Check out my interview videos, please…
So, what is it about interview videos? I firmly believe it is because you can picture everything so much better. So many people are visual learners and thinkers. And videos most certainly can help with that.
For many of these videos, the image quality was less than optimal. Hence, I re-edited with slide shows. This allowed interview subjects to show off their covers (if any). Sound editing is also, at times, uneven. So, do not hire me as a sound engineer!
You can jump to any section with these links!
• Interview Videos with Writers. Meet people I admire and learn from!
• Interview Videos on Covers and Formatting
• Community Building Interview Videos. Get a look at who helps gather people together online.
• Publishing Inspiration Videos
• Legal Inspiration Videos
Interview Videos with Writers
Check out these great writers! And of course be sure to check out what they write. Maybe you’ll find your next great read!
Dayton Ward
It was a thrill to speak with New York Times bestselling author Dayton Ward. Dayton is fun and down to earth, and offers great advice. In particular, Dayton has been fortunate enough to be able to quit his day job and become a full-time writer!
At the start of 2023, Dayton’s latest work was The Jurassic World Official Cookbook. Dayton always has irons in the fire, so I am certain this is not going to be his last book, ever. Dayton’s perseverance and constant hustle are great qualities to emulate.
Dave Galanter
Dave was another Star Trek tie-in writer. However, unlike Dayton, he never quite got to the point of quitting his day job. He was a good guy.
Ronnie Virdi
Ronnie is an independent author just getting started. I wanted to talk to Ronnie in particular because he does a wonderful job marketing his wares. He may be a pantser when it comes to plotting (e. g. he flies by the seat of his pants), but he absolutely plans out and strives to hit milestones.
And when one milestone is reached, he pushes himself to the next one, whether it’s sales, word count, the number of reviews, or just trying something he hasn’t done yet. In 2022, he was published by Tor and he is absolutely going places!
As of early 2024, RR Virdi’s next work is his second Tales of Tremaine story. It is due out in October.And check out the first Tales of Tremaine story. It has an impressive 325 ratings.
Interview Videos on Covers and Formatting
What’s working with covers all about?
Sarah Anderson
Sarah is a cover artist, and she takes covers and image work seriously. Her interview was also an introduction to working with other contractors. As writers, we may be writing or signing all manner of documents.
These would include not only working with an artist like Sarah, but also working with professional editors, proofreaders, marketers, and, of course, publishers. And maybe even agents.
Sarah is also a published author and she just got her PhD! So, I suspect she has very little free time these days. 🙂
As of early 2024, Sarah’s latest novel is Over the Moon.
Andrew Gilmour
Andrew offers insights into coming to writing from an RPG. He also has great tips on formatting for self-publication.
To date, Andrew’s sole published work is Karver: Failed Expectations.
Community Building Interview Videos
Check out how community building works for writers. Networking, in the writing community and elsewhere, is often the best way to do, well, lots of things! It’s certainly how RR Virdi was taken up by Tor. He is the kind of person who will go to a convention and do a signing—and mingle with people.
This also how RR Virdi picked up over 300 ratings for just one piece! So, keep in mind that ratings aren’t just nice to have and a dopamine rush. They are also a way to get another link on Amazon (because the rater has their own page of reviews). They are an easy and free way to better market a book.
But if you would rather socialize from the comfort of your couch, Jason Howell just might be your guy.
Jason Howell
I wanted to talk to Jason for the longest time, because he is all about community. His blog is more like a writers’ salon than anything else I have seen online.
Jason’s Dirty Box of Pandora only appears to be on GoodReads.
Publishing Inspiration Videos
Here are some words of wisdom about publishing.
Jody Wheeler
In addition to working in film, Jody owns a small publishing house. You can hear about what it’s like on the other side of the slush pile! Small publishers like Jody want to publish great new books. But they are also overwhelmed with tons of submissions.
A word to the wise: follow submission instructions to the letter. They exist for very good reasons.
Jody’s most recent work appears to be Hippopotamus. He has mainly created horror films.
Legal Inspiration Interview Videos
Getting the law involved…
Michael Stewart
Mike is an intellectual property attorney and his office is in Atlanta, Georgia. It was so great to talk about copyright and fair use. We also got a chance to go over how to issue a DMCA take down notice in case you are the one that someone is copying.
Legal advice is, of course, expensive, and we do not mean for this interview to take the place of a consultation. But I hope it will get everyone thinking about how best to protect themselves online.
Mike Stewart is a lawyer in Atlanta.
More to come!
So, do you have suggestions for future interviews? Send them to my contact page!