WriterCon

Bestselling author William Bernhardt discusses the latest news from the world of books, offers writing tips, and interviews Alexandra Ott, author of Rules for Thieves (Simon & Schuster) and other middle-grade and young adult novels.Chapter 1We're recording before a live audience at WriterCon, the annual writers conference co-hosted by William Bernhardt, which this year added a streaming option so writers and aspiring writers could watch the entire three-day conference from home.Chapter 2: Newsa) A recent Ingram webinar discusses profound changes in how books are marketed. Publishers are paying less attention to bookstore placement and focusing more on online sales.b) Spotify, the hugely successful music streaming service, appears to be preparing to enter the audiobook world.c) Audible announces a subscription plan—the audiobook equivalent of Kindle Unlimited.Chapter 3:Bernhardt invites people in the WriterCon audience to share what they've learned at the conference, including Amy Le, Daniel Short, and Lara Bernhardt (The Wantland Files).Chapter 4: Interview with Alexandra OttBernhardt interviews Alexandra Ott, author of Rules for Thieves and other books for young readers about her career, how she broke into publishing, what captivates young readers, the differences between middle-grade and young adult novels, and much more.Chapter 5: Parting WordsBernhardt promises that there will be another WriterCon next year, Labor Day weekend, and you are invited to attend. More details to follow!

Chapter 1: IntroductionLast chance to register for WriterCon, the writers’ conference that has not been cancelled and will not be cancelled. You can attend live, stream the three-day conference, or watch online at your convenience during the two weeks following the conference. Visit the website, look at the schedule, and see if this opportunity might be just what you need to advance your writing career: writercon.orgWilliam Bernhardt’s new novel Judge and Jury, the fifth book in the Daniel Pike series, will be released August 25, 2020. Check it out!Chapter 2: Newsa)Quarterly sales reports indicate that for traditional publishers, sales are down, but in some cases, earnings are up, due to improved sales of eBooks and digital audiobooks.b)Digital revenue for The New York Times exceeds print revenue for the first time.c)Digital sales to libraries are surging.d)Even traditional publishers are using the Amazon 100 list to spot market trends as they arise—and you can too.e)Descript adds an AI digital voice—your voice—as a means to edit your audio recording. After training, the program can generate a voice to match the text you type.Chapter 3: Writing TipsAttendees at the Central Region Oklahoma Writers retreat offer their tips: Abby Robertson, editor at Wild Rose Press and author of more than 20 novels, plus authors Mary Jo Springer and Debbie Rogers.Chapter 4: InterviewWilliam Bernhardt interviews Christopher Vogler, keynote speaker at this year’s WriterCon, and acclaimed author of the seminal work on writing, The Writer’s Journey, recently reissued in a 25th Anniversary edition.Chapter 5: Parting ThoughtsThink about reading Judge and Jury, the fifth book in the Daniel Pike series.And consider attending WriterCon 2020, either in person or virtually: www.writercon.org

Chapter 1: IntroductionBestselling author William Bernhardt discusses the latest news from the world of books, offers writing tips, and interviews Nathan Bransford, agent, author, and writing coach about the best advice for writers hoping to break into the publishing world.Chapter 2: Newsa)Book sales are up during the lockdown, especially for eBooks. b)The largest US printer is being sold, leaving traditional publishers uncertain whether they’ll be able get large quantities of books printed.c)Crooked Lane Books has opened a new imprint, Alcove Press, specializing in books relating to families and friendship.d)Bonnier Books UK launches a new music imprint.e)Arcadia launches a new children’s imprintf)A new digital publisher called NeoText will publish shorter genre work.g)An Indian author offers a new software program for writers called Granthika to help novelists organize their books.Chapter 3: Writing TipsBernhardt discusses the latest Reddit uproar involving the author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas who Googled how to dye a dress red, then wrote into his new historical novel a formula from The Legend of Zelda (which involves elements that don’t actually exist). You don’t want that to happen to you. Don’t be sloppy about your research, and don’t be dependent upon the internet. Put as much effort into the research as you do the writing.Chapter 4: InterviewBernhardt interviews writing coach Nathan Bransford on the best ways writers can help themselves, like targeting an audience before they write, and writing what will make them happiest.Chapter 5: Parting WordsCome to WriterCon 2020! The entire three-day conference will be streamed and recorded, so you can see all the 60+ sessions without leaving home. All sessions will be available online for two weeks after the conference at no additional cost. This is an unprecedented educational opportunity. Join us! www.writercon.org

Bestselling author William Bernhardt discusses the latest news from the book world, offers writing tips, and interviews Caro Begin, author and expert on writer websites.Chapter 1: IntroductionIt's our Golden Anniversary episode (sort of)!Chapter 2: Newsa) Controversy surrounds Mark Dawson purchasing a large quantity of his own novel to push it onto the Top Ten of the Sunday Times bestseller list.b) Author promotes the first-ever drive-in book event.c) B&N closes its experimental “kitchen” bookstore.d) Yet another author is “Twittered” out of her book release.e New developments at the US Copyright Office permit registration of multiple short works published online for a flat fee.f) Publishers announce new imprints for literary fiction and nonfiction promoting diversity, New Age topics, and picture books.Chapter 3: Writing TipsA four-year old poet gets a great book deal! When will you be published? Here’s the best way to make it happen.Chapter 4: Interview with Caro BeginBernhardt interviews this accomplished author and expert on author websites about her work and how Red Sneaker Writers can have the most effective websites.Chapter 5: Parting WordsWriterCon 2020 is still happening! You can attend in person or stream it from wherever you are. Visit www.writercon.org for more information.

