Comments for Sacha Black

Comment on Lessons Learned from Ten Months of Direct Sales Book Distribution by Maurllan

Maurllan — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 04:12:37 +0000

I listened to The Creative Penn episode #840 three times in succession on December 15, then listened to the episode again three days later. Later in the day, I listened the Lessons Learned episode here. I plan to listen to #840 again.

I absolutely agree exclusivity is a key for a direct sales site: I removed my products from Ingram Spark and Amazon at the beginning of 2025.

The other key is even more important and the insight isn’t discussed much, if ever, in the indie author hustle economy community in recent years: you must have products.

Not just a backlist of books; a professional writer must write enough books to begin writing books readers are spellbound by.

Which, on average, turns out to be about 28 books — then we start to see the author hit her financial stride.

It’s a topic Sacha and Joanna emphasize in episode #840 and which Sacha touches on here as Protecting Writing Time and Schedules are a bitch: keep writing books.

But Sacha mentions another key insight in #840: in 2013, setting an intention to write books which sell.

The emphasis shifts to intentionally developing writing Craft.

Do you find intentionally developing Craft accelerates the curve for a hippity-hop financial stride?

Thanks for sharing the two kick-ass episodes!

Timely and important.

Comment on 292: Lessons Learned from Six Years of Writing Full-Time by Ian Worrall

Ian Worrall — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 22:12:19 +0000

Very sorry to hear this is the last episode of the podcast. But you gotta do what’s best for you. Good luck with everything else you do. Hope one day we can meet in person

Comment on 292: Lessons Learned from Six Years of Writing Full-Time by Jane Gibson

Jane Gibson — Sat, 17 May 2025 00:12:24 +0000

Dear Sacha,

Wow, I am deeply benefited by your honesty and openness. I am sad the podcast is ending (and before I could send in a rebel story!) but I am glad that you have clarity about what is right for you. I am so encouraged by your heartfelt message. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Best wishes,
Jane Gibson

Comment on 292: Lessons Learned from Six Years of Writing Full-Time by Anne-Maree

Anne-Maree — Sun, 11 May 2025 13:54:49 +0000

Enormous hugs. You have worked so hard, and you are getting the results. And, having been here right from the start, I am so proud of you.

Comment on 292: Lessons Learned from Six Years of Writing Full-Time by Antolin Soldado Camps

Antolin Soldado Camps — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:40:06 +0000

Funking hell Sasha. You made a 51 year old cry listening to yoi say this is your last episode. What am I going to do now? I start every Wednesday listening to you on my plastering busines in France..
You should be super proud of what you have done and achieved .
You made a difference in me, I am a father of two daughters and listening to you every week has made me think of their future. I am an old fashion man an will protect my family to the death and if anyone hurts them, I will hurt back. So listening to some of the shit you have had to put up for been lesbian, has enfuruated me and wish I could be there to give you a hug.
My eldest daughter(12) writes her stories every night after asking me what I was doing and read her one of my shifty stories.
I hope one day I’ll meet you at a writers conference (when I make it bigish) and will be able to tell you face to face that I am the man you melodeon cry on your last episode.
All the best and carry on

Comment on 292: Lessons Learned from Six Years of Writing Full-Time by Willow

Willow — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 09:15:57 +0000

I’m so grateful for this podcast. I’ll be sorry to lose it, but I’m happy you’re making the choice to do what you need – you’re a great example to indie authors as always!

Comment on 287 Aristotle for Novelists – Principles on the Art of Story with Douglas Vigliotti by Stanley B. Trice

Stanley B. Trice — Sun, 30 Mar 2025 21:01:25 +0000

This was a great discussion about the need for a balanced female/male protagonist in fiction. Even in my small town, I have heard mothers complain that there are few new novels with male protagonists for their sons. It was wrong in the past to have mostly male protagonists and it is equally wrong to now have mostly female protagonists.

Comment on 277 Tapping into Tropes in Fantasy & Sci-Fi with Jennifer Hilt by Kat Vroman

Kat Vroman — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 17:05:05 +0000

Thank you for the shout out for joy in the beginning of this episode. As an American, I am still angry, sad, and scared that our country chose fascism and hate over joy. But I refuse to let those fuckers win.

Joy is an act of rebellion and I will continue to be the Joyful Feminist Killjoy that I am.

Love your podcast. Thanks for everything.

Comment on 277 Tapping into Tropes in Fantasy & Sci-Fi with Jennifer Hilt by Antolin Soldado Camls

Antolin Soldado Camls — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 08:46:43 +0000

Hi Sacha, what a great episode for beguiner writers. I learnt a lot of stuff here. I love it when a podcast host uses their place to interview a professional in this industry to learn things. I listen to another podcast (The Fantssy Writer's Toolshed) by Richi Billings, a Liverpodian fantasy writer and he does that too. Great episode

Comment on 260 Crafting Multidimensional Villains with Dana Pittman by Dana Pittman

Dana Pittman — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 10:09:15 +0000

I had a blast chatting with you. Thanks!