The Pint and Portal Author Podcast

What if you broke all the rules they tell you for building an indie author career? Maggie Beeler doesn't run ads. She doesn't post on social media. She barely sells on Amazon. She built her author business by attending 30 to 45 events a year, setting up a table at everything from craft fairs, markets, bars and bookstores to niche events. Why don't most indie authors do the same? According to Beeler it's because "A lot of indie authors have this precious mindset where they think that their books are just going to sell themselves. And that is not the case." In this episode, Maggie breaks down how she picks events worth paying for, what to say to someone walking past your table, why she scaled her display down instead of up, and how to pitch a book in fifteen seconds to a person who has never heard of you. We also get into Tropetails, the cocktail and mocktail book for bookworms that she turned into a genre-inspired drink mix brand, now stocked in roughly 100 retailers. Plus, what you actually have to put in a bookstore's hands to make them say yes to stocking your book. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pintandportal My Kickstarter campaigns: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/hermansteuernagel/created ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ FIND MAGGIE BEELER Website: https://margaretcbeeler.com Tropetails: https://tropetails.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margaretcbeeler/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@margaretcbeeler ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ THE PINT & PORTAL AUTHOR PODCAST Website: https://pintandportal.com Support the show: https://www.pintandportal.com/deals SUPPORT MY NEXT KICKSTARTER The Bartender Between Worlds: Illustrated Special Edition HERMAN'S BOOKS & NEWSLETTER https://hermansteuernagel.com ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Time Stamps 00:00 Your books are not going to sell themselves 06:48 Nine years to finish the first book 12:51 Why she only sells in person 16:29 Finding events worth paying for 21:45 Working the table without being weird about it 34:03 Pitch the tropes, not the plot 36:54 Tropetails: turning a book into a product line 41:57 Getting into 100 retailers 58:05 Selling in person in the age of AI 1:01:47 Her number one piece of advice ---👉 NEVER MISS AN EPISODE: Subscribe Here: https://www.youtube.com/@pintandportal?sub_confirmation=1🛠️ TOOLS I ACTUALLY USEAll deals in one place: https://www.pintandportal.com/dealsPublisher Champ — every sales dashboard in one place, Get 10% off your subscription:https://www.publisherchamp.com/referral/42246/Publisher Rocket — keyword and category research to optimize your Amazon listing for both ads and organic sales: https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=442Wise — how I handle international payments. Your first transfer up to $800 CAD free:https://wise.prf.hn/l/RlANJvG/Riverside — what I record the show on. Premium remote recording:https://riverside.com/?via=herman-steuernagel📚 MY BOOKS & NEWSLETTERAll my books and links: https://www.hermansteuernagel.com/linksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hermansteuernagelFacebook (the podcast): https://www.facebook.com/pintandportalpodcastFacebook (my books): https://www.facebook.com/hermansteuernagelwritesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hermansteuernagelwrites━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━MEDIA CREDITS🎵 Theme song — Commercial Rock by StudioKolomnahttps://app.envato.com/music/96865697-95b3-4554-866e-6d4ad66a575eSome links may be affiliate links. Using them costs you nothing extra and helps support the show.© Herman Steuernagel — The Pint & Portal Podcast

E.A. Winters went from $0 to six figures and left a ten-year counseling career behind — but she's blunt about why most authors never get there: "Most people want to spend hobby energy on it and get career revenue from it. That is not a thing that will happen." In this episode, Erin breaks down the difference between the author hat and the publisher hat, why she stacks a series before launching it, how she went from writing in naps and after bedtime to 12 books and a full-time income, and what she looks for in a writer that tells her whether they'll make it. We also get into the Level Up Conference she co-founded with Seth Ring for authors who've outgrown the beginner track, and her new LitRPG series set in a world where XP is reaped, taxed, and sold back to the people. Check out my previous episode with E.A. Winters (Episode 7): https://youtu.be/uEiUuO2cI1I FIND E.A. WINTERS Website & newsletter: https://www.eawinters.com For Authors resource page: https://www.eawinters.com/forauthors Amazon: E.A. Winters on Amazon TikTok: @eawinters Instagram: @e.a.winters Facebook: eawintersnovels MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Monster Makers (Book 1, out September 15): preorder on Amazon Blood and Flame Saga Special Edition on Kickstarter Level Up Conference for Authors: https://luca.vip THE PINT & PORTAL AUTHOR PODCAST Website: https://www.pintandportal.com Support the show: https://www.pintandportal.com/deals HERMAN'S BOOKS & NEWSLETTER Books and newsletter: https://www.hermansteuernagel.com My Kickstarter campaigns: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/hermansteuernagel/created Instagram: @hermansteuernagel Facebook: hermansteuernagelwrites TIME STAMPS 00:00 From counselor to full-time fantasy author 09:22 The author hat vs. the publisher hat 15:55 Getting in rooms with people ahead of you 19:02 The levers that actually moved the needle 21:31 Preorder and release strategy 26:24 Building a conference for authors past the basics 39:50 Why fast success can be a trap 41:18 Her number one piece of advice 43:12 Monster Makers, LitRPG, and the Kickstarter ---👉 NEVER MISS AN EPISODE: Subscribe Here: https://www.youtube.com/@pintandportal?sub_confirmation=1🛠️ TOOLS I ACTUALLY USEAll deals in one place: https://www.pintandportal.com/dealsPublisher Champ — every sales dashboard in one place, so you stop clicking between Amazon, Kobo, D2D and the rest to build your own spreadsheet. 10% off your subscription:https://www.publisherchamp.com/referral/42246/Publisher Rocket — keyword and category research to optimize your Amazon listing for both ads and organic sales: https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=442Wise — how I handle international payments. Your first transfer up to $800 CAD free:https://wise.prf.hn/l/RlANJvG/Riverside — what I record the show on. Premium remote recording:https://riverside.com/?via=herman-steuernagel📚 MY BOOKS & NEWSLETTERAll my books and links: https://www.hermansteuernagel.com/linksMy Kickstarter campaigns: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/hermansteuernagel/createdInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hermansteuernagelFacebook (the podcast): https://www.facebook.com/pintandportalpodcastFacebook (my books): https://www.facebook.com/hermansteuernagelwritesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hermansteuernagelwrites━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━MEDIA CREDITS🎵 Theme song — Commercial Rock by StudioKolomnahttps://app.envato.com/music/96865697-95b3-4554-866e-6d4ad66a575eSome links may be affiliate links. Using them costs you nothing extra and helps support the show.© Herman Steuernagel — The Pint & Portal Podcast

Ever read a book where the world just felt off? Straight-line rivers, cities in places that make no sense, characters crossing a kingdom in an afternoon? Your readers feel it too — and it might be costing you read-through. This week on The Pint and Portal Author Podcast, we're chatting about an often overlooked craft problem, because your readers might care more than you think. I sit down with author, illustrator, and mapmaker Adam Bassett to break down the world-building details that make a setting feel real and lived-in. More importantly, we chat about the small, fixable mistakes that pull readers out of the story. We get into map design, climate, travel time, and why the geography of your world should be shaped by the story you're telling. Whether you're drafting your first novel or sharpening the setting in your current work-in-progress, this one's packed with practical, low-effort ways to level up your world-building. Adam is the author of the cyberpunk collection Digital Extremities , the post-apocalyptic fantasy Copper Skin, Oaken Lungs , and the new reference book An Author's Guide to Setting Design: Worldbuilding & Cartography . His newest release is a guidebook for authors and game masters featuring 100+ illustrated real and fictional maps. --- New here? I'm Herman Steuernagel, author and host. The Pint and Portal is where I corner working authors and get them to share the strategies that actually helped them build a career. If you've found any value in these episodes, please hit that like button and — more importantly — pull up a chair and hit subscribe Please support the show and visit our sponsors. You can find them all at https://www.pintandportal.com/deals --- ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 – Intro: don't let world-building overtake your story01:45 – Meet Adam & his new book on setting design04:00 – Matching your map's style to your story05:18 – How Adam fell in love with maps10:07 – What authors get wrong about world-building12:39 – How landscape shapes culture, economics & stor21:25 – Climate: escaping the "generic temperate Europe" trap28:20 – Mountains, volcanoes & why terrain isn't random32:15 – Travel time: how far should things really be?42:11 – City history & making characters feel real46:21 – Where to find Adam & his book46:21 – Where to find Adam & his book --- 📚 GET ADAM'S BOOKS & CONNECT An Author's Guide to Setting Design (eBook): https://books2read.com/agsd Sprayed-edges pre-order (The Crafty Bookstore): https://www.thecraftybookstore.com/product-page/an-authors-guide-to-setting-design Digital Extremities: https://books2read.com/digital-extremities Copper Skin, Oaken Lungs: https://books2read.com/copper-ash1 Website: https://www.adamcbassett.com Newsletter: https://adamcbassett.substack.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/adamcbassett.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/adamcbassett

How do you build an author career that survives every algorithm change, platform shake-up, and market shift? Fantasy author Katharine Wibell has spent 10 years doing exactly that. Publishing 25+ works across YA, new adult, and adult fantasy without ever betting everything on a single platform. In this episode, Katharine breaks down her "piece of every pie" marketing strategy: spreading her reach across social media, crowdfunding, live events, and new platforms so that no single channel controls her career. We talk about the branding mistake she made early on, why she markets herself as an author brand instead of one book, how she turned 16 novellas into box sets and special editions, and what she's learned running five Kickstarter campaigns; including her first five-figure launch. This conversation is full of practical, honest advice on building a resilient author platform. If you get value from the show, please hit like and subscribe, it genuinely helps the podcast reach more authors trying to build their careers. 00:00 — Intro & meet Katharine Wibell 02:46 — 10 years, 25+ books: her backlist and journey 05:34 — From painter to author: how COVID shifted her focus 08:52 — The branding mistake: market your name, not one book 11:10 — Writing across multiple genres (and what it really costs) 15:57 — Matching books to the right platforms and readers 18:59 — Making novellas work: box sets & special editions 23:51 — The "piece of every pie" strategy & surviving algorithm changes 28:30 — Inside her Kickstarter campaigns & the collector reader 35:41 — Advice for new authors: start small, market early, reach out Links Katharine Wibell Website: Katharine Wibell Books Current Kickstarter for FLEET: Fleet Deluxe Special Edition The Podcast Help support the show — please check out all of our sponsor links: pintandportal.com/deals Subscribe on YouTube Follow on your podcast app

