In this episode of Demystifying Self-Publishing, host Alyssa speaks with author Karen Cumming about her journey as a writer, her experiences in journalism, and the inspiration behind her books. They discuss the importance of financial literacy education, the challenges of promoting books in a changing media landscape, and the strategies for building an online presence through social media. Karen shares her personal experiences with writing, the gaps she identified in education, and her adventurous application to become a citizen astronaut for a mission to Mars. In this conversation, Karen Cumming discusses preparing for media appearances, and the power of authenticity in storytelling. She shares insights on balancing writing with promotion, the shift towards self-publishing, and the impact of AI on the writing process.