The Final Episode: LIVE!This is it. The final episode. We hope you’ll join us at the Writers, Ink podcast! The Career Author Podcast is a podcast where co-authors J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon share their struggles and successes as full-time authors, advice for improving your writing craft, and honest discussions of what it takes to build a successful career as an author. Thanks to all of our listeners--past, present, and future!  Podcast sponsored by Kobo Writing Life -...

Knowing When to Walk AwayAs The Career Author podcast winds down, we’re reminded of how difficult it can be to avoid sunk cost fallacy and remove things that have been a big part of our lives for so long. Whether it's a relationship, business deal, friendship, or podcast, walking away is never easy but sometimes necessary and inevitable. In this candid conversation, J. and Zach discuss reasons why you might want to walk away from a project and suggestions on how to move through what can be an...

ADVANTAGE with Joe SolariWe’re all looking for an advantage as it gets more challenging to find and retain readers. In a rare interview episode, the guys invite Joe Solari on the show to discuss how you can harness a cumulative advantage in the winner takes all publishing market. From Amazon.com: The top 2.5% of high performing authors… …earn 64% of the book profits. How do they do it? We are in the golden age for authors. The gatekeepers are gone. The books and novels that have been buried...

The Golden Age of Independent PublishingHas there ever been a better time to be an independent author or publisher? The guys don’t think so. Whether it's the tools available to publish books or the ease of finding readers, there’s never been so many literate people on the planet. J. and Zach discuss the reasons why, despite J.’s pessimistic outlook on AI, this is the golden age of independent publishing. Put on your rosy glasses and a smile as the career authors get happy on your ass. The...

Publishing on a BudgetThere’s no way around it. Publishing a book that is presentable enough to ask money for is going to cost some cash of your own. But do you have to break the bank in order to publish a good book? In this conversation, J. and Zach discuss ways you can publish your book on a budget. What are the expenses you can avoid, and which are essential to helping your book succeed? And is it possible to provide a professional product on a shoestring budget? The Career Author Podcast...

Relief from Your Writing RutDo you feel a dip in your enthusiasm for that WIP? Are you procrastinating by working on another project instead? Sometimes it's hard to diagnose the problem, to tell if you’re burnt out or in a writing rut. Spoiler alert: They’re not the same thing. In this conversation, J. and Zach talk about the difference between burn-out and a writing rut by examining questions you can ask yourself. Although it’s good to build habits and routines, it’s also possible to coast...

Technology and PublishingIt’s crazy to think there was a time not too long ago where the only way to read a book was by picking up a physical object and reading real, paper pages. Or when audiobooks were called ‘books on tape’ because you had to pop one cassette at a time into a tape deck in order to hear your favorite book read to you by a narrator. Times have changed fast. Not only with how we consume books, but also with how they are published. With things moving as quickly as they are,...

The Dialogue Doctor: Jeff ElkinsDo you suffer from mono-mouth? Are you experiencing side effects such as decreased reader engagement, poor sales, and a lack of energy? If so, it might time for a house call from the Dialogue Doctor, Jeff Elkins. In a rare interview on The Career Author Podcast, J. talks to Jeff about his most recent manuscript, how Jeff helped J. regain the joy of writing, and why every writer needs to pay attention to what characters say and how they say it. The Career Author...

Genre HoppingMost people don’t enjoy watching only one kind of movie, eating one type of food, or wearing the same clothes every day. Okay, maybe Zach likes that last one, but either way, it’s not uncommon for writers to want to explore writing in different genres. But should you? On this ‘landmark’ episode, the guys discuss the pros and cons of genre hopping. Does it make sense to write in other genres, and if so, when? Genre hopping is one of the most debated topics in the indie publishing...

What is a Career Author (August 2020)?What does it mean to be a career author? This is not an easy question to answer and one that involves a deeper discussion on how we define this elusive creature.  Every writer with aspirations of making money from their words has a different definition of success. For some, it’s all about the “x-figure author,” but for others lifestyle matters more than revenue. Also, is financial gain the only way to define a career author? The guys answer with a...

Character BackstoryWe all have a story. The unique events that each of us experience build us and make us who we are. And the characters in your stories should be no different.  Backstory is crucial for helping your character feel relatable to the reader. But what memories should you include in your books? And how do you deliver the information to the reader without it appearing as an info dump? Join J. and Zach as they discuss the importance of backstory and how to properly implement it into...

Hooking the Reader with Your First ChapterIf you’re walking through the grocery store and an employee offers you a free sample of a new brand of cheese. You’re likely to taste it. If you like the cheese, you might buy some. But if it tastes terrible, you won’t buy the product. Reading behaviors aren’t any different. Hooking the reader with your first chapter is a critical and yet overlooked element of being an independent author or publisher. A snazzy cover and singing blurb only gets you so...

Writing Short FictionIn the indie community it’s often said that the best way to make money is to write novels, specifically in series of three or more books. But what about writing short fiction? From short stories to novellas, there are several different types of short fiction. Each offers not only a different reader experience from a full-blown novel, but they are also a different art form to create. Join the guys as they discuss the ups and downs and writing and selling short fiction. The...

Sharpening the Saw: Doing the Things We Hate DoingAs career authors or even part-time writers, we all have to do things we hate. In a perfect world, authors could sit in a cabin in the woods, happily slapping the typewriter without a care or concern. But that’s not reality, and with the exception of a few authors, it’s never been how the industry works. “Sharpening the saw” is an important routine in any writer’s life. Or it should be. Like a craftsman, sometimes you have to stop working and...

Launching an Amazon Bestselling Fiction Book in 2020Indie authors often talk about the “gold rush” era of self-publishing when a smaller pool of authors and Amazon’s looser algorithms made it easier to sell books on their platform. But with increased competition and the push toward a play-to-play marketplace, is 2020 too late to have success selling fiction? The answer is no, it’s not too late. Zach recently launched the first book in a new series to bestseller status on Amazon, and on this...

Talking with Tara from KoboThere’s value in “going wide” and one of the most trusted and thriving marketplaces is Kobo Writing Life. J. and Zach invite Tara Cremin on the show to discuss everything Kobo has to offer the independent author. We all know what Amazon can offer but exclusivity isn’t the only choice. As an indie, we have the ability to test and adapt quickly, reaching readers in different places and in different ways. Kobo can help you take your writing to the next level with...

Why You Need a Passion ProjectNo matter how much you love being a career author, you will definitely need a break from the work at one time or another. It’s easy to cram writing and marketing into the few available hours you might have and it’s hard to walk away when you’re the only one managing your time. J. and Zach have an open and honest conversation about the role of passion projects and hobbies in their lives and businesses. J. spent a year developing a new podcast that culminated in a...

Nailing Your Amazon Book PageBeing a Career Author in 2020 requires more than simply writing words and finishing books. You’re running a business. And there’s perhaps no place that demonstrates that more than your book’s Amazon page. This is where readers will likely come to buy your book, and if you want to convert sales, it’s important to know how to maximize the space Amazon has given us and to make your page as professional as possible. The Career Author Podcast is a podcast where...

Authors Services as a Revenue StreamSelling only fiction is tough. In fact, only a small percentage of authors (both traditional and indie) make a full-time living solely from fiction. Therefore, you need to think more like a business person if you want to be happily self-employed. In response to a listener question, J. and Zach break down the different ways you can create author services that can function as additional revenue streams and keep you happily self-employed. The Career Author...

Sticking with a Series Until the EndYou’ve probably heard it all the time. If you want to make money selling books, you need to write a series. But planning a series isn’t the same as a standalone novel. And how do you prevent yourself from burning out halfway through a series? More than that, how do you keep readers engaged and what do you do if readers aren’t buying? The Career Author Podcast is a podcast where co-authors J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon share their struggles and successes as...

The Publishing Industry PanelIn our fast-paced digital world, things are always changing. And the publishing industry isn’t immune to these changes. Join publishing experts and leaders from Kobo, Google Play, Draft2Digital, Reedsy, and Vellum as they explore the future of publishing in this unique and enthralling panel discussion. Send us your ways and hacks - https://thecareerauthor.com/waysandhacks/  Leave us a comment: Which takeaway most resonated with you? Thanks to our Patrons. Podcast...

An Hour with Draft2DigitalDan Wood, Kevin Tumlinson, and Mark Lefebvre recently joined J., Zach, and the attendees of The Career Author Summit to answer questions and discuss some of the awesome tools available for authors at Draft2Digital. Please enjoy a replay of this informative and entertaining presentation. The Career Author Podcast is a podcast where co-authors J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon share their struggles and successes as full-time authors, advice for improving your writing craft,...

An Hour with Google Play BooksIn the week leading up to The Career Author Summit, the awesome folks over at Google Play Books spent an hour with our attendees answering questions and discussing some of the cool new things they are working on with the platform. Please enjoy a replay of this informative presentation led by Sabrina, Amy, and Ryan from Google Play Books. The Career Author Podcast is a podcast where co-authors J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon share their struggles and successes as...