Episodes
A podcast for aspiring writers and first-time indie authors who have always wanted to write a book but don’t know where to start. Encouragement, resources, and honest conversations from host Inger Johnson. New episodes every week.
All Episodes
- SHOW NOTES:What genre is your book?It sounds like a simple question… until your book refuses to fit neatly into one box.In this episode, I explore what genres actually do, the difference between genre and audience, why genre matters when choosing BISAC categories and keywords, and what happens when your stories cross genre lines.I also…
- SHOW NOTES: You launched your book! Congratulations! And apparently… everyone has been waiting for this moment so they can help you. Podcast bookings. Book clubs. Trailers. Marketing packages. Friendly messages from fellow authors who—four DMs later—just happen to know someone who can promote your book. Some of that interest is genuine. Some of it…
- SHOW NOTES: What happens when a family story refuses to stay in the attic? In this guest episode of Your Book Is In There, I sit down with historical fiction author Sara Fox to talk about the remarkable journey behind A Legacy Forged—from a ten-year-old boy walking 30 miles to Birmingham during the Industrial…
- SHOW NOTES:Starting a book can feel exhilarating. Finishing one? That takes something different. A listener asked a wonderfully simple question: “What KEEPS you writing?” In this episode, I explore what happens after the initial spark fades—when life interrupts, self-doubt creeps in, and that exciting new story starts to feel like work. I share what…
- SHOW NOTES:This week on Your Book Is In There, host Inger E. Johnson flips the script and shares a conversation from the other side of the mic. Inger sits down with Chris Damron of The Collective Cast, brought to you by Arizona Business Collective, to talk about her writing journey, her debut novel Veiled…
- SHOW NOTES:Everyone tells new writers to plan, polish, learn the craft, and find the “right” tools. But sometimes all that preparation becomes the very thing that keeps us from writing.In this episode, we’re kicking the “but” out of the room — at least long enough to let the story exist.We’ll talk about the Creator…
- Last week’s episode covered the practical side of ARCs. This week, we flip the script and explore the unexpected joy of becoming an ARC reader yourself. From social-media ARC communities to discovering talented indie authors you might never have found otherwise, early reading can feel a little like treasure hunting. Not every book will…
- What exactly is an ARC, and do you actually need one? In this episode, Inger E. Johnson breaks down Advanced Reader Copies from the ground up — no hype, no pressure, just clear, practical information from someone who recently ran her first ARC campaign for her debut novel Veiled Halos. You’ll learn what ARCs…
- In this special launch-day episode of Your Book Is In There, host Inger E. Johnson pauses to reflect on the journey from “Can I really do this?” to “Look what I did.” Yesterday marked the official release of her debut novel, Veiled Halos: A Saga of Betrayal and Redemption, and today she’s taking a…
- Ever published a book only to have no one find it? The problem might not be your writing it might be your metadata. In this episode of Your Book Is In There, host Inger E. Johnson demystifies book metadata: what it actually is, why it matters, and how to use it to help the…
- A monster mix-up in the last episode (manticore vs. minotaur, if you’re keeping track) sends host Inger E. Johnson down an unexpected path this week — straight into one of publishing’s hottest debates: AI. She unpacks the difference between generative and assistive AI, shares her own experiment running a manuscript through an AI writing platform,…
- Book distribution can feel like a maze once you decide to go wide — and in this episode, Inger Johnson maps out exactly how it works. She breaks down the two biggest distributors, IngramSpark and Draft2Digital, covering pricing, royalties, pros and cons, and the hybrid strategy most successful indie authors are using in 2026. Drawing…
- In this candid, unscripted episode, Inger Johnson steps away from her promised book-distribution deep-dive to share something more personal: the joy of holding her debut novel, Veiled Halos, in print for the first time — and the overwhelm that followed. She opens up about her writing process, why she switched to Scrivener, and the moment…
- Ever wondered if you need to copyright your manuscript before sending it to beta readers? In this episode, Inger Johnson demystifies one of the most misunderstood topics for aspiring authors: copyright. She breaks down what copyright actually is, when it kicks in automatically, why (and how) to officially register it with the US Copyright Office,…
- A solo episode that demystifies the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) for aspiring and first-time self-publishing authors. Inger explains what an ISBN is, why it matters, the difference between free platform ISBNs and owning your own, and how to set yourself up correctly for wide distribution — including navigating KDP and IngramSpark together. Show Notes…
- Have you been carrying a story inside you — for years, maybe decades — but never quite given yourself permission to begin? In this episode, Inger shares the personal journey that led her to finally write Veiled Halos after nearly thirty years of “someday.” From the galvanizing moment that pulled the story out of her…
- Publishing your first book is supposed to feel like winning — so why do so many authors feel lost, exposed, and strangely empty afterward? In this episode, Inger Johnson gets honest about the emotional reality of what it actually feels like to publish your first book: the euphoria, the vulnerability, the post-launch silence, the creative…
- Should your book be a standalone or a series? It sounds like a simple creative question — but it shapes everything: your writing process, your reader expectations, your marketing strategy, and your long-term author career. In this episode, Inger Johnson breaks down the real differences between standalones and series, explores the psychology of readers, and…
- In this episode, host Inger Johnson dives into the second half of publishing — distribution and marketing — for authors who don’t have a $60,000 budget. She breaks down the KU vs. going wide decision, explains the acronyms nobody warned you about, and shares practical, realistic strategies for getting your book discovered. Plus, a mindset…
- You typed “The End” — so now what? Inger walks through what happens after the manuscript is done, drawing on her own experience publishing Veiled Halos: choosing the self-publishing path, navigating publishing services, and learning why professional editing matters.