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#087 Nat Eliason: From Blogging to Sci-Fi Novels, Writing Books That Last, and Owning Your Audience

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May 27, 2025

Guest

Nat Eliason

Nat Eliason, an internet entrepreneur and author of 'Crypto Confidential' and 'Husk,' shares his transition from nonfiction blogging to the world of fiction writing. He discusses the creative process of structuring novels and the challenges of publishing, whether traditional or self-publishing. Eliason emphasizes the importance of consistent audience engagement and marketing strategies. He also reflects on the joy of storytelling in fiction and the impact of science fiction literature on culture, all while navigating the multifaceted journey of being an author.

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Episode notes

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ADVICE

Consistency Is Key For Authors

To succeed as a career author, commit to extreme consistency and keep shipping books.
Building a large body of work compounds into significant success over time.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Authors as Entrepreneurs

As an author, you are an entrepreneur owning your product and its success.
Authors uniquely create a product once and can profit for decades without ongoing maintenance.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Traditional Publishing Pros and Cons

Nat highlights traditional publishing's strong editorial process, with many rounds of thoughtful feedback and expert proofreading.
However, he experienced frustration with traditional marketing and PR efforts lacking traction without an anchor review.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

From Nonfiction to Fiction: An Author's Journey

03:17 • 10min

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From Renaissance to Author: Navigating Writing Journeys

12:54 • 14min

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The Art of Editing and Self-Publishing

27:08 • 27min

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Crafting Enduring Narratives

53:46 • 16min

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The Cultural Impact of Sci-Fi and the Author's Journey

01:09:33 • 4min

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The Strategic Challenges of Choosing Book Projects

01:13:49 • 2min

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The Journey of Authorship and Community Support

01:16:05 • 3min

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Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:00:45) - Introducing Nat Eliason

(00:01:27) - Nat's Diverse Career and Writing Journey

(00:01:47) - The Transition from Nonfiction to Fiction

(00:02:13) - The Seven Act Structure and Writing Process

(00:02:44) - Publishing with Scribe and Launching Husk

(00:03:24) - The Rewards and Challenges of Writing

(00:04:29) - Building an Audience and Marketing Strategies

(00:06:54) - Balancing Writing with Other Ventures

(00:09:09) - The Reality of a Writing Career

(00:10:49) - The Importance of Consistency and Commitment

(00:22:37) - Navigating Traditional and Self-Publishing

(00:23:05) - The Journey to Becoming an Author

(00:40:56) - Exploring the Shift from Nonfiction to Fiction

(00:41:40) - The Joy of Storytelling in Fiction

(00:44:00) - Challenges and Rewards of Writing Fiction

(00:47:44) - Outlining and Structuring Fictional Works

(00:57:38) - Marketing and Selling Self-Published Books

(01:10:38) - The Future of an Author's Career

(01:18:18) - Conclusion and Recommendations

Links:

To support the costs of producing this podcast:

>> Buy a copy of the Navalmanack: www.navalmanack.com/

>> Buy a copy of The Anthology of Balaji: https://balajianthology.com/

>> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage

>> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun

>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter

>> Text the podcast to a friend

>> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners!

Important Quotes from the podcast on Business and Entrepreneurship

There is no skill called “business.” Avoid business magazines and business classes. - Naval Ravikant

You have to work up to the point where you can own equity in a business. You could own equity as a small shareholder where you bought stock. You could also own it as an owner where you started the company. Ownership is really important.

Everybody who really makes money at some point owns a piece of a product, a business, or some IP. That can be through stock options if you work at a tech company. That’s a fine way to start.

Quotes from Nat:

“Writing is the one thing I love doing enough to commit to for the next 30 years.”
“Traditional publishing taught me how to make a really good book, but I wouldn’t do it again.”
“Holding your book for the first time—and shipping it yourself to your first readers—is pure magic.”
“The best marketing for your book is writing the next one—that’s the fiction game.”
“I used to chase whatever was interesting… now I’m building something I want to last 30 years.”
“Fiction lets me explore big ideas without pretending to be an expert.”
“The self-pub stigma is fading… especially when the book looks and reads like a trad pub hit.”
“Characters start doing things I didn’t plan—then I realize, oh, that’s why they’re here.”
“There’s no product in the world like a book—you can sell the same file for 50 years.”
“My dream is to have a warehouse full of books I wrote. That’s the romantic version of success.”

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