Spa Girls Podcast

Confused about the editing process? Today we talk with talented editor Anne Victory, founder of Victory Editing. Anne has always been a stickler for grammar, and at every job she was “volunteered” (or volun-told) to either write or proofread everything from menus to game manuals to advertising copy. That business writing and editing experience came in handy when she started to work in fiction. She enjoys reading, and polishing the written word. Common wisdom says do what you love and you’ll live a long and happy life. With her background in English literature, grammar, and library science, it was a fairly easy decision to work with authors. We discuss what it takes to work with an editor. What you need to think about when you are editing your manuscript and much more.

What does 'writing to trend' mean? Isn't it just the same as 'writing to market'?  In the SPA, we say NO, they're not the same...and here's why: basically, Shar told us so.  :)  In this episode we explore the two terms, look at the differences between them, what they both mean for you as an author, and how you can use writing to market and writing to trend to help your writing career.  If you've ever wondered if writing to market was for you, or thought you'd spotted a trend early, this is the episode for you! 

Ah, readers... They're elusive. Magical. Confusing.  But we all want them.  This episode, we break down the topic of reader expectations, discussing what they are, what it means for you the author, and how to make sure you are fulfilling your readers' expectations.   Why do readers love certain books? What makes them pick one book over another? And more importantly, how do you make sure your book is the one that readers gravitate towards...?  It's all covered in this week's episode of the SPA Girls Podcast! 

This week we have the pleasure of talking with Chris Fox, author of 20+ SFF novels and very popular non-fiction books for writers including his latest, Ads For Authors Who Hate Math. In this episode we talk about how to run your ads in 30 minutes a day; how to run profitable advertising campaigns using a simple aggregate sales model; and how not to stress out over figuring out your read-through and cost per click numbers.

Are your sales getting you down?  Do you wish your series was selling better?  Can you resuscitate it or is it DOA? This episode we talk through some of the possible reasons that your book or series might not be selling.  From cover, editing and blurb writing, to content, tropes, meeting reader expectations, and much, much more.  We attempt to help you troubleshoot what might be wrong, and what you can do to amp it up, make it work, and sell more books! 

Ever been in a bookstore and opened a book to read the first couple of pages? (Or clicked the look inside on Amazon?) Ever put the book back, deciding it wasn't that interesting?  Yep, we have too.  And that's exactly what we talk to Australian romantic comedy author Amy Andrews about this week. She takes us through the concept of first pages, and how to make sure readers not only pick up your book, but find they can't put it down again (until they've reached the end!).  Should you start with dialogue? What words should you cull? Exactly what are readers looking for? Find out the answers to these questions and many more in this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast! 

Do you feel like your writing career is filled with mistakes? Failures? Problems?  Good! That means you're putting yourself out there, trying new things, and moving in a positive direction in your writing career. If you're not doing any of the above...start right now!  Why, you ask, in horror?  Because having a pile of failures next to your name means that you're getting out there and doing things in your author business. If you talk to the most successful entrepreneurs in the world, they'll all tell you stories of the times they failed, the businesses that didn't quite go as expected, and the problems they had to overcome. And that's okay, because learning how to fail is integral to succeeding. It teaches us resilience, determination, and persistence. It shows us that we're human, and that it's okay to make mistakes, as long as we keep going.  On the flip side, if you aren't doing anything, you won't fail. Guaranteed.  Which would you prefer? 

If you've been thinking about trying out Bookbub ads, then this is the episode for you!  Melissa Storm was at the RWNZ conference in Christchurch with us, and we stole her away and made her tell us all about Bookbub ads just for you, our lovely listeners...  From what Bookbub ads actually are, to what you'll need to set one up, and all the tips and tricks in between, Melissa gives us everything you'll need to be successful.  Don't miss this episode, it's a doozy! 

We've all had experience with saggy middles... (And no, we're not talking about our stomachs...) Have you ever gotten to the middle of your manuscript and wondered what on earth you're doing? Do you end up cleaning the whole house instead of getting back to your daily word count? Does it feel like you're typing through concrete, and you couldn't concentrate on getting more words down for the life of you? This is the episode for you!  We talk about the middle of our books, what they should have in them, and how you can get over that terrible saggy story that sometimes emerges. We also discuss getting over your blocks, fixing what might be wrong, and how to set yourself up for success. This episode is all about how to survive when you've moved past the exciting beginning, and are still miles from that thrilling ending... 

Here it is. Our 200th Episode! Yay! Who'd have thought that we'd ever make it this far?? First of all, we'd like to say thank you to everyone who listens to the show, we appreciate you all! It's been an amazing few years, and we've loved every minute of it. This week is a celebration episode, where we look back over those 200 episodes, and talk about the common traits of all the successful self publishers we've spoken to. From the humbleness of Bella Andre and the flexible nature of Serena Woods, to the smart work ethic of Skye Warren and the focus of Kathryn Le Veque, we cover it all. We will give you the ultimate list of self publishing traits that will help you rise to the top of the Indie pile! Don't miss it!

Want to hear how a world-wide bestselling author got to where he is today?  Join us as we talk to UK crime novelist Adam Croft about his writing career, including how he generates his ideas, how he writes, and how he creates those amazing hooks that he's so well known for. (No, really, would you murder your wife to save your daughter? And what would happen if you were married to a serial killer?)  He also discusses the mindset shift he had to have before he could become a bestselling author and why he believes the best way to be successful as an Indie is by having a long term, organic, business-minded view of publishing.  We loved talking to him for his sensible, rational view of publishing, and also for his smooth British accent...and you will too! 

Has your sparkle gone soggy?  Are you wondering why you're not happier?  Have you lost your creativity?  Then this is the episode for you! We talk to fellow Kiwi author, Julie Schooler, about how to find your sparkle, and wake up happier!  Many of us have lost the ability to dream big. We're dealing with problems at every turn. It's actually harder to be happy than it is to be sad. So in this episode, Julie gives us a whole bunch of really cool ways to actively be happy and turn our lives around.  In fact, she gave us so many great ideas on how to tap into our creativity and imagination by becoming happier, that our minds were blown. In the kindest way possible, we hope yours are too!  

This week we talk to Kelly McClymer about "Hacking Your Muse", or how to convince yourself to sit down and write when you don't seem to be able to do it…  We all give ourselves excuses for why we can't write, and Kelly breaks down the thoughts we have around writing, and how to change them so we can more easily get into the chair and write. She talks through why she used to sabotage herself, and how she learned to change that around, and get more words. If you're someone who struggles to write, despite loving it when you do, this is the episode for you!

Terrified of public speaking?  Don't know what to say on Facebook Live?  Wondering how to keep your cool in that podcast interview? This is the episode for you!  Public speaking for authors is about more than just talking in front of fans at your local bookstore. These days we're also expected to do online speaking such as Facebook Live events, videos for our newsletter, podcast interviews, and YouTube discussions.  Our guest today has ALL THE TIPS for any kind of public speaking you may have to do as an author! Alena Van Arendonk is an actor, speaker, writer, costumer, and expert cosplayer who was a guest at Geysercon this year. She's been public speaking since she was a teenager doing debates, and has a whole range of advice for authors who are thinking of public speaking, but are terrified of it! Turns out it's more than just learning not to be scared. It's about posture, preparation, and practice! Listen to the episode to find out more about how you can dial up your next speaking engagement to rock

We all want a magic wand to be waved over us, or to swallow a pill and instantly be amazing authors. But that's just not possible. Learning to write takes time and hard work. There's no way around it. This week's guest, fantasy author Laura Van Arendonk-Baugh, talks about our expectations as authors, and why we think we're going to be amazing right from the moment we first pick up a pen (or put fingers to the keyboard). And she should know. She's a behavioural scientist who works with problem animals and she loves to break down and assess the how and why of our behaviour. She talks about why we expect so much of ourselves, how society views talent versus skill, and gives some mind-blowing tips on how to trick your brain into doing exactly what you want, i.e. get the writing done! She also talks about how to deal with things like fear of failure, our writing not being as good as we want it to be, and how to keep going despite the barriers we put up.

Ever wondered how the SPA Girls spend their days?  Imagining champagne and caviar at fancy hotels?  This is the episode where you find out for sure...  We talk through how we spend our days; from when we get up, how many hours we work, how many words we write, and how much marketing we do. We talk about our distractions, how we structure our days and the challenges of working from home.  Before you ask, this was a reader question, so we're not just doing it because we like to talk about ourselves... :) 

There's so much advice out there in Self-Publishing-Land. We're told you have to do this, and you have to do that, and you have to do the next thing to be a success in self publishing.  There's so much conflicting advice that it can actually do your head in...  This week, we go through some of the things that you can do to keep your self publishing career on track. How to keep it simple and not get caught up in ALL THE THINGS...  Keeping it simple is about not sweating the little things, keeping yourself focused on the writing, and getting the book finished! 

This is the second episode in the interview series with bestselling author and Facebook guru, Skye Warren. Skye has had a fascinating author journey, and in this second episode she talks to us about the changes she had to make with regards to her mindset before she could become successful as an author. If you've ever said that you can't do something that you know you need to do for your career, then you have to listen to this episode (and you probably need to have a look at your mindset, and what you're subconsciously telling yourself). And finally, she talks about Facebook Ads, and gives us some tips on how to make our own ads successful.

Ever thought that if only you had more time in your day, you'd be successful? Rich? How you'd get all your writing done?  Well, this is the podcast for you!  When romance author Skye Warren went from being able to work all hours of the day to only being able to manage two hours every day, she had to figure out how to keep money from her writing coming in. And fast. She had a mortgage and other bills to pay.  What she learned was that by focusing her efforts, she was able to concentrate on the small percentage of actions that made her the most money - writing and facebook ads.  This is the story of how Skye went from struggling to earn five figures while working all day, to earning over a million dollars a year working only four hours a day.  This is part one of two parts you don't want to miss! 

Are your wrists giving you problems? Thinking you need to get out and walk more?  But still have to write all those books??  Then this episode is for you... We talk to dictation expert Scott Baker about all aspects of dictation, from the right software to get, the products and technical knowledge you need to get started, and how to train that dragon to within an inch of its life!!  Scott talks to us about everything from how to set up the dictation equipment correctly, the different ways you can dictate and how to make it as accurate as possible.  He's hugely knowledgeable, and is very generous with his information, so if you've ever wondered about dictation, or are considering getting it set up (or even tried and couldn't get it to work properly!) then make sure you listen to this episode!