Are you locking yourself away for months to finish your book, only to realize no one knows it exists? In this episode of In the Writer’s Chair, host Lana McAra welcomes Rodney Washington, founder of Published and Thriving, to explain why waiting until your book is on Amazon to start marketing is a "Simba moment" that often leads to zero sales.

Rodney breaks down the essential shift from being "just an author" to becoming an authorpreneur—an identity that focuses on building relationships, community, and revenue streams long before the physical book is finished.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The "Simba" Fallacy: Why simply being on Amazon isn't enough to drive sales.
• Building on Rented Land: The danger of relying solely on social media and how to move your audience to an email list you own.
• The Interest Post Strategy: How to test your book idea and find "early adopters" with a simple social media post.
• Monetizing the Journey: How one client made over $5,000 and established recurring income for a book that is still in development.
• The $15 to $15k Story: Why the book is often just the "tangible" piece of a much larger, more profitable "product suite".
• Identity vs. Mindset: Why you need an "identity shift" to see yourself as a business owner who happens to write books.

About Our Guest:

Rodney Washington is the creator of the Authorpreneur Decision workshop series and the Published and Thriving incubator. With over 30 years of experience, he helps entrepreneurial-minded creators transform their expertise into thriving brands and profitable books.

Connect with Rodney Washington:

• Download the Blueprint: Access a preview chapter of his upcoming book, The Authorpreneur Decision, featuring in-depth case studies.
• Join the Community: Connect with the Published Creator School Community for weekly monetization mapping sessions.
• Visit his Website: http://authordecision.com/

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Vandela Publishing, a traditional publisher with an untraditional model that lets you keep your rights and royalties while providing a full year of marketing support. Visit vendelapublishing.com.

As the creator of the original Weird Florida books—first published in 1998 before the "Florida Man" craze took over—Eliot has always had a knack for finding the wildest true stories. Now, he is channeling that passion for his home state into vivid historical novels. 

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• From Journalism to Fiction: Eliot shares why he waited until retirement to tackle fiction, and why the secret to good writing is simply to write, read, and write some more. 
• The Dilemma of Historical Fiction: Discover why Eliot is likely the only novelist who includes bibliographies at the end of his books to prove his wild historical scenes actually happened. 
• Florida's Forgotten Civil War History: We dive into the Battle of Olustee, the most important Civil War battle in Florida's history, which inspired Eliot's novel Peace River. 
• A Wild Prohibition Era: Eliot explains why Florida's Prohibition era was even crazier than the 1970s drug wars, complete with rum runners and gangsters. 
• The Adventures of Nate Moran: Get an inside look at Eliot's upcoming four-book series featuring a Miami police detective. 
• Real-Life Inspiration: Learn the tragic and fascinating true story of a 1930 shooting that inspired the first Nate Moran book, Hypocrites Row, releasing in February 2026. 
• Writing Process: Eliot reveals why he considers himself a "hybrid" writer who skips outlining but relies on a solid historical framework. 

About Our Guest

• Eliot Kleinberg is a passionate advocate for Florida history who regularly lectures on the topic. 
• He is on a mission to teach people that Florida's history didn't start with Walt Disney in 1970, noting that St. Augustine is actually 55 years older than Plymouth Rock. 
• You can sign up for his newsletter, check out his speaking schedule, and read his blog "Something Went Horribly Wrong" at his website: ekfa.com. 

Sponsor Spotlight

• This episode is brought to you by Vendela Publishing. 
• Vendela Publishing is a traditional publisher with a unique model that provides marketing help without requiring authors to have large social media or email followings. 
• Learn more at vendelapublishing.com. 

Fred shares how a chance meeting with a Hollywood icon sparked a novel, the gritty reality of the "optioning" game in Los Angeles, and why he’s now rewriting his best screenplays into books.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• The Screenplay-to-Novel Pivot: Why Fred is digging into his Hollywood vault to turn unproduced scripts into "unputdownable" prose.
• The Seeds of The Asian Queen: How a real-life interview with actress Liv Ullmann and a blood-stained river boat in the Mekong Delta merged into a gripping historical novel.
• Writing Under Fire: Fred’s origins as a Navy journalist in the Vietnam War and how he learned to tell the truth when the military was accused of "smoke and mirrors."
• Psychology in Art: How a degree in psychology and NYU film training helped him "get into the mind of the killer" in collaborative works like Untimely Death.
• The "Wood-Wide Web": A deep dive into his latest book, Botanica, which explores how trees communicate through fungal networks to survive mass extinction.
• The Audio Revolution: Why Fred believes the growth of audiobooks is the best thing to happen to the modern attention span.

Instructive Insight: The "Wood-Wide Web"

In his novel Botanica, Fred relies on the fascinating science of mycorrhizal networks. This isn't just fiction; it's a real-world biological communication system.

• Communication: Large "Mother Trees" use this network to send excess sugar to smaller, shaded saplings.
• Defense: When a tree is attacked by insects, it can send chemical warning signals through the fungi to neighboring trees, allowing them to prep their immune responses.
• Mass Migration: As Fred discusses, these networks may play a role in how plant populations shift in response to environmental catastrophes.

About Fred Yager

Fred Yager is a veteran journalist (AP, CBS News), television executive, and screenwriter. He is the founder of the World News and Information Network and a prolific ghostwriter. Based in Tampa, Florida, Fred continues to explore the intersection of technology, nature, and human psychology through his fiction.

Connect with Fred:

• Books: Find Botanica, The Asian Queen, and Untimely Death on Amazon.
• Format Choice: Botanica is available in hardcover, softcover, e-book, and a high-fidelity audiobook narrated by the talented Smartwatch.

Connect with Lana McAra:

• Podcast: In The Writer's Chair
• Publisher: Vendela Publishing

Ready to hear what the trees are saying? Subscribe to hear more from writers who turn the world’s most complex issues into thrilling narratives!

Can technology actually make your writing more human? In this episode of The Writer's Chair, Lana McAra sits down with author Johan Raubel to discuss his character-driven novel, Hannah, and his unique approach to the "interior life" of fiction.

Johan shares how he broke free from the "exhausting" traditional advice of writing from beginning to end, instead discovering a liberating workflow that involves AI-powered dictation and cinematic thinking. If you’ve ever struggled with a slow first draft or found yourself over-explaining every detail to your reader, this conversation is a masterclass in trusting your muse—and your audience.

🎙️ In this episode, you’ll discover:

• The "Floodgate" of Dictation: How Johan used OpenAI’s Whisper to get 80,000 words down in just over three weeks.
• Voice vs. Hands: Why Johan believes the voice is the "creator" while the hands are the "editors."
• The Power of Restraint: Writing for a literary audience by favoring emotional truth over overt explanation.
• Cinematic Writing: How "camera positions" in your mind can help pace a slow-burn romance.
• Being Ruthless: The painful but necessary process of "killing your darlings"—even the scenes that make you cry.

📖 About Johan Raubel

Johan Raubel is the author of Hannah, a novel exploring intimacy, connection, and the risks of being seen. His writing focuses on quiet moments and the "reassembly" that follows grief. He is currently working on his next book, The Gentle Orbit.

✨ Connect with Johan:

• Website: [Insert Website Link Here]
• Book: Find Hannah on Amazon and Kindle.
• Mailing List: Join Johan’s list via his website to get the first chapter of Hannah for free!

This episode is sponsored by Vandela Publishing. Vandela Publishing is a collaborative, traditional publisher that acts as a strategic partner to build career authors. Visit them at VandellaPublishing.com.

#WritingCraft #AuthorsOfYouTube #LiteraryFiction #WritingWithAI #BookMarketing #TheWritersChair #JohanRaubel #PodcastForWriters

What’s the secret to keeping readers hooked for seven novels? According to Julie Robitaille, it’s all about creating a world so vibrant that it feels like home. This week on In The Writer's Chair, host Lana McAra welcomes the prolific author and former English professor to discuss the strategic and creative benefits of writing in series.

Julie, the architect of the Corey Marin Female Detective series, shares how her experience in the classroom and her background in screenwriting helped her craft a series that balances social issues with high-stakes crime—all set in the unique, moss-draped landscape of Gainesville, Florida.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• The "Economic" Writer: Why writing a series is a smart business move, allowing you to focus your advertising dollars on "Book One" while enjoying a high "sell-through" rate for subsequent titles.
• The Series Bible: Why you must keep a meticulous record of eye colors, minor characters, and setting details to avoid the dreaded "continuity error" that eagle-eyed readers love to point out.
• Standalones vs. Spoilers: How to write books that can be read independently while still rewarding long-term fans with deep character growth.
• The Setting as a Character: Why choosing a unique, real-world location like Gainesville allows you to skip the "reinventing the wheel" phase and get straight to the story.
• Amazon Ads & Algorithms: A peak behind the curtain of how Julie uses targeted keywords and Amazon’s "also-bought" feature to keep her series in front of the right eyes.
• The Audio Advantage: Why making your entire series available on Audible is essential for reaching modern readers who "read" while gardening, cooking, or driving.

Instructive Insight: The "Read-Through" Funnel

One of the most powerful reasons to write a series is the marketing funnel it creates. Instead of finding a new customer for every book, you find one customer for the series.

• Entry Point (Book 1): This is where you spend your marketing effort.
• The Hook: Once a reader connects with your protagonist (like Julie’s Corey Marin), they are statistically more likely to buy the next book without any additional advertising from you.
• Compound Value: By the time you reach Book 7, the lifetime value of a single reader is significantly higher than that of a standalone novel reader.

About Julie Robitaille

Julie Robitaille is an accomplished author with over 11 titles, including literary novels, psychological suspense, and short stories. She holds multiple degrees in English and Creative Writing and spent over 20 years teaching at Santa Fe College. Her Corey Marin series is celebrated for its strong female lead and its immersive Gainesville setting.

Connect with Julie:

• Website: jwrobitaille.com (Sign up for her mailing list to get a free download of her short story collection, Trust Me: Voices from the South!)
• Shop: Explore the Corey Marin series in paperback, e-book, and audiobook on Amazon.

Connect with Lana McAra:

• Podcast: In The Writer's Chair
• Publisher: Vendela Publishing

Ready to start your own literary legacy? Subscribe to hear more from authors who have mastered the art of the "unputdownable" series!

In this episode of the Fiction Writers Podcast, In The Writers Chair, host Lana McAra sits down with Robert Kamarowski, a retired computer programmer turned author whose debut novella Wind Dancing breaks virtually every rule of conventional writing — and does it beautifully.

Robert shares the fascinating story behind Wind Dancing, the tale of a Haitian man and a Cuban man whose routine voyage turns into a crisis. The book contains no capitalization, no punctuation — just variable spacing that guides the reader's rhythm and breath. What sounds unconventional on paper reads, as Lana puts it, like poetry.

In this conversation, you'll hear:

• How Robert "downloaded" three novellas in about a year and a half during one of the most difficult periods of his life
• Why Peter Matthiessen's Far Tortuga freed him from punctuation — and why he never looked back
• How he let the manuscripts sit for 20 years before rediscovering them in retirement
• The serendipitous path that led him to independent publisher Mountain Ash Press
• Why writers' groups gave him the confidence to stick to his unconventional vision
• The power of reading your work aloud — and a Microsoft Word trick that does it for you

Whether you're a rule-follower or a rule-breaker, this episode is a reminder that passion, patience, and the courage to trust your creative instincts can lead somewhere extraordinary.

📖 Find Wind Dancing on Amazon 🌐 Visit Robert at rkamarowski.com

Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with a fellow fiction lover!

#FictionWriters #WritingPodcast #WindDancing #IndieAuthor #CreativeWriting #WritingTips #Unputdownable

What does it mean to "face yourself" when you were born with one of the most severe facial deformities in history? This week on In The Writer's Chair, host Lana McAra pulls up a chair with Thomas Tilson, a man whose life began with a medical death sentence and evolved into a 74-year testament to resilience, music, and divine intervention.

Thomas discusses his memoir, Facing Myself: A Life’s Journey from Tragedy to Finding God’s Love, detailing a path that includes 65 reconstructive surgeries, a miraculous voice in a dark car, and the strength it takes to move from being a medical "guinea pig" to a beloved father and grandfather.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• Groundbreaking Beginnings: How Thomas became a subject for the nation’s foremost reconstructive surgeon at Northwestern, undergoing pioneering procedures that helped shape modern plastic surgery.
• The Snickering Classroom: A candid look at the challenges of growing up in the 1950s, dealing with speech therapy, and the childhood rebellion that led to homelessness at age 16.
• The Eisenhower Expressway Miracle: Thomas shares the "darkest moment" of his life—a planned suicide attempt at age 22—and the mysterious voice that stopped him in his tracks.
• Pro-Bowling & Proposals: The heartwarming (and persistent!) story of how he met his wife of 51 years and the 10% risk they took to start a family.
• Garage Rock & Christian Chords: How music became a form of therapy and expression, leading from a top-rated 1960s garage band to his current work in contemporary Christian music.
• Writing for the Next Generation: Why Thomas turned his private journal into a memoir to ensure his children and grandchildren understood the depth of his journey.

