You can publish a book for next to nothing. Uploading to Amazon is free. A premade cover can cost $40. Canva will get you a passable template in an afternoon. None of that means you have an author business.

In this episode of The Write Podcast, Sarah Williams breaks down what it actually costs to build a real, sustainable author business, not just publish a book. She covers what overhead actually means for an author (editing, cover design, running ads properly, business admin), why wearing every hat yourself has a hidden cost paid in time instead of money, and why the biggest investment most authors skip isn't financial at all.

If you're an indie author, a self-published writer, or an author trying to build an actual career from your books, and you've ever wondered why some writers build real businesses while others stall out, this episode names the real difference. It's not talent. It's whether you're running this like the business it is.

Ready to stop guessing and start making these decisions in the right order?

Register for the free live training, The 3 Decisions That Turn a Finished Manuscript Into a Career (Most Authors Get the Order Wrong), at serenadepublishing.com/training

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✍️ Writers: Want help building a real writing career?Join my free weekly email for tips on writing, publishing, and growing your readership.→ www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —👋 About This ChannelHi, I’m Sarah Williams. I help writers turn their books into sustainable careers.Here we talk about:• writing and finishing books• publishing and the book industry• author marketing• building a long-term writing careerWhether you're writing your first book or already publishing, you're welcome here.— — — — — — — — — —🚀 Ready to go deeper?✦ The Author CEO – for writers ready to treat their books like a real business ✦ Author Retreats – immersive strategy and writing retreatsLearn more:www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —📌 Connect With MeInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/serenadepublishingTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@serenadepublishing

You built the store. Maybe it's beautiful. Maybe it cost more than you want to admit. Now it's just sitting there, waiting for someone to find it.

I sat down with Melissa Storm, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who's spent over a decade running one of publishing's most trusted ads agencies. She's the person authors turn to when their Facebook ads stop working and nobody can tell them why.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- Why interest-based targeting doesn't work like it used to

- How to tell if you've trained the algorithm on the wrong reader, and how to fix it

- What changes strategically when you sell direct instead of through a retailer

Melissa doesn't do vague advice. She gives you the reason behind the rule, not just the steps.

Connect with Melissa Storm:

Take her free marketing quiz and find her courses at novelpublicity.com.

Her Shopify ads program is only available through her live Kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/melstorm/shopify-ads

— — — — — — — — — —✍️ Writers: Want help building a real writing career?Join my free weekly email for tips on writing, publishing, and growing your readership.→ www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —👋 About This ChannelHi, I’m Sarah Williams. I help writers turn their books into sustainable careers.Here we talk about:• writing and finishing books• publishing and the book industry• author marketing• building a long-term writing careerWhether you're writing your first book or already publishing, you're welcome here.— — — — — — — — — —🚀 Ready to go deeper?✦ The Author CEO – for writers ready to treat their books like a real business ✦ Author Retreats – immersive strategy and writing retreatsLearn more:www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —📌 Connect With MeInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/serenadepublishingTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@serenadepublishing

This week I'm talking with Australian bestselling author Jade May. Jade writes the Eden Series, high heat, angst filled romance that's sold over 10,000 copies worldwide. And she's landed press most authors only dream about. SMH. Mamamia. News.com.au. Herald Sun.

We get into the real story behind that coverage. Jade worked with a PR agency, and she walks us through what that actually looked like. What a publicist does day to day. What changed once she had one in her corner. And whether it's worth it for an author who's just starting to think about visibility.

We also talk about her move to Penguin with the Eden Series, what that partnership actually looks like behind the scenes, and the story she's so generously shared about writing through chronic illness, and what that's meant for her and for her readers.

And I'm so glad to share that Jade will be joining us at the Sunshine Coast Fiction Festival this year.

https://www.sunshinecoastfictionfestival.com.au

https://www.authorjademay.com/

https://www.righteouspr.com.au/

— — — — — — — — — —✍️ Writers: Want help building a real writing career?Join my free weekly email for tips on writing, publishing, and growing your readership.→ www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —👋 About This ChannelHi, I’m Sarah Williams. I help writers turn their books into sustainable careers.Here we talk about:• writing and finishing books• publishing and the book industry• author marketing• building a long-term writing careerWhether you're writing your first book or already publishing, you're welcome here.— — — — — — — — — —🚀 Ready to go deeper?✦ The Author CEO – for writers ready to treat their books like a real business ✦ Author Retreats – immersive strategy and writing retreatsLearn more:www.serenadepublishing.com— — — — — — — — — —📌 Connect With MeInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/serenadepublishingTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@serenadepublishing