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Do you want to write a book, but something keeps holding you back? In this episode, I chat with Debs Penrice, a solution-focused therapist and founder of Story Healing in Bristol, England. Debs shares three things that can hold us back as writers... fear, shame, and pain. We talk about why healing comes before sharing, why you should get the whole story on the page first and decide what to share later, and how hypnotherapy calms the brain so the words can flow. Debs also takes us behind the scenes of Untold and Retold, a collaborative book that started with a simple LinkedIn post and brought together therapists, coaches, and well-being practitioners to turn real stories into fiction. Plus, she shares easy ways to get unstuck today, from a walk outside to why birdsong tells your brain it’s safe. Chapters: 0:42 – Welcome and Meet Debs Penrice 1:54 – Fear, Shame, and Pain: Why Writers Get Stuck 4:43 – How Much of Your Story Should You Share? 10:58 – Stepping Out of Your Story Like an Author 12:43 – What Hypnotherapy Really Is 14:27 – The Story Behind Untold and Retold 22:06 – What’s Next: Book Two in the Series 23:52 – Simple Ways to Get Unstuck 26:14 – Automatic Writing and Why Birdsong Calms Us 28:16 – Where to Find Debs Debs Penrice: linkedin.com/in/debspenrice27 Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

Do you ever sit down to promote your book and think, "I've already said everything"? Or worry that one more mention will sound like bragging? You're not alone. So many authors overthink this... and meanwhile, there's a whole book full of posts sitting right there on the desk. In this solo episode, I talk about why quotes from your own book are one of the easiest ways to keep the conversation going, and the three reasons most authors never use them. Then I walk you through my easy peasy four-word system for turning your book into social posts. You'll learn where to look for your most quotable lines, how to tell if a quote is a keeper, and why you have full permission to edit your own words. I also share a simple caption pattern, plus how one quote can turn into a whole week of content. Grab your book and a highlighter, because there's a little homework at the end. Chapters: 0:42 – Why Your Book Is Full of Posts 1:49 – The One Line People Remembered 3:20 – Three Reasons Authors Overthink This 5:57 – The Four-Word System and Step 1: Highlight 9:40 – Step 2: Trim (You Can Edit Your Own Words) 12:06 – Step 3: Share With a Simple Caption Pattern 14:13 – One Quote, a Whole Week of Posts 15:47 – Step 4: Repeat and Keep a Simple List 17:34 – Bonus Tip: Listen for Your Quotes 18:34 – Wrap-Up and Your Homework Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

Kris Ward is the founder of Win the Hour Win the Day, where she helps overworked founders who have hired before, and taken the work right back, finally fix the setup underneath their business. She rebuilds how the work moves and then trains the person who steps into it, so the business can finally run without her clients being in the room for every decision. Kris is also the author of the book Win the Hour Win the Day, and in this conversation, we talk about why "I don't have time to write a book" is a myth worth busting. We dig into why "someday" doesn't actually exist on anyone's calendar, how working backwards from a deadline can turn an overwhelming project into five manageable pages a day, and why batching your work by energy type, not just task type, changes everything. Kris also shares the real story behind her own book, including a season of life that forced her to put her systems to the ultimate test. If you've been telling yourself you'll write your book "someday," this episode is the nudge you need to put it on the calendar today. Chapters: 0:42 – Welcome and introducing Kris Ward 2:01 – Gillian's confession: finally leaving a book review, years later 3:49 – Kris's origin story: the real "house on fire" moment 5:20 – A life-changing pivot: her husband's cancer diagnosis 9:16 – Why "someday" doesn't exist, and busting the "no time to write" myth 12:13 – The calendar mistake that's costing you hours 12:51 – Do your hardest work first and work backwards from your deadline 24:04 – What batching really means, and the Super Toolkits that replaced SOPs 25:40 – Christine's story: from burnout to working two weeks a month 29:30 – Where to find Kris and wrap-up Kris Ward: linkedin.com/in/kriswardscalewithvirtualassistants Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

