My guest today is Hiten Vyas. He is the founder of Writing Tips Oasis, a fantastic resource for writers. Writing Tips Oasis started in 2014 to help writers across India ride on the wave of digital publishing that was about to take over the country. The site used to be called e-Books India and published regular articles that helped writers improve their writing and learn how to market and sell their ebooks and books.However, by the very nature of the Internet, the materials quickly reached writers, authors, freelancers, and independent publishers from across the world—the brand e-Books India needed to be more expansive, so Hiten rebranded.Writing Tips Oasis provides tips, advice, and guidance for published authors, freelance writers, business writers, journalists, and poets. In this episode, we discuss the following:Hiten's entrepreneurial journeyHow to generate a sustainable income from writingThe free novel writing course available on Writing Tips OasisResources:The Writing Tips Oasis websiteSign up for Novice to Novel – A Free Novel Writing CourseSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

In this episode of the Become a Writer Today podcast, my guest is an entrepreneur and author, David Jenyns, who specializes in helping business owners, entrepreneurs, and creatives like you scale their businesses through the power of systems. David introduces his book SYSTEMology, which outlines seven stages of implementing systems and processes in a business, from defining to optimizing. He emphasizes the importance of mapping out client flows and using automation to improve efficiency. David also shares his experience in writing and promoting his own book, as well as the benefits of delegating tasks and hiring part-time help or offshoring for solopreneurs with a tight budget. In this episode, we discuss the following:The importance of lead generation and onboardingThe need for business owners to delegate tasks Building a business that doesn't solely rely on the owner's skillsResources:David's WebsiteSYSTEMology on AmazonSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Do you want to learn how to become a prolific screenwriter? I love catching up with screenwriters. I don't write screenplays myself, but it's a fascinating genre because many principles apply to other types of writing.My guest today is Brock Swinson. He's the interviewer for Creative Screenwriting magazine and the author of Ink by the Barrel, which illustrates Brock's prolific writing principles.In the interview, Brock shares his secrets for breaking into the screenwriting industry and how to overcome the most significant challenge most writers face. In this episode, we discuss the following:Screenwriting principlesProductivity hacks and the intersection between creativity and productivityThe importance of finding your voice and organizing your ideasBalancing writing with editing and marketingThe benefits of becoming a PatreonResources:Creative Principles PodcastCreative ScreenwritingBrock's WebsiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Would you like to break into freelance writing? And if so, how do you pitch the editors of big-name publications? I was a freelance writer and journalist before I set up Become a Writer Today. It was a challenging profession. I studied journalism in college for a few years, and when I graduated, I struggled to find any work at all. It was only when I specialized in a particular niche that I was able to start finding regular commissions. And even then, I found it quite difficult to pay the bills as a freelance writer. If you're looking to get into freelance writing, my tip is to spend some time each week or every other week pitching for new clients and finding additional work, even if you have enough work in the queue.This week's interviewee, Rebecca Weber, has written for several prestigious publications, including CNN, Forbes, and The Guardian. She's an expert at pitching high-profile editors. In this week's interview, she goes through her five-step process, which you should use to pitch an editor for a publication. I wish I'd known about this five-step process as a freelance journalist. It would have saved me a lot of time and heartache.In this episode, we discuss the following:The importance of researching before you pitchConsidering your unique angleKeeping abreast of trendsResources:Rebecca's WebsiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Many people say they have a book inside them, but few actually take the time to write it. Writing a book is a great way to build a personal brand and authority and make a name for yourself. But it takes a lot of work to write a book. So why even do it?This week, I caught up with Anna David, a New York Times best-selling author of not one but eight different books. She also runs a company, Legacy Launch Pad Publishing. Her company helps people build authority and, in some cases, reach The New York Times bestseller list. Anna made the point that whether you're writing a book or working with a ghostwriter, asking yourself a few questions before starting on page one is helpful. For example:What is my book about? Who is my book for? And what does success look like? That's an exercise I undertook a couple of years ago when I started writing and self-publishing books. Once I understood what the book was about, it immediately gave me some constraints to work within. In this episode, we discuss the following:The process of identifying what success looks like for you.The importance of understanding your ideal reader.How to motivate yourself to finish that book!Resources:Anna's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

