Writer Mom Life: Recent Episodes
Writer Mom Life
Writer Mom Life Episode 62: It Never Hurts To Ask
In our first episode in the new format of 2 WMs just chatting about life and writing, Daphne and JR discuss what glorious things can happen when you dare to ask for what you want.
Did you meet all your goals this year? How do you know what you'll be able to do? In this interview, author of 4 and mother to 3 Marla Holt sheds some light on the importance of finishing what you start so that you know what's possible.
Writer Mom Life Episode 59: Jessica Wayne and Making A Career Shift
What happens when the career you planned for doesn't work out the way you expected? Jessica Wayne was set to make her life a military one, but is now at home full time with her kids and writing several series under 2 pen names. This is a super positive episode full of tons of great tips and ideas for indie author moms wondering how to fit everything in.
Writer Mom Life Episode 58: Magdalena Sabatino and Living a Creative Life
Do you need to pick just one passion? Magdalena Sabatino was focused on her poetry for awhile, but that doesn't mean it's the only thing she enjoys doing. Listen to her story of how she decided to publish her poetry and what her creative life looks like today.
Writer Mom Life Bonus Episode: Why We're Changing
After last episode's big announcement that we're shifting to a monthly format, here's a quick bonus episode to let you know WHY.
Don't worry, it's for a good reason (even if it is causing Daphne a bit of anxiety!).
Writer Mom Life Episode 57: Candice Gilmer, from Trad to Hyrbid to Indie
Candice is a mom of 2 and author of...well, a lot more than 2! After a decade in publishing, listen to how her career has shifted from trad to fully indie, and how her schedule has adapted as her kids have gotten older.
Full show notes at writermomlife.com
Writer Mom Life Podcast Episode 56: MJ McGriff and Seeing Yourself In Your Genre
Why is it important to see people like you succeed? To know that it's possible! This interview with SFF author and single mom of two MJ McGriff touches on this and related subjects, like diversity in characters (and authors!) and finding your tribe. In 20 years, what an awesome world she'll have helped create for her girls!
Get full show notes at writermomlife.com
Writer Mom Life Episode 55: Diana Collins and Writing About Loss
Full show notes: http://writermomlife.com
Diana Collins lost her best friend to Postpartum Depression and has spent the past few years working on a podcast, book, and nonprofit to help moms struggling with PPD. In this positive interview full of hope and strength, she shares her journey, in the hopes it helps others.
The Suicide Prevention Hotline in the US is free 24/7: 1-800-273-8255
In the UK, the Samaritans Helpline can be reached toll-free 24/7 at 116 123
The hotlines in other countries can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines
Writer Mom Life Episode 54: 2 Years As An Indie Author - Kayla Tirrell and M.F. Lorson updates
Get the full show notes at writermomlife.com
Get ready for some major giggling! Daphne interviews her two writing besties about their indie author journeys, writing together, and so much more.
Writer Mom Life Episode 53: Kelsie Stelting and Why Audio Is Important
full show notes at writermomlife.com
Kelsie Stelting has been publishing for a while, but this year, her life changed in a big way... she is a new foster mom to two little ones! This experience, along with many others, influences her work and allows her to think about how it will impact others for years to come. Like how she's making sure her most recent book, featuring two blind protagonists, will be available in audio so her brother and his friends can enjoy her writing!
Writer Mom Life Episode 52: Natalie Banks and Coming Back To Writing
Natalie Banks came back to writing once her 5 kids were a little older, and her homeschooling days were winding down. It's a great reminder that putting aside writing to focus on other things doesn't mean you'll never come back to it!
Get full show notes at writermomlife.com
Writer Mom Life Episode 51: Maya Hughes and Creative Instagram Ideas for Authors
Maya Hughes is a romance author of over a dozen books, with plans to publish another 6 this year! All of that on top of raising two kids overseas where she and her husband work full-time. Daphne and Maya talk about the batching and planning this all requires along with other great insights into her busy writer mom life.
Writer Mom Life Episode 50: Celebrate!
We made it to 50 episodes! Hurray!
Daphne and JR chat about all that's changes, what hasn't changed, and what we hope to see more of in the future.
Thanks for listening the past 2 years, and we can't wait to see what the next 50 episodes have in store.
Writer Mom Life Episode 49: Holly Lyne and Scheduling Your Social Media
Homeschooling mum of 2 Holly Lyne talks about the "see-saw" of balancing writing, marketing, and mom life. With a goal to retire her husband in a a few years, she has a 7 year plan you'll want to be taking notes on!
Get full show notes at writermomlife.com
Writer Mom Life Episode 48: Kirsten Oliphant and Hitting Big Goals
In a recent poll of our Facebook group, you all said you wanted more from writer moms making the big bucks, and Kristen has been doing AWESOME the past 12 months! She is a great example of the work and strategy that goes into the "ten year overnight success" and explains how adaptability is essential to making it in the indie world. And as a mom of five, she's gotten pretty good at leaning into the chaos!
