Join Alexa Bigwarfe as she celebrates the 10-year anniversary of Write Publish Sell with guests Raewyn Sangari and Cayce LaCorte, as they unveil their exciting plans for the future of the Women in Publishing Summit, diving into the challenges and triumphs of Alexa's journey, and the power of helping authors and publishers succeed.
One of the core values of the Women in Publishing Summit is the importance of inclusivity and representation in the publishing industry. We need to incorporate diverse voices and marginalized narratives, showcasing a wide array of experiences and perspectives. It is so important to us that we are facilitating such inclusion and advocating for underrepresented voices in the publishing domain.
Memorable Moments:
00:08:43 – Evolution of Kat Biggie Press Alexa discusses the evolution of Kat Biggie Press from operating as a vanity press to a hybrid press, where they kept authors under their umbrella but allowed them to retain their royalties. She also highlights the need for ongoing support for authors after their books are published, leading to the expansion of services offered by Kat Biggie Press.
00:15:25 – Favorite Projects All three reflect on their favorite projects, including memoirs, children's books, and novels. They mention books that have had a profound impact, such as “Navigating the Unknown” and “Surviving the Unimaginable.”
00:18:05 – Working on Different Genres Alexa and her team talk about their experiences working on different genres, including entrepreneurship books, YA books, thrillers, and paranormal romance. They discuss the challenges of marketing novels and the joy of bringing different stories to life.
00:21:07 – The Healing Power of Writing Writing can impact mental health and help individuals process their emotions. Alexa announces the upcoming release of a grief journal for grieving mothers and expresses her excitement about its potential impact.
00:29:19 – The Birth of the Women in Publishing Summit Alexa shares her journey of starting the Women in Publishing Summit after attending a conference with no women speakers. The support from male colleagues and the timing of the MeToo movement fueled the creation of the summit, focusing on creating a supportive environment for women in the publishing industry.
00:31:30 – The Importance of Mindset and Networking The summit goes beyond just writing and publishing, emphasizing the importance of mindset and networking for women in the industry. Discussions focus on the unique challenges faced by women in writing, publishing, and selling books, creating a supportive and empowering community.
00:46:24 – Future Plans and Training Programs Alexa shares her vision for the future, including more conferences, events, and webinars. They plan to create training programs for assistants working with authors to ensure a baseline understanding of the publishing industry.
If you're feeling overwhelmed and stuck in your book writing and publishing journey, despite your countless hours of research and effort, then you are not alone! Many aspiring authors find themselves spinning their wheels, unsure of the next step to take or making little progress towards their goal.
Transformational nonfiction writers and entrepreneurs who want to write a book to grow their business, leave an impact on the world, or help people get through a situation in their life may often struggle to make the time to get the book done. Lanette Pottle & Alexa Bigwarfe discuss the importance of accountability and community to get the book done!
Writing a book is a roller coaster ride, but with the right guidance and mentorship, you can shorten your timeline and overcome overwhelm. – Lanette Pottle
In this episode, we discuss:
The importance of expert guidance through mentorship and coaching in your book writing and publishing process.
The significance of community solidarity, offering you the support necessary in your writing journey.
The role your mindset plays in surmounting challenges and staying committed to your book-writing objective.
Writer Friends, Mentorship and Coaching
Mentorship and coaching play a significant role in the journey of writing and publishing a book. A knowledgeable mentor could offer just-in-time information and support, tailoring guidance to individual goals and motivations. Avoiding costly mistakes and saving time and money are some of the many benefits that come with coaching that ensures authors adapt a successful methodology that best suits them.
Memorable Moments:
00:04:24 – Creating a Supportive Community, Lanette explains her approach to helping women navigate the writing and publishing process. She emphasizes the importance of personalized guidance and finding what works best for each individual. Her core values include uplifting and empowering women and providing accountability to help women achieve their goals.
00:08:07 – The Role of Accountability, Lanette and Alexa discuss the role of accountability in writing a book, especially for busy women. They highlight the emotional challenges that come with writing and the need for someone to guide and hold authors accountable to their goals. Accountability programs can help authors stay focused and motivated throughout the writing process.
00:09:29 – Mindset and Awareness, The conversation delves into the importance of mindset and self-awareness when writing a book. Lanette emphasizes the need to be aware of the stories we tell ourselves and overcome self-doubt and imposter syndrome. Writing a book is a personal growth journey
Time seems to be one of the biggest issues. Or lack there of. Prioritization can be really helpful. Alexa Bigwarfe talks about the stresses and time crunches on authors, and how we can make sure we're choosing the BEST for US places to spend our time and energy.
Are you struggling to find a balance between writing your book and effectively marketing it? In this episode, we talk about a strategy that will help you optimize your time and efforts, leading to heightened productivity and effectiveness in achieving your writing and marketing goals.
Time is the one resource we cannot create more of. We all have the same amount of it. So how do I fit in all the things? How do you fit in the things? How do you decide where to spend your time so that you can move forward? – Alexa Bigwarfe
In this episode, you will be able to:
Learn practical approaches taming time management difficulties authors often encounter.
Ascertain how to balance the duality of writing and marketing roles effectively.
Realize how a professionally designed website can levitate your book promotion efforts.
Gather efficient strategies for task prioritization that propels progress in publishing.
Comprehend the pivotal role of dedication and unwavering perseverance in navigating the publishing industry.
The Biggest Challenge for Authors
In a recent networking session, participants identified time as the biggest challenge in their author businesses. The never-ending tasks of writing, marketing, and building a platform make it difficult to find time for everything. In order for people to value your book, they have to know that it exists. You have to be doing things. You have to be making the time to go on podcasts, to go to book fairs or book events or places where you can speak as an author, to go to school visits if you've got a children's book, to go to craft fairs or trade markets or farmers markets…You have to be doing things so that people know what you are doing. Prioritize your goals and decide whether you want to focus solely on writing or also engage in marketing and audience growth activities. Map out specific time slots for each task and considering seeking help from professionals to save time.
Key Takeaways
Check out Pubsite: Pubsite is a DIY website platform designed specifically for authors to market their books. Visit womeninpublishingsummit.com/pubsite to get a free two-week trial and save $5 per month for a whole year on your monthly hosting. This platform makes it easy to create sales pages, event pages, blog pages, and more for your book. It also includes templates and tools to help you market your book effectively.
Build your author website: Having a website is essential for authors to promote their books. Use a platform like Pubsite to create a hub where readers can find information about your book, sign up for your email list, and learn more about you as an author. A website is a central place to share content, post updates, and connect with readers. Make sure to include a clear call to action on your website, such as joining your email list or purchasing your book.
Grow your email list: Email marketing is a powerful tool for authors to connect with readers and promote their books. Make it a priority to grow your email list by offering a free resource or bonus content in exchange for email sign-ups. Use platforms like Mailchimp or ConvertKit to manage your email
Memorable Moments:
00:15:45 – The role of publishers in book marketing, Alexa discusses the potential help authors may receive from publishers in terms of marketing and launch support, but emphasizes that authors are ultimately responsible for selling their books.
00:16:08 – The importance of focusing on one book, Alexa advises authors to focus on one book at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed and making slow progress. She suggests dedicating time specifically for writing and setting a deadline for completing the book.
00:21:19 – Separating writing and marketing phases, Alexa suggests separating the writing and marketing phases of book production. Authors can focus entirely on writing for a set period of time and then dedicate another period to marketing and audience growth. This approach allows for better focus and reduces the risk of distractions.
00:30:53 – Balancing Learning and Implementation, It's easy to get stuck in the cycle of constantly learning without taking action. To make progress, authors need to strike a balance between learning new skills and implementing them.
00:39:53 – Setting Goals and Deadlines, Having clear goals and deadlines is crucial for efficient time management. Set realistic milestones and create a timeline that allows for flexibility, ensuring you stay on track without feeling overwhelmed.
00:43:11 – Prioritizing and Saying No, Focus on activities that directly contribute to your goals and say no to those that don't align. Avoid the fear of missing out and make decisions based on what will help you progress towards your desired outcomes.
Join us for a roundtable discussion with Danielle Perlin-Good, Miko Marsh and Carolyn Schrader on how limiting mindsets and limiting beliefs hold us back from achieving success as authors.
The last few weeks have been a pretty wild ride. In a time when everyone's feeling uncertain, it can be hard to sit down and write.
We’re entering another week of the “new normal,” and it’s feeling anything but. I hope you have found some peace and space for yourself during these wild times. I have been enjoying hearing about all the ways this crisis has sparked the imagination of my clients, driving them to finally tell a story that’s sat too long in their hearts or building a new world out of the strangeness of this one.
How Grief and Stress Impact Us
My own author journey was thanks to being thrown into a strange world I’d never imagined – losing a child and having her sister clinging to life in the hospital was never something I’d thought I’d experience until it happened. Writing became my way out of the darkest moments of grief, pain and confusion in the time that came after. I’ve been thinking about that period of my life a lot lately – I’d never imagined any world like this, either. This time reminds me a lot of that time – being stuck in a hospital bed, not allowed to go outside, not knowing HOW LONG this would last or what the outcome would be.
I am sitting with grief and anxiety once again. I bet you have too. Whether you realize it or not, we're all grieving right now. Grieving what could have been, should have been. Grieving the loss of jobs or freedom or even a trip you'd planned for – for months. And when we grieve, it's hard to focus and make progress. I decided it's time to dust off some of my old coping skills and share them with all of you.
Coping Skills for Reducing Stress, Anxiety, and Increasing Productivity
If this is a topic you feel you need some help with as well, or just want some general coping skills for anxiety, I encourage you to watch the replay of a webinar I did recently on this very topic.
