47 | Susan Shapiro on Getting Published in Any Genre

Create Out Loud With Jennifer Louden

Do you have to choose between writing for passion and writing for pay?

Getting paid to write seems like a fantasy to most, and getting paid to write something you are truly passionate about seems even more far-fetched.

Bestselling author Susan Shapiro joins Jen Louden in discussing what it takes to write what you’re passionate about AND get published in different genres.

Susan Shapiro is the bestselling author/coauthor of 17 books across multiple genres. She has written novels, memoirs, poetry, and more recently – The Book Bible and Byline Bible, two books that guide writers on how to get their work published.

Susan and Jen discuss how to balance your passion for writing with the practicalities of the publishing world, as well as some hard truths about what it takes to get paid for your writing.

Listen to this episode to learn more about:

• How to balance writing about your obsessions with giving your audience what they want
• Two powerful prompts that will help you write the kinds of stories only YOU can write
• How to show vulnerability when writing memoirs, while still maintaining boundaries
• When to accept edits to your piece – and when to push back
• The power of literary matchmaking
• The biggest mistake that holds writers back from being published – and how to avoid it
• How to create energy for writing, every single day

Get a copy of Susan Shapiro’s books on writing here:

• The Book Bible
• The Byline Bible

Visit jenniferlouden.com/podcastkit to get instant access to a collection of audios that will help you with some of the most common struggles we creatives have to manage, including:

• The fear of choosing
• Falling into compare and despair, managing the inner critic(s)
• Feeling too exposed and vulnerable when you put yourself or your work into the world