Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

• What's your role in your reader's life?

  What's your role in your reader's lifeRelease Date: December 2, 2025In this episode, Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach, explores how clarifying your role in a reader’s life transforms your tone, structure, and connection on the page. Using real-world analogies and examples from Anne Bogel, Annie F. Downs, and Lisa TerKeurst, Ann shows how to choose and calibrate a voice readers trust—whether you’re a knowledgeable friend, a teacher, a tower of authority, or a fellow traveler in the field.In This Episode You’ll Discover:Why defining your role makes writing more intuitive and effectiveHow to spot a voice/role mismatch that’s holding your manuscript backThe “knowledgeable friend” approach that helped Anne Bogel find her flowHow Annie F. Downs’ “coffee with a friend” brand guides tone and contentLisa TerKeurst’s 4 voices for authors: Tower, Teacher, In the Field, and In the PitWhen to avoid the “In the Pit” voice (and what to do instead)Practical tone tweaks: contractions, anecdotes, sentence fragments, vulnerabilityA quick exercise to test multiple voices and choose what fitsHow to align structure, examples, and word choice with your chosen roleWays to iterate based on reader response⌚️Timestamped Notes  0:00 - Introduction and welcome from Ann Kroeker  0:26 - Episode topic: What’s your role in your reader’s life?  0:40 - Roles professionals play and their impact  0:57 - Why writers should understand their role for better connection  1:10 - Identifying your reader-facing role: friend, expert, or fellow traveler?  1:17 - The impact of a tone-role mismatch for writers  1:35 - How tone, structure, and writing style change when role aligns  1:45 - Aligning roles for authenticity and effective voice  1:50 - Writers Anne Bogel, Annie F. Downs, and Lisa TerKeurst refine their roles  2:17 - Anne Bogel’s “friend who knows some things” approach  2:47 - Using knowledgeable friend tone: relate and inform  3:04 - Annie F. Downs’ “coffee with a friend” brand  3:33 - Using anecdotes, humor, and vulnerability as a friendly writer  3:50 - Lisa TerKeurst’s four author voices explained  4:23 - The Tower Voice (authoritative expert)  4:46 - The Teacher Voice (research-backed and vulnerable)  5:04 - The In-the-Field Voice (guiding as fellow traveler)  5:26 - The In-the-Pit Voice (venting without solutions)  5:45 - Finding your role: reflection questions for writers  6:12 - How readers see you shapes your style  6:22 - Structuring research-based writing with the Tower Voice  6:33 - Blending guidance with personal insight as a Teacher  6:40 - Using shared experience for trust in the Field Voice  7:04 - The pitfalls of writing from struggle without solutions  7:12 - Experimenting with different writer voices  7:38 - Adjusting tone and style to suit your authentic role  8:12 - Realizing and embodying your role for writing flow  8:29 - Invitation to Craft Your Book’s Big Idea challenge  8:50 - Ann Kroeker encourages and supports writers  9:02 - Closing and ongoing support for writersResources & Links:Free 3-Day Challenge: Craft Your Book’s Big Idea — annkroeker.com/3dayLisa TerKeurst interview (linked in episode show notes at annkroeker.com/writersrole)To read and check out all info, head to annkroeker.com/writersrole

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• Why Writers Get Lost in Research (And How to Find Your Way Back)

  Why Writers Get Lost in Research (And How to Find Your Way Back)Release Date: October 8, 2025In this episode, Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach tackles the common "research rabbit hole" problem that plagues nonfiction writers. Learn how to balance thorough research with productive writing, using Isaac Newton's famous quote about "standing on ye sholders of giants" as inspiration for leveraging others' knowledge without getting lost in endless sources.In This Episode You'll Discover:Why the research rabbit hole is a distraction for nonfiction writersNoticing when you're researching versus procrastinatingPractical strategies to ensure you stay focused on the researchThe importance of research for credibility and specificity in nonfiction⌚️Timestamps:0:00 - Welcome & Introduction0:48 - Getting Lost in Research1:30 - Does Detail Matter?2:00 - Value of Specifics3:15 - Building Trust Through Research3:44 - Research in Memoir & Essays4:09 - Standing on Giants’ Shoulders4:40 - 7 Focused Research Tips5:05 - Bracket Placeholders5:23 - Tackling Online Distractions5:45 - Parking Lot Document6:00 - Staying Relevant6:23 - Research Timers6:48 - Organizing Research7:16 - Research as Conversation7:45 - Back to WritingTo read and check out all info, head to annkroeker.com/rabbithole

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• Start with Your Ideal Audience: Insights from Janyre Tromp

