Writing bestselling romance with incredible character chemistry is something that NYT Bestseller Annika Martin excels in. Annika, who also publishes romantic suspense as Carolyn Crane, has seen incredible success writing two books a year (on average) and publishing wide. This is a classic replay episode (originally recorded in 2021) where Annika reveals her plotting and writing process, getting the most "comedy" in her writing, editing tips for deepening characterization, what point of view to choose for best results, cover trends and how she approaches her newsletter and advertising.



This episode is well worth a replay because Annika reveals some absolute nuggets of GOLD for all authors!











About AnnikaAnnika Martin is a NYT bestselling author who loves reading and writing fun, sexy books, taking pictures of her cats, rocking out, saving animals, taking long baths, and consuming boatloads of chocolate suckers. She can be found hanging out in Minneapolis coffee shops with her awesome writer husband and tending her very wild, bee-friendly garden.



Newsletter: www.annikamartinbooks.com/newsletterFind Annika at: https://annika-martin.myshopify.com/and on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/annikamartinauthor/#💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!



⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you'll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.



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Anya Mora is the bestselling author of domestic suspense and psychological thrillers, as well as an extensive romance catalogue under the pen name Frankie Love. She is also the host of I Am The Miracle Podcast on manifestation, creativity and living life out loud.

5-time USA Today bestselling romance author Renee Rose is passionate about helping other authors find and maintain an abundance mindset to catapult their careers and create their best future. She employs energetic tools and techniques to help her clients clear resistance and money blocks, access their inner guidance, and tap into their love and appreciation for their books so they can achieve their dreams. This is a classic replay of an episode we recorded with the amazing Renee Rose back in 2021 with these timeless tips.

We share all our best tips (merch sourcing, what works, what doesn’t), table set up, what to wear, how to approach reader events, how many books to take (or offer on preorder) and how to calm the nerves / talk to strangers (ha!)

Wondering how to write a great paranormal romance? What's the difference between paranormal and monster romance and what are readers looking for? And how to connect with readers on tiktok and other social media?

Tired of chasing the "Amazon Algorithm"? We’re delighted to welcome Johnny B. Truant to the SPA. Johnny is here to discuss the alternatives to “rapid release / fast publishing” mindset to one of an artisanal author and publisher.

Keri Arthur is a NYT Bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Initially traditionally published, she is now fully self-published, and in this episode she talks to us about that transition and shares tips and processes from her writing journey.

USA Today Bestseller, Erin Wright, is the Queen of Publishing Wide and shares with us fantastic advice on:
direct sales, AI audio and human narration, AI translations, woo commerce v shopify, kickstarter and platform specific tips.

BEST SELLING ROMANCE AUTHOR JAY HOGAN is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. This is a fantastic episode, well worth a replay, with Jay's unique insights into writing MM romance, marketing, craft and the writing life.

We’re delighted to welcome USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Sierra Simone, to the SPA today! Our topic is “Writing To Your Own Beat” and Sierra generously shares how she’s leaned into writing forbidden, atmospheric romance that has built a rabid fandom.

This episode with Alaskan author, Tamsin Ley, is one of our most popular and well worth a replay! We talk about Tamsin's writing journey, marketing strategies, paranormal romance quirks and her fantastic advice for all self-publishers.

Together Stephanie and Molly created the bestselling romantic comedy pen name Hailey Shore, now with 11 books and counting! Today they’re going to talk about how they got started, what they did to make sure it was a bestselling series, and a few of the bumps along the way.

USA Today Bestseller, Janie Crouch, shares amazing tips and advice on how she built her readership, launched her romantic suspense, and how she approaches the Business of Authoring and separates it from the creative side of writing.

Who doesn't want to hand off their least-favorite tasks to a trusted assistant? So how do you go about finding the right person? And what's the cost?

We’re celebrating 500 episodes of the SPA Girls - from our baby podcaster days back in 2015 to today, we share some BEHIND THE MICS stories. How we met, why we started and why we’ve last this long (almost ten years so far, publishing an episode weekly). Plus our vision for the future and selfpublishing :)

Ana Huang is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of fourteen contemporary romances, which have collectively sold over 21 million copies worldwide. Her subgenres range from sports to billionaire and suspense, but all of her books feature her signature blend of steam and swoon.

What happens when your books don’t sell? When is it time to end a series? Or Pivot to a new penname? Wendy, Cheryl and Shar are here to give their advice and (strong!) opinions on when it’s the right time to pivot and the steps writers should take to make that decision.

One of our most popular writing craft episodes deserves a replay: Writing the Black Moment with USA Today Bestseller, Rachel Bailey.

Jennifer Hilt is a USA Today Bestselling author urban fantasy and non-fiction creator of The Trope Thesaurus series. She joins us this episode to really dig into how to use tropes in your fiction (no matter the genre), practical ways of applying them, how to use them to amp up the emotion and characterisation, and your characters' GMC (goal, motivation and conflict).

Whether you're a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between, a strong story structure is the secret sauce that keeps readers turning the pages. In this episode, we’ll dive into chapter “rules”, beats,scenes and sequences, how to craft a compelling beginning, keep the momentum going in the middle, and deliver a satisfying, page-turning ending—while making sure your readers get exactly what they crave.