#Authoring Jennifer Keishin Armstrong & Kimberly Potts

Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider's Guide to Jeopardy! For $1000, Alex, what is a fantastic new book from author Claire McNear? Culture and sports journalist McNear has written a delightful history not only of the game show itself, but she also chronicles the fascinating history of the impressive efforts of would-be contestants to get a spot on the ultimate trivia show.
Aspiring competitors have built elaborate systems and spent years in some cases for the chance to show off their deep knowledge of everything from sports and history to literature and pop culture, and McNear shares their intense, endearing efforts.
The author joins us today to talk about that and more, including those Jeopardy! sketches we all love on Saturday Night Live, the evolution of beloved host Alex Trebek’s 30+ years on the show, and what, and who, might be the future of Jeopardy!
Resources:
Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider's Guide to Jeopardy!  Claire McNear on Twitter Claire McNear at The Ringer

That parenthetical quote above comes directly from the fantastic new book Loving Sports When They Don’t Love You Back: Dilemmas of the Modern Fan, and we are very excited to have that book’s authors, Jessica Luther and Kavitha A. Davidson, on #Authoring this week. The sports journalists have written a deeply insightful and thoughtful examination of the many issues that today’s thinking sports fan faces when considering their fandom.
From the life-altering brain injuries plaguing NFL players and insensitive mascots rampant throughout sports at all levels to the legal problems some of our favorite sports stars find themselves in to the systemic racism and sexism that is at the center of many ongoing sports problems, Jessica and Kavitha tackle all those issues and more, and offer a nuanced, hopeful look at how, as the book title says, the modern fan can feel better, and maybe even take some action, about loving sports.
Resources:
Loving Sports When They Don’t Love You Back: Dilemmas of the Modern Fan Jessica Luther on Twitter Kavitha A. Davidson on Twitter Jessica Luther at the Burn It All Down sports podcast Kavitha A. Davidson at The Lead sports news podcast

The concept of “building an author platform” provokes fear in many writers: Why do we need to be media stars in addition to writing great books? The simple answers: so you can get paid more for your work, get your books into more readers’ hands, and go on to write and sell more books. But building a platform might not be as hard as you think—and it doesn’t necessarily require Today show appearances or millions of social media followers.
Luckily we have publicity expert Brielle Cotterman—who helps clients raise their profiles through books, media, and public speaking—on this week’s episode with some simple, actionable tips to become just a little bit more of a celebrity, at least within your own niche. You might even have some fun along the way.
Resources:
Brielle Cotterman’s website Help a Reporter Out

You’re writing your book, dreaming of the Hollywood stars who will play the leads in the TV or movie version. But what are the chances you’ll really see your book on the small screen? How might that happen? And what are the chances of that happening right now, given the pandemic?
We get all the answers from Chris Ceccotti, head of development and content strategy at Gidden Media. He walks us through the process of a book getting a producer’s attention, finding its stars and writers, and becoming Netflix’s next big thing. And he’s got (tempered) good news about the state of book options mid-pandemic.

You want to write a nonfiction book. Maybe you’ve already written a book proposal. Maybe you’ve already sold the book. Now you have to actually write it, which has you wondering: HOW DO I ACTUALLY WRITE A BOOK?! They don’t give you a handbook with the book contract (no matter how much you may wish for one), and no bookstore shelf has yet contained that magic tome that will guide you step-by-step through the writing of 300 glorious pages of prose (trust us, we’ve looked for such a treasure). 
So what’s an author to do when she can’t find the book she and her fellow scribes have been searching for for years? Write it herself, of course, which is exactly what #Authoring co-host and bestselling New York Times nonfiction author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong did! The result, her fantastic new e-book How to Come Up With All Those Words: A Practical Guide to Writing a Successful Nonfiction Book, from Conception to Publication, is available now. This week, we preview the book – everything from the importance of vetting your book idea and the power of an intricately detailed outline to how to start and organize your research and why finding books that inspire your book writing process (like this one!) will be valuable to you throughout your authoring career.
Tune in for even more great advice on how to write the book, and go directly to Jennifer's website to buy your copy of this must-read primer now.

Just because you started your career in one genre doesn’t mean you have to stick with it for the rest of your life—just ask Judy Blume and J.K. Rowling! But it’s not as easy as it might seem (especially when you’re not Judy Blume or J.K. Rowling). It may involve starting all over with a new agent, a new publisher, and new readers.
We talk this week with Leah Konen, the author of five Young Adult novels, who recently published her first adult thriller, All the Broken People, about how she did it—with two more adult thrillers and a TV adaptation on the way. She offers great tips for anyone interested in genre-switching, writing thrillers, or simply injecting more suspense into anything you write.
Resources:
Leah Konen official website  All the Broken People Leah’s editing services