Welcome back to Long Arm Stapler! This episode, I'm joined by Bay Area-based Caroline Walters, who also helps organize Bay Area Queer Zine Fest. We talk about the internet, the vulnerability of perzines, their textile compilation zine Storied Stitches, BAQZF, and what Caroline will have on their table at the upcoming Los Angeles Zine Fest (@lazinef…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 223 / Do you like to discover the plot as you write? Do you get bored if you know where the story is going? Then a skeleton draft might be what you need. Paranormal and gothic romance author Steffanie Holmes joins us to talk about how discovery writers can use a skeleton draft to get their ideas down on paper and avo…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Text Message. Ever wondered how to add a twist of mystery to your narrative? Find out exactly what mystery elements are, how to sprinkle them into your narrative, and why they keep readers turning the pages. Whether you're writing romance, sci-fi, or fantasy, a mystery can add layers of intrigue and depth to your s…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 222 / Jessica Renwich, who writes fantasy and horror for kids ages 9-12, joined us to share her experience as an indie middle grade author. She has terrific insights on approaching schools for author visits and the impact of creating whimsical and fun content to appeal to young readers. In addition to discussing how …

Welcome back to Long Arm Stapler, a podcast about zines! Today I'm joined by Skylar of Sapphic Bushtit. We talk about her work, making art and being vulnerable, neurodivergence, and another Santa Rosa Zine Fest recap. For more of Skylar's work: https://kofi.com/sapphic_bushtithttps://www.instagram.com/sapphic_bushtit/ For more of my work, check out…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 221 / Looking to grow a community around your books? Romance author Amy Pine shares how she and her co-hosts created a podcast and built a vibrant community around Korean dramas. We also dive into craft book recommendations, beat sheets, and combining tropes in unexpected ways. 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! …

Send us a Text Message. Episode 220 / KimBoo York joins us to share how to embrace flexibility and spontaneity in your writing process through discovery writing. Whether you thrive on outlining or prefer a more free-flowing approach, there are different techniques to suit your writing style. 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to g…

Welcome back to Long Arm Stapler, a podcast about zines! Today I'm joined by Jordan Sea of Rain Barrel Zine. We talk about zine community, Sonoma County Zine Club, do a quick recap of the recent Santa Rosa Zine Fest, and Jordan's new zine podcast! For more of Jordan's work, check out:Instagram: @rainbarrelzine https://linktr.ee/rainbarrelzine Insta…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 219 / Martha Carr is a journalist who now writes escapist fiction in the urban fantasy genre with a lot of magic, some action and adventure, and a little romance. Martha shares about beating health challenges, changing her business model, and dealing with the ups and downs of publishing. We also talk about leaving re…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 218 / Julie Duffy has long been involved in the publishing industry, but she found herself not actually writing fiction due to the demands of school and work. This realization led her to challenge herself with a "story a day" project in order to get back to writing and creating fictional stories. Julia joins us to ta…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 217 / Writing under two pen names, Celeste Barclay has penned over 50 books in historical and mafia romance. She shares insights on the writing process, the challenges of juggling multiple book brands, the importance of flexibility, and why universal themes resonate across genres. 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcas…

Hello and welcome back to Long Arm Stapler! This episode, I’m joined by Bonnie and Donna of Grid Zine Fest in Salt Lake City, Utah. We chatted about the fest’s origins and history, general zine fest organizing, and how queer SLC is! If you’re in the area, make sure you check out Grid Zine Fest on May 18th. It’s my favorite out of state fest!! Find …

Send us a Text Message. Episode 216 / Mystery author Abigail Keam shares how she embraced the digital landscape and incorporated direct sales into her business model. From historical accuracy to adapting to technology, she shares her lessons-learned. 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a future episode. ht…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 215 / When it comes to your author business, a bargain sometimes costs money in the long run, but other times it pays to splurge instead of scrimp. Join us as we discuss tips for saving money as well as when we’re willing to pay more. 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a fu…

Hello and welcome back to Long Arm Stapler, a podcast about zines! This episode, I'm joined by Long Beach, CA-based zine powerhouse Bre Upton. We chatted about the importance of not gatekeeping zine making resources and knowledge, how much it would've rocked to have zines earlier on in our lives, and awkward irl zine fest interactions. You can find…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 214 / How do you pull in readers who will love your books and push away those readers who won’t enjoy your book? Branding. Branding is more than colors, fonts, and covers. Join us for an in-depth discussion on how to determine your brand and carry it through in everything from your voice to ad copy to covers. And you…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Text Message. The sage. The rebel. The everyman. These are a few character archetypes that resonate with readers. We discuss fifteen character archetypes, their common characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and their desires along with examples in popular culture. We also discuss the difference between an archetyp…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 213 / We’re sharing an interview Sara did with Matty Dalrymple on the Indy Author Podcast last year. Sara and Matty go deep on the topic of how to structure a series so that it works for your writing style and your genre. 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a future episode.…

