The AI-Assisted Artisan Author With Joanna Penn The Creative Penn 2023-05-05 | What is the AI-Assisted Artisan Author? How can we use AI tools in our creative and business processes while still keeping our humanity at the core of our books?As generative AI development continues apace and new possibilities emerge every week, the focus of AI discussions in the author community has been centered around productivity gains and high-volume output; copyright, plagiarism and piracy; and the fear of losing the artistic human aspect of being an author. But there is much to be excited about if we can move past fear and doubt, and approach these tools with curiosity and a sense of wonder. We are only at the beginning of the opportunities of AI for wider society as well as for creativity and art, and it’s important that authors, writers, and other creatives be involved in order to shape the future as we want it to be.In this episode, I’ll outline the concept of the AI-Assisted Artisan Author, which is how I intend to surf the wave of change ahead, rather than drown in the deluge.Today's show is sponsored by my wonderful patrons who fund my brain so I have time to think about and discuss these futurist topics impacting authors. If you support the show, you also get the extra monthly patron-only Q&A audio. You can support the show at patreon.com/thecreativepennJoanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller and dark fantasy author as J.F. Penn. She has sold almost a million books across 169 countries and 5 languages. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. Her latest book is Pilgrimage: Lessons Learned from Solo Walking Three Ancient Ways.Acknowledge the risks and understand the human response to changeHow generative AI has made me re-examine my self-definitionAdopt an AI-curious attitudeWhat is an AI-Assisted Artisan Author (or A4 for short)? Create beautiful books and productsDouble down on being humanWrite the books only you can write and include personal elements that can only come from youFoster connection and community with other humansSell direct so readers connect you, the human, with your books (and other products)How to move forwardYou can find more future-focused episodes here: thecreativepenn.com/futureGet your Free Author 2.0 Blueprint at: https://www.TheCreativePenn.com/blueprint You can always find the show notes and links at: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy books direct: creativepennbooks.com
7 Lessons Learned From Over 10 Million Downloads Of The Creative Penn Podcast The Creative Penn 2024-10-16 | The Creative Penn Podcast just hit 10 million downloads as reported by my audio host, Blubrry!The podcast is also the main content on my YouTube channel @thecreativepenn (youtube.com/thecreativepenn) , which has had over 3.9 million views, so the total could be closer to 14m. I'm pretty happy with that, so thanks for listening!Here are some fun stats, and then I share 7 lessons learned that are also applicable for authors and other creatives. • Start where you are and improve your craft, tools, and technology over time • Focus on value for the listeners (or readers) • Everyone starts with no audience, no email list — and no clue! • It's all about the relationships you build along the way • People want to know about you. Decide on your boundaries — before you're forced to. • Podcasting (or being an author) can be a viable business — if you design it that way. • You will only sustain what is ‘worth it' to you over the long term. Persistence and time in the market make a big difference. You can find The Creative Penn Podcast on your favourite podcast app, or the backlist and links are here. (thecreativepenn.com/podcast)You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Writing Historical Fiction And Non-Fiction With Emily E K Murdoch The Creative Penn 2024-10-14 | Can you be successful as an author across different genres and different pen names? How do traditional publishing and going indie compare? How can you diversify into multiple streams of income as an author? With Emily E.K. Murdoch.In the intro, Planning for retirement [Self-Publishing Advice (selfpublishingadvice.org/planning-for-retirement) ]; my list of money books (thecreativepenn.com/moneybooks) ; Red flags in serialised (and other) fiction contracts [Self-Published Advice (selfpublishingadvice.org/serialized-fiction) ]; The Author's Guild partners with Created by Humans for AI licensing (authorsguild.org/news/ag-partners-with-created-by-humans-to-empower-authors-in-ai-era) ; Nobel Prizes for AI-related research [The Economist (economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/10/10/ai-wins-big-at-the-nobels) ]; Last chance for Blood Vintage (jfpenn.com/bloodvintage) , and where did the idea come from? (thecreativepenn.com/2024/10/09/where-did-the-idea-for-blood-vintage-come-from) ; plus, what I'm working on next. (http://www.prowritingaid.com/joanna) Today's show is sponsored by ProWritingAid, writing and editing software that goes way beyond just grammar and typo checking. With its detailed reports on how to improve your writing and integration with writing software, ProWritingAid will help you improve your book before you send it to an editor, agent or publisher. Check it out for free or get 15% off the premium edition at www.ProWritingAid.com/joanna (http://www.prowritingaid.com/joanna) This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Emily E K Murdoch is the USA Today bestselling author of over 100 historical romances across medieval, western and regency, and mixed between steamy and sweet. She's also the author of nonfiction history book Regina: The Queens Who Could Have Been under Emily Murdoch Perkins. • Discovery writing vs outlining — how it affects your drafting and editing speed • How to research in-person and online • Securing a nonfiction traditional publishing deal • Maintaining creative autonomy with a traditional publishing contract • Opportunities that arise from being traditionally published • Writing under different names for different genres • Tips for pitching blurbs for your book • How traditional publishers help with PR • Diversifying your author business and creating multiple streams of income You can find Emily at EmilyEKMurdoch.com (emilyekmurdoch.com) .You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Author Mindset, Writing And Marketing Non-Fiction With Ariel Curry The Creative Penn 2024-10-07 | How can the ‘hungry author' mindset help you become more of a successful author? Why do you need to shift your point of view to that of the reader so your book resonates with them? What are some of the key aspects of writing and marketing non-fiction books? Ariel Curry gives her tips in this episode.In the intro, tackling imposter syndrome [Ink in Your Veins (http://www.howdoyouwrite.net/episodes/466) ]; Novel Study: Decoding the Secrets and Structures of Contemporary Fiction by Kristen Tate (amzn.to/3N9Wkd8) ; StoryBundle for Writers (storybundle.com/writing) ; Publishing for Profit conference from ALLi (selfpublishingadviceconference.com/24) ; Tap to Pay on mobile for live events [Zettle/PayPal (zettle.com/gb/payments/tap-to-pay) ]; Blood Vintage and Discovery Writing webinar (jfpenn.com/bloodvintage) ; I'm on The Unreserved Wine Talk Podcast (nataliemaclean.com/blog/podcast/blending-biodynamics-and-suspense-with-jo-penn-author-of-blood-vintage) , and The Nightmare Engine Podcast.Plus, Leveraging AI for book covers and ads [Brave New Bookshelf (bravenewbookshelf.com/episode-19) ]; More controls coming for Google NotebookLM [VentureBeat (venturebeat.com/ai/google-notebooklm-leader-says-more-controls-coming-for-ai-generated-podcasts) ]; Meta’s new generative video model, Movie Gen (ai.meta.com/blog/movie-gen-media-foundation-models-generative-ai-video) .Today’s show is sponsored by FindawayVoices by Spotify, the platform for independent authors who want to unlock the world’s largest audiobook platforms. Take your audiobook everywhere to earn everywhere with Findaway Voices by Spotify. Go to findawayvoices.com/penn (findawayvoices.com/penn) to publish your next audiobook project.This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Ariel Curry is a writer, editor and book coach, and the co-author of Hungry Authors: The Indispensable Guide to Planning, Writing, and Publishing a Nonfiction Book (amzn.to/3ZRX0ev) . • What is a hungry author? • The mindset needed for a long-term author career • Subgenres of nonfiction and how to find and market to their audiences • Key elements of a book map • Writing with a reader-focused mindset • Top reasons why editors and agents reject books • The importance of platform for nonfiction authors • Leveraging podcasts for marketing nonfiction books You can find Ariel at HungryAuthors.com (hungryauthors.com)You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
How To Make Readers Laugh. Writing Humour With Dave Cohen The Creative Penn 2024-09-30 | How can you bring laughter into your books regardless of genre? What are the challenges of writing a novel after an award-winning career as a comedy writer for TV and radio? Dave Cohen shares his lessons learned in this interview.In the intro, how to keep a career fresh over multiple books [Author Nation Podcast (open.spotify.com/episode/4EwsQUQqZRXu0BJETKgfHa) ]; Best practices of successful indie authors [Draft2Digital (draft2digital.com/blog/best-practices-of-successful-indie-authors-ep193) ]; Director James Cameron joins the board of Stability AI [Hollywood Reporter (hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/james-cameron-joins-board-ai-firm-stability-stable-diffusion-1236010034) ]; Google NotebookLM (notebooklm.google.com) ; Full audio expanding snippet (notebooklm.google.com/notebook/a5b462df-be56-4694-b406-3663539ee5cb/audio) ; Photos from Ely Cathedral (instagram.com/p/DAYbb0SAgpG) ; Blood Vintage (jfpenn.com/bloodvintage) .This episode is sponsored by Publisher Rocket (publisherrocket.com) , which will help you get your book in front of more Amazon readers so you can spend less time marketing and more time writing. I use Publisher Rocket for researching book titles, categories, and keywords — for new books and for updating my backlist. Check it out at www.PublisherRocket.com (publisherrocket.com) This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Dave Cohen is a multi-award-winning BBC comedy writer who has worked on shows like Horrible Histories, as well as a comedy novelist, podcaster, and author of nonfiction. His latest book is Funny Up Your Fiction: How to Add Light, Shade, and Laughs to Your Novel. • The shift from writing for TV to self-publishing novels • Why comedy is important for writers • Writing for individual sense of humour vs. broader appeal • Constructing characters that readers will find funny • Avoiding cliches in comedy • Creating covers for comic novels based on genre crossovers • Cancel culture and its affect on writing humour • Tips for keeping a positive mindset and creating opportunities You can find Dave at DaveCohen.org.uk (davecohen.org.uk)You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Connecting is everything, with Mark Leslie Lefebvre The Creative Penn 2024-09-25 | If you want to do direct sales and author events, focus on connection. "As things move and progress in this industry, doubling down on you and your authentic self is key, especially in a high tech digital world where AI charged content can surpass even those rapid release people. It's the connections that people crave. Connections are the most fundamental reason for storytelling and for writing and books and there's so many readers out there who want a connection with a writer."Full interview with Mark Leslie Lefebvre on The Creative Penn Podcast
