Becca Puglisi is an international speaker and bestselling author who has sold over one million copies of her Thesaurus series, with The Emotion Thesaurus being her flagship book. Starting as critique partners on Critique Circle, Becca and co-author Angela Ackerman discovered they both struggled with showing character emotions—Becca's characters were always shrugging and shuffling their feet. This led them to create lists of emotional cues that eventually became blog posts on Writers Helping Writers, then transformed into The Emotion Thesaurus when readers demanded a book version. A former first-grade teacher, Becca brings educational expertise to her workshops and tools, now available through One Stop for Writers, a subscription-based service with character-building tools based on the Thesaurus series content.

In this episode:

• How The Emotion Thesaurus solved the "shrugging and shuffling" problem
• Why every character responds to emotions differently based on personality
• Mining movies, books, and real-life observations for authentic emotions
• Stephen King's skill at creating compelling, realistic antagonists
• The importance of wounding events from backstory shaping current behavior
• Reserved vs demonstrative: the emotional spectrum for your character
• Physical cues, internal thoughts, and visceral sensations in showing emotion
• Hidden emotions: what characters show others vs what readers see
• Emotion escalation and de-escalation to avoid jarring jumps
• Melodrama vs not enough emotion: finding the right balance
• The Emotional Wound Thesaurus for character change arcs
• The Conflict Thesaurus for plotting and creating choice opportunities
• Building characters as mixed bags of positive and negative traits
• The Fear Thesaurus (Spring 2025): how fear drives character behavior and arc
• One Stop for Writers: subscription tools based on Thesaurus content

Resources mentioned:

• Writers Helping Writers blog: writershelpingwriters.org
• One Stop for Writers (subscription service): onestopforwriters.com
• Critique Circle
• The Emotion Thesaurus by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1475004958?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
• The Negative Trait Thesaurus
• The Positive Trait Thesaurus
• The Emotional Wound Thesaurus
• The Setting Thesaurus (multiple books)
• The Conflict Thesaurus (two books)
• The Fear Thesaurus (coming Spring 2025)

Connect with Becca Puglisi:

• Writers Helping Writers blog: writershelpingwriters.org
• One Stop for Writers: onestopforwriters.com

Connect with Teddy Smith:

• @teddyagsmith
• Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
• Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
• Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
• Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
• Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/

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Michael Drew is the founder of PromoteABook.com (established 25 years ago) and BookRetreat.com, with a track record of helping 132 consecutive books hit major bestseller lists including The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Success Magazine. Starting his career at age 18 as the #3 salesperson at Executive Excellence (a division of Covey Leadership Center), Michael impressed industry leaders and landed at Bard Press by age 19, where he was tasked with understanding how bestseller lists actually work. His first campaign launched "Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads" by Roy H. Williams to #3 on The New York Times and #1 on Wall Street Journal. Today, 85% of his work focuses on building thought leadership platforms, with 110 clients permanently increasing their gross revenue by $1 million+ per year, 10 clients increasing revenue by $50 million+ per year, and 7 clients increasing revenue by $100 million+ per year through strategic book campaigns.

In this episode:

• Bestseller lists as sophisticated polls, not real sales rankings
• Only 7 of 132 bestselling clients made money from book sales
• 110 clients permanently increased revenue by $1M+ per year using their book strategically
• Brick-and-mortar stores represent 75% of book sales
• The three major lists: New York Times, USA Today, Success Magazine
• Self-publishers cannot hit major bestseller lists (distribution requirements)
• IngramSpark distribution won't work for bestseller campaigns
• Co-op fees: $1-5 per unit for retail shelf placement
• New York Times requirements: 20K print, 10K ebook, 10K through Amazon
• Online media: 350 blogs, 90 podcasts, 90 vlogs, 50K+ social engagement per platform
• Traditional media: 100 TV markets, 100 radio markets, 100 print markets
• Amazon bestseller lists have no real value
• The uncovering: two-day meeting defining outcome, measurement, strategy, tactics
• Book Retreat in Guatemala: write your book in 30 days using 64 blog posts method
• Content repurposing system: blog posts become videos, podcasts, social media, and book

Resources mentioned:

• Promote A Book: https://promoteabook.com/
• Book Retreat in Guatemala: https://bookretreat.com/
• "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" by T. Harv Eker
• "Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads" by Roy H. Williams (Michael's first campaign)
• "Pendulum: How Past Generations Shape Our Present and Predict Our Future" (co-authored with Roy Williams)
• "Nuts: Southwest Airlines Crazy Recipe for Success" published by Bard Press
• KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
• IngramSpark

