Book Career Network
Book Career Network Podcast offers a daily exploration into the world of fiction writing, bringing together a diverse group of experts dedicated to helping authors succeed. Each show within the network is tailored to address different facets of the writing and publishing process, ensuring that no matter where you are in your author journey, there’s something valuable for you. Mondays feature ”Becoming A Household Name” with Jody Sperling, where listeners can follow the real-life documentation of an author’s journey out of obscurity. Jody shares personal experiences, triumphs, and setbacks, providing a roadmap for authors aspiring to make their mark in the literary world. On Tuesdays, ”Worlds Asunder” led by David Shadoin and H.Y. Gregor dives into the art of world-building and character creation. This show is perfect for writers who want to craft vivid, immersive worlds that captivate their readers, with expert advice from seasoned authors in fantasy and sci-fi genres. Wednesdays bring ”Romancing Like Swift” with Morgana Beven and Emma-Lee Jayne. This unique show examines Taylor Swift’s ingenious approach to marketing and storytelling, extracting lessons that authors can apply to engage and enchant their audience effectively. Thursdays are for ”Author Intelligence,” hosted by Elizabeth Ann West and Stacey Anderson. This interactive podcast focuses on the impact of artificial intelligence in the author community, discussing how emerging technologies can be leveraged to enhance storytelling and streamline the writing process. Ending the week on Fridays, ”Ink & Effort” with James Fox offers practical tips, expert interviews, and motivational strategies. It’s designed to keep authors productive and inspired, with a focus on maintaining the discipline needed to succeed in the highly competitive world of publishing. Each show in the Book Career Network is crafted to provide not just information but also motivation and community, helping authors feel connected and supported throughout their careers. Whether you’re drafting your first novel or looking to expand your reader base, our network is here to guide you every step of the way. Join us to transform your writing aspirations into tangible successes.
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Episodes
![104 - WCC: Seth Ring and James Horton, Cockroaches and Nuggest Pt 1 [Worlds Asunder ]](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/18941618/Brown_and_Beige_Minimalist_Podcast_Cover_adprya_300x300.jpg){kind=logo}
Tuesday Feb 25, 2025
Tuesday Feb 25, 2025
Introducing WorldCraft Club! This week we’re excited to bring you all something a little different. That’s right, it’s a crossover week. We had the opportunity to sit down with author Seth Ring and James Horton of the WorldCraft Club. They’ve created a community dedicated to building resources for game masters, novelists, and worldbuilders of all kinds. James and Seth release regular videos on a huge range of story and worldbuilding topics.
Forget everything we’ve ever told you about worldbuilder syndrome and icebergs and pacing yourselves. This week is all about the reasons we love worldbuilding–what about it captivates us, pushes writers and other creatives to delve into new, unexplored universes. We’ll discuss inspiration, trends, cultural shifts, and our favorite things about fantasy and science fiction.
Resources and Guest Links:
Go check out the WorldCraft Club’s awesome videos: https://worldcraftclub.com/
Our hosts: https://worldcraftclub.com/about/
Shoutout to Seth and James! It was an honor to be hosted on their podcast and get the chance to geek out about all things worldbuilding.
Host Links:
H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/
David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/
Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)
Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,
Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Another excellent week with Mel Todd! With over 44 titles released in urban fantasy and science fiction, she’s also the owner of Bad Ash Publishing, where she works to create a place for excellent stories and great authors. Mel’s Kaylid Chronicles, the Blood War series, and the Twisted Luck series offer great new twists to her genres.
Join us in part one of this great episode with Mel, where we discuss her process, inspirations, and her four cats, who tolerate her.
In Part Four, We Discuss:
Broadening your horizons through research, writing, and reading
Don’t worry about retelling the same story–Shakespeare did them all, and he did them better than you
Writing what you love, and making it real
Style guides and consistency within your manuscript
Language in worldbuilding
Social media platforms and where to find Mel online!
Resources and Guest Links:
get your hands on the brand-new Noble’s Luck trilogy! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DQVHS64P
Bad Ash Publishing: https://badashpublishing.com/
Mel Todd’s site: https://meltodd.com/
Mel’s Books: https://badashpublishing.com/books/
Andy Weir (The Martian, Project Hail Mary): https://andyweirauthor.com/
Thank Mel With Us! While we’re used to hanging out with her in the real world, but we’re so grateful she joined us on the internet streets to bring her expert insight to Worlds Asunder.
Host Links:
H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/
David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/
Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)
Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,
Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim
Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
Another excellent week with Mel Todd! With over 44 titles released in urban fantasy and science fiction, she’s also the owner of Bad Ash Publishing, where she works to create a place for excellent stories and great authors. Mel’s Kaylid Chronicles, the Blood War series, and the Twisted Luck series offer great new twists to her genres.
