00:00 Beyond Books Mindset

01:00 Webinar Welcome Chat

02:13 Origin Story Creatorwood

04:00 Beyond Book Examples

05:35 AI Movies Vision 07:00 MrBeast Business Lesson 10:48 Business Problems Solved 20:46 Three Stages Framework 22:20 Fun Examples Kickstarter 27:15 Ghost Listing Validation 30:10 25 Ideas Speedrun 31:23 Merch Newsletters Community 35:03 Special Editions Events 38:29 Consulting And Products 43:25 Genre Hacks Interactive 46:34 Behind The Scenes That Matters 47:37 AI Character BTS Marketing 48:28 Build A Genre Hub 50:13 Seasonal And Subscription Ideas 50:18 Patreon Horror Case Study 52:28 Reader Rewards Street Team 55:04 Shared Worlds And Book Clubs 55:55 Digital Bonuses And Affiliates 58:01 Wrap Up And Q&A 59:38 Do You Need An LLC 01:02:32 Marketing Without Market Fit 01:05:53 Finding Audience And Validation 01:08:40 Funding Films With Fans 01:10:13 Reaching Kids And Schools 01:13:01 Fixing A Mystery Book Launch 01:21:50 Short Form Video Playbook 01:26:58 Hard Earned Marketing Lessons 01:29:02 Final Thanks And Sign Off ABOUT MICHAEL: He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast. ABOUT CREATORWOOD: Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business. The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost. Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally. You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

In this episode, I sit down with Peter Dudley — engineer turned writer, fundraiser, and life coach — who shares a surprisingly simple framework that could save you from creative burnout for good.

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://www.creatorwood.tv/ 

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe 

Join the Creatorwood Discord: https://discord.gg/tTmWv23C9q 

Join the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 Creativity Without Burnout

02:14 Meet Peter Dudley

03:28 From Engineer to Impact Work

05:19 Giving Yourself Permission

07:05 Writing Across Genres

10:45 Protecting Creative Energy

13:51 One Shoe Momentum

17:22 Time Blocking and Accountability

18:34 Impact Beyond Big Numbers

20:20 Why Create and Self Publish

24:03 AI and the Messy Middle

27:03 Unpredictable AI Future

27:37 Adaptability Wins

29:33 Resilience Origins

30:49 Compassion Fatigue Tools

32:53 Creativity Builds Resilience

35:21 Detaching From Outcomes

38:04 Nature And Regulation

41:21 Sound Baths And Safety

44:03 Creative Needs Framework

45:57 Community And Risk Taking

49:13 Where To Find Peter

51:07 Final Reflections

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Here's Peter's website: https://graybearpublications.com/ 

Get the free download on resilience from Peter: https://graybearcoaching.com/11-paths-to-personal-resilience-3/

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/ Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe Join the Creatorwood Discord: https://discord.gg/tTmWv23C9q Join the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODES CHAPTER:

00:00 Five Rules Overview 00:51 Rule One Embrace Randomness 01:24 Rule Two Experiment Often 02:09 Rule Three Build Consistency 03:01 Start Frames And Control 04:23 Rule Four Work With Tech 05:44 Rule Five Post Is Magic 06:40 Movie Machine And Future 07:39 Wrap Up And Resources

ABOUT MICHAEL: He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast. ABOUT CREATORWOOD: Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business. The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost. Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally. You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Watch Saturn's Rings here: https://youtu.be/NZqkz6Trylg?si=P5fpeBh_C_49kyIO 

Join the Creatorwood Discord: https://discord.gg/tTmWv23C9q 

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://creatorwood.tv/ 

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe 

Join the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODE CHAPTERS: 00:00 Meet the Director: Breaking Down the AI Short “Saturn’s Rings” 00:46 Project Budget Reveal: Coins, Costs, and Where the Money Went 03:16 Production Timeline: 5–6 Days, 200+ Shots, and the AI Filmmaking Workflow 06:02 Watching the Film: Opening Walkway Shot & Continuity Headaches 10:32 Prompt Troubleshooting: The One-Word Fix (“Left”) and Iteration Strategy 13:41 Sound Design Deep Dive: Drones, SFX Layers, and Editing in DaVinci Resolve 21:33 Action Sequence Breakdown: Music Cues, Pacing, and Audience Emotion 24:00 Hardest VFX Shot: Debris Impact, Model Switching, and Continuity Fixes 31:07 Scene Two Begins: Dialogue, Telemetry, and Shifting the Tone 31:58 Why She’s Crying: The Cut Love Story & Story Intent 33:36 Directing AI Performances: Emotion, Facial Expressions & Future Video-to-Video Acting 36:47 Consistent Character Voices: Using the Juan Dialogue Model (and Current Limitations) 39:21 Green Screen Tricks: Matching Locations & Compositing Corridor Shots 41:49 Blocking & Continuity: Eye Lines, Camera Moves, and the 180° Rule 46:38 Keeping Faces Consistent: Zoom/Angle Pitfalls and the “Do It Backwards” Hack 51:18 Endgame VFX: Prompting Disintegration, Warp Speed, and Iterating on Shots 54:41 Workflow & Takeaways: Start Frames, Frames View, Learning Fast, and Funding Your Film 01:02:10 Crowdfunding + What’s Next: New Films, Community Breakdowns, and Final Thanks ABOUT MICHAEL: He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast. ABOUT CREATORWOOD: Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business. The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost. Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally. You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/ 

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe 

oin the Creatorwood Discord: https://discord.gg/tTmWv23C9q 

Join the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODES CHAPTER

00:00 Storytellers Win Today

00:51 Meet Michael Evans

02:36 Stories Worth Finishing

04:16 Why Viewers Drop Off

08:26 Hook Pace Stakes

10:22 Format And Context

15:42 Quibi And India Lessons

21:41 Test With A Pilot

22:57 Kids Show Case Study

27:19 Distribution Via Parents

32:32 Validate Before You Build

34:05 Community Shoutouts

36:10 Creator Dinners Idea

37:12 Retention Benchmarks

39:54 Retention Drives Profit

42:21 Pilot Over Features

44:03 Netflix Data Lesson

46:34 Retention Point Concept

48:29 AB Test Everything

51:25 Lowering Release Fear

58:49 Training Marketplace Updates

01:00:16 Platform Overview Q&A

01:04:55 Book Club And Wrap

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD: Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost. Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically,

Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://creatorwood.tv/ 

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe 

Join the Creatorwood Discord: https://discord.gg/tTmWv23C9q 

Join the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 Why AI Actors Matter

01:16 Fandom Fuels Word of Mouth

02:19 Talent Led Growth Explained

03:04 Make Characters Lovable

06:43 Character Design Checklist

09:01 Test With Pilots

10:42 AI Character Vlogging

13:26 License Characters as IP

15:11 Traditional Talent Economics

19:50 Casting Creators Strategically

21:43 Key Takeaways Workshop Setup

23:39 Audience Q&A Begins

25:19 Multilingual Dubbing Workflow

28:30 Localized AI Casting

29:34 Future Face Swap Films

30:06 Vampire Character Mission

30:41 Prompting In Claude

32:20 Viral Show Format

36:36 Character Consistency Demo

40:05 Claude Output Review

42:34 Episode Ideas Breakdown

45:27 Casting Picks And Next Steps

46:40 Movie Machine Workflow

49:27 Q And A Marketing Resources

54:50 Closing Storytellers Rule

ABOUT MICHAEL: He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD: Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/ 

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe 

Join the Creatorwood Discord: https://discord.gg/tTmWv23C9q 

Join the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 AI Filmmaking Frontier

01:52 How AI Really Works

03:20 Pioneers vs Late Adopters

04:19 Experimentation Beats Prompts

04:53 Best Model For The Shot

05:54 Work Within Limitations

07:25 Trust The Process

08:06 Rule Two Cycle Time

08:49 Perfectionism And Collaboration

09:42 Real Production Effort Today

10:56 Join Now Or Later

11:32 Resources And Rapid Progress

11:57 Closing The Vision Ahead

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://creatorwood.tv/ Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe Join the Creatorwood Discord: https://discord.gg/tTmWv23C9q Join the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/ RESOURCES MENTIONED: Read How to Write a Vertical Series in 10 Days: https://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Vertical-Days-Storytelling-ebook/dp/B0G2N4SQKG EPISODE CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction to Micro Dramas 00:33 The Problem with Micro Dramas 01:21 About the Speaker: Michael Evans 03:08 Three Rules for Vertical Storytelling 08:17 Step 1: Creating a Marketable Concept 12:39 Step 2: Outlining Your Vertical Film 15:37 Step 3: Writing the First 10 Episodes 18:35 Step 4: Making a Pilot and Validating 19:35 Tips for Writing Vertical Episodes 22:16 Conclusion and Next Steps ABOUT MICHAEL: He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast. ABOUT CREATORWOOD: Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business. The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost. Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally. You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

The conversation dives into what it means to be an experience creator rather than just an author. By leveraging technology and "growth loops," Ross explains how writers can build immersive worlds that transcend the printed page.

