POPULARITY
Todo mundo é chato para alguma coisa. Tem quem só durma de um jeito, quem não suporte áudio em 2x...Neste episódio, Matheus e Guigo entram no grupo para compartilhar as chatices mais aleatórias, defender manias injustificáveis e descobrir que, no fim das contas, ninguém é tão único quanto imagina.Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Fashion Saxophone Rnb Beat by Infraction [No Copyright Music] / Stand Up.CURTE O JOGUEI? MESMO?Apoie NA ORELO! https://orelo.cc/jogueinogrupoOU APOIA-SE:https://apoia.se/jogueinogrupopodcast Envie seu e-mail para: jogueinogrupo@gmail.comSiga o Joguei no Grupo: www.instagram.com/jogueinogrupoSiga a Jenny Prioli: www.instagram.com/jennyprioliSiga o Controle Y: www.instagram.com/controle_y
Endlich Resultate die du verdienst: https://rockyleecoaching.deHör die die Folgen auch auf anderen Plattformen an:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2SIQOewg0MAVHpug9bxD31Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rocky-lee/id1621187157✖️[Werbung/ Anzeige] Bekomme den bestmöglichen Rabatt und unterstütze den Kanal:Neosupps Code 'Rocky': https://neosupps.com/discount/ROCKY?ref=rocky Smilodox Code 'Rocky': https://smilodox.com/discount/rocky?ref=rockyIch bin zweifacher Europameister: https://youtu.be/zRjGhcn08UY?si=xDJohF9anXrdyjjDFolg mir auf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rockleesu_/Mikel IG: https://www.instagram.com/motivasian/Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/Vlog Fashion Anime by Infraction [No Copyright Music]/ Children of light
Mari Laasma on lastekirurg, esteetilise meditsiini spetsialist, ettevõtja, koolitaja, rahvusvaheliselt tunnustatud ekspert ning kolme lapse ema. Ta on MLI Ilukliiniku asutaja ja üks Eesti tuntumaid esteetilise meditsiini arste. Viimastel aastatel on Mari fookus liikunud üha enam longevity ehk tervena vananemise valdkonda. Tema eesmärk ei ole aidata inimestel lihtsalt kauem elada, vaid elada kauem tervena, energilisena ja elurõõmsana. Ta ühendab oma töös kaasaegse meditsiini, hormoonide tasakaalu, geneetika, biohäkkimise ja elustiili, et aidata inimestel mõista, kuidas mõjutada oma bioloogilist vanust ja elukvaliteeti. Saates räägime vananemisest, hormoonidest, ilu taga peituvast psühholoogiast, stressist, pikaealisusest, paarisuhetest, emadusest ning sellest, mida tähendab olla edukas naine maailmas, kus kõigilt oodatakse korraga liiga palju. Dr. Mari Laasma kliiniku poolt pakutavaid teenuseid ja protseduure näed siit: https://www.mlilukliinik.ee --- SHOWNOTES - HEAD MÕTTED MARILT "Ma olen terve eluga läbipõlemise piiril eksisteerinud ja ma olen sellega harjunud." "Ma elan ma arvan päris palju mitme inimese elu." "Ma sain aru, et tasakaal töö ja pere vahel ei olegi võimalik, kui oled ettevõtja, kes töötab 24/7." "See on tohutu privileeg teha seda, mida sa armastad." "Kui me ei saa midagi mõõta või me ei näe, see ei tähenda minu jaoks, et seda ei ole olemas." "Inimene on energia — kui on energiablokid, siis sinna tekivad haigused. See on kõik selline vuutu, aga ma julgen sellest rääkida." "Me kõik oleme üks tervik — me ei saa ravida ainult ühte jalga või ühte sõrme." "Ma vaatasin teda kui laborit ja mõtlesin: ta võib elada kaua, aga kas ta on ka õnnelik sealjuures?" "Mina õpin enesearmastust täna pigem oma laste pealt kui vastupidi." "Tänapäeva resident lööb jalaga ukse lahti ja ütleb: andke mulle kapp, ma hakkan lõikama." "Elu ei ole kleidiproov, vaid see on esietendus — meile antakse üks võimalus." "Kõik küsisid, mida ma endaga tegin. Tegelikult ei teinud ma mitte midagi. Ma olin lihtsalt armunud." "Kui me oleme õnnelikud ja harmoonias, siis me suudame elada tervemana ja kauem." "See menopaus ei jää tulemata mitte ühelegi naisele, kes nii kauaks elab." "Naised on oma parimas eas just siis, kui nad lähevad õide ja tahavad särada." "Lihased on sinu pensionisammas." "Väike stress on alati hea — stressor on see, mis tegelikult viib edasi." "Hall juus teeb mehest Silver Foxi. Vananev naine on aga see, keda kantakse maha." "Miks me varjame seda, et me tegelikult vananeme?" "Räägitakse üha enam, et meest ei olegi vaja — naine saab ise kõigega hakkama. See on natuke kurb." ---
What's the difference between a bundle, a box set, an anthology, and a collection? How can being part of an anthology be creatively interesting and useful for marketing? With Jamie Ferguson In the intro, Amazon Kindle increases the 70% royalty share; audiobook marketing tips (Voices by InAudio); The Builder's Creed [Seth Godin]; Future Vision XPrize; Researching the dark side of travel [Anna Sayburn Lane]; Photos from Bruges @jfpennauthor; Bones of the Deep: A Thriller – J.F. Penn. 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 Jamie Ferguson is a fiction and short story author, editor, and publisher, with over 20 anthologies and multiple ebook bundles through her own press. Her latest book for authors is Bundle Up! A Practical Guide to Anthologies and Box Sets That Sell. 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 The difference between bundles, box sets, anthologies, and collections Why a multi-author project means lots of people promoting the same book, not just you How to find and pitch for anthology opportunities, and what editors look for in a contributor Contracts, rights, and royalty splits explained for short fiction Why Kickstarter and special print editions are changing the anthology game Inkwren, the publishing management tool Jamie built for backlists and anthologies You can find Jamie at JamieFerguson.com. Transcript of the interview ith Jamie Ferguson Jo: Jamie Ferguson is a fiction and short story author, editor, and publisher, with over 20 anthologies and multiple ebook bundles through her own press. Her latest book for authors is Bundle Up! A Practical Guide to Anthologies and Box Sets That Sell. Just for context too, one of my short stories, “The Dark Queen”, is in the Amazing Monster Tales: Into the Briny Deep anthology. So I'm excited to talk about this today. Welcome to the show, Jamie. Jamie: Thanks for having me, Jo. Jo: Lots to talk about. But first up— Tell us a bit more about you and how you got into writing and self-publishing. Jamie: Well, I wanted to be a writer since I was at least six, maybe before then. So it was just something I always wanted to do, but I always did it on the side. I had a year, many years ago, where I was really busy with work, and I just felt like I didn't write anything the entire year, and I thought, “I'm going to give it up.” Then the next year—that was 2011—I started seeing more about self-publishing, and that really invigorated me and made me feel like, “No, why am I giving up something I've wanted to do since before I went to school?” So I got back into a novel I had worked on years before. I went to a writing workshop with Dean Wesley Smith up in Oregon, back in the day, and then I had my energy back. I've been writing ever since. Still on the side, unfortunately, but someday. Jo: Hopefully! Tell us a bit more about what kind of genres you write. Because balancing your own books with also doing these anthologies and things is quite difficult. Jamie: Yes, it definitely is. I'd say I primarily write contemporary fantasy, but I'll write anything in any genre if I'm really excited about it. I also have a soft spot for Westerns. They take a little more time because I like to research all the facts, but those are really fun to write. Creating anthologies on your own is actually quite a bit of work. One of the things I also do is work with two other authors, DeAnna Knippling and Tami Veldura, and create more anthologies with them. That's really fun because then we can each take a different piece. There's also always somebody to talk to, as opposed to doing it on your own. Jo: Let's start with the terminology, because I definitely struggled with this, and I think people still do. We've got bundles, we've got box sets, we've got anthologies, we've got collections—and are these in ebook, audiobook, or print? Can you start by explaining what all of these words actually mean? Jamie: Yes. In my book I actually use the term “multi-author collection” or “multi-author project”, because there are so many different permutations and it does get confusing. From my perspective, I think of a bundle as a collection. It could be a collection of ebooks. Technically it could be a collection of print books, although people generally use “box set” for that—but then a box set can also be a box set that's all ebooks. An anthology, I usually use for something that's a collection of short stories where there's an editor who's actually edited all the stories. I have had stories in anthologies where somebody didn't edit them, and they would technically be called a curator. So it is definitely confusing. I have not done anything with audio collections, but that certainly is another area that I actually think is pretty interesting. Jo: I also think that a single author… so I've done a short story collection, but an anthology is multiple authors. Is that right? Jamie: Yes. Jo: I think when I came into the indie space, there were a lot more multi-author… we all called them box sets back in the day, when it was just ebooks, right? And now we can actually do boxed sets with boxes through things like BookVault. So it feels like the term “box set” has also gone out of fashion. So if people listening are thinking of doing any of this, you do have to figure out what is the thing you might be signing up for. So let's talk about the multi-author projects, as that's where you specialise. What are the benefits for an author to be involved in a multi-author anthology project? Jamie: The biggest benefit is that you are one of multiple people promoting the same project, whether it's print or ebook or whatever. If I put out a short story collection on my own, I'm the one promoting it, and maybe I can get a couple of other people to write about it, but it's really just me. If I'm part of an anthology with 15 other authors, that's 15 other people who are promoting the same project. That's more newsletters, more Facebook posts, maybe something on their Patreons, whatever it is. You get more synergy, and you get more touch points with potential readers. Then hopefully that translates into sales as well. So that's definitely the biggest part of it—the promotion. Then I also personally really enjoy these types of collections because it's just fun to work with other people. There's a nice energy when everybody's like, “Oh, I put this in my newsletter, and I put this here, and I put this here,” and you feel like you're part of something bigger than just your own piece. Jo: What about the creative benefits? Especially with short stories, often people will write them for a collection or for an anthology project. Jamie: Yes. I've definitely written some stories that I never would have thought I'd write, because somebody I knew asked if I would be interested in being in their collection—whether it's an ebook bundle or a print anthology. So at least for me, that's been really fun. One of the ones that stands out is that I was asked to be in a dinosaur collection once, and I was like, “I don't write dinosaur stories.” And then I did. I set a dinosaur story in London, and it was really fun to write, and I never would have come up with that in a million years. Jo: Let's say we've got 12 authors. They've all written short stories, and now it's in this anthology. But what is the market for these kinds of things? Have you found that there is a readership for short story anthologies that carries over to the author's longer work? Jamie: There is. I like to think of it as: if I have a story in a collection or an anthology—whether it's one I'm editing or somebody else is editing—that's one more place for people to find me. A lot of times anthologies will take reprints as well, like your story. “The Dark Queen”—that was a reprint. We asked if you'd be interested in participating in the Amazing Monster Tales series. And I actually really like printing stories again that have already been published, because there are a lot of stories out there that can be hard to find. Or if it's an older book. I have one author I've known for, like, 30 years. I reprinted one of her stories that was originally published in, I think, 1999, and the anthology it was in was out of print. You couldn't find it, and it was a fantastic story. So it's fun to be able to give new life to those stories and give them more opportunities, and also just have more ways for people to find you. Jo: Yes, I definitely think it's a long game. I don't think appearing in a short story anthology in one particular month is going to mean that your whole back collection just sells, right? Jamie: No, definitely not. It's more about avenues to be found. I know there have been some anthologies that have made quite a bit of money, but in general you're probably not going to make as much money, but you will have those extra places for people to find you. Jo: I always feel like yes, there is maybe a small amount of money, but it is more about almost a marketing thing in itself. So let's say an author is listening and they're like, “Do you know, this sounds like a great idea.” How can they pitch for things like this? How do they find out about opportunities, or get noticed to be asked? And what are the expectations for them? Jamie: The biggest thing is networking. There used to be a couple of opportunities where you could make people aware that you had stories that you were interested in potentially having picked up for something. I'm not aware of anything like that now. When I create a collection, I have a mailing list that I send out, and it includes authors I've published before. It includes a couple of extra people who somehow found my mailing list. And I'll publish, like, “Here's what I'm doing.” There are also authors I've met at writing workshops. I've been able to read some of their work, I'll approach them and say, “Hey, I really liked such and such a story. Would you be interested in writing for this?” Then there are a couple of other websites, like Duotrope, and places that advertise markets and calls for submissions. Jo: Yes, I've found them also on small presses that do these kinds of projects. They often put up one call for submission a month or something, and you can write for their particular thing. In general, the short story markets are the places to keep an eye on. Jamie: Yes, definitely. Jo: If an author wants to pitch to have their story as part of an anthology, do you want to know things like platform, or is it just the story itself? Jamie: I personally look at the author's platform. I do make exceptions—there are actually two authors I've worked with a couple of times who don't have websites. They are people I know personally and they are very, very good writers, so I'll make an exception for things like that. But otherwise, if somebody submitted a story to me and I didn't know that person, I would check out their website, I would check out their social media, I would see what else they had done. Part of what you're doing when you're creating a collection is thinking not just about how you, as the person organising this, will promote the collection, but how the authors who are participating will help promote it as well. If it's somebody who has a lot of fans, even if they're not very active on social media, that can help a lot too. There are a lot of different factors, though. Jo: So then talk us through the project timeline. How long do things take, and what sort of involvement do the authors have along the way? Because it's a lot to juggle. Jamie: Yes, it is a lot to juggle. I can give you an example with the Monster Tales series. We'll come up with an idea, and we also like to try to get the artwork done early on in the process. We don't need it that soon, but it's really great to have that taken care of. We'll contact authors. I think for this one we used my mailing list, but we've also contacted a number of people individually that we know who write the style of stories we like. Then, as the submissions come in, we usually wait until we have a nice chunk of them to start going through, and then we'll pick some right away. Sometimes it'll be like, “Oh my gosh, of course we want this story,” and we'll wait to fill out the other slots. Then we'll negotiate sometimes. Sometimes it's like, “I want this story.” “Well, I want this other story.” And we have to figure out how the word count works. Once we finalise the stories, then usually what happens with that anthology is that DeAnna—who is a very, very good editor—will make the first editing pass, and then I'll make the second. And now Tami's involved, so Tami will make the third, and then we'll iterate. Once all three of us have gone through the first time, then we'll send the story back to the author for edits. So the most the author has to do for most of the process is just wait for us to edit their story, and then work on their edits and get them back. Then, once we get closer to launch, we'll give them information about what we're going to do. For example, we're going to launch the next issue with a Kickstarter. So our authors know that we have a Kickstarter coming, and we'll give them more information as we get closer to the actual launch date. Jo: So how long might an author expect before their work is out there? Jamie: It really varies. I've had some collections published very quickly—let's say a couple of months. Some have taken longer just because somebody ends up having some life issue and things get delayed. So I'd say ideally it would be more like three to nine months. Jo: Yes, I think… depending on the— Jamie: —collection and the complexity. Jo: Yes, exactly. Jo: And you did mention word count there. Just give us a range of what word count you like to get. Jamie: So these days I'm shooting for between 75,000 and 80,000 for the total word count for a collection. That includes the stories, but it also includes the opening, the introduction. For one we're working on now, we're going to have some interstitials, where we have little bits of things we're going to write in between each story. So that's the overall size of the collection. I'll keep track of the word count as the stories come in, and then as we edit the stories, sometimes they grow, sometimes they shrink. Sometimes that's a big enough difference where we're like, “Okay, we need one more story to fill it in.” But that's the target. Jo: And how much for each individual story? Jamie: That varies. I've done a bunch of different things. These days, what I'm advertising is between 3,000 and 8,000 words. I also always tell people: if you're outside this range on either side, just check with me, and if it's something that's really an excellent fit for the book, I'll make an exception. The one that's coming out, I think we have a 1,500- or 2,000-word story that was just amazingly perfect for what we wanted. There was another story, actually I think it was the issue that you were in, that was at least 12,000 words, but it also was a perfect fit for the theme. So I will make exceptions, but within reason. I wouldn't put a novella inside an anthology, because then you'd have a 22,000-word story next to a 3,000-word story, and I personally feel like that's really jarring for the reader. You don't want to go from something super short to something super long. It just doesn't feel like it flows well to me. Jo: No, absolutely. Jo: We'll come back to the making of it because you mentioned some really interesting things there. But just on the contractual side—a lot of indie authors don't necessarily do any publishing contracts for their work, unless it's signing the terms and conditions when uploading on Amazon or Kobo. So tell us a bit about the contract side. What rights are we talking about here? Any red lines in contracts around this kind of thing? Jamie: For contracts, I would recommend people read Kristine Kathryn Rusch's posts on this. She is way more informed about this than I ever will be, so when I have questions, I'll look at her posts. I've asked her a couple of questions. What we're doing for the Amazing Monster Tales… this is the first time that I've actually had authors sign contracts. Prior to this, I've used PubShare, which handles royalty splits and all of that, and that was really great. We want to do direct sales and Kickstarters and have lots of other options. So we did put together a contract this time. I'd have to pull it up, but I think we asked for first worldwide rights in English—I'm getting the terminology wrong here—but that was basically it. Jo: Or, I guess, reprint rights if the story's already been licensed. Jamie: Correct. We have two contract templates, one for original stories and one for reprints. We made sure to make that distinction, because it is definitely a distinction. In the book by Kristine Kathryn Rusch—it's called Closing the Deal… on Your Terms—I highly recommend that for anybody interested in learning more about contracts. Jo: Yes, that's great. And just for people listening: when you said you didn't have contracts before, you just used PubShare. So in that way, the author still