This One Habit made me a Successful Writer

A WORDSLINGER PODCAST

This One Habit Made Me a Successful Writer

What's the secret to writing more books, building an audience, and making a living as an author? It's not talent, luck, or the latest writing software. It's consistency.

After publishing more than 90 books and selling millions of copies worldwide, I've learned that showing up and doing the work, day after day, is one of the most powerful habits a writer can develop. In this episode of the Wordslinger Podcast, I'm sharing how my daily 2,000-word writing goal helps me finish novels, why small efforts add up to big results, and how that same approach can transform your book marketing.

We'll also talk about building your author mailing list, using Substack and BookFunnel to connect with readers, finding your ideal audience, and promoting your books without feeling like a salesperson. Whether you're writing your first novel or building a full-time author career, there's something here you can put to work today.

PLUS: Dale Roberts joins us with his Rapid-Fire Newsflash, covering potential changes to Amazon KDP's perma-free pricing, new audiobook advertising tools from ACX, Spotify's massive audiobook expansion, and free publishing education from IngramSpark.

You don't have to do everything. You just have to keep doing something.

What's the one habit that's made the biggest difference in your writing career? Tell me in the comments!

SUBSCRIBE to Wordslinger for practical, experience-tested advice on writing better books, publishing independently, marketing your work, and building a sustainable creative career. If you're serious about your writing and publishing journey, you're in the right place.

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CHAPTERS:00:00 Welcome to the Wordslinger Podcast01:33 AI, writing tools, and the author business05:48 Dale Roberts' Rapid-Fire Publishing Newsflash05:48 Amazon KDP and the future of perma-free books06:15 New ACX audiobook advertising and promotion tools06:49 Spotify expands audiobooks to 180+ markets07:13 Free publishing courses from IngramSpark Academy07:55 Why writers should consider Substack13:13 BookFunnel promotions and author collaborations15:31 Simple ways to grow your author mailing list17:20 Why I advertise my mailing list instead of my books18:14 Finding and targeting your ideal reader21:42 Using your mailing list to sell more books24:27 The secret weapon of successful writers: consistency25:14 Why I write 2,000 words every day27:28 Small daily word counts lead to finished novels30:24 Using Scrivener to track writing goals31:11 My looping and self-editing process32:03 How to finish a novel one day at a time32:54 Consistent book marketing without being salesy35:43 Your favorite writing tools and habits36:47 Final thoughts

RAPID-FIRE NEWSFLASH WITH DALE ROBERTS

05:48 — Is Amazon KDP changing its perma-free pricing policies?The Self Publishing Show, Episode 467: Amazon KDP Is Changing — Are You Ready?https://youtu.be/04kAmWZkBTE?si=JrmBSe_2ONqhFmmP

06:15 — ACX introduces new tools for audiobook promotion and Amazon advertising.https://www.acx.com/mp/blog/promote-your-audiobook

06:49 — Spotify announces plans to expand audiobook availability to more than 180 markets.Publishers Weekly:https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/international/Frankfurt-Book-Fair/article/101440-frankfurt-book-fair-2026-spotify