All Episodes (20)

1. 1. Episode 20: Pitch Sessions

   Just home from teaching workshops at the SAGA writer's convention. I brought home a lot of great experiences and conversations. One of the workshops I taught was on pitch sessions, and how to pitch your book in query letters to agents and publishers. In this week's mini-workshop, we cover the big points, and some of the questions that came up over the weekend. The session was recorded, and we plan to make it available soon!

   Mar 14,2023 24:54
2. 2. Episode 19: The power of cash flows

   It's another mini-workshop. Over the weekend, I was teaching a business fundamentals workshop for a writers group, and after, a few of us had a deeper conversation about managing money as an author, and the power of understanding cash flows. This week, I give a recap of the discussion, discuss the power of cash flow, and how you can calculate it.

   Mar 07,2023 21:36
3. 3. Episode 18: What is Marketing, and the STP Method

   Marketing is the foundation of every business. For creatives, it's also about who we are. But what is it, really? In this mini-workshop, it's all about marketing, and an overview of the STP Method, and how you can start to use it!

   Feb 28,2023 19:16
4. 4. Episode 17: Building a rocket

   No matter what business you're in, or what kind of work you create, the most valuable resource any of us have is time. Are you taking advantage of the time you have? Are you trying to fly before you know how to walk?

   Feb 21,2023 22:48
5. 5. Episode 16: The Publishing Industry in 2023 with Jonathan Maberry

   Jonathan Maberry (JonathanMaberry.com) joins James P. Nettles this week to talk about the business of publishing in 2023, working in different mediums including novels, short stories, comics, and licensing rights for film and TV. We also go into the workshops he'll be teaching at the Saga writers conference in March (SagaConference.com).Jonathan offers a lot of free material for writers on his website!

   Feb 14,2023 54:21
6. 6. Episode 15: The Long Haul

   What does it take to be successful as a creator? A creative? In the creator economy? We often hear that it takes ten years to be an "overnight success," and luck is still a big part of it. This week we talk about being in it for "The Long Haul." How do you approach the work? What are the key elements that give you a better shot at success? Do you chase trends? How do you deal with the frustration?Join me and find out.

   Feb 07,2023 32:12
7. 7. Episode 14: Hitting all the notes with Linda Robertson Reinhardt

   Linda Robertson Reinhardt is an artist, musician, and novelist. This week we dive into her career, her creative process, using different technologies in the creative process, being an introvert on stage, and how she combines all three mediums as a storyteller. Find out more about Linda and where you can get her work at AuthorLindaRobertson.com!

   Jan 31,2023 58:19
8. 8. Episode 13: Social Media Landscape for 2023

   The social media landscape is changing by the day. The big players are giving ground to decentralized networks, large platforms are offering more AI, CR and AR tools to content creators as they also look at going to subscription models, the move to entertainment platforms instead of social media, and much more. Many of the old rules are out the window, and what fundamentals are the same? What are we to do to promote ourselves and our work? What will it take for you to get your fifteen minutes of

   Jan 24,2023 42:24
9. 9. Episode 12: Chat GPT - Is this the end of writers?

   Chat GPT and tools based on AI are proliferating. We're seeing the rapid spread of Chat GPT and AT Driven content solutions being pitched as replacing writers, copywriters, programmers, customer service and more. What is Chat GPT, how does it work, is it violating copyrights, and is this the end of writers?

   Jan 17,2023 35:59
10. 10. Episode 11: The power of language and translations with J.D. Estrada

    JD Estrada is a poet and fiction author, but is also a professional translator of marketing materials into Spanish. We take a deep dive into the power of language, and how you go about translating into a different language, working with regional context, idioms, and dialects, and crossing the barriers of storytelling across languages. How do you change a language, but keep the message and the experience?

    Jan 10,2023 59:16
11. 11. Episode 10: Reflections on Fandom from Bowl Games for Creatives

    Happy New Year! In Creating Pros 10, I reflect on a few college football bowl games, and the lessons creatives can take from them. This one is especially if you're not a sports fan!What inspired this episode was something I heard from a player right after the stroke of midnight on NYE, and I end this with eleven takeaways for anyone trying to build or grow a following.

