Sample chapter from Third Edition of How To Make A Living With Your Writing. Written and Narrated by Joanna Penn

Do you want to make a living with your writing? Do you want to turn your words into multiple streams of income?
I’m Joanna Penn and I left my corporate job a decade ago to become a full-time author entrepreneur. In this completely updated Third Edition, I’ll explain how I make a living with my writing and share tips from other writers on how you can do it too with practical, actionable advice that you can implement for yourself.

How To Make A Living With Your Writing Third Edition Sample

In a brutal post-apocalyptic world, a young girl is about to be taken to The Minotaur for a Blessing that will end her innocence.
Can her sister gain access to the fortified city of Dis in time to stop the ritual and avenge her own lost youth?

Written by J.F. Penn, Digitally Narrated.

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Sins Of Violence. A Short Story. Digitally Narrated

Prologue of Tomb of Relics, ARKANE Thriller book 12.

A supernatural relic. A thousand-year-old conspiracy. A madman who turns death into art. It's all in a day's work for the agents of ARKANE.
When a priceless relic disappears from Canterbury Cathedral, ARKANE – the agency tasked with protecting the world from supernatural adversaries – fears the worst… and sends its best.

Now, ARKANE agents Morgan Sierra and Jake Timber are on the job. Across Europe, through historical cities and into spectral forests forgotten by time, Morgan and Jake will follow the bloody trail of hidden relics wherever it leads, whatever the cost.

But even they aren’t ready for what’s coming.

Their hunt will lead them beyond danger, beyond darkness to the shadowed heart of a hidden citadel where lives an evil unlike any they’ve ever seen… and to a dark choice that will change them both forever.

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author J.F. Penn invites you to brave her most thrilling adventure yet. A world of the strange. A world of the supernatural. A world… of the ARKANE.

Tomb of Relics Audiobook, ARKANE Thriller 12. Prologue

The first few minutes of Blood, Sweat, and Flame. A Short Story set in the world of glassblowing. Written and read by the author J.F. Penn.

Is victory worth blood, sweat, and flame?

Cass blows glass for a living — but when she’s not cranking out tourist pieces to pay the bills, she creates unique glass art with the dream of winning a prestigious award that might just change her life.

But Cass has a problem.

The heat and intensity of the glassblowing hot shop have damaged her eyesight — and time is running out.

She only has one chance left to win and a rival artisan stands in her way, the trophies on his shelf testament to his enduring popularity.

When his son comes to work alongside Cass, she must make a choice that will change their lives.

A choice that will cost Blood, Sweat, and Flame.

Available in ebook and audio formats: https://books2read.com/BloodSweatFlame

Buy now

Blood, Sweat, and Flame. A Short Story

Introduction chapter from Your Author Business Plan. 
Digitally narrated by the voice of Mia (US, female) from Google Play Books. 
Available as a full digitally-narrated audiobook and as a separate version, narrated by the author.

Buy on Google Play

Your Author Business Plan — Introduction. Digitally narrated by Mia from Google Play Books

In a brutal post-apocalyptic world, a young girl is about to be taken to The Minotaur for a Blessing that will end her innocence.
Can her sister gain access to the fortified city of Dis in time to stop the ritual and avenge her own lost youth?

A short story from A Thousand Fiendish Angels, a collection of three short stories linked by a book of human skin. Read by the author, J.F. Penn.

Sins Of Violence, A short story narrated by the author

Introduction to How to Write a Novel, written and narrated by Joanna Penn.

Writing a novel will change your life.
It might not be in the way that you expect, but when you hold your book in your hand and say, “I made this,” something will shift. 

The process of getting to that point will light a spark in your creative soul and help you discover unexpected aspects of yourself. It will be one of the things you are most proud of in your life. This book will help you get there.

I’m Joanna (J.F.) Penn, award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 18 novels and novellas with nearly a million books sold in over one hundred countries.

This book will help you write your first novel, or improve your creative process so you can write more books and reach more readers. It covers mindset, ideas and research, aspects of craft, how to write a first draft, and work through an editing process to a finished book.

How To Write a Novel. Introduction. Written and Narrated by Joanna Penn

When ARKANE Archivist Martin Klein joins the Vatican digital archiving project, he finds an ancient letter mistakenly scanned along with the medieval papal decree Militia Dei, Soldiers of God.

It points to a dark secret the Knights Templar once tried to erase from existence, hidden in a medieval fortress under the heart of Paris for almost a thousand years.

As Martin follows the trail to the hidden Templar crypt, aided by biblical scholar Camara Mbaye, they discover something unspeakable in the vaults below Paris.

Who are the Soldiers of God and why must they rest until needed?

This is a short story featuring Martin Klein and Dr Camara Mbaye from my ARKANE world. It fits after Tomb of Relics, book 12 of the ARKANE action-adventure thriller series, but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story. 
Sample from audiobook

Soldiers of God, An ARKANE short story. Sample.

Sample chapter from Pilgrimage: Lessons learned from solo walking three ancient ways, written and narrated by J.F. Penn

Pilgrimage attracts the seekers. Those with a question to answer, a problem to solve, a sin to atone for, an illness to be cured, a prayer to be answered. Pilgrims walk with a desire to make a change, to mark a boundary from one life to another, to heal, to escape.

I needed all of these, and more.
Perhaps you do, too.

In mid-October 2020, I walked the Pilgrims’ Way from Southwark Cathedral in London to Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England.

The following year, in October 2021, as I recovered from COVID-19, I walked the St Cuthbert’s Way from Melrose in Scotland to Lindisfarne, Holy Island, on the north-east coast of England.

In September 2022, I walked the Camino de Santiago along the coastal route from Porto, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

These three solo pilgrimages helped me through a ‘dark wood’ in my life and changed how I see the way ahead.

In this book, I share my lessons learned and insights from walking these ancient ways, as well as historical, religious and cultural aspects, and plenty of tips. There are also questions for you to consider around your own journey.

Part 1 goes into practical and spiritual preparation before pilgrimage, including how to make decisions about the route and whether to walk solo, as well as what to take with you, and how to face the fears that might hold you back.

Part 2 covers the journey itself with the practicalities of the pilgrim’s day, as well as how walking the path of history and facing the challenge of the way can give you much-needed perspective on life — and perhaps even a glimpse of the divine.

Part 3 addresses the arrival at your destination, and how to leave room for the gifts of pilgrimage to emerge after your return home, as well as how my three walks impacted my experience of mid-life.

At the end, you’ll find appendices with practical tips for each of the three ways, as well as a gear list and bibliography for further reading. 

I hope you find this book useful if you feel a call to pilgrimage, or a need for change in your life. These three walks have certainly been pivotal for me.

Why Pilgrimage? Written and narrated by J.F. Penn

How far would you go to see again?
Sample from my short story audiobook, written and read by J.F. Penn.

Conflict photographer, Sara Miles, loves being embedded with the military out in the desert. Her pictures pay tribute to those who fight, suffer, and die for freedom and the images she captures can turn public perception in the never-ending war. 

Her photography matters.

But when Sara is caught in an explosion out on patrol, her eyes are damaged by a face full of shrapnel. She may never be able to see through a lens again.

The military offers her a cutting-edge operation to restore her sight, but it comes with a price …

A short story with a supernatural edge from award-nominated, USA Today bestselling thriller author, J.F. Penn.

With A Demon's Eye. A short story. Sample.

Chapter 1 of 'One Day In Budapest' by J.F.Penn, narrated by Veronica Giguere

A relic, stolen from the heart of an ancient city.
An echo of nationalist violence not seen since the dark days of the Second World War.

Budapest, Hungary. When a priest is murdered at the Basilica of St Stephen and the Holy Right relic is stolen, the ultra-nationalist Eröszak party calls for retribution and anti-Semitic violence erupts in the city.

Dr Morgan Sierra, psychologist and ARKANE agent, finds herself trapped inside the synagogue with Zoltan Fischer, a Hungarian Jewish security advisor. As the terrorism escalates, Morgan and Zoltan must race against time to find the Holy Right and expose the conspiracy, before blood is spilled again on the streets of Budapest.

One Day In Budapest is a chilling view of a possible future as Eastern Europe embraces right-wing nationalism. A conspiracy thriller for fans of Daniel Silva, where religion and politics intersect.

Available on Audible, Amazon and iTunes, as well as in ebook and print formats: http://jfpenn.com/budapest/

Chapter 1: One Day In Budapest, ARKANE Thriller Book 4

Prologue from Stone of Fire, ARKANE Thriller Book 1 by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author J.F.Penn, narrated by Veronica Giguere. 