Selling Books In Person At Live Events With Mark Lefebvre The Creative Penn 2024-09-23 | How can you be successful at connecting with readers and selling books at live, in-person events? What are some practical tips as well as mindset shifts that can help you make the most of the opportunities? Mark Leslie Lefebvre shares his experience.In the intro, Beventi (beventi.co) for author events, Reader survey results [Written Word Media (writtenwordmedia.com/the-2024-reader-survey-results) ]; “How do I market myself without feeling gross about it?” [Author Stack (theauthorstack.com/p/how-do-i-market-myself-without-feeling) ]; 12 Concepts for Authors to Make $8333/Month (kickstarter.com/projects/writermba/eightthreethreethree) ; Results of AI training survey [Draft2Digital (draft2digital.com/blog/2024-ai-training-survey-results) ]; LionsGate partnering with RunWayML (runwayml.com/news/runway-partners-with-lionsgate) ; Networking workshop [LSF (londonswf365.com/networking-mastery-create-powerful-relationships-that-get-you-hired) ]; Blood Vintage (jfpenn.com/bloodvintage) .This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life (thecreativepenn.com/kwl) , which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast (http://kobowritinglife.com/category/kwl-podcast) for interviews with successful indie authors.This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Mark Leslie LeFebvre is the author of horror and paranormal fiction, as well as nonfiction books for authors. He's also an editor, professional speaker, and the Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital. His latest book is A Book in Hand: Strategies for Optimizing Print Book Sales via Signings and Other In Person Events. • What does “going wide” really mean? • Benefits of in-person signings and events • Always connect. The power of creating personal relationships with readers • The different types of in-person events • Using props to attract the right readers to your booth • How to grow your email list and audience from in-person events • The logistics of in-person events — payment systems and inventory • Managing your energy when planning for and attending events • Staying relaxed about changing technology and using it to your advantage You can find Mark at MarkLeslie.ca (markleslie.ca) You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Write what you want to write — with Sacha Black The Creative Penn 2024-09-21 | Is it time to write what you REALLY love?"I'm doing it now because it brings me joy and I feel like that is the biggest lesson of this whole journey. The minute I stopped doing things for other people and I started writing the things that I wanted to write, doing the business things that I found enjoyable, all of a sudden success came."Full interview on The Creative Penn Podcast
TikTok sales, but nothing lasts forever with Sacha Black The Creative Penn 2024-09-20 | "At the moment, a lot of my traffic comes from TikTok. Social media typically doesn't really sell books until it does sell books for you. It's this one of these weird situations, but TikTok particularly is quite good at driving traffic. And ultimately traffic means visibility, which means more sales. The more visibility you have, the more sales you'll end up getting. But I am trying very, very hard to look at other ways and means, because nothing lasts forever. And that is definitely something I have learned from this industry."Full episode on The Creative Penn Podcast with Sacha Black
Free yourself from the expectations of others and write what you love, with Sacha Black The Creative Penn 2024-09-18 | "I think we all have our different journeys. Sometimes it's other people's expectations. 'Oh, well, if you're going to write a book, you have to be traditionally published. Or 'Oh, you have to write proper fiction,' or 'Oh, you have to write literary,' or whatever. And then actually the more creative we are, the more we sink into kind of that love of art, that love of the word, and we free ourselves from those expectations and constraints. I think it's like a shedding of expectations that especially as indies, we are naughty."Full episode on the main feed, The Creative Penn Podcast
A new level of creativity with print The Creative Penn 2024-09-16 | "I love, love, love the creative and business possibilities of custom print options with Book Vault and Kickstarter, I always wanted to make beautiful books, but it just wasn't cost effective in the past with having to do print runs and pay such a ton of money upfront.But Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms enable this, and Book Vault enables you to print a tiny volume of special books with things like sprayed edges, and foil and ribbons and all of that. So I am so grateful for these platforms as they've unlocked a new level of creativity for me."From my Lessons Learned After 13 Years as a Full-Time Author Entrepreneur, on The Creative Penn Podcast
Pivoting Genres And Growing An Author Business With Sacha Black The Creative Penn 2024-09-16 | Success as an author comes with challenges around managing money, setting boundaries, and living sustainably without burning out. Sacha Black/Ruby Roe talks about her lessons learned after five years as a full-time author entrepreneur.In the intro, Content marketing for authors [BookBub (insights.bookbub.com/content-marketing-authors-how-to-get-started) ]; Vineyard research [Books and Travel (https://www.booksandtravel.page/limeburn-hill-biodynamic-vineyard/) ]; AI-generated voice cloning for select US Audible narrators [The Verge (theverge.com/2024/9/9/24239903/amazon-audible-audiobook-narrators-ai-generated-voice-clones) ]; How AI is changing audiobooks and how it echoes changes in the music industry [Music Tectonics (musictectonics.com/post/bundle-trouble-where-music-and-books-intersect) ]; Blood Vintage (jfpenn.com/bloodvintage) ; Comment écrire un roman (amzn.to/3AYk1SG) — Joanna Penn; (draft2digital.com) Today's show is sponsored by Draft2Digital (http://www.draft2digital.com) , self-publishing with support, where you can get free formatting, free distribution to multiple stores, and a host of other benefits. Just go to www.draft2digital.com (draft2digital.com) to get started.This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Sacha Black writes spicy sapphic fantasy romance as Ruby Roe, as well as books for authors. She's the host of The Rebel Author Podcast and an international professional speaker. Sacha recently did a solo episode on her lessons learned after 5 years full-time (sachablack.co.uk/2024/07/03/7-lessons-learned-from-five-years-of-writing-full-time) , and we discuss aspects of that in the interview. • Why pivot to a new genre — mindset and money shifts • Finding freedom from writing under a pen name • Publishing and business model changes required with rapid sales growth • Learning to outsource as your author business grows • Repurposing content across multiple social media platforms • Your books are not your pension. Your pension is your pension — so invest! (Check out my list of money books here (thecreativepenn.com/moneybooks) .) • Avoiding burnout — spending time on hobbies and social activitiesYou can find Sacha at SachaBlack.co.uk (sachablack.co.uk) or at RubyRoe.co.uk (rubyroe.co.uk) .You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Stop obsessing about reaching everyone with your books. With Guy Windsor The Creative Penn 2024-09-14 | Stop obsessing about reaching everyone with your books. Focus on your people. "The people on my mailing list, the people who listen to my podcast, the people who are on my sword people platform, the people who show up to my seminars, the people who are already buying my books. Those are my people, and I will do anything for them. I mean, I'll write them whatever book they want. Someone who finds a book of mine on Amazon when they weren't specifically looking for me, they're probably not my person yet. Now, if they buy the book and they like it, they may come onto my platform and become one of my people but until that happens, I am not interested."The full interview with Guy Windsor is on The Creative Penn Podcast.
Lessons Learned from 13 Years as an Author Entrepreneur The Creative Penn 2024-09-13 | In this solo episode, I talk about my lessons learned from 13 years as a full-time author entrepreneur. You can read/listen to previous updates at TheCreativePenn.com/timeline (thecreativepenn.com/timeline) .Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller, dark fantasy, horror, crime, and memoir author as J.F. Penn (jfpennbooks.com) . She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. • It takes time to pivot your author brand — and your mindset, but my dark horse is (finally) running! • Let your dark horse run — an excerpt from Writing the Shadow by Joanna Penn • It takes time to change your creative and business processes • Having a (tiny) paywall makes all the difference to my happiness and mental health • I love making beautiful books, and I love BookVault and Kickstarter for helping me make them and sell them direct • My physical health is more important than ever, and I am now giving it more time Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) . Sign up for my free Author Blueprint at TheCreativePenn.com/blueprint (http://TheCreativePenn.com/blueprint) Buy my books for authors at www.CreativePennBooks.com (creativepennbooks.com) and my fiction and memoir at www.JFPennBooks.com (jfpennbooks.com) .Sign up for my new Kickstarter: www.JFPenn.com/bloodvintage (http://www.JFPenn.com/bloodvintage)
Why write a book rather than make an online course? With Guy Windsor The Creative Penn 2024-09-11 | Guy Windsor talks about making training manuals, and why books can be better than online video courses, in this episode of The Creative Penn Podcast."A video course is better for teaching skills involving movement, but there are some people who simply don't like them. They prefer books. Also, if you're establishing yourself as an authority, then authors have authority and online course producers don't. Books are spreadable and shareable in a way that online courses aren't. Books are durable, particularly physical books. They have a certain resonance and heft."
