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Send us a textIn this episode of Authors Who Lead, I sit down with Dan Andrews—writer, entrepreneur, and founder of the Dynamite Circle—to dig deep into what it means to write and lead in today's creative landscape. Our conversation is a goldmine for aspiring authors who wrestle with the pressure to be original, the fear of starting, and the all-too-familiar sting of writer's block. Together, we explore how the writing process—far from being mystical or reserved for geniuses—is something deeply human, honest, and accessible.Timestamp:00:00 Internet transparency movement origins06:10 Internet explorations and new paths07:29 Tim Ferriss' timely insight11:12 Early networking and generosity15:51 Conference speech writing hack18:10 Authors' need for control21:47 Before the Exit insights25:16 Founder mode's accelerated influence28:19 The 1000-day principle33:22 High output drives success35:49 Creative limits enhance artistic expression37:52 Creative freedom vs. impactful writing42:29 Overcoming creative doubt46:02 Personal podcast narratives48:48 Writing as a life-changing idea53:39 Impulsive ticket purchase regrets55:03 Apprenticeship success at MeetupFull show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS
In this episode Mark speaks to author Johnny B. Truant about THE ARTISAN AUTHOR. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Johnny talk about: Johnny's return to this podcast (with neither of them being able to remember how many episodes he'd been on previously). Technically, this is his fourth time. Two previous episodes were interviews, and the other was Johnny's brief guest reflection spot in Episode 300 Why Johnny's new book THE ARTISAN AUTHOR is a much-anticipated and needed book in the industry A definition of what it means to be an artisan author, which is kind of the opposite of being a "rapid release, Kindle-only eBook" author The importance of taking away that stress-cycle of having to pump out so many books as a single prescription "how to do it" answer Remembering an important thing that, just like there is no single "the way" neither is being an artisan author The paradigm shift and mindset change that is required as a fundamental starting point How readers outside of the eBook/Kindle-only marketplace aren't as focused on lower price points and are okay with higher prices The reality of the publishing landscape in terms of the books being sold and money being earned The misinterpretation of the book Johnny and Sean Platt released years ago called WRITE, PUBLISH, REPEAT How there are two kinds of writers. The type who approach the business as trying to solve a puzzle and the type who approach it as a way of telling a story that they really want to share How a call of "go slow and make art" is not nearly as sexy as a "solution" The experience of driving off to meet a couple of long-term fans to sign and sell directly to them Connections and humanity being a key element of the artisan author experience The value of authentic connection, regardless of whether or not it's in person or online That powerful experience Johnny had doing one of his first major live book signing events as an author at Author Nation in Vegas and how that led to doing a lot more in person events The ability to adapt to a customer based on their reactions in person Look at it as connections, and then if sales happen . . . great! Being really generous with your time and attention Some of the logistics of doing an in person book signing A couple of unexpected and amusing anecdotes from selling books in person The Kickstarter that Johnny is doing for this book, which runs July 15 through Aug 14 (johnnybtruant.com/artisan) The additional "continuum of education" that Johnny is including in this Kickstarter (Artisan University) The importance of authors entering into things with conscious decisions rather than just blindly following the generic advice they've found And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on a few specific points from the discussion. Links of Interest: Johnny B. Truant's Website The Artisan Author EP 424 - Passion From Between and Beyond the Pages with Jessica Rampersad EP 322 - The Art of Noticing with Johnny B. Truant EP 302 - Fat Vampires, Storytelling, and Empathy with Johnny B. Truant EP 300 - Celebrating 300 Episodes with Guest Reflections Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Johnny B. Truant is one of indie publishing's early authorities, having created and co-hosted the original Self Publishing Podcast with Sean Platt and David Wright. He is also the author of the indie cornerstone guide Write. Publish. Repeat, and hosted the Smarter Artist Summit author conference in Austin, Texas from 2015-2018 with the same two partners. On the fiction side, Johnny is the bestselling author of Fat Vampire, adapted by The SyFy Network as Reginald the Vampire. His other books include Pretty Killer, Gore Point, Invasion, The Beam, Dead City, Unicorn Western, and over 100 other titles across many genres. Originally from Ohio, Johnny and his family now live in Austin, Texas where he's finally surrounded by creative types as weird as he is. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
In this episode, I'm walking you through a realistic book publishing timeline—from first idea to finished book launch.Whether you're planning to self-publish or go hybrid, this guide will help you understand what takes how long, what tasks overlap, and how to create a schedule that fits your life.Here's what we'll cover:How long writing the firstdraft actually takesWhat editing involves and howto plan for itAll the moving pieces in thepublishing processWhat your launch timelineshould really look likeWhy rushing rarely leads togreat resultsAnd two timeline options tohelp you plan your own path: a 12-month sprint or an 18-month steady marathon.
It was a gimmick and a stunt. Democrats know that the DOJ cant and wont publish videos of Epstein abusing his victims COME HAGN LIVE IN DC - https://www.dccomedyloft.com/shows/323475 Become A Member http://youtube.com/timcastnews/join The Green Room - https://rumble.com/playlists/aa56qw_g-j0 BUY CAST BREW COFFEE TO FIGHT BACK - https://castbrew.com/ Join The Discord Server - https://timcast.com/join-us/ Hang Out With Tim Pool & Crew LIVE At - http://Youtube.com/TimcastIRL
AP correspondent Ben Thomas reports the Trump administration is following through on its promise not to publish major climate change reports.
This podcast episode features Christine Tulley, president and executive writing coach at Defend, Publish, and Lead, sharing her top 5 favorite podcasts for academic writing and thinking. She discusses "Academic Aunties," a monthly podcast offering advice to new academics from experienced faculty; "Deep Questions with Cal Newport," which explores productivity and deep work techniques for academic research; "Don't Wait to Write," a discontinued podcast that provided short writing prompts and practical tips; "The New Books Network," featuring in-depth interviews with authors about their scholarly works and writing processes; and "This is Research," an innovative podcast examining theoretical and methodological approaches to modern research. Tulley explains why she finds each podcast valuable, noting how some provide quick inspiration while others offer deeper exploration of scholarly writing. She emphasizes the variety of formats and approaches, from short episodes to longer deep dives, and how each serves different needs for academic writers and researchers. The episode concludes with information about discount codes for the Textbook and Academic Authors Association membership, which Tulley recommends as a cost-effective professional development resource. SLIDES FOR THIS EPISODE Slides PODCASTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Academic Aunties On Apple Podcast This is Research On Apple Poscast Deep Questions with Cal Newport On Apple Poscast Check out Summer Schedules episode New Books Network On Apple Podcast Don't Wait to Write On Apple Podcast DEFEND PUBLISH & LEAD RESOURCES Set your writing goals with us!. Try us out in a free consultation. James Lang is one of our writing coach and can be hired to develop projects. Email christine@defendpublishlead.com to learn more. Are you a faculty developer? Check out our low cost virtual workshops. Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from christine@defendandpublish.com Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net/ New to TAA? Join for just $30 using discount code TAA70 for 70% off!!! Returning TAA members can use the coupon code TAADP10 for $10 off an annual membership. You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.
Radisson Mining Resources published its preliminary economic assessment this morning for the O'Brien Gold Project in the Abitibi region of Québec. New drill results from Magna Mining, Meridian Mining and Canterra Minerals. Kenorland provides an exploration update. This episode of Mining Stock Daily is brought to you by... Revival Gold is one of the largest pure gold mine developer operating in the United States. The Company is advancing the Mercur Gold Project in Utah and mine permitting preparations and ongoing exploration at the Beartrack-Arnett Gold Project located in Idaho. Revival Gold is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol “RVG” and trades on the OTCQX Market under the ticker symbol “RVLGF”. Learn more about the company at revival-dash-gold.comVizsla Silver is focused on becoming one of the world's largest single-asset silver producers through the exploration and development of the 100% owned Panuco-Copala silver-gold district in Sinaloa, Mexico. The company consolidated this historic district in 2019 and has now completed over 325,000 meters of drilling. The company has the world's largest, undeveloped high-grade silver resource. Learn more at https://vizslasilvercorp.com/Equinox has recently completed the business combination with Calibre Mining to create an Americas-focused diversified gold producer with a portfolio of mines in five countries, anchored by two high-profile, long-life Canadian gold mines, Greenstone and Valentine. Learn more about the business and its operations at equinoxgold.com Integra is a growing precious metals producer in the Great Basin of the Western United States. Integra is focused on demonstrating profitability and operational excellence at its principal operating asset, the Florida Canyon Mine, located in Nevada. In addition, Integra is committed to advancing its flagship development-stage heap leach projects: the past producing DeLamar Project located in southwestern Idaho, and the Nevada North Project located in western Nevada. Learn more about the business and their high industry standards over at integraresources.com
Ged Nash, Labour TD for Louth; and Barry Ward, Fine Gael TD for Dún Laoghaire, debate
Most authors stop at writing the book. But what if the book is just the beginning? In this episode, AJ Vaden sits down with Nick Hutchison, founder of BookThinkers, to reveal the real work that starts after your book is published. Whether you're a seasoned author or launching your first title, this conversation will show you why being best-written means nothing if you're not also best-selling. They break down: Why small podcasts outperform big shows for book sales The 3 content formats that actually convert (and how to use them) How to structure a 60-second video to sell your book on autopilot Why books don't just share ideas—they start movements And the surprising truth about what builds lasting influence If you're a mission-driven messenger with a book—or a message—you need this episode. And if you're not selling your book, ask yourself: do you really believe in it?
Some of the best campaigns don't come from massive budgets or high-gloss production. They come from leaning into what feels real. Currys' Gen Z ads are a perfect example: low-fi, deadpan, and unexpectedly brilliant.In this episode, we're unpacking what made this retail campaign a breakout success with the help of our special guest David Hooker, Director of Brand at Printful and Printify.Together, they explore what B2B marketers can learn from embracing scrappy creativity, building brand affinity over awareness, and trusting that great content doesn't need to sell a product—it just needs to make people care.About our guest, David HookerDavid Hooker is the Director of Brand at Printify and Printful. He's an experienced Creative Director and Brand Manager. Built the Prezi Evangelism and Creative Services teams. Seasoned speaker, including TED-X Talk (see below). David built the Brand and PR function at TravelPerk, securing coverage in Wired, TechCrunch, Sky News, Al Jazeera, Financial Times, Business Insider, Handelsblatt, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and the BBC. He's currently helping empower entrepreneurs at Printify and Printful. What B2B Companies Can Learn From Currys' Gen Z ads:You don't need a big budget to make standout content. Some of the most impactful marketing doesn't come from a fancy studio—it comes from a phone camera, an employee, and a smart idea. David says, “You don't have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to make really good, great content that works.” Don't wait for budget approvals. Focus on originality and execution.B2B still means you're selling to people. Behind every buying committee is a group of humans—ones who laugh, scroll, and crave connection just like everyone else. David says, “You are B2B, but that B is a population of people… you can create great quality content that brightens up people's day, that generates awareness and an affinity for your brand.” Lead with humanity, not just logic.Ignore the naysayers—go make something people love. Not every campaign needs to hit every KPI to be worth doing. Sometimes the boldest ideas face the most resistance—and deliver the most impact. David says, “I'm sure there was someone in the meeting room… who went, ‘How are they gonna know where our stores are?' But the naysayer was wrong. If you make really great quality content that people connect with, enjoy—it's going to do good things for your marketing.” Make the thing. Publish the thing. Let the audience prove it out.Quote*“ You don't have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to make really great content that works. Investing in the content and the quality of the content always pays off… Your B2B, but that B is a population of people, right? You've got an ecosystem of decision makers, but they're all human beings at least for the moment…You can create great quality content that brightens up people's day, that generates awareness and an affinity for your brand, without spending a lot if you focus on the content itself.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet David Hooker, Director of Brand at Printify and Printful[01:08] Why Currys' Gen Z ads?[02:35] The Origin Story of Printful and Printify[09:32] The Power of Merch[13:38] The Demand for Personalization[24:11] Understanding the Currys' Gen Z Ad Campaign[33:11] B2B Marketing Lessons from the Gen Z Currys' Ads[40:41] Authenticity in Advertising[52:21] Advice for Brand Leaders[54:26] Importance of Visual LiteracyLinksConnect with David on LinkedInLearn more about PrintifyLearn more about PrintfulAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.
