Write Effing Now! - Writing, Publishing, Marketing, and Everything in Between One Byte At A Time

AI Writing:

Technology is constantly advancing-even in writing! This doesn’t mean that AI will do everything you want it to, but you can definitely save time when doing your writing by using this program. Remember it isn’t perfect which is why today I am covering the baselines of what to expect when using AI in your writing.

Key Points

●  It doesn’t understand funny.

●  It doesn’t do name recognition.

●  It is totally great at titles, subtitles, and outlines, but when it comes to outlines, you need to ask it for more detail. You need supportive points that bolster each chapter's objective.

●  You may have a hard time-saving the prior version as you are working through different versions of your content. At times, edits may go too far, and, in that case, you will need to re-paste the version that you like.

●  It’s not great at using details

●  It’s fabulous as defining and explained quite well the foundations of algebra and calculus.

●  When you ask it to edit existing content, it will clean it up as it dehumanizes it. This is very effective for business writers that want to be straightforward and use bullets and teaching to explain methodologies, and so on.

●  It will get smarter, but it will take time.

●  It refuses to write hateful language - yay! It did write a little bit on supporting LGBTQ+ peeps, which was so heart-warming.

●  It even explained the pros and cons of using AI to write a book.

Outro

That’s ten tips exactly and our time on this week’s chapter of Write Effing Now. When you need proven tips on getting the best writing on the page, or you’re ready to write your book head to bookmarkpub.com and get in touch. Until next time authors, write on.

Connect With Hilary:

Co-Authorship can be sticky sometimes. It takes the right partner and the perfect amount of communication to be successful when working with someone else. You wouldn’t purchase a house without viewing it- so don’t do that when picking a Co-Author. Look at their credentials and writing styles.

Remember this is a partnership- create improved skill sets from each other's Strengths and Marketing.  I also have 5 other bonus tips that you need to keep in mind during this process.

1. Write it together as one voice- Stay connected with your partner and make sure you are both on the same page about the context and information you want to include.
2. Each of you take a chapter - Collaborate and speed up the writing process by dividing sections for each of you to complete.
3. Each of you take a chapter and don’t make it obvious- Make sure that in your writing yourself and your partner are writing to a similar style so that the reader doesn’t point it out.
4. What does “with” me mean? Use Julie and Julia as a reference.

Connect With Hilary:

When we decide to write it’s more than a pen hitting paper, or your fingers pressing on a keyboard.  It’s an expression of emotion and storytelling.  You want people to feel what you’re speaking about and to remember the moral of what you are portraying. You are here to entertain, share your pain, provide hope and inspiration. That’s what it means to become an author.  

Writing isn’t easy, but it’s important to keep working diligently at your craft.  

Over time, you will share something that others connect to and in many cases, transform their lives. As a result, you become a better writer, speaker, and a better teacher of the craft.

Connect With Hilary:

When writing your book there are many different processes involved, but you can’t sell your book without organizational marketing. You are going to learn where you can build your calendar whether it is online or written down. Knowing where to post is going to be one of the most important parts of this. Hilary addresses the four major objectives you have to complete if you want to make the most of getting your book out to the public.

Marketing Outline

1. Focused Objectives
   1. Brand awareness- Make sure you understand how you’re going to Brand your work.
   2. Promos- Utilize as many social media platforms as you can and get the word out.  Be cautious when using third party apps.
   3. Excerpts/memes- Find something relatable for your audience or something humorous.
   4. Events - Speaking: Get the message out by making public appearances. 

Connect With Hilary:

Transcribing is the best technique to use when writing your book. Hilary shares 4 tips that will provide more proficiency and speed in your writing. This not only helps you with your transcript- it also adds a new skill into your toolbox.

Tips

1. Have your outline at the ready - can be on the phone
2. Open your mouth- this will help you speak more clearly.
3. Practice speaking slowly- This helps your prevent tripping over a word- Especially if you have an accent.
4. Speak up- You want your audience to hear you- Don’t be afraid to get loud but know the difference between yelling.

Connect With Hilary:

 Procrastination will hit you harder than running into a brick wall. Hilary addresses why procrastination is deeper than what’s on the surface. We stop and over think the amount of time it will take to complete a task and end up rushing to complete it at the last minute, or even at all.

Why do we not do what we have to do? Hilary answers how to tackle procrastination head on by sharing 5 tips that will improve your motivation and focus when writing.

• Implementing a guideline- Be clear with what you’re doing and want to accomplish.
• Finding a way to not be intimidated- Instead of thinking about everything as a whole just break it into multiple sections that way you are more focused.
• Where do I start?- Pick one part of the process that flows easily for you and start from there to avoid writer's block or continuous distractions.
• Plan everything out- You chose where to start- now plan what you want to get done per hour or per day.
• Utilize quick transitions- When you finish one part of the process do not wait around to start the next step- slam that door and get to work!

Connect With Hilary:

Before making the decision to publish a book, it is always important to reference back to a checklist to make sure you completed every step and didn’t miss any. Hilary addresses from an editor's point of view, what you need to look for when completing the revision and editing process. She shares 10 major points to think about when writing, even throwing in a bonus one.

Here are the Top 10 Editing Tips:

• Prepositions- Pay attention to the writing to see what’s proper- learn about them.
• Tenses- Figure out which one you want to use and stick with it
• Consistency of Spelling- Train yourself on the versions of a word you’re going to use
• Order of Sentence Clauses- Creating more Creative Energy behind your words
• Comma usage- Using commas correctly
• Missing Words- Don’t try to put the puzzle together- Take a moment to refresh
• Improper Synonym-  Be cautious that what the thesaurus spits back may not be the proper words you’re looking for
• Redundancies- Stay away from repeating subjects unless needed
• No Dialogue- Dialogue humanizes us- Use it to your full advantage
• Cliches- Avoid them like the plague unless you reinvigorate them to fit what you are speaking about

Connect With Hilary:

What are publishers looking for when you decide to release a book? Content can stretch across horizons based on your mindset or the type of content you want to create. When deciding to take this step, be sure to remind yourself how critical it is to nail the content and the main point of the context you are trying to spread. It is important in the process to be persistent with marketing and consistency when speaking about what you released.

Hilary speaks about the multiple step process it takes to become qualified for any author before they fully release their novel, like making sure you’re using the proper publishing app and remembering the process of becoming a Best Seller.

Connect With Hilary:

There are many different formats we can use when it comes to writing Fiction and Non-Fiction but there are 5 main format’s you should know about as a writer for Non-Fiction. Hilary addresses why you need to understand what formula you will apply before you start typing anything.  The 5 formats that will be discussed are listed below:

1. The Blockbuster- Your story starts with a bang- immediately exciting filled with a Pit and a Peak
2. Chronological- Picking a series of events that lead in order
3. Half and Half- Memoir in the beginning of the book- get in touch with your gut
4. Story Driven- Simple and easy to flow with no preamble- Upfront about the take aways
5. Business Textbook- Using Academic nature and emphasizing readers through the use of storytelling, case histories, etc. This format isn’t commonly used.

Connect With Hilary:

After we receive a bad review or rating, we end up trying to compensate to provide better content or we completely change our style of writing. Remember that our failures shouldn’t be passed on. Most people quit, or in worse cases, give up completely.  The best course of action is to go back and review WHY it was a failure so that you can learn from it.

Today Hilary discusses what makes a failure and she provides information on how we can actually use that as an advantage moving forward in our writers to scale our audience. Failure is valuable in the way it helps us grow.  It gives us the experience to know what to do, what not to do, and how to make it better.

Connect With Hilary:

There are some days when you can look at something that’s been written and just think, “I don’t feel this. I don’t feel inspired.”  It happens to everyone, but it’s important to understand that writing is the core of creativity.  There’s an emotional connection you have to have if you’re going to sit down and unleash that creativity through writing. Hilary shares part two of rules for bad writing and what to do moving forward to improve and enhance your literary skills.

Today you will learn a few things:

• Pick out what you want- We don’t need to be flowery and over-explain something we are writing about.  Keep it simple.
• Follow the format in the industry- Keep the same structure of the book and follow it in the proper order.
• Don’t reinvent the wheel- Do the process that you follow in everything else you write about or will be writing about.
• Avoid cliches- Embrace YOUR styles, cliches just come off as being unoriginal and lazy.
• The thesaurus isn’t your friend- Fix and limit your redundancies and keep your writing relevant.
• Don’t be too “I” oriented- We all like to stroke our egos once in a while- don't make it a habit. Your writers do not want to hear about you the whole time they are reading.

Hilary covers these topics in more detail and shares a few extras. It’s your time, energy, life experiences, and work going into what you’re writing.  Take this advice and build the best story you can. Write on!

Connect With Hilary:

There are so many rules in life. We have rules for school.  Rules for relationships.  Rules for driving a car, rules for functioning in society, and pretty much everything you can imagine. So, why would there not be rules for writing?  There are good rules for writing and bad rules for writing.  There are so many different ways to write but are you applying your best strategies? Today, we're going to cover 10 rules of bad writing.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you continue into your writing journey:

• Are you being your true self in your writing?
• What kind of equipment do you have, is it everything you need?
• How consistent are you with your work?
• What is your process with your structure?
• Do you use too many analogies?
• How much time are you generating for perspective?

Hilary speaks about why you need to stop comparing yourself to your favorite Author/ Writer. Why would you want to sound like a knockoff version of those who you emulate when you can branch out in your writing and become someone who gets looked up to as a leader in their own creativity?

Connect With Hilary:

Hilary shares some practical tips on what you need for your Author signing! Hilary talks about her upbringing in writing starting as a young writer who is now living her dream past her expectations in writing.

Hilary covers a lot of helpful information to keep in mind when you’re doing a book signing. Here are just a few of the many things you will learn more about!

• Where is your Book Signing going to take place?
• Does the location have plenty of room for a line, tables, and Chairs?
• Where are you going to be located?
• Will you be doing the reading, or will you have someone else read to the listeners?
• Do you have the proper attire- No, you don't necessarily have to be all dressed up but look presentable!
• Offering a few dishes, and drinks can be helpful- Just keep in mind not everyone drinks alcohol!
• Make sure you keep good hygiene when you do your Author signing (Clean Hands)
• Make sure you use a Pen- They don’t bleed through

Hilary addresses why you need to be referring back to yourself if you’re going to be giving a speech. Hilary is going to ask you some questions to prepare you for your Author Signing!

Connect With Hilary:

There are so many distractions a person can have in life. Oftentimes, we like to push off our task because we think we’re going to miss out on a TV show, an ordinary night out at the bar, or a conversation we can have on the phone with a friend at any other time. The truth is we make excuses for ourselves and being lazy.

Hilary addresses why procrastination can be the worst enemy in any aspect of your life but how she sees a consistent pattern of it in writing. Hilary speaks about why we shouldn’t think of writing as work but as our creative expression. Hilary breaks down the 9 main topics on why we don’t think we’re good enough. Take a moment to figure out why you’re writing.

In this episode, Hilary explains why we need to love ourselves and different approaches we can take to decrease the amount of procrastination we carry. Procrastination can show up in any form, but Hilary goes over the 5 major forms that you might go through yourself.

#WriteOn!

Connect With Hilary:

Editing is sooooo easy. That’s what everyone says, especially after they hear the investment required to have their work properly edited.  How hard can it be?  You simply need to download Grammarly and start writing, but there’s more to it! No great idea or collection of ideas should ever go without being viewed by a second set of eyes, and a different perspective other than yours.

Hilary addresses why the editor or publisher is there to help you. She also talks about why you can’t lose your conversational edge. Hilary discusses figuring out how your characters are going to speak. What will their personality be? Understanding why you need to be clear and honest with what you want in your book or story. Hilary shares a few tips on how to improve your character development and your writing.

She also talks about inflection which is a way to change the form of a word to express the mood, person, tense, and etc. People are not going to listen to you if you change the way you speak or tell a story. It all comes naturally when writing.

How do you speak?

Do you use profanity?

Do you have a lisp?

Are you a quiet speaker?

#WriteOn!

Connect With Hilary:

Our imagination is what creates a vision for ourselves. We listen to music, read novels, and find joy in hobbies. These activities are molded from our creativity. Hilary speaks about an experience from when she was married to her first partner and how that made her feel held back from being able to write while juggling all of life's responsibilities.

It’s time to take back your freedom. Be defensive.

Hilary addresses how she defended herself to embrace her creativity in her writing. She will be talking about why writing is important and the liberties it allows.

Connect With Hilary:

Every "expert" has a coach. The President has advisors.  Every guru has a "guru."  Every influential person to ever roam this planet in every industry and discipline has one thing in common; They all had coaches.

In today's episode, Hilary addresses the questions on why you need a book coach.  She speaks about topics discussed in the writing community and shares the actions required to apply them.  Just like an onion, writing can be layered.  There are answers that will unfold into a deeper perspective to help you become a more well-rounded and impactful author.

Hilary talks about when she reached out to a Book Coach after she found herself stuck in an 8-year hiatus and the constant struggle to finish her book.  She breaks down the definition of a Book Coach and the impact they can make on your writing when it comes to creative concepts, proofing, editing, and developing the draft manuscript you decide to use.

Connect With Hilary:

A vision is embedded in everyone. A vision is a pathway to our own goals. For many people, they keep their vision alive through vision boards, sticky notes, constant reminders of self-talk, and even writing pages full of aspirations. However, most people are missing the key factor in this process. They aren’t taking the first step to their goal due to fear.

Today, on Write Effing Now, Hilary host’s special guest Steve Gamlin. Steve is a man of many experiences and careers. Steve is the founder of Motivational Firewood, is a Speaker, Emcee, Stand-up Comedian, Author, and master of vision boards. Steve and his Wife also run a Non-Profit organization that helps others in the community who are struggling called Beach Bums.

In this episode Hilary and Steve speak about what a vision really is and how to implement your actions into full effect. Steve speaks about the adversity he faced in 2002 after he decided to quit his career in radio, he had gotten divorced from his wife, and he had three dollars to his name. After a conversation with a life coach, he transformed his life and career into what it is today. A few things that are discussed are the importance of gratitude, working forward into a vision, pulling away from negativity, and having a different outlook on what fear really is. Steve shares his three perspectives on fear and how he applied them and pushed fear to the curb.

Connect With Steve:

There are many kinds of people in this world ranging from all forms of life. The struggles range entirely from different situations and experiences. A person that is Neurodivergent has cognitive thinking that is rather not typical like the general population. For example, people who deal with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, and Dyspraxia are considered to be Neurodivergent.

In this episode Hilary is joined by special guest Brian Mckittrick as they discuss what it’s like to be a neurodivergent person and the importance of reaching out for guidance when writing. Brian talks about his journey as he wrote his Best-Selling book “It Ain’t Rocket Surgery”. Brian felt stuck as he was writing his book but felt the gratitude of being able to reach out into his inner circle of writers and other entrepreneurs as they helped guide him into place.

Brian and Hilary discuss different tactics on how to improve your writing when coming to face those times where you may feel stuck or unable to concentrate.  Brian gives an outlook on his journey where he started from nothing, to becoming the successful entrepreneur he is today and how writing has impacted him closely along his journey of leveling up.

Connect With Brian:

Oftentimes, people believe that writing is more creative through fast pace as you type or write. As you continue into your writing the most important piece that everyone forgets is self-care. The writer's ability is endless but without taking the necessary time to make yourself comfortable and patient it tends to drag into a process that is more work than fun.

In this episode Hilary is giving exclusive information on how to enjoy your writing to the next level. No one is forcing you to write, therefore there's no need to apply extra stress throughout the process. Fall back to the roots and find your purpose.

Here are a few things you will learn in depth in today’s episode:

• Pacing- Take the required amount of time you need to expand your creativity.
• Commit to being an expert and leading yourself to success.
• Having fun- Remember this isn’t supposed to feel like work.
• Being defensive with your time by creating goals.
• What is your reason and why does it impact your writing?
• Focus on your interests- writing just to write can be dull
• Keep yourself constantly motivated
• Understand that there are continuous steps to perfect a piece of writing. Edit and revise constantly.
• The thirteen self-care steps that will improve your writing, your mental capacity and creativity.

Connect With Hilary:

On today's episode of WEN, we’re chatting about a problem that plagues the uber-productive but that is not often talked about… how do I write when I feel like crap?

We are all exposed to feeling under the weather, depressed, and unsure of what we are going to write about. When you dive into writing there can be distractions that easily fade into the picture. Even the best writers, authors get stuck in a funk. How are you going to take action and control?

