From award-winning and bestselling author J. Kevin Tumlinson, this weekly podcast explores the stories that shape us into who we are, and shape the world into what it can become. There are interviews with authors and non-authors, deep dives into useful ideas, and solo-slinger episodes that are authentic and real, aimed at giving you the best, most honest advice about life as a writer, creator, and creative entrereneur. Every episode is a story. It's all about the story here.
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A WORDSLINGER PODCAST What does it actually take to build a bestselling author career—and turn writing into a sustainable business? In this episode of the Wordslinger Podcast, I sit down with New York Times bestselling author J.D. Barker to talk about the business behind the books. J.D. has worked with James Patterson, built a career spanning traditional and independent publishing, developed an…
A WORDSLINGER 10-SHOT What if the secret to original writing is to stop trying so hard to be original? Writers and creators often feel pressure to make everything completely unique—from book covers and story ideas to marketing and branding. But readers don’t necessarily want something they’ve never seen before. They’re often looking for something familiar enough to recognize, but different enough…
A WORDSLINGER 10-SHOT You don’t need an agent, a publisher, an editor, or anyone else to give you permission to be a writer. For years, I waited for someone else to tell me it was okay to take writing seriously. I chased opportunities, worked jobs, paid bills, and kept telling myself that someday I’d finally have enough time to write. But someday doesn’t show up on its own. In this Wordslinger…
A WORDSLINGER 10-SHOT What if you could build a powerful editing process for your novel without spending thousands of dollars on professional editing? In this episode, I break down what I call my “Edit Stack”—the layered system I use to catch typos, grammar problems, continuity issues, awkward passages, and other mistakes before a book goes out into the world. The key is not relying on one tool,…
A WORDSLINGER STORY CUT Spider-Man has been rebooted, reimagined, recast, and retold more times than most superheroes could survive. So how do you make him feel new again without losing what made people love him in the first place? In this Wordslinger Story Cuts, I break down Spider-Man: Brand New Day and why I think it may be the best Spider-Man franchise film yet. This movie does something…
A WORDSLINGER PODCAST Why are more writers reconsidering traditional publishing—and could we be entering a second indie publishing renaissance? In this episode of the Wordslinger Podcast, Kevin Tumlinson looks at the changing landscape of publishing, from unreliable AI detection and increasingly restrictive publisher policies to the growing opportunities available to independent authors. Writers…
A Wordslinger 10-Shot! Bad reviews are inevitable. The real question is what you do after you get one. In this Wordslinger 10-Shot, I’m talking about the mistake authors make when a negative review gets under their skin—and why responding, arguing, or trying to “correct the record” usually makes things worse. I recently looked at my own book reviews for the first time in more than a year and found…
People love throwing around the phrase “AI slop.” But does using AI actually hurt your content—or are creators reacting to something that audiences barely notice? I decided to stop guessing and test it. For several weeks, I ran YouTube A/B/C tests comparing AI-generated thumbnails against thumbnails built from traditional photos and graphics. And the results were not what the loudest AI critics…
“I can’t afford to self-publish.” I hear this from writers all the time—and I think it’s based on one of the biggest misconceptions about indie publishing. You can self-publish a book for $0 . In this Wordslinger 10-Shot, I break down the real costs of independent publishing, including editing, formatting, cover design, distribution, and marketing—and show you where you can spend money, where you…
Kevin on Kraft: EPISODE 1! **Kevin on Kraft** is an occasional conversation between writers Kevin Tumlinson and Donn King about the craft, process, and strange magic of writing. **Your first draft is supposed to be bad.** Seriously. One of the biggest mistakes writers make is expecting the first draft to look anything like the finished book. That pressure to get everything right—to nail the…
I sold more than 10 million books over the course of my writing career—and somehow I’m still spending my time talking about AI witch hunts. In this episode of the Wordslinger Podcast, I dig into the growing problem of AI detection tools, false accusations, and platforms giving users new ways to report writers for supposedly creating “AI slop.” These tools are producing false positives, damaging…
AI detectors are accusing real writers of using artificial intelligence—and people are losing grades, contracts, opportunities, and reputations because of unreliable software. Meanwhile, writers are still wrestling with another difficult question: How do you actually build a sustainable writing career when book sales alone may not provide a dependable living? In this episode of Wordslinger, J.…
I came this close to walking away from writing forever. After a traditional publishing deal went sideways, I paid back the advance, lost the rights for a stretch, and seriously believed my career was over before it started. What saved me wasn’t “just write every day.” It was building a deliberate system around the chaos of multiple projects, side hustles, and creative energy. In this Wordslinger…
What makes a story impossible to put down? It usually starts with one uncomfortable truth: You have to make your characters suffer. In this episode of the Wordslinger 10-Shot, I dig into several practical writing craft principles that can help you create stronger characters, sharper scenes, more natural dialogue, and stories that keep readers turning pages. We’ll talk about why change is the…
Writers are dreamers — and unfortunately, scammers know it. In this episode of the Wordslinger Podcast, I’m breaking down 5 scams targeting writers right now, especially indie authors, self-published authors, and creative entrepreneurs trying to build a real career around their work. From fake awards and vanity publishers to bogus film deals, fake agents, and “guaranteed bestseller” packages,…
Writers waste a lot of energy worrying about the wrong things. In this episode of the Wordslinger 10-Shot, Kevin talks about finishing a story that started nearly 30 years ago, why your unfinished drafts may still have life in them, and why the “perfect” writing tool probably is not what’s standing between you and the work. We also get into the ongoing AI debate for writers: where the line is, how…
What publishing trends should writers be paying attention to right now? In this episode of the Wordslinger 10-Shot, Kevin looks at five trends shaping the current writing and publishing landscape—especially for indie authors, creative entrepreneurs, and anyone building a long-term writing career. From the rise of short fiction and novellas, to the “analog rebellion” bringing writers back to…
