H.J. Chammas is the founder of Authority Publishing, a full-service publishing, promotion, and monetization platform for coaches, consultants, and experts who want to use a book to build their authority and grow their business. After leaving a successful corporate career and becoming financially independent through real estate, H.J. invested $65,000 in a traditional publishing deal that flopped — and used that painful experience to reverse-engineer what actually works. He has since helped authors across the Middle East and beyond turn their books into platforms, leads, and high-ticket client pipelines.

In this episode:

• H.J.'s $65,000 publishing mistake — and the mindset shift that turned everything around

• Why chasing royalties is the wrong goal, and what to chase instead

• How to research your audience, competitors, and keywords before writing a single word

• The tools H.J. uses for Amazon research: SEMrush, KDP Rocket, and Helium 10

• What separates an authority book from a generic collection of ideas

• Three approaches to writing your book: ready manuscript, interview-based transcription, or ghost writing

• Why AI-written books are getting flagged on Amazon — and what to use AI for instead

• The right way to launch a book: why big spike launches are vanity publishing in disguise

• How Amazon ads work as a long-term strategy, not a short-term sales tool

• Why social media rarely works for nonfiction authors — and what LinkedIn outreach actually delivers

• The publish, promote, monetize framework: how Authority Publishing works with authors from manuscript to ongoing client acquisition

• What to bring to your first conversation with H.J. — and why clarity on your niche comes before everything else

Resources mentioned:

• Authority Publishing: https://authority-publishing.com/

• SEMrush (keyword research): semrush.com

• KDP Rocket / Publisher Rocket: publisherrocket.com

• Helium 10 (Amazon research): helium10.com

• LinkedIn (recommended platform for nonfiction authors): linkedin.com

Connect with H.J. Chammas:

• Website: authority-publishing.com

• LinkedIn: H.J. Chammas

• Free book:

Connect with Teddy Smith:
@teddyagsmith
Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com

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Jo Blackwell is a writer, podcaster, researcher, and personal brand builder whose work centers on helping women over 50 rethink aging. After raising four children, navigating perimenopause, and spending 14 years as a professional portrait and brand photographer, Jo founded the Midlife Movement in 2018 to share the latest science on aging — challenging the outdated cultural narratives that tell women their best years are behind them. Her books include Oh Crap, I'm 50, 50 Facing 50 (a BBC-featured photography project), and her most recent release Aging Wonderfully Well. She hosts the Midlife and Beyond podcast and publishes regularly on YouTube and Substack.

In this episode:

• How perimenopause and depression led Jo to start writing again — and how a blog became a book and a movement
• Why building a personal brand before publishing made a measurable difference in book sales
• The "grandmotherly vibe" lesson: why leaning into who you actually are is the most powerful branding strategy
• How Jo uses YouTube and Substack as a content loop — and why she stopped trying to make Facebook work
• Using audience comments, YouTube polls, and Facebook group data to decide what books to write next
• How to overcome the fear of putting yourself out there, especially as an older woman
• Practical advice for starting a personal brand after 50: platform selection, content planning, and setting your own boundaries
• The right way to use AI in your writing process — as an editor and sounding board, not a content generator
• What's inside Aging Wonderfully Well: self-ageism, perimenopause, brain research, and the science of becoming
• Why Jo says she's never been happier than in her 60s — and what that means for women who think it's too late to start

Resources mentioned:

• Substack (platform for newsletters and audio): substack.com
• YouTube (Jo's video platform): youtube.com
• Pinterest (used as a visual search engine): pinterest.com
• LinkedIn (for collaboration): linkedin.com
• Riverside (podcast recording tool): riverside.fm

Book Recommendations:

• Aging Wonderfully Well by Jo Blackwell
• Oh Crap, I'm 50: Journey from Fearful to Fabulous by Jo Blackwell

Connect with Jo Blackwell:

• Website: joblackwell.co.uk
• Youtube :https://www.youtube.com/@JoBlackwell-MidlifeAndBeyond
• Podcast: https://joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com/podcast
  
  

Connect with Teddy Smith:
@teddyagsmith
Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com

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Robert Moutal is the founder of Cover Design App, an AI-powered tool that helps independent publishers create professional, market-ready book covers using principles from semiotics, color theory, and design psychology. A publishing coach with a master's degree in semiotics and communication, Robert has personally published more than 60–70 books and built Cover Design App to solve the exact problems he saw holding self-publishers back: poor typography, bad stock imagery, and covers that failed to communicate genre at a glance.

In this episode:

• Why book covers have a bigger impact on Amazon sales than most authors realize — and the 3-second rule every self-publisher needs to know
• The most common cover mistakes self-publishers make, including bad stock images, cramming too many elements, and typography errors
• How Cover Design App uses semiotics and psychology — not just aesthetics — to build covers that actually perform
• Color theory for book covers: what each color communicates to readers and why getting it wrong can tank your sales
• How the app's Market Intelligence feature analyzes competitor covers on Amazon to help you stand out within your genre
• The Thumbnail Test: why your cover must be readable at every size Amazon displays it
• A full step-by-step walkthrough of Cover Design App, from market research and design brief to generating variations, iterating, and exporting
• How to create a complete visual package — cover, author photo, A plus content, and Amazon description — in about 20 minutes
• Why A plus content is free advertising space inside your Amazon listing that too many authors are wasting
• How to edit existing designer covers inside the app, translate covers into other languages, and repurpose assets for a series

Resources mentioned:

• Cover Design App: coverdesignapp.com/Teddy (10% off forever with this link)
• Ideogram (AI image generation tool referenced for design): ideogram.ai
• Amazon KDP: kdp.amazon.com
• Fiverr (mentioned for comparison): fiverr.com
• Canva (mentioned as a common tool authors misuse): canva.com

Connect with Robert Moutal:

• Website & app: coverdesignapp.com
• Special discount link for listeners: coverdesignapp.com/Teddy (10% off forever)

Connect with Teddy Smith:
@teddyagsmith
Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com

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Kevin Anderson is the CEO, founder, and editor-in-chief of Kevin Anderson & Associates, one of the publishing industry's most respected ghost writing and editorial firms. With a team of former Big Five acquisitions editors, publishing executives, literary agents, and bestselling authors, his company has helped bring more than 7,000 books to life — producing around 500 titles per year. Their clients range from celebrities and Fortune 500 CEOs to first-time memoir writers with extraordinary stories to tell.

In this episode:

• How ghost writing actually works — and why it's a deeply collaborative process, not just writing from a prompt
• Why skilled ghost writers are nothing like AI: the role of empathy, intuition, and journalistic interview skill
• The types of clients who hire ghost writers: celebrity memoirs, business books, IP-based novels, and personal legacy pieces
• How Kevin Anderson & Associates structures every project, including kick-off meetings, ongoing Zoom interviews, beta testing, and cultural accuracy reviews
• Why defining your publishing goal before you write a single word is the most important first step
• The First Chapter Rule: why getting sign-off on one complete chapter before writing the rest saves enormous time and prevents costly mistakes
• Typical project timelines — from 6-week rush projects to the more standard 8–12 month engagement
• How ghost writing fiction differs from nonfiction, and why novels are actually harder to structure than business books
• What ghost writing costs — from entry-level ($20K+) to high-end ($500K+) — and what drives the price
• How to vet a ghost writer: what credentials to look for and red flags to avoid
• When ghost writing is NOT the right fit — and why a book coach or developmental editor might serve you better
• The inside story on some of Kevin's most fascinating projects, including the Five Nights at Freddy's novels and the Oz Perlman mentalism bestseller

Resources mentioned:

• Kevin Anderson & Associates website: https://kawriting.com
• Reedsy: https://reedsy.com

Connect with Kevin Anderson:

Website: kawriting.com

Connect with Teddy Smith:
@teddyagsmith
Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com

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Michael Stewart is the Community Lead at Sudowrite, an AI creative writing partner designed primarily for fiction writers. His background is in journalism and nonfiction writing, but he discovered his struggle with fiction perfectionism early on—unable to finish first chapters because everything needed to be perfect from the start. Sudowrite helped him accelerate past the "shitty first draft" phase to get to the editing work he loves. Michael works with a community of 16,000+ authors on Sudowrite's Discord server, leads 12 teachers rotating through daily live classes, and helps writers find their unique workflows with AI tools. He's passionate about ensuring authors remain essential to their creative process while using AI to eliminate tedium.

In this episode:

• AI democratizes writing access like personal computers did
• Romance authors accelerating from 6 to 200 books yearly
• Import Novel reads work nine times, builds Story Bible
• Story Bible catalogs characters, settings, synopsis, outline
• Write button generates 150-1,500 words as smart autocomplete
• Stuck locally vs structurally: two types of writing blocks
• Plugins ecosystem for niche workflow needs
• Chat feature more powerful than ChatGPT with full context
• Pedal assist metaphor: eliminate tedium, focus on what you love
• Character cards with Enneagram types and custom traits
• Characters Prompt the Author: role-play scenes through character eyes
• New editing tool in beta highlights passages with custom feedback
• Minimal involvement creates soulless, clichéd fiction
• Authors must remain essential to avoid generic AI writing

Resources mentioned:

• SudoWrite
• Join the SudoWrite Discord
• Book: "Steering the Craft" by Ursula K. Le Guin — for deepening craft skills
• Claude AI
• ChatGPT

Connect with Michael Stewart:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
  
  

Connect with Teddy Smith:
@teddyagsmith
Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com

Support the show

Discover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

Madeline Shue is the Publishing Lead at ElevenLabs, an AI audio platform founded in 2022 and based in London with approximately 400 employees worldwide. ElevenLabs builds AI audio models including text-to-speech, speech-to-text, music, and sound effects, bringing these innovations to consumers, creators, and enterprises globally. Madeline works specifically on everything related to authors, publishers, and audiobooks, helping creators who previously lacked resources or ability to reach global audiences share their stories in audio form. She manages the journey from manuscript to production, post-production, and distribution through ElevenLabs' audiobook products and their consumer app, Eleven Reader.

In this episode:

• ElevenLabs history: from 250-word text boxes to full audiobook production
• The first beta tester uploaded entire manuscripts 250 words at a time
• AI audio quality now indistinguishable from human narrators for many books
• 90% of published books don't have audiobook counterparts
• ElevenLabs Creative: new consolidated audiobook hub
• Two production options: Dynamic Narration (free) vs Original Audiobook
• Dynamic Narration: listeners choose from 500+ voices including Michael Caine
• Original Audiobook: full creative control, voice selection, editing capability
• Voice cloning: narrate your book in your own voice
• Audio drama creation: Zephyrus One sci-fi example with music and sound effects
• Judy Garland's voice clone narrating The Wizard of Oz
• 6,000+ voices in the library from real people who earn when voices are used
• Design custom voices with prompts for specific characters
• Voice library filters: trending voices, usage stats, genre collections
• Iconic voices: Albert Einstein, Michael Caine, Robert Reynolds
• Dual POV narration easy for romance with alternating voices
• Pronunciation dictionary for fantasy names, spells, unusual terms
• Direct speech feature: record how you want words pronounced
• Editing typically takes equivalent time to audiobook duration
• Free Dynamic Narration option takes 5-10 minutes to publish
• Quality requirements: proper formatting, no table of contents in audio
• Copyright ownership: you own everything you create with ElevenLabs
• Eleven Reader royalties: 25 cents per hour streamed, 60% on direct sales
• No exclusivity requirements on any platform
• Distribution integrations: Spotify, Findaway, direct MP3 download
• Production costs: $100-200 for full-length books ($10-20 per finished hour)
• Multicast auto-assignment or manual voice selection by highlighting text

Resources mentioned:

• ElevenLabs: elevenlabs.io
• ElevenCreative: https://elevenlabs.io/creative
• Contact: reader@elevenlabs.io

Connect with Madeline Shue and ElevenLabs:

• Email: reader@elevenlabs.io
• Facebook Group: Authors of Eleven Labs
• Website: elevenlabs.io
• Twitter: https://x.com/elevenlabsio

Connect with Teddy Smith:
@teddyagsmith
Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/

Support the show

Discover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

Walt Hampton is the Acquisitions Editor and Director of Marketing at Summit Press Publishing, where he reviews incoming manuscripts and helps authors do more than simply publish—he helps them get the book out into the world in a big way. Walt works with entrepreneurs and high-performing professionals to turn their books into keynotes, programs, coaching and consulting offers, and long-term marketing assets—because, as he puts it, it’s not about the book, it’s what you do with the book. In this conversation, Walt breaks down practical strategies for busy writers, including time blocking, reducing interruptions, reverse-engineering your writing sessions, and his six paths to finishing your book (from one-page-a-day all the way to ghostwriting).

