New Author Podcast

Jerry and Rich return for Episode 341 of the New Author Podcast, kicking things off with internet gremlins, podcast intros no one listens to, and the universal dream of someday having too many ads.

From there, it’s a deep dive into the messy middle of writing life: Jerry walks through rebuilding a massive rewrite outline for Book 2, cutting chapters that didn’t work, fixing “plot conveniences,” and learning (again) why editors are both correct and emotionally devastating. He also shares how he’s using AI tools like ChatGPT and NotebookLM to summarize drafts, plan revisions, and even help build a custom writing app—with all the joy and chaos that comes with it.

Rich talks about juggling multiple genres, recovering from a brutal cold, navigating real-life stress, and trying to restart a writing routine while library schedules are apparently designed by caffeinated wildlife. There’s discussion of writing goals, why routines matter, the danger of never closing Scrivener, and whether setting goals actually motivates anyone at all.

It’s a long episode, but it’s honest, practical, and exactly what writing weeks really look like.

📬 Contact Info

Jerry Evanoff
Website: https://jerryevanoff.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @JerryEvanoffAuthor

Rich Kacy
Email: [email protected]
Bluesky: @KacyHimself

It’s the final New Author Podcast episode of 2025, and Jerry and Rich close the year the only way writers know how: exhausted, opinionated, and surrounded by unfinished plans that somehow still count as progress.

Jerry breaks down the reality of developmental edits—including why trying to make a murderer “sympathetic” may be a losing battle—and walks through a full Book 2 rewrite strategy, complete with chapter surgery, outline-first editing, and accepting that editors are almost always right (even when it hurts). He also logs 161,000+ words for the year, obsesses over a custom writing app, and sets ambitious but realistic 2026 writing, publishing, and financial goals.

Rich recaps a holiday road trip fueled by audiobooks and family tension, outlines a packed 2026 writing plan across thrillers, cozies, novellas, and short fiction, and explains why Substack might be the least-bad option for audience building right now. Along the way: libraries, fences, greenhouses, anxiety, early mornings, and the strange comfort of daylight slowly returning.

No spoilers. Plenty of process. And just enough self-awareness to survive January.

Jerry Evanoff
Website: https://jerryevanoff.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @jerrye25

Rich Kacy
Email: [email protected]
Bluesky: @KacyHimself

In Episode 339 of the New Author Podcast, Jerry Evanoff and Rich Kacy wrap up the year with a candid 2025 writing recap—what worked, what didn’t, and what surprised them along the way.

Jerry breaks down finishing his series, sending Book 2 off for a developmental edit, hitting (and missing) yearly goals, and why he deliberately paused marketing until more books are ready. Rich looks back on a wildly productive year that didn’t follow the plan at all—genre hopping, first drafts piling up, and why 2026 needs to be about finishing, not starting.

They also talk writers groups, book clubs, endings that don’t quite land, holiday slowdowns, financial goals, and the strange satisfaction of reviewing a year that didn’t go “right” but still went well.

This episode closes out 2025 and sets the stage for a focused 2026.

Jerry Evanoff
Website: https://jerryevanoff.com
Email: [email protected]

Rich Kacy
Email: [email protected]
Bluesky: @KacyHimself

This week, Jerry tries to podcast through a head cold while Rich wrestles a chicken-coop door, dislocates a knuckle, and still writes 3,331 words before most people finish breakfast. Naturally, that derails into a deep dive on Substack, reader newsletters, and whether either of them will ever understand how the platform actually works.

Jerry talks about Instagram reels, accidental viral dog videos, and why Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer might be a murder ballad. Rich falls down a Pringles rabbit hole and confesses he may or may not be raiding the library snack stash like a gremlin after hours.

Meanwhile, writing progress continues: Jerry preps to hand his manuscript off to his editor and plans a week of Chick-fil-A, Panera, and panic. Rich finishes his novel and immediately starts analyzing it with Claude because nothing says festive holiday spirit like 40 pages of AI critique.

Also covered:
• Traffic rage
• Gift-card Christmas shopping
• Trying to sleep with clogged sinuses
• Why ath-rin (aka Afrin) betrayed Jerry
• Planning for 2026 without crying
• A box of new PLAAY.com sports games that will absolutely tank Jerry’s productivity

If you like chaotic author energy, questionable health decisions, and two writers trying to out-nerd each other, you’re home.

Spotify Keywords / Tagswriting podcast, indie author, author life, fiction writing, self-publishing, revision process, editing, Substack for authors, pro writing aid, Claude AI, Instagram reels for writers, cozy mystery writing, productivity for writers, publishing journey, board game hobby, Plaay.com games

Jerry opens this one by botching the intro, confessing to eating Cocoa Pebbles for dinner, and then casually announcing he’s trying to enjoy January in Ohio while snow buries his driveway. So yeah, the bar is high.

In this episode of The New Author Podcast, Jerry and Rich catch up after 16 days and talk about:

• Writing & Editing Chaos

  • Jerry is in the home stretch on Book 2 of his murder mystery series, wrestling the climax chapters (40 & 41) into shape while Word reads the book back to him in a robot voice.

  • He’s using read-aloud for line edits, then planning a full Grammarly + ProWritingAid pass before sending the manuscript to his editor by December 14th.

  • Rich is 60k+ words into his Marlowe thriller, averaging huge 3k+ writing sessions on his good days, and accidentally turning his outline into a 100k monster. Dialogue bloat? Oh yes. Future-Rich will cut it.

• Process Talk: Word Count, Structure & Overwriting On Purpose

  • Jerry talks about hitting his yearly word-count goal and still pushing to draft at least one brand-new novel next year while primarily editing and publishing.

  • Rich explains why he’s deliberately overwriting now (all those side trails and conversations) so he can trim later and keep the good stuff—settings, emotions, subtext—while hacking away the “two people sitting in a room talking forever” problem.

• Tech & Tools: Read-Aloud, Headphones, and 11Labs Regret

  • Jerry moves from earbuds to Beats headphones and falls in love with letting Word read the whole novel to him, catching all the missing little words the brain smooths over.

  • He looks at 11Labs for text-to-speech, realizes the token system might not cover a full novel the way he wants, and backs away before his wallet cries harder than his characters.

• Marketing Panic: QR Codes, Reedsy & Cover Credits

  • Jerry discovers the harsh truth that some QR codes can “expire” depending on the service, panics, and drops $140 to keep his codes alive for a year—after he already printed notebooks and bookmarks that point to /next.

  • He dives into Reedsy looking for a legit, vetted marketing strategist who can help him plan a long-term launch strategy for his nine-book mystery series. So far? One partial hit, multiple declines, one ghosting.

  • On the plus side, he remembers he bought cover credits from 100Covers… twice. Result: six full cover credits in the bank. Book 3, 0.5, 1.5, and more are covered (pun absolutely intended).

• Board Games, Bowling Leagues & Black Friday Damage

  • Jerry goes hard on the PLAAY.com Black Friday sale: horse racing, hockey, bowling, and extra components for golf and baseball

  • Rich reminisces about terrifying long-haul drives loaded on creatine + bad coffee, hallucinating Rod Serling on the hood of the car back in the day. Perfect thriller-writer origin story.

• Life Stuff: Travel, Snow, Fantasy Football & Bureaucracy

  • Rich and his wife do a 17-hour overnight haul from Virginia to Louisiana towing a van, survive on stimulant coffee, and wake to DMV forms built on what appears to be the Ghost of Napoleon’s Civil Code.

  • Jerry fights “heart attack snow” on his driveway in Ohio, tries not to rage at winter before Christmas.

If you like hearing two working writers talk honestly about drafting too long, trimming too late, obsessing over word counts, buying way too many games, and trying to market an epic multi-book mystery series without losing their minds, this one’s for you.

Keywords (Spotify / SEO)
writing podcast, indie author podcast, self-publishing, mystery series, thriller writing, word count goals, editing process, read-aloud editing, Grammarly, ProWritingAid, Reedsy marketing, QR code mistake, 100Covers, Black Friday haul, PLAAY.com games, bowling league, fantasy football, long-haul road trip, library job, indie author life

Contact Us

Jerry Evanoff
Website: jerryevanoff.com
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: facebook.com/JerryEvanoffAuthor

Rich Kacy
Website: richkacy.com
Email: [email protected]

Episode 336 is basically a masterclass in how two writers can have wildly different weeks. Jerry opens the show by spotting something… unsettling… in his Amish neighbor’s window (because of course he does), but quickly shifts into his ongoing battle with the Great Read-Aloud Edit. He missed his chapter goal by one, panicked about his December 14 deadline, and discovered that Past Jerry was not the writer Present Jerry wishes he were. On the plus side, he’s halfway through writing the Book 2 climax and learning that reading your own prose out loud is both exhausting and humbling.

Rich, meanwhile, casually logs six writing days, 12,741 new thriller words, and keeps pacing for a possible 50K November—while also milling lumber and building farm gates, because why wouldn’t he?

There’s also a writers-group intervention, TikTok despair, and fantasy-football heartbreak, but the real focus this week is writing: goals, edits, deadlines, and keeping your sanity.

Contact Us

Jerry Evanoff
Website: https://jerryevanoff.com
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jerryevanoffauthor

Rich Kacy
Website: https://www.richkacy.com
Email: [email protected]
Socials: @KacyHimself

Search Keywords / Tags

writing podcast, indie author, mystery writing, editing process, read aloud editing, climax writing, NaNoWriMo, thriller writing, self-publishing, writer life, author productivity, writing goals, drafting vs revising, writer humor, creative process, author struggles, writing motivation, indie publishing, editing challenges, writing routine

Jerry has officially entered the “reading out loud to himself in a conference room” stage of editing Book 2—also known as the part where co-workers start to worry. He’s doing a final pass, adding words he swears he’s cutting, and preparing to hand it to his editor like a child presenting macaroni art and saying, “Look. I made novel.”

Meanwhile, Rich hit 200,000+ words for the year, which means he’s either writing a thriller or slowly typing the same sentence over and over like The Shining. ("All work and no ice cream makes Rich a dull boy" is on the table.)

Other highlights of this episode of The New Author Podcast—still the best writing podcast hosted by two dudes who accidentally write during football games:

• Fiverr designers: angels or chaos goblins?
• The thrill of finishing a revision (until you remember the last chapter isn’t actually written)
• Fantasy football pain
• Ice cream as a lifestyle choice, not dessert
• Marketing your author brand without becoming a TikTok cryptid

If you're a self-publishing author, mystery writer, thriller writer, or someone who likes to hear two grown adults justify their life choices—pull up a chair.

Contact Us• Jerry: [email protected] — https://jerryevanoff.com
• Rich: [email protected] — Bluesky: @kacyhimself

Jerry and Rich are back with another jam-packed week of writing talk, fantasy football updates, and a little DIY author branding gone mildly sideways.

Jerry kicks things off with his latest fantasy football saga—three leagues, high stakes, and one borrowed draft strategy that’s paying off big. Then it’s on to the writing life: he’s now written or plotted eleven books and novellas across the Sam Norris Murder Mystery series, topping 355,000 words in two years. With Book 2 edits closing in on the finish line, Jerry explains why he wrote all the drafts first, how he’s planning his box sets and “.5” novellas to bridge them, and why December 14th looms like a midwinter deadline monster.

Rich checks in from library land, sharing progress on his new thriller (13,382 words this week, nearly at his 200k goal for the year), recounting a dentist visit from hell, and proving that even a sore jaw can’t stop a word sprint.

Between them: a conversation about fictional temptation (how far is too far for a protagonist?), using ChatGPT as a creative assistant, and turning writing-business ideas into real merch—like custom notebooks, bookmarks, and QR-coded golf balls that lead to Jerry’s “/next” mystery page.

There’s golf in the cold, book swag brainstorms, ice cream interventions, and enough banter about football, YouTube habits, and Hallmark movies to warm any creative soul heading into November.

00:16 – Intro, camera chaos, and narrow video windows
02:17 – Fantasy football update: big-money leagues and borrowed strategy
05:09 – Jerry’s “why I wrote them all first” writing plan
07:24 – Joanna Penn guest idea & rapid-release vs. long-game strategy
09:16 – Weekly stats: Book 2 edits through Ch 31 (~84k words)
11:26 – Rich’s monster writing week: +13,382 words
13:15 – Golf video fail, mic whine, and Morse code jokes
15:00 – New clue brainstorming and past-Jerry tormenting future-Jerry
17:00 – The “dinner party” chapter and Truman Capote detour
18:52 – Romantic tension dilemma: what makes a hero cross the line?
23:28 – ChatGPT as writing therapist
25:01 – Saturday golf, Chick-fil-A editing, and small-world coincidences
29:53 – Notebook + bookmark merch brainstorm
33:15 – Fiverr adventures and pricing drama
35:33 – “jerryevanoff.com/next” – Jerry’s new favorite idea
38:08 – Book Marketing Tips podcast shoutout
39:15 – Football fatigue and fantasy frustration
40:25 – Rich’s case for baseball being better (Jerry disagrees)
43:33 – Hallmark movies vs. YouTube addiction
44:00 – Dentist horror story & post-Novocaine writing sessions
49:42 – Bingo nights, library chaos, and yellow umbrellas
51:38 – DIY office remodel & anti-glare experiments
55:52 – Weekend wrap-up: writing, chickens, and horror book displays
1:03:00 – Goals: Jerry’s nine-chapter sprint; Rich’s six-day writing streak
1:05:00 – New writers’ group plans and maybe a bookstore crush

writing podcast, indie author, mystery writing, thriller writing, book editing, rapid release strategy, ChatGPT for authors, writing tools, self publishing, author marketing, fantasy football, golf, notebooks, bookmarks, fiverr design, writer productivity, Joanna Penn, ALLi, Paul Teague, plotting, indie publishing, library stories, Hallmark movies, book swag ideas

Jerry Evanoff — [email protected] • jerryevanoff.com
Rich Kacy — [email protected] • Bluesky @KacyHimself

Jerry rushes home for a rare role-reversal Monday and reports a big week: he blew past the halfway mark on Book 2’s edit (now at 24/41 chapters, ~82.3k words), fixed a gnarly continuity slip in Ch. 23, and pushed his custom Story Bible + Plotting app into a usable groove—complete with highlight-to-add entries. He also tests Spotify as a podcast app, dreams up QR-code golf balls for book promos, and eyes a new (maybe too social?) writers’ group.

Rich introduces Marlowe Bennett, lead of his new thriller (not mystery), and logs a strong run—8,202 words over four days, plus a 3,124-word morning sprint. There’s a candid craft/industry segment reacting to Richard Osman vs. social media discourse and James Blatch’s take, along with tools chatter (Scrivener, Wavemaker’s typewriter mode vs. backup woes) and light life notes (orchids, acrylics, wheelbarrow tire, Halloween candy math, and football blowouts).

Recorded: Monday, October 27, 2025.
Hosts: Jerry Evanoff & Rich Kacy.

00:07 Theme
00:21 Role reversal & date stamp (Ep 333)
01:13 Jerry’s “can’t stand still” origin story
02:06 Weather & quick banter
02:37 Jerry’s goals: halfway edit target & app progress
03:39 Marketing vs. promotion (ALLi mention)
05:32 Book 2 stats (82,329 words; 24/41 chapters)
06:10 Rich’s week: Marlowe Bennett thriller, outline to 38 chapters
07:46 Condensing the outline & November plan
08:42 Jerry’s edit run (Chs. 14–16) + SSS scene setup tip
10:37 APBA setup nerd-out (’83 Eagles/Rams)
11:21 Courses & tools: Dave Chesson’s Entrepreneur Academy, Launchpad, Amazon Ads 2.0
13:57 Story Bible UI polish; golf rained out
15:18 Scrivener sync snag; Plotting tool built around ChatGPT + Google Docs
20:00 New “highlight → Story Bible quick-add” flow
21:27 Future test projects (romance idea; “A-Team in space”)
22:26 Sunday edits (Chs. 21–22); spot the continuity bug in Ch. 23
23:45 NFL blowouts → housekeeping montage
26:17 Commute gripes & Android Automotive notes
27:31 Work-from-home cadence & hitting the halfway line
28:15 Library tales: Facebook account rescue attempt
31:08 Wavemaker love/hate (typewriter sounds vs. backups)
33:29 Donation triage & book landfill reality
36:54 Insurance chat; high-deductible plans for the young
38:11 Big writing day: 3,124 words (four and a half chapters total)
39:55 Asics on sale, Moe’s Art Store, Yarnell acrylic course, orchids
41:50 Hobby notes & Wingspan
41:57 Jerry: timing the real marketing push (after Book 3)
42:59 Spotify as a podcast app; discovery via recommendations
43:58 Show promo ideas: bookmarks, notebooks, QR-code golf balls
45:15 New Saturday writers’ group? (social vs. serious debate)
48:52 Weekly schedules & word/edit goals (Jerry aims to Ch. 33)
50:01 Rich’s short work week & Bingo master duty
55:51 Osman/Blatch segment: trad vs. indie visibility, YouTube’s rising value
1:09:30 Wrapping opinions & civility
1:11:08 Contact info & sign-off

• Jerry blasts past halfway on Book 2’s edit and patches a timeline error.

• His Story Bible + Plotting app now supports highlight-to-add entries.

• Rich launches a new thriller heroine: Marlowe Bennett, and stacks 8k+ words.

• Real talk: trad vs. indie visibility, social media fatigue, and where YouTube fits.

• Odd promo brainstorm: QR-code golf balls that lead to a landing page.

• ALLi’s updated marketing book (Alliance of Independent Authors)

• Self Publishing Formula “Launchpad” (James Blatch/Mark Dawson)

• Dave Chesson’s Entrepreneur Academy / Kindlepreneur resources

• Scrivener • Wavemaker (typewriter mode)

• APBA Football (’83 season talk)

writing podcast, indie authors, mystery writing, thriller writing, plotting, story bible, Scrivener, Wavemaker, self publishing, book marketing, ALLi, Launchpad, Kindlepreneur, Amazon ads, spatial sequence synesthesia, APBA football, author productivity

• Jerry Evanoff — [email protected] • jerryevanoff.com

• Rich Kacy — [email protected] • Bluesky: @KacyHimself

Jerry and Rich dig into craft and momentum this week. Jerry radically rewrites Chapter 1—cutting 1,356 words to “start in the action” at the will-reading—and shares how he’ll weave those cut beats back in through interviews with conflicting POVs.

He also fixes a key scene using spatial sequence synesthesia (SSS) the right way and talks golf, APBA football, and why “body at the end of Ch. 2” now lands faster.

Rich is ~75% through his Snowflake-to-scenes outline (≈45 scenes) for Novel November, estimates an ~80k mystery, and even puts down his first 400 words (aiming for 2,000/day). He also brings a few gems from life at the library: lost AirPods sleuthing, a Medicaid look-back story, and a wheelbarrow tire that went boom.

Meanwhile, Jerry’s “Card Catalog” writing app levels up: a streamlined Story Bible with AI context via OpenRouter (hello, librarian “Rose”), per-book character assignment, and next up—plotting that flows right into drafting. Tool talk includes WaveMaker’s typewriter mode, Dave Chesson’s new self-pub course, Scrivener/Atticus, ProWritingAid/Grammarly, and why “start late, end early” just works.

No spoilers for the work-in-progress—just nuts-and-bolts process, tools, and laughs.

00:00 Cold open, theme, & A-Team on in the background
01:30 Weekly stats & why Jerry cut 1,356 words from Ch. 1
05:15 “Start late, end early” scene surgery (and moving clues into interviews)
10:40 Faster body reveal & fixing SSS (spatial sequence synesthesia) authentically
14:40 Jerry’s DIY “Card Catalog” app—AI Story Bible, OpenRouter, per-book casting
24:30 Tool talk: WaveMaker, Scrivener, Atticus, ProWritingAid, Grammarly
27:00 Rich’s 45-scene outline, 2k/day goal, first 400 words down
36:30 Library life & tech tidbits: AirPods tracking, look-back lesson, tire blowout
45:30 Golf 83, APBA football, and schedule for the week
1:03:30 Goals: halfway through edits; Rich’s Novel November push

writing podcast, indie author podcast, mystery writing, editing scenes, start late end early, scene craft, Snowflake Method, outlining beats, NaNoWriMo, Novel November, story bible, synesthesia in fiction, spatial sequence synesthesia, Scrivener, Atticus, ProWritingAid, Grammarly, WaveMaker, Dave Chesson, Kindlepreneur course, OpenRouter, AI writing tools, custom writing app, author productivity, APBA football, golf, library stories

#WritingPodcast #IndieAuthor #MysteryWriters #Editing #SceneCraft #SnowflakeMethod #NaNoWriMo #StoryBible #AuthorTools #AIforWriters

• WaveMaker (typewriter mode)

• Scrivener, Atticus, ProWritingAid, Grammarly

• Kindlepreneur / Dave Chesson – new self-publishing course

• OpenRouter – for Jerry’s AI librarian “Rose”

If this helped your writing week, follow the show on Spotify and drop a quick rating.
Questions or topic requests?

• Jerry: [email protected] • jerryevanoff.com

• Rich Kacy: [email protected] • Bluesky: @KacyHimself