Writing is a tough business, but it’s made easier with the help of friends—and hearing about other authors’ journeys. Michelle Miles, author of over 40 paranormal and fantasy romance novels, spills the tea on why she launched her Miles Beyond the Page podcast.

ME: Okay, so here’s the obvious question: why did you decide to launch a podcast?

MM: I really wanted just to talk to other authors about their journey I wanted to highlight them and celebrate them because writing is hard and publishing a book is harder. I thought it would be really fun and cool to talk to other authors about why they chose the indie path or why they chose the trad path. 

And then my friend Misty [Evans] was releasing a book [this past] January and I thought, this is a great opportunity to talk to her about her release and highlight her. So, I asked her, “do you want to do this thing with me?” 

I had no name. I had no branding. I had nothing… and then [after the first episode] I thought, ‘wow, that was really cool, I can do this, I could do one of these a month.’ And we know how that turned out. Now I have people booked out through the end of June.

ME: So, what’s it like to talk to all sorts of authors as your ‘side gig to your side gig?’

MM: it’s a lot of fun. I’ve learned different things from different people. I love hearing about their journeys. I love hearing what they have done to become published. Some are really determined to make this their full-time job, for some it is their full-time job. 

Most of [my guests] have a day job. It’s really fun to talk to them about how they balance the writing with their day job, with their family. We’re all alike, really, is what it comes down to. We’re all just kind of figuring it out and doing similar things and… everybody says marketing is hard. It’s harder than the writing, and that’s what I’ve really learned. 

You know, I talk to mostly indie authors. But I’ve also talked to the best sellers, you know, the bigger authors who have similar advice: If you really want to do this, you sit down and do it. You don’t wait for inspiration to strike. 

ME: What is the most interesting or unique thing that you’ve learned from speaking to all these guests?

MM: It’s really apparent that we are all just striving for the same thing. It’s not about who’s better, or who’s bigger. We’re all just trying to figure it out. And everybody’s doing it differently. I think that’s probably the most interesting thing. We all want to end up in the bookstore, on Barnes & Noble’s bookshelves, right? That is probably the most interesting thing. Like, no matter how you got there, it’s the fact that you’re getting there.

If you really want to do this, you sit down and do it. You don’t wait for inspiration to strike. 

ME: Who is your ideal audience for this podcast?

MM: I think my ideal audience is going to be someone who is an aspiring writer, or maybe a writer who is on the last-ditch effort of wanting to write. Maybe they’ll find some reason to keep going. It’s probably readers, too. But I feel like a lot of readers are also writers, or they want to be writers. and I think it’s a great way to showcase different perspectives on their journey—different ways of putting together a story. I hope that people are really inspired and excited about the people I talk to, and they want to go out and buy their books because of something they said, about how they write, or what they write.

ME: Who’s been your favorite guest so far, and why? 

MM: Oh man there’s so many. I really like talking to Gena Showalter. She is just a doll. She’s just so fun to talk to, and she’s so energetic and she loves what she does. You can see it in her face and hear it in her voice. 

I have someone coming up, um, next… his name is Max Shippee [Reinvention, Creativity & Writing Life’s Next Chapter]. He wrote a young adult fantasy. He’s also an actor. He was hysterical. We had the best time talking. He interacted, we had a great conversation, and really, that’s what I’m looking for. I’m looking for someone that’s not afraid to just… even ask me questions. We’re going to have a conversation about what we’re doing.

ME: Do you have other guests coming up that people might want to tune into?

MM: Let’s see… I’ve got Stacy Fazer, who’s a book coach, and who’s amazing. She’s going to be [featured] at the end of December. I’ve got David Hankins. He writes comedy fantasy. He was hysterical—a lot of fun. You could just tell that he really loved what he does. For the end of the year, I’ve got a long-time friend, Janis Patterson. She writes under a whole bunch of different pen names.

There was also a journalist that wrote a creative nonfiction book, the woman who found the Jurassic bones [in England]. The name of the book is Jurassic Girl, and her books are in museums. I thought she was really interesting, and she was a journalist by trade. She decided she really wanted to write this book, and she’s got an agent, and she’s writing a second book.

Everybody sees The Fourth Wing and the big books, right? Well, what about the other books, that are not so out there in the mainstream?

ME: You also have works coming out, and, well… who looks after you? 

MM: Nobody! Yeah, I’m kind of a one-woman show. I do it all. I have a very tight-knit schedule. I write two times a day. I podcast two times every other week. And then I have to edit them. I have to stick to my schedule, because I have a lot of books I want to write, and now I’m doing this collaboration and I’m at the point where I can’t let her down, because I know I have to finish this book by a certain time so we can release it. I think we’re shooting for the end of March.

ME: Is this with Misty Evans as well?

MM: Yes. This is our Legends of the Five Crowns book series about stories being erased and the two Lorekeeper sisters trying to save the realm (with a dragon-shifter hero in one and a pirate hero in another). 

ME: What advice would you give someone starting out in the book world, about developing their own podcast. Is it worth it? Or should they be more established?

MM: Hmm, that’s a good question. There are new podcasts indexed all the time. I think you really need to have your platform. I think you need to really think about what are you offering. What’s your angle? 

I don’t have a huge following, honestly. I mean, I just launched my podcast. I threw it out there, and one of the things that I read was, ‘have 3 to 5 episodes already done before you launch,’ which makes sense, because you’re going to start building that audience. I started once a month. By May, I was dropping weekly. I think you just really need to know what your goal is. You want to be consistent, too, so if it’s something that you really want to do, what is the goal? Why are you doing it? 

I’m not going into it thinking I’m gonna make a million bucks. I’m going into it thinking, I just really want to talk to authors, I really want to highlight their careers, I really want to shine a light on those genres that are ignored by mainstream. Everybody sees The Fourth Wing and the big books, right? Well, what about the other books, that are not so out there in the mainstream? What about those people who are just trying to get their books out there, make a living, or, you know, make a decent side hustle? Let’s highlight those folks. Let’s see what their journey is. That was my angle, and so I think you really need to figure out what your angle is. How much are you prepared to invest in it? Because it is an investment. 

Find Michelle’s podcast, Miles Beyond the Page

Michelle also has a new release coming out November 28! 

Don’t miss Once Upon a Woven Wish 

A desperate girl with everything to lose. A cursed man bound by ancient bargains. And a final wish that could either save them both—or destroy everything she holds dear.

In a crumbling village at the edge of the kingdom, Serena knows survival is a daily battle. When heavy taxes threaten to steal her family’s home, she turns to the ancient Well of Wishes—now little more than legend—and makes a dangerous plea for help.

That night, a stranger answers.

He can weave her whispered hopes into gold and grain, but every wish comes with a cost—a secret, a memory, a piece of her very soul.

As magic breathes life into the dying land, Serena finds herself tangled in an invisible bargain. The stranger is no ordinary man. He’s a prisoner of the Well, cursed to grant wishes until someone dares to break the spell. And if Serena can uncover his true name before she loses herself completely, she might just rewrite both their fates.

But wishes have teeth—and some bargains were never meant to be broken.

A lush standalone fantasy perfect for fans of Rumpelstiltskin retellings, magical bargains, and fierce, heart-aching love stories.

Get the book here.

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