I interviewed Maggie so that she could enlighten us on the mystical topic of “hybrid publishing.” What you’ll get in this episode of Bleeding Ink is a better understanding of what traditional publishers provide their authors—and if you are willing to put your own skin in the game, how to obviate your need of a large publisher, and how to keep your royalties and rights (at a much greater upfront cost). It’s a fascinating approach—though the cost might dissuade some right off the bat (we are talking $30k from idea to book) and it will push you toward traditional publishing (because you don’t have the budget) or it will make you scream for joy since you can essentially skip the gatekeepers without sacrificing quality. Bear with me. Maggie and LifeTree provide authors a team of seasoned professionals that are as good as, if not better than, what a new author would receive at from a Big Five contrract. This is it: the start of the Big Five model’s dissolution. In its stead will rise a new medium that enables and supports authors rather than eek dollars out of their blood-soaked fingers. While the cost to play might be high, it won’t be forever. Welcome to the new frontier. You’ll learn the benefits and limitations of traditional and self-publishing. You’ll learn how to avoid scammy hybrid promises. You’ll get a glimpse at self-publishing’s history, and why we are so fortunate today. You’ll understand how and why bookstore distribution will separate you from the pack. You’ll learn all this and more. Takeaways The benefits and limitations of traditional and self-publishing, and how hybrid publishing attempts to take the best from both models Three tips for how to evaluate a legitimate hybrid publisher Why we should strive to publish “real” books Get a glimpse of what self-publishing looked like in the 80s, and why we are ever so fortunate to possess the publishing tools we have today Why the ability to distribute your book in stores separates self-publishing from traditional publishing How LifeTree media can take your fledgling book idea and turn it into a veritable force of good What to consider when hiring editors and designers The importance of developmental editing The costs associated with publishing—and how to understand the return on investment for your dollars Why a hybrid publisher can be an excellent choice if you have a thriving audience Why you need a team of sales reps selling your novel to stores ]]>

About ten years ago I stumbled onto a website that, for all intents and purposes, appeared a legitimate portal to the Department of Heuristics and Research on Material Applications—or the Dharma Initiative. It’s Japanese inspired logo gleamed scientific credibility. It’s many pages revealed grants that had gone to scientists and their experiments. It had a contact page, an about page, a page explaining what it was like to work there--it even had job openings. Being a nosy computer nerd, I snooped around the source code and came across some peculiar lines. There was a glaring security hole which I quickly took advantage of—soon I was deep into restricted areas of the site that spoke of a special experiment on a remote island whose participants included Jack, Sayid, Hugo, Kate and so on. I cannot tell you how much time passed. I can only relate to you that my fingers tingled and my heart raced. I had become an active participant in an Alternate Reality Game for the TV show Lost. And it changed my understanding of narrative forever. Welcome to episode 22 of Bleeding Ink. Things are changing with this podcast. It will forever be about writing—but I’m taking it beyond the act of writing a novel. I’m exploring new media—expect interviews with media inventors, with pioneers who are reshaping narrative as we know it. As always, please visit bleedingink.fm to stay up to date on the show. Today it is my honor to present an interview with such an inventor—his name is Sean Stewart—and he’s helped create a new genre for storytelling: Alternate Reality Games. Alternate Reality Games turn storytelling on its head. It allows for incredible agency from participants and distributes a narrative through familiar, real-world channels. Characters email readers. Txt readers. Call readers. Readers—should I say players?—solve puzzles that not only unlock more story but become the story. If at any point an ARG (alternate reality game) breaks the sacred oath by revealing that it might be a game, it has failed. This is NOT a Game is what immerses the audience into an alternate world. And such immersion it is. Fans of ARGs have reported broken marriages, lost jobs and a total obsession with uncovering the "truth". It is storytelling dipped in heroin-laced dark chocolate. Swaths of communities form to conquer them. The bonds formed between players are long-lasting—Sean has even been invited to a few weddings of players who met through an ARG. ARGs are cultural events. Their power lies in their transience. They present an experience like Woodstock or Burning Man, where congregations sever themselves from society, meet with purpose, shed egos, and join something larger than themselves, if only for a brief moment—a moment that ripples throughout the world. What writer wouldn’t want to engage their readers in such a way. Sean and I talk about his entry into writing for ARGs—How Steven Spielberg helped form a dream team for what is now known as The Beast—the first, modern ARG. We discuss transmedia fiction and how Sean’s novel Cathy’s Book was the first of its kind and how it hit the NY Time Bestsellers list. We discuss games, augmented reality, dungeons and dragons, the components to ARGs, approaches to non-linear storytelling and much, much more. I promise you this episode will blow your mind as it did mine. Learn How Sean helped pioneer a new art form that blends narrative with the internet’s greatest strengths How Alternate Reality Games present a level of narrative immersion unavailable to other genres What “transmedia” fiction is and how Sean hit the NY Times Bestsellers list with his transmedia novel Cathy’s Book How the Beatles mystery inspired the first wide scale Alternate Reality Game How Sean’s friend Neal Stephenson helped him land the lead writing role on the ARG surrounding Spielberg’s movie A.I. Why the skills acquired in DnD Dungeon Mastering translate well into telling stories How Jordan Weisman formed a dream team to create The Beast How to approach writing a massive non-linear narrative Why you should listen to your audience. And—who knows?—maybe they will write some characters for you (like the Red King). Why Dickens would have been a phenomenal puppet master. The lessons Sean learned from creating The Beast and how he mitigated those challenges with I Love Bees—and why audience demands unraveled those solutions. About the Sean’s with with Nine Inch Nails and the alternate reality game surrounding the release of their album Year Zero. Why “transmedia fiction” and ARGs are not one and the same How to incorporate fans artwork in your own work How writing non-linear narratives is a lot like gardening Why simple stories appear fresh and ground-breaking when told through a non-linear path Why storytellers need to give up power to their audience and how to give up as little as possible Why Choose Your Own Adventure books are fundamentally flawed narrative vehicles How Sean and Neal Stephenson became friends through the alphabet What the hell is magic Augmented Reality and Magic Leap How Sean went from writing Science Fiction to being science fiction How Sean’s Ink-Spotters.com is a jigsaw puzzles for stories ]]>

First of all: Grab A FREE Ticket to the Self-Publishing Success Summit There’s never been a better time to self-publish. I’m constantly amazed at how the industry evolves on what seems like an hourly basis. It’s tough to keep up! Fortunately there are plenty of folks who help cut through the noise and provide solid info. People like Chandler Bolt. Chandler will woo you with his southern drawl—if you can keep up. Words flee from his mouth and plead “You too can self-publish. You too can be a successful writer.” From this petition Chandler has founded a school to help would-be writers become successful authors. It’s aptly named the Self-Publishing School. In this episode of Bleeding Ink, Chandler and I talk about how he went from a C- English student to 5x bestselling author, how he’s helped thousands achieve their dreams and publish their first novel, how to launch your book, how your book can unlock new career moves, and much more. You will be astounded at the opportunities and confidence that arise from writing. And Chandler is here to hold your hand. Chandler’s also throwing a free online summit. If you’ve ever wanted to write a book I encourage you to attend the Self-Publishing Success Summit. It’s online. It’s free. Let’s do some math. Your cost is your time. Time is money, I understand, but for your time you receive access to a boggling resource: over 40 top authors and entrepreneurs that practice what they preach and preach to you they shall. Over 30,000 people attended last year and this year is on pace for more. And look, I’ve got a ticket for you! Grab A FREE Ticket to the Self-Publishing Success Summit There’s really no excuse. There’s no need to travel. It’s online. It’s free. And it’ll leave your head spinning and your heart roaring. Learn How to go from an aspiring writer to published author in 90 days Why being a good writer is not a requirement to produce a great book Why you should teach your parents’ wisdom How Chandler went from a C- English student to a 5x bestselling author Why you should focus on helping people instead of making money Why committing to “truth in advance” helped Chandler take his fledgling company to seven figures in a year Why starting with a Kindle book and following with a physical shortly thereafter book removes obstacles How to encourage readers to act on your work and instead of using it as “shelf esteem” How to leverage your book as a career booster What you’ll learn in the Self-Publishing school from writing to publishing to marketing How to put together a book launch team and why they are critical to your book’s success How to apply the 80/20 rule to your creative output ]]>

Daunting endeavors often start with a sketch. Perhaps on the back of a napkin, a few words sitting above some squiggly lines. These seedling notions are the genesis to boggling achievements. Words are power—they provide the scaffolding so that larger ideas may stand firm. To assume this isn’t an effective method to develop a novel is silly. It may not be the only method, but a method it is—a method called outlining, and this method has been judiciously applied by the likes of Faulkner to Follett. Outlining allows the author to hammer out the knotty bits of a story’s shape and aids them in a few ways. It frees the mind of pesky plot corrections as the author undergoes the overwhelming task of writing prose. It maps a series of waypoints toward which the author may confidently point their pen. As Anne Lamott states to us in her self-deprecating and practical writing guide Bird by Bird: “I go back to trying to breathe, slowly and calmly, and I finally notice the one-inch picture frame that I put on my desk to remind me of short assignments. It reminds me that all I have to do is to write down as much as I can see through a one-inch picture frame. This is all I have to bite off for the time being.” Ladies and gentleman, imagine your one-inch frames all lined up and awaiting your pen: just show up, fill in the frames, and a novel emerges. It’s a beautiful way to work! K.M. Weiland is my guest today. She is the award-winning author of several fiction and nonfiction gems, two of which we focus on in our interview: Structuring Your Novel and Outlining you Novel. There’s a little something here for every writer, whether you “pants” or “plot” or a dash of both, and you are sure to take away immediately applicable techniques you can apply to your novel or any writing endeavor. Enjoy. Learn Three tips on how to structure your novel Why writing will remain a daunting challenge no matter your experience, and that’s okay How to figure out if the story in your head is an easy proposition or a patience grinder How to go from outline to first draft Why you shouldn’t worry about writing a novel every other week The beats of a three act story What counts toward “writing time.” Hint: it’s not always writing. Why outlining is a good idea Why you should let your book ideas marinate for years How log lines can clarify your entire narrative Why “What if” is your best friend How to write killer scenes The four phases of writing a novel, how long each takes and how they bounce between logic and creativity Why there isn’t such a thing as “pantsing” or “plotting” ]]>

Did you know that the modern-day commuter makes more death-avoiding decisions on their way to work than an age-old agrarian farmer made in an entire year? Sound stressful? It is. No wonder we seek hits of serotonin and dopamine from entertainment. Sugary Delights A firehose of sugar water is pointed at you. Look around. Count the number of distractions vying for your attention. Social media? Work? Email? News? Video games? The next bestseller? The latest viral video? Blog posts? Shopping? A glass of wine? Ahem—this podcast? The list grows in inverse proportion to our societal demands. Go to work—go to happy hour. Help the kids with homework—binge-watch hours of Netflix. Do something difficult—do something enjoyable. Where attention equates to dollars there is an attention economy, a marketplace that fosters an influx of candied products to delight, to offer a respite over challenge, to numb rather than invigorate. It leads to “peak content,” where products are engineered to strip away pain—much like heroin. The problem for writers is that a bundle of words are a more challenging prospect than say, a bundle of chocolate-dipped churros—I mean Instagram pics. Churros are easy and delicious. As writers, our competition is a basket of churros. I mean c’mon, it’s just unfair. Serials This is where Molly Barton comes in. She’s thought a lot about how to alleviate—God forbid—the challenges of reading while keeping its integrity intact. How can she sugar-coat narrative so that it becomes a slightly sweet snack that doesn’t expand the waistline. Her answer: serials. Her company: Serial Box. Serial Box aims to be the “HBO for fiction.” Through her experience as Global Digital Director of Penguin Random House, she recognized a shift: the shape of story consumption is evolving. People want more in less time. Serial Box produces seasons of short narrative episodes (ebook and audio) just like television, and