How to Write Cinematically with Deborah Raney
Discover how filmmaking techniques can improve your novel, thrill your readers, and keep them reading late into the night.
How to Write a Memoir with Susy Flory
Learn about five different types of memoir and how to avoid the mistakes authors often make when writing a Christian memoir.
Ebook Publishing Tips, Tricks, and Traps
Learn about the state of ebooks and how Smashwords can help you publish your ebook with best practices in a matter of hours.
What Authors Must Know About Homeschoolers Before Trying to Sell Them Books
Ten tips for authors who want to sell books to the homeschool market.
What does success look like for Christian authors?
We join guest James L. Rubart as we discuss what success looks like for Christian authors.
How to Overcome Impostor Syndrome
Do you feel like a charlatan and that everyone might find out you have no idea what you are talking about? Here is the crazy thing: There is a chance it’s true. You may be an impostor. It may also be a lie. Dunning–Kruger Effect This effect is often...058 How to Write Believable Fight Scenes with Carla Hoch
Learn how to write a believable fight scene with guest Carla Hoch
057 Why Platform is Not Important Like You Think
Find out what an author platform is, why it’s not as important as you’ve heard, and what you can do instead.
056 How to Find Your Hustle
For the next few weeks, we will be releasing some “best of” episodes while I spend time with our new baby Thomas Gregory Umstattd, III. Episode Notes This episode originally aired in 2018. We live in a world that is cursed. Because of our sin, God cursed...055 How to Find Your Courage as an Author
For the next few weeks, we will be releasing some “best of” episodes while I spend time with our new baby Thomas Gregory Umstattd, III. “Tommy” was born weighing 8 pounds, 14 ounces and he and my wife are both home and doing well. Episode Notes...054 – How to Find an Agent With The Christian Writers Market Guide 2020 Edition
Finding an Agent using the Christian Writers Market Guide 2020 Edition
053 Where to Find Mentorship for Your Publishing Career
Do you ever feel alone in the writing journey? Or perhaps you are not sure what to do next. You don’t need to! In this episode, Thomas talks about 10 different places to find mentorship and the pros and cons of each.
052 The Joyfully Organized Writer with Susan May Warren
Learn how to plan your days, weeks, and year to become a more fruitful and effective Christian writer and make a bigger impact for Christ.
051 A Christian Author’s Guide to the Homeschool Market
Learn how to market to homeschoolers
050 Between Contract and Launch – What it is like to have a book under contract
Between Contract and Launch – What it is like to have a book under contract
Business Mistakes Authors Make (and how to avoid them) with Steve Laube
Business Mistakes Authors Make (and how to avoid them) With Steve Lubae
048 The Pros & Cons of Small Publishing Houses
Before you choose to publish with a small publishing house, learn what they do and don’t bring to the table.
047 How to Start Your Own Podcast
How to Start Your Own Podcast
A Christian Author’s Guide to Getting an Agent with Bob Hostetler
Author and literary agent Bob Hostetler shares what an agent does, who needs one, where to meet agents, and how to get one to represent you.
045 How to Avoid the #1 Cause of Bad Book Covers: Design by Committee
How to Avoid the #1 Cause of Bad Book Covers: Design by Committee
How to Become a Better Writer with Jeff Goins
Discover practical tips for becoming a better and more productive writer, including a three stage plan for bringing ideas to publication.
043 How to Use Public Speaking to Change Lives and Build Your Platform With Aurora Gregory
How to Use Public Speaking to Change Lives and Build Your Platform With Aurora Gregory
042 Why Podcast Tours are Replacing Blog Tours and What to do About it
Today we are going to talk about promotional tours for your book and which works better, a blog tour or a podcast tour. We’ll also talk about why podcast tours are replacing blog tours and what to do about it. What is a blog tour? A blog tour is when you (or...041 How to Sell Christian Books in a Mainstream World
How to Sell Christian Books in a Mainstream World
040 What Authors Need to Know About Book Metadata
Sometimes in publishing it’s not what you don’t know that gets you into trouble, it’s what you don’t know you don’t know. One thing a lot of authors don’t know to even ask about is metadata. Hold on to your horses, ladies and gentlemen, because today we...039 – Book Proposals Tips & Tricks With Chad Allen
Book Proposals Tips & Tricks With Chad Allen
038 – What Queen Esther Can Teach Authors About Platform Building
What can modern-day authors learn about marketing from an ancient queen? More than you might think.
From Drained to Energetic: How to Maximize Your Energy as an Author With Susan Stewart
From Drained to Energetic How to Maximize Your Energy as an Author With Susan Stewart
036 How to Protect Your Author Platform from Big Tech Censorship
Is your platform at risk of being destroyed by big tech companies? In this episode, find out what is happening and what to do about it. What is happening Big tech companies are censoring, shadow banning, and suspending accounts of Christian authors. There...035 How Renae Brumbaugh Green Went from Unpublished to Bestselling Author
Renae Brumbaugh Green shares her journey of going from unpublished homeschool mom to bestselling author of 30 books.
034 Screen Writing 101 with Hollywood Screenwriter Bob Saenz
Screen Writing 101 with Hollywood Screenwriter Bob Saenz
033 International Publishing with Tyndale House Publishers Jim Elwell
International Publishing with Tyndale House Publishers Jim Elwell
032 How to Craft Compelling Characters with Zena Dell Lowe
Discover how to create good characters that will captivate your readers, engage their hearts, and keep them turning pages.
031 How to Pitch Your Book at a Writers’ Conference with Bob Hostetler
How to Pitch Your Book at a Writers Conference with Bob Hostetler
030 Pros and Cons of Indie Publishing
Discover whether indie publishing is right for you. Learn the benefits, common challenges, and how it compares to traditional publishing.
029 Pros and Cons of Traditional Publishing
Discover 7 pros and 7 cons of traditional publishing, several of which overlap, and find out if traditional publishing is right for you.
028 2019 Trends in Christian Publishing With Michial Miller of the NPD BookScan
2019 Trends in Christian Publishing With Michial Miller of the NPD BookScan
027 Advertising for Authors Who Don’t Like Math– with Chris Fox
Learn which ad platforms are most effective and how you can make the most of your advertising dollars.
026 What Makes a Book a Christian Book
What Makes a Book a Christian Book?
How to Write & Narrate Better Audiobooks with Tom Parks
Find out what makes a good (or bad) audiobook and how you can make yours sound great.
024 How to Transform Your Sermons into a Book
How to Transform Your Sermons into a Book
023 – The Future of Audiobooks and Podcasting
In this episode of the Christian Publishing Show, Thomas Umstattd shares a special podcast version of the talk he gave at the 2019 ECPA Leadership Summit, an industry event where the leaders of Christian publishing houses gather to talk about trends and the future of...022 How to Transition from Author to Author Entrepreneur
How to Transition from Author to Author Entrepreneur
021 How To Podcast Your Way to Publishing Success
How To Podcast Your Way to Publishing Success
020 How to Get Unstuck With Your Writing Career
How to Get Unstuck With Your Writing Career
019 How to Build a Tribe
What’s a tribe, why does an author need one, and how do you build one? In this episode, you’ll learn how to gather and serve your fans.
018 Tribe Building and Trends in Publishing
Tribe Building and Trends in Publishing
017 How to Find Agents and Editors with the Christian Writers Market Guide
How to Find Agents and Editors with the Christian Writers Market Guide
Time Management & How to Become More Creative as an Author
Time Management & How to Become More Creative as an Author
015 Behind the Publishing Curtain: Director of Operations
Publishing is a mysterious process for a lot of writers, even authors who have been at this for a long time. So from time to time, we bring in publishing professionals to tell us about what they do. Today we are going behind the curtain on the role of Director of...How to Overcome Burnout and Discouragement with Erin Young and Karen Ball
Learn how to navigate challenges of vulnerability in writing, handle criticism, and maintain creative energy to avoid author burnout.
013 How to Grow Your Email List with Evan Gow
Is email still relevant in the world of social media? If so how do you grow an email list and use it effectively? These questions and more we will be discussing with Evan Gow. Evan Gow is the founder of StoryOrigin, a community where you can meet other authors and set...Is Book Promotion a Sin? with Shelly Hitz
Is book promotion a sin? How should Christian authors handle success? An interview with Shelly Hitz
011 How to Get Started Writing Young a Conversation with Brett Harris Interview
How to Get Started Writing Young a Conversation with Brett Harris Interview
010 – What Christian Editors Look for in Book Proposals
What Christian Editors Look for in Book Proposals
009 – How to Launch a Book (an overview)
In this episode of the Christian Publishing Show, we talk about how to launch a book.
008 – Resonance and Why Platform is Not Important Like You Think
The following is the outline I used to record this episode. It is not the episode itself! I encourage you to listen to the episode if you can. Introduction This is the third and final episode in a series about What I am Looking for as an Agent. Previously we talked...007 – The State of The Christian Fiction Kindle Market with Alex Newton
Today we are going to talk about one of my favorite topics, data! Alex Newton, the CEO and Founder of K-Lytics.com a leading market research resource for authors and publishers or put in terms we care about his company and expertise helps authors sell more books,...006 – Why Facebook is Overrated for Book Promotion
Facebook is overrated for building an author platform the following 8 reasons.
How James L. Rubart Went From Rejected and Unpublished to Bestselling Author
How James L. Rubart Went From Rejected and Unpublished to Bestselling Author
004 – The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association and Publishing Trends with Stan Jantz
The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association and Publishing Trends with Stan Jantz
003 – How to Find Your Hustle
We live in a world cursed. Because of our sin, God cursed the soil to have thorns and weeds. That curse is pervasive and continues to this day. If you want to have success in farming, you have to put in the work to remove the weeds. If you want to see success in...002 – How to Find Your Courage as an Author
A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about what I am looking for in authors I want to represent as an agent. Today I would like to talk about one of the things I am looking for: courage. Fear is the biggest enemy of authors. It can ruin their writing. It can ruin their...Book Proposals 101 with Steve Laube
A book proposal is one of the first tools you’ll need to pursue a traditional publisher. Most beginning authors don’t realize they need one and don’t know how to write one. Some have never heard the term. I asked Steve Laube to help us understand...000 – Teaser & What is a Podcast?
Welcome to the first episode of the Christian Publishing Show brought to you by the Steve Laube Agency! I’m your host, Thomas Umstattd Jr. This episode is a teaser for the show to come.