A WORDSLINGER 10-SHOT

Do indie authors really need to buy their own ISBNs? For most self-published authors, the answer is probably no.

In this episode, J. Kevin Tumlinson breaks down the real differences between purchasing your own ISBN and using a free ISBN from services such as Draft2Digital or Amazon. We’ll look at what “publisher of record” actually means, whether an ISBN affects copyright or ownership, how ISBNs work across paperback, hardcover, ebook, and audiobook editions, and when paying for your own ISBN might actually make sense.

If you’re building an indie publishing career, trying to control costs, or wondering whether owning your ISBN gives you some hidden advantage, this episode will help you make a smarter decision.

00:00 Should indie authors buy their own ISBNs?
01:02 What “publisher of record” actually means
01:52 ISBNs, Bowker, and the cost of buying your own
02:48 Why every format needs its own ISBN
03:56 Moving your ISBN between distributors
05:19 ISBNs, bookstores, libraries, and wide distribution
06:30 Using free ISBNs with Draft2Digital
07:15 Metadata and long-term catalog control
08:13 The cost of owning your ISBNs
09:03 Do you even need an ISBN?
09:47 What an ISBN actually does
10:22 What happens if you switch ISBNs later
11:20 Why Kevin recommends free ISBNs for most authors
12:06 A warning about platform-specific free ISBNs
13:04 Kevin’s recommendation for indie authors
14:49 Final thoughts and questions about ISBNs

Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at knoveltonbooks.com

GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS

If you’re a writer trying to build a career, publish smarter, improve your craft, and navigate the business of being an author, subscribe to the Wordslinger channel. This is where writers come for practical, experience-driven guidance on writing, publishing, marketing, and building a sustainable creative career.

FIND KEVIN:

Find Kevin and his books:
https://kevintumlinson.com

Join Kevin on Substack:
https://kevintumlinson.substack.com

Wordslinger Podcast home page:
https://wordslingerpodcast.com

SERVICES FOR AUTHORS:

Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWritingAid:
https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5

Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital:
https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger

Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books (and more!) at AuthorAnchor:
https://authoranchor.com

Subscribe, leave a comment with your own experience using free or paid ISBNs, and share this episode with another writer who may be spending money they don’t need to spend.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A WORDSLINGER 10-SHOT

What’s the best way for an indie author to distribute their books?

In this Wordslinger 10-Shot, I break down the book distribution strategy I actually use—including why I go direct to Amazon and Kobo, use Draft2Digital to reach Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, libraries, and thousands of other outlets, and maintain my own direct storefront.

We’ll also talk about KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited, the tradeoffs of Amazon exclusivity, the advantages of going wide, why I prefer having access to readers across multiple platforms, and how indie authors can build a simple distribution system without making things unnecessarily complicated.

There are plenty of ways to distribute a book. This isn’t the only way. It’s the system that works for me after years of publishing books and working professionally in the indie publishing industry.

If you’re an author trying to decide between Amazon exclusivity, wide distribution, Draft2Digital, Kobo, direct sales, or some combination of all of them, this episode should help you think through your options.

00:00 How I distribute my books
00:59 Why indie authors need a distribution strategy
01:57 Using Draft2Digital to go wide
03:01 Why I use D2D for some retailers but not others
03:49 Why I distribute directly to Kobo
04:58 Libraries, OverDrive, and wider distribution
06:03 KDP vs. KDP Select
06:44 Kindle Unlimited and Amazon exclusivity
07:40 The upside and downside of Kindle Unlimited
09:33 Other distribution options and Draft2Digital fees
10:59 My complete book distribution setup
11:59 Selling books directly through your own storefront

Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at knoveltonbooks.com

GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS

If you’re a writer looking for practical, experience-based guidance on writing, publishing, marketing, building an author career, and navigating the creative life, subscribe to the Wordslinger channel. This is where writers come to get useful advice for every stage of the writing and publishing journey.

Subscribe and join the conversation:
https://youtube.com/@wordslingershow

FIND KEVIN:

Find Kevin and his books:
https://kevintumlinson.com

Join Kevin on Substack:
https://kevintumlinson.substack.com

Wordslinger Podcast home page:
https://wordslingerpodcast.com

SERVICES FOR AUTHORS:

Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWriting Aid:
https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5

Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital:
https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger

Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books (and more!) at AuthorAnchor:
https://authoranchor.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A WORDSLINGER 10-SHOT

Is AI really the reason your books aren’t selling?

Writers have plenty of legitimate reasons to be concerned about artificial intelligence, AI-generated books, changing algorithms, publishing platforms, and an increasingly crowded marketplace. But blaming AI for a struggling writing career won’t help you build a better one.

In this Wordslinger 10-Shot, J. Kevin Tumlinson talks about why writers should stop thinking in terms of competition and start building something far more valuable: a direct relationship with their readers.

Instead of depending entirely on Amazon, advertising platforms, algorithms, or whatever marketing tactic happens to be working this month, writers can build their own ecosystem through mailing lists, direct sales, strong reader relationships, and a platform they control.

AI may be an obstacle. But the obstacle can become the way forward.

If you’re an author, indie publisher, creator, or creative entrepreneur trying to build a sustainable career around your work, this episode is about focusing your energy on the things you can actually control.

00:00 Welcome to the Wordslinger 10-Shot
00:41 Is AI responsible for writers struggling?
01:29 Writers aren’t really competing with each other
02:31 Marketing is much bigger than advertising
03:22 Why marketing strategies stop working
03:51 Stop blaming AI for your lack of success
04:35 Quality, craft, and finding the marketing that fits you
05:43 Build your own reader ecosystem
06:44 Protect yourself from platform dependence
07:27 Build your mailing list and direct reader relationships
08:07 The obstacle is the way: turning AI into an advantage
09:16 Final thoughts and the challenge for writers

Join Kevin’s mailing list and get a free book:
https://kevintumlinson.com/joinme

Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at knoveltonbooks.com

GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS

If you’re serious about writing better books, finding readers, navigating publishing, and building a sustainable creative career, subscribe to Wordslinger. This channel is dedicated to practical, experience-driven guidance for writers at every stage of the writing and publishing journey.

Subscribe, leave a comment, and tell me: Has AI changed the way you approach your writing or publishing career? And what are you doing to build a relationship with readers that you control?

FIND KEVIN:

Find Kevin and his books:
https://kevintumlinson.com

Join Kevin on Substack:
https://kevintumlinson.substack.com

Wordslinger Podcast home page:
https://wordslingerpodcast.com

SERVICES FOR AUTHORS:

Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWritingAid:
https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5

Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital:
https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger

Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books and more at AuthorAnchor:
https://authoranchor.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A WORDSLINGER STORY CUT

Marvel spent more than a decade building toward Avengers: Endgame—and when it finally arrived, the movie gave its characters real consequences, real sacrifice, and real endings. So why does it feel like Marvel has spent the years since then undoing the very things that made Endgame matter?

With Avengers: Endgame Encore bringing the film back to theaters and Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon, Kevin Tumlinson takes another look at Endgame from a storyteller’s perspective: what Marvel got right, where the movie stumbled, and what writers and filmmakers can learn from one of the biggest franchise finales ever made.

We’ll look at the incredible decade-long setup that made the Avengers work, the importance of the five-year Blip, why consequences give stories weight, what went wrong with Thor and Hulk, the incredibly convenient rat that saved the universe, and why time travel and the multiverse may have done more damage to Marvel storytelling than good.

Most importantly: When you give a beloved character a satisfying ending, should you ever open that door again?

Because if death can always be undone, timelines can always be rewritten, and another version of any character can simply walk in from another universe... what happens to the stakes?

And what can Avengers: Doomsday learn from Endgame before it’s too late?

Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at knoveltonbooks.com

GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS

TIMECODES:

00:00 Welcome to Wordslinger Story Cuts
00:53 Avengers: Endgame Encore and why Endgame still matters
03:06 How Marvel spent 10 years earning the payoff
06:33 The importance of developing characters before the crisis
10:51 The Snap and the power of a great cliffhanger
11:52 Why the five-year Blip made Endgame stronger
14:28 Where Endgame went wrong with Thor
16:48 What happened to Hulk?
18:38 Hawkeye, Black Widow, and character sacrifice
19:31 The rat that accidentally saved the universe
20:36 Did time travel weaken Endgame?
22:03 What Endgame Encore could reveal
23:02 Why the multiverse makes death meaningless
24:27 Why satisfying character endings should stay ended
26:15 The Avengers story Marvel should have told
29:05 What writers can learn from Marvel’s shared universe
31:15 Marvel needs a new generation, not the old one
32:29 Final thoughts on Endgame Encore and Doomsday

If you love great stories—or you’re a writer learning how to build better characters, stronger worlds, satisfying endings, and stories readers can’t put down—subscribe to the channel. Wordslinger is where writers and storytellers come for practical guidance on writing, publishing, storytelling, and building a creative career.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Kevin’s books:
https://kevintumlinson.com/books

The Dave Cullen Show and Computing Forever on YouTube

FIND KEVIN:

Find Kevin and his books:
https://kevintumlinson.com

Join Kevin on Substack:
https://kevintumlinson.substack.com

Wordslinger Podcast home page:
https://wordslingerpodcast.com

SERVICES FOR AUTHORS:

Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWritingAid:
https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5

Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital:
https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger

Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books (and more!) at AuthorAnchor:
https://authoranchor.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A WORDSLINGER PODCAST

What can JAWS teach you about writing better characters? More than you might think.

In this episode of the Wordslinger Podcast, Kevin Tumlinson sits down with Donn King for another Kevin on Craft conversation, this time exploring what makes fictional characters feel real—and why writers may be describing far more than they need to.

Just as Steven Spielberg discovered that the unseen shark in JAWS could be more frightening than the mechanical shark itself, writers can harness the reader’s imagination to make characters more vivid, personal, and powerful. Kevin and Donn dig into character creation, discovery writing, physical description, character consistency, planting details during revision, and what happens when fictional people begin making decisions the writer never planned.

You’ll discover why Kevin rarely gives detailed physical descriptions of his characters, how readers unconsciously fill in missing details, why characterization should drive description, and how seemingly brilliant setups and payoffs are often created after the first draft is finished.

They also explore what happens when characters become so developed that they seem to take on lives of their own—and why character may ultimately be the engine that drives the strongest stories.

If you’re a writer, author, storyteller, creator, or creative entrepreneur looking to strengthen your craft and build stories readers actually care about, subscribe to the Wordslinger channel. This is where writers come for practical, experienced guidance on writing, publishing, storytelling, creativity, and building a sustainable creative career.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Why character is the foundation of story
04:52 Kevin on Craft begins
11:39 Why characters can take over the story
15:08 When fictional characters start making their own decisions
17:25 Imaginary friends, tulpas, and creating people who feel real
22:08 How writers visualize characters
24:08 Why Kevin rarely describes what his characters look like
26:41 Letting the reader create the character
28:34 When physical description actually matters
30:58 The JAWS trick: let the audience imagine it
33:36 Why movie adaptations can clash with the reader’s imagination
38:48 The dirty secret of planting details after the fact
40:21 Why revision makes discovery writers look brilliant
45:03 Keeping characters consistent across a long series
51:48 What Kevin wishes he’d known about writing characters
53:27 Using appearance to reveal character
57:55 Character growth across a series
59:32 How do you write a character smarter than you?

Donn King also hosts The Alignment Show and can be found on Substack and YouTube. Those platforms are mentioned in the episode, though specific URLs were not provided in the recording.

Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at knoveltonbooks.com

GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS

FIND KEVIN:

Find Kevin and his books:
https://kevintumlinson.com

Join Kevin on Substack:
https://kevintumlinson.substack.com

Wordslinger Podcast home page:
https://wordslingerpodcast.com

SERVICES FOR AUTHORS:

Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWriting Aid:
https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5

Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital:
https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger

Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books (and more!) at AuthorAnchor:
https://authoranchor.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A WORDSLINGER 10-SHOT

Writers spend a surprising amount of money trying to build a writing career—but how much of that spending is actually helping the business?

In this Wordslinger 10-Shot, Kevin shares the simple question he’s using to audit every expense in his own creative business: Does this help me make money, or increase my ability to make money? From AI tools and virtual assistants to software subscriptions, podcast production, and annual plans, it’s a practical way to decide what stays, what goes, and what’s actually worth the investment.

If you’re treating your writing, publishing, YouTube channel, podcast, or creative work like a business, this is a financial habit worth adopting.

Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at http://knoveltonbooks.com

GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS

Subscribe to the Wordslinger channel for practical, experience-driven guidance on writing, publishing, building an author career, and navigating the business of being a creative professional.

