The Secret Library Podcast

*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com.My guest this week is Carl Richards, who is the author of the One Page Financial Plan: A simple way to be smart about your money, and the Behavior Gap: Simple ways to stop doing dumb things with money. He was also the creator of the Sketch Guy Column, which appeared weekly for a decade in the New York Times. Carl has many other qualifications, but I wanted to include him in this season of the SLP because of his incredible ability to distill concepts down about money, meaning, the ways that we interact with money, the ways that we support and nurture our creativity by viewing money as another resource, along with our time our effort, our energy our life force, This conversation had many sort of brain exploding, exciting moments. It was such a joy to speak with Carl and I'm delighted to share this conversation with you. I think it will surprise you and I can't wait to hear what you think.Topics:* Carl’s philosophy when thinking about money and the rift that is currently causing so many problems* How profit equals permission and allows us to access the things we really care about* Time, money, energy and attention as the four uses of capital and how to employ them* Managing the tension of wanting to do something new but feeling too scared* Learning to be okay with failure and letting it teach you something* Being intentional with what you want your pinnacle of success or happiness to look like* Focusing on the pursuit of craft to find enduring happinessEpisode Resources:* Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin* When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron* 50 Fires Podcast* So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal NewportAbout Carl:Carl Richards is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and the director of investor education for the BAM ALLIANCE, a community of over 130 independent wealth management firms throughout the United States. He is the creator of the weekly Sketch Guy column in the The New York Times, and is a columnist for Morningstar Advisor. Carl has also been featured on Marketplace Money, The Leonard Lopate Show, Oprah.com and Forbes.com. In addition, Carl has become a frequent keynote speaker at financial planning conferences and visual learning events around the world.Through his simple sketches, Carl makes complex financial concepts easy to understand. His sketches also serve as the foundation for his first book, The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money (Portfolio/Penguin). Carl’s art appeared in a solo show at the Kimball Art Center, in Park City, Utah. Other showings include The Parson’s Gallery in New York, The Shultz Museum, and an exhibit at the Mansion House in London. His commissioned work is on display in businesses and educational institutions across the country. He lives with his family in Park City, Utah.Connect with Carl:* Website* Behavior Gap Radio* Instagram: @behaviorgap Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Billy Broas. He is the author, along with Tiago Forte, of the forthcoming Simple Marketing for Smart People. Before you panicabout the word marketing, hear me out. Billy's created systems to help creative and nerdy people understand marketing, like those of us who write and love books. I’ve studied with Billy to help me get the word out about courses and books at Book Alchemy and the Secret Library. I wanted to share Billy's expertise with you for us to help get your wonderful books in the hands of readers who will enjoy and benefit from them. The first step: they need to know yours books exist. Let’s get started with Billy Broas!Topics:* How Billy transitioned from brewmaster to marketing consultant and why he chose to write this book* How today’s approach to email and social media have watered down writing and marketing; learning from old school methods of good storytelling* How to reach readers without giving up your identity* The five guiding principles of Billy’s messaging framework* How being yourself unreservedly helps you find the best readers for your work* Knowing you aren’t writing your book for to be even clearer in who you want to reachEpisode Resources:* Building a Second Brain* The Five Light BulbsConnect with Billy:* Website* Instagram: @fivelightbulbs* Facebook* LinkedIn Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com.Summary:Today’s episode of the Secret Library is such a treat – we are joined by Erika Rasure, an internationally recognized leader, educator, and researcher in holistic financial wellness. Throughout the episode, we chat about our respective experiences as writers who are also Enneagram 4s and how Erika uses the Enneagram in her work. We also spend a lot of time talking about how creatives often wait for the “perfect conditions” before starting their work, but in reality, these circumstances don’t actually exist and we have to be willing to change our conditions and take the next step forward. Erika shares why this barrier alone was almost the reason she didn’t write her upcoming book that she is now co-authoring with Bari Tessler. I feel honored to witness such vulnerability from Erika because this transparency is something that the creative space so dearly needs. Enjoy!Topics:* How Erika found herself in the financial therapy and transformational coaching space and when she got the idea to write her book* Why Erika loves the Enneagram and how she leans on this in her work with her clients* The shame, vulnerability, and innermost thoughts that many authors face when writing their books (and wanting to make money from it)* How Erika experienced the loss of motivation when it came to her writing and entrepreneurship and becoming comfortable with asking for support* Finding a path forward even if the conditions you find yourself in aren’t the most favorable and how Erika came across the opportunity to co-author with Bari Tessler* The importance of internal work to help make things happen for you on the outsideEpisode Resources:* The Art of Money Mentorship Program* Find your EnneagramConnect with Erika:* LinkedIn Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com.Summary:What if book franchises were as extensive as movie franchises? Would you buy a perfume or a sweater that was curated specifically for your favorite book? Finding new ways to make money as a writer is a theme throughout season 10 and I’m excited to dig deeper with Heidi Fiedler in today’s episode of the Secret Library. Heidi is a writer and editor who has worked on hundreds of children’s books, giving her tons of experience in the publishing world – traditional and indie. We share our hopes for a future where the burden of success is taken off the writer’s back, where the publishing industry is more collaborative and creative. If you’re dreaming about possibilities for the future of publishing, this episode is for you.Topics:* What Heidi is currently asking herself about money and writing* Recent changes that Heidi has noticed with veteran writers starting to ask, “How do I make this work?”* The disconnect between how many books are being sold and writer income* Why the idea of “smaller press, smaller money” isn’t necessarily true, plus the pros and cons of smaller advances* Getting creative with ways writers make money to create an all-encompassing experience* Patterns Heidi has seen with income for children’s books authors* Brighter spots of hope for writers to earn more in this day and age* Why Caroline and Heidi want you to pursue your “what if” idea of a bookEpisode Resources:* Le Labo Fragrances* Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction by Patricia Highsmith* The Sentence by Louise ErdrichAbout Heidi:Writer and editor Heidi Fiedler has worked on hundreds of children’s books for clients ranging from Chronicle to Bravery Magazine. She teaches masterclasses and coaches writers, so they can move forward with confidence and ease. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, mother, and son.Connect with Heidi:* Website* Instagram: @heidifiedler Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

SummaryThis week on the Secret Library podcast, my guest is Kern Carter. Kern Carter, based in Toronto, Canada, is an author, educator, and mentor celebrated for his captivating storytelling. With three books published and two more on the horizon for 2024, Kern has garnered critical acclaim and a devoted following. Through partnerships with various organizations, he amplifies the voices of countless writers who may not have had the opportunity otherwise. Kern's dedication extends to teaching part-time at a local college and conducting workshops on writing craft and the business of being an author. This conversation made me feel like a human bottle of champagne, and I cannot think of a better episode to share for Leap Day. We chat about diversifying your income as an author, self-publishing vs. traditional publishing, and how to thrive as an artist. So let's leap ahead with Kern Carter.Topics* What made Kern start writing Writers Are Superstars and what was the start of his foundational question* Why making money as a writer needs to be centered but why so often we put it to the background* Breaking up with the belief that writers need to be tortured and The Real Writer mentality* The dichotomy of being considered a real writer only if you’re traditionally published rather than self-published* Multiple forms of income as the writer’s solution to thriving* Some of the creative projects that Kern has/is currently worked on to bring in more income* Highlighting the value add of writers and why it’s time to start showcasing this* Exploring technology to find ways that artists can be compensated every time their work is engaged with* Discussing if there’s a public benefit to an author being signed to a publisherEpisode Resources* Writers Are Superstars* Trapital Podcast* Poor Things (movie)Connect with Kern* Website* Instagram: @kerncarterAbout KernWriting made me brave. The words that fear prevented me from saying verbally effortlessly poured onto pages. When my first, independent book came out in 2014, and readers I didn’t know sent me messages about what it meant to them—what my words meant to their lives—it changed me. It gave me the confidence to start speaking out loud the words that were in my head but paralyzed by anxiety. And when thousands of copies were sold, when high schools incorporated my story into their classroom and local bookstores carried and sold copies, I felt unleashed.When I signed my first publishing deal in 2021, it felt fateful that it was a story about young boys and girls. Those years of uncertainty and insecurity are still clear in my mind, further exaggerated when I became a parent at 18. So when I write these stories, I may be inventing the characters and situations, but all of the emotions I infuse into these characters are based on genuine emotions I’ve experienced. Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

