PODCAST · education
The Writing Podcast
by Melissa Parks and Dave Goetz
This is the podcast for aspiring writers, an A-to-Z guide to writing, publishing, and promoting books or any other writing project. Your hosts are Melissa Parks and Dave Goetz, co-founders of Journey Sixty6, an editorial services company and independent publisher for the family business community. Each episode is designed to both inspire and instruct writers as they take the long road trip to write and promote their ideas.
Episodes
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Memoir Expert Cristen Iris on the Elements of a Well-Written Memoir
Imagine a tent with only one pole – it would collapse, right? The same principle applies to storytelling, where tentpole scenes provide the essential structure and support. This is true for fiction as well as memoirs and documentaries. In this episode, Cristen Iris discusses how tentpole scenes...
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Book Coach Lisa Tener on How to Navigate Feedback from Editors
As a writer, you understand the effort needed to transform raw ideas into polished words. Feedback from beta readers, book coaches, or developmental editors can show that a seemingly complete work requires significant revisions. In today's episode, Lisa Tener, an acclaimed book writing and...
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Amy Davies on How to Build a Following on LinkedIn that Translates to New Opportunities
In this episode, Amy Davies, a LinkedIn powerhouse, author of A Spark in the Dark, and CEO of First 30, shares actionable tips for turning your LinkedIn activity into new opportunities. Discover the best times to post, what content resonates with audiences, and how to boost engagement. If you're...
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How to Write about Difficult Topics in Memoirs
Writing a memoir likely will dredge up some difficult memories. For some writers, the pain of these memories might slow down the process of writing, like it did for Cheryl Landes, author of The Best I Can Do. It took Cheryl nearly two decades to complete her memoir. In this episode, Cheryl offers...
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How to Develop a Creative Idea for Your Nonfiction Book
If you want to write a book that influences the world, you need to start with a creative idea. Great ideas form the essence of great books. And yet idea development is one of the biggest struggles of writers. In this episode, Dave and Melissa talk about what an idea really is, how to sharpen your...
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Octavia Goredema on Finding Support throughout the Book Writing Journey
The book publishing journey doesn’t always start with writing the book. It often starts with a book proposal, especially if you want to pursue traditional publishing. But how do you get a book proposal in the hands of a publishing house? You might need a literary agent. Octavia Goredema, author…
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Becky Robinson on How to Cultivate Online Followers
The ever-evolving digital landscape can be daunting, leaving authors unsure of where to focus their efforts. Becky Robinson, founder and CEO of Weaving Influence, shares insights from her book Reach and discusses the four commitments to cultivating online followers. From practical tips to words…
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Virginia Frischkorn on Hosting Successful Book Launch Events
One of the most memorable days for an author—especially a first-time author—is their book launch party. It’s a celebration of the hours, days, months—maybe even years—you’ve devoted to writing your book. A book launch event, however, is more than a party. It’s a strategic move where your...
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Jordan Rosenfeld on Storytelling Techniques to Use in Nonfiction Writing
In the realm of nonfiction writing, facts and information reign supreme. They are critical to educating and persuading your audience. To do this, however, your writing must have emotional resonance. Storytelling is an elemental way to emotionally engage and connect with your reader. But…
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7 Tips for Producing a Family History Documentary
There’s a story behind every successful family business and enterprise. Some families will write a book. But some families might find a documentary is the best way to capture the family story. In this episode, Dave and Melissa will help you explore why a documentary might be a better vehicle than…
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Author and Book Coach Stacy Ennis on Systems for Book Writing and Landing a TEDx Talk
If you’re stuck in the book writing process, you’ll want to tune into this episode. Bestselling author, speaker, ghostwriter, and book coach Stacy Ennis offers practical systems for developing your voice, focusing your book idea, and how to land a coveted spot as a TEDx speaker. Great Moments in...
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Author Ryan Frederick on Successful Platform Building
You have a great idea and you’ve written a terrific book, but that’s only the first step in the book writing journey. How do you sell the book and use it to extend your thought-leadership platform and your business? Ryan Frederick, author of “Right Place, Right Time: The Ultimate Guide to…
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Anne Janzer on Joyful and Successful Book Marketing
When most writers think about the book journey, they’re focused on writing and then publishing. But what about book marketing? In this episode, Anne Janzer, a thought leader in the marketing industry, explores the ever-evolving book marketing landscape. Discover Anne's philosophy of...
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What Form Should Your Content Take?
In this episode, Dave and Melissa are back together to tackle a pressing question: What's the optimal format for your ideas? Is it really a book? Or are there alternatives that are a better fit for you? Our world is ripe with content formats for you to package your ideas, from videos, blog posts,...
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Author Kristin Keffeler on Writing a Nonfiction Book that Connects with Your Ideal Audience
If you have done research and want to know how to turn that research into a book, this podcast episode is for you. Author of The Myth of the Silver Spoon, Kristen Keffeler, discusses her journey turning her research into a nonfiction book that was picked up by a traditional publisher. Kristin...
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Lisa Tener on Writing a Book Proposal that Lands You a Deal
You want a traditional book deal? First you need a stand-out book proposal. But for many first-time authors, creating a book proposal is a mystery. What do you include? What don’t you include? What are agents really looking for? In this episode author and book proposal coach Lisa Tener provides...
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Vikrant Shauruya on Becoming a Nonfiction Bestselling Author
In this podcast, Dave and Melissa interview Vikrant Shauruya, founder of Authors on a Mission, on how to market and sell your nonfiction book. Vikrant discusses what a “bestselling book” actually is, and why a successful book is built on a well-written book. Great Moments in the Episode 05:15 –...
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Author Josh Rutherford on Applying Screenwriting Principles to a Fantasy Book Series
Our interview with Josh Rutherford, author of The Fourpointe Chronicles, provides aspiring fantasy novelists valuable insights on how to create a believable fantasy world, how to develop characters over a series of books, and how to apply screenwriting techniques to novel writing. Josh also...
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Cristen Iris on How to Move your Story Forward with Scenes
The best television shows and movies have memorable scenes. In those scenes, characters are forced to make choices that move the story forward. This is the essence of screenwriting. And, according to ghostwriter Cristen Iris, it’s also the essence of great memoirs and fiction. In this episode we...
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Author Paula Munier on How to Create the Perfect Plot
How do you keep your reader reading till the wee hours of the morning—because they have to figure out how the story ends? You must create a narrative arc that, scene by scene, plot point by plot point, keeps the reader questioning. Paula Munier, author of Plot Perfect: Building Unforgettable...
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What Is a Developmental Edit? And Why It Matters to the Success of Your Book
A developmental edit for your book project is as essential as eating right and working out if you want to be fit. You always need a developmental edit, no matter your experience as a writer. The most sophisicated writers expect it. Developmental editing is not about tearing down your work or...
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Lisa Cron on the Misbelief of Your Protagonist and Why It Matters to Your Story
Lisa Cron is no fan of how the writing world teaches writers to craft stories. She has several beefs with the standard ways novel writing is taught, including starting your project with "plotting." In this episode, Lisa offers a fresh, practical perspective on the key to writing a compelling…
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Cristen Iris on Thinking Like a Filmmaker When Writing Your Memoir
Ultimately, your memoir is not about you. It's about the reader. And what the reader takes away from spending hours, even days reading your book. In this practical episode, Cristen Iris gives memoir writers a clear path to writing a memoir that gets read. Cristen is an award-winning ghostwriter,...
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Emily Enger on Good Enough Book Marketing for Fiction and Creative Writers
Most writers simply want to write and publish. And not have to deal with the hassle of social media and selling their book. In this episode with book marketing coach Emily Enger, she introduces the concept of "good enough" book marketing. She says that writers should focus on the writing first…
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View Your Time Set Aside for Writing as Sacred
The word sacred is not too lofty of a word to describe your time set aside to write. In this episode, Melissa and Dave co-opt a religious term and apply it to the time set apart to write. Great Moments in the Episode (1:49) Dave's progress: his daughter is picking up the sport of lacrosse in high...
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Rosanne Bane on How to Overcome Writer’s Block
In this extensive interview, Rosanne Bane helps writer's unlock their resistance to write. Author of "Around the Writer's Block," she explains the science behind our procrastination and excuses, and provides practical tips to get back on track. Great Moments in the Episode (3.30) The story of a...
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Bryan Cohen on How to Sell Your Self Published Book with Amazon Ads
Bryan Cohen is Da Guru when it comes to selling your book with Amazon ads. In this practical interview, Bryan gives us the inside scoop on how self-published authors can use Amazon ads to promote their books and other products and services. Bryan, the founder of "Author Ad School," is a USA Today...
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Novelist Jaimie Engel on Becoming a Romcom Screenwriter
In this interview with youth fantasy fiction and non-fiction writer Jaimie Engle, she describes her journey to become a RomCom screenplay writer. Great Moments in this Episode (4:30) How Jaime made a surprise connection to an attorney in the film industry during what she calls the Apocalypse (the...
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First-Time Novelist Linda Fifer on Losing Her First Draft and Her Persistence to Complete the Project
At one point in writing her debut novel, The Road between Two Skies, Linda Fifer lost the entire manuscript. Her husband had misplaced it, and there was no digital copy. In our interview with Linda, she discusses how she reconstructed her story and how she persisted for years before she was able…
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Getting Real about the Costs of Publishing Your Book
It's a big expense to publish your book. And most likely the sales from it won't cover the publishing costs. At least for most writers. We all have fantasies about landing a big publisher and selling millions, but the super majority of books sell around 250 copies. At least that's what Google…
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Novelist and Memoirist Donna Freitas on Identifying the ”Why” of Your Book
Until you know the "why" of your book, you may struggle to structure it. So believes Donna Freitas, Brooklyn-based author of fiction and nonfiction. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The LA Times, among other places. She is currently on faculty at...
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Writers Don’t Storytell, They Storyshow
"Show, don't tell" - that is the most basic advice given at every writer's workshop or conference. As a writer, you must show what is happening, not merely tell what happened. Writers do not have the luxury of sound to assist with narrating the story. Nor do writers have video or motion graphics....
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Novelist Ann Hood on the Revision Process for Novels and Memoirs
Novelist and memoirist Ann Hood prefers the phrase "glorious mess" when referring to the first draft of a writing project. Ann recently published "Fly Girl: A Memoir," about her career as a life attendant in the late 1970s and 1980s. She has written 14 novels and four memoirs. In this episode…
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Jennifer Bisbing on Editing for Writers Who Plan to Self Publish
Your readers need you to be clear. Jennifer Bisbing, book editor and author of the mystery “Under the Pines," says that if an author writes with clarity about his or her theme, readers will have greater insight and appreciation. In this interview with Jennifer, she discusses how she researched…
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How to Begin to Write Your Family Story
Most every family story includes heroes and scoundrels, and lovable as well as colorful characters. If you've ever considered writing your family history, you've probably asked, "Where do I begin the story?" In this episode, Melissa and Dave offer seven tips to begin writing your family story.…
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Book Publicist Julia Drake on the Three Key Ways to Promote Your Book
Promoting your book should begin the day you decide to write a book. That may seem like an overstatement, but the earlier you begin to think about your audience, the more success you'll have if later you decide hire a book publicist like Julia Drake, president and co-founder of Wildbound PR. In...
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Platform-Building Expert Stephanie Chandler on Growing an Audience for Your Writing
The word platform is a synonym for "audience." To build your writing platform means to build your audience. Many new writers groan at the idea of building their audience while also trying to write a book. It seems overwhelming. In this episode, Stephanie Chandler gives writers a simple roadmap…
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Literary Agent Soumeya Roberts on How Agents Assess Your Manuscript
Even if they are not actively soliciting new ideas, most literary agents still long for the thrill of discovering a new writer who speaks to them. In this interview with Soumeya Bendimerad Roberts, she identifies the three elements that she looks for in a manuscript - style, structure, and…
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5 Ways to Build a Following for Your Writing
"Publishing is a business." That statement is as true for those who self publish as it is for those who plan to pitch a traditional publisher. Who will purchase your book? And how do you reach them? Years ago, a popular writer named Michael Hyatt coined the phrase "platform building." It's the…
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Book Agent Miriam Altshuler on Effective Query Letters and Aspiring Authors
New York literary agent Miriam Altshuler looks for specific elements in a query letter. For starters, the query should not be longer than three paragraphs. In this delightful interview with Miriam on the wonder of books, she also offers some practical advice for first-time authors. If you're...
