{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2Fbcfc3d11-7423-42da-8dec-fe84549ee3cc","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"<iframe style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px;\" title=\"Breaking Barriers: Shanti Hershenson on Writing, Publishing, and Marketing as a Teen Author\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allow=\"clipboard-write\" seamless src=\"http://player.captivate.fm/episode/bcfc3d11-7423-42da-8dec-fe84549ee3cc\"></iframe>","title":"Breaking Barriers: Shanti Hershenson on Writing, Publishing, and Marketing as a Teen Author","description":"&lt;p&gt;In this episode of &lt;em&gt;BizBlend&lt;/em&gt;, host Sana sits down with teen author and publishing powerhouse Shanti Hershenson. Shanti published her first two novellas in the sixth grade and has since written 30 books across multiple genres. She\u2019s proving that age is no barrier to success in the literary world.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Beyond writing, Shanti is an anti-bullying advocate, spoken word artist, and a TikTok sensation with over 50,000 followers. She shares how she uses social media to connect with readers, promote her books, and build a thriving writing career. If you\u2019ve ever dreamed of publishing your own book or wondered how to turn social media into a marketing powerhouse, this episode is packed with insights you won\u2019t want to miss.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ABOUT THE GUEST:&lt;/strong&gt;Shanti Hershenson is an accomplished young author who started publishing in sixth grade and has since written over 30 books. She is passionate about storytelling, advocacy, and empowering young writers. With a strong presence on TikTok and Instagram, she leverages social media to build a dedicated readership and make a lasting impact with her stories.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;KEY TAKEAWAYS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Overcoming Self-Doubt:&lt;/strong&gt; Shanti shares how she conquered early fears about her writing and embraced the learning process.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Publishing as a Teen:&lt;/strong&gt; The challenges and opportunities of self-publishing as a young writer.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Marketing via TikTok:&lt;/strong&gt; How she built a loyal audience of 50K+ followers and uses social media to sell books.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Advocacy Through Writing:&lt;/strong&gt; Why Shanti tackles serious topics like bullying and school issues in her books.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;New Projects:&lt;/strong&gt; Upcoming books, including &lt;em&gt;Good Kids Bad Choices&lt;/em&gt; and a novel in poetry form.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;HOW TO CONNECT WITH SHANTI:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Website:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.shantihershenson.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferer&quot;&gt;shantihershenson.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TikTok:&lt;/strong&gt; @&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tiktok.com/@shantiwhowrites?lang=en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferer&quot;&gt;shantiwhowrites&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Instagram:&lt;/strong&gt; @&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/shantihershenson/?hl=en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferer&quot;&gt;shantihershenson&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WANT TO BE A GUEST ON &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BizBlend&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;DM on PodMatch: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik&quot;&gt;Click Here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Subscribe to Newsletter:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/&quot;&gt;healthymindbyavik.substack.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Join Community:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://nas.io/healthymind&quot;&gt;nas.io/healthymind&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FOLLOW US:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;YouTube:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/@healthymind-healthylife&quot;&gt;@healthymind-healthylife&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Instagram:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/4c877c07-0b5b-41df-820e-b0461fdfa552/eb551f390d7498d2deefb915ae0cda89.jpg"}