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HB90 Bootcamp: Is It Worth $200?

Every quarter is a fresh start. What will you do with yours?

Heart Breathings 90 (HB90) is a one-week time management course for entrepreneurs who want to develop effective goals, grow their businesses, and maximize their potential within their niche. The program was developed by Sarra Cannon, bestselling author of The Shadow Demons Saga and six other long-running series. Sarra began self-publishing in 2010 and has earned over a million dollars in profit with her writing. With so many projects in development, Sarra initially created the productivity plan for herself as a way to balance her writing duties with the marketing concerns she faces as an indie author. However, writers who follow her Heart Breathings YouTube channel (where she offers advice on everything from “How to Plot Your Novel” to “How to Edit Your Novel”) became interested in the process. So around 2018, she introduced the standalone course and made her HB90 Planner available on Etsy.

Fortunately, the methods found in this course are helpful regardless of whether you’re a bestselling author, a first-time writer, a social media content creator, or a harried mom simply hoping to find time for herself. In other words, if you’ve lost your passion or focus because you’ve got too much on your plate or you never finish what you start because there’s always something new drawing your attention, then this course will help you find what’s important so that you can create your ideal life.

This is also the perfect program for anyone who has yet to find their niche, or “zone of genius,” as there is a free downloadable PDF workbook “Picture Your Ideal Life” at the start of the program. This bonus exercise is designed to streamline each participant’s focus and get them primed to select the three main goals that the HB90 Method will help them prepare and pursue over a three-month period. She also offers a handful of other bonus productivity downloads throughout the course that I won’t spoil, but I will mention this element as it speaks to the generosity of the program’s creator.

The main course contains seven modules designed to be completed over one week. The purpose is to adopt a clear understanding of your most important goals then develop a system for planning the next 90 days to ensure their achievement. Sarra has designed this program around her quarterly HB90 Planner, which contains 50 goal setting pages as well as daily planning pages for the quarter. Be advised: Although she offers a free HB90 Planner with the course, students will need to print their own pages. All of the course freebies are static or fillable PDFs. However, a fully digital interactive version of the planner, which you can use with a digital pen via an iPad or tablet, is available for an additional cost. Even still, you don’t need to chain yourself to the planner for the concepts to work. At the end of the day, this program is engineered to help you create specific, measurable, achievable, and relevant goals that you can complete in three months with quantifiable results.

The course content is a series of videos spread out over seven days. Each day contains about 60 minutes of lesson footage broken into three or more parts, depending on the subject. In addition, students will have anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes of homework each night as they work on each aspect of productivity—visualizing, decluttering, prioritizing, time managing, goal setting, project planning, task creation, and execution. I have included a brief overview of the program below. However, keep in mind, the class may be slightly reordered or expanded when you enroll. Sarra is always updating these concepts to better serve her students. The best part is that you have lifetime access to the modules once your session begins, which means you can work on the program at your own pace and you are entitled to every update. This also means you can return to the course each quarter and review the lessons as many times as you’d like.

Are you ready for a different way of doing things? A new way of showing up so that you can thrive, no matter what is happening in the world?

  • Essential Course Info and Pre-Bootcamp Homework – this includes the “Picture Your Ideal Life” Workbook
  • HB90 Planner Downloads and Printing Information
  • Live Kick-Off Call – this contains the link to the hour-long video call for students who may have missed the event as aired on Facebook and YouTube
  • Day 1: Picture Your Ideal Life (38 minutes)
  • Day 2: Find Your Priorities (48 minutes)
  • Day 3: Find Your Time (61 minutes)
  • Day 4: Goalsetting (73 minutes)
  • Day 4: BONUS: Calculate Your Energy Score (19 minutes)
  • Day 5: Projects (52 minutes)
  • Day 6: Tasks (58 minutes)
  • Day 7: Follow-Through (97 minutes)

Sarra mentions her philosophies regarding goal setting and personal achievement derive from books like The Desire Map by Danielle Laporte and The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks among many others. However, the approach is unique to Sarra, and she is immensely generous with her insights. She is also a loving teacher who has been in the trenches, so she gives generously of her time by fielding students’ questions, which you can leave in the class forums. In addition to opening the course with a live kick-off call, where she answers inquiries and addresses what you’ll gain from the course, she has a private Facebook group where students can interact with her and mingle with other students as the session unfolds.

