Become a Writer Today

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 it...

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 abo...

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 t...

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 wit...

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 horror how to sustain in...

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 fr...

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'...

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...

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 va...

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...

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 p...

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 m...

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. R...

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...

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 som...

Deadlines, should you be afraid of them? How much do you plan your books or even your series of books? In my early twenties, I learned one important lesson - the importance of deadlines.  Deadlines can help you write book chapters, sections of your book, and even your entire book on time. They can also help you work with editors and then ship it so you can start earning book royalties. If you need...

Over the years, I've interviewed nearly 200 guests for the Become a Writer Today podcast. These days, I get pitched a lot from potential interviewees.  If you're thinking of pitching another show to appear as a podcast guest, ask yourself if your message or book is relevant to their audience. There's no point appearing on a podcast simply because it's popular. A good podcast gu...

Turning events from everyday life into stories is critical for nonfiction writing. It's also vital if you want to become a columnist, and it's even a practice that can help with your fiction. Years ago, I had a dream of becoming a columnist. I sent off dozens of job applications. Eventually, I got a response: "Bryan, you could only become a columnist if you're somebody who peop...

How can you write if you’re experiencing chronic pain? Chronic pain is terrible if you’re a writer because it can prevent you from producing your word count for the day. I know because I’ve experienced migraines on and off over the years. They usually occur when I’m stressed, dehydrated, or tired. When I experience a migraine, I find it exceptionally difficult to look at a computer screen or a pho...

How niche should you go with your books? This week's interviewee is Dr. Guy Windsor. He's well known as a martial arts instructor who teaches people the art of sword fighting, but he's also a well-known author in this particular genre or niche. In fact, he's published over 30 books on the subject, and he's created courses too. I first came across Guy Windsor's work in...

How can search engine optimization help you write?  If you’re starting a blog, a content publishing website, or writing online, there are two things that you need to do, spend time actually writing and then figure out how people will find and read your work. You can do this in many different ways, from social media marketing to paid advertising, using your email list, and using search engine optim...

What does it take to succeed on Substack today? And if you're thinking of starting your Substack newsletter, are you too late to the party?  Over the past few years, I've interviewed several popular Substack newsletter owners. I even interviewed the co-founder of Substack, Hamish McKenzie. Substack has gotten a lot more popular since I first featured it on the Become a Writer Today Show....

What should you do if you want to write across genres? And how can you sustain a rewarding and lasting creative career? Perhaps writing across genres is the way to do it.  I spend a lot of time thinking about what genre to write in. Like many readers, I like to consume lots of different genres. What you read usually informs what you write, so if you find yourself reading multiple genres, that may...

Have you ever considered taking one of your old nonfiction books and rewriting it? It can take months to come up with the first draft, edit it, and turn it into something you're happy to send to an editor. Then when you get feedback, you'll probably spend more time fixing it. That's to say nothing of sending a book to beta readers who may have additional queries and clarifications f...

Some nonfiction books are harder to write than others. If you're an expert in a topic, sometimes you can just bang out a couple of thousand words, repeat for a few days, weeks, and months, and publish your nonfiction book. In fact, many successful nonfiction authors have built careers by publishing short nonfiction books that cover a specific topic and then publishing these books frequently. ...