Nonsense-Free Kristin

Traditional publishing isn’t just an American problem anymore. Gatekeepers have gone global, and authors in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand are starting to feel it too.

In this episode, I sit down with Nicholas Sheppard, AKA Echo Chamberlain, a traditionally published literary fiction author from New Zealand navigating the painful transition to indie publishing. Nicholas has 80,000 YouTube subscribers, has appeared on The Critical Drinker, and writes the kind of unflinching literary fiction that agents claim to want—but then quietly pass on. We also talk about grief, zeitgeist, male trauma in fiction, and what it actually takes to build an audience that crosses over into book sales.

In This Episode

* The Liminal Space No One Talks About: What it feels like to be a traditionally published author forced into indie publishing. Not by choice, but by a shifting market.

* When Rejection Is Personal: How detailed, thoughtful rejections can actually hurt more than form letters, and what they reveal about the current state of literary agencies.

* The “Not My Cup of Tea” Wall: Why male-centered literary fiction keeps hitting the same invisible ceiling, and why it has nothing to do with quality.

* Where Is the Zeitgeist?: Why men aren’t reading literary fiction anymore, and why the publishing industry is psychologically incapable of admitting it’s the problem.

* Literary Fiction vs. The Algorithm: The unique grief of a “prestige” writer discovering that Amazon doesn’t care about your Booker Prize aspirations.

* Audience Mismatch: What happens when you have 80,000 YouTube subscribers and your book video barely moves the needle.

* The Review Threshold: Why you should never drive traffic to a new book before you have at least five written reviews, and how to get them without begging.

* The Hugh Howey Model: How one indie author kept his ebook rights, signed a print-only deal, and changed the hybrid publishing conversation forever.

* Amazon’s 180-Day Assessment Window: Why a slow start doesn’t have to be a death sentence, and how to use that window strategically.

* Cream Still Rises: Why good writing still matters in an algorithmic world, and why word of mouth hasn’t actually died.

* Variations on a Theme: Nicholas’s Amazon-exclusive novel exploring how cultural attitudes toward abuse shift over a lifetime.

Guest Links

* Read Variations on a Theme by Nicholas Sheppard: https://amzn.to/4sBE9QO

* Youtube: Echo Chamberlain

* X: @EchoChamYT

* Substack: @echochambaerlainwriter

Kristin’s Links

* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com

* Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com

* YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet Echo Chamberlain.

05:20 - Submission Rejections Explained.

07:27 - Grief and Going Indie.

09:27 - Ideology and Agent Tastes.

12:22 - Male Trauma in Fiction.

14:51 - Where Are Young Male Authors.

17:24 - Zeitgeist and Men Reading.

20:33 - Platform First Marketing.

22:11 - Audience Conversion Struggles.

24:01 - Open Bar and YouTube Growth.

26:30 - Why Media Commentary Not Writing.

28:10 - YouTube Pile On Culture.

28:45 - Fragmenting Your Audience.

29:44 - Star Trek Aesthetics Rant.

31:27 - When To Plug Your Book.

32:50 - Ads Inside Novels.

34:23 - Indie Marketing Reality Check.

34:57 - Reviews And Social Proof.

36:39 - Getting Early Reviews.

37:58 - Amazon Algorithm Fears.

40:35 - Hybrid Deals With Publishers.

43:19 - What Comes Next Writing.

45:44 - Where To Find You.

46:22 -Book Pitch And Wrap Up.

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

The Twitter Crush is available in its entirety on Amazon and wherever books are sold: https://buy.bookfunnel.com/i2x75bx6hv

Web novels are not fan fiction. They are not Wattpad cringe. And they are definitely not a niche hobby for teenagers. They are a $34 billion industry growing at 15% year over year—and most traditional authors aren’t even paying attention.

In this episode, we tackle the elephant in the room: if you’re unhappy with your author career, it might be because you’re forcing yourself into a publishing model that doesn’t serve you. Amazon is not the only game in town. Men didn’t stop reading. Readers didn’t disappear. They just migrated to platforms built for screens, serial storytelling, and mobile-first consumption.

Web novels are exploding, but serial fiction isn’t new at all. If you’ve been feeling stuck, invisible, or boxed in by “the way publishing works,” this episode might shift your entire perspective.

In This Episode

* The Most Confining Author Is You: Why many writers are miserable because they’re forcing themselves into a model they don’t actually enjoy.

* Men Are Still Reading: They’re just not at Barnes & Noble. A look at where male readers have migrated and why.

* The $34 Billion Web Novel Market: The explosive growth of platforms like Royal Road, WebNovel, Inkitt, Patreon, and more.

* Amazon Saturation Reality Check: When 11,000–20,000 books drop daily, discoverability becomes a structural problem, not a personal failure.

* Serial Fiction Isn’t New: Uncle Tom’s Cabin was originally published as a serial. Format shapes storytelling, and it always has.

* Mobile-First Storytelling: Why writing for screens requires shorter chapters, tighter pacing, and structural adjustments.

* Community vs. The Void: The dopamine and feedback loop of chapter-by-chapter publishing versus throwing a novel into algorithmic obscurity.

* Why Web Novels Get Sneered At: The TikTok attention span myth and why it misunderstands how serial readers actually consume.

* The Twitter Crush Case Study: Kristin’s own mobile-first serial thriller built specifically for online readers—and for a male audience.Stop

* Constricting Yourself: Writing isn’t one thing. Publishing isn’t one path. If traditional novels serve you, great. If not, experiment.

Kristin’s Links

* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com

* Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com

* YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Writers Trap Themselves.

00:23 - Men Still Reading.

01:14 - Web Novels Beyond Wattpad.

01:59 - A Massive Market.

02:25 - Amazon Saturation Reality.

03:40 - What Web Novels Are.

04:12 - Mobile First Formatting.

06:12 - Serial Fiction History.

07:34 - Why Readers Are Switching.

08:30 - Community And Feedback.

09:50 - My Substack Web Novel.

10:23 - Twitter Crush Premise.

12:46 - Read Subscribe And Share.

13:14 - Final Takeaways.

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

Phil Marshall is not your typical tech founder. He’s a former surgeon, a sci-fi author, and the founder/CEO of Spoken, an AI-powered audiobook platform built to break the two biggest gates in audio publishing: cost and complexity.

Today Phil joins us to discuss the economics of audiobook creation, why multi-voice and full-cast audio has been inaccessible for almost everyone, and how Spoken’s model (free to use, pay when perfect) changes the risk calculation for indie authors. He also explains Spoken’s ethical approach to voice options (including paid voice-actor libraries and custom character voices), why audio can’t be treated as an afterthought, and why distribution is expanding beyond the usual giants. If you’ve been avoiding your audiobook project for fear of spending tens of thousands of dollars, this conversation is for you!

In This Episode

* A surgeon turned sci-fi author turned founder: Phil’s path into tech, and why he built Spoken in the first place.

* The “audio gate”: why traditional audiobook production costs price most authors out.

* Multi-voice without the $25,000 bill: what full-cast audio normally costs, and how that’s changing.

* “Free to use, pay when perfect”: Spoken’s pricing model and why fixed cost per word matters.

* Audible, Spotify, and the shifting landscape: where AI narration is being accepted, and where friction remains.

* Voice ethics and the pitchfork problem: how voice actor libraries, cloning, and custom voices actually work.

* Audio-first audiences: which readers demand audio now and why authors can’t ignore it.

* Serial fiction and audio: how to publish chapter-by-chapter without re-rendering everything.

* Audio-friendly writing: dialogue tags, tables, file lists, and what breaks in audio.

* A sobering truth about publishing: “You can do everything right and it still might not sell,” and why your art still matters.

Guest Links

Phil Marshall

* Sign up for Spoken: https://www.spoken.press/

* Web: drphilmarshall.com

* Youtube: @philmarshallmd

Kristin’s Links

* Services & Content

* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com

* Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com

* YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet Phil Marshall.

04:54 - 9/11 Physics Origin.

06:57 - Why Spoken Exists.

12:07 - Audible and Distribution.

14:37 - Spotify Listening Limits.

16:34 - Ethical Voices Explained.

20:33 - AI Backlash and Art.

24:37 - Audiobook Pricing Shift.

28:05 - Pay When Perfect Pricing.

29:37 - Genres Where Audio Wins.

35:09 - Learning From Indie Authors.

37:44 - Serial Fiction Workflow.

39:34 - Make Manuscripts Audio Friendly.

42:55 - Unspoken Network Sharing.

44:18 - Pricing Strategy by Channel.

46:27 - Author Entrepreneur Reality Check.

49:26 - Where to Find Spoken.

51:43 - Final Thanks and Wrap.

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

E.J. Free is not your typical “Christian author.” He writes young adult fiction for boys, and he does it without sermonizing or softening reality to fit a Hallmark mold. In this (partially rescued) interview, we dive into why so much Christian fiction feels narrow, why excellent writers struggle to get into Christian bookstores if they’re not the “right kind” of Christian, and what modern publishing is missing when it comes to young male readers.

We also tackle the big comparison: The Chronicles of Narnia vs. Left Behind. Why does one endure across belief systems while the other gets mocked? EJ breaks down the sectarian theology problem, the dangers of writing “on the nose” contemporary allegory, and why escapism, myth, and craft matter more than heavy-handed messaging. If you care about writing faith-based fiction that is moral without being preachy, this episode is for you.

In This Episode

* Christian Fiction Doesn’t Have to Be Cringe: Why Kristin’s early viral video on Christian fiction mistakes struck a nerve and what authors keep getting wrong.

* The Christian Bookstore Gate: Why talented Christian writers struggle to get stocked if they aren’t megachurch-evangelical adjacent and how that narrows the genre.

* Narnia vs. Left Behind: A deep dive into why The Chronicles of Narnia transcends belief systems while Left Behind remains sectarian and controversial.

* Dispensationalism Explained (Quickly): E.J. breaks down the theological framework behind Left Behind and why that limits its audience.

* Myth vs. Contemporary Allegory: Why setting your story in a mythic world creates distance and accessibility and why “on the nose” end-times fiction alienates readers.

* Writing for Young Men: The most underserved audience in modern publishing. Young boys need stories that model virtue, courage, and transformation.

* After Moses and the Blueprint for Boys’ Fiction: What makes Michael F. Kane’s series work.

* Truth and Verisimilitude: Why authenticity, not propaganda, is the key to writing compelling Christian fiction.

* The Princess Bride Checklist: Sword fights, giants, romance, miracles—why timeless storytelling beats trend-chasing every time.

* Victory in Five Years: What success actually looks like for an indie author writing for a neglected audience.

Guest Links

E.J. Free

* Read the Atlas Legacy by E.J. Free: https://amzn.to/452ChXp

* X: @EJFreeAuthor

Kristin’s Links

* Services & Content

* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com

* Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com

* YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - The Accidental Viral Video: Swearing, Christian Fiction & Filming in the Car

01:28 - Why Christian Bookstores Can Be So Restrictive (and Who Gets Shut Out)

04:12 - Narnia vs. Left Behind: Why the Reception Is So Different

05:27 - What ‘Dispensationalism’ Means (Quick Theology Detour)

07:21 - Why Left Behind Rubs People the Wrong Way: Sectarian + Too On-the-Nose

09:48 - What Books Should Big Publishers Read to Understand Young Male Readers?

10:51 - The ‘After Moses’ Pitch: Moral Without Sermonizing + Role Models That Land

13:46 - The Princess Bride Checklist: What Boys’ Fiction Needs More Of

14:32 - Defining Success: What Victory Looks Like in 5 Years as an Author

16:09 - Where to Find E.J. Free + Amazon, Metadata Mistakes, and Final Thanks

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

Joshua Lisec is not your typical ghostwriter. With more than 110 books written across business, politics, health, and memoir, he has built a six-figure “ghost publishing” model that doesn’t just produce books, but also engineers commercially viable ones. In this conversation, Joshua breaks down why most authors write the wrong book, how he uses the Jobs-to-Be-Done framework to decide what a client should publish, and why good nonfiction must read like fiction if it’s going to survive in an AI-saturated world.

We also explore how Joshua became labeled “Trump World’s favorite writer,” what drove his shift away from traditional publishing, and why ROI, not artistic ego, now determines whether a book is worth writing. From replacing Big Five publishers entirely to using books as long-term business assets, this episode is a masterclass in how authors can bypass gatekeepers, avoid publishing scams, and build work that actually sells, influences, and endures.

In This Episode

* Ghost Publishing Explained: Why Joshua doesn’t wait for clients to tell him what book to write, and how deciding the right book idea upfront is the difference between a commercial success and a forgotten manuscript.

* Why Most Books Fail: How the Jobs-to-Be-Done framework reveals what readers are actually buying, and why books written for ego, legacy, or family almost never sell.

* Nonfiction That Reads Like Fiction: Joshua explains why memoirs, business books, and political nonfiction must use narrative structure to survive in an AI-saturated attention economy.

* The AI Disruption Reality Check: Why editors will thrive, traditional ghostwriters may not, and how authors with unique, non-public expertise can still beat ChatGPT.

* From Big Five to Bypassing Them: How Joshua replaced traditional publishers entirely by building concierge, end-to-end publishing systems for high-level clients.

* ROI Over Artistry: Why Joshua turns down projects that can’t plausibly recoup their investment—and how books function best as long-term business assets, not one-time products.

* Becoming “Trump World’s Favorite Writer”: Joshua walks through his political evolution, early conservative clients, and the professional consequences of following market demand instead of ideology.

* Why Gatekeepers Still Matter (But Differently): How authors can avoid publishing scams, leverage podcasts and interviews effectively, and build audiences without algorithm dependence.

Guest Links

Joshua Lisec

* Read So Good They Call You Fake: https://amzn.to/3WK1SzB

* Webstie: https://joshualisec.gumroad.com/

* X: @JoshuaLisec

* Youtube: @DailyPersuasion

Kristin’s Links

* Services & Content

* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com

* Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com

* YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and Guest Background

00:22 - Building a Ghostwriting Business

03:07 - The Art of Nonfiction Writing

05:36 - Impact of AI on Ghostwriting

10:53 - Journey to Becoming a Right-Wing Ghostwriter

19:40 - Ghost Publishing and Client Success Stories

29:58 - The Fluff of AI Writing

30:53 - The Jobs to Be Done Framework

31:27 - Independent Publishing Challenges

32:39 - Effective Book Promotion Strategies

35:44 - The Rapid Release Model

39:45 - The Power of Interviews

44:28 - Nonfiction as a Business Card

46:42 - Market Research for Authors

51:15 - Final Thoughts and Recommendations

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

Hans Schantz is not your typical author; he is a literal scientist with a background in antenna technology who believes modern physics took a wrong turn over a century ago. Today he joins us to share how he uses his Hidden Truth series to reintroduce the lost principles of 19th-century electromagnetism to a new generation, effectively using alternate history to teach real-world physics.

We also dive deep into the reality of “cancel culture” in publishing. Hans reveals how being de-platformed by Kickstarter for his controversial courtroom drama actually led to him doubling his funding elsewhere. From the mechanics of organizing 300+ authors for the “Based Book Sale” to why he believes traditional publishing has become the “vanity press” of the 21st century, this episode is a masterclass in defying gatekeepers.

In This Episode

* Real Science in Fiction: Why Hans believes the standard model of the photon is contradictory (simultaneously a wave and a particle) and how he uses fiction to propose a consistent model based on Fields and Energy.

* The Cancellation Bonus: The story of how The Wise of Heart was booted from Kickstarter, only for Hans to double his funding revenue by moving to a competitor platform.

* Steelmanning the Opposition: Why writing effective political or courtroom drama requires creating logical, consistent arguments for the side you disagree with, rather than relying on “strawman” caricatures.

* The Based Book Sale: How to organize a massive, grassroots marketing event with over 300 authors to bypass algorithm suppression and cross-promote directly to readers.

* Bypassing Academic Gatekeepers: Hans explains why he moved his scientific research to Substack after academic journals refused to peer-review his work, finding a hungry audience of students and free-thinkers instead.

* Trad Pub is the New Vanity: Why seeking validation from a “Big 5” publisher is an ego trap, and why indie publishing is the only path for authors who want to find their true audience.

* Fiction vs. Non-Fiction on Substack: A look at why serialization often fails for novels but thrives for educational content, and how to structure your writing to keep subscribers opening every email.

Guest Links

Hans Schantz

* Read The Hidden Truth series: https://amzn.to/3Yj03e1

* Based Book Sale Substack: https://basedbooksale.substack.com/

* Hans on Substack: https://substack.com/profile/36446731-hans-g-schantz

* Hans on X: https://x.com/AetherCzar

Kristin’s Links

* Services & Content

* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com

* Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com

* YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction to NFK

00:21 - Meet Hans Schantz: Scientist and Indie Author

00:45 - The Cancellation Controversy

01:48 - Hans’ Writing Journey and Projects

03:00 - The Kickstarter Fiasco

05:44 - Navigating Indie Platforms

08:35 - The Based Book Sale

10:58 - Challenges and Strategies in Indie Publishing

15:42 - Hans’ Physics Substack

21:29 - Writing Fiction vs. Non-Fiction on Substack

26:13 - The Hidden Truth Series

29:12 - The Wise of Heart: A Courtroom Drama

39:51 - Advice for Indie Authors

43:15 - Where to Find Hans’ Work

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

Is a traditional publishing deal actually the finish line, or is it just the beginning of a different struggle? In this episode, Kristin sits down with thriller author and editor K.T. Carlisle to answer just that.

Before becoming a successful indie author, K.T. worked inside a prestigious literary agency, before seeing behind the curtain on what really happens to your query letter, who actually reads your submission, and the shocking financial realities of traditional publishing revealed during the Penguin Random House court case.

K.T. shares why, despite having interest from a Big 5 editor, she decided the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze and pivoted to self-publishing. We also dive deep into actionable marketing strategies, specifically how to dominate Twitter (X) without spending a dime on ads, and why you need to stop letting “I can’t” dictate your writing career.

In This Episode

* Life Inside an Agency: The reality of the “slush pile” and why interns (not agents) are likely the first to read your work.

* The Instant Rejection: The most common mistakes authors make that lead to immediate deletion.

* The Numbers Don’t Lie: Discussing the Penguin Random House court case revelation that many trad-pub books sell fewer than 12 copies in their first year.

* The Big Pivot: Why K.T. walked away from traditional interest to control her own career.

* Indie Quality Control: How to ensure your self-published book rivals HarperCollins or Simon & Schuster.

* Twitter Marketing Masterclass: Why “link dropping” kills your reach, using “Hobo Code” to beat the algorithm, and building community vs. broadcasting sales.

* The Money Mindset: Diversifying income streams (editing, ghostwriting) to fund your art.

* No Excuses: K.T.’s inspiring approach to working and writing while managing chronic pain.

Guest Links

K.T. Carlisle

* Read INTUITION by K.T. Carlisle: https://amzn.to/4i0SLEu

* X: @KT_Carlisle

* Website: https://ktcarlisle.com

* Editing Services: https://ktaeditorial.com

Kristin’s Links

* Services & Content

* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com

* Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com

* YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and Purpose of the Interview

01:44 - Meet K.T. Carlisle: Literary Agent to Indie Author

02:39 - Inside the Literary Agency and the Reality of Querying

08:35 - The Harsh Truths of Traditional Publishing

18:12 - Why K.T. Chose the Indie Path

22:11 - Building an Authentic Platform as an Indie Author

25:01 - Crafting the Perfect Social Media Post

25:21 - Navigating Social Media Algorithms

26:55 - Choosing the Right Platform for You

30:18 - Effective Social Media Tools and Strategies

33:48 - Balancing Creativity and Commercial Success

37:14 - Building a Sustainable Writing Career

41:11 - Starting from Scratch: Key Strategies

43:20 - The Future of Independent Publishing

45:28 - Where to Find More from K.T. Carlisle

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

Most authors dream of finishing one book a year; John Van Stry wrote twenty in two. The bestselling sci-fi author joins Kristin to explain how he transitioned from defense engineering to indie publishing by systematizing his creativity and treating the craft with an analytical mindset.

John also explores the specific strategies that turned his backlist into a seven-figure business, including the “guerrilla marketing” tactics that work for new authors, as well as how to build magic systems using real-world physics. John also tackles the industry’s double standards, offering a candid defense of male-targeted “Harem” fiction against the universally accepted “Reverse Harem” romance market.

In This Episode

* 20 Books in 2 Years: How John utilized his engineering background to analyze successful authors, streamline his process, and produce massive output to launch his career.

* Writing for Men: John discusses the “KDP Gold Rush” era and how he found massive success by writing authentic male protagonists when traditional publishers were only interested in female-led stories.

* The “Rothfuss Effect”: Why writing trilogies can kill a new author’s career and why readers are terrified of unfinished series.

* Harem vs. Reverse Harem: A candid look at the hypocrisy in the industry regarding men’s fantasy vs. women’s romance, and why he uses a pen name (John Stryvant) to separate his explicit work from his standard sci-fi.

* Engineering Magic: How a background in defense and physics helps John create grounded, believable hard sci-fi and magic systems.

* Guerrilla Marketing: Old school tactics that still work—from business cards at car dealerships to understanding why the adult industry always leads the way in marketing technology.

* The $2.99 Strategy: Why volume is the name of the game and why raising your prices might actually be costing you money.

Guest Links

John Van Stry

* READ THE WOLFHOUNDS SERIES BY JOHN VAN STRY https: //amzn.to/3XqIND3

* http://vanstry.net/vanstry/

* X: @JohnVanStry

Kristin’s Links

* Services & Content

* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com

* Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com

* YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and Author’s Achievement

01:53 - Meet John Van Stry: The Prolific Author

02:03 - Journey to Full-Time Writing

03:25 - Early Publishing Challenges and Successes

08:45 - Rapid Release Strategy and Productivity

15:48 - World Building and Magic Systems

20:16 - Reviving Portal and Harem Fiction

26:23 - Marketing and Pen Names

29:07 - Amazon Ecosystem Insights

29:25 - The Myth of Overnight Success

29:54 - Embrace Your First Book’s Flaws

30:40 - The Importance of Writing the Next Book

31:02 - Learning from Romance Authors

31:35 - Taking Responsibility for Your Book’s Performance

31:56 - Navigating Reviews and Criticism

33:10 - Understanding Grammar and Writing Style

37:51 - Effective Book Marketing Strategies

45:26 - Advice for Aspiring Male Authors

47:04 - Building a Sustainable Writing Career

48:29 - Connecting with Readers and Fans

52:50 - The Value of Daily Affirmations

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

Screenwriter turned indie novelist Cary DiChristina joins the show to discuss his 15-year journey through Hollywood and why he finally decided to bypass the gatekeepers to publish his own stories. Cary explains the transition from writing for the screen to writing for the page, revealing why the “compromise” of film production pales in comparison to the total creative freedom of a novel.

Cary also tackles the state of modern fiction, explaining why he believes men have stopped reading and how to write authentic female characters without falling into the “Girl Boss” tropes that plague modern media.

In This Episode

* Hollywood vs. Indie Freedom: Cary shares the reality of spending 15 years pitching scripts to producers and why turning his screenplay, Redemption Window, into a novel finally gave him the audience he was chasing.

* Screenwriting vs. Prose: The difference between writing a “technical design document” for a film crew and writing a novel that allows you to play God and get inside a character’s head.

* Where Have All the Male Readers Gone?: A frank discussion on why men have tuned out of modern fiction and the shift from story-driven narratives to “message-heavy” lectures.

* Authentic Female Characters: How to write strong female leads (like his protagonist) without resorting to inauthentic “Mary Sue” or “Girl Boss” archetypes.

* Serializing on Substack: Cary’s strategy of releasing the first seven chapters for free to build a readership before asking for the sale, and why “truth in advertising” matters.

* Put Up or Shut Up: Tough love for aspiring writers who have “ideas” but haven’t put in the work to finish a “vomit draft”.

Guest Links

Cary DiCristina

* READ REDEMPTION WINDOW: https://amzn.to/49Zcd2B

* Substack: The Unknown Creative

* YouTube: @carydicristina6016

Kristin’s Links

* Services & Content

* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com

* Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com

* YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and Common Writer’s Dream

00:34 - Guest Introduction: Cary’s Hollywood Journey

01:10 - Transition from Screenwriting to Novel Writing

01:49 - Interview Begins: Cary’s Background and Career

03:10 - Challenges and Realizations in Screenwriting

06:30 - Turning a Screenplay into a Novel

10:48 - Differences Between Screenwriting and Novel Writing

16:41 - The State of Modern Fiction and Publishing

27:37 - The Pressure on Young Women

28:06 - Echo Chambers and Social Media

29:10 - Generational Differences in Parenting

30:16 - Millennials and Lack of Real-Life Experiences

31:32 - Conflict Avoidance in Younger Generations

33:33 - Serializing Books on Substack

39:31 - Staying Indie in Publishing

46:00 - Advice for Aspiring Writers

49:40 - Where to Find the Book

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

Science fiction author and Fandom Pulse founder Jon Del Arroz joins the show to discuss why he is arguably the most banned man in independent publishing. From being ejected from WorldCon while in line for a Disney ride to being de-platformed by Kickstarter and Indiegogo, John explains how “cancel culture” collusion works and why he refuses to back down.

Jon also dives into his most controversial stance yet: his open use of Generative AI for writing fiction. He argues that much of modern genre fiction has become “algorithm slop” and explains why he believes AI can sometimes outperform human authors who are merely writing to market.

In This Episode

* The WorldCon Ban: Jon recounts the story of being banned from the World Science Fiction Convention and labeled a “racist bully” due to online political disputes.

* Kickstarter & Indiegogo: How mass reporting campaigns led to his removal from major crowdfunding platforms despite running over a dozen successful campaigns.

* The AI Controversy: Why Jon openly uses AI for text and art, and his experiment with a “hidden” AI pen name that magazines can’t distinguish from human writing.

* Human “Slop” vs. AI: A critique of the “Write to Market” philosophy and why formulaic human writing is just as soulless as machine generation.

* Valiant Frontiers: Jon’s new “Star Trek-alternative” novel series on Fund My Comic, designed to bring back high-concept episodic sci-fi.

* Building a Brand: Practical advice for new creators on how to find a niche and the necessity of daily content creation.

Guest Links

Jon Del Arroz

* READ Valiant Frontiers: https://www.fundmycomic.com/valiant-frontiers

* Youtube @JonDelArroz

* Substack Fandom Pulse

* Discord @_otomo

* X @jondelarroz

Kristin’s Links

* Services & Content

* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com

* Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com

* YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Sponsors

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Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction to Jon Dela Rose

00:44 - Controversial Use of AI in Publishing

01:11 - Jon’s Experience with Cancel Culture

01:34 - Jon’s Career and Projects

03:04 - Banned from Worldcon

07:57 - Challenges with Crowdfunding Platforms

17:10 - AI in Writing and Art

21:18 - The Future of Independent Publishing

22:56 - Hypocrisy and AI in Publishing

23:28 - Algorithmic Writing and Market Trends

26:06 - AI’s Role in Writing and Personal Experiments

26:40 - Challenges of Being a Creative Author

29:07 - Marketing Strategies for Authors

32:16 - Crowdfunding and Niche Markets

37:19 - Future Goals and Advice for Aspiring Authors

41:09 - Balancing Content Creation and Writing

41:50 - Where to Find More Content

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.

New episodes weekly.

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