Episode 203: My Best Tips for Entering Contests

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I'm sharing my best tips for entering writing contests! Including:How to approach entering contests from a place of freedom, joy and non-attachment.Ways to move past the doubts you have about your work so that you can go for it anyway.When the best time to celebrate is!Ideas for how to keep track of the contests you enter. What you need to know before you enter the contest.I hope that this information gets you excited to enter writing contents in a way that feels good!!So proud that my novel BEFORE & AFTER YOU & ME has just won a Gold Medal in the YA- Mature Issues category of the 2025 Moonbeam Book Awards!

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m delving into why I titled my book Your Book Matters and why this is something I believe so deeply.A wonderful listener emailed me in response to a podcast episode where I mentioned my, at the time, soon-to-be-released book title. They shared that most books don’t actually matter – that with a creative pursuit you’re the only one it matters to, otherwise you’re setting yourself up for major disappointment. Listen in as I respond with:How I see this as a "yes and" situation.Why it’s important to focus on the reasons that your book matters to yourself.Why I firmly believe your book will matter to other people.How knowing what motivates you allows you to design the best accountability system for yourself.Intangible ways that we can measure our success and impact on others.My dear friend, I want to assure you–now, more than ever, your writing matters. Telling your stories is a brave act. Sharing your perspective is mighty. Your ideas, your thoughts, your words–they might be the very lifeline someone else is desperately waiting for. If nothing else, carving out time for your writing is important because it sustains your own soul. Let it be an escape. Let it fill up your inner well. Let it connect you to the deepest, truest part of yourself–rejuvenating your energy to care for others and fight important battles out in the world.Ready to write your dang book!? Join my Thriving Authors Academy before we start October 6th! Find all the details at thrivingauthorsacademy.com

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m excited to share my conversation with my client and dear friend Olive Mazerolle, whose memoir Dancing With the Clouds was published last summer.I’m so proud of Olive for writing this brave and beautiful book, which she worked on throughout her time in my Thriving Authors Academy! It's been just such an honor to journey with her and support her through the book-birthing experience – and in this podcast episode, she shares a bit about what her experience going through the program was like.Olive also shares:When she knew there was a book inside of her that she was meant to write.How the process of writing can be a gift to others.Why she decided to sign up for Thriving Authors Academy and her biggest takeaways from being part of it.The most intimidating part of birthing her memoir and what gave her the confidence to go forward.About Olive: Olive Mazerolle grew up in a small fishing village called Baie Sainte-Anne on the most easterly point of New Brunswick. As a civilian employee, Olive gave thirty-five years of her life to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. At the end of her career, after experiencing both personal and professional traumas, she found herself diagnosed with moderate-to-severe PTSD. Through years of seeking the psychological help she needed, she finally understood that her traumas had led her to Post Traumatic Growth (PTG). For Olive, PTG was transformative and brought the realization that she had actually grown after adversity. She turned towards altruism, opened up to new experiences, became spiritually mature and embraced gratitude for the life she now lives, saying, “Without these challenges, I may not be the person I am proud to be today.” Her only hope for this, her first book, is that it can help others. >> The doors are OPEN for the next round of Thriving Authors Academy! Will you join us when we start on October 6th? Come write your book these next six months! Claim your spot at www.thrivingauthorsacademy.com

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m diving into two common objections that I hear over and over from the women who are considering joining Thriving Authors Academy. These objections might resonate with you, too, so I wanted to talk about them and pose some questions for you to think about.If you’re feeling resistant to committing to write your book, this episode will help you figure out if now is the right time to jump in and how you can guarantee that this investment is going to pay off.After listening to the episode, if you’re still wondering “Can I really do this?” – let's hop on a call and we can talk through it together. There's no pressure and you're not wasting my time. During our call I’ll be a mirror for you, reflecting back to you the truth that you are sharing, so that you are able to go after your dream of becoming a published author in whatever is the best way for you to do that.AND if now is the time – and you are ready to go all in to write your book – register by September 19th & get a BONUS Book Breakthrough 1:1 60-minute Intensive ($399 value) so that you can get personal support around wherever you are stuck on your book & can make the most of the Thriving Authors Academy when it starts Oct 6th! Find more details at ThrivingAuthorsAcademy.com

In this episode, I am excited to share with you these simple reflection questions that will help you feel more confident, motivated, and connected with your writing project. And there's still time to apply for the Thriving Authors Academy scholarship! Deadline is September 5. These questions are part of the easy online application: http://bit.ly/TAAScholarship

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m excited to feature my interview with life coach Amber Curtis, PhD from her talk, Top Productivity Tips for Getting Your Book Done, during last year’s Thriving Authors Summit.If you want to avoid procrastination and anticipate the obstacles that might get in the way of you actually getting your book written and into the world this episode is for you! Amber has all the productivity tips for you, including 2 contrasting approaches: the domino versus snowball strategy, so you can choose what works for you!About Amber: Amber Curtis, PhD (Founder, Solutions for Simplicity) helps ambitious, high achieving women maximize their time and energy for who and what they love. A professor by day, business owner by night, and mom of four throughout, Amber knows all too well how challenging it is to juggle life’s many demands and opportunities. She shares an array of science-backed resources for living a more purposeful and productive life.

