Podcasts by Create If Writing
Create If Writing is a weekly podcast for writers and bloggers dealing with authentic platform building online. You will hear from experts on list-building, connecting through Twitter, and how to utilize Facebook. But tools for building an audience would feel empty without a little inspiration, so these training episodes are balanced with inspirational interviews with writers who share their creative process, ups and downs, and how they have dealt with success or failure.
Kirsten Oliphant is a self-published author with an MFA in Fiction who has been blogging for 11 years and is in the top 20 of Houston's Social Media Power Influencers. She has spoken at Blog Elevated, Houston Social Media Breakfast, Adventure Con, Houston Business Advancement Conference, and Social Media Day Houston. She created the Free Email Course and loves to get nerdy about all things email list.
Further podcasts by Kirsten Oliphant
Podcast on the topic Bücher
All episodes
205 - The End of a Season from 2021-05-22T22:19:57
It's time for a new season in my creative journey. Which means a pause on the podcast. Find out why and what's next!
Listen
204 - How to Write a Bestseller from 2021-04-23T03:43:58
I've covered a lot recently on author platform this year, but I almost never talk about craft. It's time! If I wanted to rename this post, instead of How to Write a Bestseller it could be called...
Listen
203- Instagram for Authors from 2021-04-09T04:26:01
I've talked recently on social media for authors, but wanted to highlight a specific platform that I've been using more and s...
Listen
202 - Lessons Learned in Three Years as an Author from 2021-03-26T04:03:25
The first month I published a book in 2018, I made $115. Which totally excited me! People were reading my book! I wrote and published a book! But the goal was always a CAREER. I joked (but not r...
Listen
201 - Advertising for Authors from 2021-03-12T06:18:33
As a part of my series on what authors need to sell books, I've covered the overall author platform, email, social media, and blogging/content strategy. Which leads me into another piece of the ...
Listen
200 - What Should Authors Blog About? Content Strategy for Authors from 2021-02-26T04:39:15
As a part of my author platform series, we've talked about overall platform, Listen
199- Social Media for Authors from 2021-02-07T00:30:42
Social media is often a dreaded piece of the author platform. There are so many different places to be and to post ... not to mention WHAT to post. Then there's the matter of how to handle socia...
Listen
198 - Creating an Author Newsletter from 2021-01-22T04:35:40
I have long been a fan of email lists. I think I started mine in ... 2010? Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away. That's how it feels, anyway. Mostly because I was growing a newsletter as a b...
Listen
197 - Author Platform in 2021 from 2021-01-08T05:41:40
Let's get real-- what do you need for an author platform in 2021? After a few years of selling fiction, I can tell you that it's less than you might think. Let's dive in!
Author...
Listen
196- A Tale of Two Launches from 2020-12-04T08:21:09
Two book launches, one month apart. Both alike in dignity, in fair Verona where we lay our scene. Oh, enough Shakespeare. Let's dive into the nitty gritty of two different launches I had thi...
Listen
195 - 2020 Updates Authors Need to Know from 2020-11-20T03:15:26
- Facebook SEEMS to have emerged from its crazy banning ad accounts time period. But maybe not. If your ... Listen
194 - Why Isn't My Book Selling? from 2020-11-06T04:15:13
This is a question I hear and get a lot: Why isn't my book selling? In this post, we'll dive into a simple checklist to help you look at why your book isn't selling and how you can get those sal...
Listen
193- Should You Publish Wide or Exclusive? from 2020-10-23T19:50:11
When you're publishing your books, you have a big choice to make: Should you publish your book exclusively with Amazon or put your book up on all the retailers? We'll break down the options ...
Listen
192- Big Book Launches or Low-Key Book Launches from 2020-10-09T03:21:55
I've talked before about book launches and share a simple book launch framework. But I wanted to focus here on the tale of two launches: the big, splashy book launch and the low-key, chill b...
Listen
191 - How to Plan Your Novel from 2020-09-25T05:18:50
We all have different ways of writing and planning. Learn to embrace what works for you! Pick up a free guide to help you plan: http://createifwriting.com/novelplanning
Listen
190- How to Choose a Book Cover from 2020-09-04T03:00:36
In a recent post, Nate Hoffelder shared four mistakes you might be making with your book covers. Because bo...
