Episode 47 - The WritersWeekly Weird & Fun Book & Author Trivia Game

Episode 49: Authors Who Argued with Us Before, During, and After Getting Scammed

Have you ever found yourself in the following situation? Someone comes to you to ask your opinion about some decision they are trying to make. Maybe it's dating or marriage advice. Maybe it's something about their career. Perhaps it has to do with some large purchase they want to make.  You give them excellent advice based on your expertise, along with facts and logic; not emotion. Then, they go and do the EXACT OPPOSITE of what you advised.   You wonder to yourself, "Why did this person ask for my advice in the first place!?" Kind of makes you want to slap them upside the head, doesn't it?! Well, we suffer this experience on an almost-weekly basis. Authors write to Angela Hoy, who has been exposing scams in the writing and publishing industries for 28 years now.  They ask: "What do you think about this publisher?" or "What do you think about this marketing service?" or “This company wants me to pay them $75K to make my book into a movie!” As we've said many times, there are so many scammers out there now, they literally now FAR outnumber legitimate businesses! Ninety-nine percent of the time, Angela will do the research, and discover that the "business" an author is looking at is indeed a scammer, and will advise the author as such. Most authors thank Angela and are very grateful to her for saving them from making a huge mistake and losing LOTS of money. However, some authors' responses simply baffle the mind. Some will argue that, to them, the scammer's website looks legitimate. Some argue that the person they have spoken to on the phone or traded emails with sounds SO professional. Some are even dumb enough to tell the scammers, "Angela from WritersWeekly.com says you're a scammer." Then, the author will literally come back to us and argue that the scammer PROMISED them that they are not a scammer! (Don’t EVEN get us started on the “money-back-guarantees” that scammers put on their websites. Authors actually think those false statements will protect them later!) We've even had authors ask for our advice AFTER sending a scammer money, and then they send even MORE money after we warned them that the company or individual IS INDEED a scammer, and explained exactly what our research revealed! Listen to this episode, and you will be shocked at the psychosis that some people suffer from. It's almost as if they WANT to be scammed out of their money! It always leaves us asking that infuriating question: "Why did they ask us to research that ‘company’ in the first place?!" Listen to this episode, and you will, like us, be scratching your head…or pulling your hair out. Don't miss it!! Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463845/fan_mail/new] Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

Episode 48: Misery: Real Authors Who Have Been Stalked

Music: "Light Rays" used with permission from Billy Bob Thornton and The Boxmasters. https://theboxmasters.com/store     Do you remember the movie based on the Stephen King novel "Misery?" An author is stalked and captured by an obsessed fan. She proceeds to torture him while still professing her admiration of his works. “I’m your number one fan!” Although most stalkers don't resort to such extreme behavior, being stalked can be a terrifying experience for anyone. Knowing that someone who is clearly not thinking right has set their sights on you is stressful, to say the least. Not knowing what that person is capable of means you must constantly be looking over your shoulder and never letting your guard down. That's a very traumatic way to live.  In today's episode, editor and college English professor Clayton Jones joins Angela and Brian to delve into the dark world of authors who have been stalked by unhinged "fans" and how those events ended up. Clayton, Angela and Brian all share their own experience with stalkers. We even have an example of an author who stalked someone who left her a bad review! Grab some popcorn and prepare to immerse yourself into psychological darkness and drama (with a little humor on the side.) You won't be disappointed!   Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463845/fan_mail/new] Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

Episode 47 - The WritersWeekly Weird & Fun Book & Author Trivia Game

We decided to have a silly episode. Clayton Jones and Brian go head to head to see who knows more about little factoids in the literary world.  How many of Angela's questions can YOU answer?  Join us for fun, laughs, and some interesting information you may have never hear before as we play the Weird & Fun Book & Author Trivia Game. Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463845/fan_mail/new] Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

EPISODE 46: How to Earn Thousands Per Month in Book Royalties - PART 2 of 2

Guest: Gary Sturgis, The International Bestselling Author of Surviving Grief – 365 Days a Year In this episode, we continue our interview with BookLocker.com's international bestselling author Gary Sturgis! Do you have a book on the market that's not accumulating the sales you'd like to see? It's likely due to your marketing strategy, and how you communicate with potential readers online. In these two episodes, Angela and Brian welcome back Gary Sturgis, BookLocker's best-selling author, who earns thousands per month in royalties from his book sales. Gary also has more than half a million followers on his social media channels now! How does he do it?! He’ll tell you in this episode! If you want to succeed in any endeavor, it's best to find someone who has already succeeded, learn what they did, and imitate them. Listen to this episode (and the next one, episode 56!) to learn how you, too, can increase your sales, and maintain a positive cash flow from your books. You don't want to miss this interview! You’re going to learn a LOT! Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463845/fan_mail/new] Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

EPISODE 45: How to Earn Thousands Per Month in Book Royalties

Guest: Gary Sturgis, The International Bestselling Author of Surviving Grief - 365 Days a Year  Do you have a book on the market that's not accumulating the sales you'd like to see? It's likely due to your marketing strategy, and how you communicate with potential readers online.   In the next two episodes, Angela and Brian welcome back Gary Sturgis, BookLocker's best-selling author, who earns thousands per month in royalties from his book sales.   Gary also has more than half a million followers on his social media channels now! How does he do it?! He’ll tell you in this episode!  Gary endured the loss of a spouse years ago, and began searching for online support for his grief and recovery. That led him to write his first book, "Surviving: Finding Your Way from Grief to Healing." That began a journey of sharing and interaction with his online community, leading to him becoming a grief counselor, a public speaker, and an online facilitator specializing in grief and recovery.  In this episode, Gary shares his journey, and the specific techniques he used to build a massive online following. He’s also written six more books, including one for children, to help people continue through their own paths to recovery and self-healing.   His consistency and persistence have led to ever-increasing book sales, earning him thousands in royalties every month.   If you want to succeed in any endeavor, it's best to find someone who has already succeeded, learn what they did, and imitate them. Listen to this episode (and the next one, episode 56!) to learn how you, too, can increase your sales, and maintain a positive cash flow from your books.   You don't want to miss this interview! You’re going to learn a LOT!  Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463845/fan_mail/new] Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com