Instructive Insight: The Impact of Groundbreaking Surgery

Thomas was born in 1951, a time when many of the procedures we take for granted today were experimental. His surgeon offered his services for free in exchange for the right to document Thomas’s progress in medical journals.

• Reconstruction: Thomas was born without a nose, lips, or a jawbone.
• The Speech Challenge: He underwent decades of therapy to learn to speak without the standard physical structures of the mouth.
• The Legacy: Today, Thomas’s case serves as a historical benchmark for surgical success, proving that complex craniofacial deformities do not limit a person’s ability to lead a full, expressive life.

About Thomas Tilson

Thomas Tilson is an author, musician, and retired computer programmer. Born in Chicago, he has spent his life defying the odds. His memoir, Facing Myself, was written to encourage others facing impossible difficulties to listen for the guidance that can direct their path. He is a member of the Royal Palm Literary Award community and continues to write and record music for his YouTube channel.

Connect with Thomas:

• Book: Find Facing Myself: A Life’s Journey from Tragedy to Finding God’s Love on Amazon.
• Music: Search for Thomas Tilson on YouTube to hear his contemporary Christian songs and his comedic country hit, "On a Beach."
• Direct Contact: Reach out to Thomas via email at ttilson38@gmail.com.

Connect with Lana McAra:

• Podcast: In The Writer's Chair
• Publisher: Vendela Publishing

Feeling like God isn’t listening? Subscribe to hear more stories from authors who found hope in their darkest hours and turned their trials into "unputdownable" memoirs!

Ever wonder how a novelist breaks into the world of DreamWorks or Hallmark? According to award-winning author and screenwriter Jaimie Engle, the secret isn't a secret at all—it’s LinkedIn. This week on In The Writer's Chair, host Lana McAra pulls back the curtain on the "business" side of show business with a guest who successfully pivoted from magical realism books to writing for some of the biggest names in entertainment.

Jaimie shares the specific LinkedIn strategies that landed her a manager and multiple movie deals, why "attraction" beats "self-selling" every time, and how authors can bridge the gap between their published books and the silver screen.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• The LinkedIn Revelation: Why high-level producers and Hallmark executives consider LinkedIn—not X or Instagram—the premier networking hub for writers.
• The "Hook" Bio: How to treat your LinkedIn profile like a landing page, featuring your CTA (Call to Action) and publications as your "calling card."
• Relationship vs. Sales: The "Thank You" DM strategy and why sending a 17-page bio to a producer is the quickest way to get blocked.
• Leveraging the "Gaps": How Jaimie used the industry strikes as a quiet time to build meaningful relationships with Warner Brothers animation executives.
• Professional Coverage: Why spending $300-$500 on a mentor or professional script reader is a non-negotiable investment before pitching a million-dollar project.
• Chapter Drops & Pitching: A look at Jaimie’s latest venture, helping novelists adapt their intellectual property for film and TV.

Instructive Insight: The "Six Steps to Kevin Bacon" Networking Strategy

Jaimie credits her network growth to a specific "engagement loop" on LinkedIn that leverages mutual connections to build authority.

• Follow the Leaders: Don't just connect with producers; follow them and observe their activity.
• The Comment Strategy: Engage with the people commenting on high-level posts. These are often the gatekeepers or peers within the same circles.
• Social Proof: When you eventually reach out to a new contact, LinkedIn highlights your mutual friends. In Hollywood, being "vetted" by association is often the only way through the door.

About Jaimie Engle

Jaimie Engle is a versatile storyteller across books, film, and TV. In 2023, she wrote and sold the film Just Jake and has developed stories with DreamWorks Animation. With over 25 books to her name, she is a winner of the Kirkus Choice Book of the Year and the Writers of the Future Award. She is the founder of Chapter Drops, a service dedicated to helping authors connect with producers.

Connect with Jaimie:

• Website: jaimieengle.com (Check out her "Pitch Drop" services!)
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaimieengle (Follow her for tips on attracting producers!)
• Social Media: Find her on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube @jaimieengle.

Connect with Lana McAra:

• Podcast: In The Writer's Chair
• Publisher: Vendela Publishing

Ready to see your name in the credits? Subscribe for more insights on how to turn your "unputdownable" fiction into a Hollywood reality!