Join us in part one of this great episode with Mel, where we discuss her process, inspirations, and her four cats, who tolerate her.
In Part Three, We Discuss:
The hamster wheel of writing and marketing
Bad Ash Publishing and time discipline
Finding and protecting your writing time
Worldbuilding pitfalls
Submissions and engaging storytelling; same, same, but different
Engaging with readers in person and online
Resources and Guest Links:
Pre-Order the brand-new Noble’s Luck trilogy! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DQVHS64P
Bad Ash Publishing: https://badashpublishing.com/
Mel Todd’s site: https://meltodd.com/
Mel’s Books: https://badashpublishing.com/books/
Iron Widow: https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Widow-Xiran-Jay-Zhao/dp/0735269939
Thank Mel With Us! While we’re used to hanging out with her in the real world, but we’re so grateful she joined us on the internet streets to bring her expert insight to Worlds Asunder.
Host Links:
H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/
David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/
Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)
Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,
Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Another excellent week with Mel Todd! With over 44 titles released in urban fantasy and science fiction, she’s also the owner of Bad Ash Publishing, where she works to create a place for excellent stories and great authors. Mel’s Kaylid Chronicles, the Blood War series, and the Twisted Luck series offer great new twists to her genres.
Join us in part one of this great episode with Mel, where we discuss her process, inspirations, and her four cats, who tolerate her.
In Part One, We Discuss:
Practical worldbuilding
Research deep-dives and balancing research and writing time
Blurring reality and accuracy in speculative fiction
Relationships between worldbuilding and character
Historical realism and suspension of disbelief
The Assassin’s Creed franchise
Resources and Guest Links:
Pre-Order the brand-new Noble’s Luck trilogy! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DQVHS64P
Bad Ash Publishing: https://badashpublishing.com/
Mel Todd’s site: https://meltodd.com/
Mel’s Books: https://badashpublishing.com/books/
Terry Maggert’s books (as we’ve learned, he does lots of research!): https://terrymaggert.com/
Thank Mel With Us! While we’re used to hanging out with her in the real world, but we’re so grateful she joined us on the internet streets to bring her expert insight to Worlds Asunder.
Host Links:
H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/
David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/
Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)
Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,
Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim
Thursday Jan 30, 2025
Thursday Jan 30, 2025
Links can be found on Substack podcast feed for Becoming A Household Name.
Tuesday Jan 28, 2025
Tuesday Jan 28, 2025
This week on Worlds Asunder, we’re pleased to introduce you to Mel Todd! With over 44 titles released in urban fantasy and science fiction, she’s also the owner of Bad Ash Publishing, where she works to create a place for excellent stories and great authors. Mel’s Kaylid Chronicles, the Blood War series, and the Twisted Luck series offer great new twists to her genres.
Join us in part one of this great episode with Mel, where we discuss her process, inspirations, and her four cats, who tolerate her.
In Part One, We Discuss:
New approaches to old genres
Integrating science and magic
Handwavium
Showing conflict on a global scale in urban settings
Advantages and disadvantages to certain POVs in writing
Genre tropes, marketing, and reader expectations
Resources and Guest Links:
Pre-Order the brand-new Noble’s Luck trilogy! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DQVHS64P
Bad Ash Publishing: https://badashpublishing.com/
Mel Todd’s site: https://meltodd.com/
Mel’s Books: https://badashpublishing.com/books/
Thank Mel With Us! While we’re used to hanging out with her in the real world, but we’re so grateful she joined us on the internet streets to bring her expert insight to Worlds Asunder.
Host Links:
H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/
David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/
Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)
Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,
Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim
Tuesday Jan 14, 2025
Tuesday Jan 14, 2025
Join your Worlds co-hosts as we recap the most recent 17 episodes of Worlds Asunder! We’ll go over our incredible guests, the things we’ve learned, and the most important tidbits we hope our listeners take away from the great insights we’ve received over the last five months. We’ll also give a sneak peek at future episodes and interviews.
Like the show? Have a topic or guest suggestion? Find us through our websites (or on Facebook) and let us know! Like, comment, subscribe wherever you listen or watch! We’ve had a blast recording these interviews and hope you’ll continue to join us in breaking down worlds to give you the bricks to build your own.