television is the king of time to entertainment ratio. The power of serials lie in their ability to give readers a way to manage their time. They slice a narrative into savory mouth-wads, like a chewy, crunchy, salty-sweet bite-sized Snickers, and are tuned to the high-frequency attention band consumers operate on today. They dismiss that guilt-ridden bedside reading queue and lower the barrier to entering a fictional world, because, hey, they only take about 40 minutes to read—about the length of one episode of Silicon Valley or, for the audio version, an episode of Game of Thrones. Consider Writing Serials Serial Box has four series running at the time of this writing, with a fifth on the way and a few in the burner, and whose genres range from procedurals to SFF, and soon, historical drama. All are written by writing teams—a unique approach and, yes, it is similar to television production. Teamwork spreads the demands on their authors’ time. Out of the twelve or so episodes in a season, each writer is responsible for two, and at 12,000 words an episode, it is only a novella’s commitment. Oh, and this is discussed in the podcast, team writing can be ridiculously enjoyable. Serialization gives authors other advantages such as rapid reader feedback that allows for course correction and better stories, and shorter stories mean higher completion rates, especially as the series progresses—40% of readers actually finish your novel, yikes. You can aggregate serials into larger works as well, which lead to even more engagement (and sales). There’s a lot of upside. Of course, there’s downside too. Serials are not seen as literary and struggle to compete with epic works whose slower pace offer discerning readers a deeper involvement in the narrative. I like to think that as more writers hop on the serial bandwagon new narrative mechanics will arise to address these drawbacks. Exciting stuff. Molly and I discuss all the above and more in this episode. Enjoy. Learn How Serial Box has become the “HBO for fiction.” Molly’s role at Penguin Worldwide where she combined literature and technology to increase reading engagement How e-books fail to capture what’s interesting about digital delivery Why long-form reading struggles against peak content—and how movies do as well How writers and readers benefit from serialized fiction About the first interactive book experiences, such as Ken Follet’s Pillars of the Earth mobile app Why Alan Lane founded Penguin, how he elevated paperback publishing and created the first book vending machines. How Serial Box takes the idea of “writing rooms” and applies it to written media The magic number for a serial’s word count How working in writing teams can be fun and solve difficult problems quickly Why you should consider releasing your book in audiobook as well The power of rapid reader feedback and how your serial will place you closer to your audience How analyzing television pilots can help you build better serials ]]>

TL;DL Nick Stephenson has spent 24 months researching and discovering techniques to help you earn a living from your books (or other products). Oh yeah, he’s a seven-figure bestselling fiction and non-fiction author. I’ve hired more than my share of book coach consultants. They are great. They unshackle you from the manacles of tired ideas—force you to dare bigger, do larger. My guest today, Nick Stephenson, went from a dreading his soul-sucking job to becoming a best-selling author. He spent years stumbling, got fed up with what seemed like an impossible production schedule, and cleverly set about building an audience that couldn’t wait to purchase his next novel. It occurred to him that the whole “release a book every six weeks” cycle was unsustainable and offered little in return for the time spent. He noticed the success of services like BookBub, who had massive mailing lists, and decided, “Hey, why can’t I do the same?” If you have an engaged audience, you can skip the middle man. But how does an author, or anyone selling a product, skip the middle man? It’s not like you can just throw up a website and expect the sales to roll in. Nick decided to leverage sites like Amazon to grow his audience. To convert Amazon traffic into hungry fans. Nick has perfected the art of leveraging monolithic systems to turn attention toward his books. And now he teaches other authors how to do the same. It’s got me terribly excited—not just for it’s potential, which is has plenty of, but also for it’s complete lack of sleaziness. It’s one of the most honest and delightful sales techniques I’ve seen. Enjoy. Learn How to find your first 10,000 readers The three-part strategy to selling your product, be it a book, course or software Why betting on Amazon is too risky for many authors Why building trust leads to enormous product (book) sales How to build trust with your audience How to rerelease an awful book and make it a success How Nick was able to write a book, have kids and quit his job Why you don’t need to release a book six three weeks in order to make it How to create “Reader Magnets” or freebies that build trust and engagement with potential readers Why you should replicate BookBub and build your own email list Why social media is basically useless for generating income What to name your “newsletter” so readers trust you How adding a link to your ebook can create a huge spike in life-long readers How to make your book permafree on Amazon How to tease your audience into huge book launches Why automating emails will save your sanity How to excite people so that they hate you if you don’t offer to sell them something The first thing a first-time author should do ]]>

TL;DL Harry Dewulf has an intimate relationship with the English language. He’s helped shape numerous writers into award winning authors. This vitamin-infused episode will teach you “how” to be edited, how to boost your writing culture, how to write “for” an audience, and, above all, it will teach you the holy grail of writing. “Pull up Pavement Cafe at Night,” Harry said to me. I did. And look, I so kindly provided it above. Harry and I discuss it in episode 17 where he explains how personal culture influences the lens through which we view art. This also applies to writing. Once you’ve identified the lens' prescription for a given audience, you can create crystal clear works for them. Writers today face peak content as enemy number one. So much noise. Even great writers can’t break through. But some writers can cut like a knife through butter. How? With words calibrated against a specific spectrum of culture. Culture is a general word, however. Culture is the shape of your psyche after years of living. It is the rose-tinted pair of glasses that peers at the world. There are universal tenets that can stir all cultures. Then there are narrative techniques that confuse. It’s notoriously difficult to know which works in what situation. That’s what an editor is for. They provide an outside perspective and help tune your words for the given audience. Harry Dewulf is one such editor. I hired Harry to edit a short story (more on that in future episodes). This led to a two and a half hour conversation which I’ve whittled into this 40 minute piece. In it we discuss a wide range of writing topics: self-publishing, where to start, how to boost writing culture, how to become a great writer, how to make the most of the editing process, and more. There are some particularly enlightening moments that I don’t want to spoil for you. Let me say this, however. I’m a different writer now that I’ve worked with Harry. Something in me clicked and I’m better for it. He’s a treasure trove of literary knowledge, but he’s also a brazen champion of words that will fight to the death in their honor. Learn How Harry got into editing Why self-published gives you control Where the traditional market thinks publishing is going How craft books can help you, but reading/writing can help you more False dualisms in writing The origin of “acts” and “scenes” Why every word must tell What painting can teach you about writing The dangers of learning something at exactly the right moment Why teaching how to entertain should be taught in schools Genre vs character The difference between literary and commercial fiction How to focus on the reader The holy grail of writing ]]>

TL;DL Paul Jarvis has penned five books. They hit bestseller charts. He’s raked in half a million dollars from his products in the past 18 months. You need to listen to Paul. “I feel like I’m doing life wrong if I’m working all the time.” The above quote is from a writer who raked in half a million dollars while enjoying time on an island off the coast of Vancouver. His name is Paul Jarvis. And he’s my guest on this episode of Bleeding Ink. Take powdered zen master, add half a cup of hustler and a cup of geek with a healthy pinch of weirdo, and stir into this mix the finest Canadian maple syrup to concoct a Paul. Like few other content creators he slices through the internet’s deafening garble by staying true to a voice sincere and made of Grade A Helpfulness™. You need to listen to Paul Jarvis. He’s got this marketing stuff figured the hell out. Twitter, Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram, make the world a teeny tiny place. They are integral to the shape of humanity’s future communication, for better or worse. So new are these platforms that their strengths and weaknesses are mere wisps on faddish winds. But we do know these: They are good at connecting. They are not so good at creating sustained and intimate engagement. Acquaintances want to connect. Artists want to engage. Paul is an artist. The sole goal for his marketing endeavors is to form relationships with similar minds so they may experience inspired conversation, paradigm shifts in thought, and