Born To Create

When you walk into a bookstore and see the thousands of books lining the shelves, not to mention the millions of books available online, it probably feels like there is an infinite number of big names, and movers and shakers behind it all. Once you get into this world, though—especially if you get into traditional publishing circles—you’ll discover that there is a much smaller group of people with incredible connections, vast experience, and tons of respect they’ve earned from others. Many of those people are literary agents. I’m excited to bring you this conversation with one such mover and shaker—Mary DeMuth. Mary is a literary agent with Books and Such Literary Management. In addition, she's an international speaker, podcaster, and a novelist and nonfiction author of over 40 books, including: WE TOO: How the Church Can Respond Redemptively to the Sexual Abuse Crisis. Mary loves to help people re-story their lives. She lives in Texas with her husband of almost 30 years and is the mom to three adult childre

After two years of leading the Daily Writer Club, as well as having thousands of conversations with authors in recent years, I can tell you with 100% certainty that one of the biggest pain points for writers is book marketing. We love to create. We love to talk to other writers. We might even enjoy the publishing process. But the vast majority of writers struggle with marketing their books. That’s why I’m excited to bring you this conversation about book marketing, specifically for introverted writers who have anxiety around this topic. Becky Bayne is an international book designer, a published illustrator, and a seasoned entrepreneur. She loves brainstorming with her clients about the options available for their book, offering a less stressful design and self-publishing experience. She specializes in designing books for authors of nonfiction, business, leadership, and inspiration. In this conversation, Becky and I talk about the reasons book marketing stresses out introverts and what kinds of marketing can w

Today’s podcast episode also includes an interview with one of our Daily Writer Club members, Lori Melton! Lori Melton is a Spiritual Director and Retreat Leader with a life-long passion for walking with God and fostering opportunities for others to grow in their relationship with Him. She and her husband, Bryan, are the founders and directors of The Sanctuary at Bear Creek Retreat Center in Allegan, MI, the proud parents of five sons and one daughter, and Nana and Papa to two adorable grandkids. She’s also the author of the forthcoming book, Journey with a Giant: Find Your Guide, Fulfill Your Purpose, A One-Year Adventure.

No matter what type of books or content you write, you are a storyteller. Fiction, memoir, business books, blog posts, podcasts, children’s books, you name it… they all require great storytelling. I’m excited today to bring you this conversation with Troy Lambert, the Education Lead of Plottr, which is software to improve your storytelling. I had heard of Plottr a while back and have been curious for some time, so it’s a privilege to interview one of the members of their team and find out how this incredible tool works. Troy is a freelance writer, author, and editor. He’s written over 30 novels, and several works of non-fiction. He’s also a huge fan of The Big Lebowski, and he is known to some people as “the plot dude.” In this conversation, you’ll learn about the main features of Plottr and how it can make your writing more fun and effective. We also dig into how to use it for a variety of writing genres and styles, including nonfiction. And if, by the end of the conversation, you’re inclined to give Plottr