Get the full show notes at writermomlife.com/ep48
Writer Mom Life Episode 47: Lauren Ranalli and Transferable Skills
get full show notes at writermomlife.com
Lauren Ranalli is passionate about many things! Public health, diverse books for children, and writing her own children's books. One way to balance everything is applying the skills learned in one area to her other projects.
Writer Mom Life Episode 46: Holly Ostara from Fiction Alchemy
2018 was a busy year for Holly: new book, new baby, and starting a Discord group to connect with other writers! Listen to her story (and top baby sleep tip!) in this week's episode.
get full show notes at writermomlife.com
Writer Mom Life Episode 45: Check in with Yesenia Vargas and her 4-figure goal
We last talked to Yesenia in Episode 16 of the podcast. Now almost exactly a year later, we check in to hear about the journey she took to reach all those goals she set for herself back in 2017. And she reached them! Yay! She breaks down what she had to do to get there, in a great look at the step-by-step mentality that can get anyone from the inklings of an idea to full-fledged success.
Get full show notes at writermomlife.com
Writer Mom Life Episode 44: Aditi Wardhan Singh and Raising Strong Kids
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Wouldn't it be great to have a guidebook on how to raise strong kids who are aware to the wonderful cultural differences that surround us? Aditi has a great message about what to focus on in order for kids to have these kinds of values, and she's put it all in her first book. She shares her journey to publication, and explains how to get a non-fiction books ready for release. (Hint: it's pretty much the same as for fiction!)
Writer Mom Life Episode 43: J.K. Coy and Staying Flexible
get full show notes at writermomlife.com
J.K. Coy got her inspiration for her children's books from...her children! No surprises there, I bet ;-) But it was surprising for her that her first daughter never napped and her second one did, meaning she needs to be flexible about how and when she gets her writing (and her running!) in.
Writer Mom Life Episode 42: Meg Cowley and Setting Realistic Expectations
get full show notes at writermomlife.com
A full-time indie author before she had her first baby, Meg Cowley walks us through that transition, along with some amazing insights on goal-setting, time-management and mindset.
(There is a bit of discussion related to difficult pregnancies, birth experiences, and loss, so if it is hard for you to hear about such things, then feel free to skip the last few minutes.)
Writer Mom Life Episdoe 41: J.A. Armitage and writing full-time with three kids
get full show notes at writermomlife.com/ep41
Writer Mom Life Episode 40: Pascale Kavanagh and Finding Your Own Creative Rhythm
For our first episode of the year, we have a very positive interview with Pascale Kavanagh. She talks about writing with a teenager in the house, binge writing, and so much more!
Writer Mom Life Episode 39: 2019 plans
check out writermomlife.com for full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook
After an amazing 2018, what does WML have in store for 2019?? Listen to find out!!
Writer Mom Life Bonus Episode 5:
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Have you ever wondered how to start a twitter chat or where to find more writers on twitter?
In this final bonus episode of 2018, Autumn Lindsey from Writer Moms Inc talks about how she formed the Facebook group along with a few other writer moms and how it grew once they started running the regular weekly #WM_Chat on Twitter.
Writer Mom Life Episode 38: Daphne James Huff and Teaming up with others
get a free self-publishing workbook for moms at writermomlife.com
This week we flip the script ... J. R. Frontera does the interviewing, and Daphne James Huff is the interviewee! This was super fun to each get a chance to be on the "other" side of things, and we got to dive into topics we're both super passionate about.
Writer Mom Life Bonus Episode 4: Jennifer Jill Araya, Audiobook Narrator
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Audiobooks - even if you've never listened to one, there is a growing market that is craving them! If you haven't considered creating one for your book, put it on your 2019 list of things to think about...
Who better to give a little insight into how it works than a professional audiobook narrator (and mom)? Jennifer Jill Araya has gone from performance on stage to performance behind the microphone and is loving her new job!
Writer Mom Life Episode 37: Lyssa Layne and Realizing You're a Writer
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>> Lyssa Layne fell into writing unexpectedly and has found great community and support in her connection with other indies and her readers. She works full-time at a job that provides a good amount of flexibility, but there are still periods of the year she can’t write every day - and that’s okay!
Get full show notes at writermomlife.com
Writer Mom Life Episode 36: MJ Greenway and Picking a Genre
MJ Greenway is a hybrid author who writes in multiple genres and with a co-writer. And if that wasn’t enough, along with her co-writer, she also runs the Pen and Parent blog! Daphne talks to her about her writing journey so far and they dive deeper into:
- Picking a genre
- Her preference for first or third person
- Starting the Pen and Parent blog
- Getting paid for your writing
- Having the support and space to experiment
- The choices you need to make when writing as a parent
Writer Mom Life Episode 35: Jasmine Silvera and Celebraing Milestones on the Road to Success
Hybrid author Jasmine Silvera started her book during NaNoWriMo pre-baby while living abroad. Today she lives in Seattle with a three-year old and things look very different but one thing is the same - she is still writing! Daphne had a great time talking to Jasmine about:
- The writing community she found for herself, both abroad and in the states,
- Her journey to hybrid author
- The marathon approach she takes to her career
- How she differentiates success from being successful
- Her big goal of being on Dancing with the Stars
- The importance of celebrating milestones of success along the way to your larger goals
Writer Mom Life Episode 34: Indie Author Basics - How to maintain your book's success long after its launch!
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This week we're talking all about "the cliff" ... and how to keep from falling off of it. "The cliff" is the dreaded point in time in which most authors see their book sales suddenly ... plummet. Most often this is at the 30 day mark, as at that point what little boost Amazon has given you as a new release has ended. And unless you've built yourself a nice little flying contraption to keep your book in the air, the poor thing is going to run right off that edge and plummet to its doom.
Okay, okay, maybe it's not all that grim. But we authors like drama, sooo...
In this longer tips episode, we discuss book "maintenance", which is ... well, frankly, more advertising. Aka, the flying contraption that will keep your book afloat even long after it's initial launch! But don't despair! This doesn't have to be overly complicated, either.
Writer Mom Life Episode 33: Killian McRae and Finding Your People
Get full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook for moms at writermomlife.com
Killian McRae / Kendrai Meeks has been self-publishing for nearly a decade, but only recently made the leap and quit her full-time job to concentrate on her writing.
Daphne talks to her about:
- Why she didn't try to go full-time author earlier
- The difference between writing when kids are young and when they're in high school (spoiler: it apparently is not easier!)
- Finding her writing community
- Acknowledging that the life others present online is not the full story
- What to do when your partner does not support your writing
Writer Mom Life Episode 32: All about launching your book!
get full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com
Finally, all your hard work writing and editing and getting covers and formatting has paid off, because now it's LAUNCH DAY! In this episode, Daphne and I talk about some key things to remember (and plan for) when that big day finally comes!
Writer Mom Life Episode 31: Azaaa Davis, Minimalism, and Book Babies
Get full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook for moms at writermomlife.com
Azaaa Davis got married, had a baby, and wrote a book… all in roughly a year and a half! Daphne chats with Azaaa about her decision to quit her job and write for a year along with:
- Why indie publishing for her is easier with a small child than trade would be
- How’s she’s been preparing for the launch in October
- How long she’s giving herself to see if this works (hint: more than one book!)
- Her strategies for slowly but surely growing her audience
- The support her husband gives (but it’s not reading her book!)
Writer Mom Life Episode 30: Indie Author Basics - Pre-Production
get full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook for indie author moms at writermomlife.com
Now that you've written the book, it's time to get it ready for release! In this episode we cover:
- Editing
- Cover design
- Formatting
- Building your audience
- Building your network of influencers (but more detail on this one next tips episode!)
Writer Mom Life Episode 29: Meaghan Halderman and Offset Schedules
>>get full show notes and free self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com
Meaghan Halderman is writing three different books, running a used bookstore online, and will be jumping back into full-time work soon!
Daphne gets all the details on her different projects, her decision to go back to work, and asks about every mom's favorite topic: sleep. >> No tips this week, since we're doing longer ones as regular episodes! Tune in in a few weeks to get the next in our Indie Author Basics series
Writer Mom Life Episode 28: Happy one year anniversary! A look back and a look ahead.
get full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook for moms at writermomlife.com
Writer Mom Life launched July 24th, 2017 and here we are 28 episodes (and 3 bonus episodes) later! It's been an incredible and transformative year and Daphne takes the opportunity to step back and see what has changed, what's stayed the same, and what the plans are for WML's future (hint: continue making stuff you writer moms like and need!).
Writer Mom Life Episode 27: Indie Author Basics - Writing
Get full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com
Writer Mom Life Presents: Indie Author Basics. In the first in our series of longer tip episodes we tackle the very first step in any self-publishing journey: writing the book!
Everyone does it differently, and we talk about how some advice just doesn't apply to writer moms. But don't despair! There is always something new to try.
Writer Mom Life Episode 26: Rhea Pechter and Self-Editing Tips
Get full show notes and your free self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com
There are many ways to get your stories out into the world, and Rhea Pechter found hers through podcasting while she gets her first picture book ready to self-publish. She shares details on how she got started and what her recording schedule looks like, along with:
- What building a relationship with listeners looks like
- How writing for audio is different than writing for books
- Ways her husband and family supports her
- How creating without pressure of an audience kept her motivated
- Why she thought she wouldn’t come back after her third child
- What her sons think of the podcast
In the tips, JR and Daphne discuss ways to save money by self-editing.
