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WriterCon

WriterCon

Written by: William Bernhardt
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Bestselling authors William Bernhardt and Lara Bernhardt, with audiobook producer Jesse Ulrich, discuss the latest news from publishing, offer writing tips, and interview major authors, agents, editors, and other book-world professionals.Copyright Bernhardt Books Art Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • Opinionated Animals with Michelle Lerner

    Opinionated Animals with Michelle Lerner
    Oct 14 2026
    Bill has a cold this week, but the podcast must go on!

    Bestselling authors William Bernhardt (The Superman Wars) and Lara Bernhardt (Shadow of the Taj) discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Michelle Lerner, the author of the new memoir, A Series of Opinionated Animals, which welcomes readers into an astonishing world where the line between rescue and civil disobedience is blurred. She is also the author of a novel titled Ring which was longlisted for the Aspen Words Literary Prize.

    0:00 Opening Thoughts
    Recaps and sweet memories from WriterCon 2026

    04:46 News
    1) Fan Fiction Produces More Bestselling Novels
    2) Dating Apps Target Book Readers

    15:25 Craft Corner
    You may remember Leticia Gomez started a series last month on pitching to agents and publishers. This episode we’re presenting Part 2, a little late, so ignore the parts about anticipating WriterCon 2026, which is sadly past. This time Leticia talks about refining your agent pitch.

    19:19 Interview with Michelle Lerner

    36:20 Parting Words
    WriterCon 2027 will be September 3-6 in Oklahoma City at the historic Shirvin Hilton hotel. Register now! www.writercon.com

    Let me also remind you that WriterCon has its own newsletter and you don’t want to miss the next issue, which has wonderful articles on breaking issues, like AI and fiction, and producing your own audiobooks, and much more. Go to Substack.

    If you haven’t joined the WriterCon Facebook Group yet, do it now! https://www.facebook.com/groups/113141678727273

    If you’re enjoying this podcast, please subscribe, then rate or review it wherever you get podcasts. It does make it easier for new listeners to discover us.

    Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit.

    William Bernhardt
    www.williambernhardt.com
    www.writercon.com
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    39 mins
  • Live from WriterCon 2026! William Martin, Dan Martin & Dani Pettrey

    Live from WriterCon 2026! William Martin, Dan Martin & Dani Pettrey
    Sep 17 2026
    This is the final episode of our fifth season, as always culminating in this LIVE recording made on Sunday afternoon during the conference with keynote speaker and NYT #1 bestseller William Martin, USA Today bestseller Dani Pettrey, and game writer and designer Dan Martin. We're taking a break for the rest of September, but we will return in early October with our sixth season!

    Opening Thoughts
    We LOVE WriterCon!

    News
    1) Defendant ordered to pay attorney fees for Tracy Wolff
    2) AI detection kills $2M book deal

    JESSE'S GAME!
    In the first of what I hope will be a new feature, Jesse, always obsessing over James Patterson, created a game for the panel: James Patterson Books: Real or Fake. He gives you the titles and co-writers, and you have to decide whether it is a real Patterson book. The audience loved it.

    Interview
    With three great writers all at once, we investigated how they became writers, their writing process, and also took a deep dive into some offbeat questions that provoked some very unexpected answers.

    Parting Words
    Let me also remind you that WriterCon has its own newsletter and you don’t want to miss the next issue, which has wonderful articles on breaking issues. Go to Substack.

    If you haven’t joined the WriterCon Facebook Group yet, do it now! Do it today and join this wonderful community of writers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/113141678727273

    If you’re enjoying this podcast, please subscribe, then rate or review wherever you get podcasts. It does make it easier for new listeners to discover us.

    You can find the video version of these podcasts on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@writerconpodcast1307

    Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit.
    William Bernhardt
    www.williambernhardt.com
    www.writercon.com
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • Building a Writing Career with Lauren Smith

    Building a Writing Career with Lauren Smith
    Aug 19 2026
    Bestselling authors William Bernhardt (The Superman Wars) and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Lauren Smith, the USA Today-bestselling author of many books, some romance, some romantasy, and some involving Sherlock Holmes. She has published over 90 books that have been translated into at least 6 languages. She was a Semi-Finalist award for the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award and a 2018 RITA ® Finalist in the Romance Writers of America Contest.

    0:00 Opening Thoughts
    Of course, all we can think of is WriterCon, our annual writers conference in Oklahoma City over Labor Day weekend, Sept 4-7—barely two weeks away! It is not too late to register! Come join us and take your writing career to the next level! www.writercon.com

    4:05 News
    1) Amazon Sponsors Pop-Up Library for Indie Authors
    2) Atlantic Report Reveals 20% of Self-Pub Books Use AI

    14:32 Craft Corner
    Leticia Gomez talks about how to make the perfect pitch

    18:08 Interview with Lauren Smith

    47:16 Parting Words
    Come to WriterCon! It's all we can think about! This will be the biggest and best conference yet and you need to be a part of it. Join us!

    Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit.
    William Bernhardt
    www.williambernhardt.com
    www.writercon.com
    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
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