Self-Publishing Training Manuals And Focusing On Your True Fans With Guy Windsor The Creative Penn 2024-09-09 | What needs to go into a training manual if you are teaching physical skills? How can you focus in on your super fans and create only for them, while still making a living from multiple streams of income? Guy Windsor explains more in this interview.In the intro, Amazon celebrates a decade of Kindle Unlimited (press.aboutamazon.com/uk/news/books-and-authors/2024/9/amazon-celebrates-a-decade-of-kindle-unlimited) and indie authors do really well!; Written Word Media has announced a new partnership with RetireHub (writtenwordmedia.com/press-release-written-word-media-retirehub-partnership-announcement) , an innovative online community for retirees; Levels of author success [Draft2Digital (draft2digital.com/blog/become-successful-author-eight-levels) ]; Indie Writers Club (indiewritersclub.com) ; Blood Vintage book trailer (jfpenn.com/bloodvintagetrailer) and Kickstarter campaign (jfpenn.com/bloodvintage) .Plus, Oprah's AI special [Variety (variety.com/2024/tv/news/oprah-winfrey-ai-abc-special-bill-gates-sam-altman-1236124394) ]; Women using AI less than men [The Economist (economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/08/21/why-dont-women-use-artificial-intelligence) ]; Amazon is revamping Alexa to use Anthropic’s Claude [The Verge (theverge.com/2024/8/30/24232123/amazon-new-alexa-voice-assistant-claude-ai-model) ]Today’s show is sponsored by Findaway Voices by Spotify, the platform for independent authors who want to unlock the world’s largest audiobook platforms. Take your audiobook everywhere to earn everywhere with Findaway Voices by Spotify. Go to findawayvoices.com/penn (findawayvoices.com/penn) to publish your next audiobook project.This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Guy Windsor is a consulting swordsman, teacher, and author specializing in medieval and renaissance Italian swordsmanship. He runs SwordSchool and is the host of The Sword Guy Podcast. • Creating freedom with multiple streams of income • Automating and outsourcing non-creative work • Key aspects to consider when creating a training manual • The importance of photo quality in print books • Why write a book instead of produce an online course? • Marketing a very niche genre • Tips for building your online author storeYou can find Guy at Swordschool.shop (https://swordschool.shop/) or Swordschool.com (swordschool.com) .You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Why do we love horror? With David Viergutz The Creative Penn 2024-09-04 | Why we love horror — David Viergutz on The Creative Penn Podcast"People are starting to understand that horror can be fun. That thrill, I think it's safe thrills, for some people could be therapeutic, you know? And it's fun to imagine the what ifs and then be safe from that in the real world. Horror is also a level of escapism, just like we would have in any other novel except for us, it's just kind of scary and thrilling. People are still looking for a good story. I think people are still looking for maybe a story they can relate to with their fears. Fear is just so raw and we can all experience it no matter what language we speak, how old we are. We can all experience fear. And so there's some connectivity there. Horror for me, it's that human connection. It's all about the relationships."
The book is only the beginning, with David Viergutz The Creative Penn 2024-09-02 | Turn your book into much more than just an ebook. David Viergutz goes into his multiple streams of income, and how he sells direct in The Creative Penn Podcast this week."The market is very saturated right now, and people like me have come around and said, look, I am willing to give up a little bit of, I just wanna write books, in exchange for being able to write the books that I want. So like, I was putting out a book a month at my prime. And I was making enough money to basically cover my expenses, but that wasn't enough. I wanted enough to support my lifestyle and I was running a book in a month and I was just like, there's gotta be something more than this. I don't need to be this generation engine. I stopped looking at the book, the paperback, the ebook as the final product and started looking at it as the beginning. You can get the book, but there is so much more with that property, with that thing that you've created that you can use and send it out into the world and do more with."
Writing Horror And Selling Direct With David Viergutz The Creative Penn 2024-09-02 | How can you sell a fiction experience rather than just selling a story? How do our personal obsessions arise in our books, whatever the genre? David Viergutz shares his thoughts in this episode.In the intro, the best marketing investments for authors [Self Publishing Advice (selfpublishingadvice.org/podcast-marketing-investments) ]; Abundance mindset for authors [KWL Podcast (kobowritinglife.com/2024/08/06/kwl-349-the-abundance-mindset-for-authors-with-renee-rose-and-lee-savino) ]; Written Word Media have now announced direct sales links (writtenwordmedia.com/direct-sales-links-to-your-author-store-are-now-supported) in their email newsletters. Plus, Redefining a profession [Seth Godin (https://seths.blog/2024/08/redefining-a-profession/) ]; Achieve more with Gen AI [Masterclass (masterclass.com/series/achieve-more-with-gen-ai) ]; My thoughts on the Draft2Digital survey on AI licensing; My book, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and Virtual Worlds (creativepennbooks.com/collections/artificial-intelligence-blockchain-and-virtual-worlds) ; Spear of Destiny (books2read.com/spearofdestiny) out now, and Blood Vintage: A Folk Horror Novel (jfpenn.com/bloodvintage) . (http://www.prowritingaid.com/joanna) Today's show is sponsored by ProWritingAid, writing and editing software that goes way beyond just grammar and typo checking. With its detailed reports on how to improve your writing and integration with writing software, ProWritingAid will help you improve your book before you send it to an editor, agent or publisher. Check it out for free or get 15% off the premium edition at www.ProWritingAid.com/joanna (http://www.prowritingaid.com/joanna) This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) David Viergutz is a disabled army and law enforcement veteran and the author of over 20 horror, dark fantasy, and thriller novels. He also hosts The Nightmare Engine Podcast. • The similarities and differences between dark fantasy and horror • Why horror is the genre of hope • Religious elements in horror • Multiple streams of income and selling wide • The mindset shift to selling direct • ScareMail — creating a unique fiction experience • The behind the scenes work involved in selling a physical product • Building your email list through your e-commerce store • How to market your store for direct sales You can find David at DavidViergutz.com (davidviergutz.com)You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Yes, self-publishing is a challenge. Just take the next step. With Andrea Wilk The Creative Penn 2024-08-30 | It can be a challenge to self-publish, but Andrea Wilk recommends just taking it step by step. "You have to decide whether you want to accept the challenge or not. The moment you accept it, there's only one thing to do, and that is taking the next step. Then you go on and on and on like that. Just take the next step and the next step. And when you hit a wall and you realize, well, I need to learn something to take the next step. Then learning that thing is the next step. So we tend to see that big mountain we have to climb, but seeing the next step is actually quite easy."Full interview on The Creative Penn Podcast
Blood Vintage, a Folk Horror Novel, Limited Edition Hardback Proof Copy The Creative Penn 2024-08-30 | I'm super excited as my proof copy of Blood Vintage, a folk horror novel arrived today! It has silver foil on both outer and inner covers and spine, sprayed edges, a ribbon, head and tail bands, and custom end papers. This edition will only be available in my Kickstarter coming soon — jfpenn.com/bloodvintage #folkhorror #horrorstories #booktube
What is the why behind your writing? With Andrea Wilk The Creative Penn 2024-08-28 | "What helps me is to reconnect with my biggest why, my purpose, what I really want to achieve behind writing books, behind making money. Because I feel like all these things just lead us to something bigger, to something really big. And for me, I want to inspire people with my writing, with my YouTube channel, with everything I do, because I want people to live their dreams. Because I get to live my dream and I know how that feels, and I feel like when each of us gets to live their dreams, then the world is going to be a better place."Full interview on The Creative Penn Podcast with Andrea Wilk
Author Mindset Tips And Publishing In Germany With AD Wilk The Creative Penn 2024-08-26 | How can you move past your limiting beliefs to find success as an author? How can you successfully self-publish in Germany? Andrea Wilk shares her thoughts in this episode.In the intro, how to cope with writer conferences [Ink in Your Veins (http://www.howdoyouwrite.net/episodes/458) ]; Author Nation schedule (https://schedule.authornation.live/en) ; Conde Nast signs a licensing deal with OpenAI [Hollywood Reporter (hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/conde-nast-inks-multiyear-openai-deal-for-its-magazine-brands-1235979339) ]; Breaking down AI misconceptions [Brave New Bookshelf (bravenewbookshelf.com/episode-13) ]; Blood Vintage (jfpenn.com/bloodvintage) Kickstarter.This episode is sponsored by Publisher Rocket (publisherrocket.com) , which will help you get your book in front of more Amazon readers so you can spend less time marketing and more time writing. I use Publisher Rocket for researching book titles, categories, and keywords — for new books and for updating my backlist. Check it out at www.PublisherRocket.com (publisherrocket.com) This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Andrea Wilk (AD Wilk) is the German author of more than 30 books across romance, thriller, and non-fiction. She's also the author of the book in English, 15 Keys to Set your Creative Mind for Success and Happiness. • Germany's book culture • Why write a book in English? • How to take control of your author career • The impact limiting beliefs can have on your writing career — and how to shift them • Obstacles faced as an indie author • Common money blocks with authors and creatives • Tips for generating multiple streams of income and for selling direct via your own Shopify store • Using AI models as part of a translation process You can find Andrea at AndreaWilk.com (andreawilk.com)You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Want to sell your book to the movies? With Larry Kasanoff The Creative Penn 2024-08-21 | "When you're selling a book for a movie, you are really selling the plot. Because one of the things you can do in a book is you can obviously write what the character is thinking. In a movie, you have to show. And then why is your book unique? You need a pitch line. Think about describing your book, in one sentence. And think about two things. That's a logline. And then there's a tagline, and the tagline is kind of the slogan. That's what people are gonna buy. You have to think to yourself, okay, well, what characters I have in my book. Help the producer or the agent envision it. Here's the title, here's the log line, here's the tagline, here's who you should play my character. Help them envision it 'cause that's how they're gonna resell it."Full episode with Larry Kasanoff on the main podcast feed, The Creative Penn Podcast
A Touch of the Madness: Creativity In Writing And Filmmaking With Larry Kasanoff The Creative Penn 2024-08-19 | How can you balance creativity with business when it comes to writing — and filmmaking? How can you access that ‘touch of madness' in everything you create? How can authors pitch their books for film? All this and more with Larry Kasanoff.In the intro, Paid ads with BookBub, Facebook and Amazon [BookBub (insights.bookbub.com/bookbub-vs-facebook-vs-amazon-book-advertising) ]; Blood Vintage (jfpenn.com/bloodvintage) cover reveal; Unter dem Zoo (amzn.to/4e41Pph) out now in German; The entire ARKANE Thriller series is back on Audible (audible.com/pd/Stone-of-Fire-Audiobook/B0DBRF7K19) , as well as Spotify (open.spotify.com/show/69NnOLOFGv58U8FCInrt84?si=947bd9f39853447a&nd=1&dlsi=ca1eb7be19364e8c) , and you can get 50% off at JFPennBooks.com (jfpennbooks.com/products/arkane-thriller-13-audiobook-bundle) (65+ hours of thrillers!).This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life (thecreativepenn.com/kwl) , which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast (http://kobowritinglife.com/category/kwl-podcast) for interviews with successful indie authors.This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Larry Kasanoff is the CEO of Threshold Entertainment and has made over 200 films as a producer or studio head. Some of his credits include Mortal Kombat, True Lies, Terminator 2, Dirty Dancing, and Academy Award-Winning Best Picture, Platoon. He's also worked in the music business with artists like Michael Jackson and The Rolling Stones. • Why are creatives more scared to express themselves now? • Tips for starting out in the industry • The timeline differences between getting a book published vs. a movie published • How to state of play and positivity can help your creativity flow • Balancing creative decisions with business decisions • Tips for longevity in a creative career • How to pitch as an introverted author • Generative AI in the movie industry You can find Larry at LarryKasanoff.com (larrykasanoff.com) and his new book at ATouchOfTheMadness.com (atouchofthemadness.com)You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Why is this the most exciting time in publishing? With Thad McIlroy The Creative Penn 2024-08-14 | "I've been working in publishing now over 50 years, and this is the most exciting moment I've seen in publishing in those 50 years. I couldn't be more delighted with what's going on and more optimistic about the future of creativity, of creative expression, of the ability to reach readers and to delight readers with creative output. But it takes a really open mind.As an author, you're redefining your own role. You have to be willing to redefine your role to take advantage of the opportunities that are here 'cause there are a gazillion opportunities." Full episode on the main feed, The Creative Penn Podcast
Artificial Intelligence (AI) In Publishing With Thad McIlroy The Creative Penn 2024-08-12 | How are publishers using AI and what are the potential use cases in the future? Why is this an exciting time in publishing for those who use the new tools to expand their creative possibilities? Thad McIlroy and I have a wonderful discussion about the current state of AI in publishing, and where we think it might be going next.In the intro, Audible tests AI-powered search [TechCrunch (techcrunch.com/2024/08/07/audible-ai-powered-search-feature) ]; How to avoid book marketing overwhelm [Author Media (authormedia.com/how-to-avoid-book-marketing-overwhelm) ]; Top 17 self-publishing companies [Nerdy Novelist (youtube.com/watch?v=UnoKeaC0JJY) ]; How I professionally self-publish (thecreativepenn.com/how-i-professionally-self-publish) ; 30% off ebooks & audio at CreativePennBooks.com, use discount code AUGUST24 (creativepennbooks.com/discount/AUGUST24) .Today's show is sponsored by Draft2Digital (http://www.draft2digital.com) , self-publishing with support, where you can get free formatting, free distribution to multiple stores, and a host of other benefits. Just go to www.draft2digital.com (draft2digital.com) to get started.This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Thad McIlroy is a nonfiction author and contributing editor, writing at the intersection of AI and book publishing, as well as a publishing consultant. His latest book is The AI Revolution in Book Publishing: A Concise Guide to Navigating Artificial Intelligence for Writers and Publishers. • Why is generative AI so controversial in publishing? • Ways in which traditional publishers are using AI tools • How platforms are monitoring and placing guidelines on AI work — and why Ingram blocked his book • The future of licensing — and synthetic data • The increasing importance of high-quality print books • Generative AI search and book discoverability • Why Thad thinks this is the most exciting time in his 50 year career in publishingYou can find Thad at thefutureofpublishing.com (thefutureofpublishing.com) and his new book at Leanpub.com (leanpub.com/u/ThadMcIlroy)You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
How to find your voice with timed writing sessions, with Robin FInn The Creative Penn 2024-08-05 | "If you're a new writer, set your timer for three minutes or five minutes and write as quickly as possible. The purpose of this is to write faster than your thinking so that the words are emerging. You're not making them up in your head and putting them on paper, they're actually emerging from a deeper place.And as you do that time after time, you start to reread your writing and see the themes that just naturally emerge. So if you are trying to find your voice, I'd say, one easy way is to start with a regular writing practice where you set a timer and it could be as little as three or five minutes a few times a week, and just freely write and then have an air of curiosity about what comes forward and start see, to start to see what emerges naturally. What is your material? What you are concerned about, what matters to you will naturally emerge if you get out of the way and allow it."Full interview with Robin Finn on The Creative Penn Podcast
Heart. Soul. Pen. Find Your Voice on the Page With Robin Finn The Creative Penn 2024-08-05 | How can you write freely and release any blocks that are holding you back? How can you focus on the strengths in your writing and avoid critical voice? Robin Finn gives plenty of writing tips in this interview.In the intro, KDP's identity verification (kdpcommunity.com/s/article/Identity-Verification-for-KDP?language=en_US) ; Why authors need platforms [Kathleen Schmidt (kathleenschmidt.substack.com/p/why-authors-need-platforms) ]; Romance genre report from K-lytics (thecreativepenn.com/romance24) ; Canva has bought Leonardo AI image generator (canva.com/newsroom/news/leonardo-ai) . Plus, join me and Orna Ross for a writing retreat near Dublin, Ireland 11-13 April 2025 [More details here (thecreativepenn.com/retreat25) Today’s show is sponsored by Findaway Voices by Spotify, the platform for independent authors who want to unlock the world’s largest audiobook platforms. Take your audiobook everywhere to earn everywhere with Findaway Voices by Spotify. Go to findawayvoices.com/penn (findawayvoices.com/penn) to publish your next audiobook project.This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Robin Finn is an award-winning writer, teacher, and coach, and the author of Heart. Soul. Pen.: Find Your Voice on the Page and In Your Life. • Overcoming the fear of judgement and shame when writing • Uncovering the different layers of limiting beliefs • Valuing our writing across all genres and topics • Strengths-based feedback and how to use it • Using the TIDES principle in the critique process • Tapping into your curiosity to find your author voice • The magic that can come from timed writing • Practicing the art of discernment in your writing and sharing • Benefits of an in-person writing communityYou can find Robin at RobinFinn.com (robinfinn.com) and on Instagram @RobinFinnAuthor (instagram.com/robinfinnauthor)You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
When is it time to pivot genres if your books arent selling? With Anna Sayburn Lane The Creative Penn 2024-07-31 | Full interview with Anna Sayburn Lane on The Creative Penn Podcast"I wanted to make a living as a fiction writer, and those books were losing money. So I could have kept writing as a hobby, but that really wasn't what I wanted to do. If I wanted to fulfill this dream of making a living as a fiction writer, then I had to find something that would actually sell. And it was heartbreaking because I loved writing my characters. I loved those books. I was midway through writing book five when I made the decision and that came from just looking really clearly at the sales for book four and thinking, why are you doing this to yourself? Why are you carrying on putting all of this effort and this huge amount of work into something that is not really giving you a return?But once I'd made the decision, I actually felt a huge sense of relief. I was tired of feeling that I was failing.
Pivoting Genres And Writing Historical Fiction With Anna Sayburn Lane The Creative Penn 2024-07-29 | When is it time to leave an unsuccessful series behind and pivot into something new? What is the process of writing to market? Anna Sayburn Lane explores these topics and more.In the intro, help with Amazon KDP Account suspension [Kindlepreneur (kindlepreneur.com/amazon-kdp-account-suspension) ]; Selling direct to the EU? Thresholds coming in 2025 (fiscalsolutions.co.uk/news/2025-sme-special-scheme-introduces-pan-eu-100-000-registration-threshold-to-reduce-foreign-vat-compliance-burden) ; Some honest thoughts about the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival [Charlotte Duckworth (charlotteduckworthstudio.com/being-published-lessons/harrogate-crime-writing-festival) ]; OpenAI's SearchGPT (openai.com/index/searchgpt-prototype) ; and Signing Spear of Destiny pics (instagram.com/p/C92E24fgSlP) . (http://www.prowritingaid.com/joanna) Today's show is sponsored by ProWritingAid, writing and editing software that goes way beyond just grammar and typo checking. With its detailed reports on how to improve your writing and integration with writing software, ProWritingAid will help you improve your book before you send it to an editor, agent or publisher. Check it out for free or get 15% off the premium edition at www.ProWritingAid.com/joanna (http://www.prowritingaid.com/joanna) This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Anna Sayburn Lane writes 1920s murder mysteries and contemporary thrillers, and is an award-winning short story writer. • Lessons learned from self-publishing your first book • The mindset shift when deciding to pivot • When the cost of production outweighs the profits — is it time to pivot? • Assessing the financial potential of a genre • How writing to market makes marketing easier • Researching and changing your branding when pivoting genre • Balancing research time with writing time • Historical accuracy vs. believability You can find Anna at annasayburnlane.comYou can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
How are emotion and genre linked in writing fiction? with Roz Morris The Creative Penn 2024-07-23 | Excerpt from interview with Roz Morris on writing emotion"Being in control of the emotion you are writing is a really important writing skill. The emotion you write is closely linked to the genre because you have to know as a writer what emotion the reader of your genre is seeking.Are they seeking thrills or shivers? Or a bit of romance, do they want to be scared and what kind of scariness? Do they want a cozy level of scary? Or do they want something really dark, something that speaks to them deeply. All that comes from writing emotion, and understanding what emotion the reader is looking for is the key to understanding your genre.
Writing Emotion With Roz Morris The Creative Penn 2024-07-22 | Why is writing emotion so important in our books, whatever the genre? How can we create an emotional connection between our readers and our characters? Roz Morris gives her tips in this episode.In the intro, how to get your indie book into schools [Self-Publishing Advice (thecreativepenn.com/2018/05/28/get-your-book-into-schools-dave-hendrickson) ]; Did my bestselling book turn out to be a financial failure? [Tiago Forte (fortelabs.com/blog/did-my-bestselling-book-turn-out-to-be-a-financial-failure) ]; How to Build a World Class Substack (kickstarter.com/projects/writermba/sellstack) ; Why did The Atlantic sign a licensing deal with OpenAI? [The Verge (theverge.com/2024/7/11/24196396/the-atlantic-openai-licensing-deal-ai-news-journalism-web-future-decoder-podcasts) ]; Like It or Not, Publishers Are Licensing Books for AI Training—And Using AI Themselves [Jane Friedman (janefriedman.com/like-it-or-not-publishers-are-licensing-material-for-ai-training-and-using-ai-themselves) ]; and my personal update post-Covid.Write and format stunning books with Atticus. Create professional print books and eBooks easily with the all-in-one book writing software. Try it out at atticus.ioThis show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Roz Morris is an award-nominated literary fiction author, memoirist, and previously a bestselling ghostwriter. She writes writing craft books for authors under the Nail Your Novel brand, and is also an editor, speaker, and writing coach. • Why is writing emotion is so important? • How can we create an emotional connection between our readers and our characters? • How to write layers of emotion • Using description and dialogue to evoke feelings in the reader • “Show, don't tell” when writing emotion • Learning to lean into our intuition and trust more • Using your own emotions and experiences in writing • How and when to use a beat sheetYou can find Roz at RozMorris.org (rozmorris.org) You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Intuitive Discovery Writing And Serial Fiction With KimBoo York The Creative Penn 2024-07-15 | How can you lean into intuition and curiosity to embrace discovery writing? How might serial fiction fit into your business model? KimBoo York gives her tips and more in this interview. In the intro, BookVault now has integration with PayHip (https://bookvault.app/sell-books-on-your-website/) ; 7 lessons learned from 5 years writing full-time [Sacha Black, Rebel Author Podcast (sachablack.co.uk/2024/07/03/7-lessons-learned-from-five-years-of-writing-full-time) ]; My author timeline (thecreativepenn.com/timeline) ; List of money books (thecreativepenn.com/moneybooks) ; Crowdfunding for Participation, Profit, and Payment [Self-Publishing Advice (selfpublishingadvice.org/podcast-crowdfinding-for-profit) ]This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life thecreativepenn.com/kwl, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast (http://kobowritinglife.com/category/kwl-podcast) for interviews with successful indie authors.This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) KimBoo York is the author of romance, fantasy, and nonfiction, as well as a productivity coach, and a podcaster at The Author Alchemist and Around the Writer's Table. Her latest book for authors is By the Seat of Your Pants: Secrets of Discovery Writing. • What is discovery writing and how does it differ from plotting and outlining? • How trust and intuition guide discovery writing • Where to begin the discovery writing process • Adding layers during the writing and editing process • The “penny drop” moment of discovery writing • Embracing the process that works for you • Differences between a serial, a series, and a novel • Platforms and marketing for different genres of serials • Building a business model based on ‘you'You can find KimBoo at HouseofYork.info (houseofyork.info) .You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
What are some of the main issues with manuscripts on submission? The Creative Penn 2024-07-12 | "Well, mostly it's the writing, whether at a line level or the overall story structure.It could be the writing isn't strong enough yet, the word count may be too high for the genre they're writing. It's mostly due to, again, the loose writing, bad pacing, excessive description, or the scene goes on way too long. Or what I call story for story's sake is just. Telling the reader a lot of stuff that doesn't really matter in the big picture, no matter how interesting it is.And you'll know if you have that, if you take out that section and it still makes sense. So it's just a lot of things just aren't quite gelling yet. And I've talked to so many people that just like, well, I wanna work on a new project, so I just need to get it out there. Like it's a time limit. You've gotta shove it out the door and then you really don't, you really need to take your time.Full interview available on The Creative Penn Podcast with Renee Fountain
Preparing Your Manuscript For Pitching Agents With Renee Fountain The Creative Penn 2024-07-08 | How can you make sure your manuscript is ready for submission to an agent — or for publication if you go indie? What are the benefits and challenges of traditional publishing? Will they really do all the marketing for you? Renee Fountain talks about these things and more in today's interview.In the intro, Referencing and citations [Self Publishing Advice (selfpublishingadvice.org/referencing-for-non-fiction-indie-authors-alli-ultimate-guide) ]; will.i.am on the WSJ talking about AI, music and media (youtube.com/watch?v=6yEqkRyrpXo) ; Behind the scenes of Pilgrimage [BookBrunch (bookbrunch.co.uk/page/free-article/the-selfies--questions-for-2024-non-fiction-winner-j-f-penn) ]; how a chapel visit in Zambia led to a published short story [X @mwanabibi (https://x.com/mwanabibi/status/1808175792108519506) ]This episode is sponsored by Publisher Rocket, which will help you get your book in front of more Amazon readers so you can spend less time marketing and more time writing. I use Publisher Rocket for researching book titles, categories, and keywords — for new books and for updating my backlist. Check it out at publisherrocket.comThis show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Renee Fountain has more than three decades in the publishing industry, including being a literary agent, a developmental editor, and story analyst. She is the president of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management and founder of Gryphon Quill Editing. • Main issues seen with manuscript submissions • Is your manuscript overwritten? • Tips on pacing • What is developmental editing? • Key elements of a pitch package and query letter • Will traditional publishers do all the marketing for you? • Using an agent to get a TV or film deal vs. going indie • Dealing with rejection • Cash flow management in traditional publishingYou can find Renee at GHliterary.com (ghliterary.com) or ReneeFountain.com (reneefountain.com)You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Turn Words Into Wealth With Aurora Winter The Creative Penn 2024-07-01 | Can you have a business with a soul through writing? How does the business of fiction differ from non-fiction? What are some tips for pitching a book for film & TV? All this and more with Aurora Winter.In the intro, 100 book marketing ideas [Written Word Media (writtenwordmedia.com/100-book-marketing-ideas-for-authors) ]; 25 indie authors tips to finding success [Self Publishing Advice (selfpublishingadvice.org/25-indie-author-tips-and-tricks-for-2024) ]; BookFunnel for audiobooks (blog.bookfunnel.com/2024/audiobook-pricing-lock-in-the-early-audio-adopter-rate-starting-today) ; Bookfunnel as landing page for Facebook Ads (blog.bookfunnel.com/2024/katie-cross-bookfunnel-as-a-landing-page) ; TIME signs licensing deal with OpenAI (openai.com/index/strategic-content-partnership-with-time) ; ALCS AI licensing survey (alcs.co.uk/news/ai-and-authors-what-comes-next) ; my 2020 book on AI for authors and publishing (creativepennbooks.com/collections/artificial-intelligence-blockchain-and-virtual-worlds) . Plus, Corfu on Instagram (instagram.com/p/C8uk_cDoBXl) and proving I am human; In My Time of Dying (amzn.to/4cmHiM4) by Sebastian Junger; Eruption (amzn.to/3RPwvBN) by Michael Crichton and James Patterson; De-Extinction of the Nephilim (jfpennbooks.com/collections/de-extinction-of-the-nephilim) on JFPennBooks; Other stores (books2read.com/deextinction) ]. Today's show is sponsored by Draft2Digital, self-publishing with support, where you can get free formatting, free distribution to multiple stores, and a host of other benefits. Just go to draft2digital.com to get started.This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at patreon.com/thecreativepennAurora Winter is the multi-award-winning author of nonfiction business books and teen fantasy novels, as well as a publisher, TV producer, and serial entrepreneur. • How writing can help people during difficult times • Actionable ways to turn grief into gratitude • Tips for pitching to producers • The importance of patience and connections in the film industry • How self-development can lead to increased opportunities • How and when to delegate tasks to a virtual assistant • The neuroscience behind effective pitchesYou can find Aurora at AuroraWinter.com (aurorawinter.com) , and her latest book at MagicMysteryAndTheMultiverse.com (https://www.MagicMysteryAndTheMultiverse.com) You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Writing Hard Truths And Tips For Writing Non-Fiction With Efren Delgado The Creative Penn 2024-06-24 | How do we write authentic humanity into our books, whether that's our own experience or a fictional character's? How can we embrace the challenges of life and the author journey and make the most of the opportunities along the way? Efren Delgado gives his tips in this interview.In the intro, How to plan and release a second edition of your book [SelfPublishingAdvice (selfpublishingadvice.org/releasing-a-second-edition-of-your-self-published-book) ]; plus, Kickstarter update (kickstarter.com/projects/thecreativepenn/spear-of-destiny-an-action-adventure-thriller-novel) ; Stone carving a green man (instagram.com/p/C8SGAv_oofg) ; De-Extinction of the Nephilim [JFPennBooks (jfpennbooks.com/collections/de-extinction-of-the-nephilim) ; other stores (books2read.com/deextinction) ]; Today's show is sponsored by ProWritingAid, writing and editing software that goes way beyond just grammar and typo checking. With its detailed reports on how to improve your writing and integration with writing software, ProWritingAid will help you improve your book before you send it to an editor, agent or publisher. Check it out for free or get 15% off the premium edition at prowritingaid.com/joannaThis show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at ttps://www.patreon.com/thecreativepennEfren Delgado is a former FBI special agent with 25 years of national security, law enforcement, and private protection experience. He's also a consultant, professional speaker, and the author of The Opposite is True: Discover Your Unexpected Enemies, Allies, and Purpose Through the Eyes of Counterintuitive Psychology. • Balancing being authentic while maintaining your boundaries • How to take our failures and move on to success • Creating a mind map to help during the brainstorming process • Fact checking and managing citations when writing nonfiction • Writing to deal with trauma while avoiding using it as therapy • Uncomfortable truths indie authors need to face about the industry • Common misconceptions authors get wrong when writing FBI thrillersYou can find Efren at efrendelgado.comYou can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Collaborative Writing With AI With Rachelle Ayala The Creative Penn 2024-06-21 | How can we use AI tools to enhance and improve our creative process? How can we double down on being human by writing what we are passionate about, while still using generative AI to help fulfil our creative vision? Rachelle Ayala gives her thoughts in this episode.Today's show is sponsored by my patrons! Join my community and get access to extra videos on writing craft, author business, AI and behind the scenes info, plus an extra Q&A show a month where I answer Patron questions. It's about the same as a black coffee a month! Join the community at patreon.com/thecreativepennRachelle Ayala is the multi-award-winning USA Today bestselling author of playful and passionate romances with a twist. She also has a series of books for authors, including Write with AI, An AI Author's Journal, and AI Fiction Mastery. • Understanding generative AI tools as a non-technical person • How the creative process can work with AI tools and why it's always changing • Using AI tools as a collaborative discovery process, and why it's all about your creative vision and author voice. For more on this, check out my AI-Assisted Artisan Author episode (thecreativepenn.com/2023/05/05/ai-assisted-artisan-author) • Aspects of copyright • Staying focused on writing as new AI technology emerges, and why you need to double down on being human (thecreativepenn.com/2023/10/18/how-to-double-down-on-being-human-5-ways-to-stand-out-in-an-age-of-ai) You can find Rachelle at rachelleayala.netYou can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Writing Through Fear With Caroline Donahue The Creative Penn 2024-06-17 | What are some of the common fears that writers face? How can we work through them in order to create more freely? Caroline Donahue gives her tips in this interview.In the intro, How to avoid indie author scams [ALLi (selfpublishingadvice.org/how-to-avoid-indie-author-spams) ; Writer Beware (https://writerbeware.blog/) ]; Financial strategies and mindset [Self Publishing Advice (selfpublishingadvice.org/podcast-financial-strategies) ]; Apple Intelligence at WWDC [The Verge (theverge.com/24171190/apple-wwdc-2024-biggest-announcements) ; Marketing against the Grain]; “Not a chef, but an emotion creator.” Massimo Bottura on the Possible Podcast (https://www.possible.fm/podcasts/massimo/) . Plus, Spear of Destiny is on its last day (jfpenn.com/destiny) ; Thoughts on photography permissions for commercial use — and permission in general (thecreativepenn.com/2013/05/09/permission) ; Voodoo Vintners (amzn.to/45neiBa) ; Winchester pictures (instagram.com/p/C8CYRmEIT_x) ; Limeburn Hill vineyard pictures (instagram.com/p/C7uFqdCoXXW) .This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life , which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast (http://kobowritinglife.com/category/kwl-podcast) for interviews with successful indie authors. kobo.com/writinglifeThis show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Caroline Donahue is an author, podcaster, and book coach. Her latest book is Writing Through Fear: A Story Arcana Guide. • The most common fears writers face • How the fear of not being considered a “real writer” holds you back • Overcoming the fear of judgement and being cancelled • Fearing things before you are anywhere near them in the process • Breaking down projects into smaller, more manageable tasks • Embracing the unpredictable nature of creativity • The challenges and reasons for rebranding a book • Substack as a podcasting platform and community tool You can find Caroline at CarolineDonahue.com (carolinedonahue.com) , her Substack at book-alchemy.com (book-alchemy.com) , and her podcast at SecretLibraryPodcast.com (secretlibrarypodcast.com)You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Writing our fascinations. Weaving modern archaeology into story with J.F. Penn on Ancient Heroes The Creative Penn 2024-06-12 | I was interviewed on the Ancient Heroes Podcast. Here's a clip about integrating modern archaeology into my thrillers. Patrick: I know you also integrate modern archeology and archeological methods and things like that into your books. Can you talk a little bit about how you've been able to do that? Jo: Well, I am super fascinated with the use of AI in archeology. I have like a James Bond Q character, with all the gadgets and things. And there was a Vatican digital scanning project that is still going on, scanning the digital archives of the Vatican. And, this character was part of that project and discovered this ancient book and that led to the story in Soldiers of God, but I was like, oh my goodness, if you go and scan the stuff in the Vatican Secret Archives, what are you gonna find? That's really cool. And then for Spear of Destiny, while I was writing it, basically there were these scrolls that they found in Herculaneum, which was buried with Pompeii back in 79 AD, and that buried them and they were carbonized. So these completely black sausages essentially, which are these rolled up scrolls that had been burnt so badly. And when they tried to unroll them, they just crumbled to dust. So they haven't been unrolled for like 2000 years. And then this prize was set up to use AI scanning technology to see into the scrolls. So they would scan it and then use this cool technology and they've actually managed it. So I had to use that in the book. Wow. They found some just really cool things by starting to read these scrolls that they're on the second phase as we record this May, 2024. They're just discovering new things about it. scrollprize.orgAnd you like Michael Crichton? Yes. They find these ancient things and then they're bringing them back. So there's this company called Colossal Labs, which I kid you not, is a de-extinction lab for bringing back the woolly mammoth and the thylacine, which is the Tasmanian tiger. They're actually doing this and so I try and weave these sort of modern technology into the books as techniques for my characters to find out more and as sort of the next thing."colossal.com/mammothSpear of Destiny mentions the Herculaneum Scrolls — jfpenn.com/destinybooks2read.com/spearofdestinyDe-Extinction of the Nephilim is based on de-extinction technology - books2read.com/deextinctionYou find can the Ancient Heroes Podcast on your favorite app ancientheroes.net
Click Testing Ideas And Selling Direct With Steve Pieper The Creative Penn 2024-06-10 | What are the pros and cons of selling direct and building an ecommerce business for your books? How can you use click testing on Meta to help refine your creative and book marketing ideas? Steve Pieper explains in this interview.In the intro, The Hotsheet with Jane Friedman (hotsheetpub.com) ; 20 ways you should be using AI in publishing [PerfectBound (perfectbound.io/page/ai) ]; Artificial Intelligence? No, Collective Intelligence (nytimes.com/2024/05/24/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-holly-herndon.html) [Ezra Klein with Holly Herndon]; AI may take our jobs, but not our creativity [Claire Silver on The TED AI Show (podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ai-may-take-jobs-but-not-our-creativity-w-artist-claire/id1741574582?i=1000657694855) ]. Plus, De-Extinction of the Nephilim; (jfpenn.com/book/de-extinction-of-the-nephilim) my webinar on Discovery Writing as part of the Kickstarter – you can buy it in the bundle or just buy the ebook and get the webinar as an Add-On. Only available until 18 June at JFPenn.com/destiny (jfpenn.com/destiny) ; Writing modern thrillers based on ancient relics and historical places (thecreativepenn.com/2024/06/07/writing-modern-thrillers-ancient-relics) ; Ancient Heroes Podcast (itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-achilles-gene/id1135292842?mt=2) ; Today's show is sponsored by my patrons! Join my community and get access to extra videos on writing craft, author business, AI and behind the scenes info, plus an extra Q&A show a month where I answer Patron questions. It's about the same as a black coffee a month! Join the community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Steve Pieper is a USA Today bestselling thriller author under the name Lars Emmerich. He's also an entrepreneur and business consultant, specializing in digital marketing and selling direct with his course, AMMO, Author Marketing Mastery through Optimization. • Why more indie authors are embracing selling direct • How the emergence of courses has helped mature the indie author market • Differences in the process of selling a print book on Amazon vs. Shopify • Cash flow management when selling direct • When does it make sense for an author to start selling direct? • Using click testing to test a book idea with your target audience • Steve's Click Testing and Direct Sales courses — If you're interested, please consider using my affiliate link and supporting the show: https://www.TheCreativePenn.com/clicktesting You can find Steve at AMMOauthor.com (ammoauthor.com) and his books at Lars.buzz (https://lars.buzz/) You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn...
Finding story and trusting emergence. Writing tips with J.F. Penn on the Ancient Heroes Podcast The Creative Penn 2024-06-07 | I'm interviewed about Spear of Destiny on the Ancient Heroes Podcast — here's a clip. You can find the book at jfpenn.com/destiny and the podcast links at ancientheroes.netPatrick: You mentioned that you went to Vienna. It sounds like your research process and idea development process involves you going to some of these places and really immersing yourself in what's going on there and what these museums and different places and cathedrals are like, and things like that. Can you talk a little bit about how you approach it? Jo: I'm very lucky to be here in the UK, close to Europe, and so I went over to Vienna and the plan was to go visit the Spear of Destiny in the Hofburg museum where it is but that I would also go to some other places and I see what emerges. I have actually on my wall here. Trust emergence. Sometimes you don't necessarily know what the story's gonna be. So I went, uh, saw the spear of destiny. It, it was crazy. There was no one else there. There was the tooth of John the Baptist. There was all these crazy things in the museum. And I was like, okay, this is weird. But then what was very interesting is that I walked out of that museum, turned a corner, and there is this incredible library, the State Library of Austria in Vienna, it is just nearby. I went in there on a whim because I was passing and it was incredible. I just had to set a scene there and there's a fight scene, where the spear is kind of taken. And I was like, okay. Wow. And I never would've known that if I hadn't have gone there. And the other interesting thing is that I also wanted to bring in Washington, D.C. So one of the other modern parallels is the rise of a sort of right wing in the USA. Right? One of the characters in the book is a general who wants the spear so he can use it as part of his campaign for the presidency of the us. I was in Washington, DC a few years ago and I went to the Library of Congress, which is fantastic, and wandered around there, and I was like, I have to use this in a story. I don't know what though, and what was amazing.And I mentioned Tibet before. The rushes, , the raw footage of the Nazis in Tibet is in the Library of Congress in Washington DC as well as Hitler's own personal book collection, which includes books on magic and the occult. And I was like, oh, wow. That is such a great coincidence. Synchronicity as Carl Jung would say, but just super exciting. I was able to link Vienna, Tibet, Washington, D.C. As well as some other places because things actually did happen that way. So this is part of why I love to travel. Obviously. I just love to travel and I take a lot of photos, which are useful obviously to put on social media, and I always write an author's note as well because a lot of my readers enjoy Googling after they've read the book. They wanna know what's based on fact and I think that's another hallmark of our genre is that we just love the research.You can find the book at jfpenn.com/destiny and the podcast links at ancientheroes.net
7 Tips For Writing Action Adventure Thrillers With J.F. Penn The Creative Penn 2024-06-05 | What are the tropes of action adventure thrillers? How can you please readers and sell more books? J.F. Penn shares her own tips and also features excerpts from interviews with other thriller writers. J.F. Penn is the award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the ARKANE action-adventure thrillers, the Mapwalker fantasy adventures, and the Brooke & Daniel crime thrillers, as well as horror, travel memoir, and short stories. • Put your characters in difficult and dangerous situations • Writing fight scenes • Include a ticking clock and high stakes • What is a MacGuffin and how is it used? • Research into places and experiences • Trust your writing instinct and have fun! • Help your readers escape to exciting places • Using quotes, and source citation • Write a seriesIf you love action adventure thrillers, check out the ARKANE series by J.F. Penn. Spear of Destiny, book 13, is out now on Kickstarter (jfpenn.com/destiny) with special edition signed exclusive cover hardbacks, plus paperback, large print, ebook, audiobook, and bundle deals in all formats.You can find J.F. Penn at www.jfpenn.com (jfpenn.com) , buy books direct at www.JFPennBooks.com (jfpennbooks.com) , and read the blog or listen to the Books and Travel Podcast at BooksAndTravel.page (https://www.booksandtravel.page/blog/) You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
A desperate quest. A holy relic. A race against time. Spear of Destiny Book Trailer The Creative Penn 2024-06-04 | A cursed bloodline. An ancient weapon. The fate of the world hangs in the balance. jfpenn.com/destinyWhen a mysterious relic is stolen from a museum in Vienna, ARKANE agents Morgan Sierra and Jake Timber embark on a deadly race against time to recover the legendary Spear of Destiny — the holy lance that pierced the side of Christ.As they follow clues through Nazi ruins, Tibetan temples, and Washington, DC's greatest monuments, they uncover a sinister plot that threatens to unleash an unstoppable darkness upon the world.But Morgan also carries a curse in her veins, a shadow placed upon her that now threatens her niece's life. To save her, Morgan must find the Spear and unlock her fabled healing powers. Standing in her way is the fanatical Jericho Command and their elite leader, Gabriel, a man both blessed and burdened by strange powers and a mysterious past.From the ashes of World War II to the mystical peaks of Tibet, from ancient crypts to the hallowed halls of the Library of Congress and the Capitol, Morgan and Jake must brave every danger, solve each puzzle, and face down enemies both human and demonic in their quest to find the Spear before its terrible power is unleashed.Time is running out and the fate of the world hangs in the balance — will Morgan and Jake prevail or will the forces of darkness triumph?From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author JF Penn comes a gripping and explosive thriller that delves deep into the heart of an ancient mystery and a chilling supernatural evil. An unputdownable story of supernatural suspense, Spear of Destiny is a rollercoaster ride into the dark legends of the past and the shocking evils of the present, with only a cursed relic lying between salvation and damnation.Spear of Destiny is book 13 in the ARKANE action adventure thriller series. It can be read or listened to as a stand-alone story even if you have never read another in the series. There are also binge-worthy bundles available in the Add-Ons so you can read or listen in order if you prefer.Find out more: jfpenn.com/destiny
Want to write fiction? Follow your curiosity. J.F. Penn on the Wordslinger Podcast The Creative Penn 2024-06-04 | Excerpt from my interview on the Wordslinger Podcast with Kevin Tumlinson, where I talk about why following your curiosity is so important. "I think following your curiosity is such a superpower. I always thought that everyone had curiosity, but I learned over the years that a lot of people don't know what that feels like.When I worked in corporates all those years ago — I used to implement accounts payable into corporates — I had lost it. I didn't have any ideas, I never would've thought I could have written fiction. I loved action movies, and when I wanted to write, I wrote that, but back then I just did not understand how to tap into what I was interested in and then turn that into a story.But that's the superpower, right? Tapping into curiosity. It's like a sensation. And there might be people listening who don't understand what that feels like. They might think, 'oh, I would love to write fiction, but I don't know how.' And I think that's the first step. It's sort of when do I turn my head to look at something? Or when do I click on something? Or when do I see an image that makes me interested or a news item? And that's the thing that's you, that's different. We put our fascinations into our writing and I think people shouldn't be scared to do that.Coming back to how the world has changed, we'd all like to have the blockbuster, we'd like to have that breakout massive success. But the reality is, being a writer for as long as we are and still being a writer, is we have a niche, and we just have to please the readers in our niche. You can find the full interview on the Wordslinger Podcast
The Seasons Of Writing With Jacqueline Suskin The Creative Penn 2024-06-03 | How can you adopt the seasons of nature in your writing? How can you allow periods of rest as well as abundance? Jacqueline Suskin explores these ideas and more in this interview. In the intro, thoughts on children's book publishing [Always Take Notes Podcast (alwaystakenotes.com/episodes/187-pari-thomson-editorial-director-for-picture-books-bloomsbury-and-childrens-author) ]; how to market a memoir as an indie author [ALLi (selfpublishingadvice.org/how-to-market-a-memoir-as-an-independent-author) ]; A desperate quest. A holy relic. A race against time. Spear of Destiny is live on Kickstarter (jfpenn.com/destiny) !; What is Kickstarter and why am I launching there? (thecreativepenn.com/2024/05/31/what-is-kickstarter-and-why-am-i-launching-my-latest-thriller-spear-of-destiny-there) , I'm on the Wordslinger Podcast (youtube.com/c/wordslingerpodcast) talking about marketing later books in a series.Book cover designer Stuart Bache on AI for book covers [Brave New Bookshelf (bravenewbookshelf.com/episode-7) ]; OpenAI signs licensing deals with The Atlantic, Vox Media, and NewsCorp [OpenAI (openai.com/news) ]Today's show is sponsored by Draft2Digital (http://www.draft2digital.com) , self-publishing with support, where you can get free formatting, free distribution to multiple stores, and a host of other benefits. Just go to draft2digital.com to get started.This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at patreon.com/thecreativepennJacqueline Suskin is a poet, author, speaker, and creative consultant. Her latest book is A Year In Practice: Seasonal Rituals And Prompts To Awaken Cycles Of Creative Expression. • Writing a poem quickly, live and in person, or order • Choosing the poems that go into a collection and knowing when it's finished • The physical beauty of layout on the page • Embracing the seasons of life and creativity • Trust emergence • Choosing the “easeful” path for your next project • Celebrating our creative accomplishments while continuing our journey • Practices to help us slow down • ‘The veil is thin' and how it manifests in our work You can find Jacqueline at jacquelinesuskin.comYou can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
