Episode 47: Geekdom Publishing Pro and Scifi Author Michael R. Underwood

Hybrid Pub Scout Podcast

Our guest this week is Michael R. Underwood, publishing professional, fellow podcaster, and author of the found family space opera Annihilation Aria, out now from Parvus Press. In addition to his years of writing scifi, he's also a former bookseller, sales representative who sold to bookstores across the midwest, and North American Sales & Marketing Manager for Angry Robot Books. We talk about how bookselling can bolster your career as both an author and a book marketer, what it's like to write a collaborative series for the app Serial Box, how privilege plays into publishing, and how his experience with digital-first publishing is helping him market his book in a pandemic. He also tells us about how his relationship with tabletop roleplaying games has gone from a hobby as a teen, to a subject of academic study, to regular live storytelling performance for more players than ever as part of his authorial life. If you're interested in reading about rebelling against space fascism, Guardians of the Galaxy-style camaraderie, and weaponized singing, you can pick up Annihilation Aria here: https://bookshop.org/a/1023/9781733811958 [PERK ALERT] Sign up for our newsletter and get access to our new free tool: The HPS Guide to Picking Your Publishing Path. This nifty tool aims to help you gear up for the frontier between traditional and indie publishing, and deciding which of the two is right for you. Get it right here: https://mailchi.mp/da9486666cc5/hps-guide-publishing-path Our website: hybridpubscout.com/scifi-author-michael-r-underwood Facebook: www.facebook.com/hybridpubscout/ Twitter: twitter.com/hybridpubscout Instagram: www.instagram.com/hybridpubscoutpod/ Our newsletter: eepurl.com/gfajR9