Receiving Feedback and Criticism Authors thrive on sharing their creations with the world. But by putting your work out there, you open yourself up to feedback and criticism, whether fair or unfair. It can be difficult to navigate how to handle feedback, especially the negative kind. Your editor thinks that your character’s actions aren’t consistent…

Accounting for Authors Accounting for authors is something we’re asked about all the time. Special shout out to John Box for suggesting the conversation. “How do self-published authors handle their income? Both part-time and full-timers? Are authors setting up LLC’s or the like? Is this something that we can do on our own? Or is…

Authors on a Train California 2020 In this special episode coming to you live from J.’s aunt’s kitchen in San Francisco, it’s the Authors on a Train California 2020 round table conversation! After riding the Coastal Starlight train from Los Angeles to Oakland, California, the guys shared a mansion with 12 other amazing writers for…

Launching an Author Career in 2020 The publishing industry went through a wave of unprecedented changes in the last decade with the evolution of self-publishing. The rise of the eReader along with technological advancements in the digital distribution of books knocked down doors previously held closed tight by the major publishers. But with the “golden…

The State of Independent Publishing in 2020 It’s time to discuss the state of independent publishing in 2020. In their third annual installment of the “looking ahead” episode, J. and Zach examine the trends that occurred over the past year while trying to determine what they’ll be this year. As the industry continues to evolve…

Reflections on 2019 It’s hard to believe that 2020 is almost upon us. In this reflective episode, Zach and J. look back at 2019 and discuss some of their personal successes and struggles while also talking about what went right—and wrong—with Molten Universe Media. The Career Author Podcast is a podcast where co-authors J. Thorn…

Value Your Intellectual Property Your intellectual property is valuable. How do you exploit it to build true fans and more revenue? Star Wars. Harry Potter. Pokemon. Mickey Mouse. These are some of the most recognizable franchises in the world. But why? What makes Star Wars so much more beloved than any other science fiction and…

Beating Resistance is a daily challenge. For most creatives, we must battle doubt and insecurity at every step of the way. In The War of Art, Steven Pressfield defines the universal force that tries to keep us from our full potential. Thanks to Kim for sending in a topic suggestion that we’ve turned into “Beating…

Creating characters who aren’t like you is key to making your story world feel real and lived in. Our world would be a boring place if every person was exactly the same. As such, so can the worlds in your books if all your characters are. It’s natural for us to write about our own…

Lean Launch vs. Fat Launch is a tactic that every author should consider before publishing a title. Overesourcing a launch, using ads, taking advantage of a series can all be optimized to maximize exposure on the sales platforms. On the other hand, lean launch is a single release designed to test a market or demand…