Amy had been a part of my world for many years. I was a constant consumer of all the amazing free content she provides. And I eventually signed up for List Builders Society, which got me intrigued about Digital Course Academy.

Initially the cost held me back from signing up, because as a novelist, I don’t have a predictable income. But thankfully, I have a super supportive spouse who encouraged me to take an “if you build it, they will come” approach. So that’s when I went for it and became a student of DCA.

My course idea was about how to use dictation tools to write books, because this discovery has personally changed my career for the better – and I wanted to get the word out!

When I ran this idea by my writing peers, it was met with jealousy and criticism. This was not surprising because there is a lot of jealousy and unhealthy competition in publishing. But it was also what motivated me to keep going and launch my course. I wanted to prove them wrong!

In 2023, “Dictation 101: How to Harness the Power of Your Voice to Finish Your First Draft” was launched! I started out with a small class of 5 students, and I took my proceeds and promptly reinvested in paid advertising.

But here is why I consider my first launch a success:

About 8 years ago, when I was just getting started writing for the publisher Harlequin, I reached out to an already published author I looked up to for some guidance.

So when I saw her name as a sign-up for my dictation course, it was very validating for me! And she even became my most engaged student!

Even better, she wrote me a fantastic testimonial – without me having to ask. (I was thrilled, to say the least!)

This was a full-circle moment for me, and her enthusiasm for my course and her gratitude for what I taught her has given me the confidence I need to launch again this fall.

The most valuable lesson I’ve learned in DCA is that the first launch is as much for me as it is for my students. Amy tells us this, but I didn’t believe her until I actually lived it!

Going through DCA and launching my course has increased my confidence to teach other writers. Not only has this course given me the potential to add a substantial revenue stream, it’s helped me establish that “industry expert” social proof that I feel is necessary to build a career as a novelist.

And this exposure has also allowed me to secure guest spots on podcasts and to teach at writers’ conferences!

Creating my course, learning to market it, and then having the courage to launch is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done professionally AND one of the most rewarding. I’m so happy I went for it and signed up for DCA!