Writers, Ink: Your backstage pass to the world's most prolific authors

Justine Bateman has done it all and doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. In her new book, Face: One Square Inch of Skin, she addresses irrational fear cycles, like the aging of one’s face leading to missed friendships or job opportunities, and instead introduces a healthy way of deconstructing and understanding these fears. Justine first gained popularity for her role as Mallory Keaton on 80s sitcom Family Ties and has since been involved in a number of other movies and TV shows. Her first book, Fame: The Hijacking of Reality, won acclaim for her honest evaluation of celebrity culture in today’s world. To order her latest book, follow the link below. Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business - editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins. Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business. In this episode, you’ll discover: What Justine’s writing next How to stop rationalizing Formats for writing nonfiction Why to keep a folder for your ideas The importance of being faithful to your work Links: J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/ J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/ Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/ Justine Bateman - https://twitter.com/JustineBateman Face: One Square Foot of Skin - https://mybook.to/FaceJustineBateman Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com The Career Author Summit 2021 - https://thecareerauthor.com/summit2021/ Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ *Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Josh Malerman makes his second appearance on the show to talk about writing his new novella collection, Goblin. With this format, he’s been able to focus on exploring multiple tones and characterizing the setting itself through different characters while sticking to a central theme throughout the novellas. Malerman is a bestselling author who won international acclaim with his debut novel, Bird Box, which Netflix adapted into a film starring Sandra Bullock. In normal years, Josh also toured the country with his rock band, The High Strung. To preorder Goblin, follow the link below. From Amazon.com: Josh Malerman is an American author and also one of two singer/songwriters for the rock band The High Strung, whose song "The Luck You Got" can be heard as the theme song to the Showtime show "Shameless." His book Bird Box is also currently being filmed as a feature film starring Sandra Bullock, John Malkovich, and Sarah Paulson. Bird Box was also nominated for the Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the James Herbert Award. His books Black Mad Wheel and Goblin have also been nominated for Stoker Awards. Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business - editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins. Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business. In this episode, you’ll discover: What Clive Barker said about Goblin How to characterize your setting How different tones/perspective help add to a central theme Why Malerman works on one project at a time News on Amazon’s new Vella Program Links: J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/ J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/ Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/ Josh Malerman - https://joshmalerman.com/ Goblin: A Novel in Six Novellas - https://mybook.to/Goblin Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com The Career Author Summit 2021 - https://thecareerauthor.com/summit2021/ Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ *Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bestseller Andy Weir has made a special effort to make the characters in his latest release, Project Hail Mary, as rounded out as possible. By working off of past criticism, like the need to avoid writing characters based on his own personality and focus on relatability while including reasonable flaws, he has both increased the depth of his characters and consequently strengthened his story arc. Andy has been writing for over seven years and is best known for his debut novel, The Martian, which topped the New York Times bestseller list and was adapted into a hit film starring Matt Damon. To order Project Hail Mary, follow the link below. From Amazon.com: ANDY WEIR built a two-decade career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing full-time. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of such subjects as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail. Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business - editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins. Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business. In this episode, you’ll discover: Andy’s writing process Why to avoid self-based characters How to write a flawed character that is still likeable How to balance plot depth and character depth When to write a short story vs. a longform piece Links: J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/ J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/ Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/ Andy Weir - https://www.andyweirauthor.com/ Project Hail Mary - https://mybook.to/ProjectHailMary Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com The Career Author Summit 2021 - https://thecareerauthor.com/summit2021/ Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ *Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bestseller Caroline Kepnes is no stranger to writing in different mediums. Along with being an author, she uses her past experiences as a screenwriter and entertainment reporter to write intriguing stories while meeting deadlines and allowing herself to be less critical of her work. Caroline is well known for thrillers like Hidden Bodies and You, the latter of which was adapted for television, and for working as a writer on shows like 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Her latest publication, You Love Me, is available now. From Amazon.com: Caroline Kepnes is the author of YOU, HIDDEN BODIES and PROVIDENCE. The hit Netflix series You is an adaptation of her debut novel. The upcoming second is based on her sequel HIDDEN BODIES. After graduating from Brown University, Caroline continued writing short stories (on her computer, sorry typewriter) while embarking on a career in pop culture journalism first at Tiger Beat, then at Entertainment Weekly. She also worked as a TV writer on 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business - editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins. Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business. In this episode, you’ll discover: What Stephen King said about You How to characterize a serial killer When to write in 2nd person How to be less precious with your words The differences between writing and screenwriting Links: J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/ J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/ Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/ Caroline Kepnes - https://www.carolinekepnes.com/ You Love Me - https://mybook.to/YouLoveMe Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com The Career Author Summit 2021 - https://thecareerauthor.com/summit2021/ Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ *Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bestseller Lee Child preaches the idea of writing spontaneously. By rejecting traditional outlining and instead drawing on decades of reading experience to write in the moment, he creates stories that feel free-flowing and realistic. Lee is an accomplished thriller writer known for his bestselling Jack Reacher series, following a retired serviceman as he accepts strange jobs across the country. His latest publication, How to Write a Mystery, which he edited with Laurie R. King for the Mystery Writers of America, is available today. From Amazon.com: Lee Child is one of the world's leading thriller writers. He was born in Coventry, raised in Birmingham, and now lives in New York. It is said one of his novels featuring his hero Jack Reacher is sold somewhere in the world every nine seconds. His books consistently achieve the number-one slot on bestseller lists around the world and have sold over one hundred million copies. Two blockbusting Jack Reacher movies have been made so far. He is the recipient of many awards, most recently Author of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards. He was appointed CBE in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours. Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business - editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins. Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business. In this episode, you’ll discover: The origins of How to Write a Mystery The importance of reading before you write How to trust your own brain Why it’s natural to steal ideas How to incorporate real, organic feelings into your writing Links: J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/ J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/ Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/ Lee Child - https://www.jackreacher.com/us/authors/ Mystery Writers of America - https://mysterywriters.org/ How to Write a Mystery - https://mybook.to/HowToWriteAMystery Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com The Career Author Summit 2021 - https://thecareerauthor.com/summit2021/ Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ *Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this monthly q & a session, the guys answer listener questions. Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business - editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins. Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business. Join us on Patreon and ask your question LIVE on the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/writersinkpodcast Questions asked: I've heard conflicting pieces of advice: to write the books you would like to read but aren't out there yet, and then on the flip side, if a book isn't out there, that means no one wants to read it. What are your opinions? If there isn't any books in a particular genre or sub-genre is it because no one wants them or simply because no one has written the books yet? For fun: if you were stuck on a deserted island and could take the catalog of one musical artist with you, who would it be? When COVID restrictions lift, what are your personal and professional plans for travel, events, activities, etc? Is there any value in trade reviews or awards? Are any of you going to try kindle vella? I think I calculated it to pay 4 cents per 1000 words read which isn't horrible. Though ezines and anthologies pay 1000 times that. Do you have a set budget per book or series for advertising? If you wrote a one-off book that you thought was very good; how would you decide whether to go trad or self-publish? Assume immediate earnings was not an issue and you think it might sell well. I'd be interested to hear J D's view also, as I believe he is a hybrid. How does he make that kind of decision? Are there any popular novels written that mix first person and third person? Links: J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/ J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/ Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/ Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com The Career Author Summit 2021 - https://thecareerauthor.com/summit2021/ Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ *Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bestselling author Robert Dugoni has no problem veering from the beaten path when it comes to the writing process. From writing important scenes out of order to drafting a 400-word outline, he’s shown that authors can be efficient and successful while writing in the way most comfortable to them. Robert is well known for his thrilling storytelling of detective work and espionage, including his critically acclaimed Tracy Crosswhite series. His latest publication, In Her Tracks, is available tomorrow. From Amazon.com: Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police detective series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 7 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, and the David Sloane legal thriller series. Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business - editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins. Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business. In this episode, you’ll discover: How Robert takes inspiration from his son Why your first draft is really your outline The importance of exercise for creativity A cool way to avoid writer’s block Why to write what you want to read Links: J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/ J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/ Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/ Robert Dugoni - https://www.robertdugonibooks.com/ In Her Tracks - https://www.robertdugonibooks.com/in-her-tracks Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com The Career Author Summit 2021 - https://thecareerauthor.com/summit2021/ Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ *Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Returning guest Alma Katsu has recently gained valuable insight into navigating new genres. With the release of her new spy novel, Red Widow, she’s learned how to grab the interest of her existing horror readers, change her marketing approach to attract readers in a new genre, and write something different and true-to-life while keeping it dramatic. Alma is best known for her novels The Taker and The Hunger, the latter of which prompted a blurb from Stephen King on Twitter. Katsu worked in federal intelligence for most of her life and is currently a technology consultant. To check out Red Widow, follow the link below. Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business - editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins. Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why writing Red Widow was a little risky Why it’s hard to write fiction about something you know a lot about The business aspect of switching genres Why virtual events aren’t as popular as they used to be The importance of social media advertising Links: In Computero: Hear How AI Software Wrote a ‘New’ Nirvana Song - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/nirvana-kurt-cobain-ai-song-1146444/ J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/ J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/ Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/ Alma Katsu - https://www.almakatsubooks.com/ Red Widow - https://mybook.to/RedWidow Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com The Career Author Summit 2021 - https://thecareerauthor.com/summit2021/ Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ *Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Authorpreneur Jeniffer Thompson knows how to harness the power of personal branding. Through various books and speaking events, she teaches authors around the world how to find their voice, attract their desired readers, create a sustainable online presence, and ultimately find success while being authentic. Jeniffer is well known for running Jeniffer Thompson Consulting and Monkey C Media, both consulting firms that help authors through the publishing process. Her latest publication, How to Write a Professional Bio: For Authors, Speakers, and Entrepreneurs, is available below. Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business - editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins. Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business. In this episode, you’ll discover: How Jeniffer started Monkey C Media How to find your voice The importance of balancing authority, personal style, and online visibility Why you should take inspiration from successful authors The other side of budgeting Links: J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/ J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/ Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/ Jeniffer Thompson - https://jenifferthompson.com/ Monkey C Media - https://monkeycmedia.com/ How to Write a Professional Bio by Jeniffer Thompson - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081J8MW89/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0 Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com The Career Author Summit 2021 - https://thecareerauthor.com/summit2021/ Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ *Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, J, J.D., and Zach talk about why every author needs a mailing list and how to build one from scratch, maintain expectations, and continuously acquire new readers. Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business - editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins. Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business. In this episode, you’ll discover: JD’s new ghost project Methods to build your list Why to set up expectations for your list The differences between fiction and non-fiction lists Why to limit CTAs when acquiring new readers Links: Google Play Books Announcement Google Play Books has redesigned our promotional pricing tool, which allows publishers to change the list price of their book for a specified date range. Publishers are no longer required to upload a spreadsheet to activate a promotional price. Instead, publishers can easily create a new campaign in their Promotions tab by selecting the promotion’s date range, titles, and prices. For a step-by-step guide to promotional pricing, visit g.co/play/promopricing. When a publisher discounts their book on Google Play Books, the book becomes eligible for additional in-store merchandising and customer notifications. This doesn’t mean that every book will receive every promotion, but this discount significantly increases the book’s likelihood of receiving more promotion in the storefront. These discount promotions are driven by our algorithm and can include: Appearance in a collection highlighting discounted titles, including relevant genre collections Targeted in-app notifications and emails to customers that have wishlisted or sampled that title As a reminder, Google Play Books recently launched another marketing tool for publishers: promo code campaigns. Promo code campaigns can be used to offer select customers a discounted book without lowering the book’s list price. After creating a promo code campaign, publishers can easily share the deal via a link to the Play Store, where customers can redeem the discounted book offer. Both promotional pricing and promo code campaigns can be used to offer discounts to customers in 75+ countries. To get started, publishers can visit the Partner Center and go to the Promotions tab. Tell J.D. your ghost story - https://jdbarker.com/haunted/ J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/ J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/ Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/ Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com Nonfict Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com The Career Author Summit 2021 - https://thecareerauthor.com/summit2021/ Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.