Thank you to Ahrefs for sponsoring this episode. Click here to learn about Patches - https://ahrefs.com/blog/site-audit-patches/?utm_source=CarolynHolzman&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=partnerships&utm_content=Q2_2025Launching new content into a Core Update? Are you crazy??? Crazy like a fox!In this episode I share an unorthodox approach to content strategy while an update is running. Its more of a "Hold My Beer" approach to be sure but the data, server logs and results suggest a contrarian approach is the best when Google opens up the system like they have in this update.Looking for a TOC wordpress plugin that does NOT "confuse" Googlebots. We're close. https://carolynholzman.com/fix-the-canonical-scoring-in-helpful-content/Last week's episode - https://www.confessionsofanseo.com/podcast/every-tool-is-a-weapon-if-you-hold-it-properly-season-5-episode-26/Mentioned in the show:Rel = UGC - https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/qualify-outbound-links130 day rule - https://alekseo.com/google-and-the-130-day-rule/Indexation Research - Crawl Or No Crawl Tools that I use and recommend:Indexzilla -https://www.indexzilla.io (indexing technology)GSC Tool -https://bit.ly/gsctoolAhrefs - https://ahrefs.com/blog/site-audit-patches/?utm_source=CarolynHolzman&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=partnerships&utm_content=Q2_2025Youtube Channel -Confessions of An SEO®https://g.co/kgs/xXDzBNf -------- Crawl or No Crawl Knowledge panelInterested in supporting this work and any seo testing?Subscribe to Confessions of an SEO® wherever you get your podcasts. Your subscribing and download sends the message that you appreciate what is being shared and helping others find Confessions of an SEO®An easy place to leave a reviewhttps://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/confessions-of-an-seo-1973881You can find me onCarolyn Holzman - LinkedinAmerican Way Media Google DirectlyAmericanWayMedia.com Consulting AgencyNeed Help With an Indexation Issue? - reach out Text me here - 512-222-3132Music from Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/doug-organ/fugue-stateLicense code: HESHAZ4ZOAUMWTUA
H4 - Tuesday July 8 2025 - "Jessica Tarlov on The Five has Faux Facts" "Caller referenced Fmr NC Rep Madison Cawthorn " " Charlie believes Epstein list blackmail for Big Bill votes would be Impeachable" "IRS won't publish Religious Org. endorsements"
Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 1738: Seth Godin invites readers to rethink how frequently they should share their work, emphasizing that the value of communication lies in consistency and relevance rather than volume. He highlights that building trust and connection comes from thoughtful, regular contributions that resonate with the audience, not from overwhelming them. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://seths.blog/2008/09/how-often-shoul/ Quotes to ponder: "Frequency of communication has nothing to do with frequency of communication." "The goal, I think, is to be missed when you don't communicate, not to be annoying when you do." "People tune you out when you have nothing to say and say it too often." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Send us a textWhen the world slowed during the pandemic, Steve Vannoy and I found an unexpected gift in that stillness. We began recording stories from his father, Smokey Vannoy—vivid tales of a bygone West Virginia filled with cinder-bottom towns, red-light districts, and river adventures. What started as a collection of oral history soon grew into something more—a shared book project, born from legacy and love.Adventures in Cinder Bottom became more than a family story. It turned into a vibrant retelling of time, place, and identity. In this episode of Authors Who Lead, as we reflect on our second book, Greenbrier River, we weren't just navigating the usual creative hurdles of fiction—we were also carrying the weight of loss. Smokey passed away during the writing process, and that grief wove itself into every chapter. What makes these stories resonate is that they're rooted in real people, real places, and a real desire to honor someone we both deeply admired.Timestamp:00:00 Smokey's stories and Cinder Bottom03:08 Greenbrier River: growth through stories08:54 Authentic storytelling for Appalachia11:37 Boom to bust: a county's journey13:32 Avoiding judgment in polarized times16:41 Early integration in segregated America19:34 Living stories: a father's legacy25:32 Believe in your story26:46 From starter to finisher29:18 Join Authors Who Lead podcastFull show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Send us a text“Ready to fast-track your book-writing dreams with ChatGPT—without losing your authentic voice? Doing something different in today's episode, because I'll walk you step-by-step through my proven AI Book Writing Formula—perfectly tailored for coaches, therapists, and heart-centered entrepreneurs eager to attract ideal clients with a nonfiction or self-help book. To watch this in action, I suggest you head over and watch the podcast on YouTube where I'm creating an AI Book Writing Playlist. But even on audio, I'm sure it's helpful. I'll take you through the proven 9 steps to go from idea to holding the finished book in your hands. And how to do it AI assisted with ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and other AI tools. Stay to the end to get my free prompt Author Cheat Sheet. Watch me demonstrate how easy it is to use powerful ChatGPT prompts to write your book faster, smarter, and with greater ease—while still sounding 100% like YOU. I'll show you how to become a true Prompt Ninja: creatively collaborating with AI without losing your authentic voice. What You'll Learn:✅ How to go from idea to published book with ChatGPT as your co-author✅ How to craft a magnetic title, hook, and outline✅ Why now is the BEST time to write your book✅ Real prompts you can use right away✅ The mindset shift to write with confidence and clarity
Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 1738: Seth Godin invites readers to rethink how frequently they should share their work, emphasizing that the value of communication lies in consistency and relevance rather than volume. He highlights that building trust and connection comes from thoughtful, regular contributions that resonate with the audience, not from overwhelming them. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://seths.blog/2008/09/how-often-shoul/ Quotes to ponder: "Frequency of communication has nothing to do with frequency of communication." "The goal, I think, is to be missed when you don't communicate, not to be annoying when you do." "People tune you out when you have nothing to say and say it too often." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Who Are You: TJ EsubiyiInhale-Exhale: Sara SevdaSara Sevda is German-Turkish human being who dove into the world of poets when she was nine years old. She likes to write her poems in German, Turkish, English and French and creates the genre "Burlesque Poetry". Her next project: Publish her poems from her teenage years till today.
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Miranda Cowley Heller's father was a book editor; her grandfather edited Jack Kerouac and was friends with Hemingway. That legacy, while inspiring, left her frozen when it came to pursuing her own writing. Instead, she built a thriving career in publishing and TV, eventually heading up drama series at HBO. Then, in her 50s, she wrote the novel she'd been carrying around for years, The Paper Palace, which became a New York Times #1 bestseller and a Reese's Book Club pick. Now, she's returned to her first creative love—poetry—with a stunning new collection: The Deep Water Knows. “Poetry is almost like putting snapshots of your soul into the world,” she tells me. In this episode, Miranda gets real about the myth of getting wiser with age, the vulnerability of releasing creative work into the world, and why your voice is never too late to matter.
This JKL John Meese podcast episode is one of the best so far. So much value to go from struggling as a creator, coach, or consultant to absolutely crushing it (without using social media if you'd like) Justin sits down with John Meese, entrepreneur, author, and creator teacher, to unpack the real skills behind sustainable success. From building businesses rooted in empathy to ditching social media and still thriving as an author, John brings a powerful reminder that the human connection is the real superpower. The overall point is serve, don't sell, and you'll make millions!Whether you're a multipassionate creator, aspiring entrepreneur, or someone simply trying to write and make an impact, this conversation is full of gold.Key Topics We Covered
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Today I'm answering listener questions! We hear from people who are feeling pulled in different directions for a variety of reasons, a student who feels she lacks academic role models, and another feeling pressured by a publish or perish culture. I give some words of advice and thoughts to consider to help navigate these challenges. Remember – if you have questions you want answered, join my newsletter and send them over and I'll answer them in a future episode! Links:You can hear me answer other listener questions here and here. ****I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.
Why give away your books when you can sell them instead? Here are ten reasons why you might want to give away your books as a strategy for making more sales of everything you have to offer.1. Entice People to Action.If you want a potential customer to act, you can give them a free book as an enticement. Many websites offer free reports or books to encourage people to sign up for their newsletters or podcasts. A key reason: Books are still valued by consumers.2. Make an Upsell.If you are using your book to sell a higher-priced course, webinar, or summit, then giving away the book is a good strategy for convincing people to buy your upsell.3. Offer a Sample.Give away a shorter book to give readers a taste of your larger, more expensive book.Note: A similar strategy is to sell a shorter book on Amazon for a very low price to give people a taste for your more expensive books, your longer books, or any additional books in a series.4. Give as a Prize.Give your book away to charities as a prize. Books as prizes are a great way to promote your business or service or higher priced products.5. Offer Speaking Take-Aways.If you are speaking at a conference, a summit, or another group event, giving away a book is an easy way to have attendees take you (or your ideas) home with them.A free book builds credibility and provides audience members with your contact details so they can follow-up on any of your services or products they want to buy.6. Create a Moon Book Club.Offer your books as monthly mailings to key contacts for coaching, consulting, speaking, and other high-paying engagements. In this situation, you mail out copies of print books to your key contact list as a tool for establishing your credibility with these key people.7. Offer 99 Cent Specials.Books under a dollar are considered just like free books for most readers. So, offering low-cost books for sale are a way of setting a value for the book but essentially keeping the book as “free.”Bestselling author Robert Allen recently offered his #1 Bestseller: How You Can Become a Bestselling Author in Only 30 Minutes a Day as an ebook for only 99¢ via Amazon. He used it to introduce his high-priced service to help writers become bestselling authors.8. Introduce Readers to a Series.One of the best ways to introduce readers to your series of novels is to give away the first book in the series. If they like that book, they will buy into the entire series.9. Publish a manifesto.Write and share a manifesto that proclaims your new vision for society, the environment, the world, the universe, or your key topic. Manifestos are generally given away to build the widest possible readership for your new vision.10. Share Your Book.You can give away your book to anyone and everyone simply because you want people to benefit from what you've written.If you give away books, never give away junk. Never give away AI creations as your own work. Whatever you give away must represent your work, your writing, your ideas, your creativity, your thought processes, and the higher priced services and products you offer.If your giveaways truly represent what you offer, you'll be able to upsell recipients to anything else that you want to create. And at a higher and higher price. Great content inspires great fans.Order Book Marketing 263 here: https://amzn.to/3TM6CDs on Amazon.Book Marketing Success is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookmarketing.substack.com/subscribe
In episode 1887, Jack and Miles are joined by writer, playwright, and co-host of The Inner Cities Podcast, A. Zell Williams, to discuss…Zohran And How to Build Off This, Federal Judges Sides With AI Company In Copyright Case and more! Federal Judges Sides With AI Company In Copyright Case US judge allows company to train AI using copyrighted literary materials Federal Judge Rules It's Legal to Train AI on Copyrighted Books, Marking Major Win for AI Companies If you crush a spark plug, it makes "ninjas rocks". This is how easily they break a car window. [00:12] LISTEN: Love Moves Slow by Eddie 9VSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Send us a textWhat does it mean to be human in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence? This existential question pulses at the heart of episode 358 of the Authors Who Lead podcast, where I sit down with entrepreneur, investor, and now author Jeff Burningham. Our conversation, anchored in Burningham's newly released book, The Last Book Written by a Human: Becoming Wise in the Age of AI, explores personal disruption, spiritual awakening, and the bold, hopeful possibilities that AI opens up for humanity.Timestamp:00:00 Unexpected journey: from politics to publishing03:31 Ayurvedic experience awakens creativity07:41 AI: potential and peril11:50 AI and human nature insight14:50 Fostering human connection and flourishing18:21 Embrace humanity over disruption20:23 Embracing AI in education23:31 Embracing transformation: letting go28:14 AI: humanity's cosmic mirror30:18 Rediscovering humanity amid AI35:29 Present moment, eternal existence39:26 Write without thinking challenge42:38 Jeff burningham's book pre-sales44:11 Sharing truth from experienceFull show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Integra Resources has provided its 2025 guidance which contains an outlook for production, operating costs, sustaining and growth capital, and development spending across the Company's portfolio. Tudor Gold announced a definitive agreement to acquire American Creek Resources. We also report latest drill results from Onyx Gold, Aurion Resources and NexGold Mining. This episode of Mining Stock Daily is brought to you by... Revival Gold is one of the largest pure gold mine developer operating in the United States. The Company is advancing the Mercur Gold Project in Utah and mine permitting preparations and ongoing exploration at the Beartrack-Arnett Gold Project located in Idaho. Revival Gold is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol “RVG” and trades on the OTCQX Market under the ticker symbol “RVLGF”. Learn more about the company at revival-dash-gold.comVizsla Silver is focused on becoming one of the world's largest single-asset silver producers through the exploration and development of the 100% owned Panuco-Copala silver-gold district in Sinaloa, Mexico. The company consolidated this historic district in 2019 and has now completed over 325,000 meters of drilling. The company has the world's largest, undeveloped high-grade silver resource. Learn more at https://vizslasilvercorp.com/Equinox has recently completed the business combination with Calibre Mining to create an Americas-focused diversified gold producer with a portfolio of mines in five countries, anchored by two high-profile, long-life Canadian gold mines, Greenstone and Valentine. Learn more about the business and its operations at equinoxgold.com Integra is a growing precious metals producer in the Great Basin of the Western United States. Integra is focused on demonstrating profitability and operational excellence at its principal operating asset, the Florida Canyon Mine, located in Nevada. In addition, Integra is committed to advancing its flagship development-stage heap leach projects: the past producing DeLamar Project located in southwestern Idaho, and the Nevada North Project located in western Nevada. Learn more about the business and their high industry standards over at integraresources.com
Publish Your God-Given Story Meme Mulugeta The primary focus of today's discussion centers around the transformative potential of storytelling within the Christian community, as exemplified by our guest, Mimi Malagueta, the founder of Catch This Name Publishing. Mimi elucidates her mission to empower believers to articulate their God-given narratives through the medium of published works, thereby preserving spiritual legacies for future generations. She emphasizes the necessity for individuals to share their unique experiences, positing that such testimonies can catalyze breakthroughs for others who are seeking divine intervention in their own lives. Additionally, we explore how her publishing company serves as an accessible resource for aspiring authors, regardless of their prior writing experience, offering comprehensive support throughout the book creation process. This episode serves as an earnest invitation for listeners to recognize the significance of their stories and to take the initial steps toward sharing them with the world.Takeaways:The Kingdom Crossroads podcast is dedicated to amplifying Christian voices and stories globally.Mimi Mulagueta, the founder of a faith-based publishing company, assists believers in authoring their narratives.The significance of preserving spiritual legacies lies in the transformative power of personal testimonies.The podcast emphasizes that writing a book can be a divine calling and a means of impacting future generations.The publishing process is tailored for individuals regardless of their writing experience or expertise.The mission to publish 555,000 books across multiple languages aims to disseminate God's goodness worldwide.CONTACT INFORMATION: Email: info@the1andonlypublishing.com Website: https://www.the1andonlypublishing.com _____________________________________________Check Out These Amazing LinksPastor Bob "HIGHLY" recommends "Captivate.FM" as YOUR podcast host! They have a lot of very helpful features (and more all the time) - and NO CHARGE for the features or upgrades!ModernIQs is a sponsor of the Kingdom Cross Roads Podcast Newsletter: Transform your creative workflow with ModernIQs! Explore AI-powered tools for content creation, from smart question generators to automated blog writers. Streamline and create with ease! Go to ModernIQs.com for more information!Grow your faith and your business with The Faith-Based Business Newsletter! Get practical tips, biblical insights, and strategies for success. Subscribe at FaithBasedBiz.Substack.com and tune in to the podcast at FaithBasedBusinessPodcast.com!Dive deep into biblical prophecy with Revelation Warning! Explore end-times insights, scriptural truths, and what they mean for today. Start your journey at
On the Schmooze Podcast: Leadership | Strategic Networking | Relationship Building
When you're writing, it's easy to get stuck chasing perfection. But here's the truth: the first draft is just the beginning—the real transformation happens in revision. Giving yourself permission to be imperfect is what makes progress possible. The messy middle, the rewrites, the second-guessing—that's where the book (and the author) truly take shape. I'm living this right now as I wrap up edits on my fourth book, “LAUNCH Your Book! An Entrepreneur's Guide to Reviews That Drive Revenue,” set to launch in July 2025. Want a behind-the-scenes look at how I turn a book into a business asset? Join my book launch team at www.BookLaunchBrainstorm.com. Today, we'll hear from authors about their journey from blank page to published book. Bridgett McGowen-Hawkins co-wrote “Do Not Write a Book...Until You Read This One: The Only Guide You Need to Pen, Publish, and Profit from Your Nonfiction Book,” a no-nonsense, empowering guide that helps aspiring nonfiction authors navigate the publishing process with confidence. Robert Aguilar wrote “Forget What You Know About Strategy: The Hazards of Strategic Planning,” a powerful guide for senior leaders seeking to master strategy formulation and execution, offering real-world insights to avoid pitfalls and drive transformative change in today's fast-paced business landscape. Sophie Lechner wrote “Unlock Your Impact: The Roadmap to Magnetic Client Attraction for Entrepreneurs Who Hate Marketing,” a refreshing guide for mission-driven entrepreneurs who want to attract clients naturally—by leading with purpose instead of self-promotion—and transform marketing from a dreaded task into a joyful extension of their impact. Please join me in welcoming Bridgett, Robert, and Sophie. In this episode, we discuss the following:
In today's online-heavy world, it's tempting to think that selling your book on Amazon is the only option that matters. But there's a powerful—and often overlooked—way to grow your credibility, build reader connection, and keep your book in readers' hands: your local bookstore.In this episode of Your Path to Publish, we're diving into why bookstores still matter, how to approach them, and what you need to know before walking in with your elevator pitch.BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL LEARN:Why bookstore placement still holds value for nonfiction authorsThe three types of bookstores (and how they evaluate new titles)How to build relationships with local booksellers the right wayThe backend logistics you need to understand before your pitchHow to combine online and in-person sales to grow your reachIf you've ever wondered how to get your book on a shelf—and keep it moving—this episode is your starting point.Learn more about Your Path to Book Publishing by visiting Juxtabook.com and discover if traditional publishing, self publishing, or hybrid publishing is right for you. Join the Author Edge Community and learn how to publish, and market your book and build your brand. Learn MoreLiked this episode? Share it and tag us on Instagram @juxtabkLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook
This is the how-to book you need right now, the one with “am I ready to query” and “what does my platform need to look like” and “what if no one buys my book” and “what happens if someone buys my book”. We have a great episode, talking about creating this book, writing this book and living this book—because Kate McKean is not only a very experienced agent, she has also lived the answer to all those questions and that's part of what makes it special. Follow: Kate McKean Agents and Books Also find her at agentsandbooks.com And buy this book! Write Through It: An Insider's Guide to Publishing and the Creative Life#AmReadingKate: Madeleine Roux, A Girl Walks into the Forest (Dark, feminist and rage-y)KJ: Francesca Segal, Welcome to Glorious Tuga (not any of those above things) Alison Espach, Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance (somewhere in between)Writers and readers! KJ, here. If you love #AmWriting—and I know you do—and especially if you love the regular segment at the end of most episodes where we talk about what we've been reading, you will also love my weekly #AmReading— find it at kjdellantonia.com or kjda.substack.com or by clicking on my name on Substack, if you do that kind of thing. Your #tbr won't be sorry.Transcript below!EPISODE 453 - TRANSCRIPTKJ Dell'AntoniaWriters and readers, KJ here, if you love Hashtag AmWriting, and I know you do, and especially if you love the regular segment at the end of most episodes where we talk about what we've been reading, you will also love my weekly Hashtag AmReading email. Is it about what I've been reading and loving? It is. And if you like what I write, you'll like what I read. But it is also about everything else I've been hashtag am doing, sleeping, buying clothes and returning them, launching a spelling bee habit, reading other people's weekly emails. Let's just say it's kind of the email about not getting the work done, which I mean that's important too, right? We can't work all the time. It's also free, and I think you'll really like it. So you can find it at kjdellantonia.com or kjda.substack.com or by clicking on my name on Substack, if you do that kind of thing. Or, of course, in the show notes for this podcast, come hang out with me. You won't be sorry.Multiple Speakers:Is it recording? Now it's recording. Yay! Go ahead. This is the part where I stare blankly at the microphone. Try to remember what I'm supposed to be doing. All right, let's start over. Awkward pause. I'm going to rustle some papers. Okay. Now, one, two, three.KJ Dell'AntoniaHey, I'm KJ Dell'Antonia, and this is Hashtag AmWriting the weekly podcast about writing all the things, short things, long things, pitches, proposals. This is the podcast about sitting down and getting your work done. And I interviewed someone last week, who told me that they did not realize I did the introduction live, to which I was like, "Wait, does it sound the same to you every time?" Because I don't know, in my mind, I go off on a tangent every single time. So I am KJ Dell'Antonia, as you probably know, author of three novels and a couple of nonfiction books, and former editor at the New York Times, and, gosh, I have, I have done a bunch of things, but I'm not going to tell you about them right now, because I am really excited about my guest today, who is Kate McKean, and she is the creator of Agents and Books, which is a Substack slash, an email newsletter. For those of you that are not Substack users, you don't have to know what that is to get this, but I'm telling you fundamentally that if you're listening to my words right now, you should be signed up for that, and you're probably going to need the book that we're talking about, which is called Write Through It: An Insider's Guide to Publishing and the Creative Life. It is excellent. It is all the books that I relied on deeply when I got into this industry, rolled up in one book, which doesn't mean you won't buy all the others, because we're writers, and that's what we do. We buy books about writing. We're supposed to right? But I feel like sometimes that's what we do, we buy books about writing, anyway. All right, I'm done introducing, Kate I'm so glad you're here. Thank you for coming.Kate McKeanI'm really happy to be here. I'm excited to chat.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, this is going to be good. So this is, this is the book that anyone who is considering traditional publishing needs as both an encouraging guide to how hard it is going to be to get to all the points that you need to get to be ready to even try to traditionally publishing, and then to the process of traditionally publishing. This is how do you know when you're finished? This is how do you know when to pitch? This is how do you pitch. This is how do you deal with the inevitable rejections when you are pitched, this is what happens next. This is the good news and the bad news and the other news and all the news. And the blurb on the front is that it is a wildly generous guide. It is from Sarah Knight, who I adore, and it is! That is, that is most accurate...Kate McKeanThank you.KJ Dell'AntoniaBlurb that I have ever read, I think, or...Kate McKeanSarah was so kind to read. I know she reads the newsletter too, and we know each other from way back when she was an editor at Simon Schuster. And I could not be more grateful that she said the kind words she did.KJ Dell'AntoniaShe's amazing, and they are and you this is a generous book. So I do have questions, but first I just have to gush for a while. So...Kate McKeanI'll take it.KJ Dell'AntoniaI have kind of an unspoken policy of being very judicious in taking writing advice of any kind from someone who has not published. And there are 100% exceptions to that. I have an amazing freelance editor who she reads and she edits and wow. But there are also people who write books about writing from a place of having written things, and that's about it. And. And you know that truly, I mean, first of all, you're, you're an agent, you've, you know, you've been in this industry, you've got masses of experience. And secondly, although this is your first published book, it is not your first finished book, it is not...Kate McKeanNot at all.KJ Dell'AntoniaEven your first pitched book. It's not the book that got you an agent. And you are so generous in sharing those experiences with people, and they're going to help.Kate McKeanI hope so. I mean, it's not lost on me that the first published book I have about writing and publishing books, and I even say it in the book. You know, I've tried to sell several picture books and several novels, and maybe I'm just not a great fiction writer. You know, it's very possible that is true. We'll find out. I don't know. I do have a picture book coming out in 2026, so one of them did eventually work. It's coming out with Sourcebooks, and I'm very excited. It's, you know, I know that people probably think, Oh, well, you're just, you're an agent. You could just, like, walk into a publisher and get a book deal like my friend. I am sorry that it's not true. If it had been true, I would have written 50,000 books by now, because I actually really, I mean, it's my job, but I also like doing it myself, but I'm not. I'm not special, you know, like I'm special and privileged because I know all the ins and outs, but I'm not. Nobody's just like rolling out the red carpet and handing me 1000's, billions of dollars to write a book.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, what I have said about about my fiction writing experience was, and I feel quite certain it was true for you as well. The thing that I had, and I will own it, is that I knew the people that I was sending my query to would look at it, because they knew who I was. That actually just meant it had to be awfully good, because it also means they're going to remember who you are. And if it sucks, they'll remember that next time. Whereas, if you don't have that particular thing and you send out a query that that sucks, the agent is not going to remember your name. So the next time you roll around and you send a better query, it's going to be fine, but the next time that writer rolls around and sends a better query. People are going to be like, well, yeah, I don't know.Kate McKeanYikes!KJ Dell'AntoniaThis was not so great.Kate McKeanYep!KJ Dell'AntoniaYikes! I got to do this again. I got to send another tactful rejection to this person that I so they're coming into it with... So it's good...Kate McKeanYeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaBecause you know, people read it and it's not the slush pile and yay. And it's bad because people read it.Kate McKeanPeople, people really do think that it's who you know and publishing, and of course, that helps, like you just said.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Kate McKeanBut also, you don't want to send your books to your best friends. Like, Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, who my agent is—Michael Bourret at Dystel Goderich & Bourret. Jim is one of my best friends in the entire world, in my life. Like, I do not want Jim to be my agent, even though he's fantastic, because I prefer Jim as my friend. Michael and I have been friends for more than 20 years. Jim and I are much closer. And it's not like, oh, I could just throw away my friendship with Michael, but we just know each other in a way that would lend us to be able to work together really well. And I... KJ Dell'AntoniaMy agent is my friend...Kate McKeanYeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaBecause she's my friend, but she was my agent first. But I have a friend, a really good friend, that I have dinner with regularly, that's an agent we ditch about, dish about, and we just have, you know, and I don't want her to be my agent, because then we couldn't talk so much smack about…Kate McKeanYeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaYou know, among other things, and yeah. So yeah. I mean, I do like to to start. I like to remind people that it is actually not who you know in this it's faster to get people to read something if you have a way in, we cannot deny that. But people are actually out there looking for great things. You just have to write a great thing, which you know that's hard.Kate McKeanImpossible sometimes.KJ Dell'AntoniaOr impossible sometimes. All right, so how did you decide to do... write through it? Did it seem like kind of the obvious thing? Or did you feel like, oh, that's been done. Like, how, how did you come to this one?Kate McKeanI, I definitely started the newsletter with the idea in the back of my head that maybe this could turn into a book. Because I had, I had turned newsletters and Twitter feeds and Instagrams and all kinds of things like that into books for 20 years. So obviously that was in the back of my head. But I also knew that there are, as you said, tons of other books about writing and publishing out there, and who am I? And what different thing could I bring to the table? And so I started Agents and Books with just a clear goal of, like, writing posts that were like the nuts and bolts of publishing, so that people could have them in this one little place, you know? And it's not the only place in the world you can learn about publishing. But I was like, I want a little place where, you know, if you can click through and find out about option clauses and query letters and, you know, all the little commission rates and royalties and what's earning out and all these things that you could kind of go to one place and click around and see if you could find it, and that was the goal. And then I also ended up talking a lot about the feelings of writing, because they go hand in hand. You know, it's like you're going to write a bad query letter if you are terrified of writing a query letter, and you're going to put agents on these pedestal if you are terrified of agents that you know, like there were these magical beings that can, like, take our magic wands and bestow the power of publishing on you, like we can't... we're just people who like books like, so I wanted to demystify things. I wanted to like, share the nuts and bolts, but, and I wanted to let everybody know that everybody feels this way, like everybody is terrified, everybody hates it. You know, no one is alone and that that felt like the right tack to take in a book, because I guess I hadn't seen that before, or what hadn't, you know, come right out and said it, you know, like, here's how to write query letter, and here's how not to lose your mind while you do it.