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In this episode of Indie Author Weekly, I want to share about my process for how I have chosen cover images and design for my books in the past. I’ll be doing an illustrated cover for my next romcom, which I’m pretty excited about, so that got me thinking about cover images and design in general.  This is not something that comes naturally to me. I’m a writer, not a designer! I outsourced my design to Acepub for the Polyamorous Passions, and they’ve been pretty good. I chose them right from the start because they were recommended by Kobo Writing Life.  I still don’t feel as though I’ve totally nailed the decision-making process of choosing cover images and design, but I’ve definitely learned a lot! So if you feel like you aren’t a design person, don’t worry. I’m right there with you. This episode is for you.  A caveat here: this process is based on my experience with a) hiring out the cover design to someone else, and b) using stock photos for my covers. I’ll be getting a custom illustrated cover design for my next book, so that process will be a bit different! I’ll share about that experience in a future episode if you like.  Okay! So, here’s how I’ve chosen cover images and designs for my books. Let’s break it down into an easy step by step process... TUNE IN to this episode to get the inside scoop!  Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Get podcast and book updates delivered to your inbox at SaganMorrow.com/behindthescenes .Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Get more focused and disciplined with Productivity Powerhouse at SaganMorrow.com/powerhouse .Small Town Stilettos: add to your "To Read" list on Goodreads!  Acepub . Kobo Writing Life . Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Subscribe, rate and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

In this episode of Indie Author Weekly, I want to share about my recent experience with writing a short story… and why I’ll be doing that on a monthly basis from now on. I actually had plans to publish my next romcom, Small Town Stilettos, within the next few weeks. But about a month ago, I realized that I was putting unnecessary pressure on myself to hurry up and edit that book and then publish it. There are other aspects of my business that I also need to focus on, and if I prioritized Small Town Stilettos right now, I’d just be pulled in way too many directions all at once. So I decided that I needed to take a step back and slow down a bit. I don’t know about you, but impatience is definitely a weakness of mine. I’ve been able to channel and reframe it into a strength in a lot of ways, because I’m very action-oriented… but I need to remind myself in these situations that it’s not a race, and that I don’t need to hustle every single day to get things done in a rush. So with that in mind, I’ll be working on Small Town Stilettos at a slower pace over the next couple months, and I’ll likely publish it in February or March.  In the meantime, you can learn more about that book and add it to your To Read list on Goodreads by searching “Small Town Stilettos”... I’ll also drop the link in the show notes of this episode.  Anyway, when I made that decision, I knew that I still wanted to work on creative writing projects on an ongoing basis. I wanted something smaller that I can complete quickly, without it taking a huge amount of time and energy out of my week, the way that full-length novels do. And that’s where the idea of writing short stories comes in… TUNE IN to this episode to find out why I'm writing short stories (and why you should, too). Resources & links mentioned in this episode: Get podcast and book updates delivered to your inbox at SaganMorrow.com/behindthescenes .Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Get more focused and disciplined with Productivity Powerhouse at SaganMorrow.com/powerhouse .Small Town Stilettos: add to your "To Read" list on Goodreads!Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Subscribe, rate and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode: @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

