Become A Writer Today

AI tools like ChatGPT are all the rage these days. While they won't write everything effectively for you, they can be a real time saver if used correctly. So rather than opening up Microsoft Word or Google Docs and wondering how you will write some compelling copy for your customers or clients, you can use a tool like ChatGPT. It'll generate headlines for you. It could help you turn product features into benefits and give you a good angle or an introduction for your emails, your sales page, or even your blog post about your latest product or service. Not only that, but these tools take away some of the mystery surrounding copywriting. In other words, they make it easier for everybody to express themselves. And if you're a writer working online, copywriting is a valuable skill because it will help you sell your products, services, books, articles, and, of course, your ideas.In this week's interview, I caught up with the expert copywriter, Neville Medhora. He runs swipefile.com, a fantastic

This week, I caught up with a highly successful Amazon indie author. His name is Marc Reklau. He's from Germany but lives in Budapest, Hungary. Marc got into the self-publishing game about ten years ago, when selling books on platforms like Amazon was much easier. He writes about personal development, self-help and covers topics like productivity, happiness, habits, and money. He also uses Amazon ads prolifically to sell copies of his non-fiction books. Believe it or not, he's had a huge success selling books translated into different languages, specifically Spanish.I was fascinated to hear about Marc's approach – firstly, to writing his books and, secondly, to promoting them via Amazon ads. In this episode, we discuss:Marc's process for promoting his workTranslating your books into different languagesMarc's insights into self-publishing Resources:Marc's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on

When writing for YouTube, many top channel creators say the headline for a video and the thumbnail are the two most important things creators must consider. So, what can you do if you need help writing your headline and figuring out a complementary thumbnail? What other channels do you consider if you want to start a YouTube channel that complements your blog, book, or writing?This week's interviewee is Jake Thomas. He's developed a fantastic product, which I recommend you check out. It's called Creator Hooks and Creator Hooks Pro. Creator Hooks is a free newsletter where Jake debunks or analyzes top YouTube videos, including their headlines, the thumbnails, and what made them go viral.Creator Hooks Pro is like a swipe file where you can get in-depth insights into these videos. It's a real time saver for writing headlines and gives me ideas for other videos. In this episode, we discuss:How Jake came up with Creator HooksThe best way to use itWhat's working on YouTube todayEven if you&

There's never been a better time to be a writer. We have so many different ways of finding readers and getting our work in front of them. You can self-publish a book, which is fantastic because you don't have to rely on gatekeepers. But let's face it. Self-publishing takes a little bit of time, and you have to invest in a book cover. You've also got to spend money on advertising now, and so on.But what if there's a different way? Enter serialization. Famous authors, from Charles Dickens to Agatha Christie, have all serialized their works. The good news is, it's easier than ever to do it today. Perhaps, the best place to serialize your book is on Substack. I've interviewed several top Substack publication owners over the past few years. But this week's interview is a good one. It's with Sarah Fay, a creative writing professor at Northwestern in the United States. She's also an author at HarperCollins. In this episode, we discuss: Sarah's two different Subs

If you're writing or creating content online, then Web3 could be the future. Years ago, many people were sceptical about blogging and didn't see it as a viable way for writers to earn a living. Then it was self-publishing, sometimes considered a bit scammy and not a great way for authors to sell their books directly to their fans.That's the place Web3 is at today. Many people look at the technologies surrounding Web3 — I'm talking about cryptocurrency, the blockchain, and NFTs — with much scepticism.In some cases, they are right. However, Web3 could be how content creators work online to build a relationship directly with their followers and fans. And if you're a writer, it could represent the future of how you write or create something that your readers like to collect or want to own. In this week's interview, I met one of the NFT space's best-known content creators. His name is Zeneca. I asked him how he researches, creates, and writes content in such a new and emerging sp

ChatGPT is fast becoming the biggest trend of 2023. But what does that mean for writers?Like many, I've been using ChatGPT intermittently over the past few weeks and months for various parts of the writing process. I don't describe myself as an advanced ChatGPT user, but I use it for some administrative aspects of running a blog and content websites. For example, I use it to generate iterations of headlines, write SEO meta descriptions, create ideas for FAQs that I put at the bottom of articles, and even develop article outlines. However, I do not use ChatGPT or AI tools to write an entire article because, let's face it, the results can be mixed. I still like to insert some personality and research into the pieces I might write.AI tools can be a real time saver. I even used an AI tool to help develop a headline for this week's podcast episode. So, if you're listening to this, you must have found the headline at least slightly engaging. That said, many writers and creatives from other

There are endless ways writers and authors can connect with readers. An author website, TikTok, YouTube, personal newsletters, Substack, the list goes on. But how do you identify which is the right discovery platform for you? This week I was fascinated to catch up with a content creator who has succeeded multiple times across different platforms. He has a popular personal newsletter and writes about Web3 and cryptocurrency. He's also a well-known book talker. I'm talking about Nat Eliason, who creates content on various discovery platforms.Now, my key takeaway from talking to Nat is that it's still crucial to connect directly with your readers. And for writers, that hasn't changed.In this episode, we discuss:the best way to connect with your readershow Nat gets subscribers organically within the Substack appwriting a cryptocurrency bookpersonal knowledge managementResources:Nat's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questio

In this week's episode, I interview a creative writing instructor who works in a local county prison to instruct inmates on the practice of journaling. Tina Welling is a big believer in the therapeutic power of this practice. She's also a big believer in the link between creativity and nature. Those are two themes that she addresses in her recent books. I'm going to cover both in this week's podcast episode.I was particularly fascinated to catch up with a writing instructor focusing on journaling because journaling is a fantastic practice for anybody, particularly for writers. It helps you get into the habit of writing regularly. You don't have to ask permission from anybody to journal. It enables you to express yourself through the written word.And it will give you source material that you could use later on. Best of all, you can't get journaling wrong. After all, when you write an entry, usually — unless you decide to do something with it later — it's for you and you alone

What are the skills you need to write successfully online today? In this week's episode, I caught up with Dickie Bush. Now, you may already know Dickie Bush because he has nearly 330,000 followers on Twitter. He's the co-founder of Typeshare, a fantastic online writing tool. And he also runs Ship 30 for 30, an online writing course I took a year ago. I was really excited to catch up with Dickie because he's an expert in writing online, specifically on Twitter. One of my key takeaways from talking to Dickie is how he looks at the creative process. In this episode, we discuss: how he transitioned from working as a trader at BlackRockchoosing your subject matterhow to supplement your subject with information and datahow he co-formed TypeshareDickie is getting ready to launch a new cohort of Ship 30 for 30. I have added the link below so you can sign up. It really is an excellent course. If you haven't written much online and perhaps lack confidence about publishing your work on Twitter or oth

My guest this week is a prolific horror author. His name is Chris Coppel. He's the author of more than a dozen books in this genre. Chris also has a famous father who wrote a screenplay for a film that I guarantee you'll know, which has had a huge cultural impact. I was fascinated to catch up with Chris.In this episode, we discuss:how Chris approaches writing horrorhow to sustain interest in one genrewhy you should write what you love to readand his famous dadResources:Chris's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Can affiliate marketing help you earn more money as a writer working online? The answer is yes; affiliate marketing is a fantastic way to grow your income as a writer.You can create content about the products, services, or tools you use daily. The difference is that you would do this on a niche website about a specific topic or concept rather than about you. In other words, it's different from writing about something personal or what's happening in your day. That's a mistake that new bloggers often make. They wonder why they're not earning money online because they simply write about their day.There are a few caveats to affiliate marketing. Firstly, it can be competitive. And secondly, it's usually a good idea only to pick products, services, and tools you use, recommend, and trust yourself. In other words, you're going to create content about something you rely on and are happy to recommend to others. This week, I caught up with a niche website expert specializing in affiliate m

Many people say they need a good idea before they can sit down to write their book. But rather than trying to pick one good idea, generating multiple ideas that you can iterate, test, and work on is much more helpful. You could test them by writing short stories, blog posts, articles, or even creating other types of content. Then you can use all of this real-world information to decide if it's something that your ideal audience is interested in and if it's also something that you want to write about at length.This week, I caught up with a creativity expert. Her name is Robin Landa. She is the author of The New Art of Ideas. She's also a distinguished professor who has written and lectured on creativity for years.In this episode, we discuss:the Three G Methodmentoring aspiring non-fiction writers practical advice for non-fiction writers her specific and impressive writing routineResources:Robin's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have

