Host Edith welcomes author and coach Lee Baucom to Book Lover’s Companion to discuss what it means to treat writing—especially fiction—as a business. They distinguish hobby writing from pursuing income, emphasizing that authors must wear multiple hats, particularly marketing as simply making readers aware and connecting the right audience to the right book. They cover cutting through today’s “noise,” pitching podcasts with a clear hook and audience fit, planning publicity months in advance, and choosing platforms based on where readers are and what the author can sustain. Lee outlines strategies like consistency, building an email list (e.g., Substack/Beehive), engaging communities, and using constraints to stay productive, while noting time vs. money tradeoffs, the value of human editing, and AI’s limited role for fiction but usefulness for marketing tasks.

Find out more about Lee:

https://leebaucom.com

⏰ Timestamp

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

00:44 Writing as a Business

03:49 Marketing Hat Mindset

06:03 Publishing Noise and Consistency

06:57 Pitching Podcasts Right

11:17 Conversation Style Interviews

13:06 Choosing Promotion Channels

17:11 Audience First Platform Choice

18:48 Time vs Money Marketing

22:08 Constraints and Daily Writing

24:34 Start Marketing Early

27:45 Building Suspense and Community

31:02 Behind the Art Stories Sell

32:54 Introverts Going Pro

33:57 Marketing Is On You

35:54 Success Takes Many Books

37:36 Strategy And Growth

39:44 Swag Versus Substance

41:38 Stop Doing Readings

45:33 Step By Step Marketing

51:54 Invest In Editing

55:46 AI For Marketing

57:57 Reviews And Not Finishing

01:01:18 Final Takeaways

☕️ Support us:

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/booklovercom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://ko-fi.com/bookcompanion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔗 Links and Social media:

💻 https://book-lovers-companion.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://twitter.com/book_companion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://www.facebook.com/ez.fiction.7⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://www.instagram.com/book_companion/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎥 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6vyAyrh3zzsxNeexfyU0uA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

💌 bookcompanioncontact@gmail.com

Music: English Country Garden by Aaron Kenny

Video Link: https://youtu.be/mDcADD4oS5E

Host Edith welcomes San Francisco author Rick London to Book Lover’s Companion to discuss his December 2025 novel The Dancing Wolfe Man (Volume One). London explains his pen name and how a vivid nighttime drive after a 1998 Super Bowl gathering inspired a werewolf story he later developed in 2024. Wanting to avoid a typical savage-werewolf arc, he made music the central force that anchors protagonist Titus Wolfe—a high school music teacher and weekend DJ—so sound and rhythm help him control his primal instincts and become a protector rather than a killer. They discuss the werewolf as a metaphor for humanity’s dark side, what defines a hero, London’s choice not to write a female werewolf protagonist, and his plans for sequels, prequels, and an origins book exploring werewolf lore. London shares his writing process, marketing lessons, audiobook considerations, advice to aspiring writers, and where to buy the book.

Find out more about Rick:

https://dancingwolfeman.com

⏰ Timestamp

00:00 Podcast Welcome and Guest Intro

00:34 Why the Name Rick London

01:28 Dancing Wolfman Premise

01:48 Super Bowl Night Inspiration

05:28 Music Tames the Beast

09:12 Wolf as Inner Darkness

15:12 What Makes a Hero

18:06 Why Not a She Wolf

20:35 Series Plans and Staying Hidden

23:26 Werewolf Lore and Myth Origins

27:13 Standing Out and Marketing Reality

30:21 Writing Process and Drafting Method

34:16 Fixing Story Flow

34:56 Why We Quit Books

36:15 Dialogue Versus Description

37:12 Writing Like A Movie

40:57 Screenplay Adaptation Dreams

41:53 Finding Writing Communities

43:23 Going Cross Genre

46:19 Audiobook Plans And Costs

49:23 Bookstores Kindle And Habits

55:07 Advice For Aspiring Authors

58:40 Where To Buy The Book

01:00:08 Closing Thanks And Sign Off

☕️ Support us: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/booklovercom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://ko-fi.com/bookcompanion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔗 Links and Social media:

💻 https://book-lovers-companion.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://twitter.com/book_companion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://www.facebook.com/ez.fiction.7⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://www.instagram.com/book_companion/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎥 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6vyAyrh3zzsxNeexfyU0uA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

💌 bookcompanioncontact@gmail.com

Music: English Country Garden by Aaron Kenny Video

Link: https://youtu.be/mDcADD4oS5E

Host Edith welcomes returning guest and author Twila Mason to discuss Step by Step, book two in the interconnected-yet-standalone Desperate Hearts series. Twila explains that the novel follows Chrissy’s path to a “happily ever after” after the events of book one, beginning with her being chosen to paint a City of Chicago mural and meeting her charming boss, Adam Rochester, sparking a workplace romance where both their jobs are at risk. She shares how both characters confront past shame, insecurity, addiction recovery, and mental health struggles, and describes the research and personal observation that informed her portrayal. Twila also talks about the challenges of indie marketing, tracking continuity across multiple books, plans for books three and four (and possible novellas), her stance on avoiding AI tools, and where to follow her work online.

⏰ Timestamp

00:00 Welcome Back Twila

00:39 Step by Step Overview

03:25 Standalone Series Setup

04:20 Healing Past Trauma

05:23 Researching Addiction Recovery

08:58 Indie Marketing Reality

12:17 Series Plans and Lily

15:57 Continuity Tracking Tips

19:14 Book Four and Novellas

21:12 Writing Challenges and Joy

23:53 Characters Take the Lead

25:48 Supporting Cast Matters

31:02 Writing Heavy Topics

35:54 AI Temptations for Indies

37:29 Avoiding AI Artwork

38:52 Designing Standout Covers

42:20 Embracing Romance Writing

46:01 Romance vs Womens Fiction

50:03 Setting Reader Expectations

52:31 Heavy Themes and Growth

54:16 Planning Future Books

59:11 Liking Characters in Series

01:02:26 Wrap Up and Where to Follow

01:04:07 Final Goodbye

☕️ Support us:

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/booklovercom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://ko-fi.com/bookcompanion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔗 Links and Social media:

💻 https://book-lovers-companion.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://twitter.com/book_companion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://www.facebook.com/ez.fiction.7⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://www.instagram.com/book_companion/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎥 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6vyAyrh3zzsxNeexfyU0uA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

💌 bookcompanioncontact@gmail.com

Music: English Country Garden by Aaron Kenny

Video Link: https://youtu.be/mDcADD4oS5E