The Author Life Podcast: Recent Episodes
J Thorn and Crys Cain
J. Thorn and Crys Cain talk about the business and craft of writing with questions from The Author Life Community.
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain make a big announcement about the podcast.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/81-announcement
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week author Crys Cain is joined by special guest VE Griffith. They discuss what line editors do and how authors can utilize them effectively.
Question of the week: have you used a line editor before and what was your experience?
References:
VEgriffith.com
Revision Wizards Podcast
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/80-line-editor/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss how they decide to not continue with a project and the factors influence their decisions.
Question of the week: Have you had projects that you have decided to set aside that were no longer a fit for where you wanted to go?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/79-ditch-project
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss different ways you can utilize beta readers to help with expert knowledge and the different processes involved in doing so.
Question of the week: how do you solicit expert advice?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/78-expert-knowledge
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss different ways you can cut the costs of creating a book without sacrificing the quality.
Question of the week: what ways have you used to cut costs without qualities that we haven't mentioned?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/77-cut-costs
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week author Crys Cain is joined by special guest Valerie Ihsan. They discuss the top myths of writing memoir and some tips and tricks to help you write yours.
Question of the week: have you thought about writing memoir?
References:
ValerieIhsan.com
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/76-memoir/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week, authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss what drives them, and how that has changed throughout their publishing career.
Question of the week: Are you focused more on income or influence right now?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/75-income-or-influence
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss what why they've chosen to go wide or opt in to KU (Amazon exclusive) for different projects or different phases of their career.
Question of the week: Are you leaning Wide or KU for your next project?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/74-wide-or-KU
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss the different subscription platforms available, how and when they can be valuable to authors, and what an author will be expected to provide to their subscribers.
Question of the week: does the subscription model intrigue you?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/73-subscriptions
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week author Crys Cain is joined by special guest Christine Daigle. They discuss what goes into writing serials and how it differs from writing novels.
Question of the week: have ever considered writing a serial?
References:
christinedaiglebooks.com
The Serial Fiction Show
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/72-serials/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week author Crys Cain is joined by special guest JP Rindfleisch. They discuss what a story hypothesis is and how you can use this tool to improve your writing process.
Question of the week: have you ever used a story hypothesis or similar method to guide your writing?
References:
JPRindfleischix.com
Write Away Podcast
The Serial Fiction Show
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/71-hypothesis/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week author Crys Cain is joined by special guest Kathrese McKee. They discuss the process that goes into creating your story's hook and why it is so important in attracting your readers.
Question of the week: what is the hook for your current book that you're writing?
References:
Writing Pursuits
First Chapter Rubric
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/70-hook/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss when it is beneficial for authors to start translating their work and the process that it involves.
Question of the week: what are your thoughts on translation?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/69-translating/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss when it is beneficial for authors to host a podcast and the differences between a fiction and non-fiction audience.
Question of the week: if you started a podcast, what would it be?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/68-podcasting/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss J's experience at ThrillerFest and the pros and cons of attending trad focused events as an indie author.
Question of the week: can indie authors still benefit from going to more traditional publishing events?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/67-events/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week Crys Cain is joined by special guest, Miss Catherine, to discuss how to create a series bible and the benefits of doing so.
Question of the week: do you use a series bible when world-building?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/66-bible/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss J's experience at The Creator Economy Expo and what this emerging tech means for authors.
Question of the week: do you find yourself more comfortable with audience building or community building as you're building your author career?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/65-cex/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss the process of being involved in an anthology and why it can be useful for your author career.
Question of the week: Have you participated in an anthology and what was your experience?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/64-anthology/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss why they made The Author Life Community free and what they'd like to see from the change.
Question of the week: What thoughts or questions do you have about the new direction that we're going?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/63-free/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week author Crys Cain is joined by special guest Jeff Elkins, The Dialogue Doctor. They discuss how digging deeper into dialogue has changed how they enjoy books and movies.
Question of the week: How has getting deeper into writing changed your relationship with consuming stories?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/62-dialogue/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss when to adopt new technology for yourself or for your business based on where you fall on the Rogers Curve of Innovation.
Question of the week: Where do you think you fall along the Rogers Curve of Innovation?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/61-adopt/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss if word count matters when you're indie publishing based on readers' expectations and genre conventions.
Question of the week: Are you an underwriter or an overwriter?
References:
The Author Life Summit
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/60-wordcount/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss how they deal with the guilt of not doing, both in their work and in their personal lives.
Question of the week: Do you feel the guilt of not doing? About what?
