fiction
Hosted by Shilo Creed · fiction · EN
The Author’s Mind takes you behind the scenes of bestselling fiction—one author at a time. From plotting secrets to productivity hacks, industry truths to creative breakthroughs, this show gives writers the tools, inspiration, and insider access you can’t find anywhere else. No fluff. No surface-level chatter. Real conversations with real authors doing the work. If you want to write better stories, stay motivated, and understand how successful writers think, you’re in the right place.
Required Pod Score for this podcast. PitchCentric checks your profile against host openness, topical fit, and audience signals before you generate a pitch.
Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
47%
Guest openness
Selective
Sign up to generate a grounded pitch for The Author's Mind.
Signup to Generate a PitchThe Author’s Mind takes you behind the scenes of bestselling fiction, one author at a time. From plotting secrets to productivity hacks, industry truths to creative breakthroughs, this show gives writers the tools, inspiration, and insider access you can’t find anywhere else. No fluff. No surface-level chatter. Real conversations with real authors doing the work.
The Author's Mind is hosted by Shilo Creed. The show has published 39 episodes to date.
Recent episodes include "How to Write a Novel Based on a True Story | Shirley B. Novack" (26 October 2026, 29 minutes), "How to Write a Dangerous Hero Readers Still Root For | Jared Maxwell" (19 October 2026, 27 minutes), and "What Makes Fiction Feel Real? Writing Alternate History with Jeff Kildow" (5 October 2026, 41 minutes).
The Author's Mind publishes roughly weekly, with episodes averaging 37 minutes across 39 episodes.
Booking probability for The Author's Mind is 47%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. The Author's Mind requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. The Author's Mind's contact route on record: verified email.
The strongest fits for The Author's Mind are Artists, Writers & Performers. The Author's Mind has a fiction audience.
Shilo Creed hosts The Author's Mind, a fiction podcast with 39 episodes published.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
Episode #42
How do you turn a true story into a novel readers can't put down? Author Shirley B. Novack published her first novel at 75 after discovering a devastating secret about her father's childhood. In this episode of The...
Episode #39
A hero can be dangerous, damaged, and dangerously close to becoming the villain. The challenge for fiction writers is making readers care about him enough to keep turning pages. Combat veteran and thriller author Jared...
Episode #36
What makes a novel feel real when the history inside it never actually happened? Jeff Kildow writes alternate-history thrillers where war, aviation, espionage, and technology collide with frighteningly believable...
Episode #36
What makes a historical romance impossible to put down—without relying on spice? In this episode of The Author’s Mind , Shilo Creed talks with historical romance author Paula Panariello about writing clean, emotionally...
Episode #33
Thinking about self-publishing, hybrid publishing, or hiring a company to publish your novel? Before you spend thousands of dollars, learn the publishing red flags every fiction author should know. In this episode of...
Episode #32
How do you start a novel that hooks readers from page one—and makes them trust you enough to keep reading? Award-winning Christian fiction author, writing teacher, and A Writer’s Day podcast host Ruth A. Douthitt joins...
Episode #31
You don’t have to use AI to write your books. But authors can no longer afford not to understand what AI is doing to writing, publishing, copyright, marketing, and the author business. Registration is completely free...
Episode #30
How do you write a thriller readers can’t put down? Veteran Law & Order, House, Pretty Little Liars, CSI: Miami, Supernatural, and JAG writer Matt Witten joins Shilo Creed on The Author’s Mind to break down the...
Episode #30
What if writer’s block isn’t a motivation problem at all—but a flow problem? In this episode of The Author’s Mind , Shilo Creed sits down with Tony Tenaglier , host of Work Sucks, But I Like It and a PhD candidate...
Episode #28
How do you make a kid narrator funny, flawed, and occasionally frustrating—without losing the reader’s heart? Middle grade author Steph Katzovi breaks down the character-voice choices that make young narrators feel...
Episode #29
You wrote the book. Now what? Most writers think the hardest part is finishing the manuscript. It's not. The hardest part is getting a publisher to say yes — and most never understand what publishers are actually...
Episode #27
What if your book isn't selling because you're reaching the wrong people — not because you wrote the wrong book? Dr. Judith Briles has published over 40 books, sold more than 1 million copies, and spent 25+ years as...
Episode #27
Adele Royce, author of the Neon Diaries and a Kirkus Star recipient for Summer's Blood , reveals how she transitioned from romantic comedies to writing thrillers that grip readers from page one. Hosted by Shilo Creed...
Episode #26
What if the difference between a bestseller and a book that stays buried isn't talent — it's flow state? LISTEN TO EVERY MINUTE OF THIS POD! Steven Puri spent his career at the crossroads of Hollywood and technology...
Episode #24
Most authors write their characters. J. Vaelorin becomes them — and it costs him. In this episode of The Author's Mind, Shilo Creed sits down with dark fantasy author Justin Anderson (J. Valorian), creator of the...
Episode #23
Want to write a novel readers can't put down? In this episode of The Author's Mind, Shilo Creed talks with romantic fantasy author P.K. Stuart about the fiction craft tools that make stories feel alive: believable...
Episode #23
How do you write historical fiction that feels real without drowning your reader in research? In this episode of The Author’s Mind , Shilo Creed sits down with Canadian novelist, literature scholar, and criminologist...
Episode #22
Most writers think readers quit because the plot is boring. They're wrong. According to Stanford-trained, Amazon #1 bestselling novelist Rick Glaze — readers quit because the stakes weren't high enough to begin with. In...
Episode #19
What do Hollywood screenwriters know about story structure that most novelists never learn? In this episode, two professional authors pull back the curtain on the rules that actually make fiction work — from writing...
Episode #16
Most authors never think about dyslexic readers — and they're leaving a massive audience on the table. Dyslexia expert and professor Russell Von Brocklin breaks down exactly how the dyslexic brain processes fiction, and...
Recent guests on The Author's Mind. Study who booked and why before you pitch.
aerospace Quality Manager, PhD researcher in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher
Author and Writing Success Expert, AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing
former EVP, Kurtzman/Orci @ DreamWorks Studios and 20th Century Fox VP, The Sukkah Company
best‑selling, multi‑award author and youth pastor
PitchCentric classifies The Author's Mind under these industries. Guests from them are the closest fit, and each links to the best podcasts in that industry.
Shows with the most semantically similar episode content. Pitch one, pitch all; producers cluster.
The Brewing Fiction Podcast
BookDaddy
The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience
Novelist Spotlight
The Writer’s Den - Deep Dive
Conversations on Craft
Is this podcast yours and you'd like to remove or correct details? Request removal or email privacy@pitchcentric.com.
Questions about the free trial? See the pricing FAQ