Podcasts by The Writers Block Party Podcast
Oh, how the world of fiction publishing has changed! What used to be Mom’s tea party (with agents and traditional book contracts and demure, knees-together seating) has become a wild house-party of bold self-publishing, mystical Amazon algorithms, seat-of-the-pants marketing and promotions. Experienced romance novelist and book coach Meredith Bond walks Pru Warren, her wide-eyed and unpublished co-host, through the real life of an author from the craft of writing and editing, through publishing and marketing, and finally into building a GLOBAL PUBLISHING EMPIRE! Grab a drink, pull up a chair, and get ready to start your weekend with the Writer's Block Party Podcast. Tune in every Friday.
Further podcasts by Meredith Bond and Pru Warren
Podcast on the topic Bücher
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Episode 100 from 2022-08-12T09:00
Pru and Merry look back at what they’ve learned and how their positions have sort of equalized over the last two years—and we talk about Merry setting up a “You Decide” story for reader engageme...
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Episode 99: Kickstarter for a Romcom Book Launch from 2022-08-05T09:00
Proving once again that fools rush in where angels fear to tread, Pru blurts all over Merry as she talks about her plan to launch her next trilogy with a detour into the Kickstarter universe. Li...
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Episode 98: Author Planner and Community with Audrey Hughey from 2022-07-22T09:00
How do you get the support you need as well as the kick in the pants that gets you going? Podcast guest Audrey Hughey is that brilliant combination of Mom and Army Guy you’ve been looking for! M...
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Episode 97: Book Marketing with Mindy Klasky and Heather Roberts, recorded on June 22, 2022 from 2022-07-15T09:00
When it comes to marketing your book, how do you know if you’re surfing a very short wave, or rising on the strength of a true marketing movement? Promotions expert Heather Roberts (of Elle Wood...
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Episode 96: Checkov’s Gun with JT Bock from 2022-07-08T09:00
Romantic suspense novelist JT Bock pushes all of Pru’s buttons by talking about her favorite movies in a discussion of Chekov’s Gun—a tool every writer should know about to lay the groundwork (a...
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Episode 95:Talking Book Coaching with Jennie Nash from 2022-07-01T09:00
Jennie Nash wants to change the industry! She wants to improve how authors nurture themselves, how they approach the business, and how we (and the world) value our work. Go, Jennie, go! All this...
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Episode 94: The Editorial Process with Matrice Hussey from 2022-06-24T09:00
What kind of an editor do you need? How much will it cost? Does it take a long time? Are you going to tell me my baby is ugly?? Don’t tell me my baby is ugly! Merry and Pru talk with Matrice Hus...
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Episode 93: Writing Inspiration with Michael LaRon from 2022-06-17T09:03
Author Michael LeRonn is the antidote to the energy drain and toxicity that is wearing you down. Have a listen; in just about half an hour, you’ll feel better about yourself and more eager to ge...
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Episode 92: Atticus with Dave Chesson from 2022-06-10T09:00
What if you were annoyed by something that didn’t work as well as it should and instead of just grumbling about it, you RE-PLOWED THE WORLD to make it right?! Dave Chesson of Mary Jo Putney joins Merry and Pru to consider the publishing industry—where it’s been, where it is, and how authors (published and...
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Episode #59: Facebook Ads from 2021-10-22T09:00
Despite some familial difficulties, we got some fantastic information from author Victoria Pinder on how to set up Facebook Ads.
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Episode #58: Regency Romance from 2021-10-15T09:00
Meredith Bond (who needs more than all her fingers and all her toes to count the Regencies she’s written) explains why the Regency romance is such a popular genre. Her reasons astonish her rom-c...
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Episode #57 Purpose of a Scene from 2021-10-08T09:00
In your outline, you can’t just say “Hero and heroine play chess; witty banter.” Experienced author Meredith Bond explains to her novice acolyte, Pru Warren, how to make your story tight and str...
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Episode #57 Purpose of a Scene from 2021-10-08T09:00
In your outline, you can’t just say “Hero and heroine play chess; witty banter.” Experienced author Meredith Bond explains to her novice acolyte, Pru Warren, how to make your story tight and str...
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Episode #56: Marketing a Series from 2021-10-01T09:00
Publishing three books in three months is the kind of thing only a novice author would do, since once you do it, you’re no novice anymore! Pru Warren has been throwing money at the problem, with...
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Episode #55: Author Newsletters and Mail Privacy Protection from 2021-09-24T07:38:07
With Apple’s iOS15 update, how do authors handle the loss of one of the best ways to know if your newsletter is annoying your subscribers… or how do you make sure the mystical “mailer daemons” s...
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Episode #54: Writer‘s Block from 2021-09-17T09:00
Every writer knows the feeling: That blank screen, that white page is MOCKING YOU. What can you do to get those words flowing again? Expert author and book coach Meredith Bond has got you covere...
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Episode #54: Writer‘s Block from 2021-09-17T09:00
Every writer knows the feeling: That blank screen, that white page is MOCKING YOU. What can you do to get those words flowing again? Expert author and book coach Meredith Bond has got you covere...
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Episode #53: Amazon Categories from 2021-09-10T09:00
Novice writer Pru Warren discovers the occult mysteries of selecting Amazon categories and bowls experienced author Meredith Bond over in her rush to share what she learned. Merry smiles indulge...
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Episode #53: Amazon Categories from 2021-09-10T09:00
Novice writer Pru Warren discovers the occult mysteries of selecting Amazon categories and bowls experienced author Meredith Bond over in her rush to share what she learned. Merry smiles indulge...
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Episode #52: The Big Overview: What we‘ve learned in our first year from 2021-09-03T09:00
On the first anniversary of our podcast, Pru Warren and Meredith Bond take the time to admire ourselves very much. We look back on what we’ve learned (which is a staggering amount, in Pru’s case...
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Episode #52: The Big Overview: What we‘ve learned in our first year from 2021-09-03T09:00
On the first anniversary of our podcast, Pru Warren and Meredith Bond take the time to admire ourselves very much. We look back on what we’ve learned (which is a staggering amount, in Pru’s case...
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What is Romantic Comedy from 2021-08-27T09:00
What makes a book a rom-com, and why isn’t Amazon policing this better?! Ah…THAT’S why. Damn. Pru shakes off her novice status to lead a conversation with Merry on romantic comedy. From arch wit...
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Branding. What's It To Ya? from 2021-08-20T04:40
Promotions guru Heather Roberts of Elle Woods Promotions joins us to explain to novice Pru Warren that “branding” is not just about a logo…and while she’s chatting with us, she helps experienced...
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How to Price a Book from 2021-08-13T09:00
Merry thinks it comes down to three simple questions, but as usual when it comes to pricing, it turns out to be a lot more complicated than that! Pru learns about indie versus traditional pricin...
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When Writing Doesn't Pay the Bills... Yet from 2021-08-06T09:00
Merry is full of brilliant suggestions for how authors can pad their budgets by freelancing. Pru thinks that she’s too much of a novice to take advantage of any of the opportunities…until: SHAZA...
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KU vs. Publishing Wide from 2021-07-30T09:00
Given that Amazon is the 600-pound gorilla in the room, should you release your book exclusively on Kindle Unlimited? Or would you be better off putting it on multiple platforms? Like everything...
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Plotting with Mindy Klasky from 2021-07-23T09:00
Merry and noted author Mindy Klasky discuss the challenges (and solutions) of “buy my book” links when Amazon and Apple are the Hatfields and McCoys of the publishing world. Mindy walks us throu...
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Finding Your Target Audience with Jenny Kate from 2021-07-16T09:00
Special guest and wise interpreter of occult marketing mysteries JENNY KATE and Merry walk Pru gently through identifying the right audience. Pru discovers it’s NOT about guessing, or throwing a...
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Writing Tics from 2021-07-09T09:00
You gotta do a “flamethrower” round of edits before your novel is ready for someone else to see, and it can be a surprising one! How many times do you use “that” unnecessarily? What about actual...
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Business Plans for Authors from 2021-07-02T09:01
You can do it, too—really! Merry shows Pru the ten simple (most of them!) parts of an effective, useful business plan. And only one of them (the financial part!) will make you hyperventilate. Th...
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Interview with BC Deeks on FAD (Feelings, Action, Dialogue) from 2021-06-25T08:56
“The types of changes that can completely alter a character don’t have to be THAT big,” says author BC Deeks, which blows Pru’s mind. BC walks us through how understanding a few simple principle...
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Writing a Series from 2021-06-18T09:00
Meredith Bond, author of multiple series, walks Pru through the planning of an entire series—what you need to know up front as well as what you can leave until later. We talk about the kinds of ...
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Creating an Audio Book with Naomi Rose-Mock from 2021-06-04T07:00
Generous audiobook narrator, actress, director Naomi Rose-Mock walks book novice Pru through the process of creating an audiobook…because that’s what she’s doing for Meredith Bond’s “A Hand for ...
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Pantsing with Allison Garcia from 2021-05-28T07:57
What’s it like to write purely organic fiction? Author Allison K. Garcia walks us through her process as she creates queer Christian contemporary fiction. Her method is infused with a faith in t...
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A Double Header: Patreon and Archetypes from 2021-05-21T09:06
A surprise dual topic: Merry and Pru discuss the concept of Patreons and paying to subscribe to podcasts (Pru is suspicious). And then Merry lays out not one but two mesmerizing systems of arche...
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Marketing with Jenny Kate from 2021-05-14T09:00
Every author on the planet secretly thinks they’ve failed at marketing their book(s). Merry and Pru (at very different stages of their writing careers) are both astonished and delighted with the...
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Interview with Grace Burrowes from 2021-05-07T09:00
Pru and Merry (both plotters) welcome the “ne plus ultra” of the pantsing world—glorious author Grace Burrowes—who offers brilliantly practical ways to nurture the creative process, provides “I ...
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Describing Descriptions from 2021-04-30T09:00
Among other things, Amazon has re-defined how the savvy author writes a book blurb…and Meredith knows all about it! She walks Pru through the modern book blurb, and Pru discovers a remarkable co...
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Scrumptious Settings from 2021-04-23T09:00
What’s the difference between the dreaded “info dump” and a skilled description that draws the reader further into the story? Merry not only knows the answer but provides examples. In turn, Pru ...
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Picking up the Pacing from 2021-04-16T09:00
Dagnabbit, Meredith is just so SMART. Pru admits that she thought pacing was about the sequence of events. Meredith points out NOT that Pru is an idiot (because she’s kind) but that the very rhy...
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Love Scenes from 2021-04-09T09:00
By reading excerpts and having heated discussions, Merry and Pru decide several things: A love scene doesn’t necessarily mean a sex scene; it doesn’t even have to involve both protagonists (if y...
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Critiquing Others from 2021-04-02T09:00
Do you fear the line “Well, it’s not ALL crap” when you get your critiques? Merry and Pru can both relate! Merry provides some very sage advice about giving AND RECEIVING critiques—and we read t...
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Ending Hooks from 2021-03-26T09:00
Merry and Pru continue their journey into the world of hooks. Now that we've grabbed our reader's eyeballs, we need to keep them glued to the pages of our book. This is how to get our readers tu...
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Opening Hooks from 2021-03-19T09:00
Subtitled "Merry and Pru become hookers." Why do some books draw you in, chapters deep before you even realize you’re invested, while others are so sadly put-downable? What makes the lead of a b...
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Delving Deep Into Genre from 2021-03-12T09:02
After some arguing and head-scratching, Pru and Merry decide there are eight overarching genres in romance, with a LOT of sub-strata below that. And we come up with a fistful of questions to ask...
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A Writer's Process from 2021-03-05T09:00
Pru assumes this will be a useful discussion about pantsing vs. plotting and is IMMEDIATELY hit upside the head with a revelation from Meredith about the critical first step in the writing proce...
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Interview with Chris Hall from 2021-02-26T09:00
Today's podcast features a special guest star: Meredith's editor, Chris Hall (of theeditinghall.com), who stands up magnificently under the onslaught of Pru's questions. Once a teacher, always a...
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Characters and Transformation from 2021-02-19T09:00
Merry and Pru discuss a recipe for character development: a teaspoon of Goal, a quarter teaspoon of Motivation, and a half a cup of Conflict. Mix vigorously with a trope, then bake at 350 for th...
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Talking Tropes from 2021-02-05T09:00
Far from being “cheats” or ways to ride the coattails of other writers, the trope (and especially the romance trope) is the skeleton on which you build your glorious story. Merry walks Pru throu...
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Pru's Launch from 2021-01-29T09:00
What actually takes place once a self-published author’s book goes live? Three days after the launch of “Cyn & the Peanut Butter Cup,” Pru throws a word salad of launch news at Merry who laughs ...
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Goal, Motivation, and Conflict from 2021-01-22T09:00
This is the Holy Trinity of the romance-writing world; if you don’t have your “GMC,” you don’t have a readable book. Meredith walks Pru through the fundamentals using (so entertaining!) “The Wiz...
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Getting Reviews for Your Hard Work from 2021-01-15T09:00
Meredith explains to Pru how to get reviews of a book onto Amazon and other book-buying sites. Spoiler alert: It’s not just begging your mom! Smart, practical information that any author can use...
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Uploading Pru's Masterpiece from 2021-01-08T09:00
Pru describes the confusion, excitement, and error messages involved in uploading her novel to Amazon…and IngramSpark…and Kobo…and Draft2Digital…and Apple. Well, not really Apple, since Apple no...
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A Look at the Hero's Journey from 2021-01-01T09:00
Classic, timeless, unbelievably consistent across cultures, the hero’s journey is all about transformation. After hearing Meredith describe the sequence, Pru figures she’s on about step two of h...
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Your Author Website from 2020-12-25T09:00
Having been studying about author websites, Pru volunteers to lead this podcast, trusting (correctly!) that any novice ignorance will be corrected by the wise Meredith. And then—o! Marvelous!—Pr...
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Building Characters from 2020-12-11T09:00
What makes a character pop off the page? Can you just have a nice guy who treats people well and had a happy childhood? MUST there be trauma there somewhere?? The answers make Pru unhappy, but M...
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How do you define success? from 2020-12-04T08:27
How many ways can you measure your success (or failure)? At what point do you know if you’re doing well…and does that answer change over time? Does a novice author value the same things as an ex...
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Finding Your Beta Readers from 2020-11-27T08:30
How do you find beta readers? What do you say to them? Why would they help you? And how do you find reviewers? Pru gasps at her lack of knowledge and Merry soothes the wrinkled brow. All the ans...
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Your Marketing Budget from 2020-11-20T09:00
In which things start simply with actual dollar signs and concrete goals and then spiral wildly out of control, leaving Pru slack-jawed (as usual). Book Bub, Amazon and Facebook ads, boosting po...
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Self-Editing, Part 2 from 2020-11-13T09:39:14
In which Pru and Merry find common accord on the subject of the Oxford comma but nearly come to blows over the concept of “theme,” which is (so far) WAY above Pru’s pay grade. Also: at last! A r...
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Self-Editing, Part 1 from 2020-11-06T10:13:34
In which Pru discovers that Merry has been paying WAY more attention to first drafts than Pru has…and thereby turning Meredith Bond romances into tight, pithy, emotional jewels. “I want that, to...
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What Type of Editing? from 2020-10-30T08:57:23
In which Merry teases apart the many onion-like layers in the word “editing,” from the developmental edit to the copy edit, from line edits to the Do No Skip This Step of proofreading. Plus, whe...
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Key Info about Keywords from 2020-10-16T09:21:36
In which Merry whispers the secret of getting THREE EXTRA KEYWORDS on your Amazon book description, taking you from seven to TEN! Hotcha, Mama, that’s good listenin’!
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What the heck is book coaching? from 2020-10-09T08:39:58
Book Coaching—in which Pru learns that there are people (including Merry) who will act as a book tutor. More personal than classes, more targeted than how-to books; a coach costs money…but it’s ...
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Book Covers from 2020-10-02T10:09:24
Book Covers—in which Merry guides Pru through a theoretical conversation with a book designer. What to expect, what to prepare for, how much to pay, why not to hyperventilate with the stress of ...
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Newsletters from 2020-09-25T09:09:20
Newsletters—in which an author with THIRTY-ONE newsletter subscribers learns from an author with MANY THOUSANDS of subscribers all kinds of useful things like how often to mail, what to include,...
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Deep Point of View from 2020-09-17T17:23:46
Episode #2: Deep POV (Point of View)—in which Merry finally breaks through Pru’s confusion on using sensory and emotional details to advance the story without filling up pages of vague ramblings...
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Welcome to The Writers' Block Party! from 2020-09-10T15:58:57
In The Beginning… in which Meredith and Pru giggle unprofessionally as they outline the scope of the podcast, a mournful train whistle blows romantically in the background, and Pru begs Merry to...
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