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/ 

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe 

Join the Creatorwood Discord: https://discord.gg/tTmWv23C9q 

Join the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/ 

Visit Ross's website here: https://www.rosspruden.com/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction: Putting Readers First

00:30 A Serendipitous Meeting

02:50 Beyond the Book: Expanding Creativity

03:21 The First Book and Its Lessons

08:19 Pre-Order Testing: A Bold Experiment

14:17 Lessons from Experiments

16:54 Passion and Persistence in Writing

22:47 The Power of Persistence

23:27 Facing the Fear of Failure

26:25 Creating Great Experiences Across Mediums

27:31 The Importance of the Hook

30:56 Exploring Meow Wolf

34:55 Building Growth Loops

37:14 The Concept of Social Objects

40:15 Embracing Your Inner Child

41:56 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/ Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe Join the Creatorwood Discord: https://discord.gg/tTmWv23C9q Join the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODE CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction to the Key Metric for Filmmaking Success 02:05 Personal Struggles and Lessons Learned 04:08 The Traditional Filmmaking Model vs. New Approaches 08:42 The Importance of Retention in Storytelling 15:55 Analyzing Retention Graphs for Better Storytelling 20:54 Techniques to Improve Retention in Films 26:36 Optimizing Video Retention 28:26 The Importance of a Strong Hook 29:07 Creating Open Loops 30:05 Simplicity in Storytelling 30:53 Character Clarity 32:32 Measuring and Testing Retention 33:58 Budgeting and Audience Growth 41:23 Monetizing Through Product Placement 44:53 Final Thoughts and Q&A ABOUT MICHAEL: He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast. ABOUT CREATORWOOD: Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business. The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost. Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally. You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/ 

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe 

Join the Creatorwood Discord: https://discord.gg/tTmWv23C9q 

Join the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

Check Joseph Klug's website: https://www.webcatstudios.com/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction to the Biggest Mistake in AI Filmmaking

00:43 Interview with Joseph Klug: From Novels to AI Films

01:33 Joseph's Journey: From Game Development to Novel Writing

03:16 Discovering Creatorwood and the AI Filmmaking Process

04:03 Challenges and Surprises in AI Filmmaking

07:21 Incorporating Fans and Personal Touches in AI Films

12:36 Future Plans and Final Thoughts

14:45 Conclusion and Upcoming Conversations

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Today, I'll share how AI is removing Hollywood gatekeepers and empowering creators to test, validate, and market films faster and cheaper than ever.

Join the Six-Figure Film Accelerator and learn how to build a viewer growth engine today: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/ 

Schedule a Free Consultation Call with our VIP Production Team here: https://cal.com/team/creatorwood/consultation 

Join the Creatorwood Bootcamp: https://blog.creatorwood.tv/bootcamp 

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/ 

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe 

Join the Creatorwood Discord: https://discord.gg/tTmWv23C9q 

Watch the Viewer Growth Engine Video: https://youtu.be/cWMPHkm8YFw?si=95Hartng88NBoZF1 

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction: The Power of Your Movie Ideas

00:26 The Shift from Gatekeepers to Storytellers

00:56 AI in Filmmaking: A Controversial Yet Powerful Tool

01:39 Creatorwood: Revolutionizing Filmmaking

02:31 The Importance of Passion in Filmmaking

02:59 Challenges in Creating Marketable Films

04:17 My Journey and Insights from the Industry

04:59 Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Successful Film

06:48 Identifying Story Gaps and Viewer Desires

10:40 The Pilot Process: Testing Your Film Concept

14:23 Marketing Your Film: Viewer Growth Engines

15:41 Conclusion: Embracing the Future of AI Filmmaking

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe 

Join the Creatorwood Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creatorwood 

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/ 

Sign-up for the waitlist for the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/ 

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 Jumping Right In: Plotting vs. Pantsing

00:51 The Three P's of Writing: Picasso Wing, Pandemonium, and Path Finding

03:26 Personal Writing Journey: From Plotter to Hybrid

07:04 Inspiration from Henrietta Lacks

20:44 Balancing Writing with a Day Job

25:50 Exploring the Power of Pen Names

27:16 High School Writing Struggles

28:11 Overcoming Criticism and Embracing Passion

28:51 The Impact of Mr. Beast's Cancellation

30:24 The Silent Writing Club Experience

33:49 The Joy of Writing and Creativity

36:37 AI in the Writing Process

42:17 Balancing AI and Human Creativity

45:55 The Therapeutic Benefits of Writing

49:17 Joining the Finish the Damn Book Club

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD: Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

Join the Creatorwood Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creatorwood

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/

Sign-up for the waitlist for the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

Watch a film by Creatorwood - The Trials of Freddy Goodchild: https://youtu.be/T5YGk9Oweck

Take the Movie Machine Masterclass Here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0ua6wekasnaSuRSOODjLWZanfIixHirS

Story Gap Article: https://shop.creatorwood.tv/blogs/top-articles/%E2%9A%A0%EF%B8%8F-attention-%E2%9A%A0%EF%B8%8F-mind-the-gap

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction: The Path to Six-Figure AI Filmmaking

00:44 Step 1: Finding a Winning Story Idea

06:07 Step 2: Sharing Your Story Idea

09:16 Step 3: Deciding to Move Forward

12:49 Step 4: Planning Your Pilot

18:11 Step 5: Creating the Storyboard

23:08 Step 6: Generating the Film

24:05 Step 7: Editing and Refining

25:31 Step 8: Sharing Your Pilot

26:27 Step 9: Evaluating and Improving

28:22 Step 10: Scaling Up and Monetizing

29:25 Conclusion: The Future of AI Filmmaking

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

RESOURCES FROM PODCAST:

Brave New Bookshelf Podcast: https://bravenewbookshelf.com/

https://futurefictionacademy.com/

Future Fiction Academy Free Course: https://futurefictionacademy.com/free

AI Writing for Authors Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aiwritingforauthors/

Join the Creatorwood platform to turn your stories into movies and shows today: https://creatorwood.tv/

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

Join the Creatorwood Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creatorwood

Sign-up for the waitlist for the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction to AI in Publishing

00:23 Human in the Loop: The Role of Authors

03:30 The Evolution of AI Tools in Publishing

04:49 The Impact of Thinking Models

06:26 Building Future Fiction Press

09:42 Personal Journey with AI

20:25 The Power of AI in Storytelling

23:41 Lack of Support for Creative Pursuits

24:17 Being Transparent About AI Usage

28:10 Mindset Shifts for Writing with AI

29:13 Addressing Pain Points with AI

32:55 Troubleshooting and Directing AI

36:50 Speed and Efficiency in AI-Assisted Writing

41:21 Leveraging AI for Broader Creative Opportunities

43:49 Getting Started with AI in Writing

46:33 Conclusion and Resources

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

Join the Creatorwood Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creatorwood

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/

Sign-up for the waitlist for the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction to AI Book Translation

00:30 Meet Maxwell Zachs: Special Guest Introduction

01:59 The Journey of Book Translation

05:14 The Scribe Shadow Platform

09:03 Challenges and Successes in AI Translation

10:28 Collaboration with Scribe Shadow

19:02 The Process of Translation Review

21:30 AI's Impact on Localization Jobs

24:20 Ethical Use of AI in Translation

27:30 Challenges in AI Translation

32:49 Cost and Efficiency of AI Translation

35:56 Future of AI in Translation

38:55 Opportunities for Authors in Foreign Markets

41:05 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

Join the Creatorwood Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creatorwood

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/

Sign-up for the waitlist for the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest

01:08 Mark Schafer's Journey and Books

01:47 The Impact of AI on Humanity

04:40 Positive and Negative Aspects of AI

08:32 Being Audacious in Marketing

15:35 AI in Storytelling and Marketing

18:53 AI Companions and Human Relationships

21:58 Trust Transfer and AI Recommendations

22:33 Navigating AI as Authors

22:54 Building a Personal Brand

23:45 Embracing AI and Content Creation

26:23 The Importance of Community

33:56 The Essence of Humanity in Marketing

38:21 Future Projects and Final Thoughts

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Book Blasts: Short, Thrilling Fiction for People on the Go: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/troylambert/book-blasts-short-thrilling-fiction-for-people-on-the-go

True Pulp: A Noir Anthology: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/troylambert/true-pulp-a-noir-anthology

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

Join the Creatorwood Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creatorwood

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/

Sign-up for the waitlist for the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