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Kate McKeanYou know, because the same, that's the same thing, and I thought about it for a long time, you know, to try the right pitch, honestly, for the book.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, no, I can. I mean, one glorious thing that this has going for us at the moment, even besides that, is that it is very timely and immediate. Because I can give you some things about writing query letters that are probably somewhat out. I mean, they're good, but they date quickly. So it has that. But also, you are right. I've not seen that combination of both. Here's how and here's how not to be so terrified that you screw up, and here's how to feel when they start coming back. Or, you know, here's how you're going to feel, because you really don't need me to tell you how to feel. But here's some thoughts on like how to deal with that, and the fact that it has happened to everyone, and also the fact that it has happened to you. Um, I'm that's terrible. I wish you had every single success, but also, since you didn't, I am so grateful that you put that in here.Kate McKean:I mean, my—you know—my beloved book of my heart, literary adult novel, didn't sell. And okay, it did. It didn't. I don't... I can't... I can't magically make it a book. It might be flawed. I don't know. I haven't read it in, like, four years, and I'm fine with that. Um, but I'm going to—I'll just—I'm going to... I'm going to write another one, you know? Because what are the options? Like, I really—I had a moment when my adult novel didn't sell, and I was like, I might—what if I never publish a book? Like, this was my dream. Like, since I was eight years old, I wanted to be a published author. I wanted to see my book on a shelf with my name on it, and what if I don't? Like, what if that just will never happen to me? And it kind of—you know—punched me in the stomach, and... This is telling in so many ways, of the assumptions I was making and the privilege I had and all of these things. But you know that punch in the gut could have made me stop and just be like, "Well, I'm not willing to face that, so let me decide..." Or, if I really want it that bad, I got to go do it again. And just—I'm choosing to do it again. And I cannot control if I publish any more books, except by writing them.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Kate McKeanAnd then that's all I can do. And then I have to hand it over to the other forces in the world to see if anybody likes it. And then, you know—I mean, people got to buy this book, like... but not—I mean, it's not going to be great if nobody buys this book, which, you know... I—it... I can only control so much of that too. But I hope people do.KJ Dell'AntoniaAt least ten people need to be sitting down and clicking right now. It's Write Through It: An Insider's Guide to Publishing and the Creative Life, Kate McKean— is it Kian or Keen?Kate McKeanKeen.KJ Dell'AntoniaKeen. Kate McKean.Kate McKeanYeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaM-C-K... you know, what if you just start with "writer"... I mean, honestly...Kate McKeanThere's only two Kate McKean's in the world on the internet. So I'm one of them.KJ Dell'AntoniaAnd I feel like, if you just sort of go "agents," "books," "book," "K," you're going to come up with this. Because...Kate McKeanYep.KJ Dell'Antonia:Yeah. That's what's going to help. And the other thing that I really like about this book is the honesty about all the time that you spent not writing, and I mean, you've already said it, but, and it is true. My number one favorite, well, one of my favorite writing books, which nobody else, as far as I know, has ever read, is it's called something like “87 reasons your book won't sell” [78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published and 14 Reasons Why It Just Might]. It's, you know, and it's in its 80… and 15 why it might and the number one reason, the first reason, chapter one, is because you haven't written it yet. You can't sell that. But, I mean, yeah, proposals, fine. That's but, and that's in here if you're writing nonfiction, it's in here to talk about how to do a proposal. But even that, if you haven't written your way to a good proposal, that's not going to sell either. So...Kate McKeanAnd the fear of being late or too late, or you hang missed the bus is so tied up into that, because I'm going to be 46 this weekend, and I my first ever book will be coming out after I have turned 46 and if you had told me at 26 I would have, like, lied down on the floor and cried. That I had 20 more years to wait to get published, because I thought it was going to happen. You're not, you know, all of the bravado and the ego is you have when you're in your 20s and who's, you know, patted on the head for their whole life and told they were a good writer by every English teacher, you know, bully for me. But like the I didn't write any books, you know, like, I didn't write any books to get published until I was in my 30s, and I couldn't have spent any more time doing that because I was trying to build my career as a literary agent. And that wasn't, that wasn't on purpose. I just had to pay the rent too. So, you know, it was I didn't. I dragged my feet for many, many years, as I write about in the book, and then I had a kid, and then you get... you have so little time that you have to choose so deliberately what you do that it can sometimes make you more productive. And so when I had all the time in the world in my 20s as a single person in New York City, living the life of putting everything on credit cards and being in massive debt and not making any money in publishing, but still having buckets of time. I didn't do any meaningful work, and I didn't write a book in my MFA program. I did write a book's worth of stories and essays, but not anything that could have been published as is, and nothing that I used as a springboard for a longer piece, and that's just what happened. That's fine too.KJ Dell'Antonia:Yeah.Kate McKeanBut I'm not late. This is, this is, I needed to be this person to write this book, and then we'll see what happens next.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah. I mean, you know, you can't start any sooner than today if you're starting and but I did. I just I appreciated that this book kind of starts with, go ahead, read this book, but also finish your book. Write what you're writing, like, read it. Get ready, daydream, hope for the best, but also find a time, sit down, get some work done, which is, of course, what we say every week on the podcast, because if you don't do the work, yeah, there's nothing. There's nothing anyone can do for you. Well, I mean, I suppose you could become a famous person and then hire someone else, but that is presumably not anyone trajectory, yeah, that's, that's, that's different. That's, that's not the same thing, all right, so what? What was the hardest bit of writing this? This has got a chapter on pretty much anything anybody could imagine. How to read a book deal, how to query, how to you know, how the editors work, how books are sold, all those things. What was the toughest bit?Kate McKeanThe tough bit, honestly, was the what happens after the book sells. And because I realized that I had, I had a view of it for my seat as a literary agent, and every publisher does it a little bit differently and but I've only seen it through the eyes of the books I have sold. So I had to go and ask a lot of editors. I was like, Okay, this is what I think happens. Is this what happens like, when do you get first pass pages? And, you know, do I get? When does the index gain? You know, like, there were just questions I had. I had to make sure I had a consensus answer instead of the this is what happened to me answer, you know?KJ Dell'AntoniaRight.Kate McKeanOr this is my what I think answer. And so it just was, I had to make sure. I had to do more research about that than I anticipated, because I didn't want to make I wanted to make sure I wasn't wrong. You know? Hey, I had to make sure. But it wasn't a hard the writing process at all wasn't what I would call hard. I I'm a fastidious outliner, and I love an outline. Outline is my roadmap, like I know where I'm going in the morning I makes me happy. I'm happy to change it, if I have to, but I love it. I'm an outliner, not a pantser, and when I get going, I can go, but then there's just every other million things to do with a book, you know, like the nine times I've read, and then I recorded the audio last week, and which was so fun, but hard, very, very hard. But maybe it's a little bit like, you know, like you kind of forget the hard part after a while, but I don't have any, like, real pain points with the creation of this book. It was definitely hard. It is a lot of labor. It is a lot of time. There were many times where I was like, if I read this paragraph one more time, I will scream, but yeah, I'd do it again.KJ Dell'AntoniaSo it sounded as I as I read through it like, like, finding your structure was maybe a little more challenging than you expected it to be, because it seems like it would be pretty obvious, but then it sounds like there were things where you're like, well, maybe this goes here, or maybe it goes here. Did it surprise you how much you had to play with the structure in the editing?Kate McKeanYes, it because everything made sense when it came out of my brain.KJ Dell'AntoniaOf course.Kate McKeanYou know, like I could, it makes sense to me that this linked to that and then get... you have an editor. My editor, Stephanie Hitchcock, was wonderful. She was like, oh, yeah, this part does not make any sense. And I was like, Oh, totally. If you step out of it and look at it through somebody else's eyes, you're like, Yeah, I didn't explain anything about, you know, royalty statements or whatever, right?KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, the rule is if somebody else says it doesn't make sense, you have to listen. You don't have to do what they say to do to fix it, but you do have to, you have to... Yeah, because you can't hold the reader by the hand. Say, oh, no, no, no. See what I meant...Kate McKeanYeah, yeah, yeah. And a lot of times the way I wrote the outline was kind of the way it came out of my head and it made sense, but, you know, I'm in a vacuum.KJ Dell'AntoniaSo I'm torn between talking about the writing of Write Through It and talking about, of course, the contents, which are exactly what our listeners are going to be interested in. So tell me what in here to you, sort of answers the most questions that you get as somebody who gets a lot of emailed questions about this process, because you invite them by having, having an email or having, not by having an email address, which is not an invitation to send people questions. People questions, but by having the agents and plus and books email you, you've put yourself out there as a guide for people and there, I mean, I can name only a few agents in the business that do that, and a couple of publicists, and that makes you like, you know, it gives you a certain profile, and people ask questions. So what in here answers the most questions to you?Kate McKeanI think, I personally, I would say the stuff about a platform, about the marketing stuff and platform. Everybody's worried about their platform. Everybody thinks they have to have 1000 followers on Instagram. Everybody was so worried about this. They and it's, it's shifting all the time. I mean, I hope, I hope we don't get 16 new social media platforms in the next month so that this isn't completely out of date, like things are going to change. I mean, Twitter completely changed while I was writing this book, but I but there's a lot about social media in there, yes, but there are so many other things that are your platform that people don't realize and they think that you have to have these numbers before you're allowed to write a book. And that's not how it is. That's not the rule. There isn't this, like, okay, where you get so many on this platform and so many on that add them together, it equals a book deal. Like, no, but it... the reason you need a platform is because you are going to do this marketing for your book, and that is also okay, because you are going to do it better than the publisher. A lot of you know angst about publishers don't market anything anymore, and nothing ever happens. And like they actually do, could they do more? Yes. I wish every book had a billion dollar marketing budget and 17 people to work on it, but that is not the industry we have. So...KJ Dell'AntoniaThere's not really anywhere to do this stuff anymore.Kate McKeanYeah, yeah, there's nowhere to do it.KJ Dell'AntoniaI mean the world... the world has changed.Kate McKeanYeah, there's, yeah, there's no news coverage for books, hardly anymore, you know? And algorithms are horrible, all these things. So, so if you have a way for readers to talk to you directly and get news from you directly, that's your primary marketing outlet. And so that's why you need it, not because the number equals book deal or validation or proof. It's because that's how you sell books. And it's not the only way, and it's not even a great way, but it is a way that readers need, even, I mean nonfiction 100%, it's like one of the most important things when you're writing nonfiction, and it's getting to be more important for fiction. It's just also more it's useful when you're writing fiction, but it's just not as like, don't, don't even try until you've started a TikTok or whatever.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, I just, I just finished a novel that I completely enjoyed, Welcome to Glorious Tuga by — I think her name is Francesca. It's either Sega or Segal [Francesca Segal]. And after I finished it, I thought to myself, you know, I wonder, because, because I'm a writer, readers don't do this, but Is this her first book? You know, does she? Is she somewhere where I can follow her? Because I'm kind of interested in how she did this, I'd like to, and I went to look her up. And fundamentally, this is a person with very little platform that I can see. They turned out to be British. So that is, I think, a little bit different. But there wasn't an email that I could sign up for. There wasn't... I was willing to do all those things. I was kind of jealous.Kate McKeanDefinitely, oh, definitely.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Kate McKeanMy wonderful assistant isn't on social media. And I'm like, Wow, what a life, that's amazing.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, so, I mean, so I there was very little point to that other than that, it's not, apparently required, and yet it's probably required of you. Sorry.Kate McKeanRight, you're not the except…, like, if you don't want to be on a specific platform, then don't do it, because you'll make bad posts.KJ Dell'AntoniaYes!Kate McKeanHate it.KJ Dell'AntoniaYes.Kate McKeanFair game, and also, if your market isn't on there, then don't go on there, or you don't prioritize that.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah. But you can still find me on TikTok, and if you would like an example of how to not do something like that. That would be it. Yeah, there's about six things that are pitiful and sad, and I regret them, and I should go take them down, but that would involve looking at them again, and that would be really embarrassing for me. So I'm not going to do it.Kate McKeanI mean, I'm not on TikTok. I do Instagram reels. They're horrible. Reels are like bad Tiktok's from three weeks ago, but doesn't whatever. It's what I have chosen to do. But if, but to the writers out there, if you hate something like you can kind of maybe opt out a specific thing, but that doesn't make you the exception to every rule, right? Like, just because it's hard doesn't mean you get to bail out because everything's hard and you got to do hard things all the time. That's life. Sorry. So yeah. And also, I want to say too, if you are unsafe on a platform. Don't be there, no, but don't that's not a question. No publisher would be like; you should really be on Twitter. And you're like, I'm a trans person. I'm not going to go on Twitter. It is not safe for me. And they'd be like...they're like, yes, cool, cool, yeah, no problem.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah…definitely not. Yeah. So okay, that that doesn't surprise me. I thought you were going to say query letters, but...Kate McKeanI was going to say query letters, but every it's, it's so much, there's always so much query letters.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah and there's others, there's, there's more of an answer to that, like...Kate McKeanYeah, yeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaYou know, there is a way to do that. There's an accessible, checklist-able, figure out, able, learnable process for that, I would argue that there is not that for social media and platform.Kate McKean100%.KJ Dell'AntoniaThat is a really is a it's constantly changing, and it's different for everyone which query letters really, they do change, but they are not different from everyone. Do not make your quality query letter different from everyone else's. That's a bad idea.Kate McKeanNo. It's so annoying. It's, it's, no one is going to be wowed by the inventiveness of your query letter, and it's like sending a singing telegram to apply for a job. You're like, No, don't. Don't do that. No one wants to hire you, if that's what you're going to do.KJ Dell'AntoniaWhat is… can you... can you give us an example of someone getting creative with a query letter, just for fun that is not going to out the person?Kate McKeanYou know, I would say that. Now, everyone is much more educated about query letters, and so the random stuff doesn't happen as often. The memorable things are people doing. And these are the general examples you'll get too. It's like writing the query letter in the voice of your character, which is like, okay, but I'm not signing your character up. I'm signing you up. I would like to talk to them please, you know? And then there's the inexplicably, inexplicably short ones that are like, here's my book. Thanks. You're like, I need context. Like, even when you go to the store to buy a book, you have context for what you're shopping for you know what section you're in. You know if it's a hardcover, paperback, whatever you have context. And if you do not give me context for a query letter, I don't know what you're talking about. And then the ones that really get me too are the ones that are like, you're probably going to hate this. I'm like, okay, cool. You just made the decision for me. Thank you. I have to make 400 decisions today, and now it's 399 Cool. Thank you.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, yeah. Okay, so get that one right. But social media, there is no recipe, but at least there is some advice in, in Write Through It. And yeah, I can't, I can't say enough about how much I suspect most of our listeners would really benefit from and love this book. If you have not, yourself, been in the industry for 20 years, and even if you have, you're going to get stuff out of this. What I got out of it, and what I desperately needed was somewhere, I think, towards the end, you talk about how, you know, 20% of the way into a draft, you're going to hate it, and then with 20,000 words to go, you're going to hate it. And I was like, yeah, yeah, I'm there. I'm hating it. We joke around the podcast that we need to create, like, a, like a book growth chart, sort of like for babies, like, oh, you hate your book. You're right on target. Feed it some solid foods next.Kate McKeanYeah, exactly.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Kate McKeanAnd I get a lot of when you go to write another book, you you're like, wow, yeah. And that's what did I forget. Did I ha, but I did it before. You don't know, you don't know how to write this book. You wrote that book, and it's different every time. And that's like a learning curve that you don't get to until you write your first one, whether it's published or not. But like everybody feels this way, my clients, who are graphic novelists, feel this way. My novelist, my, you know, picture book writers, like every single writer I talked to has been like, oh, how do you do this again? Whoops, I forgot.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, yeah. I like you, and I'm a fan of the outline or the blueprint, or, you know, how, however you do it. And I have just hit a point where I need to go back and redo that and that's hard. I would really much rather just chug along the path that I have set for myself. But sometimes you can't do that.Kate McKeanThat's writing too. It's like, the word count doesn't go up, and that's the metric we all want to use about our productivity. But then you have to stop for a week and do your stupid outline or whatever, and you're like, but I didn't get any work done, but you did, because then the next two weeks you can just write a billion words. And yeah, you know, you built a fire, so...KJ Dell'AntoniaAnd yet, the process is hard and slow, and also hard and slow, and even when it's fast, it's still slow, and even when it feels easy, it'll be hard later. Yeah, and I liked that. That was that that's all in here, but not in a bad way, in a Hello, this is what you have signed up for.Kate McKeanYep.KJ Dell'AntoniaIn a “Welcome” kind of way.Kate McKeanYeah, it's you're in the club. Yeah? Everybody hating writing and not being able to stop.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, yeah.Kate McKeanIt's the thing we love to hate the most.KJ Dell'AntoniaI don't hate it when it's going well, I don't, I don't hate it, but, man, it'd be nice if it were easier and faster and more like, I don't know, walk in the park, okay. But it's not. All right, well, so the book is Write Through this, I'm sorry, Write Through It, and it's wonderful, and I've said that about 56 times. So anything else that people should know about why they should go right out, I would recommend getting it in paper, because I think you're going to want to scribble on it, and I also think you're going to want to go back to it a lot. But you know, y'all do you. It's available in all the formats; apparently it was read out loud, too.Kate McKeanOut loud by me.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah!Kate McKeanI think that it's useful to have as in print. And I did write it thinking that you'd go back and forth and be like, Okay, well, today I'm writing my query letter, I've got to go to chapter three or whatever. And the other thing, the other reason I wrote this book, is that if you are a writer, and the people in your life know it, or if you're an editor or freelancer whatever, and they want to ask you questions about publishing, you can just give them the book like I literally wrote it as like a favor to my friends who are writers and editors, whose uncle corners them at the family reunion and says, ‘So I want to write a kid's book.' And you're like, ‘Okay, I would like to go talk to my cousins, but here, I — here's the book for you.' You know? KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Kate McKeanIt is the service I am providing through this book. And so if you want to avoid having people email you to say, can I pick your brain. Be like, oh goodness, I'm just so busy. But you know what? You should have Kate's book, and just send them a link.KJ Dell'AntoniaI love this. I love this. For all of us, it is absolutely going to fill that need. So maybe you want to have three so you can go and hand one…Kate McKeanI mean, I think good plan, it's a great idea. Just buy a case, stick it in your house.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, maybe put it in the back of your car. You never know when you're going to need this.Kate McKeanNo, I think it's a it makes a great gift for all occasions, even if they're not writers.KJ Dell'AntoniaProbably they'd like to be... everybody. Like, there's some statistic about how many people want to write a book. So, yeah, you could just do it.Kate McKeanWhat the saying? That grads, dads, and there's another one...KJ Dell'AntoniaDads, grads, and...Kate McKeanSomething like...KJ Dell'AntoniaMom! Its Moms, Dads and Grads. I know that doesn't wrap run, but that's the Book Riot podcast that, um, that I will yeah and...Kate McKeanYeah, this is a big book buying season. Is like, Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduation. So you know what? I think everyone...KJ Dell'AntoniaFor your graduate and your mother and your father who want to write books, I love it, all right. Well, this was fantastic. You can obviously follow Kate on Instagram. We'll throw that in the show notes, but also have multiple links to her agent's, and books, email, slash Substack, depending on how you like to consume these things you should be getting it. Yeah, that's, that's, that's that. Now, the one thing we always like to end a podcast with is asking people what they've been reading and loving lately. So I hope that's not throwing you under the bus because you can't think of anything because you've been doing this, but I bet I am wrong. So it'd be lovely if it's something people can get either now or soon, because I can see you playing out...Kate McKeanI just, I pulled… I just re-read my clients, Madeleine Roux's [inaudible] hard novel called A Girl Walks into the Forest. It is out on the same day that mine go out.KJ Dell'AntoniaOh wow!Kate McKeanI know it's very exciting. And Maddie Roux has written like 25 books. We have been together a long time, and this book is amazing, and it is dark and it is full of feminist rage, and it is has, like, a Baba Yaga character in it.KJ Dell'AntoniaAwesome.Kate McKeanAnd it's just; it's kind of the book we need right now to, like, kind of burn stuff down. So I highly recommend pre ordering it. I loved reading it again all in one place, like I read your earlier draft, but now I can see it again, and, like, I just re- read it as I also wanted to, you know, keep up with my clients work, but I wanted to read it because it was good. Like, it's just good.KJ Dell'AntoniaGreat, amazing.Kate McKeanI'm like, hugging the book right now.KJ Dell'AntoniaYou are. Yeah, no one will see, yeah I know I've been waving your book around this entire time, and no one sees any of it, but it increases our the enthusiasm level in our voice, or something. So that's fantastic. Well, I mentioned Welcome to Glorious Tuga, which is a saga about it's like a bunch of people. I don't even know how to sell it, other than it's kind of like all creatures great and small set on a tiny island where people can only get off and on for half of the year with, you know, lots of animals and lots of fam…, of people interaction and but also one protagonist who sort of brings you through. And I gosh, if I can't come up with, and I love this book, and I have, I'm having trouble coming up with a great way to sell it, but I hope somebody, I hope somebody does it, because it's super fun. So there was that, but I mentioned that in my last podcast. So I also want to add Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach. That was her book before The Wedding People. It is vastly different. It is a single POV, first person narrative of a girl who loses her sister in a car accident at I think, the age of 13, and her ongoing and continual relationship with her sister's boyfriend who was driving at the time, which sounds really awful. But it's not sad. It's weirdly honest. It's a fantastic exploration of not just grief, but like people, and how we think and how we aren't who we think we are should be. But it is not The Wedding People. It's really different, which I found super interesting. So since y'all are writers listening to this, you might find it interesting, too. All right.Kate McKeanExcellent. That sounds great.KJ Dell'AntoniaThank you so much for talking to me and everyone out there who is listening, buy Write through it. And also keep your butt in the chair and your head in the game.Jess LaheyThe Hashtag AmWriting podcast is produced by Andrew Perilla. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output, because everyone deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe
On the Schmooze Podcast: Leadership | Strategic Networking | Relationship Building
What if your book isn't the finish line, but the starting point? Publishing isn't just about sharing your ideas; it's about unlocking new opportunities for your business, brand, and network. Your book can lead to speaking gigs, consulting offers, and powerful connections—but only if you approach it with strategy. Every reader is a potential client or collaborator. Every event is a chance to position yourself as a thought leader. The key is staying open to what's possible. I've helped authors turn their books into business assets that generate real momentum. That's why I offer book launch support focused on what happens after you publish. Curious what doors your book could open? Let's talk. Book a 30-minute brainstorming session at www.BookLaunchBrainstorm.com. Now, let's welcome our panelists, who will share how their books have led them to exciting and unforeseen opportunities. Ally Berthiaume co-wrote “Do Not Write a Book...Until You Read This One: The Only Guide You Need to Pen, Publish, and Profit from Your Nonfiction Book,” a no-nonsense, empowering guide that helps aspiring nonfiction authors navigate the publishing process with confidence. Cornelia Kawann wrote “Change Your Energy - Change Your Life,” an empowering guide that combines science, practical exercises, and transformational insights to help you unlock your energy, embrace new opportunities, and create a more fulfilling, impactful life. Stephanie McAuliffe wrote “The Impact of Silence: Reclaim the Sovereignty of Your Soul,” a powerful exploration of how unspoken trauma shapes our lives—and how reclaiming our voice can lead to profound healing and personal freedom. Please join me in welcoming Ally, Cornelia, and Stephanie. In this episode, we discuss the following: Links for Ally Berthiaume LinkedIn, Instagram, Instagram, and YouTube. www.ayberthiaume.com and www.thewriteplacerighttime.com “Do Not Write a Book...Until You Read This One: The Only Guide You Need to Pen, Publish, and Profit from Your Nonfiction Book,” with co-author Bridgett McGowen-Hawkins “Dear Universe, I Get It Now: Letters on the Art and Journey of Being Brave and Being Me” Links for Cornelia Kawann LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. www.corneliakawann.com “Change Your Energy - Change Your Life” Links for Stephanie McAuliffe LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. www.wayofthediamondwarrior.com “The Impact of Silence: Reclaim the Sovereignty of Your Soul” Robbie's Resources Schedule a complimentary book launch brainstorming session: www.BookLaunchBrainstorm.com. Find all the archived podcast episodes, plus an invitation to free virtual networking events for writers and authors, AND Hub Partners ready to help entrepreneurs become successful authors: www.BizBookPubHub.com Join the waitlist for the next Kindle Cross-Promotion Campaign for business authors: www.BizKindlePromo.com Subscribing (or following) and leaving a rating and review wherever you are listening helps this podcast be discovered. Biz Book Pub Hub features interviews with experts who help entrepreneurs become successful authors and author panels discussing the ROI of publishing a business book. Tune in for frank conversations about the ups and downs of the author journey. Find out what common mistakes you can avoid and what resources you can use to ensure your effort leads to business growth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With websites covering topics like entertainment (ScreenRant), gaming (Polygon) and automotive (CarBuzz), Valnet caters to users across a wide array of interests.But according to Ji Heon Kim, Valnet's head of monetization, Valnet realized it could create more value for its users by encouraging them to subscribe or authenticate themselves.Maybe a “mass scale” of users wouldn't sign up for their websites, but perhaps 10% would. And, as Kim puts it, that “10% would still be valuable, and we can do a lot with that 10%.”“We created more value to [those] users, more exclusive content and high-quality content,” Kim says. “All of that became an initiative on the content side for us to deliver a premium model and give users an incentive to sign up.”Kim further talked with The Current Podcast about balancing advertiser value, user experience and performance, which he says are “always affecting each other.” Episode TranscriptPlease note, this transcript may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episode audio.Damian Fowler (00:00):I'm Damian Fowler, and welcome to The Current Podcast. Today we're talking to one of the biggest digital publishers. You might not know by name, but you've definitely read their stuff. I'm talking about Net. The company behind Screen Rant, the Gamer, Kaleida make use of, and a bunch of other sites that rack up hundreds of millions of sessions every month. Joining me today is Ji Kim Valnet's, head of monetization. Ji'S been leading the charge on everything from supply path optimization to first party data to figuring out how to drive real revenue without compromising the reader experience. We'll get into some of the big shifts they've made in their tech stack and how they're bringing newly acquired brands like Polygon into their ecosystem and what other publishers can learn from their approach.Ji Kim (00:52):At Valnet, I'd like to think of us as a publishing powerhouse. We started very small. Our motto is humble and hungry. We like to remind ourselves that it's always good to keep a humble mindset. I've been at NET for 10 years and we've grown tremendously. We've went through a lot ups and downs, but even as we grow, we like to think that we're small and agile and the publications we range from automotive, gaming, technology, entertainment, but entertainment has always been our flagship, but we've been kind of branching outside of that and trying to expand more and more. And then we have some lifestyle brands as well as sports.Damian Fowler (01:35):Let's talk about a moment that changed the game for Net. Can you walk us through your, I guess we're going to talk about supply path optimization at first anyway, which is a hot topic around these parts and what work you did around supply path optimization, like cutting resellers and boosting direct inventory. Could you talk us through that a little?Ji Kim (01:57):It's an ongoing process. It's certainly, I think most people agree that SPO is not an easy thing to achieve. You can commit to it one shot, but that's much harder to do considering that there will be a revenue impact. So for us, we tried both ways. We took a few sites and we took the direct approach and we saw a pretty decent stability, and then some other sites did not, and then we have to kind of revert back to it. SPO, it was always a topic that was talked about but not well enforced. And tradedesk took a big initiative to push publishers towards it. And then we started working closely with Jounce Media as well, with Chris Kane started kind of talking through some of the ideas, how should we go about it? How do we retain the value and still achieve removing the resale alliance and keep our inventory as clean as possible?(02:51):But initially our outlook of SPO was about making our inventory as clean and transparent as possible. Net considers ourselves as a premium publisher and we want to make sure that the advertisers see that as well. So we were heading in that direction. But ultimately, I think the biggest challenge with SPO was it's impossible to do an AB test because you have one A TXT file and you can't test one setup with the resell alliance, one setup without. So that's been pretty challenging to understand where's the value going, where is it coming from? And even with the Resell Alliance, when you talk to the SSPs with Resell Alliance, they'll go, oh, these are PP deals. These are not just rebroadcasting and all this stuff. So trying to understand the granularity and all that details of what each resale align means was very difficult. But ultimately we know we have to go in that direction, but we know it's not going to happen overnight, so we're kind of just taking a step at a time.Damian Fowler (03:51):That's great. What would you say was the kind of catalyst or moment that sparked that shift?Ji Kim (03:57):We always talked about advertiser value. It is important to yield as much value as possible and get the performance that we need. We always think that advertiser value is important, and when we think about that, it's like you go through stages. You go, okay, viewability needs to be important. Let's get viewability up to above standard, above average, make sure our CTR is good, but it's high quality clicks. It's not just users just clicking on stuff. Then you go through the lines and eventually you get to SPOs. Make sure that advertisers know what inventory they're getting access to, what they're buying, and make sure that they're getting insights. The transparency is there. Then we've increased the value of our inventory.Damian Fowler (04:46):Yeah, I mean that's the key, right, obviously. And speaking of that, having made these changes, are you in a position to be able to see the kind of impact that they've had from a revenueJi Kim (04:58):Perspective? Honestly, I don't think I can everything, especially with these kinds of stuff, what I've learned is it doesn't change overnight. Let's say we remove all the reseller lines yesterday. Today, likely the performance is going to drop initially and maybe things recover over time, but there's so many moving parts that it's hard to associate the value towards SPO, and that's a lot of things that we do in this industry. But I think that's when we like to look at it as, you know what? Ultimately we are improving the quality of our inventory, so we will get rewarded at some point. And that's how you move forward. But with SPO, I think the other side is that it's not just about removing reseller lines. You also have to market yourself and tell the advertisers that, Hey, we have gone in this direction. We have removed the reseller lines. All of our inventory is direct. It's clean. And that part is also hard to do. We haven't spent a lot of time or resources into marketing ourselves, and that's why we talked about, people may not know net, but they know our brands. It's the same thing. It's like we are now making a big push to let people know who Val net is, and that's going to go in hand in hand with this stuff.Damian Fowler (06:21):In terms of that messaging around the surgery as it were you're doing on the supply path, does that land well with advertisers?Ji Kim (06:32):I think it's always positively looked at when you tell them, it's like everybody, it is never negative, but I don't know if actually if it's meaningful for them because at scale, they're buying at scale. So yeah, we're a big publisher, but they're also buying at multiple publishers. Maybe only small portion of their budgets come to us. So it's positive, but I don't know if it's all that meaningful to them. At least that's what I've felt.Damian Fowler (07:04):So in addition to the SPO, what other tweaks or changes are you as head of monetization looking at to basically bring in those ad dollars and keep readers satisfied, I suppose?Ji Kim (07:17):Yeah, so there's three things. So we looked at the advertiser value, but then there's the user experience and then the performance side. So always those three things, there's constantly affecting each other. Ad density is probably one of the biggest part of advertiser value and performance and user experience. So we are constantly trying to reduce our density, and we look at this metric impressions per session and request per session. So we look at that and injections our injections based on content length, a paragraph breaks and all that stuff. So we'll try to work with the content team to create optimal breaks. I'll have a little sit down session with the content team. The leads say, okay, this is how the admin injection works, and how you break out your content really does impact, because we won't break a paragraph in half to inject an ad. So there needs to be natural breaks for the ads to inject. So if you have massive paragraphs, we're going to have less ad injections, which is fine if the content works like that, but they also need to think about how all this stuff works.Damian Fowler (08:26):That's really interesting. I mean, I think that sweet spot between not being the Vegas strip, but also ads have to populate at the right time to have value.Ji Kim (08:35):For net, we've focused mostly on open market programmatic spend. We have a small direct initiative. This is something that we've been trying to grow, but when you don't have huge direct sales initiative and direct spend coming in, you kind of need the density because the CPMs that you get from open market is much lower. So we want to try to move away from that as much as possible. I don't think found that will ever be a publisher where we drive like 50% of the revenue from direct sales, but we want to grow it to maybe 15, 20%. And once we do that, we can yield higher CPMs, which allows us to reduce the density, which would be better for advertiser value, better for user experience, and we'll still get the performance that we need to kind of go forward.Damian Fowler (09:24):So it's a balance.Ji Kim (09:25):Yeah. Yeah. I think if we can drive higher CPMs, we would love to reduce density, but it's always the constant battle between the two of, okay, well we reduced density. Oh, we went too far. Okay, we got to bring it back a little bit.Damian Fowler (09:38):How difficult is it to kind of innovate in ad tech? This is a broader question, I guess given how fast things are changing, especially on the programmatic front,Ji Kim (09:47):It's been very, very difficult. Rapidly changing environment is definitely one of them, and you have to adapt quickly. For example, the video definition of having instream outstream, and then now there's a third definition of accompanying that stuff. When it happened, the enforcement happened quickly, so we had to adapt quickly, and that's difficult. But innovating is, I think, much more difficult than just adapting to the new policies and new rules. So many different ways to innovate pre, for example, you have the open source code, you build that, but there's so many customizations that you can do and even a single customization, you interpret how you should approach that topic and how you should build your tech. So you kind of have to talk to your developers and walk through. And our biggest challenge I would say was bridging the gap between developers and ad ops. I was like, because I am an ad ops guy, I understand programmatic landscape very well, but our developers do not. And I'm not a developer, I'm not a technical guy. Obviously through 10 years I've learned a lot of stuff, but still, if I needed to build something, I'm not going to be able to tell them exactly how to build it. So you need somebody in the middle that understands both sides,(11:03):And that was the most difficult part. And eventually we did find resources that they were able to bridge that gap and were able to build stuff. But ultimately, there's just so many different ways to build your product and you want to make sure that product that you build or tech stack that you build is going to keep that balance that you need between the user experience, the performance, and the density, everything that pertains to page speed as well. If you build it to be too slow, everything gets affected as well, and that's harder to tell. So yeah.Damian Fowler (11:37):So how have some of these technical changes influenced your broad and monetization philosophy?Ji Kim (11:43):Yeah, so I guess one of the things, if we talk about authentication, we talk about cookie deprecation and why authentication became so important to majority of the publishers. And I remember our thought process around authentication was pretty pessimistic, I would say. But eventually we said know what? We can create content or value for the users that's going to want them to sign up and want them to get authenticated. And we said we got to start somewhere. Ultimately, maybe we've become a little bit more realistic about what critical mass of a value would be if we're at, if we're expecting 50% of users will log in, that's not going to happen, but 10% is still very meaningful. So it was about our philosophy was changing, about our expectations changing and still understanding that 10% could be very valuable and we can do a lot with that 10%. So we created more value to the users are more exclusive content, high quality content, high quality videos. All of that stuff became an initiative on the content side for us to deliver the premium model and to give users the incentive to authenticate a sign up on.Damian Fowler (13:03):That's really interesting. I think one of the things that also I'm hearing is that you kind of have different audiences, but you're getting to understand your audiences. I mean, this strategy gives you more insight into who's coming.Ji Kim (13:15):Yeah. We also created what we call threads. They can talk about the article, talk about topics that we're discussing, and that really improved our engagement.Damian Fowler (13:30):As you look to the future, how do you think about, as it were, locking in some of these changes and this value that you see from this audience?Ji Kim (13:40):So I want to go back a little bit about innovating and how difficult it is. So I went through the stages of, okay, what am I focusing on to optimize to yield more value? And initially it was demand. Okay, we want to work with as many high quality as P as possible, but then you do work with all of them. There are going to be going to be one or two that come here and there, but generally speaking, they're not going to create incremental value. They'll just take a piece of pie that was taken by somebody else, not meaningful value. Then you work on ad tech innovation, all that stuff, and that we'll continuously work on that, but that also has lots of limitations, and you eventually reach a plateau point of say, you're not going to find a lot low hanging fruits. So now we come to premium inventory, which we need to learn our users, we need to learn who they are so we can offer these users to our advertisers to grow our PMP programmatic direct, as well as your conventional IO based direct deals that's going to yield as higher CPMs.Damian Fowler (14:53):Yeah, I mean, talk of premium inventories is characteristic of the moment we are in when it comes to programmatic sales for publishers.Ji Kim (15:02):Yeah.Damian Fowler (15:04):Let's draw back and look at the big picture and some of the kind of industry context. I guess think I'm correct in saying Valnet reach has more than 400 million sessions a month across its network. That's correct. And how do you think about that, that kind of scale when every property has its own audience profile and publishing rhythm?Ji Kim (15:30):Yeah, it's sometimes a bit overwhelming how much reach our sites have, but I always try to look at it as our advantage, and this is the opportunity that hasn't been tapped into, is that okay, we're 95% of our inventory is sold in the open market, and we have so much data that we could collect and leverage in order to drive higher value. And it's just looking at it, it's overwhelming, but you start to see the real value that hasn't been tapped into, and that's exciting, but it's also very, very difficult to manage all that information, manage that data, and use it properly. So yeah, I mean it excites me, but also I know how challenging it can be to create value through that. So we're taking one step at a time, even first party data collection. I wouldn't say we're crazy sophisticated, but we're keeping it a level that we know how to manage and understanding it well first and then starting to kind of grow a step-by-step.Damian Fowler (16:45):Yeah, I mean, I suppose the whole back and forth about third party cookies may have provided a spark. I know it lit a fire under the industry. Speaking of first party data, so that is a focus for you?Ji Kim (16:56):Yes, yes. But I believe when it was really a huge focus for the industry was when Google had first announced that they're going to deprecate third party cookies, and we had the initial moment of, oh, you know what? We also need to look into this, but we didn't want to panic. Our outlook was, I'm sure everybody went through the initial panic. We did too, but we didn't want to stay in that moment. And we said, okay, what's realistically going to happen for publishers like us? How much first party data can we collect and really sell because we don't have a huge direct sales initiative? And at that point we had none. And you can't grow direct sales overnight. It's a highly competitive environment, and you're entering that new market. You have to build relationships, you have to have crazy amount of salespeople that are constantly going out there representing balance inventory.(17:55):And we weren't set up for that, and we weren't willing to just fully invest everything into growing that at the time. So we said, well, maybe first party data isn't as important. Collecting first part data isn't as important as just understanding how to go about direct sales. So that's what we worked on. We've hired salespeople, we enter that space. I was very naive about how direct sales worked, and now we have a better understanding. We have good salespeople that understand our values as well. We don't want to just go out and sell anything and everything. We want to understand the creative types that we're also selling isn't going to impact user experience horribly and negatively. The high impact guys, the site scans when they're done, right, it's great user experience, but it could also go the other way. So we wanted to build a baseline first, and that's what we did the last few years. And now we can go after the first party data in a more sustainable way for us.Damian Fowler (18:56):Let's talk about your acquisition of Polygon from Vox Media. Speaking of inventory that expands the real estate, how does that property fit into what you're doing?Ji Kim (19:07):So Polygon, obviously, we go through a lot of due diligences. We look at different opportunities, and Polygon was an easy one to go through because we knew Polygon has great content, it has a great foundation of creating high quality content. But the difference was that Fox has a lot of direct sales. I can't remember the exact number, but it could have been 75%, 80% of their revenue was generated, direct sold inventory, and then 20% was open market. And for us, it would've been the other way around, flipped around even less. Maybe 95% open market, 5% directive. Initially when we acquired it would've been a hundred percent open market, but that's also why it excite us because it's a premium inventory that doesn't get seen in the open market. Open market buyers don't see the bid requests coming from that website as much. So we're super happy, but we knew this was a high quality inventory, high quality website, and we knew that there was a very small chance that it was going to go poorly.Damian Fowler (20:20):Interesting. When you buy a property like that, you're actually buying an audience to a certain extent.Ji Kim (20:25):Yeah, absolutely.Damian Fowler (20:27):Do you think about audiences as discreet to the publications or do you see crossover?Ji Kim (20:34):Crossover? Yeah, lots of crossover.Damian Fowler (20:37):Yeah. Alright. So I guess the big question here is for other publishers looking to upgrade this strategy that we're talking about, especially in this very complex environment, which is something you clearly understand very deeply, what's one piece of advice that you might offer?Ji Kim (20:54):I think you have to think about realistically what you should go after, what opportunities you should go after. So many things that come up right now, I think the big thing is curated media. And on our end, a lot of the SSPs and DSPs are doing the work for us. They going out and curating our inventory for us, and that's fine. But if you were to go after that and trying to grow it, but you don't really have the resources, it's easy to just kind of see everybody, what everyone else is doing, like, oh, I want a piece of that too, but it's not going to yield the value. Same value if you don't have the right resources in place if you're not focused on that opportunity. So my advice would be to understand which opportunities realistically are you able to get and have the right resources who are going to be passionate about that. Take accountability. That's huge, the accountability part. And that's not something you can just kind of force people. You have to believe that this person that's taking on this project can be really passionate and sink their teeth into it. If you got that, then go after those things. But it's too hard to go after every single opportunity there is. Even if seemingly it seems like a low hanging fruit. Nothing is really that simple in this industry.Damian Fowler (22:15):That's for sure. So finally, we're going to wrap this up with some what we call hot seat questions. So what's one thing you're obsessed with figuring out right now?Ji Kim (22:27):How to yield more value? No, no, no. I'll give a better answer than that right now. For me, it's how to grow direct sales sustainably and scale it in a way that we don't get too bloated. Because through acquisitions, one of the most valuable things that I get is insight. I get to see under the hood of a lot of publishers, small to medium to large, how they operate, what is their strategy and direct sales. I've learned some of the big publishers do it extremely well. It's a well-oiled machine, it's not bloated. They generate a ton of revenue, but some have a huge cost, and that's what we were afraid of. And right now it's very hard to do. So you need the right sales team, you need the right operational guys, you need account representation, you need reporting guide and all this stuff. And right now I am trying to find a way to scale it, but without having massive costs, just kind of take over and then expect this to yield value in the next year or two. I want that line to kind of grow together. And that's not an easy thing to do, obviously. And I'm looking for the right resources. I'm looking to build relationships with agencies with limited guys, just hustle through it and offer them our inventory, charm them, whatever it may take. But yeah, that's what I'm currently obsessed.Damian Fowler (24:01):Okay. What's still missing in the ad tech stack that you wish someone would build?Ji Kim (24:07):I don't know if this would fall under their ad tech stack, but I think we could really benefit from a bit more standardization around, it could be reporting and creatives. Maybe I'm speaking out of line because I'm on the inventory side, so I don't know everything that goes on the buy side and the creative side. But what I see is that there's so many different creatives that just either break the page, the creative's broken, it's too heavy, it slows down the page, and it's hard to target those and remove those. It can come through so many different channels. So if there is a bit more standardization around what kind of creatives are acceptable, I'm sure there is some or a standard already, but it needs to be honed in a bit more maybe.Damian Fowler (25:00):What's one thing advertisers misunderstand about monetizing Publish it inventory today?Ji Kim (25:08):So I thought about this and something that it's more of my frustration around advertisers perspective. I understand it, but a bit more frustration because it's hard to create context around it, which is brand safety. I understand the brand side. I advertise side on why they wouldn't want to associate their brand with certain content, but brand safety is police by keyword list and it's very restrictive. And some of the,Damian Fowler (25:37):It's one toolJi Kim (25:38):And it's like, okay, and we have gaming sites that will, a lot of gaming, natural will talk about shooting, but some of the game developers won't want to associate with those articles. And it's like, hang on, hang on. Now you bet you guys also have games that are first person shooter or whatnot. You don't want to associate with those type of articles. There's a bit of a mismatch, and I think it's just hard to manage that. So they go with a broader approach and I get it, but I think it's just there needs to be more about understanding the context of certain articles. And it's like the word shooting can be anything, everything. Right?Damian Fowler (26:22):Yeah, I like that. I've been hearing more about a shift from brand safety to brand suitability, which brings in the concept of context. What's something unexpected you've learned from reader data or behavior recently?Ji Kim (26:39):So I wouldn't say it's recent, but it's something that's surprises me how the smallest change that I, from my perspective is like, is that really going to do anything? But at our scale, the numbers changed so drastically. Recently we were playing around with the video size because our outstream unit will float once the user are scrolling and the size of that unit. Obviously we want to give advertiser value, so we want to make it as big as possible. But then user experience wise, it could be very bothersome because as they're trying to read, there's a video playing. So we want to keep mindful of that. And we're constantly testing the size of that unit and we decreased by 10% and 10%. While it's significant, if you look at the actual size of the unit to the naked eye, you really wouldn't be able to tell what the difference is. But the CTR of that video unit changed drastically. It was cut in half, actually. And that's the thing is like, okay, users are really sensitive to these things. And to me it's not, maybe I'm looking at it too often, but that's always, that boggles my mind and it always catches me by surprise when I see the numbers is like, wow, I did not expect that. I did not expect users to behave this way.Damian Fowler (28:00):That's amazing. The details really matter.Ji Kim (28:02):Yeah, Big time. Damian Fowler (28:03):And that's it for this edition of The Current Podcast. We'll be back next week. The Current Podcast is produced by Molten Hart. A theme is by Love and Caliber, and our associate producer is Sydney Cairns. And remember,Ji Kim (28:21):I like to think of us as a publishing powerhouse. We started very small. Our motto is humble and hungry. We like to remind ourselves that it's always good to keep a humble mindset.Damian Fowler (28:34):I'm Damian, and we'll see you next time.
You've launched your book—congrats! But after the buzz fades, you might find yourself wondering: Now what? If you're a coach, consultant, or speaker, your book shouldn't just sit on the shelf. It should bring you leads, build trust, and drive your business forward.In this episode of Your Path to Publish, we break down how to turn your nonfiction book into a lead-generating funnel—one that works behind the scenes to attract your ideal clients. We'll walk through how the free + shipping model works, how to map out your funnel, and how to make your book more than just a passion project.BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL LEARN:How to use your book as the front-end offer in a larger funnelThe key elements of a lead-generating book funnel (and what tools you need)Real-world examples of authors using the free + shipping model successfullyWhat to offer beyond the book—and how to automate it allWhether your book just launched or it's been out for a while, this episode will show you how to create momentum that lasts long after launch week.Learn more about Your Path to Book Publishing by visiting Juxtabook.com and discover if traditional publishing, self publishing, or hybrid publishing is right for you. Join the Author Edge Community and learn how to publish, and market your book and build your brand. Learn MoreLiked this episode? Share it and tag us on Instagram @juxtabkLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook
I sit down with fellow podcaster, small business owner, and newsletter writer Brian Ondrako to talk about our journey to writing newsletters in beehiiv. He started his podcast, Just Get Started, in 2017 and has published over 450 episodes. He's now leveraging his sales expertise to help others through his newsletter. It was great to talk about our creative journeys and get really tactical with how we think about newsletter writing and strategy. Check out this crossover episode on his podcast: https://brianondrako.com/podcast/angela-hollowellI'd love to hear from you!Join our community, Please Hustle Responsibly: https://pleasehustleresponsibly.beehiiv.com/Support the show:Buy The Interview Workbook for Storytellers: https://www.blurb.com/b/11662269-interview-workbook-for-storytellersVisit the website: https://www.honeyandhustle.coConnect with Angela:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AngelaHollowellLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelahollowell/Twitter: https://twitter.com/honeyandhustle
Send us a textHave you ever felt like you had a book inside you, but just couldn't get started? 81% of North Americans believe they have a book in them—but only a tiny fraction ever see that dream to completion. In this episode, I explore the real reasons people don't write their books, debunk common myths, and share actionable steps to help you finally move from wishing to writing.Timestamp:00:00 Empowering Aspiring Writers05:09 Defining Your Why in Writing06:51 Overcoming Writer's Block Myths09:56 Born to Write PodcastFull show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS
In this episode, Matt & Lauren review how to publish your book in 7 steps! Check out these resources to help you with each one:
Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!This week, I'm joined by publicist Emily Florence, and we're talking about how to set publicity goals before you start chasing them, why a Today Show appearance might not sell nearly as many books as you think, and how to make your marketing feel less like shouting into the void and more like having conversations that matter.Here's what we get into:Why knowing your goals (career author? credibility? visibility?) makes all the differenceThe surprising truth about big media hits (and what works better)Building an author platform that doesn't rely on hacking the algorithm or pretending to be someone you're notHow to build a real-deal, supportive author community (no fake “collabs” required)
Get every episode of The Dumb Zone by subscribing to the show at DumbZone.com or Patreon.com/TheDumbZoneWe recap our Generic Summer Event from over the weekend, Dan yelled at a lady in the grocery story parking lot, Jared Sandler joins us live from The Mall of America, and we have former Dallas Cowboys getting arrested and current ones releasing videos on their YouTube channels to fix their image damaged by the front office (00:00) - Open: DZ GSE recap/Weekend check (34:21) - Sports: Don Nelson didn't like the Luka trade (50:23) - Jared Sandler: Live from the Mall of America (01:23:16) - Trevon and CeeDee publish their narratives (01:46:01) - News: Former Cowboy arrested (02:08:55) - VM birthdays/Today in History ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Think publishing your book is the finish line? Not quite. If you want to turn your writing into a sustainable career, you need more than royalties. In this episode of Your Path to Publish, we're diving into how successful nonfiction authors actually earn a living—and how you can do the same by building smart, scalable income streams around your book.BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL LEARN:Why book royalties alone rarely pay the bills (and what to do instead)Five proven income streams authors use to grow a sustainable businessHow to choose the income path that fits your strengths, goals, and lifestyleReal-world ideas to start small and build momentum—even while you're still writingIf you want to go beyond your book and build a career that lasts, this episode is your roadmap.Learn more about Your Path to Book Publishing by visiting Juxtabook.com and discover if traditional publishing, self publishing, or hybrid publishing is right for you. Join the Author Edge Community and learn how to publish, and market your book and build your brand. Learn MoreLiked this episode? Share it and tag us on Instagram @juxtabkLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook
The best-selling graphic novels for May, 2025 have been revealed. Image Comics to publish facsimile editions, including Warren Ellis book Fell. Marvel announces new Stormbreakers.SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, APPLE, SPOTIFY, OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON BLUESKY, INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Send us a textIn the world of authorship and digital entrepreneurship, few names carry as much respect as Pat Flynn. In this episode of Authors Who Lead, I share the story of my apprenticeship under Pat—a journey rooted in service, vulnerability, and taking fast, decisive action. Our conversation delved deep into the principles at the core of Pat's latest book, Lean Learning: How to Achieve More by Learning Less, and unpacked how stepping forward before you feel “ready” is often the key to breakthroughs.Timestamp:00:00 Business breakthrough experience unprepared03:43 From apprentice to bestseller collaborator08:18 Adaptability in a fast-changing world12:28 DIY book formatting journey13:01 Collaborative learning & entrepreneurship journey16:34 Embrace change for real growth21:31 Rowing strategy: power 10 technique23:40 Dedicated focus for creative success27:36 Embrace failure for faster success28:37 Overcoming negativity in entrepreneurship32:01 Exploring the traditional publishing path36:52 Writing under pressure: a 10-day challenge40:35 Pursuing bestseller status with passion44:06 Strategic book sale tactics45:24 Intriguing book title strategyFull show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Notes from James:Most people get stuck at the idea stage. That's why I'm sharing frameworks—so you're not staring at a blank screen. These techniques have helped hundreds of people (including me) go from idea to published book in just 30 days.Episode Descriptions:In Part 5 of my 30-day writing series, I unveil four of the most powerful book-writing frameworks I've ever used or taught—and they've helped hundreds of people write their first book in just a month. These aren't theoretical. They're real-world, repeatable methods that have led to bestsellers, media appearances, consulting gigs, and new careers.From the "101 List Technique" to the "Jesus Diet" method, each framework simplifies your creative process, helps you structure your ideas fast, and shows you how to turn your interests into income. I even share how you can write a book using past podcast interviews or unreadable academic research.If you've ever thought, “I have an idea, but I don't know how to turn it into a book,” this episode gives you the blueprint—four times over.What You'll Learn:The “101 List” format and why people LOVE books with listsHow to turn your podcast (or other content) into a book—step by stepThe “Jesus Diet” method and how to combine timeless concepts with trending topicsWhy academic research papers are gold mines (and how to use them to write your book)How to choose a niche, research efficiently, and find your book's unique angleThe truth about book length—and why shorter can be betterTimestamps00:00 Introduction and Excitement00:17 Bonus Framework: The Podcast Technique04:43 Framework 1: The 101 Technique13:30 Framework 2: The Habits Technique18:30 Framework 3: The Jesus Diet Technique27:37 Framework 4: The Academic Research Technique33:00 Conclusion and EncouragementP.S. Want to go deeper? Check out my full course on Udemy or visit chooseyourselfacademy.com: How to Write and Publish a Book in 30 Days – available now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Lotta elephants in the news lately. Getting ready for the big Taste weekend. Sorry for the delay to those of you who read these. I thought I hit PUBLISH, but I didn't, then walked away for several hours.
