Becoming a Successful Author as a Stay-at-Home Mom with Mercedes Yardley
Mercedes Yardley knows how to become a successful author as a stay-at-home mom. With a husband working and a child requiring special needs, Yardley took up writing as an emotional outlet, and her thrilling style soon became recognized. She won the Bram Stoker Award in 2015 for her psychological horror novella, Little Dead Red, and wrote the Stabby Award-winning Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love. She is also a member of the Horror Writers Association and co-chair of the Las Vegas HWA Chapter. Mercedes currently lives in Las Vegas with her family and rescue animals.
From Amazon.com:
Mercedes M. Yardley is a whimsical dark fantasist who wears poisonous flowers in her hair. She is the author of many diverse works, including Beautiful Sorrows, Pretty Little Dead Girls: A Novel of Murder and Whimsy, and the Stabby Award-winning Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love.
She recently won the prestigious Bram Stoker Award for her realistic horror story Little Dead Red and was a Bram Stoker finalist for her short story “Loving You Darkly.” Mercedes lives and creates in Las Vegas with her family and menagerie of battle-scarred, rescued animal familiars. She is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin and Fountain Literary Management.
Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business – editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins.
Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouse, J. Thorn, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How Mercedes writes while taking care of her child
- Why writing is a great emotional outlet
- How to adapt to an irregular work day
- If hiring an administrative team is right for you
- How to achieve the optimal writer’s headspace
Links:
J. D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn – https://theauthorlife.com/
Mercedes Yardley – https://mercedesmyardley.com/
Little Dead Red by Mercedes Yardley – https://books2read.com/littledeadred
Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love by Mercedes Yardley – https://books2read.com/atomiclove
Music by Nicorus – https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley – http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio – http://www.millpondstudio.com
Contact – https://writersinkpodcast.com/dev/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.
Taking Advantage of Opportunity with Meg Gardiner
Meg Gardiner knows how to take advantage of opportunity. After reading Stephen King’s column in Entertainment Weekly, Meg saw her name in his recommendation and her career has soared since but not without hard work and strong writing. Gardiner’s newest book in the UNSUB series has been acquired by Amazon and she is attached as a producer. Her latest book in the series, The Dark Corners of the Night, is out now and it is the story that will be created for Amazon’s streaming service.
From Amazon.com:
Meg Gardiner is the author of fifteen thrillers. Her latest is The Dark Corners of the Night, the third novel in the UNSUB series featuring FBI profiler Caitlin Hendrix. Stephen King says, “Don’t miss it. This is a great one.” It’s been bought by Amazon Studios for development as a television series. The first novel in the series, UNSUB, won the 2018 Barry Award for Best Thriller.
Meg was born in Oklahoma and raised in Santa Barbara, California. A graduate of Stanford Law School, she practiced law in Los Angeles and taught writing at the University of California Santa Barbara. She’s also a three-time Jeopardy! champion. She lives in Austin, Texas.
Meg is the author of the Evan Delaney series, the Jo Beckett novels, and several stand alones. China Lake won the 2009 Edgar award for Best Paperback Original. The Nightmare Thief won the 2012 Audie Award for Thriller/Suspense audiobook of the year. Phantom Instinct was one of O, the Oprah magazine’s “Best Books of Summer.”
Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business – editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins.
Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouse, J. Thorn, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- Why persistence pays off
- How to be ready when opportunity arises
- Why there are many paths to publication
Links:
J. D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn – https://theauthorlife.com/
Meg Gardiner – http://meggardiner.com/
Dark Corners of the Night by Meg Gardiner – https://books2read.com/darkcorners
Music by Nicorus – https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley – http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio – http://www.millpondstudio.com
Contact – https://writersinkpodcast.com/dev/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.
Creating a Magazine and Brand with Richard Chizmar
Greatly influenced by his DIY attitude, Richard Chizmar built a successful magazine and brand from scratch. Chizmar is a bestselling author and founder of Cemetery Dance magazine. He has written various novels, screenplays, and teleplays, including Gwendy’s Button Box, a bestselling novella, with Stephen King. Richard also works as an editor, with his work appearing in over thirty-five anthologies.
