June 22, 2020

Favorite Podcasts For Writers


With the confinement, I've gotten to spend a lot more time walking than I used to (no wasted time commuting to work as I get to work from home + avoiding public transportation as much as possible).

And, to make these sessions doubly productive, I have taken to listening to a lot of podcasts, mostly on writing and publishing, of course :)

So here's my current list of favorite podcasts, which I thought some of you might enjoy as well:



  • On Writing:
    • Writing Excuses - A podcast started by Brandon Sanderson, Howard Taylor, and Dan Wells, though the hosts have shifted over the seasons, to including other great authors such as Mary Robinette Kowal. They give 15-minute talks on specific writing-related topics that manage to be both highly instructive, as well as very entertaining
    • Alone In A Room With Invisible People - A mother-daughter (Holly Lisle & Rebecca Galardo) podcast that digs deep into how to write fiction. Their podcasts are on the longer side (1 hour if not more), but I still love listening to them discuss what they've accomplished that week (including successes and struggles as authors), as well as going through exercises on how to improve their own stories & writing.
  • On Publishing & Writing:
    • The Creative Penn - Hosted by JoAnna Penn, a famous author/instructor in the indie publishing space, this podcast regularly interviews other people in the industry to give a better understanding of various topics such as: writing, editing, publishing, marketing. I really like her podcasts too, because she tends to also bring topics outside of the box, such as how to remain healthy (staying with a butt in a chair all day long isn't helpful), and also the future of the industry overall (how is AI going to alter our space, and how can we take advantage of it?)
    • The Self-Publishing Show - Hosted by Mark Dawson (a bestseller of thrillers, as well as one of the top names in the self-publishing industry in terms of marketing courses) and James Blatch (great interviewer, as well as a first-time author). Like Joanna Penn, they interview many different people on the art of writing, and the business of publishing. Always in a fun ambiance too.
    • Six Figure Authors - This podcast is hosted by three SFF authors who are full-time authors. They discuss all sorts of topics related to writing, publishing and marketing, particularly what's gotten them (and keeping them) in the six-figure income category each year. The hosts, Lindsay Buroker, Joe Lallo, and Andrea Pearson are all great fun to listen to!

  • Writing & Publishing News:
    • Sell More Books Show - This weekly podcast is hosted by Bryan Cohen and H. Claire Taylor, and is a great way to find out the top items (including tips) to have impacted the writing/publishing markets over the past few days. I particularly like listening to their takes on each item, as they bring out a lot of their own experience in their discussions.
These are my definite go-tos at the moment. What about you? Are there any writing/publishing podcasts you particularly like, that you think I should give a listen to?

June 1, 2020

June 1913 - Chronicles of the Year Before The Great War

Postcard for Kaiser Wilhelm II Silver Jubilee
Peace advocate Norman Angell is on a tour, coinciding with the republication of his book The Great Illusion, and which prompts the President of Stanford University, David Starr Jordan, to state "The Great War in Europe, that eternal threat, will never come. The bankers won't come up with the money needed for such a war, and industry won't support it, so the statesmen simply won't be able to do it. There will be no Great War."

In fact, after 25 years of rule, Wilhelm II wishes to be called the Emperor of Peace at his silver jubilee. Yet, a few days later, the Reichstag passes a military bill "approving the increase of peacetime troops by 117,267 men to 661,478."

Perhaps not quite that peaceful...

Source: Florian Illies's 1913 - The Year Before The Storm