A power kept secret for 2000 years. A woman who stands to lose everything.

India. When a nun is burned alive on the sacred ghats of Varanasi, and the stone she carried is stolen, an international hunt is triggered for the relics of the early church.

Forged in the fire and blood of martyrs, the Pentecost stones have been handed down through generations of Keepers who kept their power and locations secret.

Until now.

The Keepers are being murdered, the stones stolen by those who would use them for evil in a world transformed by religious fundamentalism.

Oxford University psychologist Morgan Sierra is forced into the search when her sister and niece are held hostage. She is helped by Jake Timber from the mysterious ARKANE, a British government agency specializing in paranormal and religious experience. Morgan must risk her own life to save her family, but will she ultimately be betrayed?

From ancient Christian sites in Spain, Italy and Israel to the far reaches of Iran and Tunisia, Morgan and Jake must track down the stones through the myths of the early church in a race against time before a new Pentecost is summoned, this time powered by the fires of evil.

The first in the ARKANE series, PENTECOST is a fast-paced thriller that explores the edges of faith against a backdrop of early Christian history, archaeology and psychology.

Available in audio format on Audible, Amazon and iTunes, as well as ebook formats and print: http://www.jfpenn.com/book/stone-of-fire/

Buy on Audible

Prologue: Stone of Fire, ARKANE Thriller Book 1

Introduction of Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words, written and narrated by Joanna Penn
www.TheCreativePenn.com/shadowbook

We all long to write boldly, without filters or fear.
To spin stories that capture the messy beauty of what it means to be human. Tales that lay bare the truth of living — darkness and all.  
But something holds us back. 
Whispers of “Who do you think you are?” and “You don’t have permission to write that.” Our own self-censorship and the judgment of others keep us from writing freely — and sometimes, from living fully.
 But all great art taps into darkness, and your most compelling work emerges when you embrace your full humanity—both light and Shadow.

In Writing the Shadow, I’ll guide you on an intimate journey to explore the darkness and discover the gold lying hidden in its depths. Gold that may be the source of your best creative work in the years ahead.
The Shadow is calling. It’s time to turn your inner darkness into words.

Part 1 goes into the various ways you can tap into your Shadow. Since it lies in the unconscious, you cannot approach it directly. You need tools to help reveal it in different ways. 
You will find ideas here — ranging from personality assessments and identifying Shadow personas to mining your own writing and exploring your true curiosity — as well as ways to protect yourself so you don’t get lost in the dark. 

Part 2 explores how the Shadow manifests in various aspects of our lives. I discuss the creative wound and how it may still be holding you back in your writing life, as well as aspects of traditional and self-publishing, then expand into work and money, family and relationships, religion and culture, the physical body and aging, death and dying. 

Part 3 explores ways that you can find the gold in your Shadow, and turn your inner darkness into words through self-acceptance, letting go of self-censorship, deepening character and theme in your work, and opening the doors to new parts of yourself.

Learn more

Writing The Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words Introduction

If you write fiction, or you want to, sorting out your writing process for a book is a core task.

Are you a pantser? Are you a plotter? Or perhaps, you might be a Snowflaker ...

Today I talk to Randy Ingermanson about his book, How to write a novel using the snowflake method, and how it can help those people who fall through the gaps. Plus, how to write 500 words a day as a habit, dealing with panic disorder and how our flaws contribute to our writing.
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2014/09/02/snowflake-method/

Buy the book on Amazon

How To Write A Novel With The Snowflake Method With Randy Ingermanson

On the winter solstice, an ancient evil demands its due in the heart of Bath.

When down-on-his-luck busker Evan takes to the streets of Bath during the Christmas market, he hopes his music will earn him enough for a warm meal and bed for the night. But after a violent robbery leaves him broken and destitute, Evan unwittingly awakens an ancient evil that demands blood sacrifice in return for vengeance. 

Lured into the dark depths beneath the city by a mysterious woman who is far more than she seems, Evan discovers the long-dormant spring of the Celtic goddess Sulis. 

Will he escape the ravenous deity or become her latest victim, a midwinter sacrifice to revive her cursed waters?

USA Today bestselling author J.F. Penn masterfully blends folklore and the supernatural in this chilling short story set amidst the history and shadows of the ancient city of Bath.

Buy audiobook

A Midwinter Sacrifice. A Short Story written and read by J.F. Penn

Some secrets should stay buried.

When renowned architect Arania Webb returns to Bristol Zoo — once her childhood sanctuary but now a derelict ruin — she discovers her late father’s hidden underground lab, which harbours a dark obsession.

Inside, she uncovers his journals documenting twisted experiments to fuse arachnid DNA with humans, creating unnatural creatures that blur the line between species. As Arania descends into the shadowy depths and explores further, she realises the terrifying extent of her beloved father’s attempts to play god.

With demolition charges set to raze the derelict zoo in minutes, Arania has little time to process the ethical transgression and madness that drove her father down an unholy path before the truth is buried forever.

But when the site manager stumbles upon her macabre discovery, Arania knows she must act swiftly to protect her family’s legacy — and her own future.

Will she find a way to escape the ruins with her father’s monstrous secrets? Or will the horrors hidden beneath the zoo ultimately consume them both?

In this short story, J.F. Penn weaves a tale of dark secrets, genetic aberration, and a legacy that blurs the lines between ethical transgression and scientific ambition, a narrative that is as much about the inner darkness of human nature as it is about the monsters we create.

This is a sample of the audiobook, written and narrated by J.F. Penn.

Buy direct

Beneath The Zoo. A Short Story Sample

Chapter 1 of Delirium, A Brooke and Daniel Psychological Thriller book 2. Available in print, ebook and audiobook formats. Read by Rosalind Ashford.

“Those who the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.”

Devastated by grief after the death of her daughter, Detective Sergeant Jamie Brooke returns to investigate the murder of a prominent psychiatrist in the old hospital of Bedlam in London. 

As she delves into the history of madness, museum researcher, Blake Daniel, helps with the case, only to discover that his own family is entwined with the shadowy forces that seek to control the minds of the mad.

As the body count rises, and those she loves are threatened, Jamie discovers that the tendrils of conspiracy wind themselves into the heart of the British government. Can she stop the killer before madness takes its ultimate revenge?

A psychological thriller with an edge of the supernatural, Delirium is a story of love for family, revenge for injustice and the question of whether we all sit on the spectrum of madness somewhere.

Delirium, A Brooke and Daniel Psychological Thriller Book 2. Chapter 1. Audiobook

One Day In New York. ARKANE #7. Written by J.F. Penn, Narrated by Jeffrey Kafer

Any wish can be granted: money, power… even death itself can be beaten back. All it takes is the blood of an angel.
When a woman is tortured, hung from a cross, and burned alive in the center of New York City, Jake Timber is already on his way. 

Tasked with locating an extremist group interested in a recently discovered relic, the Cloisters Cross, Jake expected trouble. After all, as one of the top agents of ARKANE, the secret organization entrusted with protecting the world from supernatural threats, he’s been in the game a long time, and has saved the world more than once. 

But that’s the problem. Battered and broken again and again, the constant physical and mental struggles of his ARKANE missions have left Jake scarred.

Now, his investigation will lead Jake to the Blood of the Angel: a relic that can grant any wish to whoever drinks its contents. A race against time, and against the infinite resources of Gilles Noiret, a dying, ruthless billionaire willing to sacrifice anyone else to save his own life.

But this time, the race is different. Because this time Jake isn’t sure if he’s trying to stop Gilles and save the world… or if he’s looking for the Blood of the Angel so he can use it himself. What price would he pay to ease his own pain? Would he sacrifice one person? Two?

Or maybe even an entire city?

One Day in New York (readable as part of the bestselling ARKANE series or as a standalone title) is a supernatural adventure thriller from the mind of New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J.F. Penn. Click “Buy Now” and get your copy today!

Available in: Ebook, Print and Audiobook
http://www.jfpenn.com/book/new-york/

One Day in New York. Audiobook Sample Read by Jeffrey Kafer

New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, J.F.Penn describes her creative process, how she gets ideas, does research and uses synchronicity to write her books. 
http://www.JFPenn

J.F.Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author. She writes the ARKANE action-adventure series described as ‘Dan Brown meets Lara Croft,’ as well as the London Psychic crime thrillers, for fans of Jessica Jones. Her books have sold over 400,000 copies in 72 countries and 5 languages.

You can listen above or on iTunes or Stitcher or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and full transcript below.

    How I get many of my initial ideas from traveling. How Destroyer of Worlds was sparked by a statue of Shiva Nataraja in Delhi, and One Day in Budapest by a visit to the city and the mass grave there as well as the far right political situation.

    How I use research to delve further into places and cultural history and then synchronicity happens, in that I find ‘coincidences’ in the real world that lead into story. The importance of following your curiosity. How Stone of Fire was influenced by the burning ghats in Varanasi and Carl Jung’s Red Book.

    ARKANE Books x 7

    The ARKANE action adventure series

    Taking notes from multiple sources – books, videos, DVDs and how that leads into piles of notes that I follow down research rabbit holes.

    How some ideas bleed into several books in various incarnations. For example, the Maori aspects of Deviance sparked some of Risen Gods, and tattoos are an important part of Deviance as well as other books. How I love big themes – good vs evil, faith vs unbelief – plus the supernatural world, these keep recurring in every book

    How I plot. I know the first few scenes and main characters. I know the ending and some of the key settings for the London psychic seriesbook, some of the big scenes. Then I use The Story Grid to do a one page ‘Foolscap’ overview of the plot. (See this interview with Shawn Coyne for more detail.) Then I usually write 20,000 words before replotting, so I am a hybrid plotter/pantser.

    As I research, I start a book page on Pinterest. You can find all my boards per book at Pinterest.com/JFPenn. It’s really helpful for book cover design ideas as well as a visual experience of the book, plus marketing along the way.

    Trust emergence as you write.
    How I knew I wanted to be a writer. If you want to decide what to do with your life, consider what you want your life to look like, and what would your days look like. I wanted to spend my time learning, traveling and creating new things in the world, as well as helping people.

You can find my fiction site at www.JFPenn.com and my books in ebook, print and audiobook format on most online stores.


Find out more

My Creative Writing Process by Bestselling Thriller Author J.F.Penn

Prologue of Destroyer of Worlds, ARKANE Thriller Book 8. Written by J.F.Penn. Narrated by Veronica Giguere.

A bomb explodes in the center of London and a fragment of an ancient Hindu sculpture is stolen from the ARKANE Headquarters by a secret organization bent on mass murder. If the sculpture is put together again, it will reveal the key to the Brahmastra, a weapon with the power of a nuclear explosion.

As those they love are threatened, ARKANE agents Morgan Sierra and Jake Timber must search for the pieces of the relic before it can be activated at the Kumbh Mela, the greatest pilgrimage on earth.

In a fast-paced adventure from the slums of Mumbai to the temples of Kolkata, the Taj Mahal in Agra to the killing fields of Rwanda, Morgan and Jake must find the pieces of the sculpture before it's too late.

Destroyer of Worlds is Book Eight in the ARKANE action adventure thriller series, but can be listened to as a stand-alone story. If you love an action-packed conspiracy thriller, download a sample or buy Destroyer of Worlds now.

Destroyer of Worlds. ARKANE Thriller book 8. Audiobook sample

Sample chapter from End of Days, An ARKANE Thriller book 9.

“When the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison.” Revelation 20:7

The thousand years are ended.
From New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, J.F.Penn.

A marble tablet found in the ruins of Babylon warns of the resurrection of a banished serpent in the final days. A sarcophagus is discovered in the deepest ocean, locked by seven seals scattered throughout the ancient world.

As the Brotherhood of the Serpent race to find the seals before a rare lunar eclipse over the heart of Jerusalem, ARKANE agents Morgan Sierra and Jake Timber battle to find them first.

But this time, evil threatens to destroy all that Morgan loves and she must wrestle an apocalyptic foe as well as fighting to conquer her own fears.

In a fast-paced adventure from the ruins of Iraq to the snake-handling churches of the Appalachian Mountains, from archaeological digs in Israel to the tombs of Egypt, Morgan and Jake must find the seven seals and stop the resurrection of an evil as old as mankind. An evil that will usher in the End of Days.

End of Days is Book 9 in the ARKANE action adventure thriller series, but can be read as a stand-alone story.

End of Days. An ARKANE Thriller. Audiobook Sample Chapter

Introduction from How to Market a Book Third Edition, now available on Audible and iTunes.

Do you want to sell more books and reach more readers?

Do you want to discover how to build an author career for the long-term as well as spike your book sales right now?
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/howtomarketabook/

How to Market a Book Third Edition Audiobook

Introduction from audiobook, How to Write Non-Fiction: Turn your Knowledge into Words, by Joanna Penn

Do you want to write a non-fiction book but don't know where to start? 

Or perhaps you worry that you're not an expert or have enough authority in your niche to write a book on it?

Are you ready to help other people and change your own life with your words?

The first non-fiction book I wrote changed my life. Sure, it helped other people, but mostly it altered the course of my life – so much so that 10 years later, I make a living with my writing.

In this book, I'll share everything I've learned along the way and save you time, effort and frustration on your author journey.
Available in ebook, print, audiobook, workbook and Large Print editions.
Full details: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/write-non-fiction-book/

How to Write Non-Fiction

How to Write Non-Fiction. Turn Your Knowledge Into Words. Introduction

When the mutilated corpse of a wealthy author is discovered, the police officer sent to investigate finds a curious diary amongst the occult objects at the scene. Will he uncover the author's secret at the ruined chapel, and is he willing to pay the price that it demands?

One of three short stories inspired by Dante's Inferno, linked by a book of human skin passed down through generations.

** Written and read by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author J.F.Penn **

Sins Of The Flesh

A sunken city. A lost goddess. One final dive to risk it all.

Lara is part of a dive team exploring the sunken city of Thonis-Heraklion off the north coast of Egypt. When a storm threatens the site, there's only time for one last dive and Lara is determined to be on it – even if it means diving with the man who threatened her this summer.

Because The Dark Queen is down there and Lara intends to find her before it's too late …

Sink beneath the waves in this supernatural short story from New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, J.F.Penn. Sample from audiobook short story.

The Dark Queen. A Supernatural Short Story by J.F.Penn Audio Sample

Introduction to Successful Self-Publishing: How to self-publish a book in ebook, print, and audiobook formats. 
Written and read by Joanna Penn.
Available as an audiobook as well as free ebook and print: 
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/successfulselfpublishing/

This little book will give you an overview of the process to successfully self-publish. 
It provides the exact way that I have used to self-publish 27 books of fiction and non-fiction, and which provides the basis of my own multi-six-figure income as an author-entrepreneur.  But, of course, it wasn't always like this! I self-published my first book in 2008 before ebooks went mainstream and people started to read on their phones, before the Kindle and print-on-demand and the rise of digital audiobooks. I made a lot of mistakes, but over time, I've learned the most effective way to self-publish in order to satisfy my own creativity and make a good income. I'll share it all with you so you can save time, money and heartache on your own author journey.  The book includes everything you need to self-publish in ebook, print, and audiobook formats, as well as details on how much it might cost and how you will get paid, plus tips on how to market fiction and non-fiction books.  Like any new process, it might seem complicated at first, but then it gets easier. Once you know how to publish in each of these formats, you will realize that publishing is not the hard part. Publishing a book takes just a couple of hours, but writing, editing, and marketing remain the most challenging aspects of the process!  This book represents my own self-publishing experience and opinions but, of course, I'm an indie (independent) author and we all vary in the way we approach publishing. That's the beauty of being independent — there are no rules! I've tried to ensure the information is accurate, but technology, functionality, and terms and conditions change over time, so please check the platform details when you publish.

Successful Self-Publishing. Introduction to the audiobook read by Joanna Penn

Find the Books and Travel Podcast on your favorite podcast app, or the backlist here: 
https://www.booksandtravel.page/listen/
Some call it wanderlust, an almost uncontrollable desire to travel, sometimes at the expense of common-sense. Others call it ‘fernweh,’ a German word meaning far-sickness, the opposite of homesickness.

I also like Jack Reacher’s explanation in Lee Child’s thriller, Never Go Back. “Ninety-nine of us grow up to love the campfire, and one grows up to hate it. Ninety-nine of us grow up to fear the howling wolf, and one grows up to envy it. And I’m that guy.” [Or presumably girl!]

I love the Reacher series for the vigilante justice he metes out, a sense of restoring balance to the world, but perhaps I’m also jealous of how Reacher leaves at the end of every book, with only a toothbrush in his pocket …
Here are some more reasons why I travel.
(1) Reinvention 
(2)Escape 
(3)Curiosity and book research 
(4)Perspective and gratitude
Show notes, transcript and images at:
https://www.booksandtravel.page/why-i-travel/

Books And Travel Podcast

Show notes

Reinvention, Escape, Curiosity, Perspective. Why I Travel

Descript Overdub Voice Double trained on Joanna Penn non-fiction audiobook narration data

Descript.com allows creators to edit audio by editing the text transcript, as well as automatically removing filler words from the recording by identifying words like ‘um’ in the transcription. It also has an OverDub feature which allows a podcaster to correct audio by typing, powered by Lyrebird AI, a company specializing in voice synthesis that Descript acquired in 2019.

Since I have many hours of voice recording, Descript made me my first Voice Double in late 2019. Over time, as I record more and add more data to the algorithm, the quality will improve and hopefully, I will be able to license my voice to narrate other people’s audiobooks or play a part in a podcast drama.
Find the full story at: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/voicedouble/

Descript Voice Double VD128 Nov 2019

Descript Overdub Voice Double trained on Joanna Penn podcast introductions and solo episodes of The Creative Penn Podcast.

Descript.com allows creators to edit audio by editing the text transcript, as well as automatically removing filler words from the recording by identifying words like ‘um’ in the transcription. It also has an OverDub feature which allows a podcaster to correct audio by typing, powered by Lyrebird AI, a company specializing in voice synthesis that Descript acquired in 2019.

Since I have many hours of voice recording, Descript made me my first Voice Doubles in late 2019. Over time, as I record more and add more data to the algorithm, the quality will improve and hopefully, I will be able to license my voice to narrate other people’s audiobooks or play a part in a podcast drama.
Find the full story at: www.thecreativepenn.com/voicedouble/

Descript Voice Double VoDo195 Nov 2019

Introduction to Audio for Authors: Audiobooks, Podcasting and Voice Technologies. Written and read by Joanna Penn.

Do you want to create, publish and market your audiobooks? Are you ready to use podcasting to grow your author brand and reach more readers with your books?

Audiobooks are the fastest-growing segment in publishing with double-digit growth in markets across the world. Podcasting has gone mainstream with listeners consuming audio on mobile phones and in-car devices, as well as through smart speakers. Advancements in voice technology continue to expand possibilities for audio creation and marketing.

With such rapid growth in opportunity, how can you position your books in an increasingly voice-first world?

I've been podcasting for over a decade as well as narrating and producing my own audiobooks since 2014. I'm an avid consumer of audio content and I'm also experimenting with AI voice technologies. In this book, I'll share everything I know so you can position your books and your author brand for the next shift in reader behavior.

https://www.thecreativepenn.com/audio-for-authors/

Audio for Authors Audiobook Introduction

You are an author. You turn ideas into reality in the shape of a book. 

You turn the thoughts in your head into valuable intellectual property assets. You understand how powerful the written word can be. Now it's time to use your words to create a business plan to take your writing career to the next level — whatever that means for your situation.

I'm Joanna Penn and I've been a full-time author-entrepreneur for almost a decade. In this book, I’ll guide you through the process of creating a business plan that will help you achieve your creative and financial goals.

It’s relevant for fiction and non-fiction authors, as well as those who want to include other products, services, and income streams. It’s also applicable whether you’re just starting out or if you already have a mature author business. A plan helps at any stage of the journey.

Part 1 covers your business summary and author brand, taking you through the process of deciding the overall direction for what you want to achieve and who you want to serve.
Part 2 goes into the production process around your writing, publishing and licensing, products and services.
Part 3 covers your marketing strategy and author eco-system.
Part 4 goes into the financial side of your business, from mindset to revenue and costs, as well as paying yourself now and into the future.

The final chapter will give you a framework for simplifying your plan and turning it into achievable steps across a chosen timeline.

In each section, I give examples from my own business plan and there are questions for you to answer, templates, and resources that might help along the way, as well as example business plans for different kinds of authors.

It's time to take your author career to the next level. Let's get started on your business plan.

Your Author Business Plan

Your Author Business Plan: Introduction

I’m a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, podcaster and creative entrepreneur. I write thrillers and dark fantasy as J.F.Penn as well as non-fiction for writers under Joanna Penn.

My thriller site: http://www.JFPenn.com 
My site for writers and The Creative Penn podcast: http://www.TheCreativePenn.com
Books and Travel Podcast and Blog: https://www.booksandtravel.page

JFPenn

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