AI is the hot-button topic for authors nowadays.

Lawyer Samantha Bradshaw discusses how authors can protect their work in the age of AI, especially now that large language models (LLMs) have been given the legal go-ahead to train on copyrighted work.

If you have AI concerns, this episode is for you.

Court case mentioned in this episode:

• JURISTnews: US federal judge issues landmark ruling on AI copyright law

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What to do next…

• Sell your eBooks direct with Curios (keep 100% of sales) - Affiliate Link
• Take the 60 Day Novel Writing Challenge for FREE (Full Playlist Coming in October)
• Work with members of the Tally Ink Author Services Team
• Read Colleen's clean YA portal fantasy series (The Chronicles of Talahm)
• Read Halie's YA fantasy series (Secrets of the Tally)
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

What are tropes? Do we need them, and if so, how do we use them?

Tropes are popular in marketing books right now, but the reality is we all use tropes in our writing whether we realize it or not.

Listen in for an overview of tropes, whether you need to use them intentionally in your writing, how to use them in marketing, and what to avoid.

I also list examples of books and films with various tropes across five popular genres.

Resource: Jennifer Hilt's Trope Thesaurus

Send us a text

What to do next…

• Sell your eBooks direct with Curios (keep 100% of sales) - Affiliate Link
• Take the 60 Day Novel Writing Challenge for FREE (Full Playlist Coming in October)
• Work with members of the Tally Ink Author Services Team
• Read Colleen's clean YA portal fantasy series (The Chronicles of Talahm)
• Read Halie's YA fantasy series (Secrets of the Tally)
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

Ever thought of submitting your novel to a review magazine?

Clean Fiction Magazine reviews both Christian and secular novels for free!

Check out this interview with Amy Lynn McConahy, author and publisher of Clean Fiction Magazine.

Send us a text

What to do next…

• Sell your eBooks direct with Curios (keep 100% of sales) - Affiliate Link
• Take the 60 Day Novel Writing Challenge for FREE (Full Playlist Coming in October)
• Work with members of the Tally Ink Author Services Team
• Read Colleen's clean YA portal fantasy series (The Chronicles of Talahm)
• Read Halie's YA fantasy series (Secrets of the Tally)
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

Are you falling into any of these common mistakes with naming characters?

From too many names starting with the same letter, to your MC "Bob Smith" accidentally becoming an NPC, this episode will help you identify whether you need to change up some character names.

Send us a text

What to do next…

• Sell your eBooks direct with Curios (keep 100% of sales) - Affiliate Link
• Take the 60 Day Novel Writing Challenge for FREE (Full Playlist Coming in October)
• Work with members of the Tally Ink Author Services Team
• Read Colleen's clean YA portal fantasy series (The Chronicles of Talahm)
• Read Halie's YA fantasy series (Secrets of the Tally)
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

How do authors find reputable freelancers?

We've all heard the horror stories (or experienced them ourselves) about being ripped off or ghosted, the work not being acceptable, or that the "freelancer" fabricated their qualifications.

Fortunately, it IS possible to find (and verify) reputable freelancers.

Collin Smith, a freelance graphic designer for indies, joins me to talk about just that, and shares red flags to watch out for in our searches.

Links Mentioned in This Episode:
Email: collinsmithcreative@gmail.com
Instagram: @collinsmithcreative
Website: collinsmithcreative.com
Christian Writers Market Guide: https://christianwritersmarketguide.com/

Send us a text

What to do next…

• Sell your eBooks direct with Curios (keep 100% of sales) - Affiliate Link
• Take the 60 Day Novel Writing Challenge for FREE (Full Playlist Coming in October)
• Work with members of the Tally Ink Author Services Team
• Read Colleen's clean YA portal fantasy series (The Chronicles of Talahm)
• Read Halie's YA fantasy series (Secrets of the Tally)
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

These are the top 4 lessons I learned going to the Realm Makers Conference in July 2025.

Realm Makers is a conference and community for Christian Speculative Fiction writers which has been going for more than ten years.

Learn more about Realm Makers at https://www.realmmakers.com/

Send us a text

What to do next…

• Sell your eBooks direct with Curios (keep 100% of sales) - Affiliate Link
• Take the 60 Day Novel Writing Challenge for FREE (Full Playlist Coming in October)
• Work with members of the Tally Ink Author Services Team
• Read Colleen's clean YA portal fantasy series (The Chronicles of Talahm)
• Read Halie's YA fantasy series (Secrets of the Tally)
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

What's the deal with author newsletters? Do you really need one before you release your book?

The answer is ABSOLUTELY YES. Author newsletters are data-backed as the number 1 way to reach your audience.

Listen in for 3 major reasons to start your author newsletter today, even if you only email once a month.

Send us a text

What to do next…

• Sell your eBooks direct with Curios (keep 100% of sales) - Affiliate Link
• Take the 60 Day Novel Writing Challenge for FREE (Full Playlist Coming in October)
• Work with members of the Tally Ink Author Services Team
• Read Colleen's clean YA portal fantasy series (The Chronicles of Talahm)
• Read Halie's YA fantasy series (Secrets of the Tally)
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

What are the self-publishing options available to indie authors?

This is the third and last of three episodes unpacking the variety of ways authors can set themselves up for success with indie publishing.

This episode dives into the differences between direct and indirect sales.

Your author business will ultimately consist of a system that integrates most if not all the platforms and formats. Start simple and work your way up!

Send us a text

What to do next…

• Sell your eBooks direct with Curios (keep 100% of sales) - Affiliate Link
• Take the 60 Day Novel Writing Challenge for FREE (Full Playlist Coming in October)
• Work with members of the Tally Ink Author Services Team
• Read Colleen's clean YA portal fantasy series (The Chronicles of Talahm)
• Read Halie's YA fantasy series (Secrets of the Tally)
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts