Why is writing emotion so important in our books, whatever the genre? How can we create an emotional connection between our readers and our characters? Roz Morris gives her tips in this episode. In the intro, how to get your indie book into schools [Self-Publishing Advice]; Did my bestselling book turn out to be a financial failure? [Tiago Forte]; …

Anthony is joined by Joey Roulette of Reuters and Jacqueline Feldscher of Payload to talk about the Falcon 9 failure and its fallout, and the ongoing communications debacle that is Starliner. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube SpaceX's Falcon 9 grounded after failure dooms batch of Starlink satellites | Reuters Chris Bergin - NSF on X: “Here are two minu…

How can you lean into intuition and curiosity to embrace discovery writing? How might serial fiction fit into your business model? KimBoo York gives her tips and more in this interview. In the intro, BookVault now has integration with PayHip; 7 lessons learned from 5 years writing full-time [Sacha Black, Rebel Author Podcast]; My author timeline; L…

Jake and Anthony are back! We catch up mostly about spacesuits, space stations, spaceships, and probably Dragon XL. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 158 - Meant to F - YouTube NASA will pay SpaceX nearly $1 billion to deorbit the International Space Station | Ars Technica DutchSatellites on X: “The USDV that SpaceX offered is indeed based off D…

How can you make sure your manuscript is ready for submission to an agent — or for publication if you go indie? What are the benefits and challenges of traditional publishing? Will they really do all the marketing for you? Renee Fountain talks about these things and more in today's interview. In the intro, Referencing and citations [Self Publishing…

Can you have a business with a soul through writing? How does the business of fiction differ from non-fiction? What are some tips for pitching a book for film & TV? All this and more with Aurora Winter. In the intro, 100 book marketing ideas [Written Word Media]; 25 indie authors tips to finding success [Self Publishing Advice]; BookFunnel for audi…

Jake and Anthony are joined by Laura Delgado López, Visiting Fellow at the Americas Program of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, to talk about Latin American space policy. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 157 - Assuming States are Rational (with Laura Delgado López) - YouTube Space security in the Americas can no longer go ove…

How do we write authentic humanity into our books, whether that's our own experience or a fictional character's? How can we embrace the challenges of life and the author journey and make the most of the opportunities along the way? Efren Delgado gives his tips in this interview. In the intro, How to plan and release a second edition of your book [S…

How can we use AI tools to enhance and improve our creative process? How can we double down on being human by writing what we are passionate about, while still using generative AI to help fulfil our creative vision? Rachelle Ayala gives her thoughts in this episode. Today's show is sponsored by my patrons! Join my community and get access to extra …

Jake and Anthony are joined by Mark Peller, VP of Vulcan Development at United Launch Alliance, to talk about…well…Vulcan development! Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 156 - It’s All Muscle (with Mark Peller, VP of Vulcan Development at ULA) - YouTube United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches First Next Generation Vulcan Rocket Tory Bruno on…

What are some of the common fears that writers face? How can we work through them in order to create more freely? Caroline Donahue gives her tips in this interview. In the intro, How to avoid indie author scams [ALLi; Writer Beware]; Financial strategies and mindset [Self Publishing Advice]; Apple Intelligence at WWDC [The Verge; Marketing against …

Jake and Anthony are joined by Peter Beck, Founder, President, and CEO of Rocket Lab, to talk about making rocket bikes, why he would do such a thing as make rocket bikes, what it was like to ride rocket bikes, and why he stopped making rocket bikes. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 155 - Unhinged Planetary Desire (with Peter Beck) - YouTube Ro…

What are the pros and cons of selling direct and building an ecommerce business for your books? How can you use click testing on Meta to help refine your creative and book marketing ideas? Steve Pieper explains in this interview. In the intro, The Hotsheet with Jane Friedman; 20 ways you should be using AI in publishing [PerfectBound]; Artificial I…

Jake and Anthony are joined by Matt Desch, CEO of Iridium, to talk about what they’ve been up to lately, the state of the satellite communications industry, and to tell some stories from his career. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 154 - They Ran Into Us (with Matt Desch) - YouTube Iridium Satellite Communications | Your World. Our Network. Iri…

What are the tropes of action adventure thrillers? How can you please readers and sell more books? J.F. Penn shares her own tips and also features excerpts from interviews with other thriller writers. J.F. Penn is the award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the ARKANE action-adventure thrillers, the Mapwalker fantasy adven…

How can you adopt the seasons of nature in your writing? How can you allow periods of rest as well as abundance? Jacqueline Suskin explores these ideas and more in this interview. In the intro, thoughts on children's book publishing [Always Take Notes Podcast]; how to market a memoir as an indie author [ALLi]; A desperate quest. A holy relic. A rac…

Jake and Anthony catch up on the news, and Anthony returns from vacation with a few reviews of some recent Smithsonian Air and Space Museum changes. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 153 - YouTube NASA and Boeing moving ahead with Starliner test flight after propulsion issues - SpaceNews MDA Space joins Starlab Space commercial space station ven…