A desperate quest. A holy relic. A race against time. Spear of Destiny by J.F. Penn, out now! The Creative Penn 2024-06-02 | Hello everyone. I'm Jo Frances (J.F.) Penn, Award-winning, New York Times and USA today bestselling thriller author, and I'm launching my next novel, Spear of Destiny on Kickstarter. jfpenn.com/destiny Morgan Sierra is perhaps who I might have been in another life. She's curious and loves traveling, and also likes saving the world and beating the bad guys.But for now I get to write her adventures in the ARKANE thrillers where Morgan and her team investigate supernatural mysteries around the world. Spear of Destiny features Morgan and her secret agent partner Jake Timber, as they race against time to find the pieces of the legendary spear of destiny — the spear that pierced the side of Christ — before a general with an eye on the US presidency uses it to summon an ancient evil.Along the way, they follow clues from Imperial Vienna to the Nazi bunkers under Nuremberg to a Tibetan temple and onto the heart of Washington, D.C., as Morgan and Jake face down enemies, both human and demonic, in their quest to find the spear before its terrible power is unleashed. Morgan also seeks the spear for its fabled healing properties as her niece is under threat. So the story has both personal and world changing stakes. Spear of Destiny is book 13 in my ARKANE thriller series, but it can be read as a standalone story if you are just discovering the adventures. There are also bundle deals available, so you can binge the entire series in paperback, ebook, or audiobook if you prefer.So why do a Kickstarter for Spear of Destiny? Well, I've never done a special edition for my fiction before, so I wanted to do this Kickstarter-only hardback edition, and it has silver foil on the dust jacket, as you can see, and also the interior cover. It has custom end papers, a black ribbon as a bookmark and color photos from my research in the author's note. These will also be signed first editions, which I've never done for my fiction, and these will not be available after the Kickstarter.You can also get the paperback, and there's a large print edition, which you can see is a bigger edition with a bigger font size. You can also get the ebook and the audiobook, or if you are a writer, join me for a webinar on discovery writing where I'll go into my writing process. Thanks for listening, and I hope you'll join me for Spear of Destiny. Just go to jfpenn.com/destiny to find out more.The Kickstarter runs 30 May - 18 June 2024, and the book will be available on my store, jfpennbooks.com from July 2024, and then all the usual retailers in all the usual formats from September 2024.
What is Kickstarter and why am I launching my latest thriller Spear of Destiny there? With J.F. Penn The Creative Penn 2024-05-31 | Hello everyone. I'm thriller author J.F. Penn, and today I'm talking about what is Kickstarter and why am I launching my latest thriller Spear of Destiny on the platform? jfpenn.com/destinyWell, if you've never heard of Kickstarter or never used it before, it's a crowdfunding platform where you can support creators to bring their projects to life.It's a different way of shopping for interesting and unusual books and products. Like a pre-order for special editions. You can support creators you already love, or find books from new creators you might never have heard of before. And Kickstarter has become an important part of the business of being an author these days.It enables creators to make more money more quickly and retain a higher percentage of the royalties rather than wait months or even years to get paid. This means we can keep writing the books you enjoy. There are all kinds of different projects on the platform from art and design to films and games and music, and of course there are authors creating beautiful books.You can find us in the Publishing category at Kickstarter.com. Campaigns usually run for a few weeks when you can check out what's available and back at the level you want. You enter your credit card number at this stage, but you won't be charged until the end of the campaign and only if the creator makes their target.You can get special editions like my silver foil Spear of Destiny. You can get bonus content, you can get merchandise, great value bundles, digital specials, print exclusives, and early access, sometimes months before books are published on retailers like Amazon. You also get to connect with the author through updates and messages.Once the campaign is over and fully funded, the creator can fulfill your order. That might be an ebook or an audiobook, a special print edition or a bundle. The money is used to pay the printer for the books and other creatives involved in the process, like editors, cover designers or audio book narrators.So why am I using Kickstarter for my latest thriller Spear of Destiny instead of just launching on the usual platforms? Well, for the first time in my 13 years of being a full-time author, I'm doing a special hardback edition for my fiction. Here it is. It has this exclusive Kickstarter only cover, silver foil on the dust jacket and the hard cover underneath, a black ribbon for a bookmark, red and black head and tail bands, higher quality paper. Plus this special edition includes photos from my research trips in the author's note, and it will be a signed first edition, so you won't be able to get this anywhere else. And if you prefer other formats, you can also get early access to the other editions.This is the paperback and there's a large print edition if you like a bigger font and a bigger size. You can also get the ebook and the audiobook. They will be out on my store, https://www.JFPennBooks.com in August, and on Amazon and all the usual retailers in September 2024 so you can read or listen months early if you get them from me in the Kickstarter campaign. I'm also offering bundle deals for the whole ARKANE series in ebook, audiobook and paperback, and this is the first time I've done an audiobook bundle with so many books. Plus, if you are a writer, you might be interested in my discovery writing webinar, which is also available as part of the campaign.You can find out more at jfpenn.com/destiny and the Kickstarter runs from the 30th of May to the 18th of June, 2024. Even if Spear of Destiny is not for you, go check out the other wonderful publishing campaigns on kickstarter.com because you can get some brilliant books and other products and support creators directly.If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. Thanks for listening, and I hope to see you inside my campaign at jfpenn.com/destiny
Plan For Success In Your Indie Author Business And TikTok Marketing With Adam Beswick The Creative Penn 2024-05-27 | How can you plan for success as an indie author even early in your writing career? How can you create multiple streams of income and multiple marketing channels, while still writing your books? Adam Beswick goes into his strategies.In the intro, Kickstarter announces new functionality to help creatives (updates.kickstarter.com/a-new-vision-for-kickstarter) ;Watch out for a scam email about ALLi [Writer Beware (https://writerbeware.blog/2024/05/17/alert-a-scammer-is-impersonating-the-alliance-of-independent-authors/) ]; Gary Vaynerchuk on the shifting marketing arena [Marketing Against the Grain Podcast (open.spotify.com/episode/4DmioNUfCQHGEugXDTy06v) ]; Day Trading Attention (amzn.to/4ay9l9p) by Gary Vaynerchuk; Camera free video options [Brave New Bookshelf (bravenewbookshelf.com/episode-6) ]Plus, Microsoft Build event with new AI-enabled PCs and Copilot agents [Microsoft (blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2024/05/20/introducing-copilot-pcs) ]; My thoughts on seeing Hamilton; and Spear of Destiny (jfpenn.com/destiny) coming this week!Today's show is sponsored by ProWritingAid, writing and editing software that goes way beyond just grammar and typo checking. With its detailed reports on how to improve your writing and integration with Scrivener, ProWritingAid will help you improve your book before you send it to an editor, agent or publisher. Check it out for free or get 25% off the premium edition at www.ProWritingAid.com/joanna (http://www.prowritingaid.com/joanna) This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn (patreon.com/thecreativepenn) Adam Beswick is the best-selling author of the Levanthria series which has taken readers on epic journeys from corner to corner of the world. While mastering the craft of fantastical storytelling, Adam simultaneously embraces the rewarding challenges of family life as well as being an authorpreneur. • Setting the foundation for your author business • Having the confidence to financially invest in yourself • Wrestling with the “importance” of choosing a writing career • Creating multiple streams of income • Overcoming the initial fear of creating video marketing content • Staying consistent with your TikTok marketing and growing your viewership • How to diversify away from reliance on any single platform You can find Adam at APBeswickPublications.com (apbeswickpublications.com) .You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: thecreativepenn.com/podcastsBuy writing books directly from me: https://www.CreativePennBooks.comBuy my fiction and memoir at https://www.JFPennBooks.comJoin my community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Why write a series? With Sara Rosett The Creative Penn 2024-05-22 | "Readers love a series. If you can get your readers hooked in on book one, then book two and three on down the road is an easier sell perhaps than a standalone because your readers are familiar with the characters in the world. If they enjoy the experience, they want to return to that same world again. And then there's some financial stability with writing a series. If you know that book one made a certain amount of money, then maybe book two and three may not be that exact amount, but you can predict a little bit. And not always, but sometimes, writing a familiar series and characters can be a little bit easier and it can go faster because you already know the world. So you're not world-building with each book. And then, there's marketing reasons for promotion that make a series a good thing to have. You can save time, you can focus on book one in your marketing, and then you're not trying to run ads to all the books in your catalog, you can focus on one and hopefully as readers come into that book one, if they like it, they'll continue on."Full interview on The Creative Penn Podcast
