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Writing and publishing a phenomenal book doesn’t have to be ridiculously complicated or mind-numbingly overwhelming. From myths and misconceptions to practical tips and sound strategies, Elizabeth Lyons (author, book writing coach, book editor, and founder of Finn-Phyllis Press), helps writers feel more in control of and comfortable with the business of book publishing.
Her interviews with fellow authors discussing their writing processes and publishing journeys aim to help you untangle YOUR process so you can finally get your story into the world.
154 Episodes
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Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Fear of failure shows up early for most authors. And despite what you may think, it doesn’t magically disappear once you’re published. In this episode, I get honest about how fear, rejection, and unmet expectations quietly shape the writing process, especially in nonfiction and memoir. Drawing from years of editing experience (and my own hard-earned lessons), I break down why failure so often feels personal—and why that belief keep...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! In this episode, I discuss the significance of context in the author space, emphasizing the need for transparency in marketing. I also talk about that dreaded task: building an author email list. EPISODE CHAPTERS 01:37 - The Power of Quiet Reflection 04:09 - When Navigating the Author Space: Context Matters 10:02 - Building Your Email List: A Key to Success 15:04 - Commitment to Growth: Choosing Your Platform READY TO FINALLY...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! This episode starts with a question that’s been tapping me on the shoulder all year: What would it look like to choose ease without giving up momentum? I’m reflecting on the past year in book writing and publishing, and sharing what I’m carrying forward into 2026. Less hustle-for-hustle’s-sake. More sustainable progress that feels livable. I talk about why consistency in book sales matters more than viral spikes, and why realistic ...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Episode 150 provides the reset many authors quietly crave as Jenn Hanson-dePaula returns to help us modify (if not outright rebuild) our expectations, systems, and perspectives when it comes to book sales. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: • How to implement a "2 sales a day" strategy. • Becoming "profitable, not popular." (Hint: Clicks matter. Likes and views don’t.) • The simple link path that outperform complicated funnels every time. • The e...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! In this episode, I share 8 books that reshaped how I parent, relax, and think about storytelling in 2025. Books: Just Do Nothing (for Parents) by Joanna Hardis The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram What Happened to Lucy Vale by Lauren Oliver Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Small Victories by Anne Lamott Moms Like Us by Jordan Roter *** 📚 Author Visibility Bundle (200+ customizable email and social med...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! In this episode, we walk through 5 mistakes that quietly undermine first-time self-publishers and show how to fix each one with practical, doable steps. We start by tightening your audience with a one-sentence framework that keeps every chapter aligned to a clear promise. From there, we map a real editing workflow: self-edit, gather targeted beta feedback on structure and flow, then bring in a professional editor who can stre...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! If you’re writing a nonfiction book or memoir and your draft feels messy, scattered, or “not quite ready,” this episode will help you clean it up fast. I’m sharing 5 editing rules that instantly improve any nonfiction manuscript — the same rules I use to help guide the authors whose manuscripts I edit. These are the patterns I’ve seen again and again after coaching hundreds of authors, editing countless drafts, and publishing...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Wanting life to be wonderful and wanting to be wonderful aren’t the same thing, and that gap is where today’s conversation lives. Israeli journalist and author Lihi Lapid joins me to talk about motherhood’s messy truths, the pressure to be “more” than "good enough," and the writing choices that make a story feel honest. From bestselling novels to a children’s book that calms homes during chaotic times, Lihi's path as an author refr...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Today I'm sharing 5 quick wins that make self-publishing feel simple, not scary, and show how small moves can build sustainable momentum. By the end of these 5 steps, you will have: • locked in a clear (and easy to pronounce over and over again) working title • chosen a credible publishing company name • and understanding of ISBNs and taken the first step toward purchasing yours • selected a trim size that best fits your word coun...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Ever felt like everyone else has the secret playbook for publishing while you’re just winging it? Same. In this episode, I spill everything I'd tell you as the author of six books (and having published 50+ for others) if I wasn't afraid you'd unfollow or outright block me. I'll get real about the financial side of authorship—the thin margins, the myth of “making it” with one viral post, and the practical ways nonfiction auth...