Hello Bleeders!
I’m very excited to announce that I have May book tour dates for Girl Gone Wild:
St. Paul, MN — May 15 @ 6pm — Acorn Bookshop conversation w/ Kelly Lundquist (Beard), moderated by Deborah Copperud-Read MN Books
New York City, NY — May 17 @ 3pm — Emily Pizza Brooklyn writer meetup
New York City, NY — May 18 @ 7pm — Literary Snobs Book Club
Minneapolis, MN — May 19 @ 6pm — Troubadour Wine Bar reading
Columbia, MO — May 21 @ 6:30pm — Skylark Books conversation w/ Danielle Doyen, my college bestie!
Tulsa, OK — May 22 @ 7pm — Magic City Books conversation w/ Alex Poppe (Breakfast Wine) & Pamela Olson (Fast Times in Palestine)
Los Angeles, CA — May 30 @ 5pm — North Figueroa Bookshop conversation w/ Antonia Crane (Spent) & Hannah Sward (Summer of Men & Strip)
If I’m in your neck of the woods, please come out. I’d love to meet you in person!
Last week, I did a fantastic Substack Live with Amy Suto, author of the new book Write for Money and Power, Substacker behind ✍️ Make Writing Your Job and 💡 Sutoscience by Amy Suto, and a multi-hyphenate writer whose hustle I admire. She pulled off a scrappy, last-minute 12-hour livestream to support her book launch—and I was so impressed I had to get the behind-the-scenes scoop on how she’s making it all work.
We get into:
Leaving a dream career in Hollywood and discovering how freelancing can actually pay more (and treat you better) than legacy industries like TV and publishing
The power of owning your IP, and why self-publishing can be more profitable long-term
What actually worked for her book launch marketing vs. what didn’t
What power means for creatives: autonomy, flexibility, and control over your work
Why high-end ghostwriting and developmental editing are booming businesses
How to start your writing career from zero
Substack strategy: the underrated importance of turning on paid subscriptions early… and what makes people actually pay
The behind-the-scenes mechanics of ghostwriting
How AI is actually useful for writers (organization, research, timelines—not voice or creative writing… plus a crazy story from Amy’s recent trip to LA)
How to push through rejection, slow periods, and the constant freelance fear cycle
Your book as your ultimate business card and relationship builder with readers
We covered so much ground in this wide-ranging conversation. I highly recommend tuning in.
And of course, a friendly reminder to order Girl Gone Wild if you haven’t picked up a copy yet.
XO,
Courtney
Thank you Margaret Williams, MS, ACC, Amy Benavides, Kasey Lewis, and many others for tuning into my live video with Amy Suto!
I’m teaching some upcoming classes you might be interested in:
How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought
Start a Newsletter to Supercharge Your Platform, Network & Business
12 Months to a Full Memoir in Essays Incubator: Write Your Memoir in a Year
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣️
Would you take a ghostwriting gig if it required traveling somewhere fabulous, like Vienna or Singapore? (Trick question lol.)