In this episode of Indie Author Weekly, I want to provide you with some reassurance, if you feel like everyone else is writing a book, and you aren’t. We are currently in November, and every November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. It’s that time of year when people from all across the globe come together virtually to each write a 50,000 word novel in the space of just 30 days. It’s a super cool concept and it can be a very effective way to get that first draft on paper. I love the energy of NaNoWriMo—when you’re participating in it, you get to really be a part of a bigger community, with plenty of writing resources. It’s awesome.  But… what about if you aren’t participating in National Novel Writing Month? What about those times when it feels like everyone else is writing a book, and you aren’t?  I’ve taken part in NaNoWriMo probably about a half-dozen times, and every year when I don’t participate, I definitely feel some FOMO about it. That’s totally normal. It makes sense to maybe feel a little guilty that we aren’t writing a novel, when it seems like everyone else is doing it. It’s okay to wonder if maybe you should be doing it, too.  Here’s the thing, though: sometimes, the timing isn’t quite right. And as important as it is to prioritize book writing, we also can’t necessarily just drop everything to do it. Right? Right.  TUNE IN to this episode for 6 tips on how to deal with FOMO about (not) writing your book...  Resources & links mentioned in this episode: Get podcast and book updates delivered to your inbox at SaganMorrow.com/behindthescenes .Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Get more focused and disciplined with Productivity Powerhouse at SaganMorrow.com/powerhouse .National Novel Writing Month .Episode 83 of Indie Author Weekly: how to fit "writing a book" into your schedule .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Subscribe, rate and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode: @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

This episode of Indie Author Weekly shares the vital importance of “thinking” time as part of the book writing process.  What do I mean when I say “thinking” time?  Basically, that’s any time you’re thinking about your book but not actively writing it. For me, this often happens when I’m out walking or kayaking, or lying awake at night unable to sleep, or just daydreaming at random. Many people find that any kind of mindless task, such as doing household chores or showering etc, is a good opportunity for this. This doesn’t happen when you are sitting at the computer or writing in your journal.  “Thinking” time can be passive or active. The passive version is when something just springs to mind, unbidden, when you weren’t thinking about your book at all. The active version is when you are trying to focus your brainpower on your book, and working through ideas and such in your mind. Both are equally important! Even if you typically do most of your book’s “thinking” time in a passive fashion, I would still encourage you to deliberately carve out time to do the active version of it. It will enable you to channel your ideas, make decisions around plot, and resolve any issues you might be struggling with in your book.  We often discount “thinking” time because we can’t quantify it, the way we can with a word count. This is a huge problem. If you are only concerned about getting the words on the page, and you don’t consider the underlying themes and tone and characters of your story, then you won’t be able to tease out the nuances of it, and you’ll have a “flatter” story. We don’t want that. We want our books to have depth, substance, a three-dimensional angle. The more that you understand the story, the better your book will be.  TUNE IN to this episode to find out why "thinking" time is so important, plus a real-life example and how to make it work as part of your own book writing process...  Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Get podcast and book updates delivered to your inbox at SaganMorrow.com/behindthescenes .Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Get more focused and disciplined with Productivity Powerhouse at SaganMorrow.com/powerhouse .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Subscribe, rate and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

Do you have a fear of success? What about a fear of failure? Is fear in general holding you back from writing your book? We address all of that and more in this episode of the Indie Author Weekly podcast!  Today, we're responding to a listener comment about the fear of success... "When it comes to getting my writing out there, I’m more scared of success than failure."  If that's you, too, please know that you are not alone! Fear of success is super common—but there are strategies to overcome it. We also address another listener comment in today's episode: "If I wrote as honestly as I fantasize being able to do, I would be afraid of success, too. I’ve thought about writing under a penname. My concern is about being 100% about my thoughts and experiences, and what people would think. I only want to write with brutal honesty or not at all."  In this combination encouraging pep talk and practical strategies podcast episode, we'll get past your fear of failure, once and for all, so you can finally realize your dreams of becoming an author. TUNE IN to this episode to get that now...   Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Get podcast and book updates delivered to your inbox at SaganMorrow.com/behindthescenes .Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Get more focused and disciplined with Productivity Powerhouse at SaganMorrow.com/powerhouse .Episode 83 of the Indie Author Weekly podcast: how to fit "writing a book" into your schedule .Episode 81 of the Indie Author Weekly podcast: 3 tips for how to finish writing your book .Episode 7 of the Indie Author Weekly podcast: whether or not to use a pen name as an author .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Subscribe, rate and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

