Talking Book Publishing with Julie D. Summers

10/13/22 • 37 min

Talking Book Publishing with Kathleen & Adanna

Today we explore Julie D. Summers decades-plus journey writing her new book, Off My Knees: From Skid Row to Sunset Boulevard. Writing a memoir can be incredibly hard, and both Kathleen and Adanna jump into this conversation together as they try on a new platform for the podcast. Yet, Julie's story is one of resilience and hope amid some very dark, troubling times.

This episode focuses more on "what makes a memoir?" than a how-to. It's not just about having had struggles or a fascinating life, although Julie has had both. But more so the willingness to have the guts, chutzpah, and the ability to self-reflect. Julie gives tips throughout the conversation to help and encourage others seeking to write their memoir and for folks climbing out of hard times.

Julie's memoir takes you through her life, from childhood to later in life. It's a seemingly endless string of trauma, yet in how she writes her story, there is light at the end of the tunnel with every downturn. If you listen to this on its release day (10/13/22), the eBook will be free for the next five days starting 10/14 on Kindle.

"We really enjoyed this format for the podcast and will be incorporating it into our upcoming Season Three starting in January. Let us know if you did too." - Adanna Moriarty, Producer, Talking Book Publishing Podcast.

We’d like to hear from you. If you have topics or speakers you’d like us to interview, please email us at [email protected] and join the conversation in the comments on our Instagram @writerspubsnet.

Previous Episode

Conversation with the Producer-Mark H. Parsons

"Adanna and Mark dive into the writing process—what Adanna calls inopportune moments that spark creativity and overcome writer's block. They go over writing styles and how no matter your method, you can pull from all different places to be successful. It's possible the most essential bit of their 20ish-minute conversation is the process for querying larger publishing houses. Listen to both segments together. Having the main episode and the after-hours released together is a rare treat. We're very excited to have Mark as one of our speakers this year at the 805 Writers Conference."

Next Episode

Talking Book Publishing with William Bernhardt

Today marks the last episode of our 805 Writers Conference highlight series. Our guest is a New York Times multi-bestselling author, creator of the Red Sneaker Writing Center, and organizer of WriterCon, William Bernhardt. Kathleen and William discuss his career as an author. From hundreds of rejections to becoming a bestseller, William has spanned three decades as an author, adjusting to the times along the way.

William's mystery series have been a massive success for him. But recognizing his industry struggles over the years led him to create the Red Sneaker Writing Center, because he couldn't find books that help teach process and development he liked. Each book is subject-specific, short but chalked full of info every writer needs.

William will be at the 805 Writers Conference on November 5 & 6, 2022, as a keynote speaker, member of the mystery panel, and teaching an intensive workshop on characters. Once you hear his voice on the podcast, you'll want to listen to more of him.

"Keep writing, and remember you cannot fail if you refuse to quit."-William Bernhardt