Part One of Podcast Interview with author and Substacker, Meg Oolders at The Romantic posted a few days ago. You can listen here:

In Part Two, Meg shares advice on ways to use Substack as one of your tools to align with your goals as an author. Meg shares her varied publishing experiences: self-publishing, traditional publishing, hybrid publishing as well as her current strategy for traditionally publishing her award-winning YA novel, See Dot Smile. Does her publishing journey sound like yours? Listen for advice that might be the motivation you need to keep going with your book.

In this episode, our guest Meg Oolders shares:

* How to come up with the subject of your substack… Say that fast 10 times… “subject of your substack, subject of your substack, subject of your substack….”

* Why Authors need to know their competition without chasing trends

* Research how to publish your manuscript. You have choices.

* Authorship is a business. Ease into this idea. Get comfortable With It. You can do it.

* What is Billionaire Werewolf Fantasy genre? Knowing the book industry and what is popular is important.

Links from the episode:

Meg Oolder’s New Substack The Romantic

Meg’s Substack, The Romantic, is entertaining, smart, and nostalgic. It will get you thinking AND take you back to good times. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Meg Oolder’s Substack Stock Fiction

Meg Oolder’s YA Novel See Dot Smile

Meg Oolder’s Book of Poetry Dear Mystery, Poetry Without Borders

Meg Oolder’s Podcast Talk Fiction

Snip of Olivia Newton-John’s A Little More Love from “Totally Hot” Album

Thank you for listening to Get Your Book Seen and Sold Podcast

Part One of Podcast Interview with author and substacker, Meg Oolders at The Romantic.

How To Get The Most Out Of Substack

In Part One, we chat about Substack. Whether you are new to substack, old to substack, want to change your substack, add a new substack or are considering starting a substack you’ll enjoy the honesty, wit and practical advice we offer in this podcast episode. Stayed tuned for Part Two where Meg and I chat about her new Substack, The Romantic, and her colorful publishing journey which includes critical advice for authors that you won’t want to miss.

Links I promised in the episode:

Meg Oolder’s New Substack The Romantic

Meg Oolder’s Substack Stock Fiction

Meg Oolder’s YA Novel See Dot Smile

Meg Oolder’s Book of Poetry Dear Mystery, Poetry Without Borders

Meg Oolder’s Podcast Talk Fiction

Podcast Topics in Part One:

* What we think of the substacks that teach substackers how to be better at substack - ie the promise of more substack subscribers

* Why to check your Substack’s settings from time to time

* Why Substack’s ‘recommendation feature’ rocks

* How to create a new substack newsletter when you already have one

* How, why and when to move subscribers from one substack to another

* How to get the most out of your substack as an author, are we being used?

Super fun interview with Meg Oolders! Stay Tuned for Part Two

Upgrade to Paid Substack for Exclusive “Peace of Mind” Resource Posts

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I introduce Selma Blair’s memoir, Mean Baby and use it as an example of how you can find possible media contact’s for YOUR book marketing plan.

Other links to explain Media Contact Lists and how they fit into your book marketing plan.

To Sell Your Book You Need A Toolbox

Three Easy (but crucial) Book Marketing Task: Identify Audience, Message & Media Contact

Offer

ACX link for Amazon audio books

Voice Coaches - Promo code for Intro Workshop is “WOLK”

Extra Offer

If you are ready to work on your book marketing plan, I can send YOU a free fill-in-the-blank book marketing plan. Send me a request for it at wjcwolk@gmail.com.

You are listening to the audio version of this post.

Enjoy this podcast episode where I examine the phenomenon that is, The Staircase, in all its story-telling iterations - Documentary, Book, Podcast, and Limited Series

All of the opinions on this whodunit are my own!

Books Mentioned:

Written In Blood by Diane Fanning

Fatal Vision by Joe McGinness

Shows mentioned

The Staircase - HBO /Max

The Staircase - Netflix Documentary

Find me at ClaudineWolk.substack.com or ClaudineWolk.com (new products for writers - Get Your Book Seen and Sold Book and Sit & Write: Begin online class

Thanks for listening and please leave a review if you liked it.

In this podcast episode interview, Marissa Polselli, owner of Wordtree, shares her secret with you to have a better relationship with words - the kind of new relationship that can catapult the writing you must do to promote yourself as an author. Marissa teaches people how to connect with the words that authenticate them through résumé, LinkedIn posts, newsletter posts, Facebook posts, etc. Marissa’s lessons can help you to better promote your business and yourself as an author.

Marissa’s enthusiasm is palpable. She makes the point that the words you select to present yourself are powerful and important. You can find Marissa at her website MarissaPolselli.com. Consider signing up for her upcoming online class (next paragraph) or signing up for a free personal branding session. (details below)

**Special Offer** for the listeners of the podcast. Marissa offers a free personal branding transformation strategy session - 45 minutes with her where you can come up with a clear branding strategy. She discusses the success of this session with other clients in the podcast.

I know you’ll be motivated to tap into your business writing after listening to this podcast. Marissa discusses her upcoming online class titled Making Friends with Words for Heart-Centered Business Owners in detail. It that starts on Saturday, March 1, 2025, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm for $40. It could be a starting point for a you for a whole new relationship with words and self-promotion.

See you next week….

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Book distribution is the topic of this podcast and though it’s not sexy, it’s super important to the success of your book, whether self published or traditionally published. Put simply, book distribution is the channel that gets your book in the hands of readers. Amazon is a big example, but there are other book distribution channels and it’s important that you understand how they work, who they are, and how to get them lined up well before your publish date for your book.

Here are the links to my substack posts on Book Distribution that I reference in the Podcast episode: “My Book Is Written, Now What Do I Do” and “Get Your Book Out There For Sale: Book Distribution Options.”

In this podcast, you will learn the overview of book distribution, and the link to an interview by Podcaster, Joanna Penn of Author, Liliana Hart, who shares her specific relationship with book distributors. Hart’s experience will help you to understand book distribution very quickly. Take note and enjoy.

My recent interview with book marketing expert, Sharon Castlen, also included great information on book distribution.

This is the audio version of the post: Rejection Is Good, Make It Work For You - click the link for the original post.

I have a manila folder full of rejections from when I pitched my first, non-fiction book to publishers titled “It Gets Easier! And Other Lies We Tell New Mothers.” Like many of the authors in the book I reference above, Rotten Rejections, I used the rejections as fuel to get my book pubslihed come hell or high water. “rarrr, I’ll show them!”

I self-published the first version of the book in 2008 and once I proved it could sell, I re-published with a traditional publisher in 2009, with a slightly different book cover (color) and 3 additional chapters.

I have never given up on the book (the wisdom and humor are timeless) and in 2023, I recorded and released the audio version of the book with Harper Collins.

My point?

Never give up on your books. Never, Never, Never.

Guests:

Marissa Polselli - Set the world ablaze with your talents

and

Dr John Murray - Polish Your Internal Mirror

Join me in saying GOOD RIDDANCE to 2024 and Hello to 2025.

“Auld Lang Syne” by The Irish Rovers

My Stuff for Beginner Authors:

Get Your Book Seen and Sold - eBook or Paperback

Sit & Write: Begin Video Course