Book marketing broke him, so he rebuilt. In this episode, I down with author and SFFAddicts podcaster Adrian M Gibson to talk about what it actually takes to build a sustainable author career after burnout. After launching his debut Mushroom Blues into thousands of sales, awards attention, and a grueling year-long SPFBO run, Adrian hit a wall. This conversation is about the way back: how he rebuilt a writing routine around two young kids, time-boxed social media, funded a $50K Kickstarter, and fell back in love with the craft while writing his new release, A Murder Most Fungal . If you're a writer trying to turn your books into a long-term career without burning out, this one's for you. We dig into practical author-career strategy, sustainable writing habits, the genre-blending "training wheels" trick that hooks any reader, worldbuilding across a shared timeline, and how food and culture shape great fiction. 🍄 Adrian's new book, A Murder Most Fungal , is out now. A Michelin-star tragedy in six courses. Links below. Get Adrian's books A Murder Most Fungal — Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Most-Fungal-Fungalverse-Hofmann-ebook/dp/B0GSW6DKM4 A Murder Most Fungal — Signed hardcovers (The Broken Binding): https://www.thebrokenbinding.co.uk/product-page/a-murder-most-fungal-adrian-m-gibson Mushroom Blues — Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mushroom-Blues-Hofmann-Report-Book-ebook/dp/B0CTCF9TCF Adrian's website: https://www.adrianmgibson.com SFF Addicts Podcast: https://www.adrianmgibson.com/sff-addicts Follow Adrian on X: https://x.com/adrianmgibson --- Timestamps 0:00 My kids are my writing sprint partners 1:19 Welcome + what to expect this episode 5:16 Meet Adrian M Gibson 7:00 Two wild years: awards, a $50K Kickstarter & a new publishing role 13:39 Building a writing routine around two young kids 20:19 Book marketing broke me: burnout & SPFBO pressure 23:28 Falling back in love with writing (sustainably) 26:11 Inside A Murder Most Fungal: a fungal chef & a murder 33:30 Worldbuilding across a shared timeline 43:27 The training wheels trick to hook any reader 51:41 Food, Anthony Bourdain & connecting through cuisine 1:14:14 Release date & where to get the book --- Support the show Subscribe & follow The Pint & Portal Author Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pintandportal Interdimensional Drink Master Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hermansteuernagel/interdimensional-drink-master/ Publisher Champ (10% off): https://www.publisherchamp.com/referral/42246/ Publisher Rocket: https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=442 All Deals: https://pintandportal.com/deals/

Most authors sell one book at a time. Andy Peloquin built a machine where every book sells every other book. With around 45 titles across six interconnected series, he's turned his backlist into a self-sustaining author business — where a new reader who starts with Darkblade or Queen of Thieves has to read five of his six series to get the full picture of his world. In this episode we get into the actual strategy behind a full-time indie fantasy career: building an interconnected universe, why book one has to carry everything, rebooting a series so it outsells the original, driving direct sales through his website and newsletter, filling the "holes" in his catalog for different readers, and the three pillars he says every author business is built on — newsletter, social media, and branding. If you've got a few books out and you're trying to turn writing into a real business, this one's for you. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 - Intro: why book one is everything 00:08:36 - Meet Andy Peloquin: 45 books & going full-time 00:13:45 - What worked in 2018 vs. 2026 00:15:41 - Cover design & branding that actually sells 00:18:51 - The interconnected universe: every book sells every other book 00:28:00 - Rebooting a series that outsold the original 00:41:11 - Direct sales & the newsletter that prints readers 00:50:28 - Filling the holes in your backlist 00:52:15 - How he writes so fast (process & word counts) 00:58:35 - The 3 pillars of an author empire 🔗 FIND ANDY PELOQUIN Website: https://andypeloquin.com All socials (IG/TikTok/etc.): https://linktr.ee/andypeloquinauthor New novella A Mother's Love → available direct on his website 📚 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Newsletter Ninja by Tammy Labrecque: https://books2read.com/u/388lvw Stallion Express (Canada → US media mail shipping): https://ship.stallion.ca/register/Qr3Wy5 🍺 THE PINT & PORTAL AUTHOR PODCAST YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pintandportal Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3UGMgBmH0YQJBdT6Mw9MxK Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pint-and-portal-author-podcast/id1697315896 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pintandportalpodcast/ 👉 Subscribe for bi-weekly conversations with authors who've built real careers. #indieauthor #selfpublishing #authortube #bookmarketing #writingcommunity #fantasyauthor #authorbusiness #writinglife 🚨🚨🚨 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS For all of our affiliate links check out our website at: https://www.pintandportal.com/deals Support our sponsors

Michael Michel spent over 20 years building a fantasy world before publishing his first novel. When he finally did, it wasn't ads or algorithms that moved the needle. It was people. In this conversation, Michael breaks down how authentic relationships got him invited on writing retreats with some of the biggest names in indie fantasy, landed him spots in anthologies alongside Robin Hobb and Christopher Paolini, and helped him execute a relaunch that outperformed two years of grinding in just a few months. We also dig into whether newsletter swaps and giveaways are losing their punch, why Amazon's algorithm shift means organic social media matters more than ever, and how Michael is approaching his upcoming Kickstarter special edition featuring cover art by Jeff Brown. This one's packed with actionable perspective, especially if you're the kind of person who'd rather build real friendships than run Facebook ads. Michael's final piece of advice has nothing to do with marketing. It's about acceptance and it might be the most important thing you hear all week. 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with authors who are building careers on their own terms. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – The one strategy that will never change 00:43 – Meet Michael Michel 02:27 – From Warhammer tournaments at age 7 to building a fantasy world 06:25 – First launch: what worked and what stalled 09:38 – Why no one really has the answers (and what IS in your control) 20:31 – Instagram research strategy for finding your exact readers 28:27 – Beating the indie echo chamber with multiple product formats 40:20 – The Kickstarter special edition breakdown (Jeff Brown, interior art, the works) 49:13 – Michael's final advice: the power of acceptance 🔗 CONNECT WITH MICHAEL MICHEL: Instagram: @michaelmichelauthor Kickstarter: The Price of Power Deluxe Edition ⭐ Support our Sponsors Great offers on author related tools and services: pintandportal.com/deals

