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Welcome to Season 6 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully.
In this episode, Becky interviews debut fantasy author Ang T. Dalton, who shares how her lowest moments became the foundation and inspiration for her first book, The Scars Within. From 80+ rejections to landing a Big Five audiobook deal with Simon Maverick, Ang opens up about mental health, resilience, and redefining success on her own terms. This conversation shines a light on what’s possible when you bet on yourself as a writer.
Key Points From This Episode:
[01:51] Ang begins by sharing about herself and her book, The Scars Within.
[05:53] Ang reveals where she is in the journey of writing the other two books in her Twisted Thorn trilogy.
[07:57] Ang talks about how she balances the priorities of writing a new book while marketing the first one, having a full-time job, and making time for her family.
[09:56] Discover some of the hardships Ang faced as a debut author—what worked for her, what didn’t work, and why she chose to do it all herself.
[14:07] Ang describes the timeline from writing The Scars Within to securing an audiobook deal.
[15:23] Ang explains the various book cover designs she created and the intention behind them.
[16:30] Hear how it felt for Ang to be rejected by literary agents, make the pivot to self-publishing, and then finally get the Big Five audiobook deal she dreamed of.
[18:40] (AD) Schedule a call with Becky Robinson to discover how Weaving Influence’s custom strategies can support your book launch.
[20:00] Ang shares more about how her own personal experiences and mental health struggles were transformed into the emotional core of her novel.
[23:23] Ang reflects on how writing The Scars Within created a powerful space for her own healing.
[27:16] Ang talks about BookTok and her own complicated relationship with the platform.
[30:31] Ang reveals how powerful the support of her best friends has been in getting her books into the world.
[32:48] How did being embedded in BookTok culture shape Ang’s view of what makes a book marketable? She explains and reflects on how she is telling her story in a unique way.
[35:00] Ang reveals the activity surrounding her book that caught the attention of a traditional publisher.
[39:48] Ang discusses her plans for the launch of book two, The Darkness Within.
[40:44] Ang concludes by talking about what “popping off” as an author means to her.
Action Steps:
- Think about what success means for you as an author. Define those metrics, and make sure to prioritize joy and having fun along the journey.
- Take inspiration from Ang’s view of rejection. She tried 80 times to get representation from a literary agent and was rejected, but she didn’t give up and eventually found her own path. Consider how you might be able to keep going if the path you originally laid out for yourself isn’t working.
Resources:
- Explore Ang’s website and subscribe to her newsletter.
- Get your copy of Ang’s debut romantasy novel, and the first in her Twisted Thorn trilogy, The Scars Within.
- Stay tuned for Ang’s second novel, The Darkness Within, launching on January 13, 2026.
- Follow Ang on Instagram and TikTok.
Key Quotes:
I always wanted to do something that made me happy and helped people in some way. —Ang T. Dalton
The Scars Within is my debut novel, and I was actually inspired to write it after about six months of diving headfirst into the romantasy genre. —Ang T. Dalton
Every “no” is a step closer to the right “yes.” —Ang T. Dalton
You have to believe in yourself and your story more than anybody in the world can or does. —Ang T. Dalton
I turned my lowest moment into a prologue, and that prologue turned into a fantasy trilogy. —Ang T. Dalton
I truly believe there’s someone who needs this story in their life. —Ang T. Dalton
Everybody’s story is different. Everybody’s journey is different. And so I just have to make sure I keep myself happy along the way and remain proud of every single step, even when I fail. —Ang T. Dalton
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