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! A single question on a cold Hudson Valley walk: What if there’s a body in that hunter’s tent? sparked the debut thriller The Gallagher Place by Julie Doar. In this episode, we chat about how she wrote the first draft by instinct, then shifted gears into precision: charting dates, timelines, and cause-and-effect until every twist landed in a way that made sense. When the manuscript worked its way to 100K+ words, cutting ...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! What happens when a traditionally published debut novel suddenly appears on Kindle Unlimited while still showing wide? That unexpected twist opens into a bigger conversation about publishing decisions (and what’s actually within an author’s control). In this episode, Turner Gable Kahn, author of The Dirty Version (Harper Perennial), shares how she honored her grandmothers with a pen name, threaded #MeToo-era questions into a contem...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Maid meets Under the Tuscan Sun! Betsy Cornwell built her career writing young adult fantasy, but her newest book tells an entirely different story. In this episode, Betsy opens up about her memoir, Ring of Salt, which chronicles her escape from an abusive marriage and her creation of a sanctuary for single-parent artists. At the center is the Old Knitting Factory in western Ireland, a historic building she transformed into a child...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Most authors have as big a stack (if not bigger) of abandoned drafts as they do books that actually make it into the world. Jane Hamilton—bestselling author of The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World and two-time Oprah Book Club pick—is refreshingly open about that reality. Her newest novel, The Phoebe Variations, took nearly a decade to finish. Not because she was “blocked,” but because finding the center of a story often means wr...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Copyright. Piracy. LibGen. AI scraping. If just reading that list makes you want to hide under your desk with a bottle of...something...you’re not alone. Indie authors are being forced to navigate a landscape that feels murkier by the day, and most of us didn’t exactly sign up to become copyright attorneys. Unfortunately, the “poor man’s copyright” trick (mailing yourself a sealed copy of your manuscript) I used to suggest won’t do...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! There are more than 42 million books on Amazon right now. So how in the world do you help your book stand out? One word: keywords. Think of keywords as Amazon’s GPS. They tell the algorithm exactly where your book belongs and who should see it. However, Amazon only gives you seven keyword boxes to work with. Seven! Which means every slot has to pull its weight. In this episode, I walk you through how to make those keywords work har...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Amazon ads don’t have to be complicated (or eat up your entire marketing budget) to actually sell books. In this episode, I’m sharing my approach to making Amazon ads simple(r) without endless spreadsheets, confusing dashboards, or the kind of budget that makes you wonder if you should’ve stuck with free bookmarks. Common Questions Tackled: Do I really need to spend $50–$100 a day like people recommend for Meta ads? Or can I start ...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Writers dream of the day they’ll hold their finished book, but few warn you about how intense the editing phase can be. In this episode, debut novelist Jill Beissel gets real about the messy, magical process of turning a rough draft into a polished novel readers will love. Jill’s upcoming book, Glitter and Gold (out October 7!), went through what she calls “color-coded chaos”—a DIY system using highlighters, sticky notes, and sheer...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! Ever feel like everyone has some secret book marketing hack? Most of those “shortcuts” are just expensive detours. In this episode, I’m calling out three distractions that keep indie authors spinning their wheels. First up: Kirkus Reviews. Are they legit? Yes. Are they worth the price for most self-published authors? Maybe. But if you're hoping a $400 review is going to move thousands of copies, well, it probably won't. Then ...
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions! If you’re the kind of person who devours psychological thrillers but also wants to be emotionally sucker-punched (in the best way), Lauren Oliver’s What Happened to Lucy Vale needs to be on your radar. In this episode, Lauren takes us behind the scenes of what might be her most structurally daring novel to date. Set in a small Indiana town with a possibly-haunted house at its core, Lucy Vale unspools two eerie mysteries—one s...
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If a famous author ever criticized my work to the point it went viral my entire reaction would be: "You noticed MEEE?!" bc srsly only a weirdo would give a shit what I think. If their rabid followers attacked me I'd reply to every comment with a copy/paste: "Thank goodness I'm a nobody so you can go on with your life! And since you're a nobody too, hmu if you're in the Dayton area so we can get coffee together sometime. I'm always on the prowl for new friends who like to read books! DEUCES!"