The Wordslinger Podcast

JACK J. HERSCH is an expert in the field of troubled and distressed companies. He is a strategic advisor to corporate management and investment institutions, has served as a corporate board member, and has guest lectured at the business schools of M.I.T., U.S.C., and U.C. Berkeley, among others. DEATH MARCH ESCAPE is his first work of non-fiction. DID I MENTION?Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE:Website:: deathmarchescape.com and davidhersch.comAmazon Author page:: https://www.amazon.com/Death-March-Escape-Remarkable-Holocaust/dp/1526740222/ -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY:Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nick Thacker is the author of best-selling action-adventure thrillers, including the Harvey Bennett Thrillers series. DID I MENTION?Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller at https://kevintumlinson.com/books CONNECT ONLINE:Website(s):NickThacker.comsonataandscribe.com Twitter handle(s): @nickthacker Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Nick-Thacker/e/B008A2W6XE -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY:Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

William Dylan Powell is an award-winning author who writes crime stories, mystery fiction and books about Texas. He lives in Houston. Powell's work has been featured in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, the Best American Mysteries 2018 and a host of fine truck stop bathroom walls across the Texas badlands. DID I MENTION?Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller at https://kevintumlinson.com/books CONNECT ONLINE:Website:: www.texasmischief.com Amazon Author page:: https://www.amazon.com/William-Dylan-Powell/e/B001JP89AI Twitter Handle:: @texasmischief -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY:Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Feast of Fates, Christian A. Brown received a Kirkus star in 2014 for the first novel in his genre-changing Four Feasts Till Darkness series. He has appeared on Newstalk 1010, AM640, Daytime Rogers, and Get Bold Today with LeGrande Green. He actively writes a blog about his mother’s journey with cancer and on gender issues in the media. DID I MENTION?Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Stepping Maze - https://books2read.com/stepping-maze CONNECT ONLINE:Website(s): www.christianadrianbrown.comTwitter handle(s): @AuthorChrisABFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristianAdrianBrown/Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00M7V9YLG -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY:Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Start writes goofy non-fiction. His first-person experiences as an American abroad, cultural observations and fun facts will have you laughing and learning. DID I MENTION?Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE:Website(s): www.startgoingplaces.comhttp://voicemap.me/authors/joe-startTwitter handle(s):Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoeStartAuthorAmazon Author page: http://amazon.com/author/joestart -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY:Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more than three decades George Mercer worked as a national park warden in Canada, including both east and west coasts, the North and the Rocky Mountains. For eight of those years, George worked as a Park Warden and Monitoring Ecologist in Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, British Columbia. George continues to be passionate about parks and protected areas, weaving elements of mystery and suspense into Dyed In The Green, the first fiction series about Canada’s iconic national parks. DID I MENTION?Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE:Website:: www.georgemercer.comAmazon Author page:: https://www.amazon.com/George-Mercer/e/B01M5L55F3Twitter Handle:: @egeorgemercerFacebook:: https://www.facebook.com/george.mercer.12 -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY:Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Carr, a former Navy SEAL, led a special operations teams on four continents as a Team Leader, Platoon Commander, Troop Commander and Task Unit Commander. So when he delivered a thriller about a fictional former SEAL, famed editor Emily Bestler had to sit up and take notice. DID I MENTION? Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): https://officialjackcarr.comTwitter handle(s): @JackCarrUSAFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackcarrusa/AmazonAuthor page: https://www.amazon.com/Jack-Carr/e/B0773Y8L7L/ -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

M.G. Herron is the author of The Translocator Trilogy and other action-packed science fiction novels. When he’s not inventing new worlds or exploring the great outdoors, Matt works as a marketing strategist and freelance copywriter in Austin, TX. DID I MENTION?Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE:Website:: https://mgherron.com Amazon Author page:: https://www.amazon.com/M.-G.-Herron/e/B00OEKX55E/ Books2Read Author Page:: https://books2read.com/ap/8PZaOR/MG-Herron Twitter Handle:: @mgherron Facebook:: facebook.com/mgherronauthor -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennifer Miller is a journalist and the author of three books. Her debut novel, The Year of the Gadfly (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), was called “a dark comic romp” by the Washington Post and “entirely addictive” by Glamour. Jason is editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine, host of the podcasts Pessimists Archive and Problem Solvers, and has been an editor at Men’s Health, Maxim, Fast Company, and Boston magazine. They live in Brooklyn with their 3-year- old, who they hope will never read this book. DID I MENTION? Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website:: www.MrNiceGuyNovel.com Amazon Author page:: https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Nice-Guy-Jennifer-Miller/dp/1250189888 Twitter Handle:: @mrniceguy -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric C. Anderson is a retired member of the U.S. intelligence community who served tours of duty in Hawaii, Iraq, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia and Washington, D.C. A former academic, he taught at the University of Missouri, University of Maryland, Air Force Academy and National Intelligence University. During his career, he produced more than 600 articles for the President’s Daily Brief, National Intelligence Council, International Security Advisory Board and the Department of Defense. In addition, he is the author of Take the Money and Run: Sovereign Wealth Funds and the Demise of American Prosperity, China Restores: The Middle Kingdom Looks Forward to 2020, Adopting Ainsley: There’s No Place for a Car Seat on a Motorcycle and Sinophobia: The Huawei Story. A life-long sailor and biker, he claims to have spent endless hours on boats and put over 300,000 miles on a variety of Harley-Davidsons. DID I MENTION? Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website:: http://dunnbooks.com/eric-c-anderson/ Amazon Author page:: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-C.-Anderson/e/B001QV2DX4/ -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brandon Barr is a USA Today Bestselling Author who hails from Southern California. He writes in the genres of science fiction and fantasy and often combines the two, preferring stories where the science is soft, the fantastic is vivid, and the flesh and soul characters are front and center. DID I MENTION? Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website:: www.brandonbarr.com Amazon Author page:: https://www.amazon.com/Brandon-Barr/e/B002DMIYTW Facebook:: https://www.facebook.com/BrandonJBarr/ How can listeners join your mailing list?: www.brandonbarr.com -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toronto-born writer, researcher and artist Marina L. Reed has been penning stories since she was a small child, growing up in rural Ontario. Reed has worked as a researcher and writer for CBC Television, as a mentor for struggling families, has written for journals and online education programs, and has taught the arts to people aged 4-18 in schools across Ontario, Europe, and the West Indies. Reed holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Windsor (where she won the Board of Governor’s Medal). She also holds a Master of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor Degree of Education from the University of Toronto. She is an avid lover of nature and the magic that surrounds us. She currently lives outside Toronto where she creates her art. Reed’s debut novel, Primrose Street, is forthcoming from Blue Moon Publishers in 2018. DID I MENTION? Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website:: https://marinalreed.com Twitter Handle:: @marinalreed -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew Thrush is the cofounder of Six-Figure Ghostwriter and #1 best-selling author of over 50 books. He's a top-ranked ghostwriter and writing coach, who specializes in mentoring aspiring writers to scale to six-figures with ghostwriting. He's been an expert or guest speaker for Make Money While You Sleep, YourFirst10kReaders, Author Platform Rocket, Kindlepreneur, Wordslinger, and Draft2Digital. His mission is fuel people with an abundance mindset so they can manifest their dreams. DID I MENTION? Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website:: www.sixfigureghostwriter.com Amazon Author page:: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B00J8VFJK8/ Twitter Handle:: @Genk01Thrush Facebook:: https://www.facebook.com/groups/313369749194477/about/ How can listeners join your mailing list?: https://www.facebook.com/groups/313369749194477/about/ -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grant Faulkner is the Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month and the co-founder of 100 Word Story. He recently published a book of essays on creativity, Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo. His stories have appeared in dozens of literary magazines, including Tin House, The Southwest Review, and The Gettysburg Review, and have been widely anthologized. His essays on creativity have been published in The New York Times, Poets & Writers, Writer’s Digest, and The Writer. He's also published a collection of 100-word stories, Fissures, and served as co-editor of Nothing Short of 100: Selected Tales from 100 Word Story. DID I MENTION? Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website:: http://grantfaulkner.com/ Amazon Author page:: https://www.amazon.com/Grant-Faulkner/e/B00J1YQZVE Books2Read Author Page:: Twitter Handle:: @grantfaulkner Facebook:: https://www.facebook.com/grantfaulkner -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Megan Haskell is the author of the Amazon bestselling dark fantasy adventure series, The Sanyare Chronicles, The first book in the series, Sanyare: The Last Descendant, was honored with a B.R.A.G. Medallion for quality in independent literature. She lives in Orange County, California with her husband, two young daughters, and one ridiculously energetic dog. You can find her on her website at www.MeganHaskell.com.​ Greta Boris is the author of the 2017 releases, A Margin of Lust and The Scent of Wrath, the first two books in her 7 Deadly Sins domestic suspense series. She’s published articles on culture, health, and entertainment for a variety of national magazines including Victorian Homes, Zombies, 50 Scariest Movies, Exodus, and Women of the Bible. Her first book, The Wine and Chocolate Workout – Sip, Savor, and Strengthen for a Healthier Life, is an Amazon Kindle Bestseller. To find out what she's up to and to receive a free story, June Gloom - A Deadly Short, visit her at http://gretaboris.com. DID I MENTION? Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s):www.aspiringtoauthor.comwww.meganhaskell.comwww.gretaboris.com Twitter handle(s):@meganphaskell@gretaboris Facebook: www.facebook.com/meganhaskellauthorwww.facebook.com/gretaboris Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Megan-Haskell/e/B00RSHJ306/https://www.amazon.com/Greta-Boris/e/B00ADUFSD6/ -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christine Munroe is the Director of Kobo Writing Life, Kobo's free self-publishing platform that helps authors reach millions of Kobo readers around the world. Before joining Kobo, she worked in NYC as a literary agent and international book scout. In her free time she wrangles two small kids and two small dogs, but always finds time to read every day. LISTEN: Kevin’s interview on Kobo Writing Life DID I MENTION? Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website:: kobo.com/writinglife Twitter Handle:: @kobowritinglife Facebook:: https://www.facebook.com/KoboWritingLife/ -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colin Gardiner is a former economics/statistical researcher and the current Chief Product Officer of Outdoorsy, the largest and safest community-driven RV marketplace for renting RVs directly from local RV owners. DID I MENTION? Check out my interview on the Roadtreking Podcast: http://bit.ly/154-roadtrek Rent a writer's retreat that can take you places! Check out my RV, now for rent via Outdoorsy, at bit.ly/rvwriter! Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE:Website(s): https://www.outdoorsy.comTwitter handle(s): @colingardiner THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWSBrought to you byDraft2Digital- AAP Estimates US Book Publishing Industry Generated $26 Billion in Revenue Last Year — http://bit.ly/157-billions- Tor Books is Now Windowing Library eBooks — http://bit.ly/157-tor- Amazon Updates KDP Rules to Discourage Book-Stuffing — http://bit.ly/157-amazon -- LOOKING FOR SOME COOL T-SHIRTS WITH WHICH TO HIDE YOUR NAKED SHAME? Now you can get T-shirts with stuff I wrote on ‘em. Just hit http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees to browse and buy! -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Written World Writer’s Retreat - Rent a writer’s retreat that goes wherever you want to go. Check out my listing on Outdoorsy for the perfect writer’s retreat—my 38’ luxury motor coach! Go to http://bit.ly/rvwriter for details. Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS?CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark is a Scotsman now living in Würzburg, Germany. He is a former technology journalist, with past experience working for newspapers, magazines, and websites. In a previous life, he was a Jack-of-all-trades, including being a government civil servant, working in hotels, travelling around Europe and working as a civilian employee on a US Army base here in Würzburg. DID I MENTION? - Check out my interview on the Roadtreking Podcast: http://bit.ly/154-roadtrek Rent a writer's retreat that can take you places! Check out my RV, now for rent via Outdoorsy, at bit.ly/rvwriter! Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): markoneill.org Twitter handle(s): @markoneill Facebook: facebook.com/markoneillonline Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Mark-ONeill/e/B074LCQN1D THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS Brought to you by Draft2Digital - Walmart and Microsoft team up to fight Amazon - http://bit.ly/156-walmart - Bad Romance - http://bit.ly/156-badromance - Trademark on Cover Design - http://bit.ly/156-trademark -- LOOKING FOR SOME COOL T-SHIRTS WITH WHICH TO HIDE YOUR NAKED SHAME? Now you can get T-shirts with stuff I wrote on ‘em. Just hit http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees to browse and buy! -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Written World Writer’s Retreat - Rent a writer’s retreat that goes wherever you want to go. Check out my listing on Outdoorsy for the perfect writer’s retreat—my 38’ luxury motor coach! Go to http://bit.ly/rvwriter for details. Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Justin Sloan wrote video games before becoming a full-time author, with credits on such games as Game of Thrones, Tales from the Borderlands, Walking Dead, and Marvel and mobile games. He taught Muay Thai kickboxing and Marine Corps Martial Arts, and can play three songs on the bagpipes. Justin holds advanced degrees in international relations/economics and creative writing. Oh, and he acted in movies for a bit - all small roles though. DID I MENTION? - Check out my interview on the Roadtreking Podcast: http://bit.ly/154-roadtrek Rent a writer's retreat that can take you places! Check out my RV, now for rent via Outdoorsy, at bit.ly/rvwriter! Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): www.JustinSloanAuthor.comTwitter handle(s): @justinmsloanFacebook: www.facebook.com/JustinSloanAuthor/Amazon Author page: www.amazon.com/Justin-Sloan THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWSBrought to you byDraft2Digital - Bookfunnel announces Print Codes - http://bit.ly/155-bookfunnel- Kobo limits book descriptions to 4,000 characters for Walmart - http://bit.ly/155-kobo- Authors can lease a virtual Mac - http://bit.ly/155-mac -- LOOKING FOR SOME COOL T-SHIRTS WITH WHICH TO HIDE YOUR NAKED SHAME? Now you can get T-shirts with stuff I wrote on ‘em. Just hit http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees to browse and buy! -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Written World Writer’s Retreat - Rent a writer’s retreat that goes wherever you want to go. Check out my listing on Outdoorsy for the perfect writer’s retreat—my 38’ luxury motor coach! Go to http://bit.ly/rvwriter for details. Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott is a turtle amongst ninjas. At an early age he potty trained himself and has been ahead of the curve ever since. A one time college professor, Scott now makes his living as an indy author and board game photographer. MENTIONS: - Check out my interview on the Roadtreking Podcast: http://bit.ly/154-roadtrek Rent a writer's retreat that can take you places! Check out my RV, now for rent via Outdoorsy, at bit.ly/rvwriter! Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): www.scottking.infoTwitter handle(s): @scottkingAmazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-King/e/B002BMAE9C/ THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWSBrought to you byDraft2Digital Barnes & Noble fires its newest CEO with no severance pay - http://bit.ly/154-bn English rapper Stormzy launches book publishing imprint, announces book - http://bit.ly/154-stormzy Cockygate is over! - http://bit.ly/154-cocky -- LOOKING FOR SOME COOL T-SHIRTS WITH WHICH TO HIDE YOUR NAKED SHAME? Now you can get T-shirts with stuff I wrote on ‘em. Just hit http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees to browse and buy! -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Written World Writer’s Retreat - Rent a writer’s retreat that goes wherever you want to go. Check out my listing on Outdoorsy for the perfect writer’s retreat—my 38’ luxury motor coach! Go to http://bit.ly/rvwriter for details. Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike is a veteran journalist who, with his wife, Jennifer, travels North America in a Type B motorhome, blogging about the people, places, joys and adventure of RV life on the road. He enjoys camping (obviously), hiking, biking, fitness, photography, kayaking, video editing and all things dealing with technology. See and subscribe to his RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube, where he has hundreds of RV and travel related videos. His PC Mike TV reports, on personal technology are distributed weekly to all 215 NBC-TV stations. MENTIONS:Rent a writer's retreat that can take you places! Check out my RV, now for rent via Outdoorsy, at bit.ly/rvwriter! Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): roadtreking.com YouTube: rvlifestylechannel.com Twitter handle(s): @roadtreking Facebook: facebook.com/roadtreking Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B001KIDWWY THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWSBrought to you byDraft2Digital US Supreme Court Tax Ruling Means Authors Have to Collect Sales Tax on Direct Sales - http://bit.ly/153-taxes iBooks gets a redesign and new Apple Books branding in iOS 12 - http://bit.ly/153-apple Harlan Ellison, one of science fiction’s most controversial authors, has died - http://bit.ly/153-harlan -- LOOKING FOR SOME COOL T-SHIRTS WITH WHICH TO HIDE YOUR NAKED SHAME? Now you can get T-shirts with stuff I wrote on ‘em. Just hit http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees to browse and buy! -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Written World Writer’s Retreat - Rent a writer’s retreat that goes wherever you want to go. Check out my listing on Outdoorsy for the perfect writer’s retreat—my 38’ luxury motor coach! Go to http://bit.ly/rvwriter for details. Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As an avid snowboarder from Utah, Ben grew up with a passion for learning. This thirst for knowledge led him to sports, music, and academic endeavours. He has done volunteer work in Brazil and speaks three languages. With a bachelors from the University of Central Florida, he started publishing in 2012 and has since sold over 200,000 copies. Each of his books have been inspired by his wife and six beautiful children. He currently resides in Missouri while completing his Master's in professional writing. MENTIONS: Rent a writer's retreat that can take you places! Check out my RV, now for rent via Outdoorsy, at bit.ly/rvwriter! Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): www.Lumineia.com www.27dates.com Twitter handle(s): @27dates @benhale8 Facebook: Facebook.com/Elseerian, Facebook.com/27dates Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B008L4V466 THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS Brought to you byDraft2Digital VELLUM ADDS EASIER IMPORT FROM SCRIVENER http://bit.ly/152-vellum THE AUTHOR'S GUILD IS TAKING IT'S ANNUAL AUTHOR INCOME SURVEY http://bit.ly/152-income AMAZON NOW LETS AUTHORS PURCHASE MULTIPLE COPIES OF KINDLE EBOOKS http://bit.ly/152-amazon -- LOOKING FOR SOME COOL T-SHIRTS WITH WHICH TO HIDE YOUR NAKED SHAME? Now you can get T-shirts with stuff I wrote on ‘em. Just hit http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees to browse and buy! -- THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Written World Writer’s Retreat - Rent a writer’s retreat that goes wherever you want to go. Check out my listing on Outdoorsy for the perfect writer’s retreat—my 38’ luxury motor coach! Go to http://bit.ly/rvwriter for details. Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Gaughran is an Irish writer, living in Prague, who spends most of his time travelling the world, collecting stories. He runs the publishing blog Let's Get Digital and the South American history site South Americana, and his work has been featured in the Huffington Post, The Sunday Times and the Irish Times. MENTIONS: Rent a writer's retreat that can take you places! Check out my RV, now for rent via Outdoorsy, at bit.ly/rvwriter! Cover your nakedness and your shame with a Written World Tee, now with 100% more Kevin words! http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): Blog: https://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/ Site: http://davidgaughran.com/ Twitter handle(s): @DavidGaughran Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidGaughranWriter/ Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/David-Gaughran/e/B004YWUS6Q THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS Brought to you by Draft2Digital Traditional ebooks are down, Indies are up — That’s according to a story in GeekWire, which presents the oddly confusing yet comforting statement “Ebook sales are dying. Ebooks are insanely popular.” The story cites PubTrack Digital’s research results, showing a 10 percent decline in ebook sales from 2017 over 2016. The 450 publishers included in the study saw ebook sales from from 170 million units to 162 million in that one-year span. A second study released by the American Association of Publishers seems to jive with those results, showing a 4.7 percent drop in ebook sales in 2017, from more than 1,200 publishers. But all is not lost—because the article points out that those studies are both focused entirely on traditional book publishing. Factor in indie publishing, and you get a revolution of ebook sales. Big numbers are hitting the board, including one from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos: “Over a thousand independent authors surpassed $100,000 in royalties in 2017, through Kindle Direct Publishing.” — http://bit.ly/151-ebooks Should we judge a work by its author? — In the wake of allegations of sexist misconduct, some are asking if we should ignore and invalidate work written by authors such as Junto Díaz, a Pulitzer Prize winner who was accused of forcibly kissing a woman years earlier. A recent editorial in the National Review argues that we shouldn’t dismiss a writer’s (or actor’s or comedian’s or artist’s) work because of that writer’s actions. I agree. Despite allegations, enough readers have resonated with Díaz’s work that it would be horribly dismissive to ban or boycott it. Instead, maybe we should consider that first all humans are capable of producing good work regardless of their past offenses, and second that we humans are not defined by the mistakes of our past. If we’re to grow and evolve, we have to accept that people can change. What do you think? — http://bit.ly/151-badwriter What Can Algorithms Tell You About Your Writing? — In a recent Wall Street Journal post, machine learning has come into the spotlight as potentially “your next editor.” Computer algorithms can now be used to determine everything from reading level to mood to the complexity of your ideas. Could this lead to a revolution in automated editing? Maybe. Though the technology gives some pretty handy insights into improving a writing sample, it doesn’t necessarily account for when a writer deliberately wants to break the rules. Imagine Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer run through this thing and you’ll get the idea. On the other hand, for writers who may be just learning to hone their craft, this could be a life (and budget) saver. Check out the story and even test some of your own writing. — http://bit.ly/151-algorithm LOOKING FOR SOME COOL T-SHIRTS WITH WHICH TO HIDE YOUR NAKED SHAME? Now you can get T-shirts with stuff I wrote on ‘em. Just hit http://bit.ly/writtenworld-tees to browse and buy! THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Written World Writer’s Retreat - Rent a writer’s retreat that goes wherever you want to go. Check out my listing on Outdoorsy for the perfect writer’s retreat—my 38’ luxury motor coach! Go to http://bit.ly/rvwriter for details. Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full acc

Rick Pullen is a novelist, award-winning investigative reporter and magazine editor. His 2016 thriller, Naked Ambition, about a reporter investigating a corrupt presidential candidate, became a bestseller. The Apprentice is his latest release. In 2018, newspaper reporter Beck Rikki returns as she sets out to discover the Naked Truth, the sequel to Naked Ambition. Pullen is a member of the Folio 100—the 100 most influential people in magazine publishing—and was a finalist for Editor of the Year. MENTIONS:Rent a writer's retreat that can take you places! Check out my RV, now for rent via Outdoorsy, at bit.ly/rvwriter! New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): http://rickpullen.com/ Twitter handle(s): @RickPullen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rickpullenwriter/ Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Apprentice-Rick-Pullen-ebook/dp/B075787Y89 THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWSBrought to you by Draft2Digital The Worlds Are Ending! — Amazon has announced that it will be closing its popular Kindle Worlds service in July. KW launched in May 2013 as a way for intellectual property owners to open their worlds for other writers, with both the copyright holder and the contributor splitting royalties from sales. It was a popular option for authors looking to break into writing fiction, with the power of a known brand behind them. There’s been no official word as to what happens next, and that’s proving problematic for contributing authors. Under the Kindle Worlds License Agreement, the contributing authors granted rights to their stories to the property holders. Effectively, then, it’s up to those property holders to make any deals to republish or redistribute that work. As there are few viable options for royalty splitting in the marketplace, the likelihood is that these titles will never be republished. — http://bit.ly/150-worlds Romantic Times Calling it Quits — Romantic Times Magazine, and its associated annual convention, will be shutting down, according to a May 16 announcement. The Romantic Times convention is currently running, but magazine owner Kathryn Falk announced to attendees that this would be the last year. Most attendees were very surprised, and were concerned that the closure would impact readers. Thanks to JoCarol Jones, however, there’s still some spark for readers and convention goers. Jones accounted that she will be creating and running The Booklovers Convention, which will take up the cause. — http://bit.ly/150-romantic More Cocky — The story behind #cockygate just keeps evolving, now with a feature article in Vox detailing some of the finer points of the IP battle. For those not in the know, author Faleena Hopkins started an avalanche of news and ill feelings when she trademarked the word “cocky” as it applies to ebooks, books, and audiobooks in the romance genre. She started a ruckus when she sent cease and desist letters to a number of romance authors using the word in the titles of their books, following up by issuing takedown notices with Amazon for alleged trademark violation. The story continues to take on mass as authors take issue, file petitions to have the trademark revoked, and even turn to trade organizations like RWA to bring legal muscle to the game. The implications of this story keep unfolding. — http://bit.ly/150-cocky THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Written World Writer’s Retreat - Rent a writer’s retreat that goes wherever you want to go. Check out my listing on Outdoorsy for the perfect writer’s retreat—my 38’ luxury motor coach! Go to http://bit.ly/rvwriter for details. Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michelle Madow is a USA Today bestselling author of fast paced fantasy novels that will leave you turning the pages wanting more! She grew up in Maryland and now lives in Florida. Some of her favorite things are: reading, traveling, pizza, time travel, Broadway musicals, and spending time with friends and family. Someday, she hopes to travel the world for a year on a cruise ship. CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): www.michellemadow.com Twitter handle(s): @MichelleMadow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellemadow/ Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Madow/e/B005GA8KA6/ THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: Don’t Get Cocky — Romance author Faleena Hopkins has been the talk of the indie publishing industry of late, thanks to her decision to trademark the word “cocky” as it applies to romance-genre ebooks, books, audiobooks, and allegedly even metadata for all of the above. Hopkins began sending cease and desist notifications to authors using the word in their romance titles, threatening legal action if authors didn’t comply and make a change. Hopkins has trademarked not only the word “cocky,” but a stylized font treatment of the word using a font that is, apparently, not legally allowed for use in a trademark or copyright. The community is up-at-arms over the move, and it has sparked a very heated discussion regarding intellectual property laws as they apply to indie authors. My take: This is an abuse of IP law, and it should never have passed review. Someone in the US Patent and Trademark Office has fallen down on the job, or has been banned for access to a common English language dictionary. This is a story to watch for all its implications to the industry, for sure. — http://bit.ly/149-cocky Books by women authors are cheaper than books by men? — That, according to CBS Money Watch, reporting on research that books written by women are priced 45 percent lower than books written by men. Researchers analyzed more than 2 million books published between 2002 and 2012 and determined the 45 percent number to apply to both traditional and indie-published books. That number shrinks to just 9 recent once genre and other mitigating factors are included. And the number specific to self-published titles is smaller still: “Self-published titles by women are priced at 4 percent less than for men, the researchers found,” as stated by the CBS article. So what’s driving that price differential? I argue that it’s genre: Women tend to write in genres where various factors have driven the price point lower. Whereas men tend to write in genres where a higher price point is acceptable. The way to look at this and verify it would be to break this down and study price points and ranges within specific genres, to see if the disparity holds up. — http://bit.ly/149-gender Author takes on US Education — Ted Dintersmith, author of “What School Could Be,” appeared on CNBC to discuss his book and his take on how the education system in the United States is not only letting students down, but is actually making it more difficult for them to be competitive in the workplace. Dintermsith states that he believes college “definitely is not for everyone,” and points out that only one in five students leave college with a background and resources that can equip them for a successful career. I have to say, I agree 100%. As controversial as this statement may be, I believe college is a worthless endeavor for the majority of our population, and that most people if not all people would benefit far more by investing all of that time, money, and energy into starting a small business—even if that business utterly fails. What do you think? Check out the interview and leave me a comment. — bit.ly/149-school THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Written World Writer’s Retreat - Rent a writer’s retreat that goes wherever you want to go. Check out my listing on Outdoorsy for the perfect writer’s retreat—my 38’ luxury motor coach! Go to http://bit.ly/rvwriter for details. Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. (She's only slightly socially awkward as a result.) She writes paranormal and contemporary romance with plenty of abs and angst. Her most frequent hobbies are riding motorcycles and avoiding killer slugs. MENTIONS:New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): www.heatherhildenbrand.com Twitter handle(s): @HeatherHildenbr Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherHildenbrandAuthor/ Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Heather-Hildenbrand/e/B004VH51XE/ THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: Amazon launches Prime Book Box — Coming up later in 2018, Amazon will launch Prime Book Box, a monthly subscription-based service aimed at kids. The subscription will run just under $23 per month, and spending on the age of the child they’ll get either four board books (think Little Golden Books) or two hardcover picture books or novels. The board books go to kids who are two years old or younger, and the picture books and novels go to ages three to 12. This is significant because it’s the first time Amazon has offered a subscription service for physical books. And because you’ll ask, the books are selected by Amazon Books editors, who pick based on the appropriateness for the age ranges, and they’ll avoid duplicates by using the customer’s purchase history. — http://bit.ly/148-amazon The launch of Publishing Technology Partners — For those looking to launch and build a business in the publishing space, Publishing Technology Partners is a consulting partnership that brings a lot of industry expertise to the table. The five founding partners have an impressive array of combined publishing and technology know-how, and are making it available to startups and businesses in need of development, marketing, strategy and more. It’s an interesting emerging business in large part because it signifies just how legit “new publishing” has become. If you happen to be developing in this space, it’s worth checking these guys out. — http://bit.ly/148-partners Findaway Voices introduces promotional pricing — Audiobook distribution platform Findaway Voices has announced that they now support promotional retail pricing. Authors distributing through the service can now set up promotional pricing through Google Play, NOOK Audiobooks, eStories, LibroFM, and Instread. Findaway lists some perks to accompany this new resource, and by far my favorite has been “Vendors will typically give titles on promotion more favorable coverage and merchandising support.” If you’d like to save on the $49 admin fee, by the way, you can sign up for Findaway Voices via Draft2Digital. — http://bit.ly/148-findaway THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Leeb is the Cofounder of Astrohaus, the makers of the Freewrite Distraction-Free writing tool. He is a product designer and mechanical engineer (MIT graduate) MENTIONS:New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s):https://getfreewrite.com wtf.getfreewrite.com https://astrohaus.com https://adamleeb.com Twitter handle(s): @iamadamleeb THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: Bezos Reveals Amazon Prime has 100M Members — In Amazon’s annual shareholder letter, CEO Jeff Bezos gave the typical call for the company to live up to “ever-rising customer expectations,” and touting Amazon’s high standards at every level. The letter also contained some interesting news in the form of information that all the world has wondered about: Just how many subscribers does Amazon Prime have? The number, as it turns out, is 100 million. Meaning Amazon not only makes around $9.9-billion per year on the service, it also has the eyes of a hundred million vetted customers, willing to spend even more money with the retail giant. I’m not sure what to do with this knowledge, now that I have it. But I’m impressed, Jeff. *slow clap* — http://bit.ly/147-Bezos ALLi is Betting on Blockchain — If you’ve followed news about Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency, then you may have some vague knowledge of what “bitcoin” and “cryptocurrency” mean. And you might also have heard of Blockchain. The idea, in the simplest terms, is that blockchain is a sort of digital ledger for transactions made with cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin. If that didn’t clear anything up, think of it as a more or less foolproof way to do a digital transaction, much more in line with the way you’d do a physical transaction. In other words, if I pay for your physical book, you get your money and I get the book. I can’t then replicate the book with a few mouse clicks and resell it, keeping the original and maybe repeating the process. Blockchain would effectively prevent anyone from being able to sell a digital version of your book, without at least giving up their digital version. It’s a way to make digital products more like their physical counterparts. And the Alliance of Independent Authors sees this as a great way to give authors a more complete ownership of their intellectual property, allowing authors to have more control, and be less dependent on giants such as Amazon KDP. They’re calling it Self Publishing 3.0, and they’ve released a white paper that gives the full details. — http://bit.ly/147-blockchain Amazon Wins First Arbitration — In September 2017 Amazon filed for arbitration against at least five authors and businesses accused of violating Amazon’s terms of service, essentially scamming the system to make quite a bit of money. Amazon has won the first of these arbitrations, against a British business owner. Amazon has asked the court to enter judgement in line with the January award issued by American Arbitration Association. Jake Drya, the UK business owner, is ordered to pay damages after arbitration determined he knowingly manipulated KDP, violating their TOS. Dryan’s business was doing crazy stuff, including publishing duplicates of books that were already available, using bots to increase page views. All of which violates Amazon’s TOS.— http://bit.ly/147-Amazon THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beau L'Amour was born in Los Angeles, California. His father was Louis L'Amour, a well known author of magazine and paperback fiction. His mother was Katherine Adams, the daughter of a silent movie actress and a southern California real estate developer. Throughout a good deal of his youth Beau lived in West Hollywood, an unincorporated section of Los Angeles county, known as a center of counter-culture and beatnik life. He grew up surrounded by his parents eclectic and eccentric group of friends; Austrian philosophers, American Indians, FBI agents, members of the Hollywood Ten, Eastern European refugees, Thai aristocracy, mysteriously talented dealers in primitive art and a wide array of writers, from Ray Bradbury to Jim Thompson. MENTIONS:New to Wordslinger Press, pick up Writing a Better Book Description Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): http://beaulamour.com/index.html http://www.louislamourslosttreasures.com http://louislamour.com/aboutlouis/biography.htm http://www.thediamondofjeruaudio.com Twitter handle(s): Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeauDLAmour Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Beau-LAmour/e/B00FVVNKGE/ THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: Amazon targets Kindle Publishing Scams — Finally. I mean, seriously, this story should have been a headline years ago. But finally Amazon is taking steps to cut down on scams and abuse from unscrupulous authors using their Kindle Direct Publishing service. Amazon has filed five complaints against authors who are violating the terms of service, with everything from trafficking in fake reviews to “link abuse,” where an author puts a link in the front of the book that sends readers to the back of the book, in an effort to capitalize on Amazon’s page reads policy. Amazon is seeking more than half a million dollars in damages from five authors. It remains to be seen whether these actions will curtail some of KDP’s woes, but a start is a start. — http://bit.ly/WPC146-Amazon-Lawsuit Microsoft quietly rolls out E-Bookstore — Authors looking to reach a very specific and narrow group of readers can rejoice … Microsoft has finally rolled out its eBook store, which is available exclusively to users of the Windows 10 operating system. Ebooks can be purchased via the Microsoft Store app, or on Microsoft’s website. When asked if Microsoft will eventually support devices beyond Windows 10, such as the prolific and near universal Apple iPhone or the stunningly popular Google Android platform, Microsoft replied in the vaguest terms possible. Which means “no, but maybe.Someday. If we get around to it.” — http://bit.ly/WPC146-Microsoft Smashwords Founder Mark Coker thinks Indies are losing their independence — Citing an ever-increasing dependence on KDP Select, Mark Coker wrote in the Huffington post that “Authors who now derive 100% of their sales from Amazon are no longer indie authors. They’re dependent authors. I suppose we have indie authors and de-authors now.” A bit cynical, but does he have a point? Personally, I believe the “independent” in “independent authors” is more about owning your career and being in control of your decisions, but Coker’s point is that dependence on one sales channel will lead to losing options. Whether this is the future of Indies, we really can’t say. Definitely food for thought, though.