An email lands in your inbox. Someone loves your book. They want to share it with thousands of readers. And for a moment... you feel seen. In this solo episode, Gillian shares how she almost fell for an author scam. Twice. One email was full of gushing, personal praise about her book. The other was vague and generic, and seemed to come from a well-known media company. Two very different approaches, and both nearly worked. Gillian walks through the red flags she spotted once she put her detective hat on, and explains why these emails work so well on authors who are proud of their books and hoping someone will notice. You'll hear seven warning signs to watch for, what to do (and not do) when one of these emails shows up, and three websites worth bookmarking so you can check before you reply. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Chapters: 0:42 – My Confession: I Almost Fell for a Scam 3:47 – Red Flags Hiding in the Goodreads Email 6:47 – The People Inc. Emails (Two Editors-in-Chief?) 10:25 – The "Do You Have a Literary Agent?" Trap 11:56 – Why Flattery Works So Well on Authors 13:41 – What These Scam Emails Look Like 15:16 – Seven Red Flags to Watch For 18:06 – What to Do (and Not Do) When One Lands in Your Inbox 19:46 – Three Websites Worth Bookmarking 20:56 – Wrap-Up: If It Sounds Too Good to Be True... Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

Have you been getting messages in your LinkedIn inbox from someone you've never met, offering a brand-new AI tool that promises to save you time and grow your network? They're coming fast and furious. And a lot of authors are wondering… what's the harm? In this episode, I sit down with brand strategist and longtime LinkedIn expert Kevin D. Turner to talk about what these automation tools are really doing behind the scenes, and what saying yes could cost you. This conversation was originally recorded as an hour-long LinkedIn Live, and I've edited it down to the best 30 minutes for you. Kevin breaks down the three levels of risk, explains why "LinkedIn approved" doesn't always mean what you think it means, and shares the one list you should check before you say yes to anything. I also share what happened when one persistent pitch turned into something that really got under my skin, and I ask Kevin what I should do about it. Plus, you'll hear how to use your own LinkedIn data to get many of the same benefits for free. Because your LinkedIn network is where people find you… and your book. Resources Mentioned in This Episode LinkedIn Marketing Partner Directory business.linkedin.com/advertise/partners/find-a-partner Before you say yes to any automation tool, check this directory. If it's not on the list, you must resist. LinkedIn Terms of Service: User Agreement linkedin.com/legal/user-agreement When was the last time you actually read these? They've changed over the years, so it's worth a fresh look, especially at what they say about automation. LinkedIn Help: Download Your Data linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1339364 Your data belongs to you. Here's how to download it so you can back it up and put it to work, no paid tool required. Chapters: 0:42 – Those AI Pitches Flooding Your LinkedIn Inbox 2:18 – Meet Kevin D. Turner 4:13 – Why "Harmless" Tools Could Cost You Everything 10:28 – The Three Levels of Risk 16:30 – What "Scraping" Really Means 19:22 – When a Pest Put Me in His Demo 22:06 – Why You Should Download Your Own LinkedIn Data 27:20 – Report and Block 29:50 – If It's Not on the List, You Must Resist 32:02 – Red Flags and Final Takeaways Kevin D. Turner: linkedin.com/in/president Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