He built a platform, formed a readership and booked 20+ podcast stops for his debut novel before it was even finished. Here's exactly how he did it. Michael Vadney built his entire author platform from scratch with no book, no audience, and no connections. By launch day, he had a full virtual book tour lined up and a community behind him. In this episode, we break down the strategy debut authors can steal to make sure their first release doesn't disappear into the void. Michael is the host of the Author Adjacent podcast and author of Crown Fall, a new adult noble dark fantasy. Timestamps: 0:00 - Why most debut launches fail 2:26 - Meet Michael Vadney 10:06 - The "platform before book" strategy 12:27 - Why he chose podcasting over TikTok 17:50 - The 5am routine that makes it all work 27:22 - Why he pushed back his launch 43:57 - What "noble dark" fantasy means 53:57 - How to handle negative reviews as a debut author Connect with Michael: Author Adjacent - https://www.youtube.com/@AuthorAdjacent Website - michaelvadney.com Subscribe for (semi) weekly conversations with authors about how they actually build careers from their writing. #authormarketing #debutauthor #booklaunch #authortube #indieauthor

38 flights last year. Zero day job. How Andrew Buckley built an author career by thinking outside the box — and like a business. If you're an author still grinding away, waiting for royalties to pay your bills, you need to hear what Andrew Buckley figured out. After a decade of writing as a side hustle while working 40+ hour weeks, Andrew quit his job in 2022 — and within TWO MONTHS , he had replaced his entire monthly salary. From speaking, teaching, and building a multi-stream author business most writers don't even know is possible. In this episode, we go deep on: How a single accidental school visit turned into a full-time speaking career Why "talking about writing" sometimes pays better than writing itself The exact audiences (beyond writing conferences) that pay authors to show up How he went from beet-red, palpitating introvert to chasing crowds of 700+ Why book sales spike EVERY time he speaks The hybrid traditional + self-pub strategy he's using in 2026 What most authors get WRONG about marketing in the AI era If you've ever felt like writing more books isn't moving the needle, this conversation will completely change how you think about building an author career. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — "I replaced my salary in 2 months" 01:16 — Meet Andrew Buckley 09:36 — A decade of side hustle before going full-time 14:41 — The pandemic pivot + quitting the day job 17:00 — How the speaking career started (by accident)25:14 — How to land your first paid speaking gigs 36:24 — Introvert to stage-chaser: the transformation 49:36 — Multiple income streams beyond book sales 🔗 FIND ANDREW BUCKLEY Website: andrewbuckleyauthor.com Instagram: @andrewbuckleyauthor Story Centric Podcast: Listen here 🚨 Author Discounts & Promos Check out all of our sponsors at pintandportal.com/deals Sign up for WISE today: Get your free international transfer Herman's Author Site Welcome to The Pint and Portal Author Podcast — where I sit across the table from authors who've built real careers and get them to share the strategies that actually worked. #AuthorLife #WritingCommunity #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #WritingPodcast #AuthorIncome #AndrewBuckley #PintAndPortal

Are you wondering how to build your author career from zero to full-time? Aaron Hall lost his job 3 weeks after buying his first home. Instead of panicking, he went all-in on his author career. 18 months later, he's a full-time indie author making a living from book sales, mostly paperbacks and audiobooks. In this episode, Aaron shares the exact social media strategy that took him from selling 100 books a month to over 2,000, how one viral video changed everything, why he prices his paperbacks at $19.99, and the advice he got from Zach (S.D.A. Monte) that forced him to take content seriously. Whether you're trying to go full-time or just want to sell more books, this one's packed with actionable stuff. 🔗 Publisher Rocket: https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=442 🔗 Aaron's Official Store: https://www.aaronnhall.com/ 🔗 The Legend of Uh on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4nbHcwN ⭐ Help support the show by checking out our sponsors ⭐ Point and Portal: https://www.pintandportal.com/deals Also be sure to check out the Kickstarter for Flour & Forge: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hermansteuernagel/flour-and-forge-a-cozy-fantasy-special-edition-book?ref=2mjoxt ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 – Why you should never underprice your indie books 2:40 – Aaron's background & publishing journey 8:38 – Getting laid off 3 weeks after buying a home 12:54 – The social media strategy that changed everything 21:18 – The viral video that blew up sales overnight 27:48 – How often you actually need to post (less than you think) 33:00 – Where his revenue actually comes from 37:35 – Why his paperbacks outsell ebooks 3 to 1 45:34 – Avoiding burnout as a full-time author 50:57 – Best advice: diversify everything

Most indie authors treat Amazon like the only bookstore that exists. But what if that one income stream disappeared tomorrow? Mark Leslie Lefebvre has been in the publishing industry for over 30 years — as a bookseller, a digital publishing advocate, the creator of Kobo Writing Life, and a representative for Draft2Digital. He literally wrote the book on going wide (Wide for the Win), and in this conversation he breaks down the strategies that wide authors are using to grow sales on platforms most of us have been ignoring. We talk about why Kobo, Apple, and Barnes & Noble reward different behavior than Amazon, how to use built-in promo tools most authors don't even know exist, and why thinking long-term is the key to building an author business that can't be killed by one algorithm change. Whether you're wide-curious or already distributing everywhere, there are actionable strategies in here you can put to work this week. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Marketing isn't selling — it's storytelling 00:04:17 — Mark's background & why wide publishing matters 00:10:28 — What does "wide" actually mean? 00:18:32 — The Draft2Digital controversy explained 00:29:00 — How to boost sales on non-Amazon platforms 00:31:16 — Promo forms you didn't know existed (D2D, Kobo, B&N) 00:33:27 — Coupon codes, BookBub ads & promo stacking strategies 00:42:05 — Why storytelling is the best marketing strategy 📚 LINKS & RESOURCES Wide for the Win community Wide for the Win (book) D2D Promo Form Books2Read (free universal book links) Kobo Writing Life BookFunnel David Gaughran Draft2Digital Mark's Substack Canadian Werewolf Series 🍺 SUPPORT THE SHOW Flour & Forge Special Edition Kickstarter See ALL of our sponsors and promotions My website & book links 🎧 Mentioned in this episode: Katie Cross on Direct Sales (previous episode) If you're an indie author building your business, subscribe for weekly conversations with authors who are making it work.

