Season 2 | Episdoe 16 • William Bernhardt

Today marks the last episode of our 805 Writers Conference highlight series. Our guest is a New York Times multi-bestselling author, creator of the Red Sneaker Writing Center, and organizer of WriterCon, William Bernhardt. Kathleen and William discuss his career as an author. From hundreds of rejections to becoming a bestseller, William has spanned three decades as an author, adjusting to the times along the way.

William’s mystery series have been a massive success for him. But recognizing his industry struggles over the years led him to create the Red Sneaker Writing Center, because he couldn’t find books that help teach process and development he liked. Each book is subject-specific, short but chalked full of info every writer needs.

William will be at the 805 Writers Conference on November 5 & 6, 2022, as a keynote speaker, member of the mystery panel, and teaching an intensive workshop on characters. Once you hear his voice on the podcast, you’ll want to listen to more of him.

“Keep writing, and remember you cannot fail if you refuse to quit.”-William Bernhardt

Following Kathleen’s segment with NY Times bestselling author William Bernhardt, Adanna Moriarty, our producer, takes up the host mantel jumping into the conversation. Adanna and William get into process, how to create a dedicated practice, and what William thinks helps aspiring authors be successful. Writing is hard, and getting to pick a successful author’s brain, let alone one who has been writing as a career for thirty years, is a happy place for Adanna.

The pair also discuss pitching a series vs. a stand-alone book to the bigger publishing houses and what they look for when a new author comes to them.

William is very supportive of aspiring authors, and you can feel that through this after-hours conversation. Join us for both segments and get to know William before he joins us as a speaker and workshop leader at the 805 Writers Conference.