The Publishing Performance Show
Welcome to The Publishing Performance Show, the quintessential podcast for both budding and veteran self-published authors! Join your host, Teddy, as he sits down with with successful indie authors and top experts in the publishing world, who generously share their unique journeys, creative inspirations, and future aspirations in their writing careers and the wider industry.
Immerse yourself in a trove of valuable insights and actionable advice on writing, essential tools, and practical tips to elevate your self-publishing prowess. Whether you’re just beginning your literary voyage or seeking to refine your craft, this show brims with wisdom and inspiration to help you thrive in the self-publishing realm.
Each episode promises listeners at least one actionable tip for their self-published books and a must-read recommendation from our esteemed guests.
Tune in for an inspiring, informative, and thoroughly enjoyable exploration of the indie author experience!
The Publishing Performance Show
Jo Blackwell – How to Use YouTube and Substack to Build a Writing Brand (Without Going Viral)
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Jo Blackwell is a writer, podcaster, researcher, and personal brand builder whose work centers on helping women over 50 rethink aging. After raising four children, navigating perimenopause, and spending 14 years as a professional portrait and brand photographer, Jo founded the Midlife Movement in 2018 to share the latest science on aging — challenging the outdated cultural narratives that tell women their best years are behind them. Her books include Oh Crap, I'm 50, 50 Facing 50 (a BBC-featured photography project), and her most recent release Aging Wonderfully Well. She hosts the Midlife and Beyond podcast and publishes regularly on YouTube and Substack.
In this episode:
- How perimenopause and depression led Jo to start writing again — and how a blog became a book and a movement
- Why building a personal brand before publishing made a measurable difference in book sales
- The "grandmotherly vibe" lesson: why leaning into who you actually are is the most powerful branding strategy
- How Jo uses YouTube and Substack as a content loop — and why she stopped trying to make Facebook work
- Using audience comments, YouTube polls, and Facebook group data to decide what books to write next
- How to overcome the fear of putting yourself out there, especially as an older woman
- Practical advice for starting a personal brand after 50: platform selection, content planning, and setting your own boundaries
- The right way to use AI in your writing process — as an editor and sounding board, not a content generator
- What's inside Aging Wonderfully Well: self-ageism, perimenopause, brain research, and the science of becoming
- Why Jo says she's never been happier than in her 60s — and what that means for women who think it's too late to start
Resources mentioned:
- Substack (platform for newsletters and audio): substack.com
- YouTube (Jo's video platform): youtube.com
- Pinterest (used as a visual search engine): pinterest.com
- LinkedIn (for collaboration): linkedin.com
- Riverside (podcast recording tool): riverside.fm
Book Recommendations:
- Aging Wonderfully Well by Jo Blackwell
- Oh Crap, I'm 50: Journey from Fearful to Fabulous by Jo Blackwell
Connect with Jo Blackwell:
- Website: joblackwell.co.uk
- Youtube :https://www.youtube.com/@JoBlackwell-MidlifeAndBeyond
- Podcast: https://joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com/podcast
Connect with Teddy Smith:
@teddyagsmith
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