Book Writing & Publishing

If you’re the kind of person who devours psychological thrillers but also wants to be emotionally sucker-punched (in the best way), Lauren Oliver’s What Happened to Lucy Vale needs to be on your radar. 

In this episode, Lauren takes us behind the scenes of what might be her most structurally daring novel to date. Set in a small Indiana town with a possibly-haunted house at its core, Lucy Vale unspools two eerie mysteries—one set in the past, one unraveling in real time—using both traditional storytelling and a collective “we” voice (think The Virgin Suicides meets Reddit sleuth thread). 

This book took years to write, and when you hear how the pieces click into place, you’ll understand why. 

Through this book, she challenges us to ask: What if we’re not always the hero in someone else’s story? 

We also dive into Lauren’s writing journey, which is less “neat staircase to the top” and more “rollercoaster meets overgrown hiking trail.” She talks honestly about the pressure to st...

In this episode, I sit down with Tiffany Graham Charkosky to talk about her forthcoming memoir, Living Proof (October 21, Little A), a book written and shaped over years of writing and rewriting.

At just 11 years old, Tiffany lost her mother. For decades, she believed it was an unexplainable tragedy, until a DNA test unearthed information that changed everything. That discovery didn’t just reshape her understanding of her mother’s death; it also made her question what she might unknowingly pass on to her own children.

INSIDE THE EPISODE

• The emotional (and editorial) decision-making around what belongs in a book
• How long it took for her story to find its true shape (and why)
• The surprising speed of her publishing deal once it all came together
• How do we process loss as kids versus adults? And what happens when new information forces us to reinterpret our past?

Tiffany’s story is as deeply personal as it is universally relatable. 

ABOUT TIFFANY

Tiffany Graham Char...

If you’ve been chasing the magical marketing strategy that will finally make your book “take off,” welcome to the club. In this episode, I’m addressing the question nearly every author eventually asks: What does it actually take to make a book successful?

Spoiler: there’s no guaranteed formula. Even authors with six-figure advances, NYT bestsellers, or celebrity blurbs still worry their latest book won’t sell. 

So what are we really buying when we shell out thousands for a publicist? Often, it’s access and visibility, not actual sales. You can land your book in front of all the right people, and still... crickets. Why? Because readers are human. Think about how long you’ve let a book sit in your online cart before clicking “buy,” even if you really wanted to read it.

Success usually requires a mix of good writing, staying power, and yes, a little luck. But maybe it’s time we stop defining success only by sales numbers. What if it’s about writing something you’re proud of? Or c...

Author Lori Gold is pulling back the curtain on publishing, in both this conversation and her newest novel, Romantic Friction. 

INSIDE THE EPISODE

⭐️ Yet another reason bestseller lists aren’t what you think (I didn't know this until I read her book!)

⭐️ A great tip for handing reviews without spiraling (or swearing off Goodreads forever)

⭐️ What AI is doing to authors' voices, and why it should concern all of us

⭐️ How writing happens even when you're not writing

⭐️ How Lori studies the bones of books she loves to make her own writing even stronger

CONNECT WITH LORI

Instagram: @lorigoldsteinbooks

Grab a copy of Romantic Friction

👉 CLICK HERE to write the first draft of your nonfiction or memoir written in 33 days!

...even if you don't have a cabin in the wilderness, 4 uninterrupted hours a day to write, or confidence that you're a "real" writer. No overwhelm, no confusion. Just simple, actionable steps.

Awesome Email Templates for Authors

From communicating with...

What started as sharing her story online about living with chronic illness turned into a book deal with Penguin Random House. In this episode, Gigi Robinson shares how she leveraged consistency, relationships, and a clear vision to go from content creator to published author.

Here’s what we get into:

• Why she chose to write A Kid’s Book About Chronic Illness (and how it ended up getting picked up by Penguin/DK).
• The ridiculously simple promo strategy Gigi swears by: bring the book everywhere and make it part of the conversation.
• Why she went the children’s book route to make a heavy topic more digestible.
• Her take on promotion as storytelling, not selling.
• How she filters advice from all the "experts” while staying aligned with her bigger vision.

CONNECT WITH GIGI

Website: gigirobinson.com

Instagram: @itsgigirobinson

TikTok: @itsgigirobinson

👉 CLICK HERE to write the first draft of your nonfiction or memoir written in 33 days!