References:
How-to Book Challenge
The Author Life Summit
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/59-guilt/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss the benefits of participating in five-day challenges as an author.
Question of the week: Is there a how-to idea or non-fiction idea that you've been tossing around, and what is it?
References:
https://howtobookchallenge.com/
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/58-fiveday/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss the ins and outs of working with a brand agency and their personal experience with the process.
Question of the week: What's the most difficult part of branding for you?
References:
The Author Life Summit 2022
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/57-brand/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss their new name change to "The Author Life" and all the work that went into it.
Question of the week: What do you think of the name change?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorlife.com/56-name/
Learn more about The Author Life: https://theauthorlife.com
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss their experience with all things audio-related. From self-narrating to sourcing narrators, detailing the steps of publishing to deciding whether to publish, they cover it all.
Question of the week: What are your fears about audio publishing?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/55-audio/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss the question "what is genre" and why it matters when writing, publishing, and marketing your books.
Question of the week: How do you define genre?
References:
VOHeroes
Story Grid Genres
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/54-genre/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain talk about Web3 technology and NFTs, and how authors can set themselves up for success to use this tech in the book world.
Question of the week: How are you keeping up to date with tech?
References:
BookCoin
CryptoPunks
BoredApe
Royal.io
OpenSea
Subtle Art
Joanna Penn Episode
Readl
Bookchain
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/53-tech/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain answer questions from their listeners to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the podcast.
Question of the week: How has the TASM community impacted you?
References:
Creator Dad
Write Away Podcast
Serial Fiction Podcast
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/52-year/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain talk about the different channels they use to stay up to date on publishing news.
Question of the week: How are you getting your publishing news?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/51-news/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain talk all about the different types of editing. They discuss developmental editing, line editing, copy editing and proofreading, and dive into the differences and benefits of each.
Question of the week: What is your best or worst experience with an editor?
References:
Three Story Method Editors
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/50-editing/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain talk all about the lies that authors tell themselves around publishing fears. They discuss different ways to handle tough questions like, what if no one reads my book?
Question of the week: Have you ever asked yourself the question, what if no one reads my book?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/49-noone/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain talk all about NFTs and the possibilities they are bringing to the publishing world.
Question of the week: How do you feel about NFTs and blockchain?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/48-NFTs/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain talk about the ins and outs of pre-orders and how they can be utilized effectively.
Question of the week: do you want to use pre-orders and in what way?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/47-preorder/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss why you might want a pen name and how to manage it.
Question of the week: Do you intend to write under a pen name? What has been your thinking around it?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/46-penname/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
After a long hiatus, J Thorn and Rachael Herron took a moment to record a lovely catch up episode to talk about what's happened in the year plus since they wrapped The Writer's Well, including Rachael's move to New Zealand and the projects they're working on these days.
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss what a scene is, what a scene isn't, and how to decide where a scene should start and end.
Question of the week: Have you struggled with understanding where scenes end?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/45-scene/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain reflect on their writing and business accomplishments of 2021 and look forward to what they have planned for 2022.
Question of the week: What are you looking forward to in 2022?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/44-newyear/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss why indie authors may be interested in starting a publishing imprint, what challenges they may face, and tips on how to get an idea of what it would be like.
Question of the week: For anyone who has played around with publishing other people, what has your experience has been?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/43-imprint/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss how to write villains, what comes naturally to them when writing villains, and various examples of villains throughout different genres.
Question of the week: how do you write your villains?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/42-villains/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss what an essential author bio needs, whether you're publishing your first book or twenty books in.
Question of the week: what does your author bio look like?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/41-bio/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain turn the question of "how do I find my audience?" to a slightly different angle, and question, "How do I get to know my audience (existing or potential)?"
Question of the week: Where are you currently learning about your audience?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/40-audience/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain talk about the pros and cons of nicheing--what is it and when do you want to do it?
Question of the week: do you niche or not?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/39-niche/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain talk about the biggest, strongest, most harmful stories they had to struggle through as parents who wanted to write books. (The lie their characters believed, if you will.)
Question of the week: What expectations have you had to fight against, or disregard, as a writer?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/38-parent/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, J Thorn and Crys Cain talk about the new trend of "cohort learning" (spoiler... it's a new phrase for an old technique) and how it's useful, how they've participated in it, and how it might be helpful to you.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/37-cohort/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain answer the question: How do you know if your cover is good enough? What does good enough mean, and how can you gauge it?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/36-covers/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss how to make November's National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) or any intense writing-goal time frame successful (with a few of J's NaNoWriMo protests thrown in).
