1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,472
Hello and welcome to the CoachWrite podcast where we explore how to turn coaching
expertise into published pages.
2
00:00:07,472 --> 00:00:18,335
I'm your host Helen O'Neill, portfolio career specialist, author and creator of
CoachWrite, the writing space and program specifically designed for coaches.
3
00:00:18,336 --> 00:00:25,478
You can get the episode show notes and your free guide to publishing options at
coachwrite.co.uk.
4
00:00:25,478 --> 00:00:27,618
It's time for the next chapter.
5
00:00:27,618 --> 00:00:29,570
Welcome to the Coach White Podcast.
6
00:00:29,570 --> 00:00:33,813
I'm your host, Helen O'Neill, and this is episode 27.
7
00:00:33,974 --> 00:00:42,100
In today's episode of the footnotes, I'm going to be sharing my reflections from the
self-publishing show Live 2026.
8
00:00:42,341 --> 00:00:54,291
SPS is the largest independent author conference held in Europe, and it's two days of
plenary sessions, networking, deep dives into advanced topics, and those all-important
9
00:00:54,291 --> 00:00:55,303
connections.
10
00:00:55,303 --> 00:01:02,435
It's the third time I've attended and each one's been slightly different as the industry
and the organizers have evolved.
11
00:01:02,435 --> 00:01:05,696
And of course my own publishing career has also evolved.
12
00:01:05,696 --> 00:01:10,217
My network is more established and I have more books published.
13
00:01:10,557 --> 00:01:15,779
The event was held at a new venue this year, County Hall on the South Bank.
14
00:01:15,779 --> 00:01:23,292
There were spectacular views to be seen of the Houses of Parliament as we walked past into
the event space.
15
00:01:23,292 --> 00:01:31,825
Which of course I completely ignored because I'm from London and you tend to take these
things for granted when you see them regularly.
16
00:01:32,486 --> 00:01:38,728
Day one was the plenary day, so a single track where everybody attended the same talks.
17
00:01:38,728 --> 00:01:43,310
It was a blend of motivational speakers and panel conversations.
18
00:01:43,591 --> 00:01:48,533
The day opened with Tom Donnelly talking about process.
19
00:01:48,533 --> 00:01:52,185
And I always think it's curious that there are so many books.
20
00:01:52,185 --> 00:01:57,648
About writing craft, but only a handful about the writing process.
21
00:01:57,648 --> 00:02:02,131
Yet it's the process that people are often interested in.
22
00:02:02,251 --> 00:02:13,558
You'll hear when I interview guests that I always ask them about how they find the time to
write, how they stay motivated, and even things like the tools they use to support them.
23
00:02:14,078 --> 00:02:18,776
Tom comes from a screenwriting background and has been involved in an
24
00:02:18,776 --> 00:02:22,047
Awful lot of films with names you would recognize.
25
00:02:22,047 --> 00:02:32,251
He only really turned to authorship during the screenwriters' strike a few years ago, and
today is incredibly generous in sharing his expertise with the community.
26
00:02:32,792 --> 00:02:43,066
He talked about the difference between your creative processes and your critical
processes, which I think is very important and actually a topic that we cover in
27
00:02:43,066 --> 00:02:44,576
CoachWrite 90.
28
00:02:44,576 --> 00:02:48,429
We all know as coaches that we have a logical part of the brain.
29
00:02:48,429 --> 00:02:50,350
And a creative part of the brain.
30
00:02:50,350 --> 00:02:54,311
And there's obviously a lot of neuroscience that sits behind that.
31
00:02:54,571 --> 00:03:02,004
Tom talked about the fact that one of the biggest problems we have when we're trying to
write is we try and do both of these things at the same time.
32
00:03:02,004 --> 00:03:10,419
So, for example, how often have you sat down to write only to find yourself halfway down a
page when you think, oh,
33
00:03:10,419 --> 00:03:12,991
Who was it that said that thing that I want to talk about here?
34
00:03:12,991 --> 00:03:15,945
What was the paper called and when was it published?
35
00:03:15,945 --> 00:03:23,002
and before you know it, you've reread the paper, fallen down the internet rabbit hole,
possibly bought a couple of new books, and an hour has passed.
36
00:03:23,002 --> 00:03:28,817
Flow is a distant memory, and all because you've allowed your logical brain to take over
your creative process.
37
00:03:28,817 --> 00:03:35,155
Whereas actually what you needed to do was pop a little note in where you were writing to
say, look up more about this later.
38
00:03:35,155 --> 00:03:38,218
He talked about the epiphany incubator.
39
00:03:38,218 --> 00:03:40,300
Isn't that a wonderful term?
40
00:03:40,300 --> 00:03:44,983
And that this is where we get our relaxation endorphins.
41
00:03:45,124 --> 00:03:56,643
In a world where we're so often chasing the cheap dopamine hit, going to a green space for
a walk, having a bath, and allowing yourself the slower experience of joy is so incredibly
42
00:03:56,643 --> 00:03:57,754
powerful.
43
00:03:57,915 --> 00:04:02,519
I know that the more I walk, the more I think, and the better I write.
44
00:04:02,519 --> 00:04:03,050
Again,
45
00:04:03,050 --> 00:04:06,671
There's a whole load of science behind that, and we already know it.
46
00:04:06,711 --> 00:04:08,743
And we need to be reminded.
47
00:04:08,743 --> 00:04:13,424
Tom did that brilliantly in a wonderfully entertaining way.
48
00:04:14,484 --> 00:04:23,547
My standout talks from both days were from Becca Syme, which probably won't surprise you
because she is a coach who writes books.
49
00:04:23,907 --> 00:04:30,697
She is Gallup certified and a strengths coach who is incredibly wise and has coached.
50
00:04:30,697 --> 00:04:34,039
thousands and thousands of writers during her career.
51
00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:35,152
I am one of them.
52
00:04:35,152 --> 00:04:41,777
She's the person that introduced me to strengths, which changed how I approached my
personal development.
53
00:04:42,258 --> 00:04:43,820
So she did two talks.
54
00:04:43,820 --> 00:04:49,024
Her talk on day one focused on challenging perceived wisdom.
55
00:04:49,024 --> 00:04:52,566
She calls this questioning the premise.
56
00:04:52,707 --> 00:04:58,623
As coaches we see this with our clients all the time, yet when we're looking at our own
working practices
57
00:04:58,623 --> 00:05:01,244
were just as fallible as they are.
58
00:05:01,445 --> 00:05:06,898
So for example, you should write every day is a common piece of writing advice.
59
00:05:07,199 --> 00:05:10,182
Over the years I've learned that is not for me.
60
00:05:10,182 --> 00:05:13,423
Well it is, but not quite how you expect.
61
00:05:13,704 --> 00:05:20,267
I have a strength called intellection, which means that I need to think about things in
order to process them.
62
00:05:20,267 --> 00:05:21,999
I need to reflect.
63
00:05:21,999 --> 00:05:23,480
Handy as a coach.
64
00:05:23,660 --> 00:05:27,114
So I can work on the same manuscript for up
65
00:05:27,114 --> 00:05:33,716
To about four days consecutively before my productivity starts to decline.
66
00:05:33,816 --> 00:05:37,877
I can fix this by having two projects on the go at the same time.