00:16 Kickstarter and AI Movie Discussion

01:42 Book Blast and Subscription Details

06:10 Troy's Storytelling Journey

07:45 Changes in the Publishing Industry

10:24 Crowdfunding and AI Films

12:48 Challenges and Successes in Publishing

16:14 Choosing the Right Partners

18:38 Challenges in Book Production

19:26 Maintaining Passion for Writing

22:28 Exploring Different Genres

24:18 Impact of AI on Storytelling

27:00 Evolution of Marketing Strategies

30:09 Future of AI in Film

34:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Tropetails: Genre-Inspired Instant Drink Mixes for Bookworms:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/311439282/tropetails-instant-cheers-drink-mixes?ref=creator_tab

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

Join the Creatorwood Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creatorwood

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/

Sign-up for the waitlist for the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:37 The Origin of Trope Tales

00:47 Beyond the Book Podcast Evolution

03:10 Maggie's Unique CPG Brand

03:45 Kickstarter Success and Challenges

04:10 Developing the Product

08:38 Finding the Right Manufacturer

13:48 Choosing Flavors and Launch Strategy

15:44 Understanding Product Rights and Ownership

16:31 Evaluating Business Risks and Value

18:47 Navigating Manufacturing and Sampling

20:56 Marketing Strategies and Retail Opportunities

23:56 Future Plans and Expanding Product Lines

26:31 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

29:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Join Author Sidekick, the newsletter to help you grow your readership and revenue as an author: https://authorsidekick.com/subscribe

0:03:17  From Sci-fi Books to Beyond the Book: Michael's Story

0:08:22 The Four Topics We Will Cover in Beyond the Book

0:11:36 The "Mini-Disney" I'm Creating for Authors

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the creator of Reader Meter (the reader intelligence platform for authors), Beyond the Book (the place that helps you turn your story into an empire), and Author Sidekick (the newsletter that helps authors grow their readership and revenue).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

ABOUT BEYOND THE BOOK:

Beyond the Book exists to help authors expand their revenue and readership beyond books. We are rewriting the rules of publishing by helping authors build “mini-Disneys” from their stories through physical products, community experiences, games, other media formats, and more.

Check out Maggie's Tropetails book here: https://tropetails.com/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

0:00:59 Intro to Maggie Beeler

0:03:16 How Maggie Found an Illustrator

0:04:21 How Maggie Launched Tropetails to $10k+

0:08:18 Maggie's Dream and What's Holding Her Back

0:11:16 The Economics of the Tropetails Book

0:14:19 How Can Maggie Go Beyond the Book?

0:18:41 How Maggie is Working with Manufacturers for Drink Mixes

0:23:55 How to Test Your Product Before a Launch

0:27:08 What Makes a Good Drink Mix?

0:33:55 How Maggie Will Launch Her Drink Mix

0:38:35 How Maggie is Going to Scale Her Brand

0:48:16 How Does Maggie Know When to Go All in On Tropetails?

0:49:37 How Maggie is Fulfilling Her Product

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the creator of Reader Meter (the reader intelligence platform for authors), Beyond the Book (the place that helps you turn your story into an empire), and Author Sidekick (the newsletter that helps authors grow their readership and revenue).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

ABOUT BEYOND THE BOOK:

Beyond the Book exists to help authors expand their revenue and readership beyond books. We are rewriting the rules of publishing by helping authors build “mini-Disneys” from their stories through physical products, community experiences, games, other media formats, and more.

First, you can watch an exclusive video for Sidekick Plus members above all about the Investor v.s. Day Trading Approach to Publishing.

Next, you can RSVP here where you will get text reminders and the virtual link to February’s live Author Sidekick Plus workshop. It takes place on February 28th from 5 pm ET to 6:30 pm ET on Google Meet.

The workshop will be recorded! So if you can’t make it live, there are no worries!

The workshop is all about a very special project I have been cooking up behind the scenes with a great author friend. It’s called 10 Bonus Marketing Superpowers that will ONLY be available inside this workshop to Sidekick Plus members.

But wait… what are marketing superpowers?

It’s key concepts, strategies, and tactics that can supercharge your readership and revenue as an author.

These will all be made available as part of Author Sidekick Decks. They contain:

* 50 Marketing Superpowers for Authors (and 10 bonus ones available in February’s webinar just for Sidekick Plus members)

* Written by Me (Michael Evans)

* 50 Storytelling Superpowers for Authors

* Written by David Viergutz (creator of Scaremail)

* 50 Productivity Superpowers for Authors

* Co-authors by me and David Viergutz

Here’s an example of one of the cards (there will be 150 of these in total + 10 bonus ones just for Author Sidekick plus members!).

*The illustration below is NOT FINAL (we are hiring an awesome illustrator to help us… this is just an early mock-up).

And the best part about all of this… the digital version of Author Sidekick Decks will be made available for free to every author in the world.

We want every author to have a sidekick by their side to teach them core fundamentals and advanced strategies to succeed in publishing, completely for free.

It makes learning fun, bite-sized, and super impactful!

We also will be making physical versions of the Author Sidekick Decks available for purchase. They will contain everything in the digital version along with a beautiful set of cards and a card holder to sit by your deck.

All 3 physical Author Decks will be available in a bundle for $99. Insane value when you compare it to courses, webinars, and other author education produced that won’t be covering the breadth and depth we do in the 150 superpowers we share with you.

And remember, the digital version will be *completely free* to every author.

I’ll send everyone here on Sidekick Plus an early digital version of the 50 Marketing Superpowers ahead of our workshop on the 10 BONUS Marketing Superpowers. We’d love any feedback so we can edit the cards digital before we do a print run (cards are significantly harder to change after a print run 😅).

Alright… that’s it for this one.

I have an in-depth newsletter coming out tomorrow on the top 5 Newsletter Platforms for Authors in 2025.

In the meantime, don’t forget…

Together we are boundless,

Michael Evans

The Author Sidekick

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

0:00:57 #1: Card Games for Readers

0:02:40 #2: Story Letters

0:05:01 #3: Education and Consulting

0:07:31 #4: Content Tilt

0:10:46 #5: Under-Utilized Attention Markets

0:14:51 #6: Merch & Swag for a Broader Market

0:17:39 #7: Creating Content + Products for Readers

0:20:17 #8: The Community Play

0:22:22 #9: Indie Films

0:25:28 #10: URL to IRL with In-Person Experiences

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Skye Warren's Card Game: https://shop.skyewarren.com/products/romance-vs-the-world-game

Holly Black's Card Game: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hollyblack/enemies-and-lovers-the-crown-of-elfhame

Flower Letters: https://theflowerletters.com/

ScareMail: https://davidviergutz.com/collections/scaremail

Example of Visual Book Summaries: https://substack.com/home/post/p-153868661

The Anatomy of Genre by John Truby: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374539221/theanatomyofgenres/

Listen to the Last Podcast Episode with Maggie Beeler: https://authorsidekick.com/p/turning-her-book-into-a-multi-million

Aleron Kong LitRPG Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGGroup/

Jonathan Yanez's Kickstarter to fund his Short Sci-fi Film: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wolf-pack/forsaken-mercenary-a-sci-fi-thriller-short-film/rewards

Lizzie Bennet Diaries on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pemberleydigital/the-lizzie-bennet-diaries-dvdand-more

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

Learn about ScareMail: https://scaremail.com/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

0:02:11 Why David Started ScareMail

0:05:25  How David Launched ScareMail and His Tips for Mailing

0:10:57  Live Group Coaching on Beyond the Book Begin

0:17:27  How David Decides if He Should Pursue Something New

0:27:49  How to Build a Merch Store That Sells

0:32:59  When to give away books for free to grow your email list

0:34:58  Hyperlinking Inside Your eBooks

0:39:53  How to Go Beyond the Book with Author Collaborations

0:46:23  Can Reddit Ads work for your book?

0:49:23  How to Reposition a Book if It's Not Selling

0:57:48  How Going Beyond the Book Makes You Stand Out

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends). I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself.

Follow Author Marketing Superpowers Deck on Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/authorsidekick/author-marketing-superpowers-deck

Read the Author Marketing Playbook for free: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iOymUlZ4ydk9DPTVr00FRSkzeLj2FVcigsWECK-v_sk/edit?usp=sharing

Join us at the BIG Pencil Party to learn more about the superpowers and maybe win a MASSIVE pencil: https://lu.ma/n8nuyj9r

Join the Beyond the Book Membership, where we step-by-step help you turn your stories into an empire: https://beyondthebookacademy.com/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

0:00:55 The 3 Stages of Marketing Your Book

0:07:20 The Launch of Author Decks

0:09:01 Your Story Suit

0:13:18 One-Time Marketing Events

0:16:43 Double-Dips

0:18:04 Social Listening

0:19:01 Book Liquidator

0:22:39 Reciprocity

0:24:20 Content Cannon

0:25:41 Readernapping

0:27:48 Social Hacking

0:29:50 Other People’s Resources

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Netflix's wild marketing strategy for Squid Game S2: https://about.netflix.com/en/news/squid-game-season-2-top-10-worldwide-fan-activations-and-experiences-recap

Watch How David Viergutz Makes $2.4 Million/Year from Story Letters: https://youtu.be/Z6H8uuFAlYQ

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book! I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts.

