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PODCAST

The Creative Penn

Writing, self-publishing, book marketing, making a living with your writing

arts literature

All Episodes

1:02:25

Writing And Creativity In Midlife With Jordan Rosenfeld

The Creative Penn ·

2026/09/30

How can you keep writing when midlife brings grief, exhaustion, rage, and a creativity that seems to have dried up? How can you accelerate if midlife brings you more energy? And how can you market your books authentically when your energy and your interests have changed? Jordan Rosenfeld shares what she learned from writing through her own pause.The post Writing And Creativity In Midlife With Jordan Rosenfeld first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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Lessons Learned from 15 Years as a Full-Time Author...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/09/18

What happens to a one-person author business when you step away for a year? I spent this one doing a full-time Masters in Death, Religion, and Culture alongside The Creative Penn, and it turned out to be a year of reconsidering everything. Here are my lessons learned after 15 years as a full-time author-entrepreneur.The post Lessons Learned from 15 Years as a Full-Time Author Entrepreneur first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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1:06:59

Reclaiming Your Mind: How To Teach Yourself Anything...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/09/16

How can you teach yourself anything, even when it challenges the way you see the world? And how can you organise what you learn so it turns into books your readers will find? J. Daniel Sawyer shares his self-education toolkit after decades as a largely self-taught author. The post Reclaiming Your Mind: How To Teach Yourself Anything With J. Daniel Sawyer first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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1:01:52

How To Redesign Your Author Business For The...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/09/02

How can you redesign your author business for the publishing environment that actually exists, rather than the one you wish you had? And how do you decide which marketing efforts will still bring readers to your books in ten years' time? Tracy Cooper-Posey shares her solar sail theory after more than 25 years as an author.The post How To Redesign Your Author Business For The Environment That Actually Exists, With Tracy Cooper-Posey first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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1:03:02

From Page One To Done: Fast Drafting Your Novel With...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/08/26

How can the Fast Drafting method help you finally finish your novel? And how do you make progress when you only have 30 minutes a day to write? Jessica Brody shares her tips for finishing first drafts after 20 years as an author.The post From Page One To Done: Fast Drafting Your Novel With Jessica Brody first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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1:07:55

Book Marketing, AI Book Discoverability, And...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/08/19

How can you get your books surfaced when readers ask an AI what to read next? What are the hallmarks of authors and businesses that last more than a decade in the indie author industry? Ricardo Fayet gives his marketing tips after more than a decade at Reedsy.The post Book Marketing, AI Book Discoverability, And Resilience, With Ricardo Fayet first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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1:07:51

Going Indie, Publishing Innovation, And The...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/08/12

How can you tell where the real innovation in publishing is happening right now, and why is it emerging from the indie side first? How do you market your own book when you've spent 35 years marketing everyone else's? John Bond talks about Going Indie and what he's learned about authors who last.In the intro, my thoughts on writing with AI, Charles Dickens and encouragement for the 3-year-old dancing to K-Pop at the wedding, UK copyright law, The end of an era — Hugh Howey; Notre Dame, Paris The

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1:13:09

From Blog To Community To Book: A Non-Fiction...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/08/05

How can content marketing in a tight niche build the audience that launches your book? And how do you decide whether to hand your self-published bestseller to a traditional publisher. Suzanne Smith shares what she learned in four years of going from blog to book deal.The post From Blog To Community To Book: A Non-Fiction Author’s Journey With Suzanne Smith first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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How To Prove The Demand For Your Stories And Get The...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/07/29

How can building an audience in advance help your stories reach the people who make movies? And how can you prove there's demand for your book or screenplay before you've written it? Brooks Elms shares his advice after more than 20 years as a WGA screenwriter.The post How To Prove The Demand For Your Stories And Get The Attention Of Hollywood With Brooks Elms first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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1:07:38

Organic Writing And The Power Of The Pivot In Fiction...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/07/22

How can organic writing and leaning into the pivot help your stories stand out? And how can you pitch a story as a discovery writer if you genuinely don't know what's going to happen next. Steven James gives his writing tips after more than 20 years as an author. In the intro, Better Than Free […]The post Organic Writing And The Power Of The Pivot In Fiction With Steven James first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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38:42

