Publishing talk with craft in the margins.
WriterCon treats writing as both art and job, moving from news about lawsuits, scams, and genre trends into concrete craft advice. Its tone is conversational and practical, with author interviews adding career paths, process notes, and encouragement without losing the table-talk energy.
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WriterCon is a publishing-world conversation for people who are trying to write, revise, publish, and stay sane while doing it. The show has a brisk panel rhythm, with jokes and quick pivots sitting right beside practical warnings about the business. One episode may start with a riff on ugly holiday sweaters or hockey romances, then turn into a discussion of AI tools, author claims, plagiarism, or the strange momentum of genre trends. Another may use a guest’s career to open a craft lesson about mystery, nonfiction, children’s books, historical fiction, thrillers, music, or Superman storytelling. The useful part is how often the show connects industry chatter back to writer consequences. A lawsuit is not just legal noise; it becomes a reminder to check whether a book was scanned and to file a claim while deadlines still matter. A plagiarism dispute becomes a plainspoken distinction between shared tropes, copied plot patterns, and duplicated language. Craft advice is similarly grounded. Imagery is framed as the difference between flat prose and a reading experience that stirs something. Horror technique becomes a lesson in dread, delayed reveal, sensory cues, and characters readers actually care about. Symbolism is treated as something that should deepen emotion rather than announce itself with a spotlight. Revision advice can be blunt, especially when guests argue for cutting modifiers, killing pretty-but-useless prose, or getting clear about a book’s purpose. The show also makes room for morale. It returns often to persistence, first drafts, writer’s block, small successes, conferences, retreats, and the value of a focused writing community. WriterCon is not a hushed literary salon. It is a loose, informed, writer-facing conversation that assumes publishing is messy, craft is learnable, and quitting is the one mistake no one can edit around.
Made for: WriterCon is for aspiring and working authors who want publishing news, craft advice, and author interviews in the same feed. It especially fits writers who like practical encouragement with a little industry skepticism.
What sets it apart: The show’s strength is its quick movement from book-world news to page-level decisions. It treats scams, AI disputes, genre trends, conferences, and craft technique as connected parts of a writer’s actual life.
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.
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
WriterCon connects precise craft instruction with candid accounts of publishing setbacks, career turns, and the persistence required to keep writing.
WriterCon treats writing as both sentence-level craft and a working life. William Bernhardt and Laura Bernhardt move from publishing concerns into practical instruction, then use interviews to examine careers shaped by unexpected turns, difficult publisher relationships, comics…
A Superman writer tells you to cross out every adjective; your draft may need that kind of intervention.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A practical WriterCon episode on scams, originality, and imagery.
WriterCon opens with a simple reminder to notice small wins, and that lands without much fuss. It then turns to author-targeted AI email scams, where a polished message can still be fake.
A practical writing conversation with an easy, personable rhythm.
WriterCon keeps the focus on craft and discipline. The clearest advice is plain enough to use: cut the adjectives and adverbs, keep the modifiers in check, and let the story carry the weight.
A practical writerly pep talk that pairs purpose, dread, and a light conference-news detour.
The episode turns a discussion of clarity of purpose into a brisk look at why writers keep going when writing, marketing, and publishing get hard. William and Laura also make room for PR around The Superman Wars before widening the focus to mission and momentum.
A loose writerly chat that turns publishing mishaps into something useful.
WriterCon opens with a quick Oscar-season nod, then settles into the real business of getting a book published. The pull here is the process: two agents, a couple of false starts, and the relief of landing with a publisher that actually feels right.
A comedian's road into books, with Vegas history and practical writing talk.
WriterCon keeps its footing when the conversation stays on how a comedian's stage material turns into a first book. The strongest stretch tracks the Vegas run through Bally's, Excalibur, the MGM, the Riviera, the Maxim, Dunes, and a bit of the Tropicana, and it lands better than…
Publishing lessons from the working writer’s side.
Honest craft talk for working writers.
Scams aimed at authors are back.
Modifiers get trimmed fast here.
Writing can be tough.
This episode of the Writer Con podcast features hosts discussing writing advice, imposter syndrome, and reminiscing about past topics like hockey romances.
This episode discusses the ongoing Anthropic lawsuit regarding AI companies scanning books without permission and provides advice for writers on checking if their work was affected and filing claims.
The hosts and guest discuss predictions for the publishing industry, including a shift back to human-centric tools away from AI.
The hosts discuss writing advice, reflect on past publishing predictions, and interview industry professionals.
The hosts discuss writing advice, celebrate their 200th episode, and share holiday-themed banter.
Hosts William and Laura Bernhardt celebrate the 200th episode of WriterCon, reflecting on the podcast's evolution and sharing memories of interviews.
Hosts and guests discuss writing tips, book marketing strategies, and recent reads in a roundtable format.
Stay with it.
Hosts discuss recent book sales, publishing news, and author controversies, offering insights for writers.
Hosts discuss the importance of starting promotion early, share recent reads, and introduce a show-and-tell segment about a long book.
The guest starts with the grind.
The hosts discuss Christmas gift ideas for book lovers and share writing advice.
The hosts discuss listening to music while writing and introduce an upcoming interview with a guest whose books have a musical theme.
Hosts discuss movies vs.
Hosts discuss writing tips and interview author Glenn Plaskin about his career and books.
Hosts William and Laura Bernhardt discuss writing tips, publishing news, and interview industry professionals in this season premiere.
Hosts discuss the upcoming WriterCon conference, offering writing tips and insights into the publishing industry.
Hosts discuss the upcoming WriterCon conference, highlighting its offerings for writers including pitching sessions, masterclasses, and consultations.
Hosts discuss the upcoming WriterCon conference and share writing tips.
Host William Bernhardt discusses the upcoming WriterCon retreat and interviews publishing professionals.
Hosts discuss the upcoming WriterCon retreat, sharing memories and emphasizing the value of community and feedback for writers.
Hosts William and Lara Bernhardt discuss finding the right energy for podcasting and introduce an interview with trial attorney turned author Raymond Paul Johnson.
Hosts discuss an upcoming writer retreat and interview author Lori Brand about her novel 'Bodies to Die For'.
Hosts discuss Father's Day, Tony Awards, and Picard Day while previewing a segment on not rushing to publish.
The hosts discuss William Bernhardt's new courtroom novel 'Justice for All' and tease an upcoming interview with author Caroline Cleveland.
The hosts discuss their excitement and packing preparations for the upcoming WriterCon retreat at the Canebrake Luxury Resort near Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The hosts discuss their experiences on the WriterCon Cruise, highlighting the large group of writers, engaging sessions, and personal amenities like room service and hot tubs.
The hosts discuss a new TV series 'Unsolved with James Patterson' on Fox Nation and Jesse's dislike for James Patterson.
The hosts discuss tax preparation challenges for writers and self-employed individuals, sharing personal experiences and tips on deductions like home offices and mortgage interest.