Pru and Merry look back at what they’ve learned and how their positions have sort of equalized over the last two years—and we talk about Merry setting up a “You Decide” story for reader engagement. Which is a MOST excellent idea. You should do it, too!

Proving once again that fools rush in where angels fear to tread, Pru blurts all over Merry as she talks about her plan to launch her next trilogy with a detour into the Kickstarter universe. Listening is clearly taking advice from a novice, so be warned…but maybe this is a good place for you to start thinking about the Kickstarter opportunity! Here's the great book by Russell Nohelty on using Kickstarter for books.

How do you get the support you need as well as the kick in the pants that gets you going? Podcast guest Audrey Hughey is that brilliant combination of Mom and Army Guy you’ve been looking for! Merry and Pru explore all the goodness in Audrey’s Author Transformational Alliance and look at the many ways she’s providing usable author planners. Interested in the Author Transformational Alliance? Check it out at https://www.thewriteservices.com/ For Audrey's printed planners on Lulu.com for the eternal version. For the dated version, this link will get you to 2022--but if you want a later year, search for 20XX Author's Planner. To find the planner as a PDF so you can download ad print the parts that interest you, find it on Etsy."

When it comes to marketing your book, how do you know if you’re surfing a very short wave, or rising on the strength of a true marketing movement? Promotions expert Heather Roberts (of Elle Woods Promotions) and wise author Mindy Klasky join Pru and Merry to discuss what’s working, what might be a trend, and just how much you need to commit to a long-lasting strategy to reach your goals. Also: The Kickstarter myth!

Romantic suspense novelist JT Bock pushes all of Pru’s buttons by talking about her favorite movies in a discussion of Chekov’s Gun—a tool every writer should know about to lay the groundwork (and provide the glorious resolution) that turns indifferent readers into rabid fans. Where JT goes (Pru says), I will certainly follow!

Jennie Nash wants to change the industry! She wants to improve how authors nurture themselves, how they approach the business, and how we (and the world) value our work. Go, Jennie, go! All this from the woman who founded a book-coaching training program. And she’s got a yenta on staff who will find YOU the right book coach, too! Need some links? Here you go! For authors: get to Author Accelerator here:  https://www.authoraccelerator.com/ For would-be book coaches, here you go: https://www.bookcoaches.com/ For would-be book coaches, here you go: https://www.bookcoaches.com/ Here are Jennie's books: Blueprint For A Book   Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book   Read Books All Day And Get Paid For It: The Business of Book Coaching   And the book Jennie mentions in the podcast that she's reading is Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman 

What kind of an editor do you need? How much will it cost? Does it take a long time? Are you going to tell me my baby is ugly?? Don’t tell me my baby is ugly! Merry and Pru talk with Matrice Hussey, exceptionally kind and clever romance editor, about all aspects of authors working with editors. It’s okay; you can do this! To get in touch with Matrice: https://www.goodstorieswelltold.com/ or email her at Matrice@goodstorieswelltold.com

Author Michael LeRonn is the antidote to the energy drain and toxicity that is wearing you down. Have a listen; in just about half an hour, you’ll feel better about yourself and more eager to get some writing done. Plus you’ll have a better answer to a few key questions—like “How do you connect to the “why” of why you write?” And “What does a picture of “good” look like to you today?” Ooh, I feel better! To check out Michael LeRonn's YouTube channel and more, check out https://authorlevelup.com/ For more on the Alliance of Independent Authors, the link is https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/

What if you were annoyed by something that didn’t work as well as it should and instead of just grumbling about it, you RE-PLOWED THE WORLD to make it right?! Dave Chesson of Kindlepreneur and Publisher Rocket stops by the podcast to explain to Merry and Pru how he’s calmly revolutionizing how authors write, collaborate, and publish with his new godsend, Atticus. Damn, Dave—would you please run the world?? Dave (we call him Dave now; we're like THIS) mentioned where you could find out more about future plans for Atticus; that website is  https://www.notion.so/Atticus-Roadmap Just so that you can get all those links right:  Find out everything Dave is doing, read his blog, and sign up for his newsletter at Kindlepreneur. Learn more about Publisher Rocket here. Get Atticus here.

