In this episode of the Become a Writer Today podcast, my guest is Amy Yamada, a former marketing director and AI expert.

During the interview, Amy shares her innovative approach to using AI to develop authentic messaging and form deep connections with audiences.

Amy and her use of ChatGPT to help content creators scale their businesses is a one-of-a-kind approach. No one else is teaching what she does. Amy's method allows busy content creators to generate more content while preserving their authentic voice and speaking directly to their audience.

Here are my top 3 takeaways from our discussion:

1. Authenticity is Key: Amy uses an innovative approach called the "heart speech model" to infuse her voice into AI-generated content, ensuring that her communication is not only efficient but also authentic and resonates with her audience.

2. Utilizing AI for Relationship Building: Amy highlights how entrepreneurs, including writers, can leverage AI for various forms of communication, such as marketing emails, social media posts, and even difficult conversations with clients or team members while maintaining their authentic voice.

3. Future of AI in Content Creation: Amy shared insights on the growing role of AI in content creation and how it's important to balance efficiency with maintaining a human touch in the content we generate. We also discussed the potential of AI in serving as a research assistant and helping with content organization.

If you're interested in learning more about Amy's unique approach to using AI in writing, check out the full podcast episode. Don't miss out on these valuable insights!

Resources:

Amy's Website

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

In our latest episode of the Become A Writer Today podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amanda Hand, an experienced content strategist and SEO team lead. We delved into the world of content strategy and discovered some valuable insights into this fascinating field.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

• Client Goals and Data: Content strategy goes beyond writing and editing. As a content strategist, understanding client goals and aligning them with data is crucial. Become a data nerd, master tools like Google Analytics, and marry creativity with data-driven strategy.
• User Behavior Analysis: Dive deep into user data to understand what drives decision-making and meet users' needs. Learn to follow the user's journey from the first website visit to the final conversion goal. This understanding will help shape effective content strategies.
• Continual Learning and Skill Development: Embrace the ever-evolving nature of the content strategy field. Take advantage of free courses, such as Google Analytics, to acquire new skills and stay up-to-date with the latest trends. Adaptability and curiosity are essential in this exciting industry.

If you want to learn more about content strategy and how to transition from content writing to strategy, this episode is a must-listen. 

Resources:

Regex SEO

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Welcome to another episode of the Become a Writer Today podcast. Today we have an exciting lineup for all you aspiring writers out there. In this episode, we'll dive into the world of motivational books. 

We'll explore eleven must-read titles that will inspire and ignite your personal and professional creativity.

Get ready to discover some old classics that have stood the test of time and some contemporary gems that will challenge your mindset. From Dale Carnegie's timeless masterpiece to James Clear's revolutionary "Atomic Habits," we've covered everything. 

So please sit back, relax, and let's dive into the world of motivation and inspiration. 

But before we start, I'd like to remind you to leave a review for our show on iTunes and share it with your fellow writers. Your support helps us reach more people who can benefit from our content. Also, remember to check out our companion YouTube channel for even more writing advice. 

So, without further ado, let's jump into the captivating world of motivational books and become the best writers we can be!

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

In this episode, I catch up with Brian Finney to understand how he transitioned from writing non-fiction to writing fiction and how he manages his day.

Many writers work on the side while working a demanding day job. Brian has gone the other way. He’s now a professor emeritus at California State University, which means he doesn’t lecture at the university, so he has time to write his psychological thrillers during the week.

I was interested in how somebody would approach having a massive chunk of free time to write. I dug into Brian’s writing process to figure out how much time he spends writing and how he gets himself into a state of flow.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Brian's writing process
• Current events and conspiracy theories that drive Brian's stories
• Writing tools
• Reactions from Brian's former students
• How Brian promotes his books
• Advice on finding time to write
• Techniques and strategies for getting into the flow

Resources:

• Brian Finney Website
• Money Matters
• Dangerous Conjectures

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Many writers like to work within one genre or niche. They write thriller books or police procedurals, or mystery books. 

Other writers find working within one genre or niche confining, and they like to try different types of writing to see where it takes them. 

In this episode, I recently had the chance to catch up with Jenn Ashton, and she’s done just that. She’s published poetry, children’s books, journalism, historical research, technical manuals, and she’s also an accomplished visual artist. 

I had many questions for Jenn about her creative ventures and whether other projects like painting can improve your writing.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Balancing different creative outlets
• Getting into a creative flow
• Sharing stories with a beta group before publishing
• Giving helpful feedback to a friend
• How to earn a living while following your creative dream
• The benefit of entering writing competitions
• Advice for writers looking to get published

Resources:

• People Like Frank
• NaNoWriMo
• Submittable 
• Jennifer Ashton 
• Jennifer Ashton Art

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

This week, I got to catch up with somebody I've wanted to talk to for a long time.

David Farland is the author of over 50 books, including The Runelords series. He's worked with top fantasy and science fiction authors like Brandon Sanderson and Stephenie Meyer, and he's also written Million Dollar Outlines.

In this interview, we talk about Robert Heinlein's Rules for Writers. Several years ago, I came across these rules after being frustrated writing and rewriting the same short stories repeatedly. 

We chat about hybrid publishing, self-publishing, and traditional publishing and how to decide which approach is right for your book. I also got David's take on marketing and how a back catalog can help you earn a good living as an author.

David also explains the importance of having an e-mail list and how it can help you earn a healthy living from writing.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How David's writing process has changed over the years
• Advice for new writers
• What makes a story compelling
• Common mistakes authors make
• Choosing a genre to write in 
• What makes authors stand out
• How to market your books

Resources:

• Apex Writers
• Writers of the Future
• My Story Doctor

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

In this episode, I chat with therapist Charley Wininger.

He's the author of the new book, Listening to Ecstasy: The Transformative Power of MDMA. Writing about the therapeutic benefits of psychedelic substances is pretty controversial, depending on where you live in the world. 

It's a topic that I'd like to write about, but I'm not quite there yet, so I was fascinated to hear from an author who's not afraid to write about something controversial.

Charley started writing in his mid-60s. He's now 72, and it took him seven years to write the book. If you ever feel like you've missed your chance to write a book, take heart from his experiences. 

I ask Charley about the correlation between psychedelics, meditation and flow state, and the creative process. He also describes his writing process and how he got around some issues like writer's block.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Charley wrote his memoir
•  Why the book took 6 years to write
• Advice given to Charley about writing
• The comparison between meditation and psychedelics
• Charley's memories of Andy Kaufman
• Reactions to the book
• Strategies for selling the book 

Resources:

• Charley Winiger
• Charley on Instagram
• Charley on YouTube
• Listening to Ecstasy: The Transformative Power of MDMA - Charley Winiger
• Waking Up - Sam Harris

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Meredith Heller is the author of Write a Poem, Save Your Life: A Guide for Teens, Teachers, and Writers of All Ages. It's an instructional book for anybody who wants to write or teach writing poetry. If you want to learn more about writing poetry, it's a title I recommend. 

In this episode, Meredith told me how she combines her career as a working poet with that of a massage therapist and teacher.

Meredith explains how having a job can inform your craft and can give you source material for your art. 

She is also a prolific journaler and had over 80 different journals that she used for material.

In this episode, we discuss.

• How Meredith combined her poetry with the work of her students in the book
• Meredith's techniques for getting her students to write about difficult topics
• The process for writing poetry
• Is poetry making a comeback?
• The key to writing while having a career

Resources.

• Write a Poem, Save Your Life: A Guide for Teens, Teachers, and Writers of All Ages 
• Meredith Heller

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Colin Dayan is the Robert Penn Warren Professor in the Humanities at Vanderbilt University.

She’s written extensively about Haiti and Guantanamo Bay and has written not one but two memoirs. 

Colin chatted to me about her memoirs and how, if you spend a lot of time engaged in one type of writing to pay the bills as Colin did with academic writing and research, you should still go ahead and try on a completely different form of writing. 

After all, who knows where you’ll end up in 10 or 15 years, and by exploring different genres and formats, you could build a writing career that lasts a lifetime. 

I asked Colin about her research process, and we dig into how she approaches researching memoir versus writing something for an academic and formal audience.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Choosing topics for a book
• How to approach writing a personal essay
• The reaction of those featured in Colin's books
• Colin's tips for writing a memoir
• Picking a theme to structure your memoir around

Resources:

• Colin Dayan
• Marion Roach Smith episode

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Terry McDougall is an executive and career coach and the author of the new book, Winning the Game of Work.

In this episode of the podcast, I spoke to Terry about her fascinating idea of seeing work as a type of game. She considers her book as part of her calling card, and she had some fantastic insights into how the book is potentially helping her find more clients for her coaching practice.

If you have an interesting work story and you want to go out on your own as a consultant or coach, then writing a non-fiction book is a way to help you grow your business or your practice.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How to treat work as a game
• Strategies to help you succeed at work
• Books that laid the foundation for Terry's writing
• How long it took to write the book
• What Terry would do differently
• Terry's writing process on an average day

Resources:

• What Color is Your Parachute - Richard N. Bolles
• Winning the Game of Work - Terry McDougall
• Marketing Mambo Podcast
• Terry B. McDougall Website

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Recently I caught up with podcaster, blogger, and author Amy Isaman.

Amy taught creative writing for years until she finally answered her calling and wrote her first book in her 40's.  

She's written both mystery books and historical fiction, and she believes that writers should try writing in different genres. After all, readers don't confine themselves to one genre.

She puts a case forward for writers to flex their creative muscles and pick a genre they've not written in before, whether that's a thriller, mysteries, or science fiction.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Turning your first book into a series
• Outlining your writing in advance 
• Amy explains her editing process
• Using beta readers
• Starting a blog

Resources: 

• Amy Isaman
• Amy Isaman at Amazon
• Amy Isaman on Instagram
• Sara Oliver Design

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

My guest in this episode is Roger Reuff.  He developed the concept of the story having a soul. He wrote a book about it and has a course of the same name at soulofyourstory.com. 

Roger is multi-talented and has written several books and screenplays, one of which made into onto big screen, The Big Kahuna starring Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito.

Roger starts our interview with an overview of who he is and how he came up with his idea for finding the soul of a story.

In this episode we discuss: 

• What writers should ask themself before they start on a book
• Roger's three main approaches to writing
• How Roger formats his writing
• How he developed the concept of the Soul of your Story

Resources:

• Soul of Your Story
• Soul of Your Story Webinar

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

My guest this week is the author of the Sky Fall series of books, Joseph Bendoski. Joseph's background is in screenwriting which he eventually left behind as he found the conventions of that particular genre too restrictive.

When he switched to writing novels, he found it a more freeing format. He was initially undecided whether to write fiction or non-fiction. He made his decision after looking at the book sales for Malcolm Gladwell and George R. R. Martin of Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin had sold over 80 million books, whereas Malcolm Gladwell's sales were around 8 or 9 million. 

Joseph's key takeaway from that was that if you want to write a story that readers will read and enjoy, perhaps fiction is the way to go. 

In this episode, we also chat about marketing strategies and insights for getting your writing in front of more people.

In this episode we discuss:

• The restrictions that come with script writing
• How scriptwriting informed Joseph's novel writing
• The decision behind writing a series
• Using online advertising including Facebook Ads
• Joseph's writing routine
• The steps prior to publication

Resources:

• Joseph Bendoski on Amazon
• The Art of Dramatic Writing - Lajos Egri
• 12 Shots: 12 Crimes…12. Authors
• Start Writing

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

In this episode of the Become a Writer Today podcast, my guest is an entrepreneur and author, David Jenyns, who specializes in helping business owners, entrepreneurs, and creatives like you scale their businesses through the power of systems. 

David introduces his book SYSTEMology, which outlines seven stages of implementing systems and processes in a business, from defining to optimizing.

He emphasizes the importance of mapping out client flows and using automation to improve efficiency.

David also shares his experience in writing and promoting his own book, as well as the benefits of delegating tasks and hiring part-time help or offshoring for solopreneurs with a tight budget.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

• The importance of lead generation and onboarding
• The need for business owners to delegate tasks 
• Building a business that doesn't solely rely on the owner's skills

Resources:

David's Website

SYSTEMology on Amazon

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Writing can be a lonely business. Sitting alone for several hours, just you and your words.

This is when a writing community or collaboration can be of real benefit.

In this episode, I chat with Niki Hardy from Hope Writers and the author of Breathe Again. How to Live Well When Life Falls Apart.

Niki talks to me about how she found the encouragement that she needed from Hope Writers. She believes that without their support, her book would never have been published.

In this episode we discuss:

• What members get from Hope Writers when they join
• Why Niki wrote her book
• Niki's writing process. 
• How Hope Writers differs from other communities
• Using newsletters to promote your writing

Resources:

• Hope Writers
• Breathe Again
• Niki Hardy

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Will building your personal brand help you to sell more books and courses or find you more clients as a writer? 

Personal branding is something that content creators should consider. I learned the hard way that building a brand isn't about spending hundreds of dollars on a fancy logo but is more about associating yourself with a specific topic or creating a name for yourself within a niche.

In this episode, I chat with Pamela Wilson, who you may know from Copyblogger and her own business, Big Brand System. Pamela gives some insight into what it means to build a personal brand today. 

I was particularly interested in how personal branding can help you create digital products and services that others will want to buy.

In this episode we discuss: 

• Does guest posting still work 
• The definition of personal branding
• Creating a content strategy
• Setting up a pre-offer
• Building an audience
• The value in creating a good lead magnet
• What to focus on as your online business grows

Resources

• Copyblogger
• Big Brand System

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Simon King is the author of over 30 books across five different series, including the Sam Rader series, the non-fiction Prison Days series, and the MAX series. 

Before he became an author, Simon worked in a maximum-security prison in Australia, and he only published his first book in 2018.

In this episode, Simon explains how he went from working a demanding day job, working nights and shifts, to publishing up to 12 books a year over three years.

Simon also believes that it’s essential to set a clear target for how much you want to write every day. He set a target to write 3,000 words every day no matter what, and he explains what that did for his writing career.

In this episode we discuss:

• How his job as a prison officer helped with his writing
• Having an ideal reader in mind
• Starting with the end 
• Moving from writing non-fiction to fiction
• Strategies Simon uses to promote his books
• Deciding on the length of a book

Resources:

• Books by Simon King

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Could you write a memoir?

I used to think that you couldn’t write a memoir until you were old and at the end of your life. Your memoir would be one big book that would describe everything that happened from when you were born until the present moment. 

But, you can write a memoir about a particular theme, topic, or a single event in your life. 

Marion Roach Smith is a memoir coach, and she runs a course in the art of memoir writing. In this episode, we talk about what makes a good memoir and how you can start writing one. 

Marion also discusses how it feels to write something outside of your comfort zone and how you might have to deal with critics who tell you not to write outside your niche.

In this episode we discuss:

• The conventions of a good memoir book
• Are you the protagonist in a memoir?
• How a three-act structure works for a memoir
• Tips for remembering things from the past
• Dealing with reactions from other people
• Deciding what to keep in a memoir and what to take out 

Resources:

• Marion Roach Smith

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Cary Bergeron is the founder of the book promotion service Crave Books. In this episode, we get into what it takes to sell a book today and how a book promotion service can get you in front of more readers. 

Cary talks about three fantastic insights  if you’re getting ready to publish your first book:

• Does it have a good cover? 
• Does it have reviews? 
• Does it have a good description? 

It would help if you got all three to convince somebody on Amazon, Kobo, or Google, or wherever they’re buying your book to hit the Buy button.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Cary's background and how he's written so many books
• How to get the best use out of a book promotion service
• Getting the best value from your first promotion
• The budget needed to get a campaign off the ground
• Getting your first book reviews

Resources:

• Crave Books
• Facebook Group

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

If you're working as a freelance writer and want to earn a full-time wage, I recommend copywriting. Copywriting is essentially writing words that sell products and services. 

It's a great discipline to help you figure out how to condense your ideas into articles, e-mails, and stories that you will publish online. 

In this episode of the podcast, I chat with Aly Goulet. She specializes in the B2B and SaaS industries. She talks about the importance of side projects and how and why she is building a WordPress app. 

This project might seem like it's got nothing to do with copywriting, but Aly explains how she will use it to help develop her copywriting business.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How to start a career as a freelance writer with no experience
• How to find your first client as a copywriter
• Setting your hourly rate
• Is it ever ok to write for free?
• Tips for copywriters to increase their rates
• What makes good email copy
• Getting started with an email campaign 
• Sending cold pitches to clients

Resources:

• Everybody Writes by Ann Handley.
• David Ogilvy
• Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz
• Problogger
• Upwork
• The Copywriter Club
• Copy on Cue
• Freelancingflow

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

This episode of the podcast has a very special guest. Bernard Huang is the co-founder of the popular content tool Clearscope. 

In our conversation, Bernard explains how Clearscope works and how it can help you grow your website and help you find more readers for your non-fiction articles. 

You'll also find some practical tips on building a niche website, learning about content optimization tools, and increasing traffic to your website.  

Bernard also tells the fascinating story behind how he founded  Clearscope. There are many parallels between Bernard’s experience with Clearscope and how writers find working on their first book or their first creative project.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Bernard started Clearscope
• How Clearscope encourages creatives to think differently about what is on their webpages
• Is Google forcing web pages to be too prescriptive?
• The future of search results is video
• What steps you should take if your traffic has dipped
• How often should you update your website content

Resources:

• Bernard Huang on Twitter
• Clearscope

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

In 2016, Dorit published the award-winning memoir, Accidental Soldier about her time in service with the Israeli Defense Forces.

Here, Dorit talks about how she balances doing something with clear commercial intent with doing something creative, like writing memoirs about her time in active service.

If you find time to do both every day, then you will advance your career, you’ll get paid, and you’ll also improve at your craft. Who doesn’t want those things?

I kicked off the interview by asking Dorit to describe how her time in active service informed her memoir, Accidental Soldier.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why Dorit had to do compulsory service in the  Israeli Defense Force
• How long it took her to write her book
• How to promote a memoir that’s so specific to personal experiences
• Establish who you are writing for
• What is SEO writing?
• Balancing creativity with SEO copywriting
• Writing for a consumer audience.
• How to balance working as a copywriter with writing a personal memoir

Resources:

• Dorit Sasson
• Accidental Soldier

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Social media is an excellent way of finding readers and finding clients if you’re a freelance writer. And, if you create content for social media platforms like Quora, you can build up a library of content that you can use and refer to over time.

But, how exactly should you spend time on social media, what tools should you use, and how can you do it?

Neal Schaffer has the answer to these questions and more. He is an expert in influencer marketing and has written more than five books, including his latest which focuses on influencer marketing called The Age of Influence. 

Although Neal consults with B2B clients, the book is also relevant for anybody who wants to use social media to become an influencer. 

He explains how creatives can find the right network during our conversation, how to repurpose content and build an audience on social media. He also talks about finding a balance between creating content and being active on these platforms. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• The definition of an influencer
• Deciding on the right platform for you
• Managing your time on social media
• The benefits of using scheduling tools
• Why write a book if everyone is on social media?

Resources:

• The Age of Influence
• Neal Schaffer
• Quora
• SmarterQueue
• Neal's podcast
• Agorapulse
• Buffer

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

I recently read  Mind Management, Not Time Management by  David Kadvy.

It made a big impact on me because David has thought a lot about popular productivity methods like Getting Things Done and considered how they can apply to writers and creatives. 

He breaks down how creatives can organize their day so they’re at their best when it’s time to write or work on a project and how they can also find time for all the administrative stuff that could come with running a writing business. 

I was interested to know more about his writing process. He also has a very specific early morning writing routine he describes in this week’s interview. 

I started by asking David about the key ideas in his book and how he came to write it in the first place. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Getting your mind ready to write
• Review what you're going to write the next day
• David's morning routine
• Using The Zettelkasten Method
• How many hours a day David spends in a creative state 
• Deciding how many books to write each year

Resources:

• David's Amazon store
• David Kadvy
• The Zettelkasten Method
• The Zettelkasten Method Means You'll Never Run Out of Ideas Again with Sascha Fast

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

In this episode, I consider some of the best books on creativity. Many aspiring writers and artists feel they don’t have what it takes to express themselves. I felt the same way for years. 

The funny thing is that all creatives have felt this at some point during their careers. It’s a common theme found in many of the best books about creativity. Other themes include procrastination, fear of failure, and even a fear of success!

I’ve read dozens of creativity books over the years. This guide profiles the best creativity books for modern writers and artists, so you can start writing, creating, and publishing your best works.

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

I've read a few books about productivity and work that have radically changed how I think about finding time to work and creative projects.

One of those books is Getting Things Done by David Allen, and it made a significant impact on how I think about work. 

In this week's interview, David discusses how your mind is for having ideas, not for holding onto them, and writers and creatives must have a system for capturing all of their ideas.

I started the interview by asking him how GTD has changed since he first came up with the concept over 20 years ago.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How GTD has evolved over the years
• Strategies for managing inboxes
• Practicing weekly reviews
• Managing your priorities
• The books key role in the development of GTD courses
• How the book was received in different languages around the world

Resources:

• Getting Things Done - Website
• Getting Things Done - Book
• Making it all Work - Book

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

In this episode, I catch up with TEDx speaker and author Dai Manuel.

Dai brings to his work his personal story of the challenges he overcame to become a wellness coach and run a multimillion-dollar business.

Dai explains how, when he started to bring more vulnerability into his writing, everything changed for him. His coaching clients increased, and he secured more public speaking gigs, including TEDx.

I was interested in finding out from Dai what it was like to give a TEDx talk, and I was fascinated to discover the amount of work and editing that goes into it.

Dai reveals how he worked with a team of editors and public speaking coaches who helped him perfect his talk and how much he learned from the whole process.

In this episode we discuss: 

• Dai explains what the five F's are
• Identifying what to work on when you have a busy life
• Overcoming the fear of being judged
• Educating and inspiring others through story
• Behind the scenes of a Tedx talk

Resources:

• Why Vulnerability is a Human Thing - TEDx 
• Dai Manuel

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

In this episode, we focus on email marketing, and my guest is email marketing expert Keith Monaghan.

He knows his stuff as he previously worked as a market researcher and email marketer for companies like Nike, Specialized Bicycles, Trek, and NBC Television.

He's the author of the new book, Easy Email Marketing: 10 Simple Steps for Creating and Sending Marketing E-Mail Your Customers Will Love.

I asked Keith to walk through all the steps needed to create a successful campaign. From setting up an email list through to what to send. He also explains what to look out for and how to engage with readers more frequently.

In this episode, we discuss:

• People are using email more than ever
• The steps to creating a successful email campaign
• Keith's recommended email tools
• How to get the tone of your emails right 
• How to write a good subject line
• Do a final check before sending your email

Resources:

• Fat Stacks Offer
• Keith Monaghan
• ConvertKit Review
• Easy E-mail Marketing: 10 Simple Steps for Creating and Sending Marketing E-Mail Your Customers Will Love - Keith Monaghan
• Revue
• MoonMail
• TinyLetter
• ActiveCampaign
• SubStack
• Interview with Daniel Pink

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If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Was your first book a bit of a passion project? If you're going to commit to writing in the long term and want to earn a living wage from it, you need a plan.

That's one of the topics I address in this week's interview with Orna Ross. She is the Alliance of Independent Authors director, and she also coaches students on creative planning.

I wanted to know more about her creative planning process and how writers can benefit from it. I started our conversation by asking her to describe her background and how she first broke into self-publishing.

If you have questions, suggestions, or feedback for the show, please tweet me at @bryanjcollins. 

I'd love to hear about your writing projects and what writing podcasts you're listening to at the moment.

In this episode, we discuss: 

• Are there more opportunities to self publish today
• How creative planning works
• Tips for what you should and shouldn't be doing 
• How to decided what to work on next
• Taking time out for creative play
• Can business be fun and creative?
• Shifting from a hobby to a business

Resources:

• Alliance of Independent Authors
• Creative Self Publishing by Orna Ross
• Self Publishing Advice
• OrnaRoss.com

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Would you like to start a content website about your hobby that you could sell for many multiples? My guest this week explains how to do just that.

Mushfiq has bought and sold over 150 websites since he started his career as a content creator and website builder back in 2008. In other words, he’s an expert on the topic.

But what if you have no money and no budget for buying a content website? Mushfiq explains the steps he would take if he were starting from scratch today. He reveals how he buys, builds, and later sells his content websites.

I also asked him what his working life looks like and his approach to working and collaborating with other writers to build his sites a little bit faster.

In this episode we discuss:

• How Mushfiq first got started buying and selling websites
• His target criteria for buying a content website
• Using freelance writers and specialists to grow your content
• The primary monetization methods 
• Knowing the right time to flip a website

Resources:

• The Website Flip
• Motion Invest
• Flippa
• ODYS
• EasyWins

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Michelle Cox is the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series author, a mystery romance set in 1930s Chicago. 

Described as Downtown Abbey meets Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, the books have won multiple awards, and publications like PopSugar, Elle, BuzzFeed, Redbook, and Bustle have praised it as a top read. 

In this episode, Michelle describes her writing process for mysteries and explains where the idea came for a mystery romance set in 1930s Chicago. 

Michelle also describes how beta readers help her improve her mystery books, where she finds them, what she asks them, and how she decides who to listen to and who to ignore.

In this episode we discuss:

• Where Michelle got the idea from for her series
• Michelle's writing process
• Doing character research
• How to find her beta readers
• What to do with the feedback from beta readers
• Marketing strategies

Resources:

• Book Funnel
• SurveyMonkey
• She Writes Press
• Clubhouse
• Michelle Cox

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Chicago-based scriptwriter Daniel Joshua Rubin is the author of 27 Essential Principles of Story.

This book stands out because Daniel uses modern examples like South Park and Breaking Bad to describe how storytelling principles work. Then, he explains how writers can apply the principles to writing screenplays, novels, etc.

Daniel describes what it means to live a writing life and how sometimes you need to separate your identity from being a successful writer.

Towards the end of our conversation, we went off-topic and talked about how investing, and the stock market has something in common with a good plot.

 
In this episode we discuss:

• Deciding on the number of principles
• Using popular media to convey the principles
• Should you outline a story first
• Daniel's writing process
• How long it takes to write a script

Resources:

• story27.com
• Day One 
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Díaz
• The War of Art - Steven Pressfield 

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Carol and Matthew Newell run the Family Hope Center. It's an organization that has so far supported over 20,000 families dealing with special needs children.

Carol and Matthew took some of the ideas they've refined throughout their careers and turned them into a book.

One of the key challenges they faced is having spent their entire careers as experts in their field, they found it hard to convey the knowledge they take for granted.

I've experienced reading books written by clinicians, and I appreciate that the books could often be challenging to read. I was struck by how accessible their new book, Healing Your Child's Brain, is.

I wanted to understand how they turned their expertise into something that parents can understand. It was interesting to hear how they didn't write the book to generate an income. Instead, they're doing it because of the message they want to share with parents.

 In this episode we discuss:

• Their background and how they came to start The Family Hope Centre
• How society forces people to be labeled disabled
• The importance of making information easy for parents to understand.
• What is a neuroparent and how to become one
• The reasons behind them writing the book
• How they are getting the book into the hands of as many parents as possible

Resources

• The Family Hope Centre
• Healing Your Child's Brain
• The Family Hope Centre on Instagram
• The Family Hope Centre on Facebook

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

I recently read a collection of personal essays by my guest today, the Irish Times journalist Patrick Freyne. It’s called OK, Let’s Do Your Stupid Idea.

 In the book, Patrick reflects on the jobs he’s had, his time in a band, and a friend who unexpectedly passed away. He didn’t necessarily set out to write a book, but one of his personal essays gained traction with a popular writing publication in Ireland.

I had the chance to catch up with Patrick and ask him about his writing process and how he put together a collection of personal essays.

I started by asking Patrick all about this book, OK, Let’s Do Your Stupid Idea.

In this episode we discuss:

• How Patrick relied on his memory when writing the essays
• Patrick explains his writing process
• Patrick's love of short stories
• Having a criteria for what goes in the book
• How Patrick promoted the book

Resources:

• OK, Let's Do Your Stupid Idea
• Irish Times

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

In this episode, I interview author, biographer, and ghostwriter Ruby Peru. 

She's written an astonishing 19 books to date, and she spoke to me about how she balances working on her craft whilst working on books for her clients. 

She also has to juggle this with finding her next client, which can be a painful lesson to learn as a freelancer. It's great to get the paycheque at the end of your commission, but then you have to find your next client.

I wanted to know what got Ruby into writing memoir, non-fiction and ghostwriting, and she also talks about how she is in the process of building up her publishing company.

In this episode we discuss: 

• Are there any rules to follow when writing a memoir
• The difference between self-help books and memoirs
• The process for writing a memoir
• Ruby explains her editing process
• Setting expectations at the start of the project
• How it feels to ghostwrite a book and see someone else's name on the front page
• Ruby's promotion strategies

Resources:

• Ruby Peru
• Pangloss Press
• Business Cards and Shoe Leather
• Scrivener
• BookBub
• Bits of String too Small to Save

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

In this week's podcast, we're diving into the thrilling world of Stephen King and exploring some of his most captivating best-selling novels. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just discovering King's work, these books are guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.

So buckle up and get lost in Stephen King's world of spine-tingling suspense, heart-pounding thrills, and unforgettable characters. Discover why his books have become cultural touchstones and made King a literary legend.

Until next time, keep listening and let your imagination soar!

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

People consume books differently from how they did in the past. They like to read books on their phone or tablet. And they also want to listen to books in the car, at the gym, and on the go. And this is where audiobooks come into their own.

I've recorded several audiobooks as it's a fantastic way to increase sales. I'd certainly encourage you to consider turning your books into audiobooks. 
 
In this episode, I speak with Al Black of Voquent Media. He's an expert when it comes to creating audiobooks as it's his service that helps authors find professional narrators, audio engineers, and so on to get their audiobooks ready for publication. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Where should a writer start when turning their book into an audiobook
• How to pick a specific narrator
• How much should you budget for an audiobook
• What happens after you've chosen your narrator
• Knowing when you're ready to publish the audiobook
• Mic recommendations for recording your own audio

Resources:

• ACX
• Voquent
• Whispersync

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

• The type of people who come to Jeff for coaching
• How Jeff works with his clients
• What are creatives afraid of?
• Using NLP to help people overcome blocks
• A simple technique that you can use today 
• How Jeff promotes and sells his book

• Not f*cking around 
• NLP
• Insight Timer
• Jeff Leisawitz

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Alinka Rutkowska is the CEO of Leaders Press, a company that helps non-fiction authors, specifically in the business genre, hit the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Best Seller List.

In this interview, Alinka highlighted the importance of having an email list.

While it's true that Amazon and Facebook ads can help you sell books, it's an email list that is the most effective way to keep in touch with your readers and let them know when your work is live.

Alinka also discusses how to generate interest in your email list by giving away something for free and using that to build a relationship with your readers.

Click the link in the resources below to access Alinka's latest webinar.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Using your book as an authority builder
• Why would someone outsource their book?
• Building your email list using lead magnets
• What it takes to make the Wall Street Journal or USA Today Best-Seller List
• Finding authors to create anthologies
• Using bonuses as part of a launch strategy

Resources:

• ConvertKit
• Outsource Your Book
• Leaders Press
• How to Get on the USA Today Best-Seller List Webinar
• How to Make Money as an Author

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

What could you accomplish if you wrote 300 words a day every day for 30 days?

Nicolas Cole and his business partner, Dickie Bush, put together the "Ship 30 for 30" challenge where they encourage writers to do just that.  It's an excellent challenge if you want to tap into the power of small daily wins for your writing.

Nicolas is the author of several books, including The Art and Business of Online Writing. I started our conversation by asking Nicolas to explain his rather interesting backstory, because, like me, he was a gamer back in the day.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Nicolas transitioned from gamer to writer
• His advice for new writers wanting to be read
• Making money from your writing by selling it as a service
• Balancing running a business with writing
• Success stories from writers using the "30 for 30" challenge

Resources:

• Quora
• Medium
• Wattpad
• Nicolas Cole
• Nicolas on Twitter
• Nicolas on Quora

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

James Breakwell is a professional comedy writer.

He's the father of four girls who were the inspiration behind his popular Twitter account, which eventually went viral. And on the back of that, he produced a series of parenting books, but they're not you're usual parenting books.

In this episode, James and I chat about what makes his parenting books different from the others out there. We also talk about his latest book, How to Be a Man (Whatever That Means).

In this episode, we discuss:

• How James built a following on Twitter before writing his first book
• Using his family and friends as the subject of his tweets and books
• The next step after building a following on Twitter
• James's writing process
• Working on his next projects

Resources:

• James on Twitter
• Sendy
• ConvertKit
• ExplodingUnicorn.com

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

I know many authors who've thought about it, but few who have done it... written a children's book.

As the parent of three children, it's certainly something that I have considered. One man who has leapt into children's fiction is John Mashni. He's recently written and published CinderToot, which is a take on the tale of Cinderella.

Having read the book, I surprised myself by laughing out loud as it's hilarious, and the illustrations that accompany it are superb.

In this episode, John, who runs his own legal practice, explains why he chose to write a children's book in the first place and how writing it taught him some valuable parenting lessons.

 
In this episode, we discuss: 

• The premise of the book and why John decided to write it
• What to include in a children's book
• How long the editing and illustrations took
• Describing illustrations to an illustrator 
• How John is marketing the book
• Can anyone write a children's book?

Resources:

• CinderToot
• How to Write a Children's Book Free Course
• John Mashni on Medium

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Have you ever used prompts or constraints to inspire your creativity? 

Herbert Lui is a well-known freelancer. He’s written for top publications like Lifehacker and Fast Company, and I also know him as the guy who introduced me to the Zettelkasten method, which changed how I research and write books. 

Herbert also runs his own business, helping companies set up blogs and build a name online. 

In this episode, I ask Herbert what it’s like to write for companies like Lifehacker and Fast Company and how new writers can get gigs writing for publications like these. He also explains why quantity should be your number one priority as a creative and how to balance quantity with quality.

I also ask Herbert to tell me more about his new book, There Is No Right Way to Do This.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What Herbert's latest book is about
• Tips for starting writing again
• The types of constraints that authors use
• Using the three-act structure when writing a book
• How a new writer can start writing for big publications

Resources

• Oblique Strategies
• Figma
• Zettelkasten Method
• Notion
• Day One
• Roam Research
• Herbert Lui 
• Herbert Lui on Medium
• Wonder Shuttle

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Fantasy and non-fiction author, Richie Billing, has written several fantasy books and collaborated with other authors.

In this episode, I chat with Richie about his writing process for fantasy, world-building, and collaborating with other authors across the genre.

Richie's day job is in digital marketing, and so it stands to reason that he would use this to his advantage when it comes to selling his books.

He discusses the current digital marketing trends for authors, the benefits of building an e-mail list, and how to use Facebook ads to sell books.

In this episode we discuss:

• Building the fantasy world before writing anything
• What aspects fantasy novels should include
• Richie's process for world-building
• Collaborating with other authors
• Using Facebook ads to sell books

Resources:

• The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri
• Pariah's Lament by Richard Billing
• Neil Patel
• Richie Billing

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Can you build a long and successful career as a writer?
 
My guest on this episode is Linguistics professor Julie Tetel Andresen. Not only has she published more than 35 books, but she also writes in many different genres, including romance, police procedurals, and crime thrillers.

I encourage you to listen until the end of the episode, as Julie reveals the importance of a backlist and why it's almost as important as the book you are currently working on.

But before that, I was interested in discovering more about Julie's take on sustaining a rewarding writing career that lasts a lifetime.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What it means to get into your writing shape
• How to balance writing with a career and family
• Why romance is a very expansive genre
• Julie's process for writing a book
• How a good editor can make all the difference
• How Julie markets her writing 

Resources:

• Reedsy
• Julie Tetel Andresen

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Have you ever considered writing fiction for young adults?

In this episode, I chat to Zara Miller, whose first book, I Am Cecilia, is about to be published. It’s a romance aimed at young adults. 

We talk about her process for writing young adult fiction and romance, and she explains how she also writes fanfiction set in the Riverdale universe, which she says helps her decompress. 

Zara also talks about what drew her to write young adult fiction and how she landed a book publishing contract.

In this episode we discuss:

• Where the idea came from for a young adult book
• The benefits of having a strong LinkedIn profile
• What is an 'episodic' writer
• Tips for getting the writing process started
• Letting off steam through writing fanfiction 

Resources

• Zara Miller on LinkedIn
• The Teen Magazine

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Do you want to learn how to become a prolific screenwriter?

I love catching up with screenwriters. I don't write screenplays myself, but it's a fascinating genre because many principles apply to other types of writing.

My guest today is Brock Swinson. He's the interviewer for Creative Screenwriting magazine and the author of Ink by the Barrel, which illustrates Brock's prolific writing principles.

In the interview, Brock shares his secrets for breaking into the screenwriting industry and how to overcome the most significant challenge most writers face. 

In this episode, we discuss the following:

• Screenwriting principles
• Productivity hacks and the intersection between creativity and productivity
• The importance of finding your voice and organizing your ideas
• Balancing writing with editing and marketing
• The benefits of becoming a Patreon

Resources:

Creative Principles Podcast

Creative Screenwriting

Brock's Website

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Journaling is very popular right now, but could you produce a book from your journal entries?

I'm writing a parenting book at the moment, and journaling is the approach that I'm using. I wrote journal entries about the sorts of things that my kids got up to, then, when I was ready to write the book, I reorganized the entries and turned them into chapters.

Taking this approach works because if you write 300 words in your journal today, chances are tomorrow you'll feel a bit more comfortable about the topic and go past 300 words, and you might write 400 or even 500. If you do that for a week, you'll rack up a couple of thousand words. If you do it for the year, you'll undoubtedly have more than enough for your book or several books.

In this episode, I chat with Tom Kreffer. He's the author of Dear Dory: Journal of a Soon to Be First Time Dad, which he initially wrote as a series of journal entries when his partner was expecting their first child, before turning it into a book.

In this episode we discuss:

• At what point Tom realized his personal journal could be a book
• Using humor in the book 
• The pros and cons of parenting books for dads
• Lessons that Tom has learned from writing the book
•  When did Tom find the time to write when working full time
• Tactics for promoting the book

Resources:

• Day One
• Scrivener
• David Sedaris - Masterclass
• Braintoss
• Evernote
• Tom Kreffer

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Have you ever considered offering something in addition to your book? I've discovered several non-fiction authors who provide coaching, organize events, or facilitate courses that elaborate on their book's ideas.

Doing this helps spread your message more widely because not everybody enjoys learning via the written word. It also enables you to earn more from your writing, which you could invest in your business or live off while writing another book.

It can also help you clarify your ideas and reposition you in a way that enables more people to engage with you.

My guest in this episode has done precisely this. Dr. Trevor Blattner runs a dental practice, and his new book, Redefining the Top 1%, is out now.

He's also the hosts a podcast and offers coaching and consulting based on the seven behaviors that drive shepherd leadership, which he explains in his book.

In this episode we discuss:

• What inspired Trevor to write the book 
• Explaining the relevance of the seven principles written about in the book
• Redefining goal setting
• Trevor's process for writing the book
• The importance of accountability
• The value of having an editor

Resources

• Redefining the Top 1%: The Seven Behaviors that Drive Shepherd Leadership - Dr Trevor Blattner
• Redefining the Top 1% Podcast
• Dr. Trevor Blattner

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

You may think that as you're the book's author, then you're the best person to edit it, but finding and working with a good editor can help improve the writing that you produce.

Not only will editors find and fix errors in your manuscript that you might have missed when you were writing them, but it can also be like having access to your own coach or mentor. Editors are trained professionals who can help you improve your craft and help you spot issues you've missed.

A good editor can offer advice specific to the types of problems you have with writing that you won't necessarily find in a book about writing.

I caught up with the founder of NY Book Editor, Natasa Lekic. Her company has been in the business of helping authors for over eight years, and they have several high-profile success stories, some of which she talks about in this week's interview.
 
In this episode we discuss: 

• Why Natasa started NY Book Editor
• Who is NY Book Editor's target market?
• What is a good editorial fit?
• How long the editorial process takes
• At what point should you enlist the help of an editor?
• How much does an editor cost?

Resources:

• NY Book Editors
• Story by Robert McKee
• An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
• Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!