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Blog of Jim Flynn
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AuthorJim Flynn is a humorist, writer and novelist. He is available for speaking engagements. To contact email: [email protected] Archives
December 2025
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 You know what’s crazy? There’s a ton of money being made in the independent writing world right now. But here’s the twist: almost none of it’s being made by people actually writing books. The real jackpot? It’s all in selling dreams about writing books. Online courses, masterclasses, secret Facebook groups—teaching hopeful writers how to build an "author platform" or unlock their "7-Figure Mindset." (For a modest four-figure fee, of course.) It’s the Gold Rush all over again. The prospectors went broke; the guys selling picks and shovels retired early. Today’s version just has better branding and a lot more hashtags. As soon as you publish a book, you get barraged by these wizards who hold the secret key to writing success. It's a way to get more emails than if you reply "Yes, I do want to pay to chat with Lonely Eastern European Women." Not that I've ever done that. A friend told me about it...his name ...Bob. I can't even blame these people who take advantage of wannabe writers. Honestly? It’s kind of brilliant. If you can’t sell a novel, sell the idea of selling a novel. There are a lot of desperate authors out there, and some of the competition is now coming from Artificial Intelligence. There's a YouTube tutorial where a guy in a bathrobe shows you how to "write an AI novel" in one minute. Meanwhile, the rest of us are still doing it the hard way—actually writing the books—because apparently we missed the memo about the real business plan. At least we're stubborn. And hey, stubborn counts for something... right? Meanwhile, just in case, I'm working on a combination marketing plan. How's this from the Jim Flynn Creative Writing Institute? Learn To Write Bestsellers From Attractive Eastern European Women. Only $999. No refunds, but you get a free refrigerator magnet. If you haven't done so, please check out my latest book: Dead Men Don't Cash Checks click the link below: www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3TT394W 
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Civilization Could Depend On This4/19/2025  I am currently working on two books. One deals with how hard it is for a book to compete for attention of people whose minds have been lowered to the reptile level by the cellphone. It's very hard to get people to let go of their phones, Sample overheard conversation: Doctor, what do you mean I can't bring my phone into surgery? But I'm expecting a very important update regarding my fantasy football team while I'm unconscious! Smartphones can do a lot of things books cannot do. Example: I admit this, and I bet you do it too. I use my cellphone to act like a big deal. Scenario: I'm in a group of people and my cellphone buzzes. "Excuse me, I've got to take this." I act like it might be my agent confirming my movie deal with Steven Spielberg, or an encrypted text from U.S. Cyber Command. Civilization may depend on this. What is it really? Some guy I don't remember from high school...sent me a photo...of what he had for brunch. Due to poor lighting it looks like a diseased greenish omelet, oozing over the plate,. It could be an image from the 1950s horror movie, The Monster That Devoured Cleveland. I do not divulge this to the people near me. I act like I will handle this only when I get to a Top Secret, Eyes Only secure location. It's tough for a book to compete with this kind of functionality. More in coming weeks. Meanwhile, if you haven't done so, please take a look at my latest book: Dead Men Don't Cash Checks. go to Amazon to check it out. Click: www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3TT394W 
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 I just published my latest book: Dead Men Don't Cash Checks Lessons I learned since writing the first book:
People have told me that it's my best book, my funniest book. If you're into smart liars, moral ambiguity, and a story that moves fast but hits hard—give Dead Men Don’t Cash Checks a read. Click to find out more on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3TT394W 
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Dead Men Don't Cash Checks4/5/2025  Here's the book description as it appears on Amazon: In JR Johnson’s world, trust is a liability—and he’s done pretending otherwise. A razor-sharp blend of dark humor, espionage, and psychological suspense. After losing $1.5 billion, a chunk of his sanity, and maybe his marriage (it's a little unclear), JR is laying low in Austin, Texas—watching squirrels trip his security cameras and wondering how to get his fortune back. Not to buy a yacht. He wants to give it away—to fund a cutting-edge brain surgery center at Johns Hopkins, where all three of his siblings just happen to work. Ulterior motives? Absolutely. Altruism, with an asterisk. Then the U.S. government shows up with an offer: one job, huge payout, sounds too good to be true. JR’s internal alarm bells start clanging immediately. He doesn’t believe in clean deals, honest motives, or mutual trust. But he says yes—partly because it beats doomscrolling and lonely tacos, and partly because of a recent, unsettling realization: he liked killing the people who tried to kill him. And this job? It might offer the chance to keep that new hobby going. But if he plays this wrong, he won’t just fail—he’ll be discredited...or dead. Dead Men Don’t Cash Checks is a darkly funny, paranoid, and unexpectedly heartfelt thriller about trust, betrayal, and the quiet thrill of doing the right thing… for all the wrong reasons. For fans of smart antiheroes, twisted plots, and gallows humor with a side of Dr. Pepper. Book One in a new series about loyalty, lies, and what happens when trusting anyone feels like the biggest risk of all. Perfect for readers of Barry Eisler, Nick Harkaway, Don Winslow, or early Greg Rucka. to order click below: www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3TT394W |
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