It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the creator of Reader Meter (the reader intelligence platform for authors), Beyond the Book (the place that helps you turn your story into an empire), and Author Sidekick (the newsletter that helps authors grow their readership and revenue). In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman. After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors.

I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

Yes — that absolutely whacky email you received earlier was a parody… all to raise money for charity 😄

And because of you, it worked.

We’ve already raised hundreds of dollars for:

• Room to Read (my charity of choice)

• Wounded Warriors

• Golisano Children’s Hospital

All from a fun little joke that started between me, David Viergutz, and Christopher Hopper… and somehow became a fundraiser involving calendars, leggings, and the whole OnlyAuthorz madness.

Honestly? That’s a win in my book.

👇 Grab your whacky calendar if you missed it Get Your Whacky Calendar

🎥 Your First Author Sidekick Plus Workshop Replay

On Friday, we hosted our very first Author Sidekick Plus Workshop — and it was a blast. We covered 10 BONUS Author Marketing Superpowers designed to grow your readership, sell more books, and expand your IP.

Because so many of you asked… I’m extending the 20% off lifetime discount for Author Sidekick Plus until TOMORROW at midnight.

If you upgrade to Author Sidekick Plus, you get:

• Full archive of all essays

• A new recorded workshop every month

• A special bonus from me every 90 days

• PLUS instant access to the 10 Bonus Superpowers workshop + notes

👉 Upgrade to Author Sidekick Plus (20% off ends tomorrow)

💥 Here’s What We Covered in the Workshop

A rapid-fire tour through the 10 Superpowers:

🔥 Meme Marketing Use memes to reach new readers + spark sharing.

🩺 The Book Doctor Five diagnostic questions to fix a book that isn’t selling.

🔀 Storyshifter Pivot your story to reach a new audience or trend.

🎁 The Holiday Spirit Three strategies to turn holidays into book-selling moments.

💳 MPO (Multiple Payment Options) Boost conversions by giving readers more ways to buy.

🚀 Content Hacking Study viral content and ethically “steal like a creator.”

💼 Author Debt What to invest in now to set up long-term success.

✨ Epic Reader Magnets Fresh, outside-the-box ideas that convert like crazy.

👑 Story Ambassadors Build a street team on steroids.

🌊 Wave Maker Turn your brand into a movement readers want to follow.

We covered a lot in 90 minutes. And now you can watch the whole thing anytime.

📺 Watch the Workshop Replay

Click here to watch the full recording

Thank you again for being part of Author Sidekick Plus. This first month has been incredible, and I’m already excited for everything ahead.

🗓️ Next Author Sidekick Plus Workshop Friday, March 28th 5:00–6:30 PM ET

More details coming soon.

In the meantime, don’t forget…

Together we are boundless,

Michael Evans The Author Sidekick

Join the Beyond the Book Membership, where we step-by-step help you turn your stories into an empire: https://beyondthebookacademy.com/

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Watch Infinity System on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GA1Q6iqa4c4

Get it Done: A Gentle Kick in the Pants for Writers: https://www.jonathan-yanez.com/motivation

Jynafer’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jynafer/

Jonathan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_jonathan_yanez

Forsaken Mercenary Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wolf-pack/forsaken-mercenary-a-sci-fi-thriller-short-film

Infinity Systems Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wolf-pack/infinity-system-a-space-western-saga

Creator Camp Film Festival: https://campfilmfestival.com/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

0:03:14 How Jynafer and Jonathan work as partners

0:07:56 Johnathan quitting his job with no writing income

0:11:08 How They Launched Their Movie on Kickstarter

0:17:28 How to Meet Filmmakers to Collaborate With

0:21:33 How to Manage the Budget of Your Production

0:27:38 The Future of Indie Authors and Movies

0:31:49 How Authors Can Work With Operators

0:37:15 What Have You Learned from Turning 2 Books into Film

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the creator of Reader Meter (the reader intelligence platform for authors), Beyond the Book (the place that helps you turn your story into an empire), and Author Sidekick (the newsletter that helps authors grow their readership and revenue). In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

Join Author Sidekick, the newsletter to help you grow your readership and revenue as an author: https://authorsidekick.com/subscribe

Join the Beyond the Book Membership, where we step-by-step help you turn your stories into an empire: https://beyondthebookacademy.com/

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Follow the Marketing Superpowers Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/authorsidekick/author-marketing-superpowers-deck/

Apply to sign at Reader Nation: https://www.authornation.live/reader-nation-home-2025

Join Rising Quill: https://discord.gg/JecjM4hz

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

0:05:04 Anna’s First Book Events

0:08:17 Books to People Who Are NOT Her Readers

0:09:39 Managing Signings as an Introvert

0:12:03 Selling to Readers Who Don’t Walk Up to Your Table

0:15:09 What Events to Sell Your Books At

0:21:08 How to Set Up For Your First Event

0:27:03 How to Attend Profitable Events

0:31:13 How to Manage Book Inventory for Events

0:35:16 How Many Books Published Do You Need to Come to An Event?

0:36:40 How to Price Your Books at Events

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the creator of Reader Meter (the reader intelligence platform for authors), Beyond the Book (the place that helps you turn your story into an empire), and Author Sidekick (the newsletter that helps authors grow their readership and revenue). In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

Before we dive in…

🎉 You smashed the Kickstarter goal!

The Author Marketing Superpowers Deck is officially funded — and I cannot thank you enough for all the support. I’m fired up to share:

• The Readers First Challenge

• All the digital bonuses

• And of course… the physical deck for everyone who backs the campaign before it ends.

If you haven’t grabbed your sidedeck yet, you can still scoop it up — along with all bonuses — at a limited-time discount:

👉 Back the Kickstarter

📚 Your Free eBook: 50 Author Marketing Superpowers

Download your eBook in whichever format you prefer:

📘 EPUB 📕 PDF

In the next few days, I’m setting up a dedicated BookFunnel download page so authors outside this newsletter can get the digital deck for free too.

Since this is my first time delivering digital downloads through Substack… How’s the experience for you? Easy enough? A pain? I’d love your feedback!

And if anything’s confusing, I’m here to help 💙

🎧 Your Free Audiobook (with bonus stories!)

The audiobook includes extra personal stories I couldn’t fit into the cards or eBook — little “easter eggs” that reinforce the superpowers and give deeper context.

You can listen right now, completely free, on:

🎧 Spotify 🍎 Apple Podcasts 🔊 Anywhere else you listen to podcasts

A YouTube version is coming too, once the final 50 illustrated cards are ready. And yes — downloads will also be available through BookFunnel soon.

❓ Want to Shape the Final Deck Before It Goes to Print?

Before I send the 1,000-copy print run, I’d love your thoughts.

What did you like? What confused you? Any superpowers you want improved or expanded?

Email me anytime at hello@authorsidekick.com or leave a comment on this post.

Digital can always be edited… but print lasts a long time! So your feedback really matters.

👀 Sneak Peek: New Teleportation Power Cards

I just got a fresh batch of illustrations from the Teleportation Powers set — and they look incredible. These are just the card fronts… the backs are packed with strategies, frameworks, and action steps.

(Images shown in the original post)

The Digital Deck drops at the beginning of April, and I have even more free surprises lined up before then. The adventure of making marketing fun again never ends!

Coming Tomorrow: Self Publishing 4.0

I’ll be back very soon — possibly tonight if I’m feeling ambitious — with a big article called:

Self Publishing 4.0: The New Age of Story and Commerce for Authors

I think it might blow your mind.

Until then…

Together we are boundless, Michael Evans The Author Sidekick

P.S. I also made a brief detour to Barbie Land this weekend. Yes, really. A last-minute opportunity popped up and I had to jump on it. Folks on the Beyond the Book Waitlist already know the details… and you might want to join that 👀

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Article about Special Editions on Kickstarter: https://updates.kickstarter.com/the-allure-of-special-editions-on-kickstarter-and-how-to-create-your-own/

Kickstarter for Authors Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/429764288910415 INKfluence: https://theinkfluence.com/

Holly Black's card campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hollyblack/enemies-and-lovers-the-crown-of-elfhame

Lee Savino's special edition campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leesavino/dark-billionaire-velvet-special-edition-omnibuses

Junction Cafe Chicago: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/semicolonchi/help-us-bring-junction-cafe-to-chicago

Lucy Eden speciality book boxes: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lnfpbb/lucy-edens-love-notes-from-paradise-book-box

Beehive Books: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/beehivebooks/created

Bookish Chocolates: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/gegallas/created

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

0:02:34 #1: Turning Books into Games

0:10:18 #2: Special Editions

0:17:14 #3: Literary Spaces

0:23:27 #4: Speciality Book Boxes

0:31:11 #5: Interactive Stories

0:37:33 #6: Food and Drink

0:41:14 How to Get Started on Kickstarter

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the creator of Reader Meter (the reader intelligence platform for authors), Beyond the Book (the place that helps you turn your story into an empire), and Author Sidekick (the newsletter that helps authors grow their readership and revenue). In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

Check out Kevin's latest Kickstarter, Terra Incognita, an epic seafaring fantasy series with accompanying rock albums: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thekja/terra-incognita-epic-fantasy-trilogy-and-rock-albums

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Kevin's books: https://wordfire.com/

Attend Superstars writing conference: https://www.superstarswriting.com/

Kevin's publishing company: https://wordfirepress.com/

Western Colorado University's Publishing MFA: https://western.edu/program/publishing/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

0:03:16 The Origin Story of Kevin J Anderson

0:07:27  What Made Kevin Shift to Indie Publishing

0:12:24  How Kevin Gets Through "Black Ice" in Publishing

0:18:55  How Kevin Started on Kickstarter

0:22:28 What Projects Are Best for Kickstarters

0:25:55 Kevin’s New Kickstarter with Books and Rock Music

0:35:39 How Kevin Collaborates with Dozens of Creatives

0:38:47 The Kevin J Anderson Business Model

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the creator of Reader Meter (the reader intelligence platform for authors), Beyond the Book (the place that helps you turn your story into an empire), and Author Sidekick (the newsletter that helps authors grow their readership and revenue).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

The Author Marketing Superpowers Deck Kickstarter closes TOMORROW. We’re inches away from unlocking our next stretch goal — AuthorHub, an all-in-one book marketing tracker that helps you level up your author business.

Backers get:

• The physical 50-card Author Marketing Superpowers Deck

• Bonus workshops and templates

• A complete digital workbook

• Access to the Readers First Challenge (the ultimate “sell your book before you write it” course)

• And huge discounts — 50%+ off — only available before the Kickstarter ends

👉 Back the Kickstarter before it closes

Now, welcome to Day 4 of the Author Marketing Superpowers Bootcamp: Scale Your Readers.

This bootcamp is designed to help you go from story idea → $1,000 in book sales in under 5 minutes a day, with minimal stress, time, and money.

You’ve already completed the foundations:

• Day 1: Choose your target audience

• Day 2: Validate that audience will buy your idea

• Day 3: Make sure your story keeps readers engaged

Now you’re ready for the part every author dreams about: scaling your readership.

But here’s the twist: Most authors think scaling = more work. In reality, marketing isn’t about selling books. It’s about building a system that sells books for you.

This system is your Reader Growth Engine — a repeatable, scalable way to grow your readership without burning out.

There are 3 Reader Growth Engines to choose from:

1. Paid Ads

Buying attention on platforms like Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit, and Google. Fast to test, fast to scale.

2. Building a Media Brand

Creating content people want to come back to. Think: BookTok, BookTube, bookish podcasts, fictional vertical TV, or genre-inspired educational/entertainment content.

3. Affiliates + Collaborations

The advanced engine: Podcasts, influencers, retailers, and partners who sell your books for you.

Most authors start with Paid Ads or a Media Brand engine — and that’s perfect.

Your 3 Steps for Day 4

Step 1: Marketing Fuel

What marketing activity energizes you? Blogging, TikTok, Facebook Ads, genre videos, podcasting — choose the style that feels fun and sustainable.

Step 2: The Content Cannon

A few pieces of content will drive most of your sales. Start experimenting. Test ideas. Analyze what resonates. Double down on what works.

Your first attempts might be messy — that’s normal. Iteration is everything.

Step 3: Infinite Reader Loop

Your engine must pay for itself.

Ways to do that:

• Sell book bundles and upsells (ideal for Paid Ads engines)

• Use sponsorships/brand deals to offset your content costs (ideal for Media Brand engines)

A sustainable engine is one that keeps its own fuel flowing.

Tomorrow, for Day 5, we’ll talk about something even more important: How to keep readers loyal — the key to long-term success and profit.

If you’re an Author Sidekick Plus member, you’ll also get access to our 2-hour Reader Growth Engines workshop, including deep dives into ads, community building, and live optimization.

Thank you again for your support — especially as the Kickstarter enters its final hours.

And remember…

Together we are boundless, Michael Evans The Author Sidekick

How many of you have felt this recently?

How many of you have been feeling this way for years?

In today’s edition of the Beyond the Book Podcast, I want to offer an alternative vision for our collective future as authors.

One of Publishing Boundlessness rather than Publishing Scarcity or Publishing Nihilism.

Join the Beyond the Book Accelerator waitlist, where we step-by-step help you turn your stories into an empire: https://beyondthebookacademy.com/

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Creator Economy for Authors Book: https://www.amazon.com/Creator-Economy-Authors-Future-Publishing/dp/1949458253

Intention Economy Book: https://www.amazon.com/Intention-Economy-When-Customers-Charge/dp/1422158527

Tolan App: https://www.tolans.com/

Belonging to the Brand Book: https://businessesgrow.com/belonging-to-the-brand/

Get Together Book: https://gettogether.world/

Bowling Alone Book: https://www.amazon.com/Bowling-Alone-Collapse-American-Community/dp/0743203046

On the Origin of Stories Book: https://www.amazon.com/Origin-Stories-Evolution-Cognition-Fiction/dp/0674057112

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

0:08:09 What the Next Publishing Revolution Has In Common With the Past

0:19:35 Opportunity #1: Community

0:31:48 Opportunity #2: Creator Street

0:38:16 Opportunity #3: New IP Formats

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the creator of Reader Meter (the reader intelligence platform for authors), Beyond the Book (the place that helps you turn your story into an empire), and Author Sidekick (the newsletter that helps authors grow their readership and revenue). In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

Note: The video for this podcast got corrupted, but I do include some b-roll of inside the ScareMail HQ 😊.

Check out ScareMail by David Viergutz: https://scaremail.com/ Join the Beyond the Book Mastermind waitlist, the ultimate community for authors turning their stories into empires: https://beyondthebookacademy.com/

Join Author Sidekick, the newsletter to help you grow your readership and revenue as an author: https://authorsidekick.com/subscribe

Join the Beyond the Book Membership, where we step-by-step help you turn your stories into an empire: https://beyondthebookacademy.com/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

0:05:12 How David Ships 100,000 Letters a Month

0:06:32 What is a Story Letter?

0:08:40 David's Author Story

0:16:24 The Biggest Mistake David Made Scaling Story Letters

0:20:22 How David Tests New Ideas

0:22:33 How David Gets New Ideas to Serve His Readers

0:25:56 How David Works with Manufacturers with His Business

0:28:59  How David Keeps Writing With All of His Business Operations

0:31:09  When and How to Hire Help as an Author

0:33:42 How David Scaled The Production of ScareMail

0:37:44 How to Grow Your Audience

0:41:10 David's Advice to Authors Getting Started

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the creator of Reader Meter (the reader intelligence platform for authors), Beyond the Book (the place that helps you turn your story into an empire), and Author Sidekick (the newsletter that helps authors grow their readership and revenue).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends). I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

ABOUT BEYOND THE BOOK:

Beyond the Book exists to help authors expand their revenue and readership beyond books. We are rewriting the rules of publishing by helping authors build “mini-Disneys” from their stories through physical products, community experiences, games, other media formats, and more.

There are billions of dollars up for grabs. And I'm building something big to help your movie-making business become a reality. Grab your Author Deck here with 50 superpowers to level-up your book marketing and help you sell more books: https://authordecks.com/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

0:03:02 Turning Your Books into Movies, Shows, and Films

0:08:44 Why Storytellers Will Make Billions from Independent Films

0:12:35 A New Newsletter and Podcast for Make Your Own Movies is Launching

Join Author Sidekick, the newsletter to help you grow your readership and revenue as an author: https://authorsidekick.com/subscribe

Join the Beyond the Book Membership, where we step-by-step help you turn your stories into an empire: https://beyondthebookacademy.com/

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the creator of Reader Meter (the reader intelligence platform for authors), Beyond the Book (the place that helps you turn your story into an empire), and Author Sidekick (the newsletter that helps authors grow their readership and revenue).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

ABOUT BEYOND THE BOOK:

Beyond the Book exists to help authors expand their revenue and readership beyond books. We are rewriting the rules of publishing by helping authors build “mini-Disneys” from their stories through physical products, community experiences, games, other media formats, and more.

This one is action-packed with insights and takeaways.

* The free tool (for now) trakkr.ai can help you see what books LLMs are recommending based on prompts

* Queries to LLMs are 23 words on average v.s. 4 words for search engines

* LLMs disproportionately recommend best-selling books, even when asked to recommend lesser-known titles 😬

* Answer Engines are already a place readers discover books, and likely are going to continue to grow, but it doesn’t seem to be a great channel for new authors, but rather another channel that perpetuates big authors

* If you haven’t already, sign up for ChatGPT’s waitlist for Product Discovery so your books can have an easier time being cited in responses

You can watch the full workshop above!

I’m excited for next month’s Sidekick Plus workshop. Always super happy to take recommendations on what you would like me to deep dive into.

In the meantime, don’t forget to:

Join Author Sidekick, the newsletter to help you grow your readership and revenue as an author: https://authorsidekick.com/subscribe

Join the Beyond the Book Membership, where we step-by-step help you turn your stories into an empire: https://beyondthebookacademy.com/

Together we are boundless,

Michael Evans

The Author Sidekick

This is one of the most inspiring and actionable episodes of Beyond the Book.

Jay Yang is one of the brightest minds in social media and he’s worked with top entrepreneurs like Tyler Denk (CEO of Beehiiv), Noah Kagan (founder of Appsumo), and now Alex Hormozi (co-founder of Acquisition.com) to grow their following and reach millions online.

He also helped Noah Kagan launch his book Million Dollar Weekend, all about how to start and launch a business in 48 hours. This book hit the NYT Bestseller list!

In today’s episode of Beyond the Book, Jay Yang (who is still a teenager at the time of recording) shares with us:

* How to create content that hooks the attention of others and grows your reader base

* Why their email list was more valuable in promoting the book launch than their 1 million+ subscriber YouTube channel

* How to create outlier opportunities for yourself by doing the work upfront when collaborating with people

* Doing the hard work to develop belief in yourself

* And SO much more

You can watch on YouTube here:

The quote that stood out to me most in the podcast: “What’s obvious to you is amazing to others.” – Jay Yang

Jay recently launched his first book You Can Just Do Things. You can get your copy here. It’s all about how you can take action and accomplish big things without needing the permission of gatekeepers. If there’s any book that embodies the indie author mindset, it’s this one 😊.

I’ll be back with another podcast episode later this week (got the team trained up and ready to go on helping me get out episodes), and another essay all on the Retailer v.s. Direct mindset tomorrow!

In the meantime, don’t forget…

Join Author Sidekick, the newsletter to help you grow your readership and revenue as an author: https://authorsidekick.com/subscribe

Join the Beyond the Book Membership, where we step-by-step help you turn your stories into an empire: https://beyondthebookacademy.com/

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the creator of Reader Meter (the reader intelligence platform for authors), Beyond the Book (the place that helps you turn your story into an empire), and Author Sidekick (the newsletter that helps authors grow their readership and revenue).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

Join Author Sidekick, the newsletter to help you grow your readership and revenue as an author: https://authorsidekick.com/subscribe

Join the Beyond the Book Membership, where we step-by-step help you turn your stories into an empire: https://beyondthebookacademy.com/

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN EPISODE:

Author Automations: https://authorautomations.com/

Indie Author Magazine: https://indieauthormagazine.com/

Direct Sales Discovery for Authors: https://direct2readers.com/

Author Nation: https://www.authornation.live/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:04:42 How to Automate the Right Way

00:10:00 Chelle's PARA Method

00:16:35 How Chelle organizes her goals

00:19:13 Chelle's Way of Defining Success

00:20:30 When should we and should we not automate?

00:27:35 Top Automations for Authors

00:39:35 What to Use to Start a Website

00:42:44 Indie Author Magazine Training

00:53:51 Where to find Chelle and her work

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the creator of Reader Meter (the reader intelligence platform for authors), Beyond the Book (the place that helps you turn your story into an empire), and Author Sidekick (the newsletter that helps authors grow their readership and revenue).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

Join the Beyond the Book Membership, where we step-by-step help you turn your stories into an empire: https://beyondthebookacademy.com/

EPISODES AND CHAPTERS

00:00:25-$5,000 as first time Fiction Author

00:01:40-How Nat Started as an Author?

00:03:26-Nat's arc as an Entrepreneur

00:04:46-Nat's First Nonfiction Book

00:06:24-Learning Path Through Writing

00:13:41-Improvements on Writing

00:18:16-Importance of an Article

00:25:54-Longevity of the Book

00:29:05-Why Nat Self-Published his 1st Fiction Novel?

00:36:25-The Future in AI Era

00:42:28-AI Tools you can use

00:51:05-Resources that can help you Journey

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN EPISODE:

Nat Eliason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nat_eliason/?hl=en

Nat's Crypto Confidential: https://www.nateliason.com/books/crypto-confidential

Nat's contact email: nateliason@gmail.com

BetaReader.io: https://betareader.io/

Chatgpt: https://chatgpt.com/

Dungeon Crawler Carl" https://www.goodreads.com/series/309211-dungeon-crawler-carl

Peak by Anders Erickson and Robert Poole: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26312997-peak

Husk by Nat Eliason: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/229037036-husk

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the creator of Reader Meter (the reader intelligence platform for authors), Beyond the Book (the place that helps you turn your story into an empire), and Author Sidekick (the newsletter that helps authors grow their readership and revenue).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊

Join Author Sidekick, the newsletter to help you grow your readership and revenue as an author: https://authorsidekick.com/subscribe

Get Author Decks, a beautifully illustrated card deck of 50 superpowers to help you sell more books: https://authordecks.com/

Join the Beyond the Book Membership, where we step-by-step help you turn your stories into an empire: https://beyondthebookacademy.com/

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN EPISODE:

Roberta Townes' website: https://shelftalks.com/

Apple Podcast: Shelf Talks by Roberta Townes Shelf Talk

Amazon link: https://amzn.to/447iGFw

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:03:02 The Importance of Retail in E-Commerce

00:05:31 Understanding Retailer Needs and Product Fit

00:08:29 Challenges and Opportunities for Indie Authors

00:11:06 Crafting Effective Pitches to Retailers

00:14:07 Pricing and Packaging Strategies

00:14:58 Exploring Bundling Opportunities

00:17:44 Building Strong Retail Partnerships

00:20:15 Driving Sales and Marketing Strategies

00:22:54 Creating Unique Retail Experiences

00:25:23 Final Insights and Resources for Authors

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS I’m the co-founder of Creatorwood (helping writers turn their stories into movies with AI) and Author Sidekick (media company helping authors succeed in the future of publishing).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the co-founder of Creatorwood (helping writers turn their stories into movies with AI) and Author Sidekick (media company helping authors succeed in the future of publishing).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

Join Author Sidekick, the newsletter to help you grow your readership and revenue as an author: https://authorsidekick.com/subscribe

Get Author Decks, a beautifully illustrated card deck of 50 superpowers to help you sell more books: https://authordecks.com/

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Josh's world illustration: https://worldillustrationawards.com/

Beehive Books FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/beehivebook

Beehive website: https://www.beehivebooks.com/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:02:49 Introduction to Beehive Books

00:06:22 Josh O'Neill's Journey in Publishing

00:13:46 The Quixotic Nature of Beehive Books

00:15:49 Innovative Projects and Community Building

00:22:35 Navigating Change in the Publishing Landscape

00:26:56 Choosing Projects and Creative Inspiration

00:28:57 The Art of Collaboration in Publishing

00:30:58 Illuminated Editions: Reviving Classic Literature

00:32:37 Innovative Projects: The Lab Newspaper

00:35:20 Kickstarter Campaigns: Strategies and Challenges

00:39:44 Surprising Collaborations: The Pinocchio Project

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the co-founder of Creatorwood (helping writers turn their stories into movies with AI) and Author Sidekick (media company helping authors succeed in the future of publishing).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

Listen on Apple Podcast Here.

Listen on Spotify Here.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Join Storyteller Lab: https://www.skool.com/thewritingwives/about

Read Mal's Books: https://www.maloriecooper.com/ Join Author

Sidekick, the newsletter to help you grow your readership and revenue as an author: https://authorsidekick.com/subscribe

Read Creatorwood, the free book helping writers turn their stories into movies using AI: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:02:13 Introduction to Malorie Cooper's Journey

00:03:49 The Power of Facebook Ads for Authors

00:07:47 Understanding Facebook Ads: A Beginner's Guide

00:10:38 Best Practices for Facebook Ads in 2025

00:13:06 Analyzing Ad Performance: Key Metrics

00:16:53 Creating Compelling Ads: Marketing Strategies

00:19:15 The Importance of Revealing Twists in Marketing

00:22:55 Aligning Book Packaging with Ad Performance

00:24:42 The Power of Video in Advertising

00:30:49 Words Matter: Crafting Effective Copy

00:39:16 Building a Meta Story for Reader Engagement

00:41:46 Expanding Beyond the Book: Creative Ventures

Thank you so much for listening!

You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts.

It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST:

MICHAEL EVANS I’m the co-founder of Creatorwood (helping writers turn their stories into movies with AI) and Author Sidekick (media company helping authors succeed in the future of publishing).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

ABOUT BEYOND THE BOOK:

Beyond the Book exists to help authors expand their revenue and readership beyond books. We are rewriting the rules of publishing by helping authors build “mini-Disneys” from their stories through physical products, community experiences, games, other media formats, and more.

Today, he chats with us about how we can become Artisan Authors and succeed in the new age of indie publishing.

Back the Artisan Author Book on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/johnnybtruant/the-artisan-author-your-way-out-of-the-self-pub-rat-race

Johnny's website: https://johnnybtruant.com/

Join Author Sidekick, the newsletter to help you grow your readership and revenue as an author: https://authorsidekick.com/subscribe

Read Creatorwood, the free book helping writers turn their stories into movies using AI: https://blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:02:53 The Journey of a Storyteller

00:06:48 Understanding Rapid Release vs Rapidly Releasing

00:08:39 The Dichotomy of Industry vs Indie

00:11:24 The Artisan Author Mindset

00:14:52 Finding Your True Fans

00:17:15 The Evolution from Right Publish Repeat to Artisan Author

00:21:27 Connecting with Readers on a Personal Level

00:26:51 Defining Fandom and True Fans

00:29:31 Understanding True Fans and Connection

00:34:32 The Courage to be Yourself

00:39:56 Navigating the True Fan Economy

00:43:50 The Art of Restraint in Storytelling

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the co-founder of Creatorwood (helping writers turn their stories into movies with AI) and Author Sidekick (media company helping authors succeed in the future of publishing).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊. ABOUT BEYOND THE BOOK:

Beyond the Book exists to help authors expand their revenue and readership beyond books. We are rewriting the rules of publishing by helping authors build “mini-Disneys” from their stories through physical products, community experiences, games, other media formats, and more.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Join the Fictation course and use code FICTATIONAS for 40% off: https://authorsidekick--fictioncourses.thrivecart.com/fictation/

Sarah's website: https://www.fictioncourses.com

Read Creatorwood, the free book helping writers turn their stories into movies using AI: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:02:05 The Journey to Dictation

00:04:44 Overcoming Initial Challenges

00:07:44 Tools and Technology for Dictation

00:10:44 Getting Started with Dictation

00:13:20 Building Confidence in Dictation

00:16:52 Editing and Cleanup Process

00:19:46 Voice and Storytelling

00:22:40 Common Roadblocks in Dictation

00:25:44 Creating the Right Environment

00:30:02 Final Tips for Successful Dictation

Thank you so much for listening!

You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers.

Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST:

MICHAEL EVANS I’m the co-founder of Creatorwood (helping writers turn their stories into movies with AI) and Author Sidekick (media company helping authors succeed in the future of publishing).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Check out Russell's website: https://www.russellnohelty.com

Join the Author Stack Newsletter (you can join Hapitalist there): https://www.theauthorstack.com/

Read Creatorwood, the free book helping writers turn their stories into movies using AI: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

EPISODES CHAPTERS:

Understanding the Power Law in Publishing 00:04:42

Setting Goals as a Writer 00:07:26

The Concept of Leverage in Author Careers 00:08:59

Investing in Your Author Career 00:12:06

Finding Exponential Growth Opportunities 00:14:53

The Importance of Marketing in Authorship00:18:39

Building Relationships with Readers 00:20:34

The Value of Varied Product Offerings 00:23:26

The Power of Empathy in Building a Fanbase 00:35:00

The Unscalable Things that Lead to Growth 00:37:48

Navigating Retailers vs Direct Sales 00:39:49

The Happy Compass: Guiding Your Creative Journey 00:43:47

The Birth of Hapitalist: A Response to Author Needs 00:46:33

Lessons for Young Creatives: Building a Signature Series 00:52:23

The Importance of Trust and Relationship Building 00:57:12

Introducing Hapitalist: A Comprehensive Author Resource 01:02:35

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST:

MICHAEL EVANS I’m the co-founder of Creatorwood (helping writers turn their stories into movies with AI) and Author Sidekick (media and software company helping authors succeed in the future of publishing).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Stacy's Shortcuts for Writers: https://www.shortcutsforwriters.com/

Freebie! Non-Verbal Communication for Writers: https://www.shortcutsforwriters.com/nonverbal-communication-resource-for-writers/

Read Creatorwood, the free book helping writers turn their stories into movies using AI: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

Organizing the Chaos of Writing 00:03:11

From Journalist to Fiction Editor 00:11:57

The Editing Process Explained 00:16:01

The Role of Beta Readers 00:29:04

Reviving a Series: Strategies for Success 00:33:34

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts.

It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST:

MICHAEL EVANS I’m the Founder of Creatorwood (helping writers turn their stories into movies with AI) and Author Sidekick (media company helping authors succeed in the future of publishing).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends). I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman. After graduation,

I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors.

I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself😊.

Listen on Apple Podcast Here.

Listen on Spotify Here.

This month’s workshop is all about Story-Market Fit – or how you know when to scale your story business. In the workshop, I cover:

• The 3 components of Story-Market Fit

• How I’ve screwed up Story-Market Fit in my author career, even getting false validation on a story that had massive negative impacts on my business

• The concrete steps you can take to get closer to achieving Story-Market Fit today

You can watch it at the video linked above!

As always, let me know you have any questions.

And don’t forget…

Together we are boundless,

Michael Evans

The Author Sidekick

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Read the Trope Thesaurus Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFYR9L4Z

5 Trope Lists to Develop Your Story [Free]: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/tvbb2jpx9x

Jennifer's website: https://www.jenniferhilt.com/

Read Creatorwood, the free book helping writers turn their stories into movies using AI: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

Introduction to Tropes and Their Importance 00:01:48

Understanding Goal, Motivation and Conflict (GMC) 00:04:47

Jennifer's Background and Journey to Tropes 00:07:01

Tropes in Visual Storytelling 00:08:49

Becoming a Tropes Observer 00:16:53

Highlighting Tropes in Marketing 00:20:24

The Role of Tropes in Story Structure 00:22:17

Understanding Genre Expectations 00:30:21

Innovative Mashups in Storytelling 00:34:38

Learning from Film: Tropes and Genres 00:37:21

The Power of Tropes in Storytelling 00:39:35

Visual Storytelling and Marketing Techniques 00:43:55

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the co-founder of Creatorwood (helping writers turn their stories into movies with AI) and Author Sidekick (media company helping authors succeed in the future of publishing). In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

Read Creatorwood, the free book helping writers turn their stories into movies using AI: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

Introduction to Mr. Beast's Influence 00:00:00 - 00:00:22

The Importance of Retention in Storytelling 00:00:22 - 00:01:43

A/B Testing for Success 00:01:43 - 00:05:11

Exploring Beyond the Book 00:05:11 - 00:08:37

Introducing Reader Meter 00:08:37 - 00:11:41

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST:

MICHAEL EVANS I’m the co-founder of Creatorwood (helping writers turn their stories into movies with AI) and Author Sidekick (media company helping authors succeed in the future of publishing).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD: Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Read Creatorwood, the free book helping writers turn their stories into movies using AI: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

The Journey Begins: Live Streaming Writing 00:00:00 - 00:02:52

Consistency in Writing: The Key to Success 00:02:52 - 00:03:38

Community and Collaboration: The Power of Connection 00:03:38 - 00:06:48

Overcoming Writer's Block: Strategies for Success 00:06:48 - 00:11:26

The Mindset of a Writer: Embracing Every Part of the Process 00:11:26 - 00:13:47

The Importance of a Story Bible: Organizing Your Ideas 00:13:47 - 00:16:35

Editing and Problem Solving: Enhancing Your Drafts 00:16:35 - 00:19:53

Identifying and Solving Story Problems 00:19:53- 00:28:16

The Importance of Sequencing in Writing 00:28:16- 00:32:04

Building a Writing Community and Consistency 00:32:04 - 00:39:32

Navigating the Changing Landscape of Writing and AI 00:39:32 - 00:54:58

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the co-founder of Creatorwood (helping writers turn their stories into movies with AI) and Author Sidekick (media company helping authors succeed in the future of publishing).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends).

