Writer On The Road

The Aussie Indie Podcast Launch Episode

Introducing a new direction for Writer on the Road Productions, including our Publishing and Podcast activities. Although we've always been about bringing to our listeners the latest and best Indie publishing advice - as exemplified by our Business of Writing Podcast Series, Author Success Stories Series and magazine, plus our courses and workshops - we're now doubling down on the talent in our own part of the world. Australasia has a plethora of talent in the Indie publishing space and it's ...

#161 Mel & Sam in Orlando: Audio Matters & What You Need to Know For Your Writing

Podcasts are the new blogs. And, as an author, the best way to reach your audience to promote your novels and stories is through audio. If you’re not guesting on podcasts, it’s time to start. Audio is king, is the key message we bring away from our Podcast Movement Conference in Orlando, Florida, as we wind up our America trip and get ready to head back to Oz. And audio is only going to get bigger. Think Google podcasts, Google searches, and anything else Google you want to throw in this...

#160 10 Minutes with Sam & Mel: Tall Ships, Hamilton & a Research Sabbatical

It’s time to write. And research. Join us as we enter the research and writing phase of our NYC journey. Let’s call it a writing retreat where we meet people who give generously of their time and knowledge with no expectation of return. If you love history and the gilded age, then this one’s for you. Think tall ships, maritime history, old mansions and sticky buns. Meet Pamela Grimm, author of Destiny’s Gold and Destiny’s Freedom. Pamela is an amazing historian and a person I had the privil...

10 Minutes with Mel & Sam in NYC: Living Like Locals and Dastardly Budget Discussions

International travel, book buying, theatre attendance and writerly adventures all need budgetary considerations if one wants to survive for an extended period in the greatest city in the world. Having comfortable shoes is also a good idea. In this episode we chat about the importance of keeping an eye on the budget on a daily basis, discussing plans ahead of time and knowing when it’s time to slow down and enjoy the free stuff. We also chat with our Airbnb Superhost, Michelle, who gives us...

#158 10 Minutes with Sam & Mel in NYC: A Night at the Theatre

The writing life can be tough sometimes and this week was no exception as we busied ourselves attending two theatre pieces; Antigone in Ferguson and Mojada. You don’t need to know your Greek myths but it helps if you want to fully appreciate the political statement each piece makes. The intention of original Greek theatre is to allow an audience to purge their emotions, and in both cases, Sam & I blamed the emotion of the theatre experience as we cried. After such intense emotional connect...

#157 10 Minutes With Mel & Sam in NYC: Writin’ Along On Our Pushbikes, Honey…

Writing the road less travelled is turning out to be the path of our NYC ’10 Minutes With Mel & Sam’ journey. Exploring the greatest city in the world on foot, by bike, train and ferry is opening up adventures we never deemed possible all that time ago when we were planning our adventure. But, as luck halos our heads, we’re following in the tradition of great writers we can only dream of emulating, as we cross literary paths with the greats: Walt Whitman, Jack Kerouak, F. Scott Fitzgerald an...

#156 10 Minutes with Mel & Sam in NYC: Bookshops Aren’t Meant to be Like That

Join us in NYC to celebrate the creative freedom of being able to work from anywhere, starting with the greatest city in the world. We explore the opportunities in the world of theatre, books and writing, combined with travel, good food and the occasional drop of Long Island wine. In this episode we set the scene for what’s to come, discuss what makes a good bookshop, and chat with the writers of the off-Broadway musical, Assistants, about how to succeed at the hardest of creative endeavour...

#155 Never Give Up On Your Publishing Dreams, with Cassie Hamer

If at first you don’t succeed at this thing called writing…keep writing, and learning, and writing some more. Cassie Hamer, author of  After the Party, has put in the hard yards, earning her Masters in Creative Writing, and then unlearning most of what she’d been studying for years as she searched to find voice. And lucky for us, she found it with her debut novel. Cassie opens up about the fears, doubts and joys of success as a published author. We even get a sneak preview of the joys of l...

