Ep. 5: Here's Your Permission Slip to Evolve as an Artist
Path to Published
In this episode, I’m sharing a recent lightbulb moment that led me to walk away from a successful project. Listen in for your own permission slip to evolve and follow your creative energy. Why do we keep moving certain tasks further down on our to-do list? When is it time to walk away and admit that we’ve outgrown a project? I'm your host, Ashley Fenker, bringing you the Path to Published podcast with a solo episode about discerning when it’s time to move on to a new creative project. My new book, Good (Enough) Mother: Stories and Essays, is available today wherever books are...
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Ep. 4: Stop Sharing Your Work Immediately: How to Avoid Instant Gratification
Path to Published
In this episode, I’m sharing the discipline that I’ve learned in following a slow publishing journey and 5 reasons why I’ve chosen to avoid the instant gratification that’s available to us today with the help of technology. Many will teach that self-publishing is a quick way to share your work with the world instantly, but I’m arguing that we can slow down the process to invest in learning skills needed to learn all the ins and outs of publishing. I'm your host, Ashley Fenker, bringing you the Path to Published podcast with a solo episode about the importance of slowing down your...
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Ep. 3: 7 Ways a Good Editor Will Improve the Quality of Your Writing
Path to Published
In this episode, we’re discussing what happens once you’ve written your essay or piece of creative nonfiction. I’m sharing 7 things that a good editor will do for the quality of your work. Opening up and inviting feedback can feel incredibly scary, but it’s a sign of maturity and growth in all areas of your life. I'm your host, Ashley Fenker, bringing you the Path to Published podcast with a solo episode about what to look for in a quality editor who will take your work to the next level. My new book, Good (Enough) Mother: Stories and Essays, is available today wherever books...
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Ep. 2: How to Move from Journal Processing to Structured Essays
Path to Published
In this episode, I’m sharing a few signs for you to look for to know if you’re ready to move beyond writing in your private journal into a space of crafting a piece of work that you intend to publish. I’m also walking through the different approaches that I use to move from brainstorming to writing a first draft. I reveal some of the hard decisions that I’ve had to make on my own path to published. I'm your host, Ashley Fenker, bringing you the Path to Published podcast with a solo episode about when you know it's time to move from your journal to a more structured and polished piece...
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Ep. 1: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Start of My Journey to Publishing My Book
Path to Published
In this episode, I’m imagining we’re meeting at a party for the first time and you ask me, “What do you do for a living?” I’m revealing why I dread this question, how I wish I would answer it, how many years I’ve been working on my essay collection, and why this feels like the perfect time to publish and share this body of work with the world. I'm your host, Ashley Fenker, kicking off the Path to Published podcast with a solo episode about the start of my journey to publish my essay collection, Good (Enough) Mother: Stories and Essays, available today wherever books are sold....
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TRAILER
Path to Published
Hi! I’m author Ashley Fenker. The Path to Published podcast is where I’m sharing my insights into the self-publishing journey for writers of creative nonfiction. Listen in for a deep dive into the intersection between creativity and business. My book, Good (Enough) Mother: Stories and Essays, released on March 11, 2025 as a #1 Top New Release on Amazon. Kirkus Reviews Magazine distinguished it as a recipient of Awards & Accolades and featured it in the May 1st issue. Several bestselling authors endorsed the book calling it their “must-read of the year” and saying they “inhaled...
info_outlineHi! I’m author Ashley Fenker. The Path to Published podcast is where I’m sharing my insights into the self-publishing journey for writers of creative nonfiction. Listen in for a deep dive into the intersection between creativity and business.
My book, Good (Enough) Mother: Stories and Essays, released on March 11, 2025 as a #1 Top New Release on Amazon. Kirkus Reviews Magazine distinguished it as a recipient of Awards & Accolades and featured it in the May 1st issue. Several bestselling authors endorsed the book calling it their “must-read of the year” and saying they “inhaled it in one sitting” and “couldn’t stop thinking about it.” My work has been previously published in O, The Oprah Magazine, Upworthy, Fathom Magazine, Scary Mommy, Coffee + Crumbs, and more.
Over the next few months, I’ll be taking some time offline to welcome our new baby girl—but I didn’t want the book launch excitement to end. So I’ve repackaged some of my favorite episodes from the Path to Published series, featuring real talk on writing, creativity, and publishing.
Every week, I’m bringing you behind-the-scenes on my own path to publication, offering lessons learned, wisdom, and actionable advice on writing and publishing. We’re diving deep into topics like journaling, structuring essays, inviting feedback from editors, building a platform, connecting with readers, securing endorsements, hiring graphic designers, preorders, launch teams, reviews, selling your book in local bookstores, and planning a book tour. I learned so much on my publishing journey that I want to pass to you as your own permission slip to start on your own path to published.
If you're a writer ready to write, publish, and launch your book, you've come to the right place.
- Grab your FREE companion PDF with tons of resources for your own Path to Published: https://www.ashleyfenker.com/freebies. Think of this as your own personal workbook to follow along with each episode and start taking action on your writing and publishing journey.
- Subscribe to my Substack, Write My Story, as a free or paid subscriber: https://ashleyfenker.substack.com.
- Grab my book, Good (Enough) Mother, wherever books are sold: https://goodenoughmotherbook.com.
- Dive into my course, Journaling 101, for just $49: https://ashleyfenker.com/journaling101.