{"podcast":{"title":"Hacks and Hobbies with Junaid Ahmed","slug":"hacks-and-hobbies-with-junaid-ahmed-64898","podcast_index_feed_id":64898,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/JXL7641185570","website_url":"https://hacksandhobbies.com","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/8b81e2f0-ceea-11f0-af26-3f0abddb2209/image/cd320ae16d219ac7d7b4f2eca5374197.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Junaid Ahmed","episode_count":745,"summary":"Hacks & Hobbies is where passions turn into profit stories. Host Junaid Ahmed interviews entrepreneurs, creators, and builders who are turning what they love into real momentum—income, confidence, community, and impact. Expect practical takeaways on podcasting, video content, home studios, personal branding, systems, and mindset—so your next idea doesn’t stay “someday.” If you’re building something (a show, a brand, a business, a better version of yourself), you’ll feel at home here. 🎙 Wanna be a guest? Apply on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/member/hacksandhobbies 📖 Home Studio resources: https://homestudiobook.com 🔗 LI: https://linkedin.com/in/superjunaid","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hacks-and-hobbies-with-junaid-ahmed-64898"},"episode":{"title":"Tom Freiling — Publishing Powerhouse: Why AI Is Forcing Authors to Become More Human","slug":"tom-freiling-publishing-powerhouse-why-ai-is-forcing-authors-to-become-more-human","published_at":"2026-04-06T16:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hacks-and-hobbies-with-junaid-ahmed-64898/tom-freiling-publishing-powerhouse-why-ai-is-forcing-authors-to-become-more-human","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hacks-and-hobbies-with-junaid-ahmed-64898","url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/JXL9650112955.mp3?updated=1775655507","audio_url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/JXL9650112955.mp3?updated=1775655507","summary":"From telemarketing to shaping New York Times bestsellers — Tom Freiling’s publishing journey is a lesson in curiosity, grit and human storytelling. In this episode Tom pulls back the curtain on 30+ years in publishing, the shift from bookstore gatekeepers to Amazon-era discoverability struggles, and why the rise of AI makes the uniquely human elements of a book more valuable than ever. Tom shares hard-won operational lessons (how a bootstrap mindset scales), the mistakes that make self-published books “dead on arrival,” and practical frameworks for coaches, founders and creators who want to turn lived experience into a book that actually sells. Five key takeaways The bookstore era vs. the Amazon era: discoverability changed — best‑seller lists and reviews now act as gatekeepers. Bootstrapping shapes smarter decisions: founders without outside capital often make fewer costly mistakes. Common rookie error: one small oversight in writing, packaging or distribution can make a book DOA. AI is accelerating book production, but readers detect the lack of genuine human voice — inject your story, imperfections and point of view. Break a book into bite-sized chunks and always write with the reader’s problem/solution in mind, not just your life story. Timestamps 0:00 — Intro: How Tom’s accidental telemarketing job became a 30‑year publishing career3:30 — The Viktor Frankl lesson: why concise, meaningful books win readers’ hearts8:00 — Then vs. now: bookstores as gatekeepers and the Amazon discovery problem12:35 — Building to acquisition: first‑mover advantage + bootstrap discipline17:00 — Common first‑time author mistakes that kill book launches (DOA books)22:45 — Print on demand vs. large runs: logistics when a book unexpectedly sells out23:50 — AI and authorship: spotting AI ma…","meta_description":"From telemarketing to shaping New York Times bestsellers — Tom Freiling’s publishing journey is a lesson in curiosity, grit and human storytelling. In thi…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2590,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/hacks-and-hobbies-with-junaid-ahmed-64898/episodes/tom-freiling-publishing-powerhouse-why-ai-is-forcing-authors-to-become-more-human/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hacks-and-hobbies-with-junaid-ahmed-64898/tom-freiling-publishing-powerhouse-why-ai-is-forcing-authors-to-become-more-human.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}