Tag: story

It’s not always easy to know when to end a series or if you should spin one off a successful one. Zach and J. break down your options for both existing and new series. You will discover the pros and cons of writing spin-offs and more: What makes the guys such a good team How…

The best way to cultivate your mailing list is to know what your readers and want and where they came from. Zach and J. discuss “tagging” subscribers and how that system can pay dividends later. You will discover how to create effective opt-in forms and more: The release of J. and Zach’s first nonfiction book…

Character is critical and in this episode, Zach and J. go deep on how to take yours from good to great. You will discover how to write great characters and more: How science fiction and fantasy authors can use World Anvil as a marketing tool Why the guys don’t do an enormous amount of worldbuilding…

While we’d all love to sell books directly to our readers, there are still some hurdles to overcome with direct sales. Zach and J. discuss the advantages and disadvantages of selling direct. You will discover when to sell direct as an author and more: The newest Molten Universe Media author A powerful system to help…

It’s not easy to turn away from social media in this day age but what’s it costing you? Zach and J. discuss the toll our digital life can take while exploring some ways to stay healthy. You will discover how the guys have approached digital minimalism in their own life and more: Some of the…

Maslow’s Hierarchy can be used in so many ways, and in this episode, J. and Zach look at a Bain study from the Harvard Business Review and discuss how it can apply to independent authors. You will discover the pyramid for products and services and more: Zach’s latest experiment with dictation using the Dragon Anywhere…

There’s always something to learn by studying the masters which is what the guys do today as they dive deep into the Pixar rules of storytelling. You will discover: Some exciting things coming up on the Patreon + the newest Molten Universe Media author, Lori Drake Reedsy’s new discoverability tool for authors How Pixar has…

We’ve all heard “show, don’t tell,” but what does that mean? Join J. and Zach as they discuss the Robert McKee technique of exposition as ammunition along with examples. You will discover: Some of the exciting things the guys are working on + the newest Molten Universe Media author, Cameron Coral! An easy way to…

In part 2 of this two-part episode, J. and Zach continue the conversation around whether or not you should offer author services. You will discover: Bookbub’s new service for audiobooks + what this might mean for the future of audiobooks Four powerful questions to help you assess scenes in your manuscript Why change is the…

In many past episodes, the guys have discussed the importance of income diversification with multiple revenue streams. In today’s episode (part 1 of 2), Zach and J. dive deep into potential ways authors can help other authors while earning money. You will learn how to decide whether or not you should provide services for authors…