Took Ralph to the airport Thursday for his next great photo shoot/vacation—in Vietnam. He had a 9-hour layover in Seattle (hence sleeping in the airport, or trying) before he boarded what he called Pikachu Express (China Airways) for his AirBnB in Vietnam, which was super-cheap.

WriterCon is everywhere! The Democrat & Chronicle: "WriterCon’s combination of nationally recognized speakers, practical instruction, publishing access, and collaborative community has made it a destination conference for writers from across the US." www.democratandchronicle.com/press-releas...

WriterCon 2026 Announces Award-Winning Authors, Top Literary Agents, and Four Days of Publishing Education

Join the 19th annual WriterCon, September 4-7, 2026, at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel for four days of workshops,

democratandchronicle.com

I sent out the latest issue of my monthly newsletter over the weekend. It's completely free and arrives in your email inbox. Here's a link, and while you're there, if you like, you can subscribe. It's free! writerconmag.substack.com/p/the-writer...

The WriterCon Newsletter (August 2026)

Only One Month Away from the Writer Event of the Season!

writerconmag.substack.com

Nothing starts a Sunday morning better than Bustopher, Pike Place java—and a terrific review of your latest book!Thanks to "Man of la Book" for the kind words, and for recognizing what this book is really about—the most important creator-rights battle of modern times. manoflabook.com/book-review-...

Book Review: The Superman Wars by William Bernhardt - Man of la Book

A review of The Superman Wars by William Bernhardt. Discover the true story of Jerry Siegel, DC Comics, and the legal battle for an icon

manoflabook.com

My phone camera doesn't do it justice, but this was the view greeting Bustopher and I early this morning. A bright full moon emerged from behind the clouds. Of course, it's the clouds moving, not the moon, but from our vantage, it seemed as if our favorite satellite was streaking across the sky.

WriterCon is right around the corner! The deadline for contest entries is August 15.And the conference is Sept 4-7. Over 100 sessions! Over 20 agents and publishers taking pitches! Manuscript reviews! Private consultations! Deep-dive MasterClasses! For more information: writercon.com/about-writer...

Wondering what I so relate to the story of Jerry Siegel (Superman's originator and writer)? This fabulous interview allowed me to explain. You can get your copy of The Superman Wars here: amzn.to/446aEfi

Behind the shutters, that's Winifred on our side of the window trying to get to a squirrel on the other side of the window perched on a bird feeder and eating all the food. You can imagine Winifred's frustration. You can also see the "catio" in the back. Life at Bernhardt Manor is always exciting.

IT'S OFFICIAL! Harry has now visited 50 different countries! And he's posted videos about all of them, so you might check out his YouTube page and subscribe. Since there are currently 196 countries on planet Earth, he's been to more than a quarter of them! youtube.com/shorts/MFigf...

I Have Been To 50 Countries! #travel

YouTube video by Burnhearts World

youtube.com

Beth came down from CT with her husband and lots of great news. Beth finished her residencies at Brown and after a brief break will work as a full-fledged anesthesiologist at Brown U Hospital. Her journey to Ivy League excellence is astounding. She's come a long way since this baby pic was taken!

Why we don't see so many great epics today...

I was concerned people would think reading about Jerry Siegel's struggle to reclaim Superman would be depressing, but it does lead to a happier ending for many other creatives who benefited from the most important creator-rights battle of modern times. Get the book here: amzn.to/446aEfi

Nighttime at Bernhardt Manor. The kids are nestled all snug on the sofa, with "Mom and Dad" just around the corner. This photo reminds me how good life is when you're surrounded by love. Actually, all my family photos do.

I think it's only a matter of time before I get a call from DC or Marvel (well, maybe not DC) wanting to buy the rights to Attribution Man. Here's Ralph's latest video for The Superman Wars. Get the book here: amzn.to/446aEfi

📣 New Podcast! "Find What You Do Best with Lou Berney" on @Spreaker #agent #author #conference #creative #creatives #editor #marketing #publisher #publishing #superman #thriller #writer #writercon #writers

Find What You Do Best with Lou Berney

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt (https://www.amazon.com/Superman-Wars-Battle-Justice-American-ebook/dp/B0GN9Q7VK9/) and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Lou Berney, the USA Today-bestselling author of seven novels, including Crooks, Dark Ride, November Road, and The Long and Faraway Gone. He has won the Edgar, Hammett, Steel Dagger, Anthony, Barry, and Macavity awards and is a four-time finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize. 0:00 Opening Thoughts Bill's book was promoted in Times Square! And https://writercon.com/writercon-2026-conference/ is just around the corner (Sept 4-7)! 8:08 News 1) Classmate Says Memoirist Stole Her Story 2) Music Group Hopes to Acquire Author Backlists 18:36 Craft Corner Tyler Lenz explains LitRPG 21:24 Interview with Lou Berney 37:42 Parting Words https://writercon.com/writercon-2026-conference/ is September 4-7, in Oklahoma City at the historic and haunted Skirvin Hilton. Lara and I will be there, plus Jesse, plus about sixty other writers, agents, publishers, and others connected to the publishing industry. You can review the schedule on our website, https://writercon.com/writercon-2026-conference/. WriterCon has its own free newsletter and you don’t want to miss the next issue, which has wonderful articles on breaking issues. Go to https://writerconmag.substack.com/. If you haven’t joined the WriterCon Facebook Group yet, do it now! Join this wonderful community of writers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/113141678727273 Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit. William Bernhardt  http://www.williambernhardt.com/ http://www.writercon.com

spreaker.com

Every now and again, your iPhone does something nice for you. Here's a montage my phone sent me called "Alice and Dad." If nothing else, it proves that Alice and I have played a lot of board games over the years!

