Write the Damn Book Already
Want to write, publish, and market your book, but feel overwhelmed by where to start?
Write the Damn Book Already breaks down the writing process, self-publishing, and traditional publishing so you can move from idea to finished book with clarity and confidence.
Hosted by Elizabeth Lyons—author, book writing coach, book editor, and self-publishing expert—this show untangles the often-confusing world of writing and publishing. From first draft to finished manuscript, indie publishing to traditional publishing, Amazon strategy to long-term book visibility, you’ll get practical guidance and honest conversations about what it really takes to get a book into the world.
Through solo episodes and interviews with both traditionally published and indie authors—across fiction and nonfiction—Elizabeth brings a well-rounded, no-hype perspective to the publishing industry. Whether you’re working on memoir, nonfiction, or a novel, you’ll walk away with clearer next steps and fewer mental roadblocks.
Write the Damn Book Already
Ep 59: After 6 books, what I wish I'd known sooner...
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!
I love a good string of lessons learned. Given the popularity of my post detailing the 9 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Sooner on Instagram, I thought I'd expand upon a few of them (and add one more!).
It's been a wild and wonderful 19+ years in this space, and while I wouldn't change a thing, knowing some of this earlier on would certainly have saved me some late-night anxiety runs to the ice cream section of the grocery store!
While I'll always support late-night ice cream runs, my hope is that this list will help you make them from a calm, happy space!
MENTIONED RESOURCES
Creating Captivating Audiobooks workshop with Drew Linsalata
Carly Watters' Instagram post about author visibility challenges
The Book Writers Collective (monthly membership)
Holy Sh*t…I’m Having Twins! The Definitive Guide to Remaining Calm When You're Twice as Freaked Out (still my top-selling book, even after 19 years!)
🧭 BACK COVER BLUEPRINT
Get back cover templates for nonfiction, memoir, and fiction; real-world examples; a polishing checklist; and a guide for turning it into an optimized online description that attracts the right readers.
🔗 https://www.publishaprofitablebook.com/blueprint
🔑 BOOK FORMATTING SOFTWARE FOR SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHORS
This episode is sponsored by Atticus, the all-in-one writing and book formatting software for self-publishing authors. From drafting to professional ebook and print layout, Atticus makes it easy to format your manuscript for KDP, IngramSpark, and beyond. Learn more at Atticus.io.
✍️ 33-DAY BOOK WRITING BOOTCAMP
You've Been Thinking About This Book Forever. So let's get it written (for real this time).
👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook/writethebook
******
Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry.
Available wherever podcasts are available:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube
Let's Connect!
Instagram
Website
Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] com
The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.
To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written and published, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth
Podcasts we love
Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.