Hello, Writers!

Are you looking for a podcast on writing and self-publishing with short episodes under fifteen minutes? And, did I mention the content is evergreen and will not go out of date? If so, then you’ll love The Authorpreneur Podcast.  

In celebration of the start of season two, I’m taking a look back at the most popular podcast episodes from season one with help from the Blubrry Statistics dashboard. The episodes in this roundup style post are included purely based on the number of downloads, and complete or partial listens since the podcast was first submitted to iTunes and stitcher back in December 2017.

About The Authorpreneur Podcast

The Authorpreneur Podcast is hosted by Indie Author Amelia D. Hay. The show acts as a virtual writing and business coach for fiction writers. Every Thursday, Amelia will teach you how to develop a story idea, create compelling characters and outline your novel. In each season of the podcast, you will learn how to write your first draft, revise your story, self-publish, establish your author platform, and reach readers. Season one of the podcast is on Plot and Story Structure, and the upcoming season two will zero in on how to outline a story and the elements of a story.

A Note About Season One

For those of you who have just discovered The Authorpreneur Podcast, season one consisted of two types of episodes; my behind-the-scenes author diary and the episodes focused on writing tips. As a result, season one spanned fifty episodes from December 2017 to June 2019. Since the end of June, the podcast has been on a short break. Season two has recently commenced; if you haven’t already, check out the first episode of season two.

The Most Popular Episodes

So, without further ado, here are the most popular writing and self-publishing podcast episodes of season one of The Authorpreneur Podcast.

#10 – BTS019, Self Editing a Novel and hiring a Professional Beta Reader

Last week, I planned on self-editing a novel and hiring a professional beta reader to get some feedback on my story. It’s been one of those weeks. You know that week that starts off crappy and turns into a nightmare. But, my week eventually redeemed itself in the final hour. This is going to sound overdramatic, but I’ve got the opposite of the Midas touch. I’m sure there’s a name for that, but it’s completely escaped my mind.

In this episode, I will discuss, self-editing a novel and hiring a professional beta reader.

#09 – TAP020, How to Write the Dark Night of the Soul Scene of a Novel

So, you’ve reached the start of the third act of your outline or in your first draft, and you’re not sure how to propel your protagonist from the second act to the third act. There is a scene in story structure that creates a doorway or a transition between the final two acts. It’s generally referred to as the second turning point, second plot point, or the Dark Night of the Soul. If this is something you’re struggling with as you’re writing your first draft or brainstorming your story outline, then this episode is for you.

In this episode, I will discuss, the essential elements, and provide five tips on how to write a compelling Dark Night of the Soul scene.

#08 – BTS021, Migrating Away From MailChimp and merging My Two Websites

In this episode, I discuss why I migrated away from MailChimp and the steps involved. And, I also discuss my decision to merge my author and writing tips websites. In terms of writing, I will share where I’m at with Missing, Book Two, and the steps I need to take before I start writing my short story.

#07 – BTS006, Blogging as an Unpublished Fiction Author

I was recently listening to an episode of a podcast that was discussing how to build a platform as an unpublished author. And coincidentally I didn’t agree with all the tips they shared. There was one tip I disagreed with that these guys shared with certainty. While writing your novel is the most important thing you can do as an unpublished author you need to build your author platform before you hit publish. And, I’m sorry, but a one-page stagnant website will not achieve this. You need to get eyeballs on that website.

So, today I will devote this episode of the behind-the-scenes podcast diary to this topic because I’m so passionate about it and I think it needs to be discussed.

#06 – TAP013, How to Write a Great Structural Hook for Your Novel

So, how do you start a story? How do you hook the reader from the very first page? In the literary world, there is a lot of talk about how to write an inciting first line or paragraph, but if you’re in the early stages of crafting a story, this advice is useless. There’s a step you need to take before you put pen to paper. This step is outlining your story and structuring it in such a way that hooks the reader. And, how do you achieve this? By creating an irresistible story hook.

In this episode, I discuss the first plot point in a story, which is the hook.

#05 – TAP007, How to Flesh Out a Story Idea into a Synopsis

In this two-part mini-series, I discuss the exact steps you need to take to flesh out a story idea or one-liner pitch into a story synopsis.

So, you’ve created an idea or one-liner pitch for your story and, now you’re feeling stuck and don’t know what to do next. And, your wondering; how do you go from a simple idea to a well-developed story? If you can identify with that situation, then this episode is for you.

#04 – TAP002, How to Come Up with Great Story Ideas

Do you dream of writing a novel but don’t know where to start because you believe that you don’t have any great story ideas? If so, then this episode is for you.

First of all, I want you to know that you’re not alone. Often when you first start out in your writing career, you can fall prey to comparison syndrome, where you start comparing yourself to other writers and authors. It’s natural to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others but what you’re doing is comparing your behind the scenes to someone else’s highlight reel. What you’re not seeing are those days your favourite author struggles to come up with an idea for their next book. Everyone struggles with this.

Check out the episode, to discover tips on how do you come up with great story ideas for your book.

#03 – TAP017, How to Write the Rising Action Scenes in a Novel

Are you struggling to figure out how to write the rising action scenes in your novel? I remember when I first started writing and using the three-act structure, I outlined scenes in the first act and then got stuck with the second act. It wasn’t the entire middle of the story I was stuck with; it was the first half. I understood the midpoint and the second plot point or the ‘Dark Night of the Soul,’ but where I struggled the most was with getting my story to the midpoint. These moments in the first half of the second act are referred to as the rising action or try/fail cycles.

Check out the episode, to discover tips on how to write the rising action scenes in a novel.

#02 – TAP001, Defining Success: The First Step to Writing a Novel

Congratulations, you’ve decided you want to become an author and publish your first book. Before you start writing your first book or next book, you need to consider what you really desire. There’s nothing worse than waking up one morning and realising what you’ve created isn’t what you wanted, it’s the opposite, your worst nightmare. To avoid this not so pleasant event, you need, to begin with, the end in mind. But first, it’s important you define what success or failure means to you. What is your definition of a successful writing career?

In this episode, I discuss the first step to writing a novel, and how this overlooked first-step can help you to become more successful as an author.

#01 – BTS022, Ask Me Anything on Writing

In the spirit of celebration, in this episode, I will answer questions on writing, self-editing, and procrastination asked by my Blog Readers, Youtube Subscribers, Podcast Listeners, and through my Ask A Question form on my website.

Want to Support the Show?

If you love the show or thought that was helpful to you, and you’d like to support the show, then buy me a coffee for as little as US$2.00. Or, check out this post for more information on supporting the podcast through Patreon.

Concluding Thoughts

If you like what you hear, then come on over to your favourite podcasting app and leave a review. Your feedback is valuable because it helps guide the episodes and bonus content in upcoming seasons, so feel free to tweet me or send a message on Facebook to let me know what you’d like to hear more about in the up coming season of The Authorpreneur Podcast.

Your coach,

Amelia xx