A short but impactful (hopefully!) run down of great tips for growing your author career and staying (relatively) sane and focussed. Topics include: Consistency, no matter the speed Diversification / be nimble AI Personal Connection You Do You 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love ou…

A short but impactful (hopefully!) run down of great tips for growing your author career and staying (relatively) sane and focussed. Topics include: Consistency, no matter the speed Diversification / be nimble AI Personal Connection You Do You 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love ou…

Kel Carpenter is a publishing powerhouse who has been a successful fulltime author since she was just 22 years old. With the goal of publishing 30 books by 30 years, she’s achieved that and more! Kel has incredible business-savvy and a “learning” mindset that has helped her achieve multi-six figure pa success, manage burnout, and diversify her inco…

Kel Carpenter is a publishing powerhouse who has been a successful fulltime author since she was just 22 years old. With the goal of publishing 30 books by 30 years, she's achieved that and more! Kel has incredible business-savvy and a "learning" mindset that has helped her achieve multi-six figure pa success, manage burnout, and diversify her inco…

Cathy Yardley is an award-winning author of romance, chick lit, and urban fantasy, who has sold over 1.2 million copies of books for publishers like St. Martin’s, Avon, and Harlequin. We met Cathy at the 2024 Romance Writers of New Zealand conference, and immediately knew we had to get her on the show! This is a fantastic episode for writers at all…

Cathy Yardley is an award-winning author of romance, chick lit, and urban fantasy, who has sold over 1.2 million copies of books for publishers like St. Martin's, Avon, and Harlequin. She writes fun, geeky, and diverse characters who believe that underdogs can make good and that sometimes being a little wrong is just right. She likes writing about …

Comparison is the thief of joy -Theodore Roosevelt Today we talk about comparisonitis in the SPA. A topic we’re sure is dear to many hearts. We live in a world where we can see what everyone else is doing online. Successes and failures. We are the ‘instant gratification’ generation, and have a need for success, so we compare ours with others! So si…

Comparison is the thief of joy -Theodore Roosevelt Today we talk about comparisonitis in the SPA. A topic we’re sure is dear to many hearts. We live in a world where we can see what everyone else is doing online. Successes and failures. We are the ‘instant gratification’ generation, and have a need for success, so we compare ours with others! So si…

Get ready to be inspired this week by our guest interviewee, romance author Juliette N. Banks. “In 2020 I wrote a book, pitched it to a few agents, got rejected three times, and waited another 35 seconds before deciding to self-publish. One of the best decisions of my life.” ~ Juliette N. Banks Juliette is a bestselling romance author who has taken…

Get ready to be inspired this week by our guest interviewee, romance author Juliette N. Banks. “In 2020 I wrote a book, pitched it to a few agents, got rejected three times, and waited another 35 seconds before deciding to self-publish. One of the best decisions of my life.” ~ Juliette N. Banks Juliette is a bestselling romance author who has taken…

This episode we discuss Book Signings and Book Fairs – in person events where authors get out of the writing cave and actually (gasp!) interact with readers and fellow authors. These can be great fun – and a little intimidating. Wendy’s just returned from RARE Edinburgh so we grilled her on how she prepped, her table “set up”, how preorders worked,…

This episode we discuss Book Signings and Book Fairs - in person events where authors get out of the writing cave and actually (gasp!) interact with readers and fellow authors. These can be great fun - and a little intimidating. Wendy’s just returned from RARE Edinburgh so we grilled her on how she prepped, her table “set up”, how preorders worked,…

Rebecca Hefner is a USA Today bestselling author who is a passionate advocate for authors to reach more readers through publishing their books across a wide number of retailers, as well as on their own store. This episode she shares how she juggles her writing over three pen names, creating a monthly schedule for easy marketing and social media wra…

Rebecca Hefner is a USA Today bestselling author who is a passionate advocate for authors to reach more readers through publishing their books across a wide number of retailers, as well as on their own store. This episode she shares how she juggles her writing over three pen names, creating a monthly schedule for easy marketing and social media wra…

Join us as we talk to Lana Love, the USA Today bestselling author of short romances featuring curvy heroines and the powerful men who can’t live without them. Lana talks to us about how she has achieved success in short romance in less than two years using a mix of mindset, research and plain old stubbornness (her words, not ours…). We talk about w…

Join us as we talk to Lana Love, the USA Today bestselling author of short romances featuring curvy heroines and the strong men who can't live without them. Lana talks to us about how she has achieved success in short romance in less than two years using a mix of mindset, research and plain old stubbornness (her words, not ours...). We talk about w…