  Start with Your Ideal Audience: Insights from Janyre TrompEpisode 283 | Release Date: September 24, 2025Quick SummaryIn this episode, Ann Kroeker is joined by award-winning author and editor Janyre Tromp for a deep dive into identifying your ideal audience as a writer. Janyre draws on 20+ years of publishing, editing, and marketing experience to explain why targeting the right readers—and understanding their true needs—will transform every stage of your writing process, from drafting to editing to pitching and platform-building. Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, essays, or poetry, this conversation will equip you with actionable strategies, creative encouragement, and permission to be yourself as you connect with real people through your words.In This Episode You'll Discover:The difference between demographics and psychographics (and why felt needs matter most)How to use “real people” as your audience guide—beyond generic market profilesWhy writing purely from your own perspective may miss your target audience (and what to do about it)Practical strategies for exploring and validating your audience—before you write the whole bookThe value and methods of “testing” your message on social media, in articles, or through speakingSmart ways to use outlines, chapter summaries, and comparative titles to clarify your audienceWhy platform-building is about genuine connection, not perfection or performanceHow to balance platform work with writing—plus batching, repurposing, and self-care tips from Janyre’s own practiceEncouragement for embracing your unique voice and message, even when life or creativity feels overwhelmingKey MomentsJanyre’s multi-role background: Traditional/indie publishing, editing, and marketingDefining your ideal audience: From broad demographics to nuanced psychographicsHow emotion—not just facts—sells books and builds connectionThe role of social media as a “testing lab” for ideas and audience resonanceOutlining, annotating, and revising to realign with your audienceUsing comparative titles and community spaces to get to know your readersOvercoming perfectionism and performance pressure as you build your platformGrace for the process—nobody does it all, and real people connect with real peopleMemorable Quotes“Emotion sells a book. Facts do not sell books… That’s why you see a commercial, they’re appealing to an emotion, not a fact.”“If you want to publish a book and help people, then you have to approach your book writing from that person’s perspective and write the book that they need, not the book that you want to write.”“Social media is this lovely little lab where you can write about stuff and get immediate gratification of whether it works or not.”“Go find your audience wherever they are and hang out with them… If you have a conversation with them that resonates, they’ll come hang out with you elsewhere too.”“You have a message that only you can give. Don’t be afraid to step out into that and make those connections.”Resources MentionedJoin Janyre’s upcoming YPM training: Your Platform Matters (YPM)Learn more about Janyre Tromp: janyretromp.com and Editing InsidersFree Facebook group for editing questions: Editing Insiders on FacebookConnect & Continue the ConversationEmail Ann: annkroeker.com/contactExplore free & paid offerings: annkroeker.com/everythingGet free coaching in your inbox: annkroeker.com/connectFollow Janyre Tromp: @janyretromp on Instagram, LinkedIn, and (newbie!) TikTokReady to go deeper?Join YPM for Janyre’s “X Marks the Spot” training on finding your true audience—live and on replay.I'm cheering you on as a writing coach in your ear. Thanks for listening!

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• Don't Wait to Share Your Message

