317 / Debut author Michelle Park Lazette shares how she’s building a brand along with the lessons she’s learned about writing, marketing, and connecting with readers as a debut author.

• Building buzz for your book
• Starting a newsletter list and finding ARC readers
• Head hopping and point of view issues
• Challenges with interiority and emotion
• Using analytics for book promotion

✨ May Pod-Pal Shout-Out: Two Authors’ Podcast - Psychology of a Psychological Thriller with Robyn Harding

*Don’t miss our recent supporter episodes:

• What Asian Dramas Teach Writers About Conflict And Emotion
• More Truth about Book Marketing: 5 More Publishing Myths

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• InkersCon: https://inkerscon.com/2026-digital-conference (Affiliate Link) Use coupon code: JAMI26
• Michelle’s website, Flying Snake Press: https://flyingsnakepress.com/shop/

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🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops

❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5

🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/

📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/

The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

316 / What does it take to trust your intuition as a writer—and how can you find true joy in the crazy unpredictability of publishing? Amy Robinson shares her path from medical editor to romance novelist and the power of mental rest for authors.

✨ May Pod-Pal Shout-Out: Two Authors’ Podcast - Wheel of Life with Adrienne Giordano

• Trusting your intuition instead of following all the writing “rules”
• Redefining success and making family a priority
• Learning from (and letting go of) others’ marketing formulas
• Finding joy with passion projects and creative freedom
• The importance of mental rest and slowing down

*Don’t miss the Supporter Episode: What Asian Dramas Teach Writers About Conflict And Emotion. Become a supporter to get all 20+ supporter episodes:

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• ✨ May Pod-Pal Shout-Out: Two Authors’ Podcast - Wheel of Life with Adrienne Giordano
• https://www.aimeerobinsonromance.com/
• Two Authors’ Podcast: https://pod.link/1671876768
• Create Summit: https://createsummit2026.heysummit.com/?ac=ScVPVkA8 (Affiliate Link)
• Sisters in Crime Writers’ Podcast: https://pod.link/1565859080/episode/MDEyNWVjMjctNDRiYS00N2JmLWIzYjMtYWU4MTdjZTY0NmU3
• MBP S7 E3: From Miss Marple to Modern Cozies: A Guide to Amateur Sleuth Mysteries https://www.buzzsprout.com/1311757/episodes/19071210
• Healer, Competency, and the Bodyguard Trope with Aimee Robinson https://www.buzzsprout.com/2435348/episodes/16967375

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🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops

❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5

🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/

📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/

The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

315 / How can authors find their reader community on Substack while balancing life’s big changes? Jolie Tunnell shares her transition from years of blogging and waiting for permission to publish to indie success and serializing mysteries.

✨ This week’s sponsor is Vellum: http://tryvellum.com/wish

• Balancing writing with life changes
• Waiting for gatekeepers vs. giving yourself permission
• Using Substack for serialized fiction
• Creative marketing ideas, including membership drives and interactive reader experiences
• Incorporating graphics and interactivity
• Building community and engagement on Substack

💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support or https://wishidknownthenpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

• Access to backlist of exclusive supporter episodes
• Shoutout on a future episode
• Thank you to long-time supporter: KP Turner

🎯 Got a question? We’ll answer in a Q & A episode: Send us your questions!

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• http://tryvellum.com/wish
• https://jolietunnell.com/
• https://jolietunnell.substack.com/
• Create Summit: Get your free ticket here: https://createsummit2026.heysummit.com/?ac=ScVPVkA8 (Affiliate link)

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🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops

❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5

🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/

📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/

The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

314 / Tee Harlowe, a fantasy romance author, shares tips for successful Kickstarters as well as how she’s adapting to market shifts and why diversification is key to surviving income drops.

✨ This week’s sponsor is Vellum: http://tryvellum.com/wish

• Rapid release publishing strategies
• Instagram tips for authors
• Fallacies in assumptions about genre size equating to sales
• Challenges with Kickstarter fulfillment
• Diversifying author income streams, including through traditional publishing and direct sales
• Running a successful Shopify store

💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support or https://wishidknownthenpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

• Access to backlist of exclusive supporter episodes
• Shoutout on a future episode
• Thanks to new supporter: 🐱Katherine Dotterer

🎱 Publishing or writing questions? We’ll answer in an upcoming Q & A episode: Send us your questions!

⚡Links:

• http://tryvellum.com/wish
• www.teeharlowe.com
• Sara Rosett mystery and thriller tropes on the Indy Author Podcast: www.theindyauthor.com/show-notes/331-sara-rosett
• Kevin McLaughlin: context around Draft2Digital fee: https://www.facebook.com/kevins.studio
• PublisherChamp https://www.publisherchamp.com/
• ScribeCount: https://scribecount.com/
• CrowdControl: https://apps.shopify.com/crowd-control
• Ember Mae on Simple Kickstarters: 18702381-kickstarter-for-beginners-how-to-start-small-and-launch-successfully-with-ember-mae
• Rachel Hanna on Direct Sales: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2121723/episodes/13075849-rachel-hanna-on-direct-sales-success-and-writing-women-s-fiction

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Support the show

🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops

❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5

🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/

📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/

The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

313 / How do you balance the demands of a full-time job with launching a romance writing career? Finley Daniels shares her lessons learned in writing and marketing.

✨ This week’s sponsor is Vellum: http://tryvellum.com/wish

• Balancing writing with a full-time job
• Challenges in marketing and ads
• Importance of book titles and tropes
• Building an email newsletter
• Finding editors and cover designers
• Success with TikTok and BookBub

💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support or https://wishidknownthenpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

• Access to backlist of exclusive supporter episodes
• Shoutout on a future episode
• Thank you to long-time supporter: Angel Lawson
• angellawson.com

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⚡Links:

• http://tryvellum.com/wish
• https://www.finleydaniels.com
• Sara on The Creative Penn talking about special editions, direct sales, and low-key marketing: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2026/04/13/special-editions-seasonal-podcasts-and-the-art-of-low-key-book-marketing-with-sara-rosett/

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Support the show

🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops

❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5

🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/

📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/

The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

312 / What are the creative lies writers tell themselves, and how can reframing your mindset lead to a long-lasting, resilient writing career? Katherine Collette shares her insights and lessons from both podcasting and publication.

✨ This week’s sponsor is Vellum: http://tryvellum.com/wish

• Why resilience matters more than talent or craft
• The pitfalls of tying self-worth to external validation
• Reframing the role of social media and visibility
• The archetypes of post-publication response
• Finding joy and sustainability in your writing journey

💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support or https://wishidknownthenpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

• Access to backlist of exclusive supporter episodes
• Shoutout on a future episode
• Thanks to long-time supporter Tricia O’Malley https://www.triciaomalley.com/

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⚡Links:

• Vellum: http://tryvellum.com/wish
• https://www.instagram.com/katherinecollettewriter/
• Free 'long game' strategy call: Strategy Call
• The Inner Game of Writing (mini-course)
  https://info.katherinecollette.com/the-inner-game-of-writing-2026/
• Sara on From Expertise to Authority: https://mattydalrymple.substack.com/p/from-cozies-to-coach-with-sara-rosett
• Sara with Jennifer Hilt on The Two Authors Podcast: https://thetwoauthorschatshow.podbean.com/e/tropes-with-jennifer-hilt-and-sara-rosette/

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Support the show

🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops

❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5

🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/

📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/

The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

311 / Think you need to be on every platform, spend big on ads, or release a book every month to succeed as an indie author? We’re busting some of the most common publishing myths.

✨ This week’s sponsor is Vellum: http://tryvellum.com/wish

But first, we catch up on life after a writing retreat: the post-draft crash, newsletter plate-spinning, and the genuine weirdness of evaluating promos when the market keeps shifting

• Honest BookBub promo numbers and why results look different now
• Why discoverability matters more than "good enough" writing
• Why you don't need every social media platform to succeed
• Newsletters, Goodreads, and BookFunnel as practical visibility tools
• Why direct sales and Kickstarter can work even with a small audience
• Why rapid release is optional and genre dependent
• Why ads don't require huge spend, and how AI is changing targeting
• Genre zeitgeist: how trends like cozy and romantasy impact your strategy

💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support or https://wishidknownthenpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

• Access to backlist of exclusive supporter episodes
• Shoutout on a future episode
• Thanks to long-time supporter Delaney Smith 💜

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⚡Links:

• http://tryvellum.com/wish
• Alessandra Torre on Goodreads: https://open.substack.com/pub/wishidknownthenpodcast/p/alessandra-torre-on-goodreads-movie-10c?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

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Support the show

🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops

❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5

🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/

📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/

The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

310 / AI is getting better at producing words, audio, and even video, which raises the question for authors: how do readers know there’s a real person behind the book?

In this episode, we talk about how writers can stand out in a sea of AI content through leaning harder into trust, voice, and real connection. We share concrete ways to signal “I’m a real person” without forcing yourself to overshare or turn your life into content.

✨ This week’s sponsor is: Reedsy https://reedsy.com/studio and https://reedsy.com/studio/templates

• Why authenticity and connection matter more as AI output scales—and what history tells us about tech panic cycles
• How parasocial relationships work, where they go sideways, and how real-world interaction cuts through the noise
• Practical ways to show your humanity: imperfection, process sharing, physical objects, and curation
• Protecting your author voice and using credibility signals to build lasting reader trust

📌 Get a PDF download of all the ideas: Real, Not AI: 20 Ways Authors Signal Humanity and Build Reader Trust

💙 Become a supporter of the podcast If you've gotten value from the podcast and would like to share back with us, you could support the podcast. You'll get access to the backlist of exclusive supporter episodes and a shoutout on a future episode.

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We’d love to hear from you. Comments will be open on this episode in Substack: https://wishidknownthenpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

⚡Links:

• Reedsy https://reedsy.com/studio and https://reedsy.com/studio/templates
• Patty McGree on using grammar as your paintbox:
• https://pod.link/1495247798/episode/QnV6enNwcm91dC0xODY2MDEzOA
• Joanna Penn and The Creative Penn Podcast: https://pod.link/309426367
• Thanks to long-time supporter Parker Finch: https://parkerfinch.com/

📥 Send us a Text Message

Support the show

🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops

❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5

🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/

📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/

The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast