The WritersWeekly Podcast

Brian Whiddon
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Careers

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 50: Real Stories of Authors Who Saved Thousands After Contacting WritersWeekly About Potential Publishing Scams

    Our favorite professor, editor, and book marketer, Clayton Jones, joins us again for this episode! He is a HOOT!!! In the “News from the Home Office” part at the beginning of the episode, we describe how Bigfoot has returned to our mountaintop neighborhood. THIS IS NOT A JOKE! Angela was a complete non-believer until she saw one two and a half years ago. They stayed for six months (lots of neighbors had encounters), and then left two years ago in March. Now, they're back! Okay, back to the episode!  Real Stories of Authors Who Saved Thousands After Contacting WritersWeekly About Potential Publishing Scams In just 7 days, we saved authors over $28,000. In the past two years, we've saved authors an estimated $2.9 MILLION after they asked us if they were about to be scammed.  Here are a few examples from the episode: "Rick" was about to send $350 to a woman with an American-sounding name, but she wanted him to wire the money to a guy named Abdulkareem Shiyan. She called him her “financial secretary.” We told Rick exactly how that was a scam! (We also reported that scammer/money mule to Lead Bank!) C.M. saved $5K! He was about to send that much to KDPBookPublishers.com, an Amazon impersonator. Unfortunately, he'd previously paid the scammer $499.  K.C. was about to send a fake publisher $1,000.  S.J. was about to pay a scammer triple what they'd originally quoted her for website hosting.  One scammer quoted an author an astoundingly low price of 199£ ($400 U.S.) for editing, publication and more. Classic bait and switch! Bobby G. was about to be extorted for an additional $1500 from a fake editor.  David C. was about to send Pen In Charge, a scammer that was already on our list, $2199. We explained to him exactly how the scam works, and he didn’t send the money! Cynthia M. almost sent $99 to a fake book club. We've saved LOTS of authors from sending hundreds, to even thousands to fake "book clubs." We helped Gary M. recover $2,650, not from the scammer, American Book Publisherz, but from his credit card company. We have specific instructions for authors whose banks or credit card companies may be trying to force the author to "work it out" with the scammer. If more than 60 days pass, the bank can wash their hands of the entire transaction, so it’s imperative to act FAST! On the day we recorded this episode, we save Eric N. from sending $3,999 to nybookexperts.com!  There are MANY MORE stories in this episode! Join us, and learn the new and ever-evolving ways publishing, website design, marketing, and other scammers are trying to fool authors into sending their hard-earned money. We will also teach YOU how to recognize these types of scams! And, we’ll make you laugh at the same time!   JOIN US! :)   Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

  2. Jul 16

    Episode 49: Authors Who Argued with Us Before, During, and After Getting Scammed

    Have you ever found yourself in the following situation? Someone comes to you to ask your opinion about some decision they are trying to make. Maybe it's dating or marriage advice. Maybe it's something about their career. Perhaps it has to do with some large purchase they want to make.  You give them excellent advice based on your expertise, along with facts and logic; not emotion. Then, they go and do the EXACT OPPOSITE of what you advised.   You wonder to yourself, "Why did this person ask for my advice in the first place!?" Kind of makes you want to slap them upside the head, doesn't it?! Well, we suffer this experience on an almost-weekly basis. Authors write to Angela Hoy, who has been exposing scams in the writing and publishing industries for 28 years now.  They ask: "What do you think about this publisher?" or "What do you think about this marketing service?" or “This company wants me to pay them $75K to make my book into a movie!” As we've said many times, there are so many scammers out there now, they literally now FAR outnumber legitimate businesses! Ninety-nine percent of the time, Angela will do the research, and discover that the "business" an author is looking at is indeed a scammer, and will advise the author as such. Most authors thank Angela and are very grateful to her for saving them from making a huge mistake and losing LOTS of money. However, some authors' responses simply baffle the mind. Some will argue that, to them, the scammer's website looks legitimate. Some argue that the person they have spoken to on the phone or traded emails with sounds SO professional. Some are even dumb enough to tell the scammers, "Angela from WritersWeekly.com says you're a scammer." Then, the author will literally come back to us and argue that the scammer PROMISED them that they are not a scammer! (Don’t EVEN get us started on the “money-back-guarantees” that scammers put on their websites. Authors actually think those false statements will protect them later!) We've even had authors ask for our advice AFTER sending a scammer money, and then they send even MORE money after we warned them that the company or individual IS INDEED a scammer, and explained exactly what our research revealed! Listen to this episode, and you will be shocked at the psychosis that some people suffer from. It's almost as if they WANT to be scammed out of their money! It always leaves us asking that infuriating question: "Why did they ask us to research that ‘company’ in the first place?!" Listen to this episode, and you will, like us, be scratching your head…or pulling your hair out. Don't miss it!! Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