I found that the Facebook community is immensely helpful because you can see how others are setting up their planners and kanban boards (i.e. a visual layout of your quarterly tasks), which inspires new approaches to your own goal setting. Plus, if you found the course because you’re a writer, there’s a huge group within the community who can help with your concerns. Writers of all levels benefit from this course since time management and productivity are vitally important whether you’re juggling your first book or your fourteenth. So as you finish the class and become an alum, you’ll notice that the main Facebook group contains many established writers such as Traci Douglass, Brook Peterson, Priscilla Oliveras, and dozens more. Some will be posting their progress just like you, which is yet again great inspiration, but others stop by to answer questions about publication and are just as generous with their time as Sarra, who updates the group of her own planning and publishing progress each week.

But with that said, her program only works if you put in the effort. I’ve used the HB90 Method for the past year, and I have completed tasks I’d never dreamed—from getting my first speaking engagement to improving my book sales. I accomplish more because my tasks are being completed on time, and I am not pushing things back saying, “I’ll get to that next week.” Arbitrary deadlines never work. I now have a clear understanding of what is important and what isn’t and all of my essential tasks have a clear deadline.

Of course, productivity doesn’t mean planning out every second of your life, but it does mean making realistic goals. No more saying you’re going to write a book in a month if you’ll be on vacation for half of it, or no more saying that you want to increase your social media following without a plan of attack. HB90 helps you take an honest look at your time and develop strategies for using it properly. New sessions start at the end of each quarter, so there are plenty of opportunities to join throughout the year.

So, is the HB90 Planning Method worth $200? ABSOLUTELY! We all know how to create S.M.A.R.T. goals, but Sarra’s program teaches you how to set things up so that you execute and make real strides toward your dreams. Visit Sarra Cannon’s Heart Breathings website for more information, and join her YouTube channel to see how much she loves her community.

And of course, I’d love to hear from you. Ask a question or leave a comment if you’re familiar with the program and would like to share your experience.

Review: Sarra Cannon’s Self-Publishing Course – Publish & Thrive

Curious about self-publishing and want to find a class that will teach you everything you need to know? Publish &Thrive just might be the perfect fit. In fact, the next online session starts NOW and is open for enrollment through noon Eastern on August 3, 2024. You can register via the Heart Breathings site at Teachable. BUT is it worth the money?

The short answer is “yes.” I took the course back in March 2021 and found it enlightening even as an author who wasn’t immediately interested in self-publishing. WHY? Well, aside from the indie focus, the course does a phenomenal job of getting authors to think about their long-term writing goals and how to identify (and successfully market to) their ideal reader.

BUT, I am sure you want more details, so let me tell you a little bit about the class so you can decide whether it’s right for you.

What Is Publish & Thrive?

Publish & Thrive is a six-week online course designed to educate writers about self-publishing and provide the tools needed to create a sustainable career as an independent author. The program was created by Sarra Cannon, bestselling author of The Shadow Demons Saga and six other long-running series. Sarra began self-publishing in 2010 and has earned over a million dollars in profit with her writing.

Even though Sarra considers herself a YA author, the course is open to writers of all genres, including non-fiction and creative non-fiction.

What Do I Get with the Program?

The course contains six modules, each of which contains about five to six hours of video for the week. Every module is broken into smaller units as outlined on the class website. Publish & Thrive costs around five hundred dollars, which can be paid in full or over six or twelve month installments.

Clearly, the cost could be considered one of the top drawbacks, but I would argue that students gain a ton of valuable content for the price.

Plus, once students have enrolled they can move through the modules at their own pace—enrollment includes LIFETIME access to the information as well as any updates Sarra makes to the course as the industry changes. Each module contains videos (with captioning and accessibility transcripts) broken down by topic so that everything is at your fingertips.

It is also important to note that at the start of each new session Sarra opens the enrollment period with a two-hour LIVE kick-off call to welcome students to the program and acclimate them to the material. There are all also additional live calls, every Saturday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern, aligned with the first six weeks of the program so that students can ask questions about the material delivered in each module. And of course, all the live streams are archived so that students unable to attend can view the information at their leisure.

