327. Jonathan Merkh President Forefront Books, #2 Fastest Growing Publisher in the US
Jonathan Merkh is the President and Publisher at Forefront Books. Andrea Fleck-Nesbit, president of the Independent Book Publishers Association and a previous podcast guest, introduced Merkh to the host.
Merkh previously served as vice president and publisher at Thomas Nelson Publishers, led Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, and Guidepost. Jonathan has published nearly 100 New York Times bestsellers. In 2023, Publishers Weekly recognized Forefront Books as the second fastest-growing publisher in the United States, and Inc. Magazine included Forefront Books among the nation’s top fastest-growing companies.
In this episode, we discuss the history of publishing, the need to have a platform as an author, the specialty niche that Forefront Books specializes in, and tips for writers of fiction and nonfiction.
Learn more at forefrontbooks.com.
328. Volume 41 winners: Robert Lowell, Jordan Smajstrla, CL Fors, and Ian Keith
These four winners from year 41 at the Writers & Illustrators of the Future workshop and awards gala: Robert Lowell, author of “Kill Switch”; Jordan Smajstrla, illustrator of “Kill Switch”; CL “Cherrie” Fors, illustrator of “A World of Repetitions”; Ian Keith, author of “Blackbird Stone.”
We discuss their journey as creative individuals and what makes the workshop so special for them and what Writers and Illustrators of the Future means to them and to the genre.
329. Volume 41 winners: David Hoffrichter, Lauren McGuire, Barlow Crassmont, and Patrick MacPhee
These four winners from year 41 at the Writers & Illustrators of the Future workshop and awards gala: David Hoffrichter, illustrator of “The Rune Witch”; Lauren McGuire, author of “Karma Birds”; Barlow Crassmont, author of “The Boy from Elsewhen”; and, Patrick MacPhee, author of “Thirty Minutes or It’s a Paradox.”
We discuss their journey as creative individuals and what makes the workshop so special for them and what Writers and Illustrators of the Future means tot hem and to the genre.
330. Winners from year 41 at the Writers & Illustrators of the Future workshop and awards gala.
These eight winners from year 41 at the Writers & Illustrators of the Future workshop and awards gala: Seth Atwater, Jr., author of “A World of Repetitions,” Jefferson Snow, author of “The Rune Witch,” Joel C. Scoberg, author of “The Stench of Freedom,” Sandra Skalski, author of “Slip Stone,” T.R. Naus, author of “Storm Damage,” Haileigh Enriquez, illustrator of “Storm Damage” and “Slip Stone,” HeatherAnne Lee, illustrator of “Code L1,” and Andrew Jackson, author of “Code L1.”
We discuss their journey as creative individuals and what makes the workshop so special for them and what Writers and Illustrators of the Future means to them and to the genre.
331. Volume 41 Illustrator Winners Discuss the Contest, Art, and the Illustrator Forum
Four Illustrators of the Future winners: CL Fors, illustrator of “A World of Repetitions”; Tremani Sutcliffe, illustrator of “Ascii”; Breanda Petsch, illustrator of “Karma Birds”; and Daniel Montifar, illustrator of “The Boy from Elsewhen.”
We discuss their journey as creative individuals and what makes the workshop so special for them and what Writers and Illustrators of the Future means to them and to the genre.
332. Sean Williams: #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Writer Contest Winner, and Judge
Sean Williams was a Writers of the Future winner in 1992 and published in Volume 8. He became a judge in 2003. He is a New York Times bestselling author of 60 books and over 120 short stories for adults, young adults, and children.
Sean wrote the cover story based on Craig Elliot’s cover art for L. Ron Hubbard Presents Volume 41 titled “Under False Colours.”
In this episode, we discuss his journey as a writer, which is an inspiration in and of itself to the amateur, and the importance of short stories in establishing oneself as an author.
Sean is one of the nicest people you will ever know, and this episode will provide some insight into why.
Learn more about Sean at seanwilliams.com.
333. Tim Powers 3X World Fantasy Award Winner Tells Why Fantasy Must be Believable
Tim Powers is a three-time World Fantasy Award winner and Writers of the Future Contest judge and instructor. In this podcast, we discuss why fantasy has to be believable … and how to make that happen!
Tim’s novels include The Drawing of the Dark, The Anubis Gates (winner of the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award and the Prix Apollo), Dinner at Deviant’s Palace (winner of the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award), On Stranger Tides, The Stress of Her Regard, Last Call (winner of the World Fantasy Award), Expiration Date, Earthquake Weather, Declare (winner of the World Fantasy Award) and Three Days to Never.
Learn more at Tim Powers.
334. Robert J. Sawyer: From Contestant to Contest Judge and Winner of all Major SF Awards
Robert J. Sawyer entered Writers of the Future and won three Honorable Mentions before disqualifying himself by selling professionally. We met 20 years ago at Torcon III, where he won his first Hugo award. The following year, he was invited to Hollywood to attend the Gala and subsequently invited to be a judge. He agreed and has been a judge for 20 years as of this interview.
Learn more at www.sfwriter.com.
335. Tom Wood: World Class Fantasy Artist Discusses “An Artist’s Path”
Tom Wood is a fantasy art illustrator among the best-selling poster artists in the US and Canada.
We met at the Dragon Con in Atlanta 10 years ago, where he exhibited at a booth next to ours. We became friends, then great friends. We also appreciated his desire to help other artists. We invited him and he has been an Illustrators of the Future judge since 2021.
In Writers of the Future Volume 41, he wrote an article titled “An Artist’s Path,” describing his journey from very humble beginnings to being one of the most successful poster artists in North America, which we discuss in this episode.
Learn more at www.tomwoodfantasyart.com and www.meridiandesignworks.com.
336. Bea Jackson from Illustrating Fan Fiction to International Bestselling Artist
Brittany “Bea” Jackson illustrated the New York Times bestselling picture books, Parker Looks Up, about America’s First Lady, and LeBron James’s We Are Family, and her own Lilly’s Dream, which she both wrote and illustrated.
She is a former grand prize winner of the Illustrators of the Future Contest and was published in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 24. She has been a judge since 2021.
We discuss how she developed her style as a self-taught artist, having begun as a fan fiction artist. We also discussed how she was discovered by a major publisher finding her through social pages.
Learn more at beagifted.com.
337. Craig Martelle Founder IASFA (Independent Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Authors)
Craig Martelle is an international bestselling author of thrillers and science fiction. His nonfiction book, Wit and Wisdom, provides incredible advice to authors. His first podcast interview was based on his thriller Ian Bragg Series. This interview is built around his book—a must-read for writers wishing to improve their game.
He founded IASFA (Independent Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Authors), which we also discuss in this interview. If you are a science fiction or fantasy writer, this is a great group to join.
Learn more at iasfa.org.
338. Django Degree Empowering Authors with Ownership and Royalties of their Work
Django Degree is the founder and CEO of Focus on Words, a book platform that gives authors full ownership of their work, royalties, and audience. He’s also the author of I Hope You Wake Up and They Lied To You, books that dive deep into truth, identity, and how we break free from the systems that shape us.
His mission is clear: help authors reclaim their voice, rebuild broken systems, and eventually use the success of that work to fund a city for foster youth and orphans across the country.
