What publishing trends should writers be paying attention to right now?

In this episode of the Wordslinger 10-Shot, Kevin looks at five trends shaping the current writing and publishing landscape—especially for indie authors, creative entrepreneurs, and anyone building a long-term writing career.

From the rise of short fiction and novellas, to the “analog rebellion” bringing writers back to typewriters, notebooks, and distraction-free drafting tools, to the growing power of direct sales and special editions, this episode is all about paying attention to where readers, writers, and creative culture seem to be moving.

Publishing is always changing. The smart writer learns how to adapt without losing sight of the work itself.

If you’re a writer trying to build a sustainable creative life, subscribe to the channel. This is where writers come for honest, practical guidance on writing, publishing, creativity, and building a career that can survive the real world.

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TIME CODES

00:00 – Podcasting from the Pennsylvania countryside

01:33 – The trends Kevin is seeing in publishing

02:32 – Trend #1: The rise of short fiction

03:19 – Why short fiction gives writers more freedom

04:36 – Reader fatigue and escapist fiction

05:57 – Novellas, short stories, and creative experiments

06:38 – Trend #2: The analog rebellion

07:16 – Focus writing tools and distraction-free drafting

08:36 – Typewriters, handwriting, and old-school creativity

10:18 – Why handwriting can unlock focus and memory

13:05 – Physical media and slower consumption

14:35 – Trend #3: Experimental formats and unusual book design

16:31 – When experimentation becomes a gimmick

17:39 – Trend #4: Special editions and collector books

19:19 – Trend #5: Direct sales for authors

20:07 – Building stronger reader relationships

21:00 – Selling exclusive short fiction directly

22:46 – Why direct sales can benefit both authors and readers

23:51 – What trends are you seeing?

24:54 – Sometimes writers just have to improvise

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What if the old pulp fiction model is exactly what modern authors need right now?

In this episode of the Wordslinger 10-Shot, Kevin talks about using short stories as both a creative reset and a smart publishing strategy. If you’re feeling burned out on your novel, stuck in a long rewrite, or just craving a fresh creative project, short fiction can help refill the bucket while still moving your author business forward.

Short stories can become ebooks, direct sales products, Substack exclusives, audiobooks, reader magnets, annual collections, anthology opportunities, and more. It’s not just about writing something shorter. It’s about creating more entry points for readers, building your catalog, strengthening your platform, and staying creatively energized.

This is a practical strategy for writers, indie authors, creatives, and creative entrepreneurs who want to keep producing without burning out.

If you’re serious about your writing and publishing journey, subscribe to this channel. Wordslinger is where writers come for clear, useful, real-world guidance on writing better books, building an author platform, publishing smarter, and creating a sustainable creative life.

Mentioned in this episode:

Preorder ECHO:

https://bit.ly/qrecho

Wordslinger Podcast:

https://wordslingerpodcast.com

Find Kevin and his books:

https://kevintumlinson.com

Join Kevin on Substack:

https://kevintumlinson.substack.com

ProWritingAid:

https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5

Draft2Digital:

https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger

AuthorAnchor:

https://authoranchor.com

Key moments:

00:00 — Welcome and the preorder announcement for ECHO

01:19 — Creative burnout, brain fry, and stepping back from the novel

02:10 — Refilling the creative bucket

03:36 — Why Kevin started writing a short story

04:06 — The short fiction strategy begins

04:45 — Direct sales, Substack, and reader-friendly pricing

05:20 — Why Kevin refuses to train readers to wait for discounts

06:20 — Loyalty discounts and rewarding newsletter subscribers

08:08 — Short stories as fast creative products

09:36 — Why stepping away from a novel can restore excitement

10:19 — The long-form/short-form writing rhythm

12:38 — Short fiction as a powerful income tool

13:20 — What modern authors can learn from the pulp fiction era

14:13 — Short story markets, magazines, contests, and anthologies

15:04 — Publishing short fiction as ebooks

15:50 — Budget-friendly covers and formatting options

16:37 — Wide distribution versus direct publishing

18:10 — How AuthorAnchor can help authors with support tasks

19:01 — Selling short fiction through your own storefront

20:10 — Using Substack as a paid fiction library

20:48 — Recording short audiobooks yourself

21:58 — Bundling short stories into annual collections

23:32 — Collections, anthologies, and working with other authors

25:20 — Why short fiction fits the current publishing era

26:22 — Reader loyalty, AI pushback, and owning your platform

29:04 — Why shorter fiction may matter more in the attention economy

31:25 — Competing with every other form of media

32:28 — Questions, comments, and building a writer community

What do you think? Are short stories part of your writing or publishing strategy? Leave a comment and let’s talk about it.

Subscribe for more practical writing and publishing guidance from Kevin Tumlinson and the Wordslinger Podcast.

#WritingAdvice #IndieAuthor #SelfPublishing #ShortStories #CreativeEntrepreneur #AuthorPlatform #WritingTips #PublishingTips #WordslingerPodcast #KevinTumlinson

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Can bad AI writing actually make you a better writer?

In this episode of the Wordslinger Podcast, Kevin talks through what he’s working on right now as an author, including the launch of his new Alex Kayne thriller, *Echo*, the messy reality of book promotion, rebuilding his author platform, updating his book links, and experimenting with AI as a writing-adjacent tool.

But the big idea here is this: AI may be useful for writers precisely because it often gets the writing wrong.

Kevin shares how using AI for critique, structural feedback, and scene ideas can sometimes produce weak, soulless results—but those results can challenge a real writer to think harder, write better, and bring more humanity to the page. AI can be training wheels. It can be a sparring partner. It can even be a bad example. But it should not replace the one thing that matters most: the writer doing the writing.

If you’re a novelist, indie author, creative entrepreneur, or creator trying to build a stronger writing life, this episode is about practical book promotion, author platforms, direct sales, AI, and the discipline of protecting your creative work.

Subscribe to the channel for honest, practical guidance on writing, publishing, book marketing, author business, creative discipline, and building a long-term career as a working writer.

⏱️ Timecodes

00:00 — What I’m working on this week

00:24 — Introducing *Echo*, the new Alex Kayne thriller

01:04 — The challenge of practical book promotion

02:17 — Why your author platform still matters

03:54 — The frustrating reality of print preorders

06:26 — Podcasting, YouTube, and reader interaction

07:23 — Rebuilding my book links and direct sales setup

10:04 — Using BookFunnel universal book links

13:03 — The rule: never let platform work stop the writing

14:31 — Refreshing book covers and promotion graphics

15:49 — When an author should hire a virtual assistant

17:28 — The right time to get help with your author business

19:09 — Returning to unfinished books and old projects

20:47 — Feeding feedback into AI tools

21:37 — Why I don’t use AI to write my books

22:12 — AI as grammar check, critique tool, and developmental editor

23:02 — Why bad AI writing can make you better

24:10 — The caveat: writers still need real skills

25:28 — AI as training wheels for writers

26:28 — Why you can’t outsource the writing and still call it writing

27:47 — AI books, copyright questions, and the future of publishing

29:50 — AI slop vs. human storytelling

30:41 — Making art instead of feeding the machine

31:39 — Final thoughts and invitation to comment

Links mentioned:

Wordslinger Podcast home page:

https://wordslingerpodcast.com

ProWritingAid:

https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5

Draft2Digital:

https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger

AuthorAnchor:

https://authoranchor.com

Find Kevin and his books:

https://kevintumlinson.com

Join Kevin on Substack:

https://kevintumlinson.substack.com

Question for you: How are you using AI in your writing life? Is it helping you think more clearly, or are you worried it’s getting in the way of the real work?

Leave a comment and let’s talk about it.

#WritingCommunity #IndieAuthors #AIWriting #CreativeWriting #SelfPublishing #BookMarketing #AuthorPlatform #WritingTips #WordslingerPodcast #KevinTumlinson

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