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/Sponsors:Momentous high-quality supplements: https://livemomentous.com/tim (code TIM for 20% off)Helix Sleep premium mattresses: https://helixsleep.com/tim (20% off all mattress orders and two free pillows)Wealthfront high-yield savings account: https://wealthfront.com/tim (Start earning 5% interest on your savings. And when you open an account today, you’ll get an extra fifty-dollar bonus with a deposit of five hundred dollars or more.)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.*For show notes and past guests on