The WritersWeekly Podcast

Brian Whiddon
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From the creators of WritersWeekly.com, the WritersWeekly Podcast delves into everything involving professional writing. WritersWeekly.com has been helping and informing writers and authors for over 25 years. We cover book publishing, article writing, getting writing gigs, paying markets, writing technology, etc. 

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 42 - Stupid Author Tricks!!

    In this episode, Professor Clayton Jones joins us again! Being an English Professor at the University of Tennessee, a professional editor, AND a professional book marketer, he’s seen it ALL! And, so has Angela, who has been in the business for 28 years! While Clayton discusses authors who have behaved badly when working with him, the examples Angela shares are from folks who contacted her through WritersWeekly.com asking for advice. Of course, we haven’t used any names in this episode…except for the celebrity authors who got caught doing stupid stuff!! Here’s just a tidbit of what we have for you in this episode (and there’s a LOT more!): The author who got scammed three separate times after Angela WARNED HIM THREE SEPARATE TIMES! Famous authors who got caught using AI, and even left AI prompts in their books!!! One of the authors was accused of using AI in his anti-AI book!! Authors who got VERY upset after they couldn’t land a traditional publishing contract…because their mother told them their book was the best one ever written. We’ve received the same comment from authors who didn’t win writing contests. “My mom says my story was better than the winning stories!” The author who got scammed for thousands, and then asked Angela for advice on how to hide what happened from his wife.  Authors who libel others in their books, and state, “I don’t care if I get sued!”  The co-authors who provided zero proof of severe allegations they made against many individuals and businesses. Some authors, who clearly don’t have attorneys, believe that publishing the book alone will be “proof enough.” Authors who committed copyright infringement under the false (but common!) belief that “everything on the Internet is free!” Parasite Book Marketers! Yes, that’s a real thing, and it’s very low-class!! DON’T DO IT! Authors who don’t read the fine print, and who are allowing AI programs (like Grammarly) to “train” their systems.  Authors who are beating the pro-AI drum, and using AI to write their books, while not realizing they themselves can get sued for copyright infringement someday.  AND SO MUCH MORE!!! Let’s be honest. There are things that work in the publishing industry - and things that do NOT work in the publishing industry.  Today we reveal ideas, attitudes, habits, and actions we have seen that inevitably tank authors' chances for success (and that can lead to not only embarrassment, but also litigation). We weigh these behaviors against the realities that exists in the publishing and writing worlds.  There are two approaches you can take with this episode: Some authors who have done some of the things we discuss might be insulted and offended by what we say. However, we’re using real examples and humor because, if we don’t laugh about these situations, we might just cry! Some of the stories are actually not funny at all. They are simply sad. We don’t laugh at those.  If you want to learn from others’ mistakes, listen to and learn from two experts in the field, and apply the "Don't do this" lessons that they offer from their vast experience in watching bad ideas and actions fail time and again. This episode will teach you what NOT to do if you want a smooth, efficient, and non-embarrassing book publishing experience. Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    56 min

  2. May 22

    EPISODE 41: Dangers Lurking in PLAIN SIGHT on Facebook Author Groups! DON’T BE THE NEXT VICTIM!

    Could that very active fellow Facebook author group member really be a SCAMMER? Chances are pretty high THEY ARE!   Publishing scammers have infiltrated Facebook’s author groups to perform DATA MINING! What’s the problem, you ask? All they have is your Facebook profile link. So, what’s the big deal?   Nope, that’s not ALL they have! They start with your profile, and within minutes, they likely know more about you than your next-door neighbor.   When someone in your Facebook Author/Writer group posts thing like this, BEWARE! "Authors, drop your book cover! Show us your masterpiece!"  “Post the links to your books! Let’s help each other out!” “Show us your author website!”  But, what if they simply ask a very general “tickler” question of all the members? They’re starting a specific discussion for a specific reason! They know what they’re doing, and hundreds of unwary authors respond!   "Tell us what you're currently working on!" "Tell us what makes your book special in one sentence!" "What's the best platform for me to market my book?"  And, guess what? Some of these data mining scammers are actually the MODERATORS of author groups on Facebook! And the group members have NO IDEA!  If you respond to those ridiculous posts, it may seem innocent on your part (and it is) but it is NOT innocent on the part of the scammers. How can engaging them hurt you? A bunch of other folks in the group are doing it. It's free publicity. You are proud of your book. And who knows: someone may BUY A COPY! So, you engage the scammer (who you think is just another author.)  CONGRATULATIONS! You've just painted a target on yourself for scammers.  Many Facebook groups for authors and writers have hundreds and even thousands of members. Many of those require nothing more than to click a "JOIN" button. Many in the group, however, never post in the group, or even look at it again. Some groups are old and the “members” have gone stagnant on Facebook. The scammers are looking for living, breathing members who have active manuscripts to publish, and books to promote. That means YOU are far more likely to become their next target!  Overseas scammers want to target authors with offers to publish their books, edit their books, offer fake movie deals, promote their books – you name it. They have literally dozens of fake services to offer! And, finding an active author with a book to publish or sell is the very FIRST step they take with data mining.   Listen to this episode to learn how scammers can take one small link (your Facebook profile) to gather TONS of personal information about you from across the Internet!   And, we’ll tell you how they use that information to fool potential victims, and suck their wallets dry.   Listen to this week's episode, #41, and learn the tricks and tactics these parasites are using to get your personal information to target you with opportunities to give your money away, and never see it again. You will also learn how to protect yourself.   Join us as we dissect the dark underbelly of Facebook Author Groups! Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    1h 7m

