The Profitable Writer

Many writers who want to grow their business spend their time focusing on the craft of writing. They go to conferences, read books, listen to podcasts, and take courses on how to be a better writer. Which is all well and good … except that there’s a lot more to building a business than doing the work. The other 50% of having a successful writing-based business is the business side. That’s why I regularly have guests on the show who have all kinds of businesses. There is much we can learn from other industries about what it takes to be successful as a business owner. Today I’m very excited to bring you an incredible conversation with one of the most successful business leaders I personally know. Ali Hemyari is the founder and owner of Nashville K-9, which is Nashville’s premier dog training facility. He’s a serial entrepreneur who’s started various businesses, from advertising, to becoming a pet industry expert, and much more. Ali is a multi-event triathlete, a helicopter and airplane pilot, real estate guru, certified SWAT Operator, Sniper/Firearms Instructor, and a general try-hard, servant-hearted, overachiever who wants to make a difference in today’s world. He’s a husband and father, a God Seeker, and an inspiring leader who hopes that his story can effect a significant change in someone who wants to be better, do more, accomplish, and help. You can visit his websites, https://nashvillek9.com and https://hemyaricompanies.com to learn more and see a complete list of his companies. I’ve asked Ali to join me for a conversation about his fantastic new book, Discipline: What It Really Takes to Build a Seven-Figure Business. This is a short book you can read in less than an hour, but it’s absolutely packed with wisdom about how you can actually build a successful business, no matter your industry. In this conversation, we explore some of the principles in his book and how they apply to writers building their business. We talk about: Ali’s story of how he built his very successful dog training business. How writers doing client work can better market themselves. Sales principles and working with clients. The importance of giving back to your community. And much more! Many thanks to my good friend, Honorée Corder, a shout-out for introducing me to Ali. * * * Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

The way I look at it, there are two forces at work to growing a sustainable writing business, or any business for that matter.  There are external elements that people see: the websites, the blog, the books, the client conversations, the work you produce, and so forth. But then there is also the internal element—the mental and emotional journey you are taking. When you start taking your business seriously, it feels like the external elements are going to be what make or break you. You think it’s all about learning to connect with certain types of people or understanding the craft of writing. But as you get your feet wet and establish yourself a bit, you come to understand that it’s really more about the mental and emotional journey you’re taking. People typically don’t self-destruct because they don’t know how to write a book outline or they get something wrong when putting their book on Amazon. They self-destruct because they haven’t gotten a handle on their emotional and mental life as a creative and a business owner. That’s why I’m honored and excited to have my friend, Chris Morris, as a guest today on the show. He’s going to help us navigate some of these issues from the perspective of building our resilience and mental health as writers and business owners. Chris is the author of the excellent new book, Resilient and Redeemed: Lessons About Suicidality and Depression from the Psych Ward. He’s written several other books on topics such mental health, faith, and chronic illness. Chris is also the host of the “Resilience and Other Things” podcast. I got to know Chris a number of years ago through my good friend, Jim Woods. I soon discovered that Chris, who is accountant by trade, was not only a thoughtful and kind person, but one of the most gifted writers I know. Let me share a bit about Chris in his own words. This is from the bio section of his website, https://chrismorriswrites.com. He says, “I spend my time writing about how to balance faith and difficult times. I have both mental illnesses and chronic illnesses, but I’m learning to thrive anyway. I’ve never been good friends with normal, but I’m well-acquainted with disappointment and pain. I guess that’s why Redefining Normal is part of the code here, because it’s been part of my journey.” Chris and I talk about several topics in this conversation, including: Why writers and creatives often uniquely struggle with mental health. The role that writing has played in his recovery. How he finds resilience in dark times. Practices and routines for staying mentally healthy. His thoughts on publishing pathways for authors. And more! You can check out Chris’s books and podcast at https://chrismorriswrites.com. * * * Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

So you’ve finished writing that book that’s been on your heart and mind for a long time. You’ve put a lot of time, planning, and energy into crafting the best book possible. You’ve considered your business goals and how the book will help you achieve them. You’ve thought about your reader’s journey and how the book can help them. Now that you’ve written the book, that’s only part of the journey of bringing this book to life! One of the areas many writers don’t think about much is the design of their book. As writers, we like to focus on the words and storytelling. However, the design of your book has a huge impact on the reader’s experience, not to mention how you will market it—and how it will be perceived—by your ideal reader. That’s why I’m excited to bring you this conversation with my friend, Kaycee Parker. She is a graphic designer and writer who has been freelance designing for various clients nationwide for over ten years. Kaycee published her first devotional book in 2023, titled Devotions on Diabetes: A 30-Day Journey to Anchor Your Soul. (You can grab your copy by visiting https://devotionsondiabetes.com/book.) She enjoys cover design and interior formatting, but more than anything, she loves to help bring a book to life for an author. In this conversation, we dive into 5 ways to improve the design of your book. This is based on her excellent free guide, which walks you through each of these steps. You can download it by visiting https://kpcommunications.net/bookdesign. Let me say this as plainly as I can—I see a LOT of self-published authors publish books with mediocre or even terrible covers, or formatting that doesn’t look good. Don’t compromise the quality of your book by letting poor design detract from the reading experience. * * * Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

As you’re well aware, there are basically two sides to being a writer. There’s the creative side, which allows us to tell stories and communicate in a way that connects. Then there is the business side, which allows us to create sustainable income in lots of different ways. Most of us gravitate toward the creative side of writing and struggle with the business side. It doesn’t come as naturally to us. That’s why I’m excited to feature this interview with Liz Wilcox. I originally ran this interview last year, but shortly after the interview came out, Liz applied to be a contestant on the CBS show Survivor … and made it! I’m re-running this episode not only because you can watch Liz compete on Survivor right now, but also because I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback on this conversation. Liz is the mastermind behind the wildly successful Email Marketing Membership, a simple $9 per month subscription that helps you improve your email marketing through templates. In our conversation, we dive into the story of how she created a business with 3,500 members and moved away from doing client work so she could focus on serving her students and growing her membership. Liz is going to inspire and motivate you to start putting more time into creating your own content and moving toward building a business that fits your lifestyle and personality! She also happens to have the most fun website I’ve seen in a long time. You can check out Liz’s Email Marketing Membership at https://lizwilcox.com and grab her free email swipe files, which include templates for an email welcome sequence and more! * * * Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

I’m honored today to bring you a conversation with Honorée Corder, who is my Yoda, Gandalf, and Dumbledore all rolled into one. She’s my mentor and business coach, and it would be an understatement to say she’s had a big impact on my life and business these last few years. Honorée Corder is the #1 expert on self-publishing. You can scour the internet, and I promise you will not find anyone who has more experience, credibility, or success when it comes to publishing and marketing their own books and creating a multi-layered, successful business from their ideas. She is also the author of dozens of books, including: You Must Write a Book, The Prosperous Writer book series, Vision to Reality, The Bestselling Book Formula, Write Your First Nonfiction Book, She’s sold millions of books, so she definitely knows a thing or two about selling and success. Honoree also runs the Empire Builders Mastermind, which has been an awesome experience these last couple of years. One of the ways we work together is that Honorée offers bespoke book creation to clients, and I’m the ghostwriter for those projects. Basically, this means it’s ghostwriting, publishing, and marketing at a very high level. It’s been an honor and a pleasure working on her team because she not only knows about marketing … she’s also written dozens of books and has sold books in every conceivable way. Today’s episode is a recording from Honorée’s recent appearance as a guest expert in our Profitable Writer Community. We do a call each week, and once a month we feature an expert. Honorée shared some thoughts about money mindset and book monetization from her brand-new book, You Must Monetize Your Book. On this call, we hit on several key topics: The meaning of the phrase, “Scared money don’t make money.” Using the filter ELFF (easy, lucrative, fast, fun) to decide which income streams to develop. Why you need to start thinking a lot bigger. Various income streams you can develop. I encourage you to grab a copy of her new book because she shares a lot more detail than what you’ll hear on this call. But I hope it whets your appetite for more! You can connect with Honorée and learn more about her books, courses, and more, by visiting https://honoreecorder.com. * * * Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

On many of our Profitable Writer episodes, I bring on a guest who has expertise on a certain topic. They come on the show to help us figure out how to solve a specific problem or give guidance or help us improve in some way. Other times, I bring on a guest because they have an interesting story and I believe we can learn some things, and be deeply inspired by, their journey as a writer. Today’s episode definitely falls into that category because I know you’ll be just as encouraged and inspired as I was by our guest. Let me tell you a bit about her. Barbara Richter is an accomplished author, public speaker, French-to-English translator, podcast host of Writing for Immortality, and founder of DIYBook and In Ink Ghostwriting. Barbara has had a multifaceted career, including roles as the Managing Editor for Literary Features Syndicate, columnist for Fine Books and Collections Magazine, and contributor to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Daily News, and other outlets. She launched DIYBook in 2023, a comprehensive solution designed to make book writing and publishing accessible and affordable for authors at all levels, from novices to seasoned professionals. On her podcast, Writing for Immortality, Barbara shares insider advice and strategies for writers at every stage of the writing process featuring discussions with a wide array of guests from the industry. Barbara is also the founder of In Ink Ghostwriting, one of the premier ghostwriting firms in the NYC area with clients from around the world, which delivers an assortment of writing services. From business books to memoirs and novels, the firm caters to a diverse clientele, such as best-selling authors, NFL players, Fortune 500 CEOs, artists, musicians, doctors, entrepreneurs, and attorneys. She lives in Westchester, New York, with her family and beloved basset hounds. You can connect with Barbara via her website, https://www.ininkghostwriting.com or https://www.diybook.us. Please note that you can get a free 7-day trial of the DIYBook program, no code needed, when you sign up. In today’s conversation, Barbara and I talk about her journey as a professional writer: how she got started, different roles she’s had, her experience in ghostwriting and podcast, starting DIYBook, and more. * * * Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.  

Even though Amazon has been all the rage for book-buyers for much of the last twenty years, did you know there are many other outlets where readers can find your books? Well … of course you did! You’re not just a writer, but a reader as well. If your life resembles mine, you probably buy books from Amazon all the time because of the price, speed, and convenience. But Amazon is only one of the many, many places where readers can find your books! My guest today, Susan Neal, is here to help us learn how to get our books into bookstores and libraries—two absolutely vital places our books need to be. Susan Neal, RN has a Masters in health science and an MBA. She lives her life with a passion to help others improve their health. After suffering a health crisis, she became an author and health coach to provide others with the tools they needed to heal their bodies and reclaim their ideal weight. Her award-winning #1 Amazon best-seller is 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates. The third book in her Healthy Living Series, The Healthy Living Journal, won the Golden Scrolls award “Best Inspirational Gift Book.” Her newest release is 12 Ways to Age Gracefully: How to Look and Feel Younger, which releases near the end of May. Susan has been featured in many media outlets including CTN’s Bridges TV show, WATC-TV Atlanta Live and Friends & Neighbors, TCT’s Julie and Friends, Charisma magazine, and numerous podcasts and radio shows. You can learn more about Susan at https://susanuneal.com. Susan is also the Director of the Christian Indie Publishing Association, an incredible resource for faith-based authors to grow your author platform, book sales, and much more. I’m a member myself and recommend it highly! Learn more about https://christianpublishers.net. In this conversation, Susan and I talk about several key topics related to getting your book into bookstores and libraries: Why get your book into those places when you can just Amazon? The importance of having your own imprint. Why you need to have the retail price printed on the back cover. Why your book should be available through a major distributor, not just IngramSpark. The value of speaking to a manager at local Barnes & Noble stores, or indie bookstores. Susan’s thoughts on getting in libraries. * * * Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

I’m a big fan of learning from other industries and professionals. It’s very easy as a writer to spend all your time around other people who only think about books and publishing. Yet it’s important to remember that at the end of the day, you’re a business owner. That’s why I’m excited to bring you this conversation with my friend Anastasia Forrest, a rockstar real estate agent! Anastasia Forrest is a lifelong learner, creative, and sobriety-enthusiast based out of St. Augustine, Florida. She has two amazing daughters and an awesome husband who builds beautiful houses. Her main profession is helping people buy and sell homes as a Real Estate Broker Associate with EXP Realty. Her creative passions are songwriting, authoring books, and painting. Her favorite things to do with her family are to go out on boat adventures, explore new places together, and have pizza and movie nights. Anastasia is also the author of The Creative Real Estate Agent: How to Build a Rocking Real Estate Business and Be More Creatively Productive Than Ever in addition to her previous book, The 30-Day Sobriety Experiment: A Guided Journey of Self-Discovery. I was fascinated by Anastasia’s ability to write a compelling book for real estate agents, but do it through the lens of creativity, which is a passion of hers. On today’s episode, she shares some lessons from her experience as an author and real estate agent that you can use to boost your creativity and grow your business. Topics in our conversation include: Why real estate is indeed a creative field How she developed a unique take on a familiar topic Various ways to cultivate a creative mindset to work and wealth How to build great relationships … especially if you’re an introvert How she has found success on social media by just being herself Be sure to check out Anastasia’s book, music, and real estate business at https://www.anastasiaforrest.com. * * * Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

Since you’re listening to this podcast, you’re presumably interested in becoming more profitable. Sometimes as writers we play too small, thinking that if we can muster 10% growth this year, that’s a huge win. I want to encourage you think bigger—much bigger! Today’s episode is different kind of conversation, where we’ll focus more on the philosophy of achievement and how to set really big goals for yourself. My guest is Brianna Hendley. I met her a couple of years ago through Honorée Corder’s Empire Builders Mastermind, and I soon discovered that Brianna is razor sharp, with an incredible business instinct. I’m excited to introduce her to you today. Brianna owns Achievant Coaching, which focuses on business, executive, and career coaching services. She describes herself as a problem-solving, goal-focused, process-driven morning person. Brianna is also a mother, wife, entrepreneur, and much more. In this conversation, Brianna and I talk about the mindset it takes to double your revenue and triple your time off. Sound impossible? It won’t after you’ve heard Brianna’s brilliant thinking and strategy for going after the life you truly want. You can connect with Brianna at https://achievantcoaching.com, where you can learn more about her coaching services and programs. * * *  Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.

You’ve probably heard the phrase before, “Are you working IN or ON your business?” This question refers to the difference between being an employee who does the work of your business, and being the owner who is maximizing productivity, profits, and success. When you’re a solo business owner, you wear both hats. It can be hard to see the difference between those two roles, especially if you don’t come from a business background and you feel swamped by all the things you have to get done. I’m excited about this conversation my guest, Johnna Lacey, who is a long-time writer and advocate of better systems in our business. Johnna Lacey is the CEO and head writer and editor of J.M. Lacey Communications, which focuses on writing and brand storytelling, training, and coaching. Built on empathy and the desire to eliminate frustration for business owners, leaders, and nonprofits, Johnna seeks ways to simplify what has been unnecessarily complicated using proven systems to achieve results. She has been writing professionally for more than twenty years, but writing creatively for forty. She is also a poet, and is working on a novel and essays. Johnna also enjoys macro photography, gardening, cooking, exploring museums, and all things related to the arts. You can connect with Johnna through her website, https://jmlacey.com. In today’s conversation, we talk through a variety of questions: What are solopreneurs, particularly writers, consultants, and coaches, doing to prevent business growth? What does our mindset have to do with operating our business? Why should we, as creators, separate ourselves from the business? What does it mean to think about how we do things vs. what we do? Why is it important to have standards, company policies, benchmarks, SOPs, and objectives in a business of one? Why should you never tackle projects over which you cannot control? This is a great conversation filled with practical advice for every writer! * * * Today’s episode is sponsored by Karen Hunsanger, an incredible editor known as “The Word Wizard.” I’ve worked with Karen many times, and she is your secret weapon for crafting the highest-quality book possible. Visit the link above for a free sample edit.