Épisodes

  • SPA Girls Podcast - EP545 - Six Figure Short Romance Success with Sadie King (Classic Replay)
    Mar 24 2026

    Classic replay of an inspiring episode we recorded in August '23 with SADIE KING, a hugely successful author of more than 120 short romances.
    ***
    USA Today Bestseller, Sadie King has grown her publishing business from zero to six figures in less than four years, writing short instalove romances. Knowing her reader's journey is vital to her success.

    In this episode we discuss Sadie's:

    • short romance publishing strategy
    • rapid release strategy
    • targeted wordcounts for Amazon Kindle's 60m, 90m and 2 hour reads categories
    • Techniques for writing short fiction
    • Gaining visibility especially when you're just starting out
    • Keep readers hooked from one book to the next
    • Crafting a funnel for readers.
    • Must-have scenes in short romance
    • Making paid advertising work for short fiction

    Sadie's "must have" scenes for short romance:

    • Quick meet cute
    • Thrown together
    • Get to the steam fast (1 – 3 steamy scenes)
    • Conflict
    • Resolution
    • Epilogue

    She is currently writing 16k – 20k words with 1500 words (approx) per chapter; 2.99 price point

    Resources mentioned:

    Sadie's non-fiction book, Writing Short Romance for Pleasure & Profit, is a must-read for those writing short romance.

    Writing Short Romance for Pleasure and Profit: How I Became a Six Figure Author Writing Short Romance

    About Sadie King

    Sadie King is a USA Today Best Selling Author of over 120 short and steamy romance books and novellas. She loves to write about military heroes and the sassy curvy women who steal their hearts. Sadie lives in New Zealand with her ex-military husband and raucous young son. When she's not writing she loves catching waves with her son, hanging out at the beach, and drinking good wine, preferably with a book in hand.
    Visit authorsadieking.com

    🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS:

    🌐 Website & free self-publishing resources: http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com

    🎧 Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search "SPA Girls Podcast"

    💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

    #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast

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    1 h et 7 min
  • SPA Girls Podcast - EP544 - How To Harness Trends And Sell More Books
    Mar 17 2026

    From incorporating popular tropes to social media trends, the SPA Girls have a robust discussion around what they're doing to harness trends to reach more readers and sell more books!

    Links mentioned:
    Melanie Harlow's Harlot Authors group https://www.facebook.com/groups/630439937160840
    The Bestseller Code: Anatomy of the Blockbuster Novel by Jodie Archer and Matthew L Jockers
    Theodora Taylor's Substack https://7figurefiction.substack.com/p/better-butter
    Lillian Lark https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep510/

    🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS:

    🌐 Website & free self-publishing resources: http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com

    🎧 Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search "SPA Girls Podcast"

    💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

    #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast

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    47 min
  • SPA Girls Podcast - EP543 - Use Brain Science to Hook Readers From the Very First Sentence with Lisa Cron (Classic Replay)
    Mar 12 2026

    Want to hook your readers from the very first sentence? In this classic replay, story coach Lisa Cron joins the SPA Girls to talk about using brain science to write riveting novels that keep readers turning pages. Lisa is the author of Wired for Story, Story Genius, and Story or Die — all published by Ten Speed Press.

    Lisa explains what readers' brains actually crave from a story, why both pantsing and plotting can lead writers astray, and how to build emotional urgency from page one. If you've ever wasted months on pages that go nowhere, this episode will change how you think about story structure.

    In this episode we discuss:

    • What brain science reveals about why readers keep (or stop) turning pages
    • Why plotting and pantsing both fail writers — and what to do instead
    • How to build a riveting novel from the inside out
    • Creating emotional urgency that hooks readers from the first sentence

    About Lisa Cron: Lisa Cron is a story coach, UCLA Extension Writers' Program instructor, and former story consultant for Warner Brothers. Find Lisa and her books at wiredforstory.com

    🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS:

    🌐 Website & free self-publishing resources: http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com

    🎧 Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search "SPA Girls Podcast"

    💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

    #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast

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    1 h et 6 min
  • SPA Girls Podcast - EP542 - AI Assistance For Authors with Alessandra Torre
    Mar 4 2026

    AI is a hot discussion point in the author community these days, and we're joined again by bestselling author and educator, Alessandra Torre, to help us unpack this topic.

    At the outset, we acknowledge that this is a difficult topic to cover. From feeling fear to excitement and everything in between, authors cannot deny the reality of the new technologies arriving (and the "new language" around it which can be confusing.)

    So we start by asking how Alessandra approaches AI use from her perspective as an indie author who has written and published more than 35 books over many years, founded Inkers Con and is the CEO of Authors AI. She shares her definition of generative AI, assistive AI and responsibility, and how authors could use it for non-creative assistance.

    This is a meaty episode and one we hope listeners will take something from no matter how they feel about the topic and we're grateful to Alessandra for joining us!

    About Alessandra
    Alessandra Torre is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over 35 novels, and does not use AI to write. However she does have some great ideas for using AI tools to help with the marketing specializing in contemporary romance and domestic suspense, more recently writing as A.R. Torre. She is a prominent hybrid author, speaker, and founder of Inkers Con and the CEO of Authors AI.

    https://authors.ai/about/

    Resources mentioned:
    The Bestseller Code: Anatomy Of The Blockbuster Novel by Jodie Archer and Matthew L Jockers
    Fiction Analysis Tool Marlowe AI https://authors.ai/marlowe/
    https://www.authorscale.com/

    https://app.scribeshadow.com/manage-books

    Brave New Bookshelf Podcast https://bravenewbookshelf.com/
    Inkers Con https://inkerscon.com/2026-digital-conference/#GetStarted

    💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!

    ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you'll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.

    All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

    ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

    😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast

    Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don't miss an episode!

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    1 h et 9 min
  • Interview with Kaye Kennedy : Launch To Success (Classic Replay)
    Feb 24 2026

    Well worth a re-listen, this episode was originally recorded a few years ago when romance and romantic suspense author, Kaye Kennedy, scaled her author business from zero to a million page reads in just six months. Kaye utilized her business skills to launch in a focussed way that was truly inspiring (then and now).

    Kaye has continued publishing with incredible success and has also added being an author coach and psychic medium to her impressive resume!

    See our original show notes here: https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep283-interview-with-kaye-kennedy/

    About Kaye

    Kaye Kennedy is the author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels featuring everyday heroes who love hard and make love harder. If you like steamy and soulful reads that will break your heart and put it back together again, then her stories are for you.

    Kaye is an author coach and psychic medium by day and a romance novelist by night! She wrote her first book in the fourth grade, filling a marble notebook, and hooking her on creative writing. She earned her degree in English Literature and taught college composition & literature classes before switching gears entirely and becoming an entrepreneur, starting several businesses. Having always been a voracious reader, devouring three to four books per week, Kaye knew it would only be a matter of time before she saw her name on a book's byline.

    If you're an author who is looking to level up, Kaye can help you get there by offering divine guidance and by removing energetic blockages that may be holding you back.

    Not only is Kaye an author, she's a psychic medium, personal and professional development coach, Reiki Master, and an ordained minister. With over ten years of experience, she has performed more than a thousand readings for people all over the world. Her additional certifications in Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT - Tapping), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) give her a breadth of skills to utilize in order to best assist her clients.

    In addition, Kaye has been an entrepreneur in various industries for nearly fifteen years. Her experience led her to become a business development and branding coach for numerous small businesses. For the past 3 years, she has been working almost exclusively with authors.

    While originally from New York, Kaye has lived in New Hampshire and Florida, but now calls Connecticut home. She is battling an invisible illness and resides with her rescue mutt turned service dog, Zeus, who is a character in Burning for Secrets. When she isn't writing, she's out paddling on the water, indulging in a beach read, checking out a brewery, or feeding her wanderlust.

    Find her at: https://www.kayekennedy.com/

    💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!

    ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you'll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.

    All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

    ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

    😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast

    Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don't miss an episode!

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    1 h et 12 min
  • SPA Girls Podcast - EP540 - The Inflexion Point for Authors with Nicholas Erik (Part Two)
    Feb 18 2026

    Part Two of Two
    Listen to Part One here

    "Currently .... we're at a unique industry-wide inflection point. Whether you're a new or established author doesn't matter. You have the opportunity to grow your career much faster than under normal circumstances." ~ Nicholas Erik

    Nicholas Erik joins us again with fantastic insight into the impact technology is having on the publishing world — right down to us as individual authors. Now this isn't a pro or anti AI episode — it's about understanding how we as authors can adapt to these technology shifts, overcome our pain points through technology, and how the companies we're dealing with on a day-to-day basis are utilizing it.

    Nick makes a really compelling case that the next three years could be a once-in-a-career moment to level up, and he's got this beautifully simple framework for cutting through the noise and focusing on what actually moves the needle.

    And we had so much to talk about that — for the first time in a long time — we've split this into two episodes, because we didn't want to cut a single thing. Whether you're building to six figures or already there and wondering what's next, this one's for you.

