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. -3 J

    $20K Publishing Scam Victim Shares Her Own Story

    She spoke to them on the phone. They sounded like publishing experts! They knew all the lingo! But, one year and $20,000 later, she discovered that they had been stringing her along, and scamming money out of her. Jennifer Westecott decided to let Brilliant Books Literary (AKA "Leap Write Literary") publish her book, Heartbreak Falls, after talking with their "representative" on the phone. They promised to help her with EVERYTHING: formatting, editing, cover design, distribution, and marketing. Their "team" would be there for her every step of the way.  However, that's not how things worked out. Then, they kept selling her additional "services," promising BIG returns. Those other "services" cost her thousands. They even tried to get her to pay $4K for an interview with a radio host who had previously been convicted of theft! By the time she was alerted by a popular online scam fighting team that all of this was bogus, Jennifer was $20,000 in the hole.  Jennifer found Angela Hoy and BookLocker while in an online authors' forum. She agreed to let us publish her book, and to sit down, and tell us her story. You will be SHOCKED at the complex and devious actions of these scammers! Most people picture a publishing scam as paying money for a book, and never getting one. However, many scammers are going after the "long con" - doing a minor amount of work while stringing the author along for more and more money. By the time the author figures out how much money they have wasted on undelivered promises, they have no hope of selling enough copies to make up the loss. Not even close! Listen to this episode to learn what to look and listen for to avoid being scammed out of TENS OF THOUSANDS of dollars! Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    1 h 21 min

  2. 27 AOÛT

    The Doomsday Book of Medicine - Dr. Ralph (Doc) La Guardia

    Today, more than ever before, society is dependent on a fragile electrical grid, a vulnerable supply chain, and a delicate medical system to survive. All of these critical systems are plugged into the Internet, which has proven to be crawling with malevolent actors, constantly looking to disrupt civil societies and their ability to function. We’ve already seen how our systems fail when confronted with pandemics, civil unrest, or major natural disasters. Now imagine what would happen if a cyber-terrorist or a rogue nation were to collapse our power grid. How would we function if multiple storms ripped across the land, causing widespread wind and flood damage over vast areas? God forbid a hateful regime like the one in Iran were to detonate a nuclear weapon on (or above) our land.  Now, ask yourself how you would treat a medical condition in such a scenario. How would you deal with a broken limb, or a serious laceration, or a snakebite? What if you get sick? Do you have what it takes to heal yourself without antibiotics, advanced pain killers, or body altering medications? Would you be able to survive if there was no electrical grid or public water supply to rely on? In this episode, we interview Dr. Ralph "Doc" La Guardia, the author of THE DOOMSDAY BOOK OF MEDICINE. Dr. Laguardia attended the oldest medical school in the world, has been in private practice since 1988, worked as an ER doctor, a prison doctor, and has run multiple medical facilities. THE DOOMSDAY BOOK OF MEDICINE addresses how you can survive, stay healthy, and heal yourself even in a “grid-down” situation. Dr. La Guardia delves into deep knowledge on how the human body works, what it needs to function at its peak, and how our “modern” lifestyle has degraded our bodies to a fraction of the heartiness that our ancestors possessed.  THE DOOMSDAY BOOK OF MEDICINE: What Will You Do When There Are No Doctors or Medicine? https://www.amazon.com/Doomsday-Book-Medicine-There-Doctors/dp/1959621696 THIS BOOK COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE! Learn 10 to 20 ways way to treat most illnesses and injuries when there are no drugs or doctors. Don’t be fooled. This book is not just for “Doomsday.” This information can help if you’re stuck for days in a storm-ravaged area, if your area gets “locked down” over a virus scare, or if any other major event prevents you from getting to a doctor or hospital. Doctor La Guardia is a leading expert in cutting edge, natural, life enhancing medicines and unusual treatments that are virtually unknown. He knows which ones work and which are empty promises. He has compiled the most effective of these treatments, many of which you will find nowhere else. ALL EPISODES! https://writersweekly.com/podcast GET YOUR BOOK PUBLISHED! https://publishing.booklocker.com THE DOOMSDAY BOOK OF MEDICINE: What Will You Do When There Are No Doctors or Medicine? https://www.amazon.com/Doomsday-Book-Medicine-There-Doctors/dp/1959621696 THE BIBLE OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: Hundreds of Natural Remedies for Nearly Every Ailment https://www.amazon.com/Bible-Alternative-Medicine-Ralph-Guardia/dp/1959620320 INFECTED: Secrets from the Medical Underground - How You Can Prevent and Treat Any Infection - SECOND EDITION https://www.amazon.com/Infected-Secrets-Medical-Underground-Infection/dp/1958892327 https://substack.com/@medicalunderground Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    1 h 33 min

  3. 21 AOÛT

    EPISODE 19: Traditional vs. Hybrid vs. Self-Publishing - WHAT TO EXPECT!