have a damn good time doing it. There’s an underlying purity and bravado to Paul’s vibe—these extend from a man who’s spent more time building his character than building his livelihood, or rather he’s taken his character and made it his livelihood. And that’s the point: we must sell ourselves, we are the product. Why not invest all our energies into ourselves? Are we not our greatest asset? “I feel like I’m doing life wrong if I’m working all the time,” Paul said to me and chuckled. He’s big on life balance and enlists the help of tiny robots to automate many of the more mundane tasks of keeping his clients on track, encouraged, and engaged with his work. Okay, maybe he doesn’t actually use tiny robots, but he does leverage the automation powers of Mailchimp and Zapier to free him up for thoughtful work and long, long vacations. Paul has penned five books. They hit bestseller charts. How? One word at a time, one mistake after another. Paul is a hyper-learner, he thrives on jumping naked into arctic waters to see if he can survive on his universe-given wit. He figured out the whole bestselling book thing and said, “What’s next?” Courses were. He made a cool half-million dollars helping people grow and thrive like himself. Now Paul has a legion of dedicated followers—er, he wouldn’t like the term “follower,” let’s say “companions”—who will no doubt benefit from wherever Paul wants to take himself next. Count me in. Enjoy. Snippets How Paul made HALF A MILLION DOLLARS the last 18 months using words and mail chimp How writing books can lead to creating courses which can lead to financial independence Why taking your hobbies and interest is great material to write a bestseller Why your mailing list should be the center of all your marketing efforts Learn how to listen to your audience for book ideas How to kindle an audience Why slow and steady is the way to success How remaining consistent is your greatest assets Why it’s important to stay present and enjoy the journey instead of focusing on end results Why calling yourself an idiot can lead to your book’s first draft How usefulness trumps the desire to make money Learn how to create a community of fans who not only support you but each other Learn the right way to use content marketing Why Paul chose to stop writing for Fast Company, Huffington Post, The Next Web and Medium How A/B testing can increase your mailing list signups Why the audience growing strategies you used a year ago probably need to completely change How to target 70% email open rates Why to choose podcasting as part of your voice What the hell is mental minimalism ]]>

TL;DL Reedsy.com connects writers with industry-leading editors, designers, publicists and marketing specialists. Take matters into your own hands, select the services you need to produce a work of fiction or non-fiction indistinguishable from Big-5 products. Publishpocalypse "NY-based editor + consultant. Formerly of a big five publisher." The above quote should concern a Big-5 exec. It’s a common slogan among Reedsy.com editor profiles. These brave free agents are tuned into a growing sentiment that publishers turn their nose at: there’s a teaming pool of writers out there who find the middleman a hinderance rather than an asset. Come all ye editors, for a market needs you. Reedsy.com connects writers with editors, designers, publicists and marketing specialists. They sift through thousands of applicants (10,000 thus far), vet their skills and present to you only the finest self-publishing industry talent. No more second guessing whether an editor is an medaled veteran or a suave amateur. They’ve built a platform for the discerning writer to discover in record time an individual or team to take their work from good to stellar. Cost So, cost. Independent authors aren’t known to possess the widest coffers. Let’s be clear: these services cost money and they are not cheap—as any quality service isn’t. This means you must have a budget in mind and plan for it. While the sky’s the limit, Reedsy can take you to high altitudes with fewer dollars than competing strategies. For a little more cash, they can take you into the stratosphere. Cover design will run you about $500 (we have a giveaway). Editing: $1500+. Publicists and Marketing go on up from there. I understand these numbers may seem daunting, but Reedsy.com performs most of the footwork for you so that your dollars converge into the high-quality product possible. Reality Someone has to pay for these services. It’s going to be you or it’s going to be your publisher (one would hope). Paying what may seem like a large sum up front will net you greater profits from having 100% control over your royalties. This is the bet publishers take on you. It’s a bet you need to take too if you want more control. Ask yourself if giving up 90% of your profits is worth the cost. If you decide on this route, expect this: You will reduce the risk that your book launch will fail. It’s a competitive market, you may as well put your best face on. Are you guaranteed success? Never. But you raise your chances. You will also have contributed to elevating the quality of “indie” books. This is romantic, yes, and means little to your bottom line, but it is a cause worth supporting and will shift readers’ dollars toward self-published works. Reedsy.com won’t distribute you into bookstores, but the internet has solved that conundrum. Reedsy.com won’t give you a Big-5 stamp of approval: this you must earn on your own through outreach and quality output. It will enable you to create the highest quality product at a reasonable price and with an efficiency only a publisher can provide. It’s an exciting time to be an author. Alas, Ricardo Fayet, co-founder of Reedsy.com explains all of this in great detail in our interview. Enjoy. Snippets Learn how you can replicate traditional publishing offerings through Reedsy.com’s services. How much to expect to pay for a legitimate book launch, including editing, design, PR and platform building. How you can attract literary agents by working with Reedsy editors How to vet editors and why you should be judicious in their selection What makes a great editor Why many traditional editors are abandoning the old model and embracing self-publishing Why you should consider hiring a publicist What blog tours are Why hiring a marketer will grow your own skills Why cover design is the one piece of marketing you need to spend money on Learn about the Reedsy Book Editor and how it can help you format your next novel ]]>

TL;DR Victoria (V.E.) Schwab is a wildly ambitious author with years of success under her multi-dimensional reversible Moschino belt. She’ll teach you a thing or two about writing craft. You may be wondering, “JSL, I’m an indie author, but you keep interviewing traditionally published folks! That’s not very indie, is it?.” Sure it is. Discovering what traditional publishers offer authors will allow you to reproduce those those offerings. It gives perspective, shows you what you are up against. And you never know, the traditional route may be a better choice for you. I’m fond of the entire publishing spectrum. Self-published? A somewhere between hybrid? Puritan for niche imprints? Big five champion? Sure, why not? We are all snowflakes with unique, sticky preferences. In this episode I interview a traditionally published author. She will teach you a thing or two about craft and targeting a wide swath of audiences. Victoria (V.E.) Schwab has published with Disney/Hyperion, TOR and Harper Greenwillow, who selected Victoria musically woven fantasy stories for their ability to leap onto your mind’s stage. She writes for the young. She writes for the not-so-young. She excels in treating both to worlds that defy imagination and characters that wrench the heart. She’s accomplished all this at the tender age of 28. With twelve books under her belt and four more on the horizon, Victoria breeds envy and garners respect from the most ambitious authors. She’s also a hoot, too. Victoria and I were none the wiser to each other prior to our chat, but afterward we were fast friends. I chalk it up to her cool wit and sincere love of writing—where two kindred sojourners find solidarity in sharing their struggles, insights and successes (hers more than mine). Upon the episode’s closing ear tickle, you will have gained a renewed confidence toward writing and a heavy bag of writing tricks will weigh down your hands. If you are a fan of Victoria’s work, you will have scooped up a precious gemstone through which her stories will appear all the more vivid and enticing. Enjoy. Snippets Learn all about Fantasy author Victoria Schwab’s journey from poet to artist to the bestselling author of 12 books Why you should read poetry for its cadence and economy Why it’s okay to write in multiple forms: poetry, screenwriting, novels, do it all. How to stay humble after achieving fame (looking at you Neil Gaimen) The difference between authors that appeal to authors and authors that appeal to readers What it’s like having a mother from England and father from Beverly Hills Why you should train your ear to “hear” words How to write for multiple age ranges and why it’s more fluid than you think Why Vicious is her favorite book and how she created a novel about two villains and no heroes Why character motives engage readers, not actions How to weave a braided narrative Why you should talk a walk and shower every day, and not for the reasons you think How to listen to your gut How to write outlines by the seat of your pants Why the first two scenes you should write in your book are the first and last How to listen to your characters rather than relying on genre conventions Why you should steal images from movies for your books Advice to new writers: write! (she elaborates on this) ]]>