Category: The Honest Author

Shea sits in the hand of a giant Paul Bunyan statue with a blue ox beside him. Trees and sky are in the background. Text reads: “The Honest Author: What’s Your Unfair Advantage as an Author?” with a small video series logo.
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What gives some authors an edge that helps them become successful authors? This episode explores unfair advantages in writing, publishing, and marketing, and the traits that help you use them well.
A man in athletic gear climbs a rocky cliff surrounded by yellow flowers. Blue sky and a lake with hills are visible in the background. Text reads: “The Honest Author Monthly Metrics: August 2026 Baseline. The Path of Words.”.
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The complete metrics dashboard behind The Honest Author’s monthly transparency series: income, book rankings, and follower tracking explained.
A smiling man with curly hair and glasses takes a selfie by a rocky lake shore with a lighthouse. Text reads: “The Honest Author: AI Is Everywhere in Publishing, Here’s My One Rule. The Path of Words.” Blue sky with clouds overhead.
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AI is already baked into nearly every tool authors use, whether we know it or not. Here’s the line I’ve drawn, and why it matters more than the AI-or-not debate everyone’s having.
Smiling man with glasses poses in front of a courthouse and trees. Text reads: “The Honest Author: A Video Series. My Favorite Free Marketing Tool (That No Author Talks About). The Path of Words” with a mountain logo.
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How one review snippet sent Shea back to his manuscript, the free diagramming tool he’s used for two decades, and the welcome series he’s building for his newsletter.
A smiling man in glasses and a cap stands before a colorful mural featuring a woman with a painted face, flowers, and a butterfly. Text reads: “The Honest Author,” “Your Website Is Not a Chore—It’s an Employee,” and “The Path of Words.”.
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Most authors treat their website like a chore. Shea argues for flipping that thinking—and shows how he’s strengthening his dark speculative fiction author brand on his site.
Shea sits in a camping chair under an RV awning, using a laptop in a desert at sunset. Text reads: “The Honest Author: A Video Series. The Strategy Behind the Strategy. The Path of Words.” Shrubs and mountains are in the background.
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As I began my author career relaunch, I had to develop a solid strategy. This episode walks through a creative approach to developing a framework to drive my author business.
A smiling man in a wide-brimmed hat stands outdoors by a rock arch. Text reads: “The Honest Author: A Video Series. Introduction. The Path of Words.” Blue sky and rugged landscape are in the background.
Shea Oliver launches Honest Author: a weekly, transparent series showing how he rebuilds an author business—writing, publishing, marketing—sharing tactics, money, wins and failures.