The brilliant Kathleen Gilles Seidel read a book each by Merry and Pru and gave us the benefit of her expensive education and vast experience to share praise and opportunity with us…and then we made a left turn into a pretty great discussion of talent, too. Kathy Seidel is our Returning Champion, and this podcast proves why!

As authors, we tend to be so grateful that someone bought our book that we don’t ask too many questions…but maybe we should. Hybrid author Mindy Klasky (with traditional and indie publishing cred) returns to the podcast to discuss the history and current state of what authors have been trusting is true in their publishing journey. Warning: Might make you a little angry!

Ever wondered what it would take to sell your book in other languages? Noted author Jodi Vaughn has; she says it’s a leap of faith—but it looks to Pru more like a voyage into madness! Man, oh man—there’s a LOT that goes into just selling your romance in the profitable German market. Jodi makes it work, though—and here’s how! To find Jodi's paranormal and contemporary romances, try http://jodivaughn.com For the women's fiction and small town romances of Jodi Allen Brice, the website is http://jodiallenbrice.com

With the ease of uploading corrected or edited copies of your novel to the ebook platforms, when should you correct your text and when should you create a new edition? We wander far afield—should “Huck Finn” be rewritten to reflect the cultural awareness of today? Can we imply any more strongly that our romance novels should be considered alongside Huck Finn?? Is the entire topic a snake eating its tail? Ack! No conclusions are drawn, but interesting questions are raised!

The diversity (or lack thereof) in your book is worrying you; how do you make sure you’re not perpetuating your own unsuspected biases? Sensitivity reader Natasha Lane fields a million basic questions from Pru and has intelligent discussions with Merry to advise and inform you on matters from the thoughtfully  highbrow to the immensely practical. Thanks, Natasha! Natasha's website is http://www.natashadlanewrites.com/ To find a sensitivity reader, Natasha recommends https://www.saltandsagebooks.com/sensitivity-expert-consultants/ That website has a LOT of opportunities for you!

Settle in for an informative chat with author Alix Rickloff, who has not only mastered a leap between genres but who has attracted the praise of readers AND PUBLISHERS alike. Imagine—if publishers wanted you multiple times! Pru has a little fan-girl moment over that one... You can learn more about Alix at https://alixrickloff.com/

Merry and Pru do a little literary name-dropping on this discussion of points of view to use in your book. Can you borrow the techniques of George R.R. Martin? How about William Styron or F. Scott Fitzgerald? Too “guy” for you? Okay—how about Georgette Heyer or Jane Austen? They all used the points of view of their characters to draw you in and hold you…and you can do that, too!

Merry and Pru get to talk with the chattiest of academics, the brilliant romance author Kathleen Gilles Seidel, about how publishing has changed—and how READERS have changed. We learn that while much has changed since Kathy’s first book in the 80s, a few very annoying habits have continued to plague authors!

Did you notice the bee in the filmed version of Bridgerton? Merry did—and she uses it as a superb example of how to skillfully weave a repeated motif into your story. Wide-eyed, Pru discovered repeated motifs all around her. Hey--can I do that, too?? More importantly, listener—can you?!

Listener, strap in: We range far afield, from how not to tick off your reader to how to use the ending to sell your next book. Epilogues are heavily discussed! Merry shares five ways to avoid the dreaded Bad Ending, and Pru asks all the simplistic, novice questions you were too embarrassed to ask. As usual! Meredith quotes from an article entitled "Story Endings Your Readers Will Hate." Next week, Pru and Merry will be discussing repeating motifs. We'll use "The Beach House" by Mary Alice Monroe as our starting point. Here's the Amazon link to that book if you want to play along at home. 

Was it really the best of times, the worst of times? How has writing a gripping lead to your story changed over time—and how has it remained the same? Merry and Pru consider lots of examples and come up with a few rules of thumb that will help to make the beginning of your book so slippery that readers won’t realize they’ve fallen in deep until it’s too late to set you aside; they’re hooked!