What if landing a book deal wasn’t about luck at all, but about learning how the publishing world really works? In this episode of Kind of a Big Book Deal, Meghan sits down with bestselling author and former teacher–turned–entrepreneur Jamie Sears to break open the truth behind traditional publishing, platform building, and writing a book that actually gets picked up.

Jamie shares how she went from creating classroom resources with nothing but scrapbook skills to building a massive online audience and securing a major deal with Penguin Random House. Her story is a reminder that success isn’t instant, it’s built through consistency, listening to your audience, and choosing your “hard.”

Listeners will learn why a strong author platform matters, how proposal-writing becomes the true test of book readiness, and why rejection from agents isn't a final verdict but part of the journey. Jamie also offers an honest look at mindset, deadlines, collaboration, and the surprising ease that comes once you finally take the first step.

This conversation is a must-listen for every entrepreneur who dreams of seeing their book on shelves someday.

This week’s guest is Jamie Sears. She is the Founder and CEO of the Not So Wimpy Teacher company, as well as the author of How to Love Teaching Again. A former third grade teacher, she now runs a multi-million dollar company creating curriculum, hosting a lesson planning platform called Lesson Genie, and delivering professional development for elementary educators in grades 2-5. She has educated over 15,000 teachers in her digital courses and her articles have been viewed more than ten million times by teachers around the world.

Find Jamie online
https://www.facebook.com/NotSoWimpyTeacher
https://www.instagram.com/notsowimpyteacher/
https://notsowimpyteacher.com/

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(1:20) Jamie Sears’ work and her mission
(2:46) Becoming an accidental entrepreneur
(4:55) Building a platform one step at a time
(8:00) Mindset and choosing your “hard”
(9:16) What a book proposal really requires
(15:10) Handling rejection from agents
(20:25) The mindset shift of writing a full book
(23:22) Breaking down the writing process
(29:01) The joy and pride of finishing a book
(32:20) How publishing really works behind the scenes
(44:03) Jamie’s advice for first-time authors
(50:15) Outro

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• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghanstevenson/
• TikTok: @meghan.stevenson.books
• Website: https://www.meghanstevenson.com/

Have a great idea for a book but don't know where to start? MeghanStevenson.com/quiz


Traditional publishing expert Meghan Stevenson blasts open the gates of the “Big 5”—Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Macmillan—to share what every entrepreneur and expert needs to know about landing a book deal.

In episodes released every Monday, Meghan shares wisdom and stories from 20+ years in publishing as well as interviews with authors, literary agents, and editors. She also answers questions from listeners like you.

Whether you are an experienced entrepreneur with an empire, or are just starting out—this podcast will help you understand what you need to do in order to turn your dream of being a bestselling author into real life.