153: Does the Published Book Really Matter?

This episode is for the writer who knows something feels off—in their process, their mindset, their creative life—but can’t quite name it. Here’s what I’ve learned: the reason you can’t name it is that your body already knows something your brain hasn’t caught up to yet. Today I’m bringing you behind the scenes of a 90-day writing project I started last month, and what I’m about to share with you is less about strategy and more about what happens when you stop overriding your own creative signals. Let’s dive in.Get instant access to The Writer’s Workshop and start building your creative processGet in the know before the new creative process framework landsYou can find me on Instagram @the.memoir.coach, Substack, Facebook, and YouTube.Join my email list to stay up to date on the podcast and everything else going on in Charlotte Writes.Please note: I do not respond to pitches to be on the show. I interview a very few number of authors, and that selection is always at my discretion. I also do not participate in product collaborations or AI promotions of any kind. If you email me with any of these, you will be ignored.

This episode is the final part of our self-publishing workshop. Today I’m talking with my long-time client and friend, Melinda Kinghorn. She self-published her memoir, Walking Through Addiction, earlier this month, and has had an amazing few weeks of celebrating and sharing about her finally published memoir. I can’t wait for you to hear from Mel, and I’m positive that you will love her just as much as I do. Let’s get started!Get Mel’s memoir, Walking Through Addiction: A Mother’s JourneyApply for one of two self-publishing spots at the beta rateYou can find me on Instagram @the.memoir.coach, Substack, Facebook, and YouTube.Join my email list to stay up to date on the podcast and everything else going on in Charlotte Writes.Please note: I do not respond to pitches to be on the show. I interview a very few number of authors, and that selection is always at my discretion. I also do not participate in product collaborations or AI promotions of any kind. If you email me with any of these, you will be ignored.

This episode is for the writer who really, really wants a published book. I know that desire can be all-consuming and it comes from a deeply passionate and aligned place in your heart. What happens, though, is that this passion can blind you to how you move through the creative process. That’s what I want to talk about today and the reframe that I want you to embrace. Are you paying attention to your process? And if not, how can you integrate that shift into your creative work? Let’s go.Apply for one of two self-publishing spots at the beta rateYou can find me on Instagram @the.memoir.coach, Substack, Facebook, and YouTube.Join my email list to stay up to date on the podcast and everything else going on in Charlotte Writes.Please note: I do not respond to pitches to be on the show. I interview a very few number of authors, and that selection is always at my discretion. I also do not participate in product collaborations or AI promotions of any kind. If you email me with any of these, you will be ignored.

This episode is part two in a three-part series, the Self-Publishing Workshop. This is where I’m going to let you know that, even as the editor, there are some things I don’t know I don’t know. And in shepherding my client through the self-publication process this year, my eyes were opened to a whole new side of the creative process. If you haven’t listened to part one yet, go ahead and download episode 151 so that you’re up to speed on what we’re diving into this month. In this episode I’m sharing my experience as her editor and creative partner in this new capacity. Let’s go.Start with part one of the Self-Publishing Workshop (episode 151)Apply for one of two self-publishing spots at the beta rateYou can find me on Instagram @the.memoir.coach, Substack, Facebook, and YouTube.Join my email list to stay up to date on the podcast and everything else going on in Charlotte Writes.Please note: I do not respond to pitches to be on the show. I interview a very few number of authors, and that selection is always at my discretion. I also do not participate in product collaborations or AI promotions of any kind. If you email me with any of these, you will be ignored.

This episode is for the writer who is looking at their publishing options. In 2026, the publishing routes available to you are many, and I want you to have the tools you need to discern which one is the best fit for you. What I want to break down in this episode specifically is the reframe that self-publishing does not need to be your Plan B. My intention in these next 20 minutes or so is to both educate you on how publishing actually works and help you pay attention to the process of publishing more than the product, so you can make an informed and empowered decision as the author. Ready? Let’s dive in.Take the two-minute What Type of Edit Does My Memoir Need? quiz.Grab the free Finding the Right Editor Checklist and vet any editor, including me.Explore all the ways to work with Charlotte.You can find me on Instagram @the.memoir.coach, Substack, Facebook, and YouTube.Join my email list to stay up to date on the podcast and everything else going on in Charlotte Writes.Please note: I do not respond to pitches to be on the show. I interview a very few number of authors, and that selection is always at my discretion. I also do not participate in product collaborations or AI promotions of any kind. If you email me with any of these, you will be ignored.

This episode is for the writer whose writing life feels hard. You know the feeling: you know you should be writing, but you don’t. Or you sit down to write but every word that comes out feels like garbage. Maybe you’ve spent so much time reading writing books, browsing Facebook writing groups, and enrolling in online courses that you’ve convinced yourself that those efforts are moving your memoir draft forward, yet the word count remains stalled. Today’s episode is going into how you might be making your writing life harder, and what you can shift today to make that creative flow easier to access. Let’s get into it.Get instant access to The Writer's Workshop: how you think, what you consume, and how you workJoin the waitlist for the next Memoir Method cohortBook a consult call to explore 1:1 work with CharlotteYou can find me on Instagram @the.memoir.coach, Substack, Facebook, and YouTube.Join my email list to stay up to date on the podcast and everything else going on in Charlotte Writes.Please note: I do not respond to pitches to be on the show. I interview a very few number of authors, and that selection is always at my discretion. I also do not participate in product collaborations or AI promotions of any kind. If you email me with any of these, you will be ignored.

This episode is for the writer who thinks that they have writer’s block. What else could it be? You’re not feeling inspired, and every time you sit down to draft, you stare at that blinking cursor until you pick up your phone and mindlessly scroll until only ten minutes are left in your writing window and you’ve barely written a paragraph. What I want to say to you today is that writer’s block isn’t your problem: your creative rhythm is. Let’s get started.Claim your spot in our six-person Memoir Method cohort, starting MondayHave questions? Email Charlotte at [email protected] or DM her on Instagram at @the.memoir.coachYou can find me on Instagram @the.memoir.coach, Substack, Facebook, and YouTube.Join my email list to stay up to date on the podcast and everything else going on in Charlotte Writes.Please note: I do not respond to pitches to be on the show. I interview a very few number of authors, and that selection is always at my discretion. I also do not participate in product collaborations or AI promotions of any kind. If you email me with any of these, you will be ignored.

This episode is for the writer who is nervous to put themselves out there. I know that writing and sharing that writing are vulnerable moves to make, and I also know that putting yourself in the room is one of the most empowered moves you can make as a writer. This episode is going to give you five signs that you’re actually ready to put yourself in the room, whether that room is a writer’s group, a private container with an editor, or a guided cohort program. Let’s go!Grab your spot in the fall Memoir Method cohort — five spots leftWant an honest answer on whether this cohort is right for you? Email [email protected] or DM @the.memoir.coachYou can find me on Instagram @the.memoir.coach, Substack, Facebook, and YouTube.Join my email list to stay up to date on the podcast and everything else going on in Charlotte Writes.Please note: I do not respond to pitches to be on the show. I interview a very few number of authors, and that selection is always at my discretion. I also do not participate in product collaborations or AI promotions of any kind. If you email me with any of these, you will be ignored.

This episode is for the writer who is intrigued by editors, maybe has tried investing in an editor, but doesn’t know when to pull the trigger on this investment of time, energy, and money. I’ve collaborated with writers at every stage of drafting and revising, and the trick to knowing when to invest in an editor actually has nothing to do with milestones you’ve reached. Instead, I want you to look at your mindset, your energy, and your writing practice. I’ll explain all of this in today’s episode. Let’s go.Join the fall Memoir Method cohort — only five spots remainingHave questions? Email Charlotte at [email protected] or DM her on Instagram at @the.memoir.coachExplore all the ways to work with CharlotteYou can find me on Instagram @the.memoir.coach, Substack, Facebook, and YouTube.Join my email list to stay up to date on the podcast and everything else going on in Charlotte Writes.Please note: I do not respond to pitches to be on the show. I interview a very few number of authors, and that selection is always at my discretion. I also do not participate in product collaborations or AI promotions of any kind. If you email me with any of these, you will be ignored.

This episode is for the writer who has been listening to the episodes this month and still isn’t sure what it actually looks like in practice to take your own writing seriously. My project this summer has been to take my own writing as seriously as I take yours, and it has been an exciting, challenging, and eye-opening season for me. I’m going to pull you behind the curtain and show you what my writing life has actually looked like the past few months. Let’s go.Fill out the review raffle formJoin the Memoir Method waitlist — doors open August 31You can find me on Instagram @the.memoir.coach, Substack, Facebook, and YouTube.Join my email list to stay up to date on the podcast and everything else going on in Charlotte Writes.Please note: I do not respond to pitches to be on the show. I interview a very few number of authors, and that selection is always at my discretion. I also do not participate in product collaborations or AI promotions of any kind. If you email me with any of these, you will be ignored.