Hey girl!
If you’re a writer, you’ve probably spent countless days and nights tucked away in coffee shops with your MacBook and a vanilla latte. Or maybe that’s just me… (There’s just something about being hidden amongst total strangers that unlocks those creative juices and frees our mind from judgement, am I right?!). But getting from Point A (writing a book) to Point B (publishing) is a total beast to take on. If you don’t know where to start, that is. I was lucky enough to come across one of the best podcasts for writers just as I began the journey of publishing my book in November 2020. Back then, the podcast was called “Launch Pad.” It has since been renamed to On Good Authority with host best-selling author Anna David.
Also, I should mention this is the first podcast I ever listened to. And I’ve totally been hooked ever since. (Thanks, Anna!)
The Start of my Publishing Journey
When I first stumbled upon my book publisher New Degree Press, I was pretty uneasy. They weren’t one of those “esteemed” traditional publishers based out of a New York skyscraper. They were what’s called a hybrid-publisher, which I knew nothing about at the time. I only knew they’d help me campaign to raise money for the book and allow me to keep the rights. When they green-lit my book for publishing, I did actually cry in my car with excitement. I mean, after almost a year of submitting to traditional publishers and being rejected, this was my chance to publish.
But that’s when all the questions flooded in… Shouldn’t they be paying me for my book like a normal publisher? Am I being scammed by someone pretending to be a real publisher? Does hybrid-publishing make me better than being self-published? Feeling lost, I took to the internet and started googling this bizarre process of publishing a book. That’s when I came across this Forbes article of top female podcasters and their stylish studios. Guess who’s name came first? Anna David’s, of course. I immediately fell in LOVE with her all-pink studio, which is the point of the article. But I hadn’t realized just yet that I had come across one of the best podcasts for writers that would soon propel my author journey.
What is Entrepreneur Publishing Academy?
On Good Authority is a podcast for authors, writers, and entrepreneurs. While the content focuses on writing non-fiction, I found pretty much all of the information completely relevant and insightful. Not to mention, it’s also helped me as a fiction author realize that much of the “money” in writing comes from having a nonfiction book (currently a work in progress but very much a new goal of mine). Here’s a couple factors that rank On Good Authority among the best podcasts for writers looking to publish:
- Teaches authors to think of themselves as entrepreneurs
- Teaches entrepreneurs how to use a book to grow their business (and how having a book is even better than that college degree hanging on your shelf)
- Teaches writers how to write, publish, and launch a book
- Spills some major tea and uncovers the truth about the traditional publishing industry
- Puts to rest myths regarding self and hybrid-publishing and empowers authors to use these to take control of publishing
- Interviews authors and wildly successful entrepreneurs on their journeys of writing and publishing (including myself after employing so much of her advice and even meeting her in Los Angeles!)
- Discusses Anna David’s own journey as a best-selling author and her badass publishing company Legacy Launch Pad Publishing (BTW this is totally how I ended up meeting her and becoming her mentee!)
- And encompasses lots of humor from an extremely witty and hilarious host
In the words of Mr. Weasley, “the truth will out.”
Upon first discovery, I may have binged like 50 episodes of the podcast in a week. But what I learned in just the first couple was something I had never heard any person talk about.
She exposed the myth about traditional publishing, explaining how these “gatekeepers” make it so difficult for authors — not only to get chosen in the first place, but even to successfully launch a book if they don’t deem you one of the top moneymakers.
Episode Reference: “Trust Me, You Don’t Want a Traditional Book Deal” and “Do People Look Down On Self-Publishing?”
Most writers who aspire to publish a book traditionally have this vision of a glamorous process. The publisher pays them a $50,000 advance, takes them on a book tour, books their television gigs, the works…
Think, Sex and the City (Season 5, Episode 5): Carrie’s fabulous book party — half of New York City is there, cosmopolitans galore, and huge posters of her book cover on the wall (and yet, she still finds an excuse to sulk over a guy, smh).
But in reality, a glamorous book launch is only for the 1% of authors the publisher takes on who they deem will be a huge return on their investment. One of the craziest stories from Anna’s podcast was how her publisher purposely kept her book out of certain bookstores. When a traditional publisher owns your book’s rights they can literally do whatever they want with it, keeping authors from promoting it successfully. Iconically though, years later, Anna re-published her first book “Party Girl” under her own publishing company to promote it her way. So badass.
Episode Reference: “How Do I Re-Launch a Book?” and “What I Learned From the Party Girl Re-Launch.”
Actionable tips for Writers
Part of what makes On Good Authority one of the best podcasts for writers are the smart tips Anna gives. Much of it comes from what she’s learned has worked best. But also some of the a lot of her advice comes from mistakes experienced while working with a traditional publisher. And these tips are totally actionable, take it from my own experience.
There’s one episode where Anna describes walking up to a bookstore associate and ask if they were able to order her book. I used this simple advice alone and took myself on a self-funded little “book tour” to 20 bookstores in my former hometown of St. Louis, successfully selling my novel to a handful of them. This is also how I ended up hosting two book signings at a Barnes & Noble in both St. Louis and my current hometown in Seattle.
Episode Reference: “How Do I Get My Book in Book Stores?”
I also would not have an author website if it weren’t for the podcast. Before knowing how easy it is to build a website, I even went as far as hosting a summer internship to get help building one from an intern with coding experience (who didn’t end up joining as planned). Thankfully, the episode below quickly broke down exact steps for how to build one. It also goes into why authors should have one in the first place.
Episode Reference: “What Does An Author Website Need?”
The best podcasts for writers always have top references to other highly successful and credible people. As the first podcast I ever listened to, Entrepreneur Publishing Academy introduced me to an amazing podcast that I still listen to today. This very blog of mine “Sincerely, Ashlea” I have to credit to hearing about John Lee Dumas and his podcast Entrepreneurs on Fire. It was there that I heard interviews with dozens of entrepreneurs who used blogs to launch their careers and earn passive income. That’s when I ended up diving into how I could finally launch one of my own after years of not knowing how to figure it out.
Episode Reference: “How Does John Lee Dumas Launch a Book?”
Bigger Goals to Plan for
After learning so much about what ghost-writing is and from Anna’s writing resources, I fully plan to use Legacy Launch Pad Publishing in the future on a nonfiction book. And I highly recommend anyone serious about growing or launching a business to check them out.
Episode Reference: “Should I Hire A Company to Write and Publish My Book?” and “What’s the Difference Between a Ghostwriter, Editor & Coach?”
Similarly, making an online course is ALL the talk in the entrepreneur world right now. And of course one of the easiest ways to make one is to base it off your book — duh! This is another long-term goal of mine. But it’s a move that’s extremely lucrative. Anyone looking to spread the content of their book faster and make passive income needs to consider an online course.
Episode Reference: “Turning a Book Into a Course with Paul Angone.”
Powerful Stories from notable Authors & Entrepreneurs
I can go on for days talking about everything I’ve learned listening to this podcast. No, like, it’s honestly kind of overwhelming that I wish I could hire help to accomplish so much of the advice given by Anna alone. But what makes On Good Authority sit in the best podcasts for writers is the interviews and stories. Hearing the different perspectives keeps you on your toes and better decide what tips are best for you as a writer on your own journey.
Here’s a list of some of my favorite podcast episodes with prominent authors and entrepreneurs that are total must-listens:
“Anna David (That’s Me!) on Making Your Message Your Business.”
“The Jeff Garlin Book Soup Event!”
“Brianne Davis on Launching a Book on Sex and Love Addiction.”
“A Play-By-Play Breakdown of How Rachel Hollis Launches a Book.”
“Why to Avoid Traditional Publishing with Courtney Friel.”
“Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone to Promote Your Book with Dan Peres.”
“A Play-By-Play Breakdown of How Tim Ferriss Launches a Book.”
“Katie DePaola on Building Your Brand with a Book.”
“Multiple New York Times Bestselling Author Gigi Levangie on The New Vs. The Old Ways of Launching.”
“Jeff Goins on How Real Artists Don’t Need to Starve.”
“Rebekah (“Bex”) Borucki on Going From Food Stamps to Author and Coach.”
“Jesse Krieger on Crowd Funding Your Book Launch.”
“How to Land a Book Deal with Rea Frey.”
“Gina DeVee on Finding Gratitude When Your Book Comes Out at a Terrible Time.”
Oh yeah, and my episode has some pretty helpful tips too!
Need I say More?
All I’m saying is there’s a reason why I’ve stuck with Anna David and On Good Authority for the last two years. It’s among the best podcasts for writers and might be at the top for all its knowledge and versatility. Have a notepad ready and be ready to take notes — or if you spend most of your day in the car like I had for two months of my last job, be ready to pull over a few times to furiously text notes to yourself. The road from writer to “published” is closer than it appears.
Want more resources to write and publish a book? Learn from my journey becoming an author in my blog “My Journey Publishing a Young Adult Fiction Book.” Be sure to also read up on the marketing strategies I used upon publishing in the blog “Book Marketing Ideas to Use After Publishing.”
Sincerely,
Anna David
I think you know this podcast better than I do myself! I cannot thank you enough for this exquisite write-up.