This episode of Indie Author Weekly shares a few tips for what you can do to fit writing a book into your busy schedule. I have a step-by-step guide, a 5-step process, for how to do just that. As a productivity strategist, I teach business owners all the time about how to improve time management and productivity… so let’s apply that to your author life.  First of all, there are 2 key things you need to know about managing your time effectively:  Good time management is rooted in good energy management. Effective time management and awesome productivity skills are not rocket science: anyone can do it! Yes, that includes you. I want you to keep these 2 things in mind when you’re trying to fit “writing a book” into your busy schedule.  Also, remember this: *What* you choose to prioritize isn’t the issue here... it’s *that YOU make the active choice.* It is that you understand that you have the opportunity to prioritize the things that matter to you. If you are serious about writing and publishing a book, it needs to be a priority.  We all have different backgrounds and things going on in our lives, of course. For myself, I postponed writing novels for YEARS, and I started writing and publishing the Polyamorous Passions series while I was going through a business partnership breakup, going through some of the worst anxiety of my life, and I also have chronic insomnia and nightmare disorder.  We all have different things in life and business to deal with—it’s not as though you can necessarily drop everything to work on your book, but it does need to be a priority. No matter your background or personal circumstances, I want you to have hope and confidence that you, too, *can* fit a book into your schedule.  TUNE IN to this episode for a step-by-step process for how to fit “writing a book” into your schedule...  Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Get more focused and disciplined with Productivity Powerhouse at SaganMorrow.com/powerhouse .Learn about business planning (and then apply that concept to creating your author plan) in the free Business Planning Retreat Workshop at SaganMorrow.com/retreat .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Read sample chapters of the books at SaganMorrow.com/secretpodcast .Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

This episode of Indie Author Weekly shares the TRUTH about creativity that every writer needs to hear... are you ready for this?  Consider this your book writing pep talk of the week! Tune into this episode to hear it now...  Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Read sample chapters of the books at SaganMorrow.com/secretpodcast .Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

Welcome back to Indie Author Weekly, where I share my behind-the-scenes journey of writing and self-publishing books.  If you’re new to this podcast, I am a productivity strategist for multi-passionate creatives at SaganMorrow.com: I help people manage their time and energy effectively, through customized, actionable strategies that work for your unique life and business. When I’m not teaching about productivity to solopreneurs, I spend my time writing romantic comedies, and occasionally, business books. And that is what this podcast is all about: the adventures of the author life.  Now let’s get into this episode of the Indie Author Weekly podcast. Back in Episode 79, I shared a few tips and writing prompts for how to start writing your novel… so with that in mind, today I want to share 3 tips for how to finish your book.  TUNE IN to this episode to get practical tips for how to finally finish your novel...  Resources & links mentioned in this episode:Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Get more focused and disciplined with Productivity Powerhouse at SaganMorrow.com/powerhouse .Learn more about Sagan's upcoming romcom, Small Town Stilettos, on GoodReads .Episode 79 of the Indie Author Weekly podcast: ideas for how to start writing your book .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Read sample chapters of the books at SaganMorrow.com/secretpodcast .Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:@Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

Today's episode of Indie Author Weekly shares 5 possible reasons for why you’re struggling with writing… plus how to fix each of those problems! As we go through these, we’ll see that many of them interconnect together, so you might find that a few of these resonate with you...  TUNE IN to this episode to find out how to solve the problems and reasons for why you're struggling to write your novel. Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Get more focused and disciplined with Productivity Powerhouse at SaganMorrow.com/powerhouse .Learn more about Sagan's upcoming romcom, Small Town Stilettos, on GoodReads .Episode 79 of the Indie Author Weekly podcast: ideas for how to start writing your book .Episode 44 of the Indie Author Weekly podcast: how to use mindmapping to outline your book .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Read sample chapters of the books at SaganMorrow.com/secretpodcast .Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

