living the dream with curveball
From English Teacher to Global Author: Terry Whalin's 60-Book Journey
Published: 10 March 2025 at 05:00 Europe/London
Listen on
Episode notes
Terry Whalin opens up about his extraordinary path to becoming a "super author" with over 60 books published and many selling more than 100,000 copies each. What began with an observant high school English teacher recognizing his talent led to journalism school, an unexpected spiritual awakening, and eventually a career that spans biographies of figures like Billy Graham to practical guides for aspiring authors.
The turning point in Terry's career came when he realized he wasn't taking enough responsibility for his own success. Despite having dozens of books with traditional publishers, sales remained disappointing until he attended a marketing conference where he embraced Jack Canfield's principle of taking 100% responsibility for outcomes. This shifted everything. Terry began consistently blogging weekly—now with over 1,700 entries—and implementing strategic marketing approaches that transformed his publishing career.
Terry shares invaluable wisdom for writers at every stage, revealing how the creators of Chicken Soup for the Soul were rejected 160 times before finding success, how they implemented the "rule of five" to promote daily, and why consistency matters more than occasional brilliance. He dispels common publishing myths, including the expectation of significant earnings, and explains why building your platform on owned channels (your website, blog, and newsletter) provides more stability than relying on social media. For those ready to turn writing dreams into reality, Terry offers free resources including his book proposal guide and publishing myths insights at bookproposals.ws and publishingoffer.com. His message is clear: publishers are actively searching for quality work, but success requires taking action, persisting through rejection, and strategically marketing your work every single day.
www.terrywhalin.com
Want to be a guest on Living the Dream with Curveball? Send Curtis Jackson a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1628631536976x919760049303001600