Listen
189- How to Get the Most Out of Free and Paid Book Promos from 2020-08-21T03:25:14
This post is going to dive into how to get the most out of free book promotions or 99-cent sales (which will include KDP countdown deals). You'll walk away with a better idea of the strategy beh...
Listen
188 - How to Keep Consistent Book Sales from 2020-07-31T04:33:57
In this post I'm going to talk about how to keep consistent book sales over time. You might also want to look at my post, Listen
187 - Behind the Scenes of a BookBub Featured Deal from 2020-07-17T02:00:06
I recently secured my first BookBub Featured Deal! There are a few options with BookBub--ads, new release featured deals, preorder alerts, and featured deals. Featured deals must be applied for ...
Listen
186- How to Format Your Book (without losing your mind) from 2020-06-26T14:52:06
Formatting your book -- sounds boring, right? Turns out there are a lot of things to know when it comes to formatting your ebook and print book. This post will break down what you need to know!<...
Listen
185 - Facebook vs Amazon Ads from 2020-06-12T05:16:59
I wanted to do a quick post talking about the two big ads platforms most authors use: Facebook and Amazon ads. There are some major differences between them, and it takes some work to figure the...
Listen
184 - How to Avoid Bad Author Collaborations from 2020-05-23T15:46:18
Author collaborations can be fantastic ... except when they aren't. In this post, we'll look at how to avoid bad author collaborations and the questions you should answer before you dive in!
... Listen
183 - Starting Out with Audiobooks from 2020-05-08T06:32
Everyone's saying go audio: should you? The buzz is all about audiobooks. The audio boom. Audio is the future. But are audiobooks for everyone? Let's find out by diving deep into the reality of ...
Listen
182- How to Foster Facebook Community from 2020-04-24T03:31:47
I've covered Facebook groups before to the point that I wasn't sure what else there was to say. But, right now, many of us are turning to the internet and online communities, so learning to fost...
Listen
181 - How to Position Your Book for Better Sales from 2020-04-03T04:39:40
I've already covered writing to market in episode 174 and this post, but this is a big topic! In this post, I want to look at the concept of writing to market backwards. This post will be all ab...
Listen
180 - Someone Out There Needs YOUR Voice from 2020-03-20T00:34:14
Even--maybe especially--in times of chaos and crisis, people need your voice. Your story. Your message.
But you can't give if you're empty. Feed yourself, then feed others with your word...
Listen
179- Stop Wasting Time and Money on Your Book Launch from 2020-03-06T04:13:11
Does launching a book sound stressful to you? You're not alone. Here's the thing: a book launch has a lot of moving parts, but it doesn't have to be INSANE! And it all starts with me telling you...
Listen
178- Tips to Increase Writer Productivity from 2020-02-21T06:14
I have avoided this topic for ... as long as I've been writing and podcasting. I do not like teaching productivity. I do not think that I should be doing it.
That said, I've consistently ...
Listen
177- How to Set Up a Simple Author Platform from 2020-02-07T04:23:07
This post may be a review to some or completely new to others. But I wanted to get super basic on how to set up the very basic author platform. If you don't have much time, money, and experience...
Listen
176 - The Light and Dark Side of Success Stories from 2020-01-24T03:58:34
When authors share success stories publicly, it can be incredibly encouraging and provide a great resource for other authors.
There is also a dark side to this.
Namely: backlash ...
Listen
175 - Sustaining Your Book Sales and Yourself from 2020-01-09T20:38:16
I'm getting a little bit real in this post about what it takes as an author to sustain your book sales and yourself.
Earlier in 2019 I wrote a post celebrating my success--going...
Listen
174 - Writing to Market and Writing to Trend from 2019-09-06T02:31:18
I hear a lot of confusion about writing to market and writing to trend. In this post, I'm going to explain MY personal view and my experience with both writing to market and writing to trend: ho...
Listen
173 - How to Establish Healthy Relationships with Your Readers from 2019-08-30T03:44:48
I'm tackling a question that I think more authors (blogger, creatives, and influencers) should ask before they establish their online platform. If they don't ask before, they for SURE should ask...