A detailed description of the course can be found on Sarra’s Heart Breathings site, but here is a brief overview of that syllabus:

  • Module 1: Foundations for Success – this module covers the topics necessary to start your self-publishing path such as the proper author mindset, establishing a genre, deciding series versus standalone, pen names, and more.
  • Module 2: Publishing Your Novels – this section introduces the technical aspects of publishing such as metadata, keyword strategies, ISBNs, formatting books, audiobook options, and includes real-time walkthroughs so students can see how to upload their work to vendors such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
  • Module 3: The Business of Writing – this unit outlines the business aspects of publishing such as taxes, budgets, tracking sales, and protecting your work through copyright.
  • Module 4: Intro to Indie Marketing – this module outlines the tools needed to attract readers and develop your author platform through topics such as website creation, effective newsletter strategies, book pricing, and the rapid release method.
  • Module 5: Marketing Tools and Strategies – this section marks the heart of the promotional strategies you’ll implement from identifying your ideal reader to creating an audience funnel to utilizing Patreon and Kickstarter.
  • Module 6: Thriving as an Author – the final unit unlocks the heart of what it means to sustainably succeed as an independent author by outlining ways to handle criticism, manage your time and energy, stay consistent, develop goals, and build your instincts.

The course also includes several bonus resources that accompany the main content:

  • Access to a Facebook group where you can interact with Sarra and other authors on their self-publishing journey (as well as an option to interact on Discord)
  • A goalsetting workbook titled, “Your Ideal Writing Life”
  • A quick reference guide containing hyperlinks to all of the resources mentioned throughout the course
  • A workbook containing a summary of each module as well as sample worksheets and spreadsheets of any concepts mentioned during the discussion
  • Access to the Q&A archive from earlier sessions of the course
  • Mastermind videos on special topics like social media marketing and utilizing Amazon’s A+ Content Tool

Sarra is also constantly updating the course and has recently recorded each module as a PRIVATE PODCAST for those who are unable to sit at a laptop and watch the videos. This added convenience and attention to detail help give this course an edge over its counterparts.

As you can see, despite containing only six modules, the course is massive. Thus, the second big pitfall may be that the course is extremely dense. Don’t be surprised if it takes several hours to get through one subtopic within a single section.

This wasn’t a big deal when I took the course because much of the country was still in lockdown due to the COVID pandemic. However, you may want to plan ahead to ensure that you have enough free time and a strategy of getting through the material in a timely fashion—whether that’s committing to listening an hour a day or devoting a weekend to each module. Nothing is worse than buying a course that you never finish.

Obviously, the best approach is to take concrete action steps toward your self-publishing goals as you finish each unit. Luckily, Sarra makes this easy by breaking most of the videos into chunks of 20 minutes or less.

Another smart approach to get the most out of this course is to attend the live weekly Q&A session even if you aren’t able to finish the module for the week because you’ll be inspired by your classmates’ goals/aspirations and gain an opportunity to question Sarra about the bumps/triumphs along her self-publishing journey.

Is There Anything This Course Doesn’t Cover?

Do not enter this class expecting tutorials on A.I. marketing or heavily monetized publicity strategies like Facebook Ads or pay-per-click ad campaigns such as those available through Bookbub or Amazon Marketing Services. Sarra notes that these are not part of her personal strategies, so she doesn’t feel comfortable teaching them. Therefore, if those lessons are your goal, I highly recommend seeking out other instructors such as Mark Dawson or Matthew J. Holmes.

You should also avoid this course if you’re looking for tips on obtaining an agent or advice on traditional publishing. The class does not include any information on query letters, submission tactics, or publishing houses. While some of her audience marketing strategies may apply to both realms, it is important to emphasize that this is a class focused on writers who want to self-publish their own work and forge an entrepreneurial path.

Lastly, even though Sarra’s course is open to all writers, including children’s authors, she does not include walkthroughs of how to format picture books or non-fiction books with extensive tables, indexes, or references. Be aware that you may need additional resources to complete those elements.

Is Publish & Thrive Worth It?

Absolutely!

Will you become a million dollar bestselling indie author overnight with this course? Probably not. After all, we’re each responsible for the level of action we choose to take. However, this course definitely provides the tools and the roadmap needed to get you where you’d like to go—and is well worth the cost. How far you push things is up to you.