Writer Mom Life Episode 25: April M Woodard and Budgeting Mindset Tips
get full show notes and free self-publishing workbook for moms at writermomlife.com
April M Woodard released her first book at the end of May but got started way before that on the writing and marketing side! We talk about her long journey to publication, her preparation for the launch, and how her community has supported her.
April also gives details on:
- How she found her ARC team – and tribe! – through Twitter
- The kinds of things an editor will notice that betas won’t
- How it’s sometimes better to hear from other authors instead of readers - Why she doesn’t give writing advice to new authors
- Her plans for her vlog
- How she’ll get in writing time during the summer
In the tips, Daphne and J. R. dive into the first of three tips on budgeting, where we discuss the importance of knowing if you’re writing as a hobby or a business (both are totally cool!)
Writer Mom Life Episode 24: Mary Castillo and WML's favorite organization tools
Get full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook for moms at http://writermomlife.com/workbook
Mary Castillo is a hybrid author. She had some books traditionally published before the 2008, then self-published a few more, then tried erotica, and now has been focusing on her audiobooks. Mary talks a lot about the process of recording and releasing her own audiobooks, along with:
-
How she makes her living as a writer
-
How she structures her days to get in both client work and her work
-
How her schedule in the 40s compares to that in her 20s
-
How she markets her audiobooks
In the tips, JR and Daphne discuss their favorite organization tools, from planners to online note-taking.
Writer Mom Life Bonus Episode 3: Peter Barlow from Author Secret
Get full show notes and your self-publishing workbook for moms at writermomlife.com/podcast
Writer Mom Jenna and her digital designer husband Peter joined forces to start Author Secret three years ago. Learn more about this A to Z, draft to marketing service, and listen closely for a special deal on the launch of Troubleshoot Your Book Marketing, coming out May 31st!
Writer Mom Life Episode 23: Elizabeth Ann West and Marketing Tools
get full show notes and a self-publishing workbook for writer moms at writermomlife.com/podcast
Elizabeth Ann West is a military wife and homeschooling mom who has been getting paid for her writing for over ten years. She writes Jane Austen derivative fiction but will be branching out into cozy mysteries this year. Diversifying is a big part of her strategy for success, and she talks to Daphne about her goals for this year and next.
Elizabeth also shares:
- Why she only plans 3 weeks at a time
- Why she doesn’t write every day
- How her definition of success has changed as her daughter gets older
- A peek into her author education resources
- Why she is focusing on giving live classes
- Where she gets her indie author news - What she’d like to tell new authors on the scene (hint: you don’t need to know everything right away! Really!)
In the tips, J. R. and Daphne go over the four basic marketing tools you need to get started in the indie author business (though traditionally published authors should probably be using them, too!)
Writer Mom Life Episode 22: Amy Hopkins and Writing Tools
get full show notes and a self-publishing workbook for writer moms at writermomlife.com/podcast
Australian Amy Hopkins knows how important having writer friends is: whether it’s getting you out of a self-doubt funk or collaborating on new projects, she’s found the support she needs to help her reach her goals. We talk a little about those goals, how she sets them (hint: not 5 years in advance! Just a few months at a time), and get into discussing her current and future projects.
Amy shares:
- What’s different about her Writer Mom Life this year
- Why she focuses on quarterly goals
- How she started collaborating with Michael Anderle
- What that kind of massive collaboration project looks like (it sounds so fun!)
- Why it’s been such a successful model for Michael (hint: it puts readers first!)
- Why she’s doing a pen name for her next series
- Where she found her “family” of other writers
- What she hopes to be able to do in 3 years (not 3 months!)
In the tips, the first in a 3-part series on tools, J. R. and Daphne talk about their favorite writing tools.
Writer Mom Life Episode 21: Karen Tomlinson and the Importance of Ritual!
get full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com/podcast
It’s the second international guest of the podcast! British author Karen Tomlinson works full-time for the NHS, released her first YA fantasy book a little over a year ago, and has already scored a USA Today bestseller tag thanks to a boxset with 25 other authors. Oh, and she has twins! She has a great optimistic and positive attitude about her work and writing that keeps her going, even though she hasn’t hit all of her goals quite yet.
Daphne had a lot of fun talking with Karen about her writing and self-publishing journey, including:
- How long it took her to write her first draft of 250k words! (Hint: not as long as you might think!)
- Transferable skills between her training role and her writing
- How the 25 authors worked together to hit the USA Today bestseller list
- Her strategy for getting her list to pay for itself
- Her weekly schedule (that includes a day off from everything business every week!)
- What her short-term goals are -Why she may not ever want to transition to full-time writer
- Why writing to market just isn’t for her
In the tips, J. R. and Daphne talk about the importance of ritual in our daily lives, and especially as it relates to writing!
Writer Mom Life Episode 20: Sarah Woodbury and Staying in Your Own Boat
get full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com
When you’re in the trenches of writing in between changing dirty diapers, it can be hard to picture that it will all amount to something. So talking with Sarah Woodbury was a great opportunity to see what a Writer Mom Life can look like a few years (and 40 books!) down the line. Sarah shares her story from writing her book, getting an agent, not being able to sell it to a publisher, then finally deciding to self-publish back in the “wild west” of the early days of the e-reader.
While it can be tempting for those of us starting out to feel a little jealous of those who were around during the “golden age” of the Kindle, Sarah is amazed at how much easier it is now for people with all the resources and connections and support for self-publishing. And whether you have 1 or 40 books – you still have to market!
Sarah also shares:
- How many words she writes per day
- Her writing/editing process and her “posse” who help her
- What she’d do if she were starting now (hint: the same thing she did 7 years ago!)
- Why she doesn’t worry about individual launches or books anymore
- How many books she’s sold
- Learning to write in the middle of the chaos of homeschooling 4 kids
In the tips, J. R. and Daphne talk about why you haven't missed the boat and should just stay in your own.
Writer Mom Life Episode 19: Lee Savino and dealing with an unsupportive family
Get the full show notes and your free writer mom life self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com/podcast
Lee Savino decided to make the transition to stay at home mom and writer when she was pregnant with her first child. Now just two years later with baby number 2 due any day, she’s at six figures thanks to her sexy short romances based on Norse mythology. Lee shares her author journey with lots of little tips and tricks sprinkled in. It’s a longer episode but packed full of great stuff! Such as:
- How she didn’t quite meet her expectations of motherhood – and that’s okay!
- The two essential elements of her success
- How hard and fast and write to market play into her strategy
- Why she doesn’t read baby books (but devours craft books!)
- Her daily word count (it’s not even close to the 10k you might think it is!)
- Whether you need an MFA to be a writer
- How choosing to unconditionally love herself set her on the path to success
In the tips, J. R. goes through the suggestions from our Facebook group members on how to keep going when your family isn’t as supportive of your writing as you’d like.
Writer Mom Life Bonus Episode 2: Amanda Cherry Talks Small Press Publishing
get full show notes and your free self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com/podcast
In Bonus Episode 2, Daphne talks to Amanda Cherry, a writer mom who worked with a small press for her first book. Just like there are many definitions of success, there are all sorts of ways to get there. Self-publishing isn’t for everyone, and Amanda’s experience may sound more like the route for you. She talks about how her community of creative people (including her husband who she met during her first NaNoWriMo!) has given her the support and encouragement needed to feel like she has a place at the writing table.
We hope you enjoy this bonus episode with Amanda, and give small press publishing a look if you think it may help you with your writer mom life journey!
Writer Mom Life Episode 18: Eva Moore and tips for structuring your time!
Get full show notes and a free self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com
Romance author Eva Moore may seem like a “fast” writer – publishing 5 books in one year is no easy feat! But as with almost everything in self-publishing, there is more to the story than it first appears. Winning a marketing contest gave her the push to put out all 5 much faster than she’d originally planned, and she shares some lessons learned to apply to her next series.
Eva also shares:
- Her definition of success for her books
- Why “fresh eyes” on your work are so important
- When and where she gets in her writing time
- How a shift in schedule affected her social media presence
- How she started using social media 2 full years before she first published to build her author platform
- Why newsletters are still important for her, despite a very active Facebook presence
- Her favorite part of being a writer
Eva had to shift how she used her time when her husband’s schedule changed. In the tips, J. R. and Daphne talk about time-saving tips like batching and learning to concentrate on one thing at a time (yes it can be done!) in order to maximize the precious minutes Writer Moms have available to them.
Writer Mom Life Episode 17: Kara Lockharte and Using your First Book as an Experiment
Get your Writer Mom Life workbook and episode show notes at writermomlife.com
Shifter-space-odyssey-paranormal-romance author Kara Lockharte launched her debut novel in the top 2000 while spending less than $100 on promotion. Wow! Daphne finds out how she did it, and also talks to Kara about:
- How she picked her genre
- Her goals for 2018, including a branded series with 11 other authors
- How her husband supports her writing
- Why authors shouldn’t watch TV (hint: bad dialogue makes us angry)
- How her short story launch 2 years ago helped her learn the basics
- Other advantages to newsletter swaps beyond the promotional aspect
In the tips, J. R. and Daphne talk about why putting up a short work can be a useful way to experiment with self-publishing.
Writer Mom Life Episode 16: Yesenia Vargas and Twitter for Authors
Get the WML workbook and show notes at writermomlife.com
If you’ve searched for "writer mom" in Google, you’ve probably seen Yesenia Vargas’s site, writermom.net. With 2 kids, 2 sweet YA series, a blog, and a YouTube channel, her days are pretty full. After not finding that perfect planner to keep her writer mom life organized, she made her own! Daphne gets all the details for you, and also chats with Yesenia about:
- Her decision to leave teaching to focus on writing and her kids
- Her approach to writing as running a business
- How her definition of success has changed – it’s no longer the “default” of 6 figures
- Why being debt free is more important than hitting a certain income number
- Her weekly schedule with a baby and a kindergartner
- Why she’s trying to get to bed earlier
- Where she found inspiration for her morning ritual (hint: it’s a book from another great writer mom we’ve had on the show!)
In the tips, Daphne and J. R. talk about Twitter and how authors can best use it.
Writer Mom Life Episode 15: Jesikah Sundin and Attending Conferences/Conventions
get the full show notes and your free self-publishing guide for indie author moms at writermomlife.com
Jesikah Sundin is a multi-award winning sci-fi/fantasy writer mom of three nerdlets and devoted wife to a gamer geek. She got her start in writing thanks to friends in the traditional publishing world, and followed their lead, publishing slowly and focusing on in-person events. Then she discovered that indies usually do things a little differently! Daphne talks to Jesikah talk about some of the other ways she defines success besides financial (though that's always nice if you can get it!)
get the full show notes at writermomlife.com
Writer Mom Life Bonus Episode 1: Abby from the Mom Writes Podcast
get full show notes and your free self-publishing workbook at writermomlife.com
When two writer/podcaster moms meet in person for the first time, things get a little chatty! Abby and Daphne talk about how they met, famous people they'd like to interview, their shared interest in showing the "real life" of writer moms, letting things go, why it's okay to ask all the dumb rookie questions, and... underwear?
It was a crazy fun day, and a crazy fun episode to record. Enjoy!
Writer Mom Life Episode 14: Honorée Corder and Top Indie Author Regrets
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We're kicking off 2018 with a new website and an awesome interview with Honorée Corder, author of dozens of books, including The Successful Single Mom series and the Miracle Morning series with partner Hal Elrod. She coaches business professionals and authors to write and publish their books, and to achieve bestseller status. Daphne and Honorée talk about what her writer mom life looked like as a single mom with a preschooler and how being creative with her childcare allowed her more time to work.
A few other things they talk about:
- Honorée's new non-writing goal
- Using "stolen moments" to reach your goals
- What being a full-time writer means to her (hint: it's not spending 8 hours a day writing!)
- The importance of mindset and how you should think of writing like any other business (=invest for success!)
- Some of the mistakes she made in self-publishing that she wants to save others from doing
- Why waiting to launch can be better...
- ...but why you shouldn't wait to get started until kids are older
In the tips, J. R. goes over the top "regrets" indie authors have (things they wish they'd known before getting started!)
Writer Mom Life Episode 13: 2017 recap and big news for 2018
Get full show notes online at writermomlife.com
Daphne goes solo this week to wrap up the year and shares all her random thoughts with you in a more or less organized way.
Along with a quick rundown on her personal goals, she goes over the goals she set out for the podcast in the very first episode and if they were met.
Get a peek into her own weekly schedule, her non-writing job, plans for 2018, and how important community has been on this crazy Writer Mom Life journey.
Writer Mom Life Episode 12: Katharine Grubb and Healthy Habits for Writers
Katharine Grubb is the founder of the Facebook group "10-minute Novelist", which provides support and encouragement to beginning and emerging writers. For writer moms, 10 minutes is about all you have sometimes! Katharine has some amazing tips and wisdom from her years as a hybrid author and homeschooling mother of 5 kids. Now she’s pulling back to focus more on her health, the joy of writing, and spending time with her family.
- There’s a lot of great information packed into this interview, such as:
- How she started and grew her group to over 10,000 members
- How the group has evolved and how her 20+ volunteer staff helps her
- The importance of organizing your life so that you can make the most of those 10 minutes to write (and maybe find more than 10 minutes!)
- Her experience getting a book deal through her blog
- Her shifting definitions of success that led her to pull back more this year to focus on what really matters
- The typical day in the life of her family of 7
- Why exercise is getting priority over writing time
- The danger of comparing your life to others
Writer Mom Life Episode 11: Stephanie Churchill and Online Author Etiquette
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As writer, we can have huge impacts on our readers. For Stephanie Churchill, an encouraging word from her favorite author led her down the path of an indie author. Daphne talks to her about her genre (“fantasy that reads like historical fiction”), how she balances everything (two kids, a nonprofit, a real estate side business – phew!), and how she gets enough sleep (yes it is possible!).
A brief summary of what Daphne and Stephanie chatted about:
- Her unusual genre - How she connected with her friend and mentor, historical fiction writer Sharon Kay Penman
- Why she focuses on reviews as her definition of success
- If it’s easier now that her kids are a bit older (spoiler – nope, just different!)
- How she organizes her day
- Why sleep is THE most important thing
- The traditional gender roles in her house that still let her do her own thing
- If it’s important or not for a spouse/partner to read your work
In the tips, J. R. talks about being a non-jerk member of the awesome indie author community that exists.
Writer Mom Life Episode 10: M.F. Lorson and Reaching More Readers
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M.F. Lorson is a YA librarian, new mom, and author of two YA books. She wrote them before she had her first child earlier this year, and Daphne talks with her about how she’s adapting to a writer mom life. After getting into the scheduling details that take over the lives of new moms, M.F. gives all sorts of great advice on getting your book into libraries. In her role, she gets the added thrill of knowing how many people have checked out her book – and they don’t even know the author is the one behind the desk!
M.F. and Daphne try to avoid talking only about her adorable baby and get into other topics like:
- What she was able to do during her maternity leave
- When she finds time to write
- Why she prefers getting out of the house to write
- Where you need to get your book so that librarians see it
- The three big reviews you might want to consider paying for
- Why writing and finding motivation to write is easier now
- Where she goes for advice on writing (hint: in-person AND online groups are both important)
In the tips section, J. R. talks about all the different types of events you can attend as an author to reach more readers – it’s not all about online marketing, people!
Writer Mom Life Episode 9: Joanne Macgregor and Pen names
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Joanne Macgregor is what’s known as a hybrid author – she has books out with traditional publishers as well as self-published books. Her most recent, The Law of Tall Girls, falls into the latter category, and we talk a bit about her inspiration for it, as well as a few of her thoughts on marketing and Facebook for her indie works. Joanne is at a point with her writing that she is down to part-time at her non-writing job as a psychologist and it was interesting to find out how the two jobs can influence each other.
In the first international episode, we talk about:
- Her definition(s) of success - Her writing schedule
- The universal theme of her new book
- The importance of Facebook author groups
- Her feelings on NaNoWriMo
- Psychology and storytelling overlap
- Her choice to not use a pen name
- An important message for moms: you are more!
In the tips, J. R. talks about pen names, who might find one useful, and why most people probably don’t need one.
Writer Mom Life Episode 8: J. R. Frontera and NaNoWriMo Prep
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Daphne is only able to do this podcast thanks to the awesome collaborator she has in J. R. Frontera. (And likewise, J. R. Frontera feels the same about her!!) So it was time for a dedicated episode to the Tip Master! J. R. has been writing for 20 years and has been a mom for 7 of those. In the gabfest, er, interview, she talks about her 5 years doing NaNoWriMo, how plotting has improved her writing speed, how her goals have changed over the years, and so much more!
A few things we chat about in this special episode:
- Why she started doing NaNoWriMo and how many times she's "won" Finding plots (not just books but in TV shows as well!!)
- October preparations for NaNoWriMo (she made a free workshop to help others!)
- The different collaborations she has and why they're important
- Her goal and how it's changed since starting writing
- How she got into editing
- If you need to write every day to be a writer
Writer Mom Life Episode 7: Trish Heinrich and Mom Guilt
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I spoke with Trish just a few weeks before she published the first book in her Superhero series, Serpent Sacrifice. She has been preparing for quite some time, and has a five-year goal for her writing. This is not her first foray into a creative career, however. She came from the world of acting, and even made a superhero web series a few years ago. When she felt it was time to start writing, she started big with her first NaNoWriMo and hit it out of the park with 90,000 words!
She gives a great rundown of her preparation for the launch of her first book, and then details her NaNoWriMo experience. Other topics of discussion include:
- Her goals for this book and her 5-year goal
- "Doing the basics well" (mailing list, website, ARC team, etc.)
- The web series she did with her husband
- Why she made the shift to fiction writing (hint: kids and acting is even harder to juggle than kids and writing!)
- How she prepared for her first NaNoWriMo (while being a vegetarian!)
- Dealing with the mom guilt of writing so much in one month
- The writing habits she kept from the experience
- Why the experience was a good thing for both her and her family
In the tips section, J. R. talks about mom guilt and gives some ideas on how to deal with it.
Writer Mom Life Episode 6: Katie Cross and Diversification
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Katie Cross was already a self-published author of the Network series before she had her first child two years ago, so I was excited to talk to her about the transition. We were both pushed to start putting out resources when we found a lack of “what does it really look like” information out there for writers who are also parents. She started a Facebook group Indie Author Life and well as lots of great blogs posts. She’s also doing other things like ghostwriting and consulting. We talk about how so many self-published authors “can’t do just one thing,” and why that’s both a good idea and how moms are already really good at that. There’s also a secret fun fact about Katie at the end of the interview, to reward you for getting to the end of this slightly longer than usual interview.
We talked about a million different things, but here’s a rundown of the main topics:
- How far along she was in her indie career when she had her son
- Her maternity leave and how she set her expectations for what her writer mom life would look like after
- The lack of resources and information that pushed her to create her own (Join her Facebook Group Indie Author Life here!)
- What her writer mom life looks like most days
- Some random parenting musings that have nothing to do with writing but include great gems like “My job is not to entertain him all the time” and “I’m not failing if he’s not happy all the time”
- Why diversification in your income stream is important
- Why parents are in a great position to self-publish already
- Secret fun fact about Katie (one word hint: moose)
In the tips section, JR talks about diversification, including explaining what “going wide” versus Kindle Select means (though you are the only one who knows what is best for you!)
Writer Mom Life Episode 5: Frost Kay and Writing for a Higher Purpose
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Frost Kay started her indie journey as many of us do – as a reader. She was a beta and ARC reader, as well as editor for others, so when she finally got the push to write her own work, she knew where to go for advice. And it seems to be working well for her! Her first book, Rebel's Blade, came out in March of 2017 and has stayed high in the rankings. The second book in the series, Crown's Shield, launched in August and is sitting pretty in the top 20 in her categories. However, her goal is not at all focused on rank and money. She wants to give people an escape through her books, as well as feature strong and positive female role models (and male role models for her two little boys)!
In the tips section, J.R. talks about "finding your why" and how that will influence so much more than just your writing.
Writer Mom Life Episode 4: Amy Maroney and Editors vs. Beta Readers vs. ARC readers
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I was so excited to talk to Amy Maroney about her author journey, which is a bit different than what you usually see in the indie conversation. She’s set a 5 and 10 year plan, and it will be several years, not months, between her books. However, she is still meeting her financial goals, and has set high ones in the future that, even if she doesn’t meet them, will push her to go further than she’d have otherwise dared. Everyone’s journey is their own, and Amy is a great example of ignoring all the noise and focusing on what you want to (and can) do right now.
In the tips section, J.R. gives some ideas on how to use your skills to help others and bring in additional writing income, as well as the difference between beta and ARC readers.
After a brief moment of me gushing about Nick Stephenson’s accent, Amy and Daphne go on to talk about more serious things like:
- Why she’s okay with not having 1000 subscribers yet
- How much she’s making per month
- Her long-term goals Her work before writing fiction
- How beta reading can help you hone your skills
- How much writing time she gets in with 2 teenagers in the house
- Her slow approach that isn’t often seen in the indie world
- Genre impacting how fast your can publish (= historical fiction takes a long time to write. It just does)
- Mentors and who can be one
Writer Mom Life Episode 03: Katie Coughran and Skills
In this third episode of the podcast I talk to Katie Coughran, who has just released the third book in her Clean and Quirky Romance series, A Boyfriend for Graduation. She’s well on her way to her goal of publishing 10 books this year, all while homeschooling her two kids – wow! We talk about how she decided on this goal, what her financial goals are, and how she breaks these down into smaller goals. We also discuss how minimalism can be a good idea for authors in order to maximize your happiness.
JR Frontera’s tips this week focus on the top 5 skills that you’ll either need to learn, or outsource, in the world of self-publishing.
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Writer Mom Life Episode 01: Kayla Tirrell and Being Patient To inaugurate this brand new podcast, it seemed fitting for our first interview to be with a brand new author! The energetic and engaging Kayla Tirrell published All the Things We Lost just a week before we recorded, and shares some of her excitement, nerves, and early success as a new indie author mom.
With her first goal of having strangers read her book achieved, she talks about where she’d like this to lead in the future, how her husband supports her, how much time she spends on her writing per week, and how hard it is to have less time to read once you’re a writer. In the tips section, JR Frontera talks about being patient, scheduling your writing time, setting realistic goals, and writing faster. Sign up for extras at www.daphnejameshuff.com/podcast
Writer Mom Life Episode 2: LJ Andrews and Support Networks For this second episode I talk to LJ Andrews, an indie author mom who has reached her initial goal of replacing her income, but is so inspired by the success of others in the indie community that she is shooting for more! She is set to publish every two months in 2017, and we talk about what she needs to achieve this: accountability from booking an editor in advance, a “superstar” husband to support her, and the lessons she’s learned from taking various courses from some big names in the indie world. She shares a few of the marketing strategies she's been using recently and some tips to get the most out of short writing "sprints" (hint: hide your phone!) In the tips section, JR Frontera shares a few ways to find your own support network. Sign up for extras at www.daphnejameshuff.com/podcast
A podcast for indie author moms, featuring and made by indie author moms. Sign up for extras at www.writermomlife.com