25 novels. Barely making money. Frustrated with Amazon. Then she built a Shopify store, automated everything, and now has almost 50,000 orders — with 88% email open rates and a system that sells books while she's with her kids.Katie Cross has been selling direct since 2019 — before it was a trend. In this episode, she breaks down exactly how she built her direct sales system from scratch, the email automations that recover lost sales in the background, and why she cut her list from 100,000 subscribers to 5,000 and started making MORE money.If you've been thinking about selling direct but don't know where to start — or you set up a website and nothing's happening — this conversation will change how you think about everything from your email list to your store to how you spend your time.We talk about:→ The mindset shift that changed everything (hint: think Starbucks)→ Why your direct sales store is sitting there making nothing→ The website-exclusive strategy that pulls readers off Amazon every week→ How her email automations sell books without her touching anything→ Why she spends only 5 hours a month on email — and how→ The one-hour weekly habit that runs her entire author business→ Why bundles outsell single books every time→ The honest truth about whether YOU should even do direct sales→ And LOTS more0:00 — The mindset shift that changes everything4:10 — Katie's journey to direct sales8:22 — The audiobook royalty wake-up call10:43 — Why your store isn't selling17:11 — Website exclusives that pull readers off Amazon23:59 — The email automations running in the background34:24 — Should you even do direct sales? (Honest answer)43:35 — The weekly habit every author needs56:49 — Where to start (or how to fix what's broken)Find Katie Cross: katiecrossbooks.com Follow Pint and Portal on your favorite podcast app: pod.link/1697315896 Check out our latest deals and offerings to help you grow your author business and to help support the show: pintandportal.com/deals 📚 Also don't miss our Friends at Publisher Rocket for an amazing deal!Join over 117,000+ serious authors using Publisher Rocket to sell more books.Publisher Rocket has a vast array of tools including:✅ Keyword Search - Uncover hidden gems and profitable keywords to maximize your book's visibility✅ Category Search - Dive deep into Amazon's 19,000+ categories and find the perfect fit for your book✅ Competition Analyzer - Peek behind the curtain and discover your rivals' sales, rankings, and strategies✅ Amazon Keywords Generator - Save hours of tedious research with thousands of auto-generated keywordsFind out more at: publisherrocket.cartknox.com 💰 WISE — Make your money work worldwide, for less.Send, spend and get paid — 40 currencies, all at your fingertips. Sign up for Wise and get your first international transfer (up to $800 CAD or ~$550 USD) FREE.Media CreditsTheme Song: Commercial Rock by StudioKolomna (Envato License) Background Music: Soft Chill Background by sonicscope (Envato License) Stock Video: Licensed via EnvatoAffiliate Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. Using them costs you nothing extra and helps support the show.© Herman Steuernagel The Pint & Portal Podcast

J. Penner wrote over 20 books in the dystopian genre, hit burnout, and was ready to walk away from writing entirely. Instead, she made a decision that changed the trajectory of her career — she switched genres, created a new pen name, and started building an audience from scratch in the cozy fantasy space. With zero existing readership under her new name, she figured out how to generate 900 pre-orders before her debut cozy fantasy novel, A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic , even launched. That book has since been read by over 40,000 readers . And then something happened that she never planned for — a literary agent reached out to her , not the other way around, based on just three sample chapters and the online presence she had built. That led to a traditional publishing deal with Poison Pen Press. We also dig into what the transition from self-published to traditionally published actually looked like from her perspective, and what that means for indie authors who are worried that self-publishing will close the door on a traditional deal. Spoiler: it didn't. If anything, her indie success is what opened that door. Whether you're burned out, starting fresh, or just trying to figure out how to get your books in front of more readers, this conversation is full of practical, no-nonsense strategy from someone who has done it from both sides of the publishing world. Fair warning — what she recommends is not glamorous. But it works. Find J. Penner: jpennerauthor.com Death Meets Cute releases April 28th — find it linked below. ——— 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — The strategy that works (and why you'll hate it) 04:22 — From 20 dystopian books to quitting — and starting completely over 07:17 — Looking back at the turning point: did any of this go as planned? 09:39 — The agent who came to her — not the other way around 12:06 — What going from self-published to traditionally published actually looked like 15:03 — "900 pre-orders doesn't just happen" — what she was doing behind the scenes 15:52 — The newsletter hack that built 3,000 subscribers before she had a single book 18:40 — From 200 views to 47,000 — the one change that unlocked TikTok and Instagram 22:50 — How she chose which platforms to invest in (and which to ignore) 23:15 — Why she posts the same thing every day and refuses to reinvent the wheel 30:47 — What she'd tell a burned out author who's ready to quit 42:07 — The one piece of advice she gives every author ——— 🔗 LINKS J. Penner's Website: jpennerauthor.com A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic (Adenashire Series): Amazon Death Meets Cute (Releases April 28th): Amazon J. Penner on Instagram: @jpennerauthor J. Penner on TikTok: @jpennerauthor ——— If you got value from this episode, please take a second to like, subscribe, and share it with another author who needs to hear it. ——— 🚨 Please also check out the Kickstarter for the special edition of my book Flour & Forge — Kickstarter Link

