“You have to earn readers”

Posted on September 24, 2026 by Maureen Paraventi

Daniel Coniff lives in Denver and writes short stories and novels. He is passionate about blending theories of psychology, sociology, and anthropology with brutal themes to create sobering yet transformative pieces. On Instagram, he describes himself as “Guy who writes goofy stories.” In addition to all that, Daniel writes fan fiction for the Netflix adaption of “Lord of the Flies.” (You can find it on Substack at the link below.)

Daniel’s episode of the Write Like a Badass podcast is: “You have to earn readers.”

Daniel writes on Substack: https://substack.com/@danieljconiff

Find his fanfic at: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daniel_J_Coniff

Connect with him on social media: https://www.instagram.com/daniel.j.coniff_official/ and https://www.tiktok.com/@dc.writer_n_psych_nerd

Turning Your Book Into an Audiobook

Posted on August 14, 2026 by Maureen Paraventi

In this episode, we get the inside scoop about how to turn your book into an audiobook – from audiobook narrator and voice actor Samantha Norbury. Samantha records books in many different genres, for indie authors and publishers. She explains the process, including how the authors she works with get a 15 minute sample of her work before she voices the entire book, to make sure that that they’re on the same page. Find out about the time it takes and the cost (there is a no cost option, by the way). Also: why the ai-voice narration drive is a big fat fail with listeners.

If you’re considering having your book turned into an audio book with a human voice doing the narrating, this episode is for you!

For information about Samantha Norbury, visit her website https://www.samanthanorburyvo.com

That webinar Samantha mentions is at: https://www.samanthanorburyvo.com/authors

Connect with Samantha on social media:
https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthanorbury_narrator
https://www.instagram.com/samantha.norbury_narrator/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcRefmRiSfbbOdiYkWQSpkA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-norbury-a69149240/
https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaNorburyAudio

The Write Like a Badass Podcast is by, about and for writers. Welcome to your tribe!

· A video of the interview in this episode is on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WriteLikeaBadass

From Journalist to Mystery Writer: How Neal Lipschutz Made the Leap

Posted on June 30, 2026 by Maureen Paraventi

After retiring from a career that included being an editor at the Wall Street Journal, Neal Lipschutz embarked upon a new career: writing suspense fiction. Fans of his debut novel, No Write Way to Die, are eagerly awaiting his second (in a series), Long Arm of the Past, which will be published in August.

Listen to Neal’s episode on the Write Like a Badass podcast to hear how he develops stories and characters, what is was like to find a publisher and what he’s got coming up. You will also get a sneak preview of Long Arm of the Past, when Neal reads an excerpt from it for Open Mic Night at the Badass Writers Cafe.

Neal’s website is: https://neallipschutz.com/

Neal’s books can also be found at:

https://www.tuckerdspress.com/product-page/no-write-way-to-die https://www.tuckerdspress.com/product-page/long-arm-of-the-past

Connect with Neal on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neal-lipschutz-3119b743/
and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neal.lipschutz