In this week’s special episode sponsored by Amplify Marketing, Marissa has a fascinating chat with company founder, Franklin Goldberg, about getting books into the hands and hearts of readers. Discussed in this jam-packed episode about marketing: how every book needs to be looked at individually depending on a complex set of variables, the most effective ways to market books, the difference between interruption and interception as pertaining to marketing, the complex Amazon marketing system and why it can be worth the effort, the importance of search and keywords, how to leverage Facebook and other social media platforms with testimonials, excerpts, and freebies, the importance of packaging quality and cover design, common marketing mistakes, how marketing your backlist can be even more successful than focusing on new releases, and so much more. Amplify Marketers Year in Review + Infographic: https://www.amplifymarketers.com/2023-year-in-review-for-book-publishersAmplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear.The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s episode Marissa chats with John Schu about his semi-autobiographical novel in verse, LOUDER THAN HUNGER. Also discussed: the difficulty in determining an age label for a book, writing a fictionalized account of your own experiences instead of a memoir and deciding when and how much to fictionalize, the healing power of writing from a place of vulnerability, making the choice to write in verse, struggling with compliments and so much more.The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free.Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear.Writing Mastery Academy Use the code HAPPYWRITER at WritingMastery.com for $20 off your first year of unlimited access.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s episode Marissa chats with debut author and podcaster Bethanie Finger about her YA historical fantasy, MORE THAN LIFE. Also discussed in this episode: expedited series releases, being a pantser, even when worldbuilding, finding the magic in editing, short chapters, the effectiveness of writing exercises and sprints, the Prince Kai Fan Pod, the importance of setting boundaries, taking breaks, and asking for help, and so much more. Show notes: The Prince Kai Fan Pod: https://princekaifanpod.wixsite.com/website Follow Litjoy for info about The Heartless Annotated Special Edition: https://www.instagram.com/litjoycrateThe Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear.Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free.Writing Mastery Academy Use the code HAPPYWRITER at WritingMastery.com for $20 off your first year of unlimited access.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s episode Marissa chats with literary agent, coach, and now author, Lucinda Halpern, about her new book, GET SIGNED: FIND AN AGENT, LAND A BOOK DEAL, AND BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. Also discussed in this jam-packed episode: the varied job of representing authors, why the query letter is the most important document a writer will ever create, the three keys to getting an agent and a subsequent book deal (and how you may not need all three), BIG ideas, how agents also have to face rejection, common errors made in query letters, the reminder that agents are humans, and so much more!Show notes: As mentioned in the episode, check out this Free gift for our listeners from Lucinda.For agent research: Publishers Marketplace: https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/ Writing Mastery Academy Use the code HAPPYWRITER at WritingMastery.com for $20 off your first year of unlimited access.Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free.Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear.The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s episode Marissa chats with Hafsah Faizal about her latest YA fantasy heist, the first of a new duology, A TEMPEST OF TEA. Also discussed in this episode: how a non-reader can turn into a reader and then a published author, planning out a heist when being mostly a pantser, struggling with doubts and imposter syndrome, planning out romance, worldbuilding and the wisdom of editors, the benefits of time and space away from a project, and so much more!The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free.Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s episode Marissa chats with Dinesh Thiru about his debut YA fantasy adventure, INTO THE SUNKEN CITY. Also discussed in this episode: how a gag project can inspire a writing career, retelling a literary classic (TREASURE ISLAND) in a postapocalyptic setting, how much of the source material to use, and creating a more modern diverse cast of characters, being conscious about your setting and sensory details, using real maps and biology to make the setting and details feel real, creating the voice of colorful characters, balancing being a stay at home parent with the writing, and so much more! Show notes: The Artists’ Way – Julia Cameron https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9780143129257 The official MM merchandise shops: https://www.etsy.com/shop/happywriterstorehttps://thehappywriter.creator-spring.com/ https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-happy-writer The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s episode, the first of the 2024 season, Marissa chats about her brand-new book, WITH A LITTLE LUCK, the companion to INSTANT KARMA. Featured in this episode are two special guests: Chuck Gonzales, the illustrator for the comic book pages inside WITH A LITTLE LUCK, and Stacy Carolan, the book’s audio edition narrator.  Discussed in this episode: the process of illustrating graphic novel panels (in black and white) as spot illustrations through a novel, illustrating a story within a story, the challenges of some of the finer details of illustrations, how the pandemic inspired the move into audiobook narration, behind the scenes of being an audiobook narrator, starting out in the industry, how narration is more acting and not merely reading a book, what makes audiobook narration fun, and so much more. Also in this episode, a special exclusive clip of the WITH A LITTLE LUCK audiobook!Show notes: Chuck Gonzales, Illustrator https://chuckgonzales.com, https://www.instagram.com/cgonzaillo/Stacy Carolan, Audio book narrator https://www.mrstacycarolan.com/  The official Marissa Meyer/The Happy Writer merchandise shops: https://www.etsy.com/shop/happywriterstorehttps://thehappywriter.creator-spring.com/ https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-happy-writer The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Elle Gonzalez Rose about her queer YA rom-com, CAUGHT IN A BAD FAUXMANCE. Also discussed: How a career writing marketing copy for the screen is transferable to writing books and book marketing materials, the fun of writing favorite tropes in romance, bonding characters over cultural foods, the challenge of showing both sides of romantic feelings when writing a first person POV, worldbuilding an entire town that’s outside your own experience, the catharsis of writing from a place of grief, favorite holiday traditions and so much more!The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Andrea Tang about her latest sci-fi heist YA, KINGDOM OF WITHOUT. Also discussed, genre-bending in YA, on discovering who your character is during the writing process, how edit notes really can give perspective and sometimes, exactly what the book needs, leaning on experts to help ensure details are authentic and appropriate, how to balance the sci-fi and fantasy elements to create a specific aesthetic, the process of writing a whole distinct ensemble of characters, exploring gender role reversal, the challenges of writing a heist novel, and so much more!Scrivener writing software - https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overviewEpisode 60: Leigh Bardugo - https://www.buzzsprout.com/950767/8226816The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Jessica Vitalis about her latest contemporary middle grade, COYOTE QUEEN. Also discussed: how to pronounce ‘coyote’ (which is not as simple as one might think) and fascinating coyote facts, digging deep to put difficult emotions on the page and how much of a challenge that can be, mining lived experiences for fiction, how books build empathy, creating ongoing tension, and so much more.The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/