Podcast appearances and mentions of Hugh Howey

How can you get your books surfaced when readers ask an AI what to read next? What are the hallmarks of authors and businesses that last more than a decade in the indie author industry? Ricardo Fayet gives his marketing tips after more than a decade at Reedsy. In the intro, Expanding Your Book's IP through Merchandising [Wish I'd Known Then]; Guide to writers conferences [Kindlepreneur]; Rick Rubin and Stephen Pressfield on resistance and the muse [Tetragrammaton]; Pulitzer Prize winners disclose AI usage [Nieman Lab]; My new rebuilt fiction site JFPenn.com. Today's show is sponsored by Draft2Digital, self-publishing with support, where you can get free formatting, free distribution to multiple stores, and a host of other benefits. Just go to www.draft2digital.com to get started. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Ricardo Fayet is the co-founder and chief marketing officer of Reedsy, a marketplace for writers to find vetted freelancers, author training courses, and lots more. He's also the author of How to Market a Book and Amazon Ads for Authors. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes How AI search actually finds and ranks the books it recommends Why keywords and search volume are disappearing as marketing metrics Building an internet footprint so your book is worth recommending Why Claude leans on Goodreads while ChatGPT and Gemini lean on Reddit Product is more important than marketing, and how to find your comp titles Passion, business sense and resilience in the authors who last You can find Ricardo at Reedsy.com. Transcript of the interview with Ricardo Fayet Jo: Ricardo Fayet is the co-founder and chief marketing officer of Reedsy, a marketplace for writers to find vetted freelancers, author training courses, and lots more. He's also the author of How to Market a Book and Amazon Ads for Authors. So welcome back to the show, Ricardo. Ricardo: Thank you, Jo. It's been a while. Jo: It has been a while. As we were saying, it's been a decade, which is crazy, because you and I see each other at events and things. For anyone who doesn't know you— Tell us a bit more about you, where you're from, and also, what is Reedsy these days and how have things changed? Ricardo: Yes, sure. I think I'm hard to dissociate from Reedsy because my only background really is Reedsy. We started Reedsy right after business school for most of the founders. There are four founders, and I'm one of them. We've been going since 2014, so it's been 12 years. We started around the same time, and you started even earlier than we did, but we've had the chance to meet at quite a few conferences since. I think the main thing we're still known for is our marketplace. Since the very beginning, Reedsy is a curated marketplace where authors can come in and look for editors, cover designers, marketers, ghostwriters, literary translators, author website designers, pretty much any freelancer you would ever need to hire throughout your writing career. That's how we started. That's our main source of revenue and our main business. Since then, as you mentioned, we've also added courses, live events, so we've got a membership under Reedsy Learning. The main thing we're proud of right now is our writing tool, Reedsy Studio, because we've been pouring a lot of engineering talent into it over the past five, six years, and I think it's a really cool writing tool that is 90% free. It also does the formatting, so it's a good alternative to Vellum or Atticus for those who haven't purchased those tools. So there's a lot of things that Reedsy does at this point, which always makes it hard for me to describe what we do. Jo: But you generally serve writers. That's probably the crux of it. Ricardo: Exactly, yes. We're mostly at the production stage. The thing we say is we help authors make beautiful books, right? That's a little bit the tagline that applies to 90% of what we do, though we also help a little bit with the marketing side of things. Jo: And then just tell people where your accent is from. Ricardo: So I'm half French, half Italian from my parents, and I was born in Spain. So depending on my mood and the moment, it might be anywhere from French, Italian, Spanish. It's anyone's guess, really, at this point. Jo: Yes, exactly. You've been part of the indie author ecosystem, as you said, since 2014. You're often at the author conferences, and you stay abreast of everything that's going on. So what are the biggest changes you've seen in the industry since you started out? Like you said, you guys came from business school. You chose to come into the industry at a particular point, and yet things have changed. So what do you think are the biggest changes, and how have you seen authors adapt? Ricardo: It's crazy, the amount of things that happened in the past 10 years. Obviously we came into the industry as a result of Amazon launching Kindle Direct Publishing, and then the Kindle Store becoming one of the number one places where people buy books. That's what enabled self-publishing in the first place as an industry, and obviously we wouldn't exist without self-publishing being a thing. But then I think probably one of the biggest changes that happened was the introduction of Kindle Unlimited and various other subscription models. Perhaps as a response to that, afterwards, I would say direct sales is the other massive change that happened in the industry. The ability for authors to sell direct to their readers via their websites, or running Kickstarters, or basically the ability to reach your customers directly. Now, obviously, artificial intelligence is probably the biggest change of them all, not just in publishing, across every industry, but of course it's going to affect publishing very strongly, or it has already started making big waves. So I would say those are the three main changes that we've seen happening in the industry. Jo: Just interestingly, given that you're French, Italian, Spanish, European— Has the pace of change been the same in mainland Europe? Because you and I have also met up at European conferences, but I just get the sense that each individual European country, the UK included, as I include the UK in Europe, goes at a different speed. Ricardo: No, they definitely do. Our market at Reedsy is all in English. We only have an English website, and I would say 70% of our market is US, then 15% UK, and then Australia, New Zealand, et cetera. We do have clients in continental Europe, but they're mostly going to be American or British expats. A lot of retired people who write books and use Reedsy services. I think the main reason for that is that self-publishing as an industry hasn't really grown in Spain, France, Italy the way that it's grown in the US and the UK, probably because these are countries where book buying habits are a lot more traditional. So all my friends from high school and university in France, they all buy books, they all buy paper books. They all buy from bookstores. They don't really buy from Amazon that much. They love the smell of paper, all these sorts of things. So obviously that makes it harder for indie authors in those countries because they cannot place their books in the places where people buy them, which is traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores, or at least it's much harder. So there is an indie movement in those countries, but it's much smaller. I would say Germany is maybe the exception in Europe, where I've seen more and more full-time indie authors, but I don't think it's a market that's comparable even to the UK. Jo: Interesting. Okay, so let's go to marketing, because you love marketing, you have a newsletter about it, and you have a book, How to Market a Book, same title as mine, and we've found each other in our Also Boughts over the years. You have, however, updated yours several times. 2025 was your last update. Mine was 2016, so yours is definitely the most up-to-date one. So what are your thoughts on how authors can reach readers now? And let's split this into two. Let's start with some tips for new authors who just have maybe one book and are really just starting out. Ricardo: Yes, first of all, sorry for stealing your title. Jo: Oh, you know, it's never been a problem. Ricardo: We were trying to come up with something… I know, I know, I know. But still, we wanted something more original, and then we realised that for SEO purposes, that's the title we should really go for. The good thing is, if you search “how to market a book” on pretty much any retailer, you're going to find your book or mine in any order really, but those are going to be the top two books to this day, thankfully, so I'm good with that. I think in terms of marketing tips for new authors who have just the one book, I'd say, despite all the changes in the industry, the basics of marketing still stay the same. One of my big mantras when it comes to marketing is that product is more important than marketing. So having a great book is going to be more important, in my opinion, than being a great marketer. Having a great product. By that, I generally don't talk about literary value or prose or anything like that, just because I'm not a book critic. I'm not an editor. My opinion on whether a book is good or not is worth zero. From a marketing standpoint, for me, a good book is one that resonates with its intended audience. So the first step for newer authors is to basically figure out who they wrote this book for, right? Have an idea of who their target market is. A great way to do that, without entering into marketing jargon like proto-personas and stuff like that, is to think in terms of comp titles, comparable titles. I think that's probably the base of any marketing, whether traditional publishing houses or indie authors, to think, “Okay, which other books out there are similar to mine?” If your book is completely unique, you have, I would say, 99.9% chance of not selling, because your market doesn't exist, and 0.01% chance of creating your own market and completely dominating it, right? So being unique is not necessarily a bad thing, but I would say 99% of the time, it is. Obviously being unique within an existing niche, within an existing market, that's completely different, but you need to work on some comparable titles. So I would say that's where I would start, and that's one of the things that AI is great at. If you even just plug in your book into an AI chat that has enough context, if you're comfortable doing that of course, or if you plug in a synopsis, like a long synopsis, you can basically ask the AI chats, “Okay, what would be some comp titles?” Either you'll have heard of those books, and you'll think, “Okay, they're good comps,” or you may not have heard of them, in which case I would really recommend buying them and reading them and seeing whether they're comps or not. I think that's where marketing starts. Jo: Yes, and we might come back to that for book discoverability. Well, let's just talk about it now, because I now pretty much use Claude for discovering books as well. I just find that the Amazon search, for nonfiction it works really well, right? As you said, if you want to learn how to market a book, you just search “how to market a book”, and our books are very well titled for that. But for fiction, it's so difficult to find new books and comp titles, especially if you don't write in a clear genre, which I don't. I know lots of people do. So we're writing cross-genre. So in terms of book discoverability, I know you've been looking into SEO for books and all of that. What are your thoughts on how authors can more effectively have their books surfaced if people are using the AIs for finding books? Ricardo: That's a very big topic. That's one of my favourite topics right now. That's what I talk about in my marketing newsletter, and I want to start a Substack on the topic as well, because I think it is the future of book discoverability. As you say, search on Amazon isn't great, and if it's not great on Amazon, you don't even want to imagine on Google Play, Kobo, all these sorts of places, right? If you search on Kobo or Apple Books or Google Play for witch cozy mysteries, the top 10 books are going to have exactly “witch cozy mystery” in the title or the subtitle or the series title, right? Jo: Yes. Ricardo: Search is very simple on those sites, so it's very easy to game, but it's terrible as an experience for readers. So I do think that a big part of search is going to move to AI, and now you have Rufus within Amazon itself that appears as a chatbot and encourages you to talk with it, to ask for recommendations. In the beginning Rufus was really terrible, but now I recommend authors play with it. In general, I recommend when it comes to AI discoverability that authors play with all the AI search tools. So it's going to be Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, Rufus within Amazon. Just like we talked about comp titles, right, ask for something like, “What would you recommend for fans of this book? Which other books would you recommend?” Or if you're looking for something specific that describes your book, what books would you recommend on… I think one of your examples was fiction around masonry or something like that, right? Jo: I always say, for example, if you ask for action adventure thrillers on pretty much anywhere, you're going to get 20 books by male authors. For those of us who are female authors, but also who have female main characters, you can then be far more granular. That's just not something that necessarily works on Amazon. So, action adventure thrillers with female protagonists written by female indie authors, which is very specific. That will work in AI, whereas that definitely won't work on Amazon. Ricardo: Exactly. So one of the great things about AI search, and terrible things at the same time, is that the concept of keyword is lost, right? So we title our books How to Market a Book because the keyword that people would search for is “how to market a book”, or “book marketing for authors”. Those were the two keywords that had the biggest search volume if we looked at Google Keyword Planner, or any search tools that give you keyword volume. When it comes to AI search, since it's conversational, and it's very personalised, and it can go as niche as you want, keywords are going to disappear, and search volume as a metric is going to disappear. The search you just told me about, maybe there are 10 people who are going to run it exactly. Most people are going to run variations of that. Since you can go as granular as you want, it's going to be very long phrases, very long sentences. So the whole concept of keywords, search volume, SEO, is going to disappear in favour of what some people call GEO, generative engine optimisation, AIO, AI optimisation, AI search optimisation. There's a bunch of names for it, but it is a different discipline. It still works on the basis of Google SEO because what most of these search engines will do is they're going to search the internet, right? They've been trained on a lot of information, but not all of that information is current. Most of these models have been trained on documents and web pages before 2021. That's why when you used the very early versions of ChatGPT, and you asked it about current events or current books, it didn't find it. It didn't have that information. Now all these models have the ability to search the web, and they do that really effectively. So the first thing they're going to do if you run a search like that is they're going to run dozens of different searches on Google or a similar search engine. Action thriller books with female protagonists. Action thriller books with female protagonists by indie authors. Action thriller books by indie authors. They're going to create what I call a corpus, so a massive document of information with candidates, books that probably meet those criteria that they have found through regular web searches. Then they're going to go through all those books and determine which are the most relevant to recommend, and they'll return with that. Then they'll usually have a verification layer as well, which is, okay, I have these five books that I want to recommend to this user, but I just want to make sure first that they are written by indie authors, that they do have a female protagonist, et cetera. And if I'm not able to verify that, I'll flag it in my answer to them. So there are these three layers. Web search, then ranking of the book candidates, and finally a verification layer, and then they serve you the answer. Obviously, that's really powerful. If that's the way that search is headed, which I firmly believe, then we as authors need to learn how to get our books in there. Jo: Yes. It's so interesting, and I do this all the time. Really niche stuff, like a thriller about anatomical Venuses, which are these models from anatomy museums and stuff like that, with an edge of the supernatural. What is brilliant is that you can find the books that come up. I actually got one that I read and reviewed, and it was fantastic. So I love the more granular thing, but we're really in the very long tail now, right? It feels like you can write a very nuanced book, and it will be surfaced, but only by a few people. So do we have to write our books and then try to not even retrofit them in the way that we used to? We used to try and figure out the seven keywords and all of that kind of thing, and now I almost feel like we just get to be grownups, where you just get to write the book and put it out there, and these things are more intelligent than the search terms. Ricardo: Yes, absolutely. I think in terms of the variety of books that are going to be read and discovered, that's amazing. A little bit like the whole indie publishing movement was amazing, because if you remove the traditional publishing gatekeepers, then suddenly zombie books aren't dead anymore. Zombies are alive again. They've… Jo: Come to life. Ricardo: They've come alive, and so you get a bunch of zombie books again. It's not a small niche audience. It's actually a pretty big niche audience that loves zombie books, and suddenly they have those to consume. This is a little bit similar on a much, much bigger and more granular scale, because anyone can find exactly the kind of book that they're looking for, with the tropes they want, with the type of characters they want, with the type of author they want, and you can basically use any kind of filter. So for discoverability on the side of the reader, that's great. For the authors, it doesn't mean that you can just write whatever you want and then rest, and readers will find them. Because your books still need to have generated a certain internet footprint and a certain review footprint in order to become interesting or recommendable to AI search engines, right? Unless you're the only book that an AI search engine can recommend for that specific search, and yours was very specific, so it might have been the only one. If there are other candidates, the AI search engines are pretty smart. They're going to recommend the candidates that have more reviews, better reviews, or are more famous, that have more, when I talk about internet footprint, more pages talking about them on the internet. That's for me the big finding I've seen. The more pages you have on the internet talking about your book, so that could be book review sites, that could be Goodreads lists, Listopia lists, anywhere on the internet where your book is mentioned, that creates a footprint for it. The more footprints, the more famous your book looks to AI search engines, and so the more worthy of recommendations it is to them. Jo: Yes, and this is one reason why I now ask people, especially when you sell direct, or say you have a Kickstarter and you want reviews, I ask people if they can review on Goodreads. Obviously Goodreads is owned by Amazon, but it is far more searchable by the bots than Amazon is. I sometimes find that Amazon gets blocked. Or Amazon blocks some of the bots, let's put it that way. They might change over time. They own 15% of Anthropic or something. But Goodreads I feel like does get indexed, and I'm not willing to engage on Reddit. I know Reddit is another popular one. Just be very clear on social media, because some people think, oh, I just need loads of influencers to talk about my book, and that will impact the AIs. But I find that social media just almost isn't even there. Ricardo: It depends on which social media. For me, Reddit is a social medium, right? It's a very weird one, but it's obviously the number one social medium used by AI search engines, and it's pretty dodgy stuff with lots of conflicts of interest, because Google has a paid partnership with Reddit. I think Sam Altman has shares in Reddit. So both OpenAI and Google Gemini heavily rely on Reddit for their AI answers, right? If you ask anything from ChatGPT or Gemini, I'd say there are very high chances that in the sources and the citations of the answer, you're going to find Reddit, right? That goes for books as well. Every time you ask for book recommendations, Reddit is going to be big for those two AI search engines. Claude, it's a little bit different. They do have a little bit of a relationship with Reddit, but I don't think it's as big. I found that Claude relies heavily on Goodreads, not Reddit. To me, Goodreads is another social medium at the end of the day, right? It's not the kind of social medium we think of, like… Jo: It's not TikTok. Ricardo: It's not TikTok. TikTok is surfaced a little bit, but not that much. It might become more surfaced in the future, but right now what I've found is, it's really Reddit and Goodreads. Facebook, LinkedIn, but LinkedIn is big for nonfiction topics more than fiction, because there are just not a lot of fiction readers, sorry, talking about their favourite books on LinkedIn. They usually go to other places for that. Jo: Yes, it's really interesting. So obviously TikTok has its own BookTok thing, so some people are finding books on BookTok, and some people like me are finding books through asking Claude, and that's just my overwhelming feeling about the industry. We talked earlier about what's changed. When I started, so 2006, there wasn't even KDP, and then KDP arrives, then you came in 2014, and probably until maybe a few years after that, there was one way to self-publish. Then what's happened since is this kind of splintering. There are so many ways to self-publish. There are so many ways to reach readers. There are so many ways to market. So someone, for example, could sell direct on TikTok Shop, only market through TikTok, and you wouldn't even know that they existed over in another ecosystem, right? So do you feel like that's happened too, this total splintering? Ricardo: Absolutely. I think there are so many different ways in which you can reach your audience now and monetise it as well, that it's absolutely possible. We both know examples of authors who are only visible to their TikTok niche, right? I think the big difference is also monetisation, because earlier you also had different ways of becoming well-known. Like you had Facebook, you had potentially Twitter, back when it was Twitter. Various social media, word of mouth. But where people bought books was Amazon. So that was your monetisation. It was either selling your book on Amazon, or potentially getting KU reads after that when KU launched. Now you can sell on TikTok, you can sell direct, you can run Kickstarters, you can start a Patreon or Substack and make your money through there. There are pretty much infinite ways through which you can monetise your content as a creator. Most of those places will also have a discoverability engine built in, so you can not only sell through there and make money through there, but also grow an audience there. That's probably the biggest competition that Amazon has ever had to face, is this sort of splintering. For us authors and content creators in general, it's amazing, because it's a bunch of different opportunities. Jo: Yes, and I think probably that's circling back to marketing. As we've said, some things have changed, some things stay the same. Is the email list still the number one way to market, do you think, for authors who want a long-term career? Ricardo: I think so. It's just the one thing you really own that allows you to communicate with readers, right? Because even if you build a following on TikTok, TikTok can change. The things we said about Facebook 10 years ago, if you build your Facebook group, Facebook can change, and Facebook changed. Facebook destroyed the reach of pages, and now groups also aren't amazing, et cetera. So the same thing that happened to Facebook can happen to TikTok, can happen to any other social media. Substack is a bit of a hybrid because it is a newsletter, it is a mailing list, but it also has a discoverability engine built in. So I still wouldn't really go all in on Substack. The great advantage there is that you do own the emails, right? So you can move away from it at some point. For me, the email list is the one thing that you are completely in control of. Personally, the main thing I check is my emails every day. I spend more time in my inbox than anywhere else, and I think that's probably the case for most people. So I do think, despite the influx of mails that readers are getting in their inbox, I still think it's one of the most important marketing tools for authors. Jo: Yes, and I still remember when I started my list in December 2008, and I still have people on the list who've been with me that whole time, and have moved email list services several times as well. So I think that's important too. The care of that list too is so important. One of the things that I am annoyed about with Substack, I don't have a Substack, but when I follow some people's, it's always constantly trying to get you to sign up to other people's lists, trying to subscribe you to this or that or the other. I'm like, “That's so annoying.” Now I've found on all these email services they're trying to pair you with other creators and cross-promote and all of this. So it feels like even the email list is becoming a difficult place unless you really protect it. So just protecting your list, I think, and remembering that those are people. Those are people who've bought your books, or people who read your emails. Like people listening to this, these are humans. Sure, some bot might be looking at the transcript, but humans listening to this are individual humans with individual email lists. We tend to forget that, don't we, as you get a bigger list. You think about it as a big number, whereas it's still individual people. Ricardo: Yes, it becomes a number, it becomes metrics, the open rate, the click rate, and all that. But the great thing about email is that you get replies in your inbox. There you remember that they're actual human beings who write you back. I think for readers, the ability to write back to an author and get a response is just amazing, right? If you write to your favourite author and they write back to you, that's the best feeling ever as a reader. So I think email is still one of the best ways to turn your readers into fans and into super fans of your brand, by just interacting with them and answering them. Because yes, you can answer comments on TikTok, Facebook, and all those places, but it doesn't feel the same as an author answering you in your inbox, I feel. So you do get that ability to create a real connection with readers directly through email. Jo: Yes, and I think that trust and the reputation is so important. Just in terms of seeing the authors that you've seen over the years, like I said, you've been going to a lot of the author conferences. You know a lot of the authors in the industry. A lot of people will know you from events. But you've also seen authors come and go, and you've seen vendors come and go. Both of us have seen people arrive, and we'd be like, “Oh, yes, I wonder how long they're going to last.” Then some people do and some people don't. So what are some of the elements that you've noticed about the businesses that last more than a decade? Ricardo: I think they need to solve a genuine problem, or offer a genuinely better solution than one that already exists. I see a lot of businesses come in and they do what another vendor already does, without doing it necessarily better. Those businesses tend to disappear, or linger there, but you don't really hear about them again. When they solve a real need… I still remember when BookFunnel came out, and they've since become massive with one very, very basic thing, which is, “We will take care of delivering your ebook files to readers.” That's how they started, and that's how they became massive. To me at the time, I was like, “That seems like a very small problem,” because I can just email an ebook file. I didn't realise that it was so complicated for a lot of readers to upload files to their Kindle or other devices, and that having a service that takes care of that for you is just massively helpful. I realised that when I published my books, actually. So businesses that solve even micro or apparently very small problems, but they really solve them effectively, they stay. Others that surf on trends, they tend to disappear when the trend disappears. When there's a new marketing trend, and that trend stops working, then those businesses tend to go. Jo: Yes, and what about the authors who last? Because let's face it, most of us don't solve a problem in a different way. Maybe you could say we solve your entertainment problem in a different version to your last book. What about the authors who last long term? What have you noticed about them? Ricardo: Two things. So the first one… Maybe three things. First one is passion. I always say to people who are looking to start self-publishing, I always say that publishing in general is probably one of the worst ways to make money. It's awful. You can pick up any other occupation and it's probably going to be easier to make money. So writers who make a career do it because they need to write, because they have a passion for writing. So a lot of people who come into the industry thinking, “I've heard about all these self-publishing success stories. Surely I can write a book and I can market it. It's not that hard. So that's going to be a great way to make quick bucks,” those generally don't last, because they don't have that genuine passion. The first hurdle they're going to face—and there's going to be a bunch of them along the way—they're going to quit. The second thing is business sense, or business education, the basics of business, right? Thinking in terms of marketing, thinking in terms of who's my reader, unit economics. If I'm selling my books at $3.99, I shouldn't be spending a ton of money. If I just have one book at $3.99, I cannot afford to pay $5 on ads to generate a sale. So those kinds of basic economics or business knowledge, I think, if not a requirement, it's a massive plus. The third thing is resilience. The industry has changed a lot, as you mentioned. There are a bunch of ways now to reach an audience. There are a bunch of ways to make money. It can also be distracting, because you go to one of these conferences and you go back thinking, “Oh, I've got to create my own website, sell direct. I've got to launch my Substack. I have to use Claude Code for my ads,” and three more things, “and I have to set up my TikTok Shop and do TikTok Lives to sell books,” right? Jo: All of those by next week. That's why we go to the conference. Ricardo: Exactly. All those by next week, right? And during that one week after the conference, you have the energy to start implementing all those things, but afterwards you lose that energy and you go back to, “I just want to quit.” So you need to have some sort of resilience, and the business sense of, “Okay, I'm going to try this for the next six months, and I'm going to stick to it, and I'm going to see whether it works or not. And if it doesn't work, I'm not just going to despair. I'm going to try something else.” That goes for marketing tactics, but also goes for books. Most authors I know who make a living writing, they didn't get there with their first book or even their first series. A lot of times I see authors who write a couple of series, and those series do okay. They sell a little bit, but not much, and it doesn't afford them to quit their day job. Then suddenly, based on what they've learned with those first two series and what they've learned potentially going to conferences or listening to podcasts like this, et cetera, they write a third series that's a hit. That's a hit, and that's instantly much easier to market, and that's when they can afford to go full time and write full time, because they've found that sort of product market fit. And product market fit for me is the main thing for marketing in general and for authors in particular. Until you find that, everything is really difficult from a marketing perspective. But finding it usually requires writing more than one book and more than one series, because you're rarely going to get the big lottery ticket on the first try. Jo: Or ever. I think it's really important. I've never had a breakout book, but I've made good money every year. I think, and Hugh Howey said this, that the real story of self-publishing is not the people who make seven figures a year, it's the people who can go on a holiday once a year, or the people who can just put a bit towards their mortgage or whatever. So you may never have a breakout series. I think that's really important, too. Ricardo: That's true. Jo: That's true. You can just keep writing and make all right money and be what we call in the mid-list. Ricardo: Yes, but you've got to keep going. You've got to have that resilience to keep going, probably because it's your passion. Exactly. You're not chasing that seven figure series. You're writing because you need to write. Jo: Yes, and you can't stop, and you get the bug. I think when you're writing that first book, I'm not sure if people understand that you either get the bug or you don't, I think. You've written a couple of books now. Do you think you have the bug, or is it more about the business? Ricardo: I don't have the bug. I definitely don't have the bug. I would've kept writing otherwise. Jo: You're a technologist, right? Ricardo: Yes. I'm more of a technologist, more of a marketer. To write my first book, How to Market a Book, I actually had to write newsletters, because that I can manage, right? One newsletter a week. Now I don't even manage that. I send it once every two weeks when I can even manage that pace. But back then I did one newsletter a week, and that's how I wrote my first book. I then put all these newsletters together, and that was before the age of AI, so I couldn't just dump all that into ChatGPT and tell it, “Create me a book based on that.” I had to do it myself. Jo: Oh, terrible. Ricardo: Terrible, I know. The days when we had to work. No, but that was a really good experiment. The second book, Amazon Ads for Authors, I actually wrote it from scratch, and I didn't love the experience. I loved the finished product, I'm very proud of it, but I didn't enjoy the experience of writing it. Amazon Ads is not the most exciting topic in the world. Even for people like me, who actually enjoy Amazon Ads, it's not super exciting to write about. The fact of having to write that whole book from scratch, I didn't love the experience. So now I do want to write a third book at some point, but I think it'll probably be in the format of the first one. Like, when I finish my series of newsletters on AI search and AI discoverability, I might do a booklet or something around it, but we'll have to see. It's not my favourite thing. It's a good thing I don't need to. Good thing I'm not an author, basically. Jo: No, but I think that's really great to recognise. You actually have written books that support your business, and that is very common for nonfiction writers. That's completely normal for nonfiction authors. So I think that's another important thing for people to recognise, is that the reasons we write are different, the reasons we market are different, and we all have different approaches. As we wind up, and obviously you talked a bit there about how easy it is to generate books with AI, and that is probably one of the biggest things that people are worried about. Now, those of us like you and I have been talking about AI at conferences and things for years now. Neither of us are afraid of it, I think basically because both of us use it, and we're technologists, so we just get on with it. There is so much fear in the community. There's so much negativity. You mentioned Substack, and now they've integrated Pangram, which is renowned for false positives around what is written with AI, and so people are very worried. If we look forward and we look at the next decade, this is not going away. This is going to change a lot of things. So how should authors be thinking about AI, do you think, if they want to prepare for the next decade? Ricardo: I think they need to play around with it, because you and I know that until you actually use it, you don't realise what it's capable of. We've both had these moments of “Oh my God, I'm going to be out of a job,” or “Oh my God, this is incredible,” the kind of things it's able to do. You also realise by using it the things it's not great at, or the things it can be good at but needing a lot of human input. There are courses out there, there are books, there are a lot of things, but for me, the most important thing is to start playing around with it. So you can pick one specific topic to play around with. Either something that you've been meaning to get into for years and haven't done, or something that really annoys you. Looking at the results of your Facebook ads, for example. If you run Facebook ads in the first place, and when you log into your Meta dashboard you cannot make sense of it, take screenshots or download the data, feed it to an AI chat, and talk with it. One of my biggest tips when talking to AI chats is asking them questions rather than asking them for things to do. Because if you just feed it your advertising data and you tell it, “Tell me what I should do,” the chat has no context about what your ads are about, what your goal is, et cetera, et cetera. If you feed it just a screenshot and you say, “Here are my ads. I would like you to help me make sense of them. What do you need to know from me in order to help me with this?” Then it's going to start asking you questions. “Okay, what are you advertising?” They're books. “Okay, what kind of books? Where are you selling? Are your ads going straight to Amazon or retailers, or are they going to your website? If you sell direct, okay, are these conversion ads?” Et cetera, et cetera. So you build that context, and they can help you with it. So that's just one example, but I would pick one thing that you want to test AI with, with zero expectations. Don't expect that by the end of the week you'll have a full system for understanding your Meta ads thanks to AI. You might get to that or you might not, but at least you'll play with it and you'll understand its capabilities, and have a sort of understanding of how it works and how you can potentially use it for other things. I think that's the best way to adapt, because once you play with it, you start thinking. You're walking the dog and you're just thinking, “Ha, I could maybe use it for this thing or that other thing,” and that's how you progressively become more familiar with it. I think there are a lot of worries around AI, but as you say, it's there to stay. So far, I think I was looking at data this morning, and the unemployment rate in the US has stayed stable ever since ChatGPT was introduced two years ago. So there are a lot of narratives out there around how it's going to replace humans, it's going to replace jobs, et cetera, which it might do. I'm not great at predictions usually, but so far it hasn't. What it will definitely do, however, is completely change the way we work. Obviously AI was one of our big reckonings at Reedsy, because we run a marketplace. Our main business model is the marketplace, where authors come in and look for editors, for marketers, for cover designers, for translators, and some of these domains and services are being transformed by AI, right? AI translations are massive right now. We haven't really seen a decline at all on the Reedsy marketplace, but we're prepared for it. It might very well happen, but what we think is happening, or is going to happen, is professionals using AI tools to provide a better output or a faster output or a cheaper output, or all three of these things. So for example, we now have literary translators who say they're open to editing AI translations, right? So you can come in, you can have your book translated with AI, whichever tool or method you choose for that. Then if you want a set of human eyes on it, you can hire a literary translator who's open to working on an AI-translated manuscript, and that's obviously going to be much, much cheaper than paying 10 cents per word from scratch for a literary translator. I'm not necessarily recommending you completely bypass literary translators, or that you go this way, but you have options, right? You have options for different sets of budgets. I think all these human editors, narrators, translators, designers, et cetera, they're not going to disappear, but they might have to reinvent the way they work in the future. Jo: As we all are doing. As you say, for me mostly it's the business side, getting Claude to help me with business stuff. Like even bookkeeping. There are bills that we've all been paying for years that we can now maybe reduce, and reducing costs as well as increasing profit is obviously good business sense. So, interesting times. But just as we wrap up, what are you excited about in what's coming? How do you see Reedsy shaping up in the next decade? What is coming for you and Reedsy? Ricardo: We're really excited about the decade to come, because obviously 10 years for a startup is a long time. I think most startups after 10 years, the founders are gone. Jo: Yes. Ricardo: Or they've exited or they've sold or whatever. We've stayed, we're the same founders, and we're still as excited because I think we have new products, right? We're working on new things. As I mentioned at the beginning of the episode, Reedsy Studio, our writing tool, is probably one of the things we're most excited about, because first, it's getting adopted very fast. It has startup-like growth that we hadn't seen for other products in a long time, and it has very cool technology built in. We probably have a team of 10, 15 engineers now working full time on it and adding a lot of things. So we've added templates for plotting your book, with relationships within different characters and places and magic systems and things like that. We've added writing goals and writing statistics. We still have the free exports. One very cool thing we've added is real time collaboration. So just like Google Docs, you can write in real time with a co-author, or you can get an editor to work in there live with track changes. So you could have an editor working on chapter one while you're writing chapter three, for example. That kind of thing. It's really powerful technology, and that's one of the things we're really excited about for the future. A business, just like authors, we've got to reinvent ourselves. We've got to find ways to keep things exciting and keep motivated, and that is definitely one of them. When adoption goes along with it, then that's obviously super satisfying. Jo: Brilliant. So where can people find you and Reedsy online? Ricardo: So Reedsy you can find at reedsy.com, R-E-E-D-S-Y.com. And there you'll find the whole suite of tools and services. For me, you can find me mostly by email, as I mentioned. That's the one place I check consistently every day, and my email address is ricardo@reedsy.com. So again, R-E-E-D-S-Y.com and ricardo@reedsy.com. You can email me any questions you have about this episode, about AI book discoverability, about marketing, about Reedsy. I always try to answer every email I get, because I think when we started Reedsy, I really appreciated people like you, and some other agents and editors and authors we contacted who were influential in the industry, who actually answered us and took the time to do that. So now I try to answer every email I get, because I feel like we've been very lucky in the beginning to have those people answering our emails, so we should do the same. Jo: Oh, well, thanks so much for your time, Ricardo. That was great. Ricardo: Thank you, Jo. Thanks for having me again.The post Book Marketing, AI Book Discoverability, And Resilience, With Ricardo Fayet first appeared on The Creative Penn.

