If you could spend 45 minutes with a writing coach who’s helped hundreds of people write books, how would that transform your writing process? How much time and energy would you save if you put her advice into practice?

That’s what this episode is all about.

After grad school, Ally Fallon quit her job to write full-time. She gave herself 6 months to write her first book. 3 years later, she published it. Despite the success of her first book, she quickly realized that earning a living off writing is hard, so she started coaching other writers who were on a similar journey.

Ally’s coaching business has grown and now operates under the name, Write Your Story. She’s published 13 books of her own and helped countless others get their story onto the page.

She breaks down the fundamentals of good writing一things like:

• How to write an opening line that hooks readers

• Why every book must be about one thing, and how to identify what that thing is

• Why the most interesting thing you have to say is usually the thing you’re afraid to say

This conversation will remind you: your story matters. Self-doubt and insecurity try to sabotage all of us, but thanks to Ally’s wisdom and encouragement, you can write your story well.

EPISODE LINKS

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Do modern writers have to be marketers? In a word, yes.

This catches many authors by surprise. Isn’t it the publisher's job to promote a book? Yes, but in today’s publishing climate, marketing is a joint effort一a partnership between author and publisher. In the age of social media, writers are expected to leverage their audience to boost sales.

However, this is daunting for most writers. Where should you start? What platform should you use? What type of content should you post? How often?

Today’s guest is a firehose of helpful tips, and a breath of fresh air for anyone who feels intimidated by the task of promotion and marketing.

Jordan Raynor is a leading voice in the faith and work movement, and the author of several best-selling books, including Called To Create and Redeeming Your Time. As a lifetime entrepreneur, who feels called by God to start businesses, he shares his best marketing practices with senior editor Will Parker Anderson.

His insights include:

• The 8 things to look for when choosing a book idea

• How to beta test every idea with your audience before you start writing

• His formula for clarifying your book idea in a single sentence

• Why one platform is all you need to grow your audience
  
  

Don’t fear the marketing monster. With Jordan’s strategies in hand, you can tame it. Jordan’s approach will help you promote your work, while also making you a better writer in the process一one who knows the market and resonates with readers.

EPISODE LINKS

Subscribe to Will’s weekly newsletter: willparker.me

Please rate this podcast: Apple | Spotify

Will’s Instagram: @willparkeranderson

Will’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willparkeranderson/

Jordan’s books: Called to Create, Redeeming Your Time, The Sacredness of Secular Work

Do you ever feel like there’s no time to write? Life is busy. As we strive to steward the many aspects of our lives一school, kids, work, church, and family一writing often gets pushed to the backburner.

This leads many to conclude: “I’m just not meant to write in this season.” While that may be true, perhaps our expectations about the writing life are misinformed. The average author doesn’t take a yearly retreat in some quaint, exotic location. Instead, they write from the trenches of everyday life. Right in the middle of the mess.

What if God is calling you to write, right where you are? What if your limited bandwidth, when entrusted to him, is more than enough? What if your limits are a chance to see God work through you?

In this episode, pastor, speaker, and author Faith Eury Cho shares the story of writing her first book, Experiencing Friendship with God. Spoiler: she didn’t escape to a cabin in the woods for a month. Instead, she wrote in the midst of her life as a mother, wife, and leader.

She explains to senior editor Will Parker Anderson:

• How to write even when it feels like there’s no time

• What she learned as a first-time author

• How to connect with readers in a deep way

• How to listen for God’s voice as you write

• How to follow God’s leading, not just industry trends

For every writer that feels strapped for time, burned out, or unproductive, this episode is for you. By the end of this conversation, you’ll be reminded that God sees you and the words you write. Nothing is wasted. In fact, life’s messiest moments are the very place God tends to produce the sweetest fruit.

EPISODE LINKS

Subscribe to Will’s weekly newsletter: willparker.me

Please rate this podcast: Apple | Spotify

Will’s Instagram: @willparkeranderson

Will’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willparkeranderson/