67
00:05:37,877 --> 00:05:42,939
They have to have a completely separate focus, i.e., one fiction, one non-fiction.
68
00:05:42,939 --> 00:05:46,711
And then when I hit the intellection wall, I simply switch projects.
69
00:05:46,711 --> 00:05:49,684
We use strengths a lot in coaching,
70
00:05:49,684 --> 00:05:57,098
And I particularly like Gallup as a structure, and I'll always be grateful to Becca for
introducing them to me.
71
00:05:57,539 --> 00:06:05,663
But what brings a smile to my face as I say this is her talk on the topic of fandom, which
she gave on day two.
72
00:06:05,863 --> 00:06:08,937
Beforehand, I knew I was a fan of Becca.
73
00:06:08,937 --> 00:06:13,019
Now I know what kind of fan I am.
74
00:06:13,239 --> 00:06:14,700
Before I get into that.
75
00:06:14,700 --> 00:06:16,981
A fandom is a group of followers.
76
00:06:16,981 --> 00:06:21,353
These are people who connect with you, engage with you, and follow you.
77
00:06:21,353 --> 00:06:27,715
Fandom is active, and these are our clients and customers today and in the future.
78
00:06:27,976 --> 00:06:35,698
She ran through eight different types of fans, what they need and want, and how we can
support and interact with them.
79
00:06:35,698 --> 00:06:37,950
The first was the evangelist.
80
00:06:37,950 --> 00:06:40,522
Now, evangelists kind of do what they say on the tin, right?
81
00:06:40,522 --> 00:06:50,969
These are the people that think that everything you do is amazing and they talk to other
people about how amazing they think that you are and recommend that you go and find out
82
00:06:50,969 --> 00:06:52,080
for yourself.
83
00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:55,282
So I smile as I say this because clearly this is me.
84
00:06:55,282 --> 00:06:59,505
I'm a huge advocate for Becca and have the utmost respect for her work.
85
00:06:59,505 --> 00:07:02,507
And I tell people that on a regular basis.
86
00:07:02,647 --> 00:07:06,761
Her talk made me consider who in my community.
87
00:07:06,761 --> 00:07:11,042
fits into this category and most importantly how I can serve them.
88
00:07:11,042 --> 00:07:15,474
Loyalty is lovely and deserves to be recognised.
89
00:07:15,474 --> 00:07:19,346
Becca is such a genuine person.
90
00:07:19,346 --> 00:07:30,640
In the independent author space, she is a huge name, yet she was incredibly approachable
and so genuine in wanting to connect with other authors, which has obviously only cemented
91
00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:32,853
me in the evangelist category.
92
00:07:32,853 --> 00:07:34,654
But isn't that interesting?
93
00:07:34,754 --> 00:07:38,317
So consider if you have evangelists for your coaching practice.
94
00:07:38,317 --> 00:07:42,019
You might like to think about how you can give them some special attention.
95
00:07:42,019 --> 00:07:44,841
This could be some sort of referral scheme.
96
00:07:44,921 --> 00:07:52,806
Maybe they refer somebody to you and you give them a free coaching session or a signed
copy of your latest book, for example.
97
00:07:53,147 --> 00:07:56,830
I won't go through all eight types of fandom because time.
98
00:07:56,830 --> 00:08:01,384
But the other type of fandom that I thought was really interesting was the last one we
talked about.
99
00:08:01,384 --> 00:08:05,965
And one that's possibly overlooked sometimes, that's the friend.
100
00:08:06,205 --> 00:08:11,078
The way Becca described this was being the welcome mat of the fan base.
101
00:08:11,078 --> 00:08:18,160
I know how daunting it is, joining a new community, attending a new event, starting a new
job.
102
00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:27,162
The friend in this context is the first person to say hello, to ask about you in that
genuine and non intrusive way.
103
00:08:27,162 --> 00:08:29,845
They show you around either digitally or
104
00:08:29,845 --> 00:08:38,040
or physically, they hold their hand out for you and make you feel like that community is
warm and a welcoming space to be.
105
00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:46,214
One of my values is connection and this shows up for me in wanting people to feel
important, welcome, and safe.
106
00:08:46,214 --> 00:08:49,375
The friend is a facilitator of that.
107
00:08:49,855 --> 00:08:56,849
If you want to find out more about Becca, she runs the Better Faster Academy and hosts a
brilliant podcast called The Quick Cast.
108
00:08:56,849 --> 00:08:59,951
and of course her books on writing are fantastic too.
109
00:08:59,951 --> 00:09:02,062
I will leave the links in the show notes.
110
00:09:02,062 --> 00:09:07,404
I mentioned in last week's show very briefly that I've been considering doing a
Kickstarter.
111
00:09:07,404 --> 00:09:09,647
So another standout session for me
112
00:09:09,647 --> 00:09:18,691
was from Oriana Leckert, who gave an introduction on how Kickstarter works as a platform
and how to think about planning a campaign.
113
00:09:18,852 --> 00:09:24,594
I'm still going back and forth on this and would welcome your feedback as to whether or
not you think it's a good idea.
114
00:09:24,674 --> 00:09:28,847
So for the past two years I have created a business planner.
115
00:09:28,847 --> 00:09:33,849
Originally I did this because I couldn't find a planner that supported a portfolio career.
116
00:09:33,849 --> 00:09:36,543
So I created one because I needed it.
117
00:09:36,543 --> 00:09:43,537
Then year two came around and I needed a new one, so I updated it based on how I'd found
using the previous edition.
118
00:09:43,997 --> 00:09:48,931
Since then, Amazon's rules on what they call low content books have changed.
119
00:09:48,931 --> 00:09:54,214
This is probably AI driven, as things like notebooks are easy to content from.
120
00:09:54,434 --> 00:10:04,691
Now my planner does have a fair bit of guidance in it, but it also has plenty of space for
writing, as you'd expect, and it takes ages for the book to get approved on Amazon.
121
00:10:04,691 --> 00:10:09,262
And as I still can't find what I need, I do intend to make another one.
122
00:10:09,262 --> 00:10:15,584
But what I'd really like to do is have it ring bound with little dividers so that it's
easier to use.
123
00:10:15,584 --> 00:10:18,925
And you simply can't do that with Amazon Print on Demand.
124
00:10:18,925 --> 00:10:22,546
You can, however, do it with specialist printers.
125
00:10:23,067 --> 00:10:26,558
assuming people would be interested in buying one.
126
00:10:26,558 --> 00:10:28,099
Enter Kickstarter.
127
00:10:28,099 --> 00:10:33,662
This is where people are able to support the project before you do a large print run.
128
00:10:33,662 --> 00:10:37,003
So it would be perfect for this kind of project.
129
00:10:37,003 --> 00:10:42,677
It would be a way of being able to produce something really useful with lovely quality.
130
00:10:42,677 --> 00:10:44,809
And the project structure appeals to me.
131
00:10:44,809 --> 00:10:46,269
Surprising no one.
132
00:10:46,710 --> 00:10:49,463
I am still debating, so I'd love to know what you think.
133
00:10:49,463 --> 00:10:52,862
Shall I investigate further or do you think it's a terrible idea?
134
00:10:52,862 --> 00:10:57,075
Drop me a note back, Helen at coachwrite.co.uk.
