Unscripted with Ally & Jenn, The Promotion Season

If you’ve been marketing your book to “everyone,” you’ve been marketing it to no one. The authors who build real traction know exactly who they’re writing for, and more importantly, they know that’s rarely just one person.In this episode, Jenn breaks down the three-audience framework that changes how authors think about reach: the reader who consumes the book, the buyer who purchases it (often a completely different person), and the impact network - the librarians, conference coordinators, writers group leaders, and family members who champion your work to others. Understanding all three doesn’t just improve your marketing. It makes your manuscript stronger, your messaging sharper, and your platform more intentional from the start.Ally brings the craft perspective: how writing with one specific reader in mind produces a better book and a cleaner promotional story. She also walks through both of her own books live - her memoir Dear Universe, I Get It Now and her nonfiction guide Do Not Write a Book Until You Read This One, mapping out exactly who the reader is, who the buyer is, and what transformation each book creates. This is the kind of specific, applied thinking most authors skip entirely.In this episode:* The three audiences every author needs to understand and why confusing them quietly kills your reach* Why your reader and your buyer are often completely different people (and what to do about it)* How to identify the transformation your book creates - and use that to sharpen everything from your title to your marketing copy* The reader avatar: what it is, how to build one, and why it belongs in your process before you finish writing* How Ally maps her two very different books to two very different audience sets - and what that means for how she promotes each one* Jenn’s unexpected tip: using AI to help you go deeper on audience questions when the exercises feel overwhelmingTune in to strengthen your connection with the people who will shape your book’s success.(Ally) The Memoir Studio - Ally’s flagship program for memoir writers is coming soon. Sign up for emails at thewriteplacerighttime.com so you’re first to know when enrollment opens. thewriteplacerighttime.com(Jenn) What Type of Writer Are You? - authorgrowthandimpact.org/writing-quiz Take Jenn’s new quiz to identify your writing blocks and get a plan to move through them. authorgrowthandimpact.org/writing-quizWant the season schedule and companion workbook pages? Grab them at https://unscriptedforauthors.comAlly Berthiaume is an award-winning author, international memoir coach, and developmental editor. She helps writers transform pain into purpose and build books that matter. Learn more at thewriteplacerighttime.com.Jenn T. Grace is the founder of Publish Your Purpose and The Institute for Author Growth and Impact, as well as the author of Promote Your Purpose. She helps nonfiction authors turn their ideas into books that create real impact and long-term visibility. Learn more at authorgrowthandimpact.org. Get full access to Promote Your Purpose at promoteyourpurpose.substack.com/subscribe

S3E5: Your Book Is the Gateway to Future OpportunitiesTagline: Your book isn't just a product - it's the center of an entire ecosystem of impact and income.Episode Summary: This is the episode where the season shifts gears. After four months of inner work - purpose, goals, mindset, accountability - Ally and Jenn move into the active marketing strategy phase, starting with the most important concept of all: the author ecosystem.Most authors think about their book as a standalone object. What if it was actually the hub that everything else in your professional world connected to? Speaking gigs, coaching programs, memberships, workshops, card decks, merchandise - they're not separate endeavors. When designed intentionally, they're all spokes on the same wheel, all roads back to the same carnival.Ally introduces the Ferris wheel metaphor for the author ecosystem, and together they explore exactly how books open doors to programs, talks, and new offers - with real examples from both of their own businesses. If you've been wondering what to do with your book after the launch energy fades, this episode gives you an entirely new way to think about it.In This Episode:What an author ecosystem actually is - and why "funnel" is the wrong word for what you're buildingThe four core buckets of the author ecosystem: your book, thought leadership, business, and speakingAlly's Ferris wheel (and full carnival) metaphor for visualizing how your book connects to