Is AI making nonfiction books obsolete? Not so fast.

In this episode of Finish the Damn Book, Susie Schaefer welcomes back Ally Machate, founder of The Writer's Ally, publishing strategist, and former Simon & Schuster editor, to explore how artificial intelligence is changing the publishing industry and what authors can do to make their books stand out.

Ally explains why basic how-to books face new competition from AI, while original experiences, storytelling, expert judgment, and meaningful reader connections remain essential.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why some nonfiction books are losing ground to AI and what that means for authors
• How personal stories and professional experience can make your book more valuable
• Why writing the right book matters more than simply getting published
• A publishing horror story involving a last-minute 100-page cut
• How collaborations and professional relationships help independent authors grow
• Why a book needs a strategy to become a valuable business asset

Plus, Ally shares a free training to help you evaluate your book idea before investing more time and money.

Free Training: Don't Write the Wrong Book

Discover Ally's five-step approach to creating a book that aligns with your audience and goals.

https://offers.thewritersally.com/finish-the-damn-book

Connect with Ally Machate

https://www.thewritersally.com

Finish the Damn Book Podcast helps aspiring authors, entrepreneurs, creatives, and writers finally complete the book they know they’re meant to write.

Hosted by Susie Schaefer, the podcast cuts through perfectionism, writer’s block, overwhelm, and publishing confusion with honest conversations about writing, publishing, book marketing, creativity, and the author journey.

Featuring authors, editors, ghostwriters, publishers, writing coaches, and industry professionals, each episode offers practical strategies to help writers finish, publish, and share meaningful books.

Topics include:
• Writing and revision tips
• Publishing and self-publishing guidance
• Book marketing and platform-building
• Creativity, confidence, and procrastination
• Encouragement for writers stuck in the messy middle

Many episodes close with Susie’s signature “Reflection Moment”, an intuitive conversation exploring creativity, identity, purpose, and the emotional side of becoming an author.

Whether you’re writing memoir, nonfiction, business, or personal development, Finish the Damn Book is here to help you trust your voice and finally bring your story to life.

Ready to move your book forward?
https://www.finishthebookpublishing.com/

What if the career you've already lived isn't separate from your writing journey, but part of what prepared you for it?

Award-winning writer and producer Angela Page joins Susie Schaefer to talk about leaving corporate life, learning the craft of screenwriting, publishing books, producing films, and continuing to reinvent herself after 50.

Angela shares why her years in international business became an advantage when navigating contracts, negotiations, and the business side of entertainment. She also talks about adapting written work for the screen, building a portfolio, finding good feedback, and why writers need a community around them.

For writers who worry they've waited too long, Angela offers an important reminder: you can begin at any age.

And if you're staring at an idea but aren't even sure what it's supposed to become yet, Angela's advice is to start writing anyway. Don't worry yet about whether it's a book, play, screenplay, or television project. Give yourself permission to write, find the kernel worth developing, and find your tribe to help you move it forward.

In this episode:

• Reinventing yourself as a writer after 50
• Moving from corporate life into writing and producing
• Turning written work into screen projects
• Learning the craft and building a writing portfolio
• Using your previous career experience instead of discounting it
• Finding honest feedback and writing communities
• Why networking matters for authors
• Giving yourself permission to start before you know where the idea will lead

Connect with Angela Page:
AngelaPage.com

If you've been waiting for the perfect time, perfect idea, or perfect plan before you start writing, this conversation may be the nudge you need.

Keep writing so you can finish the damn book.

Finish the Damn Book Podcast helps aspiring authors, entrepreneurs, creatives, and writers finally complete the book they know they’re meant to write.

Hosted by Susie Schaefer, the podcast cuts through perfectionism, writer’s block, overwhelm, and publishing confusion with honest conversations about writing, publishing, book marketing, creativity, and the author journey.

Featuring authors, editors, ghostwriters, publishers, writing coaches, and industry professionals, each episode offers practical strategies to help writers finish, publish, and share meaningful books.

Topics include:
• Writing and revision tips
• Publishing and self-publishing guidance
• Book marketing and platform-building
• Creativity, confidence, and procrastination
• Encouragement for writers stuck in the messy middle

Many episodes close with Susie’s signature “Reflection Moment”, an intuitive conversation exploring creativity, identity, purpose, and the emotional side of becoming an author.

Whether you’re writing memoir, nonfiction, business, or personal development, Finish the Damn Book is here to help you trust your voice and finally bring your story to life.

Ready to move your book forward?
https://www.finishthebookpublishing.com/

How long have you been saying you’ll write your book “someday”?

Tara Hayes has a reminder for you: someday is not a day of the week.

In this episode of Finish the Damn Book!, Susie Schaefer sits down with Tara Hayes, speaker, 2x author, publishing strategist, creator of The Published Authority™, and founder of Tarafied Publishing Co., to talk about what it really takes to move from having an idea for a book to actually publishing one.

Their conversation goes beyond writing and publishing mechanics. Tara and Susie talk about realistic timelines, finding the right support, setting boundaries, trusting your intuition, and recognizing the difference between a necessary pause and allowing “someday” to stretch on indefinitely.

Tara also shares her own journey into publishing and what she has learned from helping people navigate the process from idea to publication.

And because this is Finish the Damn Book!, Susie brings out the oracle cards for a reading that takes the conversation somewhere neither of them quite expected.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• What authors should realistically expect from the publishing process
• Why you don’t have to navigate publishing alone
• The importance of finding the right support
• Knowing when to keep moving and when to pause
• Protecting your boundaries and energy
• Listening when your intuition tells you something isn’t right
• Moving beyond “someday” and taking action on the book you want to write

ABOUT TARA HAYES

Tara Hayes is a speaker, 2x author, publishing strategist, and creator of The Published Authority™. Through Tarafied Publishing Co., she helps experts turn their knowledge into books that build real authority, guiding business owners and families from idea to publication with clarity, structure, and strategy.

CONNECT WITH TARA

Tarafied Publishing Co.: https://tarafiedpublishing.com/

If there’s a book that keeps calling you back, you don’t have to finish the entire thing today.

But perhaps today can be the day you begin.

Subscribe to Finish the Damn Book! for more conversations designed to help authors move their books forward and get them into the hands of the readers who need them.

Finish the Damn Book Podcast helps aspiring authors, entrepreneurs, creatives, and writers finally complete the book they know they’re meant to write.

Hosted by Susie Schaefer, the podcast cuts through perfectionism, writer’s block, overwhelm, and publishing confusion with honest conversations about writing, publishing, book marketing, creativity, and the author journey.

Featuring authors, editors, ghostwriters, publishers, writing coaches, and industry professionals, each episode offers practical strategies to help writers finish, publish, and share meaningful books.

Topics include:
• Writing and revision tips
• Publishing and self-publishing guidance
• Book marketing and platform-building
• Creativity, confidence, and procrastination
• Encouragement for writers stuck in the messy middle

Many episodes close with Susie’s signature “Reflection Moment”, an intuitive conversation exploring creativity, identity, purpose, and the emotional side of becoming an author.

Whether you’re writing memoir, nonfiction, business, or personal development, Finish the Damn Book is here to help you trust your voice and finally bring your story to life.

Ready to move your book forward?
https://www.finishthebookpublishing.com/