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Having Becca Syme on our podcast as our very first guest ever was an amazing honor. Now, she’s coming back, ready to present for us the idea that we as writers may be what is known as, “Intuitive.” She joins us live to discuss her book, “Dear Writer, Are You Intuitive?” and to answer questions in our Live Q&A chat. Becca's book, Dear Writer, Are Yo…

In this episode, we are continuing our discussion on how to start a writing group. The key to good writing groups is clear rules…or is it? We’ll discuss rule setting and expectations as well as how to avoid the pitfalls of being a toxic writing group. 30 Days of Writing Sprint Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MGR7431 Our new Facebook Group! ht…

“I just can’t find a good writing group.” If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a bazillion times. Although many of our listeners desperately want to be part of one, good writing groups are difficult to find. So why not start one yourself? In this first part of our new series, learn how to start a writing group, why establishing a culture for the …

How do writers deal with bad reviews? Like it or not, you are going to have to deal with bad reviews as an author. Negative criticism comes with the territory, as each of our hosts can attest to. Join us Friday at 10am ET for this episode as we share our own experiences and give you some tips on how to handle negative reviews and criticism. And the…

You’ve published your book to Amazon, but have you set up your Author Page on Amazon Author Central? If you said no, you’re not alone. Many new authors have no idea that Amazon provides a FREE platform for you to not only publish your bio and image, but so much more! In this episode, the ladies discuss Amazon Author Pages and give a tutorial on how…

Join us as we celebrate the release of “Alone In the Land of the Midnight Sun,” by Christina Cattane. That’s right, book two of the Angelica Series is available now on Amazon! On today’s episode, we’ll cover book launch parties, book marketing strategies, newsletter promos and more, so be sure to tune in! Alone in the Land of the Midnight Sun: http…

Plugins are one of the most talked about aspects of recording music. There are so many to choose from and SO many companies who make them. Which ones do you need to make pro music? The questions and possibilities are truly endless. I wanted to walk through the top plugins I use on a daily basis. These are helpful tools and are also versatile and ca…

How much does it cost to publish a book? The answer…it depends. In this 2nd part of our 2 part series, the ladies discuss the cheapest way to publish a book, whether you want to publish on Kindle Direct Publishing exclusively or to publish wide with all retailers. There are so many options that will be discussed, as well as great input from our Liv…

Have you ever got a troll comment? There are so many positive parts about the internet. It helps us stay connected, share our lives and even create new relationships. But of course there are many negative sides to it as well. Whether virtually or in "real life" there are going to be people out there who may try to discourage us from chasing after o…

How much does it cost to publish a book? The answer…it depends. On this episode of the Christian Indie Writers’ Podcast, the ladies discuss the cheapest way to publish a book, whether you want to publish on Kindle Direct Publishing exclusively or to publish wide with all retailers. There were many options that were discussed, as well as great input…

There is so much noise and everyone seems to be trying to capture our attention these days. Social media is an incredible tool, but it can be difficult to figure out how to reach people with our music. Between endless scrolling and short attention spans, what is the secret sauce to finding people who are actually interested in being a part of your …

What is vanity publishing? Well, the definition has changed over the last decade or so. Nowadays, there are so-called vanity presses that prey on indie authors, especially Christian indie writers. So, is vanity publishing bad? What’s the difference between vanity publishing vs self-publishing? Are there vanity publishers to avoid? All these questio…

What if all of your imperfections, insecurities, pain, trials and weaknesses are where your BEST songs come from? On this episode of the CIAS Podcast I discuss why I believe our weaknesses actually make us stronger and our music better, and share a little of my testimony too (which is something I have never shared on the podcast before) Would love …

What is the difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing? Is it better to self-publish or is it better to get a publisher? On this episode, we discuss the pros and cons of self-publishing and share our own experiences and reasons for our choice to self-publish. 30 Days of Writing Sprint Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MGR7431…

On the latest episode of the CIAS Podcast I had the privilege of interviewing Nashville based artist, singer, and songwriter Grace Graber. I felt called to reach out to Grace after hearing about her mission to bring attention to mental health issues in the Church and the Christian music industry. After experiencing both physical and verbal bullying…

Once upon a time an indie writer wanted to write a book but didn’t know how to begin. Want to find out what writing advice we would give? How would you tell them how to self publish a novel? Join us in the live chat Friday morning at 10am EST to share your experience! Episode 10: Inspiration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwW77... Episode 93: Art …

Have you written an incredible song but every time you share it with people you don't get the response you were hoping for? I think this might be why… The best way to give your song a chance to make impact starts with a great demo. True, a great song is a great song no matter the quality of the demo, BUT a better sounding recording is always going …

Everyone needs a little advice sometimes, including your faithful hosts of the Christian Indie Writers Podcast. (Take note...It's April Fool's on the show today!) Tune in Friday morning at 10 am EST and help the ladies answer some heavy questions in the live chat. 30 Days of Writing Sprint Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MGR7431 Visit our web…

Have you ever felt like you are stuck on your music journey? Like you can't get the ball rolling because it feels too heavy? Well, I think I've got something to help you with that… On this video I discuss 5 ways to keep going on your music journey. Get our music production course "Logic Pro X for Artists and Songwriters" here: https://www.bryanboli…

Our conversation in this episode is the last in our series about book marketing, and it’s about ways to use your newsletter including swaps and other multi-author strategies. Join us every week in the live chat at 10 am EST and share your tips and experiences. 30 Days of Writing Sprint Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MGR7431 Visit our website…

In the music industry there are not many sure things. It can take a long time to achieve anything great and there are so many unknowns. Every story of success you hear will be unique to the person telling it. But what if there are some general steps you could take to set you up for success in music? I wanted to share 6 steps I took on my music jour…

Maybe you've heard of Paid Email Marketing Websites, or promo sites or reader deal sites, but just don't know exactly what they are or where to begin. Whether you are marketing books for children, publishing your own book of short stories, or are you just starting to look at book promo strategies for your indie published book, you'll want to tune i…

One of the most important pieces on our music journey is the relationships we have. Without relationships, success may not only be tough, but it's basically impossible. We need people to serve, and we need others to serve us to make impact. But how do we meet people? How do we build lasting relationships? Networking is a great way to build relation…

What did we just say? Give away my book for free after all that work?? As an indie author, how can that book marketing strategy possibly help you sell your other books? Tune in Friday morning at 10 AM EST to discuss this and other marketing strategies for authors in our live chat. 30 Days of Writing Sprint Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MGR7…

Do you want to know the specific personality traits and habits that can help you go pro as a songwriter? I have had the privilege of collaborating with professional songwriters in my career. Outside of sheer talent I have noticed some common personality traits and habits of the pros. Yes, skill and craft is the key element that will get you in the …

So you have your future best selling book completed. Now what? How do you market your book as an indie author? Listen in and join our live chat at 10 AM EST Friday morning to share your questions and marketing advice. 30 Days of Writing Sprint Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MGR7431 Visit our website: https://christianindiewriters.net/ Learn …

Is it possible to stand out and is it even worth it if you can? What does it take to make your own space in the music industry? I wanted to talk through 3 points of why and how I believe you DO have a place in the music industry. Especially as a Christian indie artist, this is a calling, so not only should we work towards making impact with our mus…

How are short stories different from novel length stories? Are you giving your readers value if it’s not eighty thousand or more words? Join us in the live chat Friday morning at 10 AM EST. 30 Days of Writing Sprint Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MGR7431 Visit our website: https://christianindiewriters.net/ Learn more about the hosts... Tina…

One of the most popular ways to write songs is toplining. Toplining is writing lyrics and melodies to a track at its core. Whether working with a producer in session, or building from a pre-made track, top lining is common in today's songwriting culture. I wanted to walk through 3 tips for toplining that will help you write the best songs possible.…

Do you have a story about a sensitive subject? How real is too real for your audience? What rules are worth violating? Self-published authors must be able to tell their story without alienating their audience. 30 Days of Writing Sprint Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MGR7431 Visit our website: https://christianindiewriters.net/ Learn more abo…

On this episode I walk through 8 categories of gear you need to get started in your home studio, with different options depending on your budget and need. The term "home studio" can feel intimidating, but with just a few basic pieces of gear you can be making high quality, release-ready music in no time. It can be overwhelming and you may think you…

On this episode I had a great conversation with my good friend Chris Clayton. Chris is a Nashville based, producer, songwriter and worship leader. He has a passion to help serve artists to equip them and their churches with impactful music glorifying the name of Jesus. I met Chris in 2017 at a Kingdom Songs event and he has been a personal champion…

Fiction and nonfiction writing have most things in common…except for the really important things, like book formatting, research, editor choice, etc. Tune in Friday morning at 10am EST and join us in the chat where we will discuss Tina’s upcoming nonfiction book.بقلم Christian Indie Writers