What You'll Learn:

1. Get comfortable. Prepare ahead for the time you are about to put into your work.
2. Get dressed – It’s ok to dress casually and comfortable but remember you’re working, not hanging out watching tv or taking a nap.
3. Implement breaks that can keep your head clear and your mind focused
4. Delegate with yourself. What work comes first–what do you need to accomplish before moving on with your day.
5. Be sure to implement a deadline schedule for yourself so that you aren’t cramming everything at the last minute.
6. Make sure you’re writing about something you are passionate about. It’s important to love what you do
7. Do not sit there and feed yourself negative judgment.
8. Understand the process and learn to enjoy it. As you continue into your writing you are constantly changing.
9. Be consistent- Flow with what is on your mind but also be sure to keep the consistent values that you have in your writing.

Connect with Hilary:

On the 57th episode of the Write Effing Now, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a time, Hilary Jastram has some insight about how to improve your skills as a writer.

Today we are in a society where the majority of people think becoming a writer is difficult. In today's episode Hilary focuses on the four key guidelines of writing. One of the many things you'll learn for example is:

1. What does it truly mean to critique your writing?
2. When revising and doing a final edit, are you making sure you have someone you trust read it over and give you honest feedback?
3. What levels of readers are you targeting?
4. Why it’s never a good idea to focus on your opinions in your own writing and how they can be negative to your narrative and what you’re creating.

Here are a few things you can apply to your writing moving forward:

• Make yourself uncomfortable when writing in general, that is how you use the most of your creativity.
• What is your reason to re-write and edit your piece?
• Who is your target audience and what style of writing should you be using to get their attention?
• Watch the number of adjectives you use in your writing and recognize how the overuse can impact your writing negatively.

As Hilary speaks throughout this episode, she is going to break down writing as a whole. What is the purpose? Why are you writing? Who is your audience? What truly makes a good writer is not the use of fiction, it's the knowledge they gather about what they are writing about.

On the 55th episode of Write Effing Now, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, Drewbie Wilson returns to the airwaves to talk about blending business and please content and how memes play a huge part in bridging the gap.

Oh millennium, you are such a trip! Who would have thought that at some point, we would be using memes to communicate with people? If you’re still on the fence about how memes can be so useful, here are three advantages:

1. Memes send a message at the speed of light–well, not exactly that rate, but faster than if you were to read something. Your brain processes words in a meme and images at the same time. Boom! Supercharged message!
2. Memes tap into emotions and forge a connection to other peeps on a more personal level.
3. Memes bring up nostalgia–also highly recommended in marketing!

There’s so much more to discuss, and Drewbie brings all the heat! So make sure to listen up to this author who bestsellered so hard he broke Amazon for a day. His book is Crushing the Day: A Simple Guide to Success in Business and Life Through Service to Others. Make sure you grab it now to read from the lips of the meme lord about a true sales god!

On the 53rd episode of Write Effing Now, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we’re rapping about the difference in pricing in various services and why you need to shop around. Listen up as I shoot myself in the foot! But seriously, take your time learning about what you need and make sure it matches with what you can spend–in both time and money!

Not much is sadder to me than a published book that no one knows about. What services do you need so the world knows your book exists? Here’s a refresh on the four book marketing pillars: 1) SM, 2) podcasting, 3) speaking, and 4) distribution. Invest in EVERY ONE of these areas.

And here’s some more intel to refer to when making a decision on your services:

1. Editing costs vary according to the market, scope of your book, and a few others areas you’ll need to tune in to learn.
2. Make sure you choose an experienced cover designer or have a fallback designer who can ensure your cover meets all the criteria.
3. Don’t use a blanketed budget approach in social media! If someone recommends this, they don’t know what they’re doing. So … run!

Also, obviously, take advantage of free press, beta readers/reviewers, bloggers, GoodReads, affinity groups, local bookstore placements, signings, etc. Always say yes to free press!

On the 52nd episode of Write Effing Now, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, it’s collaboration time, baby! There’s a beauty in collaboration, and we all win together. Read on to learn all about this superpower.

To collaborate effectively means unlocking doors to experiencing the benefits of others’ minds. In publishing, you want people on a team to share the giant job of creating a book. It’s almost unfair to put that on anyone else. 

Here are three more reasons why collaboration is the bomb diggity (yes, I know I am dating myself saying that!).

1. Collaboration makes you trust. You can’t truly do it if you don’t know how. And if trusting makes you uncomfortable, then make sure you keep listening because we are diving into that, as well. 
2. You gotta get right with a healthy ego if you engage in collaboration! A healthy ego is poised to take the best care of you while lifting other people up. I’m a big fan of being there for each other and believe it’s one of the reasons we are all here on Earth. 
3. Two brains are better than one. Whoever said that was right. Nuff said.

There’s no need to feel threatened when you are called to collaborate. This is a great time to get in touch with your strengths and what you like to do, and others’ strengths and what they like to do. Collaboration also takes pressure off you to feel like you have to be the heavy. You don’t! Just play it light and share the responsibilities of the team with people who truly want to help you–like the smashing team at Bookmark Publishing House.

On the 51st episode of Write Effing Now, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we are rocking the airwaves with a real-life legend, Charles Hamm, a 2x #1 International Bestselling author whose book Ponder on It, Pilgrims hit 18 bestseller lists on Amazon. We recorded on his release day, and there has never been more appropriate synchronicity!

To quote a reviewer, “This book has the potential to become a 21st-century classic.”