You think you're ready for Kickstarter success? Here's what authors need to know. Oriana Leckert is the Head of Publishing at Kickstarter — and she's seen thousands of author campaigns succeed, flop, and everything in between. In this episode, she's breaking down exactly what works, what doesn't, and what most authors get wrong before they even hit launch. We cover everything from how to set your goal, what rewards actually excite backers, how to build your audience before launch, and why that Brandon Sanderson $40M number doesn't mean what you think it means. Whether you're Kickstarter-curious or prepping your first campaign — this one's for you. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 — The #1 mistake authors make before they even launch 3:24 — Meet Oriana Leckert, Kickstarter's Head of Publishing 6:18 — "Kickstarter is saturated" — Oriana says think again 9:41 — The 25-backer stat that changes everything 11:24 — The 4 audience types every author needs to know 18:07 — The most creative rewards we've ever seen 21:21 — The $72 stat that will change how you price your rewards 28:53 — How many pre-launch followers do you actually need? 33:26 — How to set your funding goal (and why $500 is a red flag) 42:05 — The #1 thing every successful campaign has in common 📌 Flour & Forge Kickstarter — Exclusive special editions with foil covers, sprayed edges, full color illustrations & bonus drink recipes you can't get anywhere else. Campaign launches April 28th! Check it out on Kickstarter 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED: Kickstarter Learning Lab Kickstarter Creator Hub Facebook Group: Kickstarter for Authors 🎙️ Welcome to the Pint & Portal Author Podcast

Cindy Gunderson has seen massive success as an author in recent years and audiobooks have been one of the biggest drivers of that success. At one point, audio made up 60% of her annual income. The wildest part? All of her audiobooks are available for free on YouTube. And instead of hurting her sales, it's actually boosted them. In this conversation, Cindy breaks down exactly how she built her audiobook business from scratch — starting with a $45 setup in her living room — and shares why she believes there's never been a better time for authors to get into audio. Whether you're thinking about narrating your own books, exploring narration, or just looking for a new revenue stream, this episode is packed with actionable advice. 🔗 LINKS Cindy's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CindyGunderson Cindy's Website: https://cindygundersonaudio.com/ 📚 MY BOOKS & KICKSTARTER Flour and Forge Kickstarter Pre-Launch: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hermansteuernagel/flour-and-forge-a-cozy-fantasy-special-edition-book My Website & Newsletter: https://www.hermansteuernagel.com Check out https://www.pintandportal.com/deals for all of our show's sponsors ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 — Audio income 1:03 — Episode introduction 3:35 — Sponsor: Flour and Forge Kickstarter 6:05 — Barriers to getting started with audiobooks 14:15 — Narration Options 25:15 — Recording Equipment & Budget 33:25 — Why going wide tripled her income 39:30 — Posting full audiobooks on YouTube for free 51:00 — Cindy's #1 tip for authors

Learn how to grow your author career with hybrid publishing — the perfect blend of traditional and self‑publishing that gives writers more freedom, control, and opportunity. In this episode, host Herman Steuernagel sits down with Australian sci‑fi author Jeremy Szal , who sold his first book at just 23 to Gollancz (Hachette UK) and has since built an international career mixing both trad and indie projects. Jeremy shares hard‑won lessons about writing, rejection, and building a sustainable career across both sides of the industry. You’ll learn how to know when your book is ready, what pitfalls to avoid when publishing too soon, and how to make hybrid publishing work for you . Perfect for writers who want success on their own terms — whether you’re querying your first novel or scaling your indie business. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Jeremy’s core advice: “The best weapon is knowledge.” 00:41 – Introduction & what hybrid publishing really means 05:30 – Why hybrid publishing is a “force multiplier” for authors 10:50 – Jeremy’s journey from early failures to a Gollancz book deal 16:45 – Why your first book shouldn’t be your best — and how to grow 24:00 – How to decide between self‑publishing and traditional routes 37:00 – The realities and frustrations of trad publishing 47:30 – Why relationships and reputation matter more than marketing 54:30 – The advantages of self‑publishing and creative control 01:05:30 – Final advice: hybrid success starts with one thing — “Write a damn good book.” 📚 What You’ll Learn Real pros and cons of self‑publishing vs. traditional publishing How to avoid publishing before your manuscript is ready How to protect your rights and negotiate better contracts Why hybrid authors have more freedom and long‑term growth How community and networking help books succeed 🧭 About Jeremy Szal Jeremy Szal is the author of the Common Saga — including Stormblood , Blindspace , and the upcoming Wolfskin . Published by Gollancz, his work has been translated worldwide. Jeremy also self‑publishes short fiction and speaks openly about the practical, human side of publishing. 🔍 Keywords self publishing, traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, how to publish a book, writing tips, book publishing, author advice, indie author, publishing industry, writing career, author success, how to self publish Resources Mentioned🔗 Publisher Rocket (sponsor) – Optimize your Amazon keywords & categories -- visit https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=442🔗 Jeremy Szal’s website: https://jeremyszal.com/🔗 Wolfskin & The Common Saga: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KYGTDBN--- 🎧 Join the ConversationIf you found value in this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with fellow authors.Every share helps other writers learn what it truly takes to build a sustainable hybrid career.

What would you do if you got laid off tomorrow? Self-published author JP Rindfleisch turned that exact moment into a full-time writing career, powered by TikTok Shop. In this episode, JP breaks down how to market your book and exactly how he uses TikTok Shop to sell books direct to readers, builds real community, and posts content that actually moves copies. Whether you're just starting out or looking for a new way to reach readers, this conversation is packed with practical, no-fluff advice you can use today. 🔥 In this episode, we cover: How JP went from biochemistry labs to full-time indie author Why serialized fiction on Kindle Vella helped him actually finish books The real logistics of running TikTok Shop as a self-published author Posting 3x a day without burning out (and why most posts take under 5 minutes) Faceless content strategies for authors who hate being on camera How to use TikTok to grow your newsletter and build a direct sales funnel Tools like Repurpose.io, Fourth Wall, Klaviyo, and BookTokGuide.com Why community is the one thing that has driven every stage of his career 📚 JP's Books: Mandrake Manor, Mosswood, Maul, Sword & Apothecary 🌐 Find JP: https://shop.jprindfleischix.com Timestamps: 00:00 — Intro 06:00 — From Biochemistry to Writing 15:08 — Serialized Fiction & Kindle Vella 18:01 — Going Full-Time After Getting Laid Off 20:13 — How TikTok Shop Works for Authors 37:13 — Posting 3x a Day Without Burning Out 43:05 — Faceless Content for Camera-Shy Authors 50:32 — Building a TikTok Audience From Scratch 55:37 — Is TikTok Still Worth It in 2026? 58:14 — The Reader Funnel 💬 Are you using TikTok to sell books? Drop a comment and let us know what's working for you. 👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews with indie authors who are making it work. --- Grab my latest cozy fantasy book: Flour & Forge - https://www.hermansteuernagel.com/pages/flour-forge --- Publisher Rocket has a vast array of tools including: ✅ Keyword Search — Uncover hidden gems and profitable keywords to maximize your book's visibility ✅ Category Search — Dive deep into Amazon's 19,000+ categories and find the perfect fit for your book ✅ Competition Analyzer — Peek behind the curtain and discover your rivals' sales, rankings, and strategies ✅ Amazon Keywords Generator — Save hours of tedious research with thousands of auto-generated keywords Get Started Today at publisherrocket.cartknox.com --- Media Credits Theme Song: Commercial Rock by StudioKolomna (Envato License) Background Music: Soft Chill Background by sonicscope (Envato License) Stock Video: Licensed via Envato --- Affiliate Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. Using them costs you nothing extra and helps support the show. © Herman Steuernagel The Pint & Portal Podcast #IndieAuthor #SelfPublishing #TikTokShop #BookTok #BookMarketing #AuthorLife #FullTimeAuthor #CozyFantasy #SellBooks #DirectSales #AuthorPodcast

Authors are being told that Facebook ads don't work for books anymore. Josiah Rosell is proof they do. JDL Rosell is a full-time indie fantasy author with around 20 books across multiple series including Legend of Tal and Ranger of the Titan Wilds. He didn't get there by going viral or getting lucky. He built a sustainable career by mastering Facebook ads — and he's still running them every single day. But it didn't start that way. Josiah's early series struggled despite being books he believed in. It wasn't until he paired strong market positioning with a real ads strategy that things clicked. In this conversation, he opens up the entire playbook. In this episode, we cover: → Why his earlier books didn't sell and what changed with Legend of Tal → How he thinks about tropes and hooks to make books marketable before he runs a single ad → His full Facebook ads strategy — daily budget, audience testing, dynamic creative, and when to kill an ad → How he uses Amazon attribution links to track what's actually converting → The metrics he watches and the ones he ignores → Pricing and read-through strategy that makes ads profitable across a full series → Why he still believes in Facebook ads when most authors have given up If you've tried ads and quit, or you've been too intimidated to start, this is the episode that might change your mind. Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Going part-time was terrifying 00:04:32 - Meet JDL Rosell 00:11:48 - The Book That Changed Everything 00:13:47 - Writing to Tropes Without Selling Out 00:18:50 - Why Cover Art Matters More Than You Think 00:22:16 - His First Facebook Ad: $100/Day at $0.06 Per Click 00:23:49 - Cycling Ads Between Series and Countries 00:35:38 - Amazon Attribution Links Explained 00:36:45 - His Target: 1 Sale Per $10 Spent 00:45:43 - Pricing Strategy to Maximize Read-Through 00:48:41 - Why He Doesn't A/B Test the Traditional Way 01:05:36 - One Piece of Advice for Overwhelmed Authors Sponsors: 📚 Check Out Our Friends at Publisher Rocket https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=442 Join over 117,000+ serious authors using Publisher Rocket to sell more books. ✅ Keyword Search – Uncover hidden gems and profitable keywords to maximize your book's visibility ✅ Category Search – Dive deep into Amazon's 19,000+ categories and find the perfect fit for your book ✅ Competition Analyzer – Peek behind the curtain and discover your rivals' sales, rankings, and strategies ✅ Amazon Keywords Generator – Save hours of tedious research with thousands of auto-generated keywords Find out more at: https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=442 --- 💰 WISE — https://wise.prf.hn/l/RlANJvG/ Make your money work worldwide, for less. Send, spend and get paid — 40 currencies, all at your fingertips. Sign up for Wise and get your first international transfer (up to $800 CAD or ~$550 USD) FREE. https://wise.prf.hn/l/RlANJvG/ --- Media Credits Theme Song: Commercial Rock by StudioKolomna (Envato License) Background Music: Soft Chill Background by sonicscope (Envato License) Stock Video: Licensed via Envato Affiliate Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. Using them costs you nothing extra and helps support the show. © Herman Steuernagel — The Pint & Portal Podcast

26 books. $35K in debt. $100/month. Then one pivot set her on a path to becoming a six figure author. S. Usher Evans spent 10 years learning what doesn't work in self-publishing so she could finally figure out what does. In this episode, she breaks down the book marketing strategy, Amazon ads approach, and genre research that turned her writing career around — and what she looks for when an indie author tells her their books aren't selling. If you're self-publishing and wondering why your books aren't gaining traction, this conversation will change how you think about everything from your cover design to your ad spend to your entire publishing strategy. In this episode, we cover: The #1 thing she'd tell new writers before they even start writing Why "write what you want" is bad business advice How she runs Amazon and Facebook ads profitably The cover mistake she sees almost every struggling author make Why her best series took off and her award-winning series flopped How she writes 7-8 books a year in 4 hours a day And LOTS more 00:00:00 - Intro 01:44 - The #1 thing new writers need to do first 05:50 - The ONE time she followed genre rules (and made six figures) 08:22 - How she blew up her life to become a writer 11:16 - From $100/month to $2,000 overnight 14:22 - Was it luck or strategy? 27:47 - Why niching down matters more than you think 34:14 - The spreadsheet that runs her entire business 50:46 - The cover mistake that's killing your sales 1:03:34 - How to run Amazon ads without burning money Connect with S. Usher Evans: 🌐 susherevans.com --- If you enjoy the episode, be sure to like, subscribe on YouTube, or leave a rating or review on your podcast app of choice. ⁠🎥 Subscribe on YouTube ⁠ ⁠🎧 Listen on Your Favorite Podcast App Check out our latest deals and offerings to help you grow your author business and to help support the show: pintandportal.com/deals --- 📚 Sponsor: Publisher Rocket https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=442 Join over 117,000+ serious authors using Publisher Rocket to sell more books. Publisher Rocket has a vast array of tools including: ✅ Keyword Search - Uncover hidden gems and profitable keywords to maximize your book's visibility ✅ Category Search - Dive deep into Amazon's 19,000+ categories and find the perfect fit for your book ✅ Competition Analyzer - Peek behind the curtain and discover your rivals' sales, rankings, and strategies ✅ Amazon Keywords Generator - Save hours of tedious research with thousands of auto-generated keywords Find out more at: https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=442 --- 💰 WISE Make your money work worldwide, for less. Send, spend and get paid — 40 currencies, all at your fingertips. Sign up for Wise and get your first international transfer (up to $800 CAD or ~$550 USD) FREE. Check out WISE today --- Media Credits Theme Song: Commercial Rock by StudioKolomna (Envato License) Background Music: Soft Chill Background by sonicscope (Envato License) Stock Video: Licensed via Envato Affiliate Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. Using them costs you nothing extra and helps support the show. © Herman Steuernagel The Pint & Portal Podcast

Is earning a six-figure income as an author still attainable? Do you feel like you're never going to break through into a writing career? Heather K. Carson spent years writing YA dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction. She had fifteen books published, understood the basics of Amazon ads, and was doing everything authors are told to do. But something wasn't clicking. Then she made a pivot that changed everything. In this conversation, Heather shares the honest story of how she went from modest earnings to generating over $400,000 in annual revenue writing shifter romance. Her story's about getting clear on what she calls the "Venn diagram" of a sustainable writing career: the intersection of what you love to read, what you're built to write, and what readers actually want. In this episode, we cover: 👉 Why Heather's first 15 books were necessary preparation, not wasted effort 👉 The difference between knowing your market and really knowing your market 👉 How to identify "highly relevant" ad targets that actually convert 👉 Why rapid release isn't as essential as it used to be in Kindle Unlimited 👉 The mindset that allowed her to walk away from a 15-book backlist and start fresh 👉 Her specific Amazon ad strategy (including the 5 ads she launches with every book) 👉 What's next: audiobooks, translations, direct sales, and the path to seven figures Whether you're stuck at book three wondering if you should keep going, or you've got a backlist that isn't performing the way you hoped, Heather's story offers a realistic look at what it takes to build a career as an independent author. 00:00:00 - Intro 02:48 - What high-profile authors are really like 09:12 - Writing 15 books without hitting 13:55 - The pivot that changed everything 16:27 - The Venn diagram for author success 31:05 - All-in on Kindle Unlimited 48:17 - Her $200K ad strategy 56:33 - Sponsor: Publisher Rocket 57:39 - The first thing struggling authors should fix 01:03:47 - Advice to her younger self Connect with Heather K. Carson: 🌐 heatherkcarson.com --- If you enjoy the episode, be sure to like, subscribe on YouTube, or leave a rating or review on your podcast app of choice. ⁠🎥 Subscribe on YouTube⁠ ⁠🎧 Listen on Your Favorite Podcast App --- 📚 Sponsor: Publisher Rocket https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=442 Join over 117,000+ serious authors using Publisher Rocket to sell more books. Publisher Rocket has a vast array of tools including: ✅ Keyword Search - Uncover hidden gems and profitable keywords to maximize your book's visibility ✅ Category Search - Dive deep into Amazon's 19,000+ categories and find the perfect fit for your book ✅ Competition Analyzer - Peek behind the curtain and discover your rivals' sales, rankings, and strategies ✅ Amazon Keywords Generator - Save hours of tedious research with thousands of auto-generated keywords Find out more at: https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=442 ----- Media Credits Theme Song: Commercial Rock by StudioKolomna ( ⁠Envato License⁠ ) Background Music: Soft Chill Background by sonicscope ( ⁠Envato License⁠ ) Stock Video: Licensed via ⁠Envato⁠ Affiliate Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. Using them costs you nothing extra and helps support the show. © Herman Steuernagel The Pint & Portal Podcast