#441 - An announcement...
Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?
Well friends, today’s episode is going to be a bit different! After nine years of weekly episodes, I’ve made the decision to take a break from the show for a little bit. This isn’t something I’ve taken lightly- it's something I’ve been praying about, wrestling with, and reflecting on for months. And while it’s hard to hit pause on something I love so much, I know it’s the right time. With my daughter heading into middle school, my son starting fourth grade, my first year of seminary coming to a close, and my 40th birthday around the corner (!), life has been beautifully full. In...
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#440 - Organize First, Decorate Second with Whitney English
Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?
I’m thrilled to welcome back my friend, Whitney English, to the show today! She is an author, artist, and self-proclaimed reluctant expert in surviving family drama with grace... and a glue gun. Whitney is known for telling the truth with humor, finding beauty in the mess, and believing that good stories and good design can heal just about anything- whether she’s organizing a junk drawer or untangling generational dysfunction. Her new book, Organize First, Decorate Second, is out now, and today, we’re diving into everything from the psychology of organization and decoration to practical...
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#439 God, Can We Chat? Bringing Our Doubts to God with Niki Hardy
Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?
I'm thrilled to welcome Niki Hardy to the show this week! Niki is the author of the Audie Award-nominated Breathe Again and One Minute Prayers for Women With Cancer. Her newest book, God, Can We Chat? A Daringly Honest Guide to Growing Closer to God, One Doubt at a Time, hit shelves in March, which I’m so excited to chat about today. Niki has left corporate life, moved continents, gone to seminary, planted churches, launched businesses and nonprofits, and navigated seasons of deep loss, cancer, church hurt, and painful uncertainty. Through it all, she firmly believes that God loves a...
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#438 - Chicken-Fried Wisdom & the Women Who Raised Us (Right-ish) with Melissa Radke
Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?
You are in for an absolute treat this week! My guest is the one and only Melissa Radke- bestselling author, speaker, TV personality, comedian, and the self-proclaimed HGIC (Head Girlfriend in Charge). With over 1.1 million followers, Melissa has been lifting women up since 2016, dishing out everything from hair tips to life advice with her signature humor and heart. Her brand-new book, Chicken Fried Women, just hit the shelves, which is a love letter to the strong, faith-filled, flawed, and unforgettable women who shaped her life. She reflects on generational legacies, healing family dynamics,...
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#437 From Resentment to Repair in Marriage with Dr. Morgan Cutlip
Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?
This week on the podcast, I’m joined once again by the brilliant Dr. Morgan Cutlip- author, psychologist, and relationship expert. She is known for equipping individuals and couples with practical, down-to-earth tools to navigate the most challenging parts of relationships. She has a true gift for turning psychological research into relatable, real-life strategies, and she shares her wisdom through her books, courses, blog, podcast, and social media platforms. Morgan first joined us to talk about her book Love Your Kids Without Losing Yourself, and now she’s back with her brand-new...
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#436 - Shatterproof - Pain to Purpose with ESPN's Lauren Sisler
Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?
This week, I am so excited to be joined by the incredible Lauren Sisler. She is an Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster, ESPN sideline reporter, author, keynote speaker, and the queen of the sideline shimmy. After landing her dream career with ESPN and reporting on college football and gymnastics, she began to open up about a story she once kept hidden: losing both of her parents to opioid addiction. Through sharing her journey, Lauren has not only shed light on the stigma surrounding addiction, but she’s also found a powerful way to help others navigate their own struggles. Whether...
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#435 - The Sacred Order of the Underestimated with Mary Marantz
Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?
I’m thrilled to welcome back my dear friend Mary Marantz for her third appearance on the show! If you’ve been here a while, you already know how incredible Mary is- she’s a powerhouse in every sense of the word. As a podcaster, author, speaker, photographer, and coach, she truly does it all. Today, we’re diving into her latest book, Underestimated, which releases later this month. We’re talking about what it means to be underestimated, why fear is a boring liar, and how playing small was never part of your purpose. This conversation was so good and I’m so excited to share it with...
