We’re often told that the key to productivity is saying “no” to distractions and protecting our time. But sometimes the most important opportunities come from saying “yes.”

In this episode, I share how a small writing workshop with only seven attendees led to a conversation that ultimately changed the trajectory of my career. You never know which invitation, opportunity, or relationship might lead to something meaningful.

I’d love to hear what you’ve said “yes” to lately. Email me at [email protected].

I’m currently training for my first marathon, and one of the lessons I’ve learned is that there’s no substitute for getting on the actual course.

The same is true with writing.

In this episode, I share how marathon training mirrors the writing process—and why the most important thing you can do today is stop preparing and start writing.

I’d love to hear what you’re working on. Email me at [email protected].

Welcome back!

In this episode, I share why I’m bringing back The Daily Writer podcast, what prompted the change from The Profitable Writer, and where the show is headed in the coming weeks.

The central idea behind everything I do comes down to one word: authorship. My goal is to help writers become the authors of their own lives and careers.

I’d love to hear what you’re working on these days. Email me at [email protected].

Note to listeners: I have switched podcast hosts and am running some tests. This is just a clip with 15 seconds of silence. A new version of the podcast is coming soon. Stay tuned and thank you for listening! :) -Kent

One of the most consistent themes I hear from writers is that many struggle with the business side of things. They become writers because they love the craft, the storytelling, or simply creating content. But the need for clear business thinking and processes often comes as a surprise.

That’s why I’m excited to share this conversation with J.D. Barker, who’s here to help us understand how to navigate the business of being a writer.

J.D. Barker is a New York Times and international bestselling American author whose work has been broadly described as suspense thrillers, often incorporating elements of horror, crime, mystery, science fiction, and the supernatural.

He is the bestselling author of Dracul, The Fourth Monkey, and Something I Keep Upstairs, his newest novel inspired by a real-life haunted house. He brings decades of experience as an author, coauthor, and creative entrepreneur. J.D. is also the co-host of the excellent podcast for writers, Writers, Ink.

In this conversation, J.D. shares his insights about building an author platform, developing income streams, his collaboration with James Patterson, mindset shifts you need as an author, the value of traditional publishing, how ghostwriting can help build your own writing business, and much more.

Make sure to check out J.D.’s site, https://jdbarker.com/ as well as the Writers, Ink podcast at https://writersinkpodcast.com/.

I was born in 1974 and you’ve heard me talk about my love of 80s music before. And why not? The 80s, in my humble opinion, was simply the greatest decade in American culture as far as the amount and quality of music created.

That’s why I’m excited to bring you this exceptionally fun and inspiring conversation with Jim Daneker.

Jim is an award-winning and Billboard-charting composer and producer who specializes in the bold, evocative, and memorable.

In addition to 27 years as keyboardist, musical director, and producer for CCM icon Michael W. Smith, Jim has enjoyed a diverse musical career. He has produced albums, created a virtual instrument series called Backstage Pass, and arranged and written music for film. His film music work includes trailers for Hollywood blockbusters such as The Fast and The Furious franchise, Transformers 2, The Chronicles of Narnia, and several Disney projects.

After two decades of serving other artists, Jim took two years to pursue his dream of scoring a cinematic instrumental album, called AD ALTA, which was released in 2017. In 2018, Jim produced another Billboard #1 album, this time for quadruple #1 artist Paul Cardall—an album that had the unprecedented distinction of debuting on nine charts simultaneously and won a Dove Award for Instrumental Album of the Year.

In February 2023, Jim announced his retirement from touring and the launch of a lifetime dream project called Arcade Orchestra, which reimagines the biggest hits of the 80s in an epic live show.

In this conversation, we dive into all things Arcade Orchestra. He shares his vision for AO, why the 80s were such an incredible decade for music and movies, what is was like to transition away from a steady music gig into building his own thing, and much more.

In addition to being a very fun conversation about all things 80s, this is going to especially inspire you if you have been focusing exclusively on client work and have been dreaming of putting yourself out there in the spotlight more.

I should note that Jim was very kind in opening up his home, near Nashville, to me for an in-person interview! It was so much fun to see his studio setup.

To find out more about Jim and Arcade Orchestra, make sure to visit https://jimdaneker.com and https://arcadeorchestra.com.

I’ve always operated on the assumption that most of my listeners are introverts. If you don’t think of yourself as an introvert, that doesn’t make you less of a writer, of course. But I do believe most writers feel they get their energy from being alone, and that most of the time, being around people drains them.

I certainly relate to that! Which is probably why I’m a full-time writer instead of some other job that requires me to spend time with people all day.

One of the dilemmas you have to face as an introverted writer is knowing how to navigate conferences. While we recognize the immense value of conferences and events for learning our craft and building relationships, we also have to figure out how to be involved without completely draining ourselves.

That’s why I’m excited to bring you this conversation with Ami McConnell, who runs WriterFest, a conference for writers in Nashville each November. Ami joins me to chat about what makes WriterFest unique, how to get the most out of it, how to navigate events as an introvert, and much more.

Although WriterFest has already happened in 2025, I want to give you a heads up to make plans and attend WriterFest in 2026. Make sure to get on the mailing list for WriterFest so you’re notified about updates. You can do so by visiting https://writerfestnashville.com.

Before we get into the conversation, let me tell you a bit about Ami, who in addition to being the Founder and President of WriterFest Nashville, is also the Founder and President of Ami McConnell Literary Agency.

Ami is an author, writer, and editor with over twenty years of experience in-house at major trade book publishers. Having edited numerous New York Times bestsellers and award winners, she now works with authors of all stripes to create bestselling books.

She’s a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller who has collaborated with singers, songwriters, psychologists, doctors, therapists, film and TV actors, and artists. Ami also serves on the board of Women’s National Book Association/Nashville Chapter and lives in the Nashville area with her family.

You can find out more about Ami by visiting her website, https://amimcconnell.com, and the WriterFest site at https://writerfestnashville.com.

Today I’m bringing you an interview that will absolutely help you grow your impact and income, particularly if you’re a ghostwriter.

You’ve probably heard of Gotham Ghostwriters, a New York City ghostwriting agency. It’s headed up CEO Dan Gerstein, who is a nationally recognized political writer, communications strategist, and idea man. He’s been writing professionally for more than thirty years.

Gotham Ghostwriters has seen incredible growth in recent years, and I had the pleasure of talking to Dan about Gotham, as well as their annual event, Gathering of the Ghosts. This year’s event was recently held in NYC, and next year’s event is sure to be even bigger.

Gotham also recently released a fantastic resource for ghostwriters—a course titled Ghostmasters 101: How to Break into the Business of Ghostwriting. And if you’re interested in joining the Gotham Ghostwriters network, you can find more info about how to do that on the Gotham website.

In this conversation with Dan, we dive into all of these topics and much more. If you’re currently ghostwriting, you’ll find a lot to chew on here. And if you’re looking for a way to make extra income with your writing skills, or even build a robust full-time career as a ghostwriter just like I’ve done, this conversation will inspire and empower you to take the next steps. You can find out more about Gotham Ghostwriters and all it has to offer by visiting https://gothamghostwriters.com.

I’m excited to bring you this conversation with Chelle Honiker, publisher of Indie Author Magazine. She has a real passion for serving and empowering authors, and in her role as publisher, she helps authors navigate the business of storytelling with confidence, strategy, and community.

I’ve been a subscriber to the magazine for a couple of years now. If you’re looking for a fantastic resource to help you navigate the often-complicated world of being an indie author, look no further! Indie Author magazine will give you an incredible bang for your buck! I highly recommend the print version, which I am thrilled to receive myself.

In this conversation, Chelle and I dive into her journey of starting this incredible publication, how each issue comes together, why it’s so awesome to be an indie author, and so much more.

If you’ve been sitting on a great idea for a while and have been afraid to take action, this conversation with Chelle is going to inspire you to finally get moving toward your dreams!

And of course, I want to encourage you to subscribe to Indie Author magazine. You can do so by visiting https://indieauthormagazine.com/

As you know, I talk a lot about ghostwriting on this show since that’s my primary business. However, I’m thrilled today to bring on three other guests to help me dive even deeper into lots of ghostwriting-related topics.

Maria Chapman is the Founder of Connected Ghostwriting, a writing agency built on one clear principle: connection drives success. Her agency does a variety of services, including books, web content, marketing materials, and more. Her site is https://connectedghostwriting.com.

Karen Anderson is a Strategic Book Coach and Associate Publisher for Morgan James Publishing. She has worked in various roles in the book business and as a marketer for over 25 years. One of her most notable collaborations is The Bezos Letters, which she wrote with her husband, Steve. Her site is https://strategicbookcoach.com.

And last but not least, Blake Atwood is a ghostwriter and editor who recently had two books he helped edit appear simultaneously on the New York Times bestseller list. Those two books are Atomic Habits by James Clear and The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher. Blake’s site is https://blakeatwood.com.

I’ve asked each of these friends to be a part of this roundtable discussion because I not only respect their work, but I also appreciate their philosophy and wisdom when it comes to ghostwriting.

A few of the topics we talk about include: how to get started as a ghostwriter, the money side of ghostwriting, how to balance between writing for clients and writing for yourself, some of the biggest mistakes ghostwriters make, and much more.