If world events (or personal challenges) have you feeling too stressed to write, this episode will help you find your way forward again. Isabel walks you through how to care for yourself in the immediate aftermath of grief, how to find safety and reconnect with the importance of telling stories, and then ends the episode with a guided exercise to help you connect to your story before your next writing session.

If you’d like to jump to the guided meditation, go to [22:44].

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

With the devastating election results coming in today, I've pivoted this week's episode to a replay of my How to Be Resilient AF workshop. Resilience is going to be more important than ever, and while this training was written with publishing in mind, the same emotional processing tools apply here, too.

*** 

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author.

To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Isabel coaches debut author Lacey N. Dunham on her Book 2 anxiety, including how to lean into your natural process and when to loop in your agent to get clarity about the pros and cons of different delivery dates for the proposal.

To learn more about Lacey visit her website, follow her on Instagram, or subscribe to her substack.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Last week I presented my How to BE a Writer workshop, and today I'm sharing it with all of you, too! Learn how to let go of the advice that feels like shit in your body and connect to the version of you who has achieved all your goals without any of those "have to" items you hate so much. 

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Writing is a little bit (okay, perhaps a LOT bit) magical. Even if you're more of a realist, this episode makes the case for why thinking about storytelling this way can help you step into your power as a writer. 

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

If you're looking to increase your word count (or the number of books you read in a year), telling yourself that you're wrong for not doing it the way everyone else says you should is one of the fastest ways to slow your progress. 

You are not wrong. The way you prefer to create (or parent or learn or whatever) is not wrong. Embracing what works best for you--though challenging, thanks to societal influences--is the fastest and most fun way to reach your goals. 

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

How often do you show up for the writing sessions than you plan for yourself? If it's less than 90% (or if you don't get as much done during those sessions as you want), then this podcast is for you. I teach my 3-step process to creating a writing schedule that you can follow.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

A lot of us mistakenly wait to feel motivated before we write, but it's pretty damn hard to feel motivated without a little momentum. The good news? There are lots of easier-to-access emotions (like curiosity and willingness) that can create the momentum you need to feel motivated. 

Also... THE COLDEST TOUCH is out in paperback today! Get your copy here!

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Ya girl has COVID so this week I'm bringing you a quick episode that's unscripted and unedited (though I did cut out the coughing - y'all don't need to hear that) about why arguing with reality is a waste of time and why you should decide on purpose the future reality you'd like to create.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Friends, you are in for a TREAT! Karen Strong, author of Just South of Home  and Eden's Everdark  (which is out today!), joins us today to share her advice for taking a long-term view to your writing career. Karen is also the editor of the forthcoming YA anthology Cool. Awkward. Black. and was a contributor to two Star Wars anthologies (Stories of Jedi & Sith and From a Certain Point of View ) and also had a short story in A Phoenix First Must Burn, which was edited by Patrice Caldwell. 

Get signed copies of Eden's Everdark (available at Brave + Kind Bookshop) by clicking here.

Visit Karen at her website, on twitter, or on Instagram. 

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

We tell stories because we love it ... or, at least, that's how it started. Yet many writers find themselves miserable and burnt out on the road to achieving that dreams. Unfortunately, getting a book deal often just exacerbates the shitty feelings you're already experiencing. So in this episode, I share the most effective way to put the fun back in fiction. 

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

One of the biggest fears I hear from new writers is that their writing sucks. Here's the thing, friends. It probably does. But that's not actually a problem. In this episode, I tell you why it's actually totally fine to suck and what to do about it when you do.

Content note: in the first part of the episode, I get a little emotional talking about my spouse's accident and updates with our foster kiddo. If that stuff might trigger you, you can skip to around the 13:30 min mark to get to the teaching portion of the episode. Take care of yourselves. <3 

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Traditional publishing is full of all sorts of inequities and strange business practices that leave authors scratching their heads thinking, "WTF is happening? Do they not like making money???" 

And while we can't wave a magic wand and fix this archaic industry that we still love (or at least choose to participate in), we CAN reclaim our power and authority over our own careers. 

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Isabel coaches L.L. Madrid about what to do when you feel yourself freezing up when you sit down to write. This is a common response for many authors who achieve a new level of success in their career (such as finally selling a debut or writing the follow-up to a surprise hit). 

L.L.'s debut, My Lips, Her Voice comes out Fall 2025. You can learn more on her website here. 

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author.

To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Do you believe in your writing goals? Or are they just a pretty fantasy you escape to from time to time? Knowing the difference is vital if you actually want to achieve your dreams. And today, I'm teaching you how to diagnose whether you believe AND how to fix it if you don't.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

There are two main camps of writers: those who love revision and those who hate it. I fall firmly in the former, and it's part of my mission to help other writers love revision, too. Today, I talk about some of the mindset tweaks you can make to bring more fun into your revising process. 

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Writing a novel is hard. But so is feeling disappointed year after year that you don't achieve your dream of writing one. In today's episode, I talk about how to choose which version of hard will bring you closer to your dream life.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Burnout doesn't just affect writers - it's infiltrated all levels of traditional publishing. This week, I chatted with literary agent and certified life coach, Jessica Killingley, about the industry's burnout and what we can do about it.

Learn more about Jessica's coaching practice at: www.jessicakillingley.com

This Jessica might be the agent for you? Learn more about her agency here: www.thebksagency.com

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Writing a novel is a genuinely challenging thing to do. It brings up all of our self-doubts, plus, it's a process that takes months to YEARS to complete. So why do we put ourselves through all that? In this episode, I share some of the reasons writing is worth the effort.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Writing a novel requires you to make a nearly infinite amount of decisions. From big picture decisions like your protagonist's driving desire to micro decisions like word choice and where to break each paragraph, every decision pulls from your daily decision-making reserve. But leaving decisions unmade isn't an option. Eventually, you have to choose your path.

In today's episode, I teach you a 4-step process for closing decision loops and getting your story moving again.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

To wrap up our Pride Month series, today I'm sharing an interview with Shelly Page, an agented YA writer who is in a not-often-talked-about stage of her career. She has secret news she can't talk about yet and is waiting to hear back from an editor on a revise and resubmit! We talk about burnout when you feel *this close* to achieving your dream and how Shelly carves out specific time each day for self-care.

You can keep in touch with Shelly at her website and on twitter!

Update! Shelly's 2024 debut novel, Brewed with Love , is available for preorder here!

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Today I'm joined by NYT best selling author, Aiden Thomas, who launched his debut YA novel, Cemetery Boys, during the first year of the pandemic. His second book, Lost in the Never Woods, came out in 2021, and because this pandemic is apparently never ending, his third book, The Sunbearer Trials, will be his 3rd release, out on September 6th! Aiden is one of the most delightful humans, and I'm so excited for you to hear from them directly in today's interview.

Books recommended by Aiden in this episode: 

• Never Say You Can't Survive: How to Get Through Hard Times by Making Up Stories by Charlie Jane Anders
• Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

[Click the book titles to order your copy from Aiden's favorite indie: Powell's Books!]

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Mara Fitzgerald and Christine Lynn Herman are back for part 2 of our conversation. In this episode, we talk about how we fit writing into our lives and how being queer affects our relationship with publishing (and burnout).

Buy Christine's Books:

• The Devouring Gray
• The Deck of Omens
• All of Us Villains (co-written with Amanda Foody)
• The Drowning Summer

Buy Mara's Books:

• Beyond the Ruby Veil 
• Into the Midnight Void 

Buy Isabel's Books:

• These Witches Don't Burn
• This Coven Won't Break
• The Coldest Touch

And if you love the podcast, leave us a review to help other writers find us!

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

I'm joined today by two fabulous authors Christine Lynn Herman and Mara Fitzgerald to talk all things author burnout - especially post debut! 

**INFOSTACK BUNDLE** For one absurdly low price, you get lifetime access to my masterclass (Create Better Characters with Coaching) along with 30+ other writerly tools - including courses on marketing, building an author platform, and so much more. CLICK HERE to see all the tools included in this bundle! 

Christine's Books:

• The Devouring Gray
• The Deck of Omens
• All of Us Villains (co-written with Amanda Foody)
• The Drowning Summer

Mara's Books:

• Beyond the Ruby Veil 
• Into the Midnight Void 

Isabel's Books:

• These Witches Don't Burn
• This Coven Won't Break
• The Coldest Touch

And don't forget the Write Publish Profit 5.0 bundle! Sale ends June 14, 2022!

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Isabel coaches Sasa Hawk on the (very normal!) insecurities about her second book, imposter syndrome, and the fear of disappointing her editor. Later in the episode, the pair talk about simplifying marketing and social media.

Sasa's debut, Unlock the Dark, is available for preorder here and releases on February 25, 2025. You can follow Sasa on Instagram or Threads.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

One of the fastest way to kill your creative drive is to tell yourself, "I'm not a real writer." Today I examine where those thoughts come from, why they crush creativity, and what to do about it.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Shame is one of the most common--yet least effective--ways we try to convince ourselves to get to work. In today's episode, I explain why shame is such a shitty motivator and what to try instead.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

We all do it. We have something we want, but we're afraid to just go for it and take the plunge. So instead, we ask everyone we know (and sometimes strangers on the internet, too) what we should do. Except ... we don't want their actual advice. We just want proof that someone approves of what we want to do. This is super common, but it robs us of our agency and authority.

This episode shows you how to recognize when it's happening and take your power back.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Burnout in publishing is A Thing, but whose responsibility is it to reduce burnout and create a more sustainable publishing ecosystem? The publishing industry? Or individual writers (and editors, agents, etc.)? As far as I'm concerned, the answer is both, and today's episode explains why.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Sometimes choosing your next writing project is easy. You have something under contract or one idea that's been calling your name for months. Other times though ... it can be a lot trickier. If you're torn between two different projects, today's podcast will help you choose which one to write next. (And as a bonus, you can use this technique for all sorts of life decisions, too!)

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Victoria Schwab once told me at a writing retreat that if you stay in publishing long enough, you'll experience every kind of up and down there is, from cancelled series to best selling books.

