On a chilly December afternoon in 2014, I closed the door to my bedroom, swallowed back nerves—even trembled a little as I held a tiny earpiece as a microphone. Then I cleared my throat and recorded my first podcast episode that lasted all of two minutes.

At that point a seasoned author, I forgot what it felt like to send something into the world for the first time. I’d done it for decades with my voice on the page or the screen. With a podcast, I was sending my actual voice into the world for the first time. How would people react? Would these episodes find their way into writers’ ears? I was a beginner again.

First Facing Fears

I fretted over editing, even though my initial vision for using audio was to give myself a simpler way to share ideas. I thought I could wing it. I thought it would be simple. But I realized a more focused, tight delivery would serve listeners better, so I started by outlining and writing a script. This added more time and tasks, but it gave people another way to enjoy the ideas without wasting any of their time with rambling and repetition.

Next Facing Discouragement

Only a few people listened to those first episodes. My friend Charity listened. My mentors. A few friends. I probably forced my husband to help with audio editing questions, but that may have been it.

Publishing episode after episode proved daunting when I looked at the stats and saw only a few people tuning in. I kept going, though, because I enjoyed it. Truly. I loved sending off ideas as a podcast episode, in that medium.

When I first told people about it, they told me they couldn’t find it on their podcast player. They searched and searched, but…nothing. I phoned the good people at Blubrry, my podcast host, to help diagnose several technological mishaps on my part, which resulted in a name change from The Writing Life with Ann Kroeker to the Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach podcast. With those few changes, people could finally find the podcast.

From Humble Beginnings to Global Reach

In time, more listeners downloaded the show. A friend with a huge following shared it one afternoon and that introduced me to her readers. My listening stats showed a bump because of that and the numbers continued to rise: and every number, an individual writer I hoped to encourage.

Ten years later, looking back at those humble beginnings in late 2014, I can see how the determination to start—even when I didn’t know what I was doing, even when I was scared—led to a decade of growth and connection. I grew as a coach, writer, speaker, and podcaster, and writers have told me the ideas I’ve shared have helped them grow in their courage, craft, and confidence.

If that’s you, thank you. Thank you for being part of this journey.

While I don’t obsess over data, I’m floored to realize how it’s grown into a platform that reaches writers worldwide. I thought you might enjoy seeing the top 10 countries where writers are listening to the “Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach” podcast. You might even be in one of them!

Top 10 Countries

Here are the top 10 countries based on listener downloads:

1. United States


2. Canada


3. United Kingdom


4. Australia


5. Germany


6. India


7. Japan


8. Netherlands


9. South Africa


10. France

Top 10 Downloaded Episodes of All Time (as of this recording in January 2025)

The most downloaded episodes must reflect what resonates most. Enjoy browsing the top 10 downloaded episodes of all time (as of January 2025), in case one of them resonates with you:

1. 10 Ways to Start the Writing Process When You’re Staring at a Blank Page


2. Prepare for Publishing with Insights from Literary Agent Lucinda Halpern


3. What’s a Writing Coach (and what kind do I need)?


4. Find Your Book Midwife, Say “Yes” Before You’re Ready, Pitch to Build Platform, and Authentically Engage with Readers (interview with author Clarissa Moll)


5. How Simple Systems Can Unlock Your Writing Productivity, with Kari Roberts


6. Validate Your Idea to Produce Your Best Project (Back to Basics)


7. Embrace These 4 Key Roles for a Flourishing Writing Life


8. How to Make Time to Write and Develop a System to Take Notes, with Bryan Collins


9. Improve Your Writing by Getting Back to Basics


10. How to Hook and Hold Your Readers

First 3 Interviews:

For the first four years of podcasting for writers, I produced only short solo episodes. In 2018, I began to incorporate interviews and since then, I’ve introduced you to 16 writing and publishing professionals, inviting them to share their wisdom and insights.

My first three interviews were with:

1. Shawn Smucker


2. Patrice Gopo


3. Alison Hodgson

Top 2 Series

Two cornerstone series emerged over the years that continue to guide writers: Your Writing Platform, and What Do I Write Next.

Your Writing Platform Series:

For the Your Writing Platform series, I helped writers understand that platform-building isn’t about being a wandering troubadour, but about finding your focus and connecting authentically with readers who resonate with your message.

1. Your Writing Platform Needs a Home Base: An Author Website


2. Your Writing Platform: The Need for Focus


3. Your Writing Platform: What Fascinates, Captivates, and Energizes you


4. Your Writing Platform: How to Confirm Your Niche


5. Your Writing Platform: Who Is Your Who?


6. Your Writing Platform: What’s the Definition of Platform (and Do I Really Need One)?


7. Your Writing Platform: Do People Expect Writers to Be Speakers


8. Now Is the Time to Start Building Your Platform


9. Your Writing Platform: First Steps to Launching Your Social Media Presence (related: You can Impact Readers Right Now Through Social Media)

What Do I Write Next Series:

This series addressed the perpetual question of creative direction, encouraging writers to explore their “vein of gold” while staying open to experimentation.

1. What Do I Write Next: How to Decide What to Write Next


2. What Do I Write Next: Why Write Small When You Want to Go Big?


3. What Do I Write Next: Why Not a Series?


4. What Do I Write Next: Enjoy Your Vein of Gold


5. What Do I Write Next: Experiment and Expand Your Repertoire

Start Your Own Scary Project

For that first-ever episode, I decided the best thing to do was to give myself the advice I