In this conversation with long-time journalist, author, and writing coach Ann Byle, she provided us with some industry analysis, career advice, and some opinionated takes on relevant themes, particularly getting creative in modern Christian publishing.

The publishing landscape is definitely changing, so she shared the difference between vanity and custom publishing and noted that as part of her work covering Publishers Weekly’s religion section, custom-published books are earning more genuine respect in the marketplace.

Connections are still king and take time, but with some "chicken scratch creativity," you can build a career that lasts.

Ann Byle is at annbylewriter.com

Her book is Chicken Scratch: Lessons on Living Creatively from a Flock of Hens

Religion Book Line newsletter is at PublishersWeekly.com

Publishing Disrupted is at PublishingDisrupted.substack.com

Mick Silva is at MickSilvaEditing.substack.com

David Morris is at dvdmorris.substack.com, LakeDriveBooks.com, and Hyponymous.com.

As snow falls outside the window in Grand Rapids we decided it was finally time to share how our personal faith journeys have been disrupted and how that's affected our deep engagement with the material we edit, represent, and publish.

As former Christian publishing professionals, we once assented to certain beliefs. But we currently land in a very different place. And we know we’re not alone.

Whether your faith disruption is minor or you've identified some religious trauma, we hope you'll feel welcome to explore this topic with us and recognize something of yourself in this growing community of misfits we work with and publish for.

If you've stepped away from organized religion, the shift is personal and profound. But leaving one community shouldn't mean losing community entirely. Amidst our shifting identities (and judgment from others), writing and reading new books helps us more deeply appreciate unanswered questions and develop critical thinking.

If you recognize the strength in a diversity of voices, perspectives, and experiences and want to go deeper together, we hope you'll come along.

Publishing Disrupted is at PublishingDisrupted.substack.com

Mick Silva is at MickSilvaEditing.substack.com

David Morris is at dvdmorris.substack.com, LakeDriveBooks.com, and Hyponymous.com.

So glad to have author and writing coach Jeff Elkins on Publishing Disrupted!

What do you do when the education or job you worked so hard for no longer fits the life you’re living?

In this episode of Publishing Disrupted, Mick Silva and David Morris are joined by novelist, writing coach, and Dialogue Doctor founder Jeff Elkins for an honest conversation about vocation, disruption, and creative reinvention.

Jeff’s story spans theological training, fifteen years as a successful pastor, an exit from church systems, and a gradual rebuilding of professional identity through writing, teaching, and community-building. Today, Jeff works in organizational training, runs a learning community for writers, and continues to publish fiction on his own terms.

Together, we talk about:
– Leaving professions that once gave meaning and identity
– Writing as a practice of presence, not just production
– How independent fiction publishing actually works in today’s marketplace
– Why community may matter more than algorithms

This episode isn’t just about publishing. It’s about passion, profession, and learning to build a creative life amid disruption.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts or over at publishingdisrupted.substack.com.

Find Jeff Elkins at https://jeffelkinswriter.com/ and https://dialoguedoctor.com/

Publishing Disrupted is at PublishingDisrupted.substack.com

Mick Silva is at MickSilvaEditing.substack.com

David Morris is at dvdmorris.substack.com, LakeDriveBooks.com, and Hyponymous.com.

What are we doing, where are we going, and will they have snacks there? David and I talked some about our aims for this podcast, and how we (still) don't want to try to boil things down to five takeaways, or share advice much. Mainly, we love exploring fresh takes, and sharing about humans we're excited about.

Toward that end, we discussed whether there's room for "books that don't do anything," and an idea about how writers might be better served by embracing a writing life rather than worrying too much about SEO and book sales.

We shared some ideas and wants for season two, and finished with a couple of our favorite books. Look forward to sharing more disruptiveness in the New Year!

Publishing Disrupted is at PublishingDisrupted.substack.com

Mick Silva is at MickSilvaEditing.substack.com

David Morris is at dvdmorris.substack.com, LakeDriveBooks.com, and Hyponymous.com.

Warning! One unnamed host (who knows who he is) used some choice phrasing that may strip the grease stains out of your earbuds. Our genteel, refined listeners and sensitive types are advised to find a different episode.

