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Up until now, I've wanted the seasons of this podcast to be evergreen and act as a resource on how to write a particular element of a story. My desire to create short, evergreen episodes focused on a single topic is the reason this podcast tends to be free of interviews. However, throughout season three, I will share short interviews with other writers discussing how they write stories, and in particular, I will try to interview as many writers who "pants" novels. 

In light of that, in this bonus episode, I chat with Michaelbrent Collings on how he writes his fiction novels. Before we dive into the interview, here is a brief introduction to Michaebrent Collings.


About Michaelbrent Collings
While he is best known for horror (and is one of the most successful indie horror authors in the world), Michaelbrent Collings has also written internationally-bestselling thriller, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, humour, young adult, and middle-grade works, and romance. In addition to being a bestselling novelist, Michaelbrent has also received critical acclaim: he is the only person who has ever been a finalist for a Bram Stoker Award, a Dragon Award, and a RONE Award, and he and his work have been reviewed and/or featured on everything from Publishers Weekly to Scream Magazine to NPR. An engaging and entertaining speaker, he is also a frequent guest at comic cons and on writing podcasts like Six Figure Authors, The Creative Penn, Writing Excuses, and others.


What to Expect From this Episode
In this episode, I chat with Michaelbrent about the following topics:

• Where Michaelbrent gets ideas for his books.
• How to know whether a horror novel is scar enough for the reader.
• Characters in horror movies that are too stupid to live.
• Transitioning from having that initial idea to feeling ready to write the first draft.
• How much detail Michaelbrent includes in his outlines.
• The trick of becoming a professional author.
• Tips on how to tackle writer's block when you're writing the first draft.
• The trap most authors fall into when writing and measuring success.
• Dealing with negative reviews.
• Stores weighing low rating reviews over higher ratings.
• Writing is quite emotionally taxing.
• The value of a supportive partner or friends.

Thanks for listening, and happy reading and writing, everybody.


Podcasts, Books, and Tools Mentioned
Check Out the Show Notes
Genre Tropes Cheat Sheet
Michaelbrent Collings Website

Support the show

Connect with me on Social Media
Discord: https://discord.gg/6pXHfz5K
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcast
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** My bookish merchandise store

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Revision is like pulling teeth. Well, that's how it feels to me at the moment. I'm so over revising this story. But at the same time, I feel so insecure about this novella. Long gone is that innocent, naive Amelia, who was excited to publish her first piece of fiction. Perhaps I know better now. Or, more realistically, I'm more cynical. I know what awaits me if I screw up and publish a book with plot holes, however minor. 


In this behind-the-scenes author diary episode, I discuss the highs and lows of my revision process, what prompted me to move into the professional editing phase and my struggles with writer's insecurity. Yes, spoiler alert, I'm riddled with it. And I share an exciting milestone with Le Villain Book Covers.

Podcasts, Books, and Tools Mentioned
Check Out the Show Notes
The Previous Episode 
Fiverr*
Pro Writing Aid*
Grammarly
AutoCrit
Authors.ai
Want the podcast straight to your inbox?

My Services
Try The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **
The Formatting Templates offered by my services.
Le Villain Book Covers (Affordable Premade Book Covers) **

My Books
My Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4
The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidate
Suspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicion
Duplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/
The Locked Room | https://books2read.com/locked-room

Support the show

Connect with me on Social Media
Discord: https://discord.gg/6pXHfz5K
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpreneurpodcast/
X: https://twitter.com/writeradhay
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/authorpreneurpodcast/videos
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/authoradhay/
Merch Store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/WriterADHay/shop

* This is a service or product offered by me
** My bookish merchandise store

Send us a text

Welcome to the final instalment of this two-part mini-series on how to write a novel with genre expectations in mind. There's nothing worse than reaching the halfway mark as you write your first draft or even as you're starting the revision stage to realise that you're not sure if there's a market for your book. If this is where you are at, then don't panic; it's quite normal not to know what genre you're writing in as you write or finish your first book. 


But there's something you can do about it. 


In this episode, I'm going to share with you five steps to revising your story with genre expectations in mind.

Thanks for listening, and happy reading and writing, everybody.

Podcasts, Books, and Tools Mentioned
Check Out the Show Notes
The Previous Episode
TAP021, How to Choose the Right Ending for Your Story
Genre Tropes Cheat Sheet
Fiverr *
Write to Market by Chris Fox *
How to Outline a Cozy Mystery by Sara Rosette *
Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes *
Mystery: How to Write Traditional and Cozy Whodunits by Paul Tomlinson *
WMG Publishing Lectures and Workshops
Am Writing Fantasy Podcast + Courses
Want the podcast straight to your inbox?

My Services
Try The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **
The Formatting Templates offered by my services.
Le Villain Book Covers (Affordable Premade Book Covers) **

My Books
My Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4
The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidate
Suspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicion
Duplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/
The Locked Room | https://books2read.com/locked-room

Support the show

Connect with me on Social Media
Discord: https://discord.gg/6pXHfz5K
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpreneurpodcast/
X: https://twitter.com/writeradhay
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/authorpreneurpodcast/videos
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/authoradhay/
Merch Store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/WriterADHay/shop

* This is a service or product offered by me
** My bookish merchandise store

Send us a text

Writing to market or writing with genre expectations in mind is often seen as a dirty word. And I think there are a few misconceptions, largely to do with confusing the strategy with writing to a trend which is very different.


For the sake of clarity, writing to trend is all about writing what's popular. An example of that strategy is writing a paranormal romance feature vampires because they're hot right now; that's writing to trend. By the way, I have no idea whether that's a hot trend, so don't take that as gospel because it's just an example I plucked from my mind a few seconds ago. However, writing with genre expectations in mind is all about writing for your audience. I know you want to write what you love, but just hear me out. As a writer, I get it; you need to love what you write, but you also need to write something that others will enjoy and want to stick around for the long-term.


What to Expect

Before we get into the tips, this episode is the first in a two-part series focused on writing with genre expectations in mind. In this first part, I want to focus on writing with genre expectations in mind for writers who haven't written their first draft and merely have a story idea in mind. This episode will be great for you if you have a story idea or outline and want to write for an existing audience. 

Podcasts, Books, and Tools Mentioned
Check Out the Show Notes
The Previous Episode
Genre Tropes Cheat Sheet
Want the podcast straight to your inbox?


My Services
Try The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **
The Formatting Templates offered by my services.
Le Villain Book Covers (Affordable Premade Book Covers) **


My Books
My Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4
The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidate
Suspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicion
Duplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/
The Locked Room | https://books2read.com/locked-room

Support the show

Connect with me on Social Media
Discord: https://discord.gg/6pXHfz5K
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpreneurpodcast/
X: https://twitter.com/writeradhay
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/authorpreneurpodcast/videos
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/authoradhay/
Merch Store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/WriterADHay/shop

* This is a service or product offered by me
** My bookish merchandise store

Send us a text

At the start of season two, I started off with the best of intentions. Just like this episode, I set the expectations for the season. And that's when everything went pear-shaped. In fact, things aren't back to normal for me either. I don't need to remind you because, technically, we're still at this place. Now that I’ve said this, I’m going to immediately follow through with this and devote this short episode to what you can expect from season three. And I'll share a few changes to the podcast that you can expect from season three.

In this episode, I will discuss:

• What you can expect from season three
• The start date of the new season.
• Changes to the podcast in season three onwards.
• My podcasting plans until the end of the year.

As always, I have an important question to ask. Are you writing a novel, short story, or novella? And if so, is there a topic you want me to cover in the upcoming season of The Authorpreneur Podcast? Let me know by coming over to the blog post or the YouTube video and sharing your thoughts in the comments section.

Podcasts, Books, and Tools Mentioned
Check Out the Show Notes
Want the podcast straight to your inbox?


My Services
Try The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **
The Formatting Templates offered by my services.
Le Villain Book Covers (Affordable Premade Book Covers) **


My Books
My Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4
The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidate
Suspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicion
Duplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/
The Locked Room | https://books2read.com/locked-room

Support the show

Connect with me on Social Media
Discord: https://discord.gg/6pXHfz5K
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpreneurpodcast/
X: https://twitter.com/writeradhay
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/authorpreneurpodcast/videos
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/authoradhay/
Merch Store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/WriterADHay/shop

* This is a service or product offered by me
** My bookish merchandise store

Send us a text

In the last two weeks of August, I started revising a murder mystery novella. Also, during this period, I created a book marketing plan for the Candidate. As I was revising my murder mystery novella, I began to feel scared to self-publish. To be honest, I've been feeling this way for a while. This month, I purchased a few courses, and I share what prompted me to make these purchases.

So stay tuned for all of this and much more.


Podcasts, Books, and Tools Mentioned
Check Out the Show Notes
The Previous Episode 
Fiverr *
Scrivener *
BookSprout
Book Doggy
Bargain Booksy
WMG Publishing Lectures and Workshops
Want the podcast straight to your inbox?


My Services
Try The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **
The Formatting Templates offered by my services.
Le Villain Book Covers (Affordable Premade Book Covers) **


My Books
My Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4
The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidate
Suspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicion
Duplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/
The Locked Room | https://books2read.com/locked-room

Support the show

Connect with me on Social Media
Discord: https://discord.gg/6pXHfz5K
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpreneurpodcast/
X: https://twitter.com/writeradhay
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/authorpreneurpodcast/videos
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/authoradhay/
Merch Store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/WriterADHay/shop

* This is a service or product offered by me
** My bookish merchandise store

Send us a text

During the first two weeks of August, I focused my time on preparing a murder mystery novel for beta readers; then, as I waited for feedback, I focused on the second book in my other series. And this is what juggling multiple projects at once is like. You spend much of your time jumping between projects, and it does get overwhelming at times. In light of that, I share a tip on dealing with overwhelm when jumping between manuscripts.

So stay tuned for all of this and much more.


Podcasts, Books, and Tools Mentioned
Check Out the Show Notes
The Previous Episode
Scrivener *
Fiverr*
Grammarly
ProWritingAid *
Want the podcast straight to your inbox?


My Services
Try The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **
The Formatting Templates offered by my services.
Le Villain Book Covers (Affordable Premade Book Covers) **


My Books
My Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4
The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidate
Suspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicion
Duplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/
The Locked Room | https://books2read.com/locked-room

Support the show

Connect with me on Social Media
Discord: https://discord.gg/6pXHfz5K
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpreneurpodcast/
X: https://twitter.com/writeradhay
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/authorpreneurpodcast/videos
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/authoradhay/
Merch Store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/WriterADHay/shop

* This is a service or product offered by me
** My bookish merchandise store

Send us a text

If you listened to the previous episodes of this podcast, you'd know that I've been struggling to finish my next novel. By now, you're probably wondering what drama got in the way of me achieving my writing and publishing goals. In this show, I'll share a momentous writing update. On top of this, I discuss my fears and a surprising update on my Fussy Librarian book promotion. And, I discovered a great tool for self-published authors at a great price.

Podcasts, Books, and Tools Mentioned
Check Out the Show Notes
The Previous Episode
Fussy Librarian
BetaReader.io
HeyBeta
BetaBooks
Try The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **
The Formatting Templates offered by my services.
Want the podcast straight to your inbox?

My Books
My Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4
The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidate
Suspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicion
Duplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/
The Locked Room | https://books2read.com/locked-room

Support the show

Connect with me on Social Media
Discord: https://discord.gg/6pXHfz5K
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpreneurpodcast/
X: https://twitter.com/writeradhay
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/authorpreneurpodcast/videos
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/authoradhay/
Merch Store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/WriterADHay/shop

* This is a service or product offered by me
** My bookish merchandise store

Send us a text

During May and June, I experimented with more low-budget book promotions on a 99-cent sale on my first-in-series novella, Missing. Naturally, things didn't go as expected. In this episode, I dive into why I believe my low-budget book promotions went horribly wrong. But before I delve into all of that, I discuss what I achieved in terms of writing and share a milestone that I've hit with writing the Candidate. Plus, I discuss the progress I made with Duplicity. Also, I made an interesting discovery concerning book reviews on Amazon. And I share an update on the new income stream that I've added to my business, as well as some lessons learned.


Podcasts, Books, and Tools Mentioned
Check Out the Show Notes
The previous episode
Book Angel
Awesome Gang
Book Doggy
Just Kindle Books
Book Runes ***
Reddit: Handling foreign language in your fictional writing?
Reddit: How do I convey another language in a dialogue section?
Blog Post: How to Use Foreign Languages in Fiction
Blog Post: 5 Ways To Incorporate Multiple Languages Into Your Fantasy Novel
Stack Exchange: How to Use Foreign Words and Provide Translation in Novel


Other Useful Links
Try The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **
The Formatting Templates offered by my services **
Looking for an affordable premade book cover? **
Want the podcast straight to your inbox?
Be on the Podcast

*** Please note: Book Runes didn't get back to me or communicate with me until the night before the promotion was due to run,

Support the show

Connect with me on Social Media
Discord: https://discord.gg/6pXHfz5K
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpreneurpodcast/
X: https://twitter.com/writeradhay
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/authorpreneurpodcast/videos
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/authoradhay/
Merch Store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/WriterADHay/shop

* This is a service or product offered by me
** My bookish merchandise store

Send us a text

For some reason, I put off sharing this author diary update because I believed I didn't do that much writing, and I was a little embarrassed. Well, I was partly correct. As I look back over my completed tasks on ToDoist and the notes on my daily writing habit spreadsheet, I realise that my assumption was incorrect. And I did get some writing done during the first four months of the year. But more on that later. 


I set Missing to free and scheduled various low-budget book promotions during February and March, and I experimented with Facebook Ads with some surprising results. In this show, I share my download statistics, cost per click and click-through rate when these statistics are available. Also, during this period, I started experimenting with multiple streams of income in my author business. I share the things I've tried and the things you need to consider when you're just starting.

So stay tuned for all of this and much more.

Thank You to These Supporters of the Podcast
J. S. Rogers

Podcasts, Books, and Tools Mentioned
Check Out the Show Notes
The previous episode
Book Angel
Awesome Gang
My Book Place
Watch Me Write the Candidate

Other Useful Links
Try The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **
The Formatting Templates offered by my services **
Want the podcast straight to your inbox?
Be on the Podcast

 
My Books
My Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4
The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidate
Suspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicion
Duplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/
The Locked Room | https://books2read.com/locked-room

Support the show

Connect with me on Social Media
Discord: https://discord.gg/6pXHfz5K
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpreneurpodcast/
X: https://twitter.com/writeradhay
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/authorpreneurpodcast/videos
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/authoradhay/
Merch Store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/WriterADHay/shop

* This is a service or product offered by me
** My bookish merchandise store