ChatGPT used to be the go-to AI for authors, but it's no longer the best choice for every task. New models like Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Grok are outperforming it in specific areas, from creative writing to research to automation. In this week’s episode, you’ll hear from The Nerdy Novelist, Jason Hamilton. We discuss which AI tools work best for your writing, your budget, and your genre. You’ll learn Which tools can help expedite your researchWhich AI models help you write the best dia...
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ChatGPT used to be the go-to AI for authors, but it's no longer the best choice for every task. New models like Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Grok are outperforming it in specific areas, from creative writing to research to automation. In this week’s episode, you’ll hear from The Nerdy Novelist, Jason Hamilton. We discuss which AI tools work best for your writing, your budget, and your genre. You’ll learn Which tools can help expedite your researchWhich AI models help you write the best dia...
Most authors begin writing as a solitary pursuit and soon realize they don’t know other writers or industry professionals who can help them grow. So how do you go from a solitary outsider to a connected insider who knows designers, editors, marketers, and more? In this week’s episode, we talk with Dale L. Roberts, an award-winning indie author and host of Self-Publishing with Dale, about how genuine networking can strengthen your career and relationships. In this interview, you’ll discover: H...
If you ask a bestselling novelist how long it took to go from aspiring writer to published success, the answer is usually about ten years. One reason it takes so long is that most authors learn about writing in a haphazard way. They read a blog post here, listen to a podcast there, attend a conference where they receive a firehose of information, and then watch YouTube videos hoping to fill in the gaps. It is an overwhelming way to learn. If you have ever felt overwhelmed by everything you ne...
ChatGPT used to be the go-to AI for authors, but it's no longer the best choice for every task. New models like Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Grok are outperforming it in specific areas, from creative writing to research to automation. In this week’s episode, you’ll hear from The Nerdy Novelist, Jason Hamilton. We discuss which AI tools work best for your writing, your budget, and your genre. You’ll learn Which tools can help expedite your researchWhich AI models help you write the best dia...
I am not a big fan of Substack for novelists. Most novelists are better off using the free version of Kit and WordPress. However, Substack is a completely different story for nonfiction authors. If you’re a nonfiction author who wants to grow your platform without juggling five different tech tools, this week’s Novel Marketing episode is for you. In this week’s episode, I talk with screenwriter and Substack superuser James Cary about how nonfiction authors can use Substack to attract readers,...
Hardcover books are back. Beautiful, premium, collector-quality editions are gaining momentum with readers who want books that look and feel special. But how do you know if you should create a premium hardcover edition of your book? In this week’s episode, you’ll hear from author Paul Millerd, who created a luxury edition of his bestselling book. We dig into the strategy, psychology, risks, and rewards behind premium hardbacks and whether they make financial sense. You’ll learn: How to know i...
Authors talk about “the algorithm” the way the little aliens in Toy Story talk about “the claw.” Does the algorithm randomly choose your book, or is someone else controlling the claw? In this week’s episode, you’ll discover what we know about how Amazon decides which books to show, and how to get your book in front of the readers most likely to love it. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Amazon “decides” which book recommendations to give shoppersWhich readers you should persuade to click Ama...
Lately, I’ve been getting swamped with emails from authors asking about Shopify. Many are losing money and wondering what went wrong and how to fix it. Here’s the truth most authors don’t want to hear: Shopify is usually a bad deal for most authors. In this week’s episode, you’ll learn ✅ Why Shopify sounds so good but often backfires ✅ The math behind why most authors lose money by using it ✅ Better alternatives that save time, stress, and money Shopify is lauded as an attractive option for a...
Are you wasting money, time, and paper by using the wrong printer? Before you buy your next printer, make sure it has the features every author needs. The wrong setup can cost you hundreds of dollars a year or, worse, stop working altogether when your Wi-Fi service fails. In this week’s episode, you’ll learn: The critical printer features authors needHow to cut your paper use (and clutter) in halfHow to make your printer more reliable and easier to useThe subtle trap you must avoid when pur...
Audiobooks have been the fastest-growing segment in publishing for a decade, and for many readers, an audiobook signals a real, human-written book. In fact, audiobook sales have recently outpaced ebook sales! Now is the time to get your book on audio. But where do you even begin? In this week’s episode, audiobook consultant Bryan Canter gives us an overview of the entire process of how ACX (Audiobook Creative Exchange) works and how to publish your book on audio without blowing your budget. Y...
Many authors make the mistake of writing a book first and then trying to find readers. This is backwards and rarely works. However, if you follow these three steps, your book will be set up for success. Step #1: Identify your target reader.Step #2: Start growing an audience of readers like that person.Step #3: Launch your book.But how do you find your Timothy? How do you grow your audience? And how do you write the kind of book they'll love? In this week's episode, you'll hear from Josiah DeG...
The faster you write, the more books you can publish and the more money you can make from your writing. We all type slower than we speak, and if you’re typing and creating a story at the same time, you type even slower. But what if you could regularly produce 50 words or more per minute? You’d be able to write a 120,000-word book in a 40-hour work week! Authors who can write that fast all use dictation. So why do so many authors hesitate to use it? If you’ve ever tried dictation and felt awkw...
Giving away your hard work for free doesn’t seem to make good business sense. So why do authors give away ebooks for free? What if “free” didn’t kill your revenue, but primed it? In this week’s episode, we’ll dig into the permafree strategy with Dale Roberts, author of Secrets of the Permafree Book. You’ll learn: Where permafree works (and where it flops)How to make Amazon price-match a free bookHow to determine whether the permafree strategy is working for youWhich kinds of standalone books ...
So you wrote a good book, but you can’t seem to get reviews. Do you just throw up your hands? Why do reviews and ratings even matter? Well, the more reviews a book has, the better it will sell and the more reviews it will get. Without the social proof of reviews, readers scroll past your book listing, algorithms ignore you, and sales flatline. So, how do you get more book reviews? In this week’s episode, we’ll hear from Joe Walter of Independent Book Review. You’ll learn Three different kinds...
Most authors either avoid AI or use it badly. Let’s fix that. Authors who learn to use AI find that they have more time to write better books. In this week’s episode, Joanna Penn and I break down where to start, which tools are actually worth using, and how to get useful output instead of bland tasteless, voiceless, AI slop. You’ll learn How to prompt ChatGPT like a coworkerThe best tools for images, deep research reports, audio, and marketing tasksWays to use AI that you probably haven’t con...
Every author needs editorial feedback. But not all feedback is good. If you accept every edit, you risk losing your voice and writing something bland. If you ignore all edits, you risk writing something sloppy that readers won’t buy. So how do you know which edits to take and which to toss? In this week’s episode, you’ll learn: 7 “Bewares” to help you sort out good and bad editorial suggestionsWhether AI or human editors are helpful or hurtfulHow to develop good tastes that guide your writing...
Most writing conferences teach you how to write a better book or how to pursue a literary agent. But what if you have already written a great book and you need help selling it? Is there a conference for you? Yes! Announcing the 2026 Novel Marketing Conference, a live, in-person event focused on helping you market and sell more books. The 2026 conference is packed with innovations you won’t find anywhere else: 100% live, interactive sessionsA small group of writers who write in your genreG...
If you write picture books, chapter books, or middle-grade fiction, you know the challenge: kids read your books, but adults buy them. So how can you let young readers know about your books? Where can you connect with your readers? By meeting them in person in school classrooms! In this week's episode, award-winning author Becca Wierwille shares how school visits became her best book marketing strategy and how you can start doing them too. In this episode, you’ll discover: How to get your fir...
What’s up with ruthless heroes and romantasy? And what if the real reason your book isn’t selling has nothing to do with your writing and everything to do with the zeitgeist? In this week’s Novel Marketing episode, we’re featuring an episode of Author Update. We unpack the massive cultural shift that's changing what readers crave. From romantasy's domination to the hunger for noble dark heroes, we explore what sells and why in the new "spirit of the age." In this episode, you’ll discover: T...
Ever wonder how some authors consistently sell a thousand books a month? What marketing tactics are they using? How can I get those results too? In the latest episode of the Novel Marketing Podcast, I talk with Susan Neal, author of nine books and CEO of the Christian Indie Publishing Association. Susan shares how she layers her marketing efforts—from podcast interviews to press releases—to drive book sales month after month. Here’s a taste of what you’ll learn: Which tactics helped her sell ...
Publicity has always been important for authors. Mark Twain promoted his books by writing letters to the paper, and even Agatha Christie, who was known for being very private, still did interviews with prominent newspapers. Yet some authors think this kind of publicity is old-fashioned. In a world dominated by social media, do we even need traditional PR anymore? If you've ever wondered how to get your book featured in the media—or whether it's even worth trying—you won’t want to miss ...
ChatGPT used to be the go-to AI for authors, but it's no longer the best choice for every task. New models like Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Grok are outperforming it in specific areas, from creative writing to research to automation. In this week’s episode, you’ll hear from The Nerdy Novelist, Jason Hamilton. We discuss which AI tools work best for your writing, your budget, and your genre. You’ll learn Which tools can help expedite your researchWhich AI models help you write the best dia...
