Write! Grow! Launch!

You will never hear me tell an author to send out newsletters (not unless it’s a simple slip of the tongue)! There’s a reason so many indie authors collectively let out a groan whenever newsletters are brought up. They’re outdated. They’re time consuming. They’re ineffective. So many “experts” still tell indie authors to send out monthly newsletters. And so, they do. They spend hour upon hour creating this highly designed PDF colorful document with sections that talk about “my weekly wordcount” and “what my heroine did this week” and “my book is coming out in 18 months!” Then, they send them out and wonder why no one opens them, let alone engages with them. It’s because they’re selfish. Yep. I said it. When authors send out newsletters that are nothing more than a fancy online billboard all about me, me, me…guess what? No one cares. Not yet, anyway. Eventually they will, and eventually, you’ll be able to update your subscribers OCCASIONALLY on your pre-order and your launch, etc. But if you want your email list to grow, support you, open and read your emails, and one day buy your book because they want to, you need to change your entire mindset on email marketing. And that’s exactly what I’m going to teach you. What You’ll Learn in This Episode · Why newsletters don’t work · Why no one is opening your emails (and how to make sure they do) · How to build and grow your email subscriber list · The 4 steps to building your email funnel · How to promote your lead magnet and your email list RESOURCES & LINKS Learn More About Me: https://christinakaye.com/ Book a FREE Call With Me: https://hello.dubsado.com/public/form/view/6a2981ef632a2248187e06d6 Mentioned Links: Airtable.com Kit.com MailerLite.com My Etsy Shop (The Bookish Swag Shop): https://thebookishswagshop.etsy.com Find Me, Follow Me, DM Me on These Platforms: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinakayeofficial Facebook: https://facebook.com/christinakayeofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristinaKayeOfficial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinakayeofficial/ SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW THIS SHOW If you enjoyed this episode, follow and/or subscribe to Write! Grow! Launch! wherever you listen to podcasts, so you don’t miss future episodes on successfully self-publishing, profitably launching your book, and building a sustainable indie author career…without burnout or BS.

If you’re tired of spinning your wheels, posting content that gets you nowhere, and wondering why you can’t get above 200 likes on a single post, most likely, you’re posing “selfish” content. Here’s how to stop doing that. You’re not alone if you are frustrated to the point of wanting to throw your phone across the room because, no matter what you post, you can’t seem to get readers to pay attention, let alone engage, let alone buy your book. Most likely, it’s not the algorithm or your hashtags or your caption. It’s almost certainly the kind of content you’re posting. Experts and gurus are still inexplicably telling authors to just “post more!” or “run ads!’ when their social media content falls flat. That’s irresponsible and beyond stupid. What truly works and will really make a difference is when you begin posting content your Ideal Reader Avatar actually already enjoys, posts themselves, and engages with. What You’ll Learn in This Episode · What kinds of posts are keeping you dead in the water · How to change your mindset about the content you create · 4 types of content that will move the needle · The kind of content your readers actually want to see · How to come up with ideas that your readers will engage with RESOURCES & LINKS Learn More About Me: https://christinakaye.com/ Book a FREE Call With Me: https://hello.dubsado.com/public/form/view/6a2981ef632a2248187e06d6 Free Resource: https://bit.ly/46F2rQm My Etsy Shop (The Bookish Swag Shop): https://thebookishswagshop.etsy.com Find Me, Follow Me, DM Me on These Platforms: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinakayeofficial Substack: https://substack.com/@christinakayeofficial Facebook: https://facebook.com/christinakayeofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristinaKayeOfficial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinakayeofficial/ SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW THIS SHOW If you enjoyed this episode, follow and/or subscribe to Write! Grow! Launch! wherever you listen to podcasts, so you don’t miss future episodes on successfully self-publishing, profitably launching your book, and building a sustainable indie author career…without burnout or BS.

Paid ads put some things in front of some people, but what they cannot do is make them care, and that…that is the problem! Too many indie authors still think they have to pay for marketing, especially advertising on platforms like Facebook, Amazon, and BookBub. So, they throw hundreds, even thousands of dollars at these “pay to play” machines, then they wonder a month or more later why nothing is any different. The book publishing industry, including how we market our books, changed exponentially after COVID flipped the world on its head. And these days, it’s almost impossible to sell consumers anything, even books, if we simply bombard them with more content and beg them to buy from us. Consumers need to first get to know that you even exist, then, come to like you as a brand, and eventually, they will trust you, and once they do, that is when they will show up for you and buy your book to support you…not because you cornered them and guilted them into it. What You’ll Learn in This Episode · Why paid advertising doesn’t work · Where Amazon ads CAN be helpful if used right · What you absolutely MUST do long before you launch · How to connect with your target readers and get them to trust you · The cannot-skip steps to effectively marketing your book RESOURCES & LINKS Learn More About Me: https://christinakaye.com/ Book a FREE Call With Me: https://hello.dubsado.com/public/form/view/6a2981ef632a2248187e06d6 My Etsy Shop (The Bookish Swag Shop): https://thebookishswagshop.etsy.com Find Me, Follow Me, DM Me on These Platforms: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinakayeofficial Substack: https://substack.com/@christinakayeofficial Facebook: https://facebook.com/christinakayeofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristinaKayeOfficial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinakayeofficial/ SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW THIS SHOW If you enjoyed this episode, follow and/or subscribe to Write! Grow! Launch! wherever you listen to podcasts, so you don’t miss future episodes on successfully self-publishing, profitably launching your book, and building a sustainable indie author career…without burnout or BS.

When it comes to AI and the author community, it’s time for people to put down the pitchforks, have a reality check moment, and come together instead of tearing each other down! AI has officially become one of the most divisive topics in the publishing industry, and emotions are running HIGH. After the internet exploded over the largely misrepresented comments made by Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt regarding AI-generated books, this conversation dives headfirst into the growing fear, outrage, cancel culture, and confusion surrounding AI in the author world. From the ethical line between using AI to generate entire books versus using it as a modern business tool for things like marketing and productivity, to why refusing to acknowledge this technology at all may leave authors behind long-term, this is an honest, nuanced, no-BS discussion about where publishing is headed, what actually threatens authentic storytelling, and why authors should stop attacking each other and start focusing on protecting the value of human-created books before fear and mob mentality do more damage than the technology itself. What You’ll Learn in This Episode · What Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt actually said · Where authors should really draw the line with AI · What most authors are totally ignoring about AI and books · What should really be the focus of our attention with AI · Why it’s ridiculous to get so angry about AI in the first place RESOURCES & LINKS Learn More About Me: https://christinakaye.com/ My Etsy Shop (The Bookish Swag Shop): https://thebookishswagshop.etsy.com Find Me, Follow Me, DM Me on These Platforms: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinakayeofficial Substack: https://substack.com/@christinakayeofficial Facebook: https://facebook.com/christinakayeofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristinaKayeOfficial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinakayeofficial/ SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW THIS SHOW If you enjoyed this episode, follow and/or subscribe to Write! Grow! Launch! wherever you listen to podcasts, so you don’t miss future episodes on successfully self-publishing, profitably launching your book, and building a sustainable indie author career…without burnout or BS.

If you haven’t spent time building a full, cohesive, and effective author brand, you’re not just missing out on potential readers for your book…you’re likely repelling them! Most indie authors think branding starts and ends with a logo, a pretty website, or a matching Instagram feed. Meanwhile, readers are scrolling right past authors who feel disconnected, forgettable, inconsistent, or impossible to relate to online. In today’s publishing industry, readers don’t just buy books anymore — they buy connection, personality, trust, and familiarity. And if your online presence feels random, faceless, or visually all over the place, you could be losing potential readers every single day without even realizing it. But this is totally fixable. This episode kicks off Part 1 of a brand-new 3-part series where I’ll walk you through the three crucial elements of building an author brand that stands out in today’s crowded online world. This week, we’re diving into the visual side of branding…your aesthetics. I’m breaking down how to create a recognizable online presence that instantly feels professional, relatable, and aligned with your genre and audience. So, sit back, relax, and maybe even take notes, and let me teach you how to attract the right readers and build deeper audience trust when your brand finally feels intentional. What You’ll Learn in This Episode · Why readers connect with relatable and visible authors more than faceless · The biggest visual branding mistakes indie authors make online · How to choose an aesthetic that fits your genre, personality, and target audience · The core visual elements every indie author brand MUST have · Why cohesive branding increases trust, recognition, and reader connection RESOURCES & LINKS Learn More About Me: https://christinakaye.com/ Free Resource: https://bit.ly/3PoGgsM Helpful Links: https://pixabay.com/ https://www.creativefabrica.com/ https://www.dreamstime.com/ https://redketchup.io/color-picker My Etsy Shop (The Bookish Swag Shop): https://thebookishswagshop.etsy.com Find Me, Follow Me, DM Me on These Platforms: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinakayeofficial Substack: https://substack.com/@christinakayeofficial Facebook: https://facebook.com/christinakayeofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristinaKayeOfficial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinakayeofficial/ SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW THIS SHOW If you enjoyed this episode, follow and/or subscribe to Write! Grow! Launch! wherever you listen to podcasts, so you don’t miss future episodes on successfully self-publishing, profitably launching your book, and building a sustainable indie author career…without burnout or BS.