    *What disappointing truths shock authors today when they land a traditional publishing contract? Things aren't like they used to be!    *What does the term "self-publishing" REALLY mean today? (There is lots of confusion online!)  *What exactly is "hybrid publishing" and how have foreign scammers hijacked the term?    In this episode, we delve into the details, and discuss the pros and cons of different book publishing methods. Most importantly, we expose the shocking truths of how the traditional publishing industry operates now, and share quotes from authors who have been extremely disappointed in their traditional publishers.    Who gets the rights to your work? What will your royalties be? How much help will you get in marketing? What’s the up-front cost? Will your book be in bookstores? Will your publisher send you on a book tour? Could your publisher go out of business, and leave you with no book and no royalties? What in the world is "hybrid publishing" anyway? We cover all of this, and so much more!    For more than 25 years, we have heard from hundreds of authors who have tried more than one of these options, and shared their experiences with us. The truths may shock you.   What type of publishing partnership would be best for YOUR book? Listen to this episode, and get all the information you need to make an educated decision. Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    44 min

  4. 14 AOÛT

    Episode 18: Audiobook Production - Would you rather pay $199 or $4,000???

    Did you know that there is a whole generation of people who simply will not read books? But, they do LISTEN to books! Audio storytelling is a booming medium! Tens of thousands of people listen to audiobooks and podcasts while driving, working, exercising, cooking, and even just relaxing. For years now, converting a print book to an audiobook required either thousands of dollars to hire a professional voice artist (narrator), a hefty investment to purchase or rent quality audio equipment and/or a sound studio, and hours upon hours of editing work to get everything just right. This means that not only has it been expensive to create audiobooks, they have been expensive to PURCHASE as well! However, BookLocker.com was recently invited to participate in Amazon’s new “Virtual Voice” Audiobook program. Now, authors can have their books converted to audiobooks (with high quality voice selections!) for the affordable introductory price of $199.00. Join Angela and Brian as they discuss the details of what has been, up until now, a very expensive and labor-intensive endeavor requiring extensive sound engineering know-how. Today, it’s extremely easy and your audiobook can be put up for sale by BookLocker in just a couple of days! We are extremely excited to tell everyone about this new opportunity. How many more sales can YOU make to the “I don’t have time to read books” crowd? https://Newsletter.BookLocker.com/Audiobooks https://WritersWeekly.com/podcast     Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    1 h 17 min

  5. 5 AOÛT

    E17: Former White House Usher, Chris Emery, Spills HILARIOUS Secrets!

    Why do Chris Emery’s books sell so well? Because, he is not only warm and friendly to everyone, but he’s also HILARIOUS! If you want to crack up, don’t miss this episode! Here are a few teasers: - Chris Emery served under three presidential administrations, and was the only White House Usher to get fired in the 20th Century. Find out which first lady fired him, and why! And, find out how that first lady’s secretary tried to control the narrative to the media after he was let go. News crews were on his front porch! - Which FORMER first lady called Chris the night he got fired? - Nancy Reagan routinely (accidentally) set off the panic button. - What happened when, late one night, Chris decided to test Gerald R. Ford’s old wheelchair, going FAST down a ramp, and heading toward an antique table with an ancient Ming Dynasty vase on it??? - Why did Ladybird Johnson frequently call Chris? - Chris’ phone conversation with famous author Tom Clancy! - Chris chose to refuse a six-figure advance from a major publisher in order to self-publish his book with BookLocker. Find out why in this episode! - Was Chris able to sign 170 books in 20 minutes when he was the Keynote Speaker at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library? - The Department of Justice didn’t want Chris publishing one of his books but he did! Learn why! - Which famous singer was wearing a scarf that got caught in the wheels of the wheelchair Chris was pushing her in? - Dancing at the infamous White House Halloween Party! - Did you know the private residence in the White House has 132 rooms?! - The White House is actually eight stories tall! Most of those are underground. - Back then, White House Ushers were not required to sign NDA’s. - Generations of White House Butlers have been related to each other. - How did Chris do eight interviews in only seven hours in January of this year? And, why was the press so interested in talking to him? These included The Today Show, CNN, and other major news outlets. - How does Chris keep selling copies of his books long after they’ve been published? - And, what new book is Chris working on now?!?! Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    1 h 10 min

  6. 23 JUIL.

    E16 - When an Author Dies, the Vultures Arise!

    Think your family members will play nice once you kick the bucket? THINK AGAIN!  TRUE STORY: A BookLocker author who earned more than $200K in royalties died. Extended family members then took his widow to court. More about that story is under this podcast episode on https://WritersWeekly.com/podcast.  TRUE STORY: One author’s relatives went to court, and spent thousands, not even knowing the paltry amount of unpaid royalties that were due. We share that amount in this episode! TRUE STORY: In an attempt to steal his dad’s royalties, an author’s adult son falsely claimed his dad had died. How did Angela figure out the author was still alive and what did the dad do next?    TRUE STORY: One relative, who was not the beneficiary, claimed to be the author’s only living relative. The author’s living, breathing spouse was very surprised to hear about that!  AND, THERE ARE MORE!  When an author dies, what can happen to their royalties and rights? In this episode, Angela and Brian share several examples of the lengths some people have gone to in an attempt to steal (yes, that’s what they’re doing!) the rights (and royalties) of an author’s work once they are gone. Their greed can cause years of turmoil and legal battles for surviving friends and family. You’ll be shocked at how devious some people can be!  And, think it’s just relatives? Nope! Some “author reps” and “editors” have been caught trying to steal from authors’ heirs as well! In this episode, we not only provide egregious examples of greed, but we also present you with the steps YOU can take (and pitfalls you should watch out!) for when assigning beneficiaries for your work.  YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS ONE! Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    55 min

  7. 17 JUIL.

    EPISODE 15: How Choosing the RIGHT or WRONG Editor Can Make or Break Your Book Sales

    In this episode, Professional Editor and Book Marketer Clayton Jones joins Angela and Brian to discuss what authors need to know when vetting and hiring a professional editor for their book. What are the different types of editing? How does the editing process work? How long does it take? How do you know if your editor even speaks English as a native language? (Yes, there are ways foreign scammers can trick you, even over the phone!) And, what is the #1 THING YOU SHOULD NEVER DO when you receive your manuscript back from your editor?  Most importantly, you will understand what YOU, the author, will be expected to do during the editing process. Editing is a collaborative effort that the author must be actively involved in. Clayton Jones is not only a professional editor and book marketer, but he's also an English and Creative Writing Professor at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, as well as a songwriter, musician, and the owner of a media production company. Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    1 h 6 min

  8. 9 JUIL.

    E14 - Real Stories from Publishing Scam Victims

    In this episode, Angela and Brian review emails they have received from authors who lost anywhere from thousands, to tens of thousands of dollars, after signing up with what they thought were legitimate online publishing companies. Unfortunately for many of them, when they realized that these entities were not what they claimed to be, it was too late and the money was gone.  Don’t be one of the thousands of writers and authors who are being bilked out of their hard-earned money! Listen to this episode and learn how to research and detect when a flashy website and slick talking phone “representative” is nothing more than that. Don’t pay a penny of your money for publishing until you listen to this episode. It could literally keep you out of bankruptcy! WritersWeekly.com, as part of its mission to help authors and writers succeed in their chosen fields, has been exposing scams in the industry for over 20 years. As the internet has evolved, the problem has continued to get worse. Don't get scammed!  Be sure to listen to this episode.  The WritersWeekly Podcast is provided by the operators of BookLocker.com.  Booklocker.com is a full-service book publishing company that has been in business for over 25 years and has a stellar reputation in the publishing industry. Helping authors and writers realize their dreams has always been our passion.  Find out more at BookLocker.com   Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

    1 h 25 min
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À propos

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. 

Informations

  • Création
    Brian Whiddon
  • Années d’activité
    2 k
  • Épisodes
    21
  • Classification
    Contenu explicite
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The WritersWeekly Podcast
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