retained the rights and you just split the royalties—it was more of a co-writing thing. Jamie: Correct. When you publish stories through PubShare, the author signs an agreement with PubShare, and then I, as the editor or organiser, would also sign a separate agreement. So each of us has an agreement with PubShare. We don't have agreements with each other, if that makes sense. Jo: Yes, so it's very different to move into Kickstarter. So tell us about what you're now moving into. Jamie: Well, Kickstarters are a new world for me personally. I have many friends who have had Kickstarters. I've supported Kickstarters. I watch them. But it's something where I'm very happy to have two partners who have done Kickstarters before. I'm not sure how many Tami's done—I think Tami's done the most at this point. So this is all new to me. But it's very exciting. At this point we have a backlist, so part of the plan, for the Monster series, is to offer issues one through four as part of the rewards when we launch issue number five. That's really exciting, because I never had a backlist like that before. Jo: Yes, and in fact the money is in the backlist, as ever, and those add-ons or bundles as part of Kickstarter are great. So are you going to do special print editions, or is it digital only? Jamie: We are talking about special print editions. You mentioned BookVault earlier—we've been looking at BookVault. Our other anthology series that hasn't come out yet will also launch with a Kickstarter. It's dragon-themed, and Tami actually did the cover work, which is beautiful. BookVault just gives you so many options that we never had before, so I'm very excited about that. Jo: Yes, I think it's a really good idea. I did gorgeous hardbacks for my solo author collection, so I think it's a great idea. So from the publisher side, let's come back to that. You've mentioned you have to write things like an introduction and interstitials, and you're trying to balance the stories. What are some of the other things that people might think about if they want to organise their own anthologies? Jamie: Oh gosh, where to start? There's the basic setting up of the anthology, so you have to define the table of contents. You might get a bunch of stories that are really awesome, and you might have to tell somebody who has a wonderful story—and maybe even who's a good friend of yours—that you're going to pass on it because their story doesn't fit with all the other stories. Every time I have to do that, I feel kind of bad. But being on this side, it's really interesting to see how you can tell which stories fit together and which don't. There's also the editing process, which can be a lot of work. Part of what I like about working with Tami and DeAnna is that DeAnna really loves editing. I feel like I'm a good editor, and I can do it, but for me it's more of a job. For DeAnna, she loves it, so she does the bulk of the editing, which is great. When I do it on my own, I feel like it's a task I have to do. There's lots of cat-herding. Sometimes people take a while to get their edits back. Sometimes they have life events, and you have to delay things because you're waiting on them. There are all the little tiny pieces of organising things—like, if you're reprinting stories, you need to make sure you get the copyright attribution correct. A lot of times I'll have to go and look up where something was originally published. An author might say, “Oh, it was published in this year,” and I'm like, “Okay, actually it was published in this other year, by this other publication first.” So I'm trying to be organised there. henT one of the things that very infrequently—I think it's only happened to me twice—every once in a while, you're in the middle of editing a story and you have to pass on it, even though you've already accepted it, because the editorial vision and the author vision for the story are not the same, and you can't reconcile that. Jo: I think that's really interesting, because so much of what you're talking about there—you mentioned vision—it's almost taste. You're saying which stories fit. It's not just a case of, I don't know, a pirate anthology and then picking 10 stories about pirates, right? You seem to be thinking about this in a more artistic way. So can you talk a bit more about that? How do you decide on a theme, and then how do you know that a story doesn't fit? Jamie: In the beginning, I was not this selective. In the beginning I'd say, for example, “Hey, I'm putting out a collection about fairies. Give me a fairy story,” and that was it. As I've edited the stories, it's become easier to see how things fit. So, for example, if I have 10 stories in an anthology and I have an 11th story, and they have different tones—let's say the 11th story is really funny and all the other stories are very serious—then that would be a fit thing. That's not necessarily taste; it's just that you don't want one funny story if everything else is really dark and scary or serious. As far as picking a theme, the theme could be very broad. With this dragon anthology we're working on, we decided we wanted it to be called A Hoard of Books. So the theme was: has to have dragons, has to have books, and that's pretty much it. And then we were like, “Let's just see what we get.” We were very surprised at what we got. We thought we'd have more serious stories, and it turned out most of them were very light-hearted and really fun. And we're like, “You know what? That actually changes the way we're looking at the whole series,” because we did not expect that. With the monster series, we'll pick a theme. So, for example, the next issue is Monsters in Love, and for those it's more like, let's just see what happens. Sometimes I'll have a more specific theme. The next anthology I'm publishing on my own is called Fairy Bargains, and I wanted people to obviously have fairies, but I wanted there to be something related to the mythology and lore of having a bargain with a fairy—and there's a lot of stuff about that. So for some things like that, when I put out a call, I'll provide information. I might say, “Here's a link to a Wikipedia article. Here's some mythology that might be helpful for you,” just because I want things to stick a little bit more to the theme itself. Whereas with Monsters in Love, there's a very wide range of stories, and that was very fun to work through. Jo: Oh, yes. There's a lot of monster, on the spicy side as well. But were you doing a clean Monsters in Love, as opposed to in lust? Jamie: Yes, this is a clean one. That's pretty funny. But boy, when you give authors the room for these types of things, you get all kinds of stories, and it is super fun to work with those collections. Jo: As you're talking, I definitely want to do more short stories. It's really interesting, because you can actually generally get paid more for a first print—first print rights on a short story—but I often want to just publish it myself. Then I was really happy to be in yours, because it was a reprint anyway. So I was like, well, there's absolutely nothing to lose if it goes in as a reprint. So these things can be really interesting. Talking of the finance from your side of things: you have a small press and you're doing this publishing yourself, but you're paying all these authors and doing a lot of work. So how does it work as the publisher, in terms of these anthologies, financially? Jamie: With the ones we've published so far, because we've gone through PubShare, it's been a royalty split. As the editors, we would take a percentage, and then we pay for the artwork, and of course all of our time. I think what we were doing there was saying 70% of the royalties would be split equally between all of the authors and the stories. So, for example, if I had a story as well, I would get part of the author split—the same percentage as everybody else in the collection—in addition to the editor split. For what we're doing now, we've changed this a little bit, and I believe we said 60% goes to the authors, and then we're going to keep a share of the proceeds for the business because we want to be able to pay for the artwork out of the business account. We want to pay for advertising, whatever we need to do—like setting up our store, or if we wanted to invest in anything, we want to be able to do that as the business, as opposed to it just being us doing this on our own. We're just trying to treat it a little bit differently. Jo: And I know it's so much work—a crazy amount of work. How many anthologies and books do you have to do in a year to make it worthwhile financially? Jamie: Oh, I don't know. I would say, unless you get an opportunity—like, for example, to have an anthology in a story bundle or something like that—you may not break even. But if you're going to do this, do it more for the marketing, do it more because you enjoy it. Now, going forward, I think that will change, because we are looking at Kickstarters, we are looking at direct sales. We're very motivated to try to make this more of a business thing than a fun side project. So, ask me in a year. Jo: Yes, hopefully more. I do think Kickstarter is great for short stories. I actually buy quite a few collections on Kickstarter. I think they're actually really hard to discover through, say, Amazon—it's a place that is quite hard to identify short stories. Whereas I've found I've bought collections on Kickstarter because there's so much more of a sales page—there's so much more rich media that tells me how I'm going to feel about the stuff. I've bought short story anthologies and collections from people I don't know. So I think it's a really good thing to do. There is an audience there. Jamie: Yes, definitely. And it does feel like the anthologies on Amazon don't sell as well—you don't make as much as you used to. I've been doing this for, well, gosh, 10 years now, and I feel like the sales numbers on Amazon in the past year were noticeably lower than they would have been six or eight years ago. So I am very excited about Kickstarter. Plus, Kickstarter just feels really fun. You're not just throwing your book up; you also have all the extra stuff with the page, you have the rewards, and it just feels really exciting. Jo: No, I agree. I really love it. I didn't do it for a long time, and now I just love it. Jo: So, staying with the publisher side of things— Any practical formatting and production tips? Because in these types of projects, all kinds of people just send you different stuff. Jamie: I have a style guide. So whether it's me or it's the group project, once all the edits are complete, I'll do a formatting pass, and I'll make sure I use curly quotes and the same em dash format and everything, just so everything in the book is formatted the same way. Every once in a while there's an author who has something particular that they want, and I can work around that, and that's fine. I also work with a lot of Canadian authors, and I'll let them keep their Canadian spellings. I don't think everybody does that, but I feel like that's their voice in a way, so I don't correct those. I might check some things there. I think the formatting is important—it makes things look better if everything has the same style. Then I use Vellum, which makes things really easy. I love Vellum. Because I publish so many authors at this point, I have a Vellum file where I store their biographies and their links, so when I publish a new anthology I'll just go grab, say, Jo's “about the author” page from that collection and put it into the new file. Then I also track when the last time was that I checked with the author about their biography. If it's been more than a year, I'll check in with them and say, “Hey, do you have an updated biography you want me to use? Here are your links—do you have any different links now?” So that makes it a lot easier from the formatting standpoint. Jo: And you mentioned Vellum—having done box sets on Vellum, you can just drag a whole book in there if you want to do a three-book box set, or three short stories, whatever. It's much easier to just drag things in, and it makes it easier to format. So I would say to people: you don't need to worry too much about that. There are lots of things that can help you. But even with doing the print stuff for the Kickstarter—people have opinions, don't they? So in terms of authors' opinions and managing—you mentioned herding cats—how do you manage all of that side of things? Jamie: I haven't actually had a lot of trouble with that. The authors I've worked with seem to feel like they gave me their story, and then once the edits are out of the way… I haven't had anybody have any issues with the covers. Usually they love the covers, especially for the Monster series. So, no problems there. Jo: Oh, that's good. Well, I would say a tip would be to make sure you're communicating, if you're somebody who's organising. So talk a bit about communication. Jamie: Communication is very important. What I try to do is send regular updates, especially if I'm in the middle of edits or working on something and I'm not ready to launch. I'll send an update email out to the authors and just say, “Here's what's going on, here's what the plan is.” Or if the plan has to change, if the launch date has to change for some reason, I'll let the authors know about that. Actually, with the upcoming Monsters in Love issue, we were originally not going to do a Kickstarter. That was a late decision, so I contacted all the authors and said, “We've changed our plans. We're going to launch this with a Kickstarter. Please confirm that you're okay with this.” One author was not comfortable with the Kickstarter idea, so he pulled his story, and then we found a replacement story for that. But I just feel like the communication piece is really essential. It's really important for the authors to know what's going on. Jo: Yes, absolutely. So, we've talked about how marketing is a good thing, in terms of there being lots of people marketing. How are you effectively marketing these kinds of books, as the premise is quite different to a single author project? Jamie: Right. There's the usual—write a release post, write posts on social. I do additional things, so I'll publish what I call a story spotlight for each story in the anthology. That's just where I talk a little bit about the story, I provide an excerpt, and then I provide the author's bio and links to find them. Those are really great, because they're very quick to put together. The hardest part is getting a short excerpt that shows enough about the story to be engaging. But that really isn't that much time, either. Then those are also nicely evergreen. I've actually searched for authors before, when I'm trying to research them for an interview, and I've found my own spotlight posts and my own interview posts with authors come up at the top of the list, which is kind of funny. I also do interviews with as many of the authors in a collection as are willing to participate. Sometimes people just don't have the time—I don't make this required—but I usually get 80 to 90% of the authors participating. So, for example, this year I'm in a couple of bundles on StoryBundle, and I'm doing interviews for people there. It's also really fun, and you're not paying for advertising—you're just creating something that the authors are excited about and they want to share. So it promotes the collection, but it also promotes the author, which I find really nice. It's a nice networking thing too, and I'm happy if someone wants to interview me. It's like free publicity for each person, in addition to the collection. Jo: I love that you've used the word “fun” quite a lot, which I find amazing. You're obviously a super collaborative person. I've co-written a number of books— I've been part of some collections, and I really think that there are two personalities. One is like me, where we really love the creation stuff and the publishing stuff, but we're hyper-controlling. And then someone like you—you're very collaborative, and you're doing such a great job. To people listening, I would say: if you're more like me, don't organise an anthology. What you want is Jamie, or somebody who actually finds it fun to organise a big group of authors. Jamie: Yes. It is definitely interesting working with other partners in this, because when I publish an anthology on my own, I make all the decisions. I pick the artwork, I pick the theme, I do everything, I decide the table of contents. But when you're working with other people, you do need to negotiate. So we've had a couple of times where it's like, “I want this story.” “Well, I want this other story, I don't like the story that you want.” And so we have to barter, in a way. Aside from that, it is nice, because you get to split up the tasks. I could focus on things like the organising—I do the Vellum files, I do the final cover and everything. For the Kickstarters, actually, Tami's got more expertise, so Tami's going to be working on the Kickstarters for our collections together. If I had to do all this on my own, it's a ton of work. It's a ton of work. So it is nice to split it up. Jo: And of course, one of the things is managing so many moving parts—and you've actually built a tool to manage all this. So tell us a bit about that tool, and how it might be useful for people with big backlists as well as anthologies. Jamie: I built what I think of as a publishing management application. The original idea is that, for years and years, I wanted a software tool that would do catalogue management, because I was managing my own catalogue, and I was also managing—at this point I've published at least 20 anthologies, so that's a lot of authors. Then last summer, I had an author who I'd published a number of times, who was going to, I think, WorldCon, and she asked if I could give her covers for five anthologies she'd been in, so that she could make some promotional material. I was like, “Oh, sure, I can do that.” And then I was like, “Well, wait a second—is this in Notion?”—because I started trying to use Notion last year—”or is it in a spreadsheet?” It turned out her information was in, like, three different places, and I had to work to pull it together. And then I was like, “You know what? That's it. I'm just going to finally write this application.” So Inkwren manages your stories. As an author, I can manage my stories—I can track which are published, which are drafts, which are just ideas. I can track my publications. From the publisher standpoint, it's really helpful, because I can track each anthology I've published and what I'm working on. I can track the edits, I can track the contracts. I can upload contract templates—so we talked earlier about the original and reprint contract templates that I use. I upload those, and they have placeholders in them. When I generate the actual contract, the author's name will replace the placeholder—I'll have the text “author name” in the contract template, and it'll get replaced by, like, “Joanna Penn” or whatever. So that saves a lot of time. Then I also added in task tracking, because I started to feel like, well, now all my stuff is in one place, but my tasks are somewhere else. So now I can associate tasks with a publication. For example, for the book I'm working on right now, I know which tasks I need to do for the cover, and which for the interior, and everything. I have a template of tasks. Then I can also track tasks related to promotions. For example, the story bundle I'm promoting right now, I have a task for each interview I'm doing with the authors, and I have a calendar view. I can see when I'm going to publish them and know that they're all spread out. It saves me so much time, and it's so much easier. Jo: I do think building tools when you actually need the tool yourself is very useful. Just say the name again, and spell it out for people. Jamie: It's Inkwren. My own personal publishing company is Blackbird Publishing, and I wanted something related to birds and writing. So I came up with Inkwren, which is I-N-K-W-R-E-N, and it's just inkwren.com. Jo: And it is available for other people to potentially buy and use? Jamie: Yes, it is. Jo: Well, I think that's super useful, because it's very hard when people are starting out and they think, “Oh, I've only got one book—why would I need any kind of tool to manage it?” But over the years, your backlist grows, especially with short stories. So I love that you've built this, and there's probably more that you can add over time as you expand the business yourself. So much potential. So we are at the end. Where can people find you and your books and everything you do online? Jamie: My author website is JamieFerguson.com. And then, obviously, I mentioned Inkwren earlier. My publishing company is BlackbirdPublishing.com. And then the projects I'm doing with Tami and DeAnna—we have a couple of websites, but the easiest way to find us is our press, which is BorogrovePress.com. Jo: Fantastic. Well, thanks so much for your time, Jamie. That was great. Jamie: Thanks, Joanna.The post Bundles, Box Sets and Anthologies With Jamie Ferguson first appeared on The Creative Penn.
Igor Tirunov on sertifitseeritud praktik kõigil kolmel Discover Healing tasemel — Emotion Code®, Body Code® ja Belief Code® — ning üks väheseid Eestis, kes valdab kõiki kolme meetodit tervikliku süsteemina. Tema teekond energiapõhise tervendamise juurde sai alguse isiklikust vajadusest — traditsiooniline meditsiin ei pakkunud vastuseid, mis ta leidis holistilisest lähenemisest. Täna aitab Igor inimestel vabastada kinni jäänud emotsioone, mõista piiravaid uskumusmustreid ja taastada keha loomulikku tasakaalu — sageli seal, kus teised meetodid on jäänud piiratuks. Lisaks Discover Healing praktikale õpib ja õpetab Igor tolteekide tarkust — iidset enesearengu filosoofiat, mis käsitleb teadlikkust, energiat ja isiklikku muutust sügavamal tasandil. Sessioonile end kirja panna Igori juurde saad läbi veebilehe https://www.heart-flow.eu Facebook grupp Toltec Wisdom kohta leiad siit https://www.facebook.com/groups/1108258831434864 --- SHOWNOTES "Ei ole ka terapeudis kasu, kellel on teadmised — terapeut peab olema ise jõudnud päriselt elama selles sageduses." "Täna ma ei ole õpetaja, täna ma ei ole ravitseja, täna ma ei ole päästja — ma olen Igor, kes on leidnud enda sees rahu." "Lõpetad laristamise. Kõik see tähelepanu, enesetähtsus, poliitika, kuulujutud — sa raiskad sellele iilgematu koguse energiat." "Hirm tappis neid. Hirm, mitte COVID." "Kits unustas. Inimene kerib seda emotsiooni kogu aeg enda peas ringi — päev, nädal, kuu, aasta, 10 aastat, 20 aastat, 50 aastat." "Mina läksin nii uhkeks, nii isekas, Apple arvuti bla bla blaa — ja siis natuke hakkad nutma seal tundmatu inimese juures. Sain aru, et see, mis mulle tehti, töötas." "Süda saadab signaale ajusse kaheksa korda rohkem kui aju südamesse." "Allergia on sinu mineviku lahendamata stressisituatsioon." "Broadcasting message: sa saadad kogu aeg signaali välja nagu raadiojaam. Näiteks signaal on mina olen loll — ja teised loevad selle lihtsalt alateadlikult ära." "Kõik teavad, mis on placebo. Aga keegi ei tea, mis on notsebo. Notsebo on vastand: kui sa usud, et sa ei saa terveneda, siis sa ei tervene." "Sul on auto ja läheb põlema check engine. Meister tuli kolme minuti pärast: probleemi ei ole. Me lülitasime lambi välja." "Sina vajutad gaasile. Alateadvus vajutab piduril." "Kõik meie ümber on meie jaoks peeglid. Nii kui sa näed inimeses midagi, mis sind triggerdab — see on sinus, mitte temas." "Muuda ennast ja nemad muutuvad. Nad lihtsalt ei saa mitte muutuda, kuna see on tasakaal." "Ärge sööge iseennast. Sööge mida tahate." "Everything works, but nothing works for everybody." "Sa saad aru, et see raamat on huvitav, aga raamat on lihtsalt trigger. Keha töötab läbi viie meele ja kui see signaal tuleb, on mõistus pühitud." "I know that I know I don't know nothing — see on minu põhiline nagu elu diviis." "Toitumine on kood, mitte ainult kalorid. Sa võid süüa peenarelt korjatud peterselli või poest ostetud peterselli — see on öö ja päev." "Võtke vastutus selle eest, mis toimub teie elus täielikult enda peale. Kõik hakkab sellest vastutusest." ---
Endlich Resultate die du verdienst: https://rockyleecoaching.deHör die die Folgen auch auf anderen Plattformen an:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2SIQOewg0MAVHpug9bxD31Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rocky-lee/id1621187157✖️[Werbung/ Anzeige] Bekomme den bestmöglichen Rabatt und unterstütze den Kanal:Neosupps Code 'Rocky': https://neosupps.com/discount/ROCKY?ref=rocky Smilodox Code 'Rocky': https://smilodox.com/discount/rocky?ref=rockyIch bin zweifacher Europameister: https://youtu.be/zRjGhcn08UY?si=xDJohF9anXrdyjjDFolg mir auf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rockleesu_/Mikel IG: https://www.instagram.com/motivasian/Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/Vlog Fashion Anime by Infraction [No Copyright Music]/ Children of light
Endlich Resultate die du verdienst: https://rockyleecoaching.deHör die die Folgen auch auf anderen Plattformen an:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2SIQOewg0MAVHpug9bxD31Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rocky-lee/id1621187157✖️[Werbung/ Anzeige] Bekomme den bestmöglichen Rabatt und unterstütze den Kanal:Neosupps Code 'Rocky': https://neosupps.com/discount/ROCKY?ref=rocky Smilodox Code 'Rocky': https://smilodox.com/discount/rocky?ref=rockyIch bin zweifacher Europameister: https://youtu.be/zRjGhcn08UY?si=xDJohF9anXrdyjjDFolg mir auf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rockleesu_/Mikel IG: https://www.instagram.com/motivasian/Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/Vlog Fashion Anime by Infraction [No Copyright Music]/ Children of light
In this week's episode, we offer 7 tips indie authors can use to help their audiobooks turn a profit on production costs. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Ghost Night series at my Payhip store: JUNENIGHT The coupon code is valid through July 13, 2026. So if you need a new ebook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 309 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is June 26th, 2026 and today we are sharing seven tips for audiobook profitability for indie authors. Before we get to that, we will have Coupon of the Week and an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. First up is Coupon of the Week and this week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Ghost Night series at my Payhip store. That code is JUNENIGHT. And as always, the coupon code and the links to my Payhip store will be available in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code will be valid through July the 13th, 2026. So if you need a new ebook series to read this summer, we have got you covered. Now let's have an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. I am pleased to report I am on the second editing pass of Blade of Thieves. I am about 13% of the way through that. And so if all goes well, I think the book will be out after the 4th of July weekend/second week in July, if all goes well. I have a few real life things to do that might slow that down, but I am very, very keen to finally have this book out after the 4th of July weekend. After Blade of Thieves is published, my next project will be Cloak of Frost, the 15th book in the Cloak Mage series. I am 17,000 words into that and I am hoping that will be out in August, if all goes well. I have no audiobooks currently in production, but that will change next month because Brad Wills will be recording Blade of Thieves once it's done. Hollis McCarthy will be recording Cloak of Worlds and Leanne Woodward will be recording Dragon-Mage. So we'll go from having no audiobooks being worked on to a bunch being worked on all at once. Funny how things tend to bunch up like that. So that is where I'm at with my current writing and publishing and audiobook projects. 00:01:59 The Economics of Audiobook Production for Indie Authors [All money amounts mentioned are in USD.] Now today I want to talk about a very advanced level indie author topic, namely audiobook production and the economics of it. Recently there's been some controversy because ACX (which is Amazon's audiobook production platform) has been changing its royalty model and rolling out what they call synthetic voice, which is basically an AI generated voice. Some writers have been using it because it's a lot cheaper than a good human narrator, but the flip side is that not many people like listening to it and won't pay money for it. Admittedly, synthetic voice is not fundamentally a new technology. Text to speech has been around forever. Macs have had it since I believe 1984, back when 120 kilobytes of RAM was a lot. As a brief digression, I wish the term AI hadn't been bandied about so liberally. Before the public backlash began against generative AI and data centers, the term AI was trendy, so it got slapped on a lot of things that are actually wildly different than generative AI. I saw a post where someone was complaining about the locations in Starfield being AI generated, when in fact they're procedurally generated, which is something totally different. Anyway, synthetic voice is just a more advanced version of the text to speech technology that's been around since the early 1980s. The fear is that AI generated audiobooks will swamp the market and dominate most of ACX's payment model. Now, while that is a valid fear, I strongly suspect that it is not going to work out that way, given the hostility I have observed towards synthetic voices, especially in fiction. I think what'll happen is authors who use synthetic voice will save a lot of money by not paying a narrator, but then they won't actually make any money because no one will want to buy these machine voiced audiobooks. I have some basis for that because in the early 2020s, I experimented with making synthetic voice versions of my Silent Order science fiction series and putting them on YouTube. The overwhelming response was that people liked the story but hated the computer generated voice. It might be different for nonfiction. A romance novel with a synthetic voice would obviously be quite flat, but that wouldn't matter as much for a primer on tax law or agriculture or something similar. So there's a lot of uncertainty on whether or not audiobooks can still be profitable for indie authors. However, I suggest this is nothing new. Audiobooks have always been indie publishing on hard mode, partly because they're expensive to produce and partly because they're harder to sell than ebooks and sometimes even paperbacks. That said, I'm on my eighth year of self-publishing audiobooks and some of them have made back their production costs and turned a profit. So I thought it would share seven tips on how to have profitable self-published audiobooks. #1: Think long term. If you want your audiobooks to be profitable, you need to think in the long term. ACX has this program called Royalty Share where rather than pay a narrator, you and the narrator split the royalties on the audiobook for the next seven years and after those seven years are passed, you get all these subsequent royalties. I've never taken this option, but I cite it here because I think seven years is not an unreasonable amount of time for an audiobook to earn back its production cost. People always blanch a bit when I say that, but I've been doing self-published audiobooks for eight years now, so let's see how some of them have done. The Frostborn audiobooks, 100% of them have earned back their production cost. Of the 24 Ghosts books in audio, about the first 10 have earned back their production cost. For Cloak Mage, of the 12 Cloak Mage books currently in audio, about the first three and a half have earned back their production cost. For Dragonskull, of the nine Dragonskull books, the first three and a half have earned back their production cost. For Malison, of the four Malison books, they have 100% earned back their production cost. It helps that they're short. For The Shield War, of the six Shield War books, the first one has earned back its production costs, but I only started the series in 2023. The Linux Command Line Beginner's Guide (my one nonfiction book) has totally earned back its production cost. So I don't think seven years is an unreasonable length of time to earn back the production cost for an audiobook. That means you have to think long term, almost like a small business owner buying a new piece of equipment. Depending on the business, the owner might budget for the equipment making back what he paid for it in four or five years, or if he has to take out a loan to buy the equipment, he'll calculate how long it'll take to pay back that loan. Like for example, I just had to pay a lot of money to have these struts in my car fixed and I expect the garage owner carefully considered how much he would spend on his vehicle hoist since I believe a new vehicle hoist and installation typically costs between $7,000 and $12,000 and how long it would take him to make back that money. All successful small business owners have to think like this. Now this mindset is a bit tricky for indie authors because we often have a strong tendency to think in the short term, especially new indie authors who want their books to make a ton of money right now. But as I said above, audiobooks are self-publishing on hard mode, so you need to decide whether it is worth the investment and if you're comfortable waiting a few years to earn back the production cost over time. The reality is that if you are paying a professional narrator to create an audiobook, you're paying $200 per finished hour or above, which is a small business expense. So for that kind of money, you need to think about the audiobook like a small business owner. #2: Deductions First off, I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice and I am not an accountant and this is not investment/financial advice. If you want financial/investment advice, you should talk to an accountant or financial planner properly certified with the tax laws of your state, province, and nation. If you want legal advice, you should talk to a lawyer licensed to practice in your jurisdiction. The way my writing business is set up, I can take the production cost of audiobooks as a deduction against my taxes. This initially was one of the reasons I got into self-published audiobooks in the first place way back in 2018. I realized that if I was going to have to pay the money in taxes anyway, I might as well spend some of it on audio production instead, since that way I'll at least get a revenue generating asset out of it. Other small businesses will sometimes do this when they approach the end of their fiscal year and realize they have more tax liability than expected, so it's probably time to invest in some new equipment or upgrades that they would need anyway. Like maybe the garage owner we mentioned earlier has a really good year so he decides it's a good time to spend that $12,000 on a new vehicle hoist so he doesn't have quite so high a tax bill at the end of the year. I once had someone tell me rather self-righteously that this was a tax dodge and therefore immoral, but that's ridiculous. [Transcriptionist's side note: I wish I had that person's level of unearned confidence. I'd use it for cliff diving or starting a library just for puppies and the weirdest, clumsiest orange cats. Literally anything else.] No less of an authority than Jesus Christ himself said that to render under Caesar what is Caesar. If Caesar says that audiobook book production is a deductible business expense, it is a deductible business expense. Business deductions are the government's way of saying, "spend this income on something that benefits the national economy or will take it as taxes." To a more immediate point, the IRS itself says you have the legal obligation to pay exactly the amount of taxes you owe, but there are also legal ways such as business deductions to reduce the amount of taxes you owe. Besides, no matter what you do, the government gets its cut anyway. At the end of the year, I have to file 1099s for the narrators because their payments are taxable income and every time one of the audiobooks sells, the government gets sales tax, the stores owe taxes on that income, and I owe taxes on the payment from the store. Uncle Sam has a lot of practice at getting his cut and he's very good at it. So depending on your business structure and the local tax laws where you live, audiobook production might be a deductible expense, which is very helpful on the financial side of it. #3: Promote the ebook. The easiest way I found to sell an audiobook is to have the audiobook of an ebook that sells well. Admittedly, this is a bit of a chicken and egg problem, isn't it? However, that can help you choose which titles to make into audiobooks. Like I mentioned above that Frostborn has paid back 100% of its production costs, and that's because it's my most popular series. It was easy for the audiobooks to sell well because the ebooks were selling well. By contrast, an ebook that sells more slowly will have a harder time selling audiobooks. One of the reasons I experimented with using synthetic voice on YouTube with the Silent Order series earlier in the 2020s was because I knew I would never make Silent Order into actual audiobooks because the series didn't sell well enough to merit it. So if you want your audiobook to sell, the easiest way to do it is to promote the ebook. If the ebook sells well enough, it will likely generate some audiobook sales as well. This can also help you determine whether or not you should even produce an audiobook of a particular ebook. If the ebook does not have strong sales, it is probably not a good idea to make an audiobook out of it. #4: Diversify We started out by talking about ACX, but ACX is not the only game in town. The other big audiobook distribution platform is INaudio, which is owned by Spotify. It was previously known as Findaway Voices, but then Spotify bought it and changed the name to INaudio. ACX will get your audiobook into Audible, Amazon, and Apple. INaudio will get your audiobook into every other platform: Google Play, Kobo, Storytel, Chirp, the library distributors, and a bunch of others. So if your audiobook is not exclusive to ACX, it's a good idea to use INaudio as well. That said, Google Play and Kobo now have direct upload for audiobooks and if your audiobook is not exclusive to ACX, it's a good idea to use the direct upload for Google Play and Kobo instead of relying on INaudio. There are a few significant advantages to this. First, you make a little bit more money since INaudio is not taking its distribution fee and the cumulative effect of that over time can be significant. Second, your audiobook will be eligible for Kobo Plus, which can generate extra revenue. I've had some of my best months on Kobo in 2026 thanks to Kobo Plus. Third and perhaps most importantly, you won't be completely dependent on INaudio because INaudio is frequently quite glitchy and in my frank and unbiased opinion, has gone downhill noticeably in quality since Spotify took over. Every single problem I've ever had with INaudio has come after Spotify bought Findaway and turned it into INaudio. I'm afraid that Spotify, like many other publicly traded corporations in the US, has the chronic problem of an upper management class who are buzzword prone MBA drones with an unhealthy enthusiasm for generative AI and indulging in self-destructive cost cutting and layoffs right before it's time to file quarterly reports. Very frequently, the QA process on INaudio will go berserk and declare that a book is AI generated and ineligible for distribution even when it's not. So direct upload to Google Play and Kobo avoids that problem. Because of these problems, another distributor called Author's Republic has been growing, but I haven't tried that out yet. Despite these problems, INaudio also gets you access to Chirp, which is our next bullet point. #5: Chirp Deals I said earlier that the best way to promote your audiobook is ebook promotion, but the one exception to that is Chirp. Chirp is run by BookBub, which is an email newsletter service that offers discounted ebooks to its subscribers. BookBub wanted to expand to audiobooks, but Audible very famously does not let indie authors control their prices and definitely doesn't let them do discounts. So to get around that slight problem, BookBub started its own audiobook store in the form of Chirp, which does let indie authors control their prices and therefore offer discounts. I've had some excellent results with Chirp deals over the years, usually with Child of the Ghost and Cloak of Dragons. In May, I had a Chirp deal with Dragonskull: Sword of the Squire, but since the dashboard on INaudio only updates every 30 days for Chirp, I'm not sure how it did yet. If you get a Chirp deal and you want to take a big swing with it, you can also set temporary discounts on the subsequent books in the series. For my earlier Chirp deals for Cloak of Dragons and Child of the Ghosts, the price for Cloak of Dragons was at $0.99 and I set the price of the subsequent two audiobooks at $2.99 each. I got good results from that and some of my best months on INaudio. For the recent Dragonskull deal, Sword of the Squire was at $0.99 and I temporarily set every other audiobook in the series at $2.99 on Chirp. It was the biggest swing I've taken with a Chip deal, so I'm curious to see how it plays out. #6: Direct sales It's a good idea to have a direct sales platform of some kind, whether it's Shopify or Payhip or Gumroad or a similar platform and offer direct sales of your audiobooks. There are numerous advantages to this. You can set your own price, which as we mentioned above, ACX does not let you do. You can very easily run sales and discounts. If you're a regular reader at the site, you know I do a different Coupon of the Week for my Payhip store every week and it's often for audiobooks. As I mentioned with the problems with INaudio, it provides a platform to get your audiobook to listeners even if the other stores are having technical problems. Sometimes ACX processing can take weeks and the site's past troubles sometimes stretched [it] into months. The difficulty is getting people to actually use the store. The term vendor lock-in means that the more a customer uses the platform, the less likely they are to switch. If someone has been building up their Kindle library or Audible library since 2009, they're unlikely to switch to a competitor. Most of my direct sales come from a combination of Coupon of the Week and new releases to people who don't like DRM. So having a direct sales platform is a long haul, but still worth doing. Besides, everything in audiobooks is a long haul. #7: Direct reader relationship via Patreon or a similar site. I've never done this myself so I don't have any specific tips, but I have seen some writers do it quite successfully. That said, you should only have a Patreon or a similar site if you're willing to put in the work. Readers are very unforgiving of a writer who does not live up to his or her Patreon obligations. However, if you include audiobooks as one of your patron tiers that can go a long way towards audiobook profitability. A regular Patreon type income can help fund regular audiobook production. Conclusion Audiobooks are indeed indie publishing on hard mode, but hopefully these tips will help increase the chances that your audiobooks will be profitable. Lastly, thanks to everyone who has listened to one of my audiobooks. So that's it for this week. Thanks for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com, often with transcripts. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.
Külaline Pille Palu on suhtemustrite uurija ja suhete arengut toetava programmi "Suhteteraapia teekond" looja. Aastate jooksul koges ta oma suhetes samu mustreid erinevates vormides hirmu kaotada, ärevust, klammerdumist, eemaldumist, võrdlemist ning tunnet, et teda ei valita päriselt sellisena nagu ta on. Pikka aega otsis ta vastuseid väljastpoolt. Raamatutest, õpetustest, ekspertidelt ja erinevatest suhtenõuannetest. Ühel hetkel jõudis ta aga arusaamiseni, et sügavam muutus ei sünni ainult teadmistest, vaid sellest, kuidas inimene õpib armastust kogema oma kehas ning millist identiteeti ta armastuses kannab. Täna aitab ta inimestel lõpetada enda hülgamist armastuse nimel, luua rohkem sisemist turvatunnet ning õppida jääma iseendaks ka keerulistes suhteolukordades. Tema sõnum on lihtne: Hea suhe ei ole sihtkoht, vaid elukestev koosloomine. INFO PROGRAMMI TUTVUSTUSE JA MIS PROBLEEMIDE JA TEEMADE PUHUL SAAB PILLE SIND AIDATA LEIAD SIIT: https://pillepalu.ee/ --- SHOWNOTES "Ma tegelt valisin valu, sest see valu oli mulle tuttavam kodust kui see turvatunne." "Sa ei ole armukade inimene, sa tunned armukadedust. Sa ei ole vältiv inimene, sul on vältivad mustrid." "Ma ei läinud enam Googlist küsima, kuidas olla parem naine. Ma läksin küsima, miks ma nii tunnen." "Isegi kui sa selle kinnituse kätte saad, sa ise ei usu seda — see ongi see lõputu loop." "Standard võib muutuda vältimiseks, et ma tegelikult ei taha minna haavatavalt suhtesse." "Sa valid alati parema mustri. Sa ei kaota oma mustrit kuhugi." "Me kaevandame kulda, kogume tarkust, aga maja, mis keldri peal on, on ikka lagunenud — rotid jooksevad ringi." "Lihtsalt õige on keegi, kes võtab valu ära — sellest kaugemale me ei ole mõelnud." "Kompromiss ei ole see, et keegi järgi annab. Kompromiss on see, et mõlemal on vajadus täidetud." "Kõik otsad viivad lõpuks selle esimese kogemuseni." "Ma panen oma graafiku nii täis, et saan öelda õhtul: ei jaksa. See ongi vältimine." "Kui inimene lahkub konfliktist, ärevat mustrit haarab tunne, et ta on igaveseks läinud." "Sa ei jää oma mustrist lahti seetõttu, et tead kõike ärevast kiindumisteooriast — rakendamine on see, mis muudab." "Parim tunne on teha midagi, mis teeb sind iseenda üle uhkeks — mitte teisi." "Me olime nagu kaks pisikest last kuskil võimla nurgas üksteisele toeks — ja seda ei oleks juhtunud ilma selle konfliktita." "Tahtejõudu sa tegelikult kasutad kogu aeg — küsimus on, kus sa seda kasutad." "Kui sa selle kõva häälega välja ütled, näed ise ka esimest korda, mis su peas päriselt toimub." ---
Endlich Resultate die du verdienst: https://rockyleecoaching.deHör die die Folgen auch auf anderen Plattformen an:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2SIQOewg0MAVHpug9bxD31Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rocky-lee/id1621187157✖️[Werbung/ Anzeige] Bekomme den bestmöglichen Rabatt und unterstütze den Kanal:Neosupps Code 'Rocky': https://neosupps.com/discount/ROCKY?ref=rocky Smilodox Code 'Rocky': https://smilodox.com/discount/rocky?ref=rockyIch bin zweifacher Europameister: https://youtu.be/zRjGhcn08UY?si=xDJohF9anXrdyjjDFolg mir auf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rockleesu_/Mikel IG: https://www.instagram.com/motivasian/Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/Vlog Fashion Anime by Infraction [No Copyright Music]/ Children of light
Katie has worked extensively in immersive and interactive theatre both as a script writer, collaborator and immersive theatre specialist. Her acting credits include:ManhuntSlow HorsesBluestone 42Call the MidwifeThe Crimson PetalNumber of plays both at the National and Bush Theatre. In immersive theatre she has led a number of projects, those include:Paddington Bear Experience Boots on the Ground - Promenade show dedicated to the soldiers of WW1Peaky Blinders: The RiseRace New World - Site SpecificJohnnie Walker Symphony in BlueAbove and Beyond The above immersive theatre credits include collaborations with several acclaimed devised theatre companies, including, Tangled Feet, The Path Entertainment Group, Immersive Everywhere and Private Drama Events. We discuss her love of immersive theatre and the experiences it gives its audiences that are far from what you will encounter in a west end venue, or indeed any other theatrical space! As well as the level of detail she goes into and what makes a show that makes its spectators part of the story in more ways than one!For more information and to get in touch, visit her website and instagram:katielyons.co.ukThank you Katie!Oliver GowerSpotlight Link: https://www.spotlight.com/9097-9058-5261Instagram: @ollietheuncensoredcriticFor enquiries and requests: olliegower10@gmail.comPlease Like, Download and Subscribe ✍️Thank you all for your support!Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name. Early Morning
Endlich Resultate die du verdienst: https://rockyleecoaching.carrd.coHör die die Folgen auch auf anderen Plattformen an:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2SIQOewg0MAVHpug9bxD31Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rocky-lee/id1621187157✖️[Werbung/ Anzeige] Bekomme den bestmöglichen Rabatt und unterstütze den Kanal:Neosupps Code 'Rocky': https://neosupps.com/discount/ROCKY?ref=rocky Smilodox Code 'Rocky': https://smilodox.com/discount/rocky?ref=rockyIch bin zweifacher Europameister: https://youtu.be/zRjGhcn08UY?si=xDJohF9anXrdyjjDFolg mir auf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rockleesu_/Mikel IG: https://www.instagram.com/motivasian/Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/Vlog Fashion Anime by Infraction [No Copyright Music]/ Children of light
In dieser Episode spreche ich mit Prof. Eva-Lotta Brakemeier, Professorin für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie an der Universität Greifswald und Präsidentin der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie.Depression ist die häufigste psychische Erkrankung und gleichzeitig eine der am stärksten missverstandenen.In dieser Folge erfährst du:
Hello guys and welcome back to Shakespeare Saturday! Hosted by myself and Sarah Spring
Endlich Resultate die du verdienst: https://rockyleecoaching.carrd.coHör die die Folgen auch auf anderen Plattformen an:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2SIQOewg0MAVHpug9bxD31Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rocky-lee/id1621187157✖️[Werbung/ Anzeige] Bekomme den bestmöglichen Rabatt und unterstütze den Kanal:Neosupps Code 'Rocky': https://neosupps.com/discount/ROCKY?ref=rocky Smilodox Code 'Rocky': https://smilodox.com/discount/rocky?ref=rockyIch bin zweifacher Europameister: https://youtu.be/zRjGhcn08UY?si=xDJohF9anXrdyjjDFolg mir auf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rockleesu_/Mikel IG: https://www.instagram.com/motivasian/Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/Vlog Fashion Anime by Infraction [No Copyright Music]/ Children of light
Grace trained at East 15 Acting School and has been a Boris Karloff Trainee Assistant Director at the Young Vic, a Catalyst Director at the North Wall, and participated in TalentLAB at Théâtre National du Luxembourg.She is a Theatre Director and Community Artist from East London and her work is rooted in collaboration, bold storytelling, and amplifying voices. She has worked with theatres and communities across the UK. Previously, Grace was the Resident Assistant Director at the Donmar Warehouse. Theatre includes: as director: Holy Show, UK tour; Weeping Woman at Theatre503; Wild Actually at Islington Pleasance; after birth at Omnibus and Northwall on UK tour; Lysistrata at the Arcola; and WOOD at VAULT Festival. As associate director: Inter Alia at National Theatre; and Otherland at Almeida Theatre. As assistant director: Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, The Fear of 13, Skeleton Crew and The Human Body at the Donmar Warehouse, What If If Only at the Royal Court; and Ivan and the Dogs at the Young Vic Theatre. We discuss her role as associate director on the hit show Inter Alia at the National Theatre, the conversations it sparks and the process of putting the whole show together. The production is set to make its Broadway debut later this year. All this and much more, thank you Grace!Oliver GowerSpotlight Link: https://www.spotlight.com/9097-9058-5261Instagram: @ollietheuncensoredcriticFor enquiries and requests: olliegower10@gmail.comPlease Like, Download and Subscribe ✍️Thank you all for your support!Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name. Early Morning
Kate is an actress, writer and teacher, she graduated from RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) and her work can be seen across theatres, BBC and Channel 4. As well as in classes at Arts Ed, LAMDA, Rutgers Uni at the Globe, National Opera Studio and for the New Actors Centre. Her acting credits include:Theatre:Echo - Royal CourtThe Old House - RADA Festival and Camden Fringe - Kate's own one woman showOpening Skinner's Box - devised by the Improbable Theatre company, written by Lee Simpson at the Northern Stage, West Yorkshire Playhouse and Bristol Old VicOne Cold Dark Knight - BushStone Circle, directed by Matthew DunsterFilm:Six Underground, directed by Michael BayFlawless, dir. Michael RadfordSeven Lucky Gods - nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Milan International Film Festival Currently developing her new show “Murmurations”. In 1997 she met Scott Williams and discovered the Meisner Technique which she now teaches across the UK and Internationally. Her practice is helping actors with their “Present Performance”. On top of all this, she is part of the rejuvenation project of the New Actors Centre, formally known as The Actors Centre. Kate is part of the team, including Harry Burton, which is helping to get it back on its feet. By providing London based actors with a place that will run classes and help rebuild the actor and creative community that was under threat when it initially closed. More information about this and how to support the cause can be found via the websites below. newactorscentre.orgkatemaravan.comKate and I discuss drama school training, her work on Meisner technique and how she has helped to rebuild The Actors Centre back to where it needs to be. Thank you Kate!Oliver GowerSpotlight Link: https://www.spotlight.com/9097-9058-5261Instagram: @ollietheuncensoredcriticFor enquiries and requests: olliegower10@gmail.comPlease Like, Download and Subscribe ✍️Thank you all for your support!Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name. Early Morning
In dieser Episode spreche ich mit Prof. Dr. Peter Albers, Chefarzt der Urologie der Uniklinik Düsseldorf und Leiter der Abteilung Personalisierte Früherkennung des Prostatakarzinoms am Deutschen Krebsforschungszentrum in Heidelberg.Prostatakrebs ist der häufigste Krebs des Mannes. Und trotzdem wird er bei 20% der Patienten in Deutschland erst erkannt, wenn bereits Metastasen vorliegen. Was der PSA-Test wirklich kann, warum das MRT die Diagnose revolutioniert hat und warum historisch einige Karzinome in Deutschland unnötig operiert werden, erklärt Prof. Albers im Gespräch.In dieser Folge erfährst du:
Tänane külaline on Mai-Liis Pille, kes on massaaži eriala kutseõpetaja, massöör ja kundalini jooga treener, kellel on selles valdkonnas enam kui 20 aastat kogemust. Tema teekond ei alanud mitte karjäärivalikuna, vaid isiklikust kriisist. Elu murdepunkt viis ta enesearengu ja keha mõistmise teele, kus huvist anatoomia vastu kasvas välja sügav kutsumus aidata inimesi läbi puudutuse, liikumise ja teadlikkuse. Täna õpetab ta massööre mitmes Eesti õppeasutuses, viib läbi koolitusi nii professionaalidele kui ka tavainimestele ning töötab igapäevaselt inimestega, kelle kehad on valus, pinges või tasakaalust väljas. Mai-Liisi tugevus ei ole ainult tehnilistes oskustes, vaid oskuses näha inimest tervikuna - keha, emotsioonide ja elustiili tasandil. Ta aitab mõista, kust valu päriselt alguse saab, millal saab massaaž aidata ja millal mitte. Tema töö keskmes on üks selge mõte: keha ei ole midagi, mida parandada, vaid midagi, mida õppida kuulama. MAI-LIIS KOHTA LEIAD INFOT SIIT: https://www.discere.ee Esmakülastusel soodustus ja kohtub ka vastupidi ehk kui oled käinud koolitusel → saad massaažile sooduse, kui oled käinud massaažis → saad koolitusele sooduse. --- SHOWNOTES "Kõige levinum müüt on see, et massaaž peabki olema valus. Kui valus ei ole, siis see oli pointless." "Valu peaks olema selline mõnus magus ja nauditav — just see käivitab kehas heade hormoonide tootmise." "Me oma autot hooldame iga päev. Aga oma keha tihtipeale jätame täielikult hooletusse." "Massaaž on füüsiline treening. Klient on passiivne, aga massöör tegeleb tema lihaste ja kudedega." "Pidevalt kõrge stressiga grupp talus stressi kõige halvemini. Kõige parem stressitaluvus oli neil, kellel oli stressiperiood ja siis puhkeperiood." "Ei saa ronida neljandale korrusele, kui sa pole läbinud esimest, teist ja kolmandat." "Koolitatud massöö peab ära tundma hetke, kus otsustada — kas massaaž on piisavalt tõhus täna või vajab inimene teise spetsialisti abi." "Puudutuse puudumisel areneb välja alateadlik teadmine — mulle ei meeldi puudutus. Ja see on omandatud." "Massaaž ei ravi. Me toetame inimese tervenemise protsessi. Ravivad ainult arstid." "Vähihaiget ei tohi puutuda, sa ajad vähi laiali — see dogma on teadusuuringutega ümber lükatud." "Õhinapõhiselt inimest aidata ei ole alati tulemuslik. Peab olema kainetmõistust, kogemust ja teadmist." "Hea massöör ei ole see, kes teab kõige rohkem. See on see, kes on pidevas enesearengus ja suudab klienti kuulda." "Massaaž oli kunagi taastusravi lahutamatu osa. Siis tõsteti ta välja — arvates, et see on pigem heaolu- ja iluteenus." "Kui keha tunneb valu, läheb see kaitseseisundisse — tekib lisapinge lihastes." "Mitte igale inimesele ei sobi tugev massaaž. Väga väsinud kehale on see liiga suur koormus." "Kui ma tegin esimest korda massaaži valel hetkel valele inimesele — tema seisund läks hullemaks. See oli minu suurim õppetund."
