The Conspire Podcast with Brandy Ange

S2E6 License to Sell: Book Cover Design, Blurbs & Formatting for Indie Authors

Readers ARE judging your book by its cover. And your blurb. The manuscript is done. Now the real strategy begins. In this episode we cover everything between finished draft and ready-to-distribute — cover design, blurbs, formatting, and editing — and we're not just checking boxes. We're building a packaging system that positions every book you publish as undeniably, unapologetically professional. No more "it looks a little indie." Because the smartest packaging decisions you make today will pay off across your entire backlist.   Links: Conspire Con [https://marturiapub.com/conspire-con/]  Conspire Planner  [https://marturiapub.com/conspire-planner/] Publisher Rocket [https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=441] (Keywords and Categories *affiliate*)  Conspire Planner Video Sneak Peek [https://youtu.be/vaCMkZStpOQ] Worksheet PDF [https://mailchi.mp/98ea0468a3e4/v42akqhdq6]   Resources Mentioned: Editing * Reedsy Marketplace (editors & cover designers): https://reedsy.com [https://reedsy.com] * Grammarly: https://grammarly.com [https://grammarly.com] * ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com [https://prowritingaid.com] * S2E4 (outsourcing episode): (your own internal link) Formatting * Vellum (Mac): https://vellum.pub [https://vellum.pub] * Atticus (Mac/PC/cross-platform): https://atticus.io [https://atticus.io] * Abode InDesign https://www.adobe.com/products/indesign.html [https://www.adobe.com/products/indesign.html] Cover Design * Reedsy Marketplace (cover designers): https://reedsy.com/design/book-cover-design [https://reedsy.com/design/book-cover-design] * 99designs: https://99designs.com [https://99designs.com] * Canva: https://canva.com [https://canva.com]

S1E5 Operative Instincts: How to Find Your Writing Process and Protect Your Output

You have a writing routine. But do you have a writing process? There's a difference — and it might be the reason your drafts take longer than they should, your revision passes feel endless, and your manuscript never quite feels done. In this episode we're going deep on operative instincts: figuring out whether you're a plotter, pantser, or plantser, designing a revision system that's actually strategic, and knowing when to call the draft done before perfectionism costs you your readers. This is the episode that turns how you write into a system that works.   Links: Conspire Con [https://marturiapub.com/conspire-con/]  Conspire Planner  [https://marturiapub.com/conspire-planner/] Publisher Rocket [https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=441] Conspire Planner Video Sneak Peek [https://youtu.be/vaCMkZStpOQ] Worksheet PDF [https://mailchi.mp/ac82b848904d/vn0q32ifc6]

S2E4 Field Ops: The Indie Author's Guide to Outsourcing, Hiring, and Funding Your Business

Every indie author is doing too much. But knowing what to hand off, when to hand it off, and how to pay for it when your royalties aren't cutting it yet? That's where it gets complicated. In this episode of Conspire, we're running a full field audit of your author business — breaking down exactly what to DIY, what to delegate, and what you should never cheap out on no matter where you are in your journey. Plus, how to fund your outsourcing before your book income can carry it. Because building an author business doesn't have to mean doing it all alone — it just means being strategic about when you ask for backup.   Links: Conspire Con [https://marturiapub.com/conspire-con/]  Conspire Planner  [https://marturiapub.com/conspire-planner/] Publisher Rocket [https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=441] Worksheet PDF [https://mailchi.mp/81333ca50d8b/4cohuzz8g0] Reedsy Publishing Services Directory  [https://reedsy.com/hire] Fiverr [https://www.fiverr.com/]   Rover [https://www.rover.com/]

S2E3 Intel Report: What Authors Actually Earn — and Why You're Not as Behind as You Think