From Amazon.com:
Richard Chizmar is the author of Gwendy’s Button Box (with Stephen King) and A Long December, which was nominated for numerous awards. His fiction has appeared in dozens of publications, including Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and multiple editions of The Year’s 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories. He has won two World Fantasy awards, four International Horror Guild awards, and the HWA’s Board of Trustee’s award. His third short story collection, A Long December, was recently published to starred reviews in both Kirkus and Booklist, and was featured in Entertainment Weekly. Chizmar’s work has been translated into many languages throughout the world, and he has appeared at numerous conferences as a writing instructor, guest speaker, panelist, and guest of honor. Please visit the author’s website at RichardChizmar.com.
Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business – editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins.
Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouse, J. Thorn, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How to start a DIY magazine
- Why every magazine needs a VIP list and a mailing list
- Which authors to publish in your magazine
- How to create work that stands out
- How to run a business as a non-businessperson
Links:
J. D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn – https://theauthorlife.com/
Richard Chizmar – https://richardchizmar.com
Cemetery Dance Magazine – https://www.cemeterydance.com
Gwendy’s Button Box by Richard Chizmar and Stephen King – https://books2read.com/GwendysNovella
Music by Nicorus – https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley – http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio – http://www.millpondstudio.com
Contact – https://writersinkpodcast.com/dev/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.
Thriving with Asperger Syndrome and a Manuscript Update
Despite being diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome as a young man, J.D. continues to thrive while challenging all stereotypes and stigmas. In fact, Barker has become an international bestselling author and millionaire. The emphasis AS puts on structure has given him a unique approach to outlining his writing and creating interesting character backstories. By pursuing a career that compliments a disorder, J.D shows that anyone can be successful. In the second half of the episode, J. talks through the next steps of his manuscript with J.D.
Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business – editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins.
Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouse, J. Thorn, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How J.D. uses Asperger’s to his advantage
- Which careers suit a disorder
- The importance of getting a correct diagnosis
- Why good stories have outlines
- How J.D. creates lifelike characters
- An update on J.’s manuscript project
Links:
J. D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn – https://theauthorlife.com/
Music by Nicorus – https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley – http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio – http://www.millpondstudio.com
Contact – https://writersinkpodcast.com/dev/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.
The Importance of Passion and Perseverance with James Patterson
James Patterson knows the importance of passion and perseverance when it comes to a career as a writer. He is the bestselling author with 147 published novels, 114 of which made the New York Times bestsellers list, and he holds the Guinness World Record for most #1 New York Times bestsellers. His classic thriller, Along Came a Spider, inspired twenty-five sequels and a film adaptation starring Morgan Freeman. James also runs The Patterson Family Foundation and the James Patterson Teacher Education Scholarships.
From Amazon.com:
James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author, best known for his many enduring fictional characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Michael Bennett, Maximum Ride, Middle School, I Funny, and Jacky Ha-Ha. Patterson’s writing career is characterized by a single mission: to prove to everyone, from children to adults, that there is no such thing as a person who “doesn’t like to read,” only people who haven’t found the right book. He’s given over a million books to schoolkids and over forty million dollars to support education, and endowed over five thousand college scholarships for teachers. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family. Learn more at jamespatterson.com.
Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business – editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins.
Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouse, J. Thorn, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How James Patterson structures his stories
- Why every story needs an outline
- Why successful authors are innovators
- Why a great book is its own best ad
- How to be more aware of your readers’ needs
- The amazing work of The Patterson Family Foundation
Links:
James Patterson – https://www.jamespatterson.com/
James Patterson Masterclass – https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=963720&u=2285884&m=62509&urllink=&afftrack=
Along Came a Spider by James Patterson – https://books2read.com/AlongCameASpider
The Patterson Family Foundation – https://www.thepattersonfoundation.org/
J. D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn – https://theauthorlife.com/
Music by Nicorus – https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley – http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio – http://www.millpondstudio.com
Contact – https://writersinkpodcast.com/dev/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.