Big Gay Author Podcast
70 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 13 ratingsFollow along with hosts Jeff Adams and Will Knauss as they attempt to make the transition from part-time, to full-time authors of gay fiction. Celebrate their successes and learn from their mistakes, as they detail each step of their author journeys. Look for new episodes each Saturday.
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Episodes
Bonus Episode: "Content for Everyone" with Jeff Adams & Michele Lucchini
February 27, 2023 08:00 - 41 minutes - 61.2 MBIn this special episode, Jeff talks about his new non-fiction book "Content for Everyone: A Practical Guide for Creative Entrepreneurs to Produce Accessible and Usable Web Content" along with his co-author Michele Lucchini. Jeff and Michele discuss why they wrote the book, why it's important to create accessible content for websites, emails and social media posts, and the actions authors and other creatives can take to improve what they are posting to the web. Complete show notes for this ...
Ep 66: So Long For Now... Plus Q&A with Daryl Banner and J. Thorn
September 30, 2020 07:02 - 28 minutes - 30 MBThe guys open the show with the announcement that this podcast is going on an extended hiatus. The episode continues with question and answer sessions featuring authors Daryl Banner and J. Thorn. Complete shownotes for episode 66 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 65: Q&A with Jesi Lea Ryan and L.C. Rosen
September 30, 2020 07:01 - 26 minutes - 28.3 MBAuthors Jesi Lea Ryan and L.C. Rosen join us for a round of question and answers this week, giving us a peek at why they write, how they write and what some of their mistakes and successes have been. Complete shownotes for episode 65 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 64: Q&A with Xio Axelrod, TM Smith and Davidson King
September 30, 2020 07:00 - 20 minutes - 22.2 MBIn this episode, authors Xio Axelrod, TM Smith and Davidson King do a round of questions and answers with us, offering insights into their individual author careers. Complete shownotes for episode 64 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 63: Q&A with Clare London and E. Davies
September 23, 2020 07:01 - 25 minutes - 27.3 MBClare London and E. Davies join us for a round of questions and answers, offering insights into their different author journeys. Complete shownotes for episode 63 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 62: Daniel Willcocks on Short Stories and Serialized Fiction
September 23, 2020 07:00 - 15 minutes - 17.5 MBDaniel Willcocks talks to Will about his experience and strategy for short stories and serialized fiction. Complete shownotes for episode 62 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 61: Autumn Challenge & Author Tech
September 16, 2020 07:00 - 26 minutes - 28.3 MBJeff talks about technology discoveries he's made this week with Authors A.I. and the Apple Pencil. Will lays out his plans for an autumn challenge and invites listeners to join in. Complete shownotes for episode 61 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 60: Q&A with Helen Juliet
September 09, 2020 07:00 - 25 minutes - 26.6 MBAs we settle into our new home on Wednesdays, we’ve got an author Q&A with Helen Juliet. Helen also writes as HJ Welch and here we talk about why she writes, the support she’s received from the m/m romance community, working on shared universes and why she unpublished her first book. Complete shownotes for episode 60 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 59: Holiday Reading & Podcast Recommendations
September 05, 2020 18:16 - 6 minutes - 9.58 MBFor the U.S. Labor Day weekend, we've got a short episode that features a special announcement! Big Gay Author Podcast is moving to Wednesday. Will also has some book and podcast recommendations for your weekend, including Make Noise by Eric Nuzum as well as episodes of Stark Reflection Podcast, Six Figure Authors Podcast and Great Writer's Share Podcast. Complete shownotes for episode 59 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 58: "Next Level" Q&A with Daniel Willcocks and Sacha Black
August 29, 2020 17:54 - 36 minutes - 37.3 MBAfter Jeff gives an update on his Christmas novel and says farewell to The Writer's Well Podcast, the guys welcome Daniel Willcocks and Sacha Black for a round of Q&A. We find out why they write, steps they took to become full time authors and they also share a mistake and a success that they've learned from. Complete shownotes for episode 58 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 57: LaQuette Part 2: Historicals & Why Critical Lens Work is Important to the Romance Industry
August 22, 2020 07:00 - 31 minutes - 32.7 MBIn the second part of our interview with author LaQuette about her Critical Lens workshop, she discusses historicals, why this class is valuable for reviewers and readers as well as the importance of normalizing marginalized characters in the romance genre. Complete shownotes for episode 57 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 56: LaQuette Discusses Writing and Reading Through a Critical Lens
August 15, 2020 18:58 - 48 minutes - 48 MBIn part one of our interview with author LaQuette, we discuss her Critical Lens workshop. The class is designed to teach authors, reviewers and readers how to use literary criticism to view your own work, or the books you're reading, through an alternative lens. For authors this can provide critical insight into alternative perspectives that can help you identify and eliminate problematic and harmful content before you publish. Complete shownotes for episode 56 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast....