TIMECODES

00:00 Why writers need to talk about money
00:43 The question to ask about every business expense
01:54 Does the expense increase your ability to earn?
03:07 Why Kevin pays for multiple AI tools
04:05 When hiring a virtual assistant makes financial sense
04:57 Buying back your time as a writer
06:02 When an expense actually helps you write more
07:15 Separating personal and business expenses
08:20 The hidden costs of running a creative business
08:55 When a monthly subscription is worth keeping
09:41 Monthly vs. annual plans—and buying outright
10:31 The bottom-line test for every expense

FIND KEVIN:

Find Kevin and his books:
https://kevintumlinson.com

Join Kevin on Substack:
https://kevintumlinson.substack.com

Wordslinger Podcast home page:
https://wordslingerpodcast.com

SERVICES FOR AUTHORS:

Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWriting Aid:
https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5

Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital:
https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger

Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books (and more!) at AuthorAnchor:
https://authoranchor.com

#Writing #Writers #AuthorBusiness #SelfPublishing #CreativeEntrepreneur #WritingCareer #IndieAuthors #Publishing #Wordslinger

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Take a look at the transcript for this Wordslinger episode. I need a YouTube video description that will attract and engage with writers, creatives, and creative entrepreneurs for episodes that are Wordslinger 10-Shots or Wordslinger Podcast. For Wordslinger Story Cuts, make the description attract and engage people who are interested in good stories, television and streaming shows, movies, and novels.

In all cases the description should use YouTube engagement best practices, and include any links I mentioned in the video. Do not use Markdown or formatting. As the first line of all descriptions, in all-caps, label the episode as whatever segment it is: A Wordslinger Podcast, A Wordslinger 10-Shot, A Wordslinger Story Cut

Include this CTA directly after the video description:

Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at knoveltonbooks.com

GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS

Include mentions to visit these sites:

FIND KEVIN:

- Find Kevin and his books: https://kevintumlinson.com

- Join Kevin on Substack: https://kevintumlinson.substack.com

- Wordslinger Podcast home page: https://wordslingerpodcast.com

SERVICES FOR AUTHORS:

- Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWriting Aid: https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5

- Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital: https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger

- Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books (and more!) at AuthorAnchor: https://authoranchor.com

It should also include a call to action to subscribe to the channel, aimed at telling writers that this is the place for the best guidance on their writing and publishing journey. Include timecodes for key concepts.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A WORDSLINGER 10-SHOT

How do you take more than 100 years of history, documents, photographs, handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, and real-life events—and turn all of it into ONE compelling novel?

In this Wordslinger 10-Shot, Kevin shares the process he’s using to research a new historical fiction project, including the most important decision he made early on: Don’t try to tell all the history. Find the human story that everything else can hang from.

Kevin talks about choosing the right character as the emotional center of a historical novel, deciding what research actually belongs in the story, and using AI as a research assistant to transcribe old documents, organize information, build timelines, and identify connections across more than a century of events.

AI can make research dramatically faster—but it doesn’t replace the writer. You still have to understand the material, verify the facts, make creative decisions, and ultimately turn all that information into a story readers actually care about.

If you’re writing historical fiction, creative nonfiction, researching a novel, or simply drowning in notes and wondering how any of it becomes a book, this episode is for you.

Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at knoveltonbooks.com

GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS

Subscribe to the Wordslinger Show for practical, experience-driven guidance on writing, publishing, storytelling, creativity, and building a sustainable career as a writer. If you’re serious about your writing and publishing journey, you’re in the right place.

TIMECODES

00:00 More than 100 years of history—and one novel
00:47 Finding the story inside all the research
01:44 Why writing the complete history doesn’t work
02:18 Finding the human character who carries the story
03:06 The first rule of writing historical fiction
04:16 How to turn enormous amounts of research into one story
05:21 Using AI to transcribe documents and build a timeline
06:22 Why writers still have to verify AI research
07:32 Where historical accuracy ends and fiction begins
08:57 The writer’s real job: conveying the emotion
09:50 Final thoughts on research, AI, and historical fiction

FIND KEVIN:

Find Kevin and his books:
https://kevintumlinson.com

Join Kevin on Substack:
https://kevintumlinson.substack.com

Wordslinger Podcast home page:
https://wordslingerpodcast.com

Visit the Wordslinger Show on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@wordslingershow

SERVICES FOR AUTHORS:

Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWriting Aid:
https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5

Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital:
https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger

Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books (and more!) at AuthorAnchor:
https://authoranchor.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.