PART ONE OF TWO

"Currently .... we're at a unique industry-wide inflection point. Whether you're a new or established author doesn't matter. You have the opportunity to grow your career much faster than under normal circumstances." ~ Nicholas Erik

Nicholas Erik joins us again with fantastic insight into the impact technology is having on the publishing world — right down to us as individual authors. Now this isn't a pro or anti AI episode — it's about understanding how we as authors can adapt to these technology shifts, overcome our pain points through technology, and how the companies we're dealing with on a day-to-day basis are utilizing it.

Nick makes a really compelling case that the next three years could be a once-in-a-career moment to level up, and he's got this beautifully simple framework for cutting through the noise and focusing on what actually moves the needle.

And we had so much to talk about that — for the first time in a long time — we've split this into two episodes, because we didn't want to cut a single thing. Whether you're building to six figures or already there and wondering what's next, this one's for you.

Make sure to sign up for Nick's free 80/20 Book Marketing newsletter here: https://nicholaserik.com/newsletter/

Links / Resources Mentioned:

NicholasErik.com
Chat GPT
Claude.ai
Adobe Firefly
Written Word Media Author Survey
Nick's previous SPA Girls Episode - Facebook Ads for Authors

About Nicholas Erik

Nicholas Erik is an experienced indie science fiction author with more than 20 fiction books to his name. But he's also a very savvy marketer who writes comprehensive guides for authors (such as the Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing and the Ultimate Guide to Author Productivity) as well as offering courses on how to sell more books, build your fanbase and be more productive.

Find him at NicholasErik.com


💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!

⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you'll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.

All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast

Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don't miss an episode!

A lot of us are introverts and the idea of "networking" gives us chills (and not in a good way). Historical Romance author, Celeste Barclay, recorded this show with us a few years ago. Her advice is just as relevant now, as building your author community will help ride out the ups and downs of this wild self-publishing ride!

Celeste Barclay books combine history and heat. She has a created a connected world that brings all her series together, so readers never have to say goodbye to their favorite characters.

Before becoming a full-time author, Celeste was a Social Studies and English teacher. She holds degrees in International Affairs (BA), Teaching Secondary Social Science (MAT), and Political Management (MPS). She channels that knowledge into creating rich historical romances that bring the steam. She also a speaker and teaches writing and publishing as well as working with with aspiring and emerging authors to bring their publishing goals to life.

It was the third book in her first series which really took off and she's been incredibly successful ever since. Celeste says her Author Village "made her career" and today she talks to us about what that means to her, how to find and build your own village, and why it's so important.

Celeste defines her Author Village as her own network of fellow author peers who lend friendship, support, feedback, writing and business advice. They're like-minded people who she trusts and respects.

What a village offers:
- anthology opportunities
- increased business
- newsletter swaps, Facebook group takeovers, etc

Some ways to find your author village:
attend in-person author events and signings and conferences

Join author Facebook groups such as Millionaire Author Mastermind (https://www.facebook.com/groups/millionaireauthormastermind/),

or Renee Rose's - Abundance Mindset For Authors (https://www.facebook.com/groups/abundancemindsetforauthors/)
To find more, search within Facebook for your own genre group

Find Celeste at: https://www.celestebarclay.com/

💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!

⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you'll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.

All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast

Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don't miss an episode!

We are delighted to welcome book ads and strategy consultant for authors & publishers, Janet Margot, to talk all things Amazon Strategy for Authors including approaching it with the right mindset.

Janet covers best practices for building a solid Amazon strategy for authors, metadata, packaging inside and out, when and how to start Amazon Ads and the "ads advice" she sees that is the opposite of helpful to indies.

"Amazon ads are a feedback loop: what Amazon thinks and what customers think about your book" ~ Janet Margot

About Janet Margot

Janet doesn't just understand the Amazon Ads platform—she helped build it. During her ten-year tenure at Amazon, she owned the advertiser experience for books and spearheaded its international expansion.
Today, Janet leads Book Geeks Media, where she translates elite tech algorithms into actionable growth for independent authors. By combining a decades-long media career (Condé Nast, Lonely Planet) with insider platform knowledge, she provides authors with a data-driven "unfair advantage" that few others can claim.

Website: https://www.bookgeeksmedia.com/

💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!

⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you'll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions.

All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info

😊Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast

Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don't miss an episode!