Kel Carpenter is a publishing powerhouse who has been a successful fulltime author since she was just 22 years old.... more

This is a fantastic episode for writers at all stages of their careers. Cathy covers writing in your unique voice,... more

We live in a world where we can see what everyone else is doing online. Successes and failures. We are... more

Get ready to be inspired this week by our guest interviewee, romance author Juliette N. Banks. Juliette is a... more

This episode we discuss Book Signings and Book Fairs - in person events where authors get out of the writing... more

Rebecca Hefner is a USA Today bestselling author who is a passionate advocate for authors to reach more readers through... more

Lana talks to us about how she has achieved success in short romance in less than two years using a... more

Sweet Romance Author, Anne-Marie Meyer is an Amazon and Apple Top 100 best seller and a 3x USA Today Bestselling... more

Your book cover is the "shop window" of your hard work, and it has to do the heavy lifting to... more

Theodora Taylor is back! And she’s here to tell us how to craft our blurbs that hook readers and... more

When she decided to write a palate cleanser novel in a completely different genre - with a brand new pen... more

Attending conferences helps us network with professionals in the author world and gain insights and ideas to make our jobs easier... more

Welcome back to another SPA Girls minisode. This one is a bit of a controversial take on mistakes writers make... more

Should you “be Amazon exclusive, “go direct”, “publish wide” and/or use an aggregator? And what do those terms even mean?

If you've been scratching your head over how to get some more reviews on your newly published book, this is... more

Why is it some books sell well right out of the gate, and others wither on the retailer vine? Do... more

The decision to self publish her first historical women's fiction novel - after a career writing romance - turned out... more

Nat Connors of Kindletrends returns to the SPA with a new analysis tool for indie authors - an interactive infographic... more

Listen to this SPA Girls Minisode all about how long it will take you to make your first $1,000 dollars... more

First published in 2014, romance author Clare Connelly hit success from her very first self-published book. Now with over 120... more

Writing great books with emotional impact is key to building your readership. Today we discuss craft tips that will help... more

Want to make the leap to full time author? How do you know when it’s the right time to make... more

Got your final manuscript all ready to go, and wondering how to format it for publication? This is the SPA... more

If you’ve ever wondered how to deal with contracts and other business issues, this is the podcast for you! Maggie Marr... more

USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow talks branding, publishing strategy and building a strong readership!

Feeling a bit blah about your writing and / or author career? Welcome back to another 15 min SPA Girls... more

This week we talk to regency romance and young adult author Maggie Dallen, who tells us how she changed her... more

Doubts are the biggest creativity and success blocker. But it takes a strong person not to have them. No one said... more

How do you build superfans and a sustainable income through patreon*, kickstarter, subscriptions and serial works? Bestselling author Tao Wong... more

How the heck do you build a reader newsletter list when you're first starting out? We're back with another SPA... more

Being a resilient author means being able to bounce back after experiencing a knock - and we all know that... more

Kate Hall is a paranormal romance and non-fiction author who has taken her marketing expertise and used it to kick... more

This week we're covering two burning topics: what are the worst mistakes newbies are making, and how to write... more

In this podcast we talk to KimBoo York about her latest book Secrets of Discovery Writing. We dive into how you... more

Our guest today, Kiwi author Melissa Pearl, has five pen names across multiple genres and has been learning about self... more

The Enneagram is a personality typing system, where each person falls into one of nine types. Today we're talking... more

Procrastination takes many forms for writers, and it holds us back from writing, publishing and promoting our work. We discuss... more

Creating and running Facebook ads has gotten a lot easier! Wondering how to delve into facebook advertising or had poor... more

Ever hesitate over making an important decision because you were trying to figure out what the 'right' thing to do... more

Today we’re interviewing Dan Wood, Chief Operating Officer at Draft2Digital, one of the best known distributors for eBooks, print and... more

Your brain is a liar! Heather Hildenbrand is a bestselling author and business coach for creatives. This episode she demystifies how... more

In this episode we chat to YA Fantasy author Katie Cross. She has so much passion and enthusiasm for what... more

You are your own publishing house when you self-publish. There’s lots to do, and lots to think about, especially the... more

This episode, we’re joined again by the effervescent Kathleen Sweeney from Bookbrush. She's is going to update us on... more

Inspired by Dr Michael Moseley’s JUST ONE THING we use his framework to give practical tips for uncomplicating your... more

Today we discuss business plans. Need help creating yours? It doesn't need to be complicated, just download our simple SPA... more

Want to set yourself up for an awesome 2024? Then this is the SPA Girls podcast episode for you. We... more

We’re celebrating you, our wonderful listeners, in the SPA today by sharing our 12 Christmas Wishes for you and your... more

Are you dreaming of an easy approach to create successful book releases? Listen up, because we’re joined again by the... more

Congratulations! You’ve finished your first book (or series) and are ready to hit the publish button! So what can you... more

Most authors know what BookFunnel is these days (just in case: it's a platform that helps you deliver reader magnets,... more

Bumps on the publishing path are unwelcome yet inevitable. So how can we reset ourselves when the wobbles and disappointment... more

Side characters - how do you make them memorable, but not over-take the spotlight? And what purpose do they serve... more

This week we talk to contemporary romance author, Carrie Elks about amping up your book marketing. It's a fantastic and... more

This week we talk about the forward planning we all do for our author careers. Because we're all so different... more

Self-publishing since 2010, Amazon top 100 best-selling Amazon author with 1 million books sold, Sarra writes magical contemporary fantasy novels with... more

We’re thrilled to welcome UF/PNR author Sarah Piper to the show today. Sarah has seen great success publishing across a... more

Amazon has moved the furniture again! This episode, Alex will help explain Amazon’s category changes, what they mean for... more

This week we chatted with Angela Ackerman, one of the authors of the classic writing book, The Emotion Thesaurus.  If you've... more

There are many ways we get stuck as authors. Some ways you can get stuck is in the writing, editing, time... more

Kathryn shares her unique publishing insights and forecast, historical romance trends, why she doesn’t have an author newsletter, and behind... more

Today’s topic was prompted by a commenter on youtube who asked us about reverse engineering bestsellers. What makes a book,... more

This week we talk to fiction and non-fiction author Katlyn Duncan, who wrote the non-fiction books The Successful Hybrid Author... more

Author Jenna Moreci is a YouTube sensation! With almost 300k subscribers on her YouTube channel "Writing with Jenna Moreci", ten... more

Marketing but not achieving results? Maybe you need to do a bit of a deep dive into why. We've got... more

USA Today Bestseller, Sadie King has grown her publishing business from zero to six figures in less than four years,... more

This week we take an in-depth look at author brands - starting with what branding actually means, what your branding... more

What is it EXACTLY that makes a book addictive? How do twists and turns come into play? And how do you create... more

Today we’re joined by two dynamic guests - author Emilia Rose and Michael Evans, co-founds of the REAM... more

We know there are still 5.5 months to go until the end of the year! But!! We think it’s important... more

This week we go in-depth with USA Today, international and #1 Amazon bestselling author of new adult and contemporary romance,... more

We’re looking at failure and putting a different slant on it. By changing the way you think of failing at... more

Back in 1996, author Debra Dixon published Goal, Motivation and Conflict and ever since the letters GMC have been tattooed... more

Today we talk to the amazingly talented author Lynn Raye Harris about series. Everything from multiple connected to branding. This... more

It's celebration time! We've reached another milestone here in the SPA - FOUR HUNDRED EPISODES!  And that's 400 weekly episodes with... more

How can a writer diversify their income? In this episode Rachael Herron shares her advice for maximizing your income as... more

We talk on the SPA all the time about the importance of knowing what genre/sub genre you’re writing and what... more

USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Hefner is passionate about marketing audio books wide. After several years of struggling early on,... more

If you've been working on amping up your characters and writing a more compelling novel, this is the episode for... more

Get ready to be encouraged! Erin Marcus is a business coach who helps authors take charge of their career and... more

From mindset and productivity, to branding, social media and your writing community – we cover the gamut of how to... more

Today we’re covering reader expectations for romance and it’s subgenres and mystery. Let us help you define where your book... more

Skye MacKinnon is a USA Today and International Bestselling Author whose books are filled with strong heroines who don't have... more

USA today bestselling author of Western Romance, Erin Wright, has worked every job under the sun, including library director, barista,... more

When her facebook ad account was shut down, Vanessa had to learn how to sell books WITHOUT paid ads and... more

Kait is a USA Today best selling, RITA® Award-winning Mississippi author of smart, sassy, small town Southern romance. She calls... more

The number one thing you need to produce as an author is WRITTEN words, but sometimes that's the hardest thing... more

Award-winning USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brighton Walsh spent a decade as a professional photographer before taking... more

Ten proven productivity hacks for self-publishing authors!

Alpha, Beta, Tortured or Bad Boy? How do you like your heroes? This week Cheryl, Wendy and Shar discuss how... more

Wanting to speed up your plotting and writing time? Or have an easy way to keep a series bible? We've... more

Who says Valentine’s Day has to be about couples? We think it should be about all kinds of love and... more

This week Trudi and Shar go rogue ... and discuss courses along with our writing friend and writing tutor Tania... more

So many times we’ve heard authors say that they don’t like this or that when it comes to promoting themselves.... more

If there’s one person in the self publishing world who’s considered a bit of an expert at advertising… it’s Mark... more

Kathleen Sweeney is Bookbrush’s Customer Service Manager & Marketing Lead. She brings over 17 years of client service experience, business... more

Ready to up your newsletter game in 2023? Listen up, because Tammi's got the very latest best practices for author... more

Happy New Year from the SPA Girls !! In this episode we talk about what goals and plans we have for... more

This is an awesome episode just for you! We went through all of our episodes from 2022, and picked out... more

The Spa Girls wish you a wonderful Christmas and today we’re sharing our celebrations and things we’re grateful for. From Shar’s... more

If your book is not selling, what can you do? USA Today Bestseller, romance writer Leanna Morgan is here to... more

Lightbulb moments about writing and publishing that have turned you from gloomy to galloping along - have you had them?... more

Join us for another deep dive into an intriguing genre that's doing well for indie authors. USA Today bestselling author... more

Today we’re talking to Dionne Lister about how she made the leap from part-time to full-time in one year, writing... more

Steff ran an incredibly successful kickstarter in 2022 to fund limited-edition hardcovers of her books - in fact, it was... more

Today in the SPA we talk about not relying on luck to build your career. We believe you can make your... more

In this fun episode with Lillian Lark, we learn about monster romance - what it is, how it's defined, who's... more

There are many types of editing and today we're discussing how the SPA Girls approach a second draft. Plus, don't... more

This episode sees the SPA Girls sharing their own Big Oops and how they recovered / learned from them. Inspiration... more

In this episode we talk to the amazing Renee Rose about her new release Write To Riches!  15-time USA Today bestselling... more

Ever wondered how authors create a reader base full of raving superfans... and how you could do it too?? Well,... more

A long-time friend of the SPA Girls, multi NYT Bestseller, Nalini Singh, is here to talk about world-building, and if... more

Looking for tips to make your marketing tasks more organized and less stressful? This is the episode for you! From... more

This week we talk to the amazing Mia Brody all about how she makes a fulltime living writing instalove short... more

One size doesn't fit all - we've all heard that saying, but how do you know what DOES work for... more

It was our great pleasure to interview Michele Scott, a NYT, Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestselling author of over... more

Learn how Emilia Rose started her publishing career through posting chapters on Wattpad, and monetized through Patreon subscriptions!

Do you want to have an author store and don't know where to start? USA Today bestselling author Morgana Best... more

This week we talk about how to find new ideas, and how to use those ideas in new ways. How... more

Samantha Price is a USA Today bestselling author of Amish romance books and cozy mysteries. She was raised Brethren and... more

This week we discuss burnout, protecting our creativity, being productive and not buying in to the hustle culture.

All about book launch strategy - from pre-orders, why publishing print books before ebooks makes sense, wrangling an ARC team,... more

Dave Chesson joins us in the SPA to chat about some of the awesome apps that he's designed for authors... more

When you feel the frantic need to achieve and you don’t, it’s easy to get stuck or suffer burnout. If... more

This week we broadcast our 350th episode and in complete contrast to how laid-back Kiwis generally approach milestones, we’re celebrating... more

Building a deep connection between your characters and your readers is what creates raving fans, books that stick like glue... more

USA Today best-selling author Lee Savino is a bubble of energy, and this week's podcast with her left us all... more

Are you struggling to get your words down each day? Why not give writing sprints a try? You can do... more

Today we're joined by Julia Roberts, MSc, writer, creativity coach, and soon-to-be Ted Talker. Julia is going to talk us... more

Do you want to learn how to design a series that will hook and keep readers, AND set you up... more

This week, in answer to a listener question, we talk about how we manage the process of writing a book.... more

Bestselling Author Asa Maria Bradley suggests collaboration as a way to get creative again. Growing up in Sweden surrounded by archaeology... more

One of the most experienced editors in the industry joins us in the SPA! Prior to becoming a freelance editorial... more

Today's episode answers a listener question - namely, how do you deal with all the graphics an author needs? DIY... more

Hit the ground running with this episode all about how to successfully finish the first draft of your novel! We... more

Do you want to be a full-time author? Today we discuss how we transitioned to writing full-time, including: • how we approached... more

This episode we cover plot development AND character development and you’ll come away (hopefully!) with some awesome tips to improve... more

In the Spa this week we talked to the talented Naomi Barton. With more people listening to audio books now,... more

This week we talk to long-time PR coach and publicist Lilian Sue about how authors can successfully use PR to... more

Today we welcome back for a record 3rd time, Zoe York, to talk about Romancing Your Goals. Like so many authors... more

Many of us have tried different methods to get AMS Ads to work: from creating hundred of ad variations to... more

Jay Hogan writes character driven mm romances with lots of humour, a good dose of reality and a splash of... more

This week we talk to fantasy author AK Mulford about how she got started on TikTok! We cover TikTok for... more

Feeling a bit blah about your writing? Struggling with getting good words down and your word count UP? Today we're... more

How do you get a cover that finds readers and converts to sales? How much should you expect to pay?

Going from zero to $3k per month in just a few months is a dream for many of us and... more

Confused about preorders? Wondering if you should start using them? Wondering if you should stop using them? This is the... more

Today we share our SPA Girls patented 😉 foolproof steps to create a fictional setting that'll keep your readers coming... more

What’s the real reason you’re a writer? We’ve talked about finding your why before on the podcast, and today we're... more

In this episode Tara brings us up to speed on Kobo’s new audiobook platform, other updates from Kobo including Kobo... more

Happy New Year people! It's a crazy time of year, and this episode is all about why you need to... more

Despite 2021’s best efforts we’ve managed to do some great work this year and had some good times. From launching as... more

We’ve all heard the conventional wisdom for fiction writers – but is it actually appropriate for self-publishing today?  We break... more

In the SPA today, we talk about the evolution of our writing process. We delve into the changes that have... more

If you're considering changing genres, starting a new series, trying new tropes, or are even just so confused about this... more

It’s no secret that we use Written Word Media for ads and while we don’t have affiliate links, we can’t... more

How can we, as authors and self-publishers, deal with the internal (and external!) voices of criticism, meet our expectations and... more

Evan Gow is the indie developer of StoryOrigin, a marketing tool and community of authors that work together to find... more

Wondering how to get started with Facebook ads, but not sure where to start? Join us for today's podcast with... more

After logging time as a music journalist, playwright, and radio writer, Theodora Taylor fell in love with penning hot books... more

Today Linda is here to talk about how we as creatives can overcome our limiting beliefs, fears of success, failure,... more

Feeling a bit bombarded by conflicting advice re writing and self-publishing? Got FOMO about courses and conferences others are experiencing,... more

We love our Irish guests and are super stoked to welcome author and writing coach, Bryan Collins, to the SPA... more

This episode we're sharing the key things that have moved our writing careers, and creativity, forward so far in 2021.... more

We often struggle with what to write in our newsletters and social media posts in a way that's authentic and... more

Today we talk about writing successful trilogies, and successful settings with award-winning epic Historical Fantasy and Fantasy Romance author Jayne... more

If you've been considering taking the plunge into Amazon's new serials platform, Kindle Vella (and yes, Wendy asked if they'd... more

From Pinterest to Amazon Ads, Roseanne is back in the second part of our extended interview to help you step... more

How do you decide what to do when people tell you to "Do All The Things"?! When the hustle is... more

We talk to Veteran Police Detective Adam Richardson about Police equipment for fiction authors today. Adam spent seventeen years of... more