But don’t worry! What makes this course so great is that Sarra is with you every step of the way. As an instructor, she is incredibly generous with her time and provides thorough answers to questions posed on the class site. And as noted earlier in this post, class enrollment includes weekly Q&A’s as well as access to a Facebook community where you can connect (or commiserate) with other authors and potentially find accountability or critique partners.

In short, Publish & Thrive is an invaluable resource for any author interested in self-publishing, and I highly recommend checking out all of Sarra’s courses: Your Path Forward, Manifest Your Best Life, and HB90 Bootcamp. Or better yet, read my review of HB90, which is her writer productivity and goalsetting system.

What are your thoughts about Publish & Thrive? Do you have questions about my experience? Comment below.

I’m Teaching at ITW’s Online Thriller School

Join me and the International Thriller Writers for a learning opportunity of a lifetime. And –spoiler alert — I’ve been asked to teach! What an honor!😊💕😍

Unlock the secrets of thriller writing with ITW’s Online Thriller School, launching September 10, 2024. Gain insights into pacing, dialogue, character development, setting, plot twists, and more from bestselling authors and industry professionals who are masters at keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

Sessions include one-on-one classes with Sara DiVello, K.J. Howe, Steven James, Andrea J. Johnson (me!), Angie Kim, Mary Kubica, Jean Kwok, Tosca Lee, and Nina Sadowsky. Each instructor will teach an aspect of craft during a LIVE Zoom session ending with a Q&A. Sessions are recorded for easy access and if you’re unable to attend the live class or simply want to rewatch.

Classes will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2pm to 3:30pm Eastern.

PLUS, this program includes weekly spotlight interviews with Lisa Gardner, Heather Graham, Charlaine Harris, Gregg Hurwitz, and Jerri Williams as well as a bonus business panel discussion with Jeneva Rose, Karen Dionne, and Wanda Morris, moderated by ITW’s Operations Director Sam Octavius.

Whether you’re a seasoned author looking to refine your skills or a newcomer eager to embark on your writing journey, the Online Thriller School is a wonderful way to unleash your potential and ensure that you have the tools needed to succeed.

Attendance is limited. So for information about the schedule or to register for the 7-week online program (13 sessions overall), click HERE or leave a message below.

Program summary courtesy of thrillerwriters.org — join today!

Speaking (& Writing) EVENTS for 2024!

The second quarter of 2024 has opened the door to several opportunities. Mark your calendar so we can meet in person.

Women’s Fiction Writers Association – “How to Craft Killer Dialogue” – Wednesday, May 15, 4:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. ET – The registration link for this online dialogue workshop will be announced soon.

ThrillerFest XIX – CraftFest – “The Power of Setting” – Wednesday, May 29, 8:30 a.m. ET – CraftFest is a live writers’ conference containing two full days of seminars on everything from brainstorming, drafting, and marketing a novel to practical knowledge sessions about firearms and forensics. My session will discuss the role setting plays in developing a compelling mystery. For registration and more information, click here to enter the CraftFest website.

International Thriller Writers – 11th Annual Online Thriller School – “How to Craft Killer Dialogue” – This is a ten-week program, which begins September 10, 2024, and runs through November 12th. The focus is on the craft of thriller writing and each instructor will teach an aspect of craft during a live Zoom session. The school will provide printable materials for further reading along with study suggestions (when applicable) and offer live Q&A. Classes will take place every Tuesday from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern during the ten-week run. My session will take place, Tuesday, September 24, and will cover “How to Craft Killer Dialogue for Thrillers.” For registration information, click here to visit the ITW Online Thriller School. Or if you’d simply like to get some information on dialogue TODAY, order my dialogue book.

Lastly, my new critical essay “The Accessibility of Cozies: How Playing Fair Has Helped Cozies Endure” will be included in the upcoming anthology “Writing the Cozy Mystery: Authors’ Perspectives on Their Craft.” The volume will be release late Fall 2024. Please check back here, join my mailing list, or visit my Instagram for the preorder link, which I will post as soon as it is available. In the meantime, please enjoy a preview of the cover.

Leave a comment or like this post to let me know if you love it as much as I do!