Ep 55: Scene Analysis with J. Thorn
August 01, 2020 18:57 - 55 minutes - 54.1 MBAuthor and podcaster J. Thorn talks with Jeff about the recent Supercharge Your Scene Challenge, where J. laid out his approach to scenes. J. walks through the worksheet and scene that Jeff submitted for the challenge, which provides valuable insight into scene structure. Jeff and J. also discuss J's podcasts, the events he puts on and what got him into working with authors on craft. Programming note: We're taking next week off. We'll be back with a new episode on August 15. Complete sho...
Ep 54: Sacha Black's "Anatomy of Prose"
July 25, 2020 18:51 - 28 minutes - 29.8 MBAuthor and podcaster Sacha Black joins us to talk about The Anatomy of Prose: 12 Steps to Sensational Sentences, which is the latest book in her Better Writers series. Sacha also discusses what led her to kicking off the series with a book on villains and how she knew she was ready to write non-fiction books. Complete shownotes for episode 54 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 53: Tropes & Shared Universes with E. Davies
July 18, 2020 18:26 - 39 minutes - 39.4 MBAuthor E. Davies joins us this week to talk about the market research he does focused on best selling tropes and how that influences his books. He also discusses shared universes, including insights on what it takes to manage one and guidance for authors who want to join one. Complete shownotes for episode 53 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 52: Collaboration with Daniel Willcocks
July 11, 2020 18:04 - 35 minutes - 36.5 MBJeff shares his progress on Camp NaNoWriMo and looks at the first quarter of sales data for Keeping Kyle. Jeff and Will talk with Daniel Willcocks about his new book Collaboration for Authors: A Complete Guide to Collaborating, Finding a Partner, and Accelerating Your Author Career. Daniel talks about his own collaborations, as well as what he learned from the authors he collected case studies from and the importance of the word "no." Complete shownotes for episode 52 are at BigGayAuthorP...
Ep 51: Podcast Fiction with Lauren Shippen
July 04, 2020 18:41 - 29 minutes - 30.5 MBThe guys kick off with a brief recap of last week, including the release of the Heart2Heart anthology, and what Jeff's been up to with Camp NaNoWriMo and the Critical Lens class he just started taking. Jeff talks with author and podcaster Lauren Shippen about podcast fiction. Lauren's written and produced several shows, going back to 2015 with The Bright Sessions, and she offers some guidance for authors who might be considering working in the podcast format. Complete shownotes for episode...
Ep 50: Story Structure Part 4
June 27, 2020 20:42 - 36 minutes - 37.1 MBThe guys kick off with a recap of the past week, including recording an interview with Daniel Willcocks, an interesting invitation from J. Thorn and details on a class Jeff is taking during July. The discussion of story structure concludes with a look at the "Fighting for Love" section of Gwen Hayes's Romancing the Beat. Complete shownotes for episode 50 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 49: Story Structure Part 3
June 20, 2020 21:06 - 25 minutes - 27.3 MBJeff talks about his experience last week with J. Thorn's Supercharge Your Scene 5-Day Writing Challenge. Will recommends a recent episode of The Rebel Author Podcast where Sacha Black talked with Libbie Hawker about outlining. The discussion of story structure, based on Gwen Hayes's Romancing the Beat, continues with the "Retreating from Love" section. As always, Jeff shares the plot he's developed for these story beats. Complete shownotes for episode 49 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 48: Story Structure Part 2
June 13, 2020 23:35 - 31 minutes - 32.3 MBJeff recommends the latest episode of Rachael Herron's How Do You Write? He also talks briefly about J. Thorn's Supercharge Your Scene 5-Day Writing Challenge, which he will take part in next week. The guys continue their discussion on story structure with the "Falling in Love" phase from Gwen Hayes's Romancing the Beat. Jeff wraps up the show by sharing the plot points he's developed for those beats in his Christmas story. Complete shownotes for episode 48 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 47: Story Structure Part 1
June 06, 2020 20:51 - 33 minutes - 34.6 MBAfter Jeff reveals the details on the anthology project he's been alluding to over the past few weeks, Will dives into a discussion on story structure, specifically The Set Up phase described in Gwen Hayes's Romancing the Beat. After reviewing the elements of that phase, they talk about it in action through a couple of stories and Jeff gets into the Set Up he's working on for his Christmas story. Complete shownotes for episode 47 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 46: Preparing for CampNaNoWriMo Plus Q&A with Victoria Lee
May 30, 2020 19:04 - 29 minutes - 30.9 MBJeff & Will reveal their Christmas in July project. It starts in June with creating characters, deciding on tropes and using Gwen Hayes's Romancing the Beats to outline a Christmas story that they'll write during Camp NaNoWriMo in July. The guys also have a Q&A session with author Victoria Lee. Complete shownotes for episode 46 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 45: Author Q&As with K.M. Neuhold and Nora Phoenix
May 23, 2020 19:36 - 34 minutes - 34.9 MBAfter a brief recap of their week, which included The Career Author Summit, Jeff and Will welcome K.M. Neuhold and Nora Phoenix for a Q&A session. Complete shownotes for episode 45 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 44: Reader Survey Data with Nora Phoenix
May 16, 2020 07:00 - 36 minutes - 37.1 MBNora Phoenix joins Jeff and Will to talk about the results of the survey she did of m/m romance readers. We talk about demographics, the huge amount of books readers consume as well as audiobooks, reviews, BookBub and social media platforms. Complete shownotes for episode 44 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 43: "Keeping Kyle" First Month Stats, Q&A with Jamie Sands
May 09, 2020 19:47 - 32 minutes - 33.7 MBJeff does a deep dive on the release of Keeping Kyle, looking at the expenses to create the book and its first month's earnings. He also compares it to his previous releases. Then Jamie Sands, who also writes under the pen names Jaxon Knight and Drake LaMarque, joins us for a Q& A session. Complete shownotes for episode 43 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 42: Q&A with Alice Archer and Emma Scott
May 02, 2020 18:47 - 30 minutes - 31.9 MBAfter an update on Jeff's writing and the week in general, the guys recommend the new podcast, Next Level Authors hosted by Daniel Willcocks and Sacha Black. Authors Alice Archer and Emma Scott each do a round of Q&A talking about their careers and offering advice to those just starting out. Complete shownotes for episode 42 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 41: PAGE Event Recap
April 25, 2020 19:28 - 22 minutes - 25.1 MBAfter an update on the past week, Jeff and Will recommend some podcasts and recap the PAGE author education. Complete shownotes for episode 41 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 40: Publishing Plus Panel Discussion
April 18, 2020 07:00 - 31 minutes - 33.1 MBJeff & Will present a panel discussion that was recorded during the Coastal Magic Convention from February 2020. The Publishing Plus panel featured authors Morgan Brice (aka Gail Z Martin), Jeaniene Frost, Sarah Nicolas (aka Aria Kane) and S.E. Smith in a discussion about the many ways for authors to share more of themselves and their stories with readers. Complete shownotes for episode 40 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 39: Release Week Recap Plus Q&A with Z.A. Maxfield
April 11, 2020 18:54 - 28 minutes - 30.4 MBJeff reviews the first four days of the Keeping Kyle release. They guys also have a Q&A session with author Z.A. Maxfield about what she's learned through her years in the business. Complete shownotes for episode 39 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 38: "Keeping Kyle" Release Update Plus Podcast & Blog Recommendations
April 04, 2020 23:08 - 26 minutes - 29 MBJeff updates everyone on his publishing activities for Keeping Kyle which releases on Tuesday. The guys also have some recommended listening and reading, including Joanna Penn's appearance on the Choose FI podcast, as well as a recent episode of The Misfits Guide to Writing Indie Romance, a blog post from Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and a video from Chris Fox. Complete shownotes for episode 38 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 37: Q&A with Mystery Writer Frank W. Butterfield
March 28, 2020 18:08 - 34 minutes - 36.2 MBJeff updates everyone on the Keeping Kyle release and recommends a recent episode of The Creative Penn with Austin Kleon. The guys note the passing of acclaimed playwright Terrence McNally and recommend the documentary on his life and work. Frank W. Butterfield answers questions about his writing process and career. Complete shownotes for episode 37 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 36: BookBub, Nora Phoenix Advice, Q&A with Meghan Maslow
March 21, 2020 21:02 - 33 minutes - 32.4 MBAfter discussing the state of the world, Jeff gives some updates on the ongoing release activities for Keeping Kyle. Will talks about BookBub Mastery by Nick Thacker and Nora Phoenix's appearance on 20 Books to 50k's Facebook channel talking about Seven Things for Successful Authors. Author Meghan Maslow also joins Jeff for a round of Q&A. Complete shownotes for episode 36 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 35: Q&A with Brent Hartinger
March 14, 2020 19:55 - 28 minutes - 27.2 MBJeff recaps his week, including the cover reveal for Keeping Kyle and the relaunch of his newsletter. Brent Hartinger talks about his career, including why he writes, how he wishes he'd picked a genre earlier in his career and his advice for those looking to have a career as a writer. Complete shownotes for episode 35 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 34: Joanna Penn's "Audio for Authors"
March 07, 2020 20:11 - 24 minutes - 24.2 MBWith 300 days left in 2020, Will talks about tackling the rest of the year while Jeff looks at his past week dealing with taxes (which provided some interesting insights) and the cover reveal for the "Kyle Project." The guys take a deep dive on the just released book Audio For Authors: Audiobooks, Podcasting, And Voice Technologies by Joanna Penn. Complete shownotes for episode 34 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 33: Find What Works for You, Q&A with Jordan Castillo Price
February 29, 2020 21:07 - 33 minutes - 32 MBJeff shares his progress on the Kyle Project. The guys talk about their trip to the Coastal Magic Convention. Will shares his takeaways from two podcasts he listened to, which further drove home the fact that authors have to do what works for them even if it's against the advice of the gurus. Jordan Castillo Price also does a round of Q&A. Complete shownotes for episode 33 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 32: Q&A with K.D. Edwards & TJ Klune
February 15, 2020 18:45 - 32 minutes - 31.3 MBAfter recapping their week, Jeff and Will have question and answer sessions with K.D. Edwards, author of the Tarot Sequence series, and TJ Klune, who this spring releases The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Extraordinaries. NOTE: The guys will be away next week for the Coastal Magic Convention, so the next episode will be February 29. Complete shownotes for episode 32 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 31: Developmental Edits, Paperbacks & Short Stories
February 08, 2020 19:57 - 26 minutes - 26.1 MBJeff talks about why he likes developmental edits and recommends a recent episode of How Do You Write? that focused on the similarities between writers and illustrators. He also goes more in-depth on the paperback production he's been doing. Will offers up an apology and clarification plus looks at two books on short stories. Complete shownotes for episode 31 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 30: PAGE Event Updates from Lucy Lennox
February 01, 2020 19:37 - 36 minutes - 34.6 MBJeff & Will offer updates on their past week, including paperback releases, writing updates and progress on goals in January. Jeff also recommends recent episodes of The Creative Penn, which continued the discussion on the power authors have over their work, and Smart Podcast, Trashy Books, which took a deep dive into the issues surrounding Romance Writers of America. Lucy Lennox returns to the podcast to update everyone on the upcoming PAGE author education event, which will be held April...
Ep 29: Publishing News, Author Power, Q&A with A.E. Ryecart
January 25, 2020 22:03Jeff updates everyone on the publishing tasks he's accomplished in the past week. Will discusses the power that authors can wield. Author A.E. Ryecart joins the guys for a Q&A on her author journey. Complete shownotes for episode 29 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 29: Publishing News, Author Power, Q&A with A.E. Ryecart
January 25, 2020 22:03Jeff updates everyone on the publishing tasks he's accomplished in the past week. Will discusses the power that authors can wield. Author A.E. Ryecart joins the guys for a Q&A on her author journey. Complete shownotes for episode 29 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 28: Q&A with L.A. Witt, Gregory Ashe, Layla Reyne and Rachael Herron
January 18, 2020 19:22 - 30 minutes - 29.9 MBAfter the weekly update, the guys play Q&A with L.A. Witt, Gregory Ashe, Layla Reyne and Rachael Herron. Each author talks about why they write, their processes and offers advice to those starting out. Complete shownotes for episode 28 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 27: Things, Knowing When to Stop & Book Birthdays
January 11, 2020 22:04 - 29 minutes - 28.9 MBJeff & Will talk about an array of topics after Jeff provides his weekly progress update. They talk about how they are setting up habits and unbreakable chains so far in 2020. Will talks about a new podcast that almost got started, prompting a discussion about when is the right time to pull the plug on a project. There are also more podcast suggestions this week covering Romancing Your Brand, FI, learning from other authors' 2019 reviews and celebrating book birthdays. Complete shownotes f...
Ep 26: Publishing Update, Tackling 2020, Podcast Recs
January 04, 2020 20:21 - 27 minutes - 26.4 MBJeff kicks off the week discussing how revisions are going on his current project. He also discusses a successful battle to get audiobook rights reverted, and the progress he's making on re-publishing. Jeff & Will also discuss how they're approaching 2020. Will wraps up the show with three podcast episodes that are chock full of information authors can use in the new year. Complete shownotes for episode 26 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
BONUS: A Tale of Expired Produce
December 26, 2019 18:49 - 4 minutes - 5.84 MBWe know we said we were taking the holiday off, but we felt recent events concerning gay romance (and the entire genre as a whole) needed to be addressed. In this mini-episode, we discuss the current uncertainty and offer suggestions on how to best move forward in 2020.
Ep 25: A Conversation About Teaching with Rachael Herron
December 21, 2019 16:45 - 36 minutes - 34.6 MBJeff & Will are joined by author, memoirist, podcaster and teacher (though perhaps facilitator is the better word) Rachael Herron. They talk about her 90 Days to Done class, which Jeff recently completed, along with the other classes she offers. We also find out how all of that fits into her writing life and how she knew she was ready to teach. Schedule note: Jeff & Will are taking next week off for the holidays. They'll be back January 4, 2020. Complete shownotes for episode 25 are at ...
Ep 24: Productivity in the Coming Year
December 14, 2019 22:59 - 24 minutes - 24.4 MBWill talks about several informative shows he listened to this week that are relevant to all authors, including Nora Phoenix talking with Craig Martelle about self marketing, The Writing Gals and their 2020 goals, the Choose FI Podcast featuring an interview with Atomic Habits author James Clear and the Ask Alli Podcast with Joanna Penn and Orna Ross talking about the past decade and what may come in 2020. Jeff & Will also discuss Joanna Penn's new book, Productivity for Authors, and the tip...
Ep 23: Classes, Contracts Plus Author Advice from BA Tortuga and Julia Talbot
December 07, 2019 19:10 - 25 minutes - 24.8 MBJeff wrapped up his 90 Days to Done class and Will started a course on writing holiday stories. Slade James's interview with audiobook narrator Kirt Graves on GayRomance.Show is discussed. Jeff talks about more things he's learned about contracts. Plus we hear from veteran gay romance authors BA Tortuga and Julia Talbot who have guidance for authors based on their careers. Complete shownotes for episode 23 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 22: NaNoWriMo Wraps Up Plus Author Advice from K.C. Burn, Marshall Thornton & Charlie Cochet
November 30, 2019 21:22 - 37 minutes - 35.9 MBIt's the end of NaNoWriMo and we wrap up with some final thoughts about how we did as well as a couple of our friends. Will talks about the book Get Paid!: Writing and Selling Erotica in 2019 by Lana Velvet. Authors K.C. Burn, Marshall Thornton and Charlie Cochet offer tips and advice for authors. Complete shownotes for episode 22 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 21: NaNoWriMo Continues, Re-release Strategies, Advice from Max Walker
November 23, 2019 20:15 - 27 minutes - 26.5 MBAs NaNoWriMo rolls on, Jeff & Will have updates on their progress and plans to finish the month. Jeff talks about the re-release strategies he's put in place for books he's preparing for Christmas time re-release. Max Walker discusses his author journey and advice for authors. Complete shownotes for episode 21 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.
Ep 20: NaNoWriMo at the Halfway Mark with Slade James
November 16, 2019 20:29 - 29 minutes - 28.7 MBNaNoWriMo has crossed the halfway point and we're talking with author and podcaster Slade James. He talks about his NaNo 2019 experience so far, the difference writing m/m romance as opposed to fantasy, plus he's got some tips for people who may not have started yet. Complete shownotes and the transcript for episode 20 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.