In this episode, Jeff sits down with Johnny B Truant to talk about his new work The Artisan Author. They discuss how he understands himself as an author, how his understanding is shaping his craft, and how he hopes to bring joy back to the indie author world. 

To learn more about Johnny's work, check out https://johnnybtruant.com/

To see Johnny's Kickstarter, go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/johnnybtruant/the-artisan-author-your-way-out-of-the-self-pub-rat-race

In this episode, Jeff is joined by publishing veteran and founder of Bold Story Press, Emily Barrosse. Emily tackles 7 (plus a few more) questions from listners about publishing. 

Questions are: 

• Are publishers more likely to accept submissions from agents or do they equally accept direct subs? What's the proportion of submissions accepted via agents vs directly from authors?
• What timeline can I expect with a traditional publisher (small, mid, or large)? 
• If an author is adamant about not wanting to change their story in any way, should they avoid seeking a traditional publisher and pursue independent publishing instead? What are your thoughts?
• What is the most important thing to include in an agent Query when writing a memoir?
• Is the perception that agents only look at current trends true? 
• If I’m writing outside of sales trends (writing the book of my heart) what should I do to get a publisher to see value in my work?
• In the changing landscape of publishing in general and how traditional publishers are pivoting?
• How are the Big Trad publishers situating AI within their operations?
• If someone is considering a hybrid press today, are there any telltale clues that we can use to separate out the legit small publishing houses from those that are out to scam authors?

To contact Emily or find out how to work with her, go to https://www.boldstorypress.com/

For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Dixie Williams. Dixie has finished her first novel and would like to write a second about one of the side characters. She and Jeff plot out the novel based on how the characters might grow and look at what a series might look like. 

For more on the craft of writing, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff is joined by Tom Holbrook (author, editor, coach, and former bookstore owner). They discuss story and what they are seeing as editors. 

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with author Ted Atchley to look at a scene from his work in progress. They discuss character voices, writing YA, and leading scenes with emotion. 

For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff meets up with three of the members of the Dialogue Doctor Community to dissect and learn from the short story Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin. 

For more on the craft of writing, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Dennis Kurlas to talk about his work in progress. They discuss the options you have when your novel is almost finished and you are tweaking it. Specifically, they discuss how to add emotional weight to scenes. 

For more on the craft of writing, check out DialogueDoctor.com

In this episode, Jeff and Laura answer questions from the community. Questions include:

Where is the sweet spot between frustrating the reader by having the characters either over-explain or under-explain how their world works?

Do you have any advice on how to write movement without using the words directly associated with the action? For example, the phrase "The leaves rustled about him." Can this phrase serve as a substitute for he turned, he spun, he twirled, or even he levitated? I’d love to hear your thoughts on how we can use phrases creatively to signal different types of movement to readers.

When querying agents whom you've already pitched to at a conference, what do i include, since they already want to see it. i know you told me some things, but still aren't 100%. thank you!

What's one thing you can do while drafting that will make editing easier for yourself or a hired editor?

How do I know if my story is working?

How do I write toward the emotional payoff and set up a solid ending to the story without making the story predictable?

Are there any differences between demonstrating character growth in inner dialog, character dialog vocalization, and actions / choices? Are there situations that stand out where one is better than the other?

How can I know how much to trust my reader to “get it?” Where is the balance between telling them too much and creating nuance and mystery in my story?

How do I push past competent writing to create something memorable?

How do I know if my writing is any good?

When is it time to stop revising?

For more on the craft of writing or to join the community, come to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff teaches the Dialoggers about plot structure. Together they work through plot styles for single vehicle and multi vehicle stories. Then they discuss the story Love Actually and examine how a Mosaic Plot style works. 

For more on the craft of writing, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Holly Lyne to talk about her series in progress. Jeff and Holly revive her excitement for the series and discover the plot of the series by analyzing the character growth arcs. 

For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/