  3. Jul 9

    Episode 48: Misery: Real Authors Who Have Been Stalked

    Music: "Light Rays" used with permission from Billy Bob Thornton and The Boxmasters. https://theboxmasters.com/store     Do you remember the movie based on the Stephen King novel "Misery?" An author is stalked and captured by an obsessed fan. She proceeds to torture him while still professing her admiration of his works. “I’m your number one fan!” Although most stalkers don't resort to such extreme behavior, being stalked can be a terrifying experience for anyone. Knowing that someone who is clearly not thinking right has set their sights on you is stressful, to say the least. Not knowing what that person is capable of means you must constantly be looking over your shoulder and never letting your guard down. That's a very traumatic way to live.  In today's episode, editor and college English professor Clayton Jones joins Angela and Brian to delve into the dark world of authors who have been stalked by unhinged "fans" and how those events ended up. Clayton, Angela and Brian all share their own experience with stalkers. We even have an example of an author who stalked someone who left her a bad review! Grab some popcorn and prepare to immerse yourself into psychological darkness and drama (with a little humor on the side.) You won't be disappointed!   Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

  4. Jul 3

    Episode 47 - The WritersWeekly Weird & Fun Book & Author Trivia Game

    We decided to have a silly episode. Clayton Jones and Brian go head to head to see who knows more about little factoids in the literary world.  How many of Angela's questions can YOU answer?  Join us for fun, laughs, and some interesting information you may have never hear before as we play the Weird & Fun Book & Author Trivia Game. Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

  5. Jun 25

    EPISODE 46: How to Earn Thousands Per Month in Book Royalties - PART 2 of 2

    Guest: Gary Sturgis, The International Bestselling Author of Surviving Grief – 365 Days a Year In this episode, we continue our interview with BookLocker.com's international bestselling author Gary Sturgis! Do you have a book on the market that's not accumulating the sales you'd like to see? It's likely due to your marketing strategy, and how you communicate with potential readers online. In these two episodes, Angela and Brian welcome back Gary Sturgis, BookLocker's best-selling author, who earns thousands per month in royalties from his book sales. Gary also has more than half a million followers on his social media channels now! How does he do it?! He’ll tell you in this episode! If you want to succeed in any endeavor, it's best to find someone who has already succeeded, learn what they did, and imitate them. Listen to this episode (and the next one, episode 56!) to learn how you, too, can increase your sales, and maintain a positive cash flow from your books. You don't want to miss this interview! You’re going to learn a LOT! Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

  6. Jun 19

    EPISODE 45: How to Earn Thousands Per Month in Book Royalties

    Guest: Gary Sturgis, The International Bestselling Author of Surviving Grief - 365 Days a Year  Do you have a book on the market that's not accumulating the sales you'd like to see? It's likely due to your marketing strategy, and how you communicate with potential readers online.   In the next two episodes, Angela and Brian welcome back Gary Sturgis, BookLocker's best-selling author, who earns thousands per month in royalties from his book sales.   Gary also has more than half a million followers on his social media channels now! How does he do it?! He’ll tell you in this episode!  Gary endured the loss of a spouse years ago, and began searching for online support for his grief and recovery. That led him to write his first book, "Surviving: Finding Your Way from Grief to Healing." That began a journey of sharing and interaction with his online community, leading to him becoming a grief counselor, a public speaker, and an online facilitator specializing in grief and recovery.  In this episode, Gary shares his journey, and the specific techniques he used to build a massive online following. He’s also written six more books, including one for children, to help people continue through their own paths to recovery and self-healing.   His consistency and persistence have led to ever-increasing book sales, earning him thousands in royalties every month.   If you want to succeed in any endeavor, it's best to find someone who has already succeeded, learn what they did, and imitate them. Listen to this episode (and the next one, episode 56!) to learn how you, too, can increase your sales, and maintain a positive cash flow from your books.   You don't want to miss this interview! You’re going to learn a LOT!  Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

  7. Jun 11

    Episode 44: How to Get Free Book Reviews from Popular Reviewers Who Have THOUSANDS of Followers!

