#726: Hugh Howey, Author of Silo and Wool — A Masterclass on Writing, Unorthodox Self-Publishing, and Living in The AI Age

The Tim Ferriss Show

Hugh Howey is the New York Times bestselling author of Wool, Beacon 23, Sand, Machine Learning, Half Way Home, and more than a dozen other novels. His Silo trilogy was recently adapted by Apple TV, becoming their #1 drama of all time. Please enjoy!

Timestamps for this episode are available below. Resources from this episode: https://tim.blog/2024/03/13/hugh-howey/

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Timestamps:

[06:48] Breaking the formula with a literary sleight of hand.

[11:00] A commitment to 10 years of obscurity.

[15:02] Buying back rights and self-publishing.

[22:04] Why authors should strive for a reader-first vs. publisher-first mindset.

[24:22] Hitting the NYT Best Sellers List with a self-pub book.

[27:44] Pricing logic.

[31:00] The undersold value of worldwide rights.

[33:57] How authors can find deal leverage early on.

[37:07] Establishing a daily writing habit.

[41:34] Fiction that inspires better writing.

[45:27] Collaboration vs. writing solo.

[46:59] Ways the publishing industry protects the status quo.

[49:55] Why Hugh makes publishing deals at all.

[50:45] Self-promotion as therapy.

[53:05] Keys to fruitful collaboration.

[55:47] Common mistakes creatives make.

[1:01:03] AI’s present-and-future impact on publishing.

[1:06:05] AI-generated occupational and existential crises.

[01:10:11] Mid-term optimist, long-term pessimist

[01:14:57] Procreation in uncertain times.

[01:19:07] The future of religion.

[01:26:21] Free will and objective moral truth.

[01:31:02] Parting thoughts.

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