Charles left us with some incredible insight when we chatted, and here are three nuggets, or as he is wont to call them, Texas Grit:

1. Be different: So many people try to match everyone else, and they wind up losing themselves. This is what has poured fuel onto the wildfire of Charles’ LinkedIn following.
2. It can take a lifetime to write a book: If you don’t feel ready to write, take heart. Charles started a book in his forties, and it’s still tucked away carefully, just waiting for the right TLC to bring it around. You are never too old to start!
3. We don’t need to agree with each other to love each other. Talking with Charles was like settling back into an easy chair, so comforting you lose yourself in his ponderins’ as the whole world slows. He taught us much about tolerance and slowing down to listen. I hope you learn to slow down, too.

It’s not every day that we get to hear such inspiration that we can allow ourselves to be swept away by a man who has seen so much and who is so willing to share their memories and lessons to make us better. I am so unglued about Charles; I even wrote the above run-on sentence! If you want to get off your rocker, grab Charles’ blockbuster book, Ponder on It, Pilgrims, then settle back down, and set a spell. Make sure you follow him on LinkedIn for more of his delightful wisdom.

On the landmark 50th episode of Write Effing Now, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, Jeremy Schreifels shares his songwriting mastery tricks and how he gets over all the creative blocks. If you’re feeling stuck, Jeremy will pull you out of the muck!

Creation is a mindset game, and Jeremy feeds his brain only good messages, which he freely shared in this episode. Since he collaborates a ton with other people, he provided smart ways to move past any impasses and how to keep the bigger goal in mind. Whether you are writing a song, a book, or anything in between, how he comes to the blank page is incredibly inspiring and useful. 

These are our top three fave tips he shared. Plenty more await; all you have to do is listen!

Collaboration is an art in itself. Giving and receiving critique while keeping the main goal of honing the product into the best it can be takes dedication. Jeremy shares his best tips for working with a group, so everyone feels valued and excited about the creation.

Ask him about the “double bar” method. This is the plan you have in place to honor the place you are in when you are writing–even if it means stopping for the day. If you are a musician, you get that the double bar means the song is done. There’s no more writing allowed!

Not every song of Jeremy’s makes the cut and gets recorded. Sometimes, the job of that song is to free the pipes up for better ideas to come. Sometimes, the song might just need to exist that day. It might bring joy or insight to the people who hear it or read the notes. Just like everything you write won’t make the cut–see the similarity.

What does drawing out your difficulties in writing do for you? Not much. Here are three disadvantages to be aware of. Listen up, you know you want more!

1. “Long-suffering” writers create a sort of club that denotes if you are a person who doesn’t have any of their symbolism, you don’t belong. Lacking an oceanside cottage? You can’t get in. Do you not own an ancient typewriter? Too bad for you! Such nonsense. You don’t have to pander to this kind of rhetoric.
2. It doesn’t make sense for you. Gather the tools that you will genuinely need to create productively. Clear your schedule. Get your headspace right. Read books that will make generating content easier. Take classes. Work toward a smoother road.
3. You’re living in the dark ages. Come out into the sunshine, sunshine. Today authors are learning about the tools of digital publishing. They are joining writing groups. They are not waiting for the old masters to give them permission into the traditional and elite clubs–they’re making their own!

For full show notes on this episode:

On the 48th episode of Write Effing Now, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we are discussing a timely topic that I am seeing more and more lately: you have to love your book more than anyone else to make it the masterpiece you want it to be.

You have to love your book enough to do your homework. You have to love your book enough to check off the boxes on each of the stages that make up the total completion of your book. You have to love your book enough to stop phoning it in.

Here’s a sneaky peak-y of why you need to love your book more than anyone–but listen to the episode to learn how to get past these roadblocks we throw up ourselves.

1. Transformation: Friend, you are about to change! I can’t explain your exact metamorphosis, but who you are at the beginning of this journey and who you will be–well, you won’t recognize yourself! That comes from discovery, doing the work, and going through an experience yourself versus reading or hearing about it.
2. Confidence: When you continually challenge yourself to show up even when you are not so sure of the content you are putting out and then you improve to the point of pride, this newfound feeling spills over into other areas of your life!
3. Paying it forward: You are about to learn the most beautiful facet of becoming a writer: sharing this art with the burgeoning artists among us!

When you decide to Write Effing Now, it means sitting down and doing the work. It means earning your author stripes. There’s no shortcut for knuckling down and getting it done. It can feel unglamorous and hard, but you’re tougher than that, right?

On the 47th episode of Write Effing Now, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we’re talking about cadence, why it’s crucial to use in writing, and how it keeps readers coming back for more. As writers, this is a tip you def need to know!

Musically, cadence is defined as: “...a sequence of notes or chords comprising the close of a musical phrase.” Thanks, elusive Oxford Languages!

Here are three tips to kick off what you need to know. More awaits you in the episode….

Read aloud to determine where you might be hanging up. If you snag on anything, cut it out. 

Consider the white space your reader will confront on the page. Is the readable area comprised of paragraph after paragraph stacked up one after the other? That’s too much. Break up your paras and make bite-sized chunks.

Don’t use the same beat: “He got his cat neutered. His hair was so poodled. She loves long pool noodles.” Try: “He got his cat neutered. When wet, his hair sprang into bouncy curls all over his head, so Myra dubbed him Poodle Boy. ‘Damn, I love these pool noodles, Stefanie!’”

When you decide to Write Effing Now, the rhythm is gonna get you, so let it. Steal away to new dimensions, ideas, innovations, and discoveries. Surrender to these splendid worlds and create experiences your reader will never forget. 

On the 46th episode of Write Effing Now, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, today, we are going to learn that writer’s block isn’t even real. Nope, it’s masquerading as something we know all too well.

We are ripping the top off a common concept. Debunking a myth. This is a myth as old as the ages. But within the myth is also a mystical element of lies. This entity that takes over writers and holds them hostage on the regular is called writer's block. Ernest Hemingway called writer’s block the “white bull.” I call it the “white bullsh!t.”