#154 Grand Narratives & Epic Adventures: The Real Meaning of Romance, with Elizabeth Ellen Carter

Welcome to the world of pirates, love, blackmail, ill-gotten gains, treason and trickery. And that’s on a good day. Elizabeth Ellen Carter is an award-winning historical romance author who pens richly detailed historical romantic adventures. Carter is known for her meticulous research. My husband jokes that it’s five minutes of writing and twenty five minutes worth of research per half hour…it could be half an hour on looking at what the liquor licensing laws were in t66he early eighteen h...

#153 How To Narrate Your Novel, with Renee Conoulty

You’ve written your novel and now it’s time to narrate it. Renee Conoulty is the author of novels and flash fiction that contain elements of dance, romance, and/or military life in a variety of genre – chick lit, women’s fiction, romantic comedy, contemporary romance, children’s books. She also has a book on how to narrate your own novels and stories, Narrated by the Author. In this episode, not only do we have the pleasure of listening to Renee read her work, we chat the following: ⬩ The ...

#152 How To Boost Your Writing Work-Flow using Dragon Dictation, with Scott Baker

Are you ready to ditch your keyboard? Scott Baker is an expert in all things Dragon Dictation. If you want to learn to train your Dragon, Scott’s your man. Scott’s official bio: Scott Baker has written dozens of books under various pen names and spent most of the last decade working as a freelance writer for numerous publications in the UK. He first began dabbling with Dragon voice recognition software in the late 1990s when it was, quite frankly, terrible. Things have improved dramatically...

#151 What Happens When a Software Developer & a Pair of Writers Get Together? with Lee Powell

Lee Powell is a writer and expert in technology. He works with Angela Ackerman and her co-creator Becca Puglisi at One Stop for Writers. He also created the Windows version of renowned writing program Scrivener. When the team collaborated, they came up with the Character Building Tool, which combines Powell’s software design skills with Ackerman and Puglisi’s thesaurus writing skills. In this episode, we chat about the following: the importance of collaboration Scrivener for Windows One ...

#150 Career Strategies For Indie Authors, with Adam Croft

Adam Croft is an Indie author and a counterpoint to anyone who says you can’t make a living through Indie publishing. He’s sold more than 1.5 million books and once bumped J.K. Rowling off the USA Today bestseller list. His ‘Knight and Culverhouse’ thrillers have sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide, and his Kempston Hardwick mysteries have been adapted as audio dramas starring some of the biggest names in British TV. He’s also published several books in his Indie Author Mindset series, a...

#149 Asking Big Questions: Writing The Landscape Novel, with Karen Viggers

Karen Viggers is the award winning, internationally bestselling author of four novels, including her new release, The Orchardist’s Daughter. She writes contemporary realist fiction set in Australian landscapes, and her work explores connection with the bush, grief and loss, healing in nature, death, family, marriage and friendship. During our conversation, we discuss the following: the intersection of nature and humanity our connection to nature the big philosophical questions the impor...

#148 From Traditionally Published To Indie: A Success Story, with Keri Arthur

I’ve always trusted myself. I’ve always written what I want to write and gone in the direction I want to. I’ve never actually had much input from the publishers that way. So that really hasn’t changed. I’m still using the same beta writer that I always have. I’m still with my same crit. group so you know none of that has changed. The way I work really hasn’t changed from traditional to self publishing. Keri is a best selling paranormal and fantasy author. She has won several Romantic Times r...

#147 How to Cut Through The Noise & Win Google Love Using SEO, with Kate Toon

“With small businesses, their greatest assets are all the other people in their network, and leveraging that can lead to big gains.” Kate Toon is an award-winning SEO copywriter and SEO consultant with over two decades of experience in all things advertising, digital and writing. She is the founder of  The Confessions of a Misfit Entrepreneur (https://www.katetoon.com/confessions-misfit-entrepreneur-podcast/)  – which also has its own podcast. Google optimisation is something we have to do...

#146 Boundless: From Indie Brand to Indie Movement, with Michael Evans

This week’s podcast showcases up and coming Indie author, Michael Evans, and coincides with the launch of the Indie Issue of Author Success Stories Magazine. Find out more here. (https://writerontheroad.com/author-success-stories-magazine/) Michael Evans is a young adult author and futurist. He’s an up and coming Indie author, following in the footsteps of the likes of Adam Croft, with a business savvy to match. Evans has published  three novels and four novellas, under his brand, Boundle...

#145 How to Create Characters That Resonate With Your Readers, with Angela Ackerman

Angela Ackerman is a writing coach, international speaker and co-author of six best-selling books with the latest one the updated Emotion Thesaurus: a Writer’s Guide to Character Expression. Angela is an international speaker and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also enjoys dreaming up new tools and resources for  One Stop For Writers (https://onestopforwriters.com/) , a library built to help writers elevate their storytelling. She’s al...

#144 Out of Africa: Telling the Story That Wants to Be Told, with TM Clark

Born in Zimbabwe, T.M. Clark completed her primary school years at boarding school in Bulawayo, but on weekends and holidays she explored their family ranch in Nyamandhlovu, normally on the back of her horse. Her teenage years were totally different to her idyllic childhood. After her father died, the family of five women moved to Kokstad, a rural town at the foot of the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa, and the boarding school hostel became her home. In the tradition of Tony Park and W...

#143 Do You Need An Agent? The Business of Being a Writer, with Haylee Nash

Ever wondered whether you’re better to strike out on your own  with your writing career, pitch directly to publishers or hire an agent? Haylee Nash, of The Nash Agency, outlines the pros and cons of each option, demystifying the publishing cycle in the process. But be warned, after listening to Nash, you’ll be hard pressed to justify not running with an expert. Think of an agent as an industry expert that has you as their primary focus in a publishing world that throws up more options every...

#142 The Magic of Being a Writer, with Belinda Alexandra

One of the joys of being a writer is sinking into the research abyss: events, characters, society, music, language and culture, reading books of the period, interior design, cookbooks, and the list goes on. Belinda Alexandra writes historical and historical/contemporary fiction novels set in exotic locations with the latest being The Invitation, a gilded age Domestic Noir, full of passions, secrets, history and intrigue. A born storyteller, Alexandra takes us through the Narnia wardrobe to ...

#141 A Room Of Her Own, with Darry Fraser

Darry Fraser is the bestselling author of Daughter of the Murray, Where the Murray River Runs, and The Widow of Ballarat. We first met Darry on the podcast,  here, (https://writerontheroad.com/99-summer-reading-writing-series-darry-fraser/) last Christmas, as part of our Summer Reading Series. This week we talk about the discipline of being a writer, about learning to be present while you’re writing and how finding your own style is critical to building a successful author career. You can ...

#140 Writing Life Out Loud: A Story Told in Real Time, with Lisa Messenger

Lisa Messenger writes her books in real time – almost like a journal. Sometimes the results aren’t pretty, but they’re real. Messenger is an Australian entrepreneur, author, and the founder and CEO of Collective Hub, an international multimedia business and lifestyle platform. She is also an international speaker, best-selling author, and an authority on disruption. She writes books in real time, her latest being Risk & Resilience, the story of the tough lessons she’s learned during the la...

#139 Writing Fight Scenes For Women, with Aiki Flinthart

Aiki Flinthart is the author of the YA 80AD Series (where the downloads went nuts), the Ruadhan Sidhe Series, Shadows Wake, Shadows Bane and Shadows Fate, and now, newly released, Iron, the first of the Kalima Chronicles. She has been shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards & Writers of the Future Contest, appeared on the Science Fiction/Fantasy Writers Assn of America YouTube channel – and she writes kick-ass women characters. In a Zombie apocalypse, you need to be able to shoot without stickin...

#138 The Spiderweb Effect: How Writing A Book Will Grow Your Business, with Brian K. Wright

Brian K Wright is the host of Success Profiles Radio and publisher of Success Profiles Magazine. Over the last 6 years, Brian has interviewed world-class achievers such as Darren Hardy, Jack Canfield, Loral Langemeier, Kevin Harrington, Sharon Lechter, and many more. A lot of people, when they think about writing a book, they think of selling millions of copies and it’s a really nice idea but unless you’re really famous or well known that may or may not happen. It’s what you can do with the...

#137 Writing, Procrastination & Getting Things Done, with Geoff McDonald

In the last 13 years, Geoff McDonald has read 550 books and written sixty plus Book Rapper ebooks, as well as over 1000 blog posts. And now he’s launching two books on the same day, Done and Project Done. McDonald has always been prolific, great with ideas and creativity, but not so strong at execution. It wasn’t until he bought a new laptop computer that he realised the untapped potential of all that creativity, and the problems he had with not finishing his various projects. Whilst copying...

#136 Allegory & the Australian Landscape, with DM Cameron

Sometimes, it’s best to let a novel speak for itself. DM Cameron’s Beneath The Mother Tree is lyrical from the first page and deliciously unputdownable. It could be Cameron’s Irish ancestry, or her background as an award-winning scriptwriter, or never-give-up attitude, but her debut novel hooks us from the first page and keeps us enthralled. Or it could be that I love landscape novels and Cameron’s intertwining of Irish and Indigenous cultures as they meet on an island that’s at once famili...

#135 How to Build a Community of Loyal Readers, With Rachael Johns

ABIA award-winning and bestselling author, Rachael Johns, is one half of the duo who has been organising the upcoming Australia’s West Coast Fiction Festival, an event eighteen months in the making. The other half is Tess Woods. It’s shaping up to be one of the biggest events of the year as sixty top Australian and New Zealand authors converge on Perth on the 3rd of November, 2018, for book signings, a cocktail party and live band. Johns is currently Australia’s leading writer of contempora...

#134 Women’s Fiction Takes to the High Seas, with Tricia Stringer

There’s something about character driven novels that has you turning the pages, feeling you know the characters already but want to know more. But what about writing them, with one eye on giving your reader a satisfactory ending whilst at the same time putting your characters through their paces and herding them all in the same direction towards that ending? Juggling five characters’ points-of-view and delving deeply into what motivates each of them is the latest challenge for bestselling a...

Knowing When It’s Time to Step Up Your Writing Ambitions, with Ber Carroll

Told in seven first-person voices, The Missing Pieces of Sophie McCarthy, is a new direction for Australian author, Ber Carroll, author of eight contemporary fiction novels. Tightly constructed and difficult to edit, it’s Carroll’s most ambitious novel yet, and if the early reviews are anything to go by, a highly successful novel at that. Carroll is not a planner and goes where the novel takes her, and Missing Pieces has taken her in a whole new direction. It’s why this is her first novel pu...

#132 What A Career as an Author Looks Like: 10 Years, 15 Books & Gaining Momentum, with Jacquie Underdown

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a career author? Jacquie Underdown has put in the hours and she’s starting to reap the rewards after ten years of hard work. It’s not an uncommon story. Underdown set about learning her craft through a A Masters in Writing, Editing & Publishing. Her first contract was an ebook with Harper Collins five years ago, when ebooks were an emerging market with Traditional Publishers (back then, texting was also new). With over a million words published in ...

#131 Kindle Unlimited or Wide, and Other Vexing Indie Publishing Questions, with Joanne Dannon

There’s no such thing as an overnight success in the writing game – well, maybe occasionally – but there’s a fast establishing pathway to give yourself the best chance of a long and profitable writing career. First, it takes time and writing more than a few good books, preferably in series, followed by perfecting your marketing and branding, building a loyal following who sign up to your email list, and coming to grips with the vagaries of the available sales platforms. And that perennial q...

Origin Stories, Myths & Dragons: How to Write SciFi/Fantasy, with Sherrilyn Kenyon

With over 70 million books sold, Sherrilyn Kenyon is worth listening to when it comes to all things writing. She’s experienced all the trials that we’re familiar with and celebrated all the successes the rest of us dream about. Stygian, a Dark Hunter Novel, has been named the Best SF and Fantasy novel for August, 2018 by Unbound Worlds. The Dark Hunter series, at twenty-nine and counting, is a #1 International Bestselling series, along with Kenyon’s Deadman’s Cross, Hellchasers and Nevermore...

How to Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile and Why You Should, with LinkedIn Expert, Adam Houlahan

Are you a scaling entrepreneur who wants to gain influence by defining who you are and why you matter? Checking your LinkedIn profile is one of the first things a potential connection will do before they reach out to you, and you need make a good impression. Social Media Strategist and LinkedIn expert, Adam Houlahan, has written a book about it. The LinkedIn Playbook will walk you through the process of optimising your LinkedIn profile and creating a highly professional presence online. Or, ...

#128 Name Your Poison: Writers, Alcohol & The Creative Muse, with Cassandra Gaisford

Are you a grey area drinker? If your writing routine is anything like mine you go about the business of writing all day and knock off in time to do a little editing whilst watching the sunset and enjoying a glass of wine or two…or three. Imagine my chagrin reading psychologist and author, Cassandra Gaisford’s latest book, Mind Your Drink: The Surprising Joy of Sobriety; Control Alcohol, discovering freedom, find happiness and change your life. Alcohol is a neurotoxin, a flammable liquid and ...

#127 How To Self-Publish Your Book, with Alexandra Amor

The world needs your book, says Self-Publishing coach, Alexandra Amor. In the ever-changing world of publishing it’s easy to become overwhelmed and that’s where Amor steps in as she guides your through the publishing maze. Amor has been an independent author for over ten years. She’s written eleven novels and hosts a mystery podcast (you can find out more her novels and podcast  here). (https://alexandraamor.com/) She VA’s for Mark Dawson and Joanna Penn. If there are any better testimonial...

#126 What Readers Want in a Novel, with Book Reviewer, Helen Sibbritt

Writers need readers and one way to find readers is through book reviews. With over 800 romance book reviews under her belt Helen Sibbritt knows a thing or two about what makes a good book and it would be pertinent for the writers amongst us to listen to what she has to say. She’s what’s known as an Influencer and she always has a review list she’s working her way through. How do we get onto Sibbritt’s list? Blurbs matter, as do professional covers, and testimonials. Sibbritt often turns t...

#125 When Australian Romance Authors Take on the World, with Alli Sinclair

Australian romance authors are taking on the world with their novels. Hot on the heels of Natasha Lester’s success with The Paris Seamstress, Alli Sinclair’s latest novel, Burning Fields, will be available worldwide in November. Burning Fields is an historical novel set in my part of the world, Far North Queensland, and is touted as an Australian historical with an Italian influence. During our conversation we chat about the following: women’s experiences during WW2 and beyond the role of ...

#124 Strategically Planning a Writing Career, with Annie Seaton

We talk a lot here at Writer on the Road about what it takes to be a successful author. Today, we’re celebrating the success of one of our favourite authors, Annie Seaton. Our conversation is short and it’s powerful as Seaton shares with us her journey over the last seven years. Here’s what it takes, Annie Seaton style: seven years high energy never giving up always pushing forward seeing results celebrating the small wins Congratulations, Annie Seaton, from everyone here at Writer on...

#123 On Being a Real Writer, with Christian White

It’s a question that bugs us all – when do we get to call ourselves a real writer? Christian White, Aussie author of thriller The Nowhere Child shares with us what it feels like to become an overnight success in the literary world. The Nowhere Child is White’s fifth novel but the first to see light of day. He shares with us his journey from winner of the 2017 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an unpublished manuscript to signing on with Australian publisher, Affirm Press, to having his ...

#122 Writing For Your Life: An Indie Publishing Success Story with Bella Andre

Have you ever wondered how to become a bestselling Indie author? Well, here’s the secret: write and write a lot. This is from a woman who has just celebrated selling over 7 million books. Her other secret is to work really hard for a very long time. Bella Andre is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of “The Sullivans”, “The Morrisons” and “The Maverick Billionaires” series. In this episode we chat about the following: what it was like...

#121 When Writers Collaborate, with Kelly Hunter, Victoria Purman, Cathryn Hein & Fiona McArthur

What do you get when you combine the talents of four of Australia’s top romance authors – Kelly Hunter, Victoria Purman, Cathryn Hein and Fiona McArthur? A bestselling romance series, for a start. And an altogether fun podcast, notwithstanding the challenges of keeping track of the number of awards, novels, and accolades these ladies have notched up between them over the years. In the crowded and competitive field of romance, these ladies stand out – as does their latest venture, a rural rom...

The Art of Travel-Inspired Novel Writing, with Janice Horton

Travel fiction has a long tradition. Think Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathon Swift, On the Road, by Jack Kerouac, and more recently, The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger and The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall-Smith. The list is endless. Janice Horton’s, The Backpacking Housewife, is in fine company, and although Horton is experiencing something like an overnight success with her new novel, it’s actually her thirteenth. Like most overnight successes, there’s a lot ...

Accountability, Clarity & Mindset: Success Traits For Entrepreneurs

Success comes in all shapes and sizes and it seems successful people share similar habits. A strong success mindset requires vision, strategy, focus, grit, consistency, and positive positive habits. Kim Argentsinger is a creative entrepreneur, coach and writer. It’s her job to help us get out of our own way and create a plan to take us to the next level, to find our own version of success. What are our core business values? What lights us up? Kim shares her tips on morning routines, positiv...

Bikers, Millionaires & Military Men: Writing The Romantic Hero, With Jackie Ashenden

The Business of Entrepreneurship, with Classy Career Girl Founder, Anna Runyan

Are you ready to invest in yourself to achieve your goals? Do you know what your ideal workday looks like? Do you need a step by step process to help you get where you want to go with your life? Anna Runyan, founder of Classy Career Girl, has a Corporate Rescue Plan just for you. In fact, she’s just launched Corporate Rescue Plan 2.0. Stuck? Anna runs a bootcamp to get you unstuck. She also has a free list of 75 tools to help you launch your new career plan (I saw it on Instagram). Her keys...

Turning To Crime: Writing Colonial Mysteries, with Alison Stuart

Curious about how an author goes about building a world to create a series? Alison Stuart, Australian author of historical fiction set around the time of the Civil War, is embarking on a new project, the Harriet Gordon Mysteries, the first of which, Singapore Sapphire, is set in 1910 Singapore and will be released early in 2019. You can find out more here (https://www.harrietgordonmysteries.com/) . (https://writerontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Screen-Shot-2018-05-17-at-3.48.44-pm....

#115 How To Market Your Book: The Five Stages Of The Reader’s Journey, with David Gaughran

‘Self publishing hasn’t just arrived, it’s taken over,’ says a man who knows. David Gaughran, champion of Indie authors, and author of several versions of Let’s Get Digital and Let’s Get Visible, has released a new bible for us, Strangers To Superfans, A Marketers Guide To The Readers’ Journey.  Think discoverability, visibility, consideration, purchase and advocacy, and you’ve got most things covered. The trouble is, most of us don’t think enough about these things, or at least, we haven’t ...

Advising Young Women in Business by Studying The Masters In Leadership, with Robyn Wilson

Working with millennials is rewarding because young entrepreneurs think differently. New ways of thinking, getting rid of the past and working with new technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, is the way forward. Any of these things sound familiar? Robyn Wilson, educator and lifestyle designer, is at the forefront of a revolution, or if you like, a changing of the guard, and she’s right in there making a difference where it counts. Think Ken Robinson. Think the Khan Academy. Even the...

The Rhymes & Writings of Aussie Bush Poet, Tim Borthwick

There’s nothing better than kicking back around the campfire in outback Australia and listening to a bush poetry slam. Humour, larrikanism and more than a little heartbreak often make up mood of most bush poetry, all of it heartfelt, and most of it inspired by the poet’s personal experiences. Enter Tim Borthwick, quiet and unassuming, but also your quintessential, outback Aussie bloke. Waltzing Australia is a collection of his poems, with the added bonus of a yarn accompanying each poem. The ...