Today I’m talking with Australian author John Birmingham about his journey from the dizzying heights of the traditional publishing scene, to deciding to go indie and hybrid and his insights into how the publishing industry has changed. It’s an honest and really fascinating interview.
In the intro, I talk about how we can deal with the political upheaval, and how, as Toni Morrison says, “This is precisely the time when artists go to work.” (Quoted in Brain Pickings).
Plus David Gaughran's report on what Amazon cares about, and the latest KENP rate, which has dropped again. Remember, it's your choice to choose exclusivity or to go wide, but if you want a healthy long-term eco-system for writers and readers, then you need to support the other vendors.
This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors.
John Birmingham is an award winning and bestselling Australian author of science fiction, techno-thriller, crime, urban fantasy, memoir, and nonfiction. His latest nonfiction book is How to Be a Writer: Who Smashes Deadlines, Crushes Editors and Lives in a Solid Gold Hovercraft.
You can listen above or on iTunes or Stitcher or watch the video here, read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and full transcript below.
Show Notes

* How John got his start in publishing and what the industry was like then

* Why John went hybrid in 2016

* The type of author that makes money as an indie

* Tips on marketing books in Australia and changes to the print market there

* Advice from John's new book, How To Be A Writer

You can find John at JBIsMyMasterNow.com and on Twitter @JohnBirmingham

Transcript of Interview with John Birmingham
Joanna: Hi, everyone. I'm Joanna Penn from thecreativepenn.com, and today I'm here with John Birmingham. Hi, John. Welcome to the show.
John: How are you doing? It's been a while.
Joanna: I know. Well thanks for coming on. Just a little introduction.
John is an award winning and bestselling Australian author of science fiction, techno-thriller, crime, urban fantasy, memoir, and nonfiction. His latest nonfiction book is “How to Be a Writer: Who Smashes Deadlines,