The Writing Biz

In this episode of The Writing Biz Podcast, author H.A. Callum draws on 25+ years in the legal profession to show writers how to protect their work like a business. You'll learn how to read author contracts, what copyright actually protects for self publishing authors, how to protect your manuscript and files, and how to vet cover designers so you keep full control.If you want to publish a book, sell direct, and keep more profit and control, this is your playbook for doing it right. We cover book publishing basics, self publishing a book on KDP and IngramSpark, ISBNs, and simple systems to keep your writing business safe while you grow direct sales.Subscribe for practical strategies on how to write a book, how to publish a book, and how to make money selling books direct.Timestamps: 0:00 Why authors lose their book rights 0:58 Who is H.A. Callum and why contracts matter 3:47 Contract mistakes that cost authors control 7:21 How to protect your manuscript and data 13:11 What copyright actually protects for authors 16:58 Vetting cover designers and keeping your rights 37:55 Keeping control while selling direct#selfpublishing #copyright #bookpublishingLearn more at: https://hacallumwrites.com/ H.A. Callum offers online visits to schools, libraries, and book clubs!FOLLOW THE WRITING BIZ!

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anne Spielberg co-wrote Big starring Tom Hanks — now she wrote a children's book.The Writing Biz Podcast host Laura Williams talks with Anne about her pivot from Hollywood screenwriting to picture books with her debut The Iceberg and the Penguin (out Earth Day 2027), and what that move teaches writers who want to sell books direct and build a sustainable writing business.Anne shares how trips to Alaska, Chile and the Falkland Islands, watching a glacier calve and meeting penguins up close, sparked the story. She breaks down how to write a children's book when you come from film, why picture books demand under 1,000 words, how she partnered with illustrator Daniel Fiore, and how she weaves in climate change without scaring young readers.We also get practical on the business side: getting an intro from Dr. Sylvia Earle, reaching out to Pierce Brosnan, why children's book marketing falls on the author, learning Instagram from scratch, and what freelance screenwriters know about cash flow, loan-out corporations, and selling direct at events and festivals that book authors can use.Perfect for children's book authors, screenwriters crossing mediums, and indie authors focused on direct sales and long-term backlist income.Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: From Big to picture books 01:00 - How communication has changed for writers 01:34 - Inspiration for The Iceberg and the Penguin 05:49 - Writing climate change for kids 07:10 - Working with illustrator Daniel Fiore 11:00 - Screenwriting vs. picture book writing 15:03 - Film adaptation potential and message 17:26 - Endorsements and the author's marketing job 21:00 - Social media for authors 22:55 - Release details and Earth Day 2027 26:26 - Advice for crossing mediums 29:39 - Freelance writing business realities 32:11 - Creative process and finding the zone#ChildrensBookAuthor #PictureBooks #BookMarketing #DirectSales #WritingBusinessVisit annespeilberg.com and preorder The Iceberg & The Penguin!FULL TRANSCRIPT & MOREFOLLOW THE WRITING BIZWebsiteYouTubeBlueSkyFacebookX

Author Paul Trammell sold his house in 2019, moved aboard a 40-foot sailboat, and built a full time author business from open water. In this episode he shares how he finished and published 13 books while sailing, how nature and solitude fuel his writing, and how writers can think like entrepreneurs to fund a life of freedom.You will learn how Paul structures his writing days at anchor versus underway, how he records his own audiobooks from the boat, and what it really takes to support yourself writing a book outside a traditional job. If you want to become a full time author through self publishing and selling direct, this conversation gives you a clear, practical picture of the tradeoffs and payoffs.Timestamps:00:00 Intro - Meet Paul Trammell, sailboat author of 13 books 00:57 Why he left land life behind and chased adventure 02:00 Learning to sail and moving aboard The Windflower 03:00 Selling the house in 2019 to sail and write full time 04:31 Daily life, power, Starlink, and sailor community 05:29 Living in Bocas del Toro, Panama and working from the boat 09:35 13 books, fiction and nonfiction, and recording audiobooks aboard 13:09 Nature as muse and the power of solitude for writers 21:13 Writing process underway vs at anchor and the story behind Identity Crisis 25:35 Learning the craft and staying human in your writing#writingabook #fulltimeauthor #selfpublishingPaul Trammell's Official Website: https://paultrammell.com Substack: https://paultrammell.substack.com/ FULL TRANSCRIPT & MOREFOLLOW THE WRITING BIZ

Your publisher will not sell your book.Seth Panitch learned that the expensive way — then sold his debut novel by getting in front of readers in person.Seth spent decades under the theater lights as an actor, director, and playwright before publishing his debut novel, Antique, at 50. In this episode he breaks down what actually moved copies: book signings, festivals, community events, and talking to readers one at a time. He also explains why his stage training made the writing better, what surprised him about the publishing business, and why experience — not youth — is an author's real advantage.If you're writing a book and assuming someone else will market it, this conversation is for you.Timestamps:00:00 The theater career that trained a novelist00:42 Why he wrote a novel at 5005:08 From collaboration to writing alone08:10 How stage craft shaped Antique's structure10:37 Translating subtext from stage to page13:02 Why life experience makes a stronger debut20:01 Publishing a novel vs. producing a play24:44 Marketing that actually works: in-person selling29:37 The most joyful part of the process32:04 What Antique is about and where to get it34:45 What he's writing nextSeth's book, Antique, is available at Barnes & Noble, independent bookstores, and online retailers. Connect with him at https://sethpanitch.com/FULL TRANSCRIPT & MORE: ⁠ https://urls.thewritingbiz.com/44FOLLOW THE WRITING BIZWebsiteYouTubeBlueSkyFacebookX#HowToSellBooks #BookMarketing #SelfPublishing #AuthorPlatform #BookLaunch #WritingBusiness #WritingPodcast

He Turned Bigfoot Hunting Into a Book Business with Dr. Dean Russell. Most writers are told to write a bigger book. Dean did the opposite and built sales with short, focused books in ultra-specific niches. In this episode of The Writing Biz Podcast, Dean breaks down how he applies project management to research and writing, defines a clear outcome before chapter one, and structures short books that readers actually finish. You will learn why shorter books outsell long ones, how to split one broad idea into multiple small books that stack sales, his iterative editing process and what to demand from a copy editor, plus how to turn Kindle, audiobook, and direct sales into a repeatable system.If you are writing a book in a strange or crowded niche and want to sell more copies without waiting on publishers, this is your playbook for turning weird ideas into a real author business. Subscribe for weekly strategies on platform, marketing, and revenue for writers who think like entrepreneurs.#WritingABook #SelfPublishing #BookMarketingTimestamps:00:00 - Project Management Meets the Paranormal02:15 - From Led Zeppelin to Ghost Hunting06:10 - Reproducible Results and Real Ghost Hunts09:20 - Personal Stories and Skeptical Inquiry15:30 - Hospice Visitations and New Book Ideas21:00 - Staying Out of Research Rabbit Holes27:45 - Short Books, Editing and Structure That Sells36:20 - Future of Books and Direct SalesTRANSCRIPT & MORE: https://https://urls.thewritingbiz.com/43GUEST:  Dr. Dean Russell https://www.drdeanrussell.com/ FOLLOW THE WRITING BIZWebsiteYouTubeBlueSkyFacebookX