SPA Girls Podcast

Each week the SPA Girls provide information, tips and honest advice on self publishing for indie authors. Hosted by four experienced self-publishing writers, we provide a mix of interviews, craft shows, and marketing information that will help you start your self-publishing journey. Join us today!

SPA Girls Podcast is a arts podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 567 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts SPA Girls Podcast, a arts show with 567 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #566

  Superdraft - Write Better and Faster with Thomas Dean Donnelly (EP#566)

  Aug 18, 20261h 4mS1

  Screenwriter and thriller author Thomas Dean Donnelly joins the SPA Girls Podcast to explain Superdraft, his evidence-based approach to the writing process. Learn how to separate your Creator voice from your Critic voice, beat writer's block and imposter syndrome, use flow states to write faster, and apply the 1-3-2 drafting method to fix a sagging second act. Essential listening for indie authors and self-published writers who struggle to finish a first draft. About Thomas Dean Donnelly Thomas Dean Donnelly was born in New Jersey but has been living and writing in Los Angeles as a screenwriter for more than 30 years. In that time he has written on projects that have grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. He has adapted the classic works of writers such as Ray Bradbury, Clive Cussler, Stan Lee, and Robert E Howard and worked on franchises from Voltron to Uncharted, and from Marvel's Doctor Strange to The Walking Dead. His feature credits include Sahara starring Matthew McConaughey, and Conan the Barbarian. Then in 2023 he turned his hand to writing thriller novels, and now has three books in the Malcolm Chaucer series under the pen name TD Donnelly, with more on the way. You can find him early mornings walking the beaches of Southern California, and spending time with his wife, two mostly grown children, and two very demanding guinea pigs. CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS: Website & free self-publishing resources: http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search "SPA Girls Podcast" ❤️ Watch our episode recordings on the SPA Girls Podcast You Tube Channel http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast #SelfPublishing #romancewriter #writingpodcast #writingcommunity

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  Episode #565

  Sell More Books With Every Launch - Series Launch Strategy ft. Helen B. Scheuerer (Classic Replay EP#565)

  Aug 11, 202647 minS1

  Is your back matter costing you sales? Bestselling fantasy author Helen B. Scheuerer joins us to break down exactly how to launch a book series — from optimising your back matter for read-through, to pre-order strategy, ARC campaigns, and building a street team that generates real buzz. In this Classic Replay episode, Helen shares the launch strategies behind her book How To Launch A Successful Series. Whether you're a new indie author planning your first book launch or a seasoned self-published author looking to level up your release strategy, you'll walk away with practical tactics: the "rank vs bank" pre-order debate, why buffer time saves your sanity, and how to run a street team on Discord that turns readers into cheerleaders. #SelfPublishing #BookLaunch #IndieAuthor ABOUT HELEN B. SCHEUERER: Helen B. Scheuerer is the bestselling fantasy author of The Oremere Chronicles, Curse of the Cyren Queen, and The Legends of Thezmarr. Her work has been praised for its strong, flawed female characters and action-packed plots. She also publishes advice for authors through her nonfiction series, Books For Career Authors, and has been a full-time author since 2018. https://www.helenscheuerer.com RESOURCES MENTIONED: How To Launch A Successful Series by Helen B. Scheuerer How To Write A Successful Series by Helen B. Scheuerer BookFunnel (for ARC delivery): https://bookfunnel.com CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS: Website & free self-publishing resources: http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com Listen on your favourite podcast app — search "SPA Girls Podcast" This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast Subscribe so you never miss an episode! #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast

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  Episode #564

  Should You Change Genres? 5 Key Questions To Help You Make The Leap Successfully (EP#564)