Unravel writer’s block yourself and start with these tips, then listen for more:

1. Reframe how you think of it. That it is a necessary pain, that it is a negative eventuality, and it hurts you. These moments of searching are actually teaching you!
2. Challenge the theory. Are you physically unable to write? Likely, no. You are not blocked. You are in judgment.
3. Groom yourself to show up as the best form of you and accept you and love you. Your best in these uncertain stages IS perfection.

We are vessels walking around holding a creative spark. Yet we look to other people to tell us that we're good enough. This is what “writer’s block” is about. It is about being tangled up in our minds with the perception that our writing is not good enough and that perception is based on what we believe good enough to be. A lot of times, that has to do with the horrific standards that we put on ourselves that even we can't meet. And it has to do with other people–who have no authority over us–just what we give them.

On the 45th episode of Write Effing Now, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we’re finishing up our 62 book marketing ideas. This is the third of three episodes since we’ve broken up all the ideas to make them easier to digest.

As you listen to this week’s episode, remember to Get courageous. To unbatten the hatches. Unlock yourself and unblock yourself. Don't be afraid to talk about your book. When it comes to our books, we want to rise to the top and break through the Clutter to be remembered.

Here are three tips to get started. Keep listening to learn the rest.

1. Sell your book at book festivals.
2. Learn from authors who have come before you. What’s effective or ineffective?
3. What’s hot in your industry or genre? Post about it and tie in your book.

That’s a wrap on our big ol’ list of book ideas! But don't be afraid to keep learning, researching, and updating your own list and ideas. Brainstorm with other people. Multiple brains are better than one. Don't have a horse in the race named ego–where you feel like you must do and know everything yourself. Taking the ego out of the race will take you further.

On the 44th episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we’ve got 62, count ‘em 62 book marketing ideas that you can use to blast your book out into the world. This is the second of three episodes since we’ve broken up all the ideas to make them easier to digest.

You learned about twenty book ideas last week, and today, we’ve got more for you! Use these brain dumps in conjunction with traditional and digital marketing, and watch out! Soon the name of your book will be on everyone’s lips.

Check out these three tips first, and listen to the episode to learn the rest.

1. Two words: “promo stacking.” It means you need to run an ad every day, so they all work in concert with each other, and each media piece enhances the next.
2. Send your book to a celebrity.
3. Make a book trailer.

We are now two-thirds of the way through our big ol’ list of book ideas! You’ve got a great head start to implement these tactics and build a solid following. Just remember the cardinal rule: don’t stop. Keep going. Every day, sell your book. Remember, it’s your job now. Embrace what you are afraid to do, and before long, you won’t remember feeling awkward as your confidence grows.

On the 43rd episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we’ve got 62, count ‘em 62 book marketing ideas that you can use to blast your book out into the world. This is the first of three episodes since we’ve broken up all the ideas to make them easier to digest.

Yes, in the digital publishing world today, authors are expected to split themselves in half. One half is the author, of course. The second half is the marketer. Even if you don’t want to play by these rules, you won’t get anywhere if you don’t adapt. So, make sure you always put your best foot forward!

Here are three steps you can take to get started. Listen to this week’s episode to get the rest.

1. Sell your book at local bookstores.
2. Piggyback on another industry, company, organization, and so on. If you are a real estate agent/author, arrange to speak at a mortgage company, for instance.
3. You absolutely need a website and media kit.

Many more ideas await you! Combine together everything you learn on the podcast to create a compound effect on your campaign and keep people talking about you.

On the 42nd episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we’re talking about writing horror! No, we’re not, but we might as well be since our topic is what makes a horrifically bad book.

As an author, you never want to create a book that will fall into this category. So, here are three elements to avoid to ensure you are putting out your best work:

1. Continuity errors - For instance, a character can’t be in two places at once.
2. Don’t rush the ending - As much time as you spend crafting your plot, stories, and formatting, that’s what the ending (and your reader) deserves!
3. Mismatched formatting - You are not knitting together a patchwork quilt. If you don’t know the rules of formatting, don’t attempt it yourself. Hire a professional. Readers slam shut books that make them wonder about their quality.

This episode is chock full of a bunch of tips to remember and apply; it might feel a little like drinking from a fire hose. Put in the time to learn the best practices of the craft. Dip your toes in, then wade out until the water hits your middle. After that, when you get your bearings, dive in. Do it again and again and again. That’s how you improve and become a writing master.

On the 41st episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we are creating compelling content. You’ll want to bookmark this one to come back to at a later date.

Compelling content like most everything in life, can be reverse engineered. We can look at the formula that makes it and set out to recreate it. This gives us captivating, memorable content that will rivet readers. That’s the name of the game, getting people’s attention and keeping it until the end of the book.

These three signs will give you a strong start to writing your book so it makes the greatest and longest impact. As always, there’s more, so make sure you listen.

1. Book hook - The first sentence of the book sets the hook and when it’s juicy you can reel the reader in through the rest of the pages.
2. Pacing - Keep a faster tempo when you are talking about action and excitement, and slow it down, interweaving backstory elements where it’s called for.
3. Solve a problem for the reader - No matter what it is, letting the reader know you’ve thought about them and want to make their life better goes a long way in keeping them glued to the page.

These steppingstones will lead you to the goal you seek–wowing your reader.  Put them to work to help you as you continue to write your story and improve your writing.

On the 40th episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, the universe is bringing you this subject: Dealing with imposter syndrome in writing–because Hilary heard from FIVE authors in ONE day wrangling with this sucker. Listen to learn to conquer it and why feeling it is a positive sign.

First, did you know imposter syndrome is actually recognized by psychologists and other mental health professionals? It is not an official diagnosis or condition, but the American Psychological Association says: “It is a very real and specific form of intellectual self-doubt. Impostor feelings are generally accompanied by anxiety and, often, depression.”

And that’s just the beginning. Check out these three signs that will tip you off to experiencing this common syndrome. Don’t miss the others on this episode.

1. Imposter syndrome means you care.
2. It means you want to be clear.
3. You may feel stuck in your writing.

Now that you’ve got (some of) the answers let your pen or laptop be mightier than the sword that will slay you–if you let it. Go forth and redo, gather resources, beef up, and present a better product, book, speech, or whatever you want to share with the world. Then let us know how it goes and what breakthroughs you made.

On the 39th episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we’re putting readers first. Well, we always do, but we’ll tell you how to do it in such a way that they feel special and your writing positively shines!

Question: What in the French toast does being reader-centric mean in writing?

Answer: Just what it sounds like: serving the reader, putting them first. Being anticipatory.

Here are three tips that you can apply to your writing, right now, today, to become instantly reader-centric! (Of course, there are more on the podcast, so don’t miss out!)

1. Writing to give them resources - Where can you refer your reader to find the information they need that will be the most beneficial to them?
2. Writing to prevent their pain - Whether you are distracting them from any kind of pain or sharing with them lessons you learned that they can use, readers love this form of writing.
3. Writing to set them free in their imaginations - Storytelling is such a gift that humans can give freely. There’s nothing like getting lost in another world, traversing landscapes that are new to your senses, getting inside the head of a wily character, gasping in surprise at a masterful suspense novel. Nothing at all like it. Don’t hold back in this area, and you will have readers flocking to you for more.

We are creating our books to help, lift, advise, resolve, ease, entertain, fascinate, enthrall, and so on. That needs to be the focus. Let’s do it in a way that the reader will not just love, but they will appreciate.

On the 38th episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we are chatting about how to cultivate writing ideas and kick your brain in the booty to create!

As a prolific writer, you may run into this challenge–running out of ideas to write. It happens to the best writers. The key is to tap into what will move you out of this slump. It’s not a matter of never having ideas but knowing what to do to continually move forward. There are definite brain hacks that work, and we’re sharing them here!

These three ideas will progress your writing and get you groomed to stay on task more easily and often. As usual, there are more, so keep listening!

1. Do a different creative exercise. If you’re trying to write, draw, color, paint. Vice versa.
2. Put yourself in a different environment.
3. Update/refresh an existing book or piece of content.

Part of the creative process includes taking different actions and doing different things regularly. Add them to your routine anytime you want to create. Challenge yourself to think differently. To approach concepts from a different angle. Do this, and you will be awed at all the other ways you can be creative. As you do, you’ll continually refresh yourself and grow more comfortable with the elements of the creation process.

On the 37th episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we are establishing writing rituals and discussing why they can move you forward as a writer.

But…

Just what in the holy ham hock is a writing ritual?

Why should you even care about having one or taking the time to learn about one?

A writing ritual is a predictable routine that you set around creating your book or other forms of writing. It is not comprised only of blocking time but has to do with incorporating anchors (an anchor might be a song you listen to, a piece of clothing you wear, a desk accessory, etc.) to signal your senses that you are there to write and not do anything else. Anchors keep you locked down to the task and discourage a splintered focus.

Here are your three tips to help you stay grounded and keep your BIC (butt in chair). There are natch more in the episode, so don’t skimp on listening!

1. Chipping away at your writing keeps you present and connected to long-form projects.
2. Writing rituals feed your identity. You tell yourself you are a writer doing what writers do: creating.
3. Design your space and set it up in the same way each time before you sit down and start writing again. Place all your anchors around you to facilitate focus.

Create a haven for you. You own it. It has nothing to do with anyone else. Give yourself permission to take this time for you. You want to write, go write. Do it for you. This is one of the highest forms of self-care, honoring yourself as a writer who wants to grow and evolve.

On the 36th episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we are creating characters, making them believable and breathing dimension into their flat little lives.

For your characters to be real, they have to be as believable and multifaceted as you. You’re not only a wife, a marvelous cook, a great brother, a school teacher, a coach, a daughter. You feel, and you are in charge of protecting your self-esteem. Go deep with your characters and give them a real life with fears and aspirations.

Use these three tips to create a fleshed-out character:

1. Rely on the power of the unexpected. What action can your character take that will be out of line for them but still realistic?
2. What kind of childhood did your character have?
3. How can you leverage telling your story to emphasize character traits? Can you implement cliffhangers and foreshadowing, for instance?

Making your characters human means that your reader will more readily attach to them, and that keeps them reading and engaged--meaning they will keep your book in their hot little hands until the very last page. That’s every author’s goal as well as a hallmark of Bookmark.

On the 35th episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, Hilary is talking turkey about diversity. It doesn’t have to feel comfortable to make discussing important topics the right thing to do. But we want to do it anyway. And here’s the major takeaway (but, you know, keep listening!): RESEARCH.

When you are working on diverse content and introducing characters or elements in your work, it’s okay to not know what to say. Make sure that you research credible sources to get the appropriate information to use. Also, make sure you know what is credible and not.

These three tips will start you off on the right foot (but there’s much more in the show):

Focus on describing what the reader sees no matter the subject. What is the texture, the color, the scent, the taste, etc.?

Be authentic and organic when you are being inclusive. Don’t just plop a character in there who doesn’t contribute a lot or describe something to force home the point that it is different.

When taking advice, get it from a relevant source. An expert in Italian cuisine, for example, not a novel set in Italy. When you encounter a janky resource, refuse to use it until you find one that is correct.

You are not going to know everything on your writing journey, but letting the fear of doing something wrong when the right intention is in your heart will hold you back. Start to have these conversations and expand your world, learning about different cultures, countries, orientations, and elements that might not be so prevalent in your reality. Then put them in your world :)

On the 34th episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, Hilary is sharing her editing tips she applies to every author’s manuscript.

Sometimes, taking a peek into the inner mechanisms of the mind of someone doing a different job than you helps you do your job a little bit better. Here’s hoping this insight into the editing process helps you when you sit down and confront the blank page.

Remember these three tips and listen for even more. There’s a long list this go-round, so don’t skip a minute!

1. Check the order of the words in your sentences. Do you need to move anything around? What is describing the subject?
2. Develop the ability to switch back and forth between reading perspectives. It’s easier than you think! Hilary tells you how :)
3. Don’t use ten-dollar words when a buck will do.

Apply these tactics as you create your masterpiece, but do make sure you get the writing done first before leaping into editing. The art of writing is free-flowing, so edit only when you are done expunging yourself of all your ink and ideas.

On the 33rd episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we are putting negative writing self-talk out of its misery with helpful and insightful responses you can say to yourself. Your critical alter-ego won’t stand a chance.

We don’t know one writer who sails through their craft completely on an even keel and feeling 100% about their ideas, efforts, understanding, and results. So if you feel like you are less than in this area, be assured that you are not alone. If you were to stand in a crowded room and scream out your writing vulnerabilities, you would hear an echo back of challenges that would sound eerily close to yours.

File these three ready responses away to beat back the pessimist that loves nothing more than to beat up you and your writing. BTW, of course, there are more. You just have to listen ;)

1. Remember, we are groomed not to accept mediocrity. It forces us to push ourselves, and in this state, we don’t produce our best results. So cut yourself a break and build in self-care and time for reflection on your work, and even just to walk away when you are creating.
2. Not getting a publishing deal doesn’t mean that you haven’t written a quality book.
3. Sharing your story is self-care, and there is no guilt in self-care. That’s the rule, man. We didn’t make it up!

Writing can be the most blissful experience of your life as you wring out all the ideas and aspirations in your head. But it can also be a tremendous trudging uphill, where you fight to extract genius, and doing so leaves you cold and longing. To experience more of the joy, you must keep your mind conditioned to believe you can accomplish anything. This means combatting thoughts that are harmful to you and your writing. Get in the habit of excusing these thoughts through daily meditation or meditating as you hit the page, and you will empower your best writing.

On the 32nd episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, SEO monster hunter Tim Kearney of Time Kearney Creative Services is with us to talk about best practices in copywriting, what works and doesn’t and why you may need to switch up your game.

SEO is not a lost art. Sure it’s not as sexy as when we embarked on the craft in the first place, cramming all the keywords without any sort of finesse into text--j/k! But is an art that has been finessed, and Tim K. is a finesser. He has deep, deep marketing roots, having advised Fortune 500 companies on the right actions to take to improve the quality and quantity of their leads. He will share with you what’s not so important in your SEO journey and what strategies you can double down on to get the biggest payoff!

Geek out on these three prompts to polish up your SEO (but oh, there’s so much more in the show--it’s almost obscene!:

1. Gone are the days of burying text in white font, so Google ranks you.
2. Good, relevant writing is more important than ever in SEO. Thank goodness for small favors!
3. Did you know the LinkedIn algorithm is just like the Facebook of yore, that wide-open door, letting throngs of peeps in? Capitalize here.

On the 31st episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, the audiobook master Drew Linsalata of Helix interactive fame, teaches you everything you need to know about creating an audiobook and if it even makes sense to have one.

This is a subject that needs to be talked about. It’s a subject that many authors bring up but don’t know how to approach. If you're an author, you probably have about a million questions. How do I create one? Should I read my own content? How much does it cost? What don't I want to do when creating an audiobook? And on and on.

Your three takeaways:

1. You likely don’t have the right mic or equipment for the job. But you also likely don’t need to pay through the nose to get it. When you work with Drew, he sends you the fancy equipment to ensure your book is accepted by the biggest audiobook publishers.
2. Reading for a non-fiction book or fiction book are different animals. The fiction book might even need multiple voice-over artists. As the author, how fun to audition them! Just think, you could get some sunglasses, a beanie and a director’s chair. If you ever needed an excuse to be cooler than you already are, this is it!
3. DO NOT try and knock out the recording of your book in one session. Your manuscript will sound like it was narrated by your evil twin!

On the 30th episode of Go Book Yourself, the podcast that helps you Master Writing, Marketing, and Publishing One Byte at a Time, we are pushing you out of the mud and muck of supposed writer’s block to get your ideas flowing once more. So, let’s strap the chains on your tires and roll on down the road to break free of those writing ruts.

Hilary is covering 13 reasons why--very different from the controversial Netflix series,  btw--you might wind up trapped in the confines of your own mind, unable to move forward due to self-doubt, confusion, overwhelm, and a bunch of other fun emotions!

Here are three different reasons why you might be stuck, and you don’t want to miss this episode because there are ten more!

1. This is the book I have to write, not the book I want to write.
2. I don’t know what step to take next.
3. I’m afraid people will judge me.

Reasons that hold us back from doing what we truly want to do and what we dream of are actually excuses. We know you don’t want to let any of these reasons stop you from your progress on the road to becoming a writer. If it’s hard to move forward, you’ll need the keys to get unstuck, the rationale behind the reasons you have for being stuck. You might need validation. You might need a shot of self-confidence. You might need to have the plan laid out a little more clearly for you. And sometimes, you might just have to get down and do the work.