The Professional Writer Podcast

75 – Writers Conferences: The Best Investment an Author Can Make, with Sharon Elliott and Sarah Sundin

“A writers conference is the place I can find out how to get my book published, because my book is perfect, and everyone needs to read it.”

That’s the mistaken assumption three newbie writers – Sarah Sundin, Sharon Elliott, and I – made before we attended our first writers conference. Oh, were we in for a surprise!

The three of us chat about our first-ever writers conference experiences, and how attending conferences has shaped and grown our writing careers.

74 – Strengthen Your Writing and Editing With These 5 Robust Online Tools [Crowdsourced]

Five online tools to help you become a more powerful writer and editor (recommended by my listeners):

1. ProWritingAid
2. Jarvis
3. AnswerThePublic
4. PerfectIt
5. WordHippo

Transcript, video tutorials, and links to trainings included!

73 – Sensitivity Readers and Subject Matter Experts: Why Authors Need Them

Your most valuable ability is your credibility. That’s why sensitivity readers, subject matter experts, and fact-checkers are crucial. In episode 73, five listeners recount their thoughts about this important topic. Learn what sensitivity readers do and how to find them.

72 – Costs of Self-Publishing a Book, with Lisa Baldwin

“An unknown author wanting to get an unknown manuscript published by a traditional publisher is akin to an 18-year-old showing up in Los Angeles with a 6-string guitar, wanting to get a record contract,” says debut memoir author, Lisa Baldwin.

Learn how several publishing professionals helped Lisa shift her expectations and shape her manuscript into an award-winning book.

We discuss three types of investments Lisa made: (1) pre-publication costs, (2) publication costs, and (3) hidden costs.

71 – Things I Spend Money on to Run My Writing Business

Running a writing-related business costs several thousand dollars per year, even when you’re a frugal DIYer like me. In episode 71, I’ll walk you through:

• exactly what I spend to run my business
• how much to budget for essentials
• 3 things to do before investing in a service or tool

Transcript and loads of links included.

70 – 5 Quick, Easy, and Free Ways to Gain Visibility as a Writer

How can frugal, penny-pinching entrepreneurs creatively build a business without forking out a ton of money?

In episode 70, I’ll show you five basic, FREE things you can do right now to:
• find great deals on tools for your business
• gain visibility
• interact with prospective readers and book buyers
• earn bonus income

Shareable infographic included!

69 – Bookkeeping Tips for Your Biz, with Vanessa Butler

When I hear the phrase, “business finances,” I shudder.

I’m not a numbers person; I’m a word person. That’s why I invited bookkeeping expert, Vanessa Butler, to guest on The Professional Writer podcast. Vanessa will help us word nerds take a serious look at:

• The financial health of our business
• The most efficient ways to do accounting
• Why “business” and “pleasure” bank accounts shouldn’t get married
• Why it’s important to create a realistic monthly budget, and to look at it daily

68 – Why You Need Contracts

A contract that clearly and specifically spells out expectations is a must-have for every entrepreneur, whether you’re hiring someone to work for you, or someone is hiring you to work for them.

In Episode 68, I’ll share contract horror stories, suggest items to include in a legal agreement, and recommend easily customizable contract templates.

67 – The Problem with Vanity Numbers, Half-Truths, and Swollen Egos

We’re exploring five problematic platform-building practices:

1. The “swollen ego” bio
2. Inflated follower counts
3. Platform plugins
4. Bestseller lists
5. “Award-winning author” taglines

I believe these vanity metrics give authors permission to bend the truth as a means of proving their worth. And that concerns me. Let’s talk about it!

66 – Debunking 7 Email Marketing Myths

Misinformation and horrible advice about email marketing abounds. In episode 66, I’m going to give you some tough love. I’ll bust 7 myths about email marketing.