The Written Word Podcast
The Written Word Podcast
Podcast Description
A podcast for authors who want to build successful writing careers. Each episode explores the business and craft of being an author, with practical strategies for selling more books, growing your audience, and navigating the publishing world. Presented by Written Word Media.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on various themes related to the business of being an author, including marketing strategies, audience growth, and the intricacies of the publishing world. Episodes cover topics such as effective email marketing strategies, emerging trends from major author conferences, and the impact of offering free books as a promotional strategy. Specific episodes include deep dives on email promos and insights from major indie author events.
A podcast for authors who want to build successful writing careers. Each episode explores the business and craft of being an author, with practical strategies for selling more books, growing your audience, and navigating the publishing world. Presented by Written Word Media.
Most authors never consider the speaking stage, but according to Jess Ekstrom, it might be the most powerful income stream they’re missing.
In this episode, Ricci sits down with Jess Ekstrom, Forbes Top Motivational Speaker, founder of Headbands of Hope, and creator of Mic Drop Workshop, to break down exactly how authors (yes, even fiction authors!) can turn their stories and expertise into paid keynote speaking careers.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why the “you’re either a speaker OR an author” myth is dead wrong, and how doing both makes you better at each
- How fiction authors can build keynote careers even when they’re not speaking to other authors
- The “transformation promise” framework, the one question that unlocks your entire speaking pitch
- How to find speaking gigs and build inbound opportunities through LinkedIn and social media
- What speaking actually pays, from beginner rates ($500–$5K) to seasoned speakers ($35K+)
- The halo effect: how speaking can drive book sales (80% of Jess’s first book sales came from stages)
- Why community is the secret weapon for building a sustainable speaking career
Jess also shares details on her new book, Making It Without Losing It (out May 2026), and the upcoming Mic Drop Workshop Boot Camp starting April 20th.
Want to learn more ways to reach readers? Visit writtenwordmedia.com for author resources, book promotion tools, and more.
The Written Word Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.
© 2026 Written Word Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.