In this episode, Mica sits down with author Laura Camacho Frias to talk about her upcoming novel, Unwritten, launching July 14th. Laura shares her journey from a 20+ year corporate engineering career to quitting her job and writing full-time, how old childhood journals became the seed for her novel, and what she's learned navigating hybrid publishing.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• Laura's path from engineering and corporate management into full-time writing, and the "bullfighter-level" courage it took to quit her job
• The premise of Unwritten — a dual-timeline story about a teenage boy, his missing mother, and the secrets we keep from the people closest to us
• How Laura's own childhood journals inspired the novel, and what she noticed was missing from them
• Wrestling with genre labels — literary fiction, coming-of-age, and "women's fiction" — and why she had men read her early manuscript
• Writing without an outline, and the lesson she learned about planning from her old corporate life
• Why she chose hybrid publishing with Catalyst, and what that relationship actually looks like day to day
• Who hybrid publishing tends to be the best fit for, and how the costs of self-publishing add up
• The hardest lesson from the process: learning to let go, including a rough experience at a book fair

Where to find Unwritten:

Unwritten by Laura Camacho Frias is releasing July 14th — available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

About Laura:

Laura Camacho Frias grew up in a small industrial town in the North of Spain. Despite her initial dream of becoming a translator for the United Nations, life happened; she studied engineering instead and moved to Portugal to complete her first degree. This turned out to be the beginning of a relentlessly high-paced 20+ year professional career, during which she worked in product and project management across several multinational industries, overseeing multi-million-dollar projects and managing brilliant minds.

Because Laura is only human — despite other people's opinions — this way of life contributed significantly to a health scare. That's when she rediscovered her passion for storytelling and became a full-time writer, focusing on stories heavily inspired by her own personal experiences.

Her partner, three kids, and two dogs ensure she still can't have either a proper relaxing day or a full writing day, but deep down, she wouldn't change it for the world. They all live together in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

How to find Laura:

• Personal website @ http://www.lcfrias.com
• Short stories @ https://reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/author/laura-camacho-frias/
• Substack about career change & life as an ex-corporate @ https://lcfrias.substack.com
• LInkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-camacho-frias/

Have a publishing question? Email me at mica@micamerrillrice.com

Newsletter: The Underground

Website: micamerrillrice.com

Instagram: @micamriceauthor

Facebook: @micamriceauthor

TikTok: @micamriceauthor

"Traditionally Self-Published" theme music is written by Landon Bailey and performed and produced by LNDÖ

Most authors think visibility means posting more content.

But what if that’s not the real strategy?

In this episode, PR specialist Allison Preston breaks down what public relations actually is, and why it’s one of the most overlooked tools for authors who want to get seen beyond social media.

We dive into the difference between PR and marketing, how “earned media” works, and practical ways authors can start building visibility—even without a large following.

If you’ve been posting consistently but not seeing results, this episode will shift how you think about audience growth and book promotion.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• What PR really is (and what it isn’t)
• The key difference between PR and marketing
• What “earned media” means for authors
• Why social media alone isn’t enough for visibility
• How to tap into existing audiences instead of building from scratch
• Beginner-friendly PR strategies you can start right now
• Where authors should be showing up beyond social platforms
• Common PR mistakes (and how to avoid them)
• And then we end with Allison's Five Best Tips for authors and the Ink Starter Lightning round

About Allison:

Allison Preston has more than a decade of experience in journalism, public relations, and strategic communications. Her work has been in front of the camera as a news anchor and reporter, and behind the scenes, pitching stories and overseeing communications for international nonprofits. She has ghostwritten opinion pieces for nonprofit and biotech leaders, hosted two podcasts, and secured media hits in major outlets including CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, NPR, and more. She is also a Young Adult Fantasy writer of power girl princesses and warrior women.

You can find her at:

• allisonprestonpr.com
• IG: @prestonpublicrelations

or on her Author Socials:

• IG @authoralicesheffield
• TikTok @authoralicesheffield
• Substack @authoralicesheffield

Have a publishing question? Email me at mica@micamerrillrice.com

Newsletter: The Underground

Website: micamerrillrice.com

Instagram: @micamriceauthor

Facebook: @micamriceauthor

TikTok: @micamriceauthor

"Traditionally Self-Published" theme music is written by Landon Bailey and performed and produced by LNDÖ

In this episode of Traditionally Self-Published, I sit down with bestselling romance powerhouse Kandi Steiner to talk about her latest release, Love Overboard, and pull back the curtain on her incredible 12-year journey in indie publishing. From her early days balancing a corporate career in social media to managing a backlist of over 40 books, Kandi shares the raw truth about what it takes to "do the hard thing" and find your voice.

We gabbed about:

• The New Release Dirt: Kandi’s latest release, Love Overboard, featuring a reality TV trope set on a super yacht. (Out now and available everywhere)
• The Corporate Edge: How Kandi used seven years of corporate social media experience to build a marketing foundation for her books.
• The "AHA" Moment: The story behind Weightless, the breakout book that hit #26 on Amazon and gave Kandi the courage to walk away from a guaranteed paycheck.
• Trusting the Story over the Formula: Why Kandi ignores "external noise" and industry formulas to let her characters dictate the spice and pacing of her novels.
• Building a Sustainable Backlist: How Kandi manages a massive library of books to ensure there is something for every type of romance reader, from sports romance to emotional angst.
• The Power of Community: Why the shift from "masses" to "newsletter subscribers" is the key to surviving the ever-changing landscape of social media.
• And we conclude with: The Romance Author vs Thriller Author INK STARTER LIGHTNING ROUND and Kandi’s 5 Best Tips for Authors!

About Kandi:

Kandi Steiner is a USA Today and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author living in Tennessee. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.

An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. Her love for writing started at the ripe age of 10, and in 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.”

She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a hopeless romantic and found herself bursting at the seams with love stories she was eager to tell.

When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, planning her next adventure, or pole dancing (yes, you read that right). She enjoys live music, traveling, hiking, yoga, spending quality time with her family (fur babies included) and soaking up the sweetness of life.

CONNECT WITH KANDI:

➜ NEWSLETTER: kandisteiner.com/newsletter

➜ FACEBOOK: @kandisteiner

➜ FACEBOOK READER GROUP (Kandiland): facebook . com/groups/kandilandks

➜ INSTAGRAM: @kandisteiner

➜ TIKTOK: @authorkandisteiner

➜ WEBSITE: kandisteiner.com

Kandi Steiner may be coming to a city near you! Check out her “events” tab on her website to see all the signings she’s attending in the near future.

Have a publishing question? Email me at mica@micamerrillrice.com

Newsletter: The Underground

Website: micamerrillrice.com

Instagram: @micamriceauthor

Facebook: @micamriceauthor

TikTok: @micamriceauthor

"Traditionally Self-Published" theme music is written by Landon Bailey and performed and produced by LNDÖ