How can you tell where the real innovation in publishing is happening right now, and why is it emerging from the indie side first? How do you market your own book when you've spent 35 years marketing everyone else's? John Bond talks about Going Indie and what he's learned about authors who last. In the intro, my thoughts on writing with AI, Charles Dickens and encouragement for the 3-year-old dancing to K-Pop at the wedding, UK copyright law, The end of an era — Hugh Howey; Notre Dame, Paris; Today's show is sponsored by Bookfunnel, the essential tool for your author business. Whether it's delivering your reader magnet, sending out advanced copies of your book, handing out ebooks at a conference, or fulfilling your digital sales to readers, BookFunnel does it all. Check it out at bookfunnel.com/thecreativepenn This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn John Bond is the co-founder of Whitefox, a premium publishing services agency, and has over 35 years in traditional publishing, from bookselling to marketing and management. He's also the co-author of Going Indie: Publishing Your Book Your Way, with James Silver. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Why 2012 was a watershed moment for publishing in the UK Whether the snobbery around self-publishing has finally gone How to co-write a book with someone, and why there's no formula The pride swallowing involved in getting endorsement quotes for your own book The shadow economy of indie sales that no industry chart measures The hallmarks of writers who build a long-term career You can find John at wearewhitefox.com. Transcript of the interview with John Bond Jo: John Bond is the co-founder of Whitefox, a premium publishing services agency, and has over 35 years in traditional publishing, from bookselling to marketing and management. He's also the co-author of Going Indie: Publishing Your Book Your Way, with James Silver. So welcome back to the show, John. John: Thank you, Jo. Thanks so much for having me. Jo: You were last on the show in 2022. You've been on a couple of times, but just set the scene. Tell people a bit more about you and your long background in publishing. John: I suppose I could say I started as a marketing manager at Penguin back in the early 1990s in London, and that role eventually evolved into running sales and marketing, as it often does. I did that at Penguin and at HarperCollins. Then I ran one of the publishing divisions at HarperCollins, including 4th Estate, and published Hilary Mantel and Jonathan Franzen and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and others. I left that in 2011 and set up Whitefox in 2012, and it's a classic startup story. It was somebody I worked with at HarperCollins. We sat around a kitchen table, came up with an idea for a business, which was Whitefox, and that's grown into the creative agency that it is today. Jo: So back then, did you think, “I can do this better”? Was that the impetus, “I can do publishing better than Penguin and HarperCollins”? John: No, I thought we would solve a problem. There's something very attractive about that whole startup mentality and beginning something from scratch. I mean, I was in my early 50s. I'd had a long career in traditional publishing. On the plus side, I knew a lot of people, and I thought I could get meetings, people would reply to my phone calls or my emails. On the downside, I didn't necessarily have the energy of a 20 to 25-year-old. I knew a lot of people and I knew quite a lot of things, and I also knew what problems something like Whitefox could solve. We set up with this idea that if we could galvanise and organise the diaspora of freelancers in the publishing space and make them available to anybody that wanted to make a book, that that would be quite a powerful thing. These incredibly creative, wonderful people who were below the radar and were not particularly valued or managed or utilised properly. I thought if we could access that and make that available not just to traditional publishing people who know about these people, but to individual authors, businesses, brands, people that wanted to make a book, and if you added a layer of our expertise from traditional publishing, that could be quite powerful, I suppose. That's what I was thinking back then. Jo: It's funny, though. You said these wonderful freelancers who were not particularly valued or managed or utilised properly. That could also apply to a lot of authors in traditional publishing. John: Totally. Totally. But if I'm honest, I don't think I was thinking about that. What's really evolved since we started, even in that 2011, 2012 period, is so much has happened to independent writers, indie authors. The whole ecosystem has become much more vibrant, and what is accessible to those writers is much greater. I'd like to think we've played a part in that. What that's done is put power back into writers' hands, and that quickly became apparent in the business as a byproduct of what we'd set up. Jo: Yes, and 2012 I do think in the UK was a pivot point, because I got into self-publishing in 2006/2007 when the Americans did with the beginning of the Kindle and the iPhone. Really the American ecosystem grew first. I happened to be in Australia, and so I think I was able to escape the negativity of the vortex in the UK, which took a number more years to embrace self-publishing as a force to be reckoned with as opposed to an embarrassing thing in the corner for vanity press. Do you see 2012 as a changing point in UK publishing? John: I think we'd just come out of the Kindle moment, hadn't we? There were all sorts of conversations going on about how that was going to change things forever. I think no one quite knew what the upshot of that was going to be, but we knew that it was incredibly disruptive. In 2012, Penguin, as it was then, before Penguin Random House, had offered to buy Author Solutions for $115 million, presumably seen as some kind of defensive measure as to what the market was going to evolve into. I think it felt like a real period of change. In the UK, James Daunt took over running Waterstones, and he was then ultimately going to run Barnes & Noble. It felt like a bit of a watershed. I think we were lucky in that sense, that maybe in the UK and in London, what we were creating coincided with an opening up of opportunity and creativity, and people wanting access to more tools to be able to do things themselves. Getting this idea that you invest in your own talent and what that could mean for your ability to do things quicker, better. Some of it was happenstance, but lucky for us. As you say, we then became aware that in a sense a lot of these things had come to fruition earlier on the US side. In London, that whole idea of setting up something that wasn't a traditional rights-owning model, but where you wanted to be working with people creatively, felt actually really exciting and timely. Jo: And when you started to work with independent authors, probably a couple of years after that, you started to work with a lot more indie authors and things really started to change in terms of the business side. Did you feel any of the snobbery from the traditional industry? Like you mentioned, you have a lot of contacts, a lot of connections. I came to your wonderful launch party and there were just people from all over the industry. I wondered if you got any kickback, or if anyone raised their eyebrows a little bit at who you were choosing to work with? John: Oh, definitely. And I would say I really think that's gone. You may think differently, Jo, but from my perspective, I think there has been such an evolution in the nearly 15 years that we've been going. So any of that residual snobbery, looking down your nose at people that were going DIY, producing multiple books, learning from every single publication. We've spoken about this before. I remember you sat on the panel of a FutureBook conference in the UK, which was run by a trade magazine, with this idea of looking at the, in quotes, “digital future of the business.” It felt like there were a lot of things being talked about, but not a lot of action on the traditional side. I suppose some sort of awe that there was some magic going on with people who were making a success of self-publishing. But then quite a lot of people looking down their noses at things that shouldn't get through the gatekeepers. I do think that's gone. Or if it's not completely gone, I can see it on the way out of the door, because there's no room for that when agents are struggling to sell books to publishers because publishers are looking at the next indie author, the next Freida McFadden, the next Sarah J. Maas, the next Rebecca Yarros. So whoever it may be, or wherever they're publishing, whatever they're doing now, wherever they may be, knowing that a lot of those people will already be publishing and be on not their first, second, third or fourth, but potentially their 10th or 11th book. It's a race to see who can help those authors, as a traditional publisher would see it, amplify what they're doing. I think the idea that there's an us and them, if it did exist then, which it certainly did in certain publishing quarters, is gone. I used to go to those conferences, like the FutureBook Conference, and certain publishers would talk about publishing, and when they meant publishing, they meant a really tiny area of quite literary, traditional imprints. That's what publishing meant. They didn't even mean publishing to mean educational publishing, or children's publishing, or academic publishing, and certainly not Kindle or POD or whatever. So I think that's had to change for very good, sound, commercial, economic reasons. Jo: Yes, you're right. I definitely have heard, as we go to similar events sometimes, and you do hear agents used to talk a lot more about finding books very occasionally in a slush pile, or doing courses so you could meet people and do pitch events and all this. Now it's often build an audience on BookTok or whatever, and sell lots of books, and traditional publishing as an amplifier, as you said. That's how I always hear them pitch it now, the question of— What can traditional publishing still do when indie authors can do so much? It does seem to be, well, we can amplify you, we can get you into traditional press, we can get you in traditional bookstores, we can help you with film and movie deals, that kind of thing. So that's really interesting, because that's actually changed quite a lot. They don't now seem to say, “Oh, well, we can make sure we pay you,” or, “We are editorial success as such.” John: I think they don't say editorial success or quality or indeed marketing, because that was what used to be said. I think there's an understanding that a lot of indie writers are better marketeers of their own books than traditional publishers, and if you go into the publishing machine, then you'll get your slot. It lasts for a certain period of time and then that moves on to another book. Whereas obviously if you're writing your own book and you're marketing your own book, you're able to do that yourself 24/7 wherever you are in the world, and you will know more about your readers and your audience and how that evolves than a traditional publisher would. What they probably mean now is, as you said, as much as anything, distribution, or even physical distribution. Because to be part of that process, I think that is still where a large conglomerate is able to wield some muscle, with this idea that if you physically want to see your book in bricks and mortar retailers in X outlets around the world, that's potentially easier to do if that is your aim, via a traditional publisher. So it is constantly evolving, because it used to be that marketing was the silver bullet, and I don't think that's the case anymore. Jo: No. We'll come back to marketing, shall we? Struggling with marketing. So let's get into your book. You recently co-wrote Going Indie with James Silver, Publishing Your Book Your Way. Obviously you already knew a lot about indie authors, so I wonder, what did you discover in the process of researching the book and the interviews you did? And I was one of your interviews. Did anything come up that surprised you, since you're already pretty embedded in the world? John: I would say some of it was reinforcing what I knew. So how everything is so intertwined, how in some ways unlinear everything is. People are doing lots of things in a different order to the way that traditionally writers would perceive this relay race of a manuscript gets passed to an editor, an editor passes on. That's just not how it is or needs to be anymore. I still think there is—not even a misconception—but I think there's a received wisdom that when you're talking about self-publishing, you're talking about fiction. The majority of books that Whitefox produces are not fiction, they're non-fiction. Some of them are quite mainstream, some of them are quite niche. That idea of connecting to your audience and your followers, and being slightly more scientific about how you find readers in your non-fiction niche, I think is still unspoken about in a way, in that genre fiction tends to be what people automatically assume the conversation is about. This probably doesn't surprise you, but I was pleasantly surprised to have it confirmed to me quite how much swapping and sharing there is of skills and knowledge in that space. I'm not saying indie writing is egoless at all, but there's quite a lot of sharing of knowledge and what works, and collaboration, which I think is great to see. Again, if you've, as I did many years ago, come out of corporate conglomerate publishing, traditional publishing, there's less of that by the very nature of the kind of organisation. And look, we just talked about marketing a little while ago. I do think this whole idea that the cutting edge of experimentation, it's not traditional publishing, it's indie writers. They are looking at not just how to find readers, but how to fulfil orders, how to make commercial sense of what they're doing from the absolute outset and get-go of what they're doing. And just how now the lines are blurring between what would be classified as traditional digital publishers and the writers who are doing their own thing, or doing their own thing on behalf of a few other writers. Those lines have completely blurred. There used to be this traditional hardback, paperback, X number of books a year, a year after hardback there's a paperback. This is the model we have been doing for centuries, and people doing things on their own. I think that's blurring massively, and the Venn diagrams of people's areas of expertise are just overlapping massively. Jo: Well, I think you're right there, and certainly the hardback special editions with sprayed edges and foil. A lot of us now are doing that first and not putting out the other, or putting out the rest of it at the same time. I dare say probably there are more indie authors with sprayed edge hardbacks than there are traditionally published authors. John: I'm sure that's right. And what's interesting is if you go to a traditional book printer, they are loving the direct communication with writers, that's not coming through traditional channels and traditional relationships. It's great business, it's interesting. I think that's something that's even developed in the last couple of years, that cutting out of some of the middle men required. Jo: Yes, and in terms of supporting freelancers and small publishing houses and printers and stuff, the other thing I've heard is that indie authors pay upfront, or they pay quickly, compared to some of these big publishers who are asking for long lead times and steep discounting. So actually a lot of these independent businesses are doing better under indie author work than they were under traditional. John: I think that's right, and that's what I mean also about the sharing of information and this collaborative idea of sharing creative knowledge. I mean, I'm making it sound like a kind of 19th century cooperative, which it isn't. I'm not suggesting that for a second. It's this idea that there's a lot of people learning a lot of things and there's a keenness to share some of that information, because if you've developed your own readership for your unique creative product, some of those learnings are very exciting. The printers I've spoken to love working on those kinds of things, because they are also being challenged to come up with new ways of developing ever more innovative physical product. Jo: Yes, I think it's a fun, creative time for sure. Things like Kickstarter, which you came on and talked about crowdfunding years ago, and I've obviously done. I think, what am I on now? Seven? I've just done my seventh. John: Wow. Jo: It's so much fun. But now what's happening is traditional publishers are arriving on Kickstarter and all that kind of thing. So we really see a blurring. Let's come back to your book, so Going Indie. You co-wrote it. Now obviously there are lots of positive sides of collaboration, but in terms of any challenges with collaboration and co-writing and the writing process of doing this? Because I've done this several times and I've found it very challenging. So tell us about the collaborative writing process. John: We thought a lot about it before we took it on. What I would say, having done it, is I am assuming there is no formula for how you do this. At Penguin I worked with a married couple who were crime writers, and they wrote books together. They merged their names so it appeared to be one name. I could not tell you, and they didn't share what that process was, whether they were writing different chapters or … I don't know. So I can only speak from my own experience. James is an established journalist. He's great with deadlines. He was very good at chivvying me along when I needed to be persuaded to hit the deadlines that I'd promised. I write blogs, I write newsletters, I write content for our website, but this is my first book. I've never written anything of this length. So in a way it started with the structure. It started with this idea that we would play to what we perceived as our respective strengths in terms of writing. We absolutely were not each writing every third word or anything like that. It was a process of trust in different parts. I thought, James had done some research and will be better at writing that. He deferred to me on areas that he took to be my areas of expertise. We did every interview for the book together. We went over the notes from those before they became part of the interviews for the book. And some of the book's elements are diagrammatic, so those are very easy to collaborate on. I think we tried to be professionally, creatively constructive with each other. So it was raising an eyebrow rather than shouting at each other if we didn't agree about something. A lot of it was down to the editing, and I don't know what your experience was like with a co-writer, but a lot of it came down to: here is something which is quite baggy. How do we, between us, make this as tight as we possibly can? I don't mean copy editing or proofreading. I mean the actual sort of, how do we get this into a pithy, usable, practical but discursive book? We didn't ever set out for this to be a pure reference book at all. We wanted to take a snapshot of what was going on. So a lot of it was genuinely trying to do some research and get people to feed into what was going on from lots of different perspectives, which is why we wanted to get mainstream traditional publishers, we wanted to get agents, we wanted to get indie writers, we wanted to get people who have all sorts of experiences and perspectives. That's what makes it what it is, which is, here's what we think are some of the interesting discussion points of what's going on now. Jo: It is a fantastic snapshot. I think it's really interesting—and obviously you also have seen my book, Successful Self-Publishing, which is on its fourth edition—this is one of the difficult things with snapshot type books. So have you already thought about that? I know this one has just come out, but have you thought, “Oh no, in five years we have to do it again”? John: Well, I think we thought we're going to have to address AI, which we do in the book, and we really tried to caveat that with saying, look, so much may change so quickly, and here we are talking about what we know now. We obviously tried to set the context for where we are now, and we tried as much as possible to make something which would last as long as we can. I think what we did think was, we have tried to make it as international a perspective as possible. But at the same time, we are a London-based agency, and a lot of the views will be from people based in the UK. So I think what I would like to explore is something that looks at potentially somewhere like the US, where I think there'll be different people that would perhaps have different perspectives on different things. So I think we thought about potentially there being future iterations of the book, but not yet. Jo: Not yet. This is the challenge with non-fiction, of course. On that, I would say what you just said around the US and stuff, the successful UK authors all use the same systems as the US. So I wouldn't say that the US … I mean, we all have the US companies we all use. I say Kobo is obviously Canadian, but I would say that we use the same ways of doing things. Obviously you might interview a different author, but … John: That was all I meant. I meant interviewing. Because we've interviewed agents and authors and publishers and they are largely UK based. So it was the idea that maybe there are some perspectives on things rather than systemic. Jo: Differences. John: Yes. Just that. Jo: So then I guess another challenge, we've kind of nodded to it so far, is marketing. So let's talk about the challenges of getting this book out in terms of publishing and marketing. Because you've been on the inner circle side, trying to do that for other people's books, but your own book, this is a whole nother thing. So tell us about that. John: Well, how do you do it, Jo? I mean, honestly, I've loved some of it. I get how you become completely obsessed with your book and trying to make sure that you can get it into the hands of the people that you want to get it into the hands of. We've got some great endorsement quotes, which was a task that, how can I say this? I would call it pride swallowing. The idea that you really try and get people to say nice things about your book and, if they don't reply, you think, “How much do I pester them? How much do I annoy them by asking them again nicely?” And the absolute sheer unadulterated joy when they come back with something positive that you can use and utilise in some way. So that whole process of waiting for feedback, I suppose, and hoping that people are going to like what you've done and help you spread the word for it. We had a launch event, we've given books away. We've published the book as ebook and POD. I think one of the great things about that is it's enabled us to be completely adaptable and make changes right up until the last minute. That drove everybody in my team completely crazy because we were making changes up until the last minute. So, is the book definitely going to be available on publication date? What's it going to do? You know, all of that kind of stuff. Also, just getting this idea that I suppose you can never stop. Is that a very obvious thing to say to a writer? It probably is. You just can't stop, because if you go, “Right, well, I've done it,” complacency is the enemy. Just as soon as you've got that quote, or someone said that they're going to give you an opportunity to talk about it on a platform, it's just another day and you've got to keep thinking about how you can spread the word and tell people that it exists. Jo: Yes, well, I think that's right, and particularly non-fiction, which unless it's very timely and you must get it out right now. But other than that— Most books you just have to keep marketing for years. Then just as you say, when do you stop? Well, you kind of never stop unless you want to, unless you want to retire and just give up, basically. Dean Wesley Smith, who's a big writer in the US and a kind of a mentor of mine in past years, he talks about it as this massive sea of books. And when a book arrives, he pictures it coming down and landing on the water. So the day you launch, it's landed on the water, and then it begins to sink. Then there are all these other books coming down. It's like this rain of books, and your book is sinking as soon as it lands. And your job is to keep it afloat somehow. John: Keep it afloat. Jo: Yes. John: I think you're right, and it's such an interesting perspective for us, who work with a lot of people who have one book. You know, they've spent 10 years writing it. It's their life story. It's their memoir. It's their self-help book. It's their book that accompanies them on their speaking journey, or whatever. Then there are the people who are writing constantly and can't stop writing because they're exercising that creative muscle all the time and wanting to get better, and wanting to improve and learn and understand why this works and why that hasn't worked. Just getting a glimpse into what it must be like for that person for whom writing is not a hobby. I kept saying to myself, “This is not something you're doing as a hobby.” I want this book to be of value to people, and if I'm investing that time and effort into something that I want to get out there, you've got to commit to whatever it is you need to do to make sure you're not sinking. Jo: Yes. John: I will now not be able to get that image out of my head. Jo: Yes. I know there's people listening who don't have a mind's eye, which I always find fascinating, but for those of us with a mind's eye, you can now picture that and you will never forget it. The other thing, I guess, is that, having done a lot, over 40 books now, the inevitable thing is you cannot keep pushing all of those books back up to the surface. So when you do get the bug as such of writing, the most interesting thing for all of us is always the next book. It's always like, ooh, the next thing I'm doing, I'm very excited about. So you do have to pick your battles on marketing. So have you got the bug, do you think? Are you thinking of other books in general? Because as you said, you must be, I guess, in your 60s. John: I am. Jo: You could retire. John: I am. You were talking about that long career. I could. I mean, I really love doing it, and I would love to do more. I think one of the things that surprised me was just how many ideas came up while we were doing the book about tangents that one could take it. I have no desire to write a novel. I don't want to do that. I wouldn't be very good at that. I do think there are some interesting spaces around where there's a kind of intersection of creativity and learning, and how you can develop books that would help people who are trying to achieve different things in different sectors of publishing. So without getting too granular about it, this book doesn't really address brands who want to become publishers, and I think that is something that our business has developed into working with, not just individuals, but businesses and brands. I think there's definitely spin-offs of this book which are not about repeating what we've done so far. And this whole idea of what you've been doing for a long time, what we've been doing since 2011, 2012, it's evolving now at such a speed. I mean, who would have known what was going to come out of TikTok? As you talk about TikTok to Shopify, that whole kind of new ways of finding readers, of taking books to market. As you said, Kickstarter, crowdfunding. There's all sorts of things that I think will emerge, because in a funny sort of way traditional publishing at the moment feels quite conservative with a small c. I mean, the bestsellers. Dan Brown is number one in the bestseller list this week in the UK as I speak, who has been a bestseller forever. And obviously new writers come along the whole time, but the market feels a little bit as if it's waiting now for innovation. I think if that innovation's going to happen, it's probably going to happen in the indie space before it happens in mainstream publishing. So people are coming to us and thinking, does that represent a trend? Does that represent something which could be a way of looking at something a little bit deeper, doing some research around and creating something which is not a long book, not a massive thesis, but something which is indicative of something which could be useful for people. Jo: Just coming back on the Dan Brown is in the bestseller list. I think this is completely to do with the way that traditional publishing measures things. For many years, more than a decade, probably since the beginning of Kindle, certainly the beginning of Kindle Unlimited, there is a shadow economy, I call it, or a parallel economy. I would say that almost zero of my own personal sales are measured by any industry standards. Anyone who makes any money from Kindle Unlimited or Kickstarter or Shopify, or selling direct in any form, or selling books at conventions, none of this is measured by any traditional things. As you know, the New York Times list, for example, does not include Amazon sales in their bestseller list. So you've got indie authors in the UK who are incredibly successful who have to decide, say, someone like LJ Ross, for example, decides, “Okay, I'm going to set up a proper imprint with Gardners or whatever so that I can get in bookstores so that I can hit a Sunday Times list or something.” So I would say that seeing things like Dan Brown on a bestseller list has almost no meaning in the shadow indie economy. John: No, you're absolutely right. We're not even able to see audiobook sales. Jo: Yes, audio. Any kind of borrows, like Spotify. John: No, you're completely right. I suppose I was making a broader cultural point, that it doesn't feel like there's an enormous amount of innovation going on or risk taking within what I would call mainstream trade publishing. And there doesn't seem to be the need to be, because there will be more consolidation. Small companies will be bought by big companies, so there's growth through acquisition. There's still a hope that something will take off that is a surprise, and there's still an enormous reliance on established brands who, even through the traditional metrics of how you measure them, are probably selling less, but still at the top of the pile. I suppose that's what I was meaning. Jo: Yes, and I agree with what the industry looks at as signals. It's just, as we said, a lot of these signals are invisible. So coming onto innovation, at London Book Fair this year there were a lot of sessions on AI, and you mentioned AI briefly, and there is a chapter in Going Indie on generative AI. And of course there's a lot of negativity and drama and lawsuits and this, that and the other. But at the same time, at London Book Fair, a lot of traditional publishers talking about using it, and of course they always say, “Oh, we use AI only in marketing and business, not with the creative or editorial.” Everyone makes this distinction. What are your thoughts on what's happening and where's it going with AI? Is a lot of this stuff not happening in public and just going on behind closed doors? John: I think so. We do have a chapter in the book on AI. We've generated summaries of every chapter using AI, which we explicitly said in the book as well. We've got our Ten Commandments of what we think are useful guidelines. I think that there has to be an enormous amount being done, whether it's experimentation or speeding up for efficiency's sake, or things that slow you down, within mainstream publishing. There has to be more than just the guardrails around the creative process. And clearly when we're talking about metadata, book description, cover copy, presumably royalty calculations, presumably if you're trying to grow your newsletters. There has to be an enormous amount of activity going on. We're driven by the market, so we do not commission. Writers come to us and they either want to work with us and we want to work with them, or that doesn't happen. So we're in a sense seeing what the market is seeing, and that is a whole range of things. As I've said before, there's a lot of sweeping generalisations out there, which if you look back to that Kindle moment, we were talking a little while ago about what was going on in 2010/2011, about the enormous broad brush strokes that were being perceived as a result of Kindle. Kindle has affected some areas of publishing, it's affected some not at all. I think it will be absolutely fascinating when the sweeping generalisations stop and there becomes, I suppose, even more transparency. The thing that people are looking for, isn't it? A little bit less opaqueness as to what is really being done. Because everybody's being so careful about what they say they're doing and what they're not doing. I suppose ElevenLabs is the one where people are openly engaging on the audio side. I mean, everyone is being so careful and cautious. Jo: Me too. John: What do you think? We spoke a bit about AI within the book, and I'm interested to know what you think. Jo: Well, I've obviously been openly talking about it since 2016. I openly talk about using it, and I've got my Patreon community where we talk about how we're using it, and tips on how to use it. But then, because I have been writing and publishing since 2007, 2008, I'm very strong in my creative voice. I'm very strong in my understanding of what I consider to be my level of output, and what I publish under my own name is what I publish under my own name. John: Totally. Jo: So the problem is for people who are less confident, I think, in what they're doing creatively perhaps. I know some people feel like they're scared it will take over or something. When you're as strong-minded as me, it's not taking over anything. John: It's not going to take over anything. And the other side of the coin is how many people are finding Whitefox using ChatGPT. Jo: Mm. John: I'm thrilled that we are emerging, through very detailed briefing of AI, as something that is worth engaging with. Jo: Positive marketing. John: Yes, exactly. As you say, I think there's a lot of negativity, and I think it will settle down eventually. I think less hysteria. Jo: Yes, hopefully sooner rather than later. So as we come to an end, you've been in the publishing industry a long time and seen a lot of people who have disappeared, but also those who've lasted. I wondered if maybe you could comment on those who last, because I definitely feel like I'm in my 50s now, and I want to keep doing this. I'm pretty obsessed with— What are the hallmarks of people who have a long-term career? So reflections on that. John: Oh, that's such a good question. I think there's some common characteristics and themes. So I think authenticity, I think this idea of being continually curious. I think there are people who can't help but create, and this idea that once you've sort of expelled once, that's enough. I think there's people that just can't stop creating, whatever you do with it. But this idea that the more you do, the better you get, the more you evolve and keep an open mind. I think there's definitely entrepreneurial writers who love this idea of keeping their readers engaged, and how that conversation is something that evolves and that collaboration evolves, is fascinating. I think if you love that, and you listen, there's always an opportunity to keep building on what you do. I love the writers who we work with. I can think of a writer who we're working on his fourth novel at the moment, and he is a bundle of positivity. No matter the trials and tribulations, the things that have gone wrong, his expectations definitely not being met with his first book. He definitely has this idea that he wants to keep writing, he wants to get better, and he is getting better. It isn't a journey that has a beginning and an end. It's something that will continue for as long as he wants to write. Every single book that he has published, he has learned and gained confidence, gained a network of connections that he's utilised himself now to not make the first half a dozen mistakes he made on the first book. Who knows where it will end up? But certainly the satisfaction he's getting, and the sales he's getting, are growing as he becomes savvier and quicker to make the right choices and decisions. So I think that's my honest answer to that. I think there are definitely people who think, “Phew, I have really wanted to do this book. Now I can rest easy. I've done my book.” Then there are people who really, whatever their objective, whatever the definition of success is from the get-go, just can't help creating. I do love that and respect that. I don't think our book falls quite into that category, because I think it's a slightly different thing. I think there are people who are still making a success of what they do and redefining that as they go on, and who are really open to ideas and input from different people and are not closed off. I love working with those people. Jo: So where can people find Going Indie and everything you do online? John: Well, Going Indie is available online at all good bookshops. It's available at Amazon and anywhere you buy books online as ebook and POD. Our website is wearewhitefox.com, and you'll find information about not just our book there, but a lot of other things that we're doing on that site. Jo: Brilliant. Well, thanks so much for your time, John. That was great. John: Thank you so much, Jo. It's been a pleasure. The post Going Indie, Publishing Innovation, And The Challenges Of Book Marketing With John Bond first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Oh no! Our non-spoiler podcast grows frustrated with episode 6 'The Drive' of the Apple TV show 'SILO.'  Was it a great episodes with highs of Juliette talking to the Algorithm? Or was it a bad episode of down deep lows of Daniel and Helen's never-ending mini-van ride? We aren't sure how to react!  We debate if season 3's final episodes can reach the great highs of season 2's final episodes! Listen to us celebrate and snark about the show! Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama! Based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! 00:00 Intro 01:11 Listener ratings of Ep6  02:42 Bubba's rating 06:12 Catfish's rating 09:00 ChatGPT rates us! 10:32 Upcoming Pods 12:00 Best Job in the Silo  15:17 Episode Breakdown: Silo 18 38:21 Best 'Silo Slam' of the Week  40:26 Episode Breakdown: Before Times  46:39 Silo Speculation  54:11 Can s3 reach s2 highs? 56:38 Deeply Dumb Catfish Community Questions 59:28 Is it a Date?  1:01:38 Feedback  1:13:08 Book Spoiler Talk SEASON 3 EPISODE 6 'The Drive' Billings and Hank stumble on a new mystery. Daniel and Helen receive a surprising proposition. s3e06 s03e06 s3e6 Director Alrick Riley (directed by) Writers Jenny DeArmitt ( (written for television by) Hugh Howey (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Graham Yost (created by) Jenny DeArmitt (executive story editor) Cast Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Robert Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn ... Solo Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Ashley Zukerman ... Congressman Daniel Keene Jessica Henwick ... Helen Drew Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Reed Birney ... Henry Laura Innes ... Senator Rosalind Thurman Jessica Brown Findlay ... Charlotte Keene Morven Christie ... Anna Thurman Matt Craven ... Dr. Victor Crnkovich Elijah Cook ... Sam Ramsey Billy Postlethwaite ... Deputy Hank aka 'Silo Ren' Clare Perkins ... Carla McLain Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Gemma Acosta ... Glenda Harwood Ian Drysdale ... Mortician Ferdinand Kingsley ... George Wilkins(archive footage) Sonita Henry ... Regina Jackson Ned Dennehy ... Ed Harwood Chris Fulton ... Mike Liam Akpan ... Deputy Jerry Chipo Chung ... Sandy Will Merrick ... Danny Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy Akie Kotabe ... Diego Florian Clare ... Chris Emerson Jacqueline Berces ... Nurse Amy Quelin Sepulveda ... Orla Kent Celine Arden ... Sheila Kent Marcello Cruz ... Juan Alameda Celine Arden ... Sheila Kent Miltos Yerolemou ... Rudy Kent LaToya Harding ... Deputy Hildy Micah Abna ... News Reporter Joseph Balderrama ... James Alameda Michael Blight ... Prisoner Oliver Branson-Cole ... Guide Ema Kosac ... Fangirl Jane Georgina Arthur ... Fangirl Sally Tuwaine Barrett ... Tony Stacy Liu ... Gayle Carlos Damasceno ... Deputy Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette George Robinson ... Mark Chambers Chrisitan Ochoa Lavernia ... Amundson Georgina Sadler ... Audrey Orlando Norman ... Rick Nathan Clough ... Heckler Pike Sara Hazemi ... Eater Angela Yeoh ... Deputy Molly Karins Reggie Absolom ... Benny Lolita Chakrabarti ... Mrs. Kyle Tom Cox ... Raider Chad Khairika Sinani ... Raider Jean Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by)  Cinematographer Jean-Philippe Gossart (director of photography) Production Design Nicole Northridge (production designer) Hannah Purdy Foggin (Associate production designer)  Art Directors Rebecca Barker-McLean (art direction) Luke Bradley Nick Chapman (vehicle art director) Lilyana Houghton-Freeman (art direction) Sara Kuna (art director) Amaya Valentina (art direction)  Set Decorator Leire Artero (Assisting set decorating coordinator)  #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow #jessicahenwick

