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Author Your Dream

Kenny MacKay

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Author Your Dream is the podcast for anyone looking to take the next step towards writing and publishing their book. Hosted by Kenny MacKay, the show offers a mix of solo episodes and interviews with industry experts to answer the questions many new authors often have. Each episode is packed with actionable tips that you can apply to your own writing journey, from developing ideas to navigating the publishing industry. Whether you’re an aspiring author, entrepreneur, or simply someone with a passion for writing, Author Your Dream is here to help you turn your writing dreams into a reality.

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Top 10 Author Your Dream Episodes

Best episodes ranked by Goodpods Users most listened

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09/28/22 • 47 min

In today's episode, Monique Mensah shares about building a ready-to-buy audience. She talks about the mindset shift that authors need to make and how they need to go from author to publisher if they want to make money with their books.

Highlights

1:20 Monique's Story

8:41 Authors write books, businesses sell them

12:02 Why you need to build a ready-to-buy audience

30:24 Brand awareness

36:10 Sharing the ups and the downs

38:56 The Role of Social Media

42:35 Author Action Point

Visit https://authoryourdream.com/episode/ready-to-buy-audience/ for more

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09/28/22 • 47 min

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We have all heard the statistics about people making and breaking their new year's resolutions. It's nothing new, and if you are like me, you're probably one of those numbers. These resolutions don't work because, more often than not, they are too generalized. I want to lose weight. I want to be more outgoing. I want to finish my book. If you don't have a plan on how you are going to lose weight, be more outgoing than your resolutions are as good as the wishes you made when blowing out your birthday candles.

In this episode, Kenny shares how to create an Author Growth Plan or AGP for short. An author growth plan is a road map to help you move forward in your author journey.

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01/13/23 • 19 min

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02/03/23 • 42 min

In this episode, I talk with Emily Layne about how to write a book in 30 days. Emily has written several books in just 21 days, and she shares some tips and tricks to help you write yours. She shares how she writes fast and writes quality books that have been picked up by a traditional publisher.

Highlights

01:48 Emily’s story

05:55 Process of writing a book in a month

09:54 How do you create a quality book in a short time frame

19:42 Staying motivated

27:00 Tips to be more productive

35:09 The Prep before the writing

40:20 Author Action Point

Author Action Point

“I would say just to start. Whether for you, that does not look like plotting. If you think the idea of plotting is something you cannot fathom, that’s okay. Start writing. If you think plotting is something that would work for you, start plotting and. don’t stop. That’s, I think, something that is one of the hardest things for writers and for myself.
You get this shiny new idea, and you’re like, oh, I’m so excited. I’m gonna write this book, and the people are gonna love it. And then you hit the first roadblock, and you’re like, okay, well, I’ll leave that for later. I’ll come back to it at some other time, and then you don’t come back to it. So I think to start, set a goal and don’t stop and don’t give up until you have achieved that goal. Whatever that goal happens to be.”

Connect with Emily

www.emilylaynebooks.com
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

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02/03/23 • 42 min

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04/14/23 • 68 min

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In this episode, Kenny talks with Abigail K. Perry about writing query letters. Abigail is the host of the Lit Match podcast, a show that helps writers find the best literary agent for their writing and literary career.

Abigail talks with us about what a query letter is and some mistakes you should avoid when writing them and has some great advice on choosing comparable titles. She also talks about the three paragraphs every query letter should have; the hook, the book, and the cook.

If you are looking to publish traditionally, this episode will add so much value to your writing journey.

Highlights:

  • What a query letter is
  • Doing your research
  • Mistakes to avoid
  • Format of a letter
  • Comparable titles
  • Expressing your voice
  • Author Platform

Author Action Point:

Do your research! Research the literary agent and the agency. This will set you up for the most success. It gives you a place to find a connection with someone who may just be the most important person in your writing career.

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04/14/23 • 68 min

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09/07/22 • 53 min

Have you ever felt like marketing is difficult? Callan breaks it down in a way that makes it feel less daunting. He also shares his tips and advice for new authors just starting their marketing journey. You'll find out what he thinks about book trailers and how you can market if you write in multip genres.

Highlights

02:29 Callan's Journey

04:07 About Astreus

07:48 Is marketing really difficult

08:39 Where to start

19:51 More tips

23:27 Book trailers

29:16 How new writers can start marketing

39:28 Reciprocal marketing

41:18 What to avoid

46:39 Author Action Point

49:06 Marketing for multiple genres

Visit https://authoryourdream.com/episode/start-book-marketing/

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09/07/22 • 53 min

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08/24/22 • 48 min

Everyone has roadblocks that they have to overcome on the road to publishing. Some are internal and revolve around an author's own limiting beliefs. While others are external, we have a choice to either give up or find a way to overcome these obstacles. That is what today's guest Aisha Yusuf did when she encountered resistance. In doing so, she not only published her book but also created a publishing house and birthed a vision to change the literary world and bring diverse voices to the forefront.

Highlights

02:16 Aisha's Autor Journey

15:58 Aisha's Book

29:20 Roadblocks

35:44 Thoughts of giving up

38:27 Advice for others facing similar obstacles

42:23 Starting a publishing house

Visit https://authoryourdream.com/episode/roadblocks/

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08/24/22 • 48 min

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10/05/22 • 29 min

With National Novel Writing Month a few weeks away I wanted to release this episode with Kelly Blanchard. Kelly has successfully completed NaNoWriMo several times and this episode has some great information for anyone wanting to take on the challenge.

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10/05/22 • 29 min

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08/03/22 • 47 min

Beta readers are people familiar with your genre who have agreed to read your unpublished book and give you honest feedback. I have seen many authors ask for beta readers but fail t provide them with any criteria or information regarding the feedback the author is looking to receive. In this episode, my guest David Brown from the Darling Axe will give you advice on what you should have prepared for readers, what feedback to expect and what to look for in a beta reader.

Highlights

02:48 David's story

10:45 Darling Axe

13:37 Beta Reader Defined

16:26 Difference between editors and beta readers

21:13 Key Points Authors Should Provide

24:00 Do you always pay for beta readers?

25:50 What to look for

27:51 How many should one have?

29:28 Protecting your work

34:56 Responding to the negativity surrounding beta readers

36:55 Building rapport

38:36 Feedback to expect

40:52 Author Action Point

Visit https://authoryoudream.com/episode/beta-readers/ for more show notes.

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08/03/22 • 47 min

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09/14/22 • 61 min

In this episode, Kenny talks with Becca Syme about Facebook ads for intuitive authors. Becca shares her own experience as an author running ads and provides a unique perspective on this subject. She will share about the different components of an advertisement, how long you should run an ad, and give you tips on where you can create images.

Highlights

02:12 Becca's Author Journey

04:16 Intuitive Authors Defined

07:29 Are ads worth it

09:18 The Intuitive process

12:50 Shifting your mindset

24:10 Components of a Facebook Ad

27:19 The two types Becca uses

37:15 Talking about cost

40:52 How long to run the ad

43:53 What data should you look at

49:32 Author Action Point

52:55 Creating ad images

Visit https://authoryourdream.com/episode/facebook-ads/

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09/14/22 • 61 min

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08/10/22 • 57 min

A book coach is similar to a sports coach in that they will invest time in helping you achieve your goals when it comes to writing your book. In this episode, I dive deep with Sara Gentry and discuss what it is like working with a coach and what you should expect.

Sara is an Author Accelerator certified book coach with a Ph.D. in applied and interdisciplinary mathematics. She is on a mission to help writers avoid illogical pitfalls so that they can keep their readers engaged with cohesive and compelling narratives.

Highlights

02:43 Sara's Story

05:18 Author Accelerator

08:04 What does a book coach do?

13:17 How a book coach differs from an editor

15:44 Time commitment

17:26 Who should look at working with a book coach?

22:37 Sara's process

30:00 How much does it cost?

31:49 What to consider when searching for a coach

37:09 Inside Outline

45:11 Author Action Point

Get involved in the Thirty-2-1 Challenge by visiting https://authoryourdream.com/episode/book-coach/

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08/10/22 • 57 min

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FAQ

How many episodes does Author Your Dream have?

Author Your Dream currently has 93 episodes available.

What topics does Author Your Dream cover?

The podcast is about Entrepreneurship, Podcasts, Books, Arts and Business.

What is the most popular episode on Author Your Dream?

The episode title 'Building a Ready-to-Buy Audience' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Author Your Dream?

The average episode length on Author Your Dream is 46 minutes.

How often are episodes of Author Your Dream released?

Episodes of Author Your Dream are typically released every 7 days, 19 hours.

When was the first episode of Author Your Dream?

The first episode of Author Your Dream was released on Mar 29, 2020.

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2 Ratings