How can you plan for success as an indie author even early in your writing career? How can you create multiple streams of income and multiple marketing channels, while still writing your books? Adam Beswick goes into his strategies. In the intro, Kickstarter announces new functionality to help creatives;Watch out for a scam email about […] The post…

How can you outline a story based on a ‘thought dump' and interweave genre tropes you love to create a successful book? How can you use video marketing to reach more readers, even if you are an introvert? Jenna Moreci gives her tips. In the intro, my new ProWritingAid tutorial; Embracing change and starting over […] The post Outlining Tips And Vide…

How can you blend ‘work for hire', ghostwriting, and being an indie author into a successful hybrid career writing books for children? Aubre Andrus gives her tips. In the intro, Countdown Pages on FindawayVoices by Spotify; the impact of AI narrated audiobooks on Audible [Bloomberg]; Ideas for short fiction anthologies and Kevin J. Anderson's Kicks…

Jake and Anthony are joined by Caleb Henry (Director of Research) and Justin Cadman (Co-CEO) of Quilty Space, to talk about their financial analysis of Starlink. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 152 - Low ARPU Sub (with Caleb Henry and Justin Cadman) - YouTube Starlink Webinar Access Quilty Space on X: “Happy National Space(X) day! Get a peek i…

How can you use automation and tools to help you streamline your creative and business processes so you can get back to the writing? Chelle Honiker gives some mindset and practical tips. In the intro, IBPA guide to publishing models; We need to talk about independence [Self Publishing Advice article; my podcast episode with Orna […] The post Using …

Jake and Anthony are joined by Eric Berger, Senior Space Editor at Ars Technica, to figure out what’s up with the Orion heat shield, SLS layoffs, commercial Mars studies, and the ISS deorbit vehicle. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 151 - CanadLeg (with Eric Berger) - YouTube NASA's Readiness for the Artemis II Crewed Mission to Lunar Orbit - N…

How can you connect to readers in a way that is sustainable for you and effective at selling books? How can you choose the best platform when there are so many options? Dan Blank gives his recommendations. In the intro, TikTok ban signed into law in the USA [The Verge]; No One Buys Books [Elle Griffin]; […] The post Human-Centered Book Marketing Wi…

Erin Edwards joins Jake and Anthony to talk about flying helicopters, making the leap from the military to space, and being a Canadian CAPCOM at NASA. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 150 - Bullets and Cheetos (with Erin Edwards) - YouTube The Space Suit – Puffin Drinkwear Bell CH-146 Griffon - Wikipedia Follow Erin Erin M Edwards, CD, M.Sc. | …

How can you build a creative, sustainable career as a ‘mid-list' indie author? How can you design a business that works for you and your books over the long term? T. Thorn Coyle explains more in this episode. In the intro, BookVault bespoke printing options; Harper Collins partners with Eleven Labs for AI-narrated non-English audiobooks […] The pos…

Jake and Anthony are joined by Aria Alamalhodaei, reporter at TechCrunch, to talk about valves, getting footage of Astra’s explosions, Mars Sample Return, and everything else that has been going on lately, including cursed eclipses. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 149 - Bob from Valves, Inc. (with Aria Alamalhodaei) - YouTube Aria Alamalhodaei…

What can authors learn from the adoption of AI into the music industry? What are some of the ways musicians are making money in the fractured creator economy? Tristra Newyear Yeager gives her thoughts in this interview. In the intro, Draft2Digital announced a retail distribution agreement with Fable [D2D]; Kobo launches a new color e-reader […] The…

Jake and Anthony catch up after some travels, unfortunate events, clouds, news, and hijinks. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 148 - Keep the Meter Running - YouTube Jake Robins on X: "if you're about to have a bad eclipse experience like me, you can at least have a funny shirt" Nerd Alert: Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains the Lunar Eclipse - YouTub…

How can you overcome your fears and make a life change towards your dreams? Or tackle the fears that stop you from writing and publishing your book? Rachael Herron talks about creating despite the fear, and getting unstuck in this interview. In the intro, Blackberry movie and IP questions; The Copyright Handbook by Steven Fishman; […] The post Faci…

There are many options for book marketing, so how do you choose the right ones for you? I give my thoughts on the different polarities on the marketing scale to help you figure out what might work for your book, your stage on the author journey, and your lifestyle. In the intro, Storybundle for writers; […] The post Different Ways To Market Your Bo…

Jake is joined my Simon Stähler from ETH Zürich to talk about the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube 147 - Bouncy Castle Payload Adapter - YouTube Eclipse 2024 Meetup - Off-Nominal Jake's new blog post on Mission Success Follow Off-Nominal Subscribe to the show! - Off-Nominal Support the show, join the Discord Off-…

What mindset shift do you need if you want to sell direct? How can you use Meta and AI tools to amplify your marketing? Matt Holmes gives his tips as well as insights from running my ads for my store, JFPennBooks.com. In the intro, how to sell more books at live events [BookBub]; Future of […] The post Tips For Selling And Marketing Direct Using Me…

Jake and Anthony are joined by Paul Niles, CLPS project scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, to talk about the science side of CLPS. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 146 - Stocking the Shelves - YouTube Eclipse 2024 Meetup - Off-Nominal Commercial Lunar Payload Services - NASA Peregrine payloads returned useful data despite no lunar landin…

How can you use insights from the Enneagram to help you with a sustainable author career? How can you get past your blocks and move towards success, whatever that means for you? Claire Taylor provides her insights. In the intro, will TikTok be banned in the USA, and how will this impact authors and publishing? […] The post Insights On The Enneagram…

Jake and Anthony are joined by Michael Sheetz, space reporter from CNBC, to talk about Starship’s third flight, recent earnings calls, whatever Astra is up to, and…there’s way too much on our list. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 145 - Space Elevator Jazz (with Michael Sheetz) - YouTube Starship's Third Flight Test / X SpaceX Starship rocket f…

There are more options for publishing and reaching readers than ever before, and the indie author business models are splintering and diverging, so how do we know which path to follow? How do we deal with the changes due to generative AI, and how do we manage the grief and anxiety about these shifts? Becca […] The post Dealing With Change And How T…

Jake and Anthony are joined by Swapna Krishna to catch up on space science news, and to talk about her projects like Ad Astra, Stargazing, and more. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 144 - The Tube Man (with Swapna Krishna) - YouTube Ad Astra Ad Astra - YouTube The Philly Mascots and First Responders From Engine 38 Re-Open I-95 - Crossing Broad …

How can you create more beautiful print books — and make more money with your products by selling direct? Alex Smith explains how BookVault can help with various options as well as helpful resources. In the intro, audiobooks and AI [Frankfurt Bookmesse]; Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and Virtual Worlds by Joanna Penn; Google's woke AI Gemini…

Jake and Anthony are joined by journalist and author Tim Fernholz to talk about some of his recent stories on the Space Force, Kam Ghaffarian, and let’s be honest, we’ll probably get distracted by Intuitive Machine’s first lunar landing attempt. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 143 - Maneuver Without Regret (feat. Warfighting Domain) (feat. Tim…

How can you write a memoir that is emotionally honest and revealing enough for readers to care, and cope with the inevitable fear of judgment that evokes? How can you write about real places and people in memoir? Why is editing a memoir so challenging and what should you keep in mind around publishing and […] The post Tips On Writing Memoir With J.…

How can we focus on the joy of the writing process itself, rather than the outcome? How can we embrace the positive side of being jealous of the success of other writers? How can we deepen our writing with metaphor and sense of place? Co-authors of writing book, Millions of Suns, Sharon and Christine share […] The post The Hard Joy Of Writing With …

Jake and Anthony are joined by Casey Dreier, Chief of Space Policy at The Planetary Society, to talk about the latest on Mars Sample Return, JPL layoffs, and everything space policy. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 142 (with Casey Dreier) - YouTube How layoffs at JPL can be traced to a stalemate in Congress | The Planetary Society The path for…

How can you pick yourself, rather than wait for someone else to pick you? How can you take control of your independent career and bring your creative vision to life? Jeffrey Crane Graham talks about his experience as an indie filmmaker, with lots of tips for indie authors. In the intro, 6 Types of Submission […] The post Writing And Producing A Mic…

Jake and Anthony are joined by Elizabeth Frank to talk about the future of the CLPS program, JPL’s Mars-focused Commercial Services Studies, and a whole bunch more, including Elizabeth’s epic travel photos. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 141 - TRL Valley of Death (with Elizabeth Frank) - YouTube Astrobotic to begin formal investigation into f…

How do you find the story behind all your stories? Who are you at the heart of your books? Isabelle Knight talks about the importance of author brand in an age of limitless content, and gives tips on how to discover yours. In the intro, 20 new miniature books added to Queen Mary’s Dollhouse [BBC]; […] The post Your Author Brand With Isabelle Knight…

Jake and Anthony are joined by Rae Paoletta of The Planetary Society to pour one out for Ingenuity, breakdown the epic SLIM landing, and do some eclipse planning. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 140 - Cultivating a Vibe (with Rae Paoletta) - YouTube SLIM moon lander revived after solar power setback - SpaceNews Dawoon Jung on X: “One of #SLIM …

What are the benefits — and the challenges — of crowdfunding on Kickstarter? How can you fund successfully, as well as make a profit with your campaign? Paddy Finn gives his tips. In the intro, you can find more selling direct resources here; Streaming due for a streamlining [FT]; Authors Guild explores AI licensing deal […] The post How To Be Succ…

I really enjoyed this laid-back discussion around AI tools as part of the creative book cover design process with James Helps from Go On Write. We discuss how generative AI tools can help make more unique and interesting cover designs, and how designers can have a more imaginative time making them. This episode is supported […] The post A Creative …

Jake and Anthony are joined by John Conafay to talk about what he’s been up to since founding Integrate, and we’ll probably dish out some hot takes, too. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 139 - Sourdough Software Starter (with John Conafay) - YouTube Integrate Cosma Schema • The New Space design & branding agency. Ingenuity Mars helicopter missi…