CELEBRATE! The amnesia storyline is over (we assume) and the show can get on with it! Our non-spoiler podcast turns black & white to breakdown the flashback fun of season 3, episode 5 'Memory' of the Apple TV show 'SILO.'  The episode has us asking "Do we like Bernard and Sims now?" "Has PEZ ever been better?" "How did Daniel get a minivan with Telsa's Full-Self Driving?" We've reached the midpoint of the season - Now it's time to start cooking like Bernard was cooked! Listen to us celebrate and snark about the show! Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama! Based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! 00:00 Intro 01:17 Silo Season 4 Approved! 04:26 Bubba's rating 06:04 Catfish's rating  09:27 Better in Silo or Real World?  10:32 Episode Breakdown: The Before Times 14:39 Best 'Silo Slam' of the Week  17:32 Episode Breakdown: Silo 18 35:05 Episode Breakdown: Critical Supply 38:25 Silo Speculation 40:31 Do we like Bernard & Sims now? 44:46 Deeply Dumb Catfish Community Questions  50:43 Is it a Date?  53:05 Feedback  1:08:04 Book vs. Show Spoilers SEASON 3 EPISODE 5 'Memory' The events following Juliette's return come to light—and unexpected allies are made. Director Aric Avelino (directed by) Writers Katherine DiSavino (written for television by) Hugh Howey (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Graham Yost (created by) Jenny DeArmitt (executive story editor) Cast Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Robert Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn ... Solo Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Ashley Zukerman ... Congressman Daniel Keene Jessica Henwick ... Helen Drew Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Reed Birney ... Henry Laura Innes ... Senator Rosalind Thurman Jessica Brown Findlay ... Charlotte Keene Morven Christie ... Anna Thurman Matt Craven ... Dr. Victor Crnkovich Elijah Cook ... Sam Ramsey Billy Postlethwaite ... Deputy Hank aka 'Silo Ren' Clare Perkins ... Carla McLain Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Gemma Acosta ... Glenda Harwood Ian Drysdale ... Mortician Sonita Henry ... Regina Jackson Ned Dennehy ... Ed Harwood Chris Fulton ... Mike Liam Akpan ... Deputy Jerry Chipo Chung ... Sandy Will Merrick ... Danny Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy Akie Kotabe ... Diego Florian Clare ... Chris Emerson Jacqueline Berces ... Nurse Amy Quelin Sepulveda ... Orla Kent Celine Arden ... Sheila Kent Marcello Cruz ... Juan Alameda Celine Arden ... Sheila Kent Miltos Yerolemou ... Rudy Kent LaToya Harding ... Deputy Hildy Micah Abna ... News Reporter Joseph Balderrama ... James Alameda Michael Blight ... Prisoner Oliver Branson-Cole ... Guide Ema Kosac ... Fangirl Jane Georgina Arthur ... Fangirl Sally Tuwaine Barrett ... Tony Stacy Liu ... Gayle Carlos Damasceno ... Deputy Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette George Robinson ... Mark Chambers  Chrisitan Ochoa Lavernia ... Amundson Georgina Sadler ... Audrey Orlando Norman ... Rick Sara Hazemi ... Eater Angela Yeoh ... Deputy Molly Karins Reggie Absolom ... Benny Lolita Chakrabarti ... Mrs. Kyle Khairika Sinani ... Raider Jean Ferdinand Kingsley ... George Wilkins(archive footage) s03e05 s3e05 s3e5 Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematographer Jean-Philippe Gossart (director of photography) Production Design Nicole Northridge (production designer) Hannah Purdy Foggin (Associate production designer)  Art Directors Rebecca Barker-McLean (art direction) Luke Bradley Nick Chapman (vehicle art director) Lilyana Houghton-Freeman (art direction) Sara Kuna (art director) Amaya Valentina (art direction)  Set Decorator Leire Artero (Assisting set decorating coordinator)  #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow #jessicahenwick

HOLY SMOKES (or more literally 'Smokey ________ ' returns to the show?!?) Now THAT is a cliffhanger!  Our non-spoiler podcast goes out for doughnuts & bear claws to breakdown season 3, episode 4 of the Apple TV show 'SILO.' Our Silo heroes have needs: Evil Nurse Amy will need a new description! Knox will need to ice his knox knuckles! Juliette's memory needs red-level relics to get past amnesia AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE SEASON?!?!? + The Sims sleeping arrangements may be getting updated! The Cleaning Podcast paying less attention than the Judicial Raiders! Listen to us celebrate and snark about the show! Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama! Based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! 00:00 Intro 03:51 Bubba's rating 09:29 Catfish's rating 12:08 Divided Silo Fanbase 15:19 Better in Silo or Real World?  17:13 Episode Breakdown: Silo 18  35:23 Best 'Silo Slam' of the Week  38:33 Episode Breakdown: Before Times  46:19 Judicial Debate: Silo MVP 48:54 Deeply Dumb Catfish Community Questions  54:07 'Is it a Date?' 55:52 Feedback  1:11:20 Book vs. Show Spoilers SEASON 3 EPISODE 4 'Whatever you do, don't go home' The race to evade Camille leads Juliette to a shocking discovery. Daniel seeks help from a friend.  Director Aric Avelino (directed by) Writers Jessica Blaire (written for television by) Hugh Howey (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Graham Yost (created by) Jenny DeArmitt (executive story editor) Cast Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Robert Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn ... Solo Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Ashley Zukerman ... Congressman Daniel Keene Jessica Henwick ... Helen Drew Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Reed Birney ... Henry Laura Innes ... Senator Rosalind Thurman Jessica Brown Findlay ... Charlotte Keene Morven Christie ... Anna Thurman Matt Craven ... Dr. Victor Crnkovich Elijah Cook ... Sam Ramsey Billy Postlethwaite ... Deputy Hank aka 'Silo Ren' Clare Perkins ... Carla McLain Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Gemma Acosta ... Glenda Harwood Ian Drysdale ... Mortician Sonita Henry ... Regina Jackson Ned Dennehy ... Ed Harwood Chris Fulton ... Mike Liam Akpan ... Deputy Jerry Chipo Chung ... Sandy Will Merrick ... Danny Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy Akie Kotabe ... Diego Florian Clare ... Chris Emerson Jacqueline Berces ... Nurse Amy Quelin Sepulveda ... Orla Kent Celine Arden ... Sheila Kent Marcello Cruz ... Juan Alameda Celine Arden ... Sheila Kent Miltos Yerolemou ... Rudy Kent LaToya Harding ... Deputy Hildy Micah Abna ... News Reporter Joseph Balderrama ... James Alameda Michael Blight ... Prisoner Oliver Branson-Cole ... Guide Ema Kosac ... Fangirl Jane Georgina Arthur ... Fangirl Sally Tuwaine Barrett ... Tony Stacy Liu ... Gayle Carlos Damasceno ... Deputy Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette George Robinson ... Mark Chambers  Chrisitan Ochoa Lavernia ... Amundson Georgina Sadler ... Audrey Orlando Norman ... Rick Sara Hazemi ... Eater Angela Yeoh ... Deputy Molly Karins Reggie Absolom ... Benny Lolita Chakrabarti ... Mrs. Kyle Khairika Sinani ... Raider Jean Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematographer Jean-Philippe Gossart (director of photography) Production Design Nicole Northridge (production designer) Hannah Purdy Foggin (Associate production designer)  Art Directors Rebecca Barker-McLean (art direction) Luke Bradley Nick Chapman (vehicle art director) Lilyana Houghton-Freeman (art direction) Sara Kuna (art director) Amaya Valentina (art direction) Set Decorator Leire Artero (Assisting set decorating coordinator)  #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow #jessicahenwick

Unlike Camille, our non-spoiler podcast cannot tell a lie while talking season 3, episode 3 of the Apple TV show 'SILO.' Daniel and Helen leave the hacker's hideout too soon! Orla Kent leaves us too soon! Juliette's memory has left us too long! The Sims family drama reaches new heights as little Sims Jr is kept from school and given a PEZ.  The Cleaning Podcast clears a room better than rat poison!  Listen to us celebrate and snark about the show! Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama! Based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! 00:00 Intro 02:16 Bubba's rating 07:04 Catfish's rating 10:26 Thank you / Subscribe, Comment please  11:02 Better in Silo or Real World? 14:32 Episode Breakdown: Before Times 24:35 Best 'Silo Slam' of the Week   28:24 Episode Breakdown: Silo 18  52:34 Silo Speculation 55:46 Judicial Debate: Best AppleTV show 57:42 Judicial Debate: Before Times or Silo 18? 1:03:18 Deeply Dumb Catfish Questions  1:08:17 Feedback 1:20:00 Book vs. Show Spoilers SEASON 3 EPISODE 3   'A Dark Web' Juliette takes control of her recovery. Helen faces the consequences of her investigation. Director Michael Dinner (directed by) Writers Aric Avelino (written for television by) Hugh Howey (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Graham Yost (created by) Jenny DeArmitt (executive story editor) Cast Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Rob Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn ... Solo Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Iain Glen ... Dr. Pete Nichols Ashley Zukerman ... Congressman Daniel Keene Jessica Henwick ... Helen Drew Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Reed Birney ... Henry Laura Innes ... Senator Rosalind Thurman Jessica Brown Findlay ... Charlotte Keene Morven Christie ... Anna Thurman Matt Craven ... Dr. Victor Crnkovich Billy Postlethwaite ... Deputy Hank aka 'Silo Ren' Clare Perkins ... Carla McLain Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Celine Arden ... Sheila Kent Miltos Yerolemou ... Rudy KentSonita Henry ... Regina Jackson Ned Dennehy ... Ed Harwood Chris Fulton ... Mike Liam Akpan ... Deputy Jerry Chipo Chung ... Sandy Will Merrick ... Danny Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy Akie Kotabe ... Diego Florian Clare ... Chris Emerson Jacqueline Berces ... Nurse Amy Quelin Sepulveda ... Orla Kent Celine Arden ... Sheila Kent Marcello Cruz ... Juan Alameda LaToya Harding ... Deputy Hildy Micah Abna ... News Reporter Joseph Balderrama ... James Alameda Michael Blight ... Prisoner Oliver Branson-Cole ... Guide Ema Kosac ... Fangirl Jane Georgina Arthur ... Fangirl Sally Tuwaine Barrett ... Tony Stacy Liu ... Gayle Carlos Damasceno ... Deputy Darryl Lane ... Silo 17 Resident(credit only) Anita Moore ... DC Tourist Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy George Robinson ... Mark Chambers Chipo Chung ... Sandy Chrisitan Ochoa Lavernia ... Amundson Georgina Sadler ... Audrey Orlando Norman ... Rick Sara Hazemi ... Eater Angela Yeoh ... Deputy Molly Karins Reggie Absolom ... Benny Lolita Chakrabarti ... Mrs. Kyle Khairika Sinani ... Raider Jean Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematographer Jean-Philippe Gossart (director of photography) Production Design Nicole Northridge (production designer) Hannah Purdy Foggin (Associate production designer) Art Directors Rebecca Barker-McLean (art direction) Luke Bradley Nick Chapman (vehicle art director) Lilyana Houghton-Freeman (art direction) Sara Kuna (art director) Amaya Valentina (art direction)  Set Decorator Leire Artero (Assisting set decorating coordinator) #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow #jessicahenwick

After more than a decade of releasing this show on Mondays, I'm moving it to Wednesdays, and this is the first episode of the new time slot.  On the one hand, this might sound like nothing at all, but it's also a big deal, for you and for me, and in this episode, I explain why I'm making the change, and past guests give some tips on sustainable creativity for the long term. Joanna Penn is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, short stories and travel memoir under J.F. Penn and also writes non-fiction for authors and hosts The Creative Penn Podcast. Why the podcast is moving to Wednesdays (1) Take time out to question what you're doing (2) Learn to pivot if you want to keep going long term(3) Set a sustainable pace, and don't build reader expectations you can't deliver on (4) Don't try to do it all, and try to identify the fear that might be driving your choices (5) Question what still serves you, especially as things continue to change(6) Consider different approaches to creativity. It doesn't have to be every day, or every week(7) Creative humans evolve. Build a body of work for the long term. You can find the backlist episodes at TheCreativePenn.com/podcast, just click into the episode to find the transcript. Why The Podcast Is Moving To Wednesdays, And 7 Tips for Sustainable Creativity Here's my big news! After more than a decade of releasing this show on Mondays, I'm moving it to Wednesdays, and this is the first episode of the new time slot. On the one hand, this might sound like nothing at all, but it's also a big deal, for you and for me! I know many of you have a routine of listening to the show during a certain thing on a Monday, so I'm sorry to have to disrupt that, and I hope I don't lose you along the way — although I guess you could just save the episode for Monday! For me, it's a much bigger deal, because a Monday show has meant I have often recorded the intro and edited and scheduled the episode over the weekend. The main reason is that I need to record in the mornings when I have energy and when the house is less noisy, since Jonathan is often on the phone since he works from home as well. So I would prepare the episode on Fridays, and I type out this intro before reading it, and source the news and my thoughts and all that — and then I'd record it Saturday morning, or Sunday morning if Saturday was busy — and so recently, I have felt like something has to change.  Moving the show to a Wednesday means that I can prep on Monday and Tuesday, which is perfect. Its so funny because I agonised over this, in the same way I agonised over changing the theme tune a few years back. Some of you may remember that — and it also turned out to not be a big deal at all. We build things up in our minds and then sometimes the problem can be solved in a different way. So instead of going to ad hoc episodes, or once every two weeks, I hope that moving to Wednesday makes the show more sustainable again, because let's face it, there's a lot going on, and if I did a show every 2 weeks, I might have to make them longer to get through everything! So, same show, just on Wednesdays from now on. And this change underscores what today's episode is about: sustainable creativity over the long term. How do you keep writing, and publishing, and podcasting — and creating for years — and I am now at two decades — without burning out, and without becoming a slave to the algorithm, or the market, or even your own audience's expectations? The goal is not to just survive this year's release schedule, or to keep feeding the machine until you crumble under the speed of it all. The goal is to still be creating, and still be enjoying it, next month, next year, in five years, in 10 years, in 20, in 30. Who knows how many years we all have left — but for sure, we are NOT machines, we are not AI — and we cannot churn it out – and what is the point of that anyway?  So in today's show, I'll share some thoughts and tips from me and also other authors from the show on this topic, and you can find the full episodes in the backlist, and links as ever in the show notes on TheCreativePenn.com/podcast  (1) Take time out to question what you're doing In early 2024, The Tim Ferriss Show, one of the biggest podcasts in the world, hit its ten-year anniversary with over a billion downloads and over 750 episodes, and Tim decided to take a sabbatical. He paused the show for four months and seriously questioned whether to continue. Not because it was failing, it was hugely profitable and he enjoyed talking to people, but because the landscape had changed.  Podcasting had gone from a wide-open space in 2014 to a saturated market, and his question wasn't “can I keep competing?” It was “is this still the game I want to play?” Just a little note here, I started The Creative Penn Podcast in 2009 when there were even fewer shows so I know a lot about a changing podcast market! After four months, Tim came back from what he called a sabbatical with a blog post on My New Rules for Podcasting — To Keep Things Interesting. He starts with the sheer number of podcasts, saying, “Having a good show is no longer good enough. Having a great show is no longer good enough. If you want to survive in the mindshare of listeners, you need differentiation.” I think this is true for us as authors as well as podcasters, or YouTubers, or social media, or anything. But the good news is that your differentiation can be you. Regular listeners will know that I have questioned ending the show over the years, worried that I was no longer useful, or that my voice no longer mattered when there are so many podcasts on similar topics. But after your wonderful feedback, and the fact that the show still gets a lot of downloads every week, and the growth in my Patreon Community, I don't worry about that anymore. It's unlikely that any of us will have a podcast as big as Tim Ferriss's or sell as many books as The Four Hour Work Week, but that's OK, because we are not Tim. I am Jo Penn and you're here because you find my take on the publishing industry is still useful in some way. When it's not anymore, you will go elsewhere, and I find myself at peace with that. Back to Tim's article — he asks some questions of himself, including:If I get to do this for another decade, or had to do this for another decade, what new rules might I create to keep it interesting? Of course, we all have different ideas of what this means for us. And I have already implemented one of these rules, which is that I interview people on topics I find interesting. I frequently get pitched by more famous authors and bigger names, but most of the time I turn them down, and choose to talk to people who are not famous but are more interested in serving you, my audience, because that is the point of this show. I also have people on that I enjoy talking to, because checking in with my friends while you listen in, can be useful too, since my friends are often authors who've been in the industry a while now. I have to make the interviews time that I find interesting or useful or fulfilling as well. But the point is to stop and take time to consider what might need to change, even if you are really successful. You cannot be a slave to the algorithm, to the media, to your audience, for the long term. You have to put some circuit breakers in sometimes. It's the old adage about the small business. You have to work ON in the business, not just IN the business, which means you need to step away. This does sometimes mean that you have to get away physically. I had this realisation while we were in Bruges in Belgium talking to Jonathan about what changes I could make because I just felt a lack of freedom — and freedom is my highest value, so I really need to honour that. So, the first question for you is: If you feel like you need a change, if your routines are becoming too much, or your workload is too much, or you are eating into time you need for rest and recovery or family or whatever you need, can you schedule time out to have a think about what you need and how things can change? You don't need to burn it all down. You might find the answer is just moving the show from a Monday to a Wednesday! (2) Learn to pivot if you want to keep going long term I love talking to authors who have been doing this career for a long time, and in December 2025 in episode 839, I talked to Jennifer Probst, the New York Times bestselling romance author of more than sixty books, about why some authors build decades-long careers while others vanish after one breakout. Jennifer has been through the indie gold rush, the fallout, traditional deals, Kickstarter, all of it, and I asked her how she thinks about how everything keeps changing, and we start with marketing but it goes much further than that. Writing Free: Romance Author Jennifer Probst On A Long-Term Author Career *** Jo: In terms of how we do marketing, TikTok is still a thing, and we can see maybe generative AI search coming on the horizon and agentic buying. A decade ago it might have been different, more Facebook ads or whatever. Then before that it might have been something else. So there's always things changing along the way. Jennifer: Yes, there definitely is. It is a very oversaturated market. They talk about, I don't know, 2010 to 2016 maybe, as the gold rush, because that was where you could make a lot of money as an indie. Then we saw the total fallout of so many different things. I feel like I've gone through so many ups and downs in the industry. I do love it because the longer you're around, the more you learn how to pivot. If you want this career, you learn how to write differently or do whatever you need to do to keep going, in different aspects, with the changes. To me, that makes the industry exciting. Again, perspective is a big thing. But I have had to take a year to kind of rebuild when I was out of contract with a lot of things. I've had to say, “Okay, what do you see on the horizon now? Where is the new foundation? Where do you wanna restart?” Sometimes it takes a year or two of, “Maybe I won't be making big income and I cut back,” but then you're back in it, because it takes a while to write a few new books, or write under a pen name, or however you want to pivot your way back into the industry. Or, like you were saying, diversifying. I did a lot of non-fiction stuff because that's a big calling for me, so I put that into the primary for a while. I think it's important for authors to maybe not just have one thing. When that one thing goes away, you're scrambling. It's good to have a couple of different things like, “Well, okay, this genre is dead or this thing is dead or this isn't making money. Let me go to this for a little while until I see new things on the horizon.” *** I love that from Jennifer, because there are always new things on the horizon, and we try new things and we pivot, and we bring in other streams of income as some drop off, and we go again and we keep creating. Authors with longevity are authors who pivot over their careers. They may lament the end of one era, but they don't stop, they find a new way forward. (3) Set a sustainable pace, and don't build reader expectations you can't deliver on Kevin J. Anderson is one of the most productive writers alive, with hundreds of books, most of which he writes with dictation while out hiking, and he has been on this show many times. In January 2025, in episode 791, we talked about building a long-term author business, and how authors need to be careful about setting reader expectations around pace of releases. Building A Long Term Author Business, Dictation, Kickstarter, and Short Story Collections With Kevin J Anderson Kevin: Now, again, we get back to the longevity of a career. It is exhausting to write lots of books a year, and most people can't keep doing that for 20 years or 30 years. That's one of the reasons, especially indie authors, where readers expect you to write several books a year. Some indie authors I know are writing a book a month. I couldn't do that for any long period. Well, I couldn't do that probably for a single year. You start building expectations, and when you fail to meet those expectations, they will leave you very quickly. That's why you should have Plan Bs. If you really, really can't stand writing your steampunk vampire romance series after book number 29, well, make sure that you have some other series you're starting and building up. Well, Hugh Howey's got several series that are going. Michael Anderle has all kinds of series, and Craig Martelle has all kinds of series. You don't just put all your eggs in one basket. You need to have Plan B and Plan C, to circle around to what I started with. *** Whatever cadence you choose, for your books, your email newsletters, or or your podcast, or your social media, choose a pace you can still be keeping up in a decade, because this is a long term career, and longevity in the market is one of the most important things. It's better to pace yourself than burn out. (4) Don't try to do it all, and try to identify the fear that might be driving your choices I couldn't do an episode on sustainability without Becca Syme! Becca is an author coach who has worked with thousands of writers, she is the creator of the Better-Faster Academy and the Quit books, and the QuitCast podcast — and In January 2023, in episode 668, at the end of our conversation about intuitive writing and marketing, I asked her what authors who sustain long careers have in common. Intuitive Writing And Book Marketing With Becca Syme *** Joanna: So in terms of sustainability, let's talk about that. You coach writers every day, you see writers on every spectrum of every personality type, and people who write differently and release differently and publish differently. So what do you see as your recommendations or, I guess, commonalities for authors who want this sustainable career as a writer for the long term in order not to burn out? What are you seeing in terms of the best way to be sustainable in a creative career? Becca: Conquering the fear that we have that we're not going to get what we want out of the career, like 100%. Because the fear is the thing that's driving us to burn ourselves out. The fear that if I don't do it this way, I'm not going to make money. If I don't do it this way, I'm not going to have a long career. I'm going to miss out on something if I don't do absolutely everything. And then I think the most important knowledge that we can have is that everyone in this industry who's a nonfiction person, including me, is giving you a perspective on how author life can be done. Every single one of us, not the perspective on how it should be done in order to have success. And if we could just change our expectations of how we look at the people who are helping us who are being good, helpful people who are very sure that their way is the correct way and who should be, again, because like all experts, they've had success doing what they are doing. But the downside is from someone whose job is to sit with authors for 45 minutes at a time, all day, every day, I see the outcome of the people who have tried to “do it all,” in quotes, with capital letters, and who are burned out because they were doing everything out of a fear place. And I think one of the best things that can happen in our — and what burnout often does is it forces us to reckon with the fact that we were doing all of this because we were afraid. My book isn't going to sell, I'm not going to be able to do this, I have this dream that I'm holding on to and what happens if it doesn't manifest itself. Then we make a lot of our decisions about how much to take on based on fear, and we don't know it. Because we don't realize that our brains are wired for survival, and so anytime fear kicks in, your brain is like, well, we have to do that because if you're afraid of it, then that must mean that we need it in order to survive. And we don't. We will survive if our books don't sell. We have to calm that fear and answer the question. Like, what will happen if in five years, I have not sold more than $1,000 on every book that I am writing? Like if each of the individual books that I write have not made more than $1,000. And I have to reckon with what might happen if that happens, because if I don't, that fear is going to drive me to burnout over and over and over and over again. That is why we're making so many of our decisions, including: do I pay for this class or conference? Do I pay for this book? Do I spend money on this advertising? Do I hire this expert consultant? So many of us are making those choices out of fear and we don't realize it. And that's why when we do our public live coaching, and whenever I'm at a conference, I'm always listening for, “but what are you afraid is not going to happen? Or what are you afraid is going to happen?” Because if we don't deconstruct that part of yourself and calm your survival mechanism down, you're going to continue over and over again to make those decisions out of fear. Then you're going to not listen to your intuition because you think it's risky to listen to it. And so I really think, and some of this might include therapy for some of us, I'm just going to acknowledge some of us have trauma around not getting what we want or around not actualizing our desires, and we can't just talk ourselves into letting the fear go. But some of us do just need to consistently confront the fear and make a plan for what happens and then act in spite of that fear because we are not making good decisions when we are in survival mode. *** Becca is very wise, and also pretty hardcore! So if you feel like you are trying to do it all, and you are on the edge of burning out, can you identify the fear beneath it? (5) Question what still serves you, especially as things continue to change Sometimes we keep doing things the same way, even when things have changed. What is lost if we give things up? What is gained? And what kind of game do you want to play? In episode 845, Claire Taylor, humour and mystery author, owner of FFS Media, certified Enneagram coach, talks about how social media has changed and why she gave it up. Leaving Social Media, Writing Iconic Characters, and Building Trust With Claire Taylor *** Joanna: One thing I know will have perked up people's ears is: “I left social media.” Tell us a bit more about that. Claire: This was a move that I could feel coming for a while. I didn't like what social media did to my attention. Even when I wasn't on it, there was almost a hangover from having been on it. My attention didn't feel as sharp and focused as it used to be, back before social media became what it is now. So I started asking myself some questions: What is lost if I leave? What is gained if I leave? And what is social media actually doing for me today? Because sometimes we hold on to what it used to do for us, and we keep trying to squeeze more and more of that out of it. But it has changed so much. There are almost no places with sufficient organic reach anymore. It's all pay-to-play, and the cost of pay-to-play keeps going up. I looked at the numbers for my business. My Kickstarter was a great place to analyse that because they track so many traffic sources so clearly. I could see exactly how much I was getting from social media when I advertised and promoted my projects there. Then I asked: can I let that go in order to get my attention back and make my life feel more settled? And I decided: yes, I can. That's worth more to me. Joanna: There are some things money can't buy. Sometimes it really isn't about the money. I like your question: what is lost and what is gained? You also said it's all pay-to-play and there's no organic reach. I do think there is some organic reach for some people who don't pay, but those people are very good at playing the game of whatever the platform wants. So, TikTok for example—you might not have to pay money yet, but you do have to play their game. You have to pay with your time instead of money. I agree with you. I don't think there's anywhere you can literally just post something and know it will reliably reach the people who follow you. Claire: Right. Exactly. TikTok currently, if you really play the game, will sometimes “pick” you, right? But that “pick me” energy is not really my jam. And we can see the trend—this “organic” thing doesn't last. It's organic for now. You can play the game for now, but TikTok would be crazy not to change things so they make more money. So eventually everything becomes pay-to-play. TikTok is fun, but for me it's addictive. I took it off my phone years ago because I would do the infinite scroll. There's so much candy there. Then I'd wake up the next morning and notice my mood just wasn't where I wanted it to be. My energy was low. I really saw a correlation between how much I scrolled and how flat I felt afterwards. So I realised: I'm not the person to pay-to-play or to play the game here. I'm not even convinced that the pay-to-play on certain social media networks is being tracked in a reliable, accountable way anymore. Who is holding them accountable for those numbers? You can sort of see correlation in your sales, but still, I just became more and more sceptical. In the end, it just wasn't for me. My life is so much better on a daily basis without it. That's definitely a decision I have not regretted for a second. **** To be clear, we're not saying you should give up social media, but it's about questioning how things make you feel, and what you can sustain and how you want to spend your time. I did question once again whether to give up this show entirely, but it is an important part of my creative body of work, and quite frankly, I reach more people with the podcast than I do with my books, and I still love talking to people, and I learn, and it underpins my business. I don't do much social media though. I learn about AI things on X and I do post photos and things on Instagram but I don't do much else. You have to decide what is right for you, but also, what is right for you might change over time. If we have a long term career, or a long term anything, things will change, and we will need to move on sometimes, or at least question whether it is still working in the way it used to. (6) Consider different approaches to creativity. It doesn't have to be every day, or every week.  In April 2026, in episode 858, I talked to Sara Rosett, USA Today bestselling mystery author and co-host of the Wish I'd Known Then podcast, about low-key marketing, and a more seasonal approach, or phased approach to podcasting as well as writing. Special Editions, Seasonal Podcasts, and the Art of Low-Key Book Marketing with Sara Rosett *** Jo: Although I must say I had forgotten about your Mystery Books podcast and going to seasonal. I also had my second podcast, Books and Travel, which is now on a kind of hiatus, but going to a seasonal approach is actually really interesting. Do you find that listeners come back to that podcast? Sara: Yes, and it surprises me because I've always thought you have to be weekly with a podcast to gain any traction at all, which I think is the best way to do it. You can build an audience quickly then, but I just knew I couldn't sustain that. So when I set out, I started with maybe seven to ten episodes and I did them each year — each year has had a season — and I do five to ten episodes. Readers find it, and I have highlighted specific books. I think maybe they're searching for a podcast about the Thursday Murder Club or something like that. They find it that way, and I get downloads, just steady downloads throughout the year, and I don't do much. I do some Pinterest pins for that, and that's about all I do. This is one of those things — it's the kind of low-key marketing that's low threshold, but it does work. I think if your readers are looking for stuff to listen to about the topic you write about, it could be a good way to do some low-cost, long-tail marketing. I love it. I keep doing it because I love it. Jo: That just seems more sustainable to me. I didn't like doing everything every day or every single week. Sara: Me either. I like switching it up, and I do enjoy the different phases of writing. I like the research and then I like doing the — well, I don't like the drafting that much, but once I get a draft done, I like the editing. And then when it comes time to promote it or do a special edition or whatever, I enjoy that part. Finding whatever I'm going to use for the interior photos and stuff — just things like that. I enjoy each phase and I like switching it out. Jo: I think that's really good. Some people think this writer's life is you write new words every single day and you manage your ads every single day. That seems to be what some people do, but that's certainly not us, is it? Sara: No. And that's great if you want to do that. I just don't want to. And I think we've come to the point now where each person can do this as they want. Hopefully people don't feel the pressure to meet these self-imposed deadlines or parameters that don't exist. There's no rules for writing or publishing. You can do whatever you want. *** I am definitely a seasonal creator, I don't write every day. I never have. I binge write when a book emerges, or binge create. As I record this I am working on the treatment and trailer for what is now called Cathedral Zero, a positive futurist sci-fi feature film that I am entering in the FutureVision X Prize in the next week or so, and then I will move to the next project. I also love Kickstarter launches for this reason. They feel much more sustainable because it's such a focused marketing push. My Books and Travel Podcast is still on hiatus, but I may still resurrect that at some point. I still feel the pull of it. And of course, this show remains weekly, but the Wednesday shift will hopefully help keep it this way. I can't see me going seasonal with this, but never say never! The main thing is to consider seasonality, or consider phased approaches to your work, rather than trying to do exactly the same thing week in week out. (7) Creative humans evolve. Build a body of work for the long term. Roz Morris first came on this podcast in 2011, and in March 2026, in episode 853 we talked about her memoir, discovery writing, and slow, sustainable book marketing. Roz is an award-nominated literary author and former bestselling ghostwriter, an editor and I always appreciate her perspective as she has been doing this far longer than I have. **** JOANNA: Do you still actively choose indie for a particular reason? ROZ: I do. I really like building my own body of work, and I'm now experienced enough to know what I do well, what I need advice with, and help with. I mean, we don't do all this completely by ourselves, do we? We bring in experts who will give us the right feedback if we're doing a new genre or a genre that's new to us. I choose indie because I like the control. Because I began in traditional publishing—I was making books for other people—I just learned all the trades and how to do everything to a professional standard. I love being able to apply that to my own work. I also love the way I can decide what I'm going to write next. If I was traditionally published, I would have to do something that fitted with whatever the publisher would want of me, and that isn't necessarily where my muse is taking me or what I've become interested in. I think creative humans evolve throughout their lives. They become interested in different things, different themes, different ways of expressing themselves. I began by thinking I would just write novels, and now I've found myself writing memoirs as well. That shift would have been difficult if someone else was having to make me fit into their marketing plans or what their imprint was known for. But because I've built my own audience, I can just bring them with me and say, “You might like this. It's still me. I'm just doing something different.” **** Inspiring words from Roz there — “It's still me, I'm just doing something different.” And indeed, I am a very different Jo from the new author who started this podcast back in March 2009. I have evolved and this show has evolved and this is not the end, it is a new phase. It's funny because it's just a shift of two days, but it also breaks a habit, for you listening and for me creating. It changes a time slot, and that itself can be a way to change energy, to change direction, to shift what matters and how we do things.  So that's what I want to leave you with today. A question around how shifting something, even something small, might make a big difference to your creative body of work, the quality of time you have for yourself or your family, and I'd love to know what you think about today's episode and what we covered, as well as your thoughts on the Wednesday shift.  Please leave a comment on the show notes, or the YouTube channel, or email me. I will see you next Wednesday, so happy writing and I'll see you next time!The post Why The Podcast Is Moving To Wednesdays, And 7 Tips for Sustainable Creativity first appeared on The Creative Penn.

In the second episode of season 3, Walker's withering words encourage Juliette to "try harder."  Our non-spoiler podcast asks if Daniel wants his sister Charlotte to be changed (or is he just dumb?) / Where's Orla Kent? is not too compelling while Jules meets the Outsiders who give her a 'previously on' recap! Will our podcast keep the blue line above the red line on the algorithm's chart?  Listen to us celebrate and snark about the show! Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama! Based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! 00:00 Intro 01:43 Catfish's rating 04:41 Bubba's rating 09:49 Thank you / Subscribe, Comment please  11:05 Better in Silo or Real World? 12:59 Episode Breakdown: Before Times  24:22 Episode Breakdown: Silo 18 42:34 Best 'Silo Slam' of the Week 44:18 Silo Speculation 47:19 Judicial Debate: Best AppleTV show 53:06 Deeply Dumb Catfish Questions  57:59 Feedback 1:10:52 Book Spoilers! SEASON 3 EPISODE 2   'It's All Good' Billings investigates a disappearance. Daniel Keene has a run-in with a reporter. Director Michael Dinner (directed by) Writers Shelley Burse (written for television by) Hugh Howey (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Jenny DeArmitt (executive story editor)  Cast Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Rob Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn ... Solo Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Iain Glen ... Dr. Pete Nichols Ashley Zukerman ... Congressman Daniel Keene Jessica Henwick ... Helen Drew Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Reed Birney ... Henry Laura Innes ... Senator Rosalind Thurman Jessica Brown Findlay ... Charlotte Keene Morven Christie ... Anna Thurman Matt Craven ... Victor(credit only) Billy Postlethwaite ... Deputy Hank aka 'Silo Ren' Clare Perkins ... Carla McLain Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Sonita Henry ... Regina Jackson Ned Dennehy ... Ed Harwood Chris Fulton ... Mike Liam Akpan ... Deputy Jerry Akie Kotabe ... Diego Florian Clare ... Chris Emerson Jacqueline Berces ... Nurse Amy Quelin Sepulveda ... Orla Kent Marcello Cruz ... Juan Alameda LaToya Harding ... Deputy Hildy Micah Abna ... News Reporter Joseph Balderrama ... James Alameda Michael Blight ... Prisoner Oliver Branson-Cole ... Guide Ema Kosac ... Fangirl Jane Georgina Arthur ... Fangirl Sally Tuwaine Barrett ... Tony Stacy Liu ... Gayle Carlos Damasceno ... Deputy Darryl Lane ... Silo 17 Resident(credit only) Anita Moore ... DC Tourist Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy George Robinson ... Mark Chambers Chipo Chung ... Sandy Chrisitan Ochoa Lavernia ... Amundson Georgina Sadler ... Audrey Orlando Norman ... Rick Sara Hazemi ... Eater Angela Yeoh ... Deputy Molly Karins Reggie Absolom ... Benny Lolita Chakrabarti ... Mrs. Kyle Khairika Sinani ... Raider Jean Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematographer Jean-Philippe Gossart (director of photography) Production Design Nicole Northridge (production designer) Hannah Purdy Foggin (Associate production designer) Art Directors Rebecca Barker-McLean (art direction) Luke Bradley Nick Chapman (vehicle art director) Lilyana Houghton-Freeman (art direction) Sara Kuna (art director) Amaya Valentina (art direction) Set Decorator Leire Artero (Assisting set decorating coordinator) #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow #jessicahenwick  

Silo is back! The new season has started (or has it not started.... with a slow episode with more questions than answers?) The season 3 premiere, Episode 1 'Who Are You' brough back all our Silo favorites: Sims, Camille Sims, Shirley, Knox, Sheriff Billings... but didn't bring back Walker, Solo, Lukas, and who is this new Juliette?!? Listen to us celebrate and snark about the show! Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama! Based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! 00:00 Intro 01:31 Bubba's rating 03:42 Catfish's rating 06:30 Dumb Questions from Catfish 10:06 Thank you / Subscribe, please 11:13 Better in Silo or Real World? 13:32 Episode Breakdown: Before Times 24:22 Episode Breakdown: Silo 18 45:03 Best 'Silo Slam' of the Week 47:00 Judicial Debate: What to forget? 50:20 Feedback New mayor Juliette can't remember anything from her time outside — or her past. Director Michael Dinner (directed by) Writers Jenny DeArmitt (executive story editor) Graham Yost (written for television by) Cast Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Rob Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn ... Solo Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Iain Glen ... Dr. Pete Nichols Ashley Zukerman ... Congressman Daniel Keene Jessica Henwick ... Helen Drew Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Reed Birney ... Henry Laura Innes ... Senator Rosalind Thurman Jessica Brown Findlay ... Charlotte Keene Morven Christie ... Anna Thurman Matt Craven ... Victor(credit only) Billy Postlethwaite ... Deputy Hank aka 'Silo Ren' Clare Perkins ... Carla McLain Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Sonita Henry ... Regina Jackson Ned Dennehy ... Ed Harwood Chris Fulton ... Mike Liam Akpan ... Deputy Jerry Akie Kotabe ... Diego Florian Clare ... Chris Emerson Jacqueline Berces ... Nurse Amy Quelin Sepulveda ... Orla Kent Marcello Cruz ... Juan Alameda LaToya Harding ... Deputy Hildy Micah Abna ... News Reporter Joseph Balderrama ... James Alameda Michael Blight ... Prisoner Oliver Branson-Cole ... Guide Ema Kosac ... Fangirl Jane Georgina Arthur ... Fangirl Sally Tuwaine Barrett ... Tony Stacy Liu ... Gayle Carlos Damasceno ... Deputy Darryl Lane ... Silo 17 Resident(credit only) Anita Moore ... DC Tourist Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy George Robinson ... Mark Chambers Chipo Chung ... Sandy Chrisitan Ochoa Lavernia ... Amundson Georgina Sadler ... Audrey Orlando Norman ... Rick Sara Hazemi ... Eater Angela Yeoh ... Deputy Molly Karins Reggie Absolom ... Benny Lolita Chakrabarti ... Mrs. Kyle Khairika Sinani ... Raider Jean Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematographer Jean-Philippe Gossart (director of photography) Production Design Nicole Northridge (production designer) Hannah Purdy Foggin (Associate production designer) Art Directors Rebecca Barker-McLean (art direction) Luke Bradley Nick Chapman (vehicle art director) Lilyana Houghton-Freeman (art direction) Sara Kuna (art director) Amaya Valentina (art direction)  Set Decorator Leire Artero (Assisting set decorating coordinator) #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow #jessicahenwick

Silo Season 3 Episode 1 asks "Who Are You" - We'll answer if it comes from the Hugh Howey source novels or not! Spoiler Book Talk! Our spoiler Book vs Show discussion of SILO, the new Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama ask why certain changes were made. Based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! 00:00 Intro 00:16 Many, many changes 01:41 Knox & Dr Nichols 03:48 SPOILERS Bernard's fate 05:55 Novels' structure 06:59 Juliette's Amnesia 08:22 Camille Sims 09:03 Where's Lukas? 10:29 Daniel & Helen 11:13 Charlotte 11:58 Gender-swapped Sen. Thurman 13:17 Per Stensen 14:31 Wrap-Up New mayor Juliette can't remember anything from her time outside — or her past. Director Michael Dinner (directed by) Writers Jenny DeArmitt (executive story editor) Graham Yost (written for television by) Cast Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Rob Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn ... Solo Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Iain Glen ... Dr. Pete Nichols Ashley Zukerman ... Congressman Daniel Keene Jessica Henwick ... Helen Drew Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Shane McRae ... Knox  Remmie Milner ... Shirley Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Reed Birney Laura Innes ... Senator Rosalind Thurman Morven Christie ... Anna Thurman Matt Craven Billy Postlethwaite ... Deputy Hank aka 'Silo Ren' Clare Perkins ... Carla McLain Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Sonita Henry ... Regina Jackson Ned Dennehy Chris Fulton Liam Akpan ... Deputy Jerry Akie Kotabe ... Diego Florian Clare ... Chris Emerson Jacqueline Berces ... Nurse Amy Quelin Sepulveda ... Orla Kent Marcello Cruz ... Juan Alameda LaToya Harding ... Deputy Hildy Micah Abna ... News Reporter Joseph Balderrama ... James Alameda Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematographer Jean-Philippe Gossart (director of photography) Production Design Nicole Northridge (production designer) Hannah Purdy Foggin (Associate production designer) Art Directors Rebecca Barker-McLean (art direction) Luke Bradley Nick Chapman (vehicle art director) Lilyana Houghton-Freeman (art direction) Sara Kuna (art director) Amaya Valentina (art direction) Set Decorator Leire Artero (Assisting set decorating coordinator) #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow #jessicahenwick

Rebecca Ferguson, Common & Graham Yost on identity, control, and Juliet's rise In this episode of Rewind, Tony revisits the world of Silo, the Apple TV+ adaptation of Hugh Howey's bestselling trilogy about a future where humanity survives in a massive underground structure — 244 levels deep — built on rules, fear, and a carefully curated version of the truth. After years of development attempts and false starts, Silo finally found its home on Apple TV+, becoming one of the platform's most acclaimed sci‑fi dramas. Tony sits down with Rebecca Ferguson, Common, and creator Graham Yost to explore the show's central themes and the emotional and moral weight carried by its characters. What Is Truth? The question that haunts every level of the Silo. Rebecca Ferguson reflects on Juliet's relentless pursuit of truth — not as an abstract ideal, but as a survival instinct. Common on Robert Sims: A Rough First Season Graham Yost on Juliet's Arc SAVE 17% ON PLUS   

As we wrap up our 5th season on Tales From The Bridge we thought we'd share some interview highlights from the past year. We've got some fun moments here, and we hope you enjoy. We've included excerpts from our conversations with Chris Hadfield, Travis Baldree, Mike Carey, James Rollins, Tade Thompson, Neil Clarke, Hugh Howey, Claire North, Arkady Martine, and the legendary Joe Haldeman.We will have more science fiction (or ‘speculative fiction' - if you must), authors joining us on the Bridge. We've also got more book and film reviews on the way. Let us know if there's a book or film that you want us to review on the podcast!You can always reach us on our social media or email us at talesfromthebridgepodcast@gmail.com Link tree https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebridge

Cultists, after the success of Curse Of Frankenstein and Horror of Dracula, Universal decided 'if you can't beat them, join them' and they entered into a partnership with Hammer Studios. The first film in that collaboration was 1959's The Mummy. It's not so much a remake as it is a Greatest Hits of plot elements from across the Mummy franchise. Please join us for the Dissection    Dissection Topic https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053085/?ref_=ext_shr  https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B000MPNSV6/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r  Unholy Sacrament  Perpetually Pale - West Coast IPA, Brujos Brewing https://untp.beer/wY85B  Dark Tidings  'The Mummy 4' With Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz Gets May 2028 Release Date https://variety.com/2026/film/news/the-mummy-4-release-date-may-2028-brendan-fraser-rachel-weisz-1236658527/  Vault of Darkness  Shrinking (Lawrence, 2023) Apple TV+ https://tv.apple.com/us/show/shrinking/umc.cmc.apzybj6eqf6pzccd97kev7bs  Silo book series by Hugh Howey https://hughhowey.com/books/  https://tv.apple.com/us/show/silo/umc.cmc.3yksgc857px0k0rqe5zd4jice  Ted Lasso (Lawrence 2020) https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ted-lasso/umc.cmc.vtoh0mn0xn7t3c643xqonfzy  House Of The Dragon (Condal 2022) https://www.hbomax.com/shows/house-of-the-dragon/c68e69d7-9317-428a-a615-cdf8fe5a2e06    #themummy, #mummy, #themummy1959, #leecroninsthemummy, #terancefisher, #petercushing, #christopherlee, #yvonnefurneaux, #kharis, #princessananka, #hammer, #hammerhorror, #hammerstudios, #hammerfilms, #hammerproductions, #classichorror, #classicmonsters, #universalmonsters, #themummyreturns, #christopherleethemummy,

We've got 15 books and series here, so there should be something to love for almost every reader (although we need some traditional fantasy page turners – send us some recommendations in the comments please)! Plus, at the end of the episode we each rank our personal top 3. We intentionally excluded YA and military sci-fi books, although those are often also page-turners - look out for episodes about each of those soon! Brent's brother, Alex, joined us for this episode, and brought us a whole new batch of books (and frankly a couple new subgenres) to enjoy. LitRPG / progression fantasy just keep getting more popular, and we can see why – the books we've picked up have all been so, so fun to read (although it probably helps we've been reading Alex's recommendations so far, the best of the best from the hundreds of LitRPG books he's read). No spoilers anywhere in this episode. Join the Hugonauts book club on discord Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video This episode is sponsored by Quinto's Challenge by Peter McChesney All the books we recommend, plus timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:48 Sponsor – Quinto's Challenge by Peter McChesney 03:26 Silo by Hugh Howey 5:06 Mother of Learning by Domagoj Kurmaic 7:19 Murderbot by Martha Wells 9:10 Beware of Chicken by Casualfarmer 12:26 Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton 14:49 Mark of the Fool by J.M. Clarke 18:18 Project Hail Mary and The Martian by Andy Weir 19:40 Iron Prince by Bryce O'Connor 22:33 Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 24:04 He Who Fights With Monsters by Shirtaloon 28:47 Daemon by Daniel Suarez 31:07 The Perfect Run by Maxime J. Durand 33:39 The Bobiverse by Dennis E. Taylor 36:24 Eight by Samer Rabadi 38:37 Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman 46:18 Rankings: Top 3 page turners

Best Selling AuthorIn this standout episode of The BIG Sci‑Fi Podcast, we sit down with bestselling author Hugh Howey—the visionary mind behind the Silo series, the story that inspired Apple TV's acclaimed hit show Silo.Hugh joins the crew for a rich, thoughtful, and often surprising conversation about world‑building, creative resilience, and the journey from independently published author to global phenomenon. We explore the origins of Wool, the evolution of the Silo universe, and how its themes of survival, truth, and human nature resonate so powerfully with audiences today.Listeners will enjoy Hugh's candid reflections on adapting his work for television, collaborating with showrunners, and watching his characters come to life on screen. Whether you're a longtime fan of the books, a devotee of the Apple TV series, or simply fascinated by the craft of science fiction storytelling, this episode delivers insight, inspiration, and plenty of BIG sci‑fi fun.Strap in as we dive deep into the silo—and into the mind of one of Sci-Fi's most influential modern authors!This podcast is a proud part of the Trek Geeks Podcast Network and works hard to bring you great content from all over the science fiction universe. We would love to hear your feedback, suggestions, and ideas. Take a moment to send us an email at thebigscifipodcast@gmail.comTheme music for season 10 was created with AI from the Suno platform with prompts from Brian Donahue.Check our podcast out and learn more about the other great podcasts on the network by visiting trekgeeks.com.We've got the merch! If you want BIG Sci-Fi swag, check out this link and support us by wearing us everywhere you go! www.teepublic.com/thebigscifipodcastCheck out all of our social links in one place:https://linktr.ee/thebigscifipodcastCheck out Cris' amazing YouTube channel for Trek content galore:https://www.youtube.com/@yellingaboutstartrek1532Check out Brian's new book available at Amazon for Kindle and in paperback:https://www.amazon.com/stores/Brian-Donahue/author/B0C3BQ93VDSubscribe for free to Brian's Substack page where he writes original science fiction and fantasy: https://bdonahue.substack.com/Listen to Brian's music including his new brand new compilation album "My Story" at: https://www.reverbnation.com/765591/album/330256Find Adeena's books here: https://crazyrobot.myshopify.com/Follow her on Substack here: https://beyondthedroid.substack.com

There comes a time in the life of every author when they have to do that truly terrifying thing: Talk about their book. In this special crossover episode with SFF Addicts, we talk about talking about writing! A lot of that involves the beast we all face these days: social media. Branding, marketing, algorithms, trends, parasocial relationships -- It's a lot. How much do you really need to do, and how can you set boundaries around your public and private selves? But there are also times and places an author may need to talk about their book beyond social media and marketing. Sometimes, you have to do it in (gasp!) real life! What techniques can we use to get more comfortable with public speaking? What's good etiquette for being on a panel at a convention or conference? How can you engage with readers one-on-one in a way that makes them see you as an interesting person, not just a book-shilling Gollum incapable of taking about anything except your precious? We share our experiences and offer our perspectives on navigating those situations! Our Guests: SFF Addicts is a weekly sci-fi, fantasy and writing craft podcast co-hosted by Adrian M. Gibson and fellow authors M.J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly, bringing you interviews and writing masterclasses with your favorite SFF authors. Past guests include: George R.R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson, Jim Butcher, Robin Hobb, James S.A. Corey, Scott Lynch, Christopher Paolini, Martha Wells, Joe Abercrombie, John Scalzi, Chuck Wendig, Fonda Lee, Mark Lawrence, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Nicholas Eames, Michael J. Sullivan, Andrea Stewart, Travis Baldree, Mary Robinette Kowal, Gareth L. Powell, Hugh Howey, Robert Jackson Bennett, Rebecca Roanhorse, Chelsea Abdullah, RJ Barker and many more. The full episode archive can be found here. You can also subscribe to the FanFiAddict YouTube channel, where all episodes are available in full video. Adrian M. Gibson is an award-winning Canadian SFF author, podcaster and illustrator (as well as occasional tattoo artist). He was born in Ontario, Canada, but grew up in British Columbia. He studied English Literature and has worked in music journalism, restaurants, tattoo studios, clothing stores and a bevy of odd jobs. In 2021, he created the SFF Addicts podcast, which he co-hosts with fellow authors M. J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly. The three host in-depth interviews with an array of science fiction and fantasy authors, as well as writing masterclasses. Adrian has a not-so-casual obsession with mushrooms, relishes in the vastness of nature and is a self-proclaimed “child of the mountains.” He enjoys cooking, music, video games, politics and science, as well as reading fiction and comic books. He lives in Quito, Ecuador with his wife and sons. His debut novel is MUSHROOM BLUES, which is available to purchase here. M.J. Kuhn is a fantasy writer by night and a mild-mannered marketer and business owner by day. She is the internationally bestselling author of Among Thieves  and Thick as Thieves, cohost of SFF Addicts podcast, and lives in the metro Detroit area with her very spoiled cats, Evie and Thorin Oakenshield. Greta Kelly is the author of the critically acclaimed adult fantasy novels THE FROZEN CROWN, THE SEVENTH QUEEN and THE QUEEN OF DAYS (Voyager) and the co-host of SFF ADDICTS Podcast. Her writing has also appeared in Nerdist, i09 and Writer's Digest.  She currently lives in the U.S. with her husband EJ, and daughters Lorelei and Nadia who are doing their level-best to take over the world.  You can follow her on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok @gretakkelly.

What if the most transformative thing you can do for your writing craft and author business is to face what you fear? How can you can find gold in your Shadow in the year ahead? In this episode, I share chapters from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words. In the intro, curated book boxes from Bridgerton's Julia Quinn; Google's agentic shopping, and powering Apple's Siri; ChatGPT Ads; and Claude CoWork. Balancing Certainty and Uncertainty [MoonShots with Tony Robbins]; and three trends for authors with me and Orna Ross [Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast]; plus, Bones of the Deep, Business for Authors, and Indie Author Lab. This show is supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoir as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. What is the Shadow? The ‘creative wound' and the Shadow in writing The Shadow in traditional publishing The Shadow in self-publishing or being an indie author The Shadow in work The Shadow in money You can find Writing the Shadow in all formats on all stores, as well as special edition, workbook and bundles at www.TheCreativePenn.com/shadowbook Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words The following chapters are excerpted from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words by Joanna Penn. Introduction. What is the Shadow? “How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also if I am to be whole.” —C.G. Jung, Modern Man in Search of a Soul We all have a Shadow side and it is the work of a lifetime to recognise what lies within and spin that base material into gold. Think of it as a seedling in a little pot that you're given when you're young. It's a bit misshapen and weird, not something you would display in your living room, so you place it in a dark corner of the basement. You don't look at it for years. You almost forget about it. Then one day you notice tendrils of something wild poking up through the floorboards. They're ugly and don't fit with your Scandi-minimalist interior design. You chop the tendrils away and pour weedkiller on what's left, trying to hide the fact that they were ever there. But the creeping stems keep coming. At some point, you know you have to go down there and face the wild thing your seedling has become. When you eventually pluck up enough courage to go down into the basement, you discover that the plant has wound its roots deep into the foundations of your home. Its vines weave in and out of the cracks in the walls, and it has beautiful flowers and strange fruit. It holds your world together. Perhaps you don't need to destroy the wild tendrils. Perhaps you can let them wind up into the light and allow their rich beauty to weave through your home. It will change the look you have so carefully cultivated, but maybe that's just what the place needs. The Shadow in psychology Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychologist and the founder of analytical psychology. He described the Shadow as an unconscious aspect of the human personality, those parts of us that don't match up to what is expected of us by family and society, or to our own ideals. The Shadow is not necessarily evil or illegal or immoral, although of course it can be. It's also not necessarily caused by trauma, abuse, or any other severely damaging event, although again, it can be. It depends on the individual. What is in your Shadow is based on your life and your experiences, as well as your culture and society, so it will be different for everyone. Psychologist Connie Zweig, in The Inner Work of Age, explains, “The Shadow is that part of us that lies beneath or behind the light of awareness. It contains our rejected, unacceptable traits and feelings. It contains our hidden gifts and talents that have remained unexpressed or unlived. As Jung put it, the essence of the Shadow is pure gold.” To further illustrate the concept, Robert Bly, in A Little Book on the Human Shadow,uses the following metaphor: “When we are young, we carry behind us an invisible bag, into which we stuff any feelings, thoughts, or behaviours that bring disapproval or loss of love—anger, tears, neediness, laziness. By the time we go to school, our bags are already a mile long. In high school, our peer groups pressure us to stuff the bags with even more—individuality, sexuality, spontaneity, different opinions. We spend our life until we're twenty deciding which parts of ourselves to put into the bag and we spend the rest of our lives trying to get them out again.” As authors, we can use what's in the ‘bag' to enrich our writing — but only if we can access it. My intention with this book is to help you venture into your Shadow and bring some of what's hidden into the light and into your words. I'll reveal aspects of my Shadow in these pages but ultimately, this book is about you. Your Shadow is unique. There may be elements we share, but much will be different. Each chapter has questions for you to consider that may help you explore at least the edges of your Shadow, but it's not easy. As Jung said, “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular.” But take heart, Creative. You don't need courage when things are easy. You need it when you know what you face will be difficult, but you do it anyway. We are authors. We know how to do hard things. We turn ideas into books. We manifest thoughts into ink on paper. We change lives with our writing. First, our own, then other people's. It's worth the effort to delve into Shadow, so I hope you will join me on the journey. The creative wound and the Shadow in writing “Whatever pain you can't get rid of, make it your creative offering.” —Susan Cain, Bittersweet  The more we long for something, the more extreme our desire, the more likely it is to have a Shadow side. For those of us who love books, the author life may well be a long-held dream and thus, it is filled with Shadow. Books have long been objects of desire, power, and authority. They hold a mythic status in our lives. We escaped into stories as children; we studied books at school and college; we read them now for escape and entertainment, education and inspiration. We collect beautiful books to put on our shelves. We go to them for solace and answers to the deepest questions of life. Writers are similarly held in high esteem. They shape culture, win literary prizes, give important speeches, and are quoted in the mainstream media. Their books are on the shelves in libraries and bookstores. Writers are revered, held up as rare, talented creatures made separate from us by their brilliance and insight. For bibliophile children, books were everything and to write one was a cherished dream. To become an author? Well, that would mean we might be someone special, someone worthy. Perhaps when you were young, you thought the dream of being a writer was possible — then you told someone about it. That's probably when you heard the first criticism of such a ridiculous idea, the first laughter, the first dismissal. So you abandoned the dream, pushed the idea of being a writer into the Shadow, and got on with your life. Or if it wasn't then, it came later, when you actually put pen to paper and someone — a parent, teacher, partner, or friend, perhaps even a literary agent or publisher, someone whose opinion you valued — told you it was worthless. Here are some things you might have heard: Writing is a hobby. Get a real job. You're not good enough. You don't have any writing talent. You don't have enough education. You don't know what you're doing. Your writing is derivative / unoriginal / boring / useless / doesn't make sense. The genre you write in is dead / worthless / unacceptable / morally wrong / frivolous / useless.  Who do you think you are? No one would want to read what you write. You can't even use proper grammar, so how could you write a whole book? You're wasting your time. You'll never make it as a writer. You shouldn't write those things (or even think about those things). Why don't you write something nice? Insert other derogatory comment here! Mark Pierce describes the effect of this experience in his book The Creative Wound, which “occurs when an event, or someone's actions or words, pierce you, causing a kind of rift in your soul. A comment—even offhand and unintentional—is enough to cause one.” He goes on to say that such words can inflict “damage to the core of who we are as creators. It is an attack on our artistic identity, resulting in us believing that whatever we make is somehow tainted or invalid, because shame has convinced us there is something intrinsically tainted or invalid about ourselves.” As adults, we might brush off such wounds, belittling them as unimportant in the grand scheme of things. We might even find ourselves saying the same words to other people. After all, it's easier to criticise than to create. But if you picture your younger self, bright eyed as you lose yourself in your favourite book, perhaps you might catch a glimpse of what you longed for before your dreams were dashed on the rocks of other people's reality. As Mark Pierce goes on to say, “A Creative Wound has the power to delay our pursuits—sometimes for years—and it can even derail our lives completely… Anything that makes us feel ashamed of ourselves or our work can render us incapable of the self-expression we yearn for.” This is certainly what happened to me, and it took decades to unwind. Your creative wounds will differ to mine but perhaps my experience will help you explore your own. To be clear, your Shadow may not reside in elements of horror as mine do, but hopefully you can use my example to consider where your creative wounds might lie. “You shouldn't write things like that.” It happened at secondary school around 1986 or 1987, so I would have been around eleven or twelve years old. English was one of my favourite subjects and the room we had our lessons in looked out onto a vibrant garden. I loved going to that class because it was all about books, and they were always my favourite things. One day, we were asked to write a story. I can't remember the specifics of what the teacher asked us to write, but I fictionalised a recurring nightmare. I stood in a dark room. On one side, my mum and my brother, Rod, were tied up next to a cauldron of boiling oil, ready to be thrown in. On the other side, my dad and my little sister, Lucy, were threatened with decapitation by men with machetes. I had to choose who would die. I always woke up, my heart pounding, before I had to choose. Looking back now, it clearly represented an internal conflict about having to pick sides between the two halves of my family. Not an unexpected issue from a child of divorce. Perhaps these days, I might have been sent to the school counsellor, but it was the eighties and I don't think we even had such a thing. Even so, the meaning of the story isn't the point. It was the reaction to it that left scars. “You shouldn't write things like that,” my teacher said, and I still remember her look of disappointment, even disgust. Certainly judgment. She said my writing was too dark. It wasn't a proper story. It wasn't appropriate for the class. As if horrible things never happened in stories — or in life. As if literature could not include dark tales. As if the only acceptable writing was the kind she approved of. We were taught The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie that year, which says a lot about the type of writing considered appropriate. Or perhaps the issue stemmed from the school motto, “So hateth she derknesse,” from Chaucer's The Legend of Good Women: “For fear of night, so she hates the darkness.” I had won a scholarship to a private girls' school, and their mission was to turn us all into proper young ladies. Horror was never on the curriculum. Perhaps if my teacher had encouraged me to write my darkness back then, my nightmares would have dissolved on the page. Perhaps if we had studied Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or H.P. Lovecraft stories, or Bram Stoker's Dracula, I could have embraced the darker side of literature earlier in my life. My need to push darker thoughts into my Shadow was compounded by my (wonderful) mum's best intentions. We were brought up on the principles of The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale and she tried to shield me and my brother from anything harmful or horrible. We weren't allowed to watch TV much, and even the British school drama Grange Hill was deemed inappropriate. So much of what I've achieved is because my mum instilled in me a “can do” attitude that anything is possible. I'm so grateful to her for that. (I love you, Mum!) But all that happy positivity, my desire to please her, to be a good girl, to make my teachers proud, and to be acceptable to society, meant that I pushed my darker thoughts into Shadow. They were inappropriate. They were taboo. They must be repressed, kept secret, and I must be outwardly happy and positive at all times. You cannot hold back the darkness “The night is dark and full of terrors.” —George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords It turned out that horror was on the curriculum, much of it in the form of educational films we watched during lessons. In English Literature, we watched Romeo drink poison and Juliet stab herself in Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. In Religious Studies, we watched Jesus beaten, tortured, and crucified in The Greatest Story Ever Told, and learned of the variety of gruesome ways that Christian saints were martyred. In Classical Civilisation, we watched gladiators slaughter each other in Spartacus. In Sex Education at the peak of the AIDS crisis in the mid-'80s, we were told of the many ways we could get infected and die. In History, we studied the Holocaust with images of skeletal bodies thrown into mass graves, medical experiments on humans, and grainy videos of marching soldiers giving the Nazi salute. One of my first overseas school field trips was to the World War I battlegrounds of Flanders Fields in Belgium, where we studied the inhuman conditions of the trenches, walked through mass graves, and read war poetry by candlelight. As John McCrae wrote: We are the Dead. Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Did the teachers not realise how deeply a sensitive teenager might feel the darkness of that place? Or have I always been unusual in that places of blood echo deep inside me? And the horrors kept coming. We lived in Bristol, England back then and I learned at school how the city had been part of the slave trade, its wealth built on the backs of people stolen from their homes, sold, and worked to death in the colonies. I had been at school for a year in Malawi, Africa and imagined the Black people I knew drowning, being beaten, and dying on those ships. In my teenage years, the news was filled with ethnic cleansing, mass rape, and massacres during the Balkan wars, and images of bodies hacked apart during the Rwandan genocide. Evil committed by humans against other humans was not a historical aberration. I'm lucky and I certainly acknowledge my privilege. Nothing terrible or horrifying has happened to me — but bad things certainly happen to others. I wasn't bullied or abused. I wasn't raped or beaten or tortured. But you don't have to go through things to be afraid of them, and for your imagination to conjure the possibility of them. My mum doesn't read my fiction now as it gives her nightmares (Sorry, Mum!). I know she worries that somehow she's responsible for my darkness, but I've had a safe and (mostly) happy life, for which I'm truly grateful. But the world is not an entirely safe and happy place, and for a sensitive child with a vivid imagination, the world is dark and scary. It can be brutal and violent, and bad things happen, even to good people. No parent can shield their child from the reality of the world. They can only help them do their best to live in it, develop resilience, and find ways to deal with whatever comes. Story has always been a way that humans have used to learn how to live and deal with difficult times. The best authors, the ones that readers adore and can't get enough of, write their darkness into story to channel their experience, and help others who fear the same. In an interview on writing the Shadow on The Creative Penn Podcast, Michaelbrent Collings shared how he incorporated a personally devastating experience into his writing:  “My wife and I lost a child years back, and that became the root of one of my most terrifying books, Apparition. It's not terrifying because it's the greatest book of all time, but just the concept that there's this thing out there… like a demon, and it consumes the blood and fear of the children, and then it withdraws and consumes the madness of the parents… I wrote that in large measure as a way of working through what I was experiencing.” I've learned much from Michaelbrent. I've read many of his (excellent) books and he's been on my podcast multiple times talking about his depression and mental health issues, as well as difficulties in his author career. Writing darkness is not in Michaelbrent's Shadow and only he can say what lies there for him. But from his example, and from that of other authors, I too learned how to write my Shadow into my books. Twenty-three years after that English lesson, in November 2009, I did NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, and wrote five thousand words of what eventually became Stone of Fire, my first novel. In the initial chapter, I burned a nun alive on the ghats of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges River. I had watched the bodies burn by night on pyres from a boat bobbing in the current a few years before, and the image was still crystal clear in my mind. The only way to deal with how it made me feel about death was to write about it — and since then, I've never stopped writing. Returning to the nightmare from my school days, I've never had to choose between the two halves of my family, but the threat of losing them remains a theme in my fiction. In my ARKANE thriller series, Morgan Sierra will do anything to save her sister and her niece. Their safety drives her to continue to fight against evil. Our deepest fears emerge in our writing, and that's the safest place for them. I wish I'd been taught how to turn my nightmares into words back at school, but at least now I've learned to write my Shadow onto the page. I wish the same for you. The Shadow in traditional publishing If becoming an author is your dream, then publishing a book is deeply entwined with that. But as Mark Pierce says in The Creative Wound, “We feel pain the most where it matters the most… Desire highlights whatever we consider to be truly significant.” There is a lot of desire around publishing for those of us who love books! It can give you: Validation that your writing is good enough Status and credibility Acceptance by an industry held in esteem  The potential of financial reward and critical acclaim Support from a team of professionals who know how to make fantastic books A sense of belonging to an elite community Pride in achieving a long-held goal, resulting in a confidence boost and self-esteem Although not guaranteed, traditional publishing can give you all these things and more, but as with everything, there is a potential Shadow side. Denying it risks the potential of being disillusioned, disappointed, and even damaged. But remember, forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes. Preparation can help you avoid potential issues and help you feel less alone if you encounter them. The myth of success… and the reality of experience There is a pervasive myth of success in the traditional publishing industry, perpetuated by media reporting on brand name and breakout authors, those few outliers whose experience is almost impossible to replicate. Because of such examples, many new traditionally published authors think that their first book will hit the top of the bestseller charts or win an award, as well as make them a million dollars — or at least a big chunk of cash. They will be able to leave their job, write in a beautiful house overlooking the ocean, and swan around the world attending conferences, while writing more bestselling books. It will be a charmed life. But that is not the reality. Perhaps it never was. Even so, the life of a traditionally published author represents a mythic career with the truth hidden behind a veil of obscurity. In April 2023, The Bookseller in the UK reported that “more than half of authors (54%) responding to a survey on their experiences of publishing their debut book have said the process negatively affected their mental health. Though views were mixed, just 22%… described a positive experience overall… Among the majority who said they had a negative experience of debut publication, anxiety, stress, depression and ‘lowered' self-esteem were cited, with lack of support, guidance or clear and professional communication from their publisher among the factors that contributed.” Many authors who have negative experiences around publishing will push them into the Shadow with denial or self-blame, preferring to keep the dream alive. They won't talk about things in public as this may negatively affect their careers, but private discussions are often held in the corners of writing conferences or social media groups online. Some of the issues are as follows: Repeated rejection by agents and publishers may lead to the author thinking they are not good enough as a writer, which can lead to feeling unworthy as a person. If an author gets a deal, the amount of advance and the name and status of the publisher compared to others create a hierarchy that impacts self-esteem. A deal for a book may be much lower than an author might have been expecting, with low or no advance, and the resulting experience with the publisher beneath expectations. The launch process may be disappointing, and the book may appear without fanfare, with few sales and no bestseller chart position. In The Bookseller report, one author described her launch day as “a total wasteland… You have expectations about what publication day will be like, but in reality, nothing really happens.” The book may receive negative reviews by critics or readers or more publicly on social media, which can make an author feel attacked. The book might not sell as well as expected, and the author may feel like it's their fault. Commercial success can sometimes feel tied to self-worth and an author can't help but compare their sales to others, with resulting embarrassment or shame. The communication from the publisher may be less than expected. One author in The Bookseller report said, “I was shocked by the lack of clarity and shared information and the cynicism that underlies the superficial charm of this industry.” There is often more of a focus on debut authors in publishing houses, so those who have been writing and publishing in the midlist for years can feel ignored and undervalued. In The Bookseller report, 48 percent of authors reported “their publisher supported them for less than a year,” with one saying, “I got no support and felt like a commodity, like the team had moved on completely to the next book.” If an author is not successful enough, the next deal may be lower than the last, less effort is made with marketing, and they may be let go. In The Bookseller report, “six authors—debut and otherwise—cited being dropped by their publisher, some with no explanation.” Even if everything goes well and an author is considered successful by others, they may experience imposter syndrome, feeling like a fraud when speaking at conferences or doing book signings. And the list goes on … All these things can lead to feelings of shame, inadequacy, and embarrassment; loss of status in the eyes of peers; and a sense of failure if a publishing career is not successful enough. The author feels like it's their fault, like they weren't good enough — although, of course, the reality is that the conditions were not right at the time. A failure of a book is not a failure of the person, but it can certainly feel like it! When you acknowledge the Shadow, it loses its power Despite all the potential negatives of traditional publishing, if you know what could happen, you can mitigate them. You can prepare yourself for various scenarios and protect yourself from potential fall-out. It's clear from The Bookseller report that too many authors have unrealistic expectations of the industry. But publishers are businesses, not charities. It's not their job to make you feel good as an author. It's their job to sell books and pay you. The best thing they can do is to continue to be a viable business so they can keep putting books on the shelves and keep paying authors, staff, and company shareholders. When you license your creative work to a publisher, you're giving up control of your intellectual property in exchange for money and status. Bring your fears and issues out of the Shadow, acknowledge them, and deal with them early, so they do not get pushed down and re-emerge later in blame and bitterness. Educate yourself on the business of publishing. Be clear on what you want to achieve with any deal. Empower yourself as an author, take responsibility for your career, and you will have a much better experience. The Shadow in self-publishing or being an indie author Self-publishing, or being an independent (indie) author, can be a fantastic, pro-active choice for getting your book into the world. Holding your first book in your hand and saying “I made this” is pretty exciting, and even after more than forty books, I still get excited about seeing ideas in my head turn into a physical product in the world. Self-publishing can give an author: Creative control over what to write, editorial and cover design choices, when and how often to publish, and how to market Empowerment over your author career and the ability to make choices that impact success without asking for permission Ownership and control of intellectual property assets, resulting in increased opportunity around licensing and new markets Independence and the potential for recurring income for the long term Autonomy and flexibility around timelines, publishing options, and the ability to easily pivot into new genres and business models Validation based on positive reader reviews and money earned Personal growth and learning through the acquisition of new skills, resulting in a boost in confidence and self-esteem A sense of belonging to an active and vibrant community of indie authors around the world Being an indie author can give you all this and more, but once again, there is a Shadow side and preparation can help you navigate potential issues. The myth of success… and the reality of experience As with traditional publishing, the indie author world has perpetuated a myth of success in the example of the breakout indie author like E.L. James with Fifty Shades of Grey, Hugh Howey with Wool, or Andy Weir with The Martian. The emphasis on financial success is also fuelled online by authors who share screenshots showing six-figure months or seven-figure years, without sharing marketing costs and other outgoings, or the amount of time spent on the business. Yes, these can inspire some, but it can also make others feel inadequate and potentially lead to bad choices about how to publish and market based on comparison. The indie author world is full of just as much ego and a desire for status and money as traditional publishing. This is not a surprise! Most authors, regardless of publishing choices, are a mix of massive ego and chronic self-doubt. We are human, so the same issues will re-occur. A different publishing method doesn't cure all ills. Some of the issues are as follows: You learn everything you need to know about writing and editing, only to find that you need to learn a whole new set of skills in order to self-publish and market your book. This can take a lot of time and effort you did not expect, and things change all the time so you have to keep learning. Being in control of every aspect of the publishing process, from writing to cover design to marketing, can be overwhelming, leading to indecision, perfectionism, stress, and even burnout as you try to do all the things. You try to find people to help, but building your team is a challenge, and working with others has its own difficulties. People say negative things about self-publishing that may arouse feelings of embarrassment or shame. These might be little niggles, but they needle you, nonetheless. You wonder whether you made the right choice. You struggle with self-doubt and if you go to an event with traditional published authors, you compare yourself to them and feel like an imposter. Are you good enough to be an author if a traditional publisher hasn't chosen you? Is it just vanity to self-publish? Are your books unworthy? Even though you worked with a professional editor, you still get one-star reviews and you hate criticism from readers. You wonder whether you're wasting your time. You might be ripped off by an author services company who promise the world, only to leave you with a pile of printed books in your garage and no way to sell them. When you finally publish your book, it languishes at the bottom of the charts while other authors hit the top of the list over and over, raking in the cash while you are left out of pocket. You don't admit to over-spending on marketing as it makes you ashamed. You resist book marketing and make critical comments about writers who embrace it. You believe that quality rises to the top and if a book is good enough, people will buy it anyway. This can lead to disappointment and disillusionment when you launch your book and it doesn't sell many copies because nobody knows about it. You try to do what everyone advises, but you still can't make decent money as an author. You're jealous of other authors' success and put it down to them ‘selling out' or writing things you can't or ‘using AI' or ‘using a ghostwriter' or having a specific business model you consider impossible to replicate. And the list goes on… When you acknowledge the Shadow, it loses its power Being in control of your books and your author career is a double-edged sword. Traditionally published authors can criticise their publishers or agents or the marketing team or the bookstores or the media, but indie authors have to take responsibility for it all. Sure, we can blame ‘the algorithms' or social media platforms, or criticise other authors for having more experience or more money to invest in marketing, or attribute their success to writing in a more popular genre — but we also know there are always people who do well regardless of the challenges. Once more, we're back to acknowledging and integrating the Shadow side of our choices. We are flawed humans. There will always be good times and bad, and difficulties to offset the high points. This too shall pass, as the old saying goes. I know that being an indie author has plenty of Shadow. I've been doing this since 2008 and despite the hard times, I'm still here. I'm still writing. I'm still publishing. This life is not for everyone, but it's my choice. You must make yours. The Shadow in work You work hard. You make a living. Nothing wrong with that attitude, right? It's what we're taught from an early age and, like so much of life, it's not a problem until it goes to extremes. Not achieving what you want to? Work harder. Can't get ahead? Work harder. Not making a good enough living? Work harder. People who don't work hard are lazy. They don't deserve handouts or benefits. People who don't work hard aren't useful, so they are not valued members of our culture and community. But what about the old or the sick, the mentally ill, or those with disabilities? What about children? What about the unemployed? The under-employed? What about those who are — or will be — displaced by technology, those called “the useless class” by historian Yuval Noah Harari in his book Homo Deus? What if we become one of these in the future? Who am I if I cannot work? The Shadow side of my attitude to work became clear when I caught COVID in the summer of 2021. I was the sickest I'd ever been. I spent two weeks in bed unable to even think properly, and six weeks after that, I was barely able to work more than an hour a day before lying in the dark and waiting for my energy to return. I was limited in what I could do for another six months after that. At times, I wondered if I would ever get better. Jonathan kept urging me to be patient and rest. But I don't know how to rest. I know how to work and how to sleep. I can do ‘active rest,' which usually involves walking a long way or traveling somewhere interesting, but those require a stronger mind and body than I had during those months. It struck me that even if I recovered from the virus, I had glimpsed my future self. One day, I will be weak in body and mind. If I'm lucky, that will be many years away and hopefully for a short time before I die — but it will happen. I am an animal. I will die. My body and mind will pass on and I will be no more. Before then I will be weak. Before then, I will be useless. Before then, I will be a burden. I will not be able to work… But who am I if I cannot work? What is the point of me? I can't answer these questions right now, because although I recognise them as part of my Shadow, I've not progressed far enough to have dealt with them entirely. My months of COVID gave me some much-needed empathy for those who cannot work, even if they want to. We need to reframe what work is as a society, and value humans for different things, especially as technology changes what work even means. That starts with each of us. “Illness, affliction of body and soul, can be life-altering. It has the potential to reveal the most fundamental conflict of the human condition: the tension between our infinite, glorious dreams and desires and our limited, vulnerable, decaying physicality.” —Connie Zweig, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul The Shadow in money In the Greek myth, King Midas was a wealthy ruler who loved gold above all else. His palace was adorned with golden sculptures and furniture, and he took immense pleasure in his riches. Yet, despite his vast wealth, he yearned for more. After doing a favour for Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry, Midas was granted a single wish. Intoxicated by greed, he wished that everything he touched would turn to gold — and it was so. At first, it was a lot of fun. Midas turned everything else in his palace to gold, even the trees and stones of his estate. After a morning of turning things to gold, he fancied a spot of lunch. But when he tried to eat, the food and drink turned to gold in his mouth. He became thirsty and hungry — and increasingly desperate. As he sat in despair on his golden throne, his beloved young daughter ran to comfort him. For a moment, he forgot his wish — and as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek, she turned into a golden statue, frozen in precious metal. King Midas cried out to the gods to forgive him, to reverse the wish. He renounced his greed and gave away all his wealth, and his daughter was returned to life. The moral of the story: Wealth and greed are bad. In Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is described as a “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner.” He's wealthy but does not share, considering Christmas spending to be frivolous and giving to charity to be worthless. He's saved by a confrontation with his lonely future and becomes a generous man and benefactor of the poor. Wealth is good if you share it with others. The gospel of Matthew, chapter 25: 14-30, tells the parable of the bags of gold, in which a rich man goes on a journey and entrusts his servants with varying amounts of gold. On his return, the servants who multiplied the gold through their efforts and investments are rewarded, while the one who merely returned the gold with no interest is punished: “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” Making money is good, making more money is even better. If you can't make any money, you don't deserve to have any. Within the same gospel, in Matthew 19:24, Jesus encounters a wealthy man and tells him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor, which the man is unable to do. Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Wealth is bad. Give it all away and you'll go to heaven. With all these contradictory messages, no wonder we're so conflicted about money! How do you think and feel about money? While money is mostly tied to our work, it's far more than just a transactional object for most people. It's loaded with complex symbolism and judgment handed down by family, religion, and culture. You are likely to find elements of Shadow by examining your attitudes around money. Consider which of the following statements resonate with you or write your own. Money stresses me out. I don't want to talk about it or think about it. Some people hoard money, so there is inequality. Rich people are bad and we should take away their wealth and give it to the poor.  I can never make enough money to pay the bills, or to give my family what I want to provide. Money doesn't grow on trees.  It's wasteful to spend money as you might need it later, so I'm frugal and don't spend money unless absolutely necessary. It is better and more ethical to be poor than to be rich. I want more money. I read books and watch TV shows about rich people because I want to live like that. Sometimes I spend too much on things for a glimpse of what that might be like.  I buy lottery tickets and dream of winning all that money.  I'm jealous of people who have money. I want more of it and I resent those who have it. I'm no good with money. I don't like to look at my bank statement or credit card statement. I live off my overdraft and I'm in debt. I will never earn enough to get out of debt and start saving, so I don't think too much about it. I don't know enough about money. Talking about it makes me feel stupid, so I just ignore it. People like me aren't educated about money.  I need to make more money. If I can make lots of money, then people will look up to me. If I make lots of money, I will be secure, nothing can touch me, I will be safe.  I never want to be poor. I would be ashamed to be poor. I will never go on benefits. My net worth is my self worth. Money is good. We have the best standard of living in history because of the increase in wealth over time. Even the richest kings of the past didn't have what many middle-class people have today in terms of access to food, water, technology, healthcare, education, and more. The richest people give the most money to the poor through taxation and charity, as well as through building companies that employ people and invent new things. The very richest give away much of their fortunes. They provide far more benefit to the world than the poor.  I love money. Money loves me. Money comes easily and quickly to me. I attract money in multiple streams of income. It flows to me in so many ways. I spend money. I invest money. I give money. I'm happy and grateful for all that I receive. The Shadow around money for authors in particular Many writers and other creatives have issues around money and wealth. How often have you heard the following, and which do you agree with? You can't make money with your writing. You'll be a poor author in a garret, a starving artist.  You can't write ‘good quality' books and make money. If you make money writing, you're a hack, you're selling out. You are less worthy than someone who writes only for the Muse. Your books are commercial, not artistic. If you spend money on marketing, then your books are clearly not good enough to sell on their own. My agent / publisher / accountant / partner deals with the money side. I like to focus on the creative side of things. My money story Note: This is not financial or investment advice. Please talk to a professional about your situation. I've had money issues over the years — haven't we all! But I have been through a (long) process to bring money out of my Shadow and into the light. There will always be more to discover, but hopefully my money story will help you, or at least give you an opportunity to reflect. Like most people, I didn't grow up with a lot of money. My parents started out as teachers, but later my mum — who I lived with, along with my brother — became a change management consultant, moving to the USA and earning a lot more. I'm grateful that she moved into business because her example changed the way I saw money and provided some valuable lessons. (1) You can change your circumstances by learning more and then applying that to leverage opportunity into a new job or career Mum taught English at a school in Bristol when we moved back from Malawi, Africa, in the mid '80s but I remember how stressful it was for her, and how little money she made. She wanted a better future for us all, so she took a year out to do a master's degree in management. In the same way, when I wanted to change careers and leave consulting to become an author, I spent time and money learning about the writing craft and the business of publishing. I still invest a considerable chunk on continuous learning, as this industry changes all the time. (2) You might have to downsize in order to leap forward The year my mum did her degree, we lived in the attic of another family's house; we ate a lot of one-pot casserole and our treat was having a Yorkie bar on the walk back from the museum. We wore hand-me-down clothes, and I remember one day at school when another girl said I was wearing her dress. I denied it, of course, but there in back of the dress was her name tag. I still remember her name and I can still feel that flush of shame and embarrassment. I was determined to never feel like that again. But what I didn't realize at the time was that I was also learning the power of downsizing. Mum got her degree and then a new job in management in Bristol. She bought a house, and we settled for a few years. I had lots of different jobs as a teenager. My favourite was working in the delicatessen because we got a free lunch made from delicious produce. After I finished A-levels, I went to the University of Oxford, and my mum and brother moved to the USA for further opportunities. I've downsized multiple times over the years, taking a step back in order to take a step forward. The biggest was in 2010 when I decided to leave consulting. Jonathan and I sold our three-bedroom house and investments in Brisbane, Australia, and rented a one-bedroom flat in London, so we could be debt-free and live on less while I built up a new career. It was a decade before we bought another house. (3) Comparison can be deadly: there will always be people with more money than you Oxford was an education in many ways and relevant to this chapter is how much I didn't know about things people with money took for granted. I learned about formal hall and wine pairings, and how to make a perfect gin and tonic. I ate smoked salmon for the first time. I learned how to fit in with people who had a lot more money than I did, and I definitely wanted to have money of my own to play with. (4) Income is not wealth You can earn lots but have nothing to show for it after years of working. I learned this in my first few years of IT consulting after university. I earned a great salary and then went contracting, earning even more money at a daily rate. I had a wonderful time. I traveled, ate and drank and generally made merry, but I always had to go back to the day job when the money ran out. I couldn't work out how I could ever stop this cycle. Then I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, a book I still recommend, especially if you're from a family that values academic over financial education. I learned how to escape the rat race by building and/or accumulating assets that pay even when you're not working. It was a revelation! The ‘poor dad' in the book is a university professor. He knows so much about so many things, but he ends up poor as he did not educate himself about money. The ‘rich dad' has little formal education, but he knows about money and wealth because he learned about it, as we can do at any stage in our lives. (5) Not all investments suit every person, so find the right one for you Once I discovered the world of investing, I read all the books and did courses and in-person events. I joined communities and I up-skilled big time. Of course, I made mistakes and learned lots along the way. I tried property investing and renovated a couple of houses for rental (with more practical partners and skilled contractors). But while I could see that property investing might work for some people, I did not care enough about the details to make it work for me, and it was certainly not passive income. I tried other things. My first husband was a boat skipper and scuba diving instructor, so we started a charter. With the variable costs of fuel, the vagaries of New Zealand weather — and our divorce — it didn't last long! From all these experiments, I learned I wanted to run a business, but it needed to be online and not based on a physical location, physical premises, or other people. That was 2006, around the time that blogging started taking off and it became possible to make a living online. I could see the potential and a year later, the iPhone and the Amazon Kindle launched, which became the basis of my business as an author. (6) Boring, automatic saving and investing works best Between 2007 and 2011, I contracted in Australia, where they have compulsory superannuation contributions, meaning you have to save and invest a percentage of your salary or self-employed income. I'd never done that before, because I didn't understand it. I'd ploughed all my excess income into property or the business instead. But in Australia I didn't notice the money going out because it was automatic. I chose a particular fund and it auto-invested every month. The pot grew pretty fast since I didn't touch it, and years later, it's still growing. I discovered the power of compound interest and time in the market, both of which are super boring. This type of investing is not a get rich quick scheme. It's a slow process of automatically putting money into boring investments and doing that month in, month out, year in, year out, automatically for decades while you get on with your life. I still do this. I earn money as an author entrepreneur and I put a percentage of that into boring investments automatically every month. I also have a small amount which is for fun and higher risk investments, but mostly I'm a conservative, risk-averse investor planning ahead for the future. This is not financial advice, so I'm not giving any specifics. I have a list of recommended money books at www.TheCreativePenn.com/moneybooks if you want to learn more. Learning from the Shadow When I look back, my Shadow side around money eventually drove me to learn more and resulted in a better outcome (so far!). I was ashamed of being poor when I had to wear hand-me-down clothes at school. That drove a fear of not having any money, which partially explains my workaholism. I was embarrassed at Oxford because I didn't know how to behave in certain settings, and I wanted to be like the rich people I saw there. I spent too much money in my early years as a consultant because I wanted to experience a “rich” life and didn't understand saving and investing would lead to better things in the future. I invested too much in the wrong things because I didn't know myself well enough and I was trying to get rich quick so I could leave my job and ‘be happy.' But eventually, I discovered that I could grow my net worth with boring, long-term investments while doing a job I loved as an author entrepreneur. My only regret is that I didn't discover this earlier and put a percentage of my income into investments as soon as I started work. It took several decades to get started, but at least I did (eventually) start. My money story isn't over yet, and I keep learning new things, but hopefully my experience will help you reflect on your own and avoid the issue if it's still in Shadow. These chapters are excerpted from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words by Joanna Penn  The post Writing The Shadow: The Creative Wound, Publishing, And Money, With Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Bunkere, klimakrise og flugt fra ansvar Bogen foregår 10-20 år ude i fremtiden, men ligner vores verden skræmmende meget. Bare værre. Tre tech-oligarker – tydelige parodier på Bezos, Zuckerberg og Musk – har monopol på logistik, sociale medier og teknologi. Og de har travlt med at bygge private bunkere i stedet for at løse klimakrisen. Her møder vi Lai Zhen, survivalist-influencer og tidligere flygtning fra Hong Kongs kollaps. Hendes filosofi er klar: Individualisme er for tåber. Små grupper, samarbejde og planlægning er vejen til overlevelse. Ikke bunkere fyldt med våben og mistillid. Om forfatteren: Naomi Alderman Naomi Alderman (f. 1974) er en britisk forfatter med rødder i London og en akademisk baggrund fra Oxford, hvor hun læste filosofi, politik og økonomi. Hendes debutroman Disobedience (2006) blev hurtigt anerkendt for sit modige blik på religion og seksualitet, men det var The Power (2016), der for alvor sendte hende ind på science fiction-radaren. The Power forestiller sig en verden, hvor piger pludselig udvikler evnen til at slå med elektriske stød – og samfundets magtbalancer tipper dramatisk. Romanen blev både en prisvinder (bl.a. Women's Prize for Fiction) og senere tv-serie (Amazon Prime). The Future (2023) viser tydeligt hendes dobbeltblik: Kyndig satiriker overfor Silicon Valleys vildskaber, men også romanforfatter med blik for både filosofi, samfund og fremtidens etiske spørgsmål. Naomi Alderman på Wikipedia Digital enclosure – Vores fælles data bliver stjålet af de få Man mærker Aldermans skarpe samfundsblik, når Badger – non-binært barn af en tech-CEO – forklarer konceptet “digital enclosure”. Det er en reference til de historiske enclosure-bevægelser i England, hvor overklassen lukkede fællesarealer og gjorde dem til privat ejendom. Tech-giganterne har gjort det samme med vores data, vores opmærksomhed, vores fællesskab. De har taget noget der tidligere tilhørte os alle – adressebøger, købshistorik, vores bevægelser, vores billeder – og gjort det til private data-chunks som de tjener formuer på. AUGR – AI’en der forudsiger dommedag Central i plottet er AUGR, en prædiktiv AI der skal fortælle de rige, præcis hvornår de skal flygte til deres bunkere. Ti dage før katastrofen rammer. For hvis de venter for længe, vil folk ikke lade dem flygte. Så timing er alt. Men AUGR dukker også mystisk op på Lai Zhens telefon og begynder at guide hende. Hvem styrer egentlig AUGR? Og hvad er planen? Bogen folder sig ud som et urværk – med flashbacks, posts fra et prepper-forum kaldet “Name The Day”, og kapitler der hopper mellem perspektiver.. Der er et afgørende twist, der kom som en total overraskelse, men som vi ikke skal spoile her. Enochites og ræven og kaninen Martha Einkorn bærer sin barndom med sig. Hun voksede op i en kult, hvor teknologien var forbudt, og hvor faderen Enoch insisterede på, at den moderne civilisation tog fejl, allerede da vi begyndte at dyrke jorden og gøre krav på territorium. Hans “Sermon of the Rabbit and the Fox” vender det klassiske ræv/kanin-motiv på hovedet. Her symboliserer kaninen ikke uskyldig sårbarhed – men netop de første, der bosatte sig, hegnede af, og indførte ideen om meningsløst ejerskab af land. Ræven er jæger-samleren, den, som lever i nuet og tilpasser sig landskabet uden at forsøge at eje det. For Enoch er tanken om at eje jord lige så absurd som at eje luft: Jorden tilhører dig kun, så længe du tager vare på den. Luften kun, så længe den er i dine lunger. Tech-oligarkerne i The Future er overvældet af kanin-mentalitet, der er gået til yderligheder: De indhegner og griber alt, og forsøger at sikre sig mod fremtidens farer gennem privatisering og massive forråd, frem for at stole på fællesskab og samarbejde. Når de rige ikke kan samarbejde Bogens centrale pointe er brutalt enkel: De ultrarige kan ikke redde verden, fordi de fundamentalt ikke tror på samarbejde. Selv når de tre tech-bosserne sidder på en ø sammen i livsfare, vælger de sabotage, mistillid og vold. Lai Zhen anbefaler samarbejde i små grupper. Enoch prædikede fællesskab med naturen. Men milliardærerne? De tror kun på sig selv og deres våben. Så selvom de har ressourcerne til at løse klimakrisen, bruger de dem på bunker-byggeri. Alderman sparer ikke på kritikken. Bogen er både thriller, satire og politisk essay. Den stiller spørgsmålet: Hvorfor skal nogen have lov til at være så rige? Hvad godt gør det? Vurderingen Jens: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (fem stjerner). Det er et utroligt stykke urværk. Perfekt crafted underholdning med masser af yndlingsting – den kunne laves til en vild serie. Og så synes jeg digital enclosure-pointen var super godt set. En bog til tiden. Anders: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(⭐) (fire-og-en-halv stjerner). Virkelig underholdt. Velskrevet, cool, tankevækkende. Men karaktererne var ikke helt så stærke – de føles alle lidt som Aldermans egen stemme. Hvis jeg kunne give 4,5 ville jeg. Men den gør alt det rigtige på det rigtige tidspunkt. Jens og Anders har SCIFI SNAKKET The Future. Shownotes til episoden om The Future Siden sidst Anders Er færdig med Pluribus – virkelig speciel serie med fantastisk stemning. Ray Seehorn er crazy dygtig. Har set Oppenheimer igen – fantastisk film, ikke meget sci-fi, men vi læste jo en bog om ham. Har læst Ship of Fools af Richard Paul Russo – om et generationsrumskib der finder et mystisk alien-rumskib. Virkelig stemningsfuld, med mindelser om Alien 3 og Stanislav Lem. Er i gang med Clade af James Bradley – klimadystopi med fokus på familiedrama gennem flere årtier. Tak til Jens for Calibre-plugin info – har nu fået konverteret alle sine Kindle og Kobo-bøger til epub. Jens Er færdig med sæson 1 af Pluribus på Apple TV – om Carol alene i en verden hvor alle andre er blevet til en hive mind. Meget tilfredsstillende slutning. Ser sæson 2 af Fallout på Amazon Prime – baseret på computerspillet som skaber en fantastisk verden som nærmest er en blanding af Hugh Howey’s Wool og Mad Max. Mega fed. Er begyndt at købe bøger på ebook.de i stedet for Kobo, da de ofte er meget billigere. Ripper DRM’en af og håndterer dem i Calibre. Jeg anser det for en politisk handling og at vi har lov til at eje ebøger fuldt og helt. Lytternes input Maibritt takkede for Star Maker-episoden: “Det lyder som om podcasten tog en for holdet her – tak for det