Hello and welcome back to Long Arm Stapler, a podcast about zines! This episode, I'm joined by Olympia, WA-based zine maker and general DIY enthusiast alyssa giannini (they/them) of Craft or DIY. alyssa and I chat about perzines, projects they're working on, and COVID safety at events. You can find more of alyssa's work: Instagram - @craftordiy.art…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 212 / Claire Taylor, humor and mystery author and Enneagram expert, shares how authors can use the Enneagram to create a resilient approach to the often chaotic writer lifestyle. We also discuss Claire’s successful track record on Kickstarter, and she tells us what she wishes she knew about using the crowdfunding pla…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 211 / How do you live your best life through your writing career? We talk with Joe Solari about how to achieve author goals and how various business models, including direct sales and subscriptions, play into reaching those goals. We also discuss Author Nation, the largest indie author conference, and tips on how to …

Welcome back to Long Arm Stapler! Today, I'm joined by Dulce Zines, who are a couple of trans and queer BIPOC sharing their experiences. Dulce Zines is based in the South Bay Area. It was exciting to talk to Rizzo and Hasan about the Bay Area zine scene, self-publishing, the importance of celebrating QTBIPOC rage, joy, and resilience, and reclaimin…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 210 / M.K. Williams writes suspenseful literary fiction and helps aspiring authors. M.K. shares how she writes and markets books across different genres, using Payhip for direct sales, the drawback of a surprise launch, and why delusion is sometimes a good thing. 🌀 Why M.K. has specific goals for each book Why M.K. r…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 209 / How do you get to the point that your readers “one-click” the buy button for your books? Join us as we chat with small town romance author Melanie Harlow. Melanie shares what she learned about giving readers what they want—and what that has to do with spaghetti versus cake. 🎂 Knowing how to market the book befo…

Welcome back to Long Arm Stapler!! I'm excited to start recording these again and I forgot how fun it is to talk about zines with people? Anyway, in this first episode, I talk with Mo Taylor about their zines, graphic design, fanzines, and one of the best parts of the zine world - the community! Mo is a graphic designer, illustrator, zinester, and …

Send us a Text Message. Episode 208 / Want to write something a little bit different? How do you appeal to readers in one of the main genres, but also forge your own path? Margaret Lashley joins us to share how she created a subgenre of wacky, humor-filled mysteries that appeal to cozy readers as well as women’s fiction readers. How Margaret’s back…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 207 / Do you want to create a loyal readership interested in you, not just your genre? Do you want to up the romantic tension in your books? Rom-com author Emma St. Clair shares tips on these topics, plus much more: The minefield of romance terms used to describe heat level and tone Weighing the cost of taking a brea…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 206 / Leslye Penelope, author of fantasy and paranormal romance, joins us and shares how she builds rich story worlds. How the worldbuilding can connect to plot, character, theme, and conflict Using Payhip to sell signed paperbacks Leslye’s course on Worldbuilding How Leslye went from indie publishing to being a hybr…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Text Message. How do you structure your novel so the middle is as page-turning as the beginning and the end? How do you write a strong heroine? What are content buckets and how can they help with your newsletter? We dive into these topics with the wonderful Ines Johnson, who joins us to answer your questions! Ines …

Send us a Text Message. Episode 205 / This episode is all about harnessing the power of direct connection with your readers. Matt Briel from Lulu discusses the value of direct sales as we move away from a distribution-first publishing model. Importance of owning customer data Why you should start building your direct audience even if you only have …

Send us a Text Message. Episode 204 / Having trouble getting words on the page? Erin P.T. Canning has strategies to help! We delve into how to let go of perfectionism and give yourself permission to write a “bad” first draft. Erin also shares how writing helped her with depression. Why it’s important to look backward as well plan for the future Mak…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Text Message. Opening lines, where to start the book, and prologues How do you start your book in a way that hooks readers? In this month’s suporter-only episode, we look at compelling beginnings. We cover the heavy lifting that the open line does, where to start your book, and (controversy!) prologues. Famous firs…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 203 / Do you want to simplify marketing? Do you want to take your branding up a notch? Do you want to know the trends in writing and publishing? Clayton Noblit of Written Word Media has answers about these topics and also shares tips on where to start with branding and common mistakes new authors often make. https://…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 202 / It’s part two of our trope series–very appropriate for episode #202! What’s your favorite trope? We asked a range of authors this question, and we’re here to share the answers. We unpack the benefits of writing tropes, why we love specific tropes, and where to find the favorite examples of the specific trope in…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 201 / Mystery author S. L. Hansen shares how she hacked her writing process. She figured out how to fit writing in with her full-time job and also learned how to work with her Clifton Strengths to draft her books faster. Stephanie shares so many great tips that you can personalize to fit your writing personality. We …

Send us a Text Message. Episode 200 / We’re celebrating 200 episodes with a look back (what we learned in 2023) and a look forward to 2024 (trends that matter to authors). We’re so happy to have such a warm community around the podcast! Thanks for listening and supporting us during the last four years. Here’s to the next 200 episodes! 🥂 💜 🎙 Become …

Send us a Text Message. Episode 199 / Julia Stirling is a German romance author of over twenty books. She shares tips for when to go into translation, German covers, and connecting with German readers. Julia also has some fantastic ideas on newsletter bonus content and a unique book giveaway that brings her new readers and also creates bonds betwee…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 198 / Claire Kohler writes Scottish fantasy romance and is also an editor, tutor, and neurodiversity advocate. Claire shares how her autism and ADHD can be both a positive and a negative in her writing career and encourages neurodivergent writers to pursue their goals. We also talk about slowing down, the power of wr…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 197/ Tara Cremin is the Director of Kobo Writing Life and has great tips for how to go wide, how to reach readers globally, and how Kobo Plus, their non-exclusive subscription platform, helps authors reach new readers. We also talk about common mistakes Tara sees authors make as well as library distribution and cover…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 196 / Bestselling fantasy author, Helen Scheuerer joins us to discuss the many ways to launch a series and how to craft your launch strategy so that it meshes with your personality, goals, and schedule. We dig into ARCS, preorders, mindset, dealing with disappointing launches, and common mistakes authors make when la…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Text Message. In this supporter-only episode, Jami and Sara discuss one of the most popular tropes, Fish out of Water. They "dive" (see what we did there?) into why the trope is popular across all genres, the plot elements of the Fish out of Water trope, and how several different Fish out of Water subtypes can be l…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 195 / What’s your favorite trope? We asked a range of authors this question, and we’re here to share the answers as well as unpack the benefits of writing tropes, why we love specific tropes, and where to find the best examples of the specific trope in books, movies, and television. Tropes discussed: found family, en…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 194 / Patrick O’Donnell is a retired Milwaukee Police Department sergeant with a 25-year career as well as an author and podcaster. He shares common mistakes he sees in characterization and police procedure in genre fiction. We discuss how to go beyond overused tropes and how to get the details of investigations righ…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 193 / Kat Addams is an author of contemporary romantic comedies and women empowerment non-fiction titles. She shares how her career path looks different than she expected, but after learning she didn’t have to stay stuck in a toxic relationship or stay in a genre lane, she’s now where she’s supposed to be. We discuss…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 192 / Dark romance author Natlie Knight joins us to share how she sells to readers first on her website and uses the retail platforms for discovery. We also talk about the importance of highlighting back catalogue books, why you should start your newsletter early, and how Natalie uses branded merchandise to promote h…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 191 / Historical fiction author Karen Heenan shares how her writing career started with a Tweet that drew the attention of a publisher, and how she eventually transitioned from working with a small press to indie publishing. We also talk about focusing on building a backlist, validation, and learning to filter out ad…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 190 / Arlene McFarlane shares some unusual promotion ideas, including in-person sales and co-writing. We also talk about perfectionism and incorporating your background and interests into your writing and promotion. Links: Author website: https://www.arlenemcfarlane.com/ Jami on the Two Authors’ Chat Show: https://po…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 189 / KimBook York writes across multiple genres including romance, fantasy, and non-fiction. We talk about why there’s no “correct” way to write a book and why it’s important to trust your instincts in both writing and marketing. We also discuss the structure of serials and how that can apply to other genres, how to…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 188 / Contemporary romance author Cadence Keys has only been publishing for a few years. She describes how she's found success publishing wide and selling directly to readers. We also delve into the topic of setting back from social media, something Cadence has chosen to do. Instead of using the social platforms, she…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 187 / Do you need help with your branding, ad copy, or writing career strategy? Do you have questions or ideas that you’d like to brainstorm with another author about? Jami has helped many authors with everything from overwhelm to sales pages to branding. Jami shares the questions and topics that come up most often, …