WriterCon

Hosted by William Bernhardt

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218

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt and Lara Bernhardt, with audiobook producer Jesse Ulrich, discuss the latest news from publishing, offer writing tips, and interview major authors, agents, editors, and other book-world professionals.

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60 recent

October 14, 2026Episode 21939 min

Opinionated Animals with Michelle Lerner

Bill has a cold this week, but the podcast must go on! Bestselling authors William Bernhardt ( The Superman Wars ) and Lara Bernhardt ( Shadow of the Taj ) discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Michelle Lerner, the author of the new memoir, A Series of Opinionated Animals , which welcomes readers into an astonishing world where the line between rescue and civil disobedience is blurred. She is also the author of a novel titled Ring which was longlisted for the Aspen Words Literary Prize. 0:00 Opening Thoughts Recaps and sweet memories from WriterCon 2026 04:46 News 1) Fan Fiction Produces More Bestselling Novels 2) Dating Apps Target Book Readers 15:25 Craft Corner You may remember Leticia Gomez started a series last month on pitching to agents and publishers. This episode we’re presenting Part 2, a little late, so ignore the parts about anticipating WriterCon 2026, which is sadly past. This time Leticia talks about refining your agent pitch. 19:19 Interview with Michelle Lerner 36:20 Parting Words WriterCon 2027 will be September 3-6 in Oklahoma City at the historic Shirvin Hilton hotel. Register now! www.writercon.com Let me also remind you that WriterCon has its own newsletter and you don’t want to miss the next issue, which has wonderful articles on breaking issues, like AI and fiction, and producing your own audiobooks, and much more. Go to Substack. If you haven’t joined the WriterCon Facebook Group yet, do it now! https://www.facebook.com/groups/113141678727273 If you’re enjoying this podcast, please subscribe, then rate or review it wherever you get podcasts. It does make it easier for new listeners to discover us. Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit. William Bernhardt www.williambernhardt.com www.writercon.com

September 17, 2026Episode 21838 min

Live from WriterCon 2026! William Martin, Dan Martin & Dani Pettrey

This is the final episode of our fifth season, as always culminating in this LIVE recording made on Sunday afternoon during the conference with keynote speaker and NYT #1 bestseller William Martin, USA Today bestseller Dani Pettrey, and game writer and designer Dan Martin. We're taking a break for the rest of September, but we will return in early October with our sixth season! Opening Thoughts We LOVE WriterCon! News 1) Defendant ordered to pay attorney fees for Tracy Wolff 2) AI detection kills $2M book deal JESSE'S GAME! In the first of what I hope will be a new feature, Jesse, always obsessing over James Patterson, created a game for the panel: James Patterson Books: Real or Fake. He gives you the titles and co-writers, and you have to decide whether it is a real Patterson book. The audience loved it. Interview With three great writers all at once, we investigated how they became writers, their writing process, and also took a deep dive into some offbeat questions that provoked some very unexpected answers. Parting Words Let me also remind you that WriterCon has its own newsletter and you don’t want to miss the next issue, which has wonderful articles on breaking issues. Go to Substack. If you haven’t joined the WriterCon Facebook Group yet, do it now! Do it today and join this wonderful community of writers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/113141678727273 If you’re enjoying this podcast, please subscribe, then rate or review wherever you get podcasts. It does make it easier for new listeners to discover us. You can find the video version of these podcasts on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@writerconpodcast1307 Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit. William Bernhardt www.williambernhardt.com www.writercon.com

August 19, 2026Episode 21749 min

Building a Writing Career with Lauren Smith

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt ( The Superman Wars ) and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Lauren Smith , the USA Today-bestselling author of many books, some romance, some romantasy, and some involving Sherlock Holmes. She has published over 90 books that have been translated into at least 6 languages. She was a Semi-Finalist award for the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award and a 2018 RITA ® Finalist in the Romance Writers of America Contest. 0:00 Opening Thoughts Of course, all we can think of is WriterCon , our annual writers conference in Oklahoma City over Labor Day weekend, Sept 4-7—barely two weeks away! It is not too late to register! Come join us and take your writing career to the next level! www.writercon.com 4:05 News 1) Amazon Sponsors Pop-Up Library for Indie Authors 2) Atlantic Report Reveals 20% of Self-Pub Books Use AI 14:32 Craft Corner Leticia Gomez talks about how to make the perfect pitch 18:08 Interview with Lauren Smith 47:16 Parting Words Come to WriterCon ! It's all we can think about! This will be the biggest and best conference yet and you need to be a part of it. Join us! Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit. William Bernhardt www.williambernhardt.com www.writercon.com