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/35-nanowrimo/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss if you should scrap a project and how you might approach that. Do you ditch the whole thing and start something new? Do you try to re-write it?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/34-scrap/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss the question everyone asks after they start making a little money from their books... how do I make more money? Rather than a list of short term, easy grabs for cash, they dig deep into the shifts they've gone through to build mindsets that build and accept the flow of money with an awareness of the opportunities they don't always know they're looking for.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/33-money/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss how they build characters now, how they used to build characters, and what tools have helped them along the way.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/32-characters/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss author services. Why would you offer them, and why might you decide that's not the best path for you?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/31-services/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain question what it means to be a pro author, and does it matter? This is a question that creatives struggle with constantly. Can I call myself an author? Do I "count"?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/30-pro/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss how they navigate the "murky middle" of writing a novel, and how that has changed through experience.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/29-middle/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss what elements come into play when you're deciding how to price your book. Are you going exclusive with Amazon or wide? Are you a new author or are you established? What are your goals?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/28-pricing/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors Crys Cain and J Thorn discuss how they feel about advertising, what they're doing for advertising, and what other venues they're exploring outside of the pay-to-play game.
Tickets are still on sale for the Career Author Summit, September 18-19. Come join J, Crys, and a whole lot of other awesome writers geeking out about craft and business.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/27-pay-to-play/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain talk about studying a new genre, whether you want to dive into it completely or just bring elements of it into another work.
Tickets are still on sale for the Career Author Summit, September 18-19. Come join J, Crys, and a whole lot of other awesome writers geeking out about craft and business.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/26-genre/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
Resources:
- K Tempest Bradford https://ktempestbradford.com/about/classes/
- Holly Lisle http://hollyswritingclasses.com
- Margie Lawson https://www.margielawson.com/lawson-writers-academy/
- Chris Fox’s Write to Market https://amzn.to/384L2SK
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain talk about their tips, tricks and challenges working while on the road. From visiting family to living in a van, we writers can get the words down no matter where we are.
Tickets are still on sale for the Career Author Summit, September 18-19. Come join J, Crys, and a whole lot of other awesome writers geeking out about craft and business.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/25-travel/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss building confidence. Is it possible? If so, how? And what do they think is even more important than confidence in the practice of writing and publishing books?
Tickets are still on sale for the Career Author Summit, September 18-19. Come join J, Crys, and a whole lot of other awesome writers geeking out about craft and business.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/24-confidence/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain discuss the benefits of defferent tenses and POVs, as well as what other elements influence your choice for your story.
Tickets are still on sale for the Career Author Summit, September 18-19. Come join J, Crys, and a whole lot of other awesome writers geeking out about craft and business.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/23-tense/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss what an ideal reader is vs your most common reader, how to define your ideal reader, and how to utilize it.
Tickets are still on sale for the Career Author Summit, September 18-19. Come join J, Crys, and a whole lot of other awesome writers geeking out about craft and business.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/22-ideal-reader/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain talk about the productivity tool "batching," and what common and unique ways authors can take advantage of this tool.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/21-batching/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, authors J. Thorn and Crys Cain talk about dealing with perfectionist tendencies: when are they helpful, when are they harmful, and how in dark night of the soul do we work with them?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/20-perfectionist/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
In this week's episode, J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss one of the most used features of The Author Success Mastermind, the virtual writing room. What is it? How do you use it? And how might you create your own?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/19-writing-room/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
As the world truly starts opening up and we get to hang out with other people in real life again, J Thorn and Crys Cain talk about how to make the most out of in-person writer events, even as an introvert.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/18-live-event/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week J. Thorn and Crys Cain talk about decision fatigue, an issue that plagues most of us, but especially those of us running our own one-person businesses. How does it happen, and what can we do to handle or prevent it?
Check out the Write Publish Profit bundle for a deal on The Author Success Mastermind subscription! June 15, 2021 is your last day to take advantage of this offer.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/17-fatigue/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss their experiences with burnout. They share how it looked differently for them, what caused it, and ways they learned to address it.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/16-burnout/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week, Crys Cain and J. Thorn discuss "The Dip." That feeling everyone gets when they've been pushing long and hard, they know they're doing the right things, the system is working, but it feels as though they're churning and not going anywhere. How do you get out of that feeling?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/15-the-dip/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
Resources
- The Dip by Seth Godin
- The Pareto Principle
This week, J Thorn and Crys Cain talk about how to engage in and support your writing community when you have low energy or you are in need of support yourself without overextending?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/14-energy/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
Have you written a manuscript--or several--but can't bring yourself to actually hit the publish button? This week, J Thorn and Crys Cain dig into the roots of that fear and give actionable steps to help address it.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/13-fear/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
This week J. Thorn and Crys Cain take a question directly from The Author Success Mastermind community: "where should writers, new to advanced, be focusing time and creative energy?" They define and discuss the focus of the three "levels" of authorhood and what challenges and priorities each level faces.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/12-focus/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
References:
- Becca Symes
This week, J Thorn and Crys Cain delve into the practical differences and approaches between writing different lengths and forms of stories, as well as the challenges authors face switching between the two.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/11-short-stories/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
References:
- Writers, Ink podcast
- Lee Child interview
- Three Story Method by J Thorn and Zach Bohannon
- Kindle Vella
This week, prompted by Amazon's announcement of their new serial platform, Kindle Vella, J Thorn and Crys Cain talk about evaluating new opportunities in the industry: whether they're worth it, how to test them, and whether it's right for you.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/10-new-opportunities/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
References:
- Kindle Vella
- Writer's Well
- Findaway Voices
- Authors Direct
- BookFunnel
This week, J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss whether structured learning is necessary to learning to write good stories, and the strengths and weaknesses of different ways of learning.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/9-learn/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
References
- Three Story Method by J. Thorn
- The Heroine's Journeyby Gail Carriger
- The Virgin's Promiseby Kim Hudson
Turning the oft-asked question: "What should I hire someone else to do?" on its head, J Thorn and Crys Cain talk about doing everything, being a one-man show--when is it useful, and when is it not? And how do you negotiate the transitions?
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/8-alone/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
How many times have you reached a rough spot on your current project and a new idea pops into your head? It's way better than what you're currently working on. All you want to do is work on this new idea! But... how many times has this happened? How many manuscripts have been abandoned for the new shiny? This week, J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss how they deal with "Shiny Object Syndrome," and hopefully share some tactics that you can try out.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/7-shiny-object-syndrome/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
References
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Prompted by a question in the TASM Slack group, J Thorn and Crys Cain discuss writing systems, analyzing your pain points, and how to tell when something is not working for you or you're letting Resistance win, and how to address it.
To read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/6-system/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
References
- Dean Wesley Smith, Writing Into The Dark
For a long time, J and Crys assumed that everyone wanted to be a full-time author, but is that actually true? This week, they discuss industry and and indie author community expectations, and how that's filtered down to the individual level. They also talk about what it means to be a full-time author, and why you might not want to be one.
Read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/5-full-time/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
References:
- The Creative Penn Podcast with Joanna Penn
- 20BooksTo50k Facebook group
- Write Away Podcast
This week, J and Crys talk about The Author Success Mastermind family and what a mastermind is (and how TASM's branding is confusing!) They also talk about the kinds of benefits you get from different kinds of communities such as Facebook groups, writing groups, and masterminds.
Read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/4-tasm/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
References:
- Secret Powers of the Author Mastermind by J. Thorn
This week we answer a question posed inside our community Slack group:
I'm putting out the third book of a trilogy in March, and I have a small group of loyal and non-family readers who would like to see this series continue. And I would like to keep writing it. However, I'm a better writer now than in the first book. Would starting a new series with a stronger first book be a better idea from a marketing and time management perspective?
Read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/1-series/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
References:
- Annie Duke Thinking In Bets
- The Career Author Podcast
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This week, TASM member Angela heard an author on The Rebel Author Podcast mention that they'd slowed down to three books a year, and that prompted her question:
What's normal? How many books do you complete in a year?
J and Crys dig into the definition of "normal" (spoiler, there isn't one definitive definition), what the root concern of this question is, and how to turn it around and use it to create better systems for your writing life.
Read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/3-normal/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
References:
- The Rebel Author Podcast with Sacha Black
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch
- Lindsay Buroker
- How Do You Write podcast with Rachael Herron
- Clifton Strengths
This week, J and Crys dig into a conversation the TASM community has been having for a while on dictation. Both Crys and J have had some experience with dictation. They dig into why you might want to dictate, services and tools they've used, differences between non-fiction and fiction, and Crys shares her #1 tip that allowed her to write 18,000 words in two days to meet a deadline.
Read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/2-dictation/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/
References:
- Otter.ai
- Descript
- Dragon
What are we doing here? Authors J Thorn and Crys Cain introduce The Author Success Mastermind Podcast.
Read the full transcript or comment on the episode: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/0-introduction/
Learn more about The Author Success Mastermind: https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/