The Author Burnout Cure

For the first episode of a two-part series about being a hybrid author, I have the wonderful and talented Stephanie Burgis on the podcast to talk about her journey of starting with traditional publishing and adding indie titles to the mix. We talked about: Diversifying your author income streams How to decide whether a project should be trad or indie The creative and logistical benefits of writing novellas Building a Patreon community that doesn’t add a ton of work to your plate And more! You can learn more about Stephanie (and her fabulous books!) on her website, Instagram, and Patreon. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and get on the waitlist for when spots open again, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice and notifications about upcoming workshops? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Today marks the beginning of a 5-part interview series with all sorts of incredible authors and industry pros! I am so thrilled to kick things off with this fabulous interview with my literary agent, and the founder of Mad Woman Literary Agency, Danielle Burby!  Danielle and I focused our conversation on post-debut and mid-career authors. So instead of the typical questions about how to query, we dive deep into strategic career planning, what to do when a book as a “challenging sales history,” how to make a big pivot to a new age category or genre, and so much more!  You can learn more about Danielle (and what she’s currently looking for in her query inbox) on the Mad Woman Literary Agency website. And don’t forget to follow the agency on Instagram!   ***  The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and get on the waitlist for when spots open again, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy  Looking for even more author advice and notifications about upcoming workshops? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter by clicking here.  DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Have you set writing goals only to fall short of meeting them? Do you feel terrible when you don't achieve the writing milestones you set? If so, this week's episode is for you. I walk through the goals that I didn't meet from the summer, explore various reasons why I didn't meet those goals, and learn from that experience to set more useful goals going forward. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and get on the waitlist for when spots open again, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice and notifications about upcoming workshops? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

If you’re feeling stuck in your author career, one of the best things you can do is learn to ask yourself better questions. Most of us get stuck when our brains latch onto stories that lead to dead ends. “Nothing is working” or “I’ve tried everything” or “why the heck can’t I sell another book????” all end with you feeling defeated, frustrated, and maybe even a bit hopeless. In today’s episode, you’ll learn how to ask better questions so you can get unstuck and start moving forward in your career. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and get on the waitlist for when spots open again, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice and notifications about upcoming workshops? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Like writing, confidence is a skillset that you can build over time. It’s an emotional muscle, a mindset, that can speed up your writing progress, reduce stress, and make the day-to-day of your author career more enjoyable. Dive in to this week’s episode to learn how confidence (or a lack thereof) affects your writing, what you can do to increase the confidence you have in your writing process and your overall author career. At the end of the episode, you’ll get instructions for a 30-day challenge that will improve your writing confidence in less than 5 minutes per day. PS - I’m pressing pause on monthly workshops this quarter. You can access past workshop replays at http://www.isabelsterling.com/resources *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and get on the waitlist for when spots open again, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice and notifications about upcoming workshops? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

“I don’t want to let anyone down.” If you find yourself worried about disappointing people on your publishing team or falling short of their expectations, this podcast is for you. I’m breaking down why meeting expectations can feel so fraught in publishing, including what to do when those expectations are implied rather than explicitly laid out for you. PS - I’m pressing pause on monthly workshops this quarter. You can access past workshop replays at http://www.isabelsterling.com/resources *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and get on the waitlist for when spots open again, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice and notifications about upcoming workshops? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Some books come out easily. They seem to flow from our brains to the page without much fuss. And some books… Well, some books are finicky and require all sorts of pivots, enduring false starts, and otherwise feeling less story stability while you work. When you have one of those trickier books, your ability to continue showing up to the page despite a less-than-ideal process (rather than getting frustrated and avoiding the book altogether) makes a big difference in both how quickly the book comes together and how much you enjoy the process. Today on the podcast, I’m breaking down how I manage to bring a sense of fun and play to stubborn projects and explore some of the less-obvious costs we pay when we avoid our books. PS - I’m pressing pause on monthly workshops this quarter. You can access past workshop replays at http://www.isabelsterling.com/resources *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and get on the waitlist for when spots open again, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice and notifications about upcoming workshops? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

You did it. You achieved the dream of being a full-time author. No more Day Job. No more micromanaging boss. No more putting on real clothes to go to an office outside the house. Despite achieving this major milestone, many full-time authors find they still struggle with procrastination, skipped writing sessions, and end up burnt out after deadlines. Today on the podcast, I’m breaking down three important steps to help full-time authors build a sustainable writing schedule… one that doesn’t require you to log 8 hours of writing each day. Link to the NPR piece about the 40-hour work week mentioned in today’s episode. PS - I’m pressing pause on monthly workshops this quarter. You can access past workshop replays at http://www.isabelsterling.com/resources *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and get on the waitlist for when spots open again, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice and notifications about upcoming workshops? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Building a sustainable author career when you’re also working a full-time Day Job can be really challenging. For many people, trying to juggle two careers leads to exhaustion, frustration, and even burnout. You start to resent your Day Job, Publishing, or both. You wonder whether you’re cut out for this whole "author thing" or if you should call it quits. Today on the podcast, I’m breaking down the 3 biggest problems authors face when juggling writing with another job and how to unwind each one to build a truly sustainable author career. PS - I’m pressing pause on monthly workshops this quarter. You can access past workshop replays at http://www.isabelsterling.com/resources *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and get on the waitlist for when spots open again, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice and notifications about upcoming workshops? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Rejection is an inescapable part of life when you’re an author, and with it, often comes a painful question: “Am I fooling myself?” “Are my goals unrealistic?” “Who am I kidding, thinking I can achieve that?” While those thoughts are normal, they’re also painful and can lead to burnout, avoidance, and even quitting the industry entirely. Today, I’m sharing two different methods to wiggle out of that negative spiral and find your way back to having fun writing fiction. PS - I’m pressing pause on monthly workshops this quarter. You can access past workshop replays at http://www.isabelsterling.com/resources *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and get on the waitlist for when spots open again, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice and notifications about upcoming workshops? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

When you have a big project or deadline—such as drafting a new novel under contract—setting tiered writing goals can make the difference between enjoying that process and stumbling into burnout. As a bonus, those tiers also make it more likely you’ll actually achieve your goal!  This week on the podcast, I share my personal strategy for tackling a new book—even while my emotional world is turbulent.  PS - I’m pressing pause on monthly workshops this quarter. You can access past workshop replays at http://www.isabelsterling.com/resources  ***  The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and get on the waitlist for when spots open again, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy  Looking for even more author advice and notifications about upcoming workshops? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter by clicking here.  DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

“I’m afraid to ask for an extension. I don’t want my editor to hate me.” I hear some version of this at least once a week in author communities, and it makes sense that it’s a common fear! We care so much about our books (and the future of our careers) that we can become hyper-vigilant to anything that might get in the way of potential success. But! Your editor does not hate you. I promise. In today’s episode, I’m sharing 3 useful reframes that will help you let go of that fear the next time it pops up. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and schedule your free enrollment call, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice and notifications about upcoming workshops? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Doubt is a common part of the creative process… but it doesn’t need to derail forward momentum or feel miserable. Whether doubt shows up for you in the brainstorming, outlining, drafting, or revision process (or all of them!), today’s episode will help you extract useful information from that doubt and get back into the flow of your novel. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and schedule your free enrollment call, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice and notifications about upcoming workshops? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

You care about the quality of your books, but where's the line between a commitment to excellence and the kind of perfectionism that holds you back? And how do you keep perfectionism from stealing your creative joy? On today’s episode, I dive into the nuances of perfectionism – including the sneaky ways it can show up in your writing process. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and schedule your free enrollment call, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice and notifications about upcoming workshops? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

As authors, we spend a lot of time waiting in publishing. Waiting on submission to see if our book will sell. Waiting to hear back from our agent on whether our book is ready for sub. Waiting for your next edit letter, for cover design options, for responses from the authors who might blurb your book. All. The. Waiting. Today, I’m sharing a simple 5-step tool to help you make waiting suck just a little bit less. PS - There’s still time to catch the final three days of the Consistent Writing Challenge! Sign up here: http://www.isabelsterling.com/challenge *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and schedule your free enrollment call, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter. You’ll also get updates about free monthly trainings and coaching availability. Sign up by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Writing a novel is hard work. There’s no getting around that. But! The way you fuel your writing sessions has a major impact on whether that work feels sustainable or burns you out. Listen in to learn how to intentionally choose how you’re fueling your writing sessions to ensure the longevity of your author career. PS - The Consistent Writing Challenge is happening now! Sign up here: http://www.isabelsterling.com/challenge *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and schedule your free enrollment call, go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy Looking for even more author advice? Sign up for my weekly Real Talk for Writers newsletter. You’ll also get updates about free monthly trainings and coaching availability. Sign up by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Being able to write consistently is the cornerstone of a successful fiction career - but consistent writing doesn’t mean writing every day or even the same amount every week or month. But what do you do when life is really hard? How do you know whether to take a break or still find a way to show up and write? I went live on IG last week to share my thoughts on this, and I’m sharing the replay here with you. *** Reminder: Applications are open for the June 2025 cohort of The Confident Author Academy! This 6-month group coaching program will help you break up with burnout, write consistently, access creative flow, and put the fun back in your fiction career. Submit your application before June 12th: http://www.isabelsterling.com/application Need to talk through your decision? Get on my calendar here. *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and join the June 2025 cohort go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Buckle up folks, you’re in for a ranty episode. On today’s episode, I’m breaking down my personal marketing pet peeves with a firm reminder that you don’t have to market in a way that makes you miserable! Once the ranting is out of my system, I provide simple, actionable tips from my Bare Minimum Book Marketing strategy. Reminder: Applications are open for the June 2025 cohort of The Confident Author Academy! This 6-month group coaching program will help you break up with burnout, write consistently, access creative flow, and put the fun back in your fiction career. Submit your application before June 12th: http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and join the June 2025 cohort go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

If writing advice leaves you feeling discouraged rather than inspired, you’re not alone. It’s normal to unintentionally use writing advice as proof that something is wrong with the way that we work. We tend to give more weight to “expert advice” than our personal lived experience of how we tell stories. This episode will help you bring a sense of neutral curiosity to all types of writing and publishing advice so you can better evaluate whether it’s good advice for YOU and your unique brain. Reminder: Applications are open for the June 2025 cohort of The Confident Author Academy! This 6-month group coaching program will help you break up with burnout, write consistently, access creative flow, and put the fun back in your fiction career. Submit your application before June 12th: http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort *** The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and join the June 2025 cohort go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

A quick episode this week with my off-the-cuff tips to help you prep to moderate an author panel or serve as the in-conversation partner for someone else’s book launch!  Time Sensitive Reminders:  The Bare Minimum Book Marketing workshop is happening today (5/21) at 6pm ET. You can register here: http://www.isabelsterling.com/minimum  Applications are open for the June 2025 cohort of The Confident Author Academy! This 6-month group coaching program will help you break up with burnout and craft a sustainable fiction career. Apply by June 1st: http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort  ***  The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mindset & emotional resilience you need to thrive as an author. To learn more and join the June 2025 cohort go to http://www.isabelsterling.com/academy-cohort  Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.  DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!