Some conversations start over coffee and just keep going. That is exactly what happened when I sat down, virtually, with Jen Laffin, an accountability coach for women business owners. We started comparing notes on what we were each seeing in our businesses, and a week later we turned that conversation into a Substack live. This episode is that conversation, brought straight to your podcast feed. Jen and I talk about writing a book like driving a car with four wheels. Two of those wheels are mindset, the self-doubt, the mind drama, the fear that shows up right when things start working. The other two are the actual road map, the writing and the publishing logistics. Get one flat and you are not going anywhere. In this episode, we get into the difference between being a writer and being an author, why self-publishing does not make you less credible, and why "I don't have time" is often hiding something else entirely. Oh, and there's a phrase in here about what needs to happen next that we think you will love. Time to get off your buts. Not sure yet if you're ready to write your book? Take the free assessment: bit.ly/EPB-AreYouReady Chapters: 0:42 – Meet Jen Laffin and How This Episode Came Together 3:27 – Why a Business Book Is a PR Tool in Disguise 5:21 – Monkey Mind, the Primal Brain, and Your Comfort Cave 10:02 – The Four Wheels: Mindset Meets the Road Map 14:56 – Too Many Ideas? Getting Unstuck From the Options Trap 20:48 – Writer or Author, and Accountability Without the Angst 28:18 – Self-Publishing Credibility, Where to Find Them, and Getting Off Your Buts Jen Laffin: linkedin.com/in/jen-laffin Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

You have the idea. You have the expertise. You might even have a landing page with a waiting list. But the book? Still not written. In this solo episode, Gillian Whitney gets honest about the real reasons smart, accomplished people stall out on writing their book. Spoiler: it is almost never about being too busy. From fear of judgment to perfectionism at the starting line to the surprisingly common issue of control, she unpacks what is really going on and why she calls them "safe problems." This episode is also for anyone who has been quietly wondering if they have left it too late. Gillian shares why there is no expiration date on writing your book, what Paulo Coelho's experience writing The Alchemist can teach us about just beginning, and two practical things you can do right now to get unstuck and moving forward. Because your book is not going to write itself. And the person waiting to read it is already out there. Chapters: 0:42 – The Colleague With All the Right Reasons 2:40 – Fear of Judgment (and What Paulo Coelho Can Teach Us) 5:59 – Perfectionism at the Starting Line 7:50 – The Control Issue Nobody Talks About 10:03 – Is This Even the Right Book? 13:19 – It's About Permission 15:13 – Two Things You Can Do Right Now Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

You wrote the book. But if you're not showing up on camera talking about it, does anyone actually know it exists? In this episode of the Easy Peasy Books Podcast, I'm sharing a conversation I originally recorded live on Substack with my friend Annette Richmond, a video coach who helps consultants and entrepreneurs stop dreading the camera and start showing up on it. Annette and I get into why every author needs to take off the author hat and put on the marketing hat, and why video is still the fastest way for people to get to know, like, and trust you enough to actually buy your book. We cover how to pull off an unboxing video without accidentally showing your home address, why a "why I wrote this book" video belongs in every author's launch plan, and how I used AI generated dachshund videos (yes, really) to promote my last book without ever feeling salesy. We also talk about why it's never too early and never too late to start documenting your book journey on camera, and what to do if the thought of turning on the camera still makes you want to run and hide. Chapters: 0:42 – Why This Conversation Belongs Here (My Intro) 2:57 – Author or Book: Picking One Focus Per Video 5:11 – Unboxing Videos Done Right (and the Address Mistake to Avoid) 6:56 – The "Why I Wrote This Book" Video Every Author Needs 11:18 – AI Video Tools: Dachshunds, Sora, and Having Fun With It 18:36 – Book Launch Lives and the FOMO Factor 22:33 – It's Never Too Early (or Too Late) to Start Filming 27:48 – Getting Over Camera Discomfort and the Wrap-Up Annette Richmond: linkedin.com/in/annetterichmond Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

You've written the book and now it's time to upload your manuscript to KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). You need to decide, right then and there, if you should exclusively go all in with Amazon only... or keep your options open, knowing it's not a decision you can just walk back tomorrow. Which is why it's critical you totally understand how KDP Select works before you say yay or nay. In this week's solo episode, I'm walking you through exactly what KDP Select does, the exclusivity trade-off nobody explains clearly, and a renewal trap that's caught more than one of my clients off guard. I'll also share why I protect two of my own six books from ever going free, and a strategic trick for using your free days with an advance reader team before launch day even arrives. By the end, you'll know exactly what you're trading away, and what you're getting in return, before you ever tick that box. Chapters:  0:41 – What Is KDP Select? 3:24 – My Own Story: Fear and My First Book 5:56 – The Exclusivity Catch and Your Sales Rank 9:22 – Kindle Countdown Deals (and Why You Can't Do Both) 12:46 – Strategy: Who Should Actually Use This 19:11 – Two Traps to Watch For (Auto-Renewal and KU Pricing) 23:50 – Street Teams, New vs. Existing Authors, and the Wrap-Up Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

You published your book. Now what? A lot of authors hit publish and just hope for the best, but that's not what today's guest did. She went after trade reviews, she applied for awards, and she found a way to get her self-published book into actual libraries. If you've ever wondered whether any of that stuff is worth the effort, this episode is going to answer that question. In this week's episode of the Easy Peasy Books Podcast, I sit down with author and visibility coach Susan Barber to talk about her journey from twenty-six years in corporate I.T. to writing two books, The Visibility Factor and Your Journey to Visibility Workbook, and building a podcast around the same message. We get into how she landed trade reviews that compared her to Brene Brown, what it took to become a Foreword INDIES finalist and bronze winner, why she skipped an ebook version of her workbook, and her advice for introverted authors who feel like promoting their book is the hardest part of the whole process. Chapters: 0:41 – Why Visibility Matters for Authors 5:59 – Turning a Book Into a Podcast and Expanding Your Message 8:12 – How Trade Reviews Build Credibility for Your Book 10:41 – Why Susan Created a Workbook as Her Second Book 16:41 – Publishing Decisions: Formats, Audiobooks, and Knowing When to Launch 21:48 – Book Awards, Libraries, and New Ways to Reach Readers 26:16 – Why Authors Have a Responsibility to Market Their Books Susan M. Barber: linkedin.com/in/susanbarbercoaching Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

I still remember the exact moment my husband Devon, who handled all my typesetting and layout, looked at me and said, "But it's your book." I had just yelled out, in complete frustration, "Can't you just decide?" after being hit with question after question about fonts, trim sizes, paragraph styles, and everything in between. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of decisions that come with self-publishing, this episode is for you. In this solo episode, I'm sharing exactly what I wish I'd known before I published my first book. I'll give you some simple, free homework you can start today, even if you haven't written a word yet, along with a surprising tip about paper color that could throw off your entire cover design if you don't catch it early. Plus, I'm sharing what six books' worth of trial and error taught me about finally landing on a system that works. Because here's the thing: how your book looks says just as much about your professionalism as what it says. 0:41 – Why Authors Need to Start Looking at Books Differently 2:41 – The Publishing Decisions That Overwhelmed Me 6:00 – How I Learned to Study Books Like a Publisher 9:10 – Using Amazon to Research Your Book Design 12:19 – The Book Design Decisions You Didn't Know You Had to Make 17:24 – What Six Self-Published Books Taught Me Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

You wrote the book. You published the book. And then you sat back and waited for the clients to roll in. But here's the thing nobody tells you. Getting your book onto Amazon isn't the finish line. It's the starting line. There's a gap between somebody reading your book and somebody actually becoming your client, and most authors don't even know it's there. They just wonder why the phone isn't ringing. In this week's episode of the Easy Peasy Books Podcast, I sit down with James Ranson, a book editor and ghostwriter who spent over a decade helping authors write their books before he made a big pivot. Now he helps them do the part that so many authors miss, turning readers into clients. We talk about why the "if you publish it, they will come" mindset quietly holds so many business authors back, and the surprisingly simple bridge James builds to close that gap. If you've got a book out there that just isn't bringing you the business you hoped for, this conversation is going to hit close to home. Chapters: 0:41 – Turning Your Business Book Into a Business Tool 4:38 – Why Your Book Alone May Not Generate Clients 10:07 – Bridging the Gap Between Reader and Customer 13:41 – Building Trust With a Value-Packed Email Sequence 18:39 – Why This Isn't Just Another Online Course 23:39 – Connecting Your Book to Your Email Strategy 29:41 – How James Helps Authors Monetize Their Books James Ranson: linkedin.com/in/james-ranson Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

You're not going insane, you're just not organized. That's the truth Gillian delivers in this solo episode, tackling a topic that sounds boring but might just save your book (and your sanity). Drawing on her surprising former career as a tech writer at a highly regulated blood bank, she explains why version control matters so much more than most authors realize, and shares two real stories, one about a colleague's confusing ebook update on Amazon, and one about a client who lost their entire manuscript after leaving a hybrid publisher with nothing to show for it. From Devon's copyright page numbering system, to tracking your ISBNs when you buy them in bulk, to the two simple tools Gillian recommends for busy professionals writing in the cracks of their day, this episode is a practical, no-fluff guide to keeping your author business organized. Because as Gillian puts it, borrowing from Ben Franklin himself, an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. You'll walk away with a simple system you can start using today, before your next revision turns into a full-blown crisis. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Amazon Help Topic: Update Your Kindle Book Version amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GBR7PXPE8JEJWM7U Trello: trello.com Penzu: penzu.com Chapters: 0:41 – Why Document Control Matters for Authors 2:24 – What Happens When You Have No System 3:30 – Why Document Control Became My Superpower 6:47 – Keeping Track of the Right Version 12:32 – ISBNs and Tracking Your Book Formats 19:22 – Using Trello as Your Book Command Center 21:16 – Using Penzu to Track Your Writing Journey Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

Have you ever sat down to write something and had it completely rearrange the way you think about your own business? That's exactly what happened to this week's guest. She set out to write a book covering all the different ways she helps her clients, and partway through, she started noticing a pattern. The same three problems kept showing up again and again. What began as research for a book ended up reshaping her entire business, narrowing her focus to the three things she now realizes matter most. My guest this week is Anna Bravington, founder of Creating the Curve, where she helps hands-on founders get their offer right, become visible, and explain clearly what they do. Her recently released book, Building Sh*t No One Wants, grew out of that very pivot, and Anna's road to writing it took a few unexpected turns along the way, from an early idea she eventually let go of, to a chapter she contributed to a collaborative marketing book, to finally sitting down and writing something entirely her own. We talk about how noticing patterns in her own content changed the direction of her business, why she believes you don't need a blank page to start writing, and her hope that more people will get their own knowledge out into the world, however they can. 0:41 - Welcome & Meet Anna Bravington 3:11 - Why Writing a Business Book Took Years 8:56 - From Expertise to a Finished Manuscript 14:41 - AI, Existing Content & Smarter Book Creation 19:41 - Building a Business Around Your Expertise 25:41 - Lessons for First-Time Business Authors 30:41 - Final Thoughts & Where to Connect Anna Bravington: linkedin.com/in/annabravington Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com

One hundred episodes. Never missed a single week. If podcasts gave out report cards, I think I'd earn an A for consistency. But here's what a milestone like this really makes you do: look back at where you started and be honest about how much has changed along the way. In this solo episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes of everything that shifted since episode 1, from the format, to the schedule, to a decision I almost made that would have ended this whole thing. I'll walk you through why I traded weekly livestreams for recorded episodes, why I eventually ditched video altogether, and a surprising milestone happening quietly in my LinkedIn newsletter that most listeners have no idea about. And I'll tell you about the moment I nearly threw in the towel, and the friend who talked me off that ledge with one unforgettable line. It's a story with an unexpected full-circle twist involving two women who happen to share the same first name and a whole lot more in common than that. Here's to the next hundred. Gillian Whitney: linkedin.com/in/gillianwhitneyFor more information checkout EasyPeasyBooks.com