How do you write when your heart is broken? How do you go back into the publishing business after years away, knowing it's a very different industry to the one you left? With Jami Albright. In the intro, InAudio is now distributing audiobooks to BookShop.org; The Feedback Loop that Makes Better Writers [Author Nation Podcast]; Bones of the Deep on Goodreads. This episode is sponsored by Publisher Rocket, which will help you get your book in front of more Amazon readers so you can spend less time marketing and more time writing. I use Publisher Rocket for researching book titles, categories, and keywords — for new books and for updating my backlist. Check it out at www.PublisherRocket.com This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Jami Albright is the bestselling author of the Brides on the Run romances and the co-host of the Wish I'd Known Then Podcast. Today we're talking about her new novel, The Summer That Changed Us. 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 Jami started writing fiction at 47 and waited a year before publishing her first book Why she fictionalised her sister's terminal cancer story rather than writing a memoir The difference between writing as therapy and writing for the reader Reactivating an email newsletter after almost two years of silence Going wide with a standalone women's fiction novel after years in KU and rom-com Letting go of the frantic hustle of indie publishing and redefining what success looks like You can find Jami at JamiAlbright.com. Transcript of the interview with Jami Albright Jo: Jami Albright is the bestselling author of the Brides on the Run romances and the co-host of the Wish I'd Known Then Podcast. Today we're talking about her new novel, The Summer That Changed Us. So, welcome to the show, Jami. Jami: Thank you, Joanna. I've made it. This is my first time on The Creative Penn, so I can retire tomorrow. Jo: And we were saying before the show, I really thought you had been on the show before, because over the years we've connected a lot. We met over a decade ago, didn't we? At the Smarter Artist Summit. I was like, “I'm sure you've been on the show,” and you haven't. So, yes, welcome. Jami: Thank you. You've been on our show, though. We did an interview with you a few years ago. Jo: Yes. Well, anyway, for anyone who doesn't follow your show— Tell us a bit more about you and how you got into writing and publishing. Jami: Okay. So I am the co-host of the Wish I'd Known Then Podcast for Writers. Sara Rosett and I have been doing that podcast since January 2020. Little did we know what was coming, and it really saved me, just mentally, being able to talk to people every week. I never wrote a word of fiction until I was 47. I'd never really written anything. I have really bad grammar. I tell a lot of stories, and I would make up stories, but I'd never write them down because of the grammar thing. But my reading buddy had her birthday coming up in about three months, and I thought, “You know what? I'm going to write Jennifer a book for her birthday. She doesn't care if I have bad grammar.” I just thought it would be on brand. It was so hard. I wrote myself into a corner very fast. When I told her, she said, “Well, now you have to.” So I got Writing a Romance Novel for Dummies, I read that, and I started writing what is now Running from a Rock Star. But then my computer crashed and I lost it, and I was like, “Well, I'm not a writer.” So that was fine. Then I turned 50, and I told my family, “I think the only thing I regret is not finishing that book.” Of course they were like, “Well, you need to just do it again.” I was like, “No, I had 30,000 words.” A few weeks later my daughter came in and said, “Mom, I found this flash drive in my car. I think it has your book on it.” And it was 20,000 of the 30,000 words. So I was like, “Well, it's now or never.” So I joined Romance Writers of America and got involved in a critique group, and they absolutely kicked my butt for a good six months. I think every week they were surprised I came back, because it was so brutal. I knew I didn't know anything, and they taught me to write. Six months after I joined that first critique group, I won my first contest with the first 10 pages of that book. Then I just continued on. Three years later, I published Rock Star. I was going to publish it two years later, but I went to the Smarter Artist Summit, where I met you. I was advised by Julia Cant and Sean Platt and some other people to wait—preferably to have more books written. I had the second book written when the first one came out, but it still needed to be edited. So I waited a year, learned this business, and sold plasma to pay for my edits because I was poor. It was the best decision I ever made. Going to that conference, first of all, was the best $500 I've ever spent, and waiting that year really helped me learn this business. When I published the book, I had an email list of 1,200 people before the book ever came out. None of those things would have been set up had I published right after the Smarter Artist Summit, which is what I'd thought I would do, in the summer. So waiting gave me time to get everything set up so that when I published that book, it really took off from day one. I had 1,200 people on that newsletter list who wanted that book, because I had done a preview promo. Instead of putting out the whole book, I think I put out four chapters, and then people signed up. I don't know that that works anymore. Jo: I was going to say that. We should say to people, what was that, around 2016? Jami: 2017. Things have changed. Jo: Yes, things have changed, and I think this is so important. I had a question about this, and what they were implying was things that, like you said, we learned a decade ago. Things have changed. We'll come back to how you're doing it now, but just in terms of finishing off how you got started—those books did really well, didn't they? You had a couple of years there. How many books did you do? How did that go? Because you did have real success. Jami: Yes. From 2017 until really the beginning of 2021, if you look at my sales graph and my income, it just increased, increased, increased. 2019 was my very best year, but 2020 was only slightly lower as far as book sales and income. I only put out a book a year after the second book. The second book came out about six months after the first one, and after that it was about every nine months to a year that I put a book out. Everyone said you can't make money doing that, but I did. I think those books are very tropey. They're very hooky. That helped. I also think the timing of those books was really good. Rom-com was really coming up, and my rom-com is pretty wacky, but it's also really emotional too. If I get any critiques about them it's usually that “this book was way more emotional than I expected, and I was looking for something a little lighter.” They're just really wacky. They're rom-coms. Wacky circumstances. Small town, so there's all these small-town people. I just think it was a good time to release those. Those were good years. I miss those years. Jo: It's a good lesson, because it's not always up and to the right, is it? We're going to come back and revisit that. So then the pandemic hit, and on a more personal level, over the last few years, you've had a deeply difficult time that has led to The Summer That Changed Us, your latest book. So talk a bit about what's happened, why this book, and also why fictionalise it rather than write a memoir? I had that question. Jami: Okay. So 2021, my income was dropping, but it was still okay. I was still making more than enough that—thank God I don't have to make all the money in our household—but there was a level that I wanted to. At the end of 2021, my sister, who was the fourth of five sisters, had lived with cancer—non-smoker's lung cancer—for 10 years. She had the kind that, if you had a certain mutation, there were medications that worked amazingly well. Until they didn't, and then they put you on another class of that medication. So for 10 years, that's what she did. She missed work maybe three times in 10 years. People who met her never knew she had cancer unless they knew us. She just never acted like she had cancer. We would have to say, “Remember, you have cancer.” At the end of 2021, they ran out of that class of drugs. There were some being tested, but none had been approved. When she was diagnosed, she was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. You don't survive very long having stage four lung cancer with no medication. So I saw the writing on the wall pretty much at the end of 2021, but of course I was very hopeful that they could do something. By May of 2022, it was clear things were not going well. In July of 2022, she got a six-to-twelve-week diagnosis. She just went in one day thinking she was about to get radiation, not knowing anything, and they were like, “No, we can't do radiation, and you should get your affairs in order because you have six to twelve weeks to live.” Jo: Oh. Jami: People who've been through it know this feeling. It's like being hit by a wrecking ball. It just knocks everything off your axis. Your whole world implodes into this one moment, this person that you love. I live four hours away from my family. They all still live in the same small town. I was in Dallas at my daughter's at the time, and they live about 30 miles outside of Dallas. So I went to my mom's, and I stayed there. I was there for almost six months, if you count the time I was back and forth, because she was not doing great but she was still okay. She had always rallied and come back. But once she got the diagnosis, I stayed. She would go home, but she would come back to my mom's during the day, because her husband worked. She was a teacher, so she was off during the summer. I was just there, and we all just took care of her. When she decided to go on hospice, she wanted to be at my mom's. She didn't want to be at home—they lived out in the country. She wanted to be at my mom's, so we set her up in the living room. We're redneck country people. We bring our crazy people in, our sick people, just out for everybody to see. She was just in the middle of the living room in her hospital bed, and the world just revolved around that hospital bed. Once that happened, once I knew at the end of 2021 that things were not going to go well—I really did not believe she would die. But she died a month after she went on hospice in October of 2022. That whole year, I was useless. I could not write. I couldn't think of anything to write. I write funny. How do you write funny when your heart's broken? I couldn't do it. After she died, I knew it would take a while. I knew it would maybe even be a year. But as the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years, I haven't written—except for her obituary—I've not written a word since she died until I started writing this book a year ago. I started it on April 19th. Jo: I mean, the stories of grief—there seems to be no way of escaping whatever it ends up being. You didn't choose your response. Your deep grief was just there, and you couldn't write. I feel like sometimes people just try and force it. It sounds like that's what you needed, and you have done that. So what then gave you the impetus to finally write—and to choose fiction? Jami: I didn't write memoir. I did think about doing a memoir, but I don't read memoir, and I don't know how to write it. I was already behind the eight ball, trying to write a book at all because it had been forever. I don't need to learn how to write something completely different. Plus, it just felt too close to write the memoir. I had been in Mexico City with my daughter, who has an event planning company, and we were there scouting locations for one of her events. Janet Margot lives in Mexico City, so I reached out, and we had dinner. We were talking, and she had had two big losses about the same time that my sister passed away. So we were talking about how difficult it is afterwards, just getting your head back into a space of being creative at all. She said, “You really should write this book. You should tell this story. It hits everything: middle-aged women dealing with middle-age things. You've got your parents that you were dealing with, and then your sister. You should write this story.” I said, “No, thank you. I lived it. I don't want to write it.” But it just wouldn't go away. I couldn't figure out how I would tell it. Whose point of view? I couldn't do it from the dying sister's point of view because I didn't think I could be authentic. I was afraid to tell it from multiple POVs because the book has a lot of characters in it. My family is gigantic—my immediate family, my sisters, husbands, nieces and nephews, my kids, my mom and dad—there are 35 of us. Almost all of those are in and out of my mom's house all the time. So I knew I couldn't do multiple point of view. One day, I was driving home to my mom's house, and it just hit me. The whole story laid out in front of me, and that's what I did. The first draft was pretty much just a retelling of what happened to us. I added some fictional elements, but I just wanted to get the story out. It was hard. I started Adderall on April 19th of 2025—I know that, because that's the day I started this book. I do call this the book that Adderall wrote, because I could sit and focus for three or four hours, which I'd never really been able to do. I would come to Starbucks and I would sit and write this book, and I would cry sitting in Starbucks, like a crazy person. People would walk by and slide a napkin onto the table and just keep walking, because I'm sitting there crying like crazy. I was so superstitious, and things were working so well, that I was afraid not to come and write at Starbucks. Staying at home, I think, would have been really hard. I would maybe have sunk into a depression had I done this at home. So I just wrote the whole book at Starbucks. After I wrote the first draft, I went back in and made it more fictional. But a lot of the book—especially her stuff—is a lot of what happened. She was just crazy. I tell a story in the book that, this is the absolute truth, this happened. She was in college, and she had convinced my younger sister to go to a honky-tonk club because they were having a Miss Honky-Tonk contest. Before she could get up on stage to compete as Miss Honky-Tonk, she got in a fight with some girl, and the girl hit her in the head with a bottle and split her head open. She was bleeding. My youngest sister was like, “We've got to go to the ER.” And she just refused, because there was a $300 cash prize for winning, and she needed it to make rent. So she borrowed a towel from the bartender, wrapped it around her head, competed with that bloody towel on her head, and won that stupid contest. That story in and of itself was my sister. Everything about her is in that story. So a lot of the stories in there happened to her in one way or another. What happens to June in the book happened to my sister. Jo: This is interesting, because the same thing memoir writers face is something perhaps you face: how much of the writing is therapy and how much is for the reader? You said you sat there crying. Absolutely, writing for therapy is very important—but when you come to edit, there might be things that your therapy side of you is like, “That's so important to me.” How do you kill your darlings when you're editing your sister's life? Jami: That was hard. I had to take out a lot of what was in the first draft, mostly the stories. Once she came home on hospice, it was just a steady stream of people coming in, and everybody had a story about her. What I found in editing was that Hope, the main character, was mostly a spectator in those scenes instead of being actively part of them. So I had to take those out, because they didn't serve the purpose of the book. I committed early on to: while I wanted to tell the story, I did not want it to be self-indulgent. I did not want it to be a therapy session that I sold to people as a story. Because of that, I think that really helped. I really did think about that as I was revising. I sent it to a developmental editor, and I don't know how great she was, but she gave me some really good advice about a couple of things. One was, “There's just not enough conflict in this book. You say that Hope and the father have this really contentious relationship, yet we don't see it. There's a little bit of it here and there, but you're not really digging into that.” It's hard, because while the rest of the world doesn't know, my family knows that this is a lot of our story. I just had to let that go and not worry about what my family thought. They had all given me permission. I'd sort of said, “I want to do this. Are you guys okay with that?” I talked to her husband, and everybody was okay with me doing it. But I couldn't worry about what they were going to think. I would repeat to myself: if they want to tell this story, they can write their own book. I'm writing what I saw and telling a fictionalised story that will hopefully honour her, but also help other people feel like they're being seen, and also be entertaining. If you're going to write a book, it needs to be somewhat entertaining. Jo: I don't think you can help yourself. You're funny. Jami: Yes. The book is really funny. I tell people that and they're like, “Hmm, really?” And I'm like, “It is really funny.” But it's also really sad. Jo: Well, I think that's the truth—to defend myself. There is a lot of humour in grief. There is death and dying, and it's a human condition. Jami: It is a human condition, yep. Jo: There's comedy in all of the human condition. That's just the way it is, right? I heard you mention on an interview, I can't remember where it was, that you feel very connected to this book, and you're worried that people judging it or giving it a bad review might feel like an insult to your sister. How are you dealing with these kinds of fears about how to separate ourselves from our books? Jami: I've been in therapy—like, literal therapy—for that, because I felt like that would be hard. So far, I've only gotten a few reviews back. They've all been good reviews. I haven't had anyone say they hate it. I just have had to separate myself. It's not personal. Reviews are never personal. People not liking your book is never personal. That's just a mindset. I've had to change my mind about that. Knowing that's a pitfall I could fall into, I really keep it top of mind. My family knows that's an issue, so they know they have to pull me out of that hole if I drop in. So that's really how I've handled it so far. We'll see. Jo: Maybe it's time as well. You're almost back to the “book is your baby” situation. As the years pass, the book almost becomes separate, doesn't it? How you feel about your first bride book is probably like, “It's not even me anymore.” Jami: Right. I learned early that your book isn't really your baby. Once you publish it, it's your product. So that has never been very hard for me. I still hate bad reviews, and I take them personally like everybody else does, if I let myself. But ultimately, this is a book that I'm putting out for entertainment. Yes, it's very personal. Yes, it means a lot to me. But if people don't like it, it isn't because they don't like my dead sister. They just don't like my writing. Jo: It's tough, but it's good to talk about, because this is something many people feel. My memoir Pilgrimage—it's not the same at all—but I was just so scared of judgment. The fear of judgment. What people would think of me. That's kind of different, but— It's this question of how it'll land. The reality is, not many people read these books anyway. Jami: Well, I have worried about how it would land, but mostly I worry about how it would land with the people I love. My mom read it last week. I was there while she was reading it. That was no fun. She laughed, but it was devastating to her. She's like, “It's great, and I hate it.” Because it is so raw and real to her still—well, to all of us. That's where I worry, how it's going to land with them. But again, I've had to let that go. I had to let it go during the writing, because if I worried about that, then I would not have told an honest story. That was another thing—I didn't want it to be self-indulgent, and I wanted it to be honest. As honest as I could make it, even to the point of making people uncomfortable. There's a line. Once you cross it, there's no getting you back after that. So I walked that line really carefully, because I did want it to be honest about how I felt, how other people I know who've been through something like this feel. Also, just relationships. Because when you're in a big family like my sisters and I—we adore each other, but we can also go toe-to-toe real fast. It can get ugly, because we know each other really well. We're also a little bit redneck, so we don't pull any punches. Your sisters are always the most honest people in your life. I wanted that to be true in this book too—both sides of that story. Jo: Let's circle back to the business stuff and some of the things we talked about, because obviously this has been a really difficult time. There was no way to deal with it in any other way, but your business has changed. You had these great few years, good sales, and then you had other priorities. So how are you rebooting the business? Lots of people end up taking a few years out for whatever reason. How are you rebooting the business to try and sell some books? Jami: To be honest, I have the remnants of a business. I have tried over the last four years to run some ads to get the Bride's books going, but here's something that's very interesting, and if somebody can tell me why this happened, I would love to hear it. These books that have sold so many books—I mean, so many books—I could not give them away. It didn't matter what I did. I changed covers, I changed blurbs, I put them on sale, I took them off sale, I ran ads. Ads wouldn't really move the needle. I know that at a certain point, when you haven't published and your books get pushed down in the algorithm, that is an uphill battle. But it was almost like, one day they just fell off, and once they started falling, I could not get them back. I just couldn't. So that I didn't make myself crazy—because also during this time, I was just trying to keep my head above water—when I would deal with my books or go into my dashboard, I would feel horrible. I was already feeling horrible, so I didn't need to feel more horrible. So I just sort of let them go after a certain point. I've now started running some Facebook ads. I have one Facebook ad that's working really well, knock on wood, right now for my first Bride's book. The problem is, this book and my Bride's books are different. The voice and the tone are the same, but they're really different in a lot of ways. They're the same in a lot of ways. This book doesn't have any sex; the other books don't have anybody dying. But some of the things are really similar. So I may have some crossover. For whatever reason, this ad is working. My book one is ranked better than it's been ranked in forever—really good. I'm not spending a ton of money to do it. So I don't know what changed. I don't know if I'll ever know. I've revised my newsletter, and that's worked well. I still have around a 35 to 40% open rate on a newsletter that I didn't send out for almost two years. I was sending it out, but then I kind of stopped, and then I started again. Jo: I was going to ask you about that, because I often get people emailing me. They're like, “I have a really old newsletter from several years ago. I haven't emailed them for years.” So what did you say in that first email? Like, “Hey, I'm back”? Jami: I mean, I'm just like, “Remember me?” It really was kind of like that. Just, “I'm back. You guys know life has happened. I'm sure you understand. If you're still here, thank you so much. I have been writing. I have this book that I think some of you will really love.” That's really how it was. From the first email, even that first email had a higher open rate. I think it was close to 45%. I had not sent out a newsletter in two years literally. Jo: People were like, “What happened?” Jami: They're like, “Oh, she didn't die. That was her sister, not her.” But I've just been really fortunate. They've been really encouraging. Every time I send one out, I get really encouraging emails back. So I've sent out about the book. The majority of my readers are KU readers because my books are in KU. But this book is going wide. One of the things I'm doing because I have been a little concerned about… Janet Margot does a lot of Amazon ads stuff and she knows a lot about Amazon. We've talked a lot about whether I should use my real name, my pen name, or come up with another name. Should I worry about my readers buying the book and messing up my Also Boughts? All of those things, because my readers are romance readers. Some of them read women's fiction, but for the most part, they're romance readers. I've decided to stick with Jami Albright and not worry about it. There are just things you can't control, so I've had to hold everything with a really open hand with this book. I am offering the book on my website. I'm selling it at $7.99—I chose a high price point, because I just feel like, to sit with the other books that I want it to sit with, I need that price point. So I'm offering it on my website, starting at the end of this week, for $5. If they're KU readers and they don't buy books, but they want the book, they can get it for $5 on my website, which I think is reasonable. Jo: Mm. Absolutely. Jami: If that's too much for them, I understand and I get it. Time, things are hard right now, and if they can't do that, it's going to be in libraries, so they can request it at their library. But right now that's the plan. Hopefully that helps with the Also Boughts a little bit too. Even though, again, I just can't worry about those things. As a gift to my readers, I want to do this for them as well—give them a discount. Jo: And obviously this is a standalone, right? This is not— Jami: Yes, it is. Jo: Again, a bit like memoir, all the book marketing we talk about in fiction is “write a series.” It's much easier. So it is difficult to market a standalone in general. And this is something that happened, so it is a standalone situation. So do you feel like you're back in terms of writing? Have you got plans for more books, or is this a business for you going forward? Do you feel like you want to re-enter this whole world? Jami: I do. I have an idea for a book similar to this one—not in the same kind of genre, I mean, of women's fiction, kind of midlife fiction stuff. I have an idea. I had nothing for months and months and months, and a couple of months ago, this idea kind of came to me. I was like, “Oh, that's not bad.” So I'm mulling it over—I do a lot of mulling—and that's the next book I think I will write. I don't know that I'll write rom-coms again. Not because I don't love them. I do, and I love my rom-coms. But I'm just different. You do not go through something like this and come out on the other side the same. I don't know that I could carry an entire rom-com through without it being even more emotional than mine are now. So for right now, I'm going to write another one of these kinds of books where it's got a lot of emotion, family dynamic, tension and dynamics. Jo: That's great. I do feel like once you've written the book that was waiting—your sister's book—then more things arrive, and it's great to hear that that is arriving for you. And of course, we change. One of the nice things about writing for the long term and building more of a name brand is that you change, and your readers either follow you or they don't, but it's your life. So I think that's a good reason to have one pen name. I obviously have two, but my fiction pen name I've written all kinds of genres under. Why else would we keep doing this? I don't want to write the same book over and over again. Jami: Right. Believe me, I've had to eat a lot of crow over the last four years, and it's tasty with ketchup. I have decided that a lot of the stuff I said is true: about you write in one genre, you give the people exactly what they want, and you give it to them over and over again. I believe all of that. I still believe those things. It's just that I don't know that I'm capable of doing that right now. Also, I'm older. I am about doing the things that bring me joy and are not a drudgery. I want to say this, because I miss the success. I miss who I thought I was during that time. I miss the recognition. I'll freely admit it. I miss being the person doing the thing that everybody said couldn't be done. “You can't make money with one book a year.” Well, watch me. And I did. I miss that. What I don't miss, and I've had to be really, really honest with myself, which has been difficult—I don't miss the anxiety that came with that. There was a lot of franticness. I think that if you are in a lot of groups, you see that franticness. I've had to step back, like I've had to step back, and then go back into these groups, you hear authors and see authors, and there's just this frantic sense that we're losing everything, and we have to hold on so tight to everything. I was like that. I checked my ads constantly. I checked my dashboard constantly. My mom used to say, “This should be fun.” I'm like, “Mom, it's a business. It's not fun.” But I recognise that I loved that so much that I held onto it so tight. I don't want to go back to that. I don't have the energy for that. Since this all happened, I've gained four more grandchildren than I had. I have six grandchildren now. I want to spend time with them. I want to spend time with my adult children. I want to spend time with my mom and dad. So I can't be frantic about my sales—are they going up, are they dropping?—and give emotionally to the people I love in my life. If the last four years have taught me anything, it is that the one thing you can never get back is time. You can never get it back, and that is so important to me right now. With this book—and one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you when we were talking about when I would do it—I wanted to do it before it came out, because I've already won. Writing this book, writing a book that honours the bravest person I've ever known and doing the second-hardest thing that I've ever had to do, is the win. That's the win. Whatever happens with this book afterwards is just what happens with this book afterwards. It doesn't change who I am, and you told me that when we were in Vegas two years ago. That conversation really changed a lot for me, because you said, “You are a successful author.” I was still trying to come up with a plan to be a successful author again, and you were like, “You are a successful author. You've had success. That makes you a successful author. You don't have to chase that.” That changed so much of my thinking. If I could leave listeners with anything, it is that we need to recognise the things we can't control and just deal with the things we can control. That's kind of how my sister lived. She could not control her cancer, but she could control how she responded to it and how she went forward. I think a lot of times, when bad things happen, we want to make sense of them. We want a reason for them. And a lot of times there's just no reason. There's no reason my sister died. There's no reason she left two kids and a husband devastated and a family that just has a giant hole in it. There's no reason for that. What defines us is not figuring out why that happened. It's what we do with that going forward. I think that's important for me to remember when I start getting caught up in all the franticness of this business. Jo: Yes. Or not, as the case may be. You can just let the book be what it is. And I do feel like these deeper books, they're more slow burn. You wrote books that ran, ran like the bride. Now we're not running like the bride. Jami: I'm tired. I don't run unless a wild animal's chasing me. Jo: Exactly. Look, we're out of time, but just tell people, if they haven't listened, a bit about your podcast, Wish I'd Known Then with Sara Rosett. Tell people what they can find over on that podcast and why you're still doing it. You've been doing it throughout the whole time. While not writing, you've still been podcasting. Jami: It absolutely saved my life. It's kept me in this business. While I haven't been publishing, I still know what's going on. I know about direct sales, I know about what's happening behind the scenes, with Facebook ads. I've kept in touch with those things because of our podcast. It's an interview podcast like yours, but we talk to people about what they wish they'd known about indie publishing. Most people have some certain thing that they've been working on or doing, and we talk to them a little bit about that too. We ask the same questions every week to every guest, and it's so interesting how different the answers are, and yet how similar they are. I think that helps when you're going through it and you're like, “God, I must be the only one feeling this way.” But you tune into a podcast, and you hear week after week, “Oh, no, there are other people feeling the same way I'm feeling, or struggling with the same things I'm struggling with.” Hopefully we give people things to shoot for and to aspire to. We have some amazing guests. They've all been really gracious and really honest. I don't know if it's the questions, or just because Sara and I are our style, but they're really honest with us when they answer the questions. Jo: It's a great show. I recommend it a lot. Jami: Thank you. Jo: Where can people find you and your books online? Jami: You can find me at JamiAlbright.com—that's J-A-M-I-Albright.com. I'm on all the socials as Jami Albright Author. My books are on Amazon right now, but this book is actually now on all the retailers. So that's where you can find me. Jo: Brilliant. Well, thanks so much for your time, Jami. That was great. Jami: It was an honour. Thank you so much.The post Writing Through Grief And Rebooting an Indie Author Business With Jami Albright first appeared on The Creative Penn.
AI tools are showing up across more self-publishing platforms, and authors need to know what is changing. In this Self-Publishing News update, we cover new AI tools from IngramSpark, Laterpress, and Spoken, along with audiobook updates from Audible and Voices by INAudio. We also look at Bookvault pricing changes, author events, and a quick mid-year survey from Written Word Media. Dibbly Create - https://DaleLinks.com/DibblyCreate (affiliate link) ACX: Audible's New Royalty Model - https://help.acx.com/s/article/audible-s-new-royalty-model IngramSpark Assist FAQs (Metadata Assistant) - https://help.ingramspark.com/hc/en-us/articles/41627826665997-IngramSpark-Assist-FAQs-Metadata-Assistant Bookvault - https://bookvault.app Use BVDALE to waive three upload fees Bookvault: Quote Tool - https://quote.bookvault.app/ Laterpress - https://Laterpress.com Voices by INAudio - https://www.voicesbyinaudio.com/ Spoken: Spoken Studio V2 — Magic Mode & Turnkey Full-Cast Audiobook Creation - https://www.spoken.press/the-spoken-chronicle/spoken-studio-v2-magic-mode-amp-turnkey-full-cast-audiobook-creation Rapid-Fire Newsflash Apple Books for Authors - https://authors.apple.com AppSumo: DepositPhotos Deal - https://DaleLinks.com/DepositPhotos (affiliate link) Cooling Tiger Media Podcast w/ W.A. Blinko - https://open.spotify.com/show/4HNUrH8YLI8VpMiof0c4zY?si=0c4dffce16e34f6e&nd=1&dlsi=ac35936844ea4d3d Contact Wayne at info@wayneblinko.com Self-Publishing Made Simple w/ April Cox: The 5 Biggest Mistakes First-Time Authors Make (And How to Avoid Them) - https://selfpubmadesimple.com/why-authors-dont-publish Twin Flames Studios: Pitching Your Book for Film & TV - https://twinflamesstudios.com/pitching-book-film-tv?partnerid=r1249 (affiliate link) Written Word Media Podcast: How Authors Are Winning On YouTube Right Now - https://youtu.be/qJu6uK-Dy2A?si=mKsbjapgX9y0KJfe Written Word Media Mid-Year Survey - https://writtenwordmedia.typeform.com/to/CCvrkXxE Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts
Tänane külaline on Liis, on naine, kes ütleb enda kohta, et ta on “täiesti tavaline Eesti inimene” aga tema teekond ei ole olnud seda kindlasti. Tema elu ei ole kulgenud sirgjooneliselt. Vastupidi, see on olnud täis otsinguid, murdekohti ja hetki, kus kogu senine maailmapilt on kokku kukkunud. Seljakotirännak Austraalias, kus ta koges hülgamist. Vipassana meditatsioon Tais, kus ta esimest korda tundis puhast armastust inimeste vastu. Suvi telgiga Londoni parkides. Otsingud Indias. Ja vahepeal täielik lahtilaskmine, loobumine harjumustest, asjadest, identiteedist. Tema teekond ei ole olnud vastuste leidmine, vaid küsimuste sügavamaks muutumine. Täna uurib Liis elu läbi vaimsete praktikate, filosoofia ja isikliku kogemuse, otsides, mis on päriselt tõde, mitte see, mida meile on õpetatud uskuma. Ja võib-olla kõige ausam küsimus, mida ta endalt küsib on: “Kas ma olen midagi leidnud, või olen ma alles teel?” --- SHOWNOTES — TUGEVAD MÕTTED "Hirmsast unenäost on suurem motivatsioon üles ärgata kui heast unenäost." "Keegi ei küsinud — ja sellepärast ma ei rääkinud." "Kogu aeg oli tunne, et räägin välja perekonna saladuse." "Esimesed 20 aastat arvasin, et elu ongi nii — ja positiivselt mõtlejad pole lihtsalt veel piisavalt kogenud." "Funktsioon ei olnud see, et elu oleks ilus, vaid et järgmise päevani vastu pidada." "Ma armastan sind sellepärast, et sa oled olemas — mitte sellepärast, mida sa teed." "Guru on nagu lennuk, mis lendab su kohal ja ootab, et sul oleks piisavalt vaba ruumi, et maanduda." "Mõtted viitavad kogemusele, aga nad ei ole kogemus ise." "Maailm on loodud inimesele — ja see on müüt, milles me kõik elame." "Kui sa oled oma mõttes, oled sa alati ühe mõtte kaugusel reaalsusest." "Mul on alati valida — kas olla solvunud või jätkata tingimuseta armastuse andmist." "Valu on olnud minu parim nõelravi." "Austraalia õpetas mulle, et elu ei pea olema raske." "Vastutuse võtmine enda eest on see, mis tegelikult elu muudab — mitte aeg." "Ma ei tea, kus ma oleksin, kui ma poleks endaga tegelenud. Kas mind oleks üldse." "Nothing excites me — ja see ei ole probleem, see on shift." "Teises riigis hakkad aru saama, mis sinu enda kultuuris on lihtsalt harjumus, mitte tõde." "Iga tehnika teeb oma töö ära — ära jää sellesse kinni." "Ellujäämine ei ole saavutus — see on lähtepunkt." "Inimkontakt on põhiline — see on natuke ära kadunud, aga selle jaoks me siin oleme." ---
Cassandra Woodhouse Part 3!Cassandra returns to talk about her latest discoveries about playing Tessa in her latest tour of Prima Facie around New Zealand. As well as her debut book, “Sex, Power and Prima Facie: When Art Becomes Activism and the Creatress Rises”.In this beautiful book, Cassandra delivers a powerful, poignant and vivid understanding of not only Suzie Miller's play, but of the healing journey after the curtain comes down. Sex, Power and Prima Facie delves into her experience of taking this play around New Zealand, a one woman show in more ways than one, and the profound impact it had on the audiences and herself. From advice on how to regulate your nervous system after a demanding acting challenge, to having empathy for people sharing their stories for the first time. This book is not only for fans of the play, but for those discovering it for the first time. This is for you and the one in three. Get your copies now on from any major retailer, and it's also available as an audiobook on Spotify. All this and much more!Thank you again Cassandra always a pleasure!Oliver GowerSpotlight Link: https://www.spotlight.com/9097-9058-5261Instagram: @ollietheuncensoredcriticFor enquiries and requests: olliegower10@gmail.comPlease Like, Download and Subscribe ✍️Thank you all for your support!Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name. Early Morning
En este episodio de Desahuevate, converso con Alison Rincón sobre una realidad que muchas viven, pero pocas se atreven a decir en voz alta.Desde su experiencia en una institución militar, Alison comparte situaciones de acoso, injusticias y silencios que pesan más de lo que deberían. Hablamos de la vergüenza de alzar la voz, del miedo a no ser creídas y de cómo, muchas veces, el sistema termina protegiendo al agresor.Este no es solo su testimonio, es el reflejo de algo que pasa todos los días.Desahuevate, porque callar también duele.CRÉDITOS:Invitada: Alison RinconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisonrincon6?igsh=aDlvejkybnk0c2hsDiseño de interiores por: PECA STUDIO - https://www.instagram.com/peca_estudioCortinas: CORTILUM PERÚ - https://www.instagram.com/cortilumperuAlfombra de centro: MARI RUGS - https://www.instagram.com/mari.rugsDirección y producción: Daniella Delucchi - https://www.instagram.com/delucchidaniCo-producción: Fer López - https://www.instagram.com/ferlopezofcCámara principal: Mathias Becerril - https://www.instagram.com/mathbc.jpgCámaras adicional 1: Pierina Herrera - https://www.instagram.com/yvnakim_Cámara adicional 2: Danny Dávila - https://www.instagram.com/dannydavila06Encargado de sonido: Mathias Becerril - https://www.instagram.com/mathbc.jpgContent manager: Alexandra Solórzano - https://www.instagram.com/that70sbitchCommunity manager: Anthuanet Cordova - https://www.instagram.com/sweetsearbhasDiseño gráfico: Maria Fernanda Suelpres - https://www.instagram.com/bitacora.pdfEdición y postproducción: Pierina Herrera - https://www.instagram.com/yvnakim_Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/Track Name: Infraction Music- FunkyCity “New Track” - https://youtu.be/UwrDEj5M_hQ?si=21MYPE0NLqxTtUnoEl equipo es la razón por la que esto es posible.