In this special podcast episode recorded live at William Bernhardt's Writers Retreat in Eureka Springs, he discusses the latest news from the world of books, invites other attending writers to offer writing tips, and interviews Marcia Preston, author of The Butterfly House and winner of the Mark Higgins Clark Ward for suspense fiction.Chapter 1: IntroductionThis episode was recorded live at the annual Writers Retreat conducted by William Bernhardt at the Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.Chapter 2: News1) Major authors, the Authors Guild, Amazon Publishing, and Penguin Random House join forces to sue the online KISS Library charging that it allows users to download copyrighted books.2) Barnes & Noble dismisses many employee/buyers, possibly as part of a change in policy emphasizing local control over the inventory.3) Amazon forms a Counterfeit Crimes Unit to crack down on counterfeit books.4) Sales increase for books on cooking, gardening, and financial planning.5) Ingram increases its print-on-demand programs.6) Consumer spending at Amazon has grown by 50% since last year.Chapter 3: Writing TipsShelley Levisay, Dan Snell, and Thomas Miller offer writing tips they've gained from their time at Writers Retreat.Chapter 4: Interview with Marcia PrestonBernhardt interviews Marcia Preston, the award-winning author of The Butterfly House and many other books about her characters, where she finds ideas for her novels, the revision process, and her new novel, The Spiderling.Chapter 5: Parting WordsIf you'd like to take a deep dive into your work-in-progress and obtain feedback designed to make it better, consider attending Bernhardt's next Writers Retreat.WriterCon will take place over Labor Day weekend. You can attend in person, or stream the entire three-day conference. For more information, visit: www.writercon.org.

Bestselling author William Bernhardt discusses the latest news from the world of books, offers writing tips, and interviews Joanna Penn, host of The Creative Penn podcast and the author of many novels and nonfiction books.Chapter 1: IntroductionDazzling Description: Painting the Perfect Picture is now on sale. This is the tenth volume in Bernhardt's series of books on writing fiction.Chapter 2: Newsa) Many writer organizations experience allegations and criticism for insufficient attention to minority representation, including International Thriller Writers, the National Critics Circle, and The Poetry Foundation.b) The National Internet Archive has cancelled its plan to make free eBooks available online.c) James Daunt announced that Barnes & Noble will increase its support of the Nook.d) Apple announces that it is discontinuing iBooks Author.e) The Guardian suggests that the COVID-19 lockdown may have a permanent impact on the way novels are written.Chapter 3: Writing TipsSometimes it's difficult to come up with the perfect word or phrase to express exactly what you're trying to write. Bernhardt suggests several techniques for dealing with this problem, including a new online thesaurus called OneLook.Chapter 4: Interview with Joanna PennBernhardt interviews the author and host of The Creative Penn, who discusses the importance of committing to your writing, "going wide," distribution strategies, foreign rights for independent writers, advertising, and many other topics.Chapter 5: Parting WordsBernhardt has ten books in his Red Sneaker series on writing, and the annual writers conference he hosts every Labor Day weekend, WriterCon, will take place in Oklahoma City, though you can stream all sessions online for the same registration fee.Dazzling Description: Painting the Perfect PictureWriterCon 2020: www.writercon.org

Best-selling author William Bernhardt discusses the latest news from the world of books, offers writing tips, and interviews Dan Millman, internationally acclaimed author of The Way of the Peaceful Warrior.Chapter 1: IntroductionRegister for WriterCon 2020 while the Early Bird price is still available. You can attend the conference in person, stream the conference, or both.Chapter 2: Newsa) Black Lives Matter and protests all across the nation are impacting books. Black-owned bookstores are seeing increased sales, as are books treating issues of race.b) Bookstores are cautiously reopening.c) Major publishers have sued The Internet Archive for digitizing books without consent from copyright owners.d) Bernhardt recounts his experience using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to stop illegal downloads of his books from Twitter.Chapter 3: Writing TipsA recent study indicates that men will give up on a book they aren't enjoying after fifty pages while women stay for about 100—but you want your readers to finish the book and love every page. Bernhardt discusses approaches to writing irresistible openings that hook readers and keep them reading.Chapter 4: InterviewBernhardt interviews Dan Millman, past WriterCon keynote speaker and the author of seventeen books, including The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. He talks about how transformative character arc can make your story one that readers not only enjoy but remember long after the reading experience has ended.Chapter 5: Parting Wordsa) ConsciousStyleGuide.com offers tips, language, and vocabulary advice for writing about sensitive subjects involving minority groups.b) Jane Friedman has complied a list of websites where you can make financial contributions to support various organizations trying to support the African-American commuunity, protestors, and grieving families: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Pf76L5azQN9ahbhbt7MRmKb5sBZgeUWbXKLoPJO592Y/edit?ts=5edbd445#gid=0c) Register now to attend or stream WriterCon2020: www.writercon.org

