Some launches go exactly to plan. This one didn't — and I'm telling you everything.

Heartbeat Song released on the 12th of April 2026, and in the lead-up to launch day, Amazon cancelled all of my preorders. Before I could even speak to a real person at KDP, I had to fight through a wall of AI bots — frustrating, time-consuming, and genuinely stressful when your launch window is closing in real time.But here's the thing. My book was also live on Apple Books, Kobo, and Google Play — and those platforms delivered. Being wide didn't just make business sense in theory. It literally cushioned my launch.

In this episode I'm sharing the full story: what went wrong, what I didn't do, and exactly how I'm building the runway differently for Our Song later this year.

What you'll learn in this episode:

- Why preorders are about so much more than sales — and what losing them actually costs you

- Why selling wide across multiple platforms is non-negotiable

- The honest list of launch strategies I skipped — ARCs, street team, BookTok, Meta ads, email sequences

- How to build an ARC team that generates reviews before launch day

- Why your Shopify store (or direct sales channel) should lead your strategy, not follow it

- What a proper email launch countdown sequence looks like

- How to shift from creation mode to launch mode — before you finish the last chapter

Links mentioned:Grab Songbird and Heartbeat Song from my website: https://serenadepublishing.myshopify.com/collections/songbird

The Author CEO: https://www.serenadepublishing.com/the-author-ceo

If this episode resonated, please leave a review or share it with a writer friend. It genuinely helps this show reach more people.

Have you ever thought about building a business in the book world… without actually writing a book?

In this episode of The Write Podcast, I’m joined by Shara—the creative force behind Aura and Alchemy, a beautifully unique, book-inspired perfume brand that captures the magic of stories in scent form.

What I love most about this conversation is how it expands what’s possible for you as a creative. Because being part of the writing and publishing world doesn’t have to mean becoming an author—it can look like building something entirely your own, rooted in your love of books.

Inside this episode, we talk about:

• How Shara came up with her incredibly clever bookish business idea

• What it really takes to turn a creative concept into a product-based brand

• The different ways you can be part of the book industry beyond writing

• Why thinking outside the box might be exactly what your creative journey needs
  

Whether you’re a writer, an aspiring author, or someone who simply loves books and wants to turn that passion into something more—this episode will open your eyes to new possibilities.

After 10 novels and building Serenade Publishing from the ground up, I'm getting honest about what actually shaped my author career -- the things I got right, the one thing I couldn't find, and why that gap is the reason the Author CEO Mentorship exists.

What we cover:

• Why writing for yourself isn't the same as knowing your reader -- and how to make the shift

• How to make publishing decisions deliberately instead of by default

• Why your newsletter is the most powerful thing you own as an author

• The real limit of learning from podcasts alone -- and what only a thinking partner can give you

• What I'd do exactly the same, and why belief in the work is what holds everything together

If something's been missing in how you're building your author career, this episode will help you name it.

Apply for the Author CEO Private Mentorship: serenadepublishing.com/the-author-ceo