Mar 24, 2020 | Author Interview, Publishing
Discover how to organize your day to maximize your writing time and make the most of the time you have to write so you can write faster.
Mar 17, 2020 | Agent Interview, Publishing
A seasoned literary agent offers tips for preparing for your first (or next) writers conference and what mistakes to avoid.
Mar 10, 2020 | Craft
Discover how filmmaking techniques can improve your novel, thrill your readers, and keep them reading late into the night.
Mar 3, 2020 | Author Interview
Learn about five different types of memoir and how to avoid the mistakes authors often make when writing a Christian memoir.
Feb 25, 2020 | Publishing
Learn about the state of ebooks and how Smashwords can help you publish your ebook with best practices in a matter of hours.
Feb 18, 2020 | Marketing, Publishing
Ten tips for authors who want to sell books to the homeschool market.
Feb 11, 2020 | Publishing
We join guest James L. Rubart as we discuss what success looks like for Christian authors.
Feb 4, 2020 | Craft, Creativity, Publishing
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...
Jan 28, 2020 | Publishing
Learn how to write a believable fight scene with guest Carla Hoch
Jan 21, 2020 | Publishing
Find out what an author platform is, why it’s not as important as you’ve heard, and what you can do instead.
Jan 14, 2020 | Publishing
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...
Jan 6, 2020 | Craft, Marketing, Publishing, Writing
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...
Dec 17, 2019 | Publishing
Finding an Agent using the Christian Writers Market Guide 2020 Edition
Dec 10, 2019 | Publishing
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.
Dec 3, 2019 | Author Interview, Publishing
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.
Nov 26, 2019 | Publishing
Learn how to market to homeschoolers
Nov 12, 2019 | Author Interview, Publishing
Between Contract and Launch – What it is like to have a book under contract
Nov 5, 2019 | Agent Interview, Publishing
Business Mistakes Authors Make (and how to avoid them) With Steve Lubae
Oct 29, 2019 | Publishing
Before you choose to publish with a small publishing house, learn what they do and don’t bring to the table.
Oct 22, 2019 | Marketing, Publishing
How to Start Your Own Podcast
Oct 15, 2019 | Agent Interview
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.
Oct 8, 2019 | Publishing
How to Avoid the #1 Cause of Bad Book Covers: Design by Committee
Oct 1, 2019 | Author Interview, Creativity, Writing
Discover practical tips for becoming a better and more productive writer, including a three stage plan for bringing ideas to publication.
Sep 24, 2019 | Author Interview
How to Use Public Speaking to Change Lives and Build Your Platform With Aurora Gregory
Sep 17, 2019 | Marketing, Publishing
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...
Sep 10, 2019 | Marketing
How to Sell Christian Books in a Mainstream World
Sep 3, 2019 | Publishing
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...
Aug 27, 2019 | Author Interview, Editor Interview, Publishing
Book Proposals Tips & Tricks With Chad Allen
Aug 19, 2019 | Creativity, Marketing
What can modern-day authors learn about marketing from an ancient queen? More than you might think.
Aug 13, 2019 | Creativity, Editor Interview, Writing
From Drained to Energetic How to Maximize Your Energy as an Author With Susan Stewart
Aug 5, 2019 | Marketing
Your platform may be at risk of being destroyed or censored by big tech companies. In this episode, you’ll find out why and what to do about it. Some of the latest developments have happened in the last few weeks. Big tech companies have started censoring,...
Jul 30, 2019 | Author Interview, Publishing
Renae Brumbaugh Green shares her journey of going from unpublished homeschool mom to bestselling author of 30 books.
Jul 23, 2019 | Publishing, Writing
Screen Writing 101 with Hollywood Screenwriter Bob Saenz
Jul 16, 2019 | Publishing
Discover how books make it to international markets. Learn how to navigate cultural and theological challenges in translation in international publishing.
Jul 9, 2019 | Author Interview, Publishing, Writing
Discover how to create good characters that will captivate your readers, engage their hearts, and keep them turning pages.
Jul 2, 2019 | Agent Interview, Author Interview, Editor Interview
Discover how to maximize your 15 minute writers conference appointments. Learn what mistakes to avoid and how to present yourself as a pro.
Jun 25, 2019 | Publishing
Discover whether indie publishing is right for you. Learn the benefits, common challenges, and how it compares to traditional publishing.
Jun 18, 2019 | Publishing
Discover 7 pros and 7 cons of traditional publishing, several of which overlap, and find out if traditional publishing is right for you.
Jun 11, 2019 | Publishing
2019 Trends in Christian Publishing With Michial Miller of the NPD BookScan
Jun 4, 2019 | Author Interview, Marketing, Publishing
Learn which ad platforms are most effective and how you can make the most of your advertising dollars.
May 28, 2019 | Author Interview
What factors determine whether publishers, readers, and authors call a book a Christian book.
May 21, 2019 | Publishing
Find out what makes a good (or bad) audiobook and how you can make yours sound great.
May 14, 2019 | Writing
How to Transform Your Sermons into a Book
May 6, 2019 | Marketing, News, Publishing
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...
Apr 30, 2019 | Author Interview, Publishing
How to Transition from Author to Author Entrepreneur
Apr 23, 2019 | Marketing, Publishing
Discover how host ing an author podcast can connect you with readers, fellow writers, and people who encourage you to enjoy the writing process.
Apr 16, 2019 | Creativity, Publishing, Writing
How to Get Unstuck With Your Writing Career
Apr 9, 2019 | Marketing, Publishing
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.
Apr 2, 2019 | Editor Interview, Publishing
Tribe Building and Trends in Publishing
Mar 26, 2019 | Agent Interview, Marketing, Publishing
How to Find Agents and Editors with the Christian Writers Market Guide
Mar 19, 2019 | Author Interview, Creativity, Publishing
Time Management & How to Become More Creative as an Author
Mar 5, 2019 | Publishing
Learn about the publishing process, from vendor decisions to pub board meetings, and the implications of having multiple imprints.
Feb 26, 2019 | Craft, Creativity, Writing
Learn how to navigate challenges of vulnerability in writing, handle criticism, and maintain creative energy to avoid author burnout.
Feb 19, 2019 | Marketing
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...
Feb 12, 2019 | Marketing
Is book promotion a sin? How should Christian authors handle success? An interview with Shelly Hitz
Feb 5, 2019 | Publishing, Writing
How to Get Started Writing Young a Conversation with Brett Harris Interview
Jan 28, 2019 | Editor Interview, Writing
What Christian Editors Look for in Book Proposals
Jan 21, 2019 | Marketing, Publishing
In this episode of the Christian Publishing Show, we talk about how to launch a book.
Jan 14, 2019 | Craft, Creativity, Marketing, Publishing, Writing
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...
Dec 18, 2018 | Marketing, News
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,...
Dec 10, 2018 | Marketing, News, Publishing
Facebook is overrated for building an author platform the following 8 reasons.
Dec 3, 2018 | Author Interview, Publishing, Writing
How James L. Rubart Went From Rejected and Unpublished to Bestselling Author
Nov 27, 2018 | Publishing
The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association and Publishing Trends with Stan Jantz
Nov 19, 2018 | Publishing, Writing
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...
Nov 13, 2018 | Creativity, Marketing, Writing
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...
Nov 6, 2018 | Agent Interview, Publishing, Writing
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...
Oct 2, 2018 | Agent Interview, Craft, Creativity, Editor Interview, Marketing, News, Publishing
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.