The Novel Writing Podcast
Writing a novel doesn't have to take decades. Author and book coach Colleen Mitchell provides authors with bite-sized mindset tips, encouragement, inspiration, and tips for the writing process. So grab a cup, cozy up, and let's get to writing! The Novel Writing Podcast is a production of Colleen Mitchell Writes, LLC.
Episodes
234 episodes
How to Spot Book Marketing Scams, with Rob Bignell
If your author email inbox (or spam folder) is filled with messages supposedly from big name authors (or agents and publishers), emails from randos asking to beta read your book, or out-of-the-blue invitations to feature your book in their book...
Daphne James Huff on Recovering from Writer Burnout
Daphne James Huff, author of sweet kissing-only romance, burned out in 2019 after publishing 6 books in a year WHILE also working full time AND running a podcast.At the time, the Amazon algorithm rewarded constant publishing, and Daphne...
A Case Against Adverb Hate
"Cut adverbs!" is common(ly) misused writing advice. It assumes adverbs are the enemy when they're a legitimate and necessary part of speech. It also makes newer writers afraid of using adverbs at all, which can lead t...
How to Handle Rejection, with Steve Laube
Whether it's query rejection letters, alpha readers giving harsh feedback, or negative reviews, rejection is part of every author's life.Steve Laube, renowned literary agent and head of Enclave Publishing, knows a thing or two about rej...
How to Find Comp Titles for Your Novel
Finding the right comparison (comp) titles can make all the difference in pitching or marketing your novel, but many authors don't know where to start. In this episode, you'll learn what comp titles are, where to find them, how to ...
Book Cover Design, with Matt Stone from 100 Covers
If you've ever struggled finding a cover designer or knowing what to put on the cover at all, Matt Stone, CEO of 100 Covers, is here to answer your questions.100 Covers specializes in affordable yet high quality, market-forward covers f...
Copyrighting Your Book
Do you need to copyright your book? While it's true it's "copyrighted" the moment you write it, registering with the Copyright Office provides legal protections you don't get with the automatic one.This episode covers what those...
Agents, Queries, Pitching: All about Traditional, with Mark Gottlieb
If you've ever dreamed for a peek behind the traditional publishing curtain, now's your chance.Mark Gottlieb, renowned literary agent with Trident Media Group, shares his industry expertise around querying, pitching, best practices, and...
Reading In Your Genre vs. Reading Widely
Do you read in your genre, widely, or not at all? The advice to read in your genre is often met with fear around accidentally stealing story ideas.Turns out reading is incredibly important for writers, both in AND out of th...
Thomas Umstattd Jr. on Marketing Without Losing Your Mind
Book marketing expert and host of The Novel Marketing Podcast, Thomas Umstattd Jr., joins us to share his wisdom on what it takes to successfully market your book in today's world, where social media "hasn't worked" for ten years, all ...
The Importance of a Writing Group
What's the big deal about writing groups? Finding "your people" can be not only a life-changing moment, but a career-changing one too. This episode covers four reasons why it's important to find a writer's group or c...
Phil Marshall on Affordable Multi-Cast Audiobooks
Have you longed for a multi-cast audio version of your book but choked at the price tag? Phil Marshall, founder and CEO of Spoken Press, joins the show to unpack the magic of AI narration and how Spoken is doing it ethically. ...
Caitlin Shetterly on Writing with Chronic Illness
Caitlin Shetterly, who first was a guest in episode 136, is back to share her experience writing a character with breast cancer... only for Caitlin herself to develop the exact same type of cancer in the exact same breast. Her journ...
Don’t Publish Your First Book
Have you ever heard the advice to not publish your first book? Did it ruffle your feathers? It doesn't mean what you think it means. In this episode we break down this advice to understand the motivation behind it.SERIES NOW COMP...
3rd Person POVs: Omniscient, Deep, or Head Hopping?
Have you ever read a book that feels like it was supposed to be written in 3rd person omniscient (like many regency romances or books in the style of Jane Austen), but you couldn't keep track of who was actually telling the story?The au...
Cathryn deVries on the Writer Identity
Cathryn deVries "accidentally" became a writer through chronicling her family's Dungeons & Dragons campaign.The process helped her work through old emotional wounds, but then she had to deal with imposter syndrome over whether the s...
The Value of Short-Cycle Feedback
Getting critiques on our writing is a core part of improving, but what if you didn't have to wait until you finish the first draft?Enter short-cycle feedback. This episode is all about why writers ought to share their work befor...
What I Learned from Dictating 70,000 Words
Dictating is one of many tools writers can slot into their writing toolbelts, but many who try dictation don't stick with it long enough to see real results.I took Seth Ring's challenge to commit at least 20 hours to learning how to dic...
Publisher Rocket Deep Dive with Dave Chesson
Publisher Rocket creator Dave Chesson walks through how to use features like keyword search, competition analyzer, category search, and reverse ASIN lookup. For Publisher Rocket and other self-publishing tools by Kindlepreneur, vis...
Do I Need to Write Every Day?
A common piece of writing advice from prolific, full-time authors is that we need to write every day.*insert squinty-eyed Thor Ragnarok meme*But do we, really?If your life circumstances by nature prevent you from putting...
Publishing Myth #4: You HAVE to Be On Social Media
We've all heard the claim... you NEED to be on social media if you want to make it as an author.Or, do you?Let's bust this pervasive myth that success requires a social media presence, even if you would rather eat nails than mak...
Becca Syme on Strengths and Skill Chains
Strengths coach Becca Syme shares why the worst possible phrase is "just do it" and how there's no universal truth for writers... except one.Becca has worked with over 6,000 individual clients and is a wealth of wisdom in helping creati...
What “Show Don’t Tell” Really Means
Are you tired of hearing the "show, don't tell" advice thrown around with reckless abandon? Me too. Showing and telling both have their place in fiction, but it's important not to fall into the extreme of showing everything... just...
How to Avoid the Research Rabbit Holes
Have you ever tabbed over to quickly research that one little detail you're stuck on, only to surface hours later from a YouTube video that has nothing to do with what you started out searching for?Welcome to the research rabbit hole.
Publishing Industry Changes, with Greg Keogh
The publishing industry goes through constant changes. Greg Keogh, co-founder of direct sales platform Curios, shares his thoughts on what's happening in the publishing industry (both indie and trad) and where he sees the trends go...