everything elseHow programs, talks, and new offers naturally emerge from a book when you're paying attentionReal examples of ecosystem extensions: workshops, book clubs, card decks, bravery boxes, memberships, coaching containersWhy Unscripted itself is an ecosystem play - and what that means for how Ally and Jenn think about the showAlly's Memoir Studio: a new nine-month container now taking intro sessionsWhat's coming in June: Know Your Reader, Know Your Buyer, Know Your ImpactNotable Quote: "What's most important is that these strategies matter only when they align with your business model or personal vision. Otherwise it's just throwing spaghetti at the wall."Jenn T. Grace, Promote Your Purpose (p. 66)Resources + Links Mentioned:Promote Your Purpose by Jenn T. Grace - Chapter 5: Turn Your Book Into an EcosystemFree Workbook (ecosystem diagram included) - unscriptedforauthors.comInstitute for Author Growth and Impact (Jenn) - authorgrowthandimpact.orgDear Universe, I Get It Now by Ally + The Bravery Box - [link]Work With Ally: The Memoir Studio - a nine-month container for writing your memoir from blank page to fully developed manuscript. Structure, craft, developmental editing, and personalized coaching. Now taking intro sessions. DM Ally on LinkedIn to start the conversation.Work With Jenn / Publish Your Purpose: Institute for Author Growth and Impact - monthly membership covering writing, publishing, and marketing. Group coaching, office hours, and expert guest speakers. Join at authorgrowthandimpact.org.Connect With Us:unscriptedforauthors.comAlly on LinkedInJenn on LinkedInNext Episode: Know Your Reader, Know Your Buyer, Know Your Impact - June 11 - Getting specific about who your book is actually for and how to reach them.Tags/Keywords: author ecosystem, book marketing strategy, nonfiction author platform, book to business, author speaking, book launch strategy, memoir author, thought leadership, Promote Your Purpose, Unscripted podcast, author programs, book opportunities, hybrid publishing Get full access to Promote Your Purpose at promoteyourpurpose.substack.com/subscribe

S3E4: Motivation Is Overrated: Accountability Builds BooksTagline: Motivation gets you started. Accountability gets it done.Episode Summary: Motivation is unreliable - it shows up when you don't need it and disappears the moment the work gets hard. Accountability, on the other hand, is a structure you can build. In this episode, Ally and Jenn make a clear-eyed case for why accountability - not motivation - is what separates authors who promote consistently from those who sprint hard at launch and then go silent.This episode bridges the inner work of the first quarter (purpose, goals, mindset) with the outward action that's coming in the second half of the year. The key argument: your strategy isn't about showing up constantly. It's about showing up intentionally. Ally and Jenn explore what that actually looks like in practice - the right accountability structures, the right frequency, the right people - without adding twenty things to your plate.If you've ever started strong on a promotional push and fizzled out, this is the episode that explains why and what to do instead.In This Episode:Why motivation is the wrong thing to rely on for consistent book promotionThe difference between accountability structures that work and ones that just add pressureHow to identify your one accountability person - and what that check-in relationship should actually look likeThe "fishing net" principle: why being strategic about where you show up beats casting the widest possible netWhy more is not better in book marketing - and how to think about intentional versus constant presenceAlly's April birthday book giveaway (and what it has to do with ecosystem strategy)Preview of what's coming in May: turning your book into an ecosystem - "this is where the fun starts"Notable Quote: "Your strategy isn't about showing up constantly. It's about showing up intentionally. The right actions at the right intervals for the right reasons - that's what moves the needle."AllyResources + Links Mentioned:Promote Your Purpose by Jenn T. Grace - Chapter 4: Stay Motivated with Support, Structure, and AccountabilityFree Workbook (accountability exercises in Chapter 4) - unscriptedforauthors.comSubtract to Succeed Substack by Nell (referenced) - substack.comInstitute for Author Growth and Impact - authorgrowthandimpact.orgWork With Ally: April book giveaway - win a copy of Dear Universe, I Get It Now or Do Not Write a Book Until You Read This One. Sign up at therightplacerighttime.com and watch for the giveaway