In this episode:

• Walt’s dual role: acquisitions (reviewing manuscripts) + marketing (helping authors leverage the book)
• What makes Summit Press different: publishing + continued support long after launch
• Real examples of book leverage: building keynotes and high-ticket programs around the book
• Why publishing success requires long-term momentum (it’s a marathon, not a sprint)
• Time mastery for busy professionals: clarity of “why” + small consistent steps
• Time blocking: scheduling writing like client work (starting with just 1 hour/week)
• Reverse-engineering the process: define thesis/TOC/conclusion so each session has a purpose
• “Write the closing argument first”: drafting the conclusion early to create a destination
• Common time-wasters: phone proximity, alerts, and constant interruption
• Interruption science + attentional residue: why refocusing takes longer than you think
• Simple boundary systems: turning everything off + enrolling assistants/teams to protect focus time
• The “sticky note on the glass door” tactic for open-office interruptions
• Where AI helps (and where it hurts): great for brainstorming/themes + proofreading, bad for “soulless” manuscripts
• Final takeaway: begin imperfectly—editing comes later, but you can’t edit a blank page

Resources mentioned:

• Summit Press Publishers: https://summitpresspublishers.com/
• Brick by Brick
• Journeys on the Edge: Living a Life That Matters
• The Power Principles of Time Mastery: Do Less, Make More, Have Fun

Connect with Walt Hampton / Summit Press:

• Summit Press Publishers: https://summitpresspublishers.com/

Connect with Teddy Smith:

• @teddyagsmith
• Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
• Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
• Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
• Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
• Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/

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Nicholas Keating-Casbarro is the author and creator of the Vitilarium Universe, a far-future sci-fi series following humanity after becoming multi-planetary. With seven books planned, Nicholas crafts character-focused stories exploring themes of power, corruption, government structure, and humanity's potential futures. A former medical professional turned author, Nicholas writes in an omniscient perspective similar to Frank Herbert's style, focusing on meaningful dialogue and immersive action scenes. He's expanded the Vitilarium world beyond books into comic book adaptations for Comic-Con audiences, working with illustrators Francisco Nilo, colorist Chandran Panusamy, and graphic designer Ahmed Gitar. Published through hybrid publisher Atmosphere Press, Nicholas maintains a massive Excel story guide tracking everything from character backstories to planetary exports across seven colonized worlds.

In this episode:

• The Vitilarium Universe: humanity's future as a multi-planetary civilization
• The Alcubierre drive: using exotic material for faster-than-light travel
• Discovering ancient alien ruins on Diorum, the seventh colonized planet
• Using conspiracy theories and "what if" questions for world-building
• Starting world-building with themes, not plot details
• Creating factions before characters (government, gangs, militias, religion)
• The Coalition for Prosperity: naming totalitarian governments ironically
• Writing the tenets of a future religion (with a no-cult disclaimer)
• The question-based method: every answer creates new questions to define
• The massive Excel story guide with unlimited tabs
• Building a survivalist protagonist who survives deadly fauna outside megacities
• Self-editing with story Bible and Book One PDF open for continuity
• Six rounds of proofreading to catch spelling and comma errors
• Working with editor John Smith to fix character motivation issues
• Maps of megacity Kairos and faction sigils for reader immersion
• Weaving world-building through character dialogue, not exposition dumps
• Treating plot holes as opportunities to add new technology or details
• Tools: Excel, Word, coffee, and nicotine (manual approach)
• Google Notebook LM: AI tool for querying your own manuscript
• Adapting books into comic series for Comic-Con crossover audience
• Working with Atmosphere Press hybrid publisher model

Resources mentioned:

• Vitilarium Series website: https://vitaleriumseries.com/
• Inside Vitilarium Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/InsideVitalerium/gift
• Atmosphere Press: https://atmospherepress.com/
• Google Notebook LM: https://notebooklm.google/

Connect with Nicholas Keating-Casbarro:

• Website: https://vitaleriumseries.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vitariumstudio/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vitarium.fb/reels/
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/vitalerium-series-official-website

Connect with Teddy Smith:

• @teddyagsmith
• Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
• Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
• Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
• Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
• Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/

Support the show

Discover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/