Send us Fan Mail Everyone tells authors they need a platform—but what does that actually mean in today's publishing landscape? In this episode of Talking Book Publishing, Kathleen and Adanna sit down with podcasting and content marketing expert Tracy Hazzard to unpack what an effective author platform looks like today. Tracy explains why social media followers aren't the same as a true platform, why your website should serve as the foundation of your marketing, and how creating consistent con...

Send us Fan Mail Think publishing your book is the finish line? Think again. Many authors unknowingly make small publishing decisions that lead to poor discoverability, lost sales, rejected bookstore submissions, or even leave their work vulnerable to theft. The good news? Most of these costly mistakes are completely avoidable—if you know what to look for. On this episode of Talking Book Publishing, Kathleen and Adanna welcome Juliet Clark of Superbrand Publishing to discuss the publishing an...

Send us Fan Mail What do literary agents look for in a book proposal? Do nonfiction authors need a finished manuscript before approaching publishers? And how important are comp titles and author platforms when it comes to landing a traditional publishing deal? In this episode of Talking Book Publishing, Kathleen Kaiser and Adanna Moriarty welcome book proposal expert Debra Eckerling to demystify the proposal process. Debra shares her Three C's framework—Concept, Context, and Content—and expla...

Send us Fan Mail AI is one of the most talked-about—and misunderstood—tools in publishing right now. In this episode of Talking Book Publishing, we sit down with Julie Trelstad to explore how authors can use AI as a creative partner, not a replacement. From writing workflows to marketing strategy and author rights, this conversation breaks down what’s actually useful—and what to avoid. Julie shares how she uses AI in her own process, why strategy matters more than tools, and what’s coming nex...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the querying process—you’re not alone. In this episode of Talking Book Publishing, Kathleen and Adanna sit down with Patrick McDonald, the creator of QueryTracker—the platform that has become the gold standard for querying literary agents. What started as one writer trying to organize his own submissions has grown into one of the most trusted tools in the publishing industry today. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the busine...

Send us Fan Mail Are authors about to be replaced by AI — or empowered by it? Publishing technology expert Thad McIlroy joins Talking Book Publishing to explain how artificial intelligence is already reshaping the publishing industry — and why authors who understand these tools now may have a major advantage. Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the publishing industry — from writing and editing to marketing, translation, and audiobook production. Kathleen and Adanna chat with publishi...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Talking Book Publishing, hosts Kathleen and Adanna sit down with Naomi Kim Eagleson, writer, editor, and founder of The Artful Editor, for a deep dive into the full editing journey—whether you’re self-publishing or going the traditional route. Naomi takes us through her four-phase editing model and explains why many manuscripts spend too long in “line-edit purgatory” when what they really need is a developmental overhaul. We talk manuscript critiques vs. de...

Send us Fan Mail In this insightful episode of Talking Book Publishing, hosts Kathleen and Adanna welcome Mary Vensel White, author, editor, publisher, and Orange County president of the California Writers Club. Mary shares her multidimensional expertise in publishing and digs into one of the most elusive topics for authors: book marketing. She brings a refreshingly honest and practical perspective on the importance of market research, knowing your genre, identifying comparable titles, and ho...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Talking Book Publishing, hosts Kathleen and Adanna sit down with one of the industry’s most respected voices in author publicity and media coaching: Kim Dower. As the founder of Kim-from-L.A. Literary & Media Services, Kim has spent over 40 years helping writers become not just authors, but compelling public speakers. She’s also an award-winning poet and co-author of Life is a Series of Presentations, the book that introduced the 8 Presentation Practice...

Send us Fan Mail In this jam-packed episode of Talking Book Publishing, hosts Kathleen Kaiser and Adanna Moriarty sit down with book marketing powerhouse Penny Sansevieri for a revealing discussion on how Amazon's evolving landscape affects authors today. Penny, a longtime expert in Amazon optimization, returns to the podcast with timely insights on her latest release, The Amazon Author Formula Workbook, and the strategic changes every author needs to understand—especially in light of Amazon'...