
#100 Interviewing Your Parents, Writing Through Fear, and One's First Book (Kyle Thiermann)
Smart Friends
Outro
Eric and Kyle reflect on honesty in writing and encourage authors to pursue truthful work.
Title: #100 Interviewing Your Parents, Writing Through Fear, and One's First Book (Kyle Thiermann)
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:01:47) - The birth of a book: from idea to reality
(00:04:01) - A pandemic epiphany: interviewing my dad
(00:07:51) - The journey of a professional surfer and journalist
(00:10:48) - Writing a book: challenges and insights
(00:17:04) - The emotional depth of interviewing parents
(00:22:40) - Balancing humor and vulnerability in writing
(00:34:39) - Creating unique value in a book
(00:41:59) - The power of a good title
(00:44:31) - The importance of a book title
(00:49:10) - Balancing writing and marketing
(00:57:56) - Long-term marketing approach
(01:10:16) - Navigating the publishing process
(01:19:45) - Unexpected outcomes and reflections
Links:
One Last Question Before You Go - https://amzn.to/49JVWg2
Scribe Media - https://scribemedia.com/
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Quotes from Kyle:
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“The interview process can be a kind of empathy drug.”
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“Write as if you are already dead.”
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“The ideas that won't go away are the ones worth chasing.”
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“I wanted to write the book that only I could write.”
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“Most people live their lives being rewarded for having the right answer, not the right question.”
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“Books are like malaria nets—people use them in ways you never expect.”
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“If I tell you to interview your parents, I have to show you what happened when I did.”
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“Marketing is an act of consideration and generosity.”
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“A lot of how-to books could be a one-page PDF. I refused to do that.”
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“Live events aren’t about selling books. They’re about making you feel like a winner as an author.”
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“The best advertisers I know create a mood shift immediately.”
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“Make fun of yourself. That’s how you earn the right to critique others.”