SummaryMy first guest this season is Bari Tessler, author of The Art of Money, The Art of Money Workbook, and the creator of the year long Art of Money School. She has been my money mentor since I met her over 20 years ago. I knew she had to be our first guest for this season because she was the first guest ever on this show, and has generously brought the art of money into all of our conversations. In this episode, we look at money beliefs creatives hold about themselves and how we can change these stories when they no longer fit. I know you're going to love hearing from Bari Tessler and I can’t wait to hear your epiphanies!Topics* The disconnects that Bari has seen with her creative clients between setting fees and covering their personal and business/creative expenses* Understanding the lifelong relationship you have with money* How Bari believes we can merge our creativity with your business savvy* The different practices and rituals that can help us engage with money as a creative force* Dismantling the belief that enjoying what you're doing means you’re not allowed to make money (we also explore the idea of “selling out”!)* Allowing your business model to change to fit your current circumstances and needs* The calm and clarity that can come from renaming expense categories* New ways to connect to your work and make money as a writerConnect with Bari* The Art of Money* Website* Instagram: @baritessler* LinkedIn Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

Welcome back to the Secret Library podcast! In season 10, we are switching up the show in more ways than one, the first of which is starting with a solo episode.This time around, we are looking at money. The world has been shaky for the past several years and I find that economic shifts really hurt those on the fringes first while the upturns tend to benefit us last. Let’s get ahead of this conversation, moving toward prevention and flexibility. I have found that making a plan and engaging with it on my terms as much as possible feels better, even if there is so much that's outside of my control. You’ll hear my history with money as a writer and how I’ve build my business around writing so that I’m not constantly pushing my own goals to the end of my to-do list as well as the stories of other writers in coming episodes. Let’s dive in!Topics:* The importance of taking the time to think about what you want from writing* Why writing and money is a symbiotic relationship and why it’s okay to want to earn money or not yet earn money and still call yourself a writer* Caroline’s past relationship with money and how it’s shifted, especially since moving abroad and realizing she could build a business around writing* Making sure you’re not pushing your own writing goals to the end of your to-do list* Transparency of the money it takes to run Caroline’s business and how it’s constantly evolved and will continue to* How surrender and flexibility are the most useful things you can bring to writing (rather than discipline)Episode Resources:* Learn more about how you can work with Caroline* V.E. Schwab Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

This is the final episode of season ninth season of the Secret Library. In this episode, there's no guest, it's just you and me to take a final look at this very important topic, which is publishing now, which is constantly changing. Over the past eight years of hosting the show, it's always been my goal to address each topic in such a way that it will be valid for a long time, I wanted to create a library of interviews and conversations that would be supportive to a writer discovering the show at any point. But given how much publishing has changed recently, I decided it was necessary to mark the time and to look at publishing in 2023. Not publishing, anytime, because publishing any time isn't really a thing that we can hold on to anymore, there are too many things that are changing — and let's face it, publishing has always been evolving, every creative field is always evolving. So join me in this wrap up and to hear about the future of the podcast!Visit this episode's show notes page here.Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

We’ve got a repeat guest this week on the podcast to give us such a fun update! AL Berggren was on the show in season six to share about her self-publishing journey, and this week she’s back to let us know where her book, Secret Crying Minds, stands! She’s been working with BooksOffice to get her novel adapted to film, one of her lifelong dreams and the motivation behind all of her writing. Along with that, we also talk about getting focused to endure day-long writing sessions to prioritize the work that needs to get done. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! I’ll be back next week with a solo episode and exciting news regarding the future of the show. Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

We’ve had a lot of amazing authors on the show to date, but something we haven’t highlighted as much are the authors of children’s books. So with that, I’m so excited to have Jo Loring-Fisher on the show today to give us a bit of insight on the publishing process of a children’s book and how it differs from other genres. Jo has so much to share about her journey a writer, what she wishes she would have known, and the state of creative arts today. I learned a bit and I think you will, too!Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

It’s always such a treat to read a novel that has a main character who is a writer, but writing a main character who is a writer is a whole different thing. Huma Qureshi, author of Playing Games, is on the Secret Library today and she’s sharing her journey of finally writing the book that she knew she was always meant to write — even in her 40s. Huma talks through the magic of flow, humanizing your characters, and working through every motion of the writing process. This episode is such a delight. Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

I’m delighted to have Craig Mod, book producer and author, on the show today. In our conversation, he shares how he created his own press after receiving rejection after rejection. We also get to hear about his creative process which is a real treat because Craig’s books are really like no other, they are a work of art alongside amazing writing. Craig shows us how you can do publishing your own way, there’s so much to takeaway from this episode. It’s my hope you’ll leave feeling a little bit more confident about whichever publishing avenue you decide to take your own book in.Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

What a rare moment to have the perspective of literary agent and author on the podcast. Jennifer Herrera is on the Secret Library today and she’s sharing the current state of the publishing industry — most notably, how you can write to make sure you’re a sure thing in this risk-adverse environment. So much to learn from this episode! Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

This might be one of the most vulnerable episodes of the Secret Library I’ve shared so far. Joanna Penn joins and shares why she’s chosen to publish on Kickstarter rather than going the traditional route. We also do a bit of a live coaching session as we talk through the shadow over all, but also my shadow about publishing. Learn how to embrace it, and get the courage to put your work out there (all of it!). This episode is full of gems, enjoy!Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue. Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

Sometimes it feels like authors are psychic, right? The books they write are published in the exactly right historical moment which makes their work immediately timeless. This is certainly the case for Kerri Maher and her most recent book, All You Have to Do Is Call, which focuses on the true story of Chicago’s Jane Collective and the brave women who fought for reproductive rights. In our conversation today Kerri and I unpack the timing phenomenon, how she balances the POV and arcs of all of her characters, and the hopes she has for the book. Enjoy!Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

Halloween will be here before we know it, and to get into the spirit I’m excited to share this episode with Laura Sims, author of Looker and her newest book, How Can I Help You, which explores the darker side of humanity — all happening within a library which is a delight. Laura masters the art of rotating POV and dialogue in her newest work, so we dive into that and much more throughout this ep. Enjoy!Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

Welcome to the newest season of The Secret Library! We have an amazing line up in store for you these next few weeks that I can’t wait for you to hear. To start us off, Steven Rowley joins us to talk about his experience writing his latest book, The Celebrants. The biggest theme we touch upon is the bittersweet feeling that aging brings to our worldview (and the books we write and read). Steven has wonderful insights on so many topics, from dialogue to writing once you’ve sold a successful pitch. Enjoy!Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

And here we are — the final episode of season eight. I'm surprised that we're here already. We've had so many exciting conversations during the season, and here we are with my final episode, where it's just me and you talking about the gifts of writing and how they've played out. For me. I was thinking about enchantment, and wonder, and the shifts of mentality that writing has created and it was a total coincidence that Katherine Mays book came out and the opportunity to speak with her appeared at that same time. But these are the kinds of things that begin to happen when you embrace writing, and start to follow its mysterious and exciting suggestions. Which is also what I want to chat about today on this wrap up episode, the challenges turned opportunities that come with writing and how it’s literally changed my life in the process. Enjoy! And as always, thank you for being here. If you haven’t yet left a review for the show, I encourage you to do so so that more writers or aspiring writers can find the Secret Library, too. Visit this episode's show notes page here.Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

Continuing the conversation about wonder, we‘re dipping back into the SLP archives for a couple of favorite episodes you might have missed, or that deserve a relisten with wonder in mind. Enjoy--At about 40, there is a new level of clarity about the urgency of being creative. I was delighted to speak with Kusi Okamura, Editor of The Wild Word magazine and the publisher of Mike Hembury's novel New Clone City, which we discussed a few episodes back. We get into detail about how Kusi created the press, the process of publishing Mike's book from her vantage point, as well as the beauty of taking writing and creativity seriously in our 40s. There is so much attention given to bright young things and 30 Under 30 lists of writers, so it was refreshing and validating to have an open conversation about how we have each thought about our creative process and the urgency we feel about getting work on the page at this point in life. Writing in my 40s feels more real than it ever has, and it was empowering to find a kindred spirit on this topic. If you're writing over 40 (or even over 30) you will feel reassured that you are in the right place. We need to hear more from women in mid-life and especially to see a representation of characters at a wider range of ages in books and all media. If you're craving this, this episode is for you. I promise it will fire you up just like it did for me. Visit this episode's original show notes page here.Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe

Continuing the conversation about wonder, we‘re dipping back into the SLP archives for a couple of favorite episodes you might have missed, or that deserve a relisten with wonder in mind. Enjoy--I'm so grateful to welcome Greta Solomon back to the show. With her bright approach to life and incredible insight into the writing process, I always love to have writers who also teach and coach on the show.Greta and I had such an exciting conversation about taking good care of ourselves and how to stay connected and inspired as part of my Write Free course this past summer, and it didn't feel fair to keep that insight just in the class. Greta and I caught up again this fall to debunk the myth of "the real writer," share what nourishes us, and to talk about what is needed to stay inspired.She's the bright spot we need right now, and her advice is the best I can imagine sharing this week. Happy listening!Visit this episode's original show notes pages here.Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Book Alchemy at www.book-alchemy.com/subscribe