The Creating Pros Podcast

When the pandemic struck in 2020, The Internet Archive launched the National Emergency Library program. Which then set into motion a lawsuit by Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, John Wiley & Sons, and Penguin Random House accusing the Internet Archive of "mass copyright infringement."
The finding of the court is in, and this may direct the next phase of copyright law in the digital age, affecting users, publishers, and creators.
This is one for which I have mixed emotions, but I agree with the court. What will happen in the appeals? Will it bankrupt the Internet Archive?

Myth is the foundation of society, culture, and our belief systems. As creators and storytellers, we depend on and build upon the stories that came before us. As creators and business owners, myth is an important part of creating not only work, but our brands. Find out how you can use the power of myth to build your brand, your reputation, and how you can set off in your own journey!

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of being on a panel at Jordancon about the influence of STEM and STEAM programs on science fiction, and how fiction can inspire new technologies. This week, I dive into the benefit of STEAM programs, and the importance of arts and creativity for those in the science and technology fields, and how improving your hard skills can benefit you as a creative.

I do a lot of events - sci-fi and fantasy cons, business and technology conventions, workshops, and more. I get a lot of questions - how do they work, what are the benefits of doing them, and is it really worth it? It can be a lot of time, money, and resources. I'll talk through the top ten reasons I do them, and how you can decide if it's right for you! 

Do you know the old quote, "Information wants to be free."As creators, and business owners, we're always looking to balance how and where to spend resources - from creating to marketing, and building our brands, there's a lot of tools out there. What does it mean to use these "free" resources? And what has this meant for our fans and customers?Find out what the quote really meant, and how you can navigate the big upcoming changes!

I got a chance to meet sociology professor Tanya Cook and clinical psychologist Kaela Joseph on Hot Off The Press with their release of Fandom Acts of Kindness: A Heroic Guide to Activism, Advocacy, and Doing Chaotic Good, and needed to dive deeper. Their work takes a deep view of the value of community through fandom, and how it can serve to help one person with a life saving transplant, create social movements, or even save thousands of lives in a crisis.

Every business has it's tools, especially creative ones.
There's a set that every business needs, especially creative ones.
This mini workshop kicks off looking at a few of the main ones everyone needs, including commercial and open source (free) options!

In the few months since Chat GPT hit the public consciousness, a lot has changed. Business, creators, and the publishing industry are responding. In the conferences, conventions, and industry meetings I've been in the last few months, this has been the top point of conversation.
I'll run through what I'm seeing, hearing, and how you can expect things to continue to change!

Just home from teaching workshops at the SAGA writer's convention. I brought home a lot of great experiences and conversations. One of the workshops I taught was on pitch sessions, and how to pitch your book in query letters to agents and publishers. In this week's mini-workshop, we cover the big points, and some of the questions that came up over the weekend.
 
The session was recorded, and we plan to make it available soon!

It's another mini-workshop. Over the weekend, I was teaching a business fundamentals workshop for a writers group, and after, a few of us had a deeper conversation about managing money as an author, and the power of understanding cash flows. This week, I give a recap of the discussion, discuss the power of cash flow, and how you can calculate it.