PODCAST · business
Creatorwood
by Michael Evans
We help storytellers make movies with AI and build six-figure businesses selling films directly to viewers. We specifically focus on helping authors, writers, and other storytellers with no prior experience turn their ideas into six-figure movies, shows, animations, and more using just a laptop. Your host is Michael Evans. He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast. You can read Creatorwood, the free book all about how to build a business making movies with AI: https://blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe And you can join the Creatorwood platform, the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business, here: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="ht
Episodes
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Why the Smartest Authors Don't Rely on Book Sales
Michael walks through 25 of his 100 ideas for authors who want to make money beyond just selling books. Drawing from his time at Mr. Beast and his CreatorWood platform, he covers things like Kickstarters, merch, fan communities, AI movies, and story letters. He also stresses the importance of...
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The Foundations of a Rick Creative Life
What if the secret to unlocking your creativity isn't about working harder, but doing just one thing? In this episode, I sit down with Peter Dudley — engineer turned writer, fundraiser, and life coach — who shares a surprisingly simple framework that could save you from creative burnout for good....
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5 Rules of AI Filmmaking in 2026
An introduction to the five core rules of AI filmmaking — embracing randomness, experimenting often, maintaining consistency through start frames, working with the technology rather than against it, and letting post-production work its magic. Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform:...
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How She Made a Sci-fi Film with AI for Less Than $1,000
Go behind the scenes of the AI short film Saturn’s Rings with director Mia Salsi as she reveals how the entire film was created using the Movie Machine for just $600. Watch Saturn's Rings here: https://youtu.be/NZqkz6Trylg?si=P5fpeBh_C_49kyIO Join the Creatorwood Discord:...
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Hollywood Gets This Wrong Here's What Actually Keeps Viewers Watching
A deep-dive presentation on viewer retention in AI filmmaking — covering how screen size, viewing context, and story pacing determine whether audiences finish your film, and how to test and validate your story with real viewers before committing to a full production. Join the beta of the...
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How to Create Beautiful Charaters in AI Movies
In this session, Michael from Creatorwood explores the shift from human to AI actors, emphasizing that audience connection is the engine for sustainable storytelling. Whether a character is human or synthetic, "fandom lives and dies by characters"—not just plots. Join the beta of the Creatorwood...
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The State of AI Filmmaking in 2026
AI filmmaking is here — but it works differently than you think. In this video, we break down how AI video models actually work, why experimentation beats perfectionism, and how to work with the technology instead of against it. Whether you're ready to jump in or waiting for the tech to mature,...
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How I Brainstorm Hit Film Ideas with AI
Michael, a former strategist at MrBeast and a sci-fi author, breaks down the art of ideation and market analysis for the new era of AI filmmaking. The core message is that "the idea is the ceiling"; no matter how good the production, a story's potential is capped by its premise. The speaker…
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5 Steps to Write a Viral Vertical Film
Micro dramas are a $10B industry—but most lose money because the story misses the mark. In this episode, Michael Evans (CEO of Creatorwood) reveals how to write viral vertical films that hook viewers in 90 seconds and keep them paying. Learn the three hidden rules of vertical storytelling, how to...
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How to Profit from the $10+ Billion Vertical Film Boom
Michael explores the booming vertical film industry, highlighted by P&G’s entry into mobile-first entertainment. The CEO of Creatorwood explains how their AI platform allows users to produce and monetize 9:16 shows for a fraction of traditional costs. Key topics include the format's explosive...
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Why Going Beyond the Book is The Future of Storytelling
In this episode, Michael and Ross explore the "reader-first" approach to creativity. Ross shares his journey from photography to fiction, highlighting a bold experiment where he validated his novel through Amazon pre-orders before finishing the manuscript. The conversation dives into what it…
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The 1 Metric That Determines if Your Movie Will Be a Hit
This episode features a thoughtful conversation with an experienced author reflecting on his journey through the creative process. Speaking calmly and candidly, he shares how structured guidance and step-by-step support helped transform his ideas into a finished work. Set in an intimate,...
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How to Avoid the #1 Mistake People Make with AI Filmmaking
In this episode, we reveal the biggest mistake creators make in AI filmmaking and how to avoid it when using Creatorwood’s Move Machine. Learn why character, voice, and world consistency matter, and how one small misstep can lead to major frustration. Plus, hear from creator Joseph Klug as he...
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How to Go From Beginner to AI Filmmaking Expert in 30 Days
This podcast episode provides a deep dive into the art of AI filmmaking with Creatorwood's creative director, Mia. She discusses her journey and shares expert advice on using the "Movie Machine" tool, which transforms written stories into films. The core topic is the importance of...
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How to Find $1+ Million Ideas
Do you really have a million-dollar movie idea? Today, I'll share how AI is removing Hollywood gatekeepers and empowering creators to test, validate, and market films faster and cheaper than ever. Join the Six-Figure Film Accelerator and learn how to build a viewer growth engine today:...
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Writing For Joy in the Age of AI
Alexandra shares the inspiration behind her free online book club, a supportive community for writers to hold each other accountable and celebrate the creative process. The club offers a "silent writing" space where members can work on their projects and share their progress. Read the Creatorwood...
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10 Steps from Story to $100k+ Film with AI
10,000+ people will make a living from AI films by 2030. This is the playbook on how to go from zero to $100k+ AI film business in 10 (not so simple but comprehensive) steps. Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free…
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How the World's First AI Publisher Creates Great Stories
A deep dive into how authors can use AI to enhance storytelling, streamline publishing, and expand their books into new formats while keeping humans creatively in control. RESOURCES FROM PODCAST: Brave New Bookshelf Podcast: https://bravenewbookshelf.com/ https://futurefictionacademy.com/ Future...
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Translating Your Book with AI + Humans
In this episode, I sit down with translator and publisher Maxwell Zachs to unpack how authors can use AI plus human review to translate their books into languages like German, French, Spanish, Italian, Catalan, and more—at a fraction of traditional costs. We talk about what AI is great at, where…
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How AI Changes Your Customers and You A Conversation with Mark Schaefer
In this episode of Beyond the Book, I sit down with legendary marketing thinker and author Mark Schaefer to talk about how AI is literally rewiring our customers—and what that means for you as a storyteller, creator, or author. We dive into his books Audacious, Belonging to the Brand, and How AI...
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Noir Shorts, Big Swings Troy Lambert on Book Blasts, Kickstarters & AI Movies
Join us as Troy Lambert dives into his new Kickstarter, blending short fiction, monthly book subscriptions, and even AI-generated movies. We talk storytelling, crowdfunding, and how creators can adapt in a rapidly changing publishing world. Book Blasts: Short, Thrilling Fiction for People on the...
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From Cocktail Book to Drink Brand: How Maggie Turned Trope Tales into a CPG Startup
In this episode of the Creatorwood Podcast, Maggie Beeler returns to share how her trope-inspired cocktail book, Trope Tales, evolved into a full-blown drink mix brand. We dive into how she found manufacturers, validated her idea, launched a successful Kickstarter, and became (very likely) the...
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Beyond the Book Podcast: The First Billionaire Indie Author
In this intro episode, Michael shares the vision for the podcast, his background, and the true power of going beyond the book to turn your stories into an empire 👑. Join Author Sidekick, the newsletter to help you grow your readership and revenue as an author…
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Beyond the Book Podcast: Turning Her Book into a Multi-Million Dollar Cocktail Brand
Tropetails is a cocktail recipe book for readers. It's made $10k+ and has hundreds of customers. In this episode, Michael helps Maggie go beyond the books to create a scalable business with cocktail mixes for readers that could turn the IP of Tropetails into millions. Check out Maggie's…
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Beyond the Book Podcast: The Investor v.s. Day Trading Approach to Publishing
Here’s your very quick Sunday update (I promise, most Sundays there will be no emails, but this was a very busy week). First, you can watch an exclusive video for Sidekick Plus members above all about the Investor v.s. Day Trading Approach to Publishing. Next, you can RSVP here where you will get...
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Beyond the Book Podcast: 10 Weird Ways Authors Make Millions
In this episode, I share what 99% of authors get wrong about publishing: that the game is about selling more books. Instead, it's about something much more fundamental. And with that understanding, opens up a whole new world to make money and reach new readers... hence... 10 Weird Ways Authors…
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Beyond the Book Podcast: How This Author Makes $2.4 Million/Year with Story Letters
Story Letters are an emerging story format where readers receive a story told through letters in the mail. Authors are making tens of millions of dollars a year from story letters across genres ranging from romance, to horror, to children's books. Today, we chat with David Viergutz, the creator…
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Beyond the Book Podcast: Book Marketing So Good It Feels Illegal
Today I share 10 marketing superpowers that when unleashed have the power to supercharge your book sales. Follow Author Marketing Superpowers Deck on Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/authorsidekick/author-marketing-superpowers-deck Read the Author Marketing Playbook for…
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Recording of 10 Bonus Marketing Superpowers
Before we dive into the replay of the first-ever Author Sidekick Plus Workshop… a huge, heartfelt THANK YOU for all the support today. Yes — that absolutely whacky email you received earlier was a parody… all to raise money for charity 😄 And because of you, it worked. We’ve already raised…
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Beyond the Book Podcast: How To Turn Your Book Into a Movie Without Hollywood
Jonathan and Jynafer Yanez have raised $75k+ on Kickstarter to fund turning Jonathan's sci-fi novels into short-films. Today, Jynafer shares with us how they created Hollywood-level production quality films with no backing from a studio or major film company. Join the Beyond the Book Membership,...
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Beyond the Book Podcast: How to Turn Book Signings into a Full-Time Income
Learn how to reach new readers AND make money at book signings. Anna McCluskey, urban fantasy author, shares with us the strategy she's used to make thousands of dollars at 10+ book events with the right pricing of her books, event set-up, event-selling techniques, and, of course, finding and...
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Free 50 Author Marketing Superpowers Audiobook
I planned to get you the eBook and audiobook over the weekend… but I ended up making one last round of edits and added a TON of bonus content to the audiobook. I hope it was worth the wait 😊 Before we dive in… 🎉 You smashed the Kickstarter goal! The Author Marketing Superpowers Deck is…
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Beyond the Book Podcast: 6 Ways Authors Are Making $100k+ on Kickstarter
From chocolate to card games to interactive stories, here are 6 wild ways authors are making bank on Kickstarter and how you can do the same. Oriana Leckert, Head of Publishing at Kickstarter, joined me to break these campaigns down and share some behind-the-scenes insights 😁. EPISODE RESOURCES:...
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Beyond the Book Podcast: How Kevin J. Anderson Sold 20 Million Books
Learn from one of the most storied authors in publishing about how he's written 50+ bestsellers, has 23 million copies of his books in print, and has succeeded in novelizations, indie publishing, Kickstarter, and more. Check out Kevin's latest Kickstarter, Terra Incognita, an epic seafaring…
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Day 4 of the Author Marketing Superpowers Bootcamp: Stop marketing your books. Do THIS instead...
Before we dive into Day 4, a quick announcement… The Author Marketing Superpowers Deck Kickstarter closes TOMORROW. We’re inches away from unlocking our next stretch goal — AuthorHub, an all-in-one book marketing tracker that helps you level up your author business. Backers get: The physical...
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Beyond the Book Podcast: Publishing Nihilism
Publishing Nihilism: the belief that the pursuit of authorship is increasingly meaningless or hopeless. How many of you have felt this recently? How many of you have been feeling this way for years? In today’s edition of the Beyond the Book Podcast, I want to offer an alternative vision for our...
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Beyond the Book Podcast: How 1 Story Makes Him $3 Million a Year
I traveled to the ScareMail HQ where 100,000+ story letters are shipped out each month by David Viergutz and his team. Join me on this adventure into a world beyond the book... where 1 story makes this author $3 million per year. Note: The video for this podcast got corrupted, but I do include…
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Beyond the Book Podcast: The Next $10 Billion+ Opportunity in Storytelling
It's time to Make Your Own Movies. There's a technology, social, and business change enabling an entirely new industry to form. One where independent storytellers like you can create fictional, episodic stories and charge by episode and season. This changes the landscape of film. What used to…
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Beyond the Book Podcast: Answer Engine Optimization Workshop
Here’s May’s Monthly Sidekick Plus workshop. It’s all about Answer Engine Optimization, or how you can have readers discover your books when chatting with LLMs like ChatGPT, Claude, and more. This one is action-packed with insights and takeaways. * The free tool (for now) trakkr.ai can help you…
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Beyond the Book Podcast: How He Launched a NYT Bestseller as a Teenager
An Interview with Jay Yang: The Architect Behind Noah Kagan’s NYT Bestseller Launch This is one of the most inspiring and actionable episodes of Beyond the Book. Jay Yang is one of the brightest minds in social media and he’s worked with top entrepreneurs like Tyler Denk (CEO of Beehiiv), Noah...
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Beyond the Book Podcast: How to Plan for Book Publishing Success in 2025
Chelle Honiker, a powerhouse in indie publishing, reveals how to scale your author business by focusing on what matters—and automating the rest. Tune in to learn practical strategies that save time and boost growth. Join Author Sidekick, the newsletter to help you grow your readership and revenue...
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Beyond the Book Podcast: The Book Pre-Order That Made $5,000 in One Day
Nat Eliason made over $5,000 from his first sci-fi novel, Husk—without a traditional publisher. After earning a six-figure advance for his nonfiction book, Nat pivoted into fiction, self-published his debut novel, and used his marketing skills to drive thousands in preorder sales. Learn how he…
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Beyond the Book Podcast: How to Get Your Book Into Walmart, Target, and Major Retailers
Roberta Townes, author of Shelf Talk, joins us to discuss how authors can successfully navigate the retail world. From pitching to buyers to building relationships with bookstores and retailers, she shares practical strategies and hard-earned insights for getting your book on shelves—and keeping…
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Beyond the Book Podcast: The Man Behind the World's Wildest Books
Josh O'Neill of Beehive Books shares how they collaborate with visionary artists and authors to create stunning illustrated editions—diving into the creative process, crowdfunding strategies, and the future of art-focused publishing Join Author Sidekick, the newsletter to help you grow your...
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Beyond the Book Podcast: Mal Cooper’s Facebook Ad Secrets That Make Authors Millions
Mal shares the insider’s view of indie publishing from hot book marketing tactics to the challenges and joys of sustaining a long‑running series. Whether you're a new indie author or seasoned pro, her insights on worldbuilding, author mindset, and audience growth are gold. RESOURCES MENTIONED…
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Beyond the Book Podcast: How to Scale Your Superfans Without Selling Your Soul
Johnny B. Truant is a bestselling author known for genre-bending sci-fi and fantasy, including Fat Vampire (the inspiration for the TV show Reginald the Vampire) and The Beam. Today, he chats with us about how we can become Artisan Authors and succeed in the new age of indie publishing. Back the...
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Beyond the Book Podcast: The Secret to Writing 10,000 Words Per Day
Today's episode is all about dictation with the wonderful guest Sarah Elizabeth Sawyer. Whether you want to write faster, avoid chronic pain, or just write in a way that works better with your life – today we cover the step-by-step playbook to succeed in dictation. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Join the...
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Beyond the Book Podcast: How to Fall in Love with Marketing Your Book
Today, we chat with Russell Nohelty, one of the brightest minds in indie publishing. He's been early to so many platforms and succeeded on them, whether it be Kickstarter or Substack, and has built an amazing community of 25,000+ writers who follow Russell for his insights at the intersection of...
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Beyond the Book Podcast: How to Be Your Own Developmental Editor
Stacy Juba is an author and editor, where she shares expert tips on self-editing, organizing your writing, and honing storytelling skills, helping writers save money and craft polished, compelling books. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Stacy's Shortcuts for Writers: https://www.shortcutsforwriters.com/...
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Beyond the Book Podcast: Story-Market Fit Workshop
First of all, thank you so much for supporting Author Sidekick Plus. This month’s workshop is all about Story-Market Fit – or how you know when to scale your story business. In the workshop, I cover: The 3 components of Story-Market Fit How I’ve screwed up Story-Market Fit in my author career…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
We help storytellers make movies with AI and build six-figure businesses selling films directly to viewers. We specifically focus on helping authors, writers, and other storytellers with no prior experience turn their ideas into six-figure movies, shows, animations, and more using just a laptop.
Your host is Michael Evans. He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.
You can read Creatorwood, the free book all about how to build a business making movies with AI: https://blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe
And you can join the Creatorwood platform, the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business, here: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="ht
HOSTED BY
Michael Evans
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Creatorwood have?
Creatorwood currently has 57 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Creatorwood about?
We help storytellers make movies with AI and build six-figure businesses selling films directly to viewers. We specifically focus on helping authors, writers, and other storytellers with no prior experience turn their ideas into six-figure movies, shows, animations, and more using just a laptop....
How often does Creatorwood release new episodes?
Creatorwood has 57 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Creatorwood?
You can listen to Creatorwood on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Creatorwood?
Creatorwood is created and hosted by Michael Evans.
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