『From Commercial Insurance to Dystopian Fiction: How T.A. Thompson Finally Published His First Novel』のカバーアート

From Commercial Insurance to Dystopian Fiction: How T.A. Thompson Finally Published His First Novel

From Commercial Insurance to Dystopian Fiction: How T.A. Thompson Finally Published His First Novel

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Send us Fan MailWhat happens after you finally finish a manuscript — but have no idea how to publish it?In this episode of Proof Talks, host Ashley Smith sits down with T.A. Thompson, a commercial insurance professional and first-time published author, to unpack the winding path that brought his dystopian thriller, The Mark, into the world.T.A. had dreamed of writing since he was nine, but raising a family and building a career came first. When he eventually completed an earlier manuscript and queried between 75 and 100 literary agents, the result was rejection after rejection. Years later, unwilling to give up on the goal, he returned to writing and chose a different route: self-publishing.T.A. shares what happened when his first publishing provider failed to deliver the quality he expected, how he found the right editor by looking locally, why human collaboration still mattered to him in the age of AI, and what he learned about Amazon publishing, book formats, print on demand, marketing, and creative control.This isn’t a frictionless “follow your dream” story or a definitive publishing formula. It’s a candid account of learning an unfamiliar industry, making difficult decisions, asking for help, and finally putting a long-held creative ambition into the world — while continuing to work full time.Ashley & T.A. Discuss:Why raising a family and building a career delayed — but didn’t erase — T.A.’s writing ambitionsWhat he learned from querying between 75 and 100 literary agentsWhy seeing someone else self-publish encouraged him to try againThe mistake he made when choosing his first publishing providerHow he found the right professional editor and why communication matteredWhere AI does — and doesn’t — fit into his writing processPublishing through Amazon, including Kindle, hardcover, paperback, and print-on-demand optionsWhat it feels like to promote your own work when selling yourself doesn’t come naturallyHow podcast appearances became part of his book-marketing strategyThe trade-offs between self-publishing, traditional publishing, and creative controlHow T.A. defines realistic success — and the bigger outcome he still dreams aboutHis advice for professionals who have been postponing their own creative ambitionsFor anyone carrying a book — or another meaningful idea — they have never quite brought to life, T.A.’s message is refreshingly direct: you have to stop procrastinating and do it.Connect with T.A. Thompson🌐 Website and free first three chapters: https://tathompsonwriter.com📖 Buy The Mark on Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1969818484Episode Timestamps00:00 Bringing a Long-Held Idea to Life01:29 T.A. Thompson’s Dystopian Novel, The Mark02:42 From Commercial Insurance to Fiction05:31 Query Letters, Literary Agents, and Rejection08:51 Choosing Self-Publishing10:45 His First Publishing Mistake13:24 Why the Human Editor Mattered15:54 Launching a Book on Amazon17:46 Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, and Print on Demand21:35 Promoting a Book When Selling Feels Uncomfortable22:44 What T.A. Would Do Differently24:32 Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing26:10 Defining Success as a First-Time Author31:03 Advice for Aspiring Authors33:13 Who The Mark Is For34:19 Where to Find T.A. Thompson and The MarkEpisode TopicsSelf-publishing • How to publish a book • First-time author • Book publishing • Literary agents • Query letters • Author rejection • Professional book editing • Human editors and AI • Amazon self-publishing • Kindle publishing • Print on demand • Book marketing • Podcast marketing • Traditional publishing • Creative control • Dystopian fiction • Writing while working full time • Creative ambition__About the Podcast Proof Talks explores the real stories, decisions, and lessons behind professional judgment. Through candid conversations, each episode unpacks a real-world scenario with experienced practitioners across business, leadership, technology, and beyond to better understand how complex decisions are made — and what others can learn from them.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@Proof_TalksAbout the Host Proof Talks is hosted by AI Visibility Strategist and speaker Ashley Smith. As founder of Show Your Proof, Ashley helps experienced professionals turn their real-world expertise into visible online proof so they can become more discoverable, trusted, and recommended by search engines and AI tools.Learn more: 🌐 showyourproof.co 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashleysmithnow ▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@ShowYourProof
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