That said, this one got real. Très piquant! So, you know, don't listen with your kids in the car. And probably don't recommend it to Aunt Darla, who already thinks you're a heathen for watching R-rated movies. In fact, don't listen to it at all. There's nothing here you can't live without. Not a single takeaway of note. Really, we'd recommend something more, you know, edifying.

But if you're not put off by such debased verbiage, or if you're just curious what "getting out of the box" means, or what even is the box and who's telling us what boxes we should be in now, and what's going on? Then you're probably going to have to listen. Just don't come whining to us later.

For bolder, blunt writers and publishing types who feel beaten down, or who long for some honest truth, and/or a different kind of supportive, generous community, please enjoy freely. And please direct all hate mail to Aunt Darla.

Publishing Disrupted is at PublishingDisrupted.substack.com

Mick Silva is at MickSilvaEditing.substack.com

David Morris is at dvdmorris.substack.com, LakeDriveBooks.com, and Hyponymous.com.

Author and poet Marla Taviano knows what it's like when publishing chews you up and spits you out. After four Christian books went out of print despite editors calling her writing "brilliant," she reinvented herself through indie publishing, daily content creation, and radical generosity.

In this conversation, Marla shares how she followed Rachel Held Evans' blueprint of elevating marginalized writers, connecting young Black pastor Trey Ferguson with Lake Drive Books, and championing authors of color. She talks about five years of posting daily with minimal engagement before something finally shifted, her Frog and Toad poem art, and why there's no hack—just showing up every day because you love it.

This episode is about abundance over scarcity, collaboration over competition, and trusting that generosity creates more than fear ever could.

Enjoy the video of this episode here.

Bio: Marla Taviano is into books, love, justice, globes, anti-racism, blue, gray, rainbows, and poems. She reads and writes for a living, wears her heart on her t-shirts, and is on a mission/quest/journey to live wholefarted (not a typo). She’s the author of unbelieve: poems on the journey to becoming a heretic, jaded: a poetic reckoning with white evangelical christian indoctrination, whole: poems on reclaiming the pieces of ourselves and creating something new, and other books. She lives in South Carolina with her four freaking awesome kids and two adorable cats. Find out more at marlataviano.com.

Publishing Disrupted is at PublishingDisrupted.substack.com

Mick Silva is at MickSilvaEditing.substack.com

David Morris is at dvdmorris.substack.com, LakeDriveBooks.com, and Hyponymous.com.

Publishing has been disrupted. There’s now a better way for the vast majority of authors. In this episode, David and I get into the biggest problems with traditional publishing: consolidatation, huge overhead, low royalties, and unearned advances. Much recent evidence bears out the fact that for the vast majority of newer and mid-level authors, big publishing is simply no longer built to serve them.

Meanwhile, there's a better hybrid model that partners with authors' upfront investment to create organic, sustainable, and long-term sales, book after book. Listen in as I ask David about the significant benefits and strategic differences at Lake Drive Books.

Publishing Disrupted is at PublishingDisrupted.substack.com

Mick Silva is at MickSilvaEditing.substack.com

David Morris is at dvdmorris.substack.com, LakeDriveBooks.com, and Hyponymous.com.

For too long, publishing professionals, ourselves included, have been chasing the largest possible audiences. But in this episode we tried to take our experience and apply some finer lenses to focus on the far-more diverse independent market.

We dug into some new research about book readers and their preferences, and discussed the common biases of highbrow and lowbrow book culture. While not immediately obvious, this distinction may offer more helpful way to understand why fiction is dominated by genres, and also why it's such a struggle to find books and book communities that transcend those familiar marketing categories.

Links to the readings mentioned:

"The Omnivore Dilemma," by Laura B. McGrath: substack.com/home/post/p-176741258

"The Publishing Industry Has a Gambling Problem," by Tajja Isen: TheWalrus.ca/the-publishing-industry-has-a-gambling-problem/

"Freedom Without Belonging: The American Spiritual Predicament," by David Morris: dvdmorris.substack.com/p/freedom-without-belonging-the-american

Publishing Disrupted is at PublishingDisrupted.substack.com

Mick Silva is at MickSilvaEditing.substack.com

David Morris is at dvdmorris.substack.com, LakeDriveBooks.com, and Hyponymous.com.