My guest this week is Tom Colgan, editorial director at Berkley Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Tom has spent more than 35 years championing such authors as Tom Clancy, Mark Graeney, and Janet Evanovich. We talk about how he got his start as an editor, what editors do and don’t do (you may be surprised!), how the creative process is different for everyone, and why, despite coming up with many ideas for books, he doesn’t dream of writing one. He also has some advice for aspiring authors.
I would love for you to leave a review for the show, and in it, tell us about your relationship with books and writing.
Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! I also post pretty regularly on TikTok, and you can also listen on YouTube.
If you're feeling stuck in your own creative process, you owe it to yourself to get my free 6 Creative Beliefs That Are Screwing You Up series—it’ll slice through those myths to help get you back on track!
Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in writing and publishing!
The Transformative Power of Play with Tim J. Myers
CPT #74: Structure
Comedy and Teamwork with Marc Kaye
CPT #73: Resolutions and Expectations
Professional Fandom with Gary Russell
Replay: CPT #65: Mr. Twinkletoes
Replay: Rediscovering the Human with Kate Powers
CPT #72: Listen
Why You Should Start a Podcast with Jesse Jackson
CPT #71: No Straight Lines
Replay: ”Is There Life Outside the Box?” with Peter Davison
CPT #70: Don’t Reject Yourself
Witness Underground with Scott Homan and Ryan Sutter
CPT #69: Mick Jagger’s Beginner’s Mind
The Wildly Improbable Ideas of Douglas Adams with Kevin Jon Davies
CPT #68: Let It Go
Publishing and Patience with Hilary Hattenbach
CPT #67: Say No
Writing and Resilience with Romana Hasenöhrl
CPT #66: Make Lemonade
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