    You've heard us say it over and over again: DO NOT PAY FOR BOOK REVIEWS!  So, what is an author supposed to do? Wait around, hoping for readers who might decide to take the time to review their book? Beg people on social media for positive write-ups? Ask their family and friends to post reviews on Amazon? (DON’T DO THE LATTER! You could get banned from Amazon for doing that! We explain why in this episode.)  Getting real, legitimate reviews for your book doesn't have to be a passive exercise. There are plenty of regular, prolific reviewers (even "professional" reviewers) out there who won't charge you a penny to review your book, and who will do it fairly and honestly. Better yet, many of them have tens of thousands of followers! When they post a review for a book, their followers are notified!  But, how do you find them, and what should you say when you contact them?   In this episode, Angela and Brian explain, step-by-step, how you can find PROLIFIC and popular book reviewers with thousands of followers. And, we’ll teach you exactly how reach out to them, greatly increasing your chances of getting your book reviewed by them.   You might be asking why these book reviewers review books for free? How do they make money? It’s NOT on the backs of authors! Quite the opposite, in fact! We explain that in this episode as well.    Getting good book reviews from well-known reviewers can mean significantly more BOOK SALES! And, the entire process is FREE! Nothing we recommend in this episode costs any money at all.   You don’t want to miss this episode!  Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

  8. Jun 5

    EPISODE 43: 16 Possible Reasons Why Amazon KDP Permanently Closed Your Account (but they won’t tell YOU why!)

    Approximately 90% of banned Amazon KDP accounts are never reinstated!   We were recently contacted by yet ANOTHER terminated Amazon KDP author. His unpaid royalties are $38K (!!!), and there is NOTHING he can do to get his account back (he’s tried!), nor to get his $38K. He can’t even access his files, nor see his past sales reports. He’s completely and permanently LOCKED OUT of his Amazon KDP account.    Could it happen to you? According to Google, it’s happening to thousands of authors per year now. Think about that. You've had your book(s) on Amazon KDP for several years. Sales have been pretty good. You may not be getting rich, but the royalties have been regular and dependable. Things have been good!   Then one day, you receive an email from Amazon KDP saying your account has been terminated. You think it’s a scam email, or a joke. But, it’s NOT! You quickly go to KDP to login to your account. Your username and password don’t work. The “forgot your password?” option doesn’t work. Your account is simply GONE. You’ve been permanently banned by Amazon KDP. Worse, they tell you that you’re not permitted to open any other Amazon KDP accounts in the future. EVER. (Many authors have tried that, even under different names and email addresses, and it never works. Amazon always knows everything!)   You go back and read the email from Amazon in its entirety. It says your account has been terminated. It says you violated KDP's terms of service, but it doesn't say which term(s) you violated. It simply says your account has been permanently closed, and that you can never open another account with Amazon KDP.    You send multiple messages to Amazon asking (begging!) for some explanation. You have every intent to correct anything you may have done wrong…if only you knew what that was! Their automated replies just keep saying they’re upholding their decision to ban you from their platform.    You start to panic, of course! You've not only lost your account, but you've lost whatever royalties you had coming from the previous two months. More emails simply get the same canned response: "We are upholding our original decision to terminate your account."   Here's the real rub: You AGREED to all of this when you signed up with Amazon KDP. It was in the "Terms of Service" when you clicked "I AGREE," including the fact that they get to keep ALL of your unpaid royalties. For some authors, that’s in the thousands of dollars.    In this episode, we crawl under the dark underbelly of Amazon KDP, and the growing problem of authors having their accounts closed down for any number of reasons, known only to KDP's AI/bot systems.    Amazon has specific reasons why they don’t tell so many authors why their accounts were terminated. We discuss those reasons in this episode as well.    Amazon KDP can immediately terminate your account at any time, at their sole discretion, with no warning, and with no human being at the helm to rationally weigh the facts and listen to your side of things.    If you are currently using Amazon KDP, or thinking about using Amazon KDP, you need listen to this episode to know the potential risks of working with that organization! There are OTHER WAYS to get your book on Amazon, and those won’t lead to your books being taken down, nor your royalties being withheld!  Text us directly and tell us what you think of this episode! Learn more at https://www.WritersWeekly.com

See All (50)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

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
    50
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The WritersWeekly Podcast
  • Show Website
    The WritersWeekly Podcast