135
00:10:57,576 --> 00:11:05,062
Another session that really stuck with me was on story craft, and it was actually a panel
conversation right towards the end of the first day.
136
00:11:05,062 --> 00:11:12,848
Now you might be wondering what on earth a panel about craft has to do with those of us
that are writing predominantly non-fiction.
137
00:11:12,848 --> 00:11:18,264
But actually, it was one particular attendee on that panel who goes her own way.
138
00:11:18,264 --> 00:11:21,813
She explained her drafting process, which involved.
139
00:11:21,813 --> 00:11:23,744
Seven stages.
140
00:11:23,744 --> 00:11:29,748
In each one, she focuses on one particular element and layers the work on top of itself.
141
00:11:29,849 --> 00:11:32,791
In one round, she'll look at emotion, for example.
142
00:11:32,791 --> 00:11:37,234
In the next, she'll look at grounding and so on and so forth.
143
00:11:37,235 --> 00:11:45,941
What she does is effectively drawing an outline in pencil and then adding paint and then
colouring in and then layering and then adding detail.
144
00:11:45,941 --> 00:11:48,774
And during the process, the book emerges.
145
00:11:48,774 --> 00:11:59,380
The reason that I call attention to this is that when we're thinking about our coaching
practices or our writing journeys, there is so much advice out there and so many rules
146
00:11:59,380 --> 00:12:06,963
that are defined as the way to be successful, the way to do things correctly in inverted
commas.
147
00:12:06,963 --> 00:12:12,236
And actually, sometimes it's okay just to say, do you know what, I've tried that and it
doesn't work for me.
148
00:12:12,236 --> 00:12:15,178
I'm gonna do it like this instead, because it does.
149
00:12:15,178 --> 00:12:23,953
The other thing that came out of that session was a reminder of one of my favourite
sayings when it comes to writing, to really remember whether you are a publisher who
150
00:12:23,953 --> 00:12:26,424
writes or a writer who publishes.
151
00:12:26,424 --> 00:12:29,296
And they are two very different mindsets.
152
00:12:29,356 --> 00:12:32,758
I know that when I'm working on fiction, I do it for fun.
153
00:12:32,758 --> 00:12:39,202
I have no lofty aspirations of making a gazillion pounds with my books and turning them
into a Netflix series.
154
00:12:39,202 --> 00:12:41,194
I don't even have Netflix.
155
00:12:41,194 --> 00:12:43,555
Other streaming services are available.
156
00:12:43,566 --> 00:12:49,199
And at the same time, my non-fiction titles are very much part of my business.
157
00:12:49,199 --> 00:12:53,311
And so my mindset on how I approach those projects is different too.
158
00:12:53,332 --> 00:12:54,952
This is important for you.
159
00:12:54,952 --> 00:12:55,305
And
160
00:12:55,305 --> 00:13:00,409
We talk about this a lot in Coach Write 90 about starting with the end in mind.
161
00:13:00,409 --> 00:13:11,297
Considering whether you want to leave a legacy, have a business card, position yourself as
a thought leader, or whether you want to revenue generate directly or indirectly through
162
00:13:11,297 --> 00:13:14,439
opportunities to speak, and so on and so forth.
163
00:13:14,580 --> 00:13:16,621
These are really important decisions.
164
00:13:16,621 --> 00:13:22,016
And then once you have your goal in mind, you can work back and lean into the process
that's right for you.
165
00:13:22,016 --> 00:13:28,842
Just last week I was working with a client who needed to approach the beginning of their
project in a slightly different way.
166
00:13:28,842 --> 00:13:31,023
And so that's exactly what we did.
167
00:13:31,024 --> 00:13:32,965
We didn't do what I've done.
168
00:13:32,965 --> 00:13:39,622
We took a step back, we had a conversation, and we did what was right for them to help
them move forward.
169
00:13:39,622 --> 00:13:44,386
This is the epitome of meeting our clients where they are and giving them what they need.
170
00:13:44,386 --> 00:13:48,050
When it comes to writing your book, you are your client.
171
00:13:48,050 --> 00:13:49,972
So lean in to what you need.
172
00:13:49,972 --> 00:13:59,312
Another session on day two was about Amazon ads, led by Ricardo Fayette, who runs Reedsy
and his now wife, Sara Usera.
173
00:13:59,473 --> 00:14:07,380
They explored an analytical approach to Amazon ads, which is absolutely impossible to
summarise and share on a podcast.
174
00:14:07,380 --> 00:14:11,605
But I do want to talk about it because it was a very strategic session
175
00:14:11,605 --> 00:14:20,062
And a great reminder when we're being bombarded with all the different ways to run a
business to focus on the data to drive our decisions.
176
00:14:20,342 --> 00:14:31,111
They talked about campaign management, thinking about that all-important in return on
investment, and as I say, leveraging data to make choices.
177
00:14:31,352 --> 00:14:36,736
The other thing I really liked about this session was that they talked about trigger
points for those decisions.
178
00:14:36,736 --> 00:14:40,410
So for those of you that are less familiar with how advertising works.
179
00:14:40,410 --> 00:14:44,652
Every time someone clicks on an advert that you've produced, you pay.
180
00:14:44,652 --> 00:14:47,473
It's literally called pay per click.
181
00:14:47,474 --> 00:14:51,666
Not everyone that clicks that button will purchase something.
182
00:14:51,666 --> 00:14:55,870
So the data isn't ever going to be a hundred percent accurate.
183
00:14:55,870 --> 00:15:01,893
So for example, you might see an advert for something, click on it, have a look, but not
buy it right at that moment.
184
00:15:01,893 --> 00:15:05,356
Maybe you need to wait for payday, So you come back and buy it another day.
185
00:15:05,356 --> 00:15:07,637
The click data is lost.
186
00:15:07,697 --> 00:15:15,531
Similarly, you might click on it, go to a platform that you decide that you don't want to
give your money to, and actually have a little Google search and see if you can buy it
187
00:15:15,531 --> 00:15:16,261
somewhere else.
188
00:15:16,261 --> 00:15:20,674
So there's no direct correlation between the click data and the sale.
189
00:15:20,674 --> 00:15:26,458
But there is going to be a correlation if you're getting a lot of clicks and no sales.
190
00:15:26,739 --> 00:15:36,126
So what they were talking about is thinking about the investment you're making in those
adverts, or more specifically, the clicks that those adverts are generating and the return
191
00:15:36,126 --> 00:15:37,328
that you're getting.
192
00:15:37,328 --> 00:15:42,211
With fiction, there's an added complexity because a lot of fiction is written in series.
193
00:15:42,211 --> 00:15:50,230
And so having an entry point that is a lower return on investment isn't necessarily a bad
thing if it's driving through sales.
194
00:15:50,230 --> 00:15:54,264
Non-fiction is often standalone, so it's a slightly different playing field.
195
00:15:54,264 --> 00:15:55,995
There's also a higher price point.
196
00:15:55,995 --> 00:16:02,631
So if somebody does buy, the likelihood is that you're earning more royalties than you
would if it was a fiction title.
197
00:16:02,631 --> 00:16:04,963
So the data points are slightly different.
