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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 102: Literary Suspense with Sarah Sawyer
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Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!
From writing the first chapter of The Undercurrent (Zibby Books, Oct 2024) as a standalone piece to fleshing out a full literary suspense novel I can’t put down, Sarah Sawyer has quickly become one of my new favorite authors.
In this episode of Write the Damn Book Already, we discussed:
- What has most suprised her about the publishing process
- Sarah's view of the editing process (which is one to adopt immediately, if not sooner!)
- The formidable task of securing blurbs (which even traditionally published authors often have to do themselves)
- How writing this book has caused her to look at other books and authors differently
LINKS
Sarah's debut novel, The Undercurrent
Sarah’s website: www.sarahsawyerauthor.com
Sarah’s Instagram: @SarahSawyerAuthor
WHAT SARAH’S READING
James by Percival Everett
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
Swift
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.
WANT TO SELL MORE BOOKS (WITHOUT THE SELF-PROMO CRINGE)?
The Author Visibility Bundle gives you 200+ done-for-you email templates, social media graphics, and other book promo tools designed to help authors build buzz and drive sales, without feeling pushy.
👉 PublishAProfitableBook.com/bookvisibility
WONDERING EXACTLY HOW TO SELF-PUBLISH SO YOU CAN STOP GUESSING?
Grab the action plan and finally feel confident you’re doing this the right way.
👉 PublishAProfitableBook.com/actionplan
✍️ 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
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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:
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Let's Connect!
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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
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