Mark Ebner on How to Survive the Death of Publishing (and Still Tell the Truth)

If you're thinking about writing an authority building book, and I really hope you are, and you don't want to be counting pennies or checking your book sales all the time, you actually want a book that's going to change your life, I can tell you how. Just go to sevenfigurebooks.com. I'm not trying to capture your email or anything. You can just download this PDF that's going to tell you exactly how to turn an authority building book into revenue, speaking, authority, and no exaggeration, a whole new life. Mark Ebner has lived every journalist’s dream. He’s a New York Times bestselling author, Hollywood insider and the guy behind some of the most notorious exposés in entertainment history. But behind the bylines and book deals is a story about an industry that chews up even its most fearless voices—and a writer who found a way to keep telling the truth anyway. In this conversation, Mark and I talk about everything the publishing world doesn’t want you to know—from missing royalty checks and botched releases to what happens when AI starts scraping your life’s work. He opens up about his unlikely friendship with Andrew Breitbart, the chaos of the book business and how he went from bestselling author to private investigator—while somehow staying one of the funniest, most unflinchingly honest people I’ve ever met. Episode Highlights The truth about what it really means to hit the New York Times list (and why it doesn’t make you rich) How HarperCollins mishandled his biggest book deal—and what it taught him about the industry’s dysfunction The unexpected camaraderie between a radical leftist and a far-right pundit and how it produced Hollywood, Interrupted Why bookstores literally killed one of his bestsellers by shelving it in the wrong section The burnout and betrayal that pushed him to leave journalism and launch a private investigation firm His take on AI, intellectual theft and the future (or end) of nonfiction writing The celebrity scandals, lawsuits and cult investigations that defined his career—and why he’s done telling other people’s stories The strange parallels between chasing leads as a PI and chasing truth as a reporter The book he still wants to write—and why he might call it Dirtbag Want to learn more about Legacy Launch Pad Publishing—my high-end hybrid book publishing company that helps entrepreneurs turn their expertise into authority-building books? 👉 Curious how entrepreneurs use books to generate seven-figure returns, speaking opportunities and high-value clients? 👉 Interested in working with a selective hybrid publisher that focuses on strategy, authority and long-term business growth—not just publishing a book? 👉 And if you just want to know more about me, 👉 Remember, if there's anyone in your life whose wisdom you deeply admire, or who you know could be considered an authority in their field if they were better known, share this show with them.

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Mark Ebner on How to Survive the Death of Publishing (and Still Tell the Truth) is an episode from Light Hustler by Anna David.

This episode is 46:54 long.

This episode was published on Dec 30, 2025.

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