198
00:16:05,144 --> 00:16:12,481
I have taken a ton of notes about this and have had to block out some serious time to
reflect and implement.
199
00:16:12,481 --> 00:16:17,073
Sacha Black, who writes as Ruby Roe was another standout for me.
200
00:16:17,153 --> 00:16:22,586
I joined Sacha's community back in 2020, before I published my first book.
201
00:16:22,586 --> 00:16:26,187
She was the person that brought me into the independent author space.
202
00:16:26,187 --> 00:16:29,319
And since that time, her career has exploded.
203
00:16:29,319 --> 00:16:35,575
She's a TikTok sensation and uses a direct selling model to make rather a lot of money.
204
00:16:35,575 --> 00:16:40,764
She also writes brilliant books, which doesn't hurt, creates high-quality products,
205
00:16:40,764 --> 00:16:50,088
And I absolutely loved her talk because she's brilliant and completely honest about the
pros and cons of authorship as an e-commerce business.
206
00:16:50,689 --> 00:16:56,002
I can't ever imagine that I'm going to have a warehouse and ship books internationally.
207
00:16:56,002 --> 00:16:58,185
But you know, never say never.
208
00:16:58,185 --> 00:17:02,958
But it was one of those talks that was inspiring because of her journey.
209
00:17:03,059 --> 00:17:08,503
Her success is a result because of her talent, her business acumen, and her grit.
210
00:17:08,503 --> 00:17:11,106
And that is what's got her here today.
211
00:17:11,106 --> 00:17:13,908
and we can all learn from that.
212
00:17:14,369 --> 00:17:16,991
The event was closed by Rachel McLean.
213
00:17:17,043 --> 00:17:22,137
Rachel is a phenomenally successful crime writer and a true inspiration.
214
00:17:22,337 --> 00:17:28,343
She is not immune to the energy challenges that face so many of us that run our own
business.
215
00:17:28,343 --> 00:17:38,464
She closed the event by talking very personally about her experiences of burnout and
sharing how she recovered and the changes she's made in order to be able to live a life
216
00:17:38,464 --> 00:17:41,566
that brings her joy in a sustainable way.
217
00:17:41,927 --> 00:17:47,042
Surprising no one, that includes a lot of simplification, downscaling, and slowing down.
218
00:17:47,042 --> 00:17:53,259
She talked about a metaphor of a fox that's running around doing all of the things and
getting themselves exhausted.
219
00:17:53,259 --> 00:17:57,701
And the hedgehog, who's really, really great at rolling up into a ball and being spiky.
220
00:17:57,701 --> 00:18:00,533
They pick one thing and do it brilliantly.
221
00:18:00,533 --> 00:18:02,565
How many of us can resonate with that?
222
00:18:02,565 --> 00:18:09,997
It's so tempting, isn't it, to run around trying to do all the things, develop the
signature programme, write the book, develop the course, deliver the workshop, chase the
223
00:18:09,997 --> 00:18:10,967
one to one.
224
00:18:10,967 --> 00:18:19,230
Look at the one to many, do all of the socials, post every day, reply to everyone, email
campaigns, PR podcast, all of the things, all of the time, trying to coach everybody.
225
00:18:19,230 --> 00:18:26,828
Whereas actually we know logically that if we pick a niche, focus on it, And deliver
excellence to our clients consistently.
226
00:18:26,828 --> 00:18:30,490
That simplicity will bring us the life that we need.
227
00:18:30,971 --> 00:18:33,233
My word of the year this year is simplicity.
228
00:18:33,233 --> 00:18:36,056
So this was a very timely reminder.
229
00:18:36,056 --> 00:18:39,618
The other thing to factor in here is being really clear on what's enough.
230
00:18:39,618 --> 00:18:43,200
Do you need more money, more clients, or do you want more time?
231
00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:53,757
She talked about evaluating opportunities in terms of the money they might generate for
your business, the skill you have in doing those things, and the joy they bring you.
232
00:18:53,757 --> 00:18:58,219
Those mechanisms are a brilliant way to decide whether or not to pursue something.
233
00:18:58,219 --> 00:18:59,820
I really like that.
234
00:18:59,820 --> 00:19:03,233
And it was the perfect way to close the conference.
235
00:19:03,233 --> 00:19:10,909
As I record this, I've written up my notes, I've completed the low hanging fruit, the
quick actions that will make a difference in my business.
236
00:19:10,909 --> 00:19:22,078
And I continue to reflect on some of those more strategic points like the Kickstarter and
evaluate whether or not they'll be appropriate for my business this year, or not at all.
237
00:19:22,118 --> 00:19:27,542
Because actually, my last takeaway was from a conversation with a friend on the way home.
238
00:19:27,583 --> 00:19:32,637
They'd attended a session on translations, and with advancements in AI,
239
00:19:32,790 --> 00:19:35,923
These are absolutely exploding at the moment.
240
00:19:35,923 --> 00:19:39,145
He's also nearing the end of a fiction series.
241
00:19:39,145 --> 00:19:42,367
He's in the process of launching his audiobooks.
242
00:19:42,367 --> 00:19:43,487
He has a job.
243
00:19:43,487 --> 00:19:44,948
He has a life.
244
00:19:45,128 --> 00:19:48,763
And so he came away with something not to do.
245
00:19:48,763 --> 00:19:50,354
He chose focus.
246
00:19:50,354 --> 00:20:00,512
And I, for one, count that as a win So as we continue through conference season, if you
are attending an event, remember to go with an intention.
247
00:20:00,512 --> 00:20:01,853
Protect your energy.
248
00:20:01,853 --> 00:20:08,937
Think about what you will do, think about what you won't do, and enjoy connecting with
other people.
249
00:20:09,177 --> 00:20:11,969
The knowledge can normally be learned somewhere else.
250
00:20:11,969 --> 00:20:18,931
It's the energy and the motivation along with the connection that are unique to in-person
events.
251
00:20:18,931 --> 00:20:23,792
Go, enjoy, and remember a little bit of time to rest afterwards.
252
00:20:23,792 --> 00:20:32,758
If anything from today has resonated with you, or if you've got a question that you'd like
me to answer in the footnotes, please drop me a note and let me know.
253
00:20:33,019 --> 00:20:35,170
Next week I am joined by Dr.
254
00:20:35,170 --> 00:20:36,361
Fatima Syed.
255
00:20:36,361 --> 00:20:38,706
We'll be talking all about her book,
256
00:20:38,706 --> 00:20:44,651
Yaqeen Stitch from Sorrows a Tapestry of Poems I'll see you for the next chapter.
257
00:20:44,515 --> 00:20:46,266
Thank you for joining me today.
258
00:20:46,266 --> 00:20:52,710
You can get the show notes and your free guide to publishing options at coachwright.co.uk.
259
00:20:52,731 --> 00:20:56,653
Remember to subscribe and leave a review on your podcatcher of choice.
260
00:20:56,653 --> 00:20:58,495
Your words can make a difference.
261
00:20:58,495 --> 00:21:00,335
A review can too.
262
00:21:00,476 --> 00:21:04,098
If you'd like to connect, find me on LinkedIn, O'Neill Helen.
263
00:21:04,098 --> 00:21:13,685
That's O'Neill O N E I double L or on Instagram at Coach _ Write I'll see you for the next
chapter.
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,472
Hello and welcome to the CoachWrite podcast where we explore how to turn coaching
expertise into published pages.
2
00:00:07,472 --> 00:00:18,335
I'm your host Helen O'Neill, portfolio career specialist, author and creator of
CoachWrite, the writing space and program specifically designed for coaches.
3
00:00:18,336 --> 00:00:25,478
You can get the episode show notes and your free guide to publishing options at
coachwrite.co.uk.
4
00:00:25,478 --> 00:00:27,618
It's time for the next chapter.
5
00:00:27,618 --> 00:00:29,570
Welcome to the Coach White Podcast.
6
00:00:29,570 --> 00:00:33,813
I'm your host, Helen O'Neill, and this is episode 27.
7
00:00:33,974 --> 00:00:42,100
In today's episode of the footnotes, I'm going to be sharing my reflections from the
self-publishing show Live 2026.
8
00:00:42,341 --> 00:00:54,291
SPS is the largest independent author conference held in Europe, and it's two days of
plenary sessions, networking, deep dives into advanced topics, and those all-important
9
00:00:54,291 --> 00:00:55,303
connections.
10
00:00:55,303 --> 00:01:02,435
It's the third time I've attended and each one's been slightly different as the industry
and the organizers have evolved.
11
00:01:02,435 --> 00:01:05,696
And of course my own publishing career has also evolved.
12
00:01:05,696 --> 00:01:10,217
My network is more established and I have more books published.
13
00:01:10,557 --> 00:01:15,779
The event was held at a new venue this year, County Hall on the South Bank.
14
00:01:15,779 --> 00:01:23,292
There were spectacular views to be seen of the Houses of Parliament as we walked past into
the event space.
15
00:01:23,292 --> 00:01:31,825
Which of course I completely ignored because I'm from London and you tend to take these
things for granted when you see them regularly.
16
00:01:32,486 --> 00:01:38,728
Day one was the plenary day, so a single track where everybody attended the same talks.
17
00:01:38,728 --> 00:01:43,310
It was a blend of motivational speakers and panel conversations.
18
00:01:43,591 --> 00:01:48,533
The day opened with Tom Donnelly talking about process.
19
00:01:48,533 --> 00:01:52,185
And I always think it's curious that there are so many books.
20
00:01:52,185 --> 00:01:57,648
About writing craft, but only a handful about the writing process.
21
00:01:57,648 --> 00:02:02,131
Yet it's the process that people are often interested in.
22
00:02:02,251 --> 00:02:13,558
You'll hear when I interview guests that I always ask them about how they find the time to
write, how they stay motivated, and even things like the tools they use to support them.
23
00:02:14,078 --> 00:02:18,776
Tom comes from a screenwriting background and has been involved in an
24
00:02:18,776 --> 00:02:22,047
Awful lot of films with names you would recognize.
25
00:02:22,047 --> 00:02:32,251
He only really turned to authorship during the screenwriters' strike a few years ago, and
today is incredibly generous in sharing his expertise with the community.
26
00:02:32,792 --> 00:02:43,066
He talked about the difference between your creative processes and your critical
processes, which I think is very important and actually a topic that we cover in
27
00:02:43,066 --> 00:02:44,576
CoachWrite 90.
28
00:02:44,576 --> 00:02:48,429
We all know as coaches that we have a logical part of the brain.
29
00:02:48,429 --> 00:02:50,350
And a creative part of the brain.
30
00:02:50,350 --> 00:02:54,311
And there's obviously a lot of neuroscience that sits behind that.
31
00:02:54,571 --> 00:03:02,004
Tom talked about the fact that one of the biggest problems we have when we're trying to
write is we try and do both of these things at the same time.
32
00:03:02,004 --> 00:03:10,419
So, for example, how often have you sat down to write only to find yourself halfway down a
page when you think, oh,
33
00:03:10,419 --> 00:03:12,991
Who was it that said that thing that I want to talk about here?
34
00:03:12,991 --> 00:03:15,945
What was the paper called and when was it published?
35
00:03:15,945 --> 00:03:23,002
and before you know it, you've reread the paper, fallen down the internet rabbit hole,
possibly bought a couple of new books, and an hour has passed.
36
00:03:23,002 --> 00:03:28,817
Flow is a distant memory, and all because you've allowed your logical brain to take over
your creative process.
37
00:03:28,817 --> 00:03:35,155
Whereas actually what you needed to do was pop a little note in where you were writing to
say, look up more about this later.
38
00:03:35,155 --> 00:03:38,218
He talked about the epiphany incubator.
39
00:03:38,218 --> 00:03:40,300
Isn't that a wonderful term?
40
00:03:40,300 --> 00:03:44,983
And that this is where we get our relaxation endorphins.
41
00:03:45,124 --> 00:03:56,643
In a world where we're so often chasing the cheap dopamine hit, going to a green space for
a walk, having a bath, and allowing yourself the slower experience of joy is so incredibly
42
00:03:56,643 --> 00:03:57,754
powerful.
43
00:03:57,915 --> 00:04:02,519
I know that the more I walk, the more I think, and the better I write.
44
00:04:02,519 --> 00:04:03,050
Again,
45
00:04:03,050 --> 00:04:06,671
There's a whole load of science behind that, and we already know it.
46
00:04:06,711 --> 00:04:08,743
And we need to be reminded.
47
00:04:08,743 --> 00:04:13,424
Tom did that brilliantly in a wonderfully entertaining way.
48
00:04:14,484 --> 00:04:23,547
My standout talks from both days were from Becca Syme, which probably won't surprise you
because she is a coach who writes books.
49
00:04:23,907 --> 00:04:30,697
She is Gallup certified and a strengths coach who is incredibly wise and has coached.
50
00:04:30,697 --> 00:04:34,039
thousands and thousands of writers during her career.
51
00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:35,152
I am one of them.
52
00:04:35,152 --> 00:04:41,777
She's the person that introduced me to strengths, which changed how I approached my
personal development.
53
00:04:42,258 --> 00:04:43,820
So she did two talks.
54
00:04:43,820 --> 00:04:49,024
Her talk on day one focused on challenging perceived wisdom.
55
00:04:49,024 --> 00:04:52,566
She calls this questioning the premise.
56
00:04:52,707 --> 00:04:58,623
As coaches we see this with our clients all the time, yet when we're looking at our own
working practices
57
00:04:58,623 --> 00:05:01,244
were just as fallible as they are.
58
00:05:01,445 --> 00:05:06,898
So for example, you should write every day is a common piece of writing advice.
59
00:05:07,199 --> 00:05:10,182
Over the years I've learned that is not for me.
60
00:05:10,182 --> 00:05:13,423
Well it is, but not quite how you expect.
61
00:05:13,704 --> 00:05:20,267
I have a strength called intellection, which means that I need to think about things in
order to process them.
62
00:05:20,267 --> 00:05:21,999
I need to reflect.
63
00:05:21,999 --> 00:05:23,480
Handy as a coach.
64
00:05:23,660 --> 00:05:27,114
So I can work on the same manuscript for up
65
00:05:27,114 --> 00:05:33,716
To about four days consecutively before my productivity starts to decline.
66
00:05:33,816 --> 00:05:37,877
I can fix this by having two projects on the go at the same time.
67
00:05:37,877 --> 00:05:42,939
They have to have a completely separate focus, i.e., one fiction, one non-fiction.
68
00:05:42,939 --> 00:05:46,711
And then when I hit the intellection wall, I simply switch projects.
69
00:05:46,711 --> 00:05:49,684
We use strengths a lot in coaching,
70
00:05:49,684 --> 00:05:57,098
And I particularly like Gallup as a structure, and I'll always be grateful to Becca for
introducing them to me.
71
00:05:57,539 --> 00:06:05,663
But what brings a smile to my face as I say this is her talk on the topic of fandom, which
she gave on day two.
72
00:06:05,863 --> 00:06:08,937
Beforehand, I knew I was a fan of Becca.
73
00:06:08,937 --> 00:06:13,019
Now I know what kind of fan I am.
74
00:06:13,239 --> 00:06:14,700
Before I get into that.
75
00:06:14,700 --> 00:06:16,981
A fandom is a group of followers.
76
00:06:16,981 --> 00:06:21,353
These are people who connect with you, engage with you, and follow you.
77
00:06:21,353 --> 00:06:27,715
Fandom is active, and these are our clients and customers today and in the future.
78
00:06:27,976 --> 00:06:35,698
She ran through eight different types of fans, what they need and want, and how we can
support and interact with them.
79
00:06:35,698 --> 00:06:37,950
The first was the evangelist.
80
00:06:37,950 --> 00:06:40,522
Now, evangelists kind of do what they say on the tin, right?
81
00:06:40,522 --> 00:06:50,969
These are the people that think that everything you do is amazing and they talk to other
people about how amazing they think that you are and recommend that you go and find out
82
00:06:50,969 --> 00:06:52,080
for yourself.
83
00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:55,282
So I smile as I say this because clearly this is me.
84
00:06:55,282 --> 00:06:59,505
I'm a huge advocate for Becca and have the utmost respect for her work.
85
00:06:59,505 --> 00:07:02,507
And I tell people that on a regular basis.
86
00:07:02,647 --> 00:07:06,761
Her talk made me consider who in my community.
87
00:07:06,761 --> 00:07:11,042
fits into this category and most importantly how I can serve them.
88
00:07:11,042 --> 00:07:15,474
Loyalty is lovely and deserves to be recognised.
89
00:07:15,474 --> 00:07:19,346
Becca is such a genuine person.
90
00:07:19,346 --> 00:07:30,640
In the independent author space, she is a huge name, yet she was incredibly approachable
and so genuine in wanting to connect with other authors, which has obviously only cemented
91
00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:32,853
me in the evangelist category.
92
00:07:32,853 --> 00:07:34,654
But isn't that interesting?
93
00:07:34,754 --> 00:07:38,317
So consider if you have evangelists for your coaching practice.
94
00:07:38,317 --> 00:07:42,019
You might like to think about how you can give them some special attention.
95
00:07:42,019 --> 00:07:44,841
This could be some sort of referral scheme.
96
00:07:44,921 --> 00:07:52,806
Maybe they refer somebody to you and you give them a free coaching session or a signed
copy of your latest book, for example.
97
00:07:53,147 --> 00:07:56,830
I won't go through all eight types of fandom because time.
98
00:07:56,830 --> 00:08:01,384
But the other type of fandom that I thought was really interesting was the last one we
talked about.
99
00:08:01,384 --> 00:08:05,965
And one that's possibly overlooked sometimes, that's the friend.
100
00:08:06,205 --> 00:08:11,078
The way Becca described this was being the welcome mat of the fan base.
101
00:08:11,078 --> 00:08:18,160
I know how daunting it is, joining a new community, attending a new event, starting a new
job.
102
00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:27,162
The friend in this context is the first person to say hello, to ask about you in that
genuine and non intrusive way.
103
00:08:27,162 --> 00:08:29,845
They show you around either digitally or
104
00:08:29,845 --> 00:08:38,040
or physically, they hold their hand out for you and make you feel like that community is
warm and a welcoming space to be.
105
00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:46,214
One of my values is connection and this shows up for me in wanting people to feel
important, welcome, and safe.
106
00:08:46,214 --> 00:08:49,375
The friend is a facilitator of that.
107
00:08:49,855 --> 00:08:56,849
If you want to find out more about Becca, she runs the Better Faster Academy and hosts a
brilliant podcast called The Quick Cast.
108
00:08:56,849 --> 00:08:59,951
and of course her books on writing are fantastic too.
109
00:08:59,951 --> 00:09:02,062
I will leave the links in the show notes.
110
00:09:02,062 --> 00:09:07,404
I mentioned in last week's show very briefly that I've been considering doing a
Kickstarter.
111
00:09:07,404 --> 00:09:09,647
So another standout session for me
112
00:09:09,647 --> 00:09:18,691
was from Oriana Leckert, who gave an introduction on how Kickstarter works as a platform
and how to think about planning a campaign.
113
00:09:18,852 --> 00:09:24,594
I'm still going back and forth on this and would welcome your feedback as to whether or
not you think it's a good idea.
114
00:09:24,674 --> 00:09:28,847
So for the past two years I have created a business planner.
115
00:09:28,847 --> 00:09:33,849
Originally I did this because I couldn't find a planner that supported a portfolio career.
116
00:09:33,849 --> 00:09:36,543
So I created one because I needed it.
117
00:09:36,543 --> 00:09:43,537
Then year two came around and I needed a new one, so I updated it based on how I'd found
using the previous edition.
118
00:09:43,997 --> 00:09:48,931
Since then, Amazon's rules on what they call low content books have changed.
119
00:09:48,931 --> 00:09:54,214
This is probably AI driven, as things like notebooks are easy to content from.
120
00:09:54,434 --> 00:10:04,691
Now my planner does have a fair bit of guidance in it, but it also has plenty of space for
writing, as you'd expect, and it takes ages for the book to get approved on Amazon.
121
00:10:04,691 --> 00:10:09,262
And as I still can't find what I need, I do intend to make another one.
122
00:10:09,262 --> 00:10:15,584
But what I'd really like to do is have it ring bound with little dividers so that it's
easier to use.
123
00:10:15,584 --> 00:10:18,925
And you simply can't do that with Amazon Print on Demand.
124
00:10:18,925 --> 00:10:22,546
You can, however, do it with specialist printers.
125
00:10:23,067 --> 00:10:26,558
assuming people would be interested in buying one.
126
00:10:26,558 --> 00:10:28,099
Enter Kickstarter.
127
00:10:28,099 --> 00:10:33,662
This is where people are able to support the project before you do a large print run.
128
00:10:33,662 --> 00:10:37,003
So it would be perfect for this kind of project.
129
00:10:37,003 --> 00:10:42,677
It would be a way of being able to produce something really useful with lovely quality.
130
00:10:42,677 --> 00:10:44,809
And the project structure appeals to me.
131
00:10:44,809 --> 00:10:46,269
Surprising no one.
132
00:10:46,710 --> 00:10:49,463
I am still debating, so I'd love to know what you think.
133
00:10:49,463 --> 00:10:52,862
Shall I investigate further or do you think it's a terrible idea?
134
00:10:52,862 --> 00:10:57,075
Drop me a note back, Helen at coachwrite.co.uk.
