Hybrid Pub Scout Podcast

Hybrid Pub Scout Podcast
  • 5.0 (20)
  • Books

[Theme song by Amy Hakanson | Logo design and artwork by Leigh Kaisen]

  1. Sep 3

    Episode 92: So you want to write nonfiction...

    I want to believe that most people do have a book in them. But, since anyone can now simply use prompts to generate a nonfiction book in hours, I'm forced to draw some boundaries. Everyone might have a book in them, but it takes a little something extra to actually make that book worth reading. There are three considerations when actually getting the book out of yourself, and a further four questions I want you to ask yourself before you do. The considerations: Your own health and well-being as the prospective writer.The benefits of the readers who will find your book.How your book contributes to the ecosystem of other writers and experts in your area of expertise. These considerations aren't so heavy in fiction—that's an area where you can have fun telling stories and using your imagination (although it comes with its own set of considerations and cautions that are outside the scope of this episode). As a nonfiction writer, however, you have a little more responsibility. The book that is in you could be incredible, but that doesn't mean it's ready to come out fully formed and speaking in complete sentences. This series will help you make an informed choice and lay out a vision for the way for you to make your mark on the world.

    Episode 92: So you want to write nonfiction...

  2. Aug 7

    Episode 91: How Books Are Destroyed

    Yes, everyone is mad about Anthropic chopping up millions of books, but here's the, well, million dollar question. Are you mad on more than just aesthetic grounds? Are you mad about what's happening to the world's knowledge and access to it…or is this just about paper and ink? Em talks about how your bookish heroes destroy books every day, why what Anthropic did is (extremely technically) legal, and why other AI execs are using this bad press to make you think they're strawberry shortcake. Photo by Limi change on Unsplash

    Episode 91: How Books Are Destroyed

  3. Jul 8

    Episode 90: Stand All the Way Back

    A rant on how a reader behavior survey taken over the space of one month was conflated into an indictment on readers and—bafflingly—libraries. Emily discusses why fingers are being pointed in these particular directions and where they maybe should be pointed instead. Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

    Episode 90: Stand All the Way Back

  4. Jun 3

    Episode 89: Whose book is it, anyway?

    When you buy a digital book, what exactly are you buying? The answer might blow your mind: nothing. You’re not buying a book at all. You’re licensing it, and with that license comes stipulations. In this episode, I talk about digital rights management (DRM), and what Amazon, and other digital media services, giveth and taketh away. We’ll talk about the ups and downs for readers as well as the pros of cons for authors puzzling over whether to apply DRM to their own books.

    Episode 89: Whose book is it, anyway?

  5. Apr 7

    Episode 88: What's the Point?

    I won't bore you by telling you a story you've heard before. This isn't hand-wringing about an individual author's ethical issues—this is an examination of what brought us here. In this episode, I talk about: The breakdown in the rules about AI between trad and self publishing.How acquisition practices, especially those of the past several years, have led us to the current situation.How to protect yourself (to the degree it's possible).What we lose in our current approach to creation and what we could have if we bothered letting ourselves envision a different world.

    Episode 88: What's the Point?

  6. Feb 27

    Episode 87: A Return to Reading

    I’m just going to be honest with y’all—I’m overwhelmed. This podcast is about exploring the world of publishing and providing a resource for authors, but everything is moving so quickly that it’s easy to feel left behind even when my goal is to stay on top of things. So I feel that, in this episode, it’d be good to get back to basics. Let’s talk about reading. Yeah, remember that? If I’m not mistaken, that’s what we’re all doing here, or at least why we started. In Episode 87, I talk about: Why it’s so hard to stay focused on books (down to the nuts and bolts of what our eyes have been trained to do)What deep reading does to enrich your lifeSome ways you can rebuild your reading habitA reminder that the sheer number of books and subjects for you to read about is more than you could ever begin to approach To sum-up: between now and my fortieth birthday next February, I’m going to aim to be a more thoughtful reader and retrain my brain to become fully immersed in books rather than just skim the surface. If that sounds like something you’d like for yourself, let me know at emily@hybridpubscout.com, on LinkedIn, or on Bluesky @emilyeino.

    Episode 87: A Return to Reading

  7. Feb 12

    Episode 86 - Creative Director and Radical Marketer Sarah Giffrow

    In this episode, I talked with Sarah Giffrow, an expert in helping small businesses with their online presences. If you weren't aware, I worked for Sarah's business, Upswept Creative, for a couple of years, and witnessed the similar workflows and software used for publishing, website design, and digital marketing. It's not a galaxy-brained take to say that the tools that make up those workflows seem increasingly hostile to users—and I'd venture to say both the environment and the economy as well. Completely divesting from every problematic platform isn't realistic for most people's work, but as far as I'm concerned, that's no reason to give up. Both Sarah and I do our best in this conversation to find a balance between “you have no choice but to succumb to your billionaire overlords” or “smash your phone with a sledgehammer and run into the woods.” Hopefully, it empowers you to try to nudge your ethics and your tech use into closer alignment.

    Episode 86 - Creative Director and Radical Marketer Sarah Giffrow

  8. Jan 15

    Episode 85 - Forming Strong Writing Support Networks with Jessie Kwak

    Writing is often a solitary activity. Writers spend their days living, and talking with imaginary people, inside our own heads. Existing in that wind tunnel and never coming out of it is not the healthiest way to move through the world (or around the outskirts of it). But, it can be difficult for a swath of people notorious for introversion to brave conferences, networking events, or new writers’ groups. A lot of folks don’t even know where to meet other writers. But, like anyone else, writers need to connect with friends and colleagues. We need people who can relate to the experience of navigating complicated inner worlds and an even more complicated industry. We need people to help us celebrate our writing successes and offer condolences for when we hit craters. We need networks that keep us grounded without pulling us down. Community, or as my guest Jessie Kwak puts it, constellations. Jessie joins the podcast for a second time, this time to talk about her latest book, From Solo to Supported. In this episode, we discuss many of the subjects covered in From Solo to Supported; everything from how to meet other writers, conversation starters for conferences, and how to navigate giving and receiving feedback.

    Episode 85 - Forming Strong Writing Support Networks with Jessie Kwak
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5
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About

[Theme song by Amy Hakanson | Logo design and artwork by Leigh Kaisen]

Information

  • Creator
    Hybrid Pub Scout Podcast
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    84
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Hybrid Pub Scout Podcast
  • Show Website
    Hybrid Pub Scout Podcast