Connect with Michael Drew:

• Email: michael@promotabook.com

Connect with Teddy Smith:

• @teddyagsmith
• Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
• Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
• Instagram - https://

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

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Amy Suto is a seven-figure freelance writer, memoir ghostwriter, bestselling author, and founder of the top Substack newsletter Make Writing Your Job. Starting as a Hollywood TV writer working for minimum wage as an assistant, Amy discovered that freelancing could outpace traditional entertainment industry earnings. She's flown to countries like Austria to work with clients on their memoirs, ghostwritten for Olympians and NBA players, and built a thriving writing business with three income pillars: self-publishing, paid newsletters, and freelance writing. Her upcoming book Write for Money and Power (launching January 12, 2026) provides the mindset operating system writers need to build six and seven-figure writing careers.

In this episode:

• Rejecting the starving artist myth and rewriting limited beliefs about writer income
• The three-pillar system: self-publishing, paid newsletters, and freelancing
• Why freelancing with multiple clients is more secure than one full-time job
• Escaping 10 cents per word work by pricing for outcomes instead of effort
• How copywriting jobs paying $8,000/month are dominating Make Writing Your Job
• Why memoir ghostwriting is the highest-paying freelance niche
• Getting flown to Austria to interview clients and capture their life stories
• The mindset shift that lets you quote rates without fear
• Negotiating triple client budgets by educating them on writing value
• Why Anthropic hiring writers proves AI can't replace storytelling
• Using ChatGPT for research, text-to-speech dictation, and routine work
• Google Notebook LM for querying your own novel content
• Substack's unique organic traffic and onboarding flow advantages
• Putting up paywalls early to trigger Substack's promotional algorithm
• Emailing only free subscribers with upgrade sequences and discounts
• How all three pillars dovetail: Substack becomes portfolio and book content
• The 12-month roadmap to earning seven figures with three writing pillars
• Systems that let you take six weeks off while your business runs
• Pre-order benefits including founding memberships and Notion templates

Resources mentioned:

• Make Writing Your Job Substack: https://www.makewritingyourjob.com/
• Amy Suto's personal Substack: https://www.sutoscience.com/
• Write for Money and Power by Amy Suto (pre-order at amysuto.com/power)
• ChatGPT
• Google Notebook LM
• Upwork for early freelancing
• Substack Notes (Twitter-like feature)

Book Recommendations:

• Write for Money and Power by Amy Suto (releasing January 12, 2026)

Connect with Amy Suto:

• Website: https://www.amysuto.com/
• Make Writing Your Job Substack: https://www.makewritingyourjob.com/
• Personal Substack: https://www.sutoscience.com/
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sutoscience
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sutoscience
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sutoscience
• Pre-order book with benefits: amysuto.com/power

Connect with Teddy Smith:

• @teddyagsmith
• Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
• Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
• Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
• Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
• Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/

Support the show

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Dave King is a professional fiction editor with over 35 years of experience and co-author of the bestselling writing manual Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, which has sold over 200,000 copies and been adopted as a textbook worldwide. With translations into Italian, Taiwanese, Japanese, and Korean, the book maintains its position in Amazon's top 10 fiction writing manuals. Dave apprenticed under Renni Browne, a former editor for William Morrow and Stein and Day, learning the craft through hands-on manuscript work. Today, he helps authors at all levels refine their manuscripts through his unique 50-page collaborative editing process that trains writers to become their own best editors.

In this episode:

• 30-year backlist bestseller adopted as textbook, 6,000-7,000 copies annually
• Philosophy degree to glass grinding plant to professional editor
• Apprenticeship as the only way to learn editing
• 50-page back-and-forth collaborative editing technique
• Copy editing vs. mechanical vs. creative editing
• Point of view as the #1 issue in manuscripts
• The cottage cheese test for character perspective
• The dialogue voice test for distinct character voices
• Why writers as beta readers can be dangerous
• Diagnostic reading report at $2 per page before detailed editing
• More forgiving of narrative summary in sci-fi and historical fiction
• How J.K. Rowling broke all the rules but created effective world-building
• Real editing transformation: changing the ending with the supportive boss
• Finish your manuscript before hiring an editor
• ING phrases and subordinate clauses that weaken writing
• Multiple beta readers agreeing means pay attention
• Fourth-Ringing Tonguishness: Anglo-Saxon vs. Latinate words
• Hitting manuscripts with fresh eyes like a reader would