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m sharing what I do at the beginning of each month as I reflect on my writing routine to see if there is anything I want to adjust or work on moving forward.There’s nothing like the clean slate of a brand-new month to check in on YOUR writing goals! This is not a time to judge yourself, criticize yourself, or feel guilty for what you haven’t done. Instead, this is meant to be an inspiring & encouraging time!Listen to the episode as I describe why this practice of intentional reflection works and how it has helped me to adjust my writing routine. Then grab your journal, brew a hot cup of tea, and light a cozy candle. Here are 7 questions to reflect on:1. What emotions or adjectives would I use to describe my current writing routine?2. How do I WANT my writing to feel? What emotions or adjectives come up?3. When is my ideal creative time? When do I feel most alive and inspired?4. What project lights me up the most right now? What do I want to devote my time to this month?5. What is a big writing goal I am working on? What would be an amazing smaller goal to accomplish by the end of the month that would really move me forward toward that big goal?6. What affirmation resonates with me right now in my writing life?7. Bonus: block off time on the calendar to write! Even if it’s just 10-15 minutes!I hope this exercise was helpful for you to acknowledge where you are, take stock of your goals and dreams, and make a plan to get there!And if you are an entrepreneur who wants to write and publish the book inside your heart, I’d love for you to join me in my Facebook group called Women Entrepreneurs Becoming Best Selling Authors. This free community is the perfect place to share what came up for you with this exercise and any goals you have so we can cheer you on – and also to provide a little extra accountability for you, too!

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m giving you my best tips for a successful, fun, and fabulous book event! Coming off two recent book launches and a joint book event with my dad (whose debut novel, The Butterfly Tree, came out earlier this year) at Timbre Books in Ventura, CA, I have a lot to share!You’ll hear ideas around mindset and practical strategies, including:How to make it as easy as possible for bookstores to partner with you.The difference between a book signing and a book event.My favorite format for book events and how to prepare.Logistics that are important to work out with the bookstore before the event.Ideas to spread the word about the event to make it as successful as possible.A list of what to bring the day of your event.I hope these tips inspire you to get out there so readers can celebrate you and your beautiful book – in a way that allows you to soak in this special memory and truly enjoy your book event.Here’s the link I mentioned I’d share: Episode 137: Tips for Your Author Photo Shoot. And also, make sure to grab the pdf with all the tips here: Tips for a fantastic book event.pdf

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I share a little love note from my heart to yours. I also reflect on my daughter's namesake, my Grandma Auden, and how so many of us have no idea how far our legacies extend, the ripples that we create, the ways that we touch other people's lives.I touch on: Why being a book coach is so important to me.How I’m trying to show my children the power of building a life around my creative energy. The huge shift that happens when we start to put ourselves, put our joy, put our creativity first in our lives.What feedback I received from people in my Facebook community and on my newsletter list that helped me create a new program.And if you’re looking to write a book as part of your legacy, let’s make it happen!Join Your Book Roadmap for the next round that starts August 4, 2025, and by the end of our eight weeks together you’ll truly see yourself as an author. You’ll have the first chapter of your book DONE and all the momentum you need to continue! It’s a small group with limited spots so grab yours today at https://www.dallaswoodburn.com.Or you can grab YOUR BOOK MATTERS: 52 love notes from my creative heart to yours, to help you write the book inside your heart. Part reflective journal, part motivational cheerleader, part accountability guide, YOUR BOOK MATTERS (available on Amazon) will give you a little burst of inspiration every week of the year, so that you can feel supported as you go through the natural ups and downs of the creative process.

In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I’m talking with my wonderful friend Greta Woolley about her incredible book “S.O.S.: Survival Guide for Teachers, Old and New.” I was honored to be able to support her in writing this book over the course of my 8-week writing program Your Book Roadmap. (And Greta recently published her second beautiful book, "Grief's Child: The Ups and Downs and All Arounds of Love, Loss and Life.")It was really so beautiful and incredible for me to witness and journey with her as this book poured out of her!Greta shares:How she knew she was ready to write her book and how it wasn’t the spectacular moment she thought it would be.The challenges she went through during her writing process and what kept her going.Her favorite writing exercise to implement when she was worrying about her book.What she feels and how she’s different now that her book is out in the world.I think you’ll be inspired by this conversation and what you can do when you allow yourself to be supported along your writing journey.About Greta:Greta Woolley walks alongside students, families, and educators to create needs-fulfilling environments that positively support academic achievement while growing students’ social and emotional competence. She has spent the past 35 years working as a front-line teacher in the trenches for both general and exceptional student education settings, as a District Trainer, ESE Specialist, Instructional Mentor, and Site-Based Behavior Specialist. She lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband Chris and two daughters, Julia and Jaclyn. Connect with her on Instagram @themindfulmentor_ and her Substack https://gretawoolley.substack.com/Join Your Book Roadmap for the next round that starts August 4, 2025, and by the end of our eight weeks together you’ll truly see yourself as an author. You’ll have the first chapter of your book DONE and all the momentum you need to continue! It’s a small group with limited spots so grab yours today at https://www.dallaswoodburn.com.Listen at https://www.thrivingauthorspodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts.