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Once in a while, hosts Craig and Roland comb through the latest happenings in the ever-evolving world of self-publishing. In this episode, they’re joined by author, self-publishing expert, and well-known YouTube star Dale L. Roberts for a roundtable discussion. Dale, always on top of the hottest trends affecting authors, brings fresh insights to the conversation, leading to a lively discussion on the rise of AI in publishing, maximizing engagement through targeted content creation, and recent issues surrounding KDP blocking books.
The episode doesn’t shy away from big questions, such as how AI is reshaping the writing world and what that means for authors moving forward. Drawing on a recent Draft2Digital AI survey, the conversation explores the controversial role AI plays in writing, the debate over selling access to author works for AI training, and the potential implications for future publishing models. Whether you’re for or against AI, this episode offers a balanced look at both sides of the debate, providing you with valuable insights to make informed decisions about using AI in your own career.
Dale L. Robertshttps://selfpublishingwithdale.com/
Draft2Digital 2024 AI Training Survey Resultshttps://www.draft2digital.com/blog/2024-ai-training-survey-results/
Hidden Gems
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Well-written stories are driven by the choices characters make, and understanding why the characters made those choices is crucial if you want them to seem believable and authentic. That’s where psychology can come in.
In this week’s episode of Fully Booked, journalist and High Fantasy author Steffanie Costigan joins Craig and Roland to discuss how she uses elements from the classic Myers-Briggs Type Indicator when she develops her characters, because she believes it offers a powerful guide into how each of them might think, act, and interact with each other.
Inspired by the work of Carl Jung, this personality index ranks traits like extraversion, empathy, intuition, and perception and then assigns one of 16 personality types to the result - mapping out characteristics that particular type of person is best known for. Steffanie explores how assigning these personality types has helped her gain a deeper understanding of her characters, and made them more compelling and engaging for the readers of her work.
Steffanie Costiganhttps://landofthedragon.ca/about/
Hidden GemsNeed our help publishing or marketing your book? https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/author-services/All episode details and links: https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/podcast
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Eksik bölüm mü var?
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You might have heard influential figures in self-publishing declare that Direct Sales are “the next big trend” - but is selling your ebooks directly to your readers really a better option than using a tried-and-tested platform like Amazon?
Today, Craig and Roland sit down to discuss exactly that, using Roland’s months of experience selling his books directly to provide a real-life example. They discuss the challenges of setting up an effective sales funnel, how much technical knowledge you’ll require, the difficulty of turning a profit, and they weigh the pros and cons against more traditional self-publishing options like Amazon.
One thing’s for sure: Direct sales isn’t for everybody. However, you’ll be in a good position to consider that option after listening to this discussion, and have a good place to start planning out your own direct sales system.
Roland Hulmehttps://www.youtube.com/c/RolandHulme
Hidden Gems
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It’s tough enough to find a traditional publisher for your first book, but even tougher when that book is about a controversial topic. Yet, when today’s guest Ariel Anderssen decided to publish a memoir about her career as a submissive BDSM model, she topped from the bottom and refused to take “no” for an answer. The result of those efforts, her book “Playing to Lose,” is available now.
Ariel’s unique publishing journey is the subject of today’s discussion. She shares with Craig and Roland the challenges of finding a publisher when one of the core topics of her memoir was so scandalous, and how she leveraged her existing following to help crowdfund the book through a non-traditional indie publishing house.
Ariel’s story is one of tenacity and unbound thinking, and delivers much that aspiring authors can learn or find inspiration from.
Ariel Anderssenhttps://www.arielanderssenauthor.com/
Hidden Gems
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In this episode of Fully Booked, Craig and Roland are exploring the concept of the "zero draft," a powerful tool for writers at any stage of their manuscript. Guest Cara Stevens, an experienced editor, book coach, and writer, explains how the zero draft differs from other drafts and why it's an essential part of the writing process. Whether you're a plotter or a pantser, the zero draft helps you clarify your story, providing a scaffold that supports the development of your narrative without the pressure of crafting a perfect first draft.
Cara shares practical insights on how to approach a zero draft, emphasizing its role as a private, author-focused draft where you tell yourself the story. This process allows writers to uncover connections, themes, and story elements that might not emerge in a more formal draft. If you've ever felt stuck in the "messy middle" of your manuscript or found yourself endlessly editing without making progress, today's discussion is for you.
Cara Stevenshttps://carajstevens.com/
Hidden Gems
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In this week's episode of Fully Booked, Craig and Roland are joined by Emmy Award-winning screenwriter Zack Morrison for a hard look at the challenges of breaking into the television industry and the unconventional path he's taken in trying to sell his own comedy pilot. Despite his impressive credentials, including work on shows like SNL and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Zack reveals that in today’s market, even the most talented writers need more than just a great script to succeed. He discusses the importance of initiative and creativity in transforming an idea from paper to screen, and how essential it is to go beyond traditional methods.
Zack shares his unique journey, illustrating how success often requires creating your own opportunities rather than waiting for the industry to come to you. He’s not just theorizing—Zack put his filmmaking skills to the test by independently shooting the pilot for his script, and he offers a candid behind-the-scenes look at how he made it happen. Through engaging anecdotes and actionable advice, Zack underscores the importance of adaptability and creativity in standing out from the crowd, ultimately encouraging listeners to take control of their creative destinies.
Zack Morrisonhttps://www.zackmorrison.com/
Hidden Gems
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Even though he didn’t start publishing until he was in his sixties, travel writer Emil Rem has always set his own definition of success when it comes to his writing - and in this week’s episode of Fully Booked, he sits down with Craig and Roland to discuss the five essential attributes he believes are critical for writers hoping to share his satisfaction at engaging with readers and sharing his stories with the world.
Using examples drawn from his own globe-trotting history, Emil outlines core concepts like relentless self-belief, unwavering tenacity in your work ethic, finding a way to discriminate between useful and un-useful feedback, methods for finding your own unique voice in your writing, and one of the biggest factors of all - a willingness to take risks. This episode will be a breath of fresh air for authors struggling to get out of their own way and move the needle in their self-publishing career.
Emil Remhttps://emilrem.ca/
Hidden Gems
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What turns a description into a story? For most writers, the answer is structure - the timeless, immutable formula of storytelling that originated when our ancestors told tales around the campfire, yet continues today in Hollywood blockbusters and best-selling books.
Entertainment journalist and comic book writer Christian Angeles knows all about story structure. In fact, he’s even started a company called Monomythic which aims to help preserve the foundational elements of storytelling even as artists and creators explore telling their tales through new mediums and technologies.
In this week’s episode of Fully Booked, Christian joins Craig and Roland to discuss the fundamental importance of a well-structured story, and how studying the craft of storytelling can’t help but turn you into a better writer. If you’ve been searching for a missing element in your works-in-progress, this might be just the episode to tune into.
Christian Angeleshttps://linktr.ee/xn_angeles
Hidden Gems
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In this week's episode of Fully Booked, Craig and Roland examine the dynamic world of storytelling with author and screenwriter Sheri Langer. Renowned for her versatility across various mediums, Sheri shares her experience in crafting stories not only as novels and screenplays but also as TV pilots, audiobooks, and more. She discusses the unique challenges and considerations of making a story successful across these different formats, highlighting the importance of staying true to the original creative vision while meeting the demands of each medium.
Sheri reflects on how her childhood fascination with TV and movies shaped her narrative style and discusses the challenges and rewards of writing across multiple formats. Through use of examples, she describes various ways of adapting a single story to different mediums, such as adding more dialogue for TV or movies and incorporating more description for novelization. Whether you're an aspiring writer or a seasoned author, Sheri's experiences provide valuable insights into the versatility and art of storytelling.
Sheri Langerhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560386807917
Hidden Gems
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In this week's episode of Fully Booked, Craig and Roland explore how publishing can provide an author with more than just readers and royalties. Special guest Ali Horriyat joins them to talk about Compassiviste, a groundbreaking non-profit organization he created that’s dedicated to driving social change by providing a platform for authors, artists, and other creative activists to share their work.
Ali’s own story is pretty remarkable. After a highly successful career in finance, Ali left it all behind to focus on bringing more compassion into the world, combining activism and the arts to inspire meaningful change through Compassiviste. Now, the unique publishing platform he created empowers authors and other creators whose voice has traditionally been suppressed by mainstream publishing platforms.
Ali believes that books and other forms of art have always had a powerful impact on social movements, and that it’s essential to ensure everyone has an equal chance to tell their story and highlight their cause. So, if you believe the world needs more compassion and should focus less on profits and more on building a better, more sustainable future, be sure to tune in.