Bestselling author William Bernhardt discusses the latest news from the publishing world, offers writing tips, and interviews Damon Courtney of Book Funnel on how writers can maximize sales and find “superfans.”Chapter 1: IntroductionThe Early Bird registration fee for WriterCon 2020 (writercon.org) expires on June 15. You can attend in person or stream the conference online and even have private meetings with agents and editors by Skype.Chapter 2: News1)Lawsuits between authors writing in the fan fiction “Omegaverse” illuminate how copyright law can be “weaponized” and the impossibility of owning a world that you did not originate.2)Author sues major publisher claiming AI “text spinning” was used to plagiarize original work.3)Book sales improved in April.4)In the wake of racism claims, RWA retires the Rita Award and launches the Vivian.5)Draft2Digital partners with Vivlio to distribute books to European markets.6)Kindlepreneur adds a book description generator/formatter to its webpage.Chapter 3: InterviewBernhardt interviews Damon Courtney of BookFunnel about how to maximize sales with landing pages, freebies, newsletters, mailing lists, and other services designing to help writers acquire and keep “superfans.”Chapter 4: Parting WordsRegister for WriterCon 2020 today! www.writercon.org

Bestselling author William Bernhardt discusses the latest news from the world of publishing, offers writing tips, and interviews Mag Dimond, author of the beautiful travel and meditation memoir, Bowing to Elephants.Chapter 1: Introductiona)Twisted Justice by William Bernhardt breaks new sales records.b)The Early Bird price for registering for WriterCon 2020 (Sept 4-6) expires on June 1.c)Bernhardt will lead a small-group writing retreat at the Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow on July 8-12.Chapter 2: Newsa)Apple Books creates a portal to allow writers to upload books directly.b)The president of Simon & Schuster passes.c)The Big Five are having problems. Macmillan releases employees while other major publishers post declining sales.d)Books-A-Million is reopening.e)Bernhardt predicts we are witnessing a milestone moment in the history of publishing, a decrease in the importance of New York publishing and an increased turn toward digital books, online sales, and print-on-demand.Chapter 3: Writing TipsBernhardt discusses a study by David Gaughran analyzing the Amazon Bestseller list versus the Amazon Popularity list and what it indicates. Writers should make sure their work sends a clear message about its genre and target audience. Covers matter, titles matter, and price matters.Chapter 4: Interview with Mag DimondThe author of Bowing to Elephants discusses what she has learned from her travels and the importance of mindfulness and mediation.Chapter 5: Parting WordsKeep safe, keep sane, and keep writing.For info about WriterCon: www.writercon.orgFor info about Bernhardt’s small-group writing retreat: www.williambernhardt.com/writing-retreats

William Bernhardt discusses the latest news from the world of books, offers writing tips, and interviews Lara Bernhardt, author of Ghosts of Guthrie and editor-in-chief at Balkan Press.Chapter One: IntroductionWriterCon 2020, William Bernhardt’s annual writers conference, will take place on September 4-7. Streaming options will provide an optional way to attend. Chapter Two: Newsa)Alaska School Board removes The Great Gatsby and other classics from the curriculumb)UK protests arise when anonymous donation to indie bookstores is revealed to have come from…a surprising source.c)Bookfinity.com helps readers find new booksd)The Internet Archive states that it will remove authors’ work (made available for download without compensation to authors) upon request. So Bill tests the claim…e)COVID-19 Impact Report: Libraries see increases in eBooks and eMagazines borrowing. Print book sales are up 10% over the previous week. Major publishers are turning to POD for print editions. Bookstores are starting to reopen. Penguin Random House delays payment of advances. f)Barnes & Noble delays payment of author royalties. Draft2Digital agrees to pay those author royalties to its authors out of its own pocket.g)This may be a pivotal moment in the evolution of the publishing world.Chapter Three: Writing TipsDo you have conversations with your fictional characters? Don’t worry about it—a new study shows that most writers do. There’s nothing wrong with it—in fact, it may be a good way to make characters three-dimensional, to develop a voice, and to write convincing dialogue.Chapter Four: Lara Bernhardt, author of Ghosts of Guthrie and editor-in-chief of Balkan Press and Conclave magazine, offers a top five list of advice for writers working with authors.Chapter Five: Parting WordsWilliam Bernhardt’s new novel, Twisted Justice (Book 4 in the Daniel Pike series) is now on sale. Lara Bernhardt’s new novel, Ghosts of Guthrie (Book 3 in the Wantland Files series) is also on sale. WriterCon 2020 will happen, September 4-7 in Oklahoma City. For more information, visit: writercon.org.