  Don't Wait to Share Your MessageEpisode 282 | Release Date: September 10, 2025Quick SummaryIn this episode, Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach, explores how we can share our ideas and messages immediately through digital platforms rather than waiting for traditional publishing timelines. Learn why starting small today can make a bigger impact than waiting for the "perfect" long-form project to be complete.In This Episode You'll Discover:How digital publishing has transformed our ability to share ideas globallyWhy waiting to complete a book means delaying your impact on readersPractical ways to repurpose book content for immediate publicationHow to overcome algorithm anxiety and focus on genuine connectionThe value of reaching even a small audience with your messageKey Moments:[00:00] - Introduction: From farm life to digital publishing[03:15] - The Jetsons-like reality of modern publishing tools[06:30] - The lengthy timeline of traditional book publishing[09:45] - Creative ways to repurpose book content for immediate sharing[12:30] - Overcoming algorithm anxiety and focusing on real connections[15:45] - Why even reaching a few people matters[18:20] - Practical first steps to start sharing your message todayMemorable Quotes:"Someone out there needs exactly what you have to share—and they need it today.""Your message going out means you're intersecting with readers and potentially changing lives.""That chapter you're polishing for your book proposal? You probably have several subsections. Pick one and modify it to become a LinkedIn post."Resources Mentioned:annkroeker.com/ypmConnect & Continue the Conversation:Email me: annkroeker.com/contactExplore all my offerings, both free and paid: annkroeker.com/everythingGet free coaching in your inbox: annkroeker.com/connectI grew up on a farm before email, before social media, before any Internet existed for the general public. We had phones, of course. We had walkie-talkies. But we didn’t have Instagram or websites.If you traveled back in time and told young Ann (I was “Annie” back then) that at the click of a button—from the palm of my hand—I’d be able to write something that would be available to people anywhere in the world, I wouldn’t have believed you.I would have laughed, thinking you were teasing me. “Come on,” I would have said, “that’s like something out of The Jetsons.”Publish from the Palm of Your HandYet here we are, with publishing and distribution platforms literally in the palms of our hands. From your phone or a laptop, you can write something, click publish, and it’s live as an update on social media, a blog post on your website, a newsletter via email.Anyone in the entire world can read it.That really is like something out of The Jetsons.Have you stopped to think how fast and easy it is to write and send a message into the world from your computer or phone—how it flies through the ether and into a follower’s feed or a subscriber’s inbox? The immediacy is mind-boggling.The Power of Publishing NowIf you're working on a long-form project like a nonfiction book, you’re writing for a reader whose life you hope to impact, whether through a major transformation or a subtle shift in perspective. It takes a long time to complete a polished version of those 50,000+ words, ready for publication. When you seek traditional publication, you pitch agents in hopes of an offer.All that work and waiting, and not one word has been read by your intended audience.Let’s say you finally sign a book contract today. After all that time, your message still won't reach that reader for another year-and-a-half to two years.That's a long time before your words finally reach your readers.Why wait when you have Jetsons-like gadgets on hand? Why not start making a difference in your readers’ lives right away? Your full manuscript may still be in progress, but your message can begin changing lives today:Blog posts and Substack newsletters let you do a deep dive into your concepts for readers to ponderSocial media posts allow you to test ideas and connect directly with your audiencePodcast appearances help you reach listeners who might never discover your bookOnline publications can feature your expertise to established audiencesThat chapter you're polishing for your book proposal? You probably have several subsections. Pick one and modify it to become a LinkedIn post.The research you’ve done to support your main argument? Some could become an infographic for Instagram.The personal story illustrating your message? Share it on your Substack.Deliver value now while building anticipation for your completed book that will launch later. You even test your ideas to find what resonates most and strengthen your draft.But the Algorithm…If you’re thinking social media algorithms will throttle your reach, try to relax and have a little fun. Imagine how your post might reach a few of your ideal readers and make them think, laugh, feel something.Remember to be social on social media: Like other people’s content. Leave a comment. Share their posts. Worry less about the algorithm and be social with people you care about.When you focus on creating helpful content and engaging with others, you connect directly with the people who need your message most.Sure, maybe fewer people interact with your Instagram carousel post than they used to. Maybe “social media” seems more performative and less “real,” maybe the algorithm change really did show your work to fewer people, but even a few views means you brushed against each other virtually. An interaction in the DMs can be two people chatting and not just an automated system sending out a link (those are handy tools, but I’m suggesting you could simply be real).Worst case scenario, only a few people see your post. That’s a few people “Annie” never would have reached when sitting in the farm house back in the day.If you told me then that five or ten people read something I had written and published on a platform called “Instagram,” I would have been astonished. Real people somewhere in the world instantly read my words! That would have changed my life; I would have thought of myself as a writer years earlier. I would have thought about my writing differently, imagining those readers, hoping my ideas would change them in some way as our lives intersected for those few seconds.Today, at this moment, that’s our reality.Your message going out means you’re intersecting with readers and potentially changing lives.Start Now, Start SmallSomeone out there needs exactly what you have to share—and they need it today.Choose one approach that feels relatively natural and comfortable. It doesn’t have to be social media. Maybe it’s an emailed newsletter, audio on a podcast, video on YouTube, or a blog post on your website.Extract one idea from your long-form work-in-progress and shape it to fit the medium.Press publish.It’s like the Jetsons…but it’s really out there, reaching readers right now.

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• Write Your Way Forward

  I tend to sprawl—both in my writing and, if you ask my family, on the couch. I start with a plan, but as I write, new ideas branch out in every direction. Before I know it, I’ve lost my way. And yet…while I encourage the power of outlines, I confess that I often prefer finding my way through the sprawl, writing until I experience an epiphany—a moment of convergence that shows me what the piece is…and isn’t. In other words, I write my way to clarity. In Write Your Way Forward (episode 281), I help you see the various ways you\'ll gain clarity, even healing through writing itself. I believe if you need to process something, you can write to understand. And I believe if you have something to say more widely, you can write to be heard. Read the full blog post HERE.ResourcesWrite to Discover – Start with YourselfWrite to Discover Your Top Themes & TopicsWrite to Discover Your Ideal ReaderAre Outlines a Writer’s Greatest Gift?What Lies Beneath the Surface of Your Life?Interview with Patrice Gopo on Meaning Making on the Page and Studying the Craft

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About Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach