What happens when you've written award-winning books, get amazing reviews from readers, and your sales still start a downward spiral? You can give up writing — or you can take a step back, review your catalog, figure out a plan and up-skill, then reboot your author career. In this episode, Michaelbrent Collings shares how he ended up delivering pizza to support his family because his sales had stalled and how he turned it around, reinvigorating his career, taking his book sales income and reader engagement to new heights. In the introduction, I mention the Voice Double in-between-isode, as well as Findaway Voices launch of Authors Direct, which enables you to sell audiobooks direct to listeners in US, UK and Europe, Canada and Australia. Today's podcast sponsor is Findaway Voices, which gives you access to the world's largest network of audiobook sellers and everything you need to create and sell professional audiobooks. Take back your freedom. Choose your price, choose how you sell, choose how you distribute audio. Check it out at FindawayVoices.com. Michaelbrent Collings is an award-winning and internationally best-selling horror novelist, and screenwriter. His novel, The Deep was a finalist in the Bram Stoker Awards. His latest novel is The Forest. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript below. Show Notes * How to recognize when an author business needs attention and a revamp (and it's not a craft issue!) * Facing reality and being honest about what needs to change * Marketing strategies that stopped working * Tips for growing an email list and using paid advertising * Balancing marketing and writing * Knowing your worth and when it’s time to outsource some of your work * The importance of being endlessly curious You can find Michaelbrent Collings at WrittenInsomnia.com and on Twitter @mbcollings Transcript of Interview with Michaelbrent Collings Joanna: Michaelbrent Collings is an award-winning and internationally best-selling horror novelist, and screenwriter. His novel, The Deep was a finalist in the Bram Stoker Awards and is one of my favorite horror novels. And Michaelbrent has been on the show several times. We've talked before about writing with depression as well as writing fast and writing horror. Today, we're talking about something very interesting, which is rebooting your fiction author career. Welcome back, Michaelbrent. Michaelbrent: Thank you. It is always such a pleasure to be here,