How A Daily 'Thought Of The Day' Grew Into A Global Humor Book Series

In this episode, W G Williams takes us inside the moment he stopped chasing agents, embraced a hybrid publisher, and brought 20 Years of Internet Humor and Other Interesting Things to life without losing the warmth that kept readers coming back for decades.We explore the nuts and bolts: sourcing stories from readers, editing for clarity and broad appeal, and verifying originality rather than recycling copyrighted material from the web. Bill walks through why he organizes nearly 200 entries alphabetically to keep tone and topics varied, how he credits contributors for transparency, and why short, self-contained stories make the book perfect for five-minute reading sprints. He shares candid lessons on marketing as an author-operator—leveraging word of mouth, live events, simple social posts, and the power of online retail to attract new readers and even new publishing offers after the fact.You’ll also hear how Bill balances a full-time career with a daily creative routine, stays a week ahead on content, and plans themed volumes dedicated to kids, aging, marriage, and more. If you’ve wondered whether hybrid publishing can be both rigorous and empowering, or how micro-stories can cut through a loud news cycle with a little levity and a lot of heart, this conversation offers a practical blueprint and a gentle nudge to keep going.Send us Fan MailSupport the show📬 JOIN THE NEWSLETTERThe Storyteller Quest is  a weekly letter on writing,publishing, and the business of books.Subscribe, and I'll send you Traditional, Self, or Hybrid? —11 pages on what each publishing path really costs, plus a7-question worksheet that tells you which one is yours.Subscribe here.