Why The Podcast Is Moving To Wednesdays, And 7 Tips...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/07/15

After more than a decade of releasing this show on Mondays, I’m moving it to Wednesdays, and this is the first episode of the new time slot. On the one hand, this might sound like nothing at all, but it’s also a big deal, for you and for me, and in this episode, I explain why I'm making the change, and past guests give some tips on sustainable creativity for the long term. The post Why The Podcast Is Moving To Wednesdays, And 7 Tips for Sustainable Creativity first appeared on The Creative

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59:42

Bundles, Box Sets and Anthologies With Jamie Ferguson

The Creative Penn ·

2026/07/13

What's the difference between a bundle, a box set, an anthology, and a collection? How can being part of an anthology be creatively interesting and useful for marketing? With Jamie Ferguson The post Bundles, Box Sets and Anthologies With Jamie Ferguson first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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50:21

Author Voice Mastery, And Rebooting an Author...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/07/06

What happens to your creativity when you're in pain or sick, and can you ever get it back? How can you find and sharpen your author voice? J. Daniel Sawyer talks about voice mastery, writing with chronic pain, and building an eclectic author business. In the intro, leaning into your Strengths and deciding what you […] The post Author Voice Mastery, And Rebooting an Author Business With J. Daniel Sawyer first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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56:21

Writing The Hard Stuff: Turning Difficult Subjects...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/06/29

How do you write about the most painful experiences of your life without being overwhelmed by them? How can timed writing and a braided story help you untangle your hardest stories? With Nicole Walker. The post Writing The Hard Stuff: Turning Difficult Subjects Into Meaningful Prose With Nicole Walker first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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1:04:53

Creative Satisfaction, In Person Print Book Sales, ...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/06/22

What if the real secret to a lasting writing career isn't talent or luck, but learning to thrive in the mess? Why are in-person events worthwhile even if the maths doesn't add up? How do you protect your creativity when the machines never sleep and the community is at one another's throats? With Mark Leslie Lefebvre The post Creative Satisfaction, In Person Print Book Sales, And Author Mindset With Mark Leslie Lefebvre first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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1:10:25

Don’t Call It Art: Rediscovering Creative Joy With...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/06/08

Have you ever lost the joy in your creative work — that sense of fun you had when you were starting out, before the admin and the algorithms drained it away? How do mid-career creatives get it back, and what can a four-year-old teach us about play? Austin Kleon talks about productive procrastination, silly rituals, the case for paper reference books in an AI world, and how his newsletter went from a marketing cost to the day job that keeps the lights on. The post Don’t Call It Art: Rediscovering

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59:53

Writing Through Grief And Rebooting an Indie Author...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/06/01

How do you write when your heart is broken? How do you go back into the publishing business after years away, knowing it's a very different industry to the one you left? With Jami Albright.The post Writing Through Grief And Rebooting an Indie Author Business With Jami Albright first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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1:02:44

Accessibility And AI: How New Tools Are Opening Doors...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/05/25

How is AI transforming accessibility for indie authors — and why should you care even if you consider yourself able-bodied? What happens when the tools designed to help people with disabilities end up making everyone's creative business better? Jeff Adams, accessibility expert and romance author, explores how AI is opening doors that were previously closed. The post Accessibility And AI: How New Tools Are Opening Doors For Indie Authors With Jeff Adams first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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1:07:21

SuperCreativity And KeyNote Speaking With A...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/05/18

How can you supercharge your creativity in an age when AI is reshaping everything — including how we write, edit, and market our books? What does it look like to use AI as a genuine creative partner rather than a shortcut? And could professional speaking become an income stream that complements your writing career? With James Taylor.The post SuperCreativity And KeyNote Speaking With A Non-Fiction Book With James Taylor first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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1:03:07

Verb Your Enthusiasm: Transform Your Writing With...

The Creative Penn ·

2026/05/11

How can upgrading your verbs transform flat writing into vivid, page-turning prose? Why do so many writing problems turn out to be verb problems — and how can you fix yours? Sarah Kaufman explores the art of the verb and shares practical tips for making your writing stronger, clearer, and more alive.The post Verb Your Enthusiasm: Transform Your Writing With Stronger Verbs With Sarah Kaufman first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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97 results

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