Howard Lovy Archives

Author Jules Horne on How Writers Can Use Deliberate Practice to Build Skills and Confidence

I'm more of a pantser—someone who figures things out on the page rather than planning every move. But when I heard that Scottish author and writing coach Jules Horne had applied the concept of deliberate practice—something musicians and athletes have used for generations—to writing, I was intrigued. Her book, Deliberate Practice for Creative Writers, argues that focused, bite-sized exercises can help writers build their skills more efficiently than just grinding through another draft. In this Q&A, I ask her how it works, how she uses it herself, and how writers like me might apply it without giving up spontaneity.

Howard Lovy Interviews Maggie Marr on How Indie Authors Can Get Their Books Adapted for Film and TV

In this interview, Howard Lovy speaks with Maggie Marr, ALLi’s book-to-screen advisor, a former ICM motion picture literary agent, entertainment attorney, and USA Today bestselling author, about how indie authors can get their books adapted for film and TV. Marr, who has worked on major book-to-screen projects, shares industry insights on what makes a book appealing for adaptation, the role of agents and attorneys, and common pitfalls to avoid. She is also the author of Books to Film and TV: What Every Author Needs to Know, a resource for writers navigating the adaptation process.

Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Carolyn Armstrong. Earth-Friendly Middle-Grade Fiction Author Finds Audience Through Parents, Teachers, and Pinterest

My ALLi author guest this episode is Carolyn Armstrong, who enjoys writing books about and for middle-grade kids because they're just beginning to seek independence while still relying on adults. Carolyn writes earth-friendly fiction and discovered that teachers and parents find her books valuable as educational tools. And some of them discover her books via Pinterest.

Inspirational Indie Author Interview: CJ Archer. History, Mystery, Fantasy Author Boldly Mixes Genres

My ALLi author guest this episode is CJ Archer, an author of historical, mystery, and fantasy books, genres that the traditional publishing industry told her should not mix. So instead, CJ published them herself and hasn't looked back since. She writes about four books a year as her full-time job and has found a formula that works for her and her fans.

September 24, 2023
Howard Lovy
Podcast
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Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Katlyn Duncan. Time Management Tips For Juggling Family, Work and an Author Career

My ALLi author guest this episode is Katlyn Duncan, an author who juggles many roles. She's a mother, a full-time worker, a writer of thrillers and nonfiction advice books for other indie authors. She is also both a traditional and self-published author. How does she keep up with her many roles? I'll let Katlyn Duncan tell her story.

September 17, 2023
Howard Lovy
Podcast
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Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Darby Harn. Sci-Fi Writer and Podcaster Overcomes Struggles With Autism to Find Success

My ALLi author guest this episode is Darby Harn, a science fiction writer whose work Publishers Weekly called an “entertaining debut that uses superpowers as a metaphor to delve into class politics in an alternate America.” He also cohosts a pop culture podcast. It has been a long road for Darby to get where he is while also struggling with autism.

September 10, 2023
Howard Lovy
Podcast
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Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Russell Nohelty. Fantasy Author Shows How Crowdfunding and Substack Are Done

My guest this episode is Russell Nohelty, a bestselling fantasy author and ALLi's crowdfunding adviser. He has helped authors raise over $1.5 million through crowdfunding, and nearly $500,000 for his own publishing projects. And, lately, he's a big advocate of the Substack platform for indie authors.

Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Ricardo Fayet. Reedsy Cofounder Helps Gather Indie Publishing Ecosystem

My ALLi author guest this episode is Ricardo Fayet, a cofounder of Reedsy, a marketplace connecting authors to editors, cover designers, book marketers, translators, and other professionals. As for Ricardo, when he's not coming up with new and expanded services for Reedsy, he's writing books on an important part of the publishing ecosystem: marketing.

It’s Authors vs. OpenAI: Self-Publishing News Podcast with Dan Holloway and Howard Lovy

Today on the Self-Publishing News podcast: It's authors vs. OpenAI as lawsuits and petitions seek compensation for content scraped by ChatGPT. But, as News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy report, the issue is not that simple. Also, USA Today relaunches its bestseller list, which is good news for indie authors. Howard and Dan discuss these and other stories making the news this month in indie publishing.

Inspirational Indie Author Interview: EJ Fisch. Sci-Fi Writer Adds Thriller and Mystery to the Mix and Earns Devoted Fans

My ALLi author guest this episode is EJ Fisch, a science-fiction author who spent fifteen years working on a series that merges sci-fi with mystery and thriller in a combination that has earned her devoted fans. Her writing journey began with role-playing games, then she transferred those stories to self-published books, which she also designs herself.

Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Mark McGuinness. Poet Helps Creative People Discover Their Own Voices

My ALLi author guest this episode is Mark McGuinness, a poet who also writes books and hosts podcasts about how creative people can get over blocks in their productivity, motivation, and resilience, among other factors that can get in their way. Mark says his career as a poet and a creative coach employ the same kind of ability to listen carefully to language.

Inspirational Indie Author Interview: KC Savage. Romance Author Cures Her Own Shyness Through ‘Scandalous’ Stories

My ALLi author guest this episode writes books that seem ideal for this summer beach-reading season. She is KC Savage, a romance author who decided to shake things up a little bit in her life by writing scandalous stories of cheating and reverse age gap relationships. And along the way, she discovered that publishing these books began to cure her own shyness.