135
00:10:57,576 --> 00:11:05,062
Another session that really stuck with me was on story craft, and it was actually a panel
conversation right towards the end of the first day.
136
00:11:05,062 --> 00:11:12,848
Now you might be wondering what on earth a panel about craft has to do with those of us
that are writing predominantly non-fiction.
137
00:11:12,848 --> 00:11:18,264
But actually, it was one particular attendee on that panel who goes her own way.
138
00:11:18,264 --> 00:11:21,813
She explained her drafting process, which involved.
139
00:11:21,813 --> 00:11:23,744
Seven stages.
140
00:11:23,744 --> 00:11:29,748
In each one, she focuses on one particular element and layers the work on top of itself.
141
00:11:29,849 --> 00:11:32,791
In one round, she'll look at emotion, for example.
142
00:11:32,791 --> 00:11:37,234
In the next, she'll look at grounding and so on and so forth.
143
00:11:37,235 --> 00:11:45,941
What she does is effectively drawing an outline in pencil and then adding paint and then
colouring in and then layering and then adding detail.
144
00:11:45,941 --> 00:11:48,774
And during the process, the book emerges.
145
00:11:48,774 --> 00:11:59,380
The reason that I call attention to this is that when we're thinking about our coaching
practices or our writing journeys, there is so much advice out there and so many rules
146
00:11:59,380 --> 00:12:06,963
that are defined as the way to be successful, the way to do things correctly in inverted
commas.
147
00:12:06,963 --> 00:12:12,236
And actually, sometimes it's okay just to say, do you know what, I've tried that and it
doesn't work for me.
148
00:12:12,236 --> 00:12:15,178
I'm gonna do it like this instead, because it does.
149
00:12:15,178 --> 00:12:23,953
The other thing that came out of that session was a reminder of one of my favourite
sayings when it comes to writing, to really remember whether you are a publisher who
150
00:12:23,953 --> 00:12:26,424
writes or a writer who publishes.
151
00:12:26,424 --> 00:12:29,296
And they are two very different mindsets.
152
00:12:29,356 --> 00:12:32,758
I know that when I'm working on fiction, I do it for fun.
153
00:12:32,758 --> 00:12:39,202
I have no lofty aspirations of making a gazillion pounds with my books and turning them
into a Netflix series.
154
00:12:39,202 --> 00:12:41,194
I don't even have Netflix.
155
00:12:41,194 --> 00:12:43,555
Other streaming services are available.
156
00:12:43,566 --> 00:12:49,199
And at the same time, my non-fiction titles are very much part of my business.
157
00:12:49,199 --> 00:12:53,311
And so my mindset on how I approach those projects is different too.
158
00:12:53,332 --> 00:12:54,952
This is important for you.
159
00:12:54,952 --> 00:12:55,305
And
160
00:12:55,305 --> 00:13:00,409
We talk about this a lot in Coach Write 90 about starting with the end in mind.
161
00:13:00,409 --> 00:13:11,297
Considering whether you want to leave a legacy, have a business card, position yourself as
a thought leader, or whether you want to revenue generate directly or indirectly through
162
00:13:11,297 --> 00:13:14,439
opportunities to speak, and so on and so forth.
163
00:13:14,580 --> 00:13:16,621
These are really important decisions.
164
00:13:16,621 --> 00:13:22,016
And then once you have your goal in mind, you can work back and lean into the process
that's right for you.
165
00:13:22,016 --> 00:13:28,842
Just last week I was working with a client who needed to approach the beginning of their
project in a slightly different way.
166
00:13:28,842 --> 00:13:31,023
And so that's exactly what we did.
167
00:13:31,024 --> 00:13:32,965
We didn't do what I've done.
168
00:13:32,965 --> 00:13:39,622
We took a step back, we had a conversation, and we did what was right for them to help
them move forward.
169
00:13:39,622 --> 00:13:44,386
This is the epitome of meeting our clients where they are and giving them what they need.
170
00:13:44,386 --> 00:13:48,050
When it comes to writing your book, you are your client.
171
00:13:48,050 --> 00:13:49,972
So lean in to what you need.
172
00:13:49,972 --> 00:13:59,312
Another session on day two was about Amazon ads, led by Ricardo Fayette, who runs Reedsy
and his now wife, Sara Usera.
173
00:13:59,473 --> 00:14:07,380
They explored an analytical approach to Amazon ads, which is absolutely impossible to
summarise and share on a podcast.
174
00:14:07,380 --> 00:14:11,605
But I do want to talk about it because it was a very strategic session
175
00:14:11,605 --> 00:14:20,062
And a great reminder when we're being bombarded with all the different ways to run a
business to focus on the data to drive our decisions.
176
00:14:20,342 --> 00:14:31,111
They talked about campaign management, thinking about that all-important in return on
investment, and as I say, leveraging data to make choices.
177
00:14:31,352 --> 00:14:36,736
The other thing I really liked about this session was that they talked about trigger
points for those decisions.
178
00:14:36,736 --> 00:14:40,410
So for those of you that are less familiar with how advertising works.
179
00:14:40,410 --> 00:14:44,652
Every time someone clicks on an advert that you've produced, you pay.
180
00:14:44,652 --> 00:14:47,473
It's literally called pay per click.
181
00:14:47,474 --> 00:14:51,666
Not everyone that clicks that button will purchase something.
182
00:14:51,666 --> 00:14:55,870
So the data isn't ever going to be a hundred percent accurate.
183
00:14:55,870 --> 00:15:01,893
So for example, you might see an advert for something, click on it, have a look, but not
buy it right at that moment.
184
00:15:01,893 --> 00:15:05,356
Maybe you need to wait for payday, So you come back and buy it another day.
185
00:15:05,356 --> 00:15:07,637
The click data is lost.
186
00:15:07,697 --> 00:15:15,531
Similarly, you might click on it, go to a platform that you decide that you don't want to
give your money to, and actually have a little Google search and see if you can buy it
187
00:15:15,531 --> 00:15:16,261
somewhere else.
188
00:15:16,261 --> 00:15:20,674
So there's no direct correlation between the click data and the sale.
189
00:15:20,674 --> 00:15:26,458
But there is going to be a correlation if you're getting a lot of clicks and no sales.
190
00:15:26,739 --> 00:15:36,126
So what they were talking about is thinking about the investment you're making in those
adverts, or more specifically, the clicks that those adverts are generating and the return
191
00:15:36,126 --> 00:15:37,328
that you're getting.
192
00:15:37,328 --> 00:15:42,211
With fiction, there's an added complexity because a lot of fiction is written in series.
193
00:15:42,211 --> 00:15:50,230
And so having an entry point that is a lower return on investment isn't necessarily a bad
thing if it's driving through sales.
194
00:15:50,230 --> 00:15:54,264
Non-fiction is often standalone, so it's a slightly different playing field.
195
00:15:54,264 --> 00:15:55,995
There's also a higher price point.
196
00:15:55,995 --> 00:16:02,631
So if somebody does buy, the likelihood is that you're earning more royalties than you
would if it was a fiction title.
197
00:16:02,631 --> 00:16:04,963
So the data points are slightly different.
198
00:16:05,144 --> 00:16:12,481
I have taken a ton of notes about this and have had to block out some serious time to
reflect and implement.
199
00:16:12,481 --> 00:16:17,073
Sacha Black, who writes as Ruby Roe was another standout for me.
200
00:16:17,153 --> 00:16:22,586
I joined Sacha's community back in 2020, before I published my first book.
201
00:16:22,586 --> 00:16:26,187
She was the person that brought me into the independent author space.
202
00:16:26,187 --> 00:16:29,319
And since that time, her career has exploded.
203
00:16:29,319 --> 00:16:35,575
She's a TikTok sensation and uses a direct selling model to make rather a lot of money.
204
00:16:35,575 --> 00:16:40,764
She also writes brilliant books, which doesn't hurt, creates high-quality products,
205
00:16:40,764 --> 00:16:50,088
And I absolutely loved her talk because she's brilliant and completely honest about the
pros and cons of authorship as an e-commerce business.
206
00:16:50,689 --> 00:16:56,002
I can't ever imagine that I'm going to have a warehouse and ship books internationally.
207
00:16:56,002 --> 00:16:58,185
But you know, never say never.
208
00:16:58,185 --> 00:17:02,958
But it was one of those talks that was inspiring because of her journey.
209
00:17:03,059 --> 00:17:08,503
Her success is a result because of her talent, her business acumen, and her grit.
210
00:17:08,503 --> 00:17:11,106
And that is what's got her here today.
211
00:17:11,106 --> 00:17:13,908
and we can all learn from that.
212
00:17:14,369 --> 00:17:16,991
The event was closed by Rachel McLean.
213
00:17:17,043 --> 00:17:22,137
Rachel is a phenomenally successful crime writer and a true inspiration.
214
00:17:22,337 --> 00:17:28,343
She is not immune to the energy challenges that face so many of us that run our own
business.
215
00:17:28,343 --> 00:17:38,464
She closed the event by talking very personally about her experiences of burnout and
sharing how she recovered and the changes she's made in order to be able to live a life
216
00:17:38,464 --> 00:17:41,566
that brings her joy in a sustainable way.
217
00:17:41,927 --> 00:17:47,042
Surprising no one, that includes a lot of simplification, downscaling, and slowing down.
218
00:17:47,042 --> 00:17:53,259
She talked about a metaphor of a fox that's running around doing all of the things and
getting themselves exhausted.
219
00:17:53,259 --> 00:17:57,701
And the hedgehog, who's really, really great at rolling up into a ball and being spiky.
220
00:17:57,701 --> 00:18:00,533
They pick one thing and do it brilliantly.
221
00:18:00,533 --> 00:18:02,565
How many of us can resonate with that?
222
00:18:02,565 --> 00:18:09,997
It's so tempting, isn't it, to run around trying to do all the things, develop the
signature programme, write the book, develop the course, deliver the workshop, chase the
223
00:18:09,997 --> 00:18:10,967
one to one.
224
00:18:10,967 --> 00:18:19,230
Look at the one to many, do all of the socials, post every day, reply to everyone, email
campaigns, PR podcast, all of the things, all of the time, trying to coach everybody.
225
00:18:19,230 --> 00:18:26,828
Whereas actually we know logically that if we pick a niche, focus on it, And deliver
excellence to our clients consistently.
226
00:18:26,828 --> 00:18:30,490
That simplicity will bring us the life that we need.
227
00:18:30,971 --> 00:18:33,233
My word of the year this year is simplicity.
228
00:18:33,233 --> 00:18:36,056
So this was a very timely reminder.
229
00:18:36,056 --> 00:18:39,618
The other thing to factor in here is being really clear on what's enough.
230
00:18:39,618 --> 00:18:43,200
Do you need more money, more clients, or do you want more time?
231
00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:53,757
She talked about evaluating opportunities in terms of the money they might generate for
your business, the skill you have in doing those things, and the joy they bring you.
232
00:18:53,757 --> 00:18:58,219
Those mechanisms are a brilliant way to decide whether or not to pursue something.
233
00:18:58,219 --> 00:18:59,820
I really like that.
234
00:18:59,820 --> 00:19:03,233
And it was the perfect way to close the conference.
235
00:19:03,233 --> 00:19:10,909
As I record this, I've written up my notes, I've completed the low hanging fruit, the
quick actions that will make a difference in my business.
236
00:19:10,909 --> 00:19:22,078
And I continue to reflect on some of those more strategic points like the Kickstarter and
evaluate whether or not they'll be appropriate for my business this year, or not at all.
237
00:19:22,118 --> 00:19:27,542
Because actually, my last takeaway was from a conversation with a friend on the way home.
238
00:19:27,583 --> 00:19:32,637
They'd attended a session on translations, and with advancements in AI,
239
00:19:32,790 --> 00:19:35,923
These are absolutely exploding at the moment.
240
00:19:35,923 --> 00:19:39,145
He's also nearing the end of a fiction series.
241
00:19:39,145 --> 00:19:42,367
He's in the process of launching his audiobooks.
242
00:19:42,367 --> 00:19:43,487
He has a job.
243
00:19:43,487 --> 00:19:44,948
He has a life.
244
00:19:45,128 --> 00:19:48,763
And so he came away with something not to do.
245
00:19:48,763 --> 00:19:50,354
He chose focus.
246
00:19:50,354 --> 00:20:00,512
And I, for one, count that as a win So as we continue through conference season, if you
are attending an event, remember to go with an intention.
247
00:20:00,512 --> 00:20:01,853
Protect your energy.
248
00:20:01,853 --> 00:20:08,937
Think about what you will do, think about what you won't do, and enjoy connecting with
other people.
249
00:20:09,177 --> 00:20:11,969
The knowledge can normally be learned somewhere else.
250
00:20:11,969 --> 00:20:18,931
It's the energy and the motivation along with the connection that are unique to in-person
events.
251
00:20:18,931 --> 00:20:23,792
Go, enjoy, and remember a little bit of time to rest afterwards.
252
00:20:23,792 --> 00:20:32,758
If anything from today has resonated with you, or if you've got a question that you'd like
me to answer in the footnotes, please drop me a note and let me know.
253
00:20:33,019 --> 00:20:35,170
Next week I am joined by Dr.
254
00:20:35,170 --> 00:20:36,361
Fatima Syed.
255
00:20:36,361 --> 00:20:38,706
We'll be talking all about her book,
256
00:20:38,706 --> 00:20:44,651
Yaqeen Stitch from Sorrows a Tapestry of Poems I'll see you for the next chapter.
257
00:20:44,515 --> 00:20:46,266
Thank you for joining me today.
258
00:20:46,266 --> 00:20:52,710
You can get the show notes and your free guide to publishing options at coachwright.co.uk.
259
00:20:52,731 --> 00:20:56,653
Remember to subscribe and leave a review on your podcatcher of choice.
260
00:20:56,653 --> 00:20:58,495
Your words can make a difference.
261
00:20:58,495 --> 00:21:00,335
A review can too.
262
00:21:00,476 --> 00:21:04,098
If you'd like to connect, find me on LinkedIn, O'Neill Helen.
263
00:21:04,098 --> 00:21:13,685
That's O'Neill O N E I double L or on Instagram at Coach _ Write I'll see you for the next
chapter.
