The Publishing Performance Show

• Becca Puglisi – Why Your Characters Keep Shrugging (And How to Fix It with The Emotion Thesaurus)

  Becca Puglisi is an international speaker and bestselling author who has sold over one million copies of her Thesaurus series, with The Emotion Thesaurus being her flagship book. Starting as critique partners on Critique Circle, Becca and co-author Angela Ackerman discovered they both struggled with showing character emotions—Becca's characters were always shrugging and shuffling their feet. This led them to create lists of emotional cues that eventually became blog posts on Writers Helping Writers, then transformed into The Emotion Thesaurus when readers demanded a book version. A former first-grade teacher, Becca brings educational expertise to her workshops and tools, now available through One Stop for Writers, a subscription-based service with character-building tools based on the Thesaurus series content.In this episode:How The Emotion Thesaurus solved the "shrugging and shuffling" problemWhy every character responds to emotions differently based on personalityMining movies, books, and real-life observations for authentic emotionsStephen King's skill at creating compelling, realistic antagonistsThe importance of wounding events from backstory shaping current behaviorReserved vs demonstrative: the emotional spectrum for your characterPhysical cues, internal thoughts, and visceral sensations in showing emotionHidden emotions: what characters show others vs what readers seeEmotion escalation and de-escalation to avoid jarring jumpsMelodrama vs not enough emotion: finding the right balanceThe Emotional Wound Thesaurus for character change arcsThe Conflict Thesaurus for plotting and creating choice opportunitiesBuilding characters as mixed bags of positive and negative traitsThe Fear Thesaurus (Spring 2025): how fear drives character behavior and arcOne Stop for Writers: subscription tools based on Thesaurus contentResources mentioned:Writers Helping Writers blog: writershelpingwriters.orgOne Stop for Writers (subscription service): onestopforwriters.comCritique CircleThe Emotion Thesaurus by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1475004958?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlThe Negative Trait ThesaurusThe Positive Trait ThesaurusThe Emotional Wound ThesaurusThe Setting Thesaurus (multiple books)The Conflict Thesaurus (two books)The Fear Thesaurus (coming Spring 2025)Connect with Becca Puglisi:Writers Helping Writers blog: writershelpingwriters.orgOne Stop for Writers: onestopforwriters.comConnect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/ Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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• Michael Drew – Why Self-Published Authors Can't Hit Major Bestseller Lists (And What to Do Instead)

  Michael Drew is the founder of PromoteABook.com (established 25 years ago) and BookRetreat.com, with a track record of helping 132 consecutive books hit major bestseller lists including The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Success Magazine. Starting his career at age 18 as the #3 salesperson at Executive Excellence (a division of Covey Leadership Center), Michael impressed industry leaders and landed at Bard Press by age 19, where he was tasked with understanding how bestseller lists actually work. His first campaign launched "Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads" by Roy H. Williams to #3 on The New York Times and #1 on Wall Street Journal. Today, 85% of his work focuses on building thought leadership platforms, with 110 clients permanently increasing their gross revenue by $1 million+ per year, 10 clients increasing revenue by $50 million+ per year, and 7 clients increasing revenue by $100 million+ per year through strategic book campaigns.In this episode:Bestseller lists as sophisticated polls, not real sales rankingsOnly 7 of 132 bestselling clients made money from book sales110 clients permanently increased revenue by $1M+ per year using their book strategicallyBrick-and-mortar stores represent 75% of book salesThe three major lists: New York Times, USA Today, Success MagazineSelf-publishers cannot hit major bestseller lists (distribution requirements)IngramSpark distribution won't work for bestseller campaignsCo-op fees: $1-5 per unit for retail shelf placementNew York Times requirements: 20K print, 10K ebook, 10K through AmazonOnline media: 350 blogs, 90 podcasts, 90 vlogs, 50K+ social engagement per platformTraditional media: 100 TV markets, 100 radio markets, 100 print marketsAmazon bestseller lists have no real valueThe uncovering: two-day meeting defining outcome, measurement, strategy, tacticsBook Retreat in Guatemala: write your book in 30 days using 64 blog posts methodContent repurposing system: blog posts become videos, podcasts, social media, and bookResources mentioned:Promote A Book: https://promoteabook.com/Book Retreat in Guatemala: https://bookretreat.com/"Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" by T. Harv Eker"Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads" by Roy H. Williams (Michael's first campaign)"Pendulum: How Past Generations Shape Our Present and Predict Our Future" (co-authored with Roy Williams)"Nuts: Southwest Airlines Crazy Recipe for Success" published by Bard PressKDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)IngramSparkConnect with Michael Drew:Email: [email protected] with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/ Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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• Amy Suto – The Three-Pillar System for Making Six Figures as a Self-Published Author

  Amy Suto is a seven-figure freelance writer, memoir ghostwriter, bestselling author, and founder of the top Substack newsletter Make Writing Your Job. Starting as a Hollywood TV writer working for minimum wage as an assistant, Amy discovered that freelancing could outpace traditional entertainment industry earnings. She's flown to countries like Austria to work with clients on their memoirs, ghostwritten for Olympians and NBA players, and built a thriving writing business with three income pillars: self-publishing, paid newsletters, and freelance writing. Her upcoming book Write for Money and Power (launching January 12, 2026) provides the mindset operating system writers need to build six and seven-figure writing careers.In this episode:Rejecting the starving artist myth and rewriting limited beliefs about writer incomeThe three-pillar system: self-publishing, paid newsletters, and freelancingWhy freelancing with multiple clients is more secure than one full-time jobEscaping 10 cents per word work by pricing for outcomes instead of effortHow copywriting jobs paying $8,000/month are dominating Make Writing Your JobWhy memoir ghostwriting is the highest-paying freelance nicheGetting flown to Austria to interview clients and capture their life storiesThe mindset shift that lets you quote rates without fearNegotiating triple client budgets by educating them on writing valueWhy Anthropic hiring writers proves AI can't replace storytellingUsing ChatGPT for research, text-to-speech dictation, and routine workGoogle Notebook LM for querying your own novel contentSubstack's unique organic traffic and onboarding flow advantagesPutting up paywalls early to trigger Substack's promotional algorithmEmailing only free subscribers with upgrade sequences and discountsHow all three pillars dovetail: Substack becomes portfolio and book contentThe 12-month roadmap to earning seven figures with three writing pillarsSystems that let you take six weeks off while your business runsPre-order benefits including founding memberships and Notion templatesResources mentioned:Make Writing Your Job Substack: https://www.makewritingyourjob.com/Amy Suto's personal Substack: https://www.sutoscience.com/Write for Money and Power by Amy Suto (pre-order at amysuto.com/power)ChatGPT Google Notebook LMUpwork for early freelancingSubstack Notes (Twitter-like feature)Book Recommendations:Write for Money and Power by Amy Suto (releasing January 12, 2026)Connect with Amy Suto:Website: https://www.amysuto.com/Make Writing Your Job Substack: https://www.makewritingyourjob.com/Personal Substack: https://www.sutoscience.com/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sutoscienceInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/sutoscienceTwitter: https://twitter.com/sutosciencePre-order book with benefits: amysuto.com/powerConnect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/ Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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• Dave King – Self-Editing Techniques Every Fiction Writer Must Know Before Publishing

  Dave King is a professional fiction editor with over 35 years of experience and co-author of the bestselling writing manual Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, which has sold over 200,000 copies and been adopted as a textbook worldwide. With translations into Italian, Taiwanese, Japanese, and Korean, the book maintains its position in Amazon's top 10 fiction writing manuals. Dave apprenticed under Renni Browne, a former editor for William Morrow and Stein and Day, learning the craft through hands-on manuscript work. Today, he helps authors at all levels refine their manuscripts through his unique 50-page collaborative editing process that trains writers to become their own best editors.In this episode:30-year backlist bestseller adopted as textbook, 6,000-7,000 copies annuallyPhilosophy degree to glass grinding plant to professional editorApprenticeship as the only way to learn editing50-page back-and-forth collaborative editing techniqueCopy editing vs. mechanical vs. creative editingPoint of view as the #1 issue in manuscriptsThe cottage cheese test for character perspectiveThe dialogue voice test for distinct character voicesWhy writers as beta readers can be dangerousDiagnostic reading report at $2 per page before detailed editingMore forgiving of narrative summary in sci-fi and historical fictionHow J.K. Rowling broke all the rules but created effective world-buildingReal editing transformation: changing the ending with the supportive bossFinish your manuscript before hiring an editorING phrases and subordinate clauses that weaken writingMultiple beta readers agreeing means pay attentionFourth-Ringing Tonguishness: Anglo-Saxon vs. Latinate wordsHitting manuscripts with fresh eyes like a reader wouldResources mentioned:Writer Unboxed: Archive of Dave King's editing articlesNotable article: "Fourth-Ringing Tonguishness" (on Anglo-Saxon vs. Latinate language)Paul Anderson's analog magazine essay (1980s) on translating atomic physics into Anglo-Saxon equivalentsBook Recommendations:Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060545690?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlConnect with Dave King:Website: www.davekingedits.comEditing services and consultation information available on websiteArticle archive with topical index available under "Advice" sectionDiagnostic reading reports: $2 per page (250 words per page)Connect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/ Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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• Louise Harris – The Four Types of Editing Every Author Needs

  Louise Harris is the founder and president of Last Research and Editing, a comprehensive editing service specializing in both fiction and nonfiction books. With a journalism degree from the University of Maryland, Louise discovered early in her career that she's better at editing others' work than writing her own—a realization that shaped her 20+ year editing career. Known for her old-school approach of printing manuscripts and using colored pens (green at Christmas, pink at Easter), Louise provides everything from developmental editing and book coaching to copy editing, line editing, proofreading, and her unique book compilation service that transforms blog posts into published books.In this episode:Types of editing: developmental, copy, line, proofreadingDevelopmental editors as writing coachesWhen to hire editors at each stagePlot holes: the invisible man's clothes problemWhy printing manuscripts catches more errorsFlow from sentence to chapter to bookThe fluff problem: cutting unnecessary contentNonfiction editing for business and political booksAmerican English style guides (AP vs. Chicago)Customized packages for different author needsFree first chapter editing to test compatibilitySelf-editing tips: print and read aloudGrammarly limitations and computer errorsWhy AI writing sounds corporateBlog compilation service explainedAnthology compilation for associationsUpwork and Fiverr budget optionsWhy you shouldn't give editors first draftsResources mentioned:LAST Research and Editing: https://lastresearchandediting.com/Grammarly: https://www.grammarly.com/Chicago Manual of Style: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/Associated Press Style Guide: https://www.apstylebook.com/Print editing techniquesBook recommendations:Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss: https://denuccio.net/ohplaces.htmlConnect with Louise:Website: https://lastresearchandediting.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-harris-2b04bb13/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louise.harris.7315/LAST Research FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/lastresearch/YouTube: @LouiseHarrisTheLASTWordTwitter: @lastreditPhone: 480-370-3945Alignable: https://www.alignable.com/hanover-md/last-research-and-editing-2Connect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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