Listen
172 - Marketing for Authors Who Hate Marketing from 2019-08-23T03:49:20
It's a well-known fact that many authors hate marketing. But more and more, marketing is something authors must understand and take part in, EVEN if you're doing the traditional route. My go...
Listen
171 - How to Market Your Book While You Write from 2019-08-02T04:26:03
After sharing how my co-author and I wrote and launched a book in (almost) thirty days, I wanted to ha...
Listen
170 - How I Wrote and Launched a Book in (almost) a Month from 2019-07-26T04:13:10
When I wrote this post, I got overwhelmed. You might too! Fair warning. But in the moment, this was FUN. Not overwhelming. I'm going to share what I did with my co-author and then will have ...
Listen
169 -Everything Authors Need to Know about Pen Names from 2019-07-12T03:21:18
Have you ever wondered if should write under a pen name? Or why some authors choose to write using a pseudonym? In this post, you'll learn why you might want to write under a pen name (or no...
Listen
168 - Why Your Email List Isn't Growing from 2019-06-28T02:34:37
If you're having trouble growing your list, it's like a matter of eyeballs (traffic) and hooks (creating relevant, attractive content). Learn more in this episode or check out resources at http:...
Listen
167- Best Paid Book Promos for Your First Book from 2019-06-21T03:45:03
Which paid promos should you use when it comes to your FIRST book? For more links and details on paid promos, check out episode 142 and the show notes: http://createifwriting.com/142
Listen
166 - Should You Ditch Mailchimp for Another Email Service Provider? from 2019-06-14T04:25:59
This post comes after the news that Mailchimp is making some big changes in 2019. I'll break down what these changes mean for YOU and whether or not you should switch. Spoiler alert: YES. I'...
Listen
165 - Should You Promote Your First Nonfiction Book? from 2019-06-07T03:57:09
SHOULD YOU PROMOTE YOUR FIRST NONFICTION BOOK?
The answer here is a little bit (maybe a LOT) different. I feel like there is a vast difference in how promotion looks for ficti...
Listen
164- Should You Promote Your First Book? from 2019-05-31T03:30:22
For the summer, I'm doing short episode answering community questions! This week's question:
Should you pay to promote your first book?
In short: yes. But also: it depends.
... Listen
163 - How to Handle Social Media in 2019 from 2019-05-16T18:20:11
Social media is an ever-changing beast. We are over the hype of social media and maybe a little burned out. But it's still important. So how should you handle social media in 2019? Listen
162- What Do You Do When You Get Bad Reviews? from 2019-05-10T04:52:33
This is a topic that comes up every week day in Facebook groups: What do you do when you get a one-star review? (Especially on Goodreads...) So, what's the answer? I'm not going to give you ...
Listen
161 - Creating Content for Love or Money from 2019-05-03T03:24
When you start creating content, whether that's writing a book, blog, podcast, or something else, you may not think about your reasons beforehand. But you should. Most importantly, you need ...
Listen
160 - How to Find Time to Write from 2019-04-26T02:00
The question I get asked most is something along the lines of: How do you write with five kids? Sometimes I ask myself this question too! The specific ways that work for me may not work for you,...
Listen
159 - Book Launch Disasters from 2019-04-19T04:16:09
I've shared a lot about my publishing experiences over the last year, and just in case I've made it sound like a walk in the park, today I'm sharing book launch disasters. Though I'm sharing thi...
Listen
158- How to Get Reviews for Your Book from 2019-04-12T13:58:01
This post deals with something super important: how to get book reviews for your book. I don't have a magic formula or some ninja trick for this. It's a long game, over time. Are you ready? ...
Listen
157 - How to Create a Launch Team from 2019-04-05T02:42:34
In the last post/podcast episode, I talked about beta and ARC readers, but didn't touch on the launch team. There are slight differences in the ARC team and the launch team, so I wanted to f...
Listen
156- How to Use Beta and ARC Readers for Your Book from 2019-03-29T02:03:09
I'm continuing on a fluid series on book launching and publishing with this post on how to find bet and ARC readers for your book. To read more of the series, click HERE.
One of the impo...