Anne-Marie Meyer is an Amazon and Apple Top 100 best seller and a 3x USA Today Bestselling author. Sweet Romance Author, Anne-Marie Meyer is an Amazon and Apple Top 100 best seller and a 3x USA Today Bestselling author. With absolute intention Anee-Marie challenges herself to improve on how she sells. From Tik Tok to Direct sales she has hit heady …

Sweet Romance Author, Anne-Marie Meyer is an Amazon and Apple Top 100 best seller and a 3x USA Today Bestselling author. With absolute intention Anee-Marie challenges herself to improve on how she sells. From Tik Tok to Direct sales she has hit heady heights, paticularly in the last 12 months. After her Amazon account was shut down for 48 hrs in 20…

Your book cover is the “shop window” of your hard work, and it has to do the heavy lifting to attract potential readers to go on and read your blurb. So how do you figure out which cover is the best for you? This episode we give tips and tricks for choosing your cover and the elements that will connect with YOUR right readers. Resources mentioned (…

Your book cover is the "shop window" of your hard work, and it has to do the heavy lifting to attract potential readers to go on and read your blurb. So how do you figure out which cover is the best for you? This episode we give tips and tricks for choosing your cover and the elements that will connect with YOUR right readers. Resources mentioned (…

Theodora Taylor is back! And she’s here to tell us how to craft our blurbs that hook readers and skyrocket sales. Theodora Taylor is the bestselling author of the 50 Loving States Series. Despite writing within a niche genre (interracial romance), she has earned six KDP All-Star bonuses and grown a fanbase of rabid readers through the power of Univ…

Theodora Taylor is back! And she’s here to tell us how to craft our blurbs with LOTS OF BUTTER that hook readers and skyrocket sales. Theodora Taylor is the bestselling author of the 50 Loving States Series. Despite writing within a niche genre (interracial romance), she has earned six KDP All-Star bonuses and grown a fanbase of rabid readers throu…

When she decided to write a palate cleanser novel in a completely different genre – with a brand new pen name – Alexa Rivers had no idea she would have a hit on her hands. In this interview she talks about why she wrote the book, how she picked the new pen name, the marketing she did, and how a book she wasn’t expecting to do much at all… kinda did…

When she decided to write a palate cleanser novel in a completely different genre - with a brand new pen name - Alexa Rivers had no idea she would have a hit on her hands. In this interview she talks about why she wrote the book, how she picked the new pen name, the marketing she did, and how a book she wasn't expecting to do much at all... kinda d…

Attending conferences helps us network with professionals in the author world and gain insights and ideas to make our jobs easier or to upskill. What can you hope to get out of conference? > Conference helps us find our tribe. The SPAGirls wouldn’t be here without RWNZ and their conferences. > Conferences show us we’re not alone. > Conferences are …

Welcome back to another SPA Girls minisode. This one is a bit of a controversial take on mistakes writers make that make their work B O R I N G. How do we know these? Because we've all made them! So learn from us in ten minutes or less with a quick SPA Girls minisode. Enjoy! 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreo…

Welcome back to another SPA Girls minisode. This one is a bit of a controversial take on mistakes writers make that make their work B O R I N G. How do we know these? Because we’ve all made them! So learn from us in ten minutes or less with a quick SPA Girls minisode. Enjoy! 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreo…

How to decide what retail platform is right for you. Should you “be Amazon exclusive, “go direct”, “publish wide” and/or use an aggregator? And what do those terms even mean? Firstly the definitions: Amazon Exclusive - means publishing your ebooks exclusively on Amazon and in the Kindle Unlimited subscription reading program for at least the initia…

The best places to publish your books are the one/s that best suit you the best given your audience, energy, time and publishing philosophy. So how do you decide what platform is right for you? Should you “be Amazon exclusive, “go direct”, “publish wide” and/or use an aggregator? And what do those terms even mean? Firstly the definitions: Amazon Ex…

If you’ve been scratching your head over how to get some more reviews on your newly published book, this is the episode for you! We break down how we have each built up and managed our ARC teams, and how we’ve gone from no reviews to hundreds of reviews. Loads of practical tips in this episode! Good resource: How to Get Free Book Reviews with No Bl…

If you've been scratching your head over how to get some reviews on your newly published book, this is the episode for you! We break down how we have each built up and managed our ARC teams, and how we've gone from no reviews to hundreds of reviews. Loads of practical tips in this episode! 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who suppor…

Why is it some books sell well right out of the gate, and others wither on the retailer vine? Do you know why YOUR book isn’t selling? It can be for a number of reasons and this episode we run through the most common (and fixable!) options that’ll put you back on the right track. Resources mentioned: Kindletrends (make sure to listen to our recent …

Why is it some books sell well right out of the gate, and others wither on the retailer vine? Do you know why YOUR book isn’t selling? It can be for a number of reasons and this episode we run through the most common (and fixable!) options that’ll put you back on the right track. Resources mentioned: Kindletrends (make sure to listen to our recent …

The decision to self publish her first historical women’s fiction novel – after a career writing romance – turned out to be a lucrative one for today’s guest, Kindle #1 bestselling historical women’s fiction author, Soraya Lane. The same year she self-published the novel – one that her agent told Soraya she couldn’t sell – she picked up a publishin…

The decision to self publish her first historical women's fiction novel - after a career writing romance - turned out to be a lucrative one for today's guest, Kindle #1 bestselling historical women's fiction author, Soraya Lane. The same year she self-published the novel - one that her agent told Soraya she couldn't sell - she picked up a publishin…

Nat Connors of Kindletrends returns to the SPA with a new analysis tool for indie authors - an interactive infographic to help us make sense of the book categories on the Kindle Store. Knowing where your book (or story idea before you’ve written it) fits into the market, and how it stacks up against the packaging (cover, pricing, categories etc), f…

Nat Connors of Kindletrends returns to the SPA with a new analysis tool for indie authors – an interactive infographic to help us make sense of the book categories on the Kindle Store. Knowing where your book (or story idea before you’ve written it) fits into the market, and how it stacks up against the packaging (cover, pricing, categories etc), f…

Wondering how long it’s gonna be until you’ll make enough to quit the day job? Listen to this SPA Girls Minisode all about how long it will take you to make your first $1,000 dollars in self publishing! Full of great tips, sage advice and some vulnerable moments from our own self publishing careers. If earning money from your writing is your goal, …

First published in 2014, romance author Clare Connelly hit success from her very first self-published book. Now with over 120 books published, she talks to us this episode about the pros and cons of hybrid publishing, balancing writing life with a young family, how to be focussed and productive plus the mindset new writers and self publishers MUST …

Wondering how long it's gonna be until you'll make enough to quit the day job? Listen to this SPA Girls Minisode all about how long it will take you to make your first $1,000 dollars in self publishing! Full of great tips, sage advice and some vulnerable moments from our own self publishing careers. This is an awesome, must-listen minisode, just fo…

Clare Connelly is the bestselling author of more than 120 angsty, passionate romance novels. Having self-published her first book in 2014, by the end of that year, she was an Amazon All-Star in the US and UK and has since sold millions of copies of her books. A Hybrid author, Clare also writes her trademark romances for Harlequin and Tule. After ma…

Writing great books with emotional impact is key to building your readership. Today we discuss craft tips that will help you attract new readers, build your fanbase and sell more books! Resources mentioned: Lisa Cron on the SPA Girls Podcast EP249 Sacha Black on crafting great characters EP422 Writing For Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias 💗 The SPA…

Writing great books with emotional impact is key to building your readership. Today we discuss craft tips that will help you attract new readers, build your fanbase and sell more books.! Resources mentioned: Lisa Cron on the SPA Girls Podcast EP249 Sacha Black on crafting great characters EP422 Writing For Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias 💗 The SP…

Want to make the leap to full time author? How do you know when it’s the right time to make that leap? Going from hobbiest to full time writer has been a different journey for all of us. Today we discuss: how much money you need to make the leap other considerations do you have the "right" personality? what support do you have? will you automatical…

Want to make the leap to full time author? How do you know when it’s the right time to make that leap? Going from hobbiest to full time writer has been a different journey for all of us. Today we discuss: how much money you need to make the leap other considerations do you have the right personality? what support do you have will you automatically …

Got your final manuscript all ready to go, and wondering how to format it for publication? This is the SPA Girls episode for you! Welcome back to another 20 min SPA Girls mini-tips session, where we break down the basics of self publishing, just for you! SHOW NOTES: What is formatting? It’s creating a file of your book so it’s delivered to readers …

Got your final manuscript all ready to go, and wondering how to format it for publication? This is the SPA Girls episode for you! Welcome back to another 20 min SPA Girls mini-tips session, where we break down the basics of self publishing, just for you! Check out our website for the full show notes and links. 💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored b…

If you’ve ever wondered how to deal with contracts and other business issues, this is the podcast for you! Maggie Marr the founder of Maggie Marr Legal PC and a USA Today Best Selling author of over 20 books. A former ICM motion picture literary and subsidiary rights (books to film/tv) agent, Maggie is the co-founder and legal advisor to the not-fo…

If you’ve ever wondered how to deal with contracts and other business issues, this is the podcast for you! Maggie Marr the founder of Maggie Marr Legal PC and a USA Today Best Selling author of over 20 books. A former ICM motion picture literary and subsidiary rights (books to film/tv) agent, Maggie is the co-founder and legal advisor to the not-fo…