Consider this episode classified information — because if you've ever seen another author's income numbers and immediately felt like you were failing, this is your debrief. We're pulling back the curtain on what authors — indie and traditional — actually earn, why the statistics look scarier than they are, and how to find yourself in the real picture. Plus, we're breaking down the revenue streams that serious authors are building right now, from the non-negotiables to the expansion plays that might genuinely surprise you. Consider this your permission slip to stop spiraling and start strategizing. 📚 SOURCES & RESEARCH NOTES Authors Guild 2023 Author Income Survey — 5,699 respondents, the largest U.S. author income study to date. Median book income all authors: $2,000/year. Full-time author median total writing income: $20,000/year. Romance author median: $31,725. Mystery/thriller: $10,000. Literary fiction: $5,000. Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) 2025 Indie Author Income Survey — Median indie income: $13,500 (up 6% YOY). Traditional median: $6,000–$8,000 and declining. Mean vs. median distortion: $82,600 mean vs. $12,749 median due to $11M top earner. Written Word Media 2025 Indie Author Survey — 1,346 respondents. 20x email list income correlation. Amazon as top revenue source declining from 91% (2023) to 83% (2025). 38% fully in KU, 30% fully wide. Audio Publishers Association 2024 / Author's Republic 2026 Report — U.S. audiobook revenue $2.22B in 2024, +13% YOY. Projected $13.3B by 2030. AI narration grew 36% YOY, now 23% of new releases. Note on survey methodology: The ALLi survey skews toward serious, active indie authors — meaning its median likely overrepresents committed career authors compared to the broader population. The Authors Guild survey is broader and includes all publishing types. Both are self-reported. Use in context.   Links: Conspire Con [https://marturiapub.com/conspire-con/]  Conspire Planner  [https://marturiapub.com/conspire-planner/] Publisher Rocket [https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=441] Worksheet PDF [https://mailchi.mp/c0ab22e32b9a/gc2x2zjtjb]

S2E2 Custom-Built Creativity: The Psychology of Building Your Writing Routine

Writing routines aren't one-size-fits-all — and the science of why is genuinely fascinating. If you've been struggling with writer's block, inconsistent output, or a creative process that just doesn't seem to fit your life anymore, this episode might be exactly what you've been looking for. In this episode of Conspire, we're going full field operative on the psychology of creative productivity and what it really takes to build a writing routine for authors that actually works. Discover your writer motivation type, learn what your brain actually needs to do its best creative work, and walk away with a practical framework to run your own experiments and create a custom writing practice — backed by real psychology, real research, and one very personal case study. Psychology sources cited in this episode: * Deci, E.L. & Ryan, R.M. — Self-Determination Theory (autonomy, competence, relatedness as the three core psychological needs driving sustainable motivation) * Pink, D. — Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us (autonomy, mastery, and purpose as the architecture of intrinsic motivation) * Csikszentmihalyi, M. — Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (flow state, the conditions that produce it, and its relationship to creative work) * Kellogg, R.T. — The Psychology of Writing (background noise, encoding specificity, environment as retrieval cue, and the cognitive demands of composing) * McEwen, B.S. — research on allostatic load (the cumulative neurological and physiological toll of chronic stress, and how it changes what conditions feel safe and generative) * Baumeister, R.F. et al. — research on decision fatigue and ego depletion (the finite nature of cognitive resources and how pre-task decisions deplete creative capacity) * Fogg, B.J. — Tiny Habits (habit formation, behavioral conditioning, and the role of small consistent triggers in building durable routines) * Ariely, D. & Wertenbroch, K. — research on temptation bundling and self-control strategies (pairing desired rewards with target behaviors to build motivation) * Kaplan, S. — Attention Restoration Theory (diffuse thinking, the restorative function of low-demand environmental stimulation, and the cognitive value of mental rest breaks) Links: Conspire Con [https://marturiapub.com/conspire-con/]  Conspire Planner  [https://marturiapub.com/conspire-planner/] Publisher Rocket [https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/buy-rocket?aff=441] Conspire Podcast S1E6 Mission Possible: Energy Management for Authors [https://brandyange.podbean.com/e/s1e6-mission-possible-energy-management-for-authors/] Worksheet PDF [https://mailchi.mp/5fb8302f1de6/p5q7obn40j]