Join us as we interview author J.D .Barker, renowned for his thrilling novels, including Forsaken, The Fourth Monkey, and Dracul (co-authored with Bram Stoker’s family using Bram’s original notes and journals). With a reputation for pushing the boundaries of suspense and supernatural storytelling, his works have appeared on bestseller lists worldwide, and Dracul is currently in development for film by Paramount. J.D. has also collaborated frequently with James Patterson, further cementing his presence in the literary world.

SHOW NOTES:

“Something I Keep Upstairs”

Inspiration & Setting: What inspired you to write Something I Keep Upstairs, and how did the real haunted house influence the story?

Unique Elements: Can you share some unique elements of the book that you think set it apart from your previous works?

Immersive Experience: How do you think the giveaway of an overnight stay in the haunted house adds a new dimension to your readers' experience with the book?

Co-Authoring and Collaboration

Co-Authoring with James Patterson: What have you learned from collaborating with James Patterson, and how has that experience shaped your writing style?

Stephen King Endorsement: What impact did it have on your career?

Collaborating on Dracul using Bram Stoker's original notes What insights did you gain about his writing process?

Publishing and the Industry

Indie vs. Traditional Publishing: What are some key differences you’ve observed between indie publishing and traditional publishing in terms of creative freedom and marketing?

What are some of the things you learned the hard way?

Questions about Writing and Fiction

Book Doctor & Ghost Writer What are some key lessons you learned from this role that you apply to your own writing today?

GIVEAWAY for Something I Keep Upstairs

SOURCES & LINKS

Website: https://www.jdbarker.com

Giveaway: https://woobox.com/vcevs2

Preorder: https://jdbarker.com/books/something-i-keep-upstairs/

Full Show Notes are available on our website as well as free downloads mentioned in the episode.

Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com

Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/

Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred & Of Lies and Honey https://www.donnanormancarbone.com

If you found value in this content, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE. Thank you

Writers craft thousands of words to create a novel, so why is it so difficult to write a summary and pitch for books? We’ll delve into the difficulty of whittling down a novel into these necessary tasks which could make-or-break selling a novel. In addition, we’ll discuss the functions of a summary and pitch as well as how to write them.

SHOW NOTES:

Summary: a concise overview of a book with the purpose of enticing a reader

Pitch: one sentence that encapsulates story for the purpose of selling it to agents and publishers

Summary: Hook, main character(s), setting and/or theme, conflict/stakes, and a teaser

• voice
• third person (no matter the POV of the book)
• captivate your reader
• flows
• 100-200 words in length

Examples:

Pitch (also called elevator pitch or logline):

• character descriptor
• inciting incident
• conflict/stakes
• goal
• make it memorable & concise
• 1 sentence (approximately 20-30 words)

Examples:

*Note: a tagline is different & often appears on the book

Examples:

“How to Write a Book Pitch No One Can Resist,” Abi Wurdeman

“How to Write an Elevator Pitch for Your Novel,” Harry Bingham

DO NOW: Write a book jacket summary first, using the models provided. Then, whittle it down to a few different pitches; choose the one that is most enticing. Consider running these by your friends or writing partners to get their perspectives.

Next Episode: An interview with author J.D. Barker, author of Something I Keep Upstairs, & you won’t want to miss his amazing GIVEAWAY

Full Show Notes are available on our website as well as free downloads mentioned in the episode.

Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com

Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/

Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred & Of Lies and Honey https://www.donnanormancarbone.com

If you found value in this content, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE. Thank you

Each year some of the top industry publications predict trends in publishing for the upcoming year. In today’s episode, we’ll share some of these and give you our take on where we think the publishing industry is heading.

SHOW NOTES:

“Top Ten Publishing Trends of 2025,” Emma Boyer, Written Words Media, 2 JAN 2025

“Publishing Leaders Share Nine Bold Predictions for 2025 and Beyond,” Audrey DeRobert, BookBub, 23 JAN 2025

Noteworthy Predictions

Building loyal audiences

Investment in email marketing campaigns and subscribers:

Meta’s domination over the industry

Traditional and Indie publishing converge

Benefits and drawbacks of AI

Hybrid publishing will be on the rise

Publishers will continue the fight against censorship

SOURCES & LINKS

“Top Ten Publishing Trends of 2025,” Emma Boyer, Written Words Media, 2 JAN 2025

“Publishing Leaders Share Nine Bold Predictions for 2025 and Beyond,” Audrey DeRobert, BookBub, 23 JAN 2025

Authors Against Book Bans

Author’s Guild

DO NOW: Target the trend that is most beneficial to where you are in your writing journey and learn all you can about it to make you better informed.

Next Episode: Writing the dreaded book summary and pitch

Full Show Notes are available on our website as well as free downloads mentioned in the episode.

Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com

Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/

Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred & Of Lies and Honey https://www.donnanormancarbone.com

If you found value in this content, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE. Thank you