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Craft, Voice, and Concept - the Art of Memoir Writing
They say to write what you know. It’s no wonder there has been a surge in memoir writing. You know nothing better than yourself. As The Art of Memoir author, Mary Karr, said, “Anyone who’s lived can write one.” But to write a memoir that people want to read requires "craft, voice, and concept."…
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7 Self-Editing Questions to Improve Your Manuscript
Every writer who has ever stared at a blank screen (or page) has eventually had to lay down a first sentence. And then revise that sentence. Again and again. First drafts are just that - the first of many drafts to come. In this episode, Melissa and Dave identify seven self-editing questions to...
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What Happens after You Sign a Book Contract
The countdown begins, after you sign a contract with a publisher. There is a deadline. And, suddenly, there is an urgency to putting a period to your writing, if you haven't yet completed the manuscript. The process shifts from creative to production. In this interview with Dr. Jamie Weiner, he...
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7 Questions to Evaluate Your Book Idea
Every book that is published starts out as a raw, unformed idea in the mind of a writer. A companion of that initial idea is often an emotion: fear. Is my idea really good enough for an entire book? In this episode, Melissa and Dave identify seven questions to help writers evaluate whether their...
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Do You Need a Writing Coach?
"Book coach" is a category that for the most part didn't exist several decades ago. There was a literary agent. And the acquisitions editor at the publishing house. Between the two of them, writers found various kinds of help with their manuscript. Today, book coaches help writers with everything...
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Interior Designer and Influencer Natalie Papier on Starting Her Book Project
Art, color, and design - these three elements define the brand of Natalie Papier, interior designer and Instagram influencer (@home_ec_op). In this wide-ranging interview, Natalie discusses the role of authenticity in her brand and how she began working on a book project. Through connections on a...
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The True Definition of Publishing for Writers
What does it mean to publish? The original, Latin definition of the word publish means "words made public." In this episode, we make the case that to develop a rich writing life means embracing a broader definition of the word "publish." Even a Christmas letter or a social post is a form of...
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Prop Stylist Robin Zachary on Paying Attention to the Little Things When Publishing a Book
It's always the little things that can make or break a project. In the publishing process especially, an author needs to pay attention to every detail until after the book has been printed. In this interview, Robin Zachary discusses the process to publish her forthcoming book, Styling Beyond...
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Journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer on Researching Her Parenting Book
Parenting is not for wimps, as the saying goes. Science journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer might say that the biggest parenting challenge is "How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes," the provocative title of her recent book. Melinda has written a column for Slate magazine and publishes regularly with...
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8 Insights into How Editors View Your Manuscript
Editors serve an audience. A magazine editor keeps his or her job only if the majority of readers renews their yearly subscription. A book editor whose acquisitions are not profitable will need to find a new job. In this episode, Melissa and Dave discuss eight specific insights into how an editor...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
This is the podcast for aspiring writers, an A-to-Z guide to writing, publishing, and promoting books or any other writing project. Your hosts are Melissa Parks and Dave Goetz, co-founders of Journey Sixty6, an editorial services company and independent publisher for the family business community. Each episode is designed to both inspire and instruct writers as they take the long road trip to write and promote their ideas.
HOSTED BY
Melissa Parks and Dave Goetz
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Writing Podcast have?
The Writing Podcast currently has 109 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Writing Podcast about?
This is the podcast for aspiring writers, an A-to-Z guide to writing, publishing, and promoting books or any other writing project. Your hosts are Melissa Parks and Dave Goetz, co-founders of Journey Sixty6, an editorial services company and independent publisher for the family business community....
How often does The Writing Podcast release new episodes?
The Writing Podcast publishes regularly with 109 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Writing Podcast?
You can listen to The Writing Podcast 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 The Writing Podcast?
The Writing Podcast is created and hosted by Melissa Parks and Dave Goetz.
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