About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges women face in pursuing creative dreams and the realities of self-publishing.

What does it really take to call yourself a writer? At the beginning of this week’s episode, you’ll hear an original poem read by our guest Shahida Alvarado. It brings to the forefront the invisible gates women face when we dare to pursue a creative dream. From thinking about "why now?" to the behind-the-scenes realities of navigating the publishing world, Elizabeth and Shahida talk about what it truly means to bring a book into existence on your own terms. You’ll hear about creative co...

People in this episode

Hosts: Elizabeth Wilson, Stephanie Oswald

Guest: Shahida Alvarado

Topics covered

• creative writing
• publishing
• women in arts
• self-publishing
• poetry

Keywords

• writer
• creative control
• publishing
• book
• poem

More episodes of Inspired Writer Collective Podcast

• Ep 119: BTS with an Indie Author—ARC readers, final edits, book extras · June 1, 2026 · 21 min
• Episode 118: Go With The Flow for Summer · May 25, 2026 · 20 min
• Ep 117: Writers, Your Emails Are The Letters Readers Want to Receive · May 18, 2026 · 21 min

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