If you're serious about building an author career — not just finishing a book, but actually turning your writing into a sustainable business — this episode is going to change how you think about everything.

I've written ten novels, built Serenade Publishing from the ground up, and spent years coaching women fiction authors through the publishing decisions that make or break a long-term career. And the single biggest difference I see between authors who build something lasting and authors who stay stuck? It's not talent. It's not even hard work. It's how they think about their books.

In this episode, I'm sharing the Author CEO mindset — the framework I've used in my own career and that I now teach inside The Author CEO Private Mentorship — including three specific mental shifts that will change how you approach every publishing decision you make from here.

In this episode we cover:

• Why your books are employees — and what it means to give each one a job description
• The self-publishing strategy question most authors never ask (and why it's costing them)
• How to make money as an author beyond royalties, and why your back catalogue is your most underused asset
• The ideal reader clarity practice that changes your book marketing, your covers, your content, and your income
• Why publishing rights are a wealth decision, not just a contract detail
• The money mindset shift that women authors are rarely given permission to make
• How manifestation and business strategy work together — and why you actually need both

This episode is for you if:

• You're a fiction author who wants to build a real, financially sustainable writing career
• You've been self-publishing or considering it, and you want a clear strategy — not just more information
• You feel like you're making publishing decisions in the dark and you're ready for that to change
• You want to understand how indie authors actually build passive income from their books over time
• You're done treating your writing like a hobby and ready to run it like a business

Resources mentioned:

The Author CEO Private Mentorship — 4 months, 1:1, for women authors who are ready to build strategically: serenadepublishing.com/the-author-ceo

Connect with Sarah:

Website: serenadepublishing.comInstagram: @serenadepublishingThe Write Podcast: serenadepublishing.com/thewritepodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review — it helps other women fiction authors find this podcast and the support they've been looking for.

Are you a writer or creative entrepreneur with ADHD—or suspect you might be? In this powerful episode of The Write Podcast, host Sarah Williams chats with certified Gallup Strengths Coach and author Samara Thorn about how understanding your unique strengths can transform your writing process, boost your productivity, and help you thrive as a neurodivergent creator.

You’ll learn:

• How ADHD affects writers and entrepreneurs

• Why traditional productivity hacks often don’t work for neurodivergent brains

• How Gallup Strengths can help you write and work in alignment with your personality

• Real-life strategies for harnessing focus, confidence, and creativity—even with a busy brain
  

Whether you’re struggling with motivation, consistency, or the overwhelm of running a creative business, this episode offers hope, encouragement, and actionable insights to help you embrace your ADHD and succeed on your own terms.

In 2016, I was offered a traditional publishing contract. I said no — and that decision shaped everything that came after it.

In this episode I share the real reasons why: the royalty maths that didn't add up, the value of freedom that I wasn't willing to compromise, my honest lack of patience for a four-year timeline, and the bigger picture of wanting to build a sustainable business for myself and my family.

This isn't a case against traditional publishing. It's a case for knowing yourself well enough to make the right decision for you.

She went viral overnight, landed a Penguin deal, and is somehow doing it all as a brand new mum.

Lauren Jackson is a Gold Coast romance author and BookTok creator whose path to publishing is one of the most exciting stories in Australian romance right now. She started by self-publishing, built a devoted readership one book at a time, and when Tierney Page featured her work on TikTok — everything changed.

In this episode, Lauren and I talk about her journey from self-published author to Penguin Books, what it was like to go viral and have the industry suddenly come knocking, how she's built such a genuine and loyal community online, and what life looks like now that she's navigating a creative career with a newborn in the mix.

This is a conversation about persistence, timing, and what happens when the right person discovers your book at the right moment.

If you're an author who watched the BookTok wave from the sidelines — this episode is for you.

I'm talking about what I missed, why I missed it, and whether it's too late to build a readership on TikTok in 2026. Spoiler: it's not. But the strategy has changed.

We cover:

• The real BookTok numbers — 59 million books sold in the U.S. in 2024 alone

• Why TikTok's fastest-growing demographic is women aged 25–50 (your readers are already there)

• An honest platform breakdown: TikTok vs Instagram vs Threads — where romance readers actually are right now

• Why your social following is borrowed land, and your email list is the only audience you truly own

• The mindset shift that changes how you think about every post you'll ever make

Whether you're a debut author or have been publishing for years — this episode will help you figure out where to show up, why, and what you're actually building toward.

What if your book cover isn’t just a marketing tool—but one of the most powerful storytelling elements you have?

In this episode of The Write Podcast, I’m joined by cover designer Holly Dunn for a behind-the-scenes look at what really goes into creating a cover that sells your story.

And here’s what makes Holly different: she actually reads the entire manuscript before she designs. (Yes—really.) Which means her covers aren’t just beautiful… they’re deeply aligned with the tone, emotion, and promise of the book itself.

We dive into her creative process, how she translates story into visual language, and what she’s looking for as she reads a manuscript. We also talk about the rise of AI in design—what it means for authors, where it can help, and where human creativity still matters most.

And of course, we explore the truth behind the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover”… and why readers absolutely do.

If you’re an author who wants your book to stand out, connect with the right audience, and truly reflect the story you’ve written, this episode is a must-listen.

✨ In this episode, we cover:

• Why reading the book changes everything in cover design

• How to visually communicate tone, genre, and emotional promise

• The role of AI in publishing and creative work

• What makes a cover actually sell a book

• How to think about your cover as part of your storytelling

Find Holly online at: https://www.hollydunndesign.com/

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.