  Aug 5, 202649 minS1

  Dreaming of writing in a new genre? In this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast (EP564), all four SPA Girls answer a listener's question about switching genres as a self-published author, including how Cheryl knew it was the right time to move from contemporary romance to cozy mysteries. Whether your books aren't selling, you're bored with your current genre, or a new trend is calling your name, this episode gives you a 5-question framework to make the decision with confidence. Changing genres is one of the biggest decisions in an indie author career — it can mean a new pen name, new covers, new marketing, and starting your readership from scratch. We unpack when a genre switch makes sense, when a tweak to your current genre is the smarter move, and how to test a new genre before you commit. #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #AuthorTips CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS: Website & free self-publishing resources: http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search "SPA Girls Podcast" ❤️ Watch our episode recordings on the SPA Girls Podcast You Tube Channel http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast #authortube #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #romancewriter #SelfPublishing #romancewriter #writingpodcast #writingcommunity ________________________________________________________________ Updated November 2024 - for website The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons! ⭐ Join us at the $10 tier, and you'll be invited to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group for authors, where we discuss all things self-publishing, marketing and writing PLUS answer all your burning questions. All the info is at http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast ✍️ Visit http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com for our FREE self-publishing resources, podcast episodes and info Watch our weekly show on YouTube @‌spagirlspodcast Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don't miss an episode!

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  Episode #563

  Debunking Publishing Myths and How to Stop Procrastinating and Start Writing ft. Rachael Herron (Classic Reply EP#563)

  Jul 29, 202652 minS1

  Most writers don't have a talent problem. They have a fear problem. In this Classic Replay, internationally bestselling author Rachael Herron joins Trudi, Shar, Cheryl and Wendy to talk about why fear is the real engine behind procrastination, what to actually do about it, and three publishing myths that need to die . Rachael has written more than two dozen books across thriller, mainstream fiction, feminist romance, memoir and nonfiction for writers. She publishes both traditionally and independently, which makes her one of the most useful people to ask about how those two paths really compare — money included. Rachael Herron is the international and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen books, including fantasy, thrillers (under R.H. Herron), mainstream fiction, romance, memoir, and nonfiction about writing. She received her MFA in writing from Mills College, Oakland, and she's taught writing extension workshops at both UC Berkeley and Stanford. A dual New Zealand and American citizen, she lives in Wellington, New Zealand with her banjo-playing wife and brick-eating dog. Find Rachael: rachaelherron.com and on her How Do You Write podcast ℹ️ NOTE SINCE RECORDING: NaNoWriMo, which Rachael talks about in this episode, closed as an organisation in March 2025. The approach still works — if you're after a structured drafting challenge, indie author Sarra Cannon runs the Rough Draft Challenge: https://roughdraftchallenge.com/ CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS: Website & free self-publishing resources: http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search "SPA Girls Podcast" ❤️ Watch our episode recordings on the SPA Girls Podcast You Tube Channel http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast #SelfPublishing #romancewriter #writingpodcast #writingcommunity

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  Episode #562

  Writing Fear and Emotion That Hooks Readers ft. Becca Puglisi (EP#562)

  Jul 22, 20261h 1mS1

  Why do some characters feel real enough to root for while others fall flat despite having every "correct" ingredient? In this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast (EP562), we dive into writing fear and emotion with Becca Puglisi, international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling co-author of The Emotion Thesaurus. Becca's writing craft books have sold over 1.4 million copies and are used by novelists, screenwriters, and universities worldwide. Becca unpacks the difference between surface-level fear and the deep, wound-driven fear that powers a character's arc — and how to weave it through your whole story without spelling it out. We talk showing vs. telling emotion, the danger of over-aware characters who kill reader empathy, using setting to amplify feeling, how fear drives the plot through turning points and choices, and why villains weaponise fear while protagonists learn to overcome it. Whether you're a plotter or a "messy middle" pantser, this one will change how you build characters readers can't stop caring about. Becca's new Fear Thesaurus is out now — and if your book isn't working, the problem might be that you haven't nailed your character's fear yet. ABOUT BECCA PUGLISI: Becca Puglisi is the bestselling co-author of The Emotion Thesaurus series (with Angela Ackerman), an international speaker and writing coach whose resources have sold over 1.4 million copies worldwide. She's the co-founder of the Writers Helping Writers blog and One Stop for Writers, home to the Character Builder and Storyteller's Roadmap tools. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Writers Helping Writers blog: https://writershelpingwriters.net One Stop for Writers: https://onestopforwriters.com The Fear Thesaurus (Becca's newest release) The Emotion Thesaurus & the full thesaurus series CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS: Website & free self-publishing resources: https://www.spagirlspodcast.com Listen on your favourite podcast app — search "SPA Girls Podcast" This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast Subscribe so you never miss an episode!

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