Episode 153 of The Geek Saga Podcast features live audio from the fan panel on the Apple TV show Silo (namely season 2) at Dragon Con 2025. Find the Geek Saga Podcast on:SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCASTS, AMAZON MUSIC, YOUTUBE, & more! Moderated by MIchael Frost and featuring myself and Aaron Dunne, this panel discussed our likes, dislikes, and otherwise general feelings about season 2 of the Apple TV show Silo, based on Hugh Howey’s Silo book series. (While some minor sound editing was done to make the original recording somewhat easier on the ears, please keep in mind that this was recorded live and therefore the sound quality is uneven at best.) Geek Saga Podcast Episode 153: Silo at Dragon Con 2025 Visit this comprehensive Dragon Con coverage list for other Dragon Con podcast episodes, including the Geek Saga Podcast’s pre-and post-convention “Drinkin’ Con” show and panel recordings from 2017 to now! Please consider checking out the Geek Saga Entertainment Patreon and supporting us for early access to our episodes & some other great perks!

My guest this episode is Tracy Cooper-Posey, a prolific author with nearly 250 books across multiple genres and three pen names. She began in traditional publishing, switched to indie in 2011, and now runs a family micro-press. Originally from Australia and now based in Canada, Tracy writes everything from romance to science fiction to thrillers. She has continued to write and publish despite serious health setbacks. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X. About the Guest Tracy Cooper-Posey is the author of more than 200 novels across romantic suspense, historical, fantasy, science fiction, and women's fiction—because sticking to one genre just seemed boring. A 2024 Aurealis Award finalist (and a 2023 finalist under her fantasy pen name, Taylen Carver), she also writes science fiction as Cameron Cooper and has collected accolades including the Emma Darcy Award, the SFR Galaxy Award, and a fourth-place finish in Hugh Howey's SPSFC#2. A former magazine editor and romance writing instructor, Tracy now writes full time from Edmonton, Canada, alongside her husband and creative partner, Mark Posey, fueled primarily by Irish Breakfast tea, dark chocolate, and sheer stubbornness. She is also the author of The Productive Indie Fiction Writer, where she helps fellow authors thrive without burning out.

A Sci-Fi Talk Plus episode preview on a commericial free episode of Rewind. This episode explores how Rebecca Ferguson found her character of Juliet. Harry Walter on her character's isolation and yet a connection to this dystopian community. Avi Nash clues on in his IT worker who dreams of better days, while Shane McRae and Remmie Milner try to keep the Silo running. Insights available from author Hugh Howey and showrunner Graham Yost. This is available here for only 30 days then it will be only on Sci-Fi Talk Plus. On Plus, will be a video version as well. Start Your Free One Year Trial At Sci-Fi Talk Plus 

The gents talk about Devon's chickens and his plan for building a coop, and then they go back into Dustin's "This Old O'Hara House" episode, and what new things he's gotten himself into over last weeks spring break.Check out The Art of Craftsmanship on YouTube, Instagram, and Patreon here...youtube.com/theartofcraftsmanship@theartofcraftsmanship@theartofcameraguypatreon.com/theartofcraftsmanshipRecommendations:Dustin:Books 1 and 2 on the Silo series "Wool" and "Shift" by Hugh Howey, and the Apple TV series "Silo" based off of the books.Devon:Two new shows "Andor" and "The Last of Us", both season two. "The Wide Wide Sea" by Hampton Sides. The Story of the explorer Captain CookAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today we dive deep into THE GORGE (2025, AppleTV+), a new exciting monster, action, love story from Scott Derrickson! We talk about the changing tones, the disgusting effects that rival The Substance, and Steven comes up with some alternate takes on the ending! We also discuss: Zero Day (2025, Netflix), the Silo book series (Wool, Shift, and Dust) by Hugh Howey, and Lego! ———————————————————— To see images of the stuff discussed, look at your device's screen while listening! Go here to get some LTAS Merch: tee.pub/lic/huI4z_dwRsI Email: LetsTalkAboutStuffPodcast AT gmail DOT com Follow LTAS on Instagram: www.instagram.com/ltaspod/?hl=en Subscribe to Steven's YouTube channel: youtube.com/@alittlelessprofoun…si=exv2x7LZS2O1B65h Follow Steven on Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/stevenfisher22/ Brent is not on social media. A 5-Star rating on your podcast app is appreciated! And if you like our show, share it with your friends! DON'T RUIN IT. BUILD TO IT. DON'T KNOCK IT OFF.

From deep down in the lower levels to high up near the surface, we’re traveling through the post-apocalypic society of “Silo” on Apple TV+. Do eggs exist? What’s in daddy’s secret closet of mystery? Why are Pez dispensers outlawed? We begin with non-spoiler thoughts and then after the spoiler horn, we break down season one and two. (There are no spoilers for the Hugh Howey stories the show is based on!) Jason Snell with Heather Berberet, Glenn Fleishman, John Siracusa and Aleen Simms.

From deep down in the lower levels to high up near the surface, we’re traveling through the post-apocalypic society of “Silo” on Apple TV+. Do eggs exist? What’s in daddy’s secret closet of mystery? Why are Pez dispensers outlawed? We begin with non-spoiler thoughts and then after the spoiler horn, we break down season one and two. (There are no spoilers for the Hugh Howey stories the show is based on!) Jason Snell with Heather Berberet, Glenn Fleishman, John Siracusa and Aleen Simms.

https://www.leadfeeder.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=body&utm_campaign=brandvivaIn this engaging conversation, Hugh Howey shares his journey from a book-loving youth to a successful author, discussing the challenges and sacrifices he faced along the way. He emphasizes the importance of passion in writing, the learning process through reading, and the unexpected success of his short story 'Wool', which transformed into a bestselling novel. Hugh also reflects on the pressures of success and the need to maintain creativity and joy in the writing process. In this engaging conversation, Hugh Howey discusses his influences in science fiction, the implications of AI on society, and the future of humanity in relation to technology. He reflects on personal choices and sacrifices made throughout his life, shares his favorite sci-fi movies, and recounts the journey of adapting his novel 'Wool' into a series for Apple TV. The discussion highlights the balance between creativity and technology, the importance of storytelling, and the evolving nature of humanity. https://www.leadfeeder.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=body&utm_campaign=brandviva

In the final deep dive episode of Silo Season 2, hosts Mario Busto and Zachary Newton discuss the intense and action-packed season finale titled 'Into the Fire'. They delve into key moments such as the tragic fate of Pete Nichols, Bernard's pivotal decisions, and the mysteries leading into Season 3. The hosts highlight intriguing elements like the potential connections between different silos, the enigmatic algorithm, and the cliffhanger that leaves everyone excited for the next season. The episode also includes audience engagement, favorite scenes, and lines from the finale, ending with a hopeful look at the upcoming season. 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:39 Episode 10 Overview: Into the Fire 01:59 First Impressions and Key Moments 03:00 Explosions and Silo Connections 05:52 Algorithm Mysteries and Character Speculations 10:32 Audience Theories and Predictions 16:49 Cliffhangers and Future Speculations 36:27 Debating the Fake Plan 36:53 Knox's Deception and Shirley's Role 39:04 Walker and the Generator Room 40:15 Lupin Comparisons and Disguises 42:16 Silo's Safeguard and Poison Pipe 43:21 Bernard's Reaction and Lucas's Secret 48:56 Sims and Family vs. Silo 50:47 Flashback Predictions and Season 3 Speculations 54:40 Favorite Characters and Lines 01:01:04 Dead or Alive Predictions and Final Bets 01:08:50 Final Thoughts and Farewell Join us every Thursday and Sunday as we prepare to cover season two of the hit Apple TV+ Sci-Fi Series titled "Silo". Starring Rebecca Ferguson (Dune) as Juliette Nichols, a mechanic from the down deep called to the mantle of Sheriff of a 144 floor Silo in the very distant future of Earth. When Juliette's love interest George Wilkins dies mysteriously, she's left with questions that may lead to truths that unravel the order within the Silo as well as humanity's future. Silo was adapted to television from the hit Novel series authored by Hugh Howey and features a star studded cast, starring Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Robbins, Common and more. Silo is an American science fiction (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction_on_television) dystopian drama (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopian_fiction) television series created by Graham Yost (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Yost), based on the Silo (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo_(series)) trilogy of novels (Wool, Shift, and Dust) by author Hugh Howey (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Howey). Set in a dystopian future where a community exists in a giant underground silo (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo) comprising 144 levels, it stars Rebecca Ferguson (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Ferguson) as an engineer who becomes embroiled in the mysteries of its past and present. Rashida Jones (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashida_Jones), David Oyelowo (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Oyelowo), Common (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_(rapper)), Tim Robbins (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Robbins), Harriet Walter (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Walter), Avi Nash (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avi_Nash), Rick Gomez (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Gomez), and Chinaza Uche (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinaza_Uche) also star. Story Archives is a TV and Film Commentary Show, hosted by Mario Busto and Zachary Newton, part of the SoapBox Network. Keep up with all things Story ArchivesOfficial Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠soapbox.house⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠contact@soapbox.house⁠⁠⁠ Support this show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠PayPal⁠⁠⁠Follow the hosts on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mariobusto @zacharyrnewton Mario's Production Company: 1992films.com Zachary's Design Company: zacharyrnewton.com

The season finale burns the story to the ground & we're left with questions: Is he 'Solo' or 'Jimmy'? Is she 'Eater' or 'Hope'? Did Bernard enjoy the barbecue? Juliette goes out while new characters go out on what our grandparents call a 'date'. Over 90 minutes of talk breaking down the episode + we ENCOURAGE Sims to buy Lotto tickets! The season 2 finale, episode 10 'Into the Fire' cooked! Listen to us celebrate and snark about the show! Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama - we ask why certain changes were made. Based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! 00:00 Intro 00:38 Catfish's rating 04:25 Bubba's rating 09:56 Thank you / Subscribe, please 11:59 Better in Silo or Real World? 13:33 Best 'Silo Slam' of the Week 15:13 Episode Breakdown: Silo 17 26:00 Episode Breakdown: War 48:00 Episode Breakdown: Washington, D.C. 52:26 Silo Speculation 1:00:53 Judicial Debate: S2 MVP 1:04:28 Dumb Questions from Catfish 1:07:39 Matt Murdick's Musical Analysis 1:13:29 Feedback 1:28:35 Book vs. Show spoiler section The Rebels make their move — and so does Juliette. Directed by Amber Templemore Writing Credits Hugh Howey ... (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Graham Yost ... (created by) Aric Avelino ... (written for television by) Jeffery Wang ... (staff writer) & Jenny DeArmitt ... (staff writer) Cast Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Rob Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn ... Solo Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Iain Glen ... Dr. Pete Nichols Ashley Zukerman ... Congressman (Daniel / Donald?) Jessica Henwick ... Helen Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings  Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Billy Postlethwaite ... Hank Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy George Robinson ... Mark Chambers Chipo Chung ... Sandy Chrisitan Ochoa Lavernia ... Amundson Georgina Sadler ... Audrey Orlando Norman ... Rick Sara Hazemi ... Eater Angela Yeoh ... Deputy Molly Karins Reggie Absolom ... Benny Lolita Chakrabarti ... Mrs. Kyle Khairika Sinani ... Raider Jean Akie Kotabe ... Diego Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematography by Mark Patten ... director of photography Film Editing by Hazel Baillie ... (edited by) Casting By Cami Patton ... (us casting) Suzanne Smith ... (as Suzanne M. Smith) (uk casting) Production Design by Gavin Bocquet Art Direction by Simon Elsley Phil Harvey ... supervising art director Daniel Swingler Olly Williams Set Decoration by Amanda Bernstein Costume Design by Charlotte Morris #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #rashidajones #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow

In this final instant reaction episode for Silo's season two, hosts Mario Busto and Zachary Newton dive into the numerous cliffhangers and unresolved questions left by the season finale titled "Into the Fire". They speculate on Juliet's fate, the implications of flashbacks, and potential storylines for season three. The discussion also touches on the show's new YouTube partnership and fan engagement. As the hosts share their drink choices, they provide a mix of humor and serious analysis on the various plot twists and character developments. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:21 Season Two Cliffhangers and Questions 01:09 Drinks and Casual Chat 01:59 Listener Engagement and YouTube Partnership 03:10 Episode Breakdown and Analysis 05:03 Speculations and Future Predictions 07:34 Character Arcs and Plot Points 16:10 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up Join us every Thursday and Sunday as we prepare to cover season two of the hit Apple TV+ Sci-Fi Series titled "Silo". Starring Rebecca Ferguson (Dune) as Juliette Nichols, a mechanic from the down deep called to the mantle of Sheriff of a 144 floor Silo in the very distant future of Earth. When Juliette's love interest George Wilkins dies mysteriously, she's left with questions that may lead to truths that unravel the order within the Silo as well as humanity's future. Silo was adapted to television from the hit Novel series authored by Hugh Howey and features a star studded cast, starring Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Robbins, Common and more. Silo is an American science fiction (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction_on_television) dystopian drama (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopian_fiction) television series created by Graham Yost (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Yost), based on the Silo (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo_(series)) trilogy of novels (Wool, Shift, and Dust) by author Hugh Howey (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Howey). Set in a dystopian future where a community exists in a giant underground silo (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo) comprising 144 levels, it stars Rebecca Ferguson (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Ferguson) as an engineer who becomes embroiled in the mysteries of its past and present. Rashida Jones (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashida_Jones), David Oyelowo (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Oyelowo), Common (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_(rapper)), Tim Robbins (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Robbins), Harriet Walter (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Walter), Avi Nash (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avi_Nash), Rick Gomez (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Gomez), and Chinaza Uche (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinaza_Uche) also star. Story Archives is a TV and Film Commentary Show, hosted by Mario Busto and Zachary Newton, part of the SoapBox Network. Keep up with all things Story ArchivesOfficial Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠soapbox.house⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠contact@soapbox.house⁠⁠⁠ Support this show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠PayPal⁠⁠⁠Follow the hosts on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mariobusto @zacharyrnewton Mario's Production Company: 1992films.com Zachary's Design Company: zacharyrnewton.com

Join us as we discuss the second season of Silo, another incredible Apple TV+ show, created for television by Graham Yost, and based on the Silo novel series by Hugh Howey. Rebecca Ferguson plays former Silo sheriff Juliette Nichols in a brilliant performance as she navigates the mysteries of the Silo. She's joined by an incredible cast including Harriet Walter, Common, Tim Robbins, Iain Glen, and more. Join us as we discuss the incredible performances of this all star cast - and the constantly shocking and evolving plot twists on an episode by episode basis. And don't forget to find our social media page for this show and all subsequent shows on Instagram @abovethegaragepod. And as always, we're still creating weekly content for our original podcast and passion, The Handmaids Tale on Hulu, so come find us on Instagram @tht_abovethegarage, Facebook “Above the Garage - The Handmaid's Tale Podcast” and Twitter @AboveGaragePod.

In this week's episode of 'Bingeworthy,' host Mike DeAngelo starts a revolution when diving into the world of "Silo," the Apple TV+ dystopian thriller based on Hugh Howey's bestselling novel, "Wool." The series takes place in the not-too-distant future when humanity is clinging to life deep underground in a colossal silo, where secrets are as dangerous as the environment outside. The star-studded cast includes Rebecca Ferguson, Steve Zahn, Tim Robbins, Common, Harriet Walter, and more. Joining the podcast this week are Graham Yost, the Showrunner and Producer for the series, and Steve Zahn, who joins the cast this season to bring Solo—a beloved character from the books—to life. During the chat, they share insights into the adaptation process, the incredible multi-level sets, and what makes this cast and story so special.

Juliette goes back to school, Lukas is up to his knees in trouble, while Bernard slides into Walker's DMs in the penultimate episode of season 2, episode 9 'The Safeguard.' Listen to us celebrate and snark about the show! Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama - we ask why certain changes were made. Based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! 00:00 Intro 00:43 Loyal Listener Feedback on Ep. 9 02:45 Catfish's rating 07:39 Bubba's rating 10:03 Give us the Urgency! 14:38 We're 'on' TikTok 15:30 Better in Silo or Real World? 17:36 Best 'Silo Slam' of the Week 21:01 Episode Breakdown: Silo 17 30:55 Debate: What if Jules stays in 17? 31:52 Debate: Will 2 people go to 18? 33:27 Episode Breakdown: Lukas' Journey 43:02 Silo Speculation: What is the Safeguard? 45:06 Silo Speculation: The Algorithm Power 50:40 Episode Breakdown: Down Deep Drama 1:08:20 Judicial Debate: Bernard's Knowledge 1:10:17 Dumb Questions from Catfish 1:14:55 Matt Murdick's Musical Analysis 1:19:25 Feedback 1:33:31 Book vs. Show spoiler section Billings' faith is shaken. Lukas heads to the down deep. Knox identifies the traitor. Juliette uncovers the truth about Solo's past. Directed by Amber Templemore Writing Credits Hugh Howey ... (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Graham Yost ... (created by) Jessica Blaire ... (written for television by) Jeffery Wang ... (staff writer) & Jenny DeArmitt ... (staff writer) Cast Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Rob Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn ... Solo Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Iain Glen ... Dr. Pete Nichols Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Sophie Thompson ... Gloria Hildebrandt Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Billy Postlethwaite ... Hank Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy George Robinson ... Mark Chambers Chipo Chung ... Sandy Chrisitan Ochoa Lavernia ... Amundson Georgina Sadler ... Audrey Orlando Norman ... Rick Sara Hazemi ... Eater Angela Yeoh ... Deputy Molly Karins Reggie Absolom ... Benny Lolita Chakrabarti ... Mrs. Kyle Akie Kotabe ... Diego Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematography by Mark Patten ... director of photography Film Editing by Hazel Baillie ... (edited by) Casting By Cami Patton ... (us casting) Suzanne Smith ... (as Suzanne M. Smith) (uk casting) Production Design by Gavin Bocquet Art Direction by Simon Elsley Phil Harvey ... supervising art director Daniel Swingler Olly Williams Set Decoration by Amanda Bernstein Costume Design by Charlotte Morris #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #rashidajones #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow

Join us as we discuss the second season of Silo, another incredible Apple TV+ show, created for television by Graham Yost, and based on the Silo novel series by Hugh Howey. Rebecca Ferguson plays former Silo sheriff Juliette Nichols in a brilliant performance as she navigates the mysteries of the Silo. She's joined by an incredible cast including Harriet Walter, Common, Tim Robbins, Iain Glen, and more. Join us as we discuss the incredible performances of this all star cast - and the constantly shocking and evolving plot twists on an episode by episode basis. Come back every Friday for our podcast discussions to drop on the same day the episode premieres on Apple TV+. And don't forget to find our social media page for this show and all subsequent shows on Instagram @abovethegaragepod. And as always, we're still creating weekly content for our original podcast and passion, The Handmaids Tale on Hulu, so come find us on Instagram @tht_abovethegarage, Facebook “Above the Garage - The Handmaid's Tale Podcast” and Twitter @AboveGaragePod.

Juliette meets Katniss Everdeen in a shocking Silo Season 2, Episode 8 'The Book of Quinn'! Blackmailing Bernard - who in the Down Deep will bend to his will! Can Lukas survive after he breaks the code!  Sims Family Drama meet Billings Family Drama! Listen to us celebrate and snark about the show! Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama - we ask why certain changes were made. Based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! 00:00 Intro 01:04 Catfish's rating 04:43 Bubba's rating 07:50 Is Bubba too negative? 14:41 Better in Silo or Real World? 16:39 Episode Breakdown: Silo 17 24:10 Sheriff Billings has trouble at Home 28:57 Walker Betrayal 36:06 Sims Family Drama + Lukas Code Breaker 49:50 The Down Deep 58:10 Judicial Debate: Juliette's story 1:02:08 Dumb Questions from Catfish  1:07:30 54:52 Feedback 1:26:59 Book/TV Spoiler talk Juliette discovers something happened to Solo. Bernard makes an offer to Walker. Lukas meets with Salvador Quinn's descendants. Directed by Amber Templemore Writing Credits Hugh Howey ... (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Graham Yost ... (created by) Remi Aubuchon ... (written for television by) Jeffery Wang ... (staff writer) & Jenny DeArmitt ... (staff writer) Cast  Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Rob Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn ... Solo Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Iain Glen ... Dr. Pete Nichols Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Sophie Thompson ... Gloria Hildebrandt Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Billy Postlethwaite ... Hank Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy George Robinson ... Mark Chambers Chipo Chung ... Sandy Chrisitan Ochoa Lavernia ... Amundson Akie Kotabe ... Diego Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematography by Mark Patten ... director of photography Film Editing by Hazel Baillie ... (edited by) Casting By Cami Patton ... (us casting) Suzanne Smith ... (as Suzanne M. Smith) (uk casting) Production Design by Gavin Bocquet Art Direction by Simon Elsley Phil Harvey ... supervising art director Daniel Swingler Olly Williams Set Decoration by Amanda Bernstein Costume Design by Charlotte Morris #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #rashidajones #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow

Join us as we discuss the second season of Silo, another incredible Apple TV+ show, created for television by Graham Yost, and based on the Silo novel series by Hugh Howey. Rebecca Ferguson plays former Silo sheriff Juliette Nichols in a brilliant performance as she navigates the mysteries of the Silo. She's joined by an incredible cast including Harriet Walter, Common, Tim Robbins, Iain Glen, and more. Join us as we discuss the incredible performances of this all star cast - and the constantly shocking and evolving plot twists on an episode by episode basis. Come back every Friday for our podcast discussions to drop on the same day the episode premieres on Apple TV+. And don't forget to find our social media page for this show and all subsequent shows on Instagram @abovethegaragepod. And as always, we're still creating weekly content for our original podcast and passion, The Handmaids Tale on Hulu, so come find us on Instagram @tht_abovethegarage, Facebook “Above the Garage - The Handmaid's Tale Podcast” and Twitter @AboveGaragePod.

Silo Season 2, Episode 7 'The Dive ' sinks Juliette to a new low 'literally' while Solo is No Mo!? Is co-host Catfish ready to say "He gone." Hank hooks a poisoner, Sims trash talks, and Bernard blusters! Listen to us celebrate and snark about the show! Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama - we ask why certain changes were made. Based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! 00:00 Intro 00:47 Missing Catfish 02:05 Listeners rate Episode 7 03:18 Bubba's rating 08:21 Podcast Promotion 08:58 Parsec Passion Podcast update 10:41 Better in Silo or Real World? 12:11 Episode Breakdown: Sims Family Drama 20:01 Silo 17 sinking feeling 26:43 Walker wants Carla back! 29:45 The Down Deep Shirely and Knox Revolt 32:14 Sheriff Billings & Deputy Hank's side quest of the week 35:02 The Up Top: Bernard Strikes Back + Lukas' code breaking 42:43 Double M's Musical Analysis 46:12 Feedback 57:15 Book/TV Spoiler talk Lukas is assigned a mission. Mechanical sends a powerful message. Juliette embarks on a perilous descent-and confronts a new danger. Musical Analysis by Matt Murdick Directed by Michael Dinner Writing Credits Hugh Howey ... (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Graham Yost ... (created by) Jeffery Wang ... (written for television by) Jeffery Wang ... (staff writer) & Jenny DeArmitt ... (staff writer) Cast  Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Rob Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn ... Solo Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Iain Glen ... Dr. Pete Nichols Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Sophie Thompson ... Gloria Hildebrandt Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Billy Postlethwaite ... Hank Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy George Robinson ... Mark Chambers Chipo Chung ... Sandy Chrisitan Ochoa Lavernia ... Amundson Akie Kotabe ... Diego Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematography by Mark Patten ... director of photography Film Editing by Hazel Baillie ... (edited by) Casting By Cami Patton ... (us casting) Suzanne Smith ... (as Suzanne M. Smith) (uk casting) Production Design by Gavin Bocquet Art Direction by Simon Elsley Phil Harvey ... supervising art director Daniel Swingler Olly Williams Set Decoration by Amanda Bernstein Costume Design by Charlotte Morris #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #rashidajones #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow

Abu and Obssa complete their read through of Wool by Hugh Howey. They explore the importance of remembering our history and the debate at the heart of this novel between security and freedom. Join our Patreon for bonus content and helpful reading materials Join our Discord to keep the conversation going Subscribe on YouTube to watch the video version of this episode Check our Season 2 Schedule to keep up with the reading assignments Email us your thoughts and questions: scifibookclubpod@loreparty.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bernard balls while morgue monologuing while the Down Deep scream "No Barricades.... at this particular level!" Silo Season 2, Episode 6 'Barricades' starts the tension building for the finale!  Listen to us celebrate and snark about the show! Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama - we ask why certain changes were made. Based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! 00:00 Intro 01:16 Catfish's rating 02:44 Bubba's rating 09:38 Upcoming Podcasts 10:30 Better in Silo or Real World? 13:06 Episode Breakdown: Silo 17 14:50 Sheriff Billings & Deputy Hank + Dr. Nichols 26:00 The Down Deep Barricade Battle 38:32 The Up Top Political Fights + Lukas' code breaking 49:15 Judicial Debate: Still on Team Bernard? 51:19 Dumb Questions from Catfish  54:52 Feedback 1:12:24 Book/TV Spoiler talk Bernard enacts a plan to root out Knox, Shirley, and Walker. Billings takes a stand. Solo saves Juliette's life and wants something in return. Directed by Michael Dinner Writing Credits Hugh Howey ... (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Graham Yost ... (created by) Jeffery Wang ... (written for television by) Jeffery Wang ... (staff writer) & Jenny DeArmitt ... (staff writer) Cast  Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Rob Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn ... Solo Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Iain Glen ... Dr. Pete Nichols Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Sophie Thompson ... Gloria Hildebrandt Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Billy Postlethwaite ... Hank Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy George Robinson ... Mark Chambers Chipo Chung ... Sandy Chrisitan Ochoa Lavernia ... Amundson Akie Kotabe ... Diego Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematography by Mark Patten ... director of photography Film Editing by Hazel Baillie ... (edited by) Casting By Cami Patton ... (us casting) Suzanne Smith ... (as Suzanne M. Smith) (uk casting) Production Design by Gavin Bocquet Art Direction by Simon Elsley Phil Harvey ... supervising art director Daniel Swingler Olly Williams Set Decoration by Amanda Bernstein Costume Design by Charlotte Morris #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #rashidajones #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow

Big bully Bernard rises while Juliette collapese! Silo Season 2, Episode 5 'Descent' jumps out over the stairwell to take the show in some crazy directions! + is Solo 'Solo'? Listen to us celebrate and snark about the show! Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama - we ask why certain changes were made. Based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! 00:00 Intro 01:20 Catfish's rating 04:17 Bubba's rating 08:58 Silo Speculation 10:10 Better in Silo or Real World? 14:00 Episode Breakdown 14:24 Silo 17 24:26 Sheriff Billings & Deputy Hank 28:43 Lukas' new gig 34:27 Dr. Nichols 38:24 Sims Family Drama 48:39 The Down Deepers Escape  56:51 Judicial Debate: Which loss hurt the Silo the most?  1:00:38 Dumb Questions from Catfish  1:04:41 Matt Murdick's Musical Analysis 1:07:23 Feedback 1:20:22 Book Spoiler talk Sims finds himself with a new position. Juliette learns Solo isn't being honest. Bernard and Lukas make an important discovery. Musical Analysis from Matt Murdick. Find him on Bluesky and Instagram Directed by Amber Templemore Writing Credits Hugh Howey ... (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Graham Yost ... (created by) Jenny DeArmitt ... (written for television by) Jeffery Wang ... (staff writer) & Jenny DeArmitt ... (staff writer) Cast  Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Rob Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn ... Solo Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Iain Glen ... Dr. Pete Nichols Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Sophie Thompson ... Gloria Hildebrandt Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Billy Postlethwaite ... Hank Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy George Robinson ... Mark Chambers Chipo Chung ... Sandy Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematography by Mark Patten ... director of photography Film Editing by Hazel Baillie ... (edited by) Casting By Cami Patton ... (us casting) Suzanne Smith ... (as Suzanne M. Smith) (uk casting) Production Design by Gavin Bocquet Art Direction by Simon Elsley Phil Harvey ... supervising art director Daniel Swingler Olly Williams Set Decoration by Amanda Bernstein Costume Design by Charlotte Morris #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #rashidajones #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow

Big Episode! Big Podcast! Silo Season 2, Episode 4 'The Harmonium' was an episode almost everyone loved --- but we didn't love it?! Are we as mad as Solo? Listen to us come to struggle to appreciate the show! Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama - we ask why certain changes were made. Based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! 00:00 Intro 01:18 Listeners Rating the Episode  03:18 Catfish's rating 08:24 Bubba's rating 13:27 Silo Speculation 16:04 Better in Silo or Real World? 18:00 Episode Breakdown 18:41 Silo 17 26:19 Sheriff Billings & Deputy Hank 30:11 Lukas' fate 32:41 The Down Deep 38:14 The Up Top 53:39 Judicial Debate: Who will die next?  55:56 Dumb Questions from Catfish  59:30 Matt Murdick's Musical Analysis 1:03:31 Feedback 1:17:49 Book Spoiler talk Juliette sets out on a dangerous quest to retrieve a suit so she can return home and save her silo. Mechanical plans a meeting with Judge Meadows.  Directed by Aric Avelino Writing Credits Hugh Howey ... (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Graham Yost ... (created by) Sal Calleros ... (written for television by) Jeffery Wang ... (staff writer) & Jenny DeArmitt ... (staff writer) Cast Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Rob Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Iain Glen ... Dr. Pete Nichols Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Sophie Thompson ... Gloria Hildebrandt Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Billy Postlethwaite ... Hank Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Tonya Moodie ... Judge Mary Meadows Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy George Robinson ... Mark Chambers Matt Gomez Hidaka ... Cooper Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematography by Mark Patten ... director of photography Film Editing by Hazel Baillie ... (edited by) Casting By Cami Patton ... (us casting) Suzanne Smith ... (as Suzanne M. Smith) (uk casting) Production Design by Gavin Bocquet Art Direction by Simon Elsley Phil Harvey ... supervising art director Daniel Swingler Olly Williams Set Decoration by Amanda Bernstein Costume Design by Charlotte Morris #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #rashidajones #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow

THE CLEANING PODCAST suggests Bernard should be shadowed by H.R. for his creepy measuring of Judge Meadows, Cooper takes a shot, while Juliette judges Solo's look. SILO season 2, episode 3 - the Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama! We're conflicted as we talk the show based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's at times odd television show choices! PLUS: What do you think of season 2 so far? 00:00 Intro  01:06 Rating the Episode 08:18 Silo Speculation 13:41 Better in Silo or Real World? 16:24 Episode Breakdown 50:36 Judicial Debate: Who do you root for? 54:47 Dumb Questions from Catfish 57:14 Feedback 1:11:18 Spoiler book talk  Bernard turns to Judge Meadows for help. Billings begins to wonder if he's being lied to. Juliette finally meets the man in the vault. Directed by Aric Avelino Writing Credits Hugh Howey ... (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Graham Yost ... (created by) Cassie Pappas ... (written for television by) Jeffery Wang ... (staff writer) & Jenny DeArmitt ... (staff writer) Cast Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Rob Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Iain Glen ... Dr. Pete Nichols Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Sophie Thompson ... Gloria Hildebrandt Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Billy Postlethwaite ... Hank Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Tonya Moodie ... Judge Mary Meadows Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy George Robinson ... Mark Chambers Matt Gomez Hidaka ... Cooper   Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematography by Mark Patten ... director of photography Film Editing by Hazel Baillie ... (edited by) Casting By Cami Patton ... (us casting) Suzanne Smith ... (as Suzanne M. Smith) (uk casting) Production Design by Gavin Bocquet Art Direction by Simon Elsley Phil Harvey ... supervising art director Daniel Swingler Olly Williams Set Decoration by Amanda Bernstein Costume Design by Charlotte Morris #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #rashidajones #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow

We're back in Silo 18, setting off sirens, hiring hecklers, SILO season 2, the Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama! Sims shalln't shadow, Judge Meadow wastes liquor, while Shirley and the episode are obsessed with heat tape! ! We're conflicted as we talk the show based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's at times odd television show choices! PLUS: What do you think of season 2 so far? 00:00 Intro  01:51 Rating the Episode 11:40 Silo Speculation 16:10 Better in Silo or Real World? 17:17 Episode Breakdown 49:17 Judicial Debate: Bernard's best option 51:00 Dumb Questions from Catfish 54:28 Feedback 1:04:36 Spoiler book talk  Juliette seeks refuge in an abandoned silo after a catastrophic war, believing herself to be the sole survivor, until unsettling discoveries challenge her solitude. Directed by Michael Dinner Writing Credits Hugh Howey ... (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Graham Yost ... (created by) Fred Golan ... (written for television by) Jeffery Wang ... (staff writer) & Jenny DeArmitt ... (staff writer) Cast Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Rob Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Iain Glen ... Dr. Pete Nichols Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Sophie Thompson ... Gloria Hildebrandt Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Billy Postlethwaite ... Hank Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette Alexandria Riley ... Camille Sims Tonya Moodie ... Judge Mary Meadows Olatunji Ayofe ... Teddy George Robinson ... Mark Chambers Matt Gomez Hidaka ... Cooper   Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematography by Mark Patten ... director of photography Film Editing by Hazel Baillie ... (edited by) Casting By Cami Patton ... (us casting) Suzanne Smith ... (as Suzanne M. Smith) (uk casting) Production Design by Gavin Bocquet Art Direction by Simon Elsley Phil Harvey ... supervising art director Daniel Swingler Olly Williams Set Decoration by Amanda Bernstein Costume Design by Charlotte Morris #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #rashidajones #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow

Abu and Obssa continue their read through of Wool by Hugh Howey. They explore the intentional socioeconomic divide in the silo and the constant tension between chaos and control in this society. Join our Patreon for bonus content and helpful reading materials Join our Discord to keep the conversation going Subscribe on YouTube to watch the video version of this episode Check our Season 2 Schedule to keep up with the reading assignments Email us your thoughts and questions: scifibookclubpod@loreparty.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After seeing the outside world, we can't wait to get back into SILO season 2, the Apple TV+ sci-fi post-apocalyptic dystopian drama! Juliette rides a swing, dives into a pool, dumps coffee on her head, and listens to music... but none of it is fun! Plus, she makes a new 'friend'?  This episode is hotter than heat tape! We're conflicted as we talk the show based on Hugh Howey's Silo series of books: WOOL, SHIFT and DUST. and producer Graham Yost's television show choices! PLUS: What do you think of season 2? 00:00 Intro  01:22 Rating the Episode 08:43 Episode Breakdown 36:01 Judicial Debate: Justice for Bernard? 47:11 Better or Worse? 48:58 Judicial Debate: Do u wanna see old silo or new silo next week? 50:46 Dumb Questions from Catfish 54:30 Matt Murdick's musical analysis 58:42 Feedback 1:03:41 Spoiler book talk  Juliette seeks refuge in an abandoned silo after a catastrophic war, believing herself to be the sole survivor, until unsettling discoveries challenge her solitude. Directed by Michael Dinner Writing Credits Hugh Howey ... (based on the book series 'Silo' by) Graham Yost ... (created by) Fred Golan ... (written for television by) Jeffery Wang ... (staff writer) & Jenny DeArmitt ... (staff writer) Cast Rebecca Ferguson ... Juliette Nichols Common ... Rob Sims Harriet Walter ... Martha Walker Tim Robbins ... Bernard Chinaza Uche ... Paul Billings Steve Zahn Avi Nash ... Lukas Kyle Iain Glen ... Dr. Pete Nichols Rick Gomez ... Patrick Kennedy Sophie Thompson ... Gloria Hildebrandt Caitlin Zoz ... Kathleen Billings Shane McRae ... Knox Remmie Milner ... Shirley Billy Postlethwaite ... Hank Amelie Child Villiers ... Young Juliette Music by Atli Örvarsson ... (music by) Cinematography by Mark Patten ... director of photography Film Editing by Hazel Baillie ... (edited by) Casting By Cami Patton ... (us casting) Suzanne Smith ... (as Suzanne M. Smith) (uk casting) Production Design by Gavin Bocquet Art Direction by Simon Elsley Phil Harvey ... supervising art director Daniel Swingler Olly Williams Set Decoration by Amanda Bernstein Costume Design by Charlotte Morris #silo #siloseries #silotv #siloappletv #wool #rebeccaferguson #siloappletvplus #rebeccaferguson #common #rashidajones #hughhowey #appletv #appletvplus #tv #television #scifi #tvshow

 As always, no spoilers until the end when we clearly call it out before getting into the full plot explanation and discussion.Join the Hugonauts book club on discord!Or you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoThis episode is sponsored by The Song of Immaru: Earth's Door by PJ Dudek, which you can get on print, audiobook, or kindle here.Similar media we recommend:Fallout: New Vegas (game)Horizon Zero Dawn (game)The Thirteenth Floor (movie)Severance (TV show)

Abu and Obssa begin their read through of Wool by Hugh Howey. They explore the history of the book's publication and compare the novel to the incredible Apple TV+ adaptation. Join our Patreon for bonus content and helpful reading materials Join our Discord to keep the conversation going Subscribe on YouTube to watch the video version of this episode Check our Season 2 Schedule to keep up with the reading assignments Email us your thoughts and questions: scifibookclubpod@loreparty.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In lieu of a classic villain, the system itself is the main antagonist of Graham Yost's Silo. In episode 321, Join Luke & James as they learn to fear the man who knows everything, try to muster up the courage to speak to Rebecca Ferguson, try to survive a fall down a garbage chute, and speculate on where Juliette might end up after the events of the season. Join them next week when they finish reading WOOL by Hugh Howey and cast their votes on which was ultimately better: the book or the show!   Episode 6 “The Relic”: 00:10:47 Episode 7 “The Flamekeepers”: 00:22:16 Episode 8 “Hanna”: 00:33:36 Episode 9 “The Getaway”: 00:46:30 Episode 10 “Outside”: 00:58:23   Full Video version available on YouTube https://bit.ly/3Xdjc1n Support the show on Patreon for bonus content, merch, and the ability to vote on upcoming projects! https://www.patreon.com/inktofilm Get Wool or any of the source novels at the Ink to Film Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/inktofilm Ink to Film's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky (@inktofilm) Home Base: inktofilm.com  Luke Elliott  Website: www.lukeelliottauthor.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/luminousluke IG: https://www.instagram.com/lpelliott/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@lpelliott Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/luminousluke.bsky.social James Bailey Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jame_Bail IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamebail/ Credits Song: “Apocalypse” by Ross Bugden https://youtu.be/v29KVjUXiS8?si=cTgTn32WR5YXkipH

Rebecca Ferguson stars in this Graham Yost high-concept dystopian sci-fi series that was based on WOOL by Hugh Howey, but how does it compare to the book? In episode 320, Join Luke & James as they hunt for relics, learn about the power of cranking it at the right time, play numbers games with Tim Robbins, and try not to get too attached to any one character.   Episode 1 “Freedom Day”: 00:22:56 Episode 2 “Holston's Pick”: 00:34:03 Episode 3 “Machines”: 00:44:13 Episode 4 “Truth”: 00:55:38 Episode 5 “The Janitor's Boy”: 1:05:35     Full Video version available on YouTube https://bit.ly/3Xdjc1n     Support the show on Patreon for bonus content, merch, and the ability to vote on upcoming projects! https://www.patreon.com/inktofilm     Get Wool or any of the source novels at the Ink to Film Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/inktofilm     Ink to Film's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky (@inktofilm)     Home Base: inktofilm.com  Luke Elliott      Website: www.lukeelliottauthor.com     Twitter: https://twitter.com/luminousluke     IG: https://www.instagram.com/lpelliott/     Threads: https://www.threads.net/@lpelliott     Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/luminousluke.bsky.social James Bailey     Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jame_Bail     IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamebail/ Credits     Song: Apocalypse by Ross Bugden:  https://youtu.be/v29KVjUXiS8?si=cTgTn32WR5YXkipH

This episode is brought to you by 5-Bullet Friday, my very own email newsletter.Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is my job to deconstruct world-class performers to tease out the routines, habits, et cetera that you can apply to your own life. This is a special inbetweenisode, which serves as a recap of the episodes from last month. It features a short clip from each conversation in one place so you can easily jump around to get a feel for the episode and guest.Based on your feedback, this format has been tweaked and improved since the first recap episode. For instance, listeners suggested that the bios for each guest can slow the momentum, so we moved all the bios to the end. See it as a teaser. Something to whet your appetite. If you like what you hear, you can of course find the full episodes at tim.blog/podcast. Please enjoy! *This episode is brought to you by 5-Bullet Friday, my very own email newsletter that every Friday features five bullet points highlighting cool things I've found that week, including apps, books, documentaries, gadgets, albums, articles, TV shows, new hacks or tricks, and—of course—all sorts of weird stuff I've dug up from around the world.It's free, it's always going to be free, and you can subscribe now at tim.blog/friday.*Timestamps:Scott Glenn: 00:03:20Barbara Corcoran: 00:05:10Seth Godin: 00:08:11Hugh Howey: 00:15:44Full episode titles:Legendary Actor Scott Glenn — How to Be Super Fit at 85, Lessons from Marlon Brando, How to Pursue Your Purpose, The Art of Serendipity, Stories of Gunslingers, and More (#729)Barbara Corcoran — How She Turned $1,000 into a $5B+ Empire: PR Stunts, Sales Techniques, Critical Early Wins, Fighting Trump, and Becoming a Real Estate Mogul (#725)Seth Godin — Coaching Tim on Overcoming Resistance, Lessons from Isaac Asimov, Writing Secrets After 8,500+ Daily Blog Posts, The Dangers of Authenticity, Practices for Consistency, and Much More (#728)Hugh Howey, Author of Silo and Wool — A Masterclass on Writing, Unorthodox Self-Publishing, and Living in The AI Age (#726)*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim's email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim's books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hugh Howey is the New York Times bestselling author of Wool, Beacon 23, Sand, Machine Learning, Half Way Home, and more than a dozen other novels. His Silo trilogy was recently adapted by Apple TV, becoming their #1 drama of all time. Please enjoy!Timestamps for this episode are available below.Sponsors:Momentous high-quality supplements: https://livemomentous.com/tim (code TIM for 20% off)Helix Sleep premium mattresses: https://helixsleep.com/tim (20% off all mattress orders and two free pillows)Wealthfront high-yield savings account: https://wealthfront.com/tim (Start earning 5% interest on your savings. And when you open an account today, you'll get an extra fifty-dollar bonus with a deposit of five hundred dollars or more.)Timestamps:[06:48] Breaking the formula with a literary sleight of hand.[11:00] A commitment to 10 years of obscurity.[15:02] Buying back rights and self-publishing.[22:04] Why authors should strive for a reader-first vs. publisher-first mindset.[24:22] Hitting the NYT Best Sellers List with a self-pub book.[27:44] Pricing logic.[31:00] The undersold value of worldwide rights.[33:57] How authors can find deal leverage early on.[37:07] Establishing a daily writing habit.[41:34] Fiction that inspires better writing.[45:27] Collaboration vs. writing solo.[46:59] Ways the publishing industry protects the status quo.[49:55] Why Hugh makes publishing deals at all.[50:45] Self-promotion as therapy.[53:05] Keys to fruitful collaboration.[55:47] Common mistakes creatives make.[1:01:05] AI's present-and-future impact on publishing.[01:06:08] AI-generated occupational and existential crises.[01:10:13] Mid-term optimist, long-term pessimist[01:14:59] Procreation in uncertain times.[01:19:10] The future of religion.[01:26:23] Free will and objective moral truth.[01:31:04] Parting thoughts.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim's email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim's books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.