La soledad no siempre tiene que ver con estar físicamente solo.A veces tiene que ver con no sentirte visto, comprendido o conectado.En este episodio exploro qué hay realmente detrás de esa sensación, por qué aparece en ciertas etapas de la vida y cómo empezar a relacionarte con ella sin que te consuma.Tal vez no se trata de huir de la soledad, sino de entenderla.¡Si te sientes solo, escucha esto! PT2 CRÉDITOS:Diseño de interiores por: PECA STUDIO - https://www.instagram.com/peca_estudioCortinas: CORTILUM PERÚ - https://www.instagram.com/cortilumperuAlfombra de centro: MARI RUGS - https://www.instagram.com/mari.rugsDirección y producción: Daniella Delucchi - https://www.instagram.com/delucchidaniCo-producción: Fer López - https://www.instagram.com/ferlopezofcCámara principal: Mathias Becerril - https://www.instagram.com/mathbc.jpgCámaras adicional 1: Pierina Herrera - https://www.instagram.com/yvnakim_Cámara adicional 2: Danny Dávila - https://www.instagram.com/dannydavila06Encargado de sonido: Mathias Becerril - https://www.instagram.com/mathbc.jpgContent manager: Alexandra Solórzano - https://www.instagram.com/that70sbitchCommunity manager: Anthuanet Cordova - https://www.instagram.com/sweetsearbhasDiseño gráfico: Maria Fernanda Suelpres - https://www.instagram.com/bitacora.pdfEdición y postproducción: Pierina Herrera - https://www.instagram.com/yvnakim_Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/Track Name: Infraction Music- FunkyCity “New Track” - https://youtu.be/UwrDEj5M_hQ?si=21MYPE0NLqxTtUnoEl equipo es la razón por la que esto es posible.
En este episodio de #Desahuevate, converso con #ABRL sobre su primer EP “En voz alta”, un proyecto donde decidió poner en palabras (y canciones) todo lo que sentía.Durante los primeros minutos, nos sumergimos completamente en el proceso creativo detrás del EP: cómo nació, qué significa para ella y por qué era tan importante decirlo todo sin filtros.ABRL se abre sobre el síndrome de impostor, crecer rodeada de referentes, las constantes mudanzas que marcaron su vida, el miedo a no ser suficiente y las dudas que tuvo al construir su identidad artística.También hablamos del amor, del corazón roto y de cómo todo eso terminó convirtiéndose en música.Este episodio no es solo sobre lanzar un EP. Es sobre atreverse a ser tú, incluso cuando no estás segura de quién eres.Créditos: HOST: Daniella Delucchi Instagram: / delucchidani INVITADA: ABRL¡Escucha “en voz alta” en todas sus plataformas!
En este episodio de Desahuevate Podcast, Daniella tiene una conversación profunda y genuina con Ariana Mujica, una joven de 23 años que a los 8 años tuvo que adaptarse por completo a una nueva realidad tras perder la vista debido a una extraña enfermedad que cambió su vida para siempre.Ariana comparte cómo enfrentó el miedo, la frustración y los obstáculos que llegaron con ese proceso, además de cómo logró reconstruirse, seguir adelante y demostrar que los límites muchas veces están en la mente. Entre aprendizajes, momentos difíciles y mucha fortaleza, este capítulo nos recuerda la importancia de la resiliencia, la gratitud y de nunca dejar de luchar por nuestros sueños.Créditos: HOST: Daniella Delucchi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delucchidaniINVITADA: Ariana Mujica Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ari_mluyDiseño de interiores por: PECA STUDIO - https://www.instagram.com/peca_estudioCortinas: CORTILUM PERÚ - https://www.instagram.com/cortilumperuAlfombra de centro: MARI RUGS - https://www.instagram.com/mari.rugsDirección y producción: Daniella Delucchi - https://www.instagram.com/delucchidaniCo-producción: Fer Lopez - https://www.instagram.com/ferlopezofc Cámara principal: Mathias Becerril - https://www.instagram.com/mathbc.jpgContent manager: Alexandra Solórzano - https://www.instagram.com/_that70sbitch_Community manager: Anthuanet Cordova - https://www.instagram.com/sweetsearbhasDiseño gráfico: Maria Fernanda Suelpres - https://www.instagram.com/bitacora.pdf Edición y pos-producción: Pierina Herrera - https://www.instagram.com/yvnakim_Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/Track Name: Infraction Music- FunkyCity “New Track” - https://youtu.be/UwrDEj5M_hQ?si=21MYPE0NLqxTtUnoEl equipo es la razón por la que esto es posible.
No todo el mundo habla de lo que pasa cuando te quedas.Cuando decides sostener, cuidar, salvar… aunque tú también necesites ayuda.En este episodio de #Desahuevate, Alejandra Castillo comparte una experiencia que la marcó para siempre.Porque a veces el amor no es suficiente… y entender eso también duele.Créditos: HOST: Daniella Delucchi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delucchidaniINVITADA: Alejandra CastilloInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/alejandracastillo6041Diseño de interiores por: PECA STUDIO - https://www.instagram.com/peca_estudioCortinas: CORTILUM PERÚ - https://www.instagram.com/cortilumperuAlfombra de centro: MARI RUGS - https://www.instagram.com/mari.rugsDirección y producción: Daniella Delucchi - https://www.instagram.com/delucchidaniCo-producción: Fer Lopez - https://www.instagram.com/ferlopezofc Cámara principal: Mathias Becerril - https://www.instagram.com/mathbc.jpgContent manager: Alexandra Solórzano - https://www.instagram.com/_that70sbitch_Community manager: Anthuanet Cordova - https://www.instagram.com/sweetsearbhasDiseño gráfico: Maria Fernanda Suelpres - https://www.instagram.com/bitacora.pdf Edición y pos-producción: Pierina Herrera - https://www.instagram.com/yvnakim_Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/Track Name: Infraction Music- FunkyCity “New Track” - https://youtu.be/UwrDEj5M_hQ?si=21MYPE0NLqxTtUnoEl equipo es la razón por la que esto es posible.
Historia escrita por Reaperman420.Fuente de la historia (traducción hecha por mí): https://bit.ly/4888eixEdición a cargo de Fanterozen: https://www.instagram.com/fanterozen/Código de Fortnite: yosoypride✨Redes sociales, FAQ y podcasts en un solo link: https://bit.ly/RedesPride
Hay historias de amor que no terminan… solo se transforman.Samantha vivió una relación que parece sacada de una película. Amó, cuidó y acompañó al amor de su vida mientras luchaba contra el cáncer.Este episodio es sobre quedarse cuando todo duele. Sobre amar en las buenas… y también en el final.CRÉDITOS:Invitada: SamanthaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ms.samxnlHost: Daniella DelucchiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/delucchidaniTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@danidelucchiDiseño de interiores por: PECA STUDIO - https://www.instagram.com/peca_estudioCortinas: CORTILUM PERÚ - https://www.instagram.com/cortilumperuAlfombra de centro: MARI RUGS - https://www.instagram.com/mari.rugsDirección y producción: Daniella Delucchi - https://www.instagram.com/delucchidaniCo-producción: Fer López - https://www.instagram.com/ferlopezofcCámara principal: Mathias Becerril - https://www.instagram.com/mathbc.jpgCámara 2: Danny Dávila - https://www.instagram.com/dannydavila06Encargado de sonido: Mathias Becerril - https://www.instagram.com/mathbc.jpgContent manager: Alexandra Solórzano - https://www.instagram.com/that70sbitchCommunity manager: Anthuanet Cordova - https://www.instagram.com/sweetsearbhasDiseño gráfico: Maria Fernanda Suelpres - https://www.instagram.com/bitacora.pdfEdición y postproducción: Fer López - https://www.instagram.com/ferlopezofcMusic from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/Track Name: Infraction Music- FunkyCity “New Track” - https://youtu.be/UwrDEj5M_hQ?si=21MYPE0NLqxTtUnoEl equipo es la razón por la que esto es posible.
En este episodio de Desahuevate, Dani conversa con Sophia, creadora de contenido que destaca por su autenticidad sin filtros. Juntas se abren como dos amigas más y hablan sobre sus ex relaciones, esas historias que duelen pero enseñan. Entre risas, confesiones y momentos reales, reflexionan sobre cómo salir de ahí, reconocer las banderas rojas a tiempo y aprender a elegirnos mejor
Amazon's latest algorithm changes are giving authors more proof that they need to bring their own traffic, while KDP print quality concerns keep pushing some authors to look at other options. In this self-publishing news update, I cover new insights from Written Word Media, a trust-shaking Grammarly lawsuit, LaterPress AI tools, Voices by INaudio, Draft2Digital features, and more. You'll also hear quick updates on Spoken, Booklinker, Twin Flames Studios, and rising self-publishing stats. All that and more in the Self-Publishing News for March 27, 2026. PRF Law: Class Action Alleges That Grammarly Misappropriated the Names of Journalists and Authors Through its "Expert Review" That Lets Users Get Feedback on Writing From Experts - https://prf-law.com/current-cases/class-action-alleges-that-grammarly-misappropriated-the-names-of-journalists-and-authors-through-its-expert-review Written Word Podcast: The Amazon A10 Update: 3 Things Every Indie Author Needs to Know - https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/the-amazon-a10-update-3-things-every-indie-author-needs-to-know/ Vervanté - https://vervante.com/ Laterpress - https://Laterpress.com Laterpress: An Introduction to Laterpress AI | Special 2-hour Launch Stream https://www.youtube.com/live/E-h-WZR4mx8?si=4DUeL18jZiokE92t Voices by INAudio: Welcome to the Voices Newsletter - https://voicesbyinaudio-newsletter.beehiiv.com/p/welcome-to-the-voices-newsletter-8bc7af69628f447c Draft2Digital - https://DaleLinks.com/D2D (referral link) Rapid-Fire News Flash Spoken x Author Nation: Choose the Winner in "Your Story" Audiobook Contest - https://www.spoken.press/yourstory Spoken: Spring Sprint - https://www.spoken.press/sprint Twin Flames Studios: Launch Strategies That Fit You (webinar) - https://twinflamesstudios.com/launchstrategies/?partnerid=r1397 BookLinker: Getting Started with BookBub Ads (webinar) - https://booklinker.mykajabi.com/Bookbub-Ads-Authors Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts
En este 8M
Hay quienes se vuelven expertos en sostener el mundo de otros… solo para no tocar el peso del propio. En este episodio de Desahuevate, me quedo sola conmigo y con una idea incómoda: ¿cuántas veces hemos hecho de los problemas ajenos un refugio para no enfrentarnos a lo que realmente nos duele? Una reflexión filosófica sobre la evasión, los límites emocionales y el valor de mirarnos sin distracciones
Draft2Digital is finally explaining why dozens of nonfiction categories were blocked last year, and the answer points to a growing issue with AI flooding parts of the nonfiction marketplace. We also look at fresh market insights from PublishDrive, issues surfacing around the BookBounty review exchange platform, and several updates authors should keep on their radar across distribution, tools, and publishing platforms. Author Nation After Party (digital replay) - https://DaleLinks.com/AuthorNationReplay (affiliate link) PublishDrive's Market Intelligence Report 2026 - https://publishdrive.com/publishdrives-market-intelligence-report-2026 PublishDrive - https://DaleLinks.com/PublishDrive (affiliate link) Bookshop.org and Draft2Digital Partner - https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/bookshop-org-and-draft2digital-partner-enabling-independent-bookstores-to-profit-from-self-published-ebooks/ D2D and Bookshop Team Up: Your Ebooks Reach 4 Million New Readers (video) - https://youtu.be/DR5ixdGItWE?si=KqZgeuEoSgolvL5p Draft2Digital - https://DaleLinks.com/D2D (affiliate link) Indie Author Magazine: Draft2Digital CEO Details How AI Is Actually Affecting the Industry - https://indieauthormagazine.com/draft2digital-ceo-kris-austin-details-how-ai-is-actually-affecting-the-industry/ Book Bounty - https://DaleLinks.com/BookBounty (affiliate link) Rapid Fire News Flash Amazon Ads - https://ads.amazon.com Voices by INAudio - https://www.voicesbyinaudio.com/ Novel Report - https://DaleLinks.com/NovelReport (affiliate link) IngramSpark: Book Marketing for the Self-Published Author - https://ingramspark.learnworlds.com/course/book-marketing Barnes & Noble Press: Bank Beneficiary Address - https://help-press.barnesandnoble.com/hc/en-us/articles/45981327203483-Bank-Beneficiary-Address ProWritingAid presents: Novel Beginnings - https://prowritingaid.com/novel-beginnings?afid=6615 (affiliate link) Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts
En este episodio de Desahuevate, conversamos con Carla Eyzaguirre, una joven de 23 años que decidió romper el silencio y compartir una historia que marcó su vida para siempre.Carla perdió a su papá en un momento inesperado y doloroso. Pero más allá de la pérdida, nos habla de algo que muchas veces no sabemos nombrar: la dependencia emocional. Cuando una persona se convierte en tu mundo, en tu refugio, en tu lugar seguro… ¿qué pasa cuando ya no está?En este capítulo hablamos de duelo, apego, traición, trauma y del proceso de reconstruirse cuando sientes que lo perdiste todo. Carla también comparte una experiencia de abuso y cómo la complicidad de alguien cercano puede romperte aún más.Si alguna vez sentiste que alguien era tu todo, este capítulo es para ti.Desahuevate
Este episodio se subió un poco tarde por problemas técnicos (UPS)
Gracias por ser parte del estreno de esta nueva temporada del podcast, por la paciencia y por seguir aquí. En este primer episodio hablo de la nueva etapa de Desahuevate, hablo del amor que te apaga, de las cosas que confundimos con amor y de por qué a veces nos quedamos donde no somos felices.Porque si una relación te hace sentir menos, no es amor.¡Nos vemos todos los domingos a las 7pm! A partir de hoy, los amo. Gracias a todas las personas que hicieron posible esta nueva temporada.Créditos: Diseño de interiores por: PECA STUDIO - https://www.instagram.com/peca_estudioCortinas: CORTILUM PERÚ - https://www.instagram.com/cortilumperuAlfombra de centro: MARI RUGS - https://www.instagram.com/mari.rugsDirección y producción: Daniella Delucchi - https://www.instagram.com/delucchidaniCo-producción: Fer Lopez - https://www.instagram.com/ferlopezofc Cámara principal: Mathias Becerril - https://www.instagram.com/mathbc.jpgContent manager: Alexandra Solórzano - https://www.instagram.com/_that70sbitch_Community manager: Anthuanet Cordova - https://www.instagram.com/sweetsearbhasDiseño gráfico: Maria Fernanda Suelpres - https://www.instagram.com/bitacora.pdf Edición y pos-producción: Ximena Maticorena - https://www.instagram.com/maticorena.avMusic from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name: Infraction Music- FunkyCity "New Track" - https://youtu.be/UwrDEj5M_hQ?si=21MYPE0NLqxTtUno
The Cincinnati Bengals' biggest needs in free agency this offseason center squarely on fixing what went wrong in 2025, particularly on defense and the trenches, and making sure Joe Burrow is protected and supported as the team looks to return to contention in 2026. 1. Defensive Pass Rush & Defensive Line Cincinnati's defense was among the worst in the NFL, and the pass rush was a primary culprit. With veteran Trey Hendrickson likely to test free agency or leave, the Bengals will need to bring in multiple edge rushers or interior disruptors to generate pressure and improve sack production. Analysts suggest targeting veterans or quality starters to rebuild that front seven alongside young pieces. 2. Linebacker Leadership & Run Defense Linebacker play was inconsistent, and adding a proven, tackling-savvy veteran could stabilize the unit and mentor younger players. Rumored targets like Demario Davis have popped up as potential fits to add leadership and tackling reliability. 3. Secondary Help (Safety/DB Depth) The secondary has been shaky for years, especially after losing key contributors and with potential departures looming. Adding a play-maker or reliable veteran safety should be on the Bengals' list, complementing a corner group that has some talent but lacks depth. 4. Interior Offensive Line (Guard Help & Protection) While the Bengals fortified their offense around Burrow with extensions for his top receivers, the offensive line—especially at guard—remains a concern. Protecting Burrow and improving the run game will likely necessitate targeting quality interior offensive linemen in free agency or re-signing key contributors such as Dalton Risner. 5. Depth on Run Defense (DT) and Overall Front Seven Run defense rankings were poor, and adding size and disruption inside—whether at defensive tackle or versatile linemen—should be a priority to keep opposing ground games in check. Overall, the Bengals have cap space to be active, and while offense remains strong, biggest offseason focus in free agency will plausibly be defensive upgrades and offensive line reinforcement to balance the roster and give Cincinnati a chance to compete again. Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Holy (Trap). Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Exercise (Rock). #Bengals #NFL #OffTheBench
The Bengals are entering a pivotal period for locking up key young talent, and Chase Brown is at the top of that list. After a breakout season with over 1,300 scrimmage yards and continued production, Brown has publicly expressed his desire to stay in Cincinnati long-term while his agent and the team have been in ongoing communication about a new contract. Historically, Cincinnati has waited to extend players until they've proven themselves—and often until prices inflate, as seen with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins—but Brown seems positioned to be part of that core moving forward. Getting a deal done now could be mutually beneficial: stability for the team and financial security for Brown before he hits unrestricted free agency. For Dax Hill, the situation is slightly different. The Bengals exercised his fifth-year option for the 2026 season, keeping him under contract through next year. That move shows organizational belief in his upside after a position switch from safety to cornerback, despite an ACL injury. Hill's extension may not come immediately this offseason—teams often wait to see a full season of production before committing significant new money—but his late-season performance in 2025 could push the Bengals toward long-term talks instead of reaching for a cornerback in the draft. DJ Turner has arguably the strongest case for an early extension among the three. After a career-best 2025 campaign highlighted by high PFF grades, pass breakups, and interceptions, Turner looks like a foundational piece of the Bengals' defense. He's expressed a clear desire to stay long term, and team insiders expect extension talks to start soon. With contracts for Brown and Turner both in play, the Bengals' front office will need to balance cap flexibility with locking down homegrown contributors in the coming months. Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Holy (Trap). Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Exercise (Rock). #Bengals #NFL #OffTheBench
The Pittsburgh Steelers have reached a verbal agreement to hire Mike McCarthy as their next head coach, succeeding long-time leader Mike Tomlin, who stepped down after 19 seasons. McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native with 18 seasons of NFL head-coaching experience — including a Super Bowl victory with the Green Bay Packers — brings a veteran presence to a franchise that rarely changes coaches. His hiring marks only the fourth head coach in Steelers history since 1969, a significant shift from their traditional approach of younger, first-time head coaches. For the Cincinnati Bengals and the AFC North more broadly, this hire changes several key dynamics. First, McCarthy's offensive pedigree — having developed elite quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott — suggests the Steelers may become more competitive on offense sooner rather than later. That bump in offensive creativity could intensify divisional matchups with the Bengals, who have seen success in recent years behind Joe Burrow's playmaking. A resurgent Steelers offense could mean closer Steelers-Bengals games and more pressure in the division standings. Second, McCarthy's arrival adds unpredictability. Pittsburgh's quarterback situation remains fluid — especially with Aaron Rodgers' future uncertain — and McCarthy's history with veteran quarterbacks could influence Rodgers to return or attract another experienced signal-caller. If that happens, the Bengals — who have often battled Pittsburgh for AFC North supremacy — may face a rejuvenated rival. Finally, coaching changes often shift divisional psychology. Where the Bengals have had recent edge in continuity, the Steelers under McCarthy will be retooling schemes and culture. This could either temporarily ease Cincinnati's path or, if McCarthy quickly installs his system, tighten the race for playoff positioning. Overall, McCarthy's hiring doesn't just reshape Pittsburgh's future — it reshapes the competitive landscape the Bengals must navigate in 2026 and beyond. Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Holy (Trap). Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Exercise (Rock). #Bengals #NFL #OffTheBench
The Cincinnati Reds have been quietly linked in recent MLB offseason buzz to potential reunions with two familiar faces: third baseman Eugenio Suárez and outfielder Austin Hays. According to multiple reports, Cincinnati's front office is exploring ways to bolster its lineup ahead of the 2026 season, and both players represent intriguing options for a club that is trying to balance competitiveness with cost and roster flexibility. Suárez, a veteran slugger who spent the bulk of his most productive years with the Reds before moving on to the Arizona Diamondbacks, has been connected to Cincinnati in trade chatter. At the 2025 trade deadline there was mutual interest reported between Cincinnati and Arizona in a deal to bring Suárez back to Cincinnati, where he once provided significant power from the hot corner. Sources have described his potential return not just as a nostalgic move for fans, but as a real way to add middle-of-the-order pop to a lineup that struggled to produce big offensive numbers. On the free-agent side, Austin Hays is another name the Reds could target. Hays played for Cincinnati in 2025 after the club declined his mutual option for 2026, making him a free agent this winter. He slashed a respectable line with 15 home runs and provided solid outfield defense, and Reds management is reportedly considering whether a reunion would make sense if the two sides can find agreeable terms. While neither move is confirmed, and financial or roster implications remain key factors in any decision, the interest suggests the Reds are eyeing a mix of proven veterans and internal youth as they shape their 2026 roster around young stars like Elly De La Cruz and Noelvi Marte. Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Holy (Trap). Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Exercise (Rock). #Bengals #NFL #OffTheBench
The Bills' end-of-season press conference, led by owner Terry Pegula and president/GM Brandon Beane, turned into a public relations disaster. Rather than offering a clear plan or unified message after firing head coach Sean McDermott, the event quickly devolved into blame-shifting, confusing narratives, and emotional oversharing. Pegula openly described firing McDermott based on an emotional reaction to the recent playoff loss, recounting how he saw quarterback Josh Allen “crying” and decided to pull the trigger on a coach who delivered years of winning seasons. He also publicly blamed McDermott and the coaching staff for drafting wide receiver Keon Coleman — a claim that both contradicted conventional accountability norms and put an active player in an awkward spotlight. That kind of public airing of internal disputes is rare at the NFL executive level. Bills leadership seemed defensive and inconsistent, at times undermining each other's authority and revealing more about internal dysfunction than any coherent vision for the franchise. Even some reports suggest players — including Allen — were reportedly unhappy with how the situation was presented and that Allen wasn't consulted before the firing was announced. Against that backdrop, the Cincinnati Bengals immediately appear more disciplined and stable. The Bengals' leadership, including owner Mike Brown and coach/performance staff, have a reputation for not spectacularly botching press interactions or publicly airing internal frustrations. While Cincinnati isn't perfect and sometimes keeps tight lips, the team avoids public spectacles that make front office dysfunction look like a headline story — which is exactly what happened in Buffalo. Fans and pundits alike now point out that even if Bengals executives aren't exuberously communicative, they've never staged a press event that spiraled into a spectacle of blame and contradictions. In short, Buffalo's chaotic press conference unintentionally raises the bar for what we consider “competent communication” in the NFL — and by that measure, the Bengals look organized by comparison. Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Holy (Trap). Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Exercise (Rock). #Bengals #NFL #OffTheBench
Caleb Downs — Versatile Defensive Playmaker Downs is widely regarded as one of the top defensive prospects in the 2026 class and could be the best pure defender available at No. 10. He's a unanimous All-American with a resume featuring Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors and award recognition like the Jim Thorpe and Lott Trophies for nation's top defensive back. Downs combines elite football IQ, instincts, range, and physicality—allowing him to defend the run, cover receivers, and make plays all over the field. Scouts praise him for his coverage versatility, ability to diagnose offenses quickly, and leadership as a secondary commander. He's played in multiple roles (deep safety, box, nickel) operating like a defensive coordinator on the field. That rare blend makes him a potential day-one starter with All-Pro ceiling, a tone-setter for Cincinnati's secondary. Rueben Bain Jr. — High-Motor, Disruptive Edge Rusher Bain is one of the most exciting edge defenders in this draft cycle—everywhere from mock drafts to big board rankings slot him near the top for pass-rush talent. He's physical against the run and rushes the passer with power and leverage, and his 275-pound frame with a relentless motor gives him a three-down feel. Bain has produced pressure and sacks at a high clip during big games, showcasing a toolkit that translates well to NFL front sevens. His ability to set the edge or slide inside on passing downs adds a versatile element to a defensive line that could further complement the Bengals' front. David Bailey — Explosive Pass-Rush Specialist Bailey is a pure pass-rushing threat who terrorized opponents in 2025, leading many analytic boards in pressures and sacks. With elite burst off the snap, bend around the edge, and a developing arsenal of moves, he's the kind of playmaker who can generate game-changing pressure on opposing quarterbacks. For a Bengals team that has looked to boost its pass rush—especially after middling pressure numbers last season—Bailey offers a high-upside rotational edge or eventual starter who can flip momentum with splash plays. In short, Downs delivers defensive backbone and versatility, Bain combines power and disruptive presence on the edge, and Bailey brings elite, momentum-shifting pass-rush ability—all compelling fits for Cincinnati depending on how the draft board falls and what specific defensive holes they prioritize at No. 10. Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Holy (Trap). Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Exercise (Rock). #Bengals #NFL #OffTheBench
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are conducting a high-profile search for a new offensive coordinator after parting ways with Josh Grizzard following an 8–9 season and a missed playoff berth in 2025. Among the names they're exploring is Dan Pitcher, the Bengals' offensive coordinator, who is scheduled to interview with Tampa Bay this week. Pitcher, 39, has been on the Cincinnati Bengals coaching staff since 2016, ascending from offensive assistant to quarterbacks coach and then offensive coordinator for the past two seasons. Though he holds the OC title in Cincinnati, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor retains play-calling duties, which means Pitcher hasn't had an opportunity to call plays in regular-season games. Taylor has granted him permission to interview with teams offering play-calling offensive coordinator roles, making the Buccaneers' opening a potentially significant career move. The interview represents both an opportunity and a challenge. On paper, it could be seen as a lateral move in terms of job title, but for Pitcher it's a rare chance to step into a role where he would directly run the offense on game days — something he hasn't done in Cincinnati. His track record includes helping develop quarterback Joe Burrow into one of the NFL's premier passers, which is a major selling point for Tampa Bay as they look to revitalize an offense that underperformed in key areas last season. Tampa Bay's coaching search has been extensive, with interviews already held with several candidates including former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, Ravens OC Todd Monken, and others. Pitcher adds another experienced offensive mind to that mix as the Buccaneers weigh their next steps. Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Holy (Trap). Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Exercise (Rock). #Bengals #NFL #OffTheBench
This past weekend, the Cincinnati Bearcats stunned the college basketball world by knocking off No. 2 Iowa State in a stunning Big 12 upset. The Bearcats delivered a 79-70 victory over the Cyclones on Saturday at Fifth Third Arena, handing Iowa State its second straight loss after a 16-0 start to the season. Cincinnati's win was historic on several fronts. It marked the Bearcats' first victory over a Top 2 team at home since 1967, a nearly six-decade drought finally broken in front of a raucous home crowd that even stormed the court after the final buzzer. It was also Cincinnati's best win in over a decade and their first against a top-10 opponent since 2012, giving new life to a season that has had its ups and downs. The Bearcats played with energy, hitting timely three-pointers and creating havoc on defense. Day Day Thomas led the scoring with 19 points, while Jalen Celestine knocked down four triples off the bench and Baba Miller contributed with key rebounds. Cincinnati forced 12 turnovers from Iowa State, turning those mistakes into 20 points and swinging momentum in their favor. Despite a career-high 34 points from Iowa State sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic—including eight made threes—the Cyclones couldn't quite complete their comeback after falling behind early. Iowa State battled back in the second half but ultimately couldn't overcome Cincinnati's balanced scoring and home-court energy. This win doesn't just go down as a highlight of the season—it's a defining moment for the Bearcats program under coach Wes Miller, showing they can compete with and beat elite competition. Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Holy (Trap). Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Exercise (Rock). #Bengals #NFL #OffTheBench
Big-name veteran Orlando Brown Jr. is one of the most talked-about potential cap casualties for the Bengals. Brown is an elite left tackle with multiple Pro Bowls on his résumé and remains a cornerstone of Cincinnati's offensive line, but his contract carries a very heavy cap hit (nearly $22 M in 2026) with limited savings if he's cut without a post-June designation. That makes him an unlikely cut in a vacuum — the Bengals protect Joe Burrow at all costs — but it also makes Brown one of the few marquee players whose salary structure could make the team at least explore ways to create cap space (like restructuring or tagging a successor) if Cincinnati finds itself tight against the cap in the coming offseason. On the defensive front, B.J. Hill and T.J. Slaton both have contracts that could draw scrutiny, but they are less likely to be cut purely for performance reasons. Hill just re-signed a multi-year deal, is a veteran starter inside and a locker-room leader, and anchors the defensive tackle rotation. Slaton, signed on a two-year deal in 2025, brings run-stuffing size and depth to a unit that needs bodies. Both have roles in the defensive interior, and the Bengals historically value continuity at the line. Finally, Oren Burks was brought in on a two-year contract to add experience to a linebacking corps in transition. While he's not a marquee name, Burks' role could be in jeopardy if younger players like Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter continue to progress and the team pursues cap savings — linebacker is traditionally easier to replace through the draft or cheaper free-agent signings. In summary, Brown's salary makes him the most intriguing “cut candidate” from a cap perspective, even if it's unlikely in practice; Hill and Slaton are more likely to stick due to role and continuity; and Burks' spot could be in play if the Bengals pivot toward youth or cheaper alternatives. Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Holy (Trap). Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Exercise (Rock). #Bengals #NFL #OffTheBench
After a disappointing 6-11 season and a third straight year without a playoff appearance, this offseason will be one of the most consequential in recent Bengals history. Cincinnati has chosen stability at the top — head coach Zac Taylor and director of player personnel Duke Tobin will both return — meaning Tobin's roster construction decisions will be under intense scrutiny. Defensive talent acquisition will be the top priority. Tobin publicly stated the team needs a significant influx of talent on defense, especially in the pass rush, after struggling to generate pressure and close out games late in the season. He's highlighted this as a key reason the Bengals lost tight contests and failed to make the playoffs. Improving leadership on defense and overall toughness is another focus. Tobin emphasized needing players who can lead and execute consistently — something the unit lacked during the 2025 campaign — and may look for veterans in free agency and the draft to provide that. The offensive line and backup quarterback protection will likely be addressed to keep Burrow healthy; he missed time due to injury in 2025. Finally, resource allocation and scouting strategy could draw attention: Tobin said Cincinnati won't expand its historically small scouting department, which has faced criticism for its draft results, especially on defense. Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Holy (Trap). Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Exercise (Rock). #Bengals #NFL #OffTheBench
Mike Tomlin stepping down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers is a seismic moment in the AFC North, and it's a development that directly benefits the Cincinnati Bengals. After nearly two decades of unmatched stability, leadership, and competitiveness in Pittsburgh, the Steelers now enter an era of uncertainty—while the Bengals remain firmly in their championship window. For years, Tomlin was the constant obstacle standing in Cincinnati's way. Even during seasons when the Steelers lacked elite quarterback play or top-tier talent, Tomlin's teams were disciplined, physical, and extremely difficult to put away. He consistently kept Pittsburgh relevant in the AFC North race and made divisional matchups against the Bengals intense, unpredictable, and costly. With Tomlin gone, that institutional advantage disappears overnight. From a football standpoint, coaching turnover almost always brings short-term regression. A new head coach means new systems, new terminology, and a locker room that must reset its identity. That transition period is exactly what a team like the Bengals can exploit. Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and the core of Cincinnati's roster already understand their system and expectations. Continuity matters in the NFL, and right now, the Bengals have it while the Steelers don't. There's also a psychological shift at play. Tomlin was the face of Steelers football and a symbol of confidence within the division. His departure changes the balance of power and gives Cincinnati a chance to assert itself as the AFC North's most stable and authoritative franchise. Free agents, draft strategy, and player development in Pittsburgh may all be impacted during this transition, creating further opportunity for Cincinnati to pull ahead. In a division defined by toughness and margins, losing a coach like Mike Tomlin is more than symbolic—it's a competitive opening. And for the Bengals, it couldn't come at a better time. Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Holy (Trap). Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Exercise (Rock). #Bengals #NFL #OffTheBench
The Cleveland Browns are deep into their search for a new head coach after parting ways with Kevin Stefanski, and Dan Pitcher — the Cincinnati Bengals' offensive coordinator — has emerged as a genuine candidate. The Browns have officially requested permission to interview Pitcher for their head coaching vacancy, which indicates they see his offensive experience and ties to Browns GM Andrew Berry as assets worth exploring. Pitcher, 38, has been with the Bengals since 2016 and has risen through the ranks from offensive assistant to offensive coordinator, working closely with star quarterback Joe Burrow and contributing to one of the top passing offenses in the league during his tenure. His ascent to OC in 2024 was successful statistically, with Cincinnati ranking high in passing yardage and scoring in his first full year in that role. While the Browns' interest doesn't guarantee a departure, it puts Pitcher in the mix against established coaches and other younger offensive minds — including internal Browns candidates and experienced NFL coordinators. Cleveland has already conducted interviews with several potential hires and continues to evaluate a broad slate. If the Browns do hire Pitcher, it would represent a significant move for him — from a coordinator spot in Cincinnati to an NFL head coach role in Cleveland. It would also affect Bengals staffing, potentially prompting Cincinnati to look internally or externally for his replacement. The situation reflects a broader trend of teams prioritizing young, offensive-minded coaches with quarterback development experience. Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Holy (Trap). Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name Exercise (Rock). #Bengals #NFL #OffTheBench