Resources and Guest Links:
Gail Carriger: https://gailcarriger.com/
James Fox: https://thejamesfox.com/
Steve Ruskin: https://www.steveruskin.com/
Tim Akers: https://www.timakers.net/
J.T. Evans: https://jtevans.net/
Kacey Ezell: https://kaceyezell.net/
Mia Kleve: http://www.mrkdup.com/index.php/author/mrkleve/
Heather and Jacob Holo: https://holowriting.com/
Edie Skye: https://edieskye.com/
Host Links:
H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/
David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/
Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)
Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,
Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim,
Tuesday Jan 07, 2025
Tuesday Jan 07, 2025
Join us in welcoming Jacob and H.P. Holo, with special guest alter-ego/pen name Edie Skye. Jacob is the author of over fifteen books, including the bestselling Gordian Division series (with David Weber), YA urban fantasy Time Reavers, and fantasy adventure Monster Punk Horizon (with H.P. Holo). H.P.’s catalogue boasts Monster Punk Horizon, Monster Girl Tamer, and a mountain of harem fantasy adventure novels under (joint) pen name Edie Skye.
Tropes are critical factors in genre fiction. Writers who ignore them sometimes do so at their own risk. Where’s the line between subverting reader expectations, being original, and honoring genre tropes that readers crave? Together we explore reader expectations, setting up plausible twists, honoring tropes, and tips and tricks for writing profitable commercial fiction.
In Part Three, We Discuss:
Jacob and Heather’s top genre tropes in harem and science fiction
Heroism and responsibility
Power progression in fantasy and litrpg
The role of different POVs in narratives
Writing for male vs female audiences
Resources and Guest Links:
Jacob and H.P. Holo: https://holowriting.com/
Edie Skye: https://edieskye.com/
The Gordian Division: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5YL5P87
Titan Mage: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2ZXK1Z1
Blood Knight: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLKVKXGS
MarsCon: https://www.marscon.net/wp/
SC Comic Con: https://www.sccomicon.com/
Thanks to Jacob and H.P! We’re glad we were able to bring their wealth of experience across genres to Worlds Asunder.
Host Links:
H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/
David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/
Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)
Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,
Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim
Tuesday Dec 31, 2024
Tuesday Dec 31, 2024
Join us in welcoming Jacob and H.P. Holo, with special guest alter-ego/pen name Edie Skye. Jacob is the author of over fifteen books, including the bestselling Gordian Division series (with David Weber), YA urban fantasy Time Reavers, and fantasy adventure Monster Punk Horizon (with H.P. Holo). H.P.’s catalogue boasts Monster Punk Horizon, Monster Girl Tamer, and a mountain of harem fantasy adventure novels under (joint) pen name Edie Skye.
Tropes are critical factors in genre fiction. Writers who ignore them sometimes do so at their own risk. Where’s the line between subverting reader expectations, being original, and honoring genre tropes that readers crave? Together we explore reader expectations, setting up plausible twists, honoring tropes, and tips and tricks for writing profitable commercial fiction.
In Part One, We Discuss:
Different ways to connect with your audience
Grilled cheese and cherry coke
Researching tropes - “also boughts” and reading across genres
Writing tropes and themes that you’re excited about
Learning from your editing process
Resources and Guest Links:
Jacob and H.P. Holo: https://holowriting.com/
Edie Skye: https://edieskye.com/
Thanks to Jacob and H.P! We’re glad we were able to bring their wealth of experience across genres to Worlds Asunder.
Host Links:
H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/
David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/
Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)
Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,
Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim
Tuesday Dec 24, 2024
Tuesday Dec 24, 2024
Join us in welcoming Jacob and H.P. Holo, with special guest alter-ego/pen name Edie Skye. Jacob is the author of over fifteen books, including the bestselling Gordian Division series (with David Weber), YA urban fantasy Time Reavers, and fantasy adventure Monster Punk Horizon (with H.P. Holo). H.P.’s catalogue boasts Monster Punk Horizon, Monster Girl Tamer, and a mountain of harem fantasy adventure novels under (joint) pen name Edie Skye.
Tropes are critical factors in genre fiction. Writers who ignore them do so at their own risk. Where’s the line between subverting reader expectations, being original, and honoring genre tropes that readers crave? Together we explore reader expectations, setting up plausible twists, honoring tropes, and tips and tricks for writing profitable commercial fiction.
In Part One, We Discuss:
The importance of understanding tropes in your writing
Reader expectations in different genre
Genre and subgenre identification
Star Wars. All the Star Wars.
How to subvert expectations in a way that honors genre
Resources and Guest Links:
Jacob and H.P. Holo: https://holowriting.com/
Edie Skye: https://edieskye.com/
Thanks to Jacob and H.P! We’re glad we were able to bring their wealth of experience across genres to Worlds Asunder.
Host Links:
H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/
David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/
Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)
Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,
Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay
Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim