Welcome everyone! Today, I am joined by guest Brian Gotta, a talented author and entrepreneur based in San Diego. Brian has written four youth sports novels and has recently ventured into adult fiction with his touching new book, Him, a story about a dog that will capture the hearts of all dog lovers. In this episode, we’ll dive into Brian’s journey as an author, the inspiration behind Him, and what it’s like to navigate the world of self-publishing and marketing. At the conclusion of the episode, you’ll hear an excerpt from Him, following a dog who is determined to reunite with his former owner but is faced with an obstacle they didn’t expect.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- (00:00) Teaser and opening
- (01:50) Brian shares his writing journey and talks about his first book, Congratulations, You’re a Millionaire
- (04:20) How Brian began writing the non-fiction genre and then moved into writing fiction inspired by sports books he read in his youth
- (06:40) Brian discusses self-publishing and the rebranding opportunities on Amazon
- (10:31) Brian shares the inspiration behind Him
- [14:23 Brian reads an excerpt from his newest book, Him
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Brian Gotta started his writing career with nonfiction, documenting sales techniques, which led to his first published book, Congratulations, You’re a Millionaire. His transition to fiction began with middle-grade sports novels, inspired by his children’s interests and the need for updated, modern storytelling.
- Whether traditionally published or self-published, authors must actively market their books. Brian learned that even with a publisher, the responsibility of promotion largely falls on the author. This realization led him to self-publish his youth sports novels and rebrand and re-release them for new audiences.
- As a natural entrepreneur, Brian approaches writing as a business, leveraging his sales and marketing background to promote his books. His experience highlights the importance of perseverance in the publishing world, from rebranding older works to embracing new platforms like Amazon KDP.
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Fiction Credits:
Written by Brian Gotta
Read by Brian Gotta
GUEST RESOURCES:
Brian Gotta – Facebook Business
Brian Gotta Author Page – Amazon
Congratulations, You’re a Millionaire – Book
HOST RESOURCES
BIO:
Brian Gotta is an author and entrepreneur who lives in San Diego, CA. After graduating from Indiana University with a B.A. in English Literature, he began a sales and sales management career, which inspired his first book, Congratulations! You’re a Millionaire! Raising his four children and coaching them in sports inspired him to write a book on coaching baseball, Winning Secrets, and four youth sports novels. His recently-published novel, Him, is his first work of adult fiction.
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