I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD: Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

Read Creatorwood, the free book helping writers turn their stories into movies using AI: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

The Power of Awe in Marketing 00:02:29

Creating Social Objects for Engagement 00:03:56

The Art of Gifting in Marketing 00:11:20

Using Humor and Unexpected Stories 00:16:24

Final Thoughts on Creative Marketing Strategies 00:26:05

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Quan Millz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quanmillzbooks/ Audacious by Mark Schaefer: https://businessesgrow.com/audacious/

Thank you so much for listening! You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book!

I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers.

Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST: MICHAEL EVANS

I’m the co-founder of Creatorwood (helping writers turn their stories into movies with AI) and Author Sidekick (media company helping authors succeed in the future of publishing).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends). I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Read Creatorwood, the free book helping writers turn their stories into movies using AI: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Sudowrite website: https://sudowrite.com/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

The Genesis of Sudowrite 00:00:00 - 00:02:23

Defining AI Writing 00:02:23 - 00:04:42

The Unique Features of Sudowrite 00:04:42 - 00:08:33

The Plugin Ecosystem 00:08:33 - 00:11:12

Adapting to AI in Writing 00:11:12 - 00:12:27

Unexpected Uses of AI 00:12:27 - 00:14:06

The Future of AI in Writing 00:14:06 - 00:16:19

AI as a Marketing Partner 00:16:19 - 00:20:10

Finding Your Voice with AI 00:20:10 - 00:23:14

Encouragement for Skeptics 00:23:14 - 00:26:44

Resources and Classes for Writers 00:26:44 - 00:30:55

Thank you so much for listening!

You can always reach out to hello@authorsidekick.com if you have any guest/episode recommendations or questions about going Beyond the Book! I’d also super appreciate it if you rated Beyond the Book wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps us grow and get bigger & better guests to share their insights with you in going Beyond the Book 💙.

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST:

MICHAEL EVANS I’m the co-founder of Creatorwood (helping writers turn their stories into movies with AI) and Author Sidekick (media company helping authors succeed in the future of publishing).

In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends). I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Read Creatorwood, the free book helping writers turn their stories into movies using AI: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Therena's website: https://therena.ca/

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/therena_carlin

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

The Journey of a Creative Artist 00:00:00 - 00:01:33

From Photography to Writing 00:01:33 - 00:04:49

Kickstarter Sucess and Art Integration 00:04:49 - 00:06:43

Building a Community Through Crowdfunding 00:06:43 - 00:10:12

The Power of Communication in Collaborations 00:10:12 - 00:12:50

Creating Engaging Campaigns and Stories 00:12:50 - 00:15:41

The Art of Balancing Multiple Projects 00:15:41 - 00:18:28

Navigating the Challenges of In-Person Events 00:18:28 - 00:21:25

Effective Communication with Artists 00:21:25 - 00:29:13

Understanding Artist Portfolio and Budgeting 00:29:13 - 00:32:02

Finding and Selecting the Right Artist 00:32:02 - 00:36:33

Protecting Your Art in a Digital Age 00:36:33 - 00:37:45

Expanding Your Brand with Merchandise 00:37:45 - 00:46:20

Integrating Different Artistic Styles and Products 00:46:20 - 00:48:40

Thank you so much for listening!

I’m on a mission to bring Power to Storytellers. Here’s my story 👇

ABOUT THE HOST:

MICHAEL EVANS I’m the co-founder of Creatorwood (helping writers turn their stories into movies with AI) and Author Sidekick (media company helping authors succeed in the future of publishing). In high school, I wrote and self-published 12 sci-fi novels (aka I didn’t have many friends). I then attended college at Harvard, where I road-tripped the country filming YouTube videos during COVID (school was online🫣), live-streamed myself playing scavenger hunt with my roommate for ~1,000 hours, and eventually co-founded a software company that was named Publishing’s Start-up of the Year in 2023 by Jane Friedman.

After graduation, I worked on the data & analytics team at MrBeast and am now back in publishing, dedicating my life to bringing power to authors. I’m really grateful to be living my dream, and am hopeful I can help you get one (or a few!) steps closer to doing the same for yourself 😊.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally. You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe Join the Creatorwood Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creatorwood J

oin the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/ 

Sign-up for the waitlist for the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

The Rise of 90-Second Film 00:00:00 - 00:01:26

Understanding Short Drama Apps 00:01:26 - 00:03:40

The Economics of Short Drama Production 00:03:40 - 00:08:08

Leveraging AI in Storytelling 00:08:08 - 00:11:15

Creating a Sustainable Film Business 00:11:15 - 00:12:38

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Movie Machine by Creatorwood integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films inside our Streaming Platform. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

Join the Creatorwood Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creatorwood

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/

Sign-up for the waitlist for the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

Introduction to Creatorwood and the Movie Machine 00:03:10

The Broken Incentive Model in Filmmaking 00:05:52

The Future of Independent Filmmaking 00:08:38

Michael's Journey in Storytelling and Technology 00:10:49

The Evolution of Creative Tools for Storytellers 00:14:45

The Role of AI in Filmmaking 00:17:47

The Vision Behind the Movie Machine 00:20:24

The Revolution in Filmmaking and Storytelling 00:22:26

Building a Sustainable Filmmaking Ecosystem 00:28:08

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD: Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Creatorwood Creation Platform integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

Join the Creatorwood Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creatorwood

Join the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

Chapter 1: Learn The Number 1 Secret of Hit Films 00:00:00 - 00:08:03

Chapter 2:The Pilot Process That Can Make You $100k+ 00:08:03 -00:16:45

Chapter 3: Meet The Movie Machine 00:16:45 - 00:24:27

Chapter 4: Grow Your Viewership While You Sleep 00:24:27 - 00:36:45

Chapter 5: 3 Steps to Create $10 Million+ Film Empire 00:36:45 - 42:21

ABOUT MICHAEL:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Creatorwood Creation Platform integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://www.blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

Join the Creatorwood Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creatorwood

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/

Join the Six-Figure Film Accelerator here: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

Introduction to AI Filmmaking Revolution 00:00:45 - 00:02:38

Understanding the Market for Your Film 00:02:38 - 00:09:35

Developing Your Pilot Episode 00:09:35 - 00:14:16

Creating Your Movie with AI 00:14:16 - 00:19:11

Scaling Your Film Business 00:19:11 - 00:30:07

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Creatorwood Creation Platform integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

Creatorwood also makes it easy to make money from your films. Specifically, Creatorwood allows you to upload your episodes, set them as free or paid (any price you’d like). Creators keep 80% of the revenue they earn on Creatorwood, and we pay out to creators in 130+ countries and accept payments from viewers globally.

ABOUT MICHAEL: He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/

Welcome to Creatorwood, the no-BS playbook for turning your stories into films, and your films into scalable businesses. Whether you’re a solo writer or a burnt-out creator, this is how you build your own studio, grow your audience, and take back control. No gatekeepers required.

EPISODES & CHAPTERS:

Chapter 1: Welcome to Creatorwood 00:00:00-00:07:11

Chapter 2: Viewers First 00:07:11 - 00:16:28

Chapter 3: Your First Steps to Making A Movie or Show 00:16:28 - 00:21:36

Chapter 4: Storyboarding: The Blueprint of Your Film 00:21:36 - 00:28:05

Chapter 5: Generating Your Film with Ai 00:28:05-00:34:51

Chapter 6: Launching Your Film 00:34:51-00:41:02

Chapter 7: The Business Models of the New Frontier 00:41:02-00:47:48

Chapter 8: Scaling Your Film Business 00:47:48-00:56:51

Chapter 9: Beyond the Screen 00:56:51-1:05:52

Read the Creatorwood book, all about building a movie business with AI, for free: https://blog.creatorwood.tv/subscribe

Join the Creatorwood Facebook Group: http://facebook.com/groups/creatorwood

Join the beta of the Creatorwood platform: https://make.creatorwood.tv/

Sign-up for the waitlist for the Six-Figure Film Accelerator: https://learn.creatorwood.tv/

ABOUT MICHAEL EVANS:

He has published 12 sci-fi novels, helped authors make $1 million+/year in memberships, and even worked on the Strategy Team for MrBeast.

You can learn more here: https://learn.makeyourownmovies.tv/

ABOUT CREATORWOOD:

Creatorwood is the home for storytellers to turn their writing into films, discover new viewers, and run a film business.

The Creatorwood Creation Platform integrates with the top AI video, image, audio, and storytelling models to help transform your writing into immersive worlds, incredible characters, and gripping films with significantly less time and cost.

You can join Creatorwood here: https://creatorwood.tv/