Podcasts, summits + press
Appearances
Where to find me out in the world: the podcasts, summits, panels, and articles where I talk about writing a book that grows your business.
Book a Consult Call →Podcasts + interviews
Podcast & Media Appearances
Newest · Podcast · October 2026
Crush the Rush with Holly Haynes
Holly Haynes and I talked about why so many business books get forgotten, and how to pick the right book idea before you write chapter one.
We covered how to write a clear book promise, how a book can turn readers into leads and clients, and why long-term sales can matter more than a bestseller launch.
I also shared why I write in seasons and the simple first step I suggest for anyone ready to start.
Watch the Episode →
Interview Series · October 2026
Beyond the Bottleneck with Carly Clark Zimmer
My episode is part of Carly’s free audio series, where 23 business owners share the moment they knew their business had to change. I talked about starting again with everything I know now.
Listen to the Episode →
Podcast · September 2026
The Luxe Leap with Réland Logan
Réland and I talked about writing a book that brings in clients long before it hits any bestseller list, and how the Heroine’s Journey gets readers recommending you.
Watch the Episode →
Podcast · September 2026
Business Your Way with Caryn Gillen
Only 18% of business books get read all the way through. Caryn and I got into how to write one that does, plus five ways a book can grow your business.
Watch the Episode →
Podcast · March 2026
Values First Marketing with Megan Kachigan
Megan and I talked about your book as a marketing asset that keeps working for 5–10 years, and why royalties usually make up 20% or less of what it earns you.
Listen to the Episode →
Podcast · March 2026
Soulful Abundance with Christine Williams
We covered the five business doors a book can open, why royalties are the cherry on top (and a terrible reason to write a book), and how I dictate entire chapters from the school pickup carline.
Watch the Episode →
Podcast · December 2025
STEM in Stilettos with Zofia Morales
Zofia and I talked about traditional and self-publishing, finding time to write without burning out, and using the Heroine’s Journey to shape a book for your business.
Watch the Episode →
Podcast · January 2024
The You World Order Showcase with Jill Hart
Jill and I talked about how I became a book coach, what goes into writing a nonfiction book, and why the best first step is to just start.
Watch the Episode →
Panel · January 2024
Open Book Broadcast with The Write Place, Right Time
I joined a live panel about the bravery it takes to get your book started, and what helps you take that first step.
Watch the Panel →
Podcast · July 2023
Overwhelm Is Optional with Heidi Marke
Heidi and I talked about writing rituals, getting unstuck, and juggling more than one creative project without burning out.
Watch the Episode →
Podcast · April 2019
Writer Mom Life
Back in my fiction days, I talked about putting out a new book, having a new baby, and starting a Discord group so writers could find each other. Plus my top baby sleep tip.
Listen to the Episode →Articles + features
In Print
- Apartment Therapy · Expert Quote · September 2024
We Asked 5 People How to Break Up with a Partner When You Live Together - The Write Life · Feature · 2021
100 Best Websites for Writers in 2021 (#31) - The Write Life · Feature · 2020
100 Best Websites for Writers in 2020 (#25) - Tiny Buddha · Guest Post · December 2016
Don’t Try to Get Over Your Fear; Go Through It Instead - Tiny Buddha · Guest Post · June 2016
4 Relationship Traps to Avoid & Tips to Keep Your Love Strong
Talks + panels
Past Summits & Events
Summits, panels, and live events that were open for a limited time.
- Holistic Marketing Summit with Laura Kendrick · May 2026
Speaker for the Hospitality in Marketing edition. - The Capacity Chronicles with Tara Reid · May 2026
Shared how I changed the way I run my business, in Tara’s collaborative guide. - Introvertpreneur Summit with Tara Reid · April 2026
Talk: Get Seen with a Damn Good Book (without Stepping on a Single Stage). Get the replays - Closing the Authority Gap, a Brand Commons Live Panel · March 2026
Panelist. - The Email Diaries Season 3 with Cheryl Rerick · January 2026
Interview for Season 3 of Cheryl’s email marketing series. Get the next season - Brew Your Book Summit with Kim Galloway · September 2025
Talk: “Expert” Books Don’t Convert… But THIS Does! - Sustainable Writing Summit · September 2025
Talk: Write Once, Sell for Years: Client-Magnet Books - Back to Business Summit with Lauren Diana · September 2025
Talk: Write a Damn Good Book (in 6 Weeks!) That’ll Keep Working for Your Business for the Next 5–10 Years on Autopilot - June Jumpstart Sessions with Cat Griffin · June 2025
Talk: It’s Not Too Late to Get a Damn Good Book for Your Business Written This Year - The Novel Smithy with Lewis Jorstad · December 2023
Masterclass on writing rituals for The Novel Smithy membership.
Client results
What Clients Say
“Her cheerfulness, easy vibe, and, most importantly, her crazy deep knowledge of planning and writing books hits the trifecta.”
I knew when I decided that it was time to start writing my book that Holly was the person to turn to. I highly recommend working with Holly… You WILL NOT be disappointed!
Amanda Fletcher
Project Manager & Author
“I left our work together with clarity and momentum.”
If you’re trying to write a book and keep second-guessing yourself, Holly is who you want in your corner. She asked the perfect guiding questions, brought serious expertise on the publishing process, and created a support system that made me feel steady and confident as I moved forward.
Nata Salvatori
Host of The Accidental CEO® Podcast
“The process was easy.”
I worked with Holly to publish my book, The Long Shadows: The Story of Jake Erlich, to attract more speaking opportunities. I’d highly recommend working with Holly for your author needs.
Dr. Andy Erlich
Author of The Long Shadows
For hosts + editors
Press Kit
Bios, headshots, interview topics, and questions for your show or story. Take what you need, and email me if you need something that isn’t here.
Download the Press Kit (PDF)Booking
For podcasts, summits, talks, and expert quotes, email holly@booksandalchemy.com.
Quick Facts
- Master’s in publishing, with a thesis on what makes a book cover sell books
- Author of four books
- 15 years in higher education, ed tech, and publishing, since 2011
- Creator of Strategy Stacks, her own Book Mapping process, and the Heroine’s Journey for Damn Good Books™
- Clients have booked four- and five-figure keynotes and signed high-ticket clients within a month or two of launch
Interview Topics
- Why great coaches write forgettable books
The structure that turns a good book into one readers keep talking about. - A book that opens the right doors
How small changes point a book at speaking fees, premium clients, or media. - Why authors get invited first
What the research shows about how a book changes the way people see an expert. - What goes in the book and what stays in your programs
How to share your method fully and still have readers want to hire you. - Using AI to go deeper on your book
Why I built my clients an AI chapter editor that gives feedback and never rewrites a word. - A business that holds you when life gets hard
Why simple offers and steady routines matter more than hustle.
Short Bio
Holly Ostrout is a nonfiction book coach and publisher who helps established entrepreneurs write one Damn Good Book™ that brings in clients, speaking gigs, and lasting authority. Before coaching authors, she revived CliffsNotes, taking it from out of print to nearly $1M in sales in under a year.
Long Bio
Holly Ostrout is a nonfiction book coach and publisher who helps established entrepreneurs write one Damn Good Book™. Her clients are coaches, consultants, and speakers, mostly women, whose businesses are already doing well. They come to Holly for a book that brings in high-ticket clients, lands paid speaking gigs, and builds authority that lasts.
Holly’s approach starts with the business goal. Her Strategy Stacks process picks the one door the book needs to open most, and her Book Mapping process makes the writing feel doable. She brings the Heroine’s Journey, a story structure from fiction, into nonfiction so readers feel like part of the story.
Holly has a master’s in publishing, and her thesis studied what makes a book cover sell books. She has worked in higher education, ed tech, and publishing since 2011, and has written four books of her own. Before coaching authors, she revived CliffsNotes, taking it from out of print to nearly $1M in sales in under a year.
She won’t run fake bestseller campaigns. She builds books to keep selling for five to ten years.
Host Intro
Holly Ostrout helps impact-driven entrepreneurs, speakers, and thought leaders write a Damn Good Book™ that brings in more high-ticket clients, lands more well-paid speaking gigs, and opens amazing doors for years to come. She’s spent over a decade in publishing, including writing her master’s thesis on what makes a book cover sell books. She has written and published four books of her own, and she brought CliffsNotes from practically out of print to almost $1M in sales in under a year. Her clients have booked four- and five-figure keynotes and signed multiple high-ticket clients within a month or two of launching their books. Holly uses the Heroine’s Journey to make the reader the hero of every book, and her Book Mapping process makes the writing feel easy. The result is a book readers finish, talk about, and act on.
Questions to Ask Me
- Why do you need a framework to write your book?
- How much does being a bestseller matter?
- If you want your book to bring in money for your business, what should you do first?
- If I put my whole method in a book, why would anyone hire me?
- How do you write a book when your calendar is already full?
- How should authors use AI without losing their voice?
Photos
Tap any photo to see it larger. The full-size files are listed below the photos.
Download full size: Close-up headshot · Yellow chair · Hand at chin · Standing in my office · Sitting on the floor · Reading with coffee · Leaning back in a chair
Let’s Talk About Your Book
If you found me through a podcast or a summit, you’ve heard the short version of how I think about books. The longer version goes like this: a book built around your business keeps doing the introductions for you. It brings in clients who already trust you, gets you invited onto stages and shows like these, and saves you from explaining yourself on every sales call.
Here’s where to start:
- Take the $100K Book Strategy Quiz → Not sure where to start? Take 2 minutes to discover which book revenue pathway fits your business right now.
- Join the Book Bestie™ Hotline → Send me the book strategy questions you can’t Google, like whether a book is the best use of your next 6 months, which of the two books in your head to write first, or whether to self-publish or go traditional. You’ll get a real answer about your book and your business on Voxer within 72 business hours, and by the end, you’ll know which book to write, who it’s for, and how it can earn you clients, speaking, and authority.
- Explore the Damn Good Book™ Program → Write your book in 90 days with the 5-Star Book Map framework, 2 live group calls a month where we coach and write together, and private calls with me to catch any expensive mistakes before they happen.
If you want complete done-with-you support, Author Alchemy 1:1 Coaching & Publishing is your 10-month partnership to write and publish the book that finally gets you known—without the overwhelm of figuring out publishing, design, or what the hell comes after ‘The End.’ From your first outline to your published book, you’re fully supported. Book a consult call to see if it’s a fit.