Today's episode of Indie Author Weekly shares 3 tips, plus a list of ideas and writing prompts, for how to start writing your novel. After all, sometimes one of the hardest things about writing your novel is actually starting it! After you write “Chapter 1”... what comes next? I encourage you to do 3 things when you’re writing the first scene in the first chapter of your book… TUNE IN to this episode of Indie Author Weekly to get the tips, PLUS 10 writing prompts for writing the opening scene of your novel! Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Read sample chapters of the books at SaganMorrow.com/secretpodcast .Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

Today on Indie Author Weekly, I want to continue with our book launch recap of Her Bad Idea. Last week, I shared with you about the organic book marketing that I did for the book launch, and my experience with the book blogging community and the advance readers who helped me promote this book. You can tune into Episode 77 to get the inside scoop on all of that.  Okay! So today, we’re on to Part 2 of the book launch recap for Her Bad Idea. The release day was August 25, so I consider the book launch to be a two-week period. In this episode, I want to share with you the money side of things with this book launch: which paid promotions were worth it, and which weren’t, plus how many book sales I actually made, and how much money I made from my romcoms during the two-week book launch period for Her Bad Idea. I wanted to experiment with different combinations of promos… I figured that doing a blitz of multiple different promotional methods would give that extra boost and that punch you need to hit the bestseller list. It’s a multipronged approach! So that was my mindset behind buying a bunch of promos. If you want to learn more about strategically planning ahead, then check out my signature program, Productivity Powerhouse, to get my best tips for doing just that. Visit SaganMorrow.com/powerhouse.  TUNE IN to this episode of Indie Author Weekly to learn all about paid advertisements for book marketing and my book launch results...  Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea at SaganMorrow.com/booksGrab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Amazon .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Kobo .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Barnes & Noble .Episode 77 of Indie Author Weekly: Book launch recap for Her Bad Idea, part 1: organic marketing .Productivity Powerhouse: SaganMorrow.com/powerhouse .Publisher Rocket .Written Word Media (Red Feather Romance and New In Books) .Awesome Gang book ads .BookBub ads .Bknights book ads .Books Butterfly "pure gold" book ad .Fussy Librarian newsletter promo .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Read sample chapters of the books at SaganMorrow.com/secretpodcast .Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

This episode of Indie Author Weekly is a book launch recap of how things went with my book launch last month, for my latest romcom, Her Bad Idea. This is a 2-part series because I have a LOT of behind-the-scenes info to share with you! This episode is all about the organic marketing and book community side of things, and next week, I’ll talk about paid promotions and ads. Quick overview of the book: Her Bad Idea tells the story of Scarlett, a burlesque dancer with a failing business, who has the opportunity to win a huge cash prize by participating in a dance competition. The only catch is that she needs to have a dance partner in order to join the competition… and she’s stuck with her extremely attractive and super annoying nemesis, Pete Fraser. Her Bad Idea is a slow burn, enemies to lovers, fake relationship romantic comedy. It’s the 7th book in my Polyamorous Passions series, and it can be read as a standalone. It has received rave reviews from readers, and you can grab your copy on Kindle, Kobo, Nook, or anywhere else you read books. Topics for this book launch recap: Book community and advance readers (book bloggers, bookstagrammers, and a book launch team) Paid advertisements & book publicity and marketing in email listsBook sales and income earned from this book launchThis episode is all about the book community and organic marketing. TUNE IN to get the inside scoop... Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea at SaganMorrow.com/booksGrab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Amazon .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Kobo .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Barnes & Noble .Episode 70 of Indie Author Weekly: Book launch plan breakdown for Her Bad Idea .ConvertKit (email marketing platform) .Citrus Rose blog .Winter Reader 40 .Rae's Reading Lounge .Diary of a Wannabe Writer .Mari Loves Books .Book Addict Reviews .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Read sample chapters of the books at SaganMorrow.com/secretpodcast .Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

For today's episode of Indie Author Weekly, I want to talk about the trouble with writing romcoms, and also 3 things you can do if you’re writing humour; I’ve got 3 tips for you when it comes to writing humour into your stories. When I first started writing romance novels a couple years ago, I didn’t really know what the subgenre was. I referred to them as “contemporary romances” and “new adult romance.” Sometimes it takes a while to hone in on our niche. I didn’t even know that “romantic comedy” was a genre of novels, in fact! About a year ago, I happened to be reading a book by an indie author who calls her stories “romantic comedies,” and I realized that my style could totally be considered romantic comedy. At the same time, I also wasn’t sure if I was funny enough to write romcoms. I mean, I certainly amuse myself, but it’s tricky to know whether your sense of humour is going to be well-received by readers. And that’s what leads to today’s episode topic: the trouble with writing romcoms. Because the most challenging part that I’ve found with writing this particular genre is that there’s a delicate balance between writing jokes that are obvious enough that your reader will understand the humour, and also subtle enough that you’re not over-the-top with them. At least, assuming that you’re going for witty humour, rather than slap-sticky humour. This gets even more difficult to assess, the more rewrites and edits you do on your own book: you KNOW the joke, since you wrote it... so, trying to take a step back and figure out how it will “land” for your reader is a lot trickier. Resources & links mentioned in this episode:Learn more about how to be more productive in Productivity Powerhouse: SaganMorrow.com/powerhouse .Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea at SaganMorrow.com/books . Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Amazon .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Kobo .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Barnes & Noble .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Read sample chapters of the books at SaganMorrow.com/secretpodcast . Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

Today on Indie Author Weekly, I want to share with you the #1 thing YOU can do, today, to make writing easier on yourself.  Because I know how hard it can be to write a novel. To start a novel, to write consistently, to get through the messy middle, to finish your novel, and then to keep working on it… to do rewrites and edits and polish it until you’re ready to publish it. That's a lot of work!  With that in mind, the more that we can do to make writing easier, the better. And what I’ve discovered, after writing several business books and seven romance novels, is there’s actually one thing that can drastically make writing so much easier on yourself. It might come as a surprise to you...  You want to know what the #1 thing is, to make writing easier? TUNE IN to this episode of Indie Author Weekly to find out!  Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Learn more & join Productivity Powerhouse so you finally have the time to write your book: SaganMorrow.com/powerhouse .Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Read sample chapters of the books at SaganMorrow.com/secretpodcast . Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

Today is BOOK RELEASE DAY for Her Bad Idea! I’m so excited to share this story with the world! For this episode, I want to celebrate the book by sharing why it matters so much, and why you’ll want to read it…  First things first: grab your copy of Her Bad Idea right now on Amazon or Kobo! Her Bad Idea follows the story of Scarlett, a burlesque dancer with financial struggles. Scarlett’s only chance to save her failing burlesque business is to become dance partners with her enemy—who just happens to be outrageously sexy. Things get complicated when she unexpectedly finds herself in an accidental fake relationship with him to garner media ratings… There’s a thin line between love and hate in this dance competition romcom!  Her Bad Idea is an enemies to lovers, fake relationship, forced proximity, slow burn romantic comedy. Visit SaganMorrow.com/books to grab your copy! I’ll wait while you do that :) ...Have you bought the book? Awesome! Let’s continue with this episode. This is the seventh book in the Polyamorous Passions series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. Polyamorous Passions will be a nine-book series, and it’s really made up of three “trilogies,” with Books 1 - 3 following Emma’s story, Books 4 - 6 following Helen’s story, and Books 7 - 9 following Scarlett’s story. That means this book, Her Bad Idea, is the beginning of Scarlett’s story… and therefore it’s a great book to start reading, even if you haven’t read the rest of the series yet! You’ll get a peek at the backstory of Emma and Helen in this one, too. Advance readers are already saying that this book is their favourite in the series so far. TUNE IN NOW to find out why this story matters so much...  Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea at SaganMorrow.com/books . Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Amazon .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Kobo .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Barnes & Noble .See what other readers say about Her Bad Idea on GoodReads . Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Read sample chapters of the books at SaganMorrow.com/secretpodcast . Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

Today, I want to share about my most recent writing and editing process, and the general experience I had with writing my upcoming romantic comedy, Her Bad Idea. Release day is just ONE WEEK from today! You can pre-order this slow burn, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, fake relationship romcom at your favourite e-bookstore, or visit SaganMorrow.com/books.  I actually started outlining and writing it back in November. You can learn more about the planning process for Her Bad Idea in Episode 52 of this Indie Author Weekly podcast.  I worked on writing the book here and there pretty much every month of this year, but wrote the majority of it in May, and then did a ton of rewrites and edits in July. It took me about 85 hours in total to write and edit this novel, which is the most I’ve spent on any book project to date.  Let me tell you, writing a romance novel during a pandemic is hard. Like, really hard! I was living by myself up until July, and I haven’t been dating anyone since the pandemic. I’m quite certain that there would be some very different scenes in Her Bad Idea if it weren’t for the pandemic, to be honest!  Anyway, that’s a big part of why it took me such a long time to write it. I was also very focused on building up other parts of my business—particularly teaching about productivity to solopreneurs—earlier this year, in order to create a stronger financial foundation for developing the authorpreneur side of my business. I’m happy to share more about that in a future episode if you’re interested; just let me know by reaching out on Twitter or Instagram, @Saganlives.  TUNE IN to this episode to learn about my experience writing and editing each draft of Her Bad Idea...  Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea at SaganMorrow.com/booksGrab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Amazon .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Kobo .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Barnes & Noble .Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Read sample chapters of the books at SaganMorrow.com/secretpodcast . Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

Today, I want to share a reading from my upcoming enemies-to-lovers, fake relationship romantic comedy, Her Bad Idea! This is Book 7 in the Polyamorous Passions series, but it can be read as a standalone.  Release day is Tuesday, August 25, but you can pre-order it today on Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble, or by visiting SaganMorrow.com/books.  Before we get to the excerpt of the book, I want to share the back-of-book blurb with you. Here it is: Focus on the dance competition. The business opportunity. The prize money, for goodness sake. Anything except… That smarmy attitude. Those mocking eyes. That chiseled jawline.  Staying focused on the task at hand might be harder than Scarlett Mitchell thought, when she’s stuck with sexy, arrogant Pete Fraser as her dance partner for the next six weeks. But she has no choice—he’s her only hope to win the big dance competition. Scarlett needs to win that prize money if she wants to save her burlesque business from bankruptcy.  ...And it’s all the more complicated when she unexpectedly finds herself in a fake relationship with Pete, as an attempt to make her unrequited crush, Westley Prince, jealous…  Her Bad Idea is a forced proximity, slow burn enemies to lovers romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is Book 7 in the Polyamorous Passions series. There's a thin line between love and hate in this dance competition romance!  There you have it! That’s the blurb for Her Bad Idea. You can pre-order your copy right now on your favourite book platform, including Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. I’ll share the links in the show notes, or you can grab a copy of the book when you visit SaganMorrow.com/books.  Now, let’s get into the excerpt for Her Bad Idea…  TUNE IN to this episode of Indie Author Weekly to access it now!  Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea at SaganMorrow.com/books . Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Amazon .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Kobo .Grab your copy of Her Bad Idea on Barnes & Noble .Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

Welcome back to Indie Author Weekly, where I share my behind-the-scenes journey of writing and self-publishing books.  If you’re new to this podcast, I am a productivity strategist for multi-passionate creatives at SaganMorrow.com: I help people manage their time and energy effectively, through customized, actionable strategies that work for your unique life and business. When I’m not teaching about productivity to solopreneurs, I spend my time writing romance novels, and occasionally, business books. And that is what this podcast is all about: the adventures of the author life.  Now let’s get into this episode of the Indie Author Weekly podcast. Today, I want to share about something I’m doing for the month of August: it’s the Book Review A Day Challenge!  The idea behind this little challenge is to spread the word about awesome authors and books I love, especially other indie authors and romance novelists.  Let’s be clear: Book reviews are for readers. The more that we review books, the more that other readers can decide whether a particular book will be a great fit for them. Frankly, it’s a time commitment to read a book! We’re helping each other out by reviewing books honestly, so that people know right away whether they should read one book or another. Thoughtful book reviews are so important.  Plus, reviews are also incredibly helpful for authors: the more reviews a book has, the more that bookstore algorithms will boost a book, and the more that we are in essence supporting those authors in their livelihood...  TUNE IN to this episode of Indie Author Weekly to learn more about the Book Review A Day Challenge!  Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Join the book launch team for Her Bad Idea at SaganMorrow.com/booklaunch .Episode 12 of Indie Author Weekly: tips and ideas for how to write book reviews .@Saganlives on Instagram . BookBub .GoodReads .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

Today, I have some exciting news: I’ve finished writing Her Bad Idea, Book 7 in the Polyamorous Passions series! I’m so excited. This is an enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity romantic comedy chick lit novel, featuring a fake relationship, age gap romance, and dance competition.  This book will be available on Tuesday August 25, but you can pre-order the book today when you visit SaganMorrow.com/books, or search Polyamorous Passions on your favourite e-bookstore.  I have a BIG goal for Her Bad Idea: I want to get on the Romantic Comedy bestseller list on Amazon, during the week of this book release.  This isn’t something I’ve planned for or attempted to do with any of my past romance novels, and quite honestly I have no idea if my particular book marketing plans are going to get me there, but that’s my goal. So I thought it might be helpful for you to learn about the breakdown of my book launch plan, which is what today’s episode is all about. In September, a few weeks after the book launch, I’ll do another podcast episode to share my results!  There are 6 strategies I'm using as part of my book launch plan for Her Bad Idea... TUNE IN to this episode for the details and to get the full book launch plan breakdown! Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Join the book launch team for Her Bad Idea at SaganMorrow.com/booklaunch .Publisher Rocket .BookBub .Written Word Media . Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)

Welcome back to Indie Author Weekly, where I share my behind-the-scenes journey of writing and self-publishing books.  If you’re new to this podcast, I am a productivity strategist for multi-passionate creatives at SaganMorrow.com: I help people manage their time and energy effectively, through customized, actionable strategies that work for your unique life and business. When I’m not teaching about productivity to solopreneurs, I spend my time writing romance novels, and occasionally, business books. And that is what this podcast is all about: the adventures of the author life.  Now let’s get into this episode of the Indie Author Weekly podcast. Today, I want to share 3 mistakes I made with the print versions of my books. It’s really easy to make some silly mistakes, so I hope that by me sharing them with you now, you know not to make the same mistakes with your own books!  Luckily, you can correct those mistakes and upload the new file of the printed version to Amazon, for example, if you use Amazon as your book printing service. If you want to grab paperback copies of my books, you can do that by searching Polyamorous Passions in the Amazon bookstore, or you can visit SaganMorrow.com/books.  Okay. Here are 3 mistakes I’ve made with the print versions of my books… TUNE IN to this episode to get the scoop!  Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Learn more about all of Sagan's books at SaganMorrow.com/books .Episode 15 of the Indie Author Weekly podcast: tips for editing your own work .Episode 14 of the Indie Author Weekly podcast: backstory about why I redesigned the cover of "She Wants More" (Polyamorous Passions, Book 4) .Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at SaganMorrow.com/podcast .Subscribe, rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts .Let's chat about this episode:  @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram .Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly .Email hello@saganmorrow.com .Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) in this survey at SaganMorrow.com/question Support the show (https://saganmorrow.com/secretpodcast)