The Merry Writer Podcast

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Setting the mood and tone within a scene in your novel may sound like second nature. We often do it without realizing it. Then again, it can sometimes be easier said than done when it comes to those truly important scenes whether it's something intense, tragic, or hilarious. This week, we discuss tips for setting up the mood so your readers will feel their feelings. In this episode, we cover: Purpose of the scene Setting and atmosphere Going small and more! As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you! If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES On today's episode, we are interviewing author Elizabeth Gauffreau!  In this episode, we cover: Why she chose historical fiction Using Substack Her writing routine and much more! As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! ABOUT ELIZABETH GAUFFREAU Elizabeth Gauffreau writes fiction and poetry with a strong connection to family and place. Her work has been widely published in literary magazines, as well as several themed anthologies. Her short story “Henrietta’s Saving Grace” was awarded the 2022 Ben Nyberg prize for fiction by Choeofpleirn Press. She has published a novel, Telling Sonny, and two collections of photopoetry, Grief Songs: Poems of Love & Remembrance, and Simple Pleasures: Haiku from the Place Just Right. Her latest release is The Weight of Snow and Regret, a novel based on the closing of the last poor farm in Vermont in 1968. Liz's professional background is in nontraditional higher education, including academic advising, classroom and online teaching, curriculum development, and program administration. She received the Granite State College Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2018. Liz lives in Nottingham, New Hampshire with her husband. Website WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you! If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES In episode 338, we somehow derailed our conversation to discuss something about Kindle Unlimited. We realized we never did an episode about it, so here we are. This week, we discuss things we've learned about the program and whether we think it'd be worth a try. In this episode, we cover: What Kindle Unlimited is Where you can sell your ebook vs a paperback Pros and cons and more! Sources: Reedsy Article Amazon KU Royalties As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you! If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Today is more of a marketing episode as we discuss the pros and cons of using the selling platform, Etsy, to sell as authors. This episode got pretty long, so we decided to split it into 2. This is part 1. :) In this episode, we cover: How to set up your shop What to list How to avoid issues with customers and lots more (seriously, it's such a chonker of an episode!) DISCLAIMER: As with all things technical, depending on when you're listening to this, certain things may have changed. Selling platforms will have cycles of making changes. As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you! If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES There's only so much we can do when it comes to promotion and marketing our books. Word of mouth is great, but it's also good if people find your book organically. How do they do this? By you tagging your book with the right keywords. This week, we discuss what book keywords are and how you can match good ones to your novel. In this episode, we cover: Types of keywords Keywords as phrases How to search for keywords and more! Recommended Tool: Publisher Rocket As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you! If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES This week, we’re getting to know Claris Lam, author and poet, who writes in a multitude of genres. In this episode, we cover: Why she chose to write in multiple genres Insights into her poetry Where she draws inspiration from and much more! As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! ABOUT CLARIS LAM Claris Lam (she/her) is a Chinese Canadian author & poet writing to inspire readers with hope, perseverance, creativity, and happy endings. Claris’ short fiction and poetry has been published in several collections and projects. The first two books in her murder mystery series, the Harlow Mystery series, were nominated for several categories in the 2023 Indie Ink Awards and 2024 Queer Indie Awards. Her debut poetry chapbook, Refilling The Well, was published in February 2025 and her debut young adult (YA) short story collection, Stay Magical, was published in September 2025. Website | Instagram | Blue Sky | Tumblr | Facebook | YouTube WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you! If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Today is National Podcast Day! Since we've hosted a podcast for so long and we're authors ourselves, we thought it'd be fun to discuss the benefits of podcasting for authors. In this episode, we cover: Benefits of being a guest Benefits of hosting your own show Building relationships & networking Ari's old interview We couldn't find Rachel's old interview, unfortunately. But here's a link to Annette's website for good measure. As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you! If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES ARCs, also known as Advanced Reader Copies, are super important for any author, but especially indie authors. We've discussed sending ARCs as an author before, but what about being an ARC reader? This week, we discuss how you can help support indie authors by being an ARC reader for them, and how to be a good one. In this episode, we cover: ARCs vs. Beta reading Author requirements Knowing your limits and more! Related episodes: Ep. 257 - Risks of Sending ARCs Ep. 269 - AI in the Writing Industry As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you! If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES We've talked a lot on the show about how being an author is the equivalent of running a business. Depending on your publishing goals, you're running a business as an author. This week, we discuss various business models you can aim for to make a living with your writing. In this episode, we cover: Rights and licensing models Publisher model Creator model and more! Further Reading As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you! If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Being an author isn't all puppies and rainbows or kittens and cakes! There are some great parts, and some hard parts and we have to ride the rollercoaster through it all! So, today we talk about a few things you can do to prepare or cope with the ups and downs of author life. As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? We’re open to Author Interviews and Industry Interviews. This means, if you’re an author or work in the writing field (cover designer, audiobook narrator, editor, etc.) we want to hear from you! If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0