Just back from the WriterCon Retreat at the Canebrake Resort. We spent five days working with some ferociously talented writers I think you will be hearing from in the future! Also, I hiked, saw beautiful deer, and read Thoreau while surrounded by a canopy of trees. And Lara found a capybara...

Video brilliance from Ralph is becoming a Wednesday tradition! I love the way Ralph combined the literal subject matter of The Superman Wars (comic book characters) with the thematic subject (All creators should be credited and compensated for their work).Enjoy! Get the book here: amzn.to/446aEfi

One thing I neglected to mention when I posted yesterday about Alice's birthday—her fingernails. She did these herself using Alice (the one from Wonderland) stencils modeled on the original Tenniel drawings. She has an amazingly steady hand!

Happy birthday to my darling daughter Alice! Played board games (that's Gulo Gulo). Went to a Jumanji-themed escape room—which we solved in 35 minutes with no hints, snatching the top spot on the leaderboard.Dinner at Ted's, then cupcakes & presents. Nothing but the best for my world-class daughter!

Tuesday I'll be teaching an online class titled: Beyond the Brief: Fiction, Creativity & Storytelling for Lawyers. Targeting attorneys, obviously, but anyone can sign up. It's basically a 90-minute overview for aspiring writers. And they're offering a discount on WriterCon 2026 registrations, too!

My mother and I went to the memorial service yesterday for Carolyn Leslie. Both me and my sister Karis had her Oklahoma History class. She was a superb teacher with an astonishing sympathy (given the era) for Native Americans and how they were repeatedly displaced. She will be well remembered.

In this clip, I explain why my new book is titled "The Superman Wars" and why I wrote not just about lawsuits but about the Big Picture: Jerry Siegel's fight for fair compensation for the billion-dollar character he originated. Get the book here: amzn.to/446aEfi

This may be the best interview (in the biggest market) I've done, for the Great Day Houston morning show. The host was well prepared and they had lovely graphics. I saw my numbers improve ten minutes after it aired! Big thanks to Deborah Duncan and the KHOU-11 staff! www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iUa...

📣 New Podcast! "Countdown to WriterCon with William Martin" on @Spreaker #ai #author #commonwealth #craft #elias #fiction #granta #historical #lighthouse #marketing #nonfiction #publisher #publishing #self_publishing #superman #writer #writercon #writing

Countdown to WriterCon with William Martin

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt (https://www.amazon.com/Superman-Wars-Battle-Justice-American-ebook/dp/B0GN9Q7VK9/) and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview WriterCon keynote speaker William Martin, the New York Times-bestselling author of twelve novels, a PBS documentary, book reviews, magazine articles, and a cult-classic horror movie. His most recent book is December ’41, which Steve Berry (who has also keynoted at WriterCon), called “Another masterpiece from a master, and that’s exactly what William Martin is.” 0:00 Opening Thoughts Updates on the Commonwealth Prize controversy—and WriterCon '26! 5:11 News 1) Self-Published Book Sells Over 2.5 Million Copies! 2) AI Stories Favor Elias Thorne and Lighthouses 16:53 Craft Corner Christina Kaye discusses how to treat your books like a business, not a hobby 20:17 Interview with William Martin 49:46 Parting Words Bill's book https://www.amazon.com/Superman-Wars-Battle-Justice-American-ebook/dp/B0GN9Q7VK9/ is about a writer, just like you, and the struggles he suffered are still with us today. Jerry Siegel, the kid who came up with the idea for Superman, was the first American writer to sue his publishers, and many other writers now benefit from what became the most important creator-rights battle of modern times. https://www.writercon.com is September 4-7, in Oklahoma City at the historic and haunted Skirvin Hilton. Lara and I will be there, plus Jesse, plus William Martin, plus about sixty other writers, agents, publishers, and people connected to the publishing industry. You can review the schedule on our website, https://www.writercon.com. If you haven’t joined the WriterCon Facebook Group yet, do it today and join this wonderful community of writers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/113141678727273 Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit. William Bernhardt  http://www.williambernhardt.com/  http://www.writercon.com

spreaker.com

After last night's crushing soccer defeat, I thought we could all use a moment of Zen. Ralph shot this in Madeira, a stunningly beautiful and rugged island off Portugal. To me, with the rays shining down from the sky, this looks like the last scene in an Old Hollywood Biblical epic.

Able to leap tall buildings! Got to hand it to my PR team. They've done great work, but this stunt was amazing...

Took my mother a pizza and we watched the Disney coverage of our national parks. That evening, Kadey hosted a family gathering, with her fabulous decorations and table array. Joe grilled to perfection. Kadey also had glow jewelry and something new—temp tattoos so we could all be star-spangled.

Happy Independence Day! The young man is in a dark place and contemplating ending his life. Superman swoops in and, doesn't fight him, doesn't arrest him, doesn't fly him away or tie him up. He looks him in the eye and says, "You're much stronger than you think you are." So are you. So is America.

Since we're celebrating our 250th, I chose this excerpt that, in a way, reflects the spirit of America's revolutionary fight. I discuss how Jerry Siegel (Superman's originator) stood up to power, becoming the first American author to sue his publisher. Get The Superman Wars here: amzn.to/446aEfi