Ali Horriyathttps://compassiviste.com/
Hidden Gems
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In today's episode of Fully Booked, Craig and Roland are joined by returning guest Dave Chesson from Kindlepreneur to discuss the latest update to one of the most powerful tools for self-published authors: Publisher Rocket. The recently released Version 2.0 of this tool is designed to revolutionize your Amazon advertising strategy by optimizing your book's relevancy and helping you properly categorize it.Dave explains how Publisher Rocket's new Amazon ads functionality allows authors to see their book through Amazon's eyes. With this enhanced visibility, the tool provides invaluable insights into the keywords, phrases, and categories that Amazon associates with a book—whether yours or that of your competitors. Along with plenty of practical tips on using Rocket to create more effective ads, lower costs, and increase impressions, Dave also shares details on additional exciting features that will soon be added to the tool.Whether you're a seasoned self-published author or just starting out, Dave's essential advice on maximizing Publisher Rocket to navigate the complexities of Amazon’s book ranking system and supercharge your Amazon ads is not to be missed.Dave's free AMS (Amazon Ads) Coursehttps://hiddengems--rocket.thrivecart.com/publisher-rocket/5da9eae7a2e46/Publisher Rockethttps://hiddengems--rocket.thrivecart.com/publisher-rocket/
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On this week's episode of Fully Booked, we're focusing on overcoming the hurdles often faced by aspiring authors. Author and family mediator Rosemary Gattuso shares her journey of writing and self-publishing her self-help book, "It's Not You, It's Me: A Chronic Overthinker's Guide to Self-Reflection." Rosemary's path to self-publishing offers a unique perspective on how overthinking can impede the writing process. However, her background and experience enabled her to develop strategies for pushing past these mental roadblocks.
The challenges Rosemary faced with traditional and assisted self-publishing highlight the importance of connecting with industry professionals and leveraging available resources to make informed decisions about your publishing path. After finding empowerment in self-publishing, Rosemary identified key overthinking tendencies and ways to stay productive, which she shares with us as both a cautionary tale and a source of inspiration for other authors looking to take control of their publishing destiny.
Rosemary Gattusohttps://www.rosemarygattuso.com/
Hidden Gems
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When writing a fantasy novel, one of the most daunting tasks is creating the world in which your story takes place. Fantasy world-building isn't just about imagining new physical geography; it also involves developing magic and belief systems, culture, general mood and atmosphere, and the power structure of your society. Getting these complex and intricate details right leads to a captivating and credible fantasy world, which is why we've invited author and editor Judy Ellis to guide us through it all.
Judy, who also writes as J.H. Ellis, brings a wealth of experience not only as a YA fantasy author but also as the creator of an online course on world-building. In today's episode, Judy takes us through all the factors mentioned above, along with practical advice on maintaining the integrity of the world’s rules and advice on using tools to track details and avoid common pitfalls.
If you've been holding off on writing that fantasy epic because you feel overwhelmed, the valuable tips and insights from Judy will have you mastering the art of fantasy world-building in no time!
Judy Ellis
https://daybreaklit.com/
Hidden Gems
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In today's episode of Fully Booked, Craig and Roland are discussing the different ways that authors can infuse genuine romance and emotional realism into their stories. Both hosts are romance novelists themselves, but are lucky enough to be joined by Caroline McIntosh for this episode - who is not just an accomplished romance author, but also a writing coach who excels at helping other authors bring compelling and heartfelt relationships alive on the pages of their stories.
Caroline shares her journey from writing YA and fantasy to discovering her passion for romance novels. She emphasizes the importance of structure and emotional depth in writing about love and relationships, and also goes through a variety of essential key elements for writing a successful book. These include the “meet cute” first meeting, the hero’s grand romantic gestures, the all-important happy ending, and the significance of small, intimate moments that leverage the power of slowing things down to build genuine connections between characters.
Caroline's practical advice offers writers of all genres insight into how they can incorporate believable love stories into their work, making both their characters and the relationships they have authentic and unforgettable.
Caroline McIntosh
https://www.carolinemcintoshbooks.com/
Hidden Gems
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It’s rhyme-time in this week's episode of Fully Booked, as Craig and Roland explore the enduring power of poetry even in today's fast-paced digital world. Their guide through the evocative world of rhythm and flow is Viral Gor, spoken word performer and author of "Poetry is Motion: Mind, Body, and Soul."
Virus the Poet shares his insights on how poetry remains a vital form of expression and connection in the modern age, even as social media and technology increasingly dominate our lives. He argues that poetry continues to inspire, provoke thought, and evoke emotions in our rapidly changing world through its ability to resonate with a diverse audience and adapt to contemporary platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Virus also argues for the therapeutic benefits of poetry, emphasizing how it serves as a powerful tool for self-expression and emotional healing for both creators and consumers. So whether you're new to the genre, or have been waxing poetic for years, this discussion on the techniques and timelessness of poetry has something for everyone.
Virus the Poethttps://virusthepoet.com/
Hidden Gems
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In this episode of Fully Booked, we delve into the world of memoirs, exploring why we write and read them, along with the techniques involved in researching, structuring, and crafting these personal narratives. Our guide for this journey is Becky Ellis, author of a captivating memoir that intertwines her childhood experiences with her father's service in World War II. Becky's extensive background in publishing, combined with her own writing experience, provides valuable insights into how memoirs can deeply resonate with readers by capturing the intricacies of personal and family histories and skillfully balancing truth with storytelling.
As Becky shares her memoir writing journey, she highlights the emotional challenges and transformative power of recounting one's life story. These feelings are common among memoir authors, as they arise from the deep authenticity required during the meticulous process of distilling vast life experiences into a coherent narrative. Through practical advice for aspiring memoirists, including tips on scene setting, handling backstory, and the psychological excavation necessary to create a genuine and compelling memoir, Becky provides a rich perspective on the art of memoir writing, valuable to anyone interested in this type of personal storytelling.
Becky Ellishttps://beckyellis.net/
Hidden Gems
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In this episode of Fully Booked, we dive into the fascinating world of discovery writing, featuring returning guest KimBoo York. KimBoo, an accomplished author, librarian, technology historian, and former IT project manager, brings a unique perspective to the art of "pantsing" — writing without an extensive outline. In fact, she's written a book on the subject: "By the Seat of Your Pants: Secrets of Discovery Writing." Today, KimBoo takes us through the contrasts and overlaps between plotting and discovery writing, highlighting the freedom and creativity that come with embracing a more spontaneous approach to storytelling.
There are a variety of techniques and mindset shifts necessary for successful discovery writing, such as relying more heavily on intuition or embracing the concept of reverse outlining, but KimBoo provides some intriguing exercises that can help writers develop these and other discovery writing skills. So whether you're a seasoned plotter looking to incorporate more spontaneity into your process or just curious about the world of pantsing and discovery writing in general, this episode offers valuable insights and practical advice to enhance your writing journey.
KimBoo Yorkhttps://houseofyork.info/
Hidden Gems
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In this week's episode of Fully Booked, Craig and Roland dive into a crucial, but often overlooked aspect of author success: defining your target market. Joined by seasoned publisher and author Ann Aubitz, they explore the significance of understanding who your readers are, why it's essential to know your audience before you even start writing, and how this knowledge can shape both your writing and marketing process.
Much like advertisers invest heavily in understanding their target market, authors need to be keenly aware of who they are writing for so that they can adjust their marketing strategies to reach the right readers and create a deeper connection to them. For authors seeking ways to better target and engage with their market, the insights and ideas discussed in this episode are invaluable.
Ann Aubitzhttps://www.kirkhousepublishers.com/about
Hidden Gems
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This week on Fully Booked, we delve into the process of writing comics and graphic novels with accomplished comic writer and publisher, Adam Wilson. What began as a fun hobby of creating mini comics during his college years evolved into a full-time passion and business when Adam co-founded Read Furiously with his partner S. Atzeni, a company specializing in various forms of illustrated narratives..
Authors new to this medium will discover both similarities and differences between scripting comics and writing traditional novels, alongside unique challenges such as collaborating closely with artists to bring their stories to life while ensuring those artists are fairly compensated.
Adam provides practical advice on these topics, and many others, while also highlighting a variety of useful industry resources. With Adam's invaluable insights into navigating the various forms of visual storytelling, this episode is essential for anyone looking to embark on a career in the world of comics and graphic novels.
Read Furiouslyhttps://readfuriously.com/
Hidden Gems
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What’s a self-published author’s most valuable asset? Their writing experience? Their marketing expertise? Their ability to create vivid and engaging characters? All of those attributes are undeniably important - but former Air Force fighter pilot and USA Today bestselling author Steve Pieper argues that the most important asset an author has at their disposal comes from within - their mindset.
It’s mindset that has set Steve up as a pioneer in direct sales of his self-published books, and seen him lead dozens of other authors to similar success. He argues that mindset values such as grit, determination, self-awareness, and self-belief play a pivotal role in a self-published author’s eventual success - and in this week’s episode of Fully Booked, he provides Craig and Roland with some actionable techniques that authors can use to help cultivate their own winning mindset.
Steve Pieperhttps://app.stevepieper.com/
Hidden Gems
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- Daha fazla göster
