Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me: The podcast where two bestselling romance authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between.
In Season 2, Episode 6, hosts Kandi Steiner and Giana Darling share life updates, celebrate publishing milestones, and break down exactly what they would do differently if they were building an indie author career from scratch today.
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00:00 – Welcome to Talk Spicy to Me
00:55 – Travel episode & Kandi's ski trip in Deer Valley
02:31 – Learning to ski
04:38 – Season sponsors
05:18 – Spice Report
18:03 – Main Topic: Building an indie career from scratch
18:34 – Step 1: Identify your author identity
20:37 – Step 2: Start with a series of standalones
22:28 – Series strategy & saving the fan favorite for last
23:42 – Step 3: Market research & branding
25:52 – Recovering covers & packaging pivots
27:40 – Thinking like a business person
29:16 – Testing covers, blurbs & ads
31:02 – New Release Spotlight: Safe Haven by Kristen Proby
32:00 – Courses & free resources
36:11 – Write more than one book
37:45 – Rapid release strategy
39:02 – Newsletter & reader funnel
41:20 – Film everything (sell the journey)
42:43 – Building super fans
44:02 – Stay positive in the community
45:36 – Sponsor spotlight: Piper Rayne
46:34 – Red Flag / Green Flag: Office Romance
50:32 – Reader Question: Special edition book process
NEW RELEASE SPOTLIGHT
Safe Haven by Kristen Proby
Hockey romance, best friends to lovers, found family, and a protective hero.
Link: https://amzn.to/4gkydGd
SEASON SPONSORS
Piper Rayne – The Hot Shot
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Hotshot-Piper-Rayne-ebook/dp/B0F3FP2WHQ
Lena Hendrix
Chasing the Sun (Star Harbor, Book 1)
Link: https://geni.us/chasingthesun1
Website: https://www.lenahendrix.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlenahendrix
Willow Aster
What It Takes (Windy Harbor Series, Book 2)
Link: https://geni.us/WhatItTakes
Website: https://www.willowaster.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willowaster/
WHERE TO FIND EVERYONE
Talk Spicy to Me
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkspicytomepodcast
Spotify/Apple: @talkspicytomepodcast
Youtube: @talkspicytomepodcast
Hosts
Giana Darling
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gianadarlingauthor
Website: https://gianadarling.com/
Kandi Steiner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kandisteiner
Website: https://kandisteiner.com/
AFTER DARK (Patreon Exclusive)
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Join the Patreon for bonus episodes, extended conversations, and exclusive content:https://www.patreon.com/c/TalkSpicytoMePodcast
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