    Make sure to sign up for Nick's free 80/20 Book Marketing newsletter here: https://nicholaserik.com/newsletter/

    Links / Resources Mentioned:

    NicholasErik.com
    Chat GPT
    Claude.ai
    Adobe Firefly
    Written Word Media Author Survey
    Nick's previous SPA Girls Episode - Facebook Ads for Authors

    About Nicholas Erik

    Nicholas Erik is an experienced indie science fiction author with more than 20 fiction books to his name. But he's also a very savvy marketer who writes comprehensive guides for authors (such as the Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing and the Ultimate Guide to Author Productivity) as well as offering courses on how to sell more books, build your fanbase and be more productive.

    Find him at NicholasErik.com


    💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!

    ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you'll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.

    All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

    ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

    😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast

    Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don't miss an episode!

    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    43 min
  • SPA Girls Podcast - EP539 - Interview with Nicholas Erik Part One - The Inflexion Point For Authors
    Feb 11 2026

    PART ONE OF TWO

    "Currently .... we're at a unique industry-wide inflection point. Whether you're a new or established author doesn't matter. You have the opportunity to grow your career much faster than under normal circumstances." ~ Nicholas Erik


    Nicholas Erik joins us again with fantastic insight into the impact technology is having on the publishing world — right down to us as individual authors. Now this isn't a pro or anti AI episode — it's about understanding how we as authors can adapt to these technology shifts, overcome our pain points through technology, and how the companies we're dealing with on a day-to-day basis are utilizing it.

    Nick makes a really compelling case that the next three years could be a once-in-a-career moment to level up, and he's got this beautifully simple framework for cutting through the noise and focusing on what actually moves the needle.

    And we had so much to talk about that — for the first time in a long time — we've split this into two episodes, because we didn't want to cut a single thing. Whether you're building to six figures or already there and wondering what's next, this one's for you.

    Make sure to sign up for Nick's free 80/20 Book Marketing newsletter here: https://nicholaserik.com/newsletter/

    Links / Resources Mentioned:

    NicholasErik.com
    Chat GPT
    Claude.ai
    Adobe Firefly
    Written Word Media Author Survey
    Nick's previous SPA Girls Episode - Facebook Ads for Authors

    About Nicholas Erik

    Nicholas Erik is an experienced indie science fiction author with more than 20 fiction books to his name. But he's also a very savvy marketer who writes comprehensive guides for authors (such as the Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing and the Ultimate Guide to Author Productivity) as well as offering courses on how to sell more books, build your fanbase and be more productive.

    Find him at NicholasErik.com


    💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!

    ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you'll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.

    All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

    ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

    😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast

    Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don't miss an episode!

    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    40 min
  • SPA Girls Podcast - EP538 - Networking For Authors with Celeste Barclay (Classic Replay)
    Feb 3 2026

    A lot of us are introverts and the idea of "networking" gives us chills (and not in a good way). Historical Romance author, Celeste Barclay, recorded this show with us a few years ago. Her advice is just as relevant now, as building your author community will help ride out the ups and downs of this wild self-publishing ride!

    Celeste Barclay books combine history and heat. She has a created a connected world that brings all her series together, so readers never have to say goodbye to their favorite characters.

    Before becoming a full-time author, Celeste was a Social Studies and English teacher. She holds degrees in International Affairs (BA), Teaching Secondary Social Science (MAT), and Political Management (MPS). She channels that knowledge into creating rich historical romances that bring the steam. She also a speaker and teaches writing and publishing as well as working with with aspiring and emerging authors to bring their publishing goals to life.

    It was the third book in her first series which really took off and she's been incredibly successful ever since. Celeste says her Author Village "made her career" and today she talks to us about what that means to her, how to find and build your own village, and why it's so important.

    Celeste defines her Author Village as her own network of fellow author peers who lend friendship, support, feedback, writing and business advice. They're like-minded people who she trusts and respects.

    What a village offers:
    - anthology opportunities
    - increased business
    - newsletter swaps, Facebook group takeovers, etc

    Some ways to find your author village:
    attend in-person author events and signings and conferences

    Join author Facebook groups such as Millionaire Author Mastermind (https://www.facebook.com/groups/millionaireauthormastermind/),

    or Renee Rose's - Abundance Mindset For Authors (https://www.facebook.com/groups/abundancemindsetforauthors/)
    To find more, search within Facebook for your own genre group

    Find Celeste at: https://www.celestebarclay.com/

    💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!

    ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you'll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.

    All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

    ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

    😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast

    Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don't miss an episode!

    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    52 min