  3. Apr 16

    From 14-Year-Old Runaway, to Cop, to the Managing Editor of WritersWeekly.com. GRAPHIC WARNING AT 1 HOUR, 3 MINUTES! (1:03)

    In Episode 10 of the WritersWeekly Podcast (one of our most popular ones!), you heard the story of how Angela Hoy started WritersWeekly.com as a young, single mother, with MANY challenges along the way. Those included skipping meals early on to ensure her children were well-fed (her ex wasn’t paying court-ordered child support), and later suing Amazon.com for federal anti-trust violations, and winning! She turned a fledgling hobby website into an internationally known publishing powerhouse and, 28 years later, it’s still going strong! Now we present Brian Whiddon’s story. Brian is the Managing Editor at WritersWeekly.com, and the Operations Manager at BookLocker.com, a full-service book publishing company. He is also the author of Blue Lives Matter: The Heart Behind the Badge.  Brian grew up rough (to put it mildly!), had run away three times by the age of 14, and then moved back home with the help of a friendly police officer. That gentleman was Brian’s inspiration to later serve vulnerable members of the population himself. Listen to this episode to find out what happened to the amazing police officer who literally changed Brian’s life.  Brian was kicked out of his home by his parents at 17 but was determined to finish high school, because a diploma was required to become a police officer. He then served in the United States Army for five years, which included a combat deployment in Somalia. (Wait until you hear the camel dust story, and about the time Brian and his two soldier buddies mooned a Colonel!) After leaving the Army, Brian finally got to live his dream career as a police officer. In this episode, you’ll hear first-hand Brian’s story of how he and another officer got repeatedly burned while pulling a man from a burning airplane. He shares other stressful, exciting, and even hilarious stories as well.  Tragically, after 15 years, the career he had dreamed about since the age of 13 was tragically stolen away from him, simply because he did the right thing. After witnessing police misconduct, and reporting it, Brian prevented an innocent young man from going to prison…and got fired for doing so.  How does a former law enforcement officer later become the Managing Editor for one of the first writing websites on the Internet, and the Operations Manager for one of the most well-known book publishing companies?  This episode is packed with emotion, humor, inspiration, and lots of human interest! (Did you know “beef sticks” in Korea are actually dog meat? No, Brian didn’t eat those!).  If you have ever wondered about the man behind the voice here on the WritersWeekly Podcast, you DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS ONE!  Repeat: GRAPHIC WARNING AT 1 HOUR, 3 MINUTES! (1:03) Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    1h 55m

  4. Apr 2

    Episode 39 - Authors Who Had to Pay THOUSANDS After Being Sued

    In this episode, Angela and Brian share real stories about lawsuits that were filed against authors, and how those proceedings affected them financially…and otherwise. So many authors feel that, even if they get sued, they might win…so, no problem, right? WRONG! In the U.S., unless a case is declared frivolous by a judge, you might never get back all the money you spent defending yourself.  Another problem is the tremendous amount of stress authors must endure throughout the legal process, which can take months, or even years.  Listen to this episode, which is filled with examples of lawsuits filed against authors (and why), so you can hopefully avoid the legal pitfalls that could land you in court and can potentially lead to bankruptcy. Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    1h 7m

  5. Mar 26

    We Scambaited a Nigerian Scammer and HILARITY ENSUED!!!

    If you hate scammers, you're gonna LOVE this episode! Angela actually convinced this scammer to write an ARTICLE telling all about how he fools people into thinking he is a book marketer/freelance writer based in the USA, and convinces them to pay him for his "services." What's best is that he have all the messages and emails between Angela and this scammer, in which he reveals his deceptive techniques. Even after Angela revealed that she was a journalist who exposes scammers, he STILL tried to scam her! We even tried to pay him the $60 we offer for article submissions to WritersWeekly via PayPal. However, he insisted on being paid through a BANK TRANSFER!! We have a ton of laughs and education in store for you in this episode as we reveal this fool's brazen attempts to convince Angela that he was a legitimate writer and book marketer, all the while trying to get money from her. And the excuses he gives for what he's doing will FLOOR YOU.  Don't miss a second of this episode. You'll laugh yourself silly. Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    1h 10m

  6. Mar 21

    Episode 37: BEWARE! Fake "Services" Offered to Authors by Scammers

    In this episode, Angela and Brian go over the latest “services” that international scammers have dreamed up to suck authors’ bank accounts dry. They will even tell you that not buying some of these services could land you in jail! Don’t be taken in by these fraudsters! No longer is it simply offering “full publishing services” for rock-bottom, unbelievable prices (the “publisher” then disappears with your money).  No, they’ve taken their criminal activities to a whole new level! Now, once they reel you in as a “client,” you will then be offered things like an “international publishing license” or  “author insurance” (they’ll tell you it’s illegal to publish a book without those!), fake book-to-movie deals, a “global copyright” (there’s no such thing), premium editing services (by AI or someone who doesn’t speak English), and more completely fake “services” that will never get performed anyway.   They will even tell you that they have royalties waiting for you, but that YOU have to pay a processing fee up front to get them! (Of course, the royalty numbers are fake and the author never gets paid.) They’ll also give you a fake purchase order from a large bookstore (on that store’s stolen letterhead), saying YOU need to pay THOUSANDS to print the books up front…but you’ll get paid back later. That’s not how it works, folks, and no copies will get printed anyway!!!  We discuss many other creative FAKE services as well. Don’t miss this episode! Please share it with your friends and writing groups. It could save you or someone you care about THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! Be sure to contact us if you suspect you might be the victim of a publishing scam! https://WritersWeekly.com/podcast https://Publishing.BookLocker.com Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    1h 18m

  7. Feb 20

    Episode 36 - "Why is Getting My Book Published So Scary?" Don't go it alone!!

    Traditional publishing? Self-publishing? Hybrid publishing? What's best for YOUR book? Is your manuscript even ready for publication? Who can help you determine that, ensuring a polished manuscript, and the best possible chance for future sales? The good news is, there is no need to walk the publishing path alone! In this episode, Angela and Brian explore the benefits of hiring an Author Coach to guide you through the publishing process. They go by a number of names: Publishing Coaches, Author Coaches, Book Coaches, Publishing Consultants, Author Representatives, and more. These are people who are well-versed in the book writing/publishing business, and can help you navigate through the publishing process, removing stress, and potentially saving you a LOT of time AND money. But, you need to make sure you hire a REAL coach,one who is a professional editor, a book marketing expert, and someone who can easily guide you to the finish line.  For many authors (new authors and senior citizens who may not be tech savvy), signing up with a publisher can be the beginning of an anxiety-riddled journey, filled with new terms, details, and processes they never imagined existed...much less understand. And, how do they know that the publisher they're considering using is fully working in their best interests?  That's where an Author Coach comes in. A good coach has already been through the publishing process numerous times, and knows what to expect, and what needs to be done. They can break down the process, which can seem overwhelming, into manageable parts. When you're not sure what the publisher is doing, or why, they can fill you in on the details so you'll be more at ease with the journey. And, they'll get you from A to Z much faster than if you were going it alone.  Would a publishing coach be a good investment for your book project? Tune in to this episode and find out. Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    46 min

  8. Feb 5

    Episode 35: Prolific Author of 18 Books, Rickey Pittman, Shares His Secrets about Writing AND Book Selling!

    In this episode, we are joined by BookLocker.com author, Rickey Pittman, The Bard of the South!    Rickey is an author, musician, storyteller, historian, and college professor. His major focus is on Southern America. He unearths and creatively covers old stories that tell of the South’s rich history, struggles, and unique identity. And, his fiction is AMAZING, too! (Read more about that under Episode 35 at https://writersweekly.com/podcast.)    Rickey performs all around the Southern states as “The Bard of the South,” with a style that mixes old southern ballads with even older Celtic folk music. He is just as comfortable playing for a Highland Days event as he is playing for a Civil War re-enactment. Some of his songs seem reminiscent of something one may have heard while sitting around a fire with Davie Crockett and the boys. You can find many of his songs on YouTube.     Rickey's writing interests span from biographies of little-known local celebrities (like the sea captain who became a mayor of New Orleans) to dark fiction that brings you into the mysterious underground occult world of the Big Easy. (That one is part autobiographical, by the way!).     Did you know that Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States, actually adopted a young black boy to rescue him from abusive parents, only to have the child snatched away when the South lost the war? Rickey’s book, Jim Limber Davis: A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House, tells the sad story.     Rickey has published twelve books with BookLocker.com, and has published 18 books in all over the years.     Rickey also puts a lot of miles on his car, AND on his guitar. He travels all over the south, performing and marketing his books.   Here, on Episode #35 of the WritersWeekly Podcast, Rickey discusses where he gets the ideas for what books to write, his writing style and schedule, and, most importantly, his marketing strategy.     Join us for a fun-filled hour with a man who can be described as an “encyclopedia” of the South. You might just find yourself craving some cornbread and crawdads! Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    1h 3m
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Ratings & Reviews

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About

From the creators of WritersWeekly.com, the WritersWeekly Podcast delves into everything involving professional writing. WritersWeekly.com has been helping and informing writers and authors for over 25 years. We cover book publishing, article writing, getting writing gigs, paying markets, writing technology, etc. 

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Whiddon
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The WritersWeekly Podcast
  • Show Website
    The WritersWeekly Podcast