Usually as a content creator, you're creating blogs, video content, and podcast. But there's multiple avenues to get your content and brand out there. Which all begs the question: have you ever wanted to publish a book? Writing a book is a natural segue for many bloggers, but the journey can seem large and long. In Summer of Live 2019, we talked to two Mediavine influencers who are both published authors: Jen Ruiz of Jen on a Jet Plane and Valerie Stimac of The Space Tourism Guide and Valerie & Valise. Jen and Valerie pack this episode with their honest individual experiences in publishing their own books, and give action-packed tips on how you can get started today. Make sure to tune in! Helpful Resources Jen On A Jet PlaneThe Space Tourism GuideValerie & ValiseBecome A Published Author with Jeffrey Eisner | Mediavine On Air Episode 16The Solo Female Travel BookDark Skies 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV0CgXjrtC0 Transcript [MUSIC PLAYING] JENNY GUY: Happy Thursday, everybody. It is July 11th, and we are in the Summer of Live. I'm Jenny Guy, Mediavine's marketing manager, and it is our month of beyond blogging. So we are talking about the things that tie to your blogging career but might be a little bit outside just the nuts and bolts of operating your website. But we are here and we are so excited today to be talking about book publishing. And I have two amazing guests. But book publishing can seem like a really natural segue for a lot of bloggers. It's an extension of you sharing that expertise that you're already sharing with your audience-- that's sometimes it-- and then other times, it can be the impetus for people to begin blogging in the first place. We've heard a lot of publishers tell us they're great authors, but they aren't able to quite navigate the system and get published, so they decide to start a blog so they can make use of their expertise and their writing skills. But whatever your experiences with book publishing, I'm here with two guests who are both highly successful publishers. We're really excited to have them-- both on their websites and with their books. So first I have Jen Ruiz. Hello, Jen. Welcome. JENNIFER RUIZ: Hi, Jenny. Thank you. JENNY GUY: Awesome. So she is the Mediavine publisher with the site Jen on a Jet Plane, where she writes about affordable female travel solo-- which I think is so fierce and amazing. She's a frequent conference speaker, and she also has her own TED Talk. No big deal there. And, exciting news, she just told me she is doing another TEDx Talk, which I'll have her tell us about a little bit later. But her current TED Talk that's already available for release is "The Power of Flying Solo," which is advocating for travel as a cure for what ails you. She's also a lawyer and the author of the books You Need a Vacation, which is about how to travel with a full-time job, which we all could use, The Solo Female Travel Book, which is tips and inspiration for women who want to see the world on their own terms-- who doesn't?-- and The Affordable Flight Guide, which is how to find cheap airline tickets and see the world on a budget. That last one I just mentioned, The Affordable Flight Guide, just happens to be a number one Amazon best seller. So she has a few things she's worked on. Jen, welcome, and tell us just real quick, what's going on with you in your life right now? I know that I spilled the beans on your TED Talk, but what else is going on? JENNIFER RUIZ: You did. I just got that notification minutes before logging on today. [INTERPOSING VOICES] JENNIFER RUIZ: Hot off the presses, important news. Otherwise, I have a couple of press trips coming up. I'll be, actually, taking a food trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan next week, which I'm so excited about. I worked out really hard today to try to earn my right to eat all the delicious things next week. I have a big move coming up.