Resources mentioned:

• Writer Unboxed: Archive of Dave King's editing articles
• Notable article: "Fourth-Ringing Tonguishness" (on Anglo-Saxon vs. Latinate language)
• Paul Anderson's analog magazine essay (1980s) on translating atomic physics into Anglo-Saxon equivalents

Book Recommendations:

• Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060545690?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

Connect with Dave King:

• Website: www.davekingedits.com
• Editing services and consultation information available on website
• Article archive with topical index available under "Advice" section
• Diagnostic reading reports: $2 per page (250 words per page)

Connect with Teddy Smith:

• @teddyagsmith
• Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
• Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
• Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
• Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
• Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/

Support the show

Discover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

Louise Harris is the founder and president of Last Research and Editing, a comprehensive editing service specializing in both fiction and nonfiction books. With a journalism degree from the University of Maryland, Louise discovered early in her career that she's better at editing others' work than writing her own—a realization that shaped her 20+ year editing career. Known for her old-school approach of printing manuscripts and using colored pens (green at Christmas, pink at Easter), Louise provides everything from developmental editing and book coaching to copy editing, line editing, proofreading, and her unique book compilation service that transforms blog posts into published books.

In this episode:

• Types of editing: developmental, copy, line, proofreading
• Developmental editors as writing coaches
• When to hire editors at each stage
• Plot holes: the invisible man's clothes problem
• Why printing manuscripts catches more errors
• Flow from sentence to chapter to book
• The fluff problem: cutting unnecessary content
• Nonfiction editing for business and political books
• American English style guides (AP vs. Chicago)
• Customized packages for different author needs
• Free first chapter editing to test compatibility
• Self-editing tips: print and read aloud
• Grammarly limitations and computer errors
• Why AI writing sounds corporate
• Blog compilation service explained
• Anthology compilation for associations
• Upwork and Fiverr budget options
• Why you shouldn't give editors first drafts

Resources mentioned:

• LAST Research and Editing: https://lastresearchandediting.com/
• Grammarly: https://www.grammarly.com/
• Chicago Manual of Style: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/
• Associated Press Style Guide: https://www.apstylebook.com/
• Print editing techniques

Book recommendations:

• Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss: https://denuccio.net/ohplaces.html

Connect with Louise:

• Website: https://lastresearchandediting.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-harris-2b04bb13/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louise.harris.7315/
• LAST Research FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/lastresearch/
• YouTube: @LouiseHarrisTheLASTWord
• Twitter: @lastredit
• Phone: 480-370-3945
• Alignable: https://www.alignable.com/hanover-md/last-research-and-editing-2

Connect with Teddy Smith:

• @teddyagsmith
• Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
• Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
• Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
• Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw

Support the show

Discover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

Lucy McCarraher is the founder of Rethink Press (a hybrid publisher specializing in business books) and BookMagic AI (an AI-assisted writing platform). Over 12 years, she has mentored over 2,000 entrepreneurs and business leaders through the book-writing process, making her the UK's most experienced business book mentor. Lucy's background spans theatre publishing in Australia, creating "video books" with celebrities like Prue Leith and Alan Titchmarsh, and pioneering work-life balance consulting. She has authored 13 books herself and developed a systematic process for helping non-writers transform their expertise into published books. Her philosophy: books should be "undercover sales agents," not marketing brochures—providing real value while building authority and credibility.

In this episode:

• The three P's: person, pain, promise positioning
• BookMagic AI's values exercise starting point
• Breaking writing into discrete, manageable stages
• Why AI shouldn't generate your actual book content
• Copyright concerns with AI-generated text
• Using AI for research and ideas, not writing
• The one-hour-early writing habit strategy
• Dictation feature for non-writers and dyslexic authors
• Planning every topic before you start writing
• Writing to one ideal reader, not a crowd
• AI-generated blog posts and social media content
• Why publishers reject AI-generated manuscripts
• Hybrid publishing vs. DIY self-publishing costs
• Distribution beyond Amazon KDP
• Multiple formats don't reduce sales
• Future features: end-to-end publishing in-app

Resources mentioned:

• Book Magic AI: https://bookmagic.ai/
• Rethink Press: http://www.rethinkpress.com/
• KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing): https://kdp.amazon.com/
• Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/
• Key Person of Influence: https://www.keypersonofinfluence.com/

Book recommendations:

• The Authority Gap by Mary Ann Sieghart: https://www.amazon.com/Authority-Gap-women-still-seriously/dp/0857527568

Connect with Lucy:

• Get your Free Trial for Book Magic AI: https://bookmagic.ai/
• Rethink Press: http://www.rethinkpress.com/
• Personal Website: https://www.lucymccarraher.com/
• Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraher

Connect with Teddy Smith:

• @teddyagsmith
• Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
• Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
• Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
• Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
• Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/

Support the show

Discover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

Barbara Boyd is a certified book coach through Author Accelerator who has guided over 100 authors through the nonfiction writing process. With expertise in helping experts transform their knowledge into published books, Barbara specializes in the strategic foundation work that makes writing easier—from defining target audiences to creating actionable outlines. Her approach centers on the "Venn diagram of book concepts," ensuring that an author's idea, audience, and objectives align before writing begins. Barbara works with business owners, consultants, wellness professionals, and other experts who want to codify their frameworks, broaden their reach, and establish industry authority through well-crafted nonfiction books.

In this episode:

• The Venn diagram: idea, audience, objectives
• Finding your ideal reader avatar
• Narrowing your niche for less competition
• Simplifying complex expert knowledge
• Using storytelling in nonfiction
• The Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book tool
• Creating iterative outlines
• When your acronym is your book structure
• Book coach as therapist and publishing expert
• Being generous with your expertise
• One year from idea to manuscript
• Book proposals in four months
• Writing 1,000 words per week

Resources mentioned:

• Author Accelerator's Blueprint for a Non-Fiction Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733251146?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
• Jenny Nash of Author Accelerator: https://www.authoraccelerator.com/about-us

Book Recommendations:

• "Write a Must Read" by A.J. Harper: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1989603696?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

Connect with Barbara Boyd:

• Website: https://www.barbarajboyd.com/
• LinkedIn: https://it.linkedin.com/in/barbarajboyd
• Schedule a Discovery Call: https://barbaraboyd.as.me/discoverycall

Connect with Teddy Smith:

• @teddyagsmith
• Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
• Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
• Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
• Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
• Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/

Support the show

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Evan Gow is the founder and indie developer of StoryOrigin, an all-in-one platform designed to help authors manage their book marketing infrastructure. After writing short stories in high school and working in tech and entrepreneurship, Evan returned to his passion for writing while building tools for the author community. Frustrated by authors juggling eight different services and five spreadsheets just to manage their marketing, Evan created StoryOrigin to consolidate everything authors need—from growing mailing lists and finding reviewers to arranging newsletter swaps and building websites—into one cohesive platform. His philosophy is simple: reduce context switching, simplify workflows, and help authors at every stage of their career.

In this episode:

• Why newsletters are the only marketing channel you truly own
• Starting your newsletter today (even with zero subscribers)
• Reader magnet strategies for fiction and nonfiction authors
• The prequel short story vs. first three chapters debate
• Matching your reader magnet to your target audience
• Two essential newsletter sections: rapport and value
• The "Also Bought" philosophy for book recommendations
• Newsletter frequency: once vs. twice monthly strategies
• Newsletter swaps explained: one-to-one cross promotions
• Group promotions: 20+ authors promoting together
• Finding newsletter swap partners on StoryOrigin
• Starting swaps with zero subscribers (yes, really)
• Why authors with 5,000 subscribers accept swaps from beginners
• The altruistic author community helping each other grow
• Monetizing newsletters with Amazon affiliate links correctly
• Universal book links and automatic affiliate tag insertion
• Email service provider recommendations: MailerLite for beginners
• In-depth guides and video tutorials on StoryOrigin

Resources mentioned:

• StoryOrigin: https://storyoriginapp.com/
  • MailerLite recommendation
  • Newsletter swap directory
  • Group promotions
  • Universal book links
  • Review copy landing pages

Book recommendations:

• He Who Fights With Monsters by Shirtaloon (Travis Deverell): https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/26294/he-who-fights-with-monsters

Connect with Evan:

• Website: https://storyoriginapp.com/
• Tutorials: https://storyoriginapp.com/tutorials
• Contact Evan: evan@storyoriginapp.com

Connect with Teddy Smith:

• @teddyagsmith
• Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
• Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
• Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
• Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
• Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/

Support the show

Discover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/