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#434 - Celebrating One Year of "If I Don't Laugh, I'll Cry"!
Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?
It’s been one whole year since If I Don’t Laugh, I’ll Cry made its way into the world, and today, we’re celebrating! In this special anniversary episode, I’m reflecting on the journey of writing and releasing this book- what it was like to put my story on paper, the emotional highs and lows, and the incredible messages from readers that have reminded me why I wrote it in the first place. Whether you’ve read the book or are just hearing about it for the first time, I hope this episode makes you laugh, reflect, and feel a little less alone in your own beautiful mess. Thank you for...
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REPLAY | A Special Conversation with MY DAD!
Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?
This week, I'm thrilled to welcome the most special guest ever on my show- my dad. With the release of my book just around the corner (coming out next week- can you believe it?!) I couldn’t think of a better time to have him on the podcast. Together, we dig into some of the stories that are (and aren’t) talked about in my book. Join us as we laugh, reminisce, and share stories of the joys, the challenges, and everything in between. My dad has such powerful things to say about gratitude, slowing down, choosing love, and finding joy in the darkest of moments. This conversation is...
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REPLAY: Until the Streetlights come on with Ginny Yurich, 1000 Hours Outside
Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?
I'm under the weather this week, so I'm sharing one of my favorite episodes! This week, I’m excited to welcome Ginny Yurich, a homeschooling mother of five and the founder of a global movement reclaiming childhood and fostering family connections through nature-based play. Alongside her husband, Josh, Ginny is the brilliant mind behind the 1000 Hours Outside lifestyle brand, featuring an online store, app, and much more. Whether you have kids or not, this episode is an absolute must-listen. We dig deep into issues that resonate, especially for those of us...
info_outlineWelcome to episode 420! Today, it's just me, and I'm tackling one of the most frequently asked questions I’ve received since the release of my first book, If I Don’t Laugh, I’ll Cry. And that is… “How do I get a book published?”
A recent study showed that more than 80% of Americans dream of writing and publishing a book. So, in today’s conversation, I’m going to walk you through the basics of book publishing and share the tips and tricks I learned along the way.
If you've ever imagined holding your own book in your hands or are just curious about the publishing world, stick around. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clearer idea of where to start and how the process works!
2:37 – Understanding Your Options
· The different approaches to publishing
· Getting an agent
· Creating a book proposal
6:50 – Finding Your Team
· Researching agents who specialize in your genre
· Putting together your query letter
· Showing agents your personality
12:03 – The Book Proposal Process
· What is a book proposal?
· Showing your knowledge and commitment
· Sample chapters
15:49 – Self-Publishing and Hybrid Publishing
· Hiring your team
· Don’t forget about marketing!
· Considerations for hybrid publishing
19:25 – Okay… So Where Do I Start?!
· Polishing your manuscript
· Having a book proposal
· Defining your goals + researching options
· Establishing relationships + thinking about marketing
· Don’t give up!
FEATURED QUOTES
“If you don't hear back or you get a rejection, you can't let it discourage you. Tons of successful, famous authors have received multiple rejections before finding the right fit. So, you are not alone. It is part of the process.”
“The writing community in general is incredibly supportive and has been vital in my own process.”
“Publishing a book, writing a book is a marathon, not a sprint…Rejections are going to happen. Timelines are going to change. Things are not going to go the way that you want them to go, but you have to keep going. You have to have that end goal in mind and focus on the end result that you're really, really looking for, because that part is incredibly rewarding.”
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About Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?
Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder? Podcast is a weekly podcast where we have honest conversations about faith, business, life, and everything in between. Hosted by speaker and author, Molly Stillman, her mission is to make you laugh, cry, and laugh till you cry. She wants to create a community of people who are unafraid to be themselves and have honest conversations about the things that matter most. Her vision is to create a safe space for people to explore their faith and share their stories and gifts with the world.