My guest today is Josh Spector, a writer, podcaster, and consultant. He also runs an engaging newsletter over at fortheinterested.com.Josh has been publishing the For The Interested Newsletter for almost seven years. It exists to help creative entrepreneurs grow their audience and business. Around a year ago, Josh launched the podcast I Want to Know. It's a three-question podcast. Guests come on and ask three questions about things they're struggling with, trying to figure out how to grow their audience or business. Josh also operates as a consultant, offering clarity calls where he takes people through his framework to help them develop their strategy for audience growth.In Josh's words, "In order to build an audience, you have to provide value." "You want to help a specific person who's at point A get to point B. And your content, your product, your social posts, your services, whatever you're doing — free or paid — is the bridge that gets them from point A to point B."In this episode, we discuss:Providing value for your audienceGetting the total value out of the content you createLeveraging social mediaResources:For The Interested NewsletterJosh's WebsiteI Want To Know PodcastSkill SessionsJosh on TwitterSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

AI tools like ChatGPT are all the rage these days. While they won't write everything effectively for you, they can be a real time saver if used correctly. So rather than opening up Microsoft Word or Google Docs and wondering how you will write some compelling copy for your customers or clients, you can use a tool like ChatGPT. It'll generate headlines for you. It could help you turn product features into benefits and give you a good angle or an introduction for your emails, your sales page, or even your blog post about your latest product or service. Not only that, but these tools take away some of the mystery surrounding copywriting. In other words, they make it easier for everybody to express themselves. And if you're a writer working online, copywriting is a valuable skill because it will help you sell your products, services, books, articles, and, of course, your ideas.In this week's interview, I caught up with the expert copywriter, Neville Medhora. He runs swipefile.com, a fantastic website if you want to browse new and old copy that has stood the test of time. He also runs copywritingcourse.com, where you can get your copy workshops from Neville and his team. In this episode, we discuss:How Neville got started way back in 1998How Neville built a successful finance blogNeville's approach to using AI tools to write copyThe art of using a swipe fileHow to grow your platform as a writerResources:SwipefileCopy Writing CourseSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

This week, I caught up with a highly successful Amazon indie author. His name is Marc Reklau. He's from Germany but lives in Budapest, Hungary. Marc got into the self-publishing game about ten years ago, when selling books on platforms like Amazon was much easier. He writes about personal development, self-help and covers topics like productivity, happiness, habits, and money. He also uses Amazon ads prolifically to sell copies of his non-fiction books. Believe it or not, he's had a huge success selling books translated into different languages, specifically Spanish.I was fascinated to hear about Marc's approach – firstly, to writing his books and, secondly, to promoting them via Amazon ads. In this episode, we discuss:Marc's process for promoting his workTranslating your books into different languagesMarc's insights into self-publishing Resources:Marc's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

When writing for YouTube, many top channel creators say the headline for a video and the thumbnail are the two most important things creators must consider. So, what can you do if you need help writing your headline and figuring out a complementary thumbnail? What other channels do you consider if you want to start a YouTube channel that complements your blog, book, or writing?This week's interviewee is Jake Thomas. He's developed a fantastic product, which I recommend you check out. It's called Creator Hooks and Creator Hooks Pro. Creator Hooks is a free newsletter where Jake debunks or analyzes top YouTube videos, including their headlines, the thumbnails, and what made them go viral.Creator Hooks Pro is like a swipe file where you can get in-depth insights into these videos. It's a real time saver for writing headlines and gives me ideas for other videos. In this episode, we discuss:How Jake came up with Creator HooksThe best way to use itWhat's working on YouTube todayEven if you're not currently running a YouTube channel, the principles behind headlines, thumbnails, imagery, and so on come straight from the world of copywriting. You can apply them to other types of writing, including — yes, you guessed it — blog posts, newsletters, Twitter threads, social media, and so on.Resources:Creator HooksSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

There's never been a better time to be a writer. We have so many different ways of finding readers and getting our work in front of them. You can self-publish a book, which is fantastic because you don't have to rely on gatekeepers. But let's face it. Self-publishing takes a little bit of time, and you have to invest in a book cover. You've also got to spend money on advertising now, and so on.But what if there's a different way? Enter serialization. Famous authors, from Charles Dickens to Agatha Christie, have all serialized their works. The good news is, it's easier than ever to do it today. Perhaps, the best place to serialize your book is on Substack. I've interviewed several top Substack publication owners over the past few years. But this week's interview is a good one. It's with Sarah Fay, a creative writing professor at Northwestern in the United States. She's also an author at HarperCollins. In this episode, we discuss: Sarah's two different Substack publicationsHer exact process for serializationKey things to do before you serialize your book or workWhatever stage your current writing project is at, serialization is a great way to practice your work in public and connect with your readers.Resources:Writers at Work with Sarah FaySupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

If you're writing or creating content online, then Web3 could be the future. Years ago, many people were sceptical about blogging and didn't see it as a viable way for writers to earn a living. Then it was self-publishing, sometimes considered a bit scammy and not a great way for authors to sell their books directly to their fans.That's the place Web3 is at today. Many people look at the technologies surrounding Web3 — I'm talking about cryptocurrency, the blockchain, and NFTs — with much scepticism.In some cases, they are right. However, Web3 could be how content creators work online to build a relationship directly with their followers and fans. And if you're a writer, it could represent the future of how you write or create something that your readers like to collect or want to own. In this week's interview, I met one of the NFT space's best-known content creators. His name is Zeneca. I asked him how he researches, creates, and writes content in such a new and emerging space.If you feel like you've missed out, or it's too late to get involved in such a technical space, then fear not because Zeneca has a number of takeaways that will help you get started.In this episode, we discuss:how Zeneca got started on Twitter before iterating into different platformshow technologies within Web3 are constantly adapting and changingusing both Web3 and Web2 tools to build a relationship with an audience Resources:One37, ZenecaSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

There are endless ways writers and authors can connect with readers. An author website, TikTok, YouTube, personal newsletters, Substack, the list goes on. But how do you identify which is the right discovery platform for you? This week I was fascinated to catch up with a content creator who has succeeded multiple times across different platforms. He has a popular personal newsletter and writes about Web3 and cryptocurrency. He's also a well-known book talker. I'm talking about Nat Eliason, who creates content on various discovery platforms.Now, my key takeaway from talking to Nat is that it's still crucial to connect directly with your readers. And for writers, that hasn't changed.In this episode, we discuss:the best way to connect with your readershow Nat gets subscribers organically within the Substack appwriting a cryptocurrency bookpersonal knowledge managementResources:Nat's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

In this week's episode, I interview a creative writing instructor who works in a local county prison to instruct inmates on the practice of journaling. Tina Welling is a big believer in the therapeutic power of this practice. She's also a big believer in the link between creativity and nature. Those are two themes that she addresses in her recent books. I'm going to cover both in this week's podcast episode.I was particularly fascinated to catch up with a writing instructor focusing on journaling because journaling is a fantastic practice for anybody, particularly for writers. It helps you get into the habit of writing regularly. You don't have to ask permission from anybody to journal. It enables you to express yourself through the written word.And it will give you source material that you could use later on. Best of all, you can't get journaling wrong. After all, when you write an entry, usually — unless you decide to do something with it later — it's for you and you alone.In this week's episode, Tina Welling explains how she teaches prison inmates how to journal. She also talks about the link between journaling and therapy. Resources:Tina's website.Support the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

What are the skills you need to write successfully online today? In this week's episode, I caught up with Dickie Bush. Now, you may already know Dickie Bush because he has nearly 330,000 followers on Twitter. He's the co-founder of Typeshare, a fantastic online writing tool. And he also runs Ship 30 for 30, an online writing course I took a year ago. I was really excited to catch up with Dickie because he's an expert in writing online, specifically on Twitter. One of my key takeaways from talking to Dickie is how he looks at the creative process. In this episode, we discuss: how he transitioned from working as a trader at BlackRockchoosing your subject matterhow to supplement your subject with information and datahow he co-formed TypeshareDickie is getting ready to launch a new cohort of Ship 30 for 30. I have added the link below so you can sign up. It really is an excellent course. If you haven't written much online and perhaps lack confidence about publishing your work on Twitter or other platforms, or you want to see how an expert does it and learn about their tactics and strategies, then I would encourage you to take this particular course.Resources:Ship 30 for 30 CourseTypeshareDickie's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

My guest this week is a prolific horror author. His name is Chris Coppel. He's the author of more than a dozen books in this genre. Chris also has a famous father who wrote a screenplay for a film that I guarantee you'll know, which has had a huge cultural impact. I was fascinated to catch up with Chris.In this episode, we discuss:how Chris approaches writing horrorhow to sustain interest in one genrewhy you should write what you love to readand his famous dadResources:Chris's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Can affiliate marketing help you earn more money as a writer working online? The answer is yes; affiliate marketing is a fantastic way to grow your income as a writer.You can create content about the products, services, or tools you use daily. The difference is that you would do this on a niche website about a specific topic or concept rather than about you. In other words, it's different from writing about something personal or what's happening in your day. That's a mistake that new bloggers often make. They wonder why they're not earning money online because they simply write about their day.There are a few caveats to affiliate marketing. Firstly, it can be competitive. And secondly, it's usually a good idea only to pick products, services, and tools you use, recommend, and trust yourself. In other words, you're going to create content about something you rely on and are happy to recommend to others. This week, I caught up with a niche website expert specializing in affiliate marketing and in-affiliate content. Jamie I.F. of increasing.com runs over ten different websites across many niches. He publishes monthly income reports on his website about what's working and not working. He earns five figures a month from his portfolio from affiliate marketing, display advertising, and other monetization methods. In this episode, we discuss:Janie's framework for affiliate marketingBuilding affiliate websitesHow to capture the attention of your readersResources:Jamie's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Many people say they need a good idea before they can sit down to write their book. But rather than trying to pick one good idea, generating multiple ideas that you can iterate, test, and work on is much more helpful. You could test them by writing short stories, blog posts, articles, or even creating other types of content. Then you can use all of this real-world information to decide if it's something that your ideal audience is interested in and if it's also something that you want to write about at length.This week, I caught up with a creativity expert. Her name is Robin Landa. She is the author of The New Art of Ideas. She's also a distinguished professor who has written and lectured on creativity for years.In this episode, we discuss:the Three G Methodmentoring aspiring non-fiction writers practical advice for non-fiction writers her specific and impressive writing routineResources:Robin's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

I'm a big fan of dystopian fiction. George Orwell's 1984 is one of my favorite books of all time, much like many readers. So, I wanted to talk to a dystopian fiction author who understands the conventions of their genre to learn more about their writing process and what it takes to write a book like this. I recently caught up with Aaron Gransby, who is a former journalist. A bit like me. However, he's a lot more experienced in the area. He's currently a magazine publisher, and he's written a new dystopian thriller.In this episode, we discuss:Why Aaron chose this type of genre for his bookWhat the conventions areHow he approached writing his bookUsing beta readers for their valuable feedbackAnd some fantastic takeaways about how to use deadlines Resources:Aaron's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Do you want to break into the publishing industry? Many authors have questions about how to traditionally publish a book and how to find a literary agent who can help with that process. This week, I caught up with Jeff Herman, who's been working in the industry for 25-plus years.He runs a literary agency in the United States and has published over 1,000 different books. So, he has a wide variety of experience across different genres or niches.In this episode, we discuss:how to land a literary agentand what you should put in your pitchthe benefits of creating a back catalog of bookResources: Jeff's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Have you created a strategy for your newsletter? A newsletter is the best way to communicate directly to your readers without relying on Twitter to surface your posts or Google to rank your articles. When you have a newsletter, you don't have to worry about crazy algorithm changes or something happening to posts that you've optimized for search. I've started several newsletters over the years. Of course, my biggest newsletter is the Become a Writer Today Email List. I'd love it if you could join it. I'll give you a free book of writing prompts if you do. Sign up here.Once a week, I send weekly updates about the latest writing articles and also writing advice to members of this newsletter. Now that's my strategy; your strategy may differ. This week I caught up with an expert in newsletter strategy. Her name is Anna Codrea-Rado. She ran one of the most successful Substack newsletters. It's called The Professional Freelancer, which Anna has recently rebranded. When she's not writing newsletters, Anna advocates for freelance writers in an increasingly challenging industry. She also helps businesses figure out what their newsletter strategy should look like. I was excited to catch up with Anna because I love hearing about how different creatives and writers use newsletters to communicate directly with their readers.Anna says, "You need to have a really clear tagline for your newsletter, you need to be really clear on what the problem your newsletter is solving." "Random stuff is not going to cut it."In this episode, we discuss:personal or creative vs. professional newslettershow often to send newsletters to readerswhat to include in your newsletterand how Anna's newsletter strategy has evolved Resources:Anna's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!