13.4K
Downloads
99
Episodes
Oh, how the world of fiction publishing has changed! What used to be Mom’s tea party (with agents and traditional book contracts and demure, knees-together seating) has become a wild house-party of bold self-publishing, mystical Amazon algorithms, seat-of-the-pants marketing and promotions. Experienced romance novelist and book coach Meredith Bond walks Pru Warren, her wide-eyed and unpublished co-host, through the real life of an author from the craft of writing and editing, through publishing and marketing, and finally into building a GLOBAL PUBLISHING EMPIRE! Grab a drink, pull up a chair, and get ready to start your weekend with the Writer's Block Party Podcast. Tune in every Friday.
Episodes
Jan 7, 2022
Jan 7, 2022
31 min
It’s been about a year since novice author Pru Warren published her first novel—and a bit more than a year since our podcast episode #13, where we defined several different definitions of success. How has a year in indie publishing changed Merry and Pru’s definitions? Turns out, the answers are pretty surprising!
Dec 31, 2021
Dec 31, 2021
35 min
Sure—it starts out airy-fairy. Goals, hopes, dreams, oh my…but the discussion rapidly dials down to how to set definable, measurable goals and then gives you the tools you need to attain your year’s ambition. That was fast; gravity asserted itself and all the pie-in-the-sky writer dreams became marketing, publication, engagement…and words written! A must-listen for any writer or would-be author!
To download the excel spreadsheet and the goals notebook pages Merry talks about in the show, please go to our website, HTTP://thewritersblockpartypodcast.com. (The link takes you directly to the correct page if you click on it).
Dec 24, 2021
Dec 24, 2021
46 min
Chock-full of fascinating ideas and basic, raw information on what you NEED and COULD/SHOULD have in your book’s front and back matter—so much information that we ran over our self-imposed time. This isn’t a chore, dear author—it’s a rich and delicious opportunity, and you, too, can come to love the extras you add onto your brilliant story!
Dec 17, 2021
Dec 17, 2021
35 min
Merry walks Pru through a remarkably adept method for understanding the motivations that make writing either a chore or a burden, as defined by famed sociologist Gretchen Rubin. Each of the four tendencies suggests great writing tools to assist you on your journey. And Pru sings a little at the end. Bonus!
To take the quiz yourself: https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/
To buy a copy of Ms. Rubin's great book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Tendencies-Indispensable-Personality-Profiles-ebook/dp/B01MU23P0N/
Dec 10, 2021
Dec 10, 2021
40 min
Expert Keri-Rae Barnum shares her wisdom on the whiny question of “How do I get Amazon to like me?” Keywords, comps, optimizing, training the bots, revising your book description and title and series title and subtitle, and OMIGAWD Amazon ads—Keri knows her stuff and shares freely! She’s a goddess at New Shelves.
Dec 3, 2021
Dec 3, 2021
30 min
How do you perceive yourself? What role does writing play in your life? Is it time to move from “writer” to “author?” Merry starts asking some Big Thinking questions while Pru is staring stupidly into the Zoom screen. As usual, Merry gets Pru thinking and gabbing. Art, identity, or profession? The answer is YES!
With thanks for the topic from the original blog post by Barbara Lynn Probst in the "Writer Uboxed" blog at https://writerunboxed.com/2021/08/18/writing-art-identity-or-profession/
Also mentioned in the podcast--"The Write Life" from the Insecure Writers Support Group, found at https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/2021/10/the-write-life.html
Nov 26, 2021
Nov 26, 2021
33 min
Especially for indie publishers, the goal is to create “superfans” or brand ambassadors who will not only buy your books but will also tell their friends, write reviews, and otherwise make noise. How do you engage with your readers? How do you help them to feel that their relationship with you is one of friendship and not just buyer/seller? Merry has some awesome ideas, and Pru offers a modestly proud concept of her own!
Nov 19, 2021
Nov 19, 2021
38 min
Indie author JT Bock joins the podcast to discuss the current state of indie publishing (and what the hell is going on in traditional publishing!). Much hilarity and forehead palming when Merry compliments Pru on an Amazon sponsored ad that Pru didn’t know she was running. Plus—can an introvert survive an in-person book signing event? With JT on hand, you bet!
Some show notes:
The class JT recommended was Mark Dawson's "Ads for Authors."
Merry sent Pru a link to the Amazon ads portal; that link is https://advertising.amazon.com/
Nov 12, 2021
Nov 12, 2021
40 min
What happens after you type “The End” and before your indie book is published? Pru says the in-between stages take 140 days; Merry can shorten that to 110. Here’s the run-down of what to do when and why, before you publish your indie book. And it’s complicated…but definitely possible!
Nov 5, 2021
Nov 5, 2021
29 min
Pru begins the discussion in quite a belligerent mood because the always-annoying advice “Remember, dear: Show, don’t tell!” makes so little sense—-but Merry talks her down. Pru discovers that there are times when you should TELL, NOT SHOW (“HAH!” cries Pru in victory) and also learns the valuable link between “show” and both deep and shallow POV. Dang—that’s useful!