BookTrib is proud to present to our readers the Writers, Ink podcast, a show about the business of writing. Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business.
Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business — editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins.
Check back every Monday for a new episode!
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Returning guest Alma Katsu has recently gained valuable insight into navigating new genres. With the release of her new spy novel, Red Widow, she’s learned how to grab the interest of her existing horror readers, change her marketing approach to attract readers in a new genre, and write something different and true-to-life while keeping it dramatic. Alma is best known for her novels The Taker and The Hunger, the latter of which prompted a blurb from Stephen King on Twitter. Katsu worked in federal intelligence for most of her life and is currently a technology consultant. To check out Red Widow, follow the link below.
From Amazon.com:
Ms. Katsu’s debut novel, The Taker, was selected by Booklist as one of the top 10 debut novels of 2011. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins Writing Program and Brandeis University, where she studied with novelist John Irving, and an alumnus of the Squaw Valley Writers Conference. Like many writers, she has a day job, too: for over 30 years, she was an intelligence analyst for the federal government and RAND, and is currently a consultant on emerging technology.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- Why writing Red Widow was a little risky
- Why it’s hard to write fiction about something you know a lot about
- The business aspect of switching genres
- Why virtual events aren’t as popular as they used to be
- The importance of social media advertising
LINKS
Show Credits
Host: J. D. Barker
Host: J. Thorn
Host: Zach Bohannon
Music: Nicorus
Voice Over: Rick Ganley (recorded at Mill Pond Studio)
In This Episode
Alma Katsu
Red Widow
Story Rubric
Nonfic Rubric
The Career Author Summit 2021
Proudly Sponsored By
Kobo Writing Life
*Full disclosure: Some of these links are affiliate links.
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