I'm a big fan of dystopian fiction. George Orwell's 1984 is one of my favorite books of all time, much like many readers. So, I wanted to talk to a dystopian fiction author who understands the conventions of their genre to learn more about their writing process and what it takes to write a book like this. I recently caught up with Aaron Gransby, who is a former journalist. A bit like me. However, he's a lot more experienced in the area. He's currently a magazine publisher, and he's written a new dystopian thriller.In this episode, we discuss:Why Aaron chose this type of genre for his bookWhat the conventions areHow he approached writing his bookUsing beta readers for their valuable feedbackAnd some fantastic takeaways about how to use deadlines Resources:Aaron's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Do you want to break into the publishing industry? Many authors have questions about how to traditionally publish a book and how to find a literary agent who can help with that process. This week, I caught up with Jeff Herman, who's been working in the industry for 25-plus years.He runs a literary agency in the United States and has published over 1,000 different books. So, he has a wide variety of experience across different genres or niches.In this episode, we discuss:how to land a literary agentand what you should put in your pitchthe benefits of creating a back catalog of bookResources: Jeff's websiteSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Have you created a strategy for your newsletter? A newsletter is the best way to communicate directly to your readers without relying on Twitter to surface your posts or Google to rank your articles. When you have a newsletter, you don't have to worry about crazy algorithm changes or something happening to posts that you've optimized for search. I've started several newsletters over the years. Of course, my biggest newsletter is the Become a Writer Today Email List. I'd love it if you could join it. I'll give you a free book of writing prompts if you do. Sign up here.Once a week, I send weekly updates about the latest writing articles and also writing advice to members of this newsletter. Now that's my strategy; your strategy may differ. This week I caught up with an expert in newsletter strategy. Her name is Anna Codrea-Rado. She ran one of the most successful Substack newsletters. It's called The Professional Freelancer, which Anna has recently rebranded. When she's n

One of the most impactful books I've read about productivity and time management is the best seller, Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. The book proposes that the average human lifespan is just 4,000 weeks long, which is a blip in the grand scheme of things.Oliver also writes about how we're just 35 lifetimes separated from the ancient Egyptians.He uses these types of numbers to put in a framework what it means to try and get more things done and why this is a fool's errand.I'm a former productivity nerd. I still like testing the latest productivity software and dipping in and out of the occasional book about productivity. I even wrote a column for Forbes several years ago, all about this exact topic.These days, I think less about productivity and getting more done than I think about the right things or creative projects to work on.In this book, Oliver proposes many different questions and ways that all types of people — including creatives and writers — can figure out what they want

I'm a big science fiction reader. I also like to watch a lot of science fiction on television. But I have little interest in writing science fiction because it's the type of genre that I like to read when I want to switch off.The best science fiction or speculative fiction books always have a big idea behind them. They have topics they want to tackle and often explain how these things may change our world for the better or worse.I love learning from speculative science fiction authors because it's great to hear how they approach big ideas and turn them into a piece of work that readers can enjoy.That's what this week's guest has done. His name is Gary Bengier, and he is the author of the award-winning speculative fiction or cross-fiction book, Unfettered Journey. I was fascinated to catch up with Gary because he had another career before he became a science fiction author. He was the CFO for eBay back in the late 1990s. It's fascinating to talk to somebody who had a corporate car

It's good that you want to become a successful writer, but what tips should you know if you're a beginner? In this episode, I will share 35 tips to help you become a better writer. These are the tips I wish I'd known when I started my writing career before earning a living from writing online. These tips have helped me; they've helped successful authors and can help you too.Resources:The Become a Writer Today Website35 Effective Writing Tips For Taking Charge Of Your ProseHow to Get A Job In Writing: 9 Top TipsSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Do you need a book coach? If so, what should you expect from a book coach, and how can they help you become a successful author? Writing can be a lonely process. Sometimes you'll come up with an idea for a book and wonder, is it any good? You might ask a friend or a family member, or a colleague. The result can be conflicting feedback, and it can be difficult to know if this type of feedback is worth listening to.This is where a book coach can help.This week, I caught up with Jennie Nash. She is a professional book coach. She also teaches other writers and authors how to become book coaches. In this episode, we discuss:What to expect from a book coachHow a book coach fits into the writing processHow a book coach facilitates critical analysisAn example of a successful author working with a book coachResources:Jennie's WebsiteThe 5 Biggest Myths About Writing a Book – DebunkedWriting Your First Book: 10 Painful TruthsSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you ha

Balancing writing fiction and nonfiction, can you do it? What about writing across genres? Should you pick one genre or take on multiple genres for your books?A couple of years ago, I worked with a marketing executive for Become a Writer Today, and he asked me what I liked to write.I explained that I wrote a series of books about the craft of writing, a couple of books about creativity, and some short stories back in the day.I'd also recently written a book called I Can't Believe I'm a Dad. I asked him which of these projects he could help me promote. He said, "the writing books" because they connected to my business.When I asked about I Can't Believe I'm a Dad, a passion project I wrote that I really wanted people to read, he said, "Bryan, you need to stay in your lane. You need to pick one genre and stick to it." What he said struck a chord with me. At first, I wondered if he was right.But here's the thing about writing and creative work — while it's OK