Dive Into Great Writing with Sisters in Crime

Join me Saturday, February 24, starting at noon Eastern for a four-hour seminar on the essentials of mystery writing (multiple sessions): dialogue, poisons for fictional murders, and crime scene investigations.

This event is being hosted online by Sisters in Crime, but you do not need to be a member to participate. Simply register HERE or visit www.sistersincrime.org/webinars – Tickets are free to members and $30 for non-members.

I am very proud to announce that I am presenting the first topic where I will be joined by session host, Jennifer Chow—the Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Lilian Jackson Braun Award-nominated author best known for her Magical Fortune Cookie Mysteries and the L.A. Night Market Mysteries. Our discussion will cover “Top Five Tips for Dialogue.”

The second session is a panel on the top five poisons for fictional murders. Join Libby Hubscher (Ph.D. in molecular toxicology), Jen Prosser (host of Pick Your Poison podcast), and Melissa Yi (emergency physician/author) as they share about their favorite poisons for fictional murders—moderated by J.A. Hennrikus author of the Theater Cop Mystery Series.

The final session will be a discussion about authentic crime scenes and investigations, hosted by a panel of law enforcement professionals. Join crime author Vaseem Khan, retired FBI agent and author Jerri Williams, crime historian LD Barnes, and former detective sergeant Bruce Robert Coffin (who will act as moderator) for this show-stopping event.

Date: Saturday, February 24, 2024

Time: Noon – 4pm ET / 9am – 1pm PT

Cost: Free for members (sign in required), $30 non-member

Description: Join SinC for this four-hour workshop!

REGISTER HERE TODAY!

Victoria Justice Mysteries Acquired by Level Best

I am proud to announce that Level Best Books has acquired the Victoria Justice Mysteries. This means a new set of covers and a fresh marketing campaign. The downside is that the first two books will soon be pulled from many of the popular retail sites as we make the move to the new publisher. I will keep you abreast of each rerelease, but here is the current schedule:

Poetic Justice – March 5, 2024 – Rerelease

Deceptive Justice – March 5, 2025 – Rerelease

Vigilante Justice – March 3, 2026 – NEW!

Thank you in advance for your reviews and support on these new and rereleased titles.

New Class: “Setting the Stage for Your Mystery”

Over the summer, I finished the third book in the Writer Productivity series, How to Craft Killer Dialogue. And just on the heels of that launch, I received a message from Savvy Authors with an opportunity to go back to my roots and teach a class about mysteries—specifically, “Setting the Stage for Your Mystery.” That’s right. I have a new worldbuilding class for mystery writers that will take place online through the Savvy Authors message boards January 1-28, 2024. The cost is $40, but early registrants will receive $5 off with the code MYSTERYJOHNSON2024 at checkout! To take advantage of that discount, you must register on or before December 25, 2023. Space is limited, so register today.

This course is a must-have for any writer who needs assistance selecting and building the best setting for their crime, cozy, or killer suspense tale.

The class will consist of twelve lessons that will arrive on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of each week. This course also includes exercises to reinforce learning, and the instructor will provide feedback to students, as desired, throughout the month. However, the assignments will not be mandatory so that participants are free to work at their own pace. In addition, students will be able to keep each lesson as they will be provided via email and remain available through the message boards even after the course has completed.

Here is a look at our syllabus for the four-week class:

Whether you’re writing a cozy or a psychological thriller, worldbuilding is essential. After all, if your audience can’t visualize your protagonist’s plight, they’ll lose sight of your plot. Unfortunately, many writers consider clever settings the sole province of fantasy authors. And while it is true that genre can influence which fantastical location you choose, an author’s setting is actually the unifying element for the literary techniques they’ll use to craft their next novel.

So with worldbuilding in mind, this course is specifically designed to get mystery writers thinking about setting in a comprehensive manner. We want to create rich environments that not only bring together major elements like characters and conflict but also delves into the nuanced elements of storytelling such as mood, tone, tension, and suspense. We’ll also discuss how to make fictional spaces (and very real places) become emotionally powerful locales that your readers will want to visit again and again.

So let’s get started, reserve your spot now!

What’s your favorite worldbuilding technique? Place your advice in the comments below, and reach out if you have questions about this fantastic course. HAPPY WRITING!