Listen
155- How to Deal with Your Doubts from 2019-03-22T05:40:59
All writers struggle with insecurities. A few this week who are at various stages of their writing and publishing and even blogging careers feeling like a failure or feeling scared or just strug...
Listen
154 - How to Judge the Success of Book Promotions from 2019-03-15T11:14:58
One big piece of launching that I don't see a lot of people talking about is how to judge the success of your book promotions, specifically your paid promotions. This is part of a series on ...
Listen
153- How to Promote Your Book with Newsletter Swaps from 2019-03-08T04:03:33
This post follows my post about publishing successfully on Amazon. Newsletter swaps have been hugely important in my success and this post will walk you through how to promote your book with new...
Listen
152 - Successfully Self Publishing on Amazon from 2019-02-19T19:58:23
For the official show notes: http://createifwriting.com/152
To sign up for my weekly email: http:...
Listen
151 - How to Pivot When Your Launch Fails from 2019-02-15T06:10:43
I've talked before about launch failures, but I have a very real-time example of how you can pivot mid-launch. You'll learn why...
Listen
150- Niche It Down a Notch from 2019-02-08T03:42:15
When you niche down in your writing, you can increase your productivity AND your profits!
For a full slideshow and more on this, check out the full shownotes at Listen
149- Over-Investing and Under-Investing from 2019-01-25T04:56:22
In this post and podcast episode, I'm sharing two equal and opposite errors: over-investing (and in the wrong places) AND not investing any money but thinking that you can make money. <...
Listen
148 - How to Cut Your Wasted Time from 2019-01-18T04:31:56
Confession: I'm going to talk about how to cut your wasted time in this post. As in, how you can STOP WASTING SO MUCH STINKING TIME. But I'm not great with some parts of this. I'll share exa...
Listen
147- How to Cut Your Business Expenses from 2019-01-11T04:49:20
This post on how to cut down on your business expenses is a great one at the start of the year, but really ANY TIME. We'll walk through how to identify the things you need to stop paying for...
Listen
146 - How to Keep Your Audience Happy from 2018-12-07T04:03:38
In this post I want to talk about something super fundamental that's sometimes overlooked. And it's simple! Let's dive into how to keep your audience happy.
If you want to build ...
Listen
145 - Social Media Updates in 2018, part 2 from 2018-11-30T05:16:15
I missed out on some big platforms and news in the first in this series, so here are more updates you need to know that happened in 2018 and will impact your 2019!
When I started...
Listen
144 - Updates from 2018 YOU Need to Know from 2018-11-16T21:01:20
This post will be part one of a series on social media changes from 2018. This doesn't JUST include social media, but also touches on Amazon and blogging and more.
It can be SO ...
Listen
143 - How to Build Your Email List for a Book Launch from 2018-11-09T07:13:04
So far in this series, I've shared a simple book launch formula, how to get other people to share your work, how to utilize paid promotions, and in this post, I'm tackling how to grow your email...
Listen
142- How to Use Paid Promotions to Launch Your Book from 2018-11-02T05:21:56
It's a scary thing to consider spending money when you are just starting out. Or even sometimes in the middle. When you aren't yet making money, it can seem crazy to SPEND money. But investing w...
Listen
141 How to Get Other People to Share for You from 2018-10-26T14:40:04
In the last post I shared a simple book launch framework. Now I want to break down some of the specifics related to promotion, because this is where people really struggle. Because this is a hu... Listen
140 - A Simple Book Launch Framework from 2018-10-19T04:31:41
Writers all struggle with different parts of the craft. Some struggle with the start, while others get stuck in the middle, and many find editing to be a challenge. But one shared struggle for m...
Listen
139 - Three Reasons You Should Write a Book from 2018-10-05T04:33:15
If you haven't written a book, I want to convince you. And if you have written a book, I want to help you focus your efforts toward getting the most out of it! This post will share three big rea...
Listen
138 - Popular Advice You should IGNORE from 2018-09-28T05:18:05
The beauty of the internet is all the knowledge you can find at the touch a button. My husband replaced the starter in our minivan last week after watching a video on YouTube. EPIC! But the down...
Listen
137 - Six Questions to Ask Before You Spend Money from 2018-09-21T05:13:01
Advice is rampant all over the interweb about where you should invest. Rather than giving you specific advice that may not work, I'm going to give you six questions to ask before you spend any m...