    Jan 03,2023 45:45
12. 12. Episode 9: Reflecting on 2022 to create change in 2023

    For the last creating pro's of the year, I'm going to touch on some of what I learned from 2022, and the last few years, but also dive into setting goals and intentions for 2023. Often we look at New Years Day as that great chance to do a big reset, and commit to huge changes, ones that fall away within weeks, or even days. In this episode, I touch especially on the interviews with Alex Simmons and Joelle  Reizes. In both of these shows, we talked about the importance of creativity, and and faci

    Dec 30,2022 21:40
13. 13. Episode 8: (Re)starting your creative career after 40

    Joelle M. Reizes writes as herself and as J.D. Blackrose. After setting aside her love of creating writing in lieu of family and corporate career, she returned to it in her 40's with a blog, urban fantasy, romance, horror, and children's books. We talk about her passion for creating, how she started, and how she restarted her life and creative passions!We build on a lot of the topics discussed with Alex Simmons on the importance of creativity, and that it's never too late to chase your passions.

    Dec 20,2022 01:13:12
14. 14. Episode 7: Alex Simmons - Here and Now!

    Alex Simmons has written for numerous publishers, including Disney Books, Penguin Press, Simon and Schuster, Marvel, DC Comics, and Archie Comics, and is the creator of the Blackjack comics series. He has also written for animation, stage plays, film, educational documentaries, and has led master classes internationally. Today we talk about the importance of creativity through life, and his work with educational youth programs.We cover a lot in this one.

    Dec 13,2022 01:15:41
15. 15. Episode 6: Navigating Fan Fiction

    Fan Fiction has proliferated with the internet, and consumption of it exploded when the pandemic began. Many writers got their start in fan fiction, both to build up their craft and even an audience while also exploring a favored fandom. This week we'll explore the risks and rewards of fan fiction, both for it's creators, and for those who own the inspiration. We'll also look at how to manage your IP safely, and determine how fan fiction creators can be permitted to play in your sandbox, or not!

    Dec 06,2022 36:14
16. 16. Episode 5: Is Artificial Intelligence Art - art?

    This week's show came about because of questions I'm getting from friends and clients. We're seeing a proliferation of new Artificial Intelligence systems analyzing and producing creative content. AI created Digital Art engines are available to everyone on desktops and smart devices everywhere, and the product is winning competitions. Beyond that, we see AI's writing, creating music, and with robotics, creating physical mediums.What does this mean for the future of creativity, and for artists to

    Nov 29,2022 23:05
17. 17. Creating Pro’s Episode 4:Self-publishing and the Indie Publishing Mindset

    In this episode, we take a look at Indie publishing. In the industry, self-publishing and indie publishing mean the same thing, but do they really? We also explore seven things any creative business needs to consider, especially writers.Happy NaNoWriMo!

    Nov 22,2022 19:06
18. 18. Episode 3: Kickstart your project with Oriana Leckert

    This week, I'm joined by Oriana Leckert, Director of Publishing & Comics Outreach for Kickstarter!(Kickstarter.com) (Oriana-Leckert.com) She takes us through how to build your campaign, tips and tricks for funding your project, and best practices for working with Kickstarter. Then we dive deeper into the process!

    Nov 15,2022 49:50
19. 19. Episode 2: Do you have a hobby or a business?

    In Episode 2 of Creating Pros, it's a mini workshop where we walk through the question: Do you have a hobby or a business? Why does it matter?It's important for 2 primary reasons, it's about what you want and your goals, and the IRS (and other taxing entities). We will talk about the differences between a hobby and a business, how the IRS makes a determination, and how you can make that decision for yourself.

    Nov 15,2022 30:18
20. 20. Episode 1: The Creative Mindset with Adrianne McDonald

    Welcome to the rebooted Creating Pros with James P. Nettles. We timed this episode to kick off with NaNoWriMo 2022 to talk about the creative mindset, and why it's so important. I'm joined by my spouse, Adrianne McDonald. We talk about creativity, how to focus your creative energy, how creative output can affect and improve all areas of your life, and some great tips as we head into NaNo! Adrianne McDonald owns a personal and professional development company The Mindset Strategist (AdrianneMcDon

    Nov 15,2022 01:00:11