— http://bit.ly/WPC146-Coker THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With over 15 years in online marketing experience Jonny Andrews has been in digital publishing before Amazon released the Kindle. MENTIONS:Jonny last appeared on the Wordslinger Podcast in Episode 75 Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website: authorplatformrocket.com Twitter: @Jonny_Andrews THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: Draft2Digital Announces Author Pages and Book Tabs — D2D started 2018 by announcing we were going to focus on beefing up our offering at Books2Read.com, and by paying particular attention to tools that will help with author discoverability. To that end, we just announced our new discoverability tools: D2D Author Pages and D2D Book Tabs. These two new resources will showcase both the author and the author’s work (books that is) to new and existing readers. Think of Author Pages as either your author-themed web presence, if you don’t have an author website, or as your book store for your existing site. Book Tabs are product pages that give readers everything they need to make their book buying decision, including a link that sends them to everywhere your book is sold online. These tools are incredible, and you can learn more about them on the official blog post, now with more video walk-thrus! — http://bit.ly/WPC145-D2DAuthorPages Digital Manga Overtakes Print — Manga, which no one ever seems to be able to pronounce correctly, is hugely popular worldwide, but particularly in Japan. And for the first time, digital sales of manga have outpaced print sales. Digital sales were up 17.2% from the previous year, versus print sales falling 14.4% over last year’s numbers. What makes this interesting is that manga is currently underserved in digital markets. As the rise in popularity starts to indicate a shift in interest from consumers, this could lead to opportunities for some willing and able digital publishers out there. Notably, Amazon’s Comixology acquisition could lead to its dominance in yet another digital publishing field. — http://bit.ly/WPC145-Digital-Manga No room for pirates in Switzerland — When you think of Switzerland, you think of pirates. No? You probably should, because internet piracy is huge in Switzerland, and impacts a lot of authors. The Swiss Federal Supreme Court is considering dialing back on its previous 2010 decision, which barred anti-piracy agencies from having access to the IP addresses of file servers used by internet pirates. The original ruling made Switzerland something of a safe harbor for pirates, but it also landed Switzerland on the US government’s watchlist, which is sometimes used to limit commerce with Swiss businesses online. Changes to the Swiss policy, which I’ll admit has some holes (heh), could help crack down on one of the biggest thorns in the sides of authors. — http://bit.ly/WPC145-Switzerland-Piracy THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bryan Cohen is a two-time USA Today bestselling author with over 40 books and 100,000 copies sold. He's also the head copywriter at Best Page Forward, a book description service, and he's the co-host of The Sell More Books Show, a weekly publishing industry news show. MENTIONS:Bryan last appeared on the Wordslinger Podcast in WPC-055 - Ninja Book Descriptions with Bryan Cohen Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s):http://www.sellmorebooksshow.comhttp://www.bestpageforward.net/blurbs Twitter handle(s): @bryancohenbooks Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Bryan-Cohen/e/B004I9WJTY/ THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: No Love Between Audible and Romance Authors — Is Audible ripping off romance authors? Yes. But that’s my opinion. It is, of course, based on the latest information coming to us about Audible’s new subscription package for romance titles. It was hailed as being similar to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program, which pays authors for pages read. But where KU pays authors something comparable to the royalty they would have gotten for a sale, Audible’s program is paying only pennies per listen. Compounding that is the fact that the program only pays the author once they’ve reached a $50 threshold, so for many authors it could be YEARS before they see a very meager return on thousands and thousands of listeners downloading their books. So I’m standing firm on this one—Audible is ripping off romance authors. You may feel free to disagree in comments. It’s a free country. Especially if you’re listening to someone’s romance book. https://goodereader.com/blog/indie-author-news/is-audible-romance-ripping-off-authors Uppity author thinks authors should be paid for their work — According to author Philip Pullman, there’s something a bit unbalanced about the fact that profits and margins are increasing in the publishing industry while the share given to the author is diminishing. In a quote from The Guardian, Pullman said, “To allow corporate profits to be so high at a time when author earnings are markedly falling is, apart from anything else, shockingly bad husbandry. It’s perfectly possible to make a good profit and pay a fair return to all of those on whose work, after all, everything else depends. But that’s not happening at the moment.” This would seem a good time to point out that indie authors keep a much bigger share of their royalties. True, they work for it, in terms of marketing and platform building. The disparity between what authors make versus what shareholders and stakeholders make is astounding: About three times what the authors makes for his or her work. My take: The industry has to make a profit, and that’s why this disparity exists. The solution, then, is to excise your career from the meat grinder of traditional publishing as much as you possibly can. If the trad industry can embrace a hybrid model, where the idea is to assist the author in increasing their reach and growing their platform, everyone can win. Agree? Disagree? Answer in the comments. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/mar/05/philip-pullman-calls-for-authors-to-get-fairer-share-of-publisher-profits Barnes & Noble’s comeback will be a slow burn — BN hasn’t been feeling so well, and the road to recovery is going to be long. Following a lackluster holiday season and a series of unexpected layoffs in February, Barnes & Noble has released details of its “long-term strategic plan.” The idea is to improve customer satisfaction and profitability by going back to book sales as the focus. It looks like they’re finally waking up to the fact that no one buys music or DVDs from Barnes & Noble (or anywhere, really), so those will likely fall out of the offering. They’re putting their money on gifts and stationary. Because that’ll work. This feels an awful lot like “same thing, new name” to me, but I’m hopeful that BN will see the kind of growth it needs. If they do, in fact, start focusing on the customer more and on defunct product offerings less, it could … well, do nothing, honestly. Truthfully, I don’t see any way that will help. But the new prototype stores, which have been rumored to have offerings such as wine bars and restaurants … ok, no, I just don’t see that working either. Maybe it’s time for Barnes & Noble to sell out to Amazon and get it over with. Comment with your take. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/76213-no-quick-fix-for-b-n.html THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.

Alisse Lee Goldenberg is an award winning author of Horror, Young Adult Paranormal Romance, and Young Adult Fantasy fiction. She is currently working on three series: The Sitnalta Series, The Dybbuk Scrolls, and The Bath Salts Journals (co-authored with An Tran). She has her Bachelors of Education and a Fine Arts degree, and has studied fantasy and folk lore since she was a child. Alisse is also a screenwriter and playwright living in Toronto with her husband Brian, and their triplets Joseph, Phillip, and Hailey. MENTIONS:Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): www.alisseleegoldenberg.com Twitter handle(s): @AliLGoldenberg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlisseLeeGoldenbergAuthor/ Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Alisse-Lee-Goldenberg/e/B006LNKMNA THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: Wordslinger Press Officially Launches — As self-serving as this may be, it’s my show. So nyah-nyah. But as of this week, I’ve launched Wordslinger Press. This will be the non-fiction arm of my publishing business, focusing primarily on creating content oriented toward the indie publishing community. You may already be aware of one of my other non-fiction books, 30-Day Author. This week I released a second Wordslinger book titled Writing A Better Book Description. This is a short, quick read—around 40 pages for $1.99, and available as an ebook everywhere you can think to buy one. This is the first in a series of quick guides meant to give authors and publishers a place to start when trying to figure out the mechanics of this business. Look for more of these in the near future. Pick up Writing A Better Book Description at https://books2read.com/betterbookdescriptions Is Amazon being used for money laundering? — It’s that time of year, when authors are getting their 1099s just in time to pay Uncle Sam for the privilege of being able to work for a living. Some authors are getting a little extra surprise with with their tax forms, though. Patrick Reames got a 1099 indicating that he’d made nearly $24,000 from book sales on CreateSpace.This seemed unlikely, as Reames did not have any books published through Amazon’s POD service. Upon checking into it, he discovered that someone had used his identity to create an account and sell a book titled “Lower Days Ahead” for $555 per copy. Reames and others aren’t entirely sure what’s up, but one theory is that someone is using CreateSpace to launder pilfered credit cards, buying copies of the paperback and having Amazon deposit 60% of the sale into a bank account. If true, this represents a huge and scary problem for both Amazon and indie authors. But it’s the kind of cool plot twist one might turn into a thriller novel. I call dibs. https://krebsonsecurity.com/2018/02/money-laundering-via-author-impersonation-on-amazon/ Hachette CEO says eBooks are a stupid product — Hachette is back in the news for comments from CEO Armaud Nourry. While in India, Nourry was interviewed by Scroll.in, and was pretty open about his disdain of the entire eBook market. “The ebook is a stupid product. It is exactly the same as print, except it’s electronic,” Nourry said. “There is no creativity, no enhancement, no real digital experience.” Nourry did admit that it was the entire industry that had not done a good job with eBooks … big of him. Frankly, the CEO’s comments highlight the fact that he and the rest of the traditional publishing industry seem to be utterly clueless about the impact of ebooks. That’s my opinion of course. As a seller of ebooks that are not priced higher than paperback books. http://www.thepassivevoice.com/2018/02/the-ebook-is-a-stupid-product-no-creativity-no-enhancement-says-the-hachette-group-ceo/ THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Wordslinger Press—This is your chance to start your indie author career right. Pick up books and other products to help you build and grow a successful writing career. Start growing at http://wordslingerpodcast.com Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 science fiction & fantasy books including the Android X series, Modern Necromancy series, and the Galaxy Mavericks series. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has perfected the art of balancing writing with a full-time job and family, writing 5-7 books per year. MENTIONS:Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): www.michaellaronn.com Twitter handle(s): @michaellaronn Facebook: www.facebook.com/michael.laronn Amazon Author page: amazon.com/author/michaellaronn THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: Offset printing for indie authors? — Indies have risen to success thanks to a handful of technologies that make their work more accessible to readers, from ebooks to publishing on demand. Now, writer Joel Friedlander thinks that the future for Indies will include access to a technology that has traditionally been more … well … traditional. Is offset printing the future of indie authors? Friedlander thinks so. The tech is becoming increasingly available and accessible, which means some adventurous indie publishers are reaching out to use it, more and more. Of course, 99% of people, to completely make up a number, can’t tell the difference between offset and laser printing without studying both very closely, side by side. So is it worth the extra cost? Or will the cost come down to something affordable for everyone? https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2018/02/offset-printing-future-indie-authors/ Washington Post is Evolving the Bestseller List — It’s been a complaint for Indies since day one: Bestseller lists often refuse to include sales results from sources such as Amazon.com, where ebook sales could skyrocket some lesser known and unknown authors well past traditionally published giants. The Washington Post is the first to recognize this for the error that it is. They’re revamping their bestseller list to include data not just from Bookscan, but from Amazon as well. What will this mean for indie authors? Are lists still relevant? https://lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/2018/02/washington-post-revamps-bestsellers-becomes-amazoned/ Book Marks could be the Rotten Tomatoes for literature — Literary Hub is launching a new section for their site, called Book Marks, that is aimed at helping readers “find books they will love by giving them access to the critical discourse that is an essential part of our ecosystem.” That from John Freeman, LitHub’s executive editor. In other words, Book Marks will aggregate reviews from all over the web, and crowdsource readers to improve on recommendations. Will this help new and unknown authors reach a new audience? Or will it just end in tears and gnashing of teeth for everyone? http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=2075&urltitle=Literary%20Hub%20Launches%20a%20New%20Book%20Review%20Aggregator%20Site%20BOOK%20MARKS THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger KDP Rocket—Take control, get more readers, increase your Kindle rankings. https://bit.ly/kdpslinger Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of 13 Cotton Malone adventures and 4 stand-alone thrillers. His books have been translated into 40 languages with over 22,000,000 copies in 51 countries. They consistently appear in the top echelon of The New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestseller lists. MENTIONS:History Matters - http://history-matters.org1001 Dark Nights - http://www.1001darknights.com Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): http://steveberry.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqbOLerUd6JxYu9QPs6NY7g Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteveBerryWriter/ Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Berry/e/B001H6W6DU/ THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: Scribd reintroduces Unlimited — Scribd announced this week that it’s bringing back its unlimited plan for audiobooks and eBooks, causing some buzz among authors and readers alike. This is a reboot of their previous attempt, and it looks like the service is learning from its mistakes. The reboot will allow Scribd subscribers to have access to an unlimited catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and newspapers, and sheet music, for some reason. However, “unlimited” may be a little misleading. After users have pored through a certain, unspecified number of books, they’ll essentially be throttled, and limited to books “unlimited’ reading from a list of pre-determined books. These will include new releases and frontlist books—the sort that people actually want to read on demand, in other words. This is a bit like Netflix deciding to limit viewers to only a backlist of videos, and charging them extra to watch new releases. My opinion, at least. What’s yours? https://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/scribd-reintroduces-unlimited-audiobooks-and-ebooks Apple fires shots across Amazon’s eBook bow — I’ve talked about this a bit in the past, but Apple and Amazon will likely be mentioned in a lot of indie publishing news over the next year, as Apple starts eyeing Amazon’s big, steaming hunk of the eBook market. Not only is Apple retooling its book business, with a redesigned app and a less ‘i-everyting’ name, they’ve also hired former executives from both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. What’s the game plan? World domination, obviously. And I, for one, welcome our technological overlords. Where do you think Apple will take the business, with these aggressive moves? https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-25/apple-is-said-to-ready-revamped-e-books-push-against-amazon Audiobook sales are on the rise — In a turn that is going to be good news for authors already invested in audiobooks as a sales channel, sales showed an upward trend in 2017. In the first three quarters, audiobooks sales rose 26.2%. As retailers such as Google Play and others start putting more focus on audiobooks, it’s likely we’re just at the beginning of an upward swoop. And as there are nowhere near the titles available in audio as there are in ebook formats, this represents an opportunity for early adopters to carve a piece of the pie for themselves. How are audiobooks fitting your publishing strategy? https://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/audiobook-sales-increased-26-2-first-three-quarters-of-2017 THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger KDP Rocket—Take control, get more readers, increase your Kindle rankings. https://bit.ly/kdpslinger Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

USA Today Bestselling action/adventure author Ernest Dempsey writes page-turning archaeological thrillers. Ernest currently splits time in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee and Atlanta, Georgia. Despite having degrees in Psychology and Counseling, Ernest always enjoyed creating stories, has perpetually been fascinated by the ancient world, and can often be found reading books and watching television shows related to history. MENTIONS:Pick up a copy of Kevin Tumlinson's newest Dan Kotler archaeological thriller The Girl in the Mayan Tomb - https://books2read.com/mayan-tomb Atlas Obscura - https://www.atlasobscura.com Hybrid Author Podcast - http://hybridauthorpodcast.com/episode-17-the-future-of-hybrid-publishing-with-kevin-tumlinson/ CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): Ernestdempsey.net Twitter handle(s): @erndempsey Facebook: Facebook.com/ErnestDempsey YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/edempsey3 Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Ernest-Dempsey/e/B00AM8UHO4/ THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: Barnes & Noble relaunches NOOK Press — BN thinks the third time’s the charm, as they once again rebrand and relaunch their self-publishing platform. Barnes & Noble: Nook Press has relaunched as a much easier mouthful, Barnes & Noble Press—a publishing device that will include both ebook and print-on-demand. The move surprised practically everyone, as most had written off Barnes & Noble after rumors and announcements over it’s NOOK platform began to sound like a death knell. But hopes and speculation are both on the rise after BN’s press release, stating that, among other things, they’ll be offering an increased royalty rate of 65% for ebooks priced at $10 or above, and the ability to set pre-orders up to 12 months in advance. Does this change BN’s future as an eBook distributor? Comment below to sound off. https://goodereader.com/blog/digital-publishing/bn-rebrands-its-selfpub-platform Findaway Voices becomes a gateway to Google Play — Audiobook distributor Findaway has announced that their platform, Findaway Voices, will be distributing audiobooks to Google Play’s new audiobook catalog. Voices, a program that Draft2Digital helped to launch in 2017, allows independent authors and publishers to produce and distribute their audiobooks to a global marketplace, without the exclusivity requirements pushed by services such as Amazon’s ACX program. Adding Google Play distribution means that indies now have one of the most coveted retailers in their belts. Could this lead to a greater indie presence on Google Play? https://medium.com/findaway-voices/distribution-update-google-play-launches-audiobooks-620ac0d479ef Walmart and Rakuten partnership means Kobo ebooks and audiobook distribution — Rakuten, the Japanese company that owns Canadian ebook distributor Kobo, has partnered with retail giant Walmart to deliver groceries in Japan. But the bigger news for indie authors is that Kobo’s catalog of ebooks and audiobooks will now be distributed globally via Walmart.com. Walmart has long courted the ebook industry, with several toe-dips into those waters, but with the muscle of Rakuten behind the deal, this could place Walmart in a position to topple Amazon’s dominance of the marketplace. Do you agree? https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/25/walmart-and-rakuten-partner-on-grocery-delivery-in-japan-kobo-e-books-and-audiobooks-in-u-s/ THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger KDP Rocket—Take control, get more readers, increase your Kindle rankings. https://bit.ly/kdpslinger Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Boyhood interests in trains and electronics fostered Mark's career as an electrical engineer, designing and commissioning signal and communications systems for railroads and rail transit agencies across the United States. Along the way Mark indulged his writing desire by authoring articles for rail and transit industry trade magazines. Coupled with Mark's long-time membership in anime, manga and anthropomorphic fandoms, he took up writing genre fiction. Growing up in Michigan, never far from his beloved Great Lakes, Mark and his wife today make their home in Wisconsin with their son and a dog who naps beside him as he writes. He is a member of Allied Authors of Wisconsin and the Furry Writers' Guild.CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): https://www.mark-engels.com/ Twitter handle(s): @mj_engels Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.engels.39 Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Mark-J.-Engels/e/B074Q51T9R/ THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: Author Earnings Report is out - Data Guy is back after a year-long hiatus, and he does not disappoint. The latest Author Earnings Report gives us some incredible insights into the industry, including a final confirmation that ebooks are, in fact, not going away. According to the report, 55% of online book purchase in 2017 were ebooks, and there’s every indication that climb will continue. The report has generated a bit of controversy, however, as it had initially named certain authors and publishers, giving their sales ranking and other information. Some authors complained this was a breech of privacy. What do you think? Does it impact privacy to aggregate and report publicly available data? http://authorearnings.com/report/january-2018-report-us-online-book-sales-q2-q4-2017/Google Play now offers audiobooks. — Google Play has had a turbulent time trying to enter and keep a foothold in the content marketplace, with it’s Google Play Store being difficult to navigate and, largely, devoid of content beyond what you could find at an airport bookstore. As they continue to work on those challenges, it looks like they’re making a bid to go toe to toe with Audible and iTunes for the audiobook market. This week, Google announced it will start carrying audiobooks in the Google Play Store, specifying that there is no subscription, and that many popular books will be sold at a discount. Could this be a true contender for knocking Audible off of the hill, giving both consumers and authors a better shot? I’d love to hear what you think, in the comments. https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/23/16921176/audiobooks-google-play-android-ios-home-speakersApple takes another swing at Amazon over ebooks. — After a slap-down from the U.S. Department of Justice, back in 2012, Apple was forced to back off of some of its more aggressive plans for the ebook business. Now, they’re up for another run, with a revamped ebook store and mobile app, and a new name—switching from the familiar iBooks to simply “Books,” in a move that mirrors similar name changes across their product line. It’s good to see someone rise to take a swing at Amazon, who has dominated ebooks for years now, but it remains to be seen whether we’re all in better hands within Apple’s walled garden. How do you see this battle of the book giants turning out? Is it a turning point for the industry, or just more of the same? https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-25/apple-is-said-to-ready-revamped-e-books-push-against-amazonTHIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger KDP Rocket—Take control, get more readers, increase your Kindle rankings. https://bit.ly/kdpslinger Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesper Schmidt is a fantasy author, living in Denmark, but has a Finnish sauna to thank for getting into writing. CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): www.jesperschmidt.com Twitter handle(s): @schmidtjesper Facebook: http://bit.ly/28NJQXO Amazon Author page: http://amzn.to/28VRmvr THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: Will Amazon offer 50% royalty? — If you’ve published using Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing service, you’re probably aware that Amazon offers two royalty options: 35% if your ebook is under $2.99, and 70% if it’s priced $2.99 to $9.99. But this past week, Amazon snuck in a surprise 50% option. It wasn’t clickable, and it disappeared as suddenly as it appeared. And as yet, no one knows what it might mean for sure. But the rumor mill has it now, and speculation is running wild. The most common hope/rumor: Amazon may start offering 50% royalty for non-exclusive books, and allowing authors to utilize services currently reserved for exclusive works. What do you think? Is a non-exclusive KDP in our future? And what would that mean for indie authors? https://goodereader.com/blog/digital-publishing/amazon-accidentally-drops-a-50-royalty-bombshell Wattpad gets $51M —Toronto-based Wattpad is a storytelling app that allows users to write and publish shorts stories, articles, and even books, a chapter at a time, for readers to enjoy, comment on, and upvote. The company has just gotten a pretty significant financial boost from investors and venture capitalists, to the tune of $51million, bringing Wattpad’s total funding to $117.8 million, US so far. The company will fold this cash infusion into improving its tech platform, in an effort to “empower diverse storytellers all over rate world, helping them build a community of passionate readers,” according to CEO Allen Lau. Lau also said that an objective of the company is to connect Hollywood with stories that could have a bigger audience appeal. What could this mean for indie authors? Is this an opportunity to grab at a movie deal, or will Wattpad be just another slush pile for studios to pick through? http://deadline.com/2018/01/wattpad-gets-51m-injection-from-investor-group-will-expand-its-tech-1202248461/ Could Amazon Same-Day Delivery Disrupt Book Printing? — John Conley, CEO of Borderland Advisors, has 42 years in the business, and he believes Amazon has a shot at redefining book printing as an industry, stating that Amazon’s same-day delivery requirements will force a necessary change to the business. Offset printing isn’t going anywhere, Conley insists, but digital and on-demand are causing a building tsunami that will alter the DNA of the industry. Could this give indie publishers a strategic advantage? With authors regularly writing and publishing at an astoundingly rapid rate, will same-day delivery be the tool that tips the balance of power in publishing? Let me know in the comments. http://www.piworld.com/xchange/business-management/john-conley/ THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger KDP Rocket—Take control, get more readers, increase your Kindle rankings. https://bit.ly/kdpslinger Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wordslingerpodcast Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe & Kait Russo are full-time travelers, living in a travel van with their husky, Leo, as they travel the country to see what adventures they can find. Their popular YouTube channel, We're the Russos, informs thousands of would-be travelers about the ins, outs, and in-betweens of life on the road. CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s):https://weretherussos.com/ youtube.com/weretherussos Twitter handle(s): @weretherussos Facebook: facebook.com/weretherussos Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Joe-Russo/e/B0756TCVKC THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: Smashwords hasn’t been hacked, but you might be — Smashwords, aka the “other” eBook aggregator service, sent an announcement to users stating that they’ve noted attempts to hack the service. In an email to users, Smashwords stated, “The security team here at Smashwords has detected multiple attempts by cybercriminals attempting to log in to Smashwords author accounts using stolen email/password combinations…To date, we’re aware of two authors who were victimized. Working with our payments partner PayPal we managed to recover the funds for one author earlier today and will continue pressing them to do the same for the other.” The service assured users that they had not been hacked but they encourage Smashwords users to change their passwords to something secure and strong, right away. So how about you? Does this vulnerability impact you at all? https://goodereader.com/blog/indie-author-news/smashwords-was-not-hacked-but-change-your-passwordSFWA joins Author’s Guild and others to speak out about Open Library. The Internet Archive is back in the news again, as author groups speak out about alleged copyright infringement, thanks in large part to its Open Library initiative. The service was intended to be a sort of virtual library, where readers could check out works by various authors, and check them back in without retaining copies for themselves. Internet Archive holds to a somewhat sketchy position that if one has purchased the rights to a copy of the book, one is legally allowed to lend that book to others. What makes this tricky is, they’re right. Sort of. But the legality surrounding electronically transmitted copyrighted properties is still in a primordial ooze, with a lot of questions still to be answered. Many author groups, including SFWA and the Author’s Guild, see this as infringement, while some see it as functionally no different than services such as OverDrive, which allows libraries to purchase a license to distribute a book, and to distribute it in essentially the exact way Open Library is doing it. The key difference—Open Library is scanning legally purchased print books, as well as purchasing ebooks, to create its offering. So is this infringement? Is it violating copyright? Tell me in the comments. http://www.sfwa.org/2018/01/infringement-alert/Could Mickey Mouse become public domain? Probably not, but Steamboat Willie, the first Mickey Mouse cartoon, is set to enter the public domain in 2024. This comes two decades after Disney and other entertainment industry giants successfully lobbied to have copyright extended by 20 years, even for work that had already been created. This was a blow to intellectual property law, which is essentially meant to encourage new and original works. Oddly, at the moment no one is pushing any legislation to extended these rights further, meaning properties created in 1923 and beyond will start entering public domain soon. And here, a happy time can be had by all, as artists, writers, filmmakers, and other creatives gain access to a wealth of old content they can bend, fold, mutilate, and remix into new content. Does this breathe life into past work, or perpetuate the entertainment industry’s habit of falling back to cultivated ground, rather than pushing ahead into new frontiers? You tell me, in the comments. https://boingboing.net/2018/01/08/sonny-bono-is-dead.htmlTHIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger KDP Rocket—Take control, get more readers, increase your Kindle rankings. https://bit.ly/kdpslinger Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/kevintumlinson Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