August 7, 2026Episode 2161 hr 0 min

Finding the Agent You Need with Leticia Gomez

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt ( The Superman Wars ) and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Letitia Gomez, an Editor-at-Large for Dafina Books, an imprint of Kensington Publishing Corp, who has helped her clients secure deals with the largest publishers in the world and has seen several of her projects successfully optioned for TV and film adaptation. 0:00 Opening Thoughts WriterCon is almost upon us—but it is not too late to register! Come join us in Oklahoma City over Labor Day weekend, Sept 4-7. Over 60 speakers! More than twenty agents and publishers! And so much more. Visit the website: www.writercon.com/conference/ 8:20 News 1) New S&S Imprint Seeks Self-Published Authors 2) Agents Can Charge Fees to Clients—Ethically? 20:45 Craft Corner Our guest instructor is Jeff Provine, who has written nonfiction books, comics, and much more. He’s discussing Nonfiction Research Used for Fiction. 23:07 Interview with Leticia Gomez 57:38 Parting Words Join us for WriterCon: www.writercon.com/conference/ Subscribe to the free WriterCon newsletter: https://writerconmag.substack.com/ Learn what's happening in the writing world at our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/writercongroup Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit. William Bernhardt www.williambernhardt.com www.writercon.com

July 22, 2026Episode 21540 min

Find What You Do Best with Lou Berney

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt ( The Superman Wars ) and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Lou Berney, the USA Today -bestselling author of seven novels, including Crooks, Dark Ride, November Road , and The Long and Faraway Gone . He has won the Edgar, Hammett, Steel Dagger, Anthony, Barry, and Macavity awards and is a four-time finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize. 0:00 Opening Thoughts Bill's book was promoted in Times Square! And WriterCon is just around the corner (Sept 4-7)! 8:08 News 1) Classmate Says Memoirist Stole Her Story 2) Music Group Hopes to Acquire Author Backlists 18:36 Craft Corner Tyler Lenz explains LitRPG 21:24 Interview with Lou Berney 37:42 Parting Words WriterCon is September 4-7, in Oklahoma City at the historic and haunted Skirvin Hilton. Lara and I will be there, plus Jesse, plus about sixty other writers, agents, publishers, and others connected to the publishing industry. You can review the schedule on our website, www.writercon.com . WriterCon has its own free newsletter and you don’t want to miss the next issue, which has wonderful articles on breaking issues. Go to Substack . If you haven’t joined the WriterCon Facebook Group yet, do it now! Join this wonderful community of writers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/113141678727273 Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit. William Bernhardt www.williambernhardt.com www.writercon.com

July 8, 2026Episode 21452 min

Countdown to WriterCon with William Martin

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt ( The Superman Wars ) and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview WriterCon keynote speaker William Martin, the New York Times- bestselling author of twelve novels, a PBS documentary, book reviews, magazine articles, and a cult-classic horror movie. His most recent book is December ’41 , which Steve Berry (who has also keynoted at WriterCon), called “Another masterpiece from a master, and that’s exactly what William Martin is.” 0:00 Opening Thoughts Updates on the Commonwealth Prize controversy—and WriterCon '26! 5:11 News 1) Self-Published Book Sells Over 2.5 Million Copies! 2) AI Stories Favor Elias Thorne and Lighthouses 16:53 Craft Corner Christina Kaye discusses how to treat your books like a business, not a hobby 20:17 Interview with William Martin 49:46 Parting Words Bill's book The Superman Wars is about a writer, just like you, and the struggles he suffered are still with us today. Jerry Siegel, the kid who came up with the idea for Superman, was the first American writer to sue his publishers, and many other writers now benefit from what became the most important creator-rights battle of modern times. WriterCon is September 4-7, in Oklahoma City at the historic and haunted Skirvin Hilton. Lara and I will be there, plus Jesse, plus William Martin, plus about sixty other writers, agents, publishers, and people connected to the publishing industry. You can review the schedule on our website, www.writercon.com . If you haven’t joined the WriterCon Facebook Group yet, do it today and join this wonderful community of writers. Click here! Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit. William Bernhardt www.williambernhardt.com www.writercon.com

June 24, 2026Episode 21341 min

A Trip to the Doctor's Office with Christina LePort

Bestselling author William Bernhardt ( The Superman Wars ) and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Cristina LePort, a cardiologist and writer of medical thrillers, including Dissection , Change of Heart , and Defrosted . 0:00 Opening Thoughts AI stories are winning awards??? Calgon, take me away... 6:27 News 1) Author/Murderer Sentenced to Life 2) Human Authors Can Now Verify That They're Human 14:50 Craft Corner Lara Bernhardt Discusses the Value of Writing Contests 19:26 Interview with Christina LePort 37:57 Parting Words One more plug for Bill's new book, The Superman Wars . This book is about a writer, just like you. Jerry Siegel was the first American writer to sue his publisher, and many other writers now benefit from his fight. Learn more about the most important creator-rights battle in modern history. The WriterCon Retreat is at Canebrake Resort near Tulsa, July 15-19. Lauren Smith will be there, with John Wooley and agent Hunter Strickland. Come join us! www.writercon.com/retreat/ The annual WriterCon Conference is September 4-7, in Oklahoma City at the historic Skirvin Hilton. Lara and I will be there, plus Jesse and about sixty other writers, agents, publishers, and others connected to the publishing industry. You can review the schedule on our website, www.writercon.com .

June 10, 2026Episode 21252 min

Up, Up & Away with William Bernhardt

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt ( The Superman Wars ) and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview...William Bernhardt, whose 67th published book is The Superman Wars , the true story of Superman's creator, Jerry Siegel, and his fight to create, then recover, his iconic character. 0:00 Opening Thoughts The Superman Wars , WriterCon 2026, and the host steps into the interview chair! 4:25 News 1) Protest Filed Over AI Audiobooks—Including One from John Grisham 2) New Literary Scout Program Wants to Send Your Work to Hollywood 15:21 Interview with William Bernhardt The guest would like you to know that when he talked about Jerry Siegel serving his "company," he of course actually meant "country," but he just gets so excited when he talks about Siegel and Superman that his stutter returns and he trips over his own tongue. Which Superman would never do. 47:34 Parting Words WriterCon 2026 will take place in Oklahoma City on Sept 4-7 with over sixty presenters headlined by #1 NYTimes bestselling author William Martin, and Edgar Award-winner Lou Berney. Visit the website for more info: www.writercon.com If you want a small-group enviroment and a chance to workshop your work-in-progress, consider the WriterCon Retreat , at Canebrake Resort near Tulsa on July 15-19. More info on the website: www.writercon.com/retreat/ Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit. William Bernhardt www.williambernhardt.com www.writercon.com

May 20, 2026Episode 21138 min

Genre-Smashing with Rick London

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt ( The Superman Wars ) and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Rick London, author of The Dancing Wolfeman. Opening Thoughts William Bernhardt's new book, The Superman Wars , is ON SALE NOW! The book has already garnered rave reviews and a host of interviews, plus the #1 New Release flag on Amazon. This is the story of Jerry Siegel, the man who came up with the idea for Superman—only to find himself jobless and penniless. This is a story of interest not just to comic fans, but to anyone who cares about creator rights and protecting creative work from the predators who sadly still exist. Get your copy today! News 1) Trad Wife Fiction Has Become the Year's Most Talked-About Genre 2) Sacha Black Has Her Own Fulfillment Service Craft Corner Betsey Kulakowski ( The Veritas Codex ) explains how writers can protect themsleves from the pervasive scams and spam. Interview with Rick London Parting Words Up, up and way! Get your copy of The Superman Wars today! Only a few spots left in the WriterCon Retreat (July 15-19). Join us and workshop your work-in-progress! Register for WriterCon 2026 before the Early Bird pricing ends! Visit

May 6, 2026Episode 21049 min

Writing in Successful Spirts with Eloisa James

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt ( The Superman Wars ) and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Eloisa James, the reigning queen of romance, who has over 7 million books in print, about her new novel The Last Lady B, which has been called "Jane Austen Meets The White Lotus." 0:00 Opening Thoughts Bill wants everyone to know that his new book The Superman Wars is finally on sale. This is the story of Jerry Siegel, the man who came up with the idea for Superman only to lose control and see his character taken from him and his name stripped from the credits. This is a story about art vs commerce, still very relevant, and a cautionary tale for creatives working today. 7:45 News 1) Character AI Lets People Enter Book Worlds 2) Stolen Rare Books Recovered after 40 Years 15:48 Craft Corner Lauren Smith, USA Today-bestselling author, discusses the Five Essential Ingrdients for a Romantasy Novel 25:14 Interview with Eloisa James 45:55 Parting Words The Superman Wars: A Battle for Truth, Justice and an American Icon is NOW ON SALE!!! The WriterCon Small-Group Retreat is July 15-19 at Canebrake Resort near Tulsa OK, Spend five days workshopping your work-in-progress and inproving your writing skills. You'll be glad you did. The WriterCon Annual Convention is Labor Day weekend, September 4-7, at the historic Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City. Register now to take advantage of the Early Bird prices! For more info about both WriterCon programs, visit www.writercon.com . Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit. William Bernhardt www.williambernhardt.com www.writercon.com