Listen
136 - How to Make Money with Your Creative Work from 2018-09-14T04:30:10
I'm going to gloss over the conversation about whether or not you should make money with your creative endeavors. I firmly believe that there is a happy place where you can get paid to do what y...
Listen
135 - Pick One Thing from 2018-09-07T06:00:04
In this blog post and podcast episode, I'm sharing about the power of having a single focus. I don't do well with one thing at a time, but I'm telling you to pick one thing and sharing what happene...
Listen
134 - Writing Rules and When to Break Them from 2018-05-28T03:42:52
In this post and podcast episode, we'll be diving into the idea of writing rules and when you can break them. I was honestly surprised with where I landed on this....
Listen
133 - Why Writers Need Writing Groups from 2018-05-14T05:49:43
Writers don't write in a vacuum. Or...they SHOULDN'T. Writers need writing groups and communities of other writers to help support, teach, encourage, and promote.... Listen
132 - Tips for GDPR Compliance and Why Data Matters from 2018-04-23T05:37:57
If you haven't heard of GDPR, get ready. Like the term "data," you're going to be hearing this buzzword a LOT. I've got several posts on it already and will likely have more to say. In this post...
Listen
131 - How to Plan a Writer's Retreat on a Budget from 2018-04-09T04:30
It's no secret that I go on a lot of writer's retreats. Well. For a mom of five pretty young kids I go on a lot of writing retreats. This post will explain why, how, and how you can DIY a writer...
Listen
130 - Why You Need to Just START from 2018-04-02T20:51:44
It's time to START. Why you need to stop listening to fear and join the conversation.
Evergreen Platform School
Listen
BONUS: A Modern-Day Easter Parable from 2018-04-02T06:19:48
In a departure from the norm, I'm sharing a modern-day Easter parable with you!
music by http://bensound.com
Listen
Update: Where Are New Episodes? from 2018-03-19T02:26:49
Hey, guys! I wanted to share why I've missed a few episodes lately. First: my computer crashed in a most epic way. But it's okay! It's back now...but then I got sick. You can hear it on this epi...
Listen
129 - How to Create Viral Content from 2018-02-26T07:43:48
I've written about how to create binge-worthy content, but today it's all about how to create viral content. You know: the kind that everyone keeps sharing like hotcakes until your blog catches... Listen
128 - State Of Create If from 2018-02-19T07:38:22
This is a new (hopefully) annual feature at Create If Writing. Consider this my State of the Union Address, where I share my goals for the Create If Writing community.
THE STATE OF CR... Listen
127 - How to Create Binge-Worthy Content from 2018-02-12T07:30:28
Learn how to create binge-worthy content that keeps people coming back for more!
To connect with the community, head to the Create If Writi...
Listen
126 - When to Run and When to Rest from 2018-02-05T06:33:11
This episode is a little different from the norm! No real show notes and not a lot of practicality...just some encouragement for you to keep on running. Unless it's time to rest!
To join ...
Listen
125 - How to Create a Facebook Group from 2018-01-29T05:51:31
I've been talking about Facebook groups since episode 16 of the podcast, but here on episode 125 I'm sharing how to create a Facebook group with ... Listen
124 - New Facebook Update from 2018-01-22T06:29:56
- Find the show notes and more resources at http://createifwriting.com/124
- Join the fabulous Facebook community here: Listen
123 - How to Get Un-Stuck: Tips for the Writing Process from 2018-01-15T07:05:13
When is the last time you thought about the writing process? Or, more specifically, YOUR writing process?
The older I get, the more I know myself and understand how to tw...
Listen
122 - How to Plan Your Year in Reverse from 2018-01-11T19:02:15
"You're doing it backwards."
Does that sound like a good thing...or a bad thing? Usually when someone says that to you, what they mean is that you're doing it wrong. You are going about a...
Listen
121 - Re-Launching, FOMO, and Time-Sensitive Launches from 2017-12-01T01:53:02
Should you re-launch your book? What about launching within a specific time frame? How do you deal with FOMO when it comes to buying courses? I'm answering three community questions!
Are ...
Listen
120 - How to Throw a Book Launch Party from 2017-11-20T17:05:01
This week's blog post and podcast shares how to throw a book launch party. I'm sharing experiences from my own recent party and giving you tips and questions to h... Listen
119 - How to Increase Sales Rank in Amazon from 2017-11-14T19:07:01
In this interview with Kevin Tumlinson, we are talking about what will help you increase your sales rank on Amazon. In other words, sell more ebooks on Kindle. If you are interested in self pub... Listen
118 - The Best Tools for Kindle Self Publishing from 2017-11-06T19:08:46
I self published my first book in 2012 and so much has changed! This post will share the best tools for Kindle Self Publishing, from the formatting to the cover. Plus some great tools for choos... Listen
117 - Creative Collaborations from 2017-11-02T06:13:10
Snag my new book! http://createifwriting.com/cc
Hear the introduction from my newest book, Creative Collaborations: What I learned about colla...
Listen
116 - Tips for Paid Collaborations from 2017-10-31T05:10:10
Learn how to leverage one-time paid collaborations into more long-term partnerships and relationships.
Snag my new book for more! http://createifwriting.com/cc
Listen
115 - Mailchimp Updates YOU Need to Know! from 2017-10-25T02:52:41
Single or double opt-in? Now you have a choice with MailChimp!
That sounds great...except that your existing forms will be affected. Here is what you need to know about the two kinds of o...
Listen
114 - How to Form Lasting Connections from 2017-10-23T05:40
Want to form lasting and lucrative connections?
You need to start winding up LONG before the pitch! Learn ways to connect with influencers that set the groundwork for a successful pitch ...
Listen
113 - BAD Pitches from 2017-10-17T05:51:43
My book, Creative Collaborations, is just a few weeks away from release! In another episode on collaborations, I'm talking about bad pitches.
To kick off a collab, you'll have to pitch. ...
Listen
112 - Connections That Lead to Collaborations from 2017-10-10T17:04:41
In this episode I'm starting a week series leading up to the launch of my book, Creative Collaborations: How to Form Lasting and Lucrative Partnerships without Being Smarmy.
Today it's a...
Listen
111 - When You Feel Stuck in Your Growth from 2017-10-02T03:10:59
This is the conclusion of my series on Why Isn't My Audience Growing? Today it's all about what to do when you feel stuck. We'll get a little more woo woo into th... Listen
110 - How to Get More Readers and Sell More Books from 2017-09-25T06:09:02
I've been talking about why your audience isn't growing and want to tackle how to get more readers and sell more books. I have a great interview with Chris Syme of the award-winning CK Syme medi...
Listen
How to Get More Followers on Social Media from 2017-09-18T06:17:48
Want to know how to get more followers on social media? I've got you covered. This posts is the third in a series on Why Your Audience Isn't Growing. You should a... Listen
Why Your Social Media Isn't Growing from 2017-09-11T05:58:11
Today's post is all about why your social media isn't growing. As in, why you can't seem to grow your social media followers. It's the second in a series ... Listen
3 Reasons Why Your Blog Isn't Growing from 2017-09-04T11:30
These reasons why your blog isn't growing might surprise you! Find out what isn't working and how to fix it.
Listen
Creative Work in the Storm from 2017-09-01T18:34:45
How do you keep creative work going in the midst of storms? I share how we fared in Hurricane Harvey and give tips for creativity in the hard times.
Listen
105 - Tips for Building Traffic from 2017-06-07T21:49:07
With a crowded internet filled with blogs and podcasts and websites to browse, it can be really difficult to stand out. Today on the podcast I'm bringing you tips for building traffic! I'm also ...
Listen
104 - Must Know Publishing Tips with Honoree Corder from 2017-05-30T09:11:38
There are so many ways to publish a book these days that when it comes to publishing tips, it seems okay to say: choose what works best for you! But it's great to trust those who have found succ...
Listen
103- Tips for a Successful Launch with Jenny Melrose from 2017-05-22T04:10:10
Whether it's a podcast or a blog or a book or a course, launching can make or break you. Break is a LITTLE extreme, but your spirit can definitely feel broken after a not-so-hot launch! Accordin...
Listen