J. Thorn is a Top 100 Most Popular Author in Horror, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure and Fantasy (Amazon Author Rank). He has published over one million words and has sold more than 170,000 books worldwide. In March of 2014 Thorn held the #5 position in Horror alongside his childhood idols Dean Koontz and Stephen King (at #4 and #2 respectively). He is an official, active member of the Horror Writers Association and a member of the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers. CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s):http://jthorn.nethttp://theauthorcopilot.com/retreatauthorsonatrain.com Twitter handle(s):@JThorn_ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JThornwriter/ Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/J.-Thorn/e/B004ZVF3MK/ THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: Goodreads will now charge for its giveaways program, making it harder for readers to discover indie books - the Amazon-owned service announced that it will begin charging authors and publishers for what was once a free service, the ability to create and manage contests to give away free books to readers. Authors can now expect to pay between $119 and $599 for the service. It remains to be seen whether authors will actually use it, or will instead go and use BookFunnel.com to do it better anyway. https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/29/16714972/goodreads-giveaways-program-changing-standard-premium-tiers-authorsAmazon is launching yet another new imprint, this time focused on the Kindle Singles store. Amazon Original Stories will release short fiction and nonfiction works that can be read in a single sitting. These will be free to Prime and KU subscribers, and otherwise cost $1.99 per download. I personally love this idea, particularly for essay writing. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/75489-amazon-publishing-launches-new-imprint.htmlNick Thacker is making soundtracks for authors. His new service, Sonata and Scribe, aims to provide original, orchestrated musical soundtracks for indie authors to use as part of their marketing and promotion, or even as an additional revenue stream. He’s making a few tracks for me right now, and they sound amazing.Check out SontaAndScribe.com http://sonataandscribe.comTHIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger KDP Rocket—Take control, get more readers, increase your Kindle rankings. https://bit.ly/kdpslinger Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/kevintumlinson Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Knox is a bestselling author of over a dozen books in the fiction and nonfiction genres, the ghostwriter of over 100 books, editor, author coach, and digital publishing expert. CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): - http://findabookeditor.com - http://timknox.com - http://timknoxbooks.com - http://entrepreneur-code.com - http://interviewingauthors.com Twitter handle(s): @timknox Facebook: timknoxbooks MENTIONS: Wordslinger Podcast on YouTube: http://bit.ly/WordslingerPodcast THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS: Draft2Digital announced that it now distributes to Amazon Pronoun accounted that it’s closing its doors in January 2018 Brian Meeks is now offering a full-on Amazon Ads for Authors course https://meeks-master-classes.teachable.com/ THIS EPISODE OF THE WORDSLINGER PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY: Draft2Digital—Convert, publish, and distribute your book worldwide, with support the whole way. https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger KDP Rocket—Take control, get more readers, increase your Kindle rankings. https://bit.ly/kdpslinger Support this show: Subscribe and share! Support us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/kevintumlinson Pick something up to read that will be tough to put down—Archeological Thrillers, Science Fiction, YA Fantasy and more, at https://kevintumlinson.com/books ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dale L. Roberts is an accomplished self-published author, former personal trainer and YouTube content creator. While he loves to read and write, Dale’s greatest passions include spending time with his wife and cat, watching wrestling and making funny videosCONNECT ONLINE:Website(s):http://dalelroberts.comhttp://SelfPublishingWithDale.com Twitter handle(s): @selfpubwithdale Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/selfpublishingwithdalelroberts/ Amazon Author page (if applicable): https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00KUAL3NS MENTIONS:Wordslinger Podcast on YouTube: http://bit.ly/WordslingerPodcast___GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS?CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

C.Steven Manley has been and done quite a few things in his life. Now, he writes books and tries in vain to keep up with his children. CONNECT ONLINE:Website: www.cstevenmanley.net Twitter handle: @cstevenmanley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1597432760477256 Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00U6722LCMENTIONS:Wordslinger Podcast on YouTube: http://bit.ly/WordslingerPodcastWe're The Russos: https://weretherussos.com/"Take Risks" by Joe Russo: http://amzn.to/2yNjfpk___GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS?CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NICK THACKERAUTHOR OF MARK FOR BLOODNick is an action-adventure thriller novelist, who writes the types of books he likes to read. That means you won’t find anything boring, slow, or sappy in his stories. People have described his work as “airplane books." Nick was born in Connecticut, grew up in Texas, and lives in Colorado with his wife, two children, three dogs, and a tortoise. He loves snow, drinking whiskey by the fireplace while it’s snowing, and writing books by candlelight while a thick layer of snow piles up outside.CONNECT ONLINE:Website: nickthacker.comTwitter handle: @NickThackerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNickThacker/Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Nick-Thacker/e/B008A2W6XEMENTIONS:Wordslinger Podcast on YouTube: http://bit.ly/WordslingerPodcast___GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS?CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Watts graduated from the US Naval Academy in 2003 and served as a naval officer and helicopter pilot until 2013. During that time, he flew counter-narcotic missions in the Eastern Pacific and counter-piracy missions off the Horn of Africa. He was a flight instructor in Pensacola, FL, and helped to run ship and flight operations while embarked on a nuclear aircraft carrier deployed in the Middle East. Today, he lives with his family in Ohio.CONNECT ONLINE:Website(s): andrewwattsauthor.com Twitter handle(s): @wattsandrew Facebook: www.facebook.com/AndrewWattsAuthorAmazon Author page (if applicable): https://www.amazon.com/Andrew-Watts/e/B00RD3E4JA MENTIONS:Wordslinger Podcast on YouTube: http://bit.ly/WordslingerPodcast___GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS?CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Tumlinson is a bestselling and award-winning thriller author, Host of the Wordslinger Podcast, and Director of Marketing for Draft2Digital. He is known as "the Voice of Indie Publishing," appearing on hundreds of podcasts and YouTube channels, and at conferences worldwide, speaking about independent self publishing as a career and a community.CONNECT ONLINE:Website(s): https://kevintumlinson.com Facebook: kevin.tumlinsonTwitter: @kevintumlinsonAmazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Kevin-Tumlinson/e/B007POXGEG/MENTIONS:Indie Bookfest: http://indiebookconvention.com/NINC: https://ninc.com/conferences/ninc-conference-2017/Indie Palooza: http://www.houstonwritersguild.org/indiepalooza_2017/___GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS?CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russell Blake is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with more than 50 action/adventure and thriller novels, including two co-authored works with the legendary Clive Cussler.CONNECT ONLINE:Website(s): russellblake.com Facebook: Russell.Blake.Books Amazon Author page (if applicable): https://www.amazon.com/Russell-Blake/e/B005OKCOLE MENTIONS:Salt Lake City Comic Con: http://saltlakecomiccon.com/ Where There's Smoke Podcast: http://www.wheretheressmoke.co/___GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS?CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of historical fantasy novels: Ghost Talkers, and The Glamourist Histories series. She is also a three time Hugo Award winner. Her short fiction appears in Uncanny, Tor.com, and Asimov’s. Mary, a professional puppeteer, lives in Chicago.CONNECT ONLINE:Website(s): http://maryrobinettekowal.com/ Twitter handle(s): @MaryRobinette Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryrobinettekowal/ Amazon Author page (if applicable): https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Robinette-Kowal/e/B0033T90TC/ MENTIONS:Salt Lake City Comic Con: http://saltlakecomiccon.com/ ___GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS?CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George S. Mahaffey Jr. is a lawyer, screenwriter, and author. His script Heatseekers was bought by Paramount Pictures with Michael Bay producing and Timur Bekmambetov attached to direct. In addition, he's sold or written scripts for Arnold Kopelson, Blumhouse, Benderspink, director Louis Leterrier and Paul McGuigan, and is the creator of In The Dust, an action-horror graphic novel in the vein of 30 Days of Night to be published by Top Cow with art by Christian Duce. He has also written the following books: Amityville: Origins, Amityville: Revenants, Razorbacks I, Razorbacks II, Razorbacks III, The Pact, The Devil's Ark, Familiars, and the Vertical City zombie series (Books 1-4). In addition, he is the co-creator of the upcoming sci-fi books Syndicate Wars (Book 1, Syndicate Wars: First Strike is out), and the upcoming post-apocalyptic thrillers Blood Runners (Books 1-3), and Broken Road (Books 1-2), all with co-creator Justin Sloan. He lives in the Washington D.C. area with his wife and young son. CONNECT ONLINE:Website(s): www.georgemahaffey.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Syndicate-Wars-1943370879233430/Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/George-S.-Mahaffey-Jr./e/B00IWIJBP2MENTIONS:Houston Food Bank - Hurricane Harvey relief: http://bit.ly/HoustonBeatsHarveyAtlantis Riddle: http://amzn.to/2eqxV2G___GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS?CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Haynam is the co-founder of Interact Quiz Builder, a tool used by more than 30,000 businesses including The American Red Cross, Tony Robbins, and Forbes. He's probably seen more quizzes than any other human on earth right now. CONNECT ONLINE:Website(s): https://www.tryinteract.com Twitter handle(s): @tryinteract Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Armand Rosamilia is a full-time Horror and crime thriller author, podcaster, podcast network owner, and M&M lover. He's offering free hugs (virtual ... he doesn't like being touched).CONNECT ONLINE:Website(s):http://armandrosamilia.com http://projectentertainmentnetwork.com Twitter handle(s): @ArmandAuthor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorArmandRosamilia/ Amazon Author page (if applicable): https://www.amazon.com/Armand-Rosamilia/e/B004S48J6G/MENTIONS:Get HUNDREDS of free thriller ebooks now through 8/26/17! http://philwbooks.com/five-star-thrillers/___GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS?CALL 281-809-WORD (9673) Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PHIL WILLIAMSAUTHOR OF NO CONSCIENCEPhil M. Williams is the author of five novels, two nonfiction books, and one children's picture book. His books span many genres, but there are consistent themes such as universal morality, nature, and voluntarism. He currently lives in Central Pennsylvania with his wife on a permaculture homestead. CONNECT ONLINE:Website(s):http://philwbooks.com/five-star-thrillers/philwbooks.com foodproduction101.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philwbooks/ Amazon Author page (if applicable): https://www.amazon.com/Phil-M.-Williams/e/B013IP5US0/MENTIONS:Get HUNDREDS of free thriller ebooks now through 8/26/17! http://philwbooks.com/five-star-thrillers/Instafreebie - Build your mailing list with a free giveaway Get full access to The Writer_ at kevintumlinson.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices