Award-winning author and editor Janyre Tromp joins us for an in-depth exploration of her deep publishing experience. She’s seen it from all angles, as an editor in traditional publishing houses, and as an author who has seen the pros and cons of both traditional and self-publishing. Janyre breaks down the definitions, differences, and decision-making process for authors as they consider the publishing path that’s right for them.

In this wide-ranging discussion, you'll learn:

• Clear definitions of vanity press, hybrid publishing, self-publishing, and traditional publishing
• Why Janyre decided to try self-publishing (indie publishing) after undeniable success as a traditionally published author
• How she leverages her marketing background for maximum sales
• When to choose traditional publishing vs. self-publishing vs. other options
• The financial realities and potential of each publishing path
• Which path has become her favorite (and why)

This interview is perfect for aspiring authors, seasoned writers considering a change, or anyone curious about how things are changing…and how we can make an informed decision.

00:00 Multitasking Editor Embraces Indie

05:13 Publishing Access vs Readers

08:37 Indie Publishing Workflow Explained

12:45 Indie Publishing Services Evolve

13:37 Building Your Self-Publishing Team

19:21 Nonfiction Marketing Strategies

22:35 Self-Publishing: Learn or Delegate

23:29 Indie Authors as a Business

28:43 Effective Nonfiction Self-Publishing Tips

31:05 Publishing Requires Patience and Marketing

34:48 Indie Influence on Traditional Publishing

38:44 Hybrid Author vs Publisher

41:07 Navigating Publishing Rights & Royalties

45:39 Hiring Reputable Publishing Services

46:56 Vetting Publishers for Success

52:45 Benefits of Audiobooks for Readers

53:52 The Enduring Power of Books

57:51 Craft Your Book's Big Idea

• Free 3-Day Challenge: Craft Your Book’s Big Idea: annkroeker.com/3day
• Previous interview with Janyre about target audience: Start with Your Ideal Audience

In this episode, Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach, explores how clarifying your role in a reader’s life transforms your tone, structure, and connection on the page. Using real-world analogies and examples from Anne Bogel, Annie F. Downs, and Lisa TerKeurst, Ann shows how to choose and calibrate a voice readers trust—whether you’re a knowledgeable friend, a teacher, a tower of authority, or a fellow traveler in the field.

In This Episode You’ll Discover:

• Why defining your role makes writing more intuitive and effective
• How to spot a voice/role mismatch that’s holding your manuscript back
• The “knowledgeable friend” approach that helped Anne Bogel find her flow
• How Annie F. Downs’ “coffee with a friend” brand guides tone and content
• Lisa TerKeurst’s 4 voices for authors: Tower, Teacher, In the Field, and In the Pit
• When to avoid the “In the Pit” voice (and what to do instead)
• Practical tone tweaks: contractions, anecdotes, sentence fragments, vulnerability
• A quick exercise to test multiple voices and choose what fits
• How to align structure, examples, and word choice with your chosen role
• Ways to iterate based on reader response

0:00 - Introduction and welcome from Ann Kroeker

0:26 - Episode topic: What’s your role in your reader’s life?

0:40 - Roles professionals play and their impact

0:57 - Why writers should understand their role for better connection

1:10 - Identifying your reader-facing role: friend, expert, or fellow traveler?

1:17 - The impact of a tone-role mismatch for writers

1:35 - How tone, structure, and writing style change when role aligns

1:45 - Aligning roles for authenticity and effective voice

1:50 - Writers Anne Bogel, Annie F. Downs, and Lisa TerKeurst refine their roles

2:17 - Anne Bogel’s “friend who knows some things” approach

2:47 - Using knowledgeable friend tone: relate and inform

3:04 - Annie F. Downs’ “coffee with a friend” brand

3:33 - Using anecdotes, humor, and vulnerability as a friendly writer

3:50 - Lisa TerKeurst’s four author voices explained

4:23 - The Tower Voice (authoritative expert)

4:46 - The Teacher Voice (research-backed and vulnerable)

5:04 - The In-the-Field Voice (guiding as fellow traveler)

5:26 - The In-the-Pit Voice (venting without solutions)

5:45 - Finding your role: reflection questions for writers

6:12 - How readers see you shapes your style

6:22 - Structuring research-based writing with the Tower Voice

6:33 - Blending guidance with personal insight as a Teacher

6:40 - Using shared experience for trust in the Field Voice

7:04 - The pitfalls of writing from struggle without solutions

7:12 - Experimenting with different writer voices

7:38 - Adjusting tone and style to suit your authentic role

8:12 - Realizing and embodying your role for writing flow

8:29 - Invitation to Craft Your Book’s Big Idea challenge

8:50 - Ann Kroeker encourages and supports writers

9:02 - Closing and ongoing support for writers

• Free 3-Day Challenge: Craft Your Book’s Big Idea — annkroeker.com/3day
• Lisa TerKeurst interview (linked in episode show notes at annkroeker.com/writersrole)

To read and check out all info, head to annkroeker.com/writersrole

In this episode, Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach tackles the common "research rabbit hole" problem that plagues nonfiction writers. Learn how to balance thorough research with productive writing, using Isaac Newton's famous quote about "standing on ye sholders of giants" as inspiration for leveraging others' knowledge without getting lost in endless sources.

• Why the research rabbit hole is a distraction for nonfiction writers
• Noticing when you're researching versus procrastinating
• Practical strategies to ensure you stay focused on the research
• The importance of research for credibility and specificity in nonfiction

⌚️Timestamps:

0:00 - Welcome & Introduction

0:48 - Getting Lost in Research

1:30 - Does Detail Matter?

2:00 - Value of Specifics

3:15 - Building Trust Through Research

3:44 - Research in Memoir & Essays

4:09 - Standing on Giants’ Shoulders

4:40 - 7 Focused Research Tips

5:05 - Bracket Placeholders

5:23 - Tackling Online Distractions

5:45 - Parking Lot Document

6:00 - Staying Relevant

6:23 - Research Timers

6:48 - Organizing Research

7:16 - Research as Conversation

7:45 - Back to Writing

To read and check out all info, head to annkroeker.com/rabbithole

Episode 283 | Release Date: September 24, 2025

In this episode, Ann Kroeker is joined by award-winning author and editor Janyre Tromp for a deep dive into identifying your ideal audience as a writer. Janyre draws on 20+ years of publishing, editing, and marketing experience to explain why targeting the right readers—and understanding their true needs—will transform every stage of your writing process, from drafting to editing to pitching and platform-building. Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, essays, or poetry, this conversation will equip you with actionable strategies, creative encouragement, and permission to be yourself as you connect with real people through your words.

• The difference between demographics and psychographics (and why felt needs matter most)
• How to use “real people” as your audience guide—beyond generic market profiles
• Why writing purely from your own perspective may miss your target audience (and what to do about it)
• Practical strategies for exploring and validating your audience—before you write the whole book
• The value and methods of “testing” your message on social media, in articles, or through speaking
• Smart ways to use outlines, chapter summaries, and comparative titles to clarify your audience
• Why platform-building is about genuine connection, not perfection or performance
• How to balance platform work with writing—plus batching, repurposing, and self-care tips from Janyre’s own practice
• Encouragement for embracing your unique voice and message, even when life or creativity feels overwhelming

• Janyre’s multi-role background: Traditional/indie publishing, editing, and marketing
• Defining your ideal audience: From broad demographics to nuanced psychographics
• How emotion—not just facts—sells books and builds connection
• The role of social media as a “testing lab” for ideas and audience resonance
• Outlining, annotating, and revising to realign with your audience
• Using comparative titles and community spaces to get to know your readers
• Overcoming perfectionism and performance pressure as you build your platform
• Grace for the process—nobody does it all, and real people connect with real people

“Emotion sells a book. Facts do not sell books… That’s why you see a commercial, they’re appealing to an emotion, not a fact.”

“If you want to publish a book and help people, then you have to approach your book writing from that person’s perspective and write the book that they need, not the book that you want to write.”

“Social media is this lovely little lab where you can write about stuff and get immediate gratification of whether it works or not.”

“Go find your audience wherever they are and hang out with them… If you have a conversation with them that resonates, they’ll come hang out with you elsewhere too.”

“You have a message that only you can give. Don’t be afraid to step out into that and make those connections.”

• Join Janyre’s upcoming YPM training: Your Platform Matters (YPM)
• Learn more about Janyre Tromp: janyretromp.com and Editing Insiders
• Free Facebook group for editing questions: Editing Insiders on Facebook

• Email Ann: annkroeker.com/contact
• Explore free & paid offerings: annkroeker.com/everything
• Get free coaching in your inbox: annkroeker.com/connect
• Follow Janyre Tromp: @janyretromp on Instagram, LinkedIn, and (newbie!) TikTok

I'm cheering you on as a writing coach in your ear. Thanks for listening!

I tend to sprawl—both in my writing and, if you ask my family, on the couch. I start with a plan, but as I write, new ideas branch out in every direction. Before I know it, I’ve lost my way. And yet…while I encourage the power of outlines, I confess that I often prefer finding my way through the sprawl, writing until I experience an epiphany—a moment of convergence that shows me what the piece is…and isn’t. In other words, I write my way to clarity. In Write Your Way Forward (episode 281), I help you see the various ways you\'ll gain clarity, even healing through writing itself. I believe if you need to process something, you can write to understand. And I believe if you have something to say more widely, you can write to be heard.

Read the full blog post HERE.

• Write to Discover – Start with Yourself
• Write to Discover Your Top Themes & Topics
• Write to Discover Your Ideal Reader
• Are Outlines a Writer’s Greatest Gift?
• What Lies Beneath the Surface of Your Life?
• Interview with Patrice Gopo on Meaning Making on the Page and Studying the Craft

If you second-guess yourself each time you send your words into the world, you’re not alone. You’re feeling what writers throughout the ages have felt, because it is a risk each time you click \"publish.\" Even if you’re viewed as an expert or thought leader handing down wisdom, your readers need to know they’re not alone. They need to see that you\'ve struggled and still found a way forward. Whether you\'re a writer who regularly reveals your ongoing messy life or you\'re someone who seems to have “arrived,\" your vulnerable stories offer hope.

In this episode, I share some of my own experiences with being vulnerable as I encourage you to open up your heart.

To visit the post that has all the information and links related to this episode (280), click HERE.

• My Writing Life Beginnings, Pt. 1
• My Writing Life Beginnings, Pt. 2
• Your Writing as a Gift (includes the Scott Russell Sanders quote)
• What Lies Beneath the Surface of Your Life
• Use What’s Happened to You, to Shape Your Writing
• Let Life Inspire Your Next Great Piece

An idea pops into your head, so you grab whatever paper product lies nearby and scribble down the thought. Or you come across a quote, story, or stat and realize it connects to your project. Convinced it’s all great material, you jot it down, then stuff the paper into your pocket or purse.

Now you’re ready to write, but you're discovering random Post-Its, index cards, and the backs of envelopes—not to mention pages from notebooks and journals. And you're wondering how these scattered notes and ideas could possibly be organized into a coherent structure for your article, essay, book, or blog post. Where do you start? Today, I’ll suggest one method to organize your notes. Let's call it the Seek, Sort, and Stack approach.