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Have you been dreaming about publishing a book that actually sells?The hard truth is that most authors fail because they jump straight into writing. They spend months writing a book only to find out later they made a key mistake, and nobody wants to buy the book.I've helped thousands of authors go from blank page to profitable launch, and in this week's episode, I'm giving you the roadmap. You'll learn my complete six-step process as well as how to avoid common pitfalls and rookie mistakes.In this episode, you'll discover:The first thing you should do (even before writing chapter one)Which people and tools can help you polish your manuscript (and the right order to use them)How you can get free lifetime access to my course How to Get Published (Only in June!)If you're serious about publishing a book that sells, this is the episode you can't afford to miss.Listen in or read the blog version to learn how to successfully publish a book and avoid common mistakes.https://www.patreon.com/posts/june-is-patron-130533769 Support the show
On the Schmooze Podcast: Leadership | Strategic Networking | Relationship Building
You didn't write your book just to check a box—you wrote it because you have something important to say. Something that will outlast a single post, a single talk, or even a single launch. A book is a legacy-building tool. It crystallizes your expertise, your message, and your unique lens on the world in a way that no other medium can. And when it's done right, it opens doors—not just for your business today, but for the reputation and body of work you'll be known for tomorrow. That's why I support entrepreneurs through their entire author journey—because writing and publishing are only the beginning. When you leverage your book as the foundation for your bigger mission, everything changes. I'd love to help you think long-term about your book's potential. Schedule a complimentary 30-minute book launch brainstorm session at www.BookLaunchBrainstorm.com. Today, our panelists are here to share how they've used their books not just as products but to build their platform. Jenn T. Grace is the author of “Publish Your Purpose: A Step-By-Step Guide to Write, Publish, and Grow Your Big Idea.” She is the founder of Publish Your Purpose, a hybrid publisher for authors who are thought leaders, experts in their fields, and visionaries paving the way to social change. She's also one of our Biz Book Pub Hub Partners. Nikki Green wrote “Chameleon Mindset: Creative Ways To Embrace Change And Build Mental Resilience To Transform Your Career & Life,” an engaging, research-based guide that helps you adapt with confidence using creative strategies and interactive exercises for lasting personal and professional growth. Rob Swymer wrote “Surrender to Your Adversity,” a powerful, heartfelt guide to embracing life's challenges with courage and grace. It shows how surrendering to what you can't control can lead to growth, resilience, and a renewed sense of purpose. Please join me in welcoming Jenn, Nikki, and Rob. In this episode, we discuss the following:
Top Strategies on How to Market a Self-Published BookYou hit publish on your book—now what? Whether you're on a tight budget or just overwhelmed by options, marketing your book doesn't have to be complicated or chaotic.In this episode of Your Path to Publish, Zach breaks down a simple, proven framework for self-published authors to build visibility, attract readers, and start selling books. From your author brand to advanced tools like ads and influencers, this episode will help you build a strong marketing foundation that scales over time.BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL LEARN:Why your author brand, website, and email list are the foundation of any successful book marketing strategyThe biggest mistakes authors make when starting to market their books—and how to avoid themPractical tactics you can start today to get your book in front of more readers without burning outIf you're ready to move your book forward and finally feel confident about your marketing plan, don't miss this episode.Learn more about Your Path to Book Publishing by visiting Juxtabook.com and discover if traditional publishing, self publishing, or hybrid publishing is right for you. Join the Author Edge Community and learn how to publish, and market your book and build your brand. Learn MoreLiked this episode? Share it and tag us on Instagram @juxtabkLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Notes from James:Let's be honest: most people who write a book never make money from it. Why? Because they stop at the last page. I want you to go further. In this episode, I show you how I turned my books into speaking gigs, consulting work, investment deals, and more. You don't need a big publisher or a massive budget—just the right strategy.Episode Descriptions:In Part 4 of my 30-day writing series, I tackle one of the biggest questions aspiring authors face: Should you self-publish or go the traditional route? I've done both—some of my books were published by big-name houses, others I put out myself. This episode breaks down the pros, cons, and misconceptions of each approach—and how to make the smartest decision for your goals.You'll also learn exactly what to do after the writing is done. I cover how to market your book, build buzz, land media, grow your audience, and ultimately make your book work for you—financially, professionally, and personally.Whether you're writing your first book or your fifth, this episode lays out the modern publishing roadmap and how to turn your words into real-world results.What You'll Learn:The truth about traditional publishing—what it offers and what it takes awayWhy self-publishing can earn you more money and give you more controlWhat agents, publishers, and bookstore placement actually mean todayHow bestseller lists really work (and why most are just marketing tools)Exactly how to market your book after it's published: newsletters, podcasts, and moreHow to build momentum before your book even comes outTimestamps00:00 Traditional vs. Self-Publishing: The Debate Begins00:41 The Evolution of Self-Publishing01:10 Benefits of Traditional Publishing03:17 Challenges with Traditional Publishing06:58 The Power of Self-Publishing15:09 Steps to Professionally Self-Publish16:34 The Importance of Audiobooks21:15 Marketing Your Book: An Overview21:53 Building and Utilizing an Email List24:48 Leveraging Online Platforms for Book Promotion27:08 The Power of Podcasts and Public Speaking32:31 Maximizing Social Media for Book Sales38:47 Final Thoughts on Book MarketingP.S. Want to go deeper? Check out my full course on Udemy or visit chooseyourselfacademy.com: How to Write and Publish a Book in 30 Days – available now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Witness: Dr. Aizik Wolf - brain surgeon who testified about the injuries to John's brain Witness: (from yesterday)Crime lab analyst Christina Hanley finishes her testimony on the broken glass and tail light pieces.Donate: (Thank you for your support! Couldn't do what I love without all y'all) PayPal - paypal.com/paypalme/prettyliesandalibisVenmo - @prettyliesalibisBuy Me A Coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/prettyliesrCash App- PrettyliesandalibisAll links: https://linktr.ee/prettyliesandalibisMerch: prettyliesandalibis.myshopify.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/PrettyLiesAndAlibis(Weekly lives and private message board)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pretty-lies-and-alibis--4447192/support.
Pitching, writing, publishing, and marketing a cookbook with Erin Clarke from Well Plated by Erin. ----- Welcome to episode 520 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Erin Clarke from Well Plated by Erin. What It Really Takes to Publish a Cookbook with Erin Clarke from Well Plated by Erin In this episode, we are thrilled to welcome back Erin Clarke (after 9 years!!!) to dive into the behind-the-scenes journey of traditionally publishing a cookbook — from developing the recipes and managing timelines to copy-editing and more. Erin opens up about how she balanced her cookbook projects with her ongoing blog work, as well as the challenges and rewards of publishing a cookbook. Bjork and Erin also chat about the marketing side of cookbook creation — how Erin mapped out the social media strategy for her cookbook promotion, why she crafted all of her captions in advance, and how she documented the entire cookbook process on social media to create excitement and drive sales. Erin emphasizes that cookbook writing shouldn't be motivated by money but by a passion for cookbooks and the long-term brand legitimacy and awareness that these books help build. Three episode takeaways: The cookbook proposal is your blueprint — Erin explains why a compelling cookbook proposal is essential — not only does it help you effectively pitch to publishers, but it also forces you to test your concept (and whether you're up for the challenge!) and clarify your vision before writing begins. Cookbook writing is a long game — Success requires patience, consistency, and a commitment to detail. Erin shares about the challenges of adjusting to the timeline of print publishing and the shift in mindset required to develop a cookbook. How to develop recipes that work — Erin walks through her incredibly detailed approach to recipe development (have you ever counted the kale stalks in a bunch at the grocery store?) and how being methodical when developing and writing recipes from the get-go creates a strong foundation for your future self and sets your readers up for success. Resources: Well Plated by Erin Rebranding Your Blog with Erin Clarke from Well Plated Avery Skinnytaste Ten Speed Rodale Well, Actually…from Erin Clarke of Well Plated The Well Plated Cookbook Well Plated Every Day Follow Erin on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Yoast. Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.
Notes from James:This is where a lot of people quit—but you won't. This episode is about pushing through the dip that comes when writing gets tough. I give you tools I've used across 25+ books to keep going, stay motivated, and write better.Episode Descriptions:This is Part 3 of my 30-day writing series—and we're getting into the real tools that will make your writing not just better, but publishable. If you've ever stared at a blank page and felt overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure of where to go next, this is the episode that will break that wall down.I walk you through the “6 U's” that every chapter—and especially your book introduction—must follow to grab readers, hook them emotionally, and sell the value of your book. You'll also learn the “Warren Buffett 5/25 Rule” and how it helps you figure out exactly what to write about, plus a little-known editing tool (the Flesch-Kincaid score) that will instantly improve your writing's clarity.If you've hit writer's block, feel stuck mid-draft, or need structure to keep going, you'll find every tool you need right here.This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/JAMES and get on your way to being your best self.What You'll Learn:The 6 U's of persuasive writing: Urgency, Unique, Useful, Ultra-Specific, User-Friendly, Unquestionable ProofHow to sell your book in the introduction using sales psychology techniquesWhy Warren Buffett's 5/25 Rule might be the most important tool for picking a topicHow to use the Flesch-Kincaid Score to make your writing clearer and more readableNine real techniques I've used to overcome writer's block—even on my worst daysWhy storytelling isn't just a craft—it's your most important writing toolTimestamps:00:00 Crafting a Compelling Book Introduction01:58 The Six U's of Selling Your Book07:52 Applying the Six U's to Your Writing09:34 The Warren Buffett 5/25 Rule for Focus22:01 The Importance of Readability: Flesch-Kincaid Score28:27 Introduction to Overcoming Writer's Block28:54 Nine Techniques to Overcome Writer's Block36:33 Additional Writing Techniques and Tips47:57 The Importance of Storytelling in Writing51:07 Frameworks for Writing and Publishing Your BookP.S. Want to go deeper? Check out my full course on Udemy or visit chooseyourselfacademy.com: How to Write and Publish a Book in 30 Days – available now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Notes from James:The biggest lie about writing is that it takes years. I've written multiple books in less than a month—including bestsellers. With the right system, anyone can do this.In this episode, I break down how to structure your first book and why your life experience, not your grammar, is your superpower. You'll also hear my take on AI writing, and why your personal story is something no algorithm can ever replicate.Episode Highlights:Yes, you really can write and publish a great book in 30 days. In Part 2 of this writing series, I walk you through the actual systems that make it not only possible—but repeatable.You'll learn four powerful “meta-outline” frameworks you can use to organize any non-fiction book quickly and clearly. I'll show you how I wrote Think Like a Billionaire in under 30 days using one of these frameworks, and how authors I know have launched entire careers with similar methods (some even in just three days). I also dive deep into one of the most important—but most overlooked—parts of writing a book: your first sentence. You'll hear legendary first lines from some of the world's best authors and learn why they work.This episode is a blend of process and artistry—because writing a great book requires both.This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/JAMES and get on your way to being your best self.What You'll Learn:4 concrete frameworks that will help you write a 20+ chapter book fastThe myth of needing years to write a book (and how to break it)How I turned podcast interviews with billionaires into a full book in less than a monthWhy your first sentence matters more than your title—and how to make it irresistibleHow to write with authenticity, vulnerability, and momentumWhy AI can't replace you—and never will—when it comes to storytellingTimestamps00:00 Introduction: Writing a Book in 30 Days00:54 The Four Frameworks for Writing02:03 Example: Think Like a Billionaire05:10 Overcoming Writing Myths13:14 AI and the Future of Writing20:47 The Power of a Strong First Line23:51 Exploring the Opening Lines of Iconic Novels24:14 Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man: A Civil Rights Era Classic25:04 Jack Kerouac's On the Road: A Journey of Rediscovery27:23 Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 100 Years of Solitude: A Nobel-Winning Masterpiece30:54 Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five: A War Story with a Twist34:20 Jennifer Egan's Welcome to the Goon Squad: A Pulitzer Prize Winner35:25 Charles Bukowski's Post Office: A Tale of Mistakes and Realities38:57 William Gibson's Neuromancer: The Birth of Cyberpunk40:16 The Importance of First Lines in Storytelling42:36 Crafting Relatable and Vulnerable NarrativesP.S. Want to go deeper? Check out my full course on Udemy or visit chooseyourselfacademy.com: How to Write and Publish a Book in 30 Days – available now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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