to network more effectively? Daniel Parsons and I share tips on networking online and also for physical events post-pandemic.



In the intro, new Series management tools from Amazon KDP; Draft2Digital scheduled price changes; Kevin Tumlinson and I talk about the self-publishing future [Self-Publishing Insiders]; thoughts on The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin; Richard O'Brien on The Rocky Horror Show [The Guardian]; why The Queen's Gambit is a perfect story; Plus, fantastic ebook bundle for writers (includes Audio for Authors: Audiobooks, Podcasting, and Voice Technologies): www.Storybundle.com/nano; and Map of Shadows available in audio.

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 Scrivener, ProWritingAid will help you improve your book before you send it to an editor, agent or publisher. Check it out for free or get 25% off the premium edition at www.ProWritingAid.com/joanna



Dan Parsons is a fantasy and horror author who also writes non-fiction. His latest book is Networking for Authors: How to Make Friends, Sell More Books and Grow a Publishing Network from Scratch.

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 below.

Show Notes



* What the new approach to publishing looks like

* What networking looks like for authors and how it differs from traditional networking

* Mistakes to avoid when networking

* How to present yourself in person to make a positive impression

* Prepping for a live networking event to make it easier in the moment to connect

* Tips and strategies for shy networkers

* Why long term thinking is important for networking

* What the future of networking might look like



You can find Daniel Parsons at DanielParsonsBooks.com and on Twitter @dkparsonswriter



Transcript of Interview with Daniel Parsons

Joanna: Dan Parsons is a fantasy and horror author who also writes non-fiction. His latest book is Networking for Authors: How to Make Friends, Sell More Books and Grow a Publishing Network from Scratch. Welcome, Dan.

How do you successfully write and market in multiple genres if you're a multi-passionate creator? How do you manage a hybrid career across traditional and independent publishing? Wendy H. Jones talks about her varied writing career and her tips for book marketing.



 

In the intro, The HotSheet reports from Frankfurt Book Fair with positive news about Kobo audiobooks, why we need to embrace streaming and subscription, and the possibility that book contracts might include podcasts in the future. The new Amazon Author Central, author.amazon.com, is rolling out slowly. Google Play's increase in royalties to 70%. NaNoWriMo. My thoughts on Tim Ferriss's fantastic interview with Yuval Noah Harari, and I also mention Novacene by James Lovelock. Do you enjoy a senior, second chance, sweet romance? Check out A Summerfield Christmas Wedding from Penny Appleton (my Mum's 5th book!)

Today’s show is sponsored by my wonderful patrons who support the podcast with a few dollars a month through patreon.com/thecreativepenn. Patrons get an extra Q&A show every month — bonus audio! — and also 10% off my courses. Thank you, Patrons!



Wendy H. Jones is the award-winning and best-selling author of police procedural novels as well as inspirational non-fiction children's books and useful books for authors. Her latest book is Marketing Matters: Sell More Books.

You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and full transcript below.

Show Notes



* Thoughts on being a hybrid author

* On the Scottish literary scene

* When to say no to opportunities

* Different strategies for marketing fiction vs. non-fiction

* On Wendy’s book of motivational exercises based on NLP

* How faith plays a part in Wendy’s literary life



You can find Wendy H. Jones at WendyHJones.com and on Twitter @WendyHJones



Transcript of Interview with Wendy H. Jones

Joanna: Wendy H. Jones is the award-winning and best-selling author of police procedural novels as well as inspirational non-fiction children's books and useful books for authors. Her latest book is Marketing Matters: Sell More Books, which is something we all want to do. Welcome, Wendy.

Wendy: Thank you for having me here. It's an absolute pleasure.

Joanna: It's exciting to have you on the show.

First up, tell us a bit more about you and how you got into writing.

Wendy: This sounds awful. It sounds a bit by accident, but it wasn't by accident. I've always been a writer. I've always been a reader. I've read since I was three. I've read mysteries.

How do you write your darkness without drowning in it? How do you write an original horror story while still respecting the tropes of the genre? Why are horror writers the nicest people around?!

Tim Waggoner gives some craft tips for writing horror, as well as thoughts on the current publishing and TV/film environment.



In the intro, Bookwire's report on audience behavior in the age of ebooks, audiobooks, and podcasts [Publishing Perspectives]; positive report on the ebook market during COVID19 [Written Word Media]; and library digital subscription and borrowing is up [The Guardian]; Google Play introduces promo codes; Reflections on the end of the general trade concept from Mike Shatzkin and what a possible big publishing merger might bring; The end of the summer blockbuster and a changing model for the film industry, which is reflected in the indie author business model [Kristine Kathryn Rusch].

Plus, my solo episode on Walk Your Own Race: Lessons Learned from Walking a 50km Ultra-Marathon, and photos from my 6-day pilgrimage at Instagram @jfpennauthor. Don't miss the Halloween special on Books and Travel, Life-Obsessed: Cemeteries, Graveyards, and Ossuaries with Loren Rhoads.



Do you need help finding an editor, book cover designer, or someone to do your book marketing? Find a curated list of vetted professionals at the Reedsy marketplace, along with free training on writing, self-publishing, and book marketing. Check it out at www.TheCreativePenn.com/reedsy



Tim Waggoner is the best selling and Bram Stoker award-winning author of over 50 novels and 7 short story collections across dark fantasy and horror, as well as writing tie-ins. He's also a professor of creative writing at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio. His latest book for authors is Writing in the Dark, on the craft of writing horror fiction.

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 below.

Show Notes



* How exploring our darkness means we don’t have to be afraid of it

* Why it’s important not to re-traumatize yourself when writing

* The variety that exists within the horror genre

How do you build a creative business that you love — and makes you money? Pamela Wilson talks about her non-fiction business model, how to choose a niche, plus how to pivot your brand over time.



 

In the intro, I talk about my pilgrimage walk and how we all need to weigh up risks and reward, especially when the need to fill the creative well becomes overwhelming! You can find the pictures on Instagram @jfpennauthor. I also mention my Courses for Authors, and my latest episode on Books and Travel where I talk about fear and assessing risk, which is something we all have to do.



Pamela Wilson is the author of Master Content Marketing and Master Content Strategy and is an online educator and keynote speaker. Her company, Big Brand System, teaches people how to build online businesses they love, which is particularly important as many people are pivoting after the pandemic.

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 below.

Show Notes



* How images and words form the two halves of content marketing

* How books lead potential clients into other premium offerings like coaching and courses

* Tips on choosing a niche to work with and serve — that you enjoy and will also make you money

* Should you build a personal brand or a business brand?

* What happens when you want to change the audience you focus on?

* Tips on rebranding

* Listening to your gut when it comes to building a creative business



You can find Pamela Wilson at BigBrandSystem.com/goodies and on Twitter @pamelaiwilson. You can also find her courses at The Content Lab and the Image Lab (affiliate links).



Transcript of Interview with Pamela Wilson

Joanna Penn: Pamela Wilson is the author of two books on content marketing, an online educator and keynote speaker. Her company, Big Brand System, teaches people how to build online businesses they love, particularly important as many people are pivoting after the pandemic. Welcome back to the show, Pamela.

Pamela Wilson: I am so happy to be here and hear your voice and just be here with your community. Thank you for having me back.

Joanna Penn: It's great to have you back on the show. Previously we have talked about content marketing, both of us are big fans of that. But today we are talking more about this building a business. So set the scene for us.

Tell us a bit more about what your creative business looks like. What are your multiple streams of income and how do books play a part in that?

Pamela Wilson: The good news is books play a part in all of it,