I love that advice, and I think the same is true for our emotions during the pursuit of (and the having of) our dreams. We have to be willing to feel all those emotions if we want to create sustainable publishing careers.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

You can guarantee your writing success. Yes, even in traditional publishing, where so much is outside of our direct control. We make success inevitable when we commit to Massive Action. This episode will tell you how.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Nearly all writers deal with Imposter Syndrome at some point, but where does it come from? (Hint: the patriarchy plays a role.) And once we know WHY we have it, how do we get better at believing in our own talents and skills? Friends, for part of our solution, I invite you to Celebration Station.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

We know better than to shit on ourselves, but did you know that "should-ing" on yourself puts a damper on your creativity, too? In today's episode, I talk about the ways we use "should" against ourselves and how to take your power back.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Curious about the "acronym thing" last week's guest mentioned? Today, I give an overview of the self-coaching model (developed by Brooke Castillo of The Life Coach School) that I use with my clients and how it applies to publishing. 

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Isabel coaches Michelle J on how to choose which project to write next and how to make the most of short downtime between edit passes.

Michelle's debut, The Divide that Binds Us, releases May 16, 2025. You can preorder the book here or add it on Goodreads.

You can learn more about Michelle on her website.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Curious about coaching but not sure what it's like? In this episode, I talk to writer buddy and occasional client, Erica Davis, about her experience coaching with me. She shares how coaching helped her love revision (after decades of hating it), how coaching is different than therapy, and at the end we get dorky and talk about her tarot reading business, Dork Witch!

Links from the episode:

• Erica's website 
• The origins of the Worry Bucket (podcast episode)
• Patriarchy Stress Disorder by Valerie Rein, PhD
• Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
• Serena Hicks (another coach I follow and adore)

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Wondering what exactly burnout is and where it comes from? This is the perfect place to start. Why? Well, burnout doesn't come from WHAT you're doing. It comes from WHY you're doing those things. 

Don't worry, I explain it all in today's episode. 

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Whether you call it writer's block, lack of inspiration, or feeling stuck, the result is the same: you, staring at the blank page, unable to write.

In order to solve writer's block, you need to know what's causing it. This episode walks you through the 5 main causes, how to diagnose them, and how to get writing again.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

The lure of the shiny new idea is strong, but should you actually abandon your current project? Today's podcast helps you decide when quitting is a good idea.

Click here for the IG post with the "Should I Quit?" flowchart.

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Do you ever feel like you're wasting your time trying to write a novel? Do you get upset when you have to throw away an entire draft that doesn't work? In today's episode, Isabel sheds light on her belief that no writing is ever wasted. 

***

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

How do I trust myself to finish my book if I let myself rest whenever I want? How will I hit deadlines if I set a low Minimum Enoughness Measure? 

These are common questions, and in today's podcast, Isabel addresses them head on. She talks about the importance of cultivating self-trust  and provides a process to help you flex that muscle more often. 

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Our culture celebrates being busy, but the devaluation of rest is driving so many in publishing right to burnout. Isabel explains why being busy is bad for your creativity and introduces the MEM (Minimum Enoughness Measure) as a way to combat our tendency to overwork. 

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Do you find yourself constantly refreshing your inbox while querying (or while waiting for notes from your editor/agent)? In today's episode, Isabel breaks down why we do this, why it feels terrible, and how to break the habit so we can get focused on what we love: writing something new.

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

This isn't a first person vs third person debate. Today, we take a look at the POV you're choosing for your own personal writing life and whether it's helping or hurting you.

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

As writers, we're a pretty creative bunch. Unfortunately, that means we also get pretty creative about the lies we concoct about the future. In today's episode, Isabel breaks down the lies we tell ourselves about getting a book deal and why that can lead to burnout.

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The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here. 

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. 

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode! 

Isabel coaches 2025 debut author, Veronica Bane, about how to make connections with fellow authors at events without feeling salesy, including how to lean into your natural social superpowers.

Veronica's debut, Difficult Girls, is coming out summer 2025.

Follow Veronica on Instagram. Add Difficult Girls on Goodreads.

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Isabel coaches debut author Jamie D'Amato on drafting under deadline for the first time. We discuss how to decrease self-imposed pressure, the desire for the first draft to be "right," and taking the fear out of worst case scenarios.

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

It’s time for another nerdy episode, friends! I love, love, love using Google Calendar to organize my writing life. I use it to schedule time to write, keep track of my progress, and prevent Accomplishment Amnesia. Today, I’m breaking down exactly how I use my calendar, why those techniques are so effective, and how you can make calendaring work for you and your brain.

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!

Once you have a book under contract, gone are the days when you can spend your time between deadlines doing nothing. At least, that’s how it feels. Authors face all sorts of pressures to always be working, to have multiple projects at different stages, in an effort to prevent any gaps in their publications. But how do you juggle those projects without burnout? Listen in for the answer.

The publishing industry is hard. That's why I created The Confident Author Academy. My 6-month, private coaching program (+ online course) helps you build the mental & emotional skills you need to thrive as an author. To learn more, schedule a free consult with me by clicking here.

Want access to my free monthly trainings? Sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

DM me on Instagram & let me know what you thought of this episode!