Time To Move The Furniture - Guest Blogger Leigh Grissom

TIME TO MOVE THE FURNITURE

Most journeys begin with a single step. Mine didn’t.

It started with a bookcase.

My mother loved rearranging the furniture in our house. Several times a year, every room would take on a new look. The summer before my fifth-grade year, her bookcase found a new home in my bedroom. I loved it – I had been a voracious reader since the age of two and had long since abandoned the children’s section of the library. I scanned every title repeatedly, from the classics to her books of poetry, and down to two titles that fascinated me more than any of the others. I loved the way the titles sounded and my childhood curiosity pushed me to read them both.

The books were Stephen King’s “Firestarter” and “The Dead Zone.” As Fate would have it, Mom caught me with “Firestarter” and decided I wasn’t too young to read it. I devoured both books, and on every subsequent trip to the library that summer, I picked up one or two more. I’d already read all the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew mysteries; I had to do something.

Flash forward to the school year, where The Human Dragon of Teachers (name withheld because she still scares me) taught a class on descriptive writing. The assignment was simple; a story of no more than two pages, using the techniques she’d shown us to make the story more visual. I can’t remember the title mine, but I can remember it was about a man watching a building burn. In a twist I’d hoped would make Stephen King happy, I waited until the last sentence to show the man throwing the gas can in a dumpster and sliding his lighter back in his pocket. The Dragon Lady was so unnerved that I was called to her desk to see if we “needed to talk.” Scaring the already-scary was enough to show me writing could be fun. 

In the two years encompassing sixth and seventh grade, I hand wrote a short story collection (awful, awful stuff) and one “full-length” vampire novel that topped out at 42 pages. This is also the time I first wrote the name “Kerry Sheridan” in one of my notebooks. More on her in a minute.

During high school, I stuck to writing assignments and worked part-time. I had support from several of my teachers until my senior year when one vicious note from my English teacher shut down my writing completely – for over 20 years.

I played with writing during that time, sure. I had to – it was a need I couldn’t shake. But in my mind, I knew it was awful and there was no point in doing more than keeping a journal. Rejections from several magazines the rare times I gathered courage reminded me I was a hack. The depression that followed opened the door for alcohol, and I forgot I had a dream.

In 2005, I stopped drinking. It took a long time for me to pick up the pen again, but I did. Kerry Sheridan (remember her?) returned with a vengeance – angry, sober, and she needed to be heard. Between 2013 and 2015, I finished the first draft of “KLS-9” while I was at work (don’t tell my ex-boss). After decades of despair and depression, I finally held a story in my hands that wasn’t half bad.

2016 brought the loss of my mother. Before she crossed over, she told me to promise I would finish the book. I promised.

Then 2017 happened.

First, I won a contest to have a paperback and Kindle cover designed for “KLS-9,” which wasn’t even finished at the time. The designer was so patient; he worked with me and held the cover until I could give him a page count, and treated me like I was a VIP customer even though he didn’t make a dime. To add blessings on blessings, he also asked the all-important question:

“Do you have an editor?”

I did not. He recommended someone and she and I clicked instantly. She walked me through the release of “KLS-9” that August and the sequel “SABRE-6” in February of this year. Right now, I can hear her clicking her red pen from states away. I should wrap this up and get back to work on the third book of the series. 

Where am I going with all this? I guess I’m trying to tell any aspiring writer, or any writer who’s fighting doubt and fear – don’t do what I did. Don’t let months, years, decades pass while you deny the passion that fuels your soul. Don’t listen to the people who want to drag you down. If it makes you happy, regardless if you become the next best-seller or not – for the love of all that’s holy, don’t quit. 

So many will tell you, “Write every day.” If you can, great. But many of us have day jobs. Families. Cats who like to lie on keyboards. Every day isn’t feasible, but when you can, do it. 

Support is vital. I used to believe it wasn’t, and I freely admit I was wrong. The friends and family who cheer you on are treasures, but – and don’t get offended, friends and family – you should find other writers to provide that added boost. We “get it,” and we know how frustrating and wonderful the process can be. Writer’s groups are a wonderful way to make connections and learn from others. If you’re like me and can’t find a local group, use social media. Set yourself up on Twitter and find the hashtag #writingcommunity. You’ll meet some amazing individuals and maybe make a friend or ten. Trust me – I did. I’m out there, and I promise I’ll behave while you meet the neighbors. Really.

If the words won’t come, then read. Read everything. Read great books. Read crappy books about overblown sex scenes or sparkling vampires. You’ll learn more than you realize from the great books, and you’ll feel better about your own work when you read the ones that suck. Soon, the words will come back.

My writing journey took a long time, but I feel I’m right where I need to be – in the first draft of my third novel, and learning how to write a screenplay for “KLS-9.” Now that I’ve started, I’m not stopping. And you shouldn’t either. 

Thank you for stopping by - If you would like to be a guest blogger please email us via the email listed below. As always, Breaking Rules Publishing continues to accept submissions in all genres from writers around the world. Please email us at info@breakingrulespublishing.com. 

www.breakingrulespublishing.com

What's Your Story? By Guest Blogger Manda Jones

Welcome Guest Blogger - 

Manda Jones

What’s your story? 

Honestly consider the question for a moment. What life event or moment in time sticks with you? Whose life could benefit if you told your raw, firsthand account?

That is our purpose!

Manda & Friends is dedicated to giving a voice to the voiceless! Every person who wants to share their firsthand experience. Every human experience is vast and no two alike. We do not have a cap on the topics we will cover. Your human experience matters and you are welcome to contribute to the Manda & Friends blog, at no charge.

Why are we doing this? Because we have done it. We have told parts of our story; some we are not ready to tell. Time will tell if we ever are. Also, because we cannot count how many times, we have been going through something or trying to educate ourselves on something personal or medical and just want a firsthand account, but they seem a rare breed. So many things we just want to hear from someone who has actually been there. So, we share. We also share to break #stigmas. That is our why. #asksomeonewhoknows

Manda & Friends also believe that living in reality; telling stories of what life is really like can do nothing but benefits society and shift focus!

We were called to action when Manda had a complete breakdown, collapsing under the weight of her responsibilities and medical issues. It was a traumatizing experience. While exiting the hospital Manda’s husband and business partner Jason turned to her and said, “This is the story you need to tell!”

So, Manda did. First on their company’s blog mandafriends.com/blog. Then Manda finally got a hold of the 300 pages of medical records and decided to write a short story on her 72-hour experience and what followed in the months after. Manda’s Life: Volume One is available on Amazon. For a signed copy you can email Manda Jones and mandajones@mandafriends.com

If you are ready to tell your story and claim #brave please contact Manda & Friends at mandajones@mandafriends.com to get started! The experts at Manda & Friends will guide you through the process of posting to our blog. You are free to be as public or as private as you wish regarding revealing your identity.

If at any time you are ready to move on to the next step and write a short story or perhaps even your entire story, Manda & Friends offers unique publishing consulting services.

Mandafriends.com

Written by: Manda Jones, Editor in Chief & CEO of Manda & Friends LLC

Make sure that you look for Manda Jones on Facebook as well as her book on Amazon.

Breaking Rules Publishing continues to accept submissions in all genres from writers around the world. Simply email us at info@breakingrulespublishing.com.

Thank you to Manda Jones for being a guest blogger, and thank you for stopping in.

Don't Kill The Editor by Guest Blogger Janet Fears

Don't Kill The Editor - 

Well, you sent that manuscript off to the editor, and now it's come back to you.  "What's this?"  All kinds of marks are on it, so many marks that you can hardly see the words. He says your spelling is awful, phrases are wrong, punctuation is terrible. Says, you need to re-write certain parts.

 "What does he know" you shout.  Does he understand how many hours you devoted to this piece of work?  The sweat you spilled, to write every word?  You're so upset.  You start to throw his letter away, as well as your manuscript.... but wait.  Remember, you sent it to him for his expertise, because you choose him to make the corrections that will make your manuscript shine, and eventually be published.  

Don't kill the editor!  Often, when we write we are in our own little world.  The words flow, and we are on a roll.  Nothing stops us.  Not grammar, punctuation, nothing.  We're like a snowball that starts rolling down a hill, the more it rolls the bigger it becomes.  We just write, and write, not stopping.  So it's up to the editor to stop us before we hit something.  It's his job to be there and yell, when we've gone way off the path, and didn't stop to consider all the aspects of a well-written piece.  

Our story may be good, but all the writing details we consider minor can kill a book, even before it hit the bookstores.   It's often good to use different software as you write, for spelling errors, and other writing mistakes.  And when you complete your piece, to take a few days off, then come back and read your story.  


Often, it will amaze you when you find mistakes, you didn't know you made.  As I said before when the writing flows we just write, never seeing the possible errors we are making.  To help minimize this frustration, it's good to use software that can help you as you write.  But remember, software' is not a person, and can only do so much.  So DON"T KILL THE EDITOR  You need him!

If you are interested or looking for a fantastic editing service - please consider the Breaking Rules Publishing editing services - you can find them on the website - we offer fair rates with excellent staff members. We also have a payment plan if you need. www.breakingrulespublishing.com.





If you are interested in being a Guest Blogger - please email us at info@breakingrulespublishing.com









Breaking Rules Publishing continues to accept submissions in all genres from writers around the world. Please email us at info@breakingrulespublishing.com. 

Your Book Cook/A Smoking Gun! By Janet Fears

Welcome Guest Blogger - Janet Fears

Your Book Cover/ A Smoking Gun!

Have you ever been to a firing range, and watched the people practicing to hit a target from far away?  Some hit it straight off, while others miss time, and time again, but keep trying.                                                                                                                                         Its the same with book cover designs.  Ever walked in a bookstore, stroll through the isles, and suddenly you stop.  A book caught your eye.  Now you haven't even picked up the book, yet still, you are drawn to it.  Why?  Because it shot at you, yes that's what I said.  The book cover was a smoking gun and it hit it's target, YOU.  It hit you right between the eyes.  

All authors want their book covers to be smoking guns, so when potential readers see the cover, they immediately want to walk over and pick it up.  That's the #1 thing that will sell your book.  Of course, after that, you must have a compelling story and plot with captivating characters to hold them.  

Readers will naturally want a glimpse into the story, so that's where your back cover comes in.  It's equally as important as the front.  It tells them just enough into the story plot to tickle their interest and make them want to read the book. Your book cover can invoke emotions, laughter, hope, even fear.  

You must always design with your story in mind.  Your cover should reveal a hint of your story.   All types of feelings can be displayed on a book cover, without saying a word to the reader.  It's a silent smoking gun, and you have it in your hands to shoot at your readers and hit the target.  You can design your cover yourself (as I have chosen to do) or have it done professionally. Either way, your book cover is your smoking gun.  Use it - hit your readers, and make that sale!

Here are a few covers I have designed myself for some of my future stories.  What hints do they give you of the storyline?

Here is what one author said about the importance of having a great book cover!

“I have hundreds of books on my shelves I’ve not had the chance to read, because I have an addiction to buying beautiful books with stunning covers.” – JD Smith, author

And  Buzz Books says :

"A book cover is the book’s billboard, and even without the reader or author knowing, it causes expectation. If a reader sees a book with an amateur cover, they’re going to believe that it’s also poorly written."

Thanks for stopping by - as always - Breaking Rules Publishing continues to accept submissions in all genres from writers around the world. Please email us at info@breakingrulespublishing.com. 

The World Is Your Book And All Who Live In It! By Pastor Janet Fears Author

The World Is Your Book And All Who Live In It! 

So you can't seem to find ideas for writing.  Did you know that the world is a book?  There are so many stories out there waiting to be told.  Think about your own little corner of the world.  Think about the people who cross your path every day.  Think about the workers on your job, the people in your family, your ancestry.  Stories you've heard as a child.  

When I was growing up my grandmother was the storyteller, and I loved to sit at her knee and listen to her tell them to me.  If these stories brought joy to you, they might bring joy to others too.  Join groups in your community where people meet to discuss life, their hopes, and dreams.  

Become a "True Listener" to people, and what they are really saying.  These things can generate story ideas.  The arts can often inspire you.  Music can touch you, pictures can speak to you, nature can envelop you, as you walk around and see all the beauty it holds.  Meet people of all walks of life.  That homeless man you pass on the street, the cashier in the grocery store, they all have a story to tell, but no one has asked them, why not you?  Become a "People Watcher."   The way they walk, or talk, can often spark ideas for the lives you think they might lead.  Talk to those you admire and hear about their struggles that got them to where they are today.  Teachers, clergy. doctors, nurses, everyone has a story to tell.  Sometimes ideas come out of the blue, they just happen.  It might be while you are sleeping, in a dream, watching television, listening to the radio.  

My book "Revelations Of Love" was given to me in a dream, I got up and wrote the whole book in two hours.  It's out on Amazon now.  My book "Ruth" was inspired when 911 happened, and my book "Leah" was inspired by a friend who was jilted at the altar by the man she loved.  

My book "Esther" out now on Amazon was an idea that just crossed my mind out of the blue.  

So you see, you have endless story possibilities out there, waiting to be written.  Just pick up your pen and start writing!!

Breaking Rules Publishing continues to accept submissions in all 

genres from writers around the world. Please email us at 

info@breakingrulespublishing.com.

Being A Poet by Guest Blogger Su Zi

Being A Poet

As with many children, my first poem was written in school: It was fourth grade, and I had to ask Beth at recess what exactly Mrs. Olsen was asking of us; back in class, I wrote my poem. Later, my mother came home from Parents’ Night and said many kind words about my poem, which Mrs. Olsen had put on the bulletin board. My mother was not lavish with kind words—as I was later to find out about many Depression-Era raised women—and so I paid attention to this thing you could do called writing.

School progressed, as it does, and in sixth grade, I wrote a story for handsome Mr. Kling, with his British tweeds and blond mustache. My memory of the story is only of the structure, a child’s imitation of the science fiction my father loved, involving a character who jumped in time and gender. It would be a few years before I would read my father’s beloved Asimov, and many more before I would read Orlando, but Mr. Kling stopped me after class and asked me how I wrote the story. I might have said I pretended I was dreaming. The story came back graded with a word in red I had to look up: “ Superlative”. Once again, my mother showed uncharacteristic enthusiasm. I began to be very earnest in English class; so much so that by high school I thought of myself as a writer, taking an independent study course which had me writing poems only for a semester.

I began to read poetry outside of school. I began to buy poetry books.

In a rare family vacation during those years, my mother—now a widow—took my sister and me to San Francisco. We walked about one night, and my mother said I began walking ahead a little bit in a purposeful manner. Amused, she allowed me to somehow walk streets I had never before visited until we all stood in front of City Light Books. I remember how shocked I was to find a bustling bookstore open in the evening, how there was that smell inside that only comes from many, many books. I was mystified. I had money enough for one book, and I was guided then purely by intuition, by instinct, by somnambulism. I found myself at the counter with a book in my hand. A man was very kind, he asked me if I had ever read the author (I had no idea then), and told me I had “picked a good one.” The book was Howl

In college, I thought of myself as a writer as well as an artist, and I took classes that reflected this. I transferred schools, took extra classes at other schools in the area, and used every penny of my scholarships on tuition only. It was then that I took a poetry writing class with a published poet—my previous instructors had been teachers only—this was someone who (mostly) just wrote poems and they were published, he had his name in books, he had books. I didn’t know a writer could write mostly poems, that someone could be a poet.

The poetry class read poems that we brought to class, poems for prompts, poems we wrote. There was a whole world of small presses then. There was a wide array of readings one could attend—famous poets came and read their work and we sat in art galleries and listened. In one auditorium, I sat and listened to Allen Ginsberg sing a song to the president called “Birdbrain”. I must have been staring with more focus than most because eventually, we locked eyes. I was to see Ginsberg read a few times over the years; we always ended up locking eyes—a brief moment, a sense of being seen among all those there—and it was that little drop which affirmed and sustained me as a poet.

I had been writing poems, reading them to people in galleries, getting a few published, and occasionally getting a bit of money; the money given for poetry was not then economically sustaining, and it’s even less so now. My college chums went on to do this and that, and over the years, very few of them continued to be poets.

Our lives are ours alone, each of us. How we arrive at poetry, how we write poems, whether we continue to write after the exhaustion of ordinary demands—these will be each of our decisions. I have seen career Poets: and they write and write and write, they submit and submit and submit, some teach, some have full family duties, some work jobs far-flung from books and poetry. I remember well that one morning when I was working at Thoroughbred Farm in the Foaling Barn, and someone reading the newspaper at lunch said that Ginsberg had died. I had to sit down. In that big, concrete, 40 stall barn brimming with horse mommies and their babies, far away from the glitterati literati, I felt a sharp loss. I was paid as an agricultural worker in the equine industry, but I was a poet.

Being a Poet means embracing a connectedness to poetry that has little to do with time or place, although many poets prefer to live in poetry-welcoming communities. I, myself, do not.  Being a Poet means buying poetry books because this is the intellectual family to which we belong; it means reading poetry and reading poetry and reading poetry, writing when and as we can, maybe submitting even maybe reading poems out loud to people. It’s a life decision and a lifetime commitment.

My mother had kept that first poem in the few personal tokens she kept of our family, but those things were lost to me after her death. She may have kept that story. A letter I had written her decades earlier was returned to me after her death, along with a book with my poems included, and it was a raw thing to know someone else had read my private words to her.

In the recent past, I was able to pop into to an AWP satellite event and see that teacher of poetry who was a poet. He had set the course of my life. Although I was probably one of the hundreds of students over the years, who may or may not have become poets, I had and I wanted to see him once again. I wanted to thank him for all the years where life was difficult, but I still had poetry. I gave him one of my books which had a long poem dedicated to him, written to him, a meditation on living while being a poet. Just as this too, is a meditation on being a poet: a life long dedication, a committed relationship, a way of living and being in the world.

Thanks for stopping by.

As always, Breaking Rules Publishing continues to accept submissions in all genres from writers around the world.

Guest Blogger David Pratt tells us about his new book.

Guest Blogger David Pratt tells us about his new book.

Todd Sweeney - by David Pratt

It’s funny that, in Pride Month, I am touting a new book with two straight cisgender heroes. Or, let’s rather say these two, Todd and Nellie, are the official “face” of the story. They are criminals, actually. My novel, Todd Sweeney, is a contemporary YA version of Sweeney Todd. We know there will be blood. So, I decided the lead couple had to be straight and cis—white, too—so it would not appear that their criminal behavior was due to their “difference.” I knew the stereotype of the evil, skulking gay couple (as in Hitchcock’s film Rope), and I couldn’t write about that, or about any stereotype linking race, religion or sexuality to criminality.

Here, the criminals are allies, working to save their gay friend Toby, his boyfriend, Anthony, and other vulnerable students from very bad people at Fleet High. (I’m making fun of privileged, liberal overachievers, but also showing just what fun it is to be young and working passionately on a project with someone you love.) At the same time, to acknowledge the fluidity of sexual identity we have today, Todd has an “androphilic” side, as he says. He enjoys bonding sexually with male friends, even though he and Nellie are a couple. And when all four characters go on the lam, they pick up a fifth, Jac, a young transgender man. So maybe Todd Sweeney is about an attempt to build a world where there are no conservative bullies, like Fleet High’s guidance counselor, where individuals and couples of any orientation or persuasion are allowed to grow and thrive and live the lives they want. It’s just that, in trying to bring about that world, Todd and Nellie are a little overzealous. Eventually—spoiler alert—they flee to parts unknown, leaving Toby, Anthony and Jac to build that new world. But a little “adult” help is needed, and so a beloved, if minor, character steps forward to bring the story home.

With Todd Sweeney, I wanted to bring back the rollicking world of nineteenth-century “penny dreadfuls,” those serially published horror-crime tales, the most famous of which is, of course, the one that immortalized Sweeney Todd. (That was The Strong of Pearls, published in 1846-47, which has pretty much served as a general template for all the Sweeney Todds that followed. It remains available today, for those interested.)

I hope that, above all, I have written a book that makes you laugh but also makes you feel deeply the plights of the oppressed and marginalized. I don’t want to make you angry enough to kill, but I do hope that, with Todd Sweeney, in addition to having a great time, you see how devastated young people can be by those who misuse their power. And that bravery and vigilance, not necessarily baking the villains into pies, is the answer!

Thank you, David Pratt for helping us out as a guest blogger. 

As always - Breaking Rules Publishing continues to accept submissions in all genres from writers around the world. Please email us at info@breakingrulespublishing.com.

Want to start up a podcast? So do we - so we did the reach.

So, we did some reach and found some great advice on why should you start your own podcast? Here are some good points.

When you’ve been blogging for a while, you may come to a point when you’re looking for other ways to tell your story or share your ideas. If you’ve already tried several ways of sharing content beyond written words, then a podcast might just be your next best move. It’s really quite simple.

A podcast is a way to reach an audience that you wouldn’t reach otherwise with just your blog.

There is an increasing number of people who listen to podcasts more than they read blogs. In a recent report, 33% of Americans have listened to at least one podcast.

That’s a huge number of people listening to content in podcast form. Don’t you want in on all the potential traffic it could bring to your blog?

While a podcast is a great way to bring new readers to your blog, it’s not the only reason you should start one.

In addition to new followers, you connect with your audience on a more personal level.

Hearing someone speak is, no doubt, more personal than reading words on a screen. With this kind of connection, you can gain your listener’s trust and get their attention in lesser time than it takes to read a blog post.

If you’re comfortable with talking to get your ideas across, and you’re not scared of a little technical adventure, then you’re more than ready to start your own podcast. Here are 10 tips to help you through the process.

Beginners Guide to Launch a Podcast:

1 - Plan your content!

A well-planned podcast will make your podcasting routine easier. Decide how many episodes you want to publish in a month, which topics you want to cover (and in what order), when you plan to release a new episode, and so on. Just like a blog, a podcast needs a content calendar so you have a clear idea of what you need to accomplish for each episode.

List down potential episode titles and schedule to publish them in a logical order. For instance, an episode with the title “How To Choose A Web Host” should come first before “How To Set Up WordPress”. You can also have a theme or single general topic and break it down into sub-topics within a given time frame. For instance, you can assign April as “SEO month”, so all your episodes will be about SEO for that month.

When you have a clear content plan for your podcast, you don’t have to worry about coming up with a topic for your next episode. All you need to focus on is creating and recording the content.

2 - Invest in a quality microphone

We made the mistake of buying a cheap microphone and ended up having to edit my recording heavily to compensate for poor audio quality. If you have the budget, or you can wait a little longer to have enough money to buy a quality microphone, we suggest you do so. 

Of course, you can research other mics that are available in your area.

Having the best possible recording equipment will save you loads of time and trouble when it’s time to edit your audio. 

3 - Get a professionally made podcast cover image and intro

Unless you’re a graphic designer, we suggest having your podcast cover image made by a professional.

You can ask around for the best designers in your area, or you can hit up Fiverr and get a custom graphic made starting at $5-$20.

Choose a designer whose graphic style you like and matches with your personal brand. Have a clear idea of how you want your image to be, and take your time to give clear instructions and even an image sketch for good measure.

Take note that your podcast cover image will appear as a thumbnail image on most podcast streaming services, so go for a design that still stands out even when it’s small.

You should also hire someone on Fiverr for creating your podcast intro & outro.

4 - Follow an outline

The dangers of recording a podcast without an outline are that you’ll go off-topic and find yourself rambling on about something else entirely.

Just like a blog post, a podcast should have an introduction, body, and conclusion. You don’t have to write a script that you read word-for-word, but just a bullet point list of what you’ll talk about and in what order.

In case you go off-track, you can always pause and refer to your outline to circle back to your topic. While talking about something else for a few minutes can add personality to your podcast, you need to know when to bring your show back to delivering the subject matter at hand.

5 - Get personal

One of the benefits of a podcast is connecting with your audience on a deeper, more personal level. Podcasts are great for telling personal stories that relate to the episode’s topic. Don’t be afraid to show your vulnerable side — it makes you more relatable as a human being and people will definitely trust you to be an honest podcaster. If you’re giving advice about how to do a certain task, talk about how you learned to do this task effectively and whether you had challenges along the way.

6 - If you're not going to do it yourself - get a dedicated podcasting host to work with

Once your podcast is live, it has the potential of being streamed by thousands of listeners. When this happens, it’s important that your podcast file host can handle the bandwidth. Rather than using your web site’s server to load your audio files, use a service like BuzzSprout, LibSyn or Blubrry for a better and secure podcast hosting option.

These services require a minimal amount for a monthly subscription, but it’s definitely worth it. Integrating your podcast episodes to your blog is also easy with LibSyn and Blubrry plugins for WordPress.

7 - Promote your blog or 

landing page in the podcast

Don’t forget to mention your blog at least twice during a podcast. This lets your audience know where to find you outside of your podcast. You can also direct your audiences to a specific page on your blog to find certain information like how to contact you and/or a landing page that sells your products or services. Make sure the links you give are short and easy to remember.

8 - Ask your listeners to subscribe and leave a review

In iTunes, podcasts appear in the “New and Noteworthy” section when they’ve gotten lots of good reviews. Before the end of each podcast episode, always tell your readers to subscribe and leave a review if they liked the episode.

You can also include a link on your blog below your podcast player, so your blog readers can subscribe and leave a review as well.

9 - Learn basic audio editing

You can hire someone to edit your audio 
files for you or you can do it yourself. Learning audio editing can take a while, but it’s worth it if you want total control of how your finished recording sounds. A free audio editing tool called Audacity works great, but if you want to get more advanced, you can check out Acoustica or Sound Forge Pro. These tools allow you to edit, enhance and compress your audio files so it has the best possible quality when streamed online.

If you are looking for an automatic tool, you can use Auphonic. It is an automatic audio post production web service, where you need to upload your recorded podcast file and it will take care of the rest.

10 - Be yourself

It may seem obvious, but when you’re talking to a mic for the first time, it’s easy to get self-conscious and not sound like yourself. You don’t have to edit out every “um” and “ahh” in the sound file. This makes you sound more human and less like a robot. Smile, laugh, be intense if you must. Don’t hide your accent if you have one. Be yourself and enjoy the process of getting your message out there. Soon enough, you’ll have a group of followers who can’t wait for your next episode.


As always, thank you for stopping by. 

Breaking Rules Publishing continues to accept submissions in 

all genres from writers around the world. Please email us at info@breakingrulespublishing.com.