email. Respond by April 20.Work With Jenn / Publish Your Purpose: Institute for Author Growth and Impact - monthly membership with group coaching, office hours, and marketing experts. Covers writing, publishing, and marketing. Join at authorgrowthandimpact.org.Connect With Us:unscriptedforauthors.comAlly on LinkedInJenn on LinkedInNext Episode: Your Book Is the Gateway to Future Opportunities - May 14 - Building your author ecosystem: how your book connects to speaking, programs, thought leadership, and new offers.Tags/Keywords: author accountability, book promotion consistency, motivation vs accountability, nonfiction author marketing, book marketing strategy, author platform building, Promote Your Purpose, Unscripted podcast, memoir author, book launch burnout, intentional marketing Get full access to Promote Your Purpose at promoteyourpurpose.substack.com/subscribe

S3E3: Your Mindset Might Be Your Biggest Marketing BlockTagline: It's not your strategy that's failing - it's what you believe about promoting yourself.Episode Summary: You can have the best book in your niche, a solid strategy, and all the time in the world - and still not promote it. Why? Because if you haven't dealt with what's happening between your ears, every marketing task will feel like pulling teeth.In this episode, Ally and Jenn dig into the mindset layer that sits underneath all book promotion: the imposter syndrome, the discomfort with visibility, the fear that talking about your book is the same as being obnoxious. They introduce one of the most practical reframes in the entire season - shifting from "pitching" to "inviting" - and explore how that single shift changes not just how you feel about marketing, but how you actually show up for it.This is the last foundational episode before the season shifts into active marketing strategy. Get this right, and everything that follows will be easier.In This Episode:Why so many authors (even natural marketers) can't bring themselves to promote their own workThe critical mindset shift: from "pitching" to "inviting" - and why it changes everythingHow thinking of marketing as self-promotion creates resistance, and what to think insteadThe connection between marketing and sales discomfort - and how to start reframing it now (before the July episode on "sales as a service")Real talk on the difference between showing up intentionally vs. showing up constantlyWhy being in all the places doing all the things is a recipe for burnout and poor conversionWhat's coming in April (accountability) and why mindset + accountability together set the foundation for everything elseNotable Quote: "A simple mindset shift from pitching to inviting changes everything. It aligns your values with your actions and helps you show up with more ease, confidence, and sincerity."Jenn T. Grace, Promote Your Purpose (p. 39)Resources + Links Mentioned:Promote Your Purpose by Jenn T. Grace - Chapter 3 covers marketing mindsetFree Workbook - unscriptedforauthors.comPromote Your Purpose Action Prompt Card Deck - available on Jenn's website and AmazonDo Not Write a Book Until You Read This One by Ally - [link]Work With Ally: Free 30-minute Story Stroll - a one-to-one conversation for writers ready to develop their memoir. DM Ally on LinkedIn to book.Work With Jenn / Publish Your Purpose: The Promote Your Purpose Action Prompt Card Deck - bite-sized daily actions for marketing your book without overwhelm. Available on Jenn's website.Connect With Us:unscriptedforauthors.comAlly on LinkedInJenn on LinkedInNext Episode: Accountability Builds Books - April 9 - The structures and systems that make showing up actually happen.Tags/Keywords: author mindset, book marketing mindset, imposter syndrome authors, promoting your book, self-promotion for authors, marketing block, nonfiction author platform, memoir marketing, Promote Your Purpose, Unscripted podcast, author visibility, invitation not promotion Get full access to Promote Your Purpose at promoteyourpurpose.substack.com/subscribe

Most authors set goals that feel ambitious but have no measurable teeth. In this episode, Ally and Jenn get specific. Ally walks through how her own book goals have evolved over time and what she now helps authors identify when they’re building a writing or revision plan. Jenn unpacks the strategic framework she uses with authors to set goals that are tied to real capacity, real seasons of life, and real outcomes - not just optimism.You’ll also watch Ally work through her 2026 goals for both her memoir and her nonfiction book live on air, which means you get to see the messy, iterative process - not just the polished result.In this episode:* Why “I want to sell a lot of books” is actively working against you* The SMART goal framework applied specifically to book promotion - with a live example* How to align your writing goals and marketing goals so they’re pulling in the same direction* What tracking actually looks like in practice (and why it doesn’t have to be complicated)* How to recalibrate when your goals stop fitting your season without scrapping everythingTune in to learn how aligned goals can transform your writing and your reach.Ally Berthiaume is an award-winning author, international memoir coach, and developmental editor. She helps writers transform pain into purpose and build books that matter. Learn more at thewriteplacerighttime.com.Jenn T. Grace is the founder of Publish Your Purpose and the author of Promote Your Purpose. She helps nonfiction authors turn their ideas into books that create real impact and long-term visibility. Learn more at publishyourpurpose.com.(Ally) Book a free 30-minute Story Stroll Let’s talk about your book - what it is, what it could be, and where you’re getting stuck. Clarity, momentum, and a sense of fit in one conversation. https://bit.ly/3HPIQkK(Jenn) Grab the Promote Your Purpose Action Card Deck One clear action per card to keep your goals moving forward on the days when you need a nudge. https://promoteyourpurposebook.com/card-deckPrior episodes worth revisiting:* What Metrics Should I Use to Define My Success as an Author?Want the season schedule and companion workbook pages? Grab them at https://unscriptedforauthors.com Get full access to Promote Your Purpose at promoteyourpurpose.substack.com/subscribe

S3E1: Find Your Purpose. Build Your Book. Start Your Impact.Air date: Thursday, January 8, 2026Tagline: Before you market anything, you have to know why it matters - to you and to your reader.Episode Summary: Purpose is the heartbeat of every book and the engine behind every promotional decision. In this season opener, Ally shares how her sense of purpose evolved through writing different books and why that clarity shaped everything that came after. Jenn connects purpose to long-term visibility and breaks down why skipping this step leads to confusion, stalled momentum, and ineffective marketing. Together, they help you understand the deeper intention behind your work so you can write and promote with confidence and direction.In This Episode:How to identify the deeper mission behind your bookWhy purpose makes every marketing decision easierHow clarity shapes messaging, visibility, and platform growthWays to anchor your creative process so you stay focused and alignedHow Ally's two very different books (a memoir and a nonfiction title) each serve a distinct purpose - and what that means for how she promotes themNotable Quote: "If you don't know why you wrote it, you won't know how to talk about it - and if you don't know how to talk about it, no one else will either."Jenn T. GraceResources + Links Mentioned:Promote Your Purpose by Jenn T. Grace - https://promoteyourpurposebook.com/Do Not Write a Book Until You Read This One by Ally - https://donotwriteabook.com/Free Workbook - https://unscriptedforauthors.comSeason schedule and all episodes - https://unscriptedforauthors.comPrior episode: Alignment and Intentional Action is the Secret to Your Success - https://www.youtube.com/live/wv4nmWijM-A?si=P6U27N3N2S4FMR5GWork With Ally: Get Do Not Write a Book Until You Read This One - your no-BS guide for writing a strong, smart nonfiction book. Keep it on your desk and use it every time you sit down to write. https://donotwriteabook.com/Work With Jenn / Publish Your Purpose: Get Promote Your Purpose - follow along all year long and discover practical, purpose-centered strategies to market your book with confidence. https://promoteyourpurposebook.com/Also: Get the complete Book Marketing Survey Report and uncover the insights shaping successful book marketing. https://bookmarketingsurvey.comConnect With Us:https://unscriptedforauthors.comAlly: @thewriteplacerighttimeJenn: @publishyourpurposeNext Episode: Author Goals That Actually Create Growth - Thursday, February 12 - How to set goals that match your bandwidth, tie your book to your business, and actually move the needle.Tags/Keywords: book marketing, nonfiction authors, memoir writing, author platform, purpose-driven marketing, book promotion strategy, hybrid publishing, Promote Your Purpose, Unscripted podcast, author business, find your why, book launch Get full access to Promote Your Purpose at promoteyourpurpose.substack.com/subscribe