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The Written in Melanin Podcast is the space where you come for your weekly dose of melanated creativity. Hosted by C. M. Lockhart, an author of fantasy books featuring Black girls who aren't all that nice, and the owner of the Melanin Library, this podcast is a candid glimpse into her journey as a Black indie author. New episodes are released every other Wednesday! Purchase her latest book from her website https://CMLockhart.com 🤎
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Episode 34 | Discover Your Productivity as an Indie Author
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We have officially crossed the threshold into 2023. And since the new year brings us a fresh 365 days to work with, it generally comes with new resolutions for a lot of people as well -- especially writers. So, if you've decided that this year is the year that you're going to write your book, then now would be a good time to discover -- or Rediscov…
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Bonus Episode with Akindele and Nadine Decker!
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Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Written in Melanin Podcast. Today, I am here with Akindele and Nadine Decker. Akindele is a poet, writer, and historian, while Nadine works for a charity and is studying for her Masters of Science in Organizational Psychology. Together, they have written two children's books that preserve the folktales of t…
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Episode 33 | What Success Looks Like as an Indie Author
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Welcome to episode #33 If you follow me on TikTok then you'll know that I asked the question: what does success look like for you? It's something that my author friends and I discuss all the time and it's something that I always recommend my clients define for themselves. So, let's talk about it. What does success look like as an indie author? - Th…
Today, I am here with Sheldon Theragood, the author of "Whatever It Takes, Walking Through God's Purpose". After realizing that playing basketball on the collegiate and professional levels was not in God's plan for him, he went on to become a police officer, youth mentor, and advocate. He encourages young people to set goals in their lives, have a …
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Episode 32 | Character Development 101: How to make your characters DIFFERENT
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In episode 31 I shared with you guys a few tips I had on giving characters, CHARACTER so that they feel real to the reader. I was planning to move on to a different topic for this week's episode, but since I can't stop thinking about it, let's talk some more about it lol. Here are some of my favorite tips on how to differentiate your characters in …
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Bonus Episode w/ Joya Goffney | YA Romance, Trad publishing, and Confessions
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Today, I am here with Joya Goffney. She is an author from New Waverly, a small town in East Texas. In high school, she challenged herself with to-do lists full of risk-taking items like ‘hug a random boy’ and ‘eat a cricket,’ which later became the inspiration behind her debut novel, Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry. With a passion for Black social psych…
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Episode 31 | Character Development 101: How to give characters, CHARACTER
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As writers, we are tasked with creating worlds from nothing and that can be overwhelming. In the midst of creating worlds, lore, locations, and cultures, it can be easy to let the characters who live in them become an afterthought. But, they are the heart of the story and it's imperative that they feel real to the reader. So, today, I'm sharing wha…
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Bonus Episode w/ Morgan Lee | Being an author in a public space
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Today, I'm here with Morgan Lee, a multi-genre indie author. Her book, Seed Among the Thorns, is the first book in her young adult dark fantasy trilogy. A lover of imaginary worlds, the smell of ink on a page, and spinning in the wind, Morgan has been writing since the age of six and has always dreamed of being an author. You can always find her on…
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Episode 30 | Give yourself time: Gentle reminders on your author journey
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Welcome to episode #30. Complete transparency here: today's episode was going to be on a completely different topic. But, it was heavy on my mind to talk about time and being patient with yourself and your process, so here we are. - Links: https://WrittenInMelanin.com/links Purchase We Are the Origin: https://payhip.com/b/osSWm Support Chelsea and …
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Bonus Episode w/ Jennifer Bush-Harris | Have You Done the Reading?
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Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Written in Melanin Podcast. Today, I'm here with the amazingly talented Jennifer Bush-Harris. She is a blogger and an indie author from St. Louis, Missouri. An alumni of University of Missouri-St. Louis, and the mother of 2 teenage daughters. She is currently compiling her portfolio to pursue her MFA, and w…
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Episode 29 | Worldbuilding 101: Where to start?
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Welcome to episode #29. One of the things that I absolutely love about writing fantasy is that you get to create the world. You can imagine a world that is whatever you want it to be, and for me, that is so fun. I'm not going to claim to be a master, but I am incredibly proud of the world I built for my own fantasy novel, We Are the Origin. So, tod…
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Episode 28 | Things I like to see in books 📚
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Welcome to episode #28. So, one of the things I always try to make clear on the podcast and my platforms, in general, is that while I love books, I love writing, I love the written word in general, I don't read as much as I used to. It's not necessarily something I'm either proud or ashamed of -- it's just a fact of my current life. I love to read,…
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Episode 27 | Things to keep in mind when looking for a cover artist 🧑🏾🎨
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Welcome to episode #27. I get complimented on my cover art all the time (shout out to my cover artist Rebecca Brown!) and in my personal chats the topic of cover art comes up frequently. So, I'm here to share what I know about them and I a few things I think you should keep in mind when looking for one. - Links: https://WrittenInMelanin.com/links P…
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Episode 26 | Be authentic and attract your author fam 😎
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Welcome to episode #26. One of the hardest things to do as an author is to network with strangers on the internet who do the same thing you do. For a lot of us, we are introverts. At the very least, even if you're not an introvert, it can be intimidating trying to find the right community of people who will support and show up for you. So, today, I…
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Episode 25 | Representation is about more than skin color ✌🏾
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Welcome to episode #25. In this big old year of 2022 we still have to have discussions about representation, inclusion, and why it's so important. Probably now more than ever before. Because some people don't get it. Or they're pretending like they don’t. So, today we're going to talk about it. And I'm going to be as honest and straightforward as I…
Welcome to episode #24. Being an author of any kind is hard. And, ironically enough, the hardest part of everything isn't creating a piece of work to share with the world. It's making people aware that you're an author and what is that you write. The hardest part is selling your book. So, today I'm going to talk about what it means to brand yoursel…
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Episode 23 | The Writing Process of C. M. Lockhart
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Welcome to episode #23. So, if you follow me on TikTok, then you'll know that, like the podcast, I try to be very transparent about what I'm doing. I was asked the question about my writing process, so, since I'm about to start on the second book of the Wrath of the Gods duology, I figured I'd share it now. Both to answer the question and put in wo…
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Episode 22 | Book Distribution: How to Get Your Book Out There
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Welcome to episode #22 This episode, I want to talk about book distribution. While I never present myself as an expert on things, I do like to point out to anyone new to self or indie publishing that there are many more ways to go about releasing your book than just going with Amazon. I know it seems to be the default for a lot of authors, but if y…
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Episode 21 | Self-Publishing 101: Things to Know Before Your First Release
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In today's episode, I want to share some things I've learned about what to expect when you're expecting to publish your first book. Deciding to publish your book yourself is a major decision and there's a lot that goes into it. That being said, there's still a lot of mystery surrounding publishing and I'm hoping to clear that up a little. - Website…
Today, I want to talk to you guys about graveyards. Specifically, the kind where you house all of the cut and discarded lines from your works in progress. Because, I learned early on that keeping one is an invaluable resource, I wanted to share what I have learned with you guys today. - Website: https://CMLockhart.com Purchase We Are the Origin: ht…
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Episode 19 | Sometimes, It Hurts: Getting Feedback
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This episode is dedicated to feedback and criticism. It's been on my mind lately, probably because I'm in the process of receiving feedback on my book We Are the Origin, but I feel like it's something that's not discussed enough. The common advice is to get feedback and take it like a champ, but I want to actually discuss what that really means. Be…
As indie authors, we wear many hats: author, social media manager, pr team, financial advisor, etc. And in the scheme of keeping our head above water, we sometimes forget to do the most crucial aspect of all of this -- to write. So, this episode is your reminder to actually get the words out and I'll share a few ideas for making time to write that …
As I've been sharing with you guys I very much feel like I'm in a new season of growth, both as an author and as a person. And one of the things I've been sitting with this past week is releasing myself of the expectations I put on myself as an author. And doing that has been giving me so much more peace of mind and made me more productive. Chelsea…
Hello and welcome to everyone listening to the Written in Melanin Podcast, the place where you come to get your weekly dose of melanated creativity. I am your host C. M. Lockhart, an author of fantasy books featuring Black girls who aren't all that nice and the owner of the Melanin Library, an online database of books written by Black authors. And …
Welcome to Episode #16 of the Written in Melanin Podcast. I don't know who needs to hear this today, but I'm definitely going to say this for myself -- believe in yourself. This creative journey is not an easy one, but it's one worth being on, so keep going. Say something positive: http://www.writteninmelanin.com/episode-16 Purchase We Are the Orig…
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Episode 15 | A New Dawn, A New Day, She's Healing
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Last week was a really rough one for me. If you listened to episode 14 of the podcast, then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. But as the saying goes, "weeping only endures for a night." And I'm feeling much more refreshed than I had before. So, with new decisions on the horizon and previous disappointments behind me, I'm feeling hopeful f…
Welcome to Episode #14 of the Written in Melanin Podcast. So, I'll be honest -- it's been a rough week for me. I didn't even really feel like recording this episode because I wasn't sure if I wanted to be *this* transparent about my personal struggles, but I started this podcast to share my thoughts and opinions and I don't want to hide from them j…
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Episode 13 | Fantasy with Kimberly Lemming
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Welcome to Episode #13 of the Written in Melanin Podcast. Today is a special episode you guys because today, Kimberly Lemming is joining me! If you haven't heard of her before, I'm glad that ends for you today. She is the author of the Mead Mishaps series which includes THAT TIME I GOT DRUNK AND SAVED A DEMON, MISTLEFOE, and her upcoming book, THAT…
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Episode 12 | Writer Advice: Consume Everything
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Welcome to Episode #12 of the Written in Melanin Podcast. One of the most common things creatives are told, in any medium, is to consume the type of content you're trying to create. If you want to make movies, watch them. If you want to paint, look at paintings. If you want to write, read. Today, I'm here to add to tweak that a bit: if you want to …
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Episode 11 | How to be a Good Beta Reader
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Beta reading is one of the most essential parts of being and/or supporting an indie author. This is the first set of eyes on the story outside of any close confidants and it's where the story starts to get its real makeover -- where you present it to others and ask them, "How do I make this better?" It's nerve wracking, but necessary. And as author…
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Episode 10 | Quick Tips for Decoding Social Media
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Welcome to Episode #10 of the Written in Melanin Podcast. In the last episode of the podcast I talked about marketing yourself as an indie author while being an introvert. This episode, I'm sharing the things I've learned about how to make Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram (ugh) work in your favor. As always, I offer my advice with a grain of salt and…
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Episode 9 | Marketing as an Introverted Indie Author
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Welcome to Episode #9 of the Written in Melanin Podcast. I'm an introvert. It's something I've known about myself for a long time. I know how to be social, but given the choice, I would much rather prefer to be at home with a book or a good anime to binge, spending my time not being perceived by anyone else. That being said, my personality doesn't …
Welcome to Episode #8 of the Written in Melanin Podcast. I had this whole idea planned of talking to you about things that Indie authors should quit, and I recorded about 10 versions of that episode before I realized that wasn’t the episode I wanted to put out this week. So, instead, I'm here being honest with you -- no script -- about me and what …
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Episode 7 | We Should Be Able to Critique Black Authors
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One of the things that I've always been hesitant to do in the past is offer a negative opinion on a book written by a Black author. Because my platform is all about uplifting Black authors, I felt guilty if I ever wanted to give an author anything less than a glowing review because I know the obstacles they face are enough to deal with without feel…
Welcome to Episode #6 of the Written in Melanin Podcast. On this podcast, I've been doing my best to be as honest and candid with you guys as possible. That being said, in a previous episode when I discussed Paying for Creative Content, I left out a really big part of the discussion because I felt uncomfortable discussing it, and that's monetizing …
Welcome to Episode #5 of the Written in Melanin Podcast. I've been doing some thinking and planning and the format of the podcast is going to be shifting a bit. There's only going to be one episode a week on Wednesdays. I thought I could do it all you guys, and while I can, I recognize that I really shouldn't. So, I'm giving you guys my thoughts on…
Chelsea's Corner is the segment of the podcast where I give you guys a peek into my world of writing and share my writing journey -- the success, the struggles, the setbacks and the triumphs, I'm here to share it all with you guys. So my biggest struggle this week was time management. Support C. M. Lockhart and her books by joining her Patreon at h…
As an author, I'm always hesitant to say anything along the lines of "this is how this should be done" when it comes to writing. However, as an avid reader, reviewer, and occasional editor, there are some things I've noticed about good storytelling. And one of the biggest things I've noticed is that there is a difference between a complex story and…
As a content creator, I sometimes feel like discussing monetary support in exchange for creative content is like addressing an elephant in a room -- uncomfortable at best. But, despite that, I think it's important to have the conversation. So, let's talk about it. Support C. M. Lockhart and her books by joining her Patreon at https://Patreon.com/CM…
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Chelsea's Corner | Focused! Stay Focused!
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Chelsea's Corner is the segment of the podcast where I give you guys a peek into my world of writing and share my writing journey -- the successes, the struggles, the setbacks and the triumphs, I'm here to share it all with you guys. And my biggest struggle this week was keeping myself focused. Support C. M. Lockhart and her books by joining her Pa…
One of the hardest things to learn sometimes, is that not everyone is going to support you. But, this isn't a discussion about haters or dealing with trolls and criticism. It's about learning to manage the neutral energy you receive from people -- those who wish you no harm, but aren't there to help either. There's nothing wrong with that, everyone…
The Kindred is a Young Adult, sci-fi romance novel that I had the pleasure of receiving an ARC of. It follows the story of Joy and Felix, who were mentally linked together at birth, as they escape to Earth after Felix is accused of assassinating the members of the royal family. I don't rate books in the traditional sense because one book that wasn'…
Chelsea's Corner is the segment of the podcast where I give you guys a peek into my world of writing and share my writing journey -- the success, the struggles, the setbacks and the triumphs, I'm here to share it all with you guys. And this week, I'm sharing my struggles with my outline. Support C. M. Lockhart and her books by joining her Patreon a…
A lot of times as creatives, especially those of us who are new the realm of marketing what we create in exchange for coins, we pour all of our energy into other things until our well runs dry. Sometimes this looks like pouring yourself into family or real-life obligations -- sometimes it's pouring into the business side of our creativity -- social…