...even if you don't have a cabin in th...

Bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz has published nearly 80 books (yes, 80), and in this episode, she shares what it really takes to build and sustain a long-term writing career. From surviving the shifting tides of publishing to protecting what gets you "in the mood" to write, she shares the kind of wisdom every author loves hearing. 

INSIDE THE EPISODE:

🎉 Melissa's advice: Don’t quit your day job until the math says you can

🎉 Success is wonderful; it also resets with every new book

🎉 How to protect your creative hours (8am–1pm, in her case)

🎉 Books are logic puzzles, not lightning strikes (I love this analogy!)

🎉 If social media isn’t fun, don’t do it. Period. (Who's cheering?)

🎉 The final sprint before deadline is where the magic (and panic) often happen

Whether you're writing book 1 or book 71, this episode's packed with truths you'll be grateful for.

CONNECT WITH MELISSA

Website: melissa-delacruz.com

Instagram: @authormelissadelacruz

X: @MelissadelaCruz

Faceboo...

She’s back! One of my all-time favorite guests, Neely Tubati-Alexander, returns to talk about her third novel, Courtroom Drama. As always, she brings a refreshing, no-nonsense take on staying creative and productive in the unpredictable world of publishing.

INSIDE THE EPISODE

📚 Why Neely sprints through her first drafts instead of obsessing over every word

📚 How she embraces her "pantser" style (yep, she often writes the beginning and end first, with no outline in sight)

📚 What it’s really like to write books in the cracks of everyday life, and how reality TV, genre-hopping, and real-life fascinations all sneak into her stories

📚 Using the writing of the next book to stay grounded when the release of the current one is causing stress

📚 Why research is her secret creative fuel, from courtroom procedures to video game design

📚 How the evolution of publishing is finally making room for authors to explore their full range of creativith

Neely’s approach is honest, energizing, and...

This week, I had a really fun conversation with Nanda Reddy about her journey from "secret writer" to novelist (her debut novel, A Girl Within a Girl Within a Girl, just hit the USA Today bestseller list!). 

Inside this Episode: 

• Writing without being "formally trained" (read: no MFA) and navigating the industry through persistence and determination
• Evolving from a pure "pantser" to incorporating more structure while maintaining creative flexibility
• The way many authors discover the perfect title organically after beta reader feedback
• Suggestions for strategically working with beta readers  
• Nanda's great suggestion (first time I've heard this one!) for navigating those "I'm stuck" moments we all encounter
• Collaborating with an audiobook narrator when you need them to authentically represent characters from different backgrounds

About Nanda

Nanda Reddy is a Guyanese-American writer, former teacher, and part of an enormous extended family who mostly live in Florida where...

I’ve worked with countless authors who've asked the same question: “Do I really need a website?” (followed shortly by "Will I have to shell out $25K for it? 'Cuz that ain't happening!").

The short answers are yes, you need a website. And no, you absolutely do not have to shell out $25K (or anywhere near that) to have a great one. 

Now, before you roll your eyes and mentally add it to your never-ending to-do list, let me explain why having an author website (or at least a stellar book page on your already-existing website) can be one of your most powerful author assets.

Why a Website Is Necessary for Authors

In the same way that your email list is your home base for communicating with your readers, your website is your home base for your overall online presence. It’s the one place where you have complete control over how you present yourself and your book(s). Social media platforms come and go, and algorithms are constantly shifting. But your website, like your email list, is yours....

Ann Garvin writes books for "women to do too much in a world that asks too much." Enough said; take all my money already!

She published her first book in her late forties, even though one of her professors/mentors used to say to her on a regular basis, “You’re the worst writer I’ve ever met.” (He wasn’t being funny.)

During this episode of the Write the Damn Book Already podcast, Ann and I had so much fun discussing the novel-writing journey, from writing to publishing to marketing (and a whole lot in between!).

INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

• Ann's journey from being a nurse (with a PhD) to being a full-time writer and how she thinks about her future in this space. 
• A fascinating look into what’s moving the levers in the publishing space right now. It’s extremely eye-opening, and allows YOU, as the author, to make much more well-informed decisions when it comes to publishing and marketing.
• Going from 102 to 21K reviews (and whether she reads those reviews!)
• How her process has evolve
...