Pencils&Lipstick podcast

Jane Daly started her career with the memoir of losing her adult son called Because of Grace. The book launched her writing and gave hope to many other mothers experiencing grief. After writing another memoir, The Caregiving Season, Jane launched into Christian romance. Quite the career change! Jane’s novels have won the Cascade Award from the (formerly Oregon Christian Writers) Cascade Christian Writers organization and in 2...

In this episode I'm chatting with Stacia Lowe about how she built an author career by combining her passions for storytelling, knitting, and financial literacy while raising four sons. She discusses writing middle grade novels inspired by her family, growing a loyal readership through her newsletter, and why embracing the "slow and steady" approach has helped her build a sustainable writing business. The conversation also explores ...

Neil and Kat discuss Neil's journey from traditionally published author to successful indie novelist, exploring why he writes across mystery and romance without using multiple pen names and how publishing has evolved over the past two decades. They also dive into the ethical use of AI for editing, marketing, cover design, and book translations, sharing practical ways authors can use new technology without replacing the creative pro...

Get ready for Summer! I have a bunch of interviews lined up for you!

To start things off, we have Shimrit Hanes. She spent most of her life as a professional musician but has taken to writing now. Check out more about her (and get her books) at https://shimrithanes.com/

Sign up for Becky's newsletter at https://www.beckythebookcoach.com/

Sign up for the Book Finisher's Summit here : http://bit.ly/3QRfcmy

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Be sure to check out Becky's website at https://www.beckythebookcoach.com/. Get on her newsletter and check out her free resources.

Today we are talking about the things that you can do this summer to practice or start your marketing. Please tag Becky (@beckythebookcoach) and me (@author_katcaldwell) if you are trying social media this summer! We would love to support you!

Here are some things that I use in my social media that you c...

Matty Dalrymple (DAL-rim-ple) is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels and Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. ​Matty also podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author, and she is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

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Peter Lyle DeHaan is an entrepreneur and businessman who has started, managed, and owned multiple businesses over his career. Common themes at every turn have included customer service, sales and marketing, and leadership and management. He shares his lifetime of business experience and personal insights through his books, articles, and blogs to encourage, inspire, and occasionally entertain. Find him at https://peterlyledehaan.com...

Laura Cheever writes fantasy novels with strong Christian themes and an emphasis on romance within seasoned marriages. She is the author of Chosen of the Tapestry, Lost King of the Pattern, Mending and Madness, and A Hoard of Tales. She lives in rural Wyoming with her husband, Andrew, and their four children, the legendary makers of mischief and shenanigans. Find out more about her and get on her newsletter...

This week on Craft&Connect we continue our chat about Ideal Readers, this time focusing on where to find them

If you missed the worksheet from last marketing episode, you can find that here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kBQ9FpRY0EztvNELzTCqFb0q7N3AuMIf/copy

The worksheet for this week is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pDpNfIl08-IZUyKXakWhBq6zCM6jWq9f/copy

Check out Bookfunnel.com, Storyoriginapp.com and bookclick...

You can find Henry on his Virtual Pulp website (https://www.virtualpulppress.com) and on Amazon.com. His comic Threat Quotient is live on Kickstarter right now. Check it out here. And he writes on Substack as Machine Trooper (https://substack.com/@machinetrooper) and on Twitter as MachineTrooper.

Find Next, Love on www.amazon.com/Next-Love-Kat-Caldwell-ebook/dp/B0D95Y6G56/or add it to your TBR on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com...

Every quarter we need to reevaluate what we can and CANNOT accomplish as writers. This episode is that episode.

Get my latest book! https://www.amazon.com/Next-Love-Kat-Caldwell-ebook/dp/B0D95Y6G56

Grab the free chapter one from HIS pov (book starts with her pov) here: http://www.katcaldwell.com/jameson-pov

Check out Sara Cannon: https://www.youtube.com/@HeartBreathings

Get 2k to 10k: https://www.amazon.com/2k-10k-Writing-Faster-Better...

In this episode I'm talking about how unpredictable this whole indie author journey is, how you can put in a ton of effort and still not get the results you expected, and how so much of it is out of your control. I keep coming back to the idea that you often just don’t know why something works or doesn’t.

So instead of spiraling or reacting out of frustration, let's focus on the stuff we can control: mindset, strat...

Figuring out your ideal reader is key to running your book business. It's key to marketing! Today Becky and I discuss Ideal Readers, how to figure out who they are and why it is necessary to take some time to really define them. If you're looking for the worksheet to help you, you can grab it here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kBQ9FpRY0EztvNELzTCqFb0q7N3AuMIf/copy

Be sure to make some strides towards your ideal reader before ...

Let's talk about Reader Magnets. Because they're on my mind as I try to come up with some for my next novel, Next, Love. Everyone always says to slap together a short story or offer "deleted" scenes... but can't we get a little more creative than that? And what kind of short story should we come up with? I have some ideas today just for you. And if you want the pdf, you can sign up for my newsletter here https://bit.ly/41pZq3R and ...

This week I'm talking with Molly Arbuthnott about writing picture books, working with illustrators and creative ways to get our books in front of the reader (including traveling...!) You can find more about Molly here: https://www.mollyarbuthnott.co.uk/about/ and you can find her books here (audios as well) https://oscartheferrycat.co.uk/product-category/books/

Y0u can listen to one of her books here: https://youtu.be/plbZp5wcPVo

And...

Today I am talking with Matt Stone from 100covers.com. We chat about how to find the right cover, how an author should approach cover art, how to work with a graphic artist and more. 100covers.com has grown in the past few years. They are a large group of graphic artists ready to create a masterpiece for you book. Check out heir portfolio at 100covers.com. Be sure to use code KAT to get 50% off.

Be sure to catch up on how the new A1...

Maite Dalila is a Squarespace website designer who works exclusively with authors. She has built 20+ author websites for debut novelists, querying writers, and self-publishing authors across fiction, nonfiction, and children's books. Before specializing in author websites, Maite spent 12 years designing for brands like Walt Disney, Nike, and Samsung. She brings that same strategy, story structure, reader psychology, conversion-focu...

This week Becky and I talk about the Core Marketing Values, why they're important and how to choose them. I'm the guinea pig this week. Let's see how I do!

Every third Monday of every month, Becky Grogan (https://www.beckythebookcoach.com/) will be joining me to talk about book marketing. Sign up for the first Craft&Connect live here: https://tidycal.com/writeyourlife/craft-and-connect-live-march-24

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Jessica Snyder started out editing for the traditional romance publishers. She had since moved into independent editing and has created the HEA club where Romance Writers can connect and learn about their craft. She has worked with authors like Lucy Score and Carly Bloom as well as many indie romance authors. Be sure to check out her HEA Club here: https://heaauthorservices.com/services/the-hea-club/ and find out more about Jessica...