On this episode I wanted to talk through 5 things that you should NOT do as an indie artist. You'll want to stick around for #5! I believe by avoiding these things it will help you go further, faster on your journey. And within each point I will also say what you CAN do in place of these common mistakes artists make along the way. For more helpful …

One of the worst mistakes that new writers make is writing bad dialogue. But how do you know if your dialogue is dynamic or drab? This episode of the Christian Indie Writers’ Podcast will address this potential pitfall and give you tips to turn your dialogue from just okay to hurray! Join us Friday at 10:00 am ET in our Live Chat, or listen to the …

One of the most important parts of being a musician is having a community. Without a community we are working and creating with no real concept of reality. As a musician we are the sum of all of our influences and this is an ongoing process. A true community incapsulates all of the people we work with and the people who love our music. With the int…

As a new indie author, one of the things to consider when you are writing your first book is who is telling the story to the reader. This week on The Christian Indie Writers’ Podcast, we discuss Point of View. Join us in the Live Chat Friday at 10 am EST to discuss this and so much more. 30 Days of Writing Sprint Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/…

The way we promote our music is crucial to how many people it can impact. If you do a google or YouTube search on music marketing you will find thousands of videos and many may have conflicting, or even contradictory information. So, how do we understand the best way to market our music with so many options? Although there are many sub categories I…

Who wants Christmas to be more commercial? Indie writers, that’s who! Join the live chat Friday morning at 10am to hear our suggestions and share your own with us. 30 Days of Writing Sprint Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MGR7431 Visit our website: https://christianindiewriters.net/ Learn more about the hosts... Jamie: https://writingshorts.n…

Do you regret subscribing to a service that was supposed to make your life easier? When indie authors put their business hat on, it is tempting to shell out those hard-won dollars on a subscription for writers that promises to do it all. Tune in Friday morning at 10 am EST to hear our favorite subscriptions and share yours with us. 30 Days of Writi…

On this episode of the CIAS podcast I had a great conversation with my friend Daniel Doss. Daniel is a Nashville-based artist, songwriter and producer and has accomplished so much on his journey so far. From being a signed artist with Sparrow records, having a publishing deal with Word Publishing, leading worship at several churches, and having suc…

This week, self published author Christina Cattane is leading us through her system for keeping her fiction writing and home business organized. Join us live Friday mornings at 10am EST and join us in the live chat! 30 Days of Writing Sprint Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MGR7431 Visit our website: https://christianindiewriters.net/ Learn mo…

Happy new year! Over the last couple of weeks we have been reflecting and assessing everything that happened in 2021. I hope that you were able to celebrate the wins and find areas of growth for the new year. With all of that information in our minds I now wanted to look to the year ahead. We have just begun 2022 and we can bring everything we've l…

One of the most important things we can do as artists and songwriters is reflect. Not only is this a great source of creativity and inspiration, but it's a great way to evaluate where we've been. It's that time of year again where we all are working on our goals for the new year. I love setting goals and looking back on the goals from the previous …

There are a lot of twists and turns on our music journey. Within the same day there can be a wide range of triumphs and trials. The key is consistency, but how do we keep things exciting, how do we stay inspired and how do we keep it fun? One of the best ways to accomplish this is by never losing the wonder of it all. There is a certain quality to …

On this weeks episode of the CIAS Podcast I had an incredible conversation with my friend Temitope. Temitope is a Nashville based singer, songwriter, artist who has been on a mission to unite the Church across all races and backgrounds, through his honest approach, and in a conversation we should all be having right now. We discussed many of the th…

In January this year we talked about writing a business plan. In this episode, find out if we followed our business plan, what worked for us and suggestions for the upcoming year. We discussed Author Business Plans in Episodes 118, 119, 120 Episode 118: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZtEEEFkz5g&t=1122s Episode 119: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v…

There are many traits that make for a successful career in music, but I believe the most important is being consistent. The ability to show up over and over AND OVER again will set you apart and help you build a long-lasting career. I have heard it said that most people give up after their first failure, and nearly 95% give up after a second, but i…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year...Hallmark Christmas Romance time!Come join us in the live chat while we craft our own Christmas romance right before your eyes! Every Friday morning at 10 am EST on YouTube. 30 Days of Writing Sprint Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MGR7431 Visit our website: https://christianindiewriters.net/ Learn mo…

The yearly Spotify Wrapped numbers came out this week and if you've been on social media, you've seen everyone sharing their results. This is an exciting time for some and there is so much to be gained from it. Just in case you don't know, every year Spotify releases a cool, animated video showing all the stats over the past year on your Spotify fo…