AskAlli: Self-Publishing Advice Podcast: Recent Episodes
Alliance of Independent Authors
Tune into our podcast twice weekly. On Fridays, the self-publishing advice podcast offers guidance to authors about publishing their own fiction, nonfiction and poetry books, with ALLi director Orna Ross and co-hosts (includes ALLi Member Q&A). And on every other Sunday, multimedia manager Howard Lovy interviews ALLi members and advisors about their books in the Inspirational Indie Authors series.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports that audiobook growth continues across major English-language markets, with Spotify claiming a 30 percent rise in listeners and a 36 percent increase in listening hours year over year. Dan also explores Spotify’s evolving role in the audiobook industry, the launch of the new UK-based Speakies Awards open to indie authors, and a troubling trend reported by the Wall Street Journal—AI-generated search summaries may be reducing ad revenue by diverting clicks away from content creators.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this Self-Publishing Advice Conference highlight, virtual assistant Kayleigh Brindley draws on over 10 years of experience to help authors decide when it’s time to hire support. The session covers how outsourcing tasks like marketing and admin can ease the workload, improve productivity, and free up time to focus on writing. It includes case studies and practical advice on finding and working with the right virtual assistant.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event run free twice yearly in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, host Michael La Ronn discusses whether it's worth an author’s time to pursue turning a book into a film or TV series—and why it might be more effective to let the industry come to you.
Other questions include:
- Is it okay to use a book title that’s already been used by another author?
- Should I go wide or enroll in Kindle Unlimited if I only release one book a year?
- What impact might Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs have on UK authors selling eBooks in the US?
- Should I make manuscript changes while waiting for the cover design?
- How do I find a print-on-demand service in Italy that works with my author website?
- What are the legal risks of including memes and screenshots in a published book?
And More!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports a return to double-digit audiobook growth in the U.S., with revenue up 13 percent and over half of Americans now having listened to an audiobook. He also breaks down new data showing a shift in reader tastes toward darker genres—especially psychological thrillers and dark romance—and reflects on how traditional publishers are just now catching on to the power of direct sales and loyal fan bases, something indie authors have long embraced.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Is your book marketing strategy helping you grow—or wasting your budget? In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Dale L. Roberts talks with Emma Boyer, VP of Digital Operations at Written Word Media, about what truly drives successful book promotions. They explore why branding matters, how genre impacts performance, and why waiting to market your book might be the biggest mistake you make. Emma shares actionable strategies around email list building, pricing expectations, and leveraging promotions to boost visibility and connect with readers—whether you have one book or a full backlist.
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube.
About the Guest
Emma Boyer is the Vice President of Digital Operations at Written Word Media, where she is responsible for overseeing the company's digital initiatives and operations. Prior to her current role, she served as the Director of Digital Operations at the same organization. Boyer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York College at Geneseo.
My guest this episode is Maria Iliffe-Wood, a leadership coach and writer based in the UK. She began with an academic book on coaching, then wrote a spiritual memoir and poetry. Along the way, she started helping others publish their books, too. We talk about being present, handling self-doubt, and how writing became central to her life.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
About the Guest
Maria Iliffe-Wood is the author of four books: an academic book about coaching presence, a self-published personal narrative tracking her emotional journey through the pandemic, a spiritual memoir, and a book of poetry that explores deep existential questions. Her writing explores how the mind—and more intriguingly, how life—works. You'll find her walking with her husband, in the middle of England about as far away from the sea as you can be in the UK.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports on a BBC Maestro course using AI to recreate Agatha Christie, a Nordic platform’s AI book-recommendation chatbot, and a BookBub survey showing nearly half of authors now use AI. He also covers renewed tension over library eBook lending after Penguin Random House pulled comics from a school platform.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Host Anna Featherstone speaks with Julie Ganner and Dr. Agata Mrva-Montoya, co-authors of Books Without Barriers: A Practical Guide to Inclusive Publishing. They discuss how authors can make their books accessible from the start—by addressing formatting, fonts, image descriptions, and digital navigation.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What print disability means
- How to reach readers across formats
- Simple production changes that improve access
- Accessibility tips for children’s books
- How semantic tagging and font choices support more readers
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Anna Featherstone is ALLi’s nonfiction adviser and an author advocate and mentor. A judge of The Australian Business Book Awards and Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, she’s also the founder of Bold Authors and presents author marketing and self-publishing workshops for organizations, including Byron Writers Festival. Anna has authored books including how-to and memoirs and her book Look-It’s Your Book! about writing, publishing, marketing, and leveraging nonfiction is on the Australian Society of Authors recommended reading list. When she’s not being bookish, Anna’s into bees, beings, and the big issues of our time.
About the Guests
Dr. Agata Mrva-Montoya is a senior lecturer and degree director of the Master of Publishing program in the Discipline of Media and Communications at the University of Sydney. Her research explores how technological innovation and power dynamics shape the publishing industry, with a particular focus on equitable access to literature and knowledge. She is president of the Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disability and co-editor of Publishing Research Quarterly. Her background includes leading the implementation of accessible publishing practices at Sydney University Press. She is co-author of Books Without Barriers: A Practical Guide to Inclusive Publishing (2023), and her forthcoming book, Inclusive Publishing and the Quest for Reading Equity, will be published in August by Cambridge University Press.
Julie Ganner, AE, is an accredited freelance editor and a lecturer in editing for the University of Sydney’s Master of Publishing program. She represented the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) at the Australian Inclusive Publishing Initiative (AIPI), a cross-industry forum on print accessibility, and is a former chair of IPEd’s Accessibility Initiative Working Party. She is the 2025 winner of the Janet Mackenzie Medal, IPEd’s highest honor, awarded in recognition of her service to the editing profession. Julie is co-author of Books Without Barriers: A Practical Guide to Inclusive Publishing (IPEd and Australian Publishers Association, 2023) and Inclusive Publishing in Australia: An Introductory Guide (AIPI, 2019). Both guides are available as free downloads in multiple formats.
On the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, host Joe Solari explains how attending live events changed the course of his career and why in-person conferences still matter. He discusses how to choose the right event, prepare effectively, and build lasting connections that support a profitable publishing business.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Joe Solari assists authors in developing successful businesses as the managing partner of Author Ventures LLC. In his role as a business manager, he supports his private clients, who collectively achieved gross royalties of twenty-two million in 2023, with an average pre-tax profit of 44%. This remarkable success results from implementing disciplined business strategies and maintaining an unwavering dedication to enhancing the customer experience.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway covers an incident in which the Chicago Sun-Times recommended AI-invented books by real authors, and a troubling test in which Anthropic’s AI, Claude 4.0, threatened a user with blackmail. He also reports that Spotify has seen a rise in iOS subscriptions following the Apple ruling on in-app purchases, and shares the latest from ongoing AI copyright debates in the UK and EU, where authors and creators continue pushing back against efforts to weaken protections.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Matty Dalrymple talks with Kristen Tate of the Blue Garret editing service, a seasoned freelance editor, about the intricacies of editorial services and how authors can effectively engage with editors. The conversation provides insights into the editing process, the role of trust in the author-editor relationship, and how to navigate the often complex landscape of editorial pricing and contracts.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
About the Guest
Kristen Tate has been a freelance editor for more than a decade, guiding authors from rough drafts to polished books. She holds a PhD in English from Columbia University, where she focused on publishing history, and is the author of Novel Study: Decoding the Secrets and Structures of Contemporary Fiction. Kristen also publishes a regular newsletter offering craft advice and encouragement for writers. Her editing business, Blue Garret, is an ALLi Partner member. You can find Kristen at thebluegarret.com, on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.
My guest this episode is Patrick D. Joyce, who grew up at U.S. embassies in places like Moscow, Havana, and Managua, surrounded by secrets, spies, and surveillance. He went on to become a journalist, earn a Ph.D. in political science, and eventually found his way to writing Cold War-era young adult thrillers. We talk about how his past shaped his storytelling, how music and history inform his work, and how he's connecting with young readers today.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
About the Guest
Patrick D. Joyce is the author of two thriller novels for young adults, Back in the USSR (a Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize semifinalist) and Strawberry Fields, both inspired by his experiences growing up at US embassies during the Cold War. He has been a newspaper reporter, a political science lecturer, and a medical practice manager. He lives in Massachusetts, where he can be found haunting coffee shops, taking long walks with his wife, and practicing martial arts. You can find him at patrickdjoyce.com and follow him on BlueSky, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports that Audible has launched a major AI narration program featuring 100 synthetic voices, with options for both publishers and indie authors. He also covers upcoming changes to KDP Print royalties and costs, a 10,000-signature petition from European creators calling for stronger AI copyright protections, and news that the UK government has rejected a proposed AI transparency amendment. He closes with the latest developments in the Apple–Epic Games legal case, which could affect in-app book and audiobook sales.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
On the Creative Self-Publishing stream of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss creative confidence and the process of finding and sustaining an author voice. They talk about how life events, like grief or illness, can interrupt creativity, and how daily practices such as journaling or walking can help maintain a sense of continuity. The conversation also covers how recurring themes shape a writer’s voice, how AI tools like voice cloning are changing audiobook production, and how authors can decide when and how to use these tools without losing their individual style.
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, host Michael La Ronn discusses whether there are effective alternatives to Amazon and Meta ads for authors who want to reach readers but are reluctant to support those platforms.
Other questions include:
- Is Nielsen’s Enhanced Services an effective marketing tool for authors?
- Has anyone experienced product availability issues with BookVault?
- Do ALLi members get discounts on public liability insurance for book fairs?
- How do legal and tax issues differ for sole traders and limited companies in the US and UK?
- What’s the best place within ALLi to find marketing support for a debut novel?
- Does ALLi offer a standard copyright page template or guidance?
And More!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explains how a major legal ruling against Apple is changing the landscape for in-app purchases, with Kindle, Patreon, and Spotify now enabling direct book sales on iOS. He also covers a call for cooperation between publishers and tech companies from the Association of American Publishers, and reports strong Q1 growth in audiobook subscriptions from Nordic platform Storytel.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Recently, BookVault—a company familiar to many of our U.S. and U.K. listeners—expanded its print-on-demand services to Australia. In this episode, ALLi’s nonfiction advisor Anna Featherstone speaks with Alex Smith, BookVault’s brand manager, to learn what the company offers, how it operates globally, and whether it might be a good fit for authors looking to diversify how they produce and distribute their books.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What BookVault is, which countries it currently serves, and how it compares to KDP, IngramSpark, and traditional book printers
- How special editions work—costs, timelines, trends, and possibilities
- The most common mistakes authors make with POD, and how to avoid them
- Why BookVault charges a setup fee—and how ALLi members can have it waived
- A crash course on bookbinding types: perfect bound, case bound, and saddle stitch
- Trends and innovations in indie publishing that have Alex excited about the future
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Anna Featherstone is ALLi’s nonfiction adviser and an author advocate and mentor. A judge of The Australian Business Book Awards and Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, she’s also the founder of Bold Authors and presents author marketing and self-publishing workshops for organizations, including Byron Writers Festival. Anna has authored books including how-to and memoirs and her book Look-It’s Your Book! about writing, publishing, marketing, and leveraging nonfiction is on the Australian Society of Authors recommended reading list. When she’s not being bookish, Anna’s into bees, beings, and the big issues of our time.
About the Guest
Alex Smith has been with Printondemand Worldwide, the parent company of BookVault, for more than seven years. During that time, he has gained extensive knowledge of the publishing industry. His experience positioned him to take a leading role in redeveloping the BookVault platform. Alex works closely with leading indie publishing entrepreneurs to ensure BookVault continues to deliver the innovative features authors and publishers need.
My guest this episode is Karen Williams, a nonfiction author of ten books who now helps entrepreneurs write and publish books that grow their businesses. What began with one book in 2009 turned into a career helping others find clarity and purpose. Along the way, she’s learned what makes a book truly work for both the reader and the writer.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
About the Guest
Karen Williams is The Book Mentor at Librotas, helping business owners and thought leaders write and publish authority-building books that elevate their credibility and grow their business and brand. She guides clients from messy first idea to final manuscript and successful launch, with a focus on strategy, structure, and impact. Karen is the author of ten books, including Your Book is the Hook and Book Marketing Made Simple, a TEDx speaker, and host of the Business Book Bites podcast.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explains major changes to Findaway Voices, which is splitting into two platforms: Spotify for Authors, focused on Spotify distribution, and a new platform called In Audio for all other outlets. He also highlights a new £75,000 novel prize open to unpublished writers, and reports on a HarperCollins survey showing a decline in parents reading to their children, with homework—not screen time—cited as the main barrier.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Dale L. Roberts talks with Danica Favorite, community manager at PublishDrive, about what truly makes an author brand effective. They dive into how the power of relationships in author marketing, avoid the most common branding mistakes, and take real control of your marketing. Danica shares how wide distribution and authentic community-building can help authors stand out—and sell more—by owning their unique narrative.
Show Notes
- Danica Favorite
- Brave New Bookshelf Podcast
- PublishDrive
- ALLi Watchdog List
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube.
In this panel discussion, two high-achieving Amazon KDP authors, Sacha Black and J.M. Dalgliesh, reveal the most effective strategies and tactics they’ve used to maximize profitability in self-publishing. From smart pricing and advertising to leveraging data, this session is packed with actionable advice on how to turn writing books into a profitable, sustainable business. Learn how to make the most of Amazon’s tools and build a long-term, profitable publishing strategy that drives consistent income. This session is proudly sponsored by Amazon KDP.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event run free twice yearly in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports that the Oscars will allow AI-assisted films starting next year. He also discusses new surveys showing that reading habits remain stable despite headlines, and highlights Linktree’s new feature allowing authors to sell eBooks directly from their bio pages.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple interviews ALLi Editor-in-Chief Roz Morris about the art and craft of ghostwriting. Roz discusses her path into the field, the range of genres she has worked in, and the importance of preserving the client’s voice. They explore the balance between editing and ghostwriting, the collaborative process, and how ghostwriters often act as informal therapists. Roz also covers payment, time management, spotting red flags, and the rewards of ghostwriting despite its anonymity.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
About the Guest
Roz Morris’s novels and memoir have been recognized by major mainstream awards. She has coached award-winning writers in both fiction and nonfiction, taught creative writing for The Guardian masterclasses, blogged for Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook, and served as a regular judge on Litopia’s Pop-Up Submissions show, critiquing manuscripts from promising writers. Roz is also ALLi’s editor-in-chief.
My guest this episode is Jacqueline Murray, who took an unconventional path from medical device marketer to author of a romance series that blends love and quantum theory. Her books feature storylines that challenge genre conventions and feature characters later in life.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
About the Guest
M. Jacqueline Murray embodies the Renaissance ideal of the multi-faceted individual—scientist, business professional, photographer, musician, and author. Her Maddie & Nate series challenges traditional romance conventions by exploring a single destined connection across different timelines and choices. Through the lens of quantum physics and the theory of multiple realities, each book presents a new version of their love story, showing how timing and circumstance shape relationships—and who we ultimately become. To learn more about Jacqueline and her work, visit mjacquelinemurray.com or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You can also sign up for her Readers Club to receive updates and behind-the-scenes insights.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports on Spotify receiving the BISG Industry Innovator Award for its audiobook efforts, including new tools for indie authors. He also highlights Patreon’s launch of unlimited in-platform livestreaming, a move that supports creators building subscription-based communities. Finally, Dan explores a growing trend in book subscription services: curating and now publishing original content tailored to their audiences.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Anna Featherstone speaks with Rebekah Lambert, a poet, playwright, content strategist, and founder of the Freelance Jungle, about how authors can produce and distribute zines. They discuss how zines give writers permission not to be perfect, offer a low-pressure way to spark creativity, and help both fiction and nonfiction authors deepen connections with readers.
Show Notes
List of Australian Writers Festivals for 2025
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Anna Featherstone is ALLi’s nonfiction adviser and an author advocate and mentor. A judge of The Australian Business Book Awards and Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, she’s also the founder of Bold Authors and presents author marketing and self-publishing workshops for organizations, including Byron Writers Festival. Anna has authored books including how-to and memoirs and her book Look-It’s Your Book! about writing, publishing, marketing, and leveraging nonfiction is on the Australian Society of Authors recommended reading list. When she’s not being bookish, Anna’s into bees, beings, and the big issues of our time.
About the Guest
Rebekah Lambert is a freelance content and community specialist who advocates for stress reduction and support for creatives and the self-employed through the Freelance Jungle and Patreon. She’s committed to ending isolation in sole employment and raising awareness of freelance industry challenges. Currently studying counselling and trauma-informed care, Rebekah aims to help creatives recover from recent difficult years. When she’s not advocating, she’s making art, writing, or exploring Wollongong with her Labradorks, Gibson and George. Learn more at Unashamedly Creative or follow her on Instagram.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, host Michael La Ronn discusses whether it's worth hiring a marketing company to promote your second book—and why many authors might be better off learning to market themselves first.
Other questions include:
- Is there still a stigma around self-publishing in 2025?
- Should I limit how often I run Kindle Countdown Deals for the first book in a series?
- What’s the best mix of platforms for distributing ebooks and print books?
- Do short or long-form videos work better for book marketing?
- How can I prepare for my first in-person book signing event?
- What’s the best way to get indie books into libraries?
And More!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports that new US tariffs will not apply to printed books, thanks to an information exemption, though the impact on printing materials remains unclear. He covers Canva’s launch of AI tools following a pricing change, a legal brief challenging Meta’s use of copyrighted content, and Ingram’s new MediaScout platform, which showcases indie books for film and TV adaptation.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Join Dale L. Roberts as he interviews self-publishing expert Bryan Cohen on the foundations of author branding. Learn how genre clarity, strong sales copy, and Amazon ads work together to grow your fan base and boost book sales. It’s a must-listen for new and mid-list authors.
Show Notes:
- Best Page Forward
- Sell More Books Show
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube.
My guest this episode is crime novelist Ali Steed. After decades in financial journalism, Ali is winning awards in fiction—exploring the darker corners of the human mind through her police procedural series. We talk about what it took to overcome the fear of releasing that first novel, how she brings her investigative skills to crime fiction, and how life in Mallorca—and a bit of shamanic training—helped her embrace her creative path.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
About the Guest
Ali Steed is an accomplished writer, editor, and broadcaster, and has worked as a journalist—both in-house and freelance—for most of the UK’s national newspapers, as well as the BBC, Channel 4, and local TV and radio stations. She has won eight awards for her journalism, and her debut novel, All It Takes, won the BIBA Suspense/Thriller 2024 category. This is the first book in the DCI Caroline Cramer series, with more titles due out later this year.
Ali is a strong advocate of using shamanic teachings to break through writing blocks, improve creativity, and increase the confidence of writers who often struggle to see their own talent and worth. She went through shamanic training to help her own writing and confidence and is now keen to help others in the same way.
All It Takes is available on Amazon.
You can follow Ali on Instagram or on Facebook. She is also currently building her shamanic profile on Instagram @theshamanicstoryteller
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports that National Novel Writing Month, known as NaNoWriMo, has announced it will not officially take place this November, citing financial and reputational concerns. He also covers the latest in AI and copyright, including the consolidation of major lawsuits against tech companies, protests outside Meta’s London offices, and new research suggesting copyrighted materials have been used to train AI models. Finally, he discusses Amazon’s new AI-powered Kindle Recap feature and questions around whether authors have consented to its use.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
ALLi Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple talks with Marketing Adviser Ricardo Fayet, co-founder of Reedsy, about the value of professional editing in self-publishing. Fayet explains the types of editing, how to manage costs, and why editors offer more than beta readers. He also discusses when to hire an editor, how editing improves writing, and the limits of AI tools.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
About the Guest
Ricardo Fayet is one of the four founders of Reedsy, a marketplace that connects authors with top publishing professionals—from editors to cover designers, book marketers, and literary translators. He is the author of two books on book marketing and a regular speaker at writers’ conferences including NINC, Author Nation, InkersCon, and The Self Publishing Show Live. Fayet also serves as the marketing adviser to ALLi. You can find Reedsy online: Website, YouTube, X, and Instagram.
Want to license your book into a translation but unsure where to start? Join Margaux Weisman, business development director at DropCap Agency, and Monica Meehan, vice president of business development and rights director at DropCap Agency, for an insightful discussion with Michael La Ronn on the world of translation sales and how DropCap Marketplace can help connect authors with foreign rights buyers.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event run free twice yearly in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports on academic publisher Taylor & Francis using AI to translate books into English, sparking backlash from translators. He also covers OpenAI’s controversial Studio Ghibli–style image filter and its copyright implications and notes the end of WH Smith’s presence on the UK high street as the retailer shifts focus to airport book sales.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Join Bill Mueller in this session for novelists, poets, and nonfiction authors who want to harness the power of storytelling to create deeper connections with their audience and encourage them to purchase. Learn the psychology behind why stories work, a life-changing technique for uncovering and crafting compelling stories from your own experiences, and how to seamlessly integrate stories into your marketing and promotional materials across a wide variety of platforms.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event run free twice yearly in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Bill Mueller has been using the power of story to help entrepreneurs and authors promote themselves for twenty-one years. A former journalist whose current mission is to "save the world from boring emails, one story at a time," Bill's most recent focus is on storytelling as it relates to email marketing. His Story Sales Machine program has given thousands a starting point to write with more authenticity while also increasing sales ethically.
My guest this episode is Annie Fox, an educator and author who writes for young adults. She talks about how her background in human development shapes her fiction, why she chose to go indie, and what it really takes to reach readers in a crowded market. Her work explores identity, belonging, and what it means to find your people.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
About the Guest
Annie Fox is an author of books for children and teens. She loves making art, baking, gardening, photography, hiking in the San Francisco Bay Area, traveling, and, most of all, being with her husband, David, and her family, including Gracie the Dog. Her current YA sci-fi novel, Leeta Simtar: A Life on Two Planets, is available wherever books and audiobooks are sold. Her other books include The Little Things That Kill: A Teen Friendship Afterlife Apology Tour, also available everywhere. Learn more about Annie at anniefox.com.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway reports on growing outrage after authors discovered their titles among pirated books used to train Meta’s AI model. A searchable LibGen database, highlighted by The Atlantic, has sparked widespread concern over copyright violations. Dan also covers the collapse of Unbound, a crowdfunding-based publisher, and what it means for indie authors.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Unlock the secrets to marketing strategies for children's books. In this episode of Self-Publishing with ALLi, Dale L. Roberts interviews bestselling children’s author Karen Inglis, who shares expert strategies for breaking into the market. Discover the biggest mistakes new authors make, how to market effectively, and why local connections and school visits can boost your brand. Karen also reveals how metadata and keywords impact sales, plus lessons from her journey to selling over half a million books.
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube.
On the Creative Self-Publishing stream of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss their latest creative projects, insights from the London Book Fair, and the evolving role of AI in publishing. Orna shares her thoughts on how the fair is shifting away from being author-centric, while Joanna explores AI narration and its growing impact on audiobooks, including new developments from ElevenLabs and Amazon’s Audible Virtual Voice.
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway covers Spotify’s new publishing program for indie authors, which focuses on short audiobooks in popular genres like romance, mystery, and sci-fi. He also discusses the latest AI-generated fiction making waves in the literary world, including reactions from authors and critics to OpenAI’s new model.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, host Anna Featherstone talks with USA Today bestselling author Phillipa Nefri Clark about the practical side of book production and distribution. Phillipa shares her experiences with different publishing methods, from KDP and Kobo to direct sales and working with a digital-first publisher. She discusses hiring a well-known TV actor for her audiobook, handling production challenges, navigating translations, and managing finances with the help of a specialist accountant.
Show Notes
List of Australian Writers Festivals for 2025
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Anna Featherstone is ALLi’s nonfiction adviser and an author advocate and mentor. A judge of The Australian Business Book Awards and Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, she’s also the founder of Bold Authors and presents author marketing and self-publishing workshops for organizations, including Byron Writers Festival. Anna has authored books including how-to and memoirs and her book Look-It’s Your Book! about writing, publishing, marketing, and leveraging nonfiction is on the Australian Society of Authors recommended reading list. When she’s not being bookish, Anna’s into bees, beings, and the big issues of our time.
About the Guest
A USA Today bestselling author, Phillipa Nefri Clark lives just outside a beautiful town in country Victoria, Australia. She also inhabits the many worlds of her imagination, stockpiling stories beside her laptop. Phillipa writes from the heart about love, dreams, secrets, discovery, the sea, and the world as she knows it—or wishes it could be. She loves happy endings, heart-pounding suspense, and characters who stay with readers long after the final page. With a passion for music, the ocean, nature, reading, and writing, she is often found in the vegetable garden pondering a new story. Phillipa is both an indie author and is traditionally published by Storm Publishing. You can find her on her website or Facebook.
My guest this episode is Joshua S. Narins, a literary fiction author based in New England. Before turning to writing, he spent two decades as a cinematographer, specializing in aerial, underwater, and second-unit film work. Now, he brings that visual storytelling sensibility to his fiction, crafting character-driven narratives with a sharp, cinematic edge.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
About the Guest
Joshua S. Narins is a New England-based literary fiction novelist, and his released titles include his debut novel, False Neutral and his follow-up, Clear-Cuts. Prior to embarking on a writing career, Joshua was a veteran Director of Photography and, in addition to principal unit production, specialized in all aspects of underwater, aerial, and second-unit cinematography. Joshua lensed work on projects ranging from studio features to independent films, foreign and cable films, national and international commercial campaigns, and special-venue projects. Joshua is currently at work on his next project.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway reports from the London Book Fair on the 2025 Selfies Awards, where ALLi authors won in all three categories. He discusses a surge in new members for audiobook platform Libro.fm, the rollout of a "look inside" feature for indie bookstores, and the first major auction of AI-generated art at Christie's.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Matty Dalrymple talks with Howard Lovy, a developmental editor and ALLi’s content and communications manager, about six questions every author should ask to improve their craft. They discuss maintaining narrative immersion, balancing detail with engagement, and ensuring characters drive the story. Howard shares practical tips on avoiding common pitfalls, keeping scenes purposeful, and writing from the characters' perspectives to keep readers engrossed in the narrative.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
About the Guest
Howard Lovy is a developmental editor with 40 years of experience in writing and editing for newspapers, magazines, and news services, and a decade specializing in book editing. He provides manuscript evaluations and works closely with authors on both fiction and nonfiction projects. Howard is also a novelist, with his debut novel, Found and Lost: The Jake and Cait Story, set to be released on April 29, 2025.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss the challenges of hiring a book publicist, including how to vet them, what questions to ask, and whether most indie authors even need one.
Other questions include:
- What are the implications for self-published authors with the introduction of GPSR in the EU?
- How can authors handle print-on-demand page limits if their book exceeds the maximum page count?
- Do authors need to file a Beneficial Ownership Information Report in the United States?
- Where can authors find quality Canva tutorials for designing marketing materials?
- What are the best ways for new ALLi members to make the most of their membership?
- Is there a recommended way to update copyright notices to address AI-related concerns?
And More!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway examines major developments in AI-generated audiobooks. Eleven Labs has launched direct audiobook publishing, offering authors new distribution options and competitive royalties. The company has also expanded its speech-to-text services, allowing authors to transcribe and produce audiobooks seamlessly. Meanwhile, OpenAI's video-generation tool Sora is now available in the UK and EU, and Twitch has expanded monetization features, creating new opportunities for authors to engage with audiences.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Becoming a profitable writer requires more than just productivity, but consistently completing projects is essential for success in self-publishing. ALLi's Crowdfunding Adviser, USA Today bestselling author, and author-publishing expert Russell Nohelty shares strategies to help authors increase their writing output and turn finished projects into profitable ventures. This session offers practical insights to help indie authors make each year more productive and financially rewarding.
This session is proudly sponsored by Publish Authority.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event run free twice yearly in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
My guest this episode is Sharon Hague, a lawyer and Egyptologist who writes speculative historical fiction about ancient Egypt. Growing up at sea and traveling the world shaped her imagination, leading her to blend history and fiction in her award-winning Ancient Egypt series. We’ll talk about how she balances fact and fiction.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
About the Guest
Sharon Janet Hague is a British-New Zealand author of speculative fiction – primarily historical fiction. She is the author of Moses and Akhenaten: A Child’s Tale, The Tutankhamen Friendship, and The Queen Who Became King. The series has won several awards. In 2024, bestseller status was achieved in the USA with Moses and Akhenaten: A Child’s Tale, and The Queen Who Became Kingm which reached number one. Sharon is a lawyer who also holds a master’s degree in Egyptology from the University of Manchester, England. She has visited Egypt multiple times since childhood, and pens articles on ancient Egypt for various publications. Sharon currently lives in New Zealand with her family, and twin cats, who mysteriously involve themselves in her novels. You can find her on her website, and on Facebook.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway reports on Meta’s internal discussions about AI training, revealing that the company considered using pirated books to train its language models. Court documents show Meta abandoned licensing talks with publishers after realizing they didn’t have the rights to AI training data. Meanwhile, Kindle’s recent policy change regarding USB book transfers continues to stir debate, and World of Books expands into the US resale market.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, host Dale L. Roberts chats with branding expert Dan Blank about building authentic connections, balancing creativity with marketing, and the key role of branding in an author’s success. Dan shares tips on audience growth, cost-effective strategies, avoiding pitfalls, and staying true to your voice while adapting to trends.
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube.
About the Guest
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrow Media and helps writers develop a human-centered approach to marketing and reaching their readers. He believes writers have a unique ability to create stories that inspire and connect people. For over a decade, he has worked full-time with thousands of writers and creators, helping them build meaningful connections with their audiences.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss whether authors should release print, e-book, and audiobook formats at the same time or stagger them to maximize visibility and sales.
Other questions include:
- What are some affordable alternatives to NetGalley for getting book reviews?
- What should I do if someone is copying my work and publishing it as their own?
- How can I approach a museum gift shop to carry my book?
- Is it better to market a book’s availability on IngramSpark, or should I focus on general book promotion?
- How can I distribute my free audiobook codes most effectively?
- What are the best strategies for marketing books without relying on social media?
And More!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway explores Spotify’s new $10,000 mental health fiction award, the fallout from the Paris AI Summit, and surprising revelations about Meta’s stalled AI licensing talks with publishers. He also looks at the latest Kindle policy change that limits how readers can back up their e-books, raising concerns about digital ownership.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
My guest this episode is Jane Buckley, an author from Derry, Northern Ireland, who writes about the Troubles based on her own experiences. After building a career in London, she returned home and began writing to help others understand the conflict. Her books draw from real events, capturing both the violence and the everyday lives of those who lived through it.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
About the Guest
Jane Buckley is an author from Derry, Northern Ireland, who writes historical fiction based on her experiences growing up during the Troubles. After leaving for London as a teenager, she built a successful career before returning home and turning to writing to help others understand the conflict. Her books draw from real events, capturing both the violence and the everyday lives of those who lived through it. As an independent author, she has navigated the challenges of publishing stories about a difficult past while remaining committed to preserving history through fiction.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway discusses how Spotify focuses on audiobooks with new tools for authors and its first full year of profitability. Kindle device sales hit their highest levels in over a decade, suggesting a shift in e-book reading habits. Plus, London Book Fair is just a month away, with key sessions on accessibility, sustainability, and attracting new readers.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
On the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, host Joe Solari explains how authors can price their books for profit. He challenges the idea that books are commodities, using Starbucks as an example of how to create value beyond price. Solari breaks down price elasticity, customer lifetime value, and direct sales, offering practical strategies to maximize revenue.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Joe Solari assists authors in developing successful businesses as the managing partner of Author Ventures LLC. In his role as a business manager, he supports his private clients, who collectively achieved gross royalties of twenty-two million in 2023, with an average pre-tax profit of 44%. This remarkable success results from implementing disciplined business strategies and maintaining an unwavering dedication to enhancing the customer experience.
Alexa Nazzaro, founder of the Axel Author Group, discusses how authors can monetize public speaking through podcasts, author events, and other opportunities. Drawing on her background as a Toastmaster, corporate presentation trainer, Dale Carnegie trainer, and TEDx selection committee member, she outlines strategies for identifying speaking engagements, crafting effective author pitches, and making the most of speaking appearances to support an author’s career.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event run free twice yearly in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway reports on Bookshop.org’s new support for ebooks, giving indie authors more ways to reach readers while supporting local bookstores. He also covers the U.S. Copyright Office’s latest report on AI and copyright, which outlines how current laws apply to AI-assisted works, and the Authors Guild’s new Human Authored certification, designed to provide transparency about AI-generated content in books.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
ALLi Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple speaks with Kathy Meis, founder and CEO of Bublish, about editing with your audience in mind. Kathy explains why authors should view their books as gifts to readers, designed to evoke specific emotions and experiences. She advises stepping back from the manuscript, studying the market, and understanding comparable titles to better position a book. Kathy also highlights the value of knowing your genre, reading reviews, and seeking editorial feedback to align with reader expectations.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
About the Guest
Kathy Meis is the founder and CEO of Bublish, a complete publishing and marketing solution for self-publishers. As a veteran developmental editor and ghostwriter, Kathy has guided many books to Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon bestseller status. With more than thirty years of experience in media and publishing, she is a sought-after expert on independent publishing, book marketing, and author branding. She has spoken at BookExpo America, Women in Media, GrubStreet, PubSmart, the San Francisco Writers Conference, ALLi’s SelfPubCon, and the Women in Publishing Summit. You can find Bublish on the web, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.
My guest this episode is Anne E. Beall, an author and entrepreneur who grew a successful market-research firm, then wrote a book that helped grow her business. She’s published a range of nonfiction works, from an in-depth look at the hidden messages in fairy tales to guides on how to find calm and self-compassion through meditation. I’ll let Anne E. Beall tell her story.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Dan Holloway celebrates indie successes at the Audie Awards, highlighting notable entries like Spotify’s audiobook Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood. He also discusses the World Economic Forum’s report on the future of jobs, which predicts creative thinking and lifelong curiosity will be among the most valued skills in the next five years, even as reading and writing are seen as declining workplace priorities. Plus, an update on the AI Summit planned for the Bologna Book Fair in April.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this conversation, Dale L. Roberts and LinkedIn expert Sue Ellson discuss the importance of LinkedIn for authors. They explore how authors can effectively build their presence on the platform, create standout profiles, utilize various features, and engage with their audience. Sue emphasizes the significance of networking, connecting with the right people, and leveraging LinkedIn's analytics to refine strategies. The discussion provides actionable insights for authors looking to enhance their online visibility and market their books effectively.
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss what to look for in an editor, including recommendations for vetting, sample edits, and aligning editor styles with author needs.
Other questions include:
- How can first-time authors set up profitable Amazon ads for fiction?
- What are the benefits and drawbacks of entering short story competitions?
- How can authors effectively market hardback books with dust jackets distributed via IngramSpark and Amazon?
- What are the best tools and strategies for using AI to assist with editing?
- What strategies can authors use to market books when attending an exhibition or conference?
- What are the considerations for translating books into foreign languages and finding reviewers for translated works?
And More!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
Sponsor The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Dan Holloway covers the latest developments around TikTok, including its near ban in the United States and the uncertainty it has created for BookTok creators. He also reports on the arrests of individuals behind PageTurner Press and the investigation into Publishing.com, marking significant moves against self-publishing scams.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Anna Featherstone speaks with professional indexer Madeleine Davis, president of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers. Together, they explore the critical role of indexes in nonfiction books, discussing why authors should consider investing in professional indexing, the process of creating an index, and how a great index can enhance the usability and longevity of a book. Davis also shares fascinating insights from her career, tips for working with indexers, and even some lighthearted moments from the world of indexing.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Anna Featherstone is ALLi’s nonfiction adviser and an author advocate and mentor. A judge of The Australian Business Book Awards and Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, she’s also the founder of Bold Authors and presents author marketing and self-publishing workshops for organizations, including Byron Writers Festival. Anna has authored books including how-to and memoirs and her book Look-It’s Your Book! about writing, publishing, marketing, and leveraging nonfiction is on the Australian Society of Authors recommended reading list. When she’s not being bookish, Anna’s into bees, beings, and the big issues of our time.
About the Guest
Madeleine Davis is the president of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers (ANZSI) and has been a professional indexer since 1994. She has provided back-of-book indexes for trade publishers and university publishers for general, academic, textbooks, and legal publications. She has also given presentations about indexing at various international indexing conferences and seminars and has had articles published in The Indexer, a journal published on behalf of indexing societies worldwide.
My guest this episode is Nellie Neeman, an author who writes international thrillers under her name and sweet, clean romances as Ellie Hartwood. She uses her thrillers to highlight Israel as a vibrant and resilient country and helps foster a community of writers through her mentorship and leadership.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
nspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explores new data showing a resurgence in print book sales, with adult fiction leading the growth and young adult fiction seeing a decline. He also highlights Spotify’s new Wrapped feature for authors, providing audiobook creators with detailed insights into their listeners’ habits. Plus, Dan reflects on the impact of Taylor Swift’s self-published Eras Tour Book, which sold over 1.2 million copies, showcasing the power of self-publishing on a massive scale.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Join historical fiction author Margaret Skea, children's historical fiction author Kate Cunningham, and crossover author Matt Beighton—who writes both chapter books for children and gaming books for all ages—as they explore innovative strategies for selling print beyond traditional outlets like bookshops and online platforms. This panel offers creative, genre-specific approaches to reaching new audiences, providing actionable ideas for minimizing competition and maximizing profits.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event run free twice yearly in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
On the Creative Self-Publishing stream of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss creative challenges, including patience, mindset, and balancing creative freedom with traditional publishing ambitions. Joanna shares her experience submitting her novel Blood Vintage to traditional publishers, while Orna reflects on how family obligations disrupted her plans and required a flexible approach to creativity.
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway covers the UK High Court’s decision to strengthen enforcement against piracy websites, Japan’s use of AI to combat manga piracy, and Spotify’s new partner program for podcasters. He also highlights authors recognized in the UK’s New Year’s Honours list and a new opportunity for contributors to The New Publishing Standard.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
ALLi Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple speaks with author and editor Valerie Francis about the role of developmental editing in crafting a breakout book. Valerie highlights the importance of a strong premise, compelling protagonist, intriguing plot, and engaging world. She explains how to capture reader interest in the first five to ten pages and use story theory to elevate book quality. They also discuss common pitfalls, such as overemphasizing world-building, and offer tips for focusing on the elements that make a story successful.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
About the Guest
Valerie Francis is a bestselling author, story editor, and co-host of the Story Nerd podcast. As an editor, Valerie helps women who write in all genres learn how stories work so they can finish their books faster and without frustration. As a podcaster, Valerie's mission is to show writers that story theory is a valuable tool that can—and will—help them write more, not less. As an author, Valerie is currently finishing her third novel, a vampire thriller for fans of Anne Rice. You can connect with Valerie on her website, Instagram, Threads, and YouTube.
My guest this episode is Angela Yuriko Smith, a poet, author, and publisher of Space and Time magazine. She’s a two-time Bram Stoker Award winner, president of the Horror Writers Association, and founder of the Authortunities Hub, where she mentors indie authors. I'll let Angela Yuriko Smith tell her story.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses the latest developments surrounding the potential TikTok ban in the United States and its implications for authors using the platform. He also looks ahead to key European legislation in 2025, including the Accessibility Act and changes impacting digital publishing, payments, and online content regulation, highlighting what indie authors need to prepare for in the new year.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, nonfiction adviser Anna Featherstone talks with author and indie publishing expert Mark Leslie Lefebvre about how to get your books into libraries. They discuss the benefits of library distribution, strategies for working with librarians, and how to make your book a good fit for library collections.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Anna Featherstone is ALLi’s nonfiction adviser and an author advocate and mentor. A judge of The Australian Business Book Awards and Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, she’s also the founder of Bold Authors and presents author marketing and self-publishing workshops for organizations, including Byron Writers Festival. Anna has authored books including how-to and memoirs and her book Look-It’s Your Book! about writing, publishing, marketing, and leveraging nonfiction is on the Australian Society of Authors recommended reading list. When she’s not being bookish, Anna’s into bees, beings, and the big issues of our time.
About the Guest
Mark Leslie Lefebvre began working in the book industry in 1992, the same year his first published story appeared in print. In the more than thirty years since, he has published thrillers, fiction, urban fantasy, paranormal nonfiction, and books about writing and publishing. He has also worked as president of the Canadian Booksellers Association, director of Self-Publishing and Author Relations for Rakuten Kobo, and professional adviser for Sheridan College’s Creative Writing and Publishing Honors Program.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss whether debut authors should focus their prelaunch efforts on Amazon or consider a wider approach, including using universal links.
Other questions include:
· How do I get free upload codes for IngramSpark, and what are the current restrictions?
· Are there templates available for formatting books for multiple platforms, and which software is recommended?
· What should I do if I find a typo in my published book, and when is it worth updating?
· How do international tax processes work for authors selling in multiple countries, and when should professional advice be sought?
· What are the key considerations for transitioning distribution from one platform to another, such as moving from IngramSpark to KDP?
· How can authors ethically incentivize readers to leave reviews without violating platform rules?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
Sponsor The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses the UK government’s public consultation on balancing AI and copyright, including options for licensing and rights reservations. He also covers new guidelines from audiobook publishers on labeling AI-narrated audiobooks, with recommendations for metadata and transparency.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
This week on the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple talks with USA Today bestselling mystery thriller author Pamela Fagan Hutchins. Pamela shares strategies for structuring novels to meet reader expectations, including the importance of a strong midpoint to maintain engagement. She discusses how indie authors can leverage flexibility to adjust content based on reader feedback, connect directly with fans, and plan future books in a series while balancing continuity and adaptability.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
About the Guest
Pamela Fagan Hutchins is a USA Today bestselling and Amazon All Star mystery / thriller / suspense author with books in ten languages, who believes in soulmates, loves to laugh, and lives out the adventures in her books at a rustic lake camp at Maine’s Mooselook Lake and in an off-the-grid lodge on the face of Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains with her husband, sled dogs, and draft horses, when they’re not traveling the world. You can find her on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
My guest this episode is Kevin G. Chapman, an attorney and independent author who has released a book a year for the last eight years. He explains how patience, planning, and a passion for storytelling have helped him balance a demanding career with writing award-winning mysteries and thrillers. Kevin also talks about his approach to plotting intricate stories and why taking your time can make all the difference.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explores Oxford’s Word of the Year shortlist, highlighting trends like "romantasy" and "lore," which reflect shifting reader and writer habits. He also covers Tumblr’s new community feature for creators, TikTok’s legal battle over its U.S. ban, and Harvard’s AI training dataset project, which raises questions about Google Books’ involvement and public domain use.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
The Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast is changing, and this episode gives you an inside look at the exciting new features planned for 2025. Join ALLi Director Orna Ross, Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple, and Content and Communications Manager Howard Lovy as they discuss the new name, revamped structure, and fresh approach to delivering expert insights across all seven processes of publishing. With contributions from advisors, expanded guest appearances, and a focus on fostering both virtual and in-person connections among indie authors, the podcast is set to provide even greater value for ALLi members and listeners.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
Howard Lovy is an author, book editor, and journalist. He is also the Content and Communications Manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors, where he hosts and produces podcasts and keeps the blog updated. You can find more of his work on his website.
On this Creative Self-Publishing stream of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Orna Ross explores the seismic shifts in publishing over the past five years, from AI innovations and subscription models to the rise of indie authorpreneurs. She delves into the new challenges authors face in a crowded, tech-driven market and uncovers the exciting opportunities that will transform how indie authors publish. Looking ahead, Orna shares her vision for the future, where creativity, technology, and community reshape author-publishing.
Sponsors
This Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast is sponsored by Orna Ross's Creative Planning Program for Authors & Poets. If you’re feeling daunted by the enormity of your writing and publishing goals, or overwhelmed by your to-do list, or you’re just not sure what way forward is best, Orna can help with a proven planning process devised specially for writers.
All our ALLi podcasts are proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway examines a major survey of over 13,500 authors, revealing strong opinions on AI license deals. The findings show widespread support for transparency and compensation, with most authors preferring licensing bodies over publishers to manage these agreements. Dan also explores the implications for indie authors relying on platforms like Amazon and Spotify.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of Self-Publishing with ALLi, Dale L. Roberts talks with Andrea Jo DeWerd, a book marketing expert, about the essentials of author branding and marketing. Andrea explains how to create a memorable brand, build a cohesive author presence, and use social media effectively. She also discusses boosting book sales through in-person events and community engagement, debunks common marketing myths, and offers practical tips for public speaking and identifying the right opportunities for your audience.
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube.
My guest this episode is Sylvia Bourgeois, who writes stories featuring strong, unconventional women set against the natural beauty and industry of the Pacific Northwest. A former heavy equipment operator and project manager, Sylvia uses her unique life experiences to craft compelling historical fiction. Her latest novel, Here, Now, takes readers on a journey from 1920s Seattle to a remote logging camp in British Columbia. I spoke to Sylvia about how her childhood, career, and creative process have shaped her work—and how she juggles a demanding day job with her passion for writing.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway examines Spines, a new AI-powered self-publishing service claiming to revolutionize the industry with faster and cheaper book production. He also discusses the growing dominance of AI startups in publishing, OpenAI’s latest legal troubles, and revelations about the true size of the audiobook market, which may be far larger than official figures suggest.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, ALLi's nonfiction adviser Anna Featherstone talks with Michael Hanrahan, founder of Publish Central, about ways authors can save money when outsourcing publishing tasks. They cover topics such as reducing editing costs by improving your manuscript, making cost-effective printing decisions, managing contracts, and understanding what’s truly necessary for distribution.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Anna Featherstone is the Australian Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors, co-founder of Bold Authors, a judge of the Australian Business Book Awards, and a member of the Small Press Network (SPN) and Australian Society of Authors (ASA). She also enjoys writing and presenting workshops, and author talks on entrepreneurial writing and publishing.
About the Guest
Michael Hanrahan grew up in a home filled with books, inspired by his writer father’s love of words. After earning a diploma in professional writing and editing at Deakin University in 1997, he built a career in publishing, holding key roles with Wrightbooks and John Wiley & Sons Australia. Over the years, Hanrahan has worked with bestselling authors and major clients such as Oxford University Press, Random House, and HardieGrant, gaining expertise in editing, design, and print management. As the founder of Publish Central, he employs professional publishing systems to help hundreds of authors self-publish high-quality books, earning recognition as Australia’s leading expert in self-publishing for small business. He is also the cofounder of the Australian Business Book Awards.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explores major developments in audiobooks, including Amazon Music's move into the market and Spotify's new deal with Bloomsbury. He also discusses ByteDance and Microsoft's ventures into publishing, with ByteDance focusing on BookTok-friendly genres and Microsoft aiming to speed up the publishing process. With tech companies increasingly disrupting the industry, Dan examines what these changes mean for authors.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple interviews Karen Inglis, a best-selling author and ALLi's children's book adviser. They explore the author’s role in creating children’s picture books, working with illustrators, managing costs, and choosing trim sizes and print quality. Karen also highlights the importance of perfecting the story and having clear contracts with illustrators.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
My guest this episode is Douglas Vigliotti, author of Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story. In this book, Douglas adapts Aristotle’s Poetics for modern novelists, breaking down the ancient principles that have shaped storytelling for over 2,000 years. He explores how these ideas apply not only to fiction but also to the stories we live every day.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway examines the European Union's AI Act Draft Code of Practice, focusing on its impact on copyright, transparency, and data use in AI training. He also reports on the growth of self-publishing, with over 2.5 million books self-published with ISBNs last year—a 7.2 percent increase—and discusses how the new measures aim to protect authors from unauthorized use of their work by AI platforms.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
The Alliance of Independent Authors hosts a discussion on the decision-making process behind whether to pivot or quit on a project. Eight indie authors share strategies for recognizing when a project may not be working and provide guidance on pivoting to optimize both profit and creative potential. This session offers practical advice to help authors navigate indie publishing challenges and turn creative setbacks into financial success.
Featured Authors: Anna Sayburn Lane (Crime Fiction), N.J. Adel (Dark Romance), Mark Hayden (Urban Fantasy), Jennifer Hilt (USA Today Bestselling Author), Jennilynn Wyer (Award-Winning Romance), Nicholas Harvey (USA Today Bestselling Suspense), Octavia Randolph (Historical Fiction), and Kory Shrum (USA Today Bestselling Author).
Sponsored by Bowker.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reflects on the passing of publishing influencer Mike Shatzkin and his impact on the industry. He also discusses Amazon’s decision to close its Kindle Vella serial fiction program and what it means for authors, and examines the tech industry’s stance on AI and creativity as shared at TechCrunch's Disrupt Conference. With tech startups promoting AI as a democratizing force, Dan explores the tension between creative freedom and the potential impact on traditional creative livelihoods.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Award-winning indie author Todd Fahnestock reveals the secrets to building a successful personal brand and connecting with readers in this insightful interview. From mastering in-person sales to harnessing the power of storytelling, Todd shares key strategies for branding and promoting your books. Curious how email marketing and newsletters can boost your reader loyalty? Todd breaks down his best practices while emphasizing the importance of authenticity and learning from failure. Discover what it takes to craft a compelling author journey in today's competitive landscape.
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube.
My guest this episode is X. Ho Yen, a science fiction author whose work challenges traditional genre boundaries. X draws on a career in aerospace engineering and his own experiences with neurodivergence to create what he calls 'realism-based' science fiction. He avoids typical tropes in favor of narratives grounded in complex human challenges.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses the alliance between Andreessen Horowitz and Microsoft against AI regulation, ElevenLabs' new app that converts text to audio, Amazon’s Kindle Color launch, and Collins Dictionary’s word of the year, "brat."
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this Self-Publishing with ALLi episode, Nonfiction Adviser Anna Featherstone and Outreach Manager Michael La Ronn discuss ISBNs and why indie authors should consider owning them. Michael shares practical tips on buying, managing, and using ISBNs across book formats, with a focus on how this choice impacts professionalism, distribution, and control over your work.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Anna Featherstone is the Australian Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors, co-founder of Bold Authors, a judge of the Australian Business Book Awards, and a member of the Small Press Network (SPN) and Australian Society of Authors (ASA). She also enjoys writing and presenting workshops, and author talks on entrepreneurial writing and publishing.
In this episode of the AskALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss whether it’s possible for indie authors to achieve the print quality of traditional publishing when using print-on-demand services.
Other questions include
- Should authors share royalties with mentors in exchange for marketing help?
- How can indie authors manage metadata consistency across different platforms?
- What are best practices for selling foreign translation rights?
- How do ad conversion rates impact the effectiveness of BookBub campaigns?
- What legal considerations apply when referencing other authors’ characters?
- What steps should I take to reclaim my rights from a traditional publisher after a limited-term contract?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
Sponsor The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway shares highlights from the Written Word Media Indie Author Survey, examining the factors behind authors’ financial success. From top-performing genres to effective marketing and cover design strategies, Dan reveals what’s driving higher earnings. He also discusses the strong role Kindle Unlimited plays for top earners and the importance of mailing lists for boosting engagement and sales.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
This week on the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple talks with Tiffany Yates Martin, editor and founder of Foxprint Editorial. Tiffany shares her insights on balancing the art and business of writing, adapting to market changes, and overcoming challenges like perfectionism and imposter syndrome. She also discusses how authors can find fulfillment by aligning their values with their goals.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
My guest this episode is Delaney Diamond. Born in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Delaney had a career in business before transitioning to writing full-time. Since 2011, she has self-published over 50 contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. In our conversation, Delaney talks about how she’s managed to become such a prolific author, reveals her marketing secrets, and tells of how she helps other authors by offering consulting services.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway highlights a major opportunity for indie authors: a $100,000 book prize open to all writers. He also recaps the Frankfurt Book Fair, discusses how AI tools are changing publishing, and explores the future of interactive storytelling.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In a departure from the usual format, in this episode Orna Ross and Joanna Penn hand their podcast notes over to Google’s NotebookLM to see what this new AI tool makes of their topic: "5 Myths that Hold Indie Authors Back — And How to Break Free." Joanna shares key developments in AI conversation tools, and as AI continues to shape the industry, Orna asks: What does it mean to stay true to your creative self in an AI-powered publishing industry?
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway dives into why "bookshops are cool" according to a recent survey, exploring the unique appeal of browsing shelves and finding new reads in person. He also discusses South Korean author Han Kang's Nobel Prize win and asks whether AI might soon compete with humans in literature and science. Dan rounds out the show with insights on AI rights and metadata protections for authors.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
On the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast’s Branding, Marketing, and Promotion stream, Dale L. Roberts speaks with Pauline Wiles, an indie author and website designer, about the importance of branding and effective website design. They discuss the evolution of web design, common mistakes authors make, and the significance of building an email list. Pauline shares insights on budgeting for a website, SEO best practices, and the role of an author’s website in their overall marketing strategy.
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube.
My guest this episode is Sally Clarke, an author and ALLi ambassador based in Singapore. Sally’s passion for Muay Thai—Thailand’s traditional martial art—inspired her latest book, which tells the story of a young fighter’s journey to overcome the odds. She’s now working to grow the indie author community in her region and support other writers in their publishing journeys.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of The Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway breaks down what indie authors need to know about the European Accessibility Act and its 2025 deadline. He also explores Canada’s controversial copyright exemption for educational use and its implications, along with the recent MacArthur “Genius” Awards for writers.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Some publishers claim to be in the hybrid publishing space when they’re, in fact, service providers or little more than vanity publishers. So, what is hybrid publishing really, and what are the potential upsides and downsides for authors bringing books out under this model? Listen to Anna Featherstone, ALLi’s nonfiction adviser, and Christopher Locke, director of Membership and Member Services for the Independent Book Publishers Association, as they explain what authors need to be aware of when dealing with operators in this space.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Anna Featherstone is the Australian Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors, co-founder of Bold Authors, a judge of the Australian Business Book Awards, and a member of the Small Press Network (SPN) and Australian Society of Authors (ASA). She also enjoys writing and presenting workshops, and author talks on entrepreneurial writing and publishing.
In this episode of the AskALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss whether blog tours are still an effective marketing tool for authors and how they compare to other promotional strategies.
Other questions include:
- Do authors need to update ISBN metadata after a book is launched
- How can authors transition from part-time to full-time writing while improving marketing efforts?
- What should authors consider when releasing a second edition of a book?
- What mistakes should first-time audiobook narrators avoid?
- Are pre-orders a good idea, and what pitfalls should authors be aware of?
- Should authors include photos in memoirs, and what are the cost implications?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
Sponsor The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses Audible’s latest AI-powered recommendation tools designed to improve audiobook discovery. He also covers WordPress’s ongoing feud with WP Engine and how it affects authors who rely on the platform. Finally, he dives into Canva’s controversial new pricing structure and its impact on small businesses and creative collectives.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the Advice on Editing & Design stream of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple talks with Jennifer Hilt, USA Today bestselling author of the “Trope the Sorrows” series, about how indie authors can effectively use tropes to sell their stories without sacrificing creativity. They explore the difference between tropes and clichés, how to leverage tropes for marketing, and the role they play in meeting reader expectations across genres.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
My guest this episode is Michelle Winkler, who writes dark urban fantasy. Michelle struggles with ADHD, which makes it challenging to focus on long-term goals, but she overcame it after completing NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month challenge. Now, she’s passionate about using her experiences to help other indie authors.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reviews the results of Draft2Digital’s AI rights survey, showing that many authors are hesitant to sell their work for AI training, with 45 percent opposing the idea. Dan also explores concerns over competitive vs. non-competitive AI models, payment expectations, and the general mistrust authors have toward AI companies.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this month's episode of Reaching More Readers, Holly Greenland and Dale L. Roberts discuss the best practices for marketing and promoting your book when publishing across multiple platforms. They cover how to communicate to your readers in a clear and concise way that gets hits, along with the hidden benefits of creating a universal book link (UBL) for your book when publishing wide.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube
Holly Greenland is a self-published author, content writer and strategic communications consultant. She has worked in marketing and communications for nearly twenty years, including at the BBC, UK Parliament, and award-winning agency Social & Local. Holly is currently completing a Publishing PhD with Kingston University in London, investigating the factors that increase the likelihood of indie author success. Find out more about Holly's writing on her website or connect on LinkedIn.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway covers ACX’s new AI tool that lets voice narrators replicate their voices for audiobooks. He also discusses TikTok’s appeal against its potential US ban, Meta’s plan to train AI on public Facebook posts, and Apple’s compliance with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which could affect the future of Apple Books.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
On the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast’s Branding, Marketing, and Promotion stream, Dale L. Roberts talks to best-selling mystery author Diane Vallere about how she leverages social media to boost book visibility and engage readers without the hard sell. Dale and Diane discuss strategies for maintaining consistent and engaging content and creative ways to connect with an audience.
After spending twenty years in luxury retailing, Diane swapped fashion accessories for murder mystery elements. As a former president of the Sisters in Crime organization, she edited the Agatha Award-winning essay collection, Promophobia: Taking the Mystery out of Promoting Crime Fiction.
Sponsor
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube.
My guest this episode is Gail Brenner Nastasia, a practicing attorney in Massachusetts and the author of The Fruit You’ll Never See, a memoir about overcoming addiction and a difficult upbringing. Gail’s writing is a way to process her past and help others facing similar struggles. Now working on her second book, she continues to balance her legal career with her passion for storytelling.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses the controversy over NaNoWriMo’s recent statement, which initially claimed that condemning AI tools in writing had classist and ableist undertones. After backlash from the writing community, NaNoWriMo revised the statement to clarify their stance. Dan also talks about Canva’s price hike due to AI tool development and provides updates on legal battles involving the Internet Archive and a Spotify royalty scam involving AI-generated content.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this podcast, Matty Dalrymple, campaigns manager at the Alliance of Independent Authors, talks with ALLi Director Orna Ross about AI's impact on indie authors and publishing. They discuss AI creator rights, new licensing models, and the balance between creative control and AI's benefits. The conversation also covers ALLi’s advocacy for ethical AI use, practical support for authors, and ethical considerations around AI-generated content. This conversation was featured in a webinar for ALLi members in late August.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing.” She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
In this episode of the AskALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss when to seek permission for quotes in memoirs and when to paraphrase. They also share strategies for maximizing global distribution through various platforms and aggregators.
Other questions include:
- Is it better to upload my print book to IngramSpark before Amazon to avoid issues?
- How do I navigate copyright concerns?
- Should I use the same ISBN for Draft2Digital and Amazon?
- Is self-publishing a 33,000-word historical romance on Kindle Unlimited a good idea?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
Sponsor The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explores whether Apple cut jobs at Apple Books because e-books aren’t generating enough profit. He also covers OpenAI’s $100 billion valuation, the Grammys allowing AI-generated content, and Bookshop.org’s plan to pay royalties to authors from second-hand book sales.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the Advice on Editing & Design stream of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple talks with Michael Johnson of Benetech about the importance of accessibility for authors and visually impaired readers, emphasizing ethical self-publishing and the potential market share missed if authors do not make their content accessible. Michael provides practical tips for indie authors on how to ensure their books are accessible, including the use of technology and proper formatting.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsors
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
My guest this episode is Anna Davidson, who, after years of working as an editor and managing editor, began writing poetry during her recovery from long COVID. She decided to self-publish her debut poetry collection, Poetry for Life and Other Chronic Conditions, to maintain creative control and ensure her work reached readers quickly.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses the new deal between OpenAI and Condé Nast, noting that editors and authors were not consulted, sparking concern. He also covers a lawsuit against Anthropic over using pirated works in AI training, highlights Draft2Digital's survey on authors' views about AI, and introduces a blockchain startup called Story, aimed at tracking digital works. Dan wraps up with positive news about rising Kindle Unlimited payouts, signaling a strong outlook for indie authors.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this month's episode of Reaching More Readers, Holly Greenland shares new research suggesting that financial investments in marketing do pay off for many self-published authors. But where should you make those marketing investments, and how can you ensure you're spending wisely? Dale L. Roberts and Holly discuss their views and experiences, offering practical tips to help you make informed decisions.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube
Holly Greenland is a self-published author, content writer and strategic communications consultant. She has worked in marketing and communications for nearly twenty years, including at the BBC, UK Parliament, and award-winning agency Social & Local. Holly is currently completing a Publishing PhD with Kingston University in London, investigating the factors that increase the likelihood of indie author success. Find out more about Holly's writing on her website or connect on LinkedIn.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway covers the FTC's new measures against fake reviews, which could impact indie authors relying on genuine reviews for visibility. He outlines key points like the ban on AI-generated and paid reviews, along with potential fines. Dan also discusses the latest sustainability efforts in publishing and the addition of a gaming category to the Sunday Times Rich List, highlighting the growing link between gaming and storytelling.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In the latest episode of the Creating Better Books podcast, ALLi Content and Communications Manager Howard Lovy interviews Hannah Jacobson, founder of Book Award Pro, a company dedicated to helping authors gain recognition through book awards. Hannah discusses the challenges indie authors face in navigating the award landscape, the importance of ensuring the legitimacy of awards, and how her company leverages AI to match books with the right opportunities. She also highlights the growing acceptance of indie authors in the awards industry.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
The Creating Better Books podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
My guest this episode is Phillip Mottaz, a mystery author based in Los Angeles. Phillip has a unique journey from a small town in Illinois to the sketch comedy scene in Chicago and now to writing indie mystery novels in L.A. His latest book, Deadly Maybe, coming out this month, reunites the famous Gallagher brothers from the band Oasis to solve a murder. We'll talk about how Phillip's love for storytelling began, his transition from improv to mystery writing, and what drives his independent approach to publishing.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Sponsor
Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses Substack's new feature that lets users publish blog posts without committing to a full newsletter, making it easier to connect with readers. He also highlights Spiracle's QR code-enabled greeting cards, which link directly to audiobooks, and Challypop, a platform for micro-influencers in the book community.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
The Alliance of Independent Authors Podcast is undergoing some exciting changes, which Director Orna Ross reveals in this special announcement episode. A new name, new content, and an expansion of the podcasting team to reflect the many faces of ALLi—advisers, ambassadors, and core team—with the aim of bringing you fresh and engaging self-publishing advice, news, and inspirations.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway covers Amazon's new identity verification requirement for KDP authors, aimed at preventing fraud and improving the reader experience. He also discusses the NO FAKES Act, a U.S. legislation designed to prevent the unauthorized use of people's likenesses and voices, particularly concerning AI and deepfakes. Also, Dan touches on a recent court ruling on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and its implications for DRM and VPN usage.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Dive into a candid discussion with author Michael La Ronn as he unveils essential mindset strategies for fostering a lifelong writing habit and a rewarding self-publishing business. Unlock your true potential and increase your book revenue with practical, actionable advice that's simple to implement and absolutely free. Absorb valuable insights from the presentation and watch your writing and publishing journey flourish like never before!
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
My guest this episode is Terry Lister, a seasoned solo traveler and author who, after retiring from a successful career as an accountant, has explored over 100 countries. Terry's love for travel began in Bermuda, where he dreamed of far-off places. His books capture not just the destinations but also the cultural and economic landscapes he encounters.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway talks about Colin Kaepernick's new self-publishing platform, Lumi, which focuses on comics and manga. Lumi aims to make publishing easier by using AI to help creators with the process. Dan also highlights new additions to the Cambridge Dictionary, influenced by social media and reality TV. He touches on the latest trends in ebook and audiobook sales, noting the steady growth in digital audiobooks. The episode wraps up with a discussion on the role of AI in publishing and its potential impact.
Sponsors
Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the AskALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss how to make the most of your ALLi membership.
Other questions include:
- How do I pursue organic search discovery of my book?
- Can I use the same ISBN for different translations of my book?
- If I remove my book from Amazon, am I free to do whatever I want with it?
- Can I include trademarked names in my book?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
Sponsor The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway covers the launch of Created by Humans, an AI rights licensing platform, and the Copyright Clearance Centre's new initiative to include AI permissions in their annual copyright licenses. Dan also discusses the expansion of the Amazon Literary Partnership into Ireland, highlighting its support for a range of literary organizations and the opportunities for authors to apply for the 2025 grants.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
This month in the Reaching More Readers podcast, Dale L. Roberts and Holly Greenland wrap up their journey around the tips and tricks for email marketing for indie authors. This time, they'll take a closer look at offering “reader magnets,” the importance of testing your mailer systems, and further tips on growing your list. Look back at previous Reaching More Readers episodes for information about why an email list is so important for indie authors and to find out how you can establish your newsletter process.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube
Holly Greenland is a self-published author, content writer and strategic communications consultant. She has worked in marketing and communications for nearly twenty years, including at the BBC, UK Parliament, and award-winning agency Social & Local. Holly is currently completing a Publishing PhD with Kingston University in London, investigating the factors that increase the likelihood of indie author success. Find out more about Holly's writing on her website or connect on LinkedIn.
My guest this episode is Dawn Brookes, a British writer of Cozy Mysteries and a former nurse who worked in healthcare for nearly 40 years. After retiring from nursing, Dawn began writing full-time, drawing on her extensive experience to create rich characters and engaging stories. Dawn uses her life experiences to fuel her writing and is indie because it allows her to connect with readers and build a fan base.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses the new COPIED Act, which aims to provide copyright protection for creators in the AI age. This bipartisan bill, introduced in the United States, seeks to ensure that creators can tag their work with metadata to prevent unauthorized use by AI for training purposes. Dan also touches on the implications of AI on creativity, referencing a recent study that highlights the balance between individual originality and collective diversity.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In the latest episode of the Creating Better Books podcast, ALLi Content and Communications Manager Howard Lovy interviews Kathryn Goldman of the Creative Law Center, a seasoned intellectual property attorney dedicated to supporting independent creatives. Kathryn shares her expertise on how authors can protect themselves legally, from handling defamation risks in memoirs to understanding the rights around using real people in fiction. Kathryn also tackles the nuances of copyright issues in the age of AI and the essential legal knowledge every self-publisher needs to safeguard their work.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
ALLi Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple and Outreach Manager Michael La Ronn share tips for how indie authors can protect themselves from phishing and scams. They provide insight into how phishing works, share advice on recognizing scams, and introduce the SALSA (Sender, Attachment, Links, Subject line, Authentication) method to help authors identify potential threats. Michael also explains the resources ALLi offers, like their self-publishing service ratings and watchdog services, to help authors choose ethical publishing services. They emphasize the significance of community support and being vigilant to safeguard personal and financial information.
Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?
If you’re an ALLi member, head over to the SelfPubConnect forum for support from our experienced community of indie authors, advisors, and team. Simply create an account (if you haven’t already) to request to join the forum and get going.
Non-members looking for more information can search our extensive archive of blog posts and podcast episodes packed with tips and advice at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Center.
And if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explores the impact of the recent UK election on indie writers, highlighting the new government's pledges on copyright protection and freelance work. He also covers the administration woes of Australia's largest online bookseller, Booktopia, and the launch of Amazon's new Vella prize. Additionally, Dan discusses the first-ever International Summit of Audio Publishers and its significance for the audiobook market.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Drawing insights from their own recent Kickstarters, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn explore both fiction and nonfiction crowdfunding and discuss their upcoming campaigns, with a particular focus on reader participation, making a profit, and getting paid. Whether you're a seasoned author or just starting out, this episode will provide you with actionable tips and inspiration to launch your own successful crowdfunding campaign.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
My guest this episode is Karl Drinkwater, who writes dystopian space opera, dark suspense and diverse social fiction. But as he develops stories about far-off locales, he also writes with one eye on the real world. And that's where his writing meets his environmental advocacy and political life in the Green Party.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses how TikTok and indie bookstores are launching alternatives to Amazon Prime Days. TikTok's "Deals for You Days" kicks off on July 9, promoting viral videos to drive sales through their shop. Meanwhile, the American Booksellers Association's "Indies Take the Gold" campaign encourages readers to support independent bookstores with Olympic-themed promotions.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the AskALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss options for simple and affordable website builders suitable for authors.
Other questions include:
- What is the best way to get peer feedback on alternative cover designs for a spiritual, inspirational book?
- How does ISBN assignment work for different book formats, including audiobooks? What are effective strategies for soliciting book reviews in advance of a release?
- How should famous sayings of politicians be treated in terms of copyright and fair use?
- What methods can be used to determine the value of intellectual property when negotiating rights?
- How can authors handle potential scams involving magazine interviews and awards?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
In her final episode on the Creative Self-Publishing stream of the Self-Publishing Advice & Inspirations podcast, Orna Ross outlines the relationship between publishing models and marketing models for indie authors. There are three guiding publishing values: productivity, connection, and originality—and knowing your top publishing value gives you the framework for your marketing. This episode guides you through.
The Creative Self-Publishing stream of the ALLi Podcast is sponsored by Orna Ross's Creative Planning Program for Authors & Poets. If you’re feeling daunted by the enormity of your writing and publishing goals, or overwhelmed by your to-do list, or you’re just not sure what way forward is best, Orna can help with a proven planning process devised specially for writers. Check it out at Patreon.com/OrnaRoss.
About the Host
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
In the Reaching More Readers podcast, Dale L. Roberts and Holly Greenland continue sharing their insights on building an effective email marketing strategy for indie authors. Their discussion includes the frequency of sending mailers, how to build subscribers, and the importance of automation. Dale and Holly provide practical tips and best practices to help authors connect with readers and promote their books through the all-important email newsletters.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube
Holly Greenland is a self-published author, content writer and strategic communications consultant. She has worked in marketing and communications for nearly twenty years, including at the BBC, UK Parliament, and award-winning agency Social & Local. Holly is currently completing a Publishing PhD with Kingston University in London, investigating the factors that increase the likelihood of indie author success. Find out more about Holly's writing on her website or connect on LinkedIn.
My guest this episode is Shana Frost, who is not only ALLi's publications manager, but she's also an author who enjoys writing about people who feel like outsiders and create new families. It's a subject she knows a great deal about through her own journeys from her birthplace in India to her adopted home in Scotland.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explores a study on Canadian reading habits, revealing a shift toward readers obtaining more printed books for free. Libraries are a major source, while "free internet sites" dominate for audiobooks. Dan also covers Meta's controversial AI training policy, which faces regulatory pushback in the UK and EU. Additionally, there's news on efforts to create an ethically sourced AI training dataset.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In the latest episode of the Creating Better Books podcast, ALLi News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy interviews Alessandra Torre, cofounder and president of Authors A.I. They discuss how the company utilizes nongenerative AI to provide detailed analytical feedback on manuscripts, aiding authors in enhancing their writing without replacing the creative human element.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
In this episode of the Campaigns Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors, ALLi Director Orna Ross interviews newly appointed Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple about the latest initiatives ALLi is taking under its Self-Publishing for All and Ethical Self-Publishing campaigns.
Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?
If you’re an ALLi member, head over to the SelfPubConnect forum for support from our experienced community of indie authors, advisors, and team. Simply create an account (if you haven’t already) to request to join the forum and get going.
Non-members looking for more information can search our extensive archive of blog posts and podcast episodes packed with tips and advice at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Center.
And if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses new surveys showing a slowdown in audiobook sales growth but an increase in listener engagement. He highlights the Independent Book Publishers Association's Innovative Voices program, offering support to publishers from marginalized communities. Dan also covers Google's recent challenges with SEO practices and piracy issues.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
On the Publishing for Profit Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors, ALLi Director Orna Ross and Business Adviser Joe Solari discuss essential financial strategies for indie authors. They emphasize realistic budgeting, long-term planning, and understanding brand promise to create sustainable and profitable author businesses. They address misconceptions around rapid release strategies, the impact of survivor bias, and the need for a strategic, patient approach to succeed in the competitive market.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Joe Solari assists authors in developing successful businesses as the managing partner of Author Ventures LLC. In his role as a business manager, he supports his private clients, who collectively achieved gross royalties of twenty-two million in 2023, with an average pre-tax profit of 44%. This remarkable success results from implementing disciplined business strategies and maintaining an unwavering dedication to enhancing the customer experience.
Join Becca Syme for a keynote presentation that will give you a comprehensive understanding of how mindset plays a foundational role in every aspect of an indie author's business, from the writing process to marketing, networking, and managing both successes and setbacks. Emphasizing the profound impact of mindset on productivity, creativity, and mental well-being, this session offers authors tangible strategies to cultivate a proactive attitude, to foster sustainable success for you and your books.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses the controversy surrounding Facebook AI, specifically Meta's decision to use user content to train its AI platforms unless users opt out. He highlights a helpful guide on how to opt out, examines a new study revealing authors' ambivalence toward AI, and introduces an app that helps users write their autobiographies. Dan also covers the legal battle between the New York Times and the creators of the game Worldle.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In the latest installment of the AskALLi Member Q&A podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss effective strategies for marketing middle-grade or young-adult books. They emphasize the importance of targeting parents rather than children and recommend networking with other authors in the same genre to maximize visibility and sales.
Other questions include:
- What do you do differently to launch a perma-free story or list magnet compared to a sale for a short story?
- What are some promotional things to do when marketing a murder mystery besides paying for NetGalley reviews?
- What are the moral issues of using AI narration as opposed to a human for your audiobook?
- Do you have any rules of engagement for dealing with negative reviews and nasty comments?
- Is it okay to attach press releases when approaching media, and should you try to speak to journalists in person or on the phone?
- Are there any benefits or disadvantages to launching two books at the same time, especially if one is a novel and the other is a short story collection?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
My guest this episode is Roxanne Bland, a mixed-genre author who admits that her books are not for everyone. But if you're interested in stories that throw away all the old tropes and surprise you with elements of fantasy, science fiction, and romance, then you might want to check out her work. Not only that, but Roxanne writes with one eye on real-world problems such as bigotry.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
In this episode of Self-Publishing News, Dan Holloway explores the potential impacts of a TikTok ban on print book sales, particularly in the romance and fantasy genres. He also highlights the recent sale of a first edition of Tolkien’s "The Hobbit" for £31,000, discusses the latest print and eBook sales figures, and addresses the controversy surrounding OpenAI’s use of a voice resembling Scarlett Johansson.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
One of the most interesting pieces of data to come from the Big Indie Author Data Drop was that even when indie authors are very successful, they don't stop doing their own marketing. They use tools and assistance/assistants, but marketing remains their responsibility, always. Many of the emerging indie authors, or those not selling, said that marketing was the task they liked least. There’s an important mindset shift required to bridge the gap from reluctant or resentful marketing to marketing that is positive and proactive.
In this inspiring and mind-shifting session chaired by Melissa Addey, join Dawn Brookes, Mark Dawson, Karen Inglis, Rachel McLean, Alison Morton, Octavia Randolph, Marc Reklau, Brit Bensen, Mark Hayden, and Elizabeth Stevens all multiple bestselling authors who show what makes marketing a positive activity for them. If thinking 'marketing will be with you forever' horrifies you as an author, then you need these sessions!
This session is kindly sponsored by 1106 Design.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
In this Creative Self-Publishing episode, Orna Ross talks about the transformative power of values-based, story-driven email marketing. Discover why aligning your email campaigns with your core values can foster deeper connections with your audience and boost engagement with your emails. Orna walks you through the essentials of crafting compelling stories that resonate with readers, build trust, and drive action. Revolutionize your email marketing approach by putting values and storytelling at its heart.
The Creative Self-Publishing stream of the ALLi Podcast is sponsored by Orna Ross's Creative Planning Program for Authors & Poets. If you’re feeling daunted by the enormity of your writing and publishing goals, or overwhelmed by your to-do list, or you’re just not sure what way forward is best, Orna can help with a proven planning process devised specially for writers. Check it out at Patreon.com/OrnaRoss.
About the Host
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
On the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway pays tribute to the late Nobel Prize-winning author Alice Munro and highlights recent British Book Awards winners, including Rebecca Yarros's Fourth Wing. He covers major tech and legal news: OpenAI’s disbanded risk project, the EU's fine on Microsoft, and ByteDance’s legal battle over TikTok. Dan also discusses Sony Music’s legal stance on AI and the ongoing mysteries in the blockchain world.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In the Reaching More Readers podcast, Dale L. Roberts and Holly Greenland discuss effective email marketing strategies for indie authors. They cover topics like choosing an email service, welcome emails, metrics to track, and engaging subscribers on a regular basis. The hosts aim to provide practical tips and best practices to help authors connect with readers and promote their books through email newsletters.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube
Holly Greenland is a self-published author, content writer and strategic communications consultant. She has worked in marketing and communications for nearly twenty years, including at the BBC, UK Parliament, and award-winning agency Social & Local. Holly is currently completing a Publishing PhD with Kingston University in London, investigating the factors that increase the likelihood of indie author success. Find out more about Holly's writing on her website or connect on LinkedIn.
My guest this episode is Anna Sayburn Lane, who began her career as a journalist until she decided she had enough of writing content for other people and became a novelist. Anna's entry into indie publishing was rocky until, just recently, she decided to pivot and write to market. Now, her crime fiction is seeing fantastic sales as she works toward becoming a full-time novelist.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this week’s Self-Publishing News, Dan Holloway dives into OpenAI's recent demo of GPT-4o, a new iteration of their ChatGPT technology. The demo showcased impressive real-time processing capabilities and emotional storytelling, hinting at a future where AI-narrated audiobooks might rival human voice actors. Dan also touches on the concerns raised by the UK Publishers Association regarding copyright protection in the face of rapid AI advancements and critiques Apple’s latest iPad Pro advert for its misguided metaphor on creativity.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In the latest episode of the Creating Better Books podcast, ALLi News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy interviews Kevin Stillwell, indie publishing producer for Lantern Audio. They explore the evolving landscape of audiobook creation, examining the options indie authors have, the costs involved, and how technology is reshaping the industry. Kevin shares expert insights on the essential decisions authors must navigate in audiobook production.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On this month’s Campaigns Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors, ALLi Director Orna Ross and Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple discuss ALLi's ongoing campaigns, such as the Big Indie Author Data Drop and the Self-Pub 3 campaign, which focus on improving author incomes through business practices. They also explain how ALLi aims to increase accessibility and inclusivity in publishing through the Self-Publishing for All campaign.
Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?
If you’re an ALLi member, head over to the SelfPubConnect forum for support from our experienced community of indie authors, advisors, and team. Simply create an account (if you haven’t already) to request to join the forum and get going.
Non-members looking for more information can search our extensive archive of blog posts and podcast episodes packed with tips and advice at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Center.
And if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses a new proposal from OpenAI that introduces cooperative game theory to determine compensation for authors whose works help train AI. This innovative approach aims to calculate the specific contributions of individual creators to AI outputs and allocate earnings accordingly, similar to determining the mix of colors in a paint blend. Dan examines the potential of this system to fairly reward creators and its computational feasibility in revolutionizing how authors are compensated for their contributions to AI.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the Publishing for Profit podcast stream, ALLI’s Australian ambassador and nonfiction adviser, Anna Featherstone, and Director Orna Ross, focus on adding value to your book without adding to costs. Learn tips and tools for lowering the costs of editing and marketing, in particular, without compromising on the quality or impact of your work.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Anna Featherstone is the Australian Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors, co-founder of Bold Authors, a judge of the Australian Business Book Awards, and a member of the Small Press Network (SPN) and Australian Society of Authors (ASA). She also enjoys writing and presenting workshops, and author talks on entrepreneurial writing and publishing.
My guest this episode is Sarah Banham, an author who admits that she is so restless that she refuses to be pinned down to one genre. Her fiction and nonfiction work keep her excited about writing, and she also helps other authors find their own voices. It wasn't until she turned forty that she gained the confidence to do this on her own, and she has not stopped since.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explores the potential US ban on TikTok and its implications for Gen Z readers and authors who use BookTok for book marketing. Dan examines alternative platforms like Discord for author-reader connections, noting that they may not match TikTok's ability to foster new readers. This discussion is crucial given BookTok's substantial role in influencing book trends and revitalizing interest in physical books among younger readers.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In the latest installment of the AskALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss effective strategies for finding ARC (Advanced Review Copy) reviewers for manuscripts.
Other questions include:
- Do I need a new ISBN if I change the cover?
- Do I need to use a different ISBN for each retailer when publishing on Kindle and other platforms?
- How can I create a legal disclaimer for a memoir written as fiction?
- Is it possible to retain rights to my characters and book world when negotiating with a traditional publisher
- What is the best way to get peer feedback on alternative cover designs for my upcoming book?
- How does barcode pricing work with short-term or permanent price changes?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
This episode focuses on the unique challenges faced by multi-genre authors in the self-publishing sector. ALLi Director Orna Ross provides practical solutions and personal examples for targeting different readers, establishing a cohesive brand, maintaining quality across genres, managing reader expectations, and building genre-specific expertise, along with tips for optimizing your time.
The Creative Self-Publishing stream of the ALLi Podcast is sponsored by Orna Ross's Creative Planning Program for Authors & Poets. If you’re feeling daunted by the enormity of your writing and publishing goals, or overwhelmed by your to-do list, or you’re just not sure what way forward is best, Orna can help with a proven planning process devised specially for writers. Check it out at Patreon.com/OrnaRoss.
About the Host
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses a significant legal victory in Japan where three manga publishers won $10 million in damages from a piracy site, potentially setting a precedent for how lost earnings are calculated in copyright infringement cases. This ruling could reshape the global debate over the impact of piracy on sales. Dan also touches on HarperCollins' partnership with Eleven Labs for AI-narrated audiobooks, exploring the balance between technological advancements and traditional publishing ethics.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In the Reaching More Readers podcast, Dale L. Roberts and Holly Greenland discuss five compelling reasons why authors should maintain an email list. They address the common perception that email marketing is crucial for an author's business despite some authors' reluctance to embrace it. The hesitations often stem from concerns about time and effort, technical challenges, fear of spamming, and a lack of understanding or concern over costs. However, Dale and Holly argue that email marketing does not demand excessive time, expertise, or financial investment. With a plethora of online tutorials and free email marketing services available, the primary barrier for many is simply inexperience—a starting point for everyone.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube
Holly Greenland is a self-published author, content writer and strategic communications consultant. She has worked in marketing and communications for nearly twenty years, including at the BBC, UK Parliament, and award-winning agency Social & Local. Holly is currently completing a Publishing PhD with Kingston University in London, investigating the factors that increase the likelihood of indie author success. Find out more about Holly's writing on her website or connect on LinkedIn.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses a Society of Authors survey revealing significant concerns among creatives about AI's impact on their work and income. He also covers the UK government's latest updates on AI regulation, noting a lack of protections for content creators. Additionally, Dan highlights Substack's new partnership with Spotify, which enhances podcast visibility and subscriber integration.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In the latest episode of the Creating Better Books podcast, ALLi News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy interviews Shaun Loftus, founder of The Book Whisperer, which offers complete publishing services for indie authors. Shaun shares her journey from a tech-savvy marketing director to a leader in indie publishing, emphasizing the educational approach of The Book Whisperer in guiding authors through the complexities of self-publishing. The discussion also touches on the upcoming “unconference” in Florence, a unique event designed for authors to collaboratively set the agenda and share insights in a peer-to-peer learning environment.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
My guest this episode is Jill Dobson, whose story is a little different from the ones I usually tell on this podcast. She found a traditional publisher at a very young age—in fact, when she was a teenager. Then she endured decades of rejection or, even worse, being ignored. She recently went indie and felt like a weight was lifted. Now, it's up to readers to decide and not a nameless gatekeeper.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway brings attention to Fairly Trained, the first platform to certify ethically trained large language models, highlighting a major advancement in AI ethics. Dan also explores HarperCollins' innovative environmental efforts in reducing paper usage through font changes and the carbon footprint disparities between print and audiobooks. Additionally, he discusses the new partnership between Draft2Digital and the social reading app Fable, a development that offers fresh opportunities for authors to connect with readers.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
What does independence mean for authors in terms of creative and publishing choices? Why is interdependence so important, and how can we be stronger together? Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss their ideas.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
In this insightful episode, Orna Ross unpacks the ACCESS framework—Attract, Captivate, Connect, Engage, Subscribe, Satisfy—to understand each stage in the process of attracting and ultimately satisfying your readers—in the most creative way possible.
The Creative Self-Publishing stream of the ALLi Podcast is sponsored by Orna Ross's Creative Planning Program for Authors & Poets. If you’re feeling daunted by the enormity of your writing and publishing goals, or overwhelmed by your to-do list, or you’re just not sure what way forward is best, Orna can help with a proven planning process devised specially for writers. Check it out at Patreon.com/OrnaRoss.
About the Host
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Welcome to this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, where host Dan Holloway spotlights “Romantasy,” a blend of romance and fantasy that's rapidly gaining momentum in the indie publishing world. This emerging genre, now recognized in mainstream literary circles, is reshaping reader engagement and opening new avenues for authors. In addition, Dan turns his attention to the conclusion of the FTX saga, discussing the implications of Sam Bankman Freed's 25-year sentencing on the tech industry and trust in corporate leadership. The episode also explores the latest in AI advancements and the shifting dynamics of book sales, focusing on digital audio and eBook trends.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the AskALLi Member Q&A podcast, Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss how to find cover designers and editors.
Other questions include:
- What is the difference between copyright and trademark?
- How do I find someone to review my book?
- How do I find someone to edit my book, design my cover, or perform another author service?
- Do I need a separate checking account for my writing business?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
My guest this episode is Pauline Wilson, an Australian author who began writing historical fiction later in life when she discovered that her own family history was filled with stories that needed to be told. From former convicts to insane asylum inmates, Pauline found a wonderful cast of characters in her own ancestors. And whatever she couldn't dig up, she fictionalized.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses the significant lawsuits facing Amazon and Apple, highlighting the Department of Justice's action against Apple for anti-competitive practices and a consumer lawsuit against Amazon's digital content sales methods. These legal battles could have far-reaching implications for the digital marketplace, particularly for indie authors and the distribution of digital content.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In the Reaching More Readers podcast, Dale L. Roberts and Holly Greenland dive into the key elements of a successful marketing strategy for nonfiction indie authors. They emphasize the importance of "findability," ensuring your books reach the right readers at the right time, and highlight the role of strategic thinking in making the most of your marketing efforts. From author websites and book covers to social media and physical marketing materials, Dale and Holly offer concise, top tips to enhance your book's visibility and deepen your connection with your audience.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube
Holly Greenland is a self-published author, content writer and strategic communications consultant. She has worked in marketing and communications for nearly twenty years, including at the BBC, UK Parliament, and award-winning agency Social & Local. Holly is currently completing a Publishing PhD with Kingston University in London, investigating the factors that increase the likelihood of indie author success. Find out more about Holly's writing on her website or connect on LinkedIn.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, literary groups celebrate a pivotal moment for the publishing industry with the near passage of Europe's Artificial Intelligence Act, a landmark legislation requiring transparency in the training of generative AI platforms, including the disclosure of works used in their development. This act, widely welcomed by publishers, marks a significant step in regulating AI's role in creative industries. Dan also revisits the London Book Fair, highlighting the Selfies Awards and the achievements of ALLi authors. He also explores various AI-related topics, including the implications of AI in legal practices and literary translation. Dan also addresses the underrepresentation of indie authors in a report on the UK publishing industry's economic impact.Top of Form
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In the latest episode of the Creating Better Books podcast, ALLi News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy interviews Dan Gerstein, CEO of Gotham Ghostwriters. Dan discusses the different forms of ghostwriting available to authors, from books to speeches, and how these services can fit various budgets and needs. The conversation also touches on the growing demand for ghostwriting in areas like business and memoirs, reflecting on how this trend is shaping the publishing industry.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
My guest this episode is Aurora Winter, the author of several award-winning fiction and non-fiction books. She has a background as a TV executive and wrote an award-winning screenplay for a TV movie. Aurora is also master of the career pivot, from investor to TV executive to fiction and nonfiction author. She has some advice on how to change course wisely.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
In this special episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway brings us the latest from the London Book Fair, including the much-anticipated announcement of the 2024 Selfies Awards winners. Dan also discusses the resurgence of analog in a digital world, the implications of recent policy changes by major tech platforms like Facebook/Meta, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail, and fantasy author Brandon Sanderson's innovative crowdfunding success.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Nurture a positive money mindset, master the art of manifestation, and take away lots of money management tips for authors. Carissa Andrews will explore how shifts in your money beliefs can expand your commercial success as an author and you'll learn practical money manifestation and management techniques. Unleash the abundant author that lies within!
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
In the latest episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway highlights the celebration of Read an E-Book Week, emphasizing the importance and diversity of indie e-books available on platforms like Smashwords, encouraging readers to explore and embrace the digital reading experience. Dan also brings updates from the world of digital publishing just before the London Book Fair, including the controversial “consent or pay” program by Facebook/Meta and the significant policy changes by Gmail and Yahoo Mail affecting bulk mailing lists.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the AskALLi Member Q&A podcast, Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black tackle the complex issue of AI-generated content and Amazon's new disclosure mandates. With the rise of AI in the creative process, authors face new challenges and ethical considerations. Tune in as our hosts shed light on the nuances of AI assistance in publishing and how to stay compliant with the latest requirements from KDP.
Other Questions Include:
- How to find the right cover designer for your book amidst the challenges of small publishers.
- Dealing with book resale on platforms like eBay: What are your rights as an author?
- The pros and cons of entering self-published books into awards: Is it worth it?
- Registering with the Library of Congress: Necessary step for US authors or not?
- Publishing eBook versions: Essential move or not for modern authors?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
My guest this episode is Tiffany Obeng, a children's book author from Houston, Texas, who also works in employment law. Through her job handling job-discrimination cases, she realized that black children like her own need to be aware of all the career choices they have. That's when she really started publishing her books with a mission.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
In this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway explores Sora's advancement in creative AI, Substack's innovative creation of networks to connect content creators, and Spotify's strategic pursuit of Apple.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
This month on the Reaching More Readers podcast, Dale takes the lead advising Holly on the best ways to identify the right book promotion sites to reach your readers and make sure you don't get scammed along the way. Take a listen if you've ever considered a book promo site but didn't know where to start or which one may be right for you.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube
Holly Greenland is a self-published author, content writer and strategic communications consultant. She has worked in marketing and communications for nearly twenty years, including at the BBC, UK Parliament, and award-winning agency Social & Local. Holly is currently completing a Publishing PhD with Kingston University in London, investigating the factors that increase the likelihood of indie author success. Find out more about Holly's writing on her website or connect on LinkedIn.
This week, Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey and Blog Manager Holly Greenland explore the role of ALLi’s ambassadors: who they are and what they do. From opening up awards to speaking at events and gathering facts and figures all around the world, the ambassadors are part of ALLi’s outreach, amplifying ALLi’s voice to authors everywhere. Ambassadors work with our campaigning efforts to understand what needs to be done to support indie authors and make it happen.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Melissa Addey has a PhD in creative writing and writes historical fiction set in first-century Rome, eleventh-century Morocco and eighteenth-century China. She runs writing workshops covering both craft and entrepreneurship, most frequently for the British Library. She's also ALLi's campaigns manager, a role in which she loves observing and supporting the vast diversity of self-published authors. Visit her at her website and pick up a free novella.
On the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway takes a critical look at Spotify's recent update to the terms of use for audiobook creators, a move that has stirred significant debate within the indie author community. As Spotify's Findaway Voices faces scrutiny over its revised policies, Dan explores the implications of these changes and the broader concerns they raise about rights and transparency in the digital publishing landscape.
“In the opinion of the Watchdog Desk, the update to the Terms of Use showed a shocking carelessness around issues crucial to the indie author community,” said John Doppler, who runs ALLi’s Watchdog Desk. “Waiving moral rights, granting a staggeringly broad array of rights. These conditions may have escaped notice in the Artist's Terms of Use from which they were copied, but in the context of independent publishing, they would have allowed unconscionable exploitation. Any expert familiar with the industry should have immediately flagged these issues.”
To the credit of Spotify and Findaway Voices, the correction was swift and addressed the key areas of concern with clarity. However, there are lingering questions, particularly around the use of user content for AI training, which have not been adequately addressed.
Spotify did not respond to our inquiry before press time.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In the latest episode of the Creating Better Books podcast, Alli News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy interviews Brooke Gansemer, CEO and Publisher of BiblioKid Publishing. The discussion offers a look into the world of children's book publishing, providing practical advice for authors and illustrators. Gansemer's insights into the current state of children's literature and the importance of balancing quality and engagement in storytelling make this a valuable listen for those involved in children's book creation.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
My guest this episode is Victoria Goldman, an author of crime fiction who tried to go the traditional route, but her work was too difficult to categorize. So, she went indie, where her audience understands her unique voice. Part of that voice has to do with her Jewish identity and she writes with one eye on current events and the rise in antisemitism.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
This week on the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway addresses Spotify's claim of paying "tens of millions" to audiobook creators. The Society of Authors and other groups are demanding greater transparency from Spotify regarding these payments. Dan explores the implications of this issue for indie authors and the publishing industry.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
ALLi Director Orna Ross welcomes the Alliance’s newly appointed Business Adviser, Joe Solari. Listeners will get an insight into Joe's expertise and innovative vision for the indie publishing industry, followed by a detailed discussion about the upcoming Author Nation conference in Las Vegas, scheduled for November 2024, with early-bird tickets just released. Joe shares his exciting plans for the event, explains how it will differ from the 20Books conference, and what to expect if you attend this largest event in the world for indie authors.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Joe Solari assists authors in developing successful businesses as the managing partner of Author Ventures LLC. In his role as a business manager, he supports his private clients, who collectively achieved gross royalties of twenty-two million in 2023, with an average pre-tax profit of 44%. This remarkable success results from implementing disciplined business strategies and maintaining an unwavering dedication to enhancing the customer experience.
In the latest episode of the Creative Self-Publishing Podcast, ALLi Director Orna Ross explores the innovative potential of Kickstarter for book launches. Sharing her personal experiences, Orna reveals how Kickstarter serves as more than a funding tool, fostering deeper connections with readers and authors. A valuable listen for any self-publisher looking to tap into the creative possibilities of book publishing through crowdfunding.
The Creative Self-Publishing stream of the ALLi Podcast is sponsored by Orna Ross's Creative Planning Program for Authors & Poets. If you’re feeling daunted by the enormity of your writing and publishing goals, or overwhelmed by your to-do list, or you’re just not sure what way forward is best, Orna can help with a proven planning process devised specially for writers. Check it out at Patreon.com/OrnaRoss.
About the Host
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
On the Self-Publishing News podcast with Dan Holloway: Research from Germany suggests children, not grown-ups, are driving a reading revival.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the AskALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black delve into the often-confusing world of ISBNs and book distribution.
Other questions include:
- How do I navigate using both Amazon KDP and Ingram Spark for wider distribution of my book?
- What are the best practices for selecting a font for print and eBooks?
- How can authors effectively use images in their books without risking copyright infringement?
- What should authors consider before translating their books into foreign languages?
- Exploring the feasibility of adapting a novel into a TV series or movie.
- Understanding the complexities of working with distributors like Follette for library access.
- Dealing with unexpected account termination on KDP.
And more!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
My guest this episode is Sue Rovens, an author of suspense and horror who is all about making connections with her readers. Sometimes, that connection comes through events in her local community, and other times, it's through her stories, where she tries to entertain and surprise her audience. Sue worked at a library for thirty years before she decided to write tales of her own.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On the Self-Publishing News podcast with Dan Holloway: As a novel whose text is 5 percent AI-generated wins a major award, where does that leave copyright and creativity?
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Throughout this presentation, Joe Solari unravels the myriad advantages of a direct sales mindset for authors, in which you gain unprecedented control over your book's pricing and promotions, and enjoy an uptick in profits and personal connection. Discover the tools and strategies that can guide you in carving out your unique path in direct sales, where your bond with your reader becomes the foundation of your success.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Joe Solari assists authors in developing successful businesses as the managing partner of Author Ventures LLC. In his role as a business manager, he supports his private clients, who collectively achieved gross royalties of twenty-two million in 2023, with an average pre-tax profit of 44%. This remarkable success results from implementing disciplined business strategies and maintaining an unwavering dedication to enhancing the customer experience.
Today on the ALLi Campaigns Podcast: Collaboration. The Alliance of Independent Authors runs certain core campaigns on an ongoing basis, as well as supporting other campaigns that reach out to us. A campaign doesn’t always have to be "yours" to be able to help. Collaboration is everything in campaign work, so here are some recent examples of how we are collaborating.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Melissa Addey has a PhD in creative writing and writes historical fiction set in first-century Rome, eleventh-century Morocco and eighteenth-century China. She runs writing workshops covering both craft and entrepreneurship, most frequently for the British Library. She's also ALLi's campaigns manager, a role in which she loves observing and supporting the vast diversity of self-published authors. Visit her at her website and pick up a free novella.
On the Self-Publishing News podcast with Dan Holloway: New research says special editions and direct engagement may be the answer to stagnating book prices.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
This month on the Reaching More Readers podcast, Dale and Holly introduce Amazon Ads, including the jargon you need to know, the free accredited courses you can take to build your knowledge, key steps for quick and easy setup, and how to try out an Amazon Ad campaign even if you have a small budget to play with.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube
Holly Greenland is a self-published author, content writer and strategic communications consultant. She has worked in marketing and communications for nearly twenty years, including at the BBC, UK Parliament, and award-winning agency Social & Local. Holly is currently completing a Publishing PhD with Kingston University in London, investigating the factors that increase the likelihood of indie author success. Find out more about Holly's writing on her website or connect on LinkedIn.
My guest this episode is C. Ruth Taylor, an authorpreneur from Jamaica who is trying to create conditions to put the Caribbean on the map for self-publishing. The trick is to convince authors that the book itself is only the beginning of their storyteller journey.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
The Writers Guild is ready to discuss a blanket license for artificial intelligence. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
On today's podcast, Howard Lovy features Stuart Grant, who creates compelling websites for authors. He has some advice on what to do or not do when staking out your real estate on the web.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
My guest this episode is Wayne Kelly, an indie-published author of crime fiction. With a passion that spans songwriting, filmmaking, and novel writing, Wayne is a born storyteller who lives out his dream through multiple forms of media. In this conversation, Wayne opens up about his creative process and the unique journey that led him to where he is today.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
It's been a record year for digital lending in libraries. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
As we move into another year, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss how they plan for the year ahead and some of the most important trends for indie authors, including the continued rise of direct sales, the impact of generative AI, and more.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Nominate an outstanding indie author for the prestigious Royal Society of Literature's International Writers program. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black: How many times should an editor review my work?
Other questions include:
- How do I remove duplicates of my book from Goodreads?
- Do I need media liability insurance?
- What is the best verbiage to put on my copyright pages to protect my work against AI?
- Where is the best place to buy ISBNs?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
The year 2023 was one of change for writers and readers. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
This month on the Reaching More Readers podcast, Dale L. Roberts and Holly Greenland demystify book genre category selection, share tips for picking the right categories to increase your book findability, and offer a quick reminder of the new Amazon category selection process.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube
Holly Greenland is a self-published author, content writer and strategic communications consultant. She has worked in marketing and communications for nearly twenty years, including at the BBC, UK Parliament, and award-winning agency Social & Local. Holly is currently completing a Publishing PhD with Kingston University in London, investigating the factors that increase the likelihood of indie author success. Find out more about Holly's writing on her website or connect on LinkedIn.
Is reading in print "better?" Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
On today's podcast, Howard Lovy features Edward Ferrari-Willis, executive editor of The History Quill, whose aim is to provide historical fiction writers with expert support at every stage of the writing journey.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
My guest this episode is Adeena Mignogna, an aerospace engineer who also uses her science background to craft stories of sentient robots and other fantastic tales. So, while she was working her science day job, she let her imagination run away through science fiction. And she found that indie publishing is the perfect way to get these stories from her head and out to the public.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
What the words of the year tell us about the year in words. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Today on the Publishing for Profit Podcast, ALLi Director Orna Ross and author Anna Featherstone discuss how to bake marketing in with your writing process. This proactive approach is about more than just organic development; it's a strategic method of laying the groundwork early on. By integrating marketing elements into your manuscript from the start, you create a seamless transition from pen to promotion.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Anna Featherstone is the Australian Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors, co-founder of Bold Authors, a judge of the Australian Business Book Awards, and a member of the Small Press Network (SPN) and Australian Society of Authors (ASA). She also enjoys writing and presenting workshops, and author talks on entrepreneurial writing and publishing.
Orna Ross hosts an enlightening discussion on the twenty-one creative planning principles that underlie her creative planning program and extends an invitation to listeners to participate in her big annual creative planning workshop and workbook launch on January 4, 2024. Whether you're a seasoned author or just starting out, this episode offers valuable insights to enhance your creative process and apply it to publishing as well as writing. Tune in to start the journey toward having your most productive and profitable year ever in 2024.
The Creative Self-Publishing stream of the ALLi Podcast is sponsored by Orna Ross's Creative Planning Program for Authors & Poets. If you’re feeling daunted by the enormity of your writing and publishing goals, or overwhelmed by your to-do list, or you’re just not sure what way forward is best, Orna can help with a proven planning process devised specially for writers. Check it out at Patreon.com/OrnaRoss.
About the Host
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Hotsheet launches indie bestseller lists. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black: How do I increase my productivity?
Other questions include:
- How do I get started with dictation?
- How do I get Amazon to merge my IngramSpark hardcover with my ebook and paperback?
- How can I keep publishing books if self-publishing is so expensive?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
My guest this episode is Sarah Ziegel, who has four children with autism. Sarah successfully navigated through the educational system to get the best care for her kids. It's that success that brought questions from other parents. So, to answer the many questions they had, she's published two books on navigating through the emotional, educational, and legal landscape of autism.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
The Selfies Awards are open for 2024 with a new general nonfiction category. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this empowering session, ALLi member Nick Kotar, who recently ran his first successful crowdfunder, interviews USA Today bestselling author and ALLi’s crowdfunding advisor Russell Nohelty, about the world of crowdfunding and its growing role in the success of indie authors. This session will explore how adopting the right mindset is necessary to drive successful crowdfunding campaigns and create a thriving author business built around the crowd-funding model. Essential strategies, practical tips, and real-life success stories will fill you with the confidence and mindset you need to succeed and excel.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Best-Selling Fantasy Author Russell Nohelty is a USA Today bestselling fantasy author who has written dozens of novels and graphic novels including The Godsverse Chronicles, The Obsidian Spindle Saga, and Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter. He is the publisher of Wannabe Press, co-host of the Kickstart Your Book Sales podcast, cofounder of the Writer MBA training academy, and cofounder of The Future of Publishing Mastermind. He also co-created the Author Ecosystem archetype system to help authors thrive. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and dogs.
Epic Fantasy Author Nicholas Kotar is an author of epic fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales, a writing instructor and speaker, a freelance translator from Russian to English, the resident conductor of a men’s choir at a Russian monastery in the middle of cow country, and a Grammy-nominated vocalist. His only regret in life is that he wasn’t born in 19th century St. Petersburg, but he's doing everything he possibly can to remedy that error. If anyone knows where he can find a blue police box that’s bigger on the inside, please let him know.
This week Orna Ross and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey discuss the second campaign in their roundup of ALLi's advocacy work: SelfPub3. This author business campaign aims to raise the average income for authors and poets through good publishing practices and lobbies and supports the literary and creative industries in providing more publishing skills support and education for authors. You can support this campaign by spreading the truth about self-publishing, and our research surveys and data roundups give you the facts you need to spread pride in being an indie author.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Melissa Addey has a PhD in creative writing and writes historical fiction set in first-century Rome, eleventh-century Morocco and eighteenth-century China. She runs writing workshops covering both craft and entrepreneurship, most frequently for the British Library. She's also ALLi's campaigns manager, a role in which she loves observing and supporting the vast diversity of self-published authors. Visit her at her website and pick up a free novella.
Wattpad increases its offering to paying subscribers, and the Baillie Gifford Prize offers an insight into the real value of awards. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this episode of the Reaching More Readers podcast, Dale L. Roberts and Holly Greenland discuss successful marketing for multigenre authors. What are the pros and cons of writing in multiple genres? How it can impact your author brand? They share proven techniques for marketing your multigenre books to the right readers.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube
Holly Greenland is a self-published author, content writer and strategic communications consultant. She has worked in marketing and communications for nearly twenty years, including at the BBC, UK Parliament, and award-winning agency Social & Local. Holly is currently completing a Publishing PhD with Kingston University in London, investigating the factors that increase the likelihood of indie author success. Find out more about Holly's writing on her website or connect on LinkedIn.
My guest this episode is Karen Heenan an author of historical fiction who spent thirty years helping lawyers improve their writing until she retired and began her second career. Being an author isn't as lucrative as being a paralegal, but she is more than compensated in her satisfaction with doing something that brings joy to herself and her readers.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
Spotify brings audiobooks to US Premium subscribers, but how will subscriptions change the way we make a living? Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
On today's podcast, Howard Lovy features Alice Briggs, creative director for Indie Author Magazine, whose job it is to inform, educate, and inspire the self-publishing community.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
In today’s episode of the Creative Self-Publishing podcast: Creative Tips for Crowdfunding. ALLi Director Orna Ross has successfully funded her Kickstarter project and has learned a great deal about how to approach a campaign from a creative perspective. "Do it in a creative spirit, especially your first one. You don't know what's going to happen." Listen to more of her advice for those just beginning their crowdfunding adventure.
The Creative Self-Publishing stream of the ALLi Podcast is sponsored by Orna Ross's Creative Planning Program for Authors & Poets. If you’re feeling daunted by the enormity of your writing and publishing goals, or overwhelmed by your to-do list, or you’re just not sure what way forward is best, Orna can help with a proven planning process devised specially for writers. Check it out at Patreon.com/OrnaRoss.
About the Host
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Amazon introduces beta of virtual voice narration through KDP as an AI Safety Summit fails to achieve much of substance. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Today on the Publishing for Profit Podcast, ALLi Director Orna Ross and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy discuss crowdfunding your book with Kickstarter. Orna successfully used Kickstarter to fund her book, Go Creative! Planning Program for Authors & Poets. Howard is getting ready to crowdfund a book on fighting antisemitism. Together, they ask and answer questions on strategies for a successful campaign.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
My guest this episode is Jeff Probst, who brings a unique international accent to his writing. From California to South Africa to the UK—and whether he is writing about apartheid, being a schoolteacher, or even about the moon—Jeff has developed a unique voice that cannot be categorized.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
Politicians, corporations, and experts wrestle with how to govern the technology we use. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black: Should I create a limited liability company?
Other questions include:
- If I hire someone to illustrate 3D models for illustrations, do I own the copyright?
- Any advice on distributing children’s books?
- How can I connect with other ALLi members who are local to me?
- Is it worth entering my book into a literary contest?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
This week, ALLi Director Orna Ross and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey discuss ALLi's advocacy work, starting with the Open Up to Indie Authors campaign. This campaign encourages and aids (and occasionally calls out!) the publishing and literary industries to include self-publishing authors in their programs, events, festivals, prizes, listings, and reviews and educates indie authors on what we can do to help ourselves in approaching these opportunities. It's not all about what ALLi does: all indie authors can help with this campaign, find out what a difference three of ALLi's author members recently made by opening up a prestigious author-in-residence opportunity.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Melissa Addey has a PhD in creative writing and writes historical fiction set in first-century Rome, eleventh-century Morocco and eighteenth-century China. She runs writing workshops covering both craft and entrepreneurship, most frequently for the British Library. She's also ALLi's campaigns manager, a role in which she loves observing and supporting the vast diversity of self-published authors. Visit her at her website and pick up a free novella.
Frankfurt Book Fair prompts European writers' groups to call for the EU's AI Act to be tough on transparency. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Today on the Reaching More Readers podcast: There is no marketing magic bullet. With the overwhelming options for marketing and promoting a book, what can indie authors do to get their books into more readers' hands? There might not be one magic bullet, but there are proven strategies and techniques indie authors can use to build a plan that works for you. Dale L. Roberts and Holly Greenland explore the many facets of book marketing.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube
Holly Greenland is a self-published author, content writer and strategic communications consultant. She has worked in marketing and communications for nearly twenty years, including at the BBC, UK Parliament, and award-winning agency Social & Local. Holly is currently completing a Publishing PhD with Kingston University in London, investigating the factors that increase the likelihood of indie author success. Find out more about Holly's writing on her website or connect on LinkedIn.
Spotify’s deal with publishers and the resolution to the screenwriters’ strike illustrate how quickly our landscape is changing. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
My guest this episode is Mary Ladd, who began her career as a food writer and editor before she was hit with both cancer and long COVID, which changed the trajectory of her life. Now, she successfully crowdfunds books written by and for others who are facing severe health crises.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
On today's podcast: How a publishing services company can help indie authors. Every month, I'll feature an interview with an ALLi partner member who will help you at various stages in the self-publishing process, from getting the manuscript ready to ensuring it reaches your potential readers. My first guest is Michele DeFilippo of 1106 Design, which provides end-to-end book design, production, and publishing services for independent authors.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
In today’s episode of the Creative Self-Publishing podcast: Metrics of Mastery. Orna Ross delves deep into the nuanced world of measuring creative progress in both writing and publishing. With insights drawn from her own experiences and ALLi members, Orna offers four metrics that reflect genuine growth for an indie author–productivity, platform, profits, and personal satisfaction. Learn how to set meaningful measures and celebrate every milestone. Plus, find out about the third edition of Orna’s book Creative Self-Publishing, out now, and her associated planning program.
The Creative Self-Publishing stream of the ALLi Podcast is sponsored by Orna Ross's Creative Planning Program for Authors & Poets. If you’re feeling daunted by the enormity of your writing and publishing goals, or overwhelmed by your to-do list, or you’re just not sure what way forward is best, Orna can help with a proven planning process devised specially for writers. Check it out at Patreon.com/OrnaRoss.
About the Host
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
An Authors Guild of America income survey finds indie authors earn more from books than their traditionally published peers but little from other activities. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Your first book is often a book of the heart—a book you must write—but once your publishing business is more developed, how do you know when to submit to the muse, when to "write to market," or at least consider business outcomes? In this Publishing for Profit podcast, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn talk about passion projects and why they are even more important for authors in an age of generative AI, plus tips for writing, publishing, and marketing these truly personal books.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
My guest this episode is Carolyn Armstrong, who enjoys writing books about and for middle-grade kids because they're just beginning to seek independence while still relying on adults. Carolyn writes earth-friendly fiction and discovered that teachers and parents find her books valuable as educational tools. And some of them discover her books via Pinterest.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
What have we learned from the Hollywood writers' strike? Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black: How do I protect myself when writing about real people?
Other questions include:
- What exactly does Young Adult mean?
- Help! I can't update an edition of my book on Amazon!
- How do I find the best freelancer for my book?
- What is the best free website hosting provider?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
My guest this episode is Paula L. Estrela, who was born in Brazil and now lives in the UK. She initially came to London as an architect to help set up venues for the Olympics. Now, she's an author who constructs tales for children that also contain important messages.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
KDP limits titles, and we learn how tricky it can be to legislate technology. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this Self-Publishing Conference Highlight, Jeff Elkins discusses how to emotionally reach your readers. It's not enough to get a reader to pick up our books. We also have to reach them emotionally in order to keep them reading past the first chapter and to inspire them to tell their friends about our stories. The good news is, people are communal in nature. We are hard-wired to connect emotionally with one another, and authors can exploit that wiring with our storytelling by keeping our stories dialogue-centric.
By the end of this session, you will learn:
- how humans connect with one another emotionally and how they can exploit that desire for connection with their writing
- how to write a dialogue-centric story
- how to build character partnerships that cause the reader to feel a sense of community
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Jeff Elkins is the author of 10 supernatural thrillers, an editor, a podcaster, and a speaker. As the Dialogue Doctor, he helps authors defeat mono-mouth by empowering them to write dialogue that engages readers and keeps them reading to the end of the book. When he isn't writing or editing, Jeff leads the writing team for a simulation company that trains professionals in difficult conversations.
My guest this episode is CJ Archer, an author of historical, mystery, and fantasy books, genres that the traditional publishing industry told her should not mix. So instead, CJ published them herself and hasn't looked back since. She writes about four books a year as her full-time job and has found a formula that works for her and her fans.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
A shadow library lawsuit shows the struggle subscription services face in tackling scammers. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
In this first episode of the new Publishing for Profit stream: Leveling up your publishing and taking a new turn. Orna Ross introduces Indian author Shanaya Wagh, aka Shana Frost, also an intern at the Alliance of Independent Authors. Both authors, at different stages in their publishing businesses, are leveling up. They discuss what led to their decision, how to know when a change is needed, and how to build a more profitable structure from what you’ve achieved already.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Shanaya Wagh writes mysteries based in Scotland under the pen name Shana Frost. Born and raised in India, she is currently completing her MLitt Creative Writing in Scotland and mining the country for new story ideas. Shanaya joined the ALLi team in 2023 as a volunteer intern. She works on editing ALLi’s guidebooks and the blog. You can find Shanaya on her website.
My guest this episode is Katlyn Duncan, an author who juggles many roles. She's a mother, a full-time worker, a writer of thrillers and nonfiction advice books for other indie authors. She is also both a traditional and self-published author. How does she keep up with her many roles? I'll let Katlyn Duncan tell her story.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
In this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black: Help! My cowriter isn't pulling their weight. What should I do?
Other questions include:
- Should I buy my own ISBNs or use the free ones given to me by book retailers?
- What are some pricing ideas for poetry chapbooks?
- Should I consign my books to a bookstore?
- How can ALLi members submit for a guest blog feature?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
As Amazon launches its new AI policy and the US Copyright Office refuses to register a copyright for an award-winning Midjourney artist, a consultation tries to untangle what is fast becoming the knotty mess of AI and copyright. Welcome to Self-Publishing News with ALLi News editor Dan Holloway, bringing you the latest in indie publishing news and commentary.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
My guest this episode is Darby Harn, a science fiction writer whose work Publishers Weekly called an “entertaining debut that uses superpowers as a metaphor to delve into class politics in an alternate America.” He also cohosts a pop culture podcast. It has been a long road for Darby to get where he is while also struggling with autism.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
After a production break, Orna Ross, director of the Alliance of Independent Authors, introduces our new podcast lineup. There will be more news, more questions answered, and more inspiration! Take a listen.
My guest this episode is Russell Nohelty, a bestselling fantasy author and ALLi's crowdfunding adviser. He has helped authors raise over $1.5 million through crowdfunding, and nearly $500,000 for his own publishing projects. And, lately, he's a big advocate of the Substack platform for indie authors.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
As you write, produce, and market a book, you’ll draw on different aspects of your creative energy along the way. In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn explore the difference between starting, pushing through, and finishing energies, and how to harness yours for optimal flow through the creative cycle. The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this episode is Ricardo Fayet, a cofounder of Reedsy, a marketplace connecting authors to editors, cover designers, book marketers, translators, and other professionals. Also, full disclosure, I am also a developmental editor for Reedsy. As for Ricardo, when he's not coming up with new and expanded services for Reedsy, he's writing books on an important part of the publishing ecosystem: marketing.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Today on the Self-Publishing News podcast: It's authors vs. OpenAI as lawsuits and petitions seek compensation for content scraped by ChatGPT. But, as News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy report, the issue is not that simple. Also, USA Today relaunches its bestseller list, which is good news for indie authors. Howard and Dan discuss these and other stories making the news this month in indie publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this episode is EJ Fisch, a science-fiction author who spent fifteen years working on a series that merges sci-fi with mystery and thriller in a combination that has earned her devoted fans. Her writing journey began with role-playing games, then she transferred those stories to self-published books, which she also designs herself.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
In this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black: where to sell your books. Other questions include:
- How do I remove my book for sale?
- Do I need an ISBN for ebooks?
- What happens if I have a problem I can't resolve with Amazon?
- How do I get reviews if I have no audience?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
My guest this episode is Mark McGuinness, a poet who also writes books and hosts podcasts about how creative people can get over blocks in their productivity, motivation, and resilience, among other factors that can get in their way. Mark says his career as a poet and a creative coach employ the same kind of ability to listen carefully to language.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: creating superfans. Studies suggest that readers must read 4.5 books on average from the same author before they even remember their name. But that’s without author intervention. Use a few tricks, and you can engage fans far earlier in the process.
In this episode, ALLi Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey explore a range of strategies any author can deploy to warm readers who enter their ecosystem. Together, they cover sales funnels, online communities, a quest to deliver extra value, and more. Follow their tips, and you, too, can turn casual readers into superfans. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. In the past, he has worked for three trad publishers, managed two bookstores and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he's ALLi's product marketing manager.
Melissa Addey has a PhD in creative writing and writes historical fiction set in first-century Rome, eleventh-century Morocco and eighteenth-century China. She runs writing workshops covering both craft and entrepreneurship, most frequently for the British Library. She's also ALLi's campaigns manager, a role in which she loves observing and supporting the vast diversity of self-published authors. Visit her at her website and pick up a free novella.
My guest this episode writes books that seem ideal for this summer beach-reading season. She is KC Savage, a romance author who decided to shake things up a little bit in her life by writing scandalous stories of cheating and reverse age gap relationships. And, along the way, she discovered that publishing these books began to cure her own shyness.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Generative AI is improving rapidly, almost day by day, giving authors unprecedented assistance in writing and publishing books. In this show, Orna and Joanna give an overview of recent advances in generative AI for words, images, and audio, including Alliance of Independent Authors guidelines on copyright and ethical usage and how to use AI tools to improve quality and output.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this episode is Monique Dawkins, a career and life coach whose book is the culmination of years of experience as a leader. Monique rose through the ranks as a leader in the health-care field, but her advice can be applied to any line of work. And, in the aftermath of COVID, Monique says leadership has undergone a fundamental change.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Today on the Self-Publishing News podcast: Governments respond to AI and copyright. The UK, EU, US, and Japan formulate policy on protecting creators. Also, will books soon come with a carbon-content label? And a new VR eReader helps you focus on nothing but the book. News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy discuss these and other stories making the news this month in indie publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this episode is Kathryn Mathis, a suspense author who spent most of her career in the financial services industry. That is, until her half-sister got a surprise result from a DNA test, revealing something unexpected about her father. That got Kathryn's imagination churning and the result was a story of intrigue involving the Mafia-era casinos in Las Vegas.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black: does publishing work on serial platforms like Wattpad make it "previously published?"
Other questions include:
- What do I do if Amazon terminates my account?
- Where to find the best cover designer?
- What is the best way to create a box set?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
My guest this episode is Kate Frost, a romance writer who had wanted to become an author ever since heart surgery as a child kept her at home and reading. Kate's own take on the genre is to take her readers to exotic locations and to emphasize her characters. She also writes children's books and helped found a children's book festival.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: writing a series. Oscar Wilde, Emily Brontë, and Silvia Plath only wrote one book. History tells us it’s possible to “make it” with just one title, but is that still true today?
Generally, no. It can happen, but most modern authors need a series for a range of reasons.
In this episode, ALLi’s Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey discuss why series help authors build a business. Plus, they outline the forms series can take and explore a range of tips authors can use to maximize the value of a series. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. In the past, he has worked for three trad publishers, managed two bookstores and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he's ALLi's product marketing manager.
Melissa Addey has a PhD in creative writing and writes historical fiction set in first-century Rome, eleventh-century Morocco and eighteenth-century China. She runs writing workshops covering both craft and entrepreneurship, most frequently for the British Library. She's also ALLi's campaigns manager, a role in which she loves observing and supporting the vast diversity of self-published authors. Visit her at her website and pick up a free novella.
On the Creative Self-Publishing Podcast, ALLi Director Orna Ross discusses how to use your creative mission to discover your publishing purpose. Using reflective exercises and free writing, Orna will help you answer: What kind of difference do you want to make as a self-publishing author? What do you want to be known for? Together, we'll illuminate your creative mission. Grab your pen and paper, and let's begin this exciting journey of discovery.
The Creative Self-Publishing podcast stream is sponsored by Orna Ross’s guidebook: Creative Self-Publishing. You can purchase the book at selfpublishingAdvice.org/creative. ALLI members receive the ebook edition, and all ALLi guidebooks, free.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
In this Self-Publishing Conference Highlight, authors and educators Matty Dalrymple and Mark Lefebvre explore ways writers can use their short fiction to connect with more readers, while generating income at the same time. Opportunities in anthologies, foreign language markets, and audio, as well as effective use of short fiction as reader magnets or reader funnels are covered, alongside creative ideas such as incorporating short fiction in location-based apps, or using micro-fiction as part of your bookstore pitches.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Mark Leslie Lefebvre is the author (as Mark Leslie) of numerous horror short stories and curator / editor of horror anthologies. He writes, speaks, consults, and podcasts based on his more than a quarter-century of experience in writing, publishing, and bookselling. He established the Kobo Writing Life author program and is the Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital. Find out more at www.markleslie.ca/.
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on independent publishing as The Indy Author; find out more at www.theindyauthor.com. She is also the author of the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels and Suspense Shorts and the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers; find out more at www.mattydalrymple.com. Matty is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, Sisters in Crime, and the Brandywine Valley Writers Group, and is the principal at William Kingsfield Publishers.
My guest this episode is Robin Phillips, who writes books about role-playing games and military history. It's a subject that has fascinated him since he was a child. Robin, writing under the name of Russell Phillips enjoys writing about history, but not just the major events. He specializes in discovering and shining a light on little-known battles and turning points in history. He also uses his self-publishing expertise to help other authors. I'll let Robin Phillips tell his story.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
As Joanna is in New Zealand this month, Sacha Black is stepping in to discuss planning an integrated publishing business across multiple genres with ALLi Director Orna Ross. Sacha will pose one of the questions Orna is most often asked: How does she manage to write and publish across the three macro-genres of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry while also running ALLi? This episode will explore the creative planning method Orna uses to integrate not three genres and four brands across two businesses: one for-profit and one non-profit. The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
On the Creative Self-Publishing Podcast, ALLi Director Orna Ross and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy discuss using your creative passion to discover your genre, niche, and micro-niche. We all have something specific that gets us inspired and fired up. But we need to translate that into defining our specific categories so readers can find us. That, in turn, can fire up our creativity.
The Creative Self-Publishing podcast stream is sponsored by Orna Ross’s guidebook: Creative Self-Publishing. You can purchase the book at selfpublishingAdvice.org/creative. ALLI members receive the ebook edition, and all ALLi guidebooks, free.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Today on the Self-Publishing News podcast: Traditionally published debut authors find they're getting frustratingly little in the way of support. A German survey finds that young people are reading more, but they're getting their recommendations from TikTok, which is being banned around the world. And once striking Hollywood writers return to work, will they just be finishing up scripts begun by AI? News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy discuss these and other stories making the news this month in indie publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this episode is Karen Baugh Menuhin, who began self-publishing at the age of sixty, when she discovered that her lifelong habit of daydreaming could be turned into compelling characters and plots in a series of cozy mysteries. And her fans agree. She's sold over 100,000 audiobooks and around 350,000 ebooks.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Orna Ross and Sacha Black: estate planning and copyright registration. Does ALLi recommend any estate planning services? Do non-US authors need to register their copyrights in the USA?
Other questions include:
- Can I base my book on a book that is in the public domain?
- What's the best legal way to crowdsource a book?
- Help! An ex-employee of my company broke into my Amazon account and shut it down!
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
On the Creative Self-Publishing Podcast, ALLi Director Orna Ross and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy discuss how to choose your top task for the month. Indie authors wear three different hats: maker, manager, and marketeer. But within those categories, it's best to pick your priorities each month. Orna explains how to do that.
The Creative Self-Publishing podcast stream is sponsored by Orna Ross’s guidebook: Creative Self-Publishing. You can purchase the book at selfpublishingAdvice.org/creative. ALLI members receive the ebook edition, and all ALLi guidebooks, free.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: building a mailing list. Book marketing is an overwhelming topic. From Facebook to Amazon ads to blog tours and physical events—the possibilities can seem endless and ever-changing. But most authors agree that one marketing method remains constant: email.
Learn how to build a mailing list and you can create a powerful author business, no matter your genre. But how? In this episode, ALLi’s Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey discuss how mailing lists work, as well as how to build one from scratch to help you connect with your readers, create superfans and sell more books. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. In the past, he has worked for three trad publishers, managed two bookstores and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he's ALLi's product marketing manager.
Melissa Addey has a PhD in creative writing and writes historical fiction set in first-century Rome, eleventh-century Morocco and eighteenth-century China. She runs writing workshops covering both craft and entrepreneurship, most frequently for the British Library. She's also ALLi's campaigns manager, a role in which she loves observing and supporting the vast diversity of self-published authors. Visit her at her website and pick up a free novella.
At the Alliance of Independent Authors, many of us work behind the scenes on behalf of our members. Here's a peek into what we do and what we're working on.
My guest this episode is Alfred O'Neill, an author who took a rather unconventional childhood filled with contradictions and turned them into self-published thrillers. Alfred's father was a low-level mobster who nevertheless sent him to Quaker schools where they emphasized morality and love. Alfred delves into these dual ideas in his "Love and Murder" series of books.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month’s Advanced Self-Publishing Podcast ALLi Director Orna Ross and Enterprise Adviser Joanna Penn discuss insights gleaned from their visits to the 2023 London Book Fair and 20Books to 50K conference in Spain. They share what they consider to be the most important trends, tools and technologies emerging for authors, with advice on how to make these work for you, and their personal lessons learned.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
On the Creative Self-Publishing Podcast, ALLi Director Orna Ross and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy discuss ten creative planning principles. Indie authors and publishers have to integrate purpose, profits, and pleasure. It’s a balancing act and these principles help to keep us upright.
The Creative Self-Publishing podcast stream is sponsored by Orna Ross’s guidebook: Creative Self-Publishing. You can purchase the book at selfpublishingAdvice.org/creative. ALLI members receive the ebook edition, and all ALLi guidebooks, free.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Today on the Self-Publishing News podcast: A new ALLi income survey finds that self-publishing authors can earn more than writers with publishers if it's done properly. Also, what does Amazon's closing of its Book Depository mean for the future of its book business? And can ChatGPT be sued for libel? News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy discuss these and other stories making the news this month in indie publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this episode is Karen Inglis, a self-published children's author with over a half-million sales. She also wrote a book for other indie authors on how to write and market books for children. Among other things, she says it's important to think locally and write from the heart.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black: young author problems. What are the legal ramifications of my seven-year-old granddaughter authoring a book and I'm one of the co-authors?
Other questions include:
- If I interview other authors in my book, who owns the copyright to their responses?
- Where can I get help with marketing and cover design?
- Does my author website need a privacy policy?
- Is there a limit to how many times a work can appear on Amazon (in anthologies, standalone, etc.)?
- When is the best time to promote a series—when the first book is done, or when more books are finished?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
My guest this episode is Julia Boggio, who went from professional photographer to indie author. Along the way, she experienced early viral fame and launched a clever marketing campaign that recruited her fellow photographers in promoting her work.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month’s Advanced Self-Publishing Podcast ALLi Director Orna Ross and Enterprise Adviser Joanna Penn discuss crowdfunding for authors. They share their own experiences and upcoming plans while providing insights into how to set up a successful crowdfunding campaign, engage your reader community, and smash your funding goals.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
On the Creative Self-Publishing Podcast, ALLi Director Orna Ross and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy discuss how to work with resistance to restart your creative flow. In their last show, they talked about the Seven Signs of Publishing Resistance. In this episode, Orna and Howard talk about how to connect once more with your creative side.
The Creative Self-Publishing podcast stream is sponsored by Orna Ross’s guidebook: Creative Self-Publishing. You can purchase the book at selfpublishingAdvice.org/creative. ALLI members receive the ebook edition, and all ALLi guidebooks, free.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: launching reviews. Selling books can be a tough gig for authors who are yet to attract an audience. When you’re unknown, you need reviews to get sales. But you also need sales to get reviews. Thankfully, there are ways to break out of this vicious cycle.
In this episode, ALLi’s Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey discuss a few time-tested ways authors with no contacts and a shoestring budget can accumulate early reviews, including strategies to maximize both their quantity and quality. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. In the past, he has worked for three trad publishers, managed two bookstores and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he's ALLi's product marketing manager.
Melissa Addey has a PhD in creative writing and writes historical fiction set in first-century Rome, eleventh-century Morocco and eighteenth-century China. She runs writing workshops covering both craft and entrepreneurship, most frequently for the British Library. She's also ALLi's campaigns manager, a role in which she loves observing and supporting the vast diversity of self-published authors. Visit her at her website and pick up a free novella.
My guest this episode is Melissa Addey, who you may already know as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors and co-host of the Beginners Self-Publishing podcast. But Melissa is also an accomplished indie author, herself, focusing on historical fiction. She also uses her expertise to help other self-published authors find their voices.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Today on the Self-Publishing News podcast: A new ALLi Income Survey will reveal just how much indie authors really make. Also, the US Copyright Office issues ruling on AI-generated text, and how Silicon Valley bank failures impact your author business. News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy discuss these and other stories making the news this month in indie publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this episode is Jess Lohmann, an author who draws attention to animal rights through her books for young adults. Also, for adults, she focuses her business on ethical marketing. Jess managed to take an uninspiring marketing career and change it to one that reflects her values.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
What are the legal implications of publishing an unauthorized biography? That is one of the topics covered in this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black.
Other questions include:
- Help! Amazon canceled my preorder!
- How do I get reviews for my books?
- Are Scrivener or Jutoh suitable apps for indie authors?
- If my poems are printed in the local paper, does that make them "previously published" for other submissions or contests?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
On the Creative Self-Publishing Podcast, ALLi Director Orna Ross and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy discuss the seven signs of writing resistance and block. As you plan your creative expansion and set about putting your plans into action, you will meet resistance. This is inevitable, part of the process, and not a personal weakness or a sign that you should give up. Orna breaks down how to identify the different forms of resistance.
The Creative Self-Publishing podcast stream is sponsored by Orna Ross’s guidebook: Creative Self-Publishing. You can purchase the book at selfpublishingAdvice.org/creative. ALLI members receive the ebook edition, and all ALLi guidebooks, free.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: soft launching a book. Thanks to movies and a narrative perpetuated by trade publishers, debut authors fixate on big book launches, characterized by perfection and fanfare. The reality, however, is that many experienced authors stagger book launches, choosing not to fire all cylinders at once for a variety of reasons. In this episode, ALLi’s Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey discuss such practices, explaining what a soft launch is, the nuances of launching to a smaller audience before hitting the masses, and how to engineer a soft launch for more long-term success.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. In the past, he has worked for three trad publishers, managed two bookstores and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he's ALLi's product marketing manager.
Melissa Addey has a PhD in creative writing and writes historical fiction set in first-century Rome, eleventh-century Morocco and eighteenth-century China. She runs writing workshops covering both craft and entrepreneurship, most frequently for the British Library. She's also ALLi's campaigns manager, a role in which she loves observing and supporting the vast diversity of self-published authors. Visit her at her website and pick up a free novella.
My guest this episode is Michael Webb, who writes YA Fantasy books, but attracts readers of all ages. Michael has a great deal of advice for other authors on how to successfully write, launch, and market a debut novel and keep the momentum going for subsequent books.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month’s Advanced Self-Publishing Podcast ALLi Director Orna Ross and Enterprise Adviser Joanna Penn discuss how to make more money than the average author. Anecdotal evidence indicates that authors who take self-publishing seriously earn more, on average, than authors who are exclusively trade-published. As ALLi conducts research into independent author income, Orna and Joanna review some initial findings, survey the landscape, and ask: What levers can you pull to make more money as an indie author?
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
On the Creative Self-Publishing Podcast, ALLi Director Orna Ross and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy discuss the three models of independent publishing. They are volume publishing, engagement publishing, and craft publishing. Each model comes with its own priorities and values that affect every aspect of the publishing process, from production to promotion. Orna details how each model works.
The Creative Self-Publishing podcast stream is sponsored by Orna Ross’s guidebook: Creative Self-Publishing. You can purchase the book at selfpublishingAdvice.org/creative. ALLI members receive the ebook edition, and all ALLi guidebooks, free.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Today on the Self-Publishing News podcast: Amazon changes its ebook returns policy, much to the relief of authors. Also, Substack allows private, curated audiences. And in the Tech Corner, humans strike back against AI. News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy discuss these and other stories making the news this month in indie publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this episode is Karen A. Chase, who began her career in advertising and marketing before she had an epiphany one day and decided she wanted to contribute something more lasting to society as an author. But she also uses her background to help other authors navigate their way through the many roads to marketing their work.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Unlimited marketing is one of the topics covered in this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Orna Ross.
Other questions include:
- If you had $10,000 to spend on marketing, how would you spend it?
- What are your tips for publishing a 900-page book?
- Can you give a refresher on the benefits, pros/cons of using IngramSpark?
- Where can I find an illustrator?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
On the Creative Self-Publishing Podcast, ALLi Director Orna Ross and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy talk about where to spend your time, energy, and money. Indie publishers juggle many roles as they write, publish, and market their work, plus hold down other jobs to pay the bills. Sometimes, it can seem overwhelming. In this episode, Orna answers questions on how to prioritize and focus on the most meaningful aspects of your indie author business.
The Creative Self-Publishing podcast stream is sponsored by Orna Ross’s guidebook: Creative Self-Publishing. You can purchase the book at selfpublishingAdvice.org/creative. ALLI members receive the ebook edition, and all ALLi guidebooks, free.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: book formats and distribution. When average readers discuss the book trade, many tend to have a one-track mind focused on print books and physical bookstores. The truth, though, is that books have much more potential in terms of formats and distribution.
In this episode, ALLi Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey lead a discussion on the range of intellectual property assets an author can create from a single book, and the places they can distribute, covering everything from large print to digital audiobooks, and libraries to pay-as-you-go reading apps. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. In the past, he has worked for three trad publishers, managed two bookstores and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he's ALLi's product marketing manager.
Melissa Addey has a PhD in creative writing and writes historical fiction set in first-century Rome, eleventh-century Morocco and eighteenth-century China. She runs writing workshops covering both craft and entrepreneurship, most frequently for the British Library. She's also ALLi's campaigns manager, a role in which she loves observing and supporting the vast diversity of self-published authors. Visit her at her website and pick up a free novella.
My guest this episode is Maryann Reid, who writes women's fiction aimed at an African American audience, and she found success with that formula at St. Martin's Press for a decade. Then the economic downturn happened in 2008, and she had to rethink everything. She came out the other side with a new voice as an indie author.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month’s Advanced Self-Publishing Podcast ALLi Director Orna Ross and Enterprise Adviser Joanna Penn discuss opportunities for indie authors in 2023. The rise of AI tools, the growth of the creator economy, and the emergence of previously underrepresented writers and genres mean 2023 looks set to be an exciting year to be writing and publishing books. In this AskALLi Podcast, Orna and Joanna survey the opportunities and challenges for indie authors aiming to make better books and reach more readers in the year ahead.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
In this Self-Publishing Conference Highlight, Penny Sansevieri discusses the seven ways to build direct connections with readers.
You’ve probably heard the term “super fans” thrown around a lot. But how do you go from having casual readers to activating the super fan connection?
By the end of this session, you will learn how to build more connections with readers, drive more word-of-mouth recommendations, get more reviews, and sell more books!
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
My guest this episode is Millicent Eidson, a retired public health veterinarian and epidemiologist who worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with state health departments. Now she's the author of the Maya Maguire microbial mystery series, which seeks to make public health and climate change understandable and even entertaining to a general audience, something that is necessary in the age of pandemics.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Today on the Self-Publishing News podcast: Experiments with Midjourney and ChatGPT. ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy discuss the latest developments in artificial intelligence. Apple turns to AI for audiobook narration, and many authors are up in arms over a children's book written and illustrated by AI. Howard talks about his experiments with AI in fiction and how the technology can be incorporated into your creative work without replacing it.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Cover plagiarism is one of the topics covered in this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black.
Other questions include:
- In the United States, should I register my copyright to send ARCs to readers?
- Does ALLi offer access to scriptwriters?
- My contract with my literary agent is scheduled to close in forty-five days. Can I self-publish my book on pre-order?
- What's the best way to handle character backstories that don't end up in my book?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
My guest this episode is Stacey Aaronson. She is a ghostwriter, editor, cover designer, layout artist, and publishing partner for indie authors, but perhaps what gave her the most personal satisfaction was writing a book about her mother, who was a teenager when Stacy was born. Together, they formed a unique spiritual bond.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: creating an author imprint. Author stereotypes skew heavily in favor of “starving artists,” disregarding that those who succeed are often savvy entrepreneurs. If you want to emulate the winners then you will also need to learn business skills, starting with creating an imprint. In this episode, ALLi’s Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey discuss why creating an imprint can help you run a smoother author business, as well as the paperwork involved, legal and financial matters, and anything else a fledgling author needs to know if they want to build a robust, long-term organization.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. In the past, he has worked for three trad publishers, managed two bookstores and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he's ALLi's product marketing manager.
Melissa Addey has a PhD in creative writing and writes historical fiction set in first-century Rome, eleventh-century Morocco and eighteenth-century China. She runs writing workshops covering both craft and entrepreneurship, most frequently for the British Library. She's also ALLi's campaigns manager, a role in which she loves observing and supporting the vast diversity of self-published authors. Visit her at her website and pick up a free novella.
On the Creative Self-Publishing Podcast, we'll talk about annual planning for your indie author business. It's the end of the year, so it's time to think about what 2023 is going to look like. But it's not as daunting a task as it may seem. The way to do it is to break the year down into manageable chunks. And here to guide us along are ALLi Director Orna Ross and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy.
The Creative Self-Publishing podcast stream is sponsored by Orna Ross’s guidebook: Creative Self-Publishing. You can purchase the book at selfpublishingAdvice.org/creative. ALLI members receive the ebook edition, and all ALLi guidebooks, free.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Ad coaches, anonymous ratings, and barcodes are a few of the topics covered in this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Orna Ross and Sacha Black.
Questions include:
- What do I do if Amazon terminates my account?
- Should I pay a coach to help me with Amazon Ads?
- How do I determine if a contest is worth it?
- Do I need a barcode?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
My guest this episode is Landis Wade, who was a trial lawyer until he reached his fifties, and then decided he wanted to leave a different kind of legacy than just the cases he's won. So he set out on a different journey as an indie author. Along the way, he launched a podcast to learn from other authors just how to run an indie publishing business.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: book marketing foundations. Talk to experienced indie authors and most will tell you that writing well is only part of the equation. If you want to succeed commercially then you must also master marketing. In this episode, ALLi’s Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey outline the foundations of marketing a book for debut authors: what works, what doesn’t, and what can work but isn’t applicable for most first-time authors. If you want to save time, sidestep common mistakes and shift early copies, this is the episode for you.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. In the past, he has worked for three trad publishers, managed two bookstores and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he's ALLi's product marketing manager.
Melissa Addey has a PhD in creative writing and writes historical fiction set in first-century Rome, eleventh-century Morocco and eighteenth-century China. She runs writing workshops covering both craft and entrepreneurship, most frequently for the British Library. She's also ALLi's campaigns manager, a role in which she loves observing and supporting the vast diversity of self-published authors. Visit her at her website and pick up a free novella.
My guest this episode is Debbie Young, who many of you already know from our ALLi member forums on Facebook. She's usually there to answer questions about indie publishing. Well, Debbie, a writer of cozy mysteries, recently signed a deal with a trade publisher. But, as she says in our interview, she approached her negotiations with a traditional publisher with the mindset of an indie author.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author Podcast stream is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month’s Advanced Self-Publishing Podcast ALLi Director Orna Ross and Enterprise Adviser Joanna Penn discuss when to quit writing and publishing. Should you just keep writing and publishing even if it’s not going anywhere? Should you persist with the creative and business choices you have invested in for so long–or could you just walk away? Orna and Joanna talk about the times in our lives when we might need to consider quitting aspects of our writing, publishing, marketing, and business.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
On the Creative Self-Publishing Podcast, we'll talk about the different kinds of business models for indie authors. As we know, if you're an indie author, you're also a businessperson, whether you want to be or not. But, don't panic, there are many ways to run an indie author business depending on what you want to get out of it. And here to guide us along are ALLi Director Orna Ross and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy.
The Creative Self-Publishing podcast stream is sponsored by Orna Ross’s guidebook: Creative Self-Publishing. You can purchase the book at selfpublishingAdvice.org/creative. ALLI members receive the ebook edition, and all ALLi guidebooks, free.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this Self-Publishing Conference Highlight, M. K. Williams discusses the dos and don'ts of starting an AuthorTube channel. What is AuthorTube? Should it be a pillar of your author platform? A fondness for being on camera and some interest in video production is essential, but it's equally important to know you're spending your time and effort in the right place. This session introduces various options and how to get started, including working out whether your target readers are on YouTube. M.K. then shows you how to deliver content they'll welcome so you can grow your readers and your book sales.
By the end of this session, you will: * Identify your goals in starting an AuthorTube channel * Learn the dos and don'ts of starting a YouTube Channel * Determine who your audience is, if they are on YouTube, and what they want to see * Come up with ideas for your first videos * If you have thought about starting an AuthorTube channel, then this is the session you need to watch to get started on the right foot.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
My guest this episode is Alan Hesse, a conservationist who found his way to indie publishing through his ability to reach kids and adults in his drawings. Alan's graphic novels about climate change entertain readers while also teaching them that there is something each of them can do to help save the earth.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Today on Self-Publishing News: Should indie authors exit Twitter in light of all the company turmoil? Also, a judge says no to Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House merger. What does that mean for authors?
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
On the Creative Self-Publishing Podcast, we'll talk about creative rest to improve your work. Today's episode is the third of three parts in an integrative approach to creativity. In past episodes, we've discussed creative work and creative fun. Today, we'll discuss creative rest. But this is more than just taking a snooze to recharge. There are many different ways to rest, depending on your own needs. Helping to sort it out for us are ALLi Director Orna Ross and ALLi News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Do I need a developmental editor? How do I launch a Kickstarter? These are among the questions answered in this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black.
Other questions include:
- What is the best tool to research categories for my book?
- Are Amazon Ads a good place to start marketing my book?
- How do I get the rights back to my book?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
My guest this episode is Maria Riegger, who has many moving parts to her career, some of which might even seem at odds with one another. For example, she's a lawyer who is also very much into astrology. She also used her own childhood trauma to launch a series of parenting books so other children would not suffer the way she did. And she uses her legal expertise to help other indie publishers navigate issues like copyright law.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: editing and proofreading. Writing a book is impressive but getting yours to a publishable standard is a whole other trial by fire. Doing so requires a stringent quality control process, a team of collaborators, and several editorial stages. In this episode, ALLi’s Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey walk listeners through the major editing stages that authors must face to turn a written manuscript into a professional product. Together, they’ll discuss the whys, hows, and whens of editing, as well as insights from their own processes.
This podcast is brought to you by Children's Literature. Children’s Literature holds the largest collection of children's and YA book reviews in the reviewing industry. Their reviews are licensed to booksellers, libraries, and literature databases. They review over 2,000 books per year from a variety of publishers and include self-published book reviews. Their website, ChildrensLit.com, is a great place to find information about the latest books and creators in the field of children’s and YA literature.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. In the past, he has worked for three trad publishers, managed two bookstores and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he's ALLi's product marketing manager.
Melissa Addey has a PhD in creative writing and writes historical fiction set in first-century Rome, eleventh-century Morocco and eighteenth-century China. She runs writing workshops covering both craft and entrepreneurship, most frequently for the British Library. She's also ALLi's campaigns manager, a role in which she loves observing and supporting the vast diversity of self-published authors. Visit her at her website and pick up a free novella.
On the Creative Self-Publishing Podcast, we'll talk about creative play to improve your work. Today's episode is the second of three parts in an integrative approach to creativity. Last episode, we discussed creative work. Now, we'll discuss something that sounds even more fun, creative play. But there's also some serious science behind it, helping to improve your productivity by as much as 20 percent. Welcome to the Creative Self-Publishing podcast with ALLi director, novelist, poet, and creative facilitator Orna Ross, and ALLi News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month’s Advanced Self-Publishing Podcast ALLi Director Orna Ross and Enterprise Adviser Joanna Penn discuss self-publishing values. All publishers care about craft, engage with readers, and harness the power of book retailer algorithms—but each publisher must also decide whether they are primarily a craft publisher (focus: creative excellence) an engagement publisher (focus: responsive to readers) or a volume publisher (focus: driving algorithms). Orna and Joanna address the differences between these publishing approaches, how they’ve shown up in their own work, and the difference it makes when you know which approach best suits your books.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this episode is Guy Windsor, who is also known as "The Sword Guy." He has taken his love for a very niche topic, which is researching medieval and Renaissance sword-fighting techniques and turned it into a successful career through books, online courses and crowdfunding campaigns. It's a model that other indie authors could follow.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Today on Self-Publishing News: Amazon has amended its returns policy after authors pushed back. Also, is BookTok always good for authors? And, in our Tech Corner, new AI helps readers discover your books.
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Today, we'll talk about how to get your creative work done. Welcome to the Creative Self-Publishing podcast with ALLi director, novelist, poet, and creative facilitator Orna Ross, and ALLi News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy. Every episode, we'll discuss how to become a profitable self-publisher while also retaining your unique, creative voice. There are many paths to self-publishing, and we'll help you discover yours. In today's episode, we'll talk about doing the creative work necessary to become a successful self-publisher.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
How to handle book design plagiarism? That's among the questions answered in this month's AskALLi Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black. Other questions include:
- What services are authors using to setup direct sales on their websites?
- What is the best way to get my indie book into bookstores?
- What is the best way to negotiate the rights to an audiobook to a publisher?
- If I am rebranding my series, should I release the new covers at the same time or can I stagger the new covers?
- How can I avoid scams?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
My guest this episode is Jessica Bell, a book cover designer, author, singer/songwriter, publisher, and parent. Yes, Jessica juggles many moving parts in her career. In our interview, she tells us how she evolved from a songwriter to what she calls a multipreneur.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
What are the reasons to self-publish? Despite the growth of the self-publishing industry, many inexperienced authors still choose to sign with a traditional publisher. That’s fine if that route is best for your business, but it’s not fine if you only do it because you don’t know any better.
In this episode, ALLi’s Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey discuss all the reasons why new authors should consider self-publishing, delving into financial, creative and personal benefits that make it the best option for many writers’ businesses.
This podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Dartfrog Books. ALLi Partner Member DartFrog Books provides indie authors with opportunities for bookstore placement and promotion to more than 27,000 book clubs. Their self-publishing, hybrid, traditional, and single-service publishing platforms are designed to engage authors of all types at every stage of their journey. We'd like to thank Dartfrog for their support of this podcast.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. In the past, he has worked for three trad publishers, managed two bookstores and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he's ALLi's product marketing manager.
Melissa Addey has a PhD in creative writing and writes historical fiction set in first-century Rome, eleventh-century Morocco and eighteenth-century China. She runs writing workshops covering both craft and entrepreneurship, most frequently for the British Library. She's also ALLi's campaigns manager, a role in which she loves observing and supporting the vast diversity of self-published authors. Visit her at her website and pick up a free novella.
How do you build your publishing team? Welcome to the Creative Self-Publishing podcast with ALLi director, novelist, poet, and creative facilitator Orna Ross, and ALLi News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy. Every episode, we'll discuss how to become a profitable self-publisher while also retaining your unique, creative voice. There are many paths to self-publishing, and we'll help you discover yours. In today's episode, we'll talk about the three different kinds of self-publishers and who they'll need to help them achieve their goals.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month’s Advanced Self-Publishing Podcast ALLi Director Orna Ross and Enterprise Adviser Joanna Penn talk about the importance of creative rest for indie authors and how it is a core part of the writing and publishing process. They share advice on different ways to give yourself a break while and lessons learned from their own recent downtimes.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this episode is Tanya Anne Crosby, who first found a traditional publisher, writing romance novels that consistently made the best-seller lists. Eventually, Tanya grew weary of the tropes she was expected to follow in her genre and longed to break barriers. That's when she decided to go indie. Now, she revels in the freedom this gives her as a writer. Not only that, she helps other authors achieve the same kind of success. I'll let Tanya tell her story.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Today on Self-Publishing News: Spotify gets ready to go big on audiobooks, and they're working with writers to "innovate and create something that is different.” Also, IBPA has set new guidelines for hybrid publishers, and artificial intelligence is now creating cover art—making many artists nervous.
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
What does it mean to be creative? Welcome to our latest podcast, Creative Self-Publishing with ALLi director, novelist, poet, and creative facilitator Orna Ross, and ALLi News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy. Every episode, we'll discuss how to become a profitable self-publisher while also retaining your unique, creative voice. There are many paths to self-publishing, and we'll help you discover yours. In today's episode, we'll introduce the topic by defining what exactly Orna means by creative self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
The AskALLi Members Q&A Podcast is back with your most common self-publishing questions answered by authors Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black.
Questions include:
- Where can I find the IngramSpark discount code?
- Where is ALLi's resources on ISBNs?
- What does ALLi think about X service?
- I have a problem with my membership. Can you help?
- I signed a deal with a bad publisher.
- How do I get the rights back?
- Can I distribute my books with both Amazon KDP and IngramSpark
- Where is the best place to start for a beginner?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
My guest this episode is J. W. Judge, an author who writes fantasy novels while also holding down a busy day job as a lawyer and is very involved in family life. Judge says that to be a prolific writer, you don't necessarily need to let other aspects of your life suffer. In our interview, he'll tell us how it's done. I'll let J. W. Judge tell his story.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Orna Ross, director of the Alliance of Independent Authors, talks to ALLi News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy about upcoming additions and changes to our twice-weekly family of podcasts. We took a little more than a month off to collect feedback from listeners and we're coming back with new hosts, new shows, improved content, all with the same commitment to giving you the news and advice you need as independent authors. Have a listen and learn what's new!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Hello, everyone. A short broadcast from us today. It's Orna Ross here, director of the Alliance of Independent Authors, just here to tell you that we are taking a short production break. We will be back at the beginning of September.
We are doing a major upgrade of the podcast, as well as the general Self-Publishing Advice Center, from our ratings pages, where we bring you the best and the worst of the self-publishing services out there, the awards page, where we look at and rate the awards and prizes that are available to indie authors these days, and all our advice pages. We're going to be making the site a lot more user-friendly, and we're going to have a section just for beginners and navigation, generally, just making it easier for you to find what you need.
There's a huge amount of information on our website, as you know, between our almost daily blogs, our weekly podcasts, and all the different information in video, in audio, and in text, that we try to bring you about the fast-changing world of self-publishing, and while that's great to have all that information there, we are aware that extracting the information that you need, when you need it, is what the Advice Center will be designed to do, because we know that's what you need. The last thing you need is so much information that you feel overwhelmed.
We're operating, going forward, on a just-in-time principle rather than just-in-case. So, rather than you just accumulating all the information and knowledge that is available around self-publishing, the idea is that you'll be able to drop in to just the information that you need at the point in time when you need it, and it will be organized across the seven stages of the publishing process: editorial, design, production, distribution, marketing, promotion, and rights licensing.
So, it will all be there at your fingertips. That is the hope anyway.
And as part of that, as I said, we will be revamping the podcast. We have new team members coming on board who we'll be talking to about all the various topics.
Now, currently we are organized on the podcast around a beginner's session, an advanced session, our Member Q&A, and Self-Publishing News. So, they're the four categories, and of course, our interviews with our inspirational indie author members, which happen every second week on a Sunday. So, the podcast comes out on a Friday, one of those four streams, and on a Sunday, we do the interviews.
We're going to shake that up, and the reason I'm here really is to ask you what you would like us to be providing on podcast. So, as I said, we'll have new technology coming on board, new team members, new ideas, we've got our own ideas of things that we would like to change, but we're really keen to hear from you about what you would like to change.
What would you like to see on your Self-Publishing Advice podcast? What topics would you like us to cover? How would you like us to approach them?
We will be having member-only content for Alliance of Independent Author Members only. But what else, what else would you like to see? Are there people you would like us to get in touch with and maybe have as speakers?
The canvas is still quite blank over here as we decide what we're doing, and as I said, we're taking this production break in order to do this. So, we'd love to hear from you. If you write to me directly via orna@allianceindependentauthors.org. That's orna@allianceindependentauthors.org with your ideas, your thoughts, your feedback, anything at all that you would like to say about the Self-Publishing Advice podcast. We will take it on board, and we will see what we can do.
So, until September, I hope you have a wonderful summer, if you're in the Northern hemisphere. A wonderful winter, if you're in the Southern hemisphere, and just a wonderful time, generally.
Happy writing, happy publishing, and see you in September.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Host
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
In this Self-Publishing Conference Highlight, Sacha Black discusses how to level up your side characters. All too often, side characters are afterthoughts for an author. Most writers spend their time focused on the hero and the plot, so their side characters are slapped on without much thought. But they shouldn’t be. Side characters are the pillars upon which your heroes and villains stand.
By the end of this session, you will learn: * The principles of creating captivating side characters * The most common mistakes writers make with side characters... * And how to fix them * How to make your side characters represent your book’s theme
If you want to level up your characters, story and craft, this session is for you.
My guest this episode is Keith A Pearson, who grew up in economically disadvantaged conditions in England, left school when he was sixteen, and developed a work ethic as he advanced in his career. That work ethic came in handy when he transitioned to full-time author. It was a very unlikely new career choice for Keith, who did not exactly surround himself with the literati. In fact, he wrote his first book on a bar bet with a friend. I'll let Keith A Pearson tell the rest of his story.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Today on Self-Publishing News: Spotify rewrites the rules on audiobook sales by ditching the subscription model and going à la carte. Also, Spotify buys an AI narration tool, but is artificial intelligence really ready to take over from human narrators?
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Should I traditionally publish my book? This is among the questions answered on our #AskALLi Members Q&A hosted by Michael La Ronn, author of science fiction and fantasy novels as well as author self-help books; and ALLi Director, author, and poet Orna Ross.
Other questions include:
- Do I have to blog to be successful at writing?
- Should I hire someone to manage my social media?
- I've been approached by a legitimate traditional publisher! What do I do?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this episode is Tessa Buckley, who had a successful career working with architects and designers until she developed multiple sclerosis and had to rethink everything about her life. This led to research about the proper diet to prevent the progression of MS, which in turn led to a brand-new writing career. Today, she writes middle-grade adventure stories and, she says, there's no better time to be a disabled author. I'll let Tessa Buckley tell her story.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
The indie author’s life is full of creative transformations, which means closing one phase and beginning another. In this session, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss their current transitions, lessons learned from years of growth, and the projects and approaches they left behind along the way. The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
In this Self-Publishing Conference Highlight, Nick Stephenson discusses how to write emails that sell books.
Nick will breakdown the four essential elements of every successful marketing email, including how to come up with topics and ideas (even if you have no idea what to write about), the "missing link" to launch campaigns that can double your sales, and how to integrate your sales message in a fun and interesting way without being "pushy."
By the end of this session, you will:
- have an actionable framework to make email marketing and book launches fun for you and your readers.
- be able to craft effective sales emails in 30 minutes or less - even if you're a complete beginner.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
My guest this episode is Kelly Chang Rickert, a family law attorney in California who is often asked to comment on high-profile celebrity divorce cases. But to Kelly, the airing of dirty laundry in public and couples who just cannot get past their disagreements can only have a negative impact on children. That's why she started writing books for divorcing parents and their children to read together. ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Today on Self-Publishing News: Book bans vs. hate literature. Librarians are accusing the Hoopla platform of distributing antisemitic and other conspiracy theory books, including Holocaust denial titles. But where is the line between "banning books" and establishing standards?
Also, the Society of Authors released a report slamming all hybrid services. But do they all deserve to be painted with the same brush?
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Does your personal brand as an author match your books? When we’ve been publishing for a while, we can sometimes lose sight of our author brand and what it’s saying to our readers.
In this Advanced Self-Publishing Podcast episode, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn talk about pivots they needed to make to their author branding to make it more relevant and personal—and the lessons learned along the way.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this episode is Jennifer Helfand, who writes under the pen name Jordana Chana Mayim. Jennifer specializes in writing stories for children and adults about people who don't quite fit in, who long for something more in their lives. It's a subject she knows well because she spent a childhood not really fitting in, herself, until she found travel, writing, and indie publishing. Jennifer hopes that her books help others find where they can fit in, too. I'll let Jennifer tell her story.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
How do I write in multiple genres? That is among the questions answered on our #AskALLi Member Q&A hosted by Michael La Ronn, author of science fiction and fantasy novels as well as author self-help books; and ALLi Director, author, and poet Orna Ross.
Other questions include:
- How can I find a reputable translator?
- What is the best way to get free editorial reviews for my book?
- When setting up an account at a retailer like Amazon, should I use my real name or a pen name identity?
- In my historical crime fiction series, should I use the metric or imperial system in my descriptions? Which one will most engage readers?
And more!
Our Member Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
What is an author platform? If you’re just setting out as an indie author, how do you build one? In this episode, ALLi Director Orna Ross and Content Production Manager Dan Parsons outline the fundamental pillars that uphold a good author platform—one that spreads your message and sells your books—without spending a fortune on advertising.
This podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Dartfrog Books. ALLi Partner Member DartFrog Books provides indie authors with opportunities for bookstore placement and promotion to more than 27,000 book clubs. Their self-publishing, hybrid, traditional, and single-service publishing platforms are designed to engage authors of all types at every stage of their journey. We'd like to thank Dartfrog for their support of this podcast.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross writes and publishes historical fiction, inspirational poetry, and nonfiction guides for authors. She is director of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. While pursuing his author career, he has worked for three traditional publishers, managed two bookstores, and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he manages ALLi’s book production schedule.
My guest this episode is Ivan Wainewright, whose second book, The Other Times of Caroline Tangent, recently won the 2022 Selfie Award for fiction. It was presented to him at the Author HQ corner of the London Book Fair in early April. He was so surprised that he had won the award that acknowledges the best self-published books of the year, he had to run across the hall to fetch his book. But, as we'll hear in this episode, Ivan has been preparing to write this book for most of his life. I'll let Ivan Wainewright tell his story.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Today on Self-Publishing News: Indie publishing is a great news story! I've given ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway the month off while I focus on the 10th anniversary of the Alliance of Independent Authors. I recently flew from my hometown of Traverse City, Michigan, to London to attend the London Book Fair, where my colleagues at ALLi were celebrating a decade since our founder, Orna Ross, launched the self-publishing group at 2012's book fair.
I come from a journalism background, so I did what I enjoy doing at events like this. I interviewed people. And, today, I'll feature many of their voices about where indie publishing has been, where it is today, and where it's going.
Above all, I think of indie publishing as a great news story, and one that I'm happy to be covering both as a member of ALLi and as a journalist. For me, the rise of indie publishing suits my personality. In my days as a business and technology reporter, if the rest of the media pack were headed one way, I’d head the opposite. That’s where the interesting stories were. Who is going against the grain? Who is innovating?
The old system of publishing is based on outdated technology and assumptions. But technology has progressed to the point where authors need not play by established rules. Independent-minded authors, or those who wish to retain control over their own work and ability to earn from it, can choose not to play the old game.
And that's where we'll begin, with ALLi cofounder and director Orna Ross, who talked about this shift in author attitudes that she's witnessed over the past decade.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
On the Advanced Self-Publishing Podcast: Ten years of self-publishing. As part of its anniversary celebrations, ALLi has been looking back at the past decade —and forward towards the next.
In this podcast episode, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn offer a personal perspective on how the unfolding trends of the past ten years affected their own writing and publishing and their hopes and intentions for the next ten years.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
This is a special episode, looking at ten years of the team at the Alliance of Independent Authors. We've been celebrating ALLi's tenth birthday over the last few weeks. We wanted to take a moment to look at the team behind ALLi's success. This episode looks at where our team members were ten years ago, where they are today, and where they might be in ten years' time.
My guest this episode is Dharma Kelleher, a trans writer who believes it is important, especially in these troubled times, to portray trans characters as just as human as everybody else. Since her childhood in Georgia, Dharma has known what it is like to be marginalized. Today, she has a great deal to teach about empowerment through her fiction and nonfiction.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
How do I obtain photo permission in my book? That is among the questions answered on our #AskALLi Members Q&A hosted by Michael La Ronn, author of science fiction and fantasy novels as well as author self-help books; and ALLi Director, author, and poet Orna Ross.
Other questions include:
- Should I hire a formatter?
- If I republish my book, do I need a new ISBN?
- When do I have to pay sales tax?
- What should I put on the copyright page?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Today on the #AskALLi Foundational Self-Publishing podcast: Are book fairs the right place for indie authors? Recorded at the London Book Fair, this podcast focuses on how indie authors can make the most of publishing conferences like this one. ALLi Director Orna Ross and Production Manager Dan Parsons talk about networking for indie authors. What you should know before walking into the chaos and crowds of a book fair.
This podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Dartfrog Books. ALLi Partner Member DartFrog Books provides indie authors with opportunities for bookstore placement and promotion to more than 27,000 book clubs. Their self-publishing, hybrid, traditional, and single-service publishing platforms are designed to engage authors of all types at every stage of their journey. We'd like to thank Dartfrog for their support of this podcast.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross writes and publishes historical fiction, inspirational poetry, and nonfiction guides for authors. She is director of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. While pursuing his author career, he has worked for three traditional publishers, managed two bookstores, and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he manages ALLi’s book production schedule.
My guest this episode is Julie Bonn Blank, who suffered from domestic abuse during her first marriage, but now uses that experience to help others through the pain and recovery of abuse and human trafficking. Her indie publishing journey is part of her overall mission to show victims the way to a better life.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you, Kobo, for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this Self-Publishing Conference Highlight, Carissa Andrews discusses writing books for rapid release.
Having a sustainable author career that’s both fulfilling and profitable means setting yourself up for success from the start. All too often, however, our mindset hinders us from writing the first book, let alone prepare us for our long-term author goals. We’re about to change all of that!
Andrews will show you how deliberately mapping out four books a year can transform your author career, your income, and your life!
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Brandon Sanderson, a sci-fi/fantasy author, raised more than $30 million on Kickstarter. And, for some reason, people are really, really outraged that an indie writer, of all people, should attract that much attention and money.
This is among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy. Together, they will bring you the latest in indie publishing news.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this episode is Orna Ross, director of the Alliance of Independent Authors. I'm having her on as a special guest to celebrate ALLi's tenth birthday. It was at the London Book Fair in 2012 that Orna announced the formation of a group to help, and advocate for, the growing number of indie authors who were demanding to be heard. And in the last decade, ALLi has grown far bigger than even she had imagined.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Today on the #AskALLi Foundational Self-Publishing podcast: What we wish we knew when we started as indie authors. To celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the Alliance of Independent Authors, ALLi Director Orna Ross and Production Manager Dan Parsons discuss all the things they wish they knew when they first started out as authors.
Topics range from community and professionalism to marketing, productivity, business models, and health. Plus, they will touch upon some of the big changes that have shaped the industry since the dawn of the self-publishing renaissance and the 2012 Kindle Gold Rush.
This podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Dartfrog Books. ALLi Partner Member DartFrog Books provides indie authors with opportunities for bookstore placement and promotion to more than 27,000 book clubs. Their self-publishing, hybrid, traditional, and single-service publishing platforms are designed to engage authors of all types at every stage of their journey. We'd like to thank Dartfrog for their support of this podcast.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross writes and publishes historical fiction, inspirational poetry, and nonfiction guides for authors. She is director of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. While pursuing his author career, he has worked for three traditional publishers, managed two bookstores, and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he manages ALLi’s book production schedule.
What are the first steps for a new author? That is among the questions answered on our #AskALLi Members Q&A hosted by Michael La Ronn, author of science fiction and fantasy novels as well as author self-help books; and ALLi Director, author, and poet Orna Ross.
Other questions include:
- When should I set up my publishing company?
- What should be my first steps in publishing a book?
- What is the best place to find reputable agents to query?
- How can I create Advanced Review Copies of my book?
- Should I include the price in my bar code?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this episode is Harriet Hodgson, who is eighty-six years old and spent most of her life as an educator. Then, one by one, she lost important people in her life. The way she coped with grief was to write about it. And then to create art. Since 2007, Harriet has specialized in writing literature on how to deal with loss. ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
On the Advanced Self-Publishing Podcast: Stages of the writing craft. As indie authors, we can update our books whenever we want. For some authors, this feature of digital publishing is a curse, igniting perfectionism and endless tinkering. Even the most productive self-publisher can decide to do a major rewrite of an old project.
Orna Ross is currently rewriting her novel, Her Secret Rose, and Joanna Penn her first book, Stone of Fire.
Join them for a deep dive into why, when to consider doing this, and the stages of developing your writing craft over time.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Who makes money from subscription services? Also, Draft2Digital acquires Smashwords.
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with Alli News Editor Dan Holloway and News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy. Together, they will bring you the latest in indie publishing news.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this episode is Jim Merryfield, who lived what he called the British version of the Wolf of Wall Street. He was rolling in dough from his sales job for a company that really didn't care about the impact it was having on the world. Jim decided it wasn't a life for him. So, he bought a motorcycle, saw the world, and wrote about how others can do the same. Midlife crisis? Not quite. Jim Merryfield is only twenty-seven years old.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this episode: Influencer marketing for beginner authors. Writing and publishing a book to a professional standard is a mammoth challenge, but it’s only the first step in growing your author business. Next comes marketing.
Some authors manage a huge budget and a savvy paid advertising plan to make a splash, but not all of us can do that when we start out, nor is it essential. In fact, you can actually sell books without spending any money using influencer marketing—the process of leveraging trusted individuals’ audiences to build social proof for your books.
In today's Foundational Self-Publishing Podcast, ALLi Director Orna Ross and Production Manager Dan Parsons discuss various ways you can develop an influencer marketing plan to sell your books with a minimal upfront cost.
This podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Dartfrog Books. ALLi Partner Member DartFrog Books provides indie authors with opportunities for bookstore placement and promotion to more than 27,000 book clubs. Their self-publishing, hybrid, traditional, and single-service publishing platforms are designed to engage authors of all types at every stage of their journey. We'd like to thank Dartfrog for their support of this podcast.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross writes and publishes historical fiction, inspirational poetry, and nonfiction guides for authors. She is director of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. While pursuing his author career, he has worked for three traditional publishers, managed two bookstores, and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he manages ALLi’s book production schedule.
The business of writing articles and short stories for magazines is among the questions answered on our #AskALLi Members Q&A hosted by Michael La Ronn, author of science fiction and fantasy novels as well as author self-help books; and ALLi Director, author, and poet Orna Ross.
Other questions include:
- If I submit an article/short story to a magazine, who owns the copyright?
- When assigning an ISBN, is a cover required
- Do I need a writing coach?
- Does ALLi help authors with taking down pirated books?
- Where can I find ALLi's Service Ratings Directory?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this episode is Rachel McLean, winner of the 2021 Kindle Storyteller Award who enjoys writing crime thrillers that also make you think. The key to Rachel's success, she says, is to strike a balance between what you enjoy writing and what you know readers will buy. I'll let Rachel explain in her own words.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In today's Advanced Self-Publishing podcast, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss the changing audiobook market.
Audiobooks once again performed well in 2021 in the United States, UK, and Europe, with double-digit growth for the seventh year running. The opportunities of audio continue to expand with more distributors and improved discoverability so more listeners can find our work.
But the rise of subscription models is impacting the profitability of audio, so how do indie authors use the services in the most effective way? Can AI narration expand the audiobook market even more—and will authors, narrators, and listeners embrace it?
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Why are books disappearing from Amazon? Also, paper price hikes hit the publishing industry.
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with Alli News Editor Dan Holloway and book editor Howard Lovy. Together, they will bring you the latest in indie publishing news.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this episode is Barry Nugent, who has been self-publishing and podcasting since the early 2000s, well before many people caught on to these trends. Barry is a mild mannered IT guy by day, but spends his early mornings writing action/adventure stories and making them widely available in many formats. His advice to other authors in an era of many choices: listen to your own inner voice.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this episode: How to build a publishing team. Self-publishing is a misnomer. A good book is always a team effort. As a beginner author, it can be tempting to either try to handle everything yourself or totally hand over control to a publishing service. Neither is most likely to bring you a successful publishing business.
Today, ALLi Director Orna Ross and Production Manager Dan Parsons promote a best-practice approach that has brought success for countless ALLi members and other indie authors.
This podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Dartfrog Books. ALLi Partner Member DartFrog Books provides indie authors with opportunities for bookstore placement and promotion to more than 27,000 book clubs. Their self-publishing, hybrid, traditional, and single-service publishing platforms are designed to engage authors of all types at every stage of their journey. We'd like to thank Dartfrog for their support of this podcast.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross writes and publishes historical fiction, inspirational poetry, and nonfiction guides for authors. She is director of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. While pursuing his author career, he has worked for three traditional publishers, managed two bookstores, and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he manages ALLi’s book production schedule.
What is the best way to format a paperback? This is among the questions answered on our #AskALLi Members Q&A hosted by Michael La Ronn, author of science fiction and fantasy novels as well as author self-help books; and ALLi Director, author, and poet Orna Ross.
Other questions include:
- Where can I find the show notes for the podcast?
- Does ALLi connect authors with agents?
- How can I minimize my tax liability as an author?
- Does ALLi recommend writing coaches?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this episode is Peter Turnham, who has dyslexia, which means that he has difficulty reading and interpreting words. It seems like an unlikely condition for a writer. But Peter has spent his life proving that he can overcome any obstacle. Peter says the odds of him becoming a writer were about as great as climbing Mount Everest. But I'll let Peter tell the story of how and why he climbed to the peak, anyway.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
To succeed as a working indie author, you must write and publish well, two complex skills which take years to learn. You must fulfill or exceed the expectations of your readers and followers, not just once, but again and again. And you must do all this at a profit, so that everyone—including you—gets properly paid. Having a good creative publishing plan makes all of this much easier.
In this advanced podcast for indie authors Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss the importance of planning and Orna introduces her Go Creative! In Business Planning program.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
How do I grow my email list? This is among the questions answered on our #AskALLi Members Q&A hosted by Michael La Ronn, author of science fiction and fantasy novels as well as author self-help books; and ALLi Director, author, and poet Orna Ross.
Other questions include:
- I acquired the rights to my book from my publisher, but they won't take my books down from sale. What do I do?
- If I upload my book to the British Library, does that violate Amazon's KDP Select Exclusivity clause?
- What language should I use on my website for GDPR and privacy policies? Is there a boilerplate template somewhere?
- How does Amazon count pre-orders? Does a pre-order count immediately or when your book goes live?"
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway reports from the Futurebook conference, and the future belongs to audio. Also, Spotify buys Findaway in a potential audiobook game-changer.
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with Alli News Editor Dan Holloway and book editor Howard Lovy. Together, they will bring you the latest in indie publishing news.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this episode is Denise Baden, who sponsors climate fiction contests, but is continuously in search of green stories of a different color, an optimistic one rather than the usual dystopian visions of the future. Denise has a background in psychology, and she's convinced that if you show readers an optimistic scenario, they're more likely to work to make it come true. Those optimistic books are so rare, in fact, that she decided to write one herself.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this episode: lean publishing for beginner authors. If you’re an author who writes for pleasure, you can write for yourself but if you’re an indie author, you're also a publisher, and so your book(s) must also please readers. Lean publishing is one way of achieving that, using social media or other methods to publish a book-in-progress and, based on reader feedback and digital metrics, improve its chances of success as you write. Join ALLi Director Orna Ross and Production Manager Dan Parsons as they discuss how authors can publish books, the lean way.
This podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Dartfrog Books. ALLi Partner Member DartFrog Books provides indie authors with opportunities for bookstore placement and promotion to more than 27,000 book clubs. Their self-publishing, hybrid, traditional, and single-service publishing platforms are designed to engage authors of all types at every stage of their journey. We'd like to thank Dartfrog for their support of this podcast.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross writes and publishes historical fiction, inspirational poetry, and nonfiction guides for authors. She is director of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. While pursuing his author career, he has worked for three traditional publishers, managed two bookstores, and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he manages ALLi’s book production schedule.
Do I have to blog to be successful at writing? This is among the questions answered on our #AskALLi Members Q&A hosted by Michael La Ronn, author of science fiction and fantasy novels as well as author self-help books; and ALLi Director, author, and poet Orna Ross.
Other questions include:
- Should I traditionally publish my book?
- Should I hire someone to manage my social media?
- I've been approached by a legitimate traditional publisher! What do I do?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this episode is M. K. Williams, an indie author who got some rather dispiriting advice from a fellow author early in her career. She was told that she shouldn't bother. What could she possibly have to say? Turns out, she not only had a lot to say as an author but also as a coach for other indie authors. Today, she has different advice for anybody who wants to become a self-published author.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
So far, 2021 has seen an acceleration in emerging technologies for authors, including NFTs on blockchain and voice technologies for audio. In this month's #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn explain what these technologies mean for authors and the publishing industry and dispel some of the misinformation, fear, and doubt in the community.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
With the rise in streaming services, many authors have visions of their stories tapping in to the books-to-big-screen pipeline. So far, Wattpad has come through on this promise to take stories from young writers and sell them to services such as Netflix. Now, there's another company, called Inkitt, and they just got a new round of investment to make that happen.
Also, Amazon opens up new 4-Star brick-and-mortar stores and an ALLi author wins the Kindle Storyteller Award.
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with Alli News Editor Dan Holloway and book editor Howard Lovy. Together, they will bring you the latest in indie publishing news.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this episode is Haelee Moone, a fourteen-year-old author who survived an early childhood that was filled with bullying and abuse. Part of the way she healed herself was to write her book about how to love yourself. Now, she wants to give back by helping other kids who have been abused. I recently spoke to Haelee and her father, Dedrick, who told their amazing story.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Mastering the writing craft is a foundational skill for indie authors and, if you want to earn your living as an author and publisher of books, you have to master not just quality but productivity. In this Foundational Self-Publishing Advice Podcast, Orna Ross and Dan Parsons set up the basics that ensure your production process supports your writing craft.
This podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Dartfrog Books. ALLi Partner Member DartFrog Books provides indie authors with opportunities for bookstore placement and promotion to more than 27,000 book clubs. Their self-publishing, hybrid, traditional, and single-service publishing platforms are designed to engage authors of all types at every stage of their journey. We'd like to thank Dartfrog for their support of this podcast.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross writes and publishes historical fiction, inspirational poetry, and nonfiction guides for authors. She is director of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. While pursuing his author career, he has worked for three traditional publishers, managed two bookstores, and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he manages ALLi’s book production schedule.
What's the best way to include photos in a book? This is among the questions answered on our #AskALLi Members Q&A hosted by Michael La Ronn, author of science fiction and fantasy novels as well as author self-help books; and ALLi Director, author, and poet Orna Ross.
Other questions include:
- Do I need to get permission to quote work from a deceased celebrity?
- How do I get my book into bookstores?
- How can I be a lean marketer?
- How can I maximize my income with the Amazon Associates program?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this episode is Nicholas Nawroth, who took his interest in art and dogs to create a series of children's books featuring the adventures of dog characters based on real canines he has known. What gives Nick the most joy is the thought that his books are creating special moments for children, when they settle down to a story with an adult. I'll let Nick tell his story.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
“Comparison-itis” is really just comparing yourself to other people in an unfavorable way. It is, of course, permissible, even desirable, to compare yourself to other people and to have role models. But “comparison-itis” is where you look around and think other people have it easier or are doing better, getting more accolades, or selling more, or writing better. You’re comparing yourself to others in such a way that it's either stopping you completely in your tracks, or it's making you not feel good about what you do and how you're doing it. Unfortunately, it’s pretty widespread in the indie community.
In this #AskALLi Advanced Podcast, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn talk about how to relax and be yourself as a writer.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
There is a worldwide paper shortage just in time for the holiday book-buying season. How are indies coping? Also, artificial intelligence has come to audiobook narration, and what the brief OnlyFans adult-content ban means for indie authors.
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with Alli News Editor Dan Holloway and book editor Howard Lovy. Together, they will bring you the latest in indie publishing news.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this episode is Mary Louisa Locke, who was first inspired to write back in 1979, when her academic research showed her the stories of some incredible 19th-century women. But it wasn't until after Mary Lou retired and began her new career as an indie author that she gave these women new life in historical fiction. Mary Lou's story is one of patience, perseverance, and a vision of the past as well as the future.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Book pre-orders are not a new idea, but the rise of self-publishing and ebooks have changed the way they work. Seeing new opportunities, indies have built avid readerships, improved their read-through and even found new ways to hit coveted bestseller slots by using pre-orders.
You may be panicked by the idea of a looming deadline or intimidated by the logistics of setting a book launch months in the future, but using pre-orders could give you an edge as a self-publishing author.
In today’s #AskALLi Foundational Self-Publishing podcast, Orna Ross and Dan Parsons explain why pre-orders are important and discuss a few creative ways indies can capitalise on them to reach more readers and sell more books.
This podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Dartfrog Books. ALLi Partner Member DartFrog Books provides indie authors with opportunities for bookstore placement and promotion to more than 27,000 book clubs. Their self-publishing, hybrid, traditional, and single-service publishing platforms are designed to engage authors of all types, at every stage of their journey. We'd like to thank Dartfrog for their support of this podcast.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross writes and publishes historical fiction, inspirational poetry and nonfiction guides for authors. She is director of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. While pursuing his author career, he has worked for three traditional publishers, managed two bookstores and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he manages ALLi’s book production schedule.
How can I set my first book up for success? This is among the questions answered on our #AskALLi Members Q&A hosted by Michael La Ronn, author of science fiction and fantasy novels as well as author self-help books; and ALLi Director, author, and poet Orna Ross.
Other questions include:
- Do I need to purchase barcodes for my paperback book?
- Offset printing vs. print on demand? Which is better?
- Is there any way to create a spine for a short book (32 pages)?
- Would ALLi ever consider doing a lootbox or a member-based box set?
- Who manages a traditional publisher's sales pages? What can authors learn from that?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this episode is Phil Simon, who has written a number of books on collaboration. We all know that self-publishing is a misleading term because most self-publishers work collaboratively with editors, designers, marketers, and other specialists to produce a book. Phil not only writes about collaboration, but practices it in the way he publishes.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
All businesses go through a life cycle and in this #AskALLi Advanced Podcast Orna Ross and Joanna Penn consider the three stages of the author-publisher business cycle. Highlighting the main goals, challenges and opportunities of each stage, they offer their top tips for taking your publishing business from startup through growth to maturity.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
The voice technologies powering Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant can transform an audiobook into a two-way conversation between the narrator and the listener. Chatables is pioneering a new type of conversational storytelling that uses voice technology to engage story lovers in exciting new ways. Amy Stapleton describes the market, the opportunities for authors, and how you can easily get your stories published on voice assistants.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Email newsletters are an increasingly popular way for authors to keep in touch with their readers. Are they for you? Indie authors know that it's wise to "go wide." It's not enough to publish a book and then sit back and let the money roll in. The book, and the authors, all need to be available on multiple platforms.
This is among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with Alli News Editor Dan Holloway and book editor Howard Lovy. Together, they will bring you the latest in indie publishing news.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Bradley Metrock, author, broadcaster and publishing thought leader, outlines the latest developments in voice technology, artificial intelligence and other important emerging tools for author-publishers. At the end of the session you will be informed about new possibilities and opportunities opening up for you and where your books fit in.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
My guest this episode is Matty Dalrymple, a mystery and suspense author who discovered that her whodunnits sell very well the indie way. In fact, she's found so much success, she gives back to the community through her podcast called The Indy Author. Matty enjoys the personal connection with her fans that only an indie author can receive.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
How do I protect my book from pirates? This is among the questions answered on our #AskALLi Members Q&A hosted by Michael La Ronn, author of science fiction and fantasy novels as well as author self-help books; and ALLi Director, author, and poet Orna Ross.
Other questions include:
- What are recommended WordPress themes for my author website?
- Who is the best self-publishing aggregator?
- Does ALLi recommend BookBaby?
- And a new scam that a member wants other ALLi members to be aware of.
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
What is the "nimble advantage" for indie authors? Are you feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about your author business? Fed up with technology and constant change? In this overview of what’s changing for indie authors Orna Ross and Joanna Penn focus on the mindset we need to adopt and the practicalities we need to know, so we can surf the change and benefit, instead of drowning in it.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this episode is Alessandra Torre, who began writing romance novels on a dare from her husband and discovered that people read what she wrote. A lot of people, in fact. So many people that Harlequin and Hachette both offered her contracts. But she soon found that indie publishing gave her the freedom she desired to write and market her books her way. Alessandra also discovered that the secret to success in fiction writing could be packaged and sold as a software program that helps writers find their voice. That's how her company, Authors A.I., was born. Here is Alessandra's story.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Today, we will talk about the EU's new copyright directive and what it means for indie authors. Also, we ask, "Where have all the young indie authors gone?"
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with Alli News Editor Dan Holloway and book editor Howard Lovy. Together, they will bring you the latest in indie publishing news.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In today’s episode, Orna Ross and Dan Parsons discuss the importance of comparable authors and how understanding them can help you reach more readers and sell more books. When many authors write their first book, they don’t consider where it will be shelved or categorized by retailers. Nor do they consider the financial consequences of its tone and packaging. As business-minded creatives, however, we need to consider how our books compare to others in our genre, niche, and microniche.
This podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Dartfrog Books. ALLi Partner Member DartFrog Books provides indie authors with opportunities for bookstore placement and promotion to more than 27,000 book clubs. Their self-publishing, hybrid, traditional, and single-service publishing platforms are designed to engage authors of all types, at every stage of their journey. We'd like to thank Dartfrog for their support of this podcast.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross writes and publishes historical fiction, inspirational poetry and nonfiction guides for authors. She is director of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Dan Parsons writes the Creative Business series for authors, bestselling fantasy and horror novels (under Daniel Parsons), and a weekly blog for The Self-Publishing Formula. While pursuing his author career, he has worked for three traditional publishers, managed two bookstores and listened to an unhealthy number of podcasts. Now he manages ALLi’s book production schedule.
My guest this time is Benedict Brown, a crime fiction author who started out writing for children. He loved the creative freedom that came with writing books for kids but found out the hard way that it's a very competitive market. That's when he discovered self-publishing and he turned to a life of crime… well, crime fiction. Benedict Brown tells us his success story.
ALLi's Inspirational Indie Author interviews are sponsored by sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide readership, create your account today! Thank you Kobo for your support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally, if you haven’t already. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
What's the best way to keep in touch with my readers? This is among the questions answered on our #AskALLi Members Q&A is hosted by Michael La Ronn, author of science fiction and fantasy novels as well as author self-help books; and ALLi Director, author, and poet Orna Ross.
Other questions include:
- Do editors charge different rates for non-native English speakers?
- Do you think having a strong accent would hurt my marketing efforts if I'm on a podcast?
- How much can you change in your book before it becomes a second edition?
- Where can I find ALLi's Contest Database?
- Should I take my book out of KDP Select after the first 90 days?
And more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
In this #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Advice podcast, ALLi Director Orna Ross and author Joanna Penn explore the top ten myths about self-publishing and indie authors. Some people think all self-publishers are amateurs, that we can’t get our books into bookstores, that we never use trade publishers, that we can’t win prizes. Then there are the myths we believe ourselves. "Authors can’t make money.”
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Mirinda Kossoff, who grew up in the small town of Danville, Virginia. And all she ever thought about during her childhood was to get out of Danville and begin a life of adventure and travel. She did that, until her father's suicide brought her full circle, back to Virginia, to rediscover her father, who had converted from Judaism to fit in with Southern culture. She not only learned about her dad's demons, but discovered many truths about herself, too, when she wrote her book, called The Rope of Life.
Inspirational Indie Authors is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this session ALLi Director and poet Orna Ross interviews Emma Blas about putting into practice what she learned from her first publication, second time out.
The interview covers the things Emma did that most moved the needle on her sales. From recruiting an ARC group to doing a blog tour, from setting up a newsletter and social media to expanding formats and formats and sales channels, some things worked, others didn’t. Most of all, Emma talks about the importance of trusting the ebb and flow of creativity.
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
Today, we will talk about Storytel's audiobook partnership with Spotify, which should give Audible a run for their money. Also, there are new ways authors can connect with fans.
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with Alli News Editor Dan Holloway and book editor Howard Lovy. Together, they will bring you the latest in indie publishing news.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Feeling confused and afraid by the prospect of using AI in your writing career? In this session, Holly Payne, CEO of Booxby, sets out to demystify artificial intelligence and reveal how it can benefit indie authors by amplifying unique voices. Plus, a look into Booxby itself and the tools available to grow your author platform.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Orna Ross and Sacha Black outline the bare bone basics of book production and promotion. Yes, in an ideal world you hire a professional editor, cover designer, and marketing assistant. In reality, when starting out, most indie authors find both time and money are in short supply. So what’s essential, and what can you skip for now?
Tune in to find out the minimum that an aspiring indie author must have in place to satisfy their readers—and the government.
This podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Dartfrog Books. ALLi Partner Member DartFrog Books provides indie authors with opportunities for bookstore placement and promotion to more than 27,000 book clubs. Their self-publishing, hybrid, traditional, and single-service publishing platforms are designed to engage authors of all types, at every stage of their journey. We'd like to thank Dartfrog for their support of this podcast.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross writes and publishes historical fiction, inspirational poetry and nonfiction guides for authors. She is director of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author of YA fantasy novels and non-fiction books that help writers develop their craft--and the blog editor at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Center.
My guest this week is Ankur Mahajan, who turned his childhood desire to travel into a career of working to help people who live in war zones like Afghanistan. Along the way, he learned all the rich subtleties of foreign cultures. In his book, Life Beyond Bullets, Ankur wanted readers to walk away with a sense of what it's like to live in these beautiful places, and perhaps get a feel for what they're like in peacetime.
Inspirational Indie Authors is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Do I need sample edits for my book? This is among the questions answered on our #AskALLi Members Q&A is hosted by Michael La Ronn, author of science fiction and fantasy novels as well as author self-help books; and ALLi Director, author, and poet Orna Ross.
Our questions this month include:
- Can I use someone else’s trademark in my book title?
- When I commission artwork, does the copyright belong to me or the artist?
- How can I design and format a book cover ready for printing? Or would a printer do that?
- How do I submit a book to IngramSpark without having to pay any fees?
- Join us to hear the answers to these and more!
Our Members Q&A Podcast is brought to you by specialist sponsor Kobo Writing Life, a global, independent ebook and audiobook publishing platform that empowers authors with a quick and easy publishing process and unique promotional opportunities. To reach a wide audience, create your account today! We'd like to thank Kobo for their support of this podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, or poetry books, research is a skill you need to master if your work is to reach its full potential. In this #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Podcast packed with book research tips, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn explain why research is so important, how much you need, and how to know when to stop.
From research of the memory and imagination at the beginning to writing appropriate credits and attributions at the end, they cover everything an indie author needs to know about book research.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Julie Gray, a writer who was fleeing grief after the death of a family member. In fact, she fled from California to Israel, where she found a new chapter in her life story and an unlikely friend in a Holocaust survivor. She decided to take a chance and write his story as kind of an extension of her own, and found not only great success as an indie author, but Netflix is producing a documentary about her. It's a fascinating journey that only Julie Gray can best tell.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Selling your poetry books is just one way to make money from poetry but publishing a collection opens other doors for poets. This month’s poetry podcast draws on ALLi’s 11 business models for authors, as Orna Ross and Trish Hopkinson discuss the opportunities beyond your poetry books.
Trish Hopkinson is a poet, blogger, and advocate for the literary arts from Utah, USA, where she runs the regional poetry group Rock Canyon Poets and folds poems to fill Poemball machines for Provo Poetry. Her poetry has been published in numerous literary journals, online and off, including Tinderbox, Glass Poetry Press, and The Penn Review, and her most recent e-chapbook Almost Famous was published by Yavanika Press in 2019 and is free to download here.
You can find her online at trishhopkinson.com.
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
In the news today, we'll talk about Amazon's new Kindle Vella serial subscription service and what this latest model means for indie authors. It's all part of our continuing coverage of the rise of the book subscription model and the opportunities and dangers they pose. We'll also talk about the London Book Fair's decision to go all virtual this year.
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with Alli News Editor Dan Holloway and book editor Howard Lovy. Together, we will bring you the latest in indie publishing news.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
To mark the launch of the 2nd edition of ALLI’s guide to Creative Self-Publishing, Sacha Black interviews Orna Ross about the things she wished she’d known about self-publishing when she was starting out and how to carve out your own unique self-publishing pathway.
Our Foundational Self-Publishing Podcast is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross writes and publishes historical fiction, inspirational poetry and nonfiction guides for authors. She is director of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author of YA fantasy novels and non-fiction books that help writers develop their craft--and the blog editor at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Center.
My guest this week is Tom Evans, a former BBC sound engineer who discovered that he could do much more than manipulate music and vocals. He can try to reverse-engineer the brain and figure out how to tap into creativity itself. The result was an indie publishing career that covers everything from hypnotherapy to metaphysics to fiction about the end of the world. And all with a cosmic soundtrack. In fact, this is Tom's music you're listening to now. I'll let the author and composer tell you the rest.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Draft2Digital vs Smashwords vs Streetlib vs PublishDrive: Which ebook aggregator is best? Our #AskALLi Member Q&A is hosted by Michael La Ronn and ALLi Director Orna Ross, and this month they'll be answering this question and more.
Other questions include:
- If I commission an artist to illustrate scenes from my book as a giveaway for fans, who owns the copyright: me or the illustrator?
- Help! My publisher returned my book rights to me and I don't know what to do next.
- What if I encounter a service provider ALLi hasn't heard of before?
- What does ALLi think of B&N paperbacks sold through their site?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Despite skepticism in some quarters, book publishing subscriptions look like they're becoming the next big thing in publishing. Subscriptions allow publishers to build direct relationships with readers, create new offerings based on consumption data, and build a steady, recurring revenue stream.
But what do subscriptions mean for indie authors? How do we join the action and how will we be paid? And can we build our own subscription models?
Join Orna Ross and Joanna Penn in this #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Podcast, as they explore subscription models and book publishing.
The #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is sponsored by IngramSpark: "Go Publish Yourself!"
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Lynda Hilburn, a psychotherapist by day and a paranormal fiction author by night. Lynda overcame a rough childhood and went through a musician phase before she found her voice as an author. Traditionally published at first, Lynda discovered that true freedom can be found through publishing her own stories her own way.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Online author events are here to stay. By going online, authors can reach beyond their physical location, find an audience primed to enjoy their stories, and raise their public profiles. Whether you’re shy or gregarious, a hermit or a socialite, indie author and entrepreneur Cody Sisco will share strategies and tips for mastering online author events.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Today, we will talk about Amazon's attack on libraries, pay homage to the late Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and answer the question, "What the heck are non-fungible tokens?"
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with Alli News Editor Dan Holloway and book editor Howard Lovy. Together, they will bring you the latest in indie publishing news.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this week is Charles Bolam, who is not an author himself, but indie publishers depend on him to sell books in the fastest-growing segment of publishing: audiobooks. Charles is a man of many talents, and many accents, as his voice makes characters come alive. He's traveled the world and come back with storytelling techniques that indie authors and listeners have grown to love. For a change, though, Charles is telling his own story.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Do you want to know how to launch a self-published book? It is the most exciting moment in an author’s journey, but it can also be confusing, even overwhelming. The strategy options seem endless but which ones are right for you? How far in advance should you plan? And how much will it all cost?
Join Orna Ross and Sacha Black in this month's #AskALLi Foundational Self-Publishing Advice podcast as they guide you toward a memorable book launch that fittingly celebrates all your hard work while driving interest and sales.
Our Foundational Self-Publishing Podcast is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
What are some book launch tips and how do I supercharge my sales? Our #AskALLi Member Q&A is hosted by Michael La Ronn and ALLi Director Orna Ross, and this month they'll be answering this question and more.
Other questions include:
- Where can I find ALLi's Watchdog list of service providers?
- How do I vet a service provider that may not be listed in the directory?
- Is it worth entering my book for the London Book Fair Showcase in 2021?
- Does ALLi offer discounts for various worldwide conferences?
- If I translate my book into a foreign language, who owns the copyright?
- What numbers matter the most to rights buyers when authors sell subsidiary rights?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Alice McVeigh, who also goes by the pen name Spaulding Taylor when she writes science fiction. But those two names are only two aspects of a multidimensional talent. She's a ghostwriter, an editor, and a performer whose voice has peaks and valleys, like that of a musician. In fact the music you hear right now, is Alice McVeigh playing the cello. I'll let Alice begin to talk about her journey.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Podcast, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn explore the importance of literary prizes for self-publishing authors.
As authors we may not like to see books competing with each other, but as publishers we have to admit that winning the right award can bring credibility, kudos and readers to a book and greatly strengthen an author’s platform.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
In this episode of the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast, we will answer ALLi members’ most pressing questions about the art and craft of self-publishing poetry books. Trish Hopkinson is a poet and literary arts advocate, Orna Ross is a poet and director of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Trish Hopkinson is a poet, blogger, and advocate for the literary arts from Utah, USA, where she runs the regional poetry group Rock Canyon Poets and folds poems to fill Poemball machines for Provo Poetry. Her poetry has been published in numerous literary journals, online and off, including Tinderbox, Glass Poetry Press, and The Penn Review, and her most recent e-chapbook Almost Famous was published by Yavanika Press in 2019 and is free to download here.
You can find her online at trishhopkinson.com.
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
Today, we're going to talk about Findaway Voices, an audiobook service that's an alternative to Audible, which is causing headaches for indie authors after the Audiblegate controversy. We'll also talk about something called social reading. And we'll look back on the legacy of Jeff Bezos at Amazon.
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with Alli News Editor Dan Holloway and book editor Howard Lovy. Together, they will bring you the latest in indie publishing news.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this week is Pete Fu. You may not have heard his name before, but if you're a fan of indie romance novels, you've probably come across at least one of his many pen names. Pete combines his writing talent with knowledge of the genre, and an instinct for marketing to create a wildly successful indie publishing career. And, through his company called Publishwide, he's helping other indie authors use the power of data to become more successful.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Authors Sacha Black and Orna Ross look at what it means for authors to think long term. When you start out in indie publishing, it’s hard to think past the mountainous goal of just publishing your first book. But thinking long term is what transforms the ability to write words into a prosperous business.
Orna and Sacha dive into the wide publishing model, IP rights, investing your profits, ownership of websites and mailing lists, and much more to help you establish, maintain, and grow your creative business.
Our Foundational Self-Publishing Podcast is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Amy Rivers, who writes crime thrillers and mysteries that are very much based on real people and events. Amy's writing is infused with her lifelong curiosity over what makes people do the things they do, which can take her writing into very dark places. Although her books are fiction, they are never gratuitous or exploitative. Here's how Amy came to write her unique blend of reality-based fiction.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Why do I need an author website? Our #AskALLi Member Q&A is hosted by Michael La Ronn and ALLi Director, Orna Ross, and this month they'll be answering this question and more.
Other questions include:
- Will IngramSpark promotion for ALLi members continue in 2021
- I published the same book on KDP and IngramSpark, but the prices are different. What do I do?
- Do I need a different ISBN for each format of my book?
- Is 99Designs worth it for designing your book cover?
- Amazon price matches print books, but do any of the other big retailers do price matching?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Helen Baggott, a UK-based author and editor whose love of history drives her unique books that feature historic postcards as a way to tell the story of individuals. And, to her delight, some of the descendants of those she has featured have contacted her. Helen is also an editor who has advice for writers in these stressful times. But first, I'll let Helen tell her story.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly moving into the realm of writing with natural language generation (NLG) tools that encompass freelance writing and content creation, advertising and marketing copy, and creative works like novels and nonfiction books, poetry, and screenplays.
How will AI writing impact authors? And how can indie authors work with AI tools to improve our writing process, and create better books?
In this #AskALLi Advanced Livestream Q&A session, Orna Ross interviews Joanna Penn about findings in her recent book, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Virtual Worlds: The Impact of Converging Technologies on Authors and the Publishing Industry.
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Helen Hollick, who writes historical fiction about fantastical topics like King Arthur, but reimagines the legend as if Arthur was a real man, without the magic, without Merlin. What she ended up with was a successful trilogy picked up by a major publisher. Then, after creative differences with Random House, she decided to go indie and hasn't looked back since. Today, she devotes much of her time to helping other indie authors of historical fiction find their audience.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Do you want to get paid for your poetry? Orna Ross, director of the Alliance of Independent Authors, interviews Trish Hopkinson about submitting poetry to paying publications in this month's #AskALLi Self-Publishing Poetry Advice Podcast.
Trish has cross-referenced several lists of outlets, including those that use Pushcart Prize Rankings, literary magazine reviewer expertise, other online writing experts, and Duotrope to create a super useful list of paying markets for emerging poets. In this session, Trish shares her considerable knowledge of the poetry marketplace, and her submission tips to ensure you give yourself the best chance of success.
Trish Hopkinson is a poet, blogger, and advocate for the literary arts from Utah, USA, where she runs the regional poetry group Rock Canyon Poets and folds poems to fill Poemball machines for Provo Poetry. Her poetry has been published in numerous literary journals, online and off, including Tinderbox, Glass Poetry Press, and The Penn Review, and her most recent e-chapbook Almost Famous was published by Yavanika Press in 2019 and is free to download here.
You can find her online at trishhopkinson.com.
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
My guest this week is Tim Lewis, who many of you might know as the host of the ALLi-sponsored #IndieAuthorChat on Twitter. What you may not know is that he's the author of time travel and fantasy stories, works on software to make people more productive, hates to see indie authors get ripped off, and he first became a self-published author more than a decade ago after tragedy struck in his life. But I'll let Tim Lewis tell the story.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Authors Sacha Black and Orna Ross, using personal examples from their own experience running their author businesses, outline nine mindset principles that cultivate sustainable self-publishing success in this month's #AskALLi Foundational Self-Publishing Advice Salon.
If you’re not yet satisfied with your books or your book sales, changing how you think is your first step in 2021. Authors are often carrying unconscious beliefs about publishing and profit, income and impact, creative and commercial possibilities that hold them back—especially as they start out.
Foundational characteristics of the indie author:
- Independence
- Creativity
- Vision
- Entrepreneurialism
- Optimism
- Resilience
- Resourcefulness
- Generosity
- Lifelong learner
These mindset foundations make everything else work. The more you can move to these mind modes and make them your mindset, the easier everything will be and the more success you’ll enjoy. Some of these characteristics you’ll have by nature, others you’ll have to develop.
Our Foundational Self-Publishing Podcast is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
While the United States has been so absorbed with its own problems that Brexit seemed to be something happening in a land far, far away. But, of course, the divorce from the European Union impacts just about everything in the United Kingdom. Fortunately, we have Dan Holloway, who is exploring the labyrinthine implications Brexit has for indie authors.
Also, Publishers Weekly is filling the BookExpo void with its own virtual conference, and Wattpad is so big it's looking good to a possible buyer.
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with Alli News Editor Dan Holloway and book editor Howard Lovy. Together, they will bring you the latest in indie publishing news.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this week is A. A. Abbott, a British author who loved telling stories as a child, but never thought she could write professionally until she broke out of her accountant's cubicle and gave it a try. Today, she researches her crime thrillers with the mathematical precision of a CPA, making sure every detail is perfectly accurate.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
What's the best way to gather reviews for my book? Our #AskALLi Member Q&A is hosted by Michael La Ronn and ALLi Director, Orna Ross, and this month they'll be answering this question and more.
Other questions include:
- How do I improve my writing craft?
- What's the best way to self-publish literary fiction?
- I'd like to donate profits of my book to a nonprofit. What should I be thinking about as I explore this?
- What service should I use to create my website and blog?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is A. D. Starrling, a UK-based author who grew up on the Island of Mauritius, where her hyper-achieving family left her little choice but to become a doctor, so that's what she did. But Starrling found a way to combine the logical and artistic parts of her mind as an indie publisher of fantastic and thrilling tales. What do the paranormal and medicine have to do with each other. Listen on, and A. D. Starrling will explain.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Planning ahead is an important step for your author business, enabling you to make decisions about what you want to focus on as well as make time to achieve your writing and financial goals.
Kicking off our 2021 #AskALLi Self-Publishing Salons, as always, is our Advanced Salon with ALLi Director Orna Ross and New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Joanna Penn.
In this month's salon, Orna outlines her quarterly creative business planning process and how she applies it to her own novels, poetry books and ALLi publications, while Joanna talks about her high-level project approach and more granular time-blocking.
The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to create an actionable plan, so tune in to get started!
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Should authors create their own imprint? Our #AskALLi Member Q&A is hosted by Michael La Ronn and ALLi Director, Orna Ross, and this month they'll be answering this question and more.
Other questions include:
- What is ALLi's stance on licensing and collecting societies?
- What is ALLi's recommended pricing strategy for IngramSpark books for full-length fiction paperbacks?
- I uploaded an ebook to IngramSpark but am not happy how it turned out. Can I unpublish it, publish the ebook through KDP Select and still distribute the paperback through Ingram?
- What are some "easy wins" I can make in promoting my book since I don't have a lot of time to promote?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
ALLi is calling out Amazon on their Audible refund policy, which is resulting in unknown numbers of audiobook authors and narrators around the world being deprived of income. Bookshop.org suffers a glitch, confusing some indie authors, and the end of an era with the end of Book Expo America.
These are among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with Alli News Editor Dan Holloway and book editor Howard Lovy. Together, they will bring you the latest in indie publishing news, including commentary, a technology update, and highlights from indie author interviews.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this week is Dale Roberts, a health and fitness author who discovered a perfect synergy between print and video content. He has amassed a sizable following on YouTube. It took a little while for Dale to discover his voice and his brand, but once he found it, he began to exude an energy for self-publishing that you just have to hear for yourself.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
To close this year when so many people suffered so many setbacks through COVID-19 and its consequences, our #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon with Orna Ross and Joanna Penn examines the role of author mistakes, setbacks, and failures in an author business. They look back on the lessons learned from their own mistakes and failures in 2020, and across their years of self-publishing.
This session will highlight some of the most common mistakes made by indie authors, so you can avoid them, and propose a way of dealing with negative experience so it can be put to best use in your author business.
Tune in for all this and much much more.
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My ALLi author guest this week is Bjørn Larssen, who was born in Poland, lives in the Netherlands, but has his heart simultaneously in Iceland and with the ancient Norse Gods, which he writes about in his books. And, if that isn't enough, there is much more to Bjorn's story and his journey from communist-era Poland to his discovery of freedom as an indie author. Bjorn, himself, tells it best. Listen to the whole thing, since there will be surprises.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Joining Orna Ross in this month's #AskALLi Self-Publishing Poetry Salon is indie poet Lauren Lott who will outline the steps she took to launch her first poetry collection, The Remains of Burning. “Choosing between wounds and scars” is how she describes sorting out which poems would go into her collection.
- What went well?
- What will she do differently next time?
- What lessons can other indie poets take from her experience?
Lauren lives in Lake Macquarie, on the East Coast of Australia and is currently working on her second collection to be released in 2021.
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
My ALLi author guest this week is Joanna Penn, who many of you already know as a successful indie author, businesswoman, and podcaster for ALLi. In fact, her name is almost synonymous with the term authorpreneur. So, this podcast will not focus so much on Joanna's current work, but we'll hear more of her own backstory, what motivates her fictional characters, and what motivates her as a writer, self-publisher, and role model for other indie authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Creative business is not business as usual. Authors often define success very differently from your average business owners, work from different drivers, and find most planning methods are too one-dimensional and mechanical. This session from ALLi Director Orna Ross provides a simple creative planning method designed for febrile creative minds.
This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
My ALLi author guest this week is Margaret Skea, who lives in Scotland and writes historical fiction about violent periods in Scottish history. It is a subject that hits closer to home for Margaret than you'd think. She spent her childhood in Northern Ireland, where sectarian violence was a daily fact of life, and Margaret is able to convey this sense of danger and uncertainty in her fiction.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this session, Orna and Sacha talk about the value of getting help with your author business when you’re feeling overworked, overwhelmed or stuck. Where do you find good help? Do novelists need the same kinds of assistance as non-fiction authors?
This session will help you to decide when to hire help and how to ensure it improves your situation
- What is the value of your time and expertise?
Assuming you are already hiring freelancers - editor and cover designer - What’s next? Author Virtual Assistant for publishing and marketing help?
- What kind of help? SEO, social media, scheduling or management, advertising
- Three hats: maker, manager, marketeer
Our fiction and nonfiction salon is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My ALLi author guest this week is Robert Roseth, who spent his career at the University of Washington, helping to make scientific and technological breakthroughs understandable to everyday readers. After retirement, he embarked on the second part of his career, writing a combination mystery and satire called Ivy is a Weed. Robert also discovered that the best way to publish his vision is to do it the indie way.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
How do I manage my privacy as an author? Our #AskALLi Member Q&A is hosted by Michael La Ronn and ALLi Director, Orna Ross,and this month they'll be answering this question and more.
Other questions include:
- What kind of contracts should I consider for crowdfunding my book?
- Where can I find free images to use on my book cover?
- What is the best way to advertise my book on Barnes & Noble?
- What is ALLi's stance on licensing and collecting societies?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Print sales are up, so how can indie authors make better inroads into local bookstores? That is among the topics discussed on Self-Publishing News with Alli News Editor Dan Holloway and book editor Howard Lovy. Together, they will bring you the latest in indie publishing news, including commentary, a technology update, and highlights from indie author interviews.
On this show, they will discuss:
- Rising print sales
- Bookshop.org
- An overview of artificial intelligence in writing and publishing
- What the rise in audio means for indie authors
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this week is Lindsay Mayer, an author of middle-grade fiction who is defying the standard tropes to create unique characters that explore the dark side of imagination. Lindsay was born in the United States but lives in Paris, where she is an IT worker by day and lets her imagination loose as an author by night.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month's #AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss the topic of creative flow. From the necessity for creative rest and play, to the value of deep research and immersion, to using social media as a stimulator for ideas and words.
Along the way, they answer some pressing questions for authors:
- What are the best tools and techniques, to stimulate and capture ideas?
- How do you select the right ideas?
- What do you do when the ideas stop flowing?
Tune in for all this and much much more.
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Karen Hill Anton. She is a black woman married to a white husband, living in a small community in Japan. But Karen would be the first to tell you that none of those descriptions really matter. Karen would tell you that she has traveled the world, and lived in many places, and in the end all we have is our shared humanity.
She wrote a memoir about her travels called The View from Breast Pocket Mountain, where she talks about her lifetime journey from New York City to Japan.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Joining Orna Ross in this month's #AskALLi Self-Publishing Poetry Salon is Jon Davis, Bookfox's Poetry Editor and author of five chapbooks and six full-length poetry collections.
Jon received the Lavan Prize from the Academy of American Poets, a GE Younger Writers Award, the Off the Grid Poetry Prize, and two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships. He also served as the City of Santa Fe’s fourth Poet Laureate from 2013-2015.
Together, Orna and Jon discuss editing a poem, a chapbook and a full collection. They will also explore the different kinds of poetry editing:
- developmental
- line editing
- proofreading
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
My guest this week is Michael Sean Comerford, who spent the first part of his career as a journalist, moving from town to town. Turned out, life on the road was perfect preparation for what came after his newspaper career, which was writing a book about carnival workers. He traveled with them, worked with them, talked to them, lived among them.
In the end, he emerged with his book, American OZ; An Astonishing Year Inside Traveling Carnivals at State Fairs & Festivals: Hitchhiking From California to New York, Alaska to Mexico. And to talk to him, you get a sense that Michael Sean Comerford is not yet finished with his travels.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this session, ALLi Director Orna Ross and author Sacha Black talk about lessons learned about current trends in self-publishing fiction and nonfiction from taking part in two key indie author events that are just over, the Self-Publishing Advice Conference (SelfPubCon) and Amazon UK’s Storyteller Award.
They discuss about the experience of judging the award and overseeing the conference and invite your questions about the top takeaways for authors.
Our fiction and nonfiction salon is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Mytrae Meliana, whose story is both painful and beautiful. She came to the United States from India as a teenager, and not only faced prejudice from the outside, but also, within her own family, a culture that left few choices for women. After years of emotional and physical abuse, Mytrae at last found peace and a way to use her story to help others. Her book, Brown Skin Girl: An Indian-American Woman's Magical Journey From Broken To Beautiful, is the story of how she got there.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Orna Ross interviews Dan Holloway on creativity.
Self-Publishing Advice Conference October 2020
Our #AskALLi Member Q&A is hosted by Michael La Ronn and ALLi Director, Orna Ross.
Our questions this month include:
- If I realized I made a mistake with my first book, should I consider going back and redoing it and republishing it?
- Which self-publishing service is best for literary fiction?
- What's the best way to sell print books direct from my website?
- What's the best way to offer a prize drawing for one of my books?
- How much does a good editor cost?
Tune in for the answers to these and much more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Nancy Cramer, an 89-year-old author who made history by writing the history of a WWI Serbian retreat that had not been well-documented. In Nancy's long life, she has seen her share of tragedy, which made her especially attuned to this story of bravery and sacrifice amid war. And her efforts have paid off through international recognition.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
A premium product or service is a high-value item that an author sells alongside their books to expand influence and income. A well-selected premium product can more than double the profit in your author business. But what premium products work for authors?
Drawing on ALLi’s ten possible business plans for authors, Joanna Penn and Orna Ross suggest premium products across fiction, nonfiction and poetry from the obvious to the unusual.
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is LoLo Paige who tells tales of action, adventure, mystery, romance, all mixed together with a great deal of heat. Literally. LoLo put out forest fires before she put away her firefighting equipment and picked up a pen. Now, she can recall her real-life adventures and create smoldering page-turners.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month’s #AskALLi Self-Publishing Poetry Salon, Orna Ross takes a deep dive into the most popular social medium for sharing poetry: Instagram, and speaks to Phoebe Garnsworthy, an Australian spiritual author, poet, meditation teacher, and ALLi member, who has grown her following to 227K, using only organic methods. Also:
- How you can submit your poems to Orna’s new platform for self-publishing poets #indiepoetryplease
- Plans for the Self-Publishing Poetry podcast in 2021
- Tune in for more valuable poetry advice.
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
My guest this week is Kate Woodard, a children's-book author who did not let a language barrier stand in the way of connecting and communicating with young people. When Kate moved to Brazil, she spoke not a word of Portuguese. But through making local connections with schools and bookstores, her readers were able to find her and the language barriers were broken down.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this #AskALLi Self-Publishing Fiction & Non-Fiction Salon, Sacha Black will be interviewing Orna Ross about the concept of ACCESS Marketing from her new book, Creative Self-Publishing.
ACCESS stands for Attract, Captivate, Connect, Engage, Subscribe, Satisfy, Sell and ACCESS marketing is a carefully crafted sequence of communications--which you also use to get words for your work-in-progress--that gives you direct access to the right readers for your books.
Our fiction and nonfiction salon is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Darryl Lansey, who has a kind of love/hate relationship with his former employer, the US Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA. As an analyst and adviser to presidents, he loved making a difference for his country. As black man, he hated the institutional racism that was baked into the organization. He writes about his experiences in his new book, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate: A Black Man's Journey Through Life and the CIA. I spoke to Darryl about his experiences at the CIA.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Our usual AskALLi Members Q&A is taking a break for this month and being replaced by an Amazon special salon on Amazon advertising. From understanding the customer journey to the benefits of sponsored products, this ALLi podcast is for authors who are getting started with Amazon advertising and want to learn how to set themselves up for success. Joining ALLi Director Orna Ross is Darren Hardy, Amazon’s UK manager for Kindle Direct Publishing, and his colleague Suzanne O’Kelley, senior manager, advertiser experience. About the Host
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Janét Aizenstros, a Canadian author, entrepreneur, and publisher. Janet's own story is an inspiring one because she began with a series of children's books and built a series of growing multimedia companies. Now, she's making it her business to help other authors, especially other women, find their own voices and their own audiences.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In 2008 Kevin Kelly wrote about the value of a creator having 1,000 true fans (you can read the updated version of the essay here). The idea is that you don’t need to be an influencer with a million followers to make a living from your work. All you need are 1,000 true fans each spending $100 a year on your products or services, for you to make $100,000 a year.
But does the concept hold true for authors? Are books, a low cost item, enough or do you have to add on more premium products? And how does an author create true fans… and keep them? Join Orna and Joanna to find out.
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Dr. J. D. Remy. Well, that's not his real name, but as you'll hear in this program, he has changed it to protect not only his own identity, but that of his children. Dr. Remy had an ideal life for a little while, until what he calls Implosion Day, when he lost everything. He writes about it in his new book, but I'll let Dr. Remy tell his own story.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last eight years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Creative self-publishing is when indie authors approach our publishing tasks, and our author business, with the same creative mindset that we bring to our writing.
It focuses not just on what we do, but how we do it, as we publishing our books and establish our author business.
In this presentation, based on her new book Creative Self-Publishing, ALLi Director, Orna Ross, demonstrates how creativity can be embedded in every task we do, across the seven stages of the publishing process. The result is a business that is uniquely you — and that attracts the right readers for your books.
This is a post from the Authors and Money SelfPubCon. SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference) is an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
My guest this week is Dave Tamanini, who at the age of 72, has spent a lifetime studying relationships. That is, relationships between races and genders as a civil rights enforcer, and relationships between family members as a lawyer working in family courts.
After retirement, he found the perfect way to unite all these studies into one book about a slave during the Salem Witch trials. We'll talk about that book in a moment, but first a little more about Dave Tamanini.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
What are the best time management tips for authors? Our Member Q&A is hosted by Michael La Ronn and ALLi Director, Orna Ross. Other questions this month include:
- What are resources to help publish a children's book?
- Will KDP ever distribute books to libraries?
- What's the best way to market a translation?
- How do I find the right literary agent?
And more!
Also, News Editor Dan Holloway updates us on expansion at Ingram and Netgalley, and what the continued growth of audio means for indie authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
My guest this week is Kristina Stanley, who is a rare writer who also loves math. You don't find too many who can use both the logical and artistic sides of their brains. The way Kristina has combined the two talents is in the fiction-writing software she developed that guides writers along the way to achieving their artistic vision. But, first, let's learn more about Kristina's mathematical mind.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Writing books is easy, writing good books is hard. Do you want to know how good prose sells more books? Getting every element of your story right is important. But it's the words that make readers come back. Good stories need good words.
In this session, Sacha will show you a series of quick tips to improve your prose, rid yourself of ticks and crutches and polish your stories to perfection.
This is a post from the Authors and Money SelfPubCon. SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference) is an online author event, run free twice-yearly, in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
My guest this week is Roz Morris. Roz is a literary consultant, a book doctor, an instructor, a blogger, and even a ghostwriter. But the one constant in her life, through all her incarnations, is her love of literature, and she's coming into her own as a fiction author, writing under her own name.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Social media is one of the most effective ways for authors to reach readers and amplify their message at the same time. In this advanced salon, Orna and Joanna cover how to use social media creatively and mindfully, including broadcasting versus engagement, tools and tech, and how to measure success.
You'll learn:
- The difference between broadcasting and engagement and how both are necessary;
- What not to do;
- How multi-genre authors are stratifying their social media;
- How to generate great content in video, audio, and text that enables you to sell books without getting caught in time-sucking distractions.
And more!
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Michael La Ronn, who many of you know as the co-host of the AskALLi Members' Q&A podcast. You also may know him as a video blogger, and writer of fantastic fiction. He lives and thrives at the border between genres, and as an African American author who was raised in a biracial family, he chooses to try to bring people together in these polarized times.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month’s Fiction & Nonfiction Self-Publishing Salon, Sacha Black and Orna Ross explore the importance of an author platform. They explain how to establish an effective platform in today’s digital publishing environment.
Topics covered include:
- What is an author platform?
- How platform gives you reach
- How to grow your platform organically, as part of your work
The topics explored in this session are all about expanding your influence and impact as an author.
Our fiction and nonfiction salon is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Eric Twiggs, an indie author and motivational speaker who is an expert in procrastination. In fact, it took him a little while to figure out that was his calling, and then he held off on writing a book about it. Now, though, the author of The Discipline of Now and One Moment in Time has some advice all authors can use on the value of getting things done today rather than tomorrow. So, without further delay, here's Eric Twiggs.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Orna Ross and Dalma Szentpály explore the basics of online book distribution and sales trends over the past few months. As poetry slams and other events moved online, many poets are connecting for the first time with the power of digital distribution for their books.
How do you ensure that your poetry books are available to readers all over the world? What are the facts about poetry book sales at the moment? Dalma and Orna have the answers.
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
Dalma Szentpály
Dalma Szentpály co-hosts the Self-Publishing Poetry salon. She works at PublishDrive as a self-publishing professional and has been a lifelong lover of poetry. A native Hungarian, she started learning about lyricism from poetry giants like Attila József and János Pilinszky but also recited brooding lines of verse from international poets like Pablo Neruda or Anna Ahmatova. In university, she fell in love with W.B. Yeats and Emily Dickinson and wrote her thesis about the “villanelle” form in Sylvia Plath’s poetry. As a university lecturer and an event manager at an independent bookstore in Budapest Dalma encouraged readers to re-engage with poetry. Check out her blog post about contemporary poetry trends here: Find Dalma on Twitter and LinkedIn.
My guest this week is Scottish author Lorna Fergusson, who has tried publishing the traditional way, but found that she enjoyed the control she had over her own work that comes with being an indie author. Lorna has also devoted her career to coaching other indie authors on how they can chase away self-doubt and join the indie publishing revolution.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
What are the industry standards and best practices for paperback books? Our #AskALLi Member Q&A is hosted by Michael La Ronn and ALLi Director, Orna Ross,and this month they'll be answering this question and more.
Questions include:
- What are ALLi's best practices for producing a book in print?
- What are my options if I'm not satisfied with the current print on-demand options for my book?
- Should I pursue paid reviews?
- Should I join organizations like Romance Writers Association?
- What are the best time management tips for indie authors?
- What are resources to help publish a children's book?
Also, News Editor Dan Holloway updates us on what indie publishers and authors are doing in conjunction with the worldwide spotlight on #BlackLivesMatter.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
My guest this week is Dean Blake, who has turned Instagram fame into an indie author career. What began as simple drawings that poke fun of ridiculous life situations went viral on social media and have struck a chord, especially in these times, when we can all use a good laugh.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
As the world begins to tentatively unlock from social cocooning and quarantine, indie authors and others are reassessing what’s most important to them as writers and publishers.
Both Orna and Joanna have used this as a time for reflection and reassessment, and they share what they’ve been doing to reshape their author brands.
You are invited to reflect and reassess too in the light of their insights. And to take away some practical advice on how to make the most of any author business today.
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Dan Holloway, who many of you already know as ALLi's news editor who updates us on our blog and podcast with the latest news from the world of independent publishing. Who you may not know is Dan Holloway the advocate for the disabled, the power lifter, the ultramarathon runner, the writer of thrillers and poetry, and the expert in how to think creatively, which is the subject of his latest book. There's more, but let's let Dan tell you his story.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month’s Fiction & Nonfiction Self-Publishing Salon, Sacha Black and Orna Ross outline the advantages and downsides of selling books directly to readers from your own author website and consider the implications for exclusivity with platforms like KDP Select.
You'll learn:
- The tools you need
- How to cope with global taxes
- How to add other products and services, in addition to your books
- How to combine direct selling with selling on other platforms
- Best practices for direct selling
If you want to develop an independent sales method that gives you more money and a closer connection to your readers, this salon's for you.
Our fiction and nonfiction salon is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Lynda Edwards, an indie author who left her childhood home of Jamaica long ago, but whose writing is still flavored with the culture and magic of the Caribbean. Not too long ago, Lynda woke up from a vivid nightmare about the land of her birth, and she had no choice but to write it down. The result was her debut novel, Redemption Songs. This is the story of Lynda's journey.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Are you maximizing the many opportunities for attracting attention to your poetry these days? In this salon, Orna Ross and Dalma Szentpály compare the traditional way to feature poetry ( literary magazines, competitions and eventual establishment of reputation and book publication) compared to the new way (feature on podcasts and social media, grow your audience and create a community then self-publish).
While exploring both approaches, this salon focused mainly on opportunities in the vibrant new world of social media and self-publishing. Includes links, examples, and your poetry self-publishing questions answered.
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
Dalma Szentpály
Dalma Szentpály co-hosts the Self-Publishing Poetry salon. She works at PublishDrive as a self-publishing professional and has been a lifelong lover of poetry. A native Hungarian, she started learning about lyricism from poetry giants like Attila József and János Pilinszky but also recited brooding lines of verse from international poets like Pablo Neruda or Anna Ahmatova. In university, she fell in love with W.B. Yeats and Emily Dickinson and wrote her thesis about the “villanelle” form in Sylvia Plath’s poetry. As a university lecturer and an event manager at an independent bookstore in Budapest Dalma encouraged readers to re-engage with poetry. Check out her blog post about contemporary poetry trends here: Find Dalma on Twitter and LinkedIn.
My guest this week is Barry Faulkner, who writes police procedural novels. But to leave it at that would not adequately describe who Barry is. Let's just say that he comes from a colorful family background that I'll let him describe in his own words. Barry is a born storyteller and, at the age of seventy-five, has many tales to tell. So, I'll be quiet, for the most part, and just let Barry Faulkner tell his own story.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Should I self-publish or traditionally publish? That's among the questions answered in this month's Members Q&A and Self-Publishing News Salon with Orna Ross, followed by Dan Holloway's news roundup.
Other questions this month include:
- I am now published. Do I need to change my membership?
- I want to write a biographical story that exposes racism I experienced, but I don't want to be sued for libel. How do I avoid that?
- How do I preserve reviews if I publish a second edition of my book?
- What website service does ALLi recommend to create my ecommerce website?
- Where can I find the IngramSpark promo code for ALLi Members?
And more!
Also, News Editor Dan Holloway updates us on changes in ebook sales taxes and platform updates at Apple and IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
My guest this week is Liza Perrat, a truly international indie author—an Australian by birth who writes historical novels about France, her adopted country. In fact, you'll hear a combination of both countries in her voice.
Liza's books also give voice to those who lived through painful periods in both French and Australian history.
But before we talk about her books, here's Liza's story.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month's #AskALLi Advanced Salon, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn will talk about the tools they use that are the most advantageous for indie authors—from writing tools to formatting to planning, sales tracking, accounting and more.
You'll discover:
- More about the Alliance of Independent Authors services watchdog desk
- Latest software
- Artificial intelligence tools
And more...
This salon is for you if you want to learn more about how digital tools are changing publishing for authors - and where you and your books fit in.
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Edward Trayer, but many schoolchildren, parents and teachers know him by the name Billy Bob Buttons.
Edward went through a few incarnations before he settled on this persona, from a teacher to a pilot, but he found his life's calling when he brought the joy of reading and writing to children.
Edward is also a fierce advocate for indie authors, launching an award that recognizes self-published authors in a way that does not just take their money.
So, here's the story of Billy Bob Buttons.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Join author A. G. Billig in this Self-Publishing Advice Conference Highlight: How to Boost Your Book Sales Using Traditional Media and P.R.
Traditional media and PR are two of the most valuable tools in your book-marketing arsenal. When used wisely, they can boost your visibility, sales, and number of loyal and get you on the bestseller lists.
In this presentation, you will find out the secrets that PR pros use to get their clients from starving to stardom. You will also learn what you need to do to implement a successful PR campaign and leverage the power of traditional media.
At the end of this session, you will have the necessary abilities to build your media tribe, forge long-lasting relationships with journalists, get traditional media exposure, scale your traditional media appearances, and maximize the results of your PR campaigns.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
My guest this week is Sonja Dewing, an author of adventure tales who enjoys living on the wild side while she writes about it, whether it's touring the Amazon or mixing it up in the roller derby. Sonja decided to quit her job a few years ago to focus on her writing, travel, and helping other authors, and has not regretted the decision for one second.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Want to build an engaged mailing list of fans who look forward to receiving your mails? That’s what this week’s AskALLi Fiction & Nonfiction Podcast with Sacha Black and Orna Ross is all about: How to manage your mailing list to build an engaged readership.
Learn:
- Why you need a mailing list
- How to capture your readers from the start with a welcome sequence
- What's the best kind of content for you and your list
- When you should mail your list and how often
If you want to build fans and grow a thriving reader group through effective use of your mailing list, this podcast's for you.
Our fiction and nonfiction salon is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is speculative fiction author Cody Sisco. Cody has divided his indie publishing work into two parts. His series of books that straddles the divide between plausible and extraordinary, and his work on behalf of other indie authors in his hometown of Los Angeles. Taken together, Cody lives and breathes the indie publishing spirit.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
What if a Hybrid Publisher Wants to Charge me a Ton of Money That's among the questions answered in this month's Members Q&A and Self-Publishing News Salon with Michael LaRonn and Sacha Black (filling in for Orna Ross), followed by Dan Holloway's news roundup.
Other questions this month include:
- What rights do I have for a short story and what are all the different things I can do with it?
- How long should my book chapters be?
- Which service is best for paperback publishing?
- How can I make sure my book doesn't get flagged for quality or copyright reasons by KDP?
Also, News Editor Dan Holloway updates us on the Internet Archive's controversial National Emergency Library, audiobook sales in the lockdown era, and the #booksareessential campaign.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
For this special edition of Inspirational Indie Authors, I'm going to do something a little different. I've asked the other AskALLi podcasters, and a few previous guests, to talk to us about how they're coping during the COVID-19 crisis, how they are staying connected with other writers and with their readers, and to contribute some inspirational words on how to continue to write under this kind of stress.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In the last few weeks, much has changed as COVID-19 sweeps the world, impacting lives and the economy. In this special episode, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss how indie authors can stay physically and mentally well, and keep writing, publishing, and sensitively marketing books—as well as how to prepare for potentially challenging times ahead.
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Clare Flynn, an historical novelist who recently won a Selfies Award for best adult fiction. Even before Clare became a full-time indie writer, she always had a spirit of rebellion inside her, from her wild college days to deciding to be her own boss in her career and her writing. Clare also travels extensively to get all the nuance of place before she embarks on a new writing adventure.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Join Robin Cutler, Orna Ross, Joanna Penn, and Sacha Black in this Self-Publishing Advice Conference Highlight: The Power of Indie Publishing.
Over the last few years, there has been a seismic shift of writers choosing to self-publish rather than navigate a traditional publishing path. This is partly because authors have tools that are available to make publishing both affordable and profitable as never before. But more importantly authors are choosing indie publishing as a way to better realize their creative vision.
In this session, learn why this shift is happening and how you can harness this power for your own work.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
My guest this week is Jules Horne, a Scottish author who understands that the best way to read a book may not be only through the eyes. With the rise in audiobooks and podcasts, we're returning back to the age of oral storytelling, and Jules is probing the borders between reading and listening, between the eyes and the ears.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Do you want to perfect your book launches? Do you wonder if book launches are even relevant in 2020? This week’s AskALLi session with Sacha Black and Adam Croft will discuss the conflicting and often confusing subject of launching your book and giving it the greatest chance of success.
You'll learn:
- Should you launch during the coronavirus pandemic?
- How changes in publishing have affected the relevance of big launches
- Which approach to book launches different authors should take
- How to set your new book up for ongoing, long-term success
Our fiction and nonfiction salon is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
With almost two million books sold to date, Adam Croft is one of the most successful independently published authors in the world and one of the biggest selling authors of the past few years, having sold books in over 120 different countries. In February 2017, Only The Truth became a worldwide bestseller, reaching storewide number one at both Amazon US and Amazon UK, making it the bestselling book in the world at that moment in time. The same day, Amazon’s overall Author Rankings placed Adam as the world’s most widely read author, with J.K. Rowling in second place. In March 2018, Adam was conferred as an Honorary Doctor of Arts, the highest academic qualification in the UK, by the University of Bedfordshire in recognition of his services to literature. Visit his website, The Indie Author Mindset, or find him on Twitter.
My guest this week is Sacha Black, who many of you may already know as the cohost of our AskALLi Fiction and Nonfiction podcast and producer of our online self-publishing conferences. What you may not know is that Sacha got her start as a child actress for the BBC and is an expert in how to create a proper villain. There's more to her story, and nobody can tell it like Sacha, herself.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
This week’s AskALLi session with Orna Ross and Dalma Szentpály focuses on poetry content marketing. Orna Ross shares her strategy and she and Dalma analyze outstanding content marketing by some other indie poets.
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
Dalma Szentpály
Dalma Szentpály co-hosts the Self-Publishing Poetry salon. She works at PublishDrive as a self-publishing professional and has been a lifelong lover of poetry. A native Hungarian, she started learning about lyricism from poetry giants like Attila József and János Pilinszky but also recited brooding lines of verse from international poets like Pablo Neruda or Anna Ahmatova. In university, she fell in love with W.B. Yeats and Emily Dickinson and wrote her thesis about the “villanelle” form in Sylvia Plath’s poetry. As a university lecturer and an event manager at an independent bookstore in Budapest Dalma encouraged readers to re-engage with poetry. Check out her blog post about contemporary poetry trends here: Find Dalma on Twitter and LinkedIn.
My guest this week is Kris Spisak, who discovered that her self-publishing niche is to help other self-publishers focus on their writing and grammar. Her books, Get a Grip on Your Grammar, and The Novel Editing Workbook, along with her popular blog and editing business, are helping to raise the quality of all indie authors' work. Plus, admit it, you sometimes pause before you write "affect" or "effect." It's nice that Kris is there to give us answers.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
What can ALLi members do to prepare for Coronavirus? That's among the questions answered in this month's Members Q&A and Self-Publishing News Salon with Michael LaRonn in the co-presenter seat with Orna Ross, ALLi director, followed by Dan Holloway's news roundup.
Other questions this month include:
- Where can I find ALLi's Watchdog list of service providers?
- How do I vet a service provider that may not be listed in the directory?
- Does ALLi offer discounts for various worldwide conferences?
- If I translate my book into a foreign language, who owns the copyright?
- What numbers matter the most to rights buyers when authors sell subsidiary rights?
Also, News Editor Dan Holloway updates us on Audible Captions, IngramSpark's new terms, and Amazon's crackdown on Coronavirus scams.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
My guest this week is Urban Fantasy Author Holly Lyne, who discovered that indie publishing isn't just about writing books. She weaved an entire fantasy world for her readers to enjoy, and then began to give back to the indie community through podcasts and workshops. Indie publishing, to Holly, is all about freedom.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Are you using content marketing to promote your fiction and nonfiction books? If not, why not?
In this week’s #AskALLi session, ALLi director Orna Ross (stepping in for Adam Croft) and blog and conference manager Sacha Black talk about how content marketing is a necessary skill all authors must develop.
They drill down into how content marketing differs for fiction and nonfiction. And they introduce the new “#AskALLi Ultimate Guide” blog series and the #AskALLi Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing for Fiction
You'll learn:
- What content marketing is
- How to use it effectively for both your fiction an nonfiction books
- What "content themes" are and how to use them to create your content marketing strategy and plans
If you want to use content marketing to increase your book sales and grow your impact and influence, this salon's for you.
Our fiction and nonfiction salon is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Canadian author Sandy Day, who took everybody's advice and tried to go the traditional publishing route with her novels. But she discovered the hard way that it just doesn't pay to listen to conventional wisdom. As soon as she self-published her books, she proved everybody wrong by selling thousands of copies. But it's been a long road for Sandy Day to get to self-publishing success. This is her story.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Do you want to take your nonfiction book to the next level? Are you keen to learn how digital tools are changing nonfiction publishing for authors?
In this session Orna Ross and Joanna Penn focus on advanced nonfiction considerations for authors. Both believe that almost all writers, including poets and novelists, benefit from including non-fiction in their publishing mix.
In this revealing podcast, these two leading indie authors share behind-the-books stories about their own creative successes and challenges in writing and publishing nonfiction.
In this podcast, you'll learn:
- Why everyone should have nonfiction
- Structuring and wrangling the material
- How many books do you create to meet the need—one big one or lots of them?
- Standing out in the market: personal story and voice vs/ business publishing & AI
- The craft of nonfiction; literary nonfiction
- Multiple products—books, workbooks, audio, courses, live events
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Christine Reynebeau, a children's author who used the experience she gained working in youth development to write books that teach lessons often missed by traditional books aimed at kids. Along the way, she went through some horrific experiences with vanity presses before she finally found the right formula for self-publishing success.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
This week’s AskALLi session with Orna Ross and Dalma Szentpály will show you how to work with a poetry editor and how to find the editing process that’s right for you.
The editing process is as essential for poets as for all writers.
- So what kind of editor do you need as a poet?
- Does the usual trio of developmental editing, copyediting and proofing apply or is it different?
- How do you find a good poetry editor?
- How can one help you?
- Can a group of skilled poets take an editor’s place?
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
Dalma Szentpály
Dalma Szentpály co-hosts the Self-Publishing Poetry salon. She works at PublishDrive as a self-publishing professional and has been a lifelong lover of poetry. A native Hungarian, she started learning about lyricism from poetry giants like Attila József and János Pilinszky but also recited brooding lines of verse from international poets like Pablo Neruda or Anna Ahmatova. In university, she fell in love with W.B. Yeats and Emily Dickinson and wrote her thesis about the “villanelle” form in Sylvia Plath’s poetry. As a university lecturer and an event manager at an independent bookstore in Budapest Dalma encouraged readers to re-engage with poetry. Check out her blog post about contemporary poetry trends here: Find Dalma on Twitter and LinkedIn.
My guest this week is Sara Easterly, an adoptee who wrote a book, Searching for Mom, about her quest to find her birth mother. But, more than that, her book is a spiritual and emotional search that tries to come to terms with something experienced by many adoptees, a feeling of abandonment. Along the way, Sara learned many surprising things about her adopted mother, her birth mother, and herself.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Why Do I Need an Author Website? That's among the questions answered in this month's Members Q&A and Self-Publishing News Salon with Michael LaRonn in the co-presenter seat with Orna Ross, ALLi director, followed by Dan Holloway's news roundup.
Other questions this month include:
- Is 99Designs worth it for designing your book cover?
- Amazon price matches print books, but do any of the other big retailers do price matching?
- Will IngramSpark promotion for ALLi members continue in 2020?
- Do I need a different ISBN for each format of my book?Where can I find ALLi's Watchdog list of service providers?
- How do I vet a service provider that may not be listed in the directory?
- Is it worth entering my book for the London Book Fair Showcase in 2020?
- Does ALLi offer discounts for various worldwide conferences?
Also, News Editor Dan Holloway talks to Multimedia Manager Howard Lovy to update us on the Audible captions controversy, Digital Book World, and London Book Fair.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
My guest this week is Brenda Felber, an American author who just can't seem to sit still. In fact, she's making a career of not sitting still, visiting all 50 states to write middle-grade, paranormal fiction about each one. She originally did it to teach her grandchildren about their country, but along the way, other kids began to enjoy taking these journeys with her.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
If you’ve hung around ALLi long enough, you’ll know multiple streams of income are a core principle we follow. But what does it really mean? What do those streams look like? And how can you create those streams around both your fiction and nonfiction books?
Join Sacha Black and Adam Croft as they discuss building a sustainable business with multiple streams of income around your books, no matter the genre you write.
Our fiction and nonfiction salon is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
With almost two million books sold to date, Adam Croft is one of the most successful independently published authors in the world and one of the biggest selling authors of the past few years, having sold books in over 120 different countries. In February 2017, Only The Truth became a worldwide bestseller, reaching storewide number one at both Amazon US and Amazon UK, making it the bestselling book in the world at that moment in time. The same day, Amazon’s overall Author Rankings placed Adam as the world’s most widely read author, with J.K. Rowling in second place. In March 2018, Adam was conferred as an Honorary Doctor of Arts, the highest academic qualification in the UK, by the University of Bedfordshire in recognition of his services to literature. Visit his website, The Indie Author Mindset, or find him on Twitter.
My guest this week is Chris Calder, a writer who discovered his voice later in life. In his 70s, in fact. He had been diagnosed with cancer and, during his treatment, decided that there really wasn't any more time to put off a writing career. So, he penned his first novel in the hospital. Now, at the age of 82, there have been four more and he shows no signs of slowing down.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this session Orna and Joanna go back to the source to talk about creativity: what it is, how to sustain and nurture it and the challenges of overcoming resistance, beating block and sustaining a creative life over the long term.
Sharing their own creative practices and process, and what they’ve learned over decades of writing and publishing, they explore creative approaches not just to writing, but to publishing and author business too.
This podcast is for you if you want to know what it takes to make a life, and a living, in words.
- Defining “creative” and creative success
- Applying creativity not just to writing but to publishing and business too: the “create-state”
- Filling the creative well - how we both do it
- Trust in emergence - a seven stage process
- Making time to write and create vs business stuff:
- How not to burn out - Balance creative work, rest, play
- Contrast -- get off the internet and social media, get into nature, be sociable, get your body moving
- Cycles of creative life, like cycles in nature. Allow for fallow periods (not necessarily blocked)
- Making Business Creative: Self-Talk
- Forms of Creative Resistance
- Varying Pace
- Keep learning - and try new things - don’t be wedded to just one way of doing things,
- Think long term and make sure you have a stable base of multiple streams of income - so you are never desperate to just rely on your art.
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is English author Julie Carter. When she's not writing, you'll see her doing something called fell running, which is sort of what it sounds like. She runs through craggy hills, trying not to … fall. But when Julie does it, it's about more than running. It's about finding joy, sorting things out in her head, and dealing with chronic pain.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Interested in writing and publishing love poetry?
In advance of Valentine’s day, this week’s AskALLi session with Orna Ross and Dalma Szentpály will discuss How to Self-Publish Love Poetry.
If you're an indie poet, or aspire to publish poetry books, this AskALLi salon is for you.
You'll learn:
- Why love poetry is always popular and who is reading it in these digital days
- Latest trends in poetry publishing
- Genres in love poetry
- Publishing poetry tips
- Also: Indie Poetry Please! in which Dalma and Orna read some poetry submissions and Orna reads her poem “Love Hurts."
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
Dalma Szentpály
Dalma Szentpály co-hosts the Self-Publishing Poetry salon. She works at PublishDrive as a self-publishing professional and has been a lifelong lover of poetry. A native Hungarian, she started learning about lyricism from poetry giants like Attila József and János Pilinszky but also recited brooding lines of verse from international poets like Pablo Neruda or Anna Ahmatova. In university, she fell in love with W.B. Yeats and Emily Dickinson and wrote her thesis about the “villanelle” form in Sylvia Plath’s poetry. As a university lecturer and an event manager at an independent bookstore in Budapest Dalma encouraged readers to re-engage with poetry. Check out her blog post about contemporary poetry trends here: Find Dalma on Twitter and LinkedIn.
My guest this week is Jude Lennon, an English children's author who does so much more than write books. She is a traveling storyteller, going from school to school to instill in children a love for books, covering topics from pirates and astronauts to mindfulness and autism. She's the full package when it comes to indie publishing. She's not just selling books, but she's sharing her stories in unique ways. And, yes, Jude Lennon is related to that "other" Lennon from Liverpool.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
This week it's the return of our Members Q&A and Self-Publishing News Salon with Michael LaRonn in the co-presenter seat with Orna Ross, ALLi director, followed by Dan Holloway's news roundup.
Our questions this month include:
- Do I need a different copyright page for each country my book is published in?
- Where can I find information on starting my author business?
- How aggressive should I be in pursuing speaking events?
- Should I put the ALLi logo on my book cover?
- How can I get more exposure for my books and increase book sales?
- When is the best time to hire an illustrator?
- How do I avoid paying sales tax when selling my books at events?
Also ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway joins Multimedia Manager Howard Lovy in an update on the latest news from the indie author-publishing world. They discuss Overdrive's new owners, good news in library downloads, and the trouble in Romance.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
My guest this week is Thomas Lloyd Qualls, whose personal quest for meaning took him from a law career to becoming a self-described vagabond who backpacked throughout the world. Along the way, he gathered material for two books of dreamlike, transcendent fiction that echo his own spiritual search.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
As audiobook sales continue to grow, so too do the platforms for sales and marketing. But how do you actually sell an audiobook? And how do you know what marketing opportunities are boom and what are bust?
Join Sacha Black and Adam Croft as they discuss the different platforms for audiobook sales and the ever growing marketing opportunities for both your fiction and nonfiction audiobooks.
Our fiction and nonfiction salon is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
With almost two million books sold to date, Adam Croft is one of the most successful independently published authors in the world and one of the biggest selling authors of the past few years, having sold books in over 120 different countries. In February 2017, Only The Truth became a worldwide bestseller, reaching storewide number one at both Amazon US and Amazon UK, making it the bestselling book in the world at that moment in time. The same day, Amazon’s overall Author Rankings placed Adam as the world’s most widely read author, with J.K. Rowling in second place. In March 2018, Adam was conferred as an Honorary Doctor of Arts, the highest academic qualification in the UK, by the University of Bedfordshire in recognition of his services to literature. Visit his website, The Indie Author Mindset, or find him on Twitter.
My guest this week is Brad Borkan, who wrote a book about failure. OK. Not exactly about failure, but about explorers, specifically polar explorers. They have a very distinct goal in mind. Reach the North Pole or the South Pole. Sometimes they make it, sometimes they fall short. And, through their successes and failures, we mortals who are not polar explorers can learn something about how to deal with adversity in our lives.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Things are moving fast for indie authors, with new advances in voice first technology, artificial intelligence, and other tools, together with a growing sense of author empowerment. Orna and Joanna discuss their predictions about what indie authors can expect, the trends to watch out for in the year to come—and across the 2020s.
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
In the final AskALLi podcast of the year, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn round up the top self-publishing shifts of 2019 but also look back at the past decade.
What have been the most pivotal moments for authorpreneurs in that ten years and what does it mean for indie authors today? Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Orna Ross, who many of you know as ALLi's founder and director. But there's another Orna Ross you may not know. This is the one who has taken a long journey from her childhood steeped in the storytelling culture of Ireland to her career as a journalist and then traditionally published novelist, a cancer survivor, and a poet. That's the Orna Ross we're going to meet today.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Building on the basic marketing poetry book marketing plan established last time, Orna Ross and Dalma Szentpály move on to choosing some specific actions that feel right for you.
Emphasizing a spirit of experiment and exploration, they suggest a number of options available to poets, from book promotion websites to social media. And they show how poets are reaching readers in a variety of niches, without eating too much into writing time.
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
Dalma Szentpály
Dalma Szentpály co-hosts the Self-Publishing Poetry salon. She works at PublishDrive as a self-publishing professional and has been a lifelong lover of poetry. A native Hungarian, she started learning about lyricism from poetry giants like Attila József and János Pilinszky but also recited brooding lines of verse from international poets like Pablo Neruda or Anna Ahmatova. In university, she fell in love with W.B. Yeats and Emily Dickinson and wrote her thesis about the “villanelle” form in Sylvia Plath’s poetry. As a university lecturer and an event manager at an independent bookstore in Budapest Dalma encouraged readers to re-engage with poetry. Check out her blog post about contemporary poetry trends here: Find Dalma on Twitter and LinkedIn.
My guest this week is Phyllis Cole-Dai, whose work spans topics as disparate as homelessness and the plight of American Indians. For Phyllis, here's what they all have in common. She is able to totally immerse herself into these topics that tend to divide us and come back with stories about how they impact individual humans. If we see individual people, learn their stories, then maybe we can all find common ground in these divisive times.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
To celebrate National Novel Writing Month, (NaNoWriMo), ALLi Director Orna Ross and Partner Liaison and US Ambassador Michael La Ronn answer writing questions.
Among them ...
- What’s the best app to write my novel?
- How do I conquer writer’s block?
- Help! I’m stuck in the murky middle of my novel!
- Where do I find beta readers?
- What are the best tips for editing my novel?
Also ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway joins Multimedia Manager Howard Lovy in an update on the latest news from the indie author-publishing world. They discuss the upcoming Futurebook conference. Also, why hasn't Amazon opened a new Kindle store in five years?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
My guest this week is Sue Stern, who at the age of 80 is hitting her stride as an author. When she wrote The Child Who Spoke With her Eyes, a memoir of the all-too-short life of her daughter who suffered from cerebral palsy, she called forth a great deal of pain mixed with the joy of her memory. Along the way, she found a spiritual path through the journey she took with her daughter.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
All the foundations of book marketing begin with knowing your audience. And that is your reader!
- How do you identify who your reader is?
- How deep do you need to dig?
- What difference does knowing exactly who your target reader is affect your overall book marketing approach?
Join Orna Ross and Sacha Black as they discuss the differences and similarities of identifying readers of nonfiction versus fiction to help you build a strong base upon which to build all your book marketing activities.
Our fiction and nonfiction salon is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum.
My guest this week is Robert Dinsmoor, a writer who has seen his share of sadness and addiction, yet is able to find ways to write about them with both wisdom and wit.
Robert talks about his journey as a comedy writer whose alcoholism landed him in rehab, where he was able to not only find healing, but also inspiration for his writing.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Should you consider self-publishing in Germany? As Amazon opens its ads dashboard in the UK and Germany, and a number of the authors on the ALLi Indie Author Translation Rights project turn their attention there, Orna and Joanna consider the options for Indie authors around the world who’d like to reach the 29.1 million ebook readers in Germany, in English or in translation.
Joanna reports from Frankfurt Book Fair and Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith’s Business Masterclass in Vegas, and Orna will have news from ALLi's indie author rights translation program.
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Ruth Badley, whose book, Where Are The Grown-Ups? chronicles her grandmother's short, troubled life and makes sense of her own family history.
Ruth is a journalist who discovered long-withheld family secrets about her grandmother that sent her searching for the truth in London's old Jewish East End.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Do you want to know how to properly market self-published poetry books? Many poets spend a lot of time submitting to literary journals and competitions, but the new way to reach poetry readers is through digital social media and book publishing.
In this session poet and ALLi Director Orna Ross, and Business Developer at book distributor PublishDrive, Dalma Szentpály, discuss some of the many ways to make and market poetry books today.
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
Dalma Szentpály
Dalma Szentpály co-hosts the Self-Publishing Poetry salon. She works at PublishDrive as a self-publishing professional and has been a lifelong lover of poetry. A native Hungarian, she started learning about lyricism from poetry giants like Attila József and János Pilinszky but also recited brooding lines of verse from international poets like Pablo Neruda or Anna Ahmatova. In university, she fell in love with W.B. Yeats and Emily Dickinson and wrote her thesis about the “villanelle” form in Sylvia Plath’s poetry. As a university lecturer and an event manager at an independent bookstore in Budapest Dalma encouraged readers to re-engage with poetry. Check out her blog post about contemporary poetry trends here: https://publishdrive.com/publishing-poetry-2018/. Find Dalma on Twitter and LinkedIn.
My guest this week is Phil M. Cohen, whose new novel creates a dystopian future of uncooperative machines, a messianic Jewish cult, and the quest for control over a powerful new drug. He uses humor and scifi to discover the meaning of being Jewish in a chaotic world.
Phil's book, Nick Bones Underground, combines the Jewish wit of Michael Chabon with the sci-fi absurdity of Douglas Adams. The backdrop to this story is a dystopia, where machines stop working, or just evolve other priorities, and an economic collapse that further stratified the world.It's the classic Holmes and Watson, but with Holmes a somewhat depressed, middle-aged Jewish professor and Watson a wise-cracking, gender-switching computer.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Has ALLi ever heard of certain shady publishers? That is among the questions answered this month on our monthly Member Q&A, where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your hosts for the Member Q&A: Partner Liaison and US Ambassador Michael La Ronn and ALLi Director Orna Ross.
Questions this month include:
- I published my book with a publisher, the publisher did a bad job, and now I got my rights back.
- I want to self-publish, but "used" copies of the original publication are still available. How do I market my book around the early edition?
- Has ALLi ever heard of certain publishers that might be suspected of being shady?
- If I make a change to my book, do I need to register a copyright for it again?
- How can I find a children's book illustrator?
- Where can I find information on starting my author business?
Also ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway joins Multimedia Manager Howard Lovy to discuss Digital Rights Management (DRM) and why indie authors are choosing not to encrypt their books. Also, they discuss the further rise of audiobooks through the growth of Storytel and other subscription services.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
My guest this week is Victoria Noe, whose experience working with AIDS patients in the 1980s prepared her to write a series of "Friend Grief" books on dealing with loss when somebody close to you dies.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Going wide and being selectively exclusive is definitely the safest way to a sustainable and scalable author business. But is it the same for fiction and nonfiction? And what is the best approach at different points of an author business?
Boni (sitting in for Orna) and Adam discuss going direct to retailers or using aggregators — what are the pros and cons of each, which are worth the effort of going direct, and are there differences between fiction and nonfiction?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
With almost two million books sold to date, Adam Croft is one of the most successful independently published authors in the world and one of the biggest selling authors of the past few years, having sold books in over 120 different countries. In February 2017, Only The Truth became a worldwide bestseller, reaching storewide number one at both Amazon US and Amazon UK, making it the bestselling book in the world at that moment in time. The same day, Amazon’s overall Author Rankings placed Adam as the world’s most widely read author, with J.K. Rowling in second place. In March 2018, Adam was conferred as an Honorary Doctor of Arts, the highest academic qualification in the UK, by the University of Bedfordshire in recognition of his services to literature. Visit his website, The Indie Author Mindset, or find him on Twitter.
Boni Wagner-Stafford is a nonfiction author coach, writer, ghostwriter, and developmental editor. Since 2015, she has helped other authors publish memoir, anthology, how-to and journalistic nonfiction titles. She also miraculously managed to cross the line with a couple of her own titles, with the requisite gazillion half finished. She’s an award-winning former television reporter, talk show host, and news anchor who later led public-sector teams in media relations, issues management, and strategic communications planning, then muddying her hands as a creative entrepreneur. Visit her Ingenium Books website, find her on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
My guest this week Freddie P. Peters, whose background in law and high finance was perfect preparation for her series of financial crime thrillers that also involve espionage, terrorism, and the nature of greed.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Orna and Joanna attended the Brand Licensing Show in London and bring back advice and information on publishing rights, deal-making, negotiation, and collaboration for everything from stationery to video, TV to merchandise.
Discover new trends and ideas and learn how to build partnerships and secure brand rights.
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
My guest this week is Mari Howard, whose books are about finding ways to reconcile science and religion, and about the personal and ethical gray areas between the two.
It's not an easy thing to write about during these polarized times, but whether she's writing about in-vitro-fertilization, cloning, or gender transitioning, Mari successfully navigates through questions of prejudice, and the place where humanity meets science.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Sometimes called pamphlets, poetry chapbooks are short collections of poems, inexpensively and usually independently published. They are typically in ebook or paperback format—though indies are now producing print-on-demand hardbacks and audiobooks of their own readings, too.
ALLi Director Orna Ross publishes chapbooks regularly, whenever she has ten publishable poems, for her “Poems to Inspire” series.
In this session, Orna and Dalma Szentpály will explore the delights and challenges of chapbook publishing, including some upcoming chapbook publishing competitions.
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
Dalma Szentpály
Dalma Szentpály co-hosts the Self-Publishing Poetry salon. She works at PublishDrive as a self-publishing professional and has been a lifelong lover of poetry. A native Hungarian, she started learning about lyricism from poetry giants like Attila József and János Pilinszky but also recited brooding lines of verse from international poets like Pablo Neruda or Anna Ahmatova. In university, she fell in love with W.B. Yeats and Emily Dickinson and wrote her thesis about the “villanelle” form in Sylvia Plath’s poetry. As a university lecturer and an event manager at an independent bookstore in Budapest Dalma encouraged readers to re-engage with poetry. Check out her blog post about contemporary poetry trends here: https://publishdrive.com/publishing-poetry-2018/. Find Dalma on Twitter and LinkedIn.
My guest this week is religious fantasy author Brandon Wilborn, who combines the epic fantasy of J.R.R. Tolkien with the religious allegory of C.S. Lewis to create books with action and adventure, yet grounded in lessons on how to handle moral dilemmas of good and evil.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
What is hybrid publishing and should I consider it? That is among the questions answered this month on our monthly Member Q&A, where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your hosts for the Member Q&A: Partner Liaison and US Ambassador Michael La Ronn and ALLi Director Orna Ross.
Questions this month include:
- I'm struggling with formatting my paperback. What should I do?
- Help! My publishing is withholding my royalties. Can I file a class action lawsuit?
- What is hybrid publishing and should I consider it?
- I've been approached by a foreign literary agency about translating my book. What should I do?
- Should I create a coloring book companion to my children's book?
Also ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway joins Multimedia Manager Howard Lovy in an update on the latest news from the indie author-publishing world. They discuss the latest offering from PublishDrive, an update on the Libraries vs. Publishers feud, and Amazon One-Tap Reviews.
And More!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
My guest this week is Scottish author Barry Hutchison, who has found great success as an indie author writing comedy science fiction and crime thrillers.
These two genres might seem to be unrelated, but to Barry it was about combining topics that interested him with a market that needed to be filled.
The result has been a successful transition from traditionally published author to indie, and he has not looked back.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Orna Ross, Adam Croft, and Boni Wagner-Stafford discuss the similarities, differences, and key elements in your book blurbs.
What must every indie author include in their blurb? What should they never include? What are the differences between fiction versus nonfiction book blurbs?
Tune in for this session on book blurb best practices.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross is founding director of ALLi, which she founded in 2012 and launched that year at London Book Fair. After being traditionally published Orna took her rights back from Penguin and republished with titles and treatment she’d always envisaged. With a background in journalism, as a literary agent, and writing teacher, it is Orna’s work with ALLi that has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” Orna writes award-winning fiction and poetry, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers, and an active author website. She’s on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty, through digital publishing and enterprise. You’ll find her, most days, on Twitter and she posts poems and quotes for poets on Instagram: @ornaross.
With almost two million books sold to date, Adam Croft is one of the most successful independently published authors in the world and one of the biggest selling authors of the past few years, having sold books in over 120 different countries. In February 2017, Only The Truth became a worldwide bestseller, reaching storewide number one at both Amazon US and Amazon UK, making it the bestselling book in the world at that moment in time. The same day, Amazon’s overall Author Rankings placed Adam as the world’s most widely read author, with J.K. Rowling in second place. In March 2018, Adam was conferred as an Honorary Doctor of Arts, the highest academic qualification in the UK, by the University of Bedfordshire in recognition of his services to literature. Visit his website, The Indie Author Mindset, or find him on Twitter.
Boni Wagner-Stafford is a nonfiction author coach, writer, ghostwriter, and developmental editor. Since 2015, she has helped other authors publish memoir, anthology, how-to and journalistic nonfiction titles. She also miraculously managed to cross the line with a couple of her own titles, with the requisite gazillion half finished. She’s an award-winning former television reporter, talk show host, and news anchor who later led public-sector teams in media relations, issues management, and strategic communications planning, then muddying her hands as a creative entrepreneur. Visit her Ingenium Books website, find her on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
My guest this week is Helena Halme, a writer of Romantic Nordic Mysteries. She lives in the United Kingdom, but is originally from Finland. Before she became a novelist and ALLi's official Nordic ambassador, Helena played a small, but important, part in Cold War history as a translator for the BBC.
In addition to her Nordic Mysteries, Helena writes nonfiction on how to turn your life into fiction and how to write in a language that's not your own.
In this week's podcast, we talk about her adventures at the BBC, her recent work, and her role as ALLi's Nordic ambassador. Oh, and we'll also learn her favorite ABBA song.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Orna Ross: Creative Self-Publishing: Optimising Platforms, Formats and Income Streams
Self-Publishing Advice Conference, Digital Book World 2019
What can you do today to master social media book marketing strategies? Which strategies work and which are a waste of precious time? Rachel Thompson, who knows a social trick or two, reviews what works and what doesn’t these days, with specific insider tips for Twitter and Facebook Pages.
This podcast is part of Self-Publishing Advice Conference, an online author conference that showcases the best self-publishing advice and education for authors across the world — harnessing the global reach of the Alliance of Independent Authors’ network. Our self-publishing conference, which runs alongside the London Book Fair and Digital Book World, features well-known indie authors and advisors, for 24 sessions over 24-hours, in a one-day extravaganza of self-publishing expertise straight to your email inbox.
My guest this week is Debbie Young, and if you're an ALLi member, you already know her as a helpful presence on the members' facebook page or on our blog. But Debbie has gone through a long journey as a writer to get to a place where she can give back to the indie author community.
This is the story of how Debbie has traveled from early promise, to a detour writing promotional blurbs, to fulfilling her dream as an indie author of mysteries in the best of the British tradition.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
My guest this week is Alison Morton, whose background as a translator, historian, and British army veteran make her uniquely qualified to write an alternate history of Rome, asking what would have happened had the Roman Empire survived into modern times … and it was ruled by women.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
From audiobooks to readings to podcasts, audio has never been a hotter topic in publishing, but how do you use audio to market and sell books?
In search of the answers, Joanna is off to the Podcast Movement Conference in Orlando and Orna is preparing an advance summary of the audio sessions at Digital Book World.
The podcast will also focus on how you monetize audio.
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark, professional-grade publishing services at prices self-publishers can afford.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
In another first for the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and as part of its 2019-2020 season of broadcasts, ALLi launches the first Self-PublishingPoetry Podcast.
For poets, this is a safe online space to read and perform, to get advice about online poetry publishing and creative enterprise, and to get more attention.
On the #AskALLi Self-Publishing Poetry Podcast, find:
- advice on how to self-publish poetry books for pleasure and profit
- discussion about writing and publishing options for poets
- readings from self-publishing poets in a segment called Indie Poetry Please!
Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross
Orna’s work for ALLi has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” She launched at the 2012 London Book Fair, after taking her rights back from Penguin in 2011 and republishing her books herself, with the titles and treatment she’d originally wanted. Orna writes award-winning poetry and fiction, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers as well as an active author website. She is on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty through digital publishing and enterprise. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ornaross.
Dalma Szentpály
Dalma Szentpály co-hosts the Self-Publishing Poetry salon. She works at PublishDrive as a self-publishing professional and has been a lifelong lover of poetry. A native Hungarian, she started learning about lyricism from poetry giants like Attila József and János Pilinszky but also recited brooding lines of verse from international poets like Pablo Neruda or Anna Ahmatova. In university, she fell in love with W.B. Yeats and Emily Dickinson and wrote her thesis about the “villanelle” form in Sylvia Plath’s poetry. As a university lecturer and an event manager at an independent bookstore in Budapest Dalma encouraged readers to re-engage with poetry. Check out her blog post about contemporary poetry trends here: https://publishdrive.com/publishing-poetry-2018/. Find Dalma on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Diana Stevan is in her 70s and is beginning to hit her stride as a prolific indie author of novels about family, love, and relationships.
Her third self-published book, called Sunflowers Under Fire, is set in WWI and the Bolshevik Revolution. It's based on stories told to her by her mother and it's a finalist for the 2019 Whistler Independent Book Awards, sponsored by the Writers Union of Canada.
Diana is able to draw on a wide range of experience, from working at a meat-packing plant to an actress and model—but most of all as a family counselor—to accurately portray people in difficult circumstances.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi who has done something remarkable and inspiring. This is the only show in our AskALLi series that does not focus on the business side of self-publishing. My guests talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Orna Ross.
Questions this month include:
- Help! Someone is pirating my book.
- My publisher went out of business and took my book with them. What do I do?
- How do I get an editor to read my fantasy book?
- I’m writing a children’s book and looking for an illustrator. What are the most important questions I should be asking the illustrator
- Should I create a coloring book as a companion to my children’s book?
And More!
Also, News Editor Dan Holloway and Howard Lovy bring you the latest self-publishing news.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Carmen Klassen has personally gone through transitions that became the inspiration for her series of books about women and how they cope with crisis and change.
We live in uncertain times. Professions appear and disappear with changing needs and technology. Our political systems are in turmoil, creating a need for all of us to have some kind of contingency plan for when things go wrong.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi who has done something remarkable and inspiring. This is the only show in our AskALLi series that does not focus on the business side of self-publishing. My guests talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In the first of our new shows comparing the perspectives of fiction and nonfiction, Orna Ross, Adam Croft and Boni Wagner-Stafford discuss when you should brand the author versus when the branding should focus on the book, or the book series. What are the factors to take into account?
And what about pen names? Should you have one? Or maybe even more than one? What are the implications? Tune in for this session on branding best practice.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross is founding director of ALLi, which she founded in 2012 and launched that year at London Book Fair. After being traditionally published Orna took her rights back from Penguin and republished with titles and treatment she’d always envisaged. With a background in journalism, as a literary agent, and writing teacher, it is Orna’s work with ALLi that has seen her repeatedly named one of The Bookseller’s “Top 100 people in publishing.” Orna writes award-winning fiction and poetry, runs a Patreon page for poets and poetry lovers, and an active author website. She’s on a mission to help eradicate creative poverty, through digital publishing and enterprise. You’ll find her, most days, on Twitter and she posts poems and quotes for poets on Instagram: @ornaross.
With almost two million books sold to date, Adam Croft is one of the most successful independently published authors in the world and one of the biggest selling authors of the past few years, having sold books in over 120 different countries. In February 2017, Only The Truth became a worldwide bestseller, reaching storewide number one at both Amazon US and Amazon UK, making it the bestselling book in the world at that moment in time. The same day, Amazon’s overall Author Rankings placed Adam as the world’s most widely read author, with J.K. Rowling in second place. In March 2018, Adam was conferred as an Honorary Doctor of Arts, the highest academic qualification in the UK, by the University of Bedfordshire in recognition of his services to literature. Visit his website, The Indie Author Mindset, or find him on Twitter.
Boni Wagner-Stafford is a nonfiction author coach, writer, ghostwriter, and developmental editor. Since 2015, she has helped other authors publish memoir, anthology, how-to and journalistic nonfiction titles. She also miraculously managed to cross the line with a couple of her own titles, with the requisite gazillion half finished. She’s an award-winning former television reporter, talk show host, and news anchor who later led public-sector teams in media relations, issues management, and strategic communications planning, then muddying her hands as a creative entrepreneur. Visit her Ingenium Books website, find her on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
Today's guest is author H. N. Deeb, a TV writer who also writes climate science fiction or cli-fi, for young adults. His path was a winding one to Hollywood, where he noticed California's water crisis and wanted to write something that both warned and entertained.
Deeb and I discuss why he switched careers from law to writing, and how he's helping to change sci-fi from its sexist past. Along the way, we talk about the real root cause of much conflict around the world: water and access to it.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi who has done something remarkable and inspiring. This is the only show in our AskALLi series that does not focus on the business side of self-publishing. My guests talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Artificial intelligence sounds like a very futuristic term but you have already experienced it in your author business, from the Amazon algorithm to Google translate.
In this Advanced Self-Publishing Salon, ALLi Director Orna Ross and Advisor Joanna Penn of thecreativepenn.com look at some of the AI tools that are already available to us, as indie authors. And those that are likely to prove most useful to us in the years ahead.
Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark, professional-grade publishing services at prices self-publishers can afford.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Today's guest is Rohan Quine, author of The Beasts of Electra Drive, which was a 2018 finalist for the Independent Author Network Book of the Year Awards. With themes of magic realism, technology, horror, LGBTQ characters, it is both a genre and gender-bending indie book.
I call him genre-bending because he retrospectively finds labels to apply. That means he just writes, and does not really concern himself with categories. Later, he sees that his book can be defined as sci-fi, horror, fantasy, LGBTQ, among other labels. This is one advantage to indie publishing, of course. A traditional publisher would probably want him to just pick one.
After having spoken to Rohan, I can see why he would not want to play that game. In conversation, he can seem a little unconventional, even a little untamed. Thoughts pour out of him as a way of vocalizing internal dialogues. This is the way he writes, and it is also why he writes.
To read his "voice" does not do him justice. That is why he is recording his books on audio and video, and it's why I chose to interview him for my latest Inspirational Indie Authors podcast.
Every week I interview a member of ALLi who has done something remarkable and inspiring. This is the only show in our AskALLi series that does not focus on the business side of self-publishing. My guests talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
It’s Week 23 Q2, 2019, halfway through the year. How is your author business doing so far? In this month's AskALLi Advanced Salon, ALLi Director Orna Ross and Enterprise Advisor Joanna Penn discuss how to review what’s working and what’s not. How do we marry the year’s goals and our life roles? How change is part of the process. How to adapt to changing conditions and challenges without getting derailed or distracted.
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the alliance of independent authors. Today, we present a special edition of our podcast for the launch of our Indie Authors' Copyright Bill of Rights.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Orna Ross.
Questions this month include:
- What are the best and ethical methods to do a giveaway without using Goodreads or Amazon giveaways?
- If I've self-published my business advice book but want to submit it to a publisher, do I still need to write a book proposal?
- What is the best way to brand a nonfiction self-help series?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
ALLi Director Orna Ross and Author Dan Blank survey seven ways to be a productive writer so you can write and sell more books. Expect lots of research-based advice about how best to prepare body and mind, setting daily priorities, Block out time and shut out distractions. Plus: ways to map and log your progress and give yourself rewards.
Here are some highlights:
Orna on Surrounding Yourself with Support
"Surround yourself with other people who get it, who understand what you're trying to do. It's hard to do this stuff in complete isolation. It really does help to have a supportive group around you who get it, who understand and who are there to pick you up when you fall down and give you a pat on the back if things go well."
Dan Blank on Setting Your Own Expectations
"Then there's that endorphin rush of, "Let me please them. Let me live up to that expectation. Let me be a good person." And the expense is almost always your writing, your editing or publishing and that's very depressing. So I think that with intention, one thing I'm a huge advocate of is, I live by my calendar and I time block. So it's really a matter of setting intention by the half hour, an hour period. And I really write that down the night before."
Self-Publishing News Also, News Editor Dan Holloway and Howard Lovy bring you the latest self-publishing news. This week, they discuss the new US version of the Selfie Awards and the rise of the subscription publishing model.
Howard talks about his new website, howardlovy.com and Dan updates us on the slow takeover of writing by artificial intelligence.
Dan Holloway on Subscription Services
"And that trend is going up and obviously in terms of the size of data, movies are a lot bigger and gaming is a lot bigger than books. But books do seem to be part of this trend. But my worry is that, in terms of finances, we'll go down that same sort of route of Spotify has gone down for musicians, where you're literally getting fractions of a cent per listen."
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Joanna Penn, of TheCreativePenn.com, and Orna Ross, director of the Alliance of Independent Authors, explain copyright in this edition of the AskALLi Advanced Self-Publishing Salon.
Think copyright is boring? Think again. Copyright controversies have seen people take to the streets in recent months, sign petitions, boycott certain companies, and even black out Wikipedia.
As big content, big tech and big legal fight court battles, Joanna and Orna talk about what it all means for the independent author, and ALLi’s new Copyright Bill of Rights.
Plus: should authors try to stop piracy?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Howard Lovy interviews Maggie Lynch, who writes a series of science fiction books she shares with eight other indie authors, called Obsidian Rim. Their goal is to produce a new book in the series every couple of weeks. Howard and Maggie discuss how the group is appealing to a growing demographic of sci-fi readers: women.
Maggie's new book is called Gravity and it has all the elements of space opera, but with "a romantic twist." Maggie talks about what that means.
Inspirational Indie Authors is a biweekly feature within our AskALLi series of podcasts.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week, it's our monthly Self-Publishing Life Salon with Alli Director Orna Ross and author Dan Blank. They discuss the importance of finding your rhythm and balance across the days and weeks.
Orna proposes a three-part planning system that takes account of processing, promotion as well as production. And Dan explains why he doesn't believe in balance, but obsession, and discusses firm schedules and accountability.
Also, on Inspirational Indie Authors
Howard Lovy interviews Maggie Lynch, who writes a series of science fiction books she shares with eight other indie authors, called Obsidian Rim. Their goal is to produce a new book in the series every couple of weeks. Howard and Maggie discuss how they are aiming for a growing demographic of sci-fi readers: women.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer. Find Howard on howardlovy.com LinkedIn, Twitter.
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Orna Ross.
Questions this month include:
- How do you go about finding a translator for your book?
- How would you recommend that I reach my target audience of teachers and educators?
- What is the recommended way of copyrighting a book by multiple authors?
- Is it better to send my readers to Book 1 in my series or my series page on Amazon?
- What is the difference between an ASIN and an ISBN? A 10-digit ISBN vs a 13-digit ISBN?
And More!
Also, News Editor Dan Holloway and Howard Lovy bring you the latest self-publishing news. They talk about changes that are making Patreon creators and Mailchimp customers unhappy. Also, the audience for audio content continues to grow.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Hello and welcome to Self-Publishing Poetry the online open-mic and advice clinic from Orna Ross, poet, author and director of the Alliance of Independent Authors. Every month, Orna hosts a poet who is doing remarkable things, offers advice on self-publishing poetry and facilitates an eclectic open mic.
The featured guest this month is Helen Eastman, director of LiveCanon.co.uk, who talks about courses, events, and publishing poets, offering sage wisdom and introducing us to some Live Canon poets.
Are you a poet who would like to reach a wider audience for your work? Do you want to learn how to publish and sell your poetry books? Then this event is for you — and the readers who will love to hear your work.
This is a warm and welcoming space for poets of all kinds, at every stage of development, and for everyone who loves the spoken and written word.
Follow Orna's Patreon Page for updates if you'd like to perform next month.
Show Notes Richy Campbell's website is richycampbell.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @richyacampbell.
Live Canon: livecanon.co.uk
Tessa Foley: tessafoley.com/poetry
Funds for Writers
fundsforwriters.com/grants
pw.org/grants
australiacouncil.gov.au/funding
About the Host
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
On the AskALLi Beginners' Self-Publishing Salon, ALLi Director Orna Ross and Monash University Associate Law Professor Rebecca Giblin look at copyright matters.
"What's really essential here is how we divide up the pie," Rebecca says. "The copyright is all of the financial, the economic rights that an author has in their work and that needs to sustain them and it needs to protect their interests. That includes the interest in being paid, but it also includes their interest in continuing to be read, which every author that I know is keenly concerned with."
Indie publishing, she says, has been instrumental in bringing about a change of thinking about what publishers should get in exchange for the services that they offer.
Also, on Inspirational Indie Authors
Howard Lovy interviews SELFiE-Award-winning author Jane Davis. We don't have very many rock stars in the indie publishing world, but a few have risen to the top with a reputation for producing wonderfully written, compelling books that stand out as great literature, no matter what label you put on it.
One of them is Davis, who was recently recognized as one of the best self-published authors of the year with the new SELFIE awards for her book called Smash All The Windows, which is also smashing all the preconceptions many people have about self published books.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Host
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
On today's Inspirational Indie Authors, Howard Lovy interviews Selfie-Award-winning author Jane Davis. We don't have very many rock stars in the indie publishing world, but a few have risen to the top with a reputation for producing wonderfully written, compelling books that stand out as great literature, no matter what label you put on it.
One of them is Davis, who was recently recognized as one of the best self-published authors of the year with the new SELFIE awards for her book called Smash All The Windows, which is also smashing all the preconceptions many people have about self published books.
Smash all the Windows is based on a real disaster in a football stadium in 1989. Jane discusses how fiction can help humanize big disasters, placing them in perspective while assigning what she calls "unblame."
Inspirational Indie Authors is a biweekly feature within our AskALLi series of podcasts.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly and Longreads. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Joanna Penn, of TheCreativePenn.com, and Orna Ross, director of the Alliance of Independent Authors, explain how to scale your author business without compromising your creativity or giving up on your life.
Topics discussed this week include:
- What you really want
- Diversity of products
- Multiple streams of income
- How to build positive routines
- Tools and teams
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week, it's our monthly Writing Salon, where we discuss the craft of writing with author Dan Blank and ALLi Director Orna Ross. This week, Orna and Dan talk about managing all of a writer's assets.
As writers, we think about the work we need to do to create our books but perhaps not enough about the writing we do to build other assets that are very important to our author business.
In this salon Orna chats with Dan about the value of websites, branding, processes, teams, and other intellectual property. How to evaluate these assets, and our book projects, through the lens of profit and pleasure. And how, in a busy creative life, we need to look after our most important asset: ourselves.
Also, on Inspirational Indie Authors
On today's Inspirational Indie Authors interview, journalist Howard Lovy talks to Steff Green. She's a paranormal romance author, teaches self-publishing courses, and is also a children's author who just Kickstarted a Gothic Picture Book. It's a book about bullying called Only Freaks Turn Things Into Bones.
Steff talks about how she was bullied as a child due to her blindness, which gave her a deep understanding of how a bullying victim feels. And, like the main character in the book, she was a Goth kid. Howard and Steff also discuss how she successfully launched a Kickstarter drive to fund the book.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
On today's Inspirational Indie Authors interview, journalist Howard Lovy talks to Steff Green. She's a paranormal romance author, teaches self-publishing courses, and is also a children's author who just Kickstarted a Gothic Picture Book. It's a book about bullying called Only Freaks Turn Things Into Bones.
Steff talks about how she was bullied as a child due to her blindness, which gave her a deep understanding of how a bullying victim feels. And, like the main character in the book, she was a Goth kid. Howard and Steff also discuss how she successfully launched a Kickstarter drive to fund the book.
The New Zealander is a successful indie author with many interests and talents. Plus, she talk about her previous life as an Indiana Jones-style archaeologist (sort of).
Inspirational Indie Authors is a biweekly feature within our AskALLi series of podcasts.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host:
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Orna Ross.
Questions this month include:
- Is it worth displaying my book at BookExpo?
- Which is better for book promotion: Bookbub or Goodreads?
- Which of the assisted self-publishing companies are best for marketing?
And More!
Also, News Editor Dan Holloway and Howard Lovy bring you the latest self-publishing news. They talk about the expansion of StreetLib, an Unbound book shortlisted for a Folio prize, and an update on copyright protections.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
On the AskALLi Beginners' Self-Publishing Salon, Orna Ross and Tim Lewis look at editing. Money spent on editing is not just a necessary investment in your book but also in your writing and publishing future. Every writer needs an editor, but getting the most from your investment can be challenging, especially when you’re starting out.
Orna and Tim explain how to decide which type of edit you need, how to choose the best editors for your books and how to work with them to get the best creative and business return on your investment.
Also, on Inspirational Indie Authors
Howard Lovy interviews Yvonne Caputo, author of Flying with Dad: A Daughter, A Father, and how his World War II Stories Brought them Closer.
Growing up, Yvonne did not have a very close relationship with her father. A member of the WWII "Greatest Generation," her dad was very brusque with her and did not show very much emotion or affection. That was what was expected of fathers of his generation. They were also expected to simply put the war behind them and move on with their lives.
It was not until Yvonne was sixty years old, and her father near the end of his life that he finally opened up about his experiences, both humorous and sad, during WWII and about the nightmares he had ever since. At last, after nearly a lifetime, Yvonne found a sense of closure with her father. It took her about twelve years to finish this book, which is about her dad, and her, the war, and so much more.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Tim Lewis is the author of three time-travel novellas in the Timeshock series and three fantasy novels in the Magpies and Magic series under his full name of Timothy Michael Lewis. He is the host of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast and is currently working on the book Social Media Networking- a guide to using social media to find your dream job, find love and boost your travel experience.
Howard Lovy takes a close look at Inspirational Indie Authors. This isn't about their business model, their marketing, or even how many books they've sold. It's about their writing, and what indie authors have to say.
Today's interview is with Yvonne Caputo, author of Flying with Dad: A Daughter, A Father, and how his World War II Stories Brought them Closer.
Growing up, Yvonne did not have a very close relationship with her father. A member of the WWII "Greatest Generation," her dad was very brusque with her and did not show very much emotion or affection. That was what was expected of fathers of his generation. They were also expected to simply put the war behind them and move on with their lives.
It was not until Yvonne was sixty years old, and her father near the end of his life that he finally opened up about his experiences, both humorous and sad, during WWII and about the nightmares he had ever since. At last, after nearly a lifetime, Yvonne found a sense of closure with her father. It took her about twelve years to finish this book, which is about her dad, and her, the war, and so much more.
Inspirational Indie Authors is a biweekly feature within our AskALLi series of podcasts.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host:
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn talk about the lessons learned and key takeaways for indie authors from The London Book Fair and ALLi's online Self-publishing Advice Conference, including the most up-to-date advice on making and selling books and running a successful indie author business.
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Topics discussed this week include:
- New staff additions at ALLi
- Orna read her poetry at London Book Fair
- Lots of buzz about audiobooks at the LBF
- "Going wide" as an indie author.
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
In this presentation, author Sacha Black focuses on the creation of villains. Why? Because villains are vital to your novels. They create conflict, drive tension and up the pace. Without a solid villain, your novel will fall flat. In this presentation you’ll learn what clichés and stigmas to avoid, as well as the major factors of villain creation.
Sacha says: "Behind every successful hero is a villain. Think about it. Would Metropolis have needed Superman if it weren’t for Lex Luthor and his plans for world domination? I don’t think so. Likewise, think about Gotham and Batman. Would Gotham have needed Batman if it weren’t for the Penguin or the Joker?
"There’s a big debate over what’s the most important aspect is when creating your novel, is it characters? Is it plot? It could be either and I know supporters of both those camps. However, I think there’s something even more fundamental than either of those things, and that’s conflict.
"Conflict gives your characters an aim and a purpose."
Listen to Sacha's presentation on how to create a great villain that gives your hero the purpose she needs.
This podcast is part of Self-Publishing Advice Conference, an online author conference that showcases the best self-publishing advice and education for authors across the world — harnessing the global reach of the Alliance of Independent Authors’ network. Our self-publishing conference, which runs alongside the London Book Fair and Digital Book World, features well-known indie authors and advisors, for 24 sessions over 24-hours, in a one-day extravaganza of self-publishing expertise straight to your email inbox.
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week, it's our monthly Writing Salon, where we discuss the craft of writing with author Dan Blank and ALLi Director Orna Ross. This week, Orna and Dan talk about collaboration.
For a writer, collaborations can come in many forms: co-writers, coaches, mentors, ghostwriters, editors and accountability partners. But is collaboration for you? And how do you choose the best writing partner?
Also, on Inspirational Indie Authors
Today's interview is with Frankie Picasso, an author who just released a book called For Want of 40 Pounds: From Persecution to Perseverance, What Would You do For Freedom? It's the story about her father, the patriarch of her family, who escaped the Holocaust and then went on to become a successful immigrant and entrepreneur.
Frankie says the book is about "resilience. independence, freedom, courage. It's about being an immigrant, an entrepreneur, his rise and fall and rise again. It’s about love and family."
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Howard Lovy takes a close look at Inspirational Indie Authors. This isn't about their business model, their marketing, or even how many books they've sold. It's about their writing, and what indie authors have to say.
Today's interview is with Frankie Picasso, an author who just released a book called For Want of 40 Pounds: From Persecution to Perseverance, What Would You do For Freedom? It's the story about her father, the patriarch of her family, who escaped the Holocaust and then went on to become a successful immigrant and entrepreneur.
Frankie says the book is about "resilience. independence, freedom, courage. It's about being an immigrant, an entrepreneur, his rise and fall and rise again. It’s about love and family."
Inspirational Indie Authors is a biweekly feature within our AskALLi series of podcasts.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
About the Host:
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
In this session live from London Book Fair, learn how to publish on Kobo Writing Life platform with KWL’s European Manager, Camille Modifini; how to sell books to libraries and bookstores with book selling supreme Amy Collins, President of New Shelves Books; and how to make sure you have the right mindset, right from the start with one of the most successful indie authors in the world, Adam Croft. Panel chaired by ALLi Director Orna Ross.
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Orna Ross.
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Questions this month include:
- Should authors get liability insurance?
- How to make a PDF.
- Can you display your ALLi badge on your books?
- Which self-publishing companies are reputable and provide effective service—especially in marketing and promotion?
Also, News Editor Dan Holloway and Howard Lovy bring you the latest self-publishing news. They talk about the first winner of the Selfie Awards and other news from the London Book Fair.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
On the AskALLi Beginners' Self-Publishing Salon, Orna Ross and Tim Lewis look at the topic of using beta readers in your self-editing process. A beta reader is a trusted book lover whose opinion helps you to do a final self-edit on your book before sending it to the editor. But how do you choose the right beta readers? And how do you ensure you’ll get constructive advice on your manuscript and not just a review or opinion?
Also, on Inspirational Indie Authors
Howard Lovy interviews J. Dianne Dotson. Dianne is both a science and science fiction writer who is publishing a series of books, the first of which is called Heliopause: The Questrison Saga: Book One. And that's where Dianne shines as one of our favorite kinds of science fiction authors--- one who actually knows about science. Howard and Dianne discuss how to find the perfect balance between science and fiction.
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Tim Lewis is the author of three time-travel novellas in the Timeshock series and three fantasy novels in the Magpies and Magic series under his full name of Timothy Michael Lewis. He is the host of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast and is currently working on the book Social Media Networking- a guide to using social media to find your dream job, find love and boost your travel experience.
Howard Lovy takes a close look at Inspirational Indie Authors. This isn't about their business model, their marketing, or even how many books they've sold. It's about their writing, and what indie authors have to say.
Today's interview is with J. Dianne Dotson. She has written such best-sellers as: Lipids: Facts and Functions, What Are the Main Functions of Cilia & Flagella? And you can't forget the classic, What Are the Primary Functions of Phospholipids?
Dianne is both a science and science fiction writer. Obviously, the titles I just listed are examples of her science writing. As for SciFi, she's publishing a series of books, the first of which is called Heliopause: The Questrison Saga: Book One. And that's where Dianne shines as one of our favorite kinds of science fiction authors--- one who actually knows about science.
Inspirational Indie Authors is a biweekly feature within our AskALLi series of podcasts.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss ethics. The need for book reviews, the desirability of bestseller badges, the value in superfast author business models can put a strain on ethics. Sometimes authors make mistakes inadvertently, sometimes we stretch the rules on purpose.
Orna and Joanna look at recent controversies in the community around plagiarism, ghostwriting, reviews, and bestseller listings and ask: how far would you go to ensure your book is successful?
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Orna previews some changes coming on the ALLi website as we approach our seventh birthday.
- How do global changes in copyright law impact indie authors?
- A discussion about a recent ghostwriting/plagiarism scandal that rocked the indie Romance world.
- Is there a gray area between writing that's your own and something you picked up elsewhere? What are the limits of fair use?
- Where does AI fit into this issue of authorship?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week, it's our monthly Writing Salon, where we discuss the craft of writing with author Dan Blank and ALLi Director Orna Ross. This week, Orna and Dan talk about how to effectively share your work in a way that inspires others to connect and, ultimately, buy.
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Topics discussed include
- Writing vs. marketing: It's a false dichotomy
- How to lead people "through the gate" and develop an interest in your writing.
- How to think about the "creative writing" around your book, including cover copy and social media.
- "Show your work" to your fans as you write the book.
- How to use different social media formats for different purposes.
- Quick tips on how to get started on your book;
And more!
Also, on Inspirational Indie Authors
Today the theme is crime, and the human mind. What if you were falsely accused of a murder? Howard Lovy's guest is one of the most-popular authors of British crime fiction today, Adam Croft, who is also a leading self-published author.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Howard Lovy takes a close look at Inspirational Indie Authors. This isn't about their business model, their marketing, or even how many books they've sold. It's about their writing, and what indie authors have to say.
Today the theme is crime, and the human mind. What if you were falsely accused of a murder? Our guest is one of the most-popular authors of British crime fiction today, Adam Croft, who is also a leading self-published author.
Inspirational Indie Authors is a biweekly feature within our AskALLi series of podcasts.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Orna Ross.
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Questions this month include:
- How can I vet a contract? What raises alarm bells? Is there any advantage in going 50/50 with a publisher?
- How do I sell publishing rights? How do I negotiate?
- What steps do I take to publish in KDP?
- How can ALLi help me market my book?
- Can I publish a biography when the family objects?
Also, News Editor Dan Holloway and Howard Lovy bring you the latest self-publishing news. They talk about the new Selfie Awards and Wattpad's new publishing venture.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Howard Lovy takes a close look at Inspirational Indie Authors. This isn't about their business model, their marketing, or even how many books they've sold. It's about their writing, and what indie authors have to say.
Today the theme is money. Money, and crime, and human nature. The guest is Susan Grossey, who helps prevent financial crimes in real life, and writes about them in her series of fiction, the latest of which was just shortlisted for a Selfie award in the UK.
Inspirational Indie Authors is a biweekly feature within our AskALLi series of podcasts. Listen to the entire podcast here.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Orna Ross and Tim Lewis discuss the challenges and delights of self-editing for author-publishers. Every author needs to self-edit before submission but when you’re self publishing, there are particular things you need to think about. Tune in to a wide-ranging discussion on this essential topic, including tips and tools and the value of beta readers.
Inspirational Indie Authors
Howard Lovy introduces a new feature in our podcasts. He takes a close look at some Inspirational Indie Authors. This isn't about their business model, their marketing, or even how many books they've sold. It's about their writing, and what indie authors have to say.
Today the theme is money. Money, and crime, and human nature. The guest is Susan Grossey, who helps prevent financial crimes in real life, and writes about them in her series of fiction, the latest of which was just shortlisted for a Selfie award in the UK.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Tim Lewis is the author of three time-travel novellas in the Timeshock series and three fantasy novels in the Magpies and Magic series under his full name of Timothy Michael Lewis. He is the host of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast and is currently working on the book Social Media Networking- a guide to using social media to find your dream job, find love and boost your travel experience.
In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn explore the findings of the US Authors’ Guild Survey on author income and issues arising, including the problems with most author income surveys. What are the takeaways for indie authors who want to make a decent income from their writing and publishing?
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Topics discussed this week include:
- An update from Orna on what ALLi is up to, leading up to the London Book Fair; also, Orna teases some upcoming changes and new programming on the AskALLi podcasts.
- An update from Joanna on her new ventures in audiobook narration; also, Orna is recording a poetry audiobook and has started an online open mic for poets.
- A discussion on the Author's Guild Survey on author income. What does it mean? What are its shortcomings, including some of the questionable assumptions it makes about self-publishing.
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
In this presentation, Claire Scobie shares her journey of co-authoring a memoir with her mum, Patricia Scobie. Together, they published A Baboon in the Bedroom about an amazing journey across Africa in 2017.
Claire shares the experience of collaborating long-distance with a family member (Claire lives in Australia, her mum in the UK) and the power of books to uplift after grief and loss.
This segment will help you see how writing & indie-publishing a book with a loved one can bring you closer and give the loved one a new indie author career.
This podcast is part of Self-Publishing Advice Conference, an online author conference that showcases the best self-publishing advice and education for authors across the world — harnessing the global reach of the Alliance of Independent Authors’ network. Our self-publishing conference, which runs fringe to Digital Book World, features well-known indie authors and advisors, for 24 sessions over 24-hours, in a one-day extravaganza of self-publishing expertise straight to your email inbox.
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank.
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Questions this month include:
- How do I transfer the copyright of my books from me to my brand new LLC/Corporation/Company?
- What's the recommended word length for a book description?
- How does Google Play price discounting work and how should I price my book?
- For 2nd editions of nonfiction books, do you unpublish the first edition? Do you request that reviews be transferred over to new edition?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable.
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out.
Topics discussed this week include:
- What are the differences between a hobbyist and business mindset?
- Being a "content provider" for somebody else vs. actually being in business.
- Writing for yourself vs. writing to make a living.
- What is the focus of ALLi members?
- Writing for a market vs. writing for your passion.
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Tim Lewis is the author of three time-travel novellas in the Timeshock series and three fantasy novels in the Magpies and Magic series under his full name of Timothy Michael Lewis. He is the host of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast and is currently working on the book Social Media Networking- a guide to using social media to find your dream job, find love and boost your travel experience.
This month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors features some of the best discussions of the year between Orna Ross and Joanna Penn. Enjoy this compilation of three of their best shows.
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Topics discussed include:
Are We Moving Toward Self-Publishing 3.0?
- Orna outlines Self-Publishing 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0.
- Going through giant "siren servers" like Amazon prevents authors from thinking more creatively about how to reach readers.
- Blockchain and other 3.0 technology will make it easier to reach readers directly, but we need to start thinking about it now.
How to Refocus Your Author Business
- Ask yourself what you want to be known as. What do you want them to say about you at your funeral?
- What are the tasks you should outsource?
- If you build your assets over time, success is inevitable.
Building Your Team of Professionals
- When is an author ready to build a team of professionals?
- What are the different kinds of professionals you need to hire?
- Be prepared to cut your losses if one of the professionals isn't working out.
- What should you outsource and what should you do yourself?
- It is a relief when you find the right person to help you. You get your writing time back.
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
This session will detail how a successful author-editor relationship works, no matter which type of editor your project needs. It considers the various types of editors and determines which type of editing your project need, as well as outlining what you should budget for editorial needs, manuscript preparation tips for a smooth project experience, and tips for a positive and constructive author-editor relationship.
At the end of this session, you will have an editorial plan, complete with action steps that will enable you to find the perfect editor for you book and understand how authors work with editors.
This podcast is part of Self-Publishing Advice Conference, an online author conference that showcases the best self-publishing advice and education for authors across the world — harnessing the global reach of the Alliance of Independent Authors’ network. Our self-publishing conference, which runs fringe to Digital Book World, features well-known indie authors and advisors, for 24 sessions over 24-hours, in a one-day extravaganza of self-publishing expertise straight to your email inbox.
I first launched my IndieVoices podcast in March 2017 as a way of helping to amplify voices that had been marginalized—politically, artistically, socially, and in many other ways that have tragically divided us recently. I truly believe that everybody with a story to tell should be given the opportunity to tell it and be heard. Indie publishing, of course, has provided this opportunity for these voices to come in out of the wilderness.
So, during the past couple of years, I have focused on interviewing publishers and authors who might have some uncomfortable things to say, but whose voices need to be heard. Criminal justice reform, autism, sex-abuse victims, aging, LGBTQ issues, are just a few of the themes I've featured since I launched the podcast.
In 2019, I'll continue to amplify the voices of indie authors. They should be heard as the world dives into an unknown future.
I'm using this final episode of the year to review what's been accomplished in 2018 and look ahead to 2019. Helping me do this is, of course, my much-more-accomplished and talented co-host, ALLi news editor Dan Holloway.
In this month's episode, we discuss: * Technology, specifically the rise of blockchain and especially augmented reality; * Amazon's up and down year; * The continued growth of ebooks in libraries; * Audio: both audiobooks and voice first; * The growth of international markets and opportunities for indies.
And more!
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer, and is launching a new Jewish-themed podcast on Patreon. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank.
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Questions this month include
- If I switch from an author to a publisher, do I need to re-upload my books to Amazon?
- If I publish a book on KDP Print AND IngramSpark, do I need separate ISBNs?
- What practical steps do published British authors take do to adapt their book covers for the United States?
- What free software do you recommend for formatting IngramSpark-ready PDFs?
- How can I clear a pen name for use?
- How can I clear a publishing company name for use?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series.
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out.
Topics discussed this week include:
- When should authors start marketing their book
- Why it’s essential to be good at marketing
- Online and offline channels to marketing
- Social media groups and online communities
- Events and conferences
- Content marketing
- Personal branding for authors
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Jyotsna Ramachandran is the founder of Happy Self Publishing and author of the international bestseller Job Escape Plan.
Tim Lewis is the author of three time-travel novellas in the Timeshock series and three fantasy novels in the Magpies and Magic series under his full name of Timothy Michael Lewis. He is the host of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast and is currently working on the book Social Media Networking- a guide to using social media to find your dream job, find love and boost your travel experience.
In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss how to position yourself for success in the next year. Catch up on the latest self-publishing news for author entrepreneurs, including search on voice devices and the importance of a good pitch.
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Orna and Joanna update us on their writing projects;
- An update on ALLi's activities and campaigns, including Self-Publishing 3.0 and making the self-publishing economy more visible;
- New opportunities in virtual and augmented reality.
- What exactly is happening at Amazon?
- The need for business training of self-published authors.
- Focus on independence; build up your audience on other platforms.
- Have your own website and make it a functioning e-commerce site, where you can sell directly.
- What does "positioning yourself in your market" mean?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank.
Questions this month include
- Should I republish a longer book into smaller books?
- Where can I learn to setup a Facebook page, YouTube channel, blog, etc?
- What do I do if the KDP dashboard isn't working as it should?
- Where can I find native speakers of another language to review translations of my book?
- Should I write my novel in the present tense or past tense?
- Should I be using social media, a blog, or both? And what/when should I be posting?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series.
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss five tips for growing your author business. Plus, lessons learned at Novelists INC and Digital Book World.
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Orna updates us on what ALLi is up to, and on her poetry publishing.
- Joanna updates us on her print and hardback books.
- Joanna just got her very first advance as an indie author—for Korean rights.
- Embrace Self-Publishing 3.0.
- How to make the most of what you have.
- Embrace the rise of audio.
- Embrace publishing wide; do not rely on any one outlet.
- Market in a way that you love, and don't feel guilty about it.
- Keep as many rights as possible and think long-term.
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Jyotsna co-authored a book with 23 other authors called Write and Grow Rich, which is now a best-seller.
- What is the right price for an ebook? $9.99? $2.99? $0.99? Free?
- How much will KDP and Kobo pay in royalties and for which price points?
- What does "permafree" mean and why do authors do it?
- How do countdown deals work in Amazon KDP Select?
- What is the price for paperback bookstore distribution?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Jyotsna Ramachandran is the founder of Happy Self Publishing and author of the international bestseller Job Escape Plan.
Tim Lewis is the author of three time-travel novellas in the Timeshock series and three fantasy novels in the Magpies and Magic series under his full name of Timothy Michael Lewis. He is the host of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast and is currently working on the book Social Media Networking- a guide to using social media to find your dream job, find love and boost your travel experience.
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly IndieVoices' self-publishing salon with interviews conducted by ALLi Managing Editor Howard Lovy and updates from News Editor Dan Holloway.
This Month's IndieVoices Back in 2009, Angelique L'Amour received news that she had cancer. But her first thought was not for herself. It was for her family, particularly her children. How was she going to hold things together for her kids while she went through the ordeal of chemotherapy?
Cancer and parenthood are both all-encompassing. Can the two coexist? Well, Angelique literally wrote the book on how it's done. She published Chemo, Cupcakes and Carpools: How to go Through Chemo With Your Marriage, Your Family and Your Sanity Intact. And, if you think the last name L'Amour sounds familiar to you, you're right. She's also the daughter of author Louis L'Amour.
I ask Angelique how and why she kept up a "normal" family life in an abnormal situation. She also explains why she chose to self-publish this cancer memoir and gives us a peek into her childhood as the daughter of a prolific author who died of cancer in 1988, when she was 24 years old.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer, and is launching a new Jewish-themed podcast on Patreon. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank.
Questions this month include
- Are book teasers a good marketing tool?
- Could ALLI recommend a reputable producer of book trailers?
- How can I better publicise my self-published book The Trivial Tragedy of Hilda the Vegetarian Vampire Bat?
- How do I find podcasters / bloggers / reviewers to whom to pitch a book for interviews / coverages / reviews?
- Is Santa Claus copyrighted?
- How do I copyright a book?
- Should I create an LLC or PLC to protect myself and my family?
- Where can I find a good cover designer?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series.
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out.
Topics discussed this week include:
- How important are categories for selling ebooks on Amazon?
- Are readers still looking at bestseller charts?
- How to pick the right categories.
- How does Amazon set up categories?
- What is the importance of keywords?
- What is the best software for choosing categories?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Jyotsna Ramachandran is the founder of Happy Self Publishing and author of the international bestseller Job Escape Plan.
Tim Lewis is the author of three time-travel novellas in the Timeshock series and three fantasy novels in the Magpies and Magic series under his full name of Timothy Michael Lewis. He is the host of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast and is currently working on the book Social Media Networking- a guide to using social media to find your dream job, find love and boost your travel experience.
In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss tips and tools for how to launch a book.
The AskALLi podcasts are sponsored by Damonza: Books Made Awesome.
Topics discussed this week include
- An update from Orna Ross on ALLi's activities.
- Joanna Penn updates us on her writing and editing process.
- Orna is working on her creativepreneur (creative entrepreneur) work.
- What's going on with EU copyright and what does it mean for indie authors?
- French/Israeli author wins award; French booksellers won't stock the book because Amazon published it. Orna is outraged.
- The importance of developmental editors: Get one!
- Challenge your assumptions about marketing. Don't keep doing what is not working.
- How much are readers willing to pay?
- Build profit into every transaction.
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
How to Launch Your Book: Bump Up Sales with the Best Book Launch Ever
Are you ready to have the best book launch ever? Shayla Raquel—editor, marketer, and publishing mentor—guides you through her one-of-a-kind plan to launch Amazon bestsellers for her indie authors. You'll learn how:
to build a launch team
to use social media as a lifeline to your readers
to pitch to influencers and book bloggers
to use your email list and preorder incentives to increase sales
to plan an out-of-the-park online launch party
to tell the world about your book without feeling salesy
to stay on top of things after the launch
and a few more marketing strategies!
So are you ready to have the best book launch ever?
This podcast is part of London Book Fair Self-Publishing Advice Conference (SPACon), an online author conference that showcases the best self-publishing advice and education for authors across the world — harnessing the global reach of the Alliance of Independent Authors’ network. Our self-publishing conference features well-known indie authors and advisors, for 24 sessions over 24-hours, in a one-day extravaganza of self-publishing expertise straight to your email inbox.
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly IndieVoices' self-publishing salon with interviews conducted by ALLi Managing Editor Howard Lovy and updates from News Editor Dan Holloway.
This Month's IndieVoices I’m about to say something with which just about every other person in the publishing industry will disagree. In fact, most will strongly, passionately, with much snooty sarcasm, disagree with what I’m about to say.
Ready for it? Everybody has a memoir in them. Not only that, but everybody should write one. There, I said it.
Every life is unique, and everybody has a story that only they can tell. As a journalist, what I enjoy most is getting people's stories in their own words. As a book editor, I can help them tell it in a way that brings out their own voice, that will invite others to relive their unique lives with them. With the rise of self-publishing, authors don't need to put up with rejection by acquiring editors who decide whether anybody cares about your story. Just write it. Oh, and hire a good editor to help you tell it. That's all.
I'm Howard Lovy, managing editor at the Alliance of Independent Authors, and I'm focusing this episode of IndieVoices on memoir.
I'd first like you to meet Indie author Leila Summers of South Africa, who self-published a memoir called It Rains in February, about a very personal, painful topic that she made universal.
Also in this episode, ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway updates us on a self-published author who is winning awards in France (and a resultant uproar because he published it on Amazon's CreateSpace), what Amazon Storefront means for indie authors, and an update on European copyright law.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer, and is launching a new Jewish-themed podcast on Patreon. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank.
Questions this month include
- Amazon has made an error in my royalty reports. What do I do?
- Two part question: 1. In my book, I have included links to YouTube Jazz recordings by jazz greats like Dizzie Gillepsie. Do I have permission to do that? and 2. If I want to copy a website address into a link, does that infringe on copyright?
- How do I make it easy for a bookstore to carry my book without bearing the financial burden of returns?
- How do I convert a PDF to a fixed layout ebook?
- When I launch my book, should I change my spelling to American English?
- How long should my novel be?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series.
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss the latest news in author-publishing, including the latest publishing trends and opportunities.
Topics discussed this week include
- ALLi is getting ready for Digital Book World and its online advice conference.
- ALLi is in the middle of its Self-Publishing 3.0 campaign.
- Joanna is finishing Valley of Dry Bones.
- What's it like to co-write with your mom?
- Orna launching two books: poetry and GoCreative!
- What about Foreign Rights Deals? Is that significant income?
- CreateSpace is being rolled into KDP Print. What does it mean?
- Walmart partners with Kobo. How does this impact authors?
- How many platforms should you use?
And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out.
Topics discussed this week include:
- What is crowdfunding?
- Is it a good way to test the viability of your book?
- Will you get funded if nobody knows you or your work?
- Is there a financial risk in crowdfunding?
- What are the different crowdfunding services?
- How do extra incentives work for crowdfunding donors?
- And more!
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Jyotsna Ramachandran is the founder of Happy Self Publishing and author of the international bestseller Job Escape Plan.
Tim Lewis is the author of three time-travel novellas in the Timeshock series and three fantasy novels in the Magpies and Magic series under his full name of Timothy Michael Lewis. He is the host of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast and is currently working on the book Social Media Networking- a guide to using social media to find your dream job, find love and boost your travel experience.
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly IndieVoices' self-publishing salon with interviews conducted by ALLi Managing Editor Howard Lovy and updates from News Editor Dan Holloway.
This Month's IndieVoices You or your kids are going back to school now, but as we all know, the excitement comes with anxiety. Financial anxiety. Among the many costs of a college education, one thing that many parents fail to account for is the high cost of textbooks. My guest today is David Harris, editor in chief of OpenStax, based at Rice University, which has a solution to the problem.
David and I discuss how more colleges and universities are using free, open-license textbooks. At OpenStax, they all go through a peer-review process. Students enjoy them because they're free and instructors like the way they can be tailored to individual lessons. Free, open-license textbooks are changing the way we think about educational publishing.
News editor Dan Holloway, who just retained his crown as the European speed reading champion, talks about the piracy problem in book publishing, and the different ways to crowdsource your podcast.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer, and is launching a new Jewish-themed podcast on Patreon. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank.
Questions this month include
- How do I get other well-known authors to endorse my books?
- How do I build relationships with other authors?
- Is there a standard form and/or process for setting an embargo date when sending out ARCs for reviews?
- I'd like to translate my book. How would I go about that
- Crowdfunding my book: should I do it?
- What tools can I use to format my book for ebook and paperback formats?
- If I copy-edit my book, do I need a proofreader as well? What about apps like Grammarly for proofreading?
- Do middle-grade readers prefer to read ebooks or paperbacks?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series.
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Publishing a series/catalog of books to become successful;
- The different kinds of backend businesses authors can have behind the book (coaching/ online courses/ affiliate products);
- Why it's not a good idea to leave your day job till you become successful;
- How to calculate the number of books to sell before you break even;
- How to check how well a book is doing using its Amazon sales rank.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Jyotsna Ramachandran is the founder of Happy Self Publishing and author of the international bestseller Job Escape Plan.
Tim Lewis is the author of three time-travel novellas in the Timeshock series and three fantasy novels in the Magpies and Magic series under his full name of Timothy Michael Lewis. He is the host of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast and is currently working on the book Social Media Networking- a guide to using social media to find your dream job, find love and boost your travel experience.
In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss how to refocus your author business.
Topics discussed this week include
- ALLi is pulling together a video and document explaining facts and myths about working with Amazon.
- Orna is engaged in a great experiment to treat her poetry as she would any work of fiction or nonfiction.
- Joanna is reading "time slip fiction" and writing a book based on Ezekiel's Valley of the Dry Bones."
- It's important, as creative entrepreneurs, to map out your time in advance.
- The challenges of becoming a screenwriter.
- Ask yourself what you want to be known as. What do you want them to say about you at your funeral?
- What are the tasks you should outsource?
- If you build your assets over time, success is inevitable.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly IndieVoices' self-publishing salon with interviews conducted by ALLi Managing Editor Howard Lovy and updates from News Editor Dan Holloway.
This Month's IndieVoices Rachel Thompson is an author and book marketing expert. Her series of books, Broken Pieces and Broken Places, about coming to terms with sexual abuse she suffered as a child, has inspired many other survivors to come out of hiding and seek help. In this episode, Rachel talks about the abuse, but also how writing the books and helping others brought healing after almost a lifetime of guilt and trauma. Her books and online forums have been an inspiration to many other trauma survivors.
Also, Dan Holloway discusses the news. Amazon replacing libraries? Also, trouble on Prime Day.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer, and is launching a new Jewish-themed podcast on Patreon. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Financial risks of self-publishing
- What about bookstore distribution?
- But don't you get advances with traditional publishers?
- Do you get the best of both worlds with hybrid publishing?
- Amazon imprints look for self-published authors
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Jyotsna Ramachandran is the founder of Happy Self Publishing and author of the international bestseller Job Escape Plan.
Tim Lewis is the author of three time-travel novellas in the Timeshock series and three fantasy novels in the Magpies and Magic series under his full name of Timothy Michael Lewis. He is the host of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast and is currently working on the book Social Media Networking- a guide to using social media to find your dream job, find love and boost your travel experience.
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank.
Questions this month include
- When it comes to CreateSpace, can I use my personal name or the name of my business instead?
- When it comes to including blurbs from other authors on book covers, should I use “Bestselling author of” or “author of?”
- How do I start landing speaking engagements?
- What are some tools I can use to give away my book?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series.
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss publishing in different genres.
Topics discussed this week include
- Orna talks about the "waves of concern" over Amazon reviews, rank stripping, and book stuffing. ALLi is having private and public meetings with Amazon officials to get to the bottom of the issues.
- Update on Joanna Penn's many projects, including ebook, print book, audiobook, workbook, and multimedia course … all at the same time. And she is 7,000 words into her next thriller.
- Orna launches a Patreon page for her poetry and is writing a book on how to write Haiku
- News update on Donadio & Olson literary agency embezzlement, bringing up the question: Do you really need an agent?
- Do authors need to pay attention to the business side?
- What's going on with Amazon reviews?
- Putting it in perspective, most ALLi members are very happy with Amazon's review system.
- Joanna and Orna describe the multiple genres in which they write. Why is this the best way to go?
- Do you need to use different names for different genres?
- Which genres sell best in print and in audio?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly IndieVoices' self-publishing salon with interviews conducted by ALLi Managing Editor Howard Lovy and updates from News Editor Dan Holloway.
This Month's IndieVoices If you think your kids aren't reading books like you did when you were young, they may just be doing something more important: Reinventing the way books are written and read. It's collaborative, it's a need for instant reaction from friends, and, if you haven't already guessed it, it's Wattpad: A reading and writing and social network service that has your kids' attention, and increasingly, adult writers, too, along with major studios like Netlfix and Hulu, which are adapting Wattpad stories.
Today, I'll feature an interview and a reading by Wattpad user Jandra Sutton, a special interview with Ashleigh Gardner, deputy general manager of Wattpad Studios, and of course an update on the indie publishing world with our news editor Dan Holloway. I'm Howard Lovy, managing editor of the Alliance of Independent Authors and you're listing to IndieVoices.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer, and is launching a new Jewish-themed podcast on Patreon. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle
This seminar from author AG Billig is from our Self-Publishing Advice Conference.
Literary history abounds in authors who wrote books that stood the test of time. Nowadays, some successful authors launch book after book after book, and never seem to be out of ideas or inspiration.
What do they have in common? They are authentic, go beyond the limits of their mind, and don’t question their worth as writers, and their success. They follow their inner compass, enjoy the process of writing, and are happy to offer their gift to the world. If they can do it, you can do it.
In this session, you will learn all about their tricks. You will be given practical tools and exercises that will help you to keep your creative juice flowing so that you never have to face writer’s block again.
Overcome self-imposed limitations and beliefs regarding your success as a writer, Learn how to use your five senses (and the sixth one, too) to find inspiration on the spot, Enjoy the process of writing (even when it feels lonely).
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Introducing new co-host Tim Lewis, author of six books and the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast
- Do you need an editor at all? (Yes. 99.5 percent of all writers do!) Everybody makes mistakes
- There are different levels of editing, from developmental editing to copy editing and proofreading.
- Should you go through all the phases of editing? Each has its own purpose.
- Do beta readers cut down on editing costs?
- Most 1-Star Amazon reviews are due to typos and grammatical mistakes.
- If you don't have the money for an editor, try bartering.
- Does the author have to accept all editors' changes?
- What editing services are available?
- A checklist of things to look for in an editor.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Jyotsna Ramachandran is the founder of Happy Self Publishing and author of the international bestseller Job Escape Plan.
Tim Lewis is the author of three time-travel novellas in the Timeshock series and three fantasy novels in the Magpies and Magic series under his full name of Timothy Michael Lewis. He is the host of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast and is currently working on the book Social Media Networking- a guide to using social media to find your dream job, find love and boost your travel experience.
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank.
Questions this month include
- What is the best way to format bibliography/works cited at the end of my book so that it looks good in ebook and paperback?
- What is the best way to build a team of publishing professionals around me?
- Does Alli recommend PublishDrive? (Yes!)
- Is it possible to distribute a 4x6 book on CreateSpace?
- How do I go about getting permission to use a song lyric from a famous artist?
- If you publish books wide, what is the best way to build a readership on smaller platforms that don't offer advertising services?
- What is the easiest way to build an author website?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series.
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss how to assemble a team of professionals.
Topics discussed this week include
- News update from Orna Ross: Drowning in GDPR, but all ALLi sites are updated and there's a downloadable guide for members.
- Orna is also setting up for Self-Publishing 3.0, launching a Patreon for poetry, and is finishing up a script.
- Joanna publishes How To Write Non-Fiction: Turn Your Knowledge Into Words, along with workbook, large-print editions, multimedia course, and audiobook.
- The difference between trademark and trademark.
- Has Amazon really banned ARC reviews? No, but there is a communication problem.
- Is traditional publishing shaking in their boots?
- When is an author ready to build a team of professionals?
- What are the different kinds of professionals you need to hire?
- Be prepared to cut your losses if one of the professionals isn't working out.
- What should you outsource and what should you do yourself?
- It is a relief when you find the right person to help you. You get your writing time back.
- What tools to use for collaborative work.
- Contracts are a very good idea to protect you both.
- Map your week. Make time for your writing and publishing.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
In this seminar from our Self-Publishing Advice Conference in London this year, author and publisher Jane Friedman discusses "funding your writing career." Jane talks about scholarships and grants for writers and how to get organizations and patrons to support your projects.
This Month's Highlights * There are four different approaches to funding your writing. * You don't get any money unless you ask. * Grants and other "free money." * Prove that you can be trusted by producing work. * Get your work out there. * Have a vision for what you want to do with your writing. * What are the common types of grants? * How to increase your chances of getting a grant. * Identify a specific project. * Calculate a realistic goal for crowdfunding. * Crowdfunding by the numbers * Creating a pitch video * Rewards should be affordable and easy to fulfill * Donations * PayPal and TinyCoffee * Recurring donations, such as Petreon. * Sponsor-Patron * Pay your taxes! * Take a look at Jane Friedman's book, The Business of Being a Writer.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish!
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly IndieVoices' self-publishing salon with interviews conducted by ALLi Managing Editor Howard Lovy and updates from News Editor Dan Holloway.
This Month's IndieVoices * Claire Baldry of East Sussex, UK, is 63 years old and recently launched a website and Facebook group focused on older readers. It's been increasingly popular as older people look for books that reflect their own experiences. * Maggie Christensen, an Australian writer by way of Scotland, Oregon, and California, just wouldn't accept the notion that nobody wants to read about the lives of older people. * Dan Holloway updates us on the news, including net neutrality, and the birthdays of Smashwords and Patreon. * Dan promises poetry skydiving for June. We'll hold him to that.
About the Hosts Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank.
Questions this month include
- If I publish a 2nd edition of my book, do I need to register the copyright again?
- How should I set up my publishing company (sole trader/proprietor, LLC/Limited, etc)
- Will my ISBNs transfer to my new company if I previously published as a sole proprietor/trader?
- What do I do if I get a "quality notice" from Amazon alleging that my book has too many errors? Help!
- If I contract a cover designer to do my cover, am I limited to how many books I can sell before having to pay them again?
- What is the best way to distribute ARCs to readers?
- What universal book linking site do you recommend to send readers to their local Amazon site instead of using Amazon.com or .co.uk links every time?
- How do I price my book?
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series.
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Iain is on a "career high," selling more books than in the past years, mainly due to Facebook advertising.
- For nonfiction, Jyotsna recommends writing something related to your profession as your very first book. Above all, though, be clear about the reason you're writing the book.
- For fiction, Iain says the first book should be your passion project.
- Work on your craft. Not even Stephen King was born to be Stephen King. He worked hard at it.
- You can aspire to make a good living writing books. Odds are, you won't win the lottery like Stephen King or JK Rowling, but it's possible to earn a living.
- Jyotsna describes her process from idea to book.
- Iain talks about the discipline of writing a book.
- Iain recommends Scrivener as an ideal program for book writing.
- Switch off your WiFi and don't get lost in Google while you're writing.
- Just write your first draft without switching into editing mode. Just keep writing!
- Jyotsna recommends an "accountability partner" while you're writing to give you a "nice kick in the butt."
About the Hosts
Jyotsna Ramachandran is the founder of Happy Self Publishing and author of the international bestseller Job Escape Plan.
Iain Rob Wright has written over a dozen novels. He’s an active member of the Horror Writers Association and has also written a free self-publishing course for authors.
In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss self-publishing 3.0.
Topics discussed this week include
- Update from Orna on London Book Fair and associated live events. LBF is among the most author-friendly book fairs.
- ALLi launched its new member magazine called The Indie Author, which will be released quarterly.
- ALLi launched white paper on Blockchain for Books, to start the conversation about the future of indie publishing.
- Joanna posted a massive roundup of her time at LBF on https://www.thecreativepenn.com/
- Replays of live LBF events can be found at http://selfpublishingadviceconference...
- Orna planning a number of self-published book projects.
- Amazon released Great on Kindle program, with features that include a 50 percent royalty plan. Joanna wonders why they can't do it more and isn't crazy about the branding.
- Orna outlines Self-Publishing 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0.
- Going through giant "siren servers" like Amazon prevents authors from thinking more creatively about how to reach readers.
- Blockchain and other 3.0 technology will make it easier to reach readers directly, but we need to start thinking about it now. * Author confidence is growing exponentially.
- Nonfiction authors have been doing direct and bulk sales for a long time.
- Still a digital divide. Not everybody has access to digital publishing and payments.
- Above all, be you in your writing. What is your unique take on the world?
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly IndieVoices' self-publishing salon with interviews conducted by ALLi Managing Editor Howard Lovy and updates from News Editor Dan Holloway.
This Month's IndieVoices * A brief tour of a cryptocurrency mining operation, and its owner's mission to fix the Internet through a better-connected, decentralized world, one where transactions will be secure. It will be just about every industry, including publishing, that will be built atop the blockchain * A commentary by Howard on the problems with giant middlemen like Google or Amazon coming between author and reader * An interview with ALLi Director and Founder Orna Ross on Self-Publishing 3.0 and how authors can learn about it now. * An interview with ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway who has some advice on how authors can be vigilant against corporate control over blockchain. * Dan updates us on the news, including banditry at Amazon, the London Book Fair, and Google's "Talk to Books" tool. Dan also promises to work on a poem to read in the next episode.
About the Hosts Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle
Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank.
Questions this month include:
- Should I attempt to query a book reviewer even if I know they won't accept me?
- How do I find an audience for a how-to parenting book?
- Is Babelcube a good service for authors looking to translate their works into foreign languages?
- Quick update on Kindle Scout (it is no longer accepting new submissions)
- Is it advisable to use an agent for foreign rights sales?
- What are the benefits of Smashwords Interviews?
- If you have a title up for pre-order do you see pre-orders in your dashboard, or do you only get to see them as sales when the book goes live?
- Is it possible to have a separate author page for each pen name you have?
- Should I use a female pen name for romance?
- How much plot/detail should I include in my author bio and book description?
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series.
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book "Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience."
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out.
Topics discussed this week include:
- The 90-day hot new release window and how to manipulate it with a staggered launch effort over several days.
- Using ads and mailing list along with Bookbub-type services to boost launches.
- How to assemble a street team as a new or established author.
- Pricing strategies
About the Hosts
Jyotsna Ramachandran is the founder of Happy Self Publishing and author of the international bestseller Job Escape Plan.
Iain Rob Wright has written over a dozen novels. He’s an active member of the Horror Writers Association and has also written a free self-publishing course for authors.
In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn talk about the creative and business mind-set.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Orna updates us on her Go Creative! book series to be launched at the London Book Fair. How creative people apply the creative process to business.
- A preview of the London Book Fair and all of ALLi's activities there, including seminars, book launches, and consultations.
- ALLi will hold an online event in conjunction with the London Book Fair and launch of a new self-publishing advice quarterly.
- News update on Facebook and other big data changes. It's important for authors to understand the value of their data.
- Self-Publishing 3.0 is all about direct selling from author to reader.
- Take a look at your security settings on Facebook and look at what data they have on you.
- The rise of audiobooks.
- How to merge the creative and business mind-set. The world is changing, and so must the way you think.
- This is an incredible time to be an author. You can earn a living from books, but to do that, you're going to have to apply your creative skills to business.
- Joanna says set aside a time to put on your "creative hat." For her, it's early in the morning.
- You can get what you want out of social media like Facebook. "Good stuff in, good stuff out."
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org. Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank.
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction and fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. After a near-death experience in 2012, Michael decided to dedicate himself to writing, and he hasn’t looked back.
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience. He has worked with hundreds of individuals, and amazing organizations who support creative people such as Penguin Random House, Sesame Workshop, Hachette Book Group, , Workman Publishing, J. Walter Thompson, Abrams Books, Writers House, The Kenyon Review, Writer’s Digest, Library Journal, and many others. Dan’s work has been featured by Poet’s & Writers magazine, the National Endowment for the Arts, Professional Artist magazine, and 99u. You can find Dan on his blog at or on Twitter and Instagram at @DanBlank
Questions answered this week include:
- What services does Alli recommend for outsourcing podcast editing/show notes?
- What tips do you have for using a service like Fiverr?
- Are box sets an effective marketing tool?
- Is Kindle Scout worth it?
- What is the best way to determine if a self-publishing service provider is reputable?
- What's the step-by-step process of obtaining book reviews?
- Do you miss out on sales if you don't go all-out during your book launch?
- Should I copyright my work?
- Is it truly possible to keep a pen name secret?
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly IndieVoices' self-publishing salon with interviews conducted by ALLi Managing Editor Howard Lovy and updates from News Editor Dan Holloway.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle
This Month's IndieVoices * Guest Cari Noga, author of Sparrow Migrations and The Orphan Daughter, discusses her path from NanoWriMo to CreateSpace to an Amazon imprint, and what she learned along the way. Her book touches upon themes of grief and second chances, and the current issue of immigration. * Guest Claire Rudy Foster discusses her upcoming book, Shine Shine Shine, being crowdfunded by Unbound. Claire talks about her journey as an author and on writing about addiction and the LGBTQ community. Claire also reads a passage from her new collection. * Dan Holloway treats us to a poem about the late physicist Stephen Hawking. He also updates us on the continuing saga of Audible and romance, blockchain and books, and an update on the StreetLib digital publishing tools.
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out.
Jyotsna Ramachandran is the founder of Happy Self Publishing and author of the international bestseller Job Escape Plan.
Iain Rob Wright has written over a dozen novels. He’s an active member of the Horror Writers Association and has also written a free self-publishing course for authors.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Iain is writing a script for Audible
- Jyotsna is working on a cookbook
- The pros and cons of self-publishing with Amazon
- Do not depend on only one platform
- Work on developing a mailing list
- Smashwords vs. Draft2Digital
- CreateSpace vs. KDP
- The importance of paperback
- Where to launch your book
- Audiobook distribution
In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn are talking about the London Book Fair and the different ways to make money in self-publishing.
Topics discussed this week include:
- An update on Joanna's and Orna's personal writing projects.
- The Alliance of Independent Authors will be at the London Book Fair, providing resources to authors.
- Top 10 e-books in the Kindle U.S. store are Amazon imprint titles.
- There are very different ways in which indie authors can make money.
- Amazon's imprints are becoming more dominant in some genres.
- Rights licensing is a wider publishing model.
- Nonfiction authors can earn more money through speaking and consulting.
- A podcast can be part of your body of work.
- Membership-site model can also be successful for some authors.
- Paid sponsorships for podcasts can also be rewarding.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org. Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank.
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction and fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. After a near-death experience in 2012, Michael decided to dedicate himself to writing, and he hasn’t looked back.
Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers and artists share their stories and grow their audience. He is the author of the book Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience. He has worked with hundreds of individuals, and amazing organizations who support creative people such as Penguin Random House, Sesame Workshop, Hachette Book Group, , Workman Publishing, J. Walter Thompson, Abrams Books, Writers House, The Kenyon Review, Writer’s Digest, Library Journal, and many others. Dan’s work has been featured by Poet’s & Writers magazine, the National Endowment for the Arts, Professional Artist magazine, and 99u. You can find Dan on his blog at or on Twitter and Instagram at @DanBlank
Questions answered this week include:
- If I use an editor who does a bad job, should I hire another one?
- What are the copyright issues around quoting a work from 1885?
- Should I hire someone to begin illustrations when my book is only 2/3 complete?
- A publisher has republished my self-published book because I signed a deal. Should I remove original book from the market?
- When do I need to use different ISBNs for my book?
- How can I connect with other authors in my genre?
- Do Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) ads allow you to target different countries other than the US (as of Feb 2018)
- How and where can I connect with other Alli members?
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly IndieVoices' self-publishing salon with interviews conducted by ALLi Managing Editor Howard Lovy and updates from News Editor Dan Holloway.
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a "book doctor" to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance business and technology writer. Find Howard on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle
This Month's IndieVoices Each month on IndieVoices, I'm going to take a theme of interest to indie authors and talk to experts to help us understand it. Today, I'm going to discuss something that everybody is talking about, but very few people actually understand. Blockchain. My guests will be Josef Marc, CEO of a company called Publica, which is designing a blockchain system for indie authors, Sukhi Jutla, who is researching Blockchain for the Alliance, and Dan Holloway with the news.
Topics discussed this week include: * Introducing IndieVoices, a new broadcast from ALLi. * Blockchain is something that everybody talks about, but few really understand. * Introducing Josef Marc of Publica. * What is the problem that Blockchain is solving for writers? * You don't subscribe to a service, you subscribe to an author. * Cryptocurrency for authors. * What is the five-year plan for Publica? * Introducing author Sukhi Jutla, who also has a banking background. She's writing a white paper on blockchain for authors * Blockchain removes the middleman and gives authors more-direct access to readers. * Blockchain White Paper will be released in April at the London Book Fair. * Introducing Dan Holloway, ALLi's news editor. * Most exciting thing about blockchain is control of rights management. * At minute 17, Howard's cat, Story, contributes a couple of "meows." * People are focusing on payments, but blockchain has the potential to be even more disruptive. * Bitcoin and blockchain are not synonymous. * Blockchain crosses national boundaries. * Wordpress has a new podcast plugin that's exciting to writers. * What is Geoblocking? * Howard says a bad word and is "bleeped" out by an overzealous podcast producer. * Information wants to be free, except when money is to be made.
Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out.
This month, we introduce our new hosts. Jyotsna Ramachandran is the founder of Happy Self Publishing and author of the international bestseller Job Escape Plan.
Iain Rob Wright has written over a dozen novels. He’s an active member of the Horror Writers Association and has also written a free self-publishing course for authors.
This Month's Beginners' Self-Publishing Salon Episode No matter how you like to consume your content, we have you covered. You can listen to the podcast recording, watch the YouTube broadcast, or read the full transcript of this Salon episode below.
Topics discussed this week include: * Introducing Iain and Jyotsna * Seven years ago, Iain decided to be a writer because he wasn't happy with his sales job, discovered self-publishing and never looked back. * Jyotsna quit her full-time job six years ago, tried out different businesses. Discovered Amazon self-publishing and began making money on royalties. Then she found fulfillment in writing her own books * Visibility is more difficult now than it was six years ago. The space is more crowded. * Self-publishing is like any other business. Build it from the ground up. * Don't depend on Amazon for visibility. Get onto podcasts, find places to speak about your book. * Self-publishing is a great way to work from home. * Tools for formatting books. Microsoft Word? Vellum? Depends on your needs and budget. * Give proper instructions to freelance formatters. * CreateSpace vs. KDP
EP#80: Welcome to AskALLi, the self-Publishing advice weekly broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). In this, our monthly advanced salon, Orna Ross, ALLi Director, and Advisor Joanna Penn, of TheCreativePenn.com, analyse the latest tools and trends of interest to experienced indie authors.
Topics discussed this week include:
- An update on Orna and Joanna's personal projects
- ALLi's plans for the London Book Fair
- Changing the name of ALLi's online publishing conference for authors: from "Indie Author Fringe" to "Self-Publishing Advice Conference" ... and why
- An update on Amazon, KDP, and Apple Books, Kobo, Nook, and Walmart
- Complete reliance on Amazon is not a good business model
- Author Earnings Report... is it wrongly named?
- Need for personal branding for authors as Facebook and other organic reach declines
- Joanna focusing more on YouTube in 2018
- Selecting your social media outlet
- Orna finishing ALLi's white paper on Blockchain
- Joanna writing a nonfiction book on how to write a nonfiction book
- Don't put more time into any other website -- including Mark Zuckerberg's -- than you put into your own.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is one of four regular shows, which include:
- ALLi Member Q&A with Dan Blank and Michael La Ronn
- Beginners' Salon with Jyotsna Ramachadaran and Iain Robb Wright
- Indie Voices - Interviews with Significant Players in Self-Publishing
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, is it time you joined us. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now... go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter: @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross is an award-winning, bestselling novelist. She also writes poetry and nonfiction and is Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors and the Creativist Club. Her work for ALLi has seen her named "one of the 100 most influential people in publishing" (The Bookseller). Connect with Orna on Twitter: @OrnaRoss
Ep#83: Novelists Jerome Griffin and Orna Ross, ALLi Director, discuss the seven stages of conscious creation as they relate to writing. Understanding the different requirements of each stage from concept to completion can, Orna argues, up your writing speed, ensure you're more likely to finish well, and improve your writing craft.
Topics covered in this author podcast include:
- Vision Phase of writing: Intention, Incubation, and Investigation.
- Making Phase of writing: Drafting and Elaboration.
- Revision Phase of writing: Clarification and Correction.
- Why writers fail to finish and publish their books.
- Three phases of the writing process.
- A linear vs. erratic approach to writing.
- Motivation and Exhilaration to write.
- Skills and mindsets for each writing phase.
- Focusing your mind.
- F-R-E-E Writing.
- Observational Skills.
- Control your inner Critic.
- Collaboration and Teamwork.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page
Now, go write and publish.
Host Bio: Tim Lewis is the author of three Science Fiction novellas and two (soon to be three) short fantasy novels. He is also the host of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast as has interviewed over forty authors, experts and marketing specialists about how to produce and market a book. Website: http://www.stonehampress.com Facebook: Facebook/timlewis808 Twitter: @stonehampress Pinterest: stonehampress
EP#82: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This is our monthly Beginners' Self-Publishing Salon, with advice, tips and tools for indie authors just starting out. And here are your regular hosts for the beginners’ salon: Jay Artale and Michael La Ronn.
The topics covered in this beginners session about Designing your own book cover includes:
- 2017 Reflections
- Using and Leveraging Existing Content
- Finding Writing Efficiencies
- Scrivener 3.0
- Premium Version of Grammarly
- Tracker Box
- Amazon Ads
- Keywords
- Accountability Partners
- Author Platform
- Author Collaboration
- New goals for 2018
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This beginners salon is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a member Q&A and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your show hosts:
Jay Artale is a project manager who swapped corporate life for a nomadic existence as a non-fiction writer. She's written and self-published a series of travel guides, travel writing books, and poetry collections. Jay is also one of the co-organizers of the Indie Author Fringe, an online conference for indie authors who self-publish. Connect with Jay on Twitter: @BirdsOAFPress
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 science fiction & fantasy novels and author self-help books. To date, he has published over 1.5 million words of fiction and nonfiction. Since publishing his first book in 2014, he has produced a prolific writing portfolio while raising a family and working a full-time job in the insurance industry. Connect with Michael on Twitter: @MichaelLaRonn
Ep#81: This week we're showcasing the session "5 steps To Building a Successful Author Platform" hosted by Donna Galanti. Even if you don’t have a polished draft to publish, Donna will show you what you can do right now to successfully pave the way to an author career before your book is published. Learn how to build a strong author foundation that includes; creating a peer support network, forming relationships with authors in your genre, sharing the wisdom you already have (and may not know it), and connecting with readers via social media (yes, before that book is out!). Creating an author platform takes time and building it slowly can make this overwhelming process not only easy and manageable, but fun! Attendees will come away with the steps to launch their author platform over time before publication.
Topics covered in this author podcast include:
- How to build best followers on social media.
- How to connect with readers.
- How to build your email list.
- How to collaborate with other authors.
- How to position yourself as an expert.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page
Now, go write and publish.
Donna Galanti is the author of the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series. She is represented by Bill Contardi of Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem. She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna enjoys teaching at conferences on the writing craft and marketing and also presenting as a guest author at elementary and middle schools. Visit her at www.elementtrilogy.com and www.donnagalanti.com. She also loves building writer community. Check out her 4 Proven Steps to Connect with Readers Right Now (Before Your Book Even Comes Out!): www.createyourawesomecommunity.com
Ep#80: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: indie author's David Penny & Debbie Young.
Summary of our Ask ALLi Self-Publishing Member Q&A Topics:
- Q: How do I stop my margins jumping about when formatting my book in Word?
- Q: How do you position your book in the marketplace when your rebranding and relaunching the 2nd edition version?
- Q: How do you choose your categories when your in a narrow niche?
- Q: How do you market a book if you want to use a pseudonym?
- Q: Should I use a paid service called Indie Book Reviewers website?
- Q: I find Facebook Ads daunting, are there simple resources and instructions available?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
ALLi’s Technical Manager David Penny is the author of the best selling Thomas Berrington Historical Mystery series set in the final years of Moorish Spain, and before returning to writing full time he worked in education, printing and publishing, and for 25 years ran his own software company. Connect with David on Twitter @DavidPenny_
ALLi’s Publications Manger Debbie Young enjoys sharing best practice with our members around the world, as well as running two local authors’ groups and the Hawkesbury Upton Lit Fest on her home turf. Small wonder, then, that her cosy mystery series, the Sophie Syers Village Mysteries, is set in a small English village populated with authors and booksellers. Connect with Debbie on Twitter @DebbieYoungBN
EP#79: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. In a monthly salon type discussion, Orna Ross, Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors and Joanna Penn, of TheCreativePenn.com, talk about the latest tools and trends of interest to emerging and experienced self-publishing authors.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Choosing a micro niche
- Being an Author Entrepreneur
- Money for Writers
- How to create anything
- Successful author mindset
- Embracing business as an author
- The Author business model
- Author mindset
- Creating money and meaning
- The healthy writer
- The Role of creative rest and creative play
- Print on Demand
- ISBNs
- Global Markets
- Author Collaboration
- Writing Partnerships
- 2018 Self-Publishing Trends
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
EP#78: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This is our monthly Beginners' Self-Publishing Salon, with advice, tips and tools for indie authors just starting out. And here are your regular hosts for the beginners’ salon: Jay Artale and Michael La Ronn.
The topics covered in this beginners session about Designing your own book cover includes:
- eBook Design Tools
- Image Rights
- Cover Design Awards
- Stock Photos
- eBook Cover Thumbnails
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This beginners salon is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a member Q&A and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your show hosts:
Jay Artale is a project manager who swapped corporate life for a nomadic existence as a non-fiction writer. She's written and self-published a series of travel guides, travel writing books, and poetry collections. Jay is also one of the co-organizers of the Indie Author Fringe, an online conference for indie authors who self-publish. Connect with Jay on Twitter: @BirdsOAFPress
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 science fiction & fantasy novels and author self-help books. To date, he has published over 1.5 million words of fiction and nonfiction. Since publishing his first book in 2014, he has produced a prolific writing portfolio while raising a family and working a full-time job in the insurance industry. Connect with Michael on Twitter: @MichaelLaRonn
Ep#77: This week we're showcasing the session "How Authors use Podcasts to grow their Brand" hosted by Tim Lewis. If you’re considering starting a podcast to raise your indie author profile and grow your audience, Tim shares the what, why, and when of podcasting for beginners.
Topics covered in this author podcast include:
- What is a Podcast?
- Who Can Launch a Podcast?
- The Basics of RSS Feeds & Podcast Hosting.
- Why you SHOULDN’T launch a Podcast.
- Why you SHOULD launch a Podcast.
- How do you Start a Podcast?
- Podcasting Equipment.
- Choosing Your Podcasting Niche.
- Stereo vs. Mono Audio Tracks.
- Avoiding explicit podcast.
- Avoiding Copyright Infringement.
- Podcast Hosting.
- Options Podcast Ratings and Reviews.
- Building a Podcast Audience.
- Podcast Editing.
- Make it easy to Subscribe on Android.
- Become a Podcast Guest.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page
Now, go write and publish.
Host Bio: Tim Lewis is the author of three Science Fiction novellas and two (soon to be three) short fantasy novels. He is also the host of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast as has interviewed over forty authors, experts and marketing specialists about how to produce and market a book. Website: http://www.stonehampress.com Facebook: Facebook/timlewis808 Twitter: @stonehampress Pinterest: stonehampress
Ep#76: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. In a monthly salon type discussion, Orna Ross, Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors and Joanna Penn, of TheCreativePenn.com, talk about the latest tools and trends of interest to emerging and experienced self-publishing authors.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Establishing yourself as an non-fiction influencer
- The stabilization of the author business model
- Writing more non-fiction
- Blockchain & Micro-payments
- Selling your books direct
- BookFunnel integration with direct sales channels
- Pronoun's closure
- The fundamentals of your author business
- Romance audiobook subscription model
- Going Global: The world outside the US
- New Podcasts for authors
- Starting an author podcast
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#75: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: indie author's David Penny & Debbie Young.
Summary of our Ask ALLi Self-Publishing Member Q&A Topics:
- Q: How do we handle royalties for a co-writing project?
- Q: What’s the best way to produce cover artwork for print?
- Q: How do I register by books with the Nielsen Database
- Q: How Can I access Waterstones’ Distribution Channel
- Q: Can I offer free audio book downloads to gain reviews?
- Q: What are the benefits of InstaFreebie and BookFunnel for Book Giveaways?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
ALLi’s Technical Manager David Penny is the author of the best selling Thomas Berrington Historical Mystery series set in the final years of Moorish Spain, and before returning to writing full time he worked in education, printing and publishing, and for 25 years ran his own software company. Connect with David on Twitter @DavidPenny_
ALLi’s Publications Manger Debbie Young enjoys sharing best practice with our members around the world, as well as running two local authors’ groups and the Hawkesbury Upton Lit Fest on her home turf. Small wonder, then, that her cosy mystery series, the Sophie Syers Village Mysteries, is set in a small English village populated with authors and booksellers. Connect with Debbie on Twitter @DebbieYoungBN
Ep#74: This week we're showcasing the session "Failing Faster To Succeed As An Author" hosted by Tara R Alemany. A little bit of market research can go a long way toward ensuring the financial success of your books. Learn how to test topic ideas and refine them into ready-to-sell titles for enthusiastic readers. Learn how to use Kindle Spy and KDP Rocket to research estimated monthly sales of Top 100 Paid titles in your niche, and settle on relevant keywords so that it's positioned for explosive sales. Tara also shows how she uses other author tools to achieve self-publishing success.
Topics Discussed in this Session:
- 3 primary strategies for authors.
- Author Research Tools: Kindle Spy.
- Author Research Tools: KDP Rocket.
- Working on your book outline.
- Getting Reader Feedback.
- Choosing a Book Title.
- Cover Design Help.
- Author Design Tools: Help Me Choose A Cover.
- Author Design Tools: Bookalyzer, Back Copy Blurb.
- Author Marketing Tools: Connect Explorer.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page Now, go write and publish. Host Bio: Tara R. Alemany is a multi-award winning author, speaker, consultant and publisher. She speaks frequently on book marketing and publishing topics and works with authors and speakers regularly to get found online, on stage and on-the-shelf using the services of her Connecticut-based business. Emerald Lake Books is a hybrid publishing company specializing in working with positive people wanting to make a difference in the world while creating visibility for their business or cause at the same time. Based in Sherman, CT, and founded by Tara R. Alemany in 2014, Emerald Lake Books is designed to help the busy author who would rather be writing than spending their valuable time learning the necessary steps to successfully position, publish and launch their work.
EP#73: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This is our monthly Beginners' Self-Publishing Salon, with advice, tips and tools for indie authors just starting out. And here are your regular hosts for the beginners’ salon: Jay Artale and Michael La Ronn.
The topics covered in this beginners session about Being a Part Time Author and Getting Full Time results includes:
- Writer’s Mindset Challenges
- Reasons for Not Writing
- Author’s Fear of Failure
- Conquering Mindset Challenges
- Finding Time to Write
- Work Life Balance
- Where and When you Write
- Essential Writing Tools
- Dictation Tools for writers
- Building an Author Support Network
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This beginners salon is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a member Q&A and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your show hosts:
Jay Artale is a project manager who swapped corporate life for a nomadic existence as a non-fiction writer. She's written and self-published a series of travel guides, travel writing books, and poetry collections. Jay is also one of the co-organizers of the Indie Author Fringe, an online conference for indie authors who self-publish. Connect with Jay on Twitter: @BirdsOAFPress
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 science fiction & fantasy novels and author self-help books. To date, he has published over 1.5 million words of fiction and nonfiction. Since publishing his first book in 2014, he has produced a prolific writing portfolio while raising a family and working a full-time job in the insurance industry. Connect with Michael on Twitter: @MichaelLaRonn
Ep#72: This week we're showcasing the session "Author Tools to Reach Readers with Carla King" Carla King is the author of the Self-Publishing Boot Camp Guide for Authors. She has collated the best tools you can use to reach more readers and build your fan base, whatever your genre. These tools are easily integrated into your website and let you listen and respond to readers, attract and reward fans, and sell direct.
Topics Discussed in this Session:
- Getting reviews with Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs).
- Giveaways tools for Authors.
- Selling your book direct.
- Selling your book as a subscription.
- E-Commerce Options for Authors.
- How authors can use Gumroad.
- Become a Content Curator using Aer.io.
- Beta publishing with Leanpub.
- Integrating HTML Widgets into Your Website.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page Now, go write and publish. Host Bio: This session was hosted by Carla King who is the creator of the Self-Publishing Boot Camp books and workshops and founder of Author Friendly, a resource, education, and service center for self-publishers and small presses. Her comprehensive Self-Publishing Boot Camp Guide for Authors is now in its fourth edition. She has written for Bowker’s Self-Published Author, Bookworks, PBS MediaShift, and hosts a popular blog at AuthorFriendly.com. Carla also penned the Book Formatting, Book Distribution, and Book Discovery guides for IngramSpark, where she is on the advisory board.
Ep#71: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: indie author's David Penny & Debbie Young.
Summary of our Ask ALLi Self-Publishing Member Q&A Topics:
- Q: Should you use British English or American English?
- Q: Should a new version become a new book?
- Q: Can you gain the same visibility for a book on Amazon if you sell it directly?
- Q: What are some easy book publishing alternatives?
- Q: How can you check the reputation of a self-publishing service?
- Q: Is it best to use IngramSpark together with CreateSpace for print?
- Q: How can I make it seem like I’m a publishing company with a catalogue of books?
- Q: What’s the industry standard for rights and royalties and what reimbursement arrangement should I use with my illustrator?
- Q: Where can I get a foreign rights contract template?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
ALLi’s Technical Manager David Penny is the author of the best selling Thomas Berrington Historical Mystery series set in the final years of Moorish Spain, and before returning to writing full time he worked in education, printing and publishing, and for 25 years ran his own software company. Connect with David on Twitter @DavidPenny_
ALLi’s Publications Manger Debbie Young enjoys sharing best practice with our members around the world, as well as running two local authors’ groups and the Hawkesbury Upton Lit Fest on her home turf. Small wonder, then, that her cosy mystery series, the Sophie Syers Village Mysteries, is set in a small English village populated with authors and booksellers. Connect with Debbie on Twitter @DebbieYoungBN
Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: indie author's David Penny & Debbie Young Summary of our Ask ALLi Self-Publishing Member Q&A Topics: Q: Should you use British English or American English? Q: Should a new version become a new book? Q: Can you gain the same visibility for a book on Amazon if you sell it directly? Q: What are some easy book publishing alternatives? Q: How can you check the reputation of a self-publishing service? Q: Is it best to use IngramSpark together with CreateSpace for print? Q: How can I make it seem like I’m a publishing company with a catalogue of books? Q: What’s the industry standard for rights and royalties and what reimbursement arrangement should I use with my illustrator? Q: Where can I get a foreign rights contract template? Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which includes a beginners and advanced self-publishing salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org. Now, go write and publish. Visit our Self-Publishing Advice Center here: selfpublishingadvice.org About your hosts: ALLi’s Technical Manager David Penny is the author of the best selling Thomas Berrington Historical Mystery series set in the final years of Moorish Spain, and before returning to writing full time he worked in education, printing and publishing, and for 25 years ran his own software company. ALLi’s Publications Manger Debbie Young enjoys sharing best practice with our members around the world, as well as running two local authors’ groups and the Hawkesbury Upton Lit Fest on her home turf. Small wonder, then, that her cosy mystery series, the Sophie Syers Village Mysteries, is set in a small English village populated with authors and booksellers.
Ep#66: This week we’re showcasing the session between Pippa DaCosta and Susan Kaye Quinn. If you’re wondering about the pros and cons of being exclusive with KDP or going wide with as many retailers as possible, our show hosts will explain which model works best in different scenarios. Susan is exclusively KDP and Pippa makes her books available in as many outlets as possible and they deliver insights and experience from both ends of the spectrum.
Topics Covered in this Fringe Highlight Session:
- Perma-Free Book Promotion Strategy.
- Net Income on Kindle Select vs. Wide Distribution.
- Does your distribution model increase the risk of being pirated?
- What are the benefits of a mixed distribution model?
- Box Sets in Kindle Unlimited.
- Author Collaboration on Box Sets.
- Do the benefits of Wide vs. Kindle Select change depending on how many books you have out?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish. Host Bio: Pippa DaCosta @pippadacosta is a hybrid author. Before securing a traditional publisher, she published the Veil Series (a x5 book urban fantasy series) independently in 2014. She has also published two science fiction books, with more planned for 2016. Pippa is traditionally published with Bloomsbury and Random House Germany. Her work has been featured in the Galaxy Chronicles anthology, part of the Future Chronicles series. Pippa continues to independently and traditionally publish her work.
Susan Kaye Quinn @susankayequinn is a rocket scientist turned speculative fiction author. She writes young adult science fiction, with side trips into adult future-noir and sweet royal romance. Her bestselling novels and short stories have been optioned for Virtual Reality, translated into German, and featured in several anthologies.
Ep#70: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. In a monthly salon type discussion, Orna Ross, Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors and Joanna Penn, of TheCreativePenn.com, talk about the latest tools and trends of interest to emerging and experienced self-publishing authors.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Benefits of Co-writing with other authors
- Putting Your Audience First
- Avoiding Author Stress and Burnout
- The Evolving World of Audiobooks
- The impact of Supermarket Discounting of Books
- The Changing Face of Self-Publishing
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#69: This week we're showcasing the session "How to Market & Promote your Travel Memoir – 1:1 Interviews with Travel Writers hosted by Jay Artale".
Jay interviews a trio of successful travel writing authors who have self-published covering the following topics:
- Hybrid Author Jack Scott: How to use your blog content to write and promote your book.
- Indie Author Karen McCann: The importance of defining your audience and how you use your blog to attract your target demographic.
- Indie Author Joe Cawley: The benefit of Collaboration: Cross-promoting with other authors.
Topics Covered in this Fringe Highlight Session:
- Using your blog to write and promote your book.
- Defining your angle.
- Getting mileage out of your blog content.
- Using blog content to create freebies.
- Using competitions to reach new readers.
- Blogging a book.
- Evolving from blogger to author.
- Guest blogging.
- Building your audience.
- Starting a blog.
- Avoid over promoting your book.
- Making it easy for readers to buy your book.
- The importance of defining your audience.
- Using your blog to attract readers.
- Blogging in the moment.
- 3 things your blog audience wants.
- Dialogue vs. a monologue with your readers.
- Developing your brand.
- Advice for new travel writers.
- Building an audience connection.
- The benefit of collaboration.
- Cross-promoting with other authors.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish. Host Bio: Jay Artale is a project manager who swapped corporate life for a nomadic existence as a non-fiction writer. She's written and self-published a series of travel guides, travel writing books, and poetry collections. Jay is also one of the co-organizers of the Indie Author Fringe, an online conference for indie authors who self-publish. Connect with Jay on Twitter: @BirdsOAFPress
Ep#68: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This is our monthly Beginners' Self-Publishing Salon, with advice, tips and tools for indie authors just starting out. And here are your regular hosts for the beginners’ salon: Jay Artale and Michael La Ronn.
The topics covered in this beginners session about eBOOK COVER DESIGN includes:
- Working with a Cover Designer
- 4 Core eBook Cover Elements
- Author Role in eBook Cover Design
- Crediting Cover Designers
- Freelance Design Websites
- Investing in Cover Design
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This beginners salon is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a member Q&A and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your show hosts:
Jay Artale is a project manager who swapped corporate life for a nomadic existence as a non-fiction writer. She's written and self-published a series of travel guides, travel writing books, and poetry collections. Jay is also one of the co-organizers of the Indie Author Fringe, an online conference for indie authors who self-publish. Connect with Jay on Twitter: @BirdsOAFPress
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 science fiction & fantasy novels and author self-help books. To date, he has published over 1.5 million words of fiction and nonfiction. Since publishing his first book in 2014, he has produced a prolific writing portfolio while raising a family and working a full-time job in the insurance industry. Connect with Michael on Twitter: @MichaelLaRonn
Ep#67: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: indie author's David Penny & Debbie Young.
Summary of our Ask ALLi Self-Publishing Member Q&A Topics:
- Q: Do writers owe it to readers to give them exactly what they want?
- Q: Do readers owe it to writers to read respectfully?
- Q: Is it justifiable to re-write books or not?
- Q: Is the 20 Books to 50k trend a valid option for authors?
- Q: How far in advance would you do a pre-order?
- Q: How hard is it to sell foreign publication rights?
- Q: Is it time for authors to get physical?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
ALLi’s Technical Manager David Penny is the author of the best selling Thomas Berrington Historical Mystery series set in the final years of Moorish Spain, and before returning to writing full time he worked in education, printing and publishing, and for 25 years ran his own software company. Connect with David on Twitter @DavidPenny_
ALLi’s Publications Manger Debbie Young enjoys sharing best practice with our members around the world, as well as running two local authors’ groups and the Hawkesbury Upton Lit Fest on her home turf. Small wonder, then, that her cosy mystery series, the Sophie Syers Village Mysteries, is set in a small English village populated with authors and booksellers. Connect with Debbie on Twitter @DebbieYoungBN
Ep#65: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. In a monthly salon type discussion, Orna Ross, Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors and Joanna Penn, of TheCreativePenn.com, talk about the latest tools and trends of interest to emerging and experienced self-publishing authors.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Using Editors and Beta Readers
- The impact of dictating on a first draft
- Evolution of your writing process
- The importance of an author blog
- Are you a Rewriter or Polisher?
- Our new ALLi Publications Manager
- How to Create Anything
- Large Print Editions
- Physical Book Stores
- Blockchain for Books
- Amazon KDP Select Changes
- Micro Payments
- Facebook Chat Bots
- Authors carving their own path
- Benefits of Co-writing with other authors
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#64: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This is our monthly Beginners' Self-Publishing Salon, with advice, tips and tools for indie authors just starting out. And here are your regular hosts for the beginners’ salon: Jay Artale and Michael La Ronn.
The topics covered in this beginners' session includes:
- Three steps to manuscript editing: Self-Editing, Beta Readers and Professional Editing
- Definition of the different types of editing
- Developmental Editing
- Copy/Line Editing
- Proofreading
- Editing Tools (like Grammarly, Pro Writing Aid, Hemingway)
- Editing Challenges
- Working with a book editor
- How to find a book editor
- Using the ALLi Partner Member listing to find a vetted service you can trust to edit your book
- How to get book editing discounts from our ALLi Partner Members
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This beginners salon is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a member Q&A and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your show hosts:
Jay Artale is a project manager who swapped corporate life for a nomadic existence as a non-fiction writer. She's written and self-published a series of travel guides, travel writing books, and poetry collections. Jay is also one of the co-organizers of the Indie Author Fringe, an online conference for indie authors who self-publish. Connect with Jay on Twitter: @BirdsOAFPress
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 science fiction & fantasy novels and author self-help books. To date, he has published over 1.5 million words of fiction and nonfiction. Since publishing his first book in 2014, he has produced a prolific writing portfolio while raising a family and working a full-time job in the insurance industry. Connect with Michael on Twitter: @MichaelLaRonn
Ep#63: This week we're showcasing the session "Productivity for Authors: How to Write and Publish Often And Well: Mark McGuinness." If you struggle to find time for your writing and publishing amid the demands and distractions of 21st century life, this session is for you! Mark will help you carve out time consistently, while still managing all the other important commitments in your life.
Topics Covered in this Fringe Highlight Session:
- How to organize and prioritize your writing time.
- Laying a creative foundation.
- Setting your writing priorities.
- Avoid procrastination that is hindering your writing output.
- Placing value on your writing time.
- Freeing up your brain to write.
Mark Says: For me it was an immense frustration that there I really wasn’t organized enough and the technology was going faster than my organizational skills. I was spending a lot of time on the hamster wheel of trying to catch up with email and phone calls and this was even before Twitter and Facebook and all of that. It just felt that my day was not in my own control, that I was spending all my time kind of chasing my tail. And I wasn’t getting the most important work done. Which for me has always been writing. And no surprise to see that I started, as soon as I started investigating this, looking into time management, productivity systems, I noticed a lot of my clients coming up with the same issues and the same frustration that, you know, we go into this profession because we love to write and yet if we’re not careful, writing can be the thing that gets pushed off the schedule by all of the other stuff that’s supposed to be an accessory to writing.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish.
Ep#62: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: indie author's David Penny & Debbie Young.
Summary of our Ask ALLi Self-Publishing Member Q&A Topics:
- Q: How does the Amazon Page Count Calculation work
- Q: How to track Facebook & Amazon Advertising ROI
- Q: How to Price your ebook, print book, and box sets
- Q: How to define your Publication Strategy for a Book Series
- Q: The benefits of Pre-orders
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
ALLi’s Technical Manager David Penny is the author of the best selling Thomas Berrington Historical Mystery series set in the final years of Moorish Spain, and before returning to writing full time he worked in education, printing and publishing, and for 25 years ran his own software company. Connect with David on Twitter @DavidPenny_
ALLi’s Publications Manger Debbie Young enjoys sharing best practice with our members around the world, as well as running two local authors’ groups and the Hawkesbury Upton Lit Fest on her home turf. Small wonder, then, that her cosy mystery series, the Sophie Syers Village Mysteries, is set in a small English village populated with authors and booksellers. Connect with Debbie on Twitter @DebbieYoungBN
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which includes a beginners and advanced self-publishing salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at allianceindependentauthors.org. Now, go write and publish. Visit our Self-Publishing Advice Center here: selfpublishingadvice.org About your hosts: ALLi’s Technical Manager David Penny is the author of the best selling Thomas Berrington Historical Mystery series set in the final years of Moorish Spain, and before returning to writing full time he worked in education, printing and publishing, and for 25 years ran his own software company. ALLi’s Publications Manger Debbie Young enjoys sharing best practice with our members around the world, as well as running two local authors’ groups and the Hawkesbury Upton Lit Fest on her home turf. Small wonder, then, that her cosy mystery series, the Sophie Syers Village Mysteries, is set in a small English village populated with authors and booksellers.
Ep#61: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. In a monthly salon type discussion, Orna Ross, Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors and Joanna Penn, of TheCreativePenn.com, talk about the latest tools and trends of interest to emerging and experienced self-publishing authors.
Topics discussed this week include:
- ALLi Weekly Podcast Series
- Development of Writers
- Being Creative & Increasing your Writing Output
- Joanna at Thrillerfest in New York & Self-Doubt
- Rebranding with New Book Covers
- Print and Bookstores
- Discoverability and Digital Marketing
- Being an Ethical Author & Self-Publishing Service Provider
- Amazon Kindle Storyteller Awards
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#60: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This is our monthly Beginners' Self-Publishing Salon, with advice, tips and tools for indie authors just starting out. And here are your regular hosts for the beginners’ salon: Jay Artale and Michael La Ronn.
The topics covered in this beginners' session about Writing include:
- Writing Tools
- Writing Styles
- Writing Challenges
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This beginners salon is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a member Q&A and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your show hosts:
Jay Artale is a project manager who swapped corporate life for a nomadic existence as a non-fiction writer. She's written and self-published a series of travel guides, travel writing books, and poetry collections. Jay is also one of the co-organizers of the Indie Author Fringe, an online conference for indie authors who self-publish. Connect with Jay on Twitter: @BirdsOAFPress
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 science fiction & fantasy novels and author self-help books. To date, he has published over 1.5 million words of fiction and nonfiction. Since publishing his first book in 2014, he has produced a prolific writing portfolio while raising a family and working a full-time job in the insurance industry. Connect with Michael on Twitter: @MichaelLaRonn
Ep#59: This week we're showcasing the Indie Author Fringe highlight with Orna Ross "How To Sell Your Books Without Selling Your Soul". So many authors complain about marketing, seeing it as conflicting with their creative work. In this session, Orna Ross argues that this is a misunderstanding and that book marketing is just another form of communication with potential readers. The key to creative marketing is to align the words inside the book(s) with the messages you're sending out to the world. This session guides you through, by going deeply into your motivations for writing and applying the same seven stages of the creative process you go through in writing your books to your marketing and promotion.
This session has four segments:
- Passion, Mission and Books.
- You and Your Money.
- The Difference Between Marketing and Promotion.
- Reaching Your Reader.
The real key relationship is your relationship with your words obviously, but also and equally your relationship with your reader, and what they are seeking in the world and how you two connect imaginatively. And it really is a magical transaction, that connection across time and space and we are in service to that as authors. And the key to selling your books without selling your soul is to put your attention on the reader and what you are offering. Orna's session is accompanied by a free download of her book, How Authors Create Money and Meaning, a workbook, a work, rest and play book. You will get most out of this session if you download her book and you can go through the various exercises, some of which she will be referring to as we go through this presentation.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish. Host Bio: Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#58: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: indie author's David Penny & Debbie Young.
Summary of our Ask ALLi Self-Publishing Member Q&A Topics:
- Q: What are the recent changes to Amazon Reviews
- Q: What are the benefits of publishing on Amazon
- News about our new ALLi guidebook “How to get your Self-publishing book into bookstores“
- Q: How to expand your product line from ebooks into POD (Print-on-Demand) books
- Q: What issues is Amazon’s new reporting dashboard having
- Q: How and why to publish in a series
- Q: Why should authors buy their own ISBNs
- Q: How to publish via aggregators like Draft2Digital and Smashwords
- Q: What are the financial benefits of ALLi Membership.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
ALLi’s Technical Manager David Penny is the author of the best selling Thomas Berrington Historical Mystery series set in the final years of Moorish Spain, and before returning to writing full time he worked in education, printing and publishing, and for 25 years ran his own software company. Connect with David on Twitter @DavidPenny_
ALLi’s Publications Manger Debbie Young enjoys sharing best practice with our members around the world, as well as running two local authors’ groups and the Hawkesbury Upton Lit Fest on her home turf. Small wonder, then, that her cosy mystery series, the Sophie Syers Village Mysteries, is set in a small English village populated with authors and booksellers. Connect with Debbie on Twitter @DebbieYoungBN
Ep#57: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. In a monthly salon type discussion, Orna Ross, Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors and Joanna Penn, of TheCreativePenn.com, talk about the latest tools and trends of interest to emerging and experienced self-publishing authors.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Orna Judging the Amazon Storyteller competition
- AskALLi's Getting your Self-Publishing Book into Bookstores publication update
- The new AskALLi Broadcast schedule and presenter changes
- Working with a writing coach
- Creative non-fiction techniques
- New book covers and Go Creative logos
- A summary of the Dublin Writers Conference
- How to Market a Book Third Edition publication schedule from Joanna
- Using dictation to improve punctuation
- How the length of your manuscript impacts audiobook sales
- Audiobook news from Draft2Digital
- ACX global updates
- Vanity Publishing discussion
- IPR License and Rights
- Multi-Currency pricing at PublishDrive
- Amazon's new smartphone.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#56: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This is our monthly Beginners' Self-Publishing Salon, with advice, tips and tools for indie authors just starting out. And here are your regular hosts for the beginners’ salon: Jay Artale and Michael La Ronn.
Each month Jay and Michael will share self-publishing tips for each segment of the author journey, including: writing, design, book cover design, book production and distribution, marketing and promotion, and how to set up and maintaining your indie author platform. In this introductory session our hosts chat about their indie author experience with fiction and non-fiction, and the layout of this new ALLi broadcast. Each show would feature one of the stages of self-publishing as its primary topic, and this topic would be supplemented by first hand experience from both presenters and other topical news items that have happened in the previous month that are relevant to beginners.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This beginners salon is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a member Q&A and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your show hosts:
Jay Artale is a project manager who swapped corporate life for a nomadic existence as a non-fiction writer. She's written and self-published a series of travel guides, travel writing books, and poetry collections. Jay is also one of the co-organizers of the Indie Author Fringe, an online conference for indie authors who self-publish. Connect with Jay on Twitter: @BirdsOAFPress
Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 science fiction & fantasy novels and author self-help books. To date, he has published over 1.5 million words of fiction and nonfiction. Since publishing his first book in 2014, he has produced a prolific writing portfolio while raising a family and working a full-time job in the insurance industry. Connect with Michael on Twitter: @MichaelLaRonn
Ep#55: Orna Ross & Joseph Alexander answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books. Each month, Orna Ross, ALLi Director, invites a special guest into the indie author hot seat to answer ALLi Members’ questions.
This month’s special guest is non-fiction indie authors Joseph Alexander who built his Fundamental Changes guitar series into a instantly recognizable author brand.
Find out some of the secrets of his success, and listen in as he and Orna answer self-publishing questions posed by our ALLi Members.
Here's the self-publishing questions asked and answered this month:
- Q: I hear other authors say that promoting non-fiction is easier than promoting fiction, but my efforts aren't working for me - what am I doing wrong?
- Q: I'm publishing a comic self-help book, can you help me with a basic low cost marketing plan, or one that is free to implement?
- Q: Are Amazon Ads a good option for indie authors?
- Q: What is the best approach for Facebook Advertising. Should I be promoting my Facebook page, my book, or a Facebook post?
- Q: I'm still confused about the benefits of using Amazon CreateSpace and IngramSpark to produce and distribute my POD book? Also do I need to buy my own ISBNs or can I use the free CreateSpace ISBN on IngramSpark?
- Q: I've heard rumors about Amazon Imprints (Amazon Publishing) and that Amazon will eventually only sell books that have been published under their imprint. Do you think this will happen?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Joseph Alexander has been a guitarist and expert music tutor for over 20 years. His tuition books are published in four languages and have sold over 200,000 copies to widespread critical acclaim. Recently his books passed $1,000,000 in revenue and he is currently writing a guide book to self-publishing for authors. He is currently writing and publishing cutting edge-material that breaks down the barriers between learning and playing the guitar.
Ep#55: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. In a monthly salon type discussion, Orna Ross, Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors and Joanna Penn, of TheCreativePenn.com, talk about the latest tools and trends of interest to emerging and experienced self-publishing authors.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Money and Creativity
- Where Readers Convene
- Amazon Buy Button
- How to Market a Book – 3rd Edition
- Choosing a Self-Publishing Service
- KDP Categories
- Dublin Writer’s Conference
- What Penn pages are selling?
- New Amazon Charts
- Attention Economy
- Indie Author Fringe
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#54: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. In a monthly salon type discussion, Orna Ross, Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors and Joanna Penn, of TheCreativePenn.com, talk about the latest tools and trends of interest to emerging and experienced self-publishing authors.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Money and Creativity
- Where Readers Convene
- Amazon Buy Button
- How to Market a Book – 3rd Edition
- Choosing a Self-Publishing Service
- KDP Categories
- Dublin Writer’s Conference
- What Penn pages are selling?
- New Amazon Charts
- Attention Economy
- Indie Author Fringe
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#53: Orna Ross and Paul Teague answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books. Each month Orna Ross and a special guest answer Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) Members' questions. This month we're welcoming Paul Teague into the hot seat to talk about a series of videos he's created especially for ALLi. And to answer our members' latest, most pressing questions with Orna. Our monthly Ask ALLi broadcasts are an ideal way to keep learning about being an indie author and the skills you needed to become a successful self-publisher.
Here's the self-publishing questions asked and answered this month:
- Q: I’m printing and distributing through Ingram Spark. What's the best way to set up returns?
- Q: Amazon has it’s own imprint. Will they end up only selling books from Amazon Publishing and and ignore Indie Author's books?
- Q: What are you three top tips for using LinkedIn to develop your author brand?
- Q: I have a wordpress website hosted on Bluehost, where can I host a test site so that I can design it before I publish?
- Q: I'm setting up my own imprint to publish my own books, and considering using it to publish books by other authors. What can I do to create a solid business plan?
- Q: Can an ISBN owned by my imprint be placed on a book written by somebody else, with me as a publisher?
- Q: What are the minimal submission guidelines I need to write in order for them to be legally binding on both sides?
- Q: How do I set industry standards for setting up my financial business models for my imprint?
- Q: When I publish other authors under my imprint, who takes care of the marketing? The author or the publisher?
- Q: My book is with Bookbaby for distribution. I’ve written a self-help book, and want to know how to find marketing plan help.
- Q: ISBN - do I need the name of a publisher in order to fill out the ISBN application.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About Your Hosts:
Paul hosts the Self-Publishing Journeys Podcast which features discussions with other indie authors who talk about their approaches for self-publishing and reaching readers using inventive strategies that work. He also runs the Self-Publishing Academy, which is a simple, step-by-step, jargon free guide to self-publishing your book.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#52: Orna Ross and Mark Dawson answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books. Mark also answers the question, is paid advertising right for you Each month, Orna Ross, ALLi Director, invites a special guest into the indie author hot seat to answer ALLi Members’ self-publishing questions.
This month's special guest is Facebook advertising expert Mark Dawson, and this session was recorded live during London Book Fair. As well as being a best-selling author, Mark is the powerhouse and frontman behind The Self-Publishing Formula, which provides authors with tried and tested methods to self-publish and reach more readers. He started using Facebook Ads to increase his mailing list sign ups and boost his own sales figures, and a couple of years ago he turned that knowledge and expertise into his first "Facebook Advertising for Authors" course. Today he's sharing insights about Facebook advertising, but also covering the new kid on the block, Amazon Ads. Amazon Ads vs. Facebook Ads
- Q: Are you better to spend your money boosting a post on Facebook?
- Q: I once heard that Mark would rather have a mailing list sign up than a sale, how can that make sense?
- Q: I have standalone books (not in a series) will Facebook Ads still be effective for me?
- Q: Should I do sponsored or keywords Facebook Ads?
- Q: How do you scale your book advertising success?
- Q: How may keywords are optimal on your Amazon Ad?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish. Host Bio: Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#51: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. In a monthly salon type discussion, Orna Ross, Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors and Joanna Penn, of TheCreativePenn.com, talk about the latest tools and trends of interest to emerging and experienced self-publishing authors.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Orna and Jo are back from travels (in San Francisco and New Zealand) and they discuss the international scene and what they experienced while touring
- The latest report from Author Earnings.
- News of Kobo Plus launching in the Netherlands
- The purchase of Bookouture by Hachett
- The importance of author self-empowerment.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#50: Orna Ross and Joel Friedlander answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books. Each month, Orna Ross, ALLi Director, invites a special guest into the indie author hot seat to answer ALLi Members’ self-publishing questions.
This month’s special guest was self-publishing pioneer Joel Friedlander. “Self-publishing gives you an opportunity to change the world, one reader at a time, but you have to treat your work with the respect it deserves.” “Keep learning and don’t give up, book publishing is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Our monthly Ask ALLi broadcasts are an ideal way to keep learning about being an indie author and the skills you need to acquire to become a successful self-publisher.
Here are the topics we covered:
- Author Collaboration.
- FREE Writing Technique.
- How important is it that non-fiction copy editors have familiarity with the topic they’re editing?
- Will the new Amazon KDP Paperback service replace Createspace?
- How do we find a publicist we can trust?
- What is your experience with Bookbaby? Good, bad, or indifferent?
- The strategy of using Amazon and IngramSpark together, and what direction to take on my ISBNs.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This ALLi Member Q&A podcast is one of four regular shows, which include an an Advanced Salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#49: Welcome to Ask ALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. In a monthly salon type discussion, Orna Ross, Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors and Joanna Penn, of TheCreativePenn.com, talk about the latest tools and trends of interest to emerging and experienced self-publishing authors.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Orna and Jo are back from travels (in San Francisco and New Zealand) and they discuss the international scene and what they experienced while touring
- The latest report from Author Earnings.
- News of Kobo Plus launching in the Netherlands
- The purchase of Bookouture by Hachett
- The importance of author self-empowerment.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Orna Ross and Joanna Penn launch the first episode of their Self-Publishing Salon. This month we welcomed the launch of our Self-Publishing Salon with Orna and Joanna. Usually this duo hosts our month Ask ALLi Q&A event to answer Member's self-publishing questions, but this Salon has a new format and instead of answering Member questions, they're having a conversation about what's going on in the publishing industry and about their own indie author events and experiences. Whereas our month Ask ALLi Q&A is aimed at emerging and experienced indie authors, the topics discussed in our Salon events will be skewed towards the more experienced authors who have already mastered industry terms and are familiar with the basics of self-publishing. Topics discussed this month are Digital Book World, The Data Guy, ISBNs, Audio books, Niche Markets, Box Sets, Pronoun, Microsoft, and Kobo. Visit our Membership site: http://allianceindependentauthors.org Visit our Self-Publishing Advice Centre http://selfpublishingadvice.org
Ep#48: Self-Publishing Advice Podcast: Indie Author Fringe Highlight with Dan Blank In this interview with David Penny of ALLi, Dan Blank discusses the psychology of writing, how to find alternative outlets for your books, and how writers can use available resources to research their reader audience. Selling a book is a business. It doesn’t mean that the process of writing your book has to be approach as a business, but when it comes to reaching readers you need your business head on.
In this podcast we share how to:
- Make the most of Amazon and Goodreads.
- Create valuable Connections.
- Leave yourself a planning window.
- Consolidate Newsletter Research.
- Plan using Baby Steps.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish.
Ep#47: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books. Each month, Joanna and Orna answer Members’ self-publishing questions during our regular Ask ALLi event. If you missed our live Q&A session you can watch the video and listen to the podcast here.
We’ve also included a summary of the questions that were asked and answered this month.
- How do you assert copyright if you're intending to self-publish under a pseudonym? And how does this pseudonym link back to the real-life person?
- How can you benefit from Foreign Rights requests but protect yourself from potential scams?
- I'm close to publishing my first novel. I'm confused about the ISBN, what pricing should I ask my designer to put on my book's cover?
- If I'm publishing via Amazon for Kindle, can I also publish via other services like Ingram Spark and Lulu?
- I'm having trouble getting PR opportunities for my books. How can I find a publicist?
Listen to Orna and Joanna as they provide updates on the exciting activities planned for their author brands for 2017. There are also continual updates to existing ALLi guidebooks and plans to create new self-publishing ALLi tools throughout the year. Time waits for no ... indie author.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#46: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books. Each month, Joanna and Orna answer Members’ self-publishing questions during our regular Ask ALLi event.
We’ve also included a summary of the questions that were asked and answered this month.
- Is there an advantage to using both Create Space and IngramSpark, and why, does one offer something the other one doesn’t?
- Should you purchase your own ISBN numbers, even if the first book is an e-book?
- And if someone submits a PDF to Ingram, do they generate an ePub, should you use IngramSpark for e-books?
- I’m finding it hard to get any writing done with so many tasks. Any tips for that?
- I write music based fiction or many books in my series follows series or songwriters and includes lyrics I’ve written. I want to bring other named titles and songwriters/singers into this story line. Is it legal to do this?
- I’ve bitten a bullet, commissioned an audio version of my first book. What advice do you have about going wide or exclusive with Audible bearing in mind different royalty rates and contract terms?
- How long before you publish should you start your marketing plan?
- I don’t have time to write and schedule my own Facebook ads, can you recommend someone to do this for me?
- What is your advice to a first time author with one book hitting the market in the next few months, does KDP Select make sense as a strategy or does that set up KU reader expectation that your remaining books will be free?
- What is the best way to make a review e-book copy of your book from a word document?
- What are some of the innovative ways Indie authors of YA are attracting young readers? Are those authors also targeting adults and if so what is the strategy?
- I have an edited manuscript, I plan to self-publish, what is the next step to get me from computer to bookstore?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About the Hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#45: In this insightful Indie Author Fringe podcast, Jane Friedman takes us through seven critical elements that are foundational for any author who is serious about their writing career. I've summarised some of the key takeaways that resonated with me, but listen to this broadcast yourselves to delve into the subject in greater detail.
- Have your own Website.
- Make sure your website is mobile friendly.
- Have consistent bios on social media and website platforms.
- Improve the imagery and videos you use.
- Explore your entire demand curve.
- Mine information that is useful to connect with readers.
- Make important Marketing efforts trackable.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish.
Ep#44: Indie Author Fringe Highlight with Joel Friedlander and Nick Stephenson. As authors, we all know the role that social media plays in our ability to connect with readers, but the most beneficial ways of establishing a 1:1 relationship with your potential customers is via your email list. Start your list building early: Between them, Joel and Nick have lots of indie author and self-publishing knowledge and expertise, and although their email marketing approaches may differ, they both agree authors need to establish their email list as soon as they start their indie author journey. This is the most crucial factor in your long term success as an author. Not only is it the ideal way to establish a direct line of communication with your readers, but it provides an opportunity to cultivate relationships, it extends your reach and exposure, and helps you raise awareness for your books (or other products).
Size doesn’t matter!: When it comes to lists, size doesn’t matter. What’s important is the quality of your list, and how responsive your email contacts are to your communications. Your goal is to compel your list to act, even if it’s in their self-interest (e.g. downloading a free book). The concept of permafree is a well known way of using your book as a promotional tool, but you don’t have to give a book away to have it working on your behalf. Nick includes a large graphic at the front and back of each of his books, offering a free download to anyone who joins his list.
Other topics covered:
- How to attract traffic to your website.
- Engage with your Audience.
- Use your Writing Skills to build your email List.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish.
Ep#43: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books. Each month, Joanna and Orna answer Members’ self-publishing questions during our regular Ask ALLi event.
We’ve also included a summary of the questions that were asked and answered this month.
- Q: I’m investing in editors for my first book, do I send to multiple editors one at a time?
- Q: What’s the difference between trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks?
- Q: What are the different book cover design considerations when you’re planning an ebook and print book launch?
- Q: Are Amazon getting rid of the Table of Contents in their books, and when I upload my book, what should I choose for the DRM (Digital Rights Management) setting?
- Q: I’ve been offered a contribution-based publishing contract – what are your thoughts on these types of agreements?
- Q: I’m trying to avoid losing money with my book launch, and am considering a Book Launch service to help me learn the process.
- Q: How to I go about finding an agent that will represent my subsidiary rights?
- Q: At what point does an author’s social media following grow organically?
- Q: I have 1 book out / 10 books out. How should I adjust my marketing activity for these two different approaches?
- Q: Has ALLi got an insider contact at Amazon, like Andy for Ingram Spark?
- Q: Can you upload to KDP and make your book available to pre-order?
- Q: I used a free ISBN when I released via Createspace. Can I release via Ingram Spark with a different ISBN? And should I even bother with Ingram Spark?
- Q: What are the most important decisions an indie author has to make to transition from writing as a hobby to an authorpreneur?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#42: Indie Author Fringe Highlight with Kathy Meis All too often, great books launch into silence. Why? There is no plan in place to give the book a fighting chance. Today’s book marketplace is highly competitive. You need to bring you’re A-game not only on the craft side, but on the business side. In our latest Indie Author Fringe podcast, Kathy Meis from Bublish delves into the six crucial steps that authors need to take before launching their book. Kathy starts off by talking about the foundations of a successful book launch and the kind of mindset you need to have going into this to be successful. Then she takes a deep dive into the six crucial steps you need to do before you launch. Stop thinking of your book as a baby, and start thinking about it as a product. Launching a book is a business, and by following these 6 crucial pre-launch steps you will increase your chances of success:
- Step 1: Research audience and genre.
- Step 2: Line up reviews and interviews.
- Step 3: Set up a system for capturing email addresses.
- Step 4: Create a professional product.
- Step 5: Form a marketing support team.
- Step 6: Create a content and campaign calendar.
It is a lot of work to be an indie author, but Kathy believes you will set yourself up for success if you implement these 6 crucial steps.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish.
Ep#41: Indie Author Fringe Highlight with Mark Coker from Smashwords Authors are in the midst of rapid and dizzying change, and Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords, shares his insights about the "10 Trends Driving the Future of Publishing" in our latest ALLi podcast.
Mark kicks off the podcast talking about his epiphany moment that helped to get Smashwords off the ground in 2008. Mark's company was at the forefront of of the indie revolution, and for those of you who aren't familiar with Smashwords, they're an eBook publishing platform that makes it fast, free and easy to publish and distribute your books.
At the time of recording, Smashwords features 400,000 books from 115,000 authors and small independent presses. Mark's discusses 10 key elements that are driving the future of publishing, and and how indie authors can can maximize their potential for self-publishing.
- Trend 1: THE RISE OF EBOOKS.
- Trend 2: The Democratisation of Publishing.
- Trend 3: Ebooks are Going Global.
- Trend 4: The Rise of Indie Authorship.
- Trend 5: Indie Authors are hitting all the Best Seller Lists.
- Trend 6: Previous stigma of being self-published is disappearing.
- Trend 7: A glut of high-quality low-cost books means it's becoming more and more difficult to reach readers.
- Trend 8: Amazon is exploiting this product glut.
- Trend 9: Kindle Unlimited is undermining the market in single copy sales.
- Trend 10: Indie Authors will write the next chapter in this industry's evolution.
The power centre in publishing is shifting from publishers to writers. So as an indie authors you decide where, when, and how you're going to publish. It's the collective decisions of writers that will determine the course of the publishing industry, and really shape the industry for the next generation. It's a pivotal moment in publishing, and as an indie author you have the tools and the knowledge to publish with pride and professionalism. You also have the freedom to self-publish as an indie author, or go the traditional route. It's your choice. Mark is supportive of all the options available to writers, and only time will tell whether Amazon will strip indies of their independence. Are Amazon trying to control the supply of books?
Mark believes that's true, but at the end of the day, Indies control the supply if they decide to to wield their collective power. So imagine twenty years from now. Imagine the future that you want and then make the decisions today that enable the future to come to fruition. Do your best to support a thriving and dynamic ecosystem of multiple competing retailers, by supporting all of the retailers that distribute your books. As an Indie author, fight for your right to be the captain of your own destiny.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish.
Ep#40: Self-Publishing Advice Podcast: Indie Author Fringe Highlight with Sean Platt and Johnny B Truant of Sterling & Stone believe the key to writing better is to write faster. Here they talk about their creative process, how planning helps authors to write a better story in less time, even if they're "pantsers", and their new story-planning app. A lot of indie publishing is frontier thinking. Sean and Johnny have been figuring the best way to approach their writing process, and in this podcast they share some lessons and techniques they’ve learned along the way.
Here are three elements from this podcast that really resonated with me:
- Understanding your genre foundations.
- Know your characters.
- The importance of cover design for your readers, and you.
- Want to know why some books sell more than others?
This information is out there and accessible to anyone who wants to take the time to understand their genre better. At the end of the day, if you want to sell more books, you have to write books that appeal to the genre’s core audience. When Johnny and Sean first started writing together it was as simple Sean coming out with a very simple outline and then Johnny turning it into a book. Along the way, David Wright joined the writing team, and they developed a systematic way of writing together that allows them to establish core relationships with the characters.
At the end of this process, there’s enough information for each of the writing team to be able to picture the locations and know the characters. They have a connection with all of them, and this is one of the elements that allow them to write their stories faster. The Cover Design topic never gets old! But what was interesting was hearing about Sean and Johnny’s writing process.
For Book 1 in the Invasion series, they commissioned the book cover before they started writing, and it provided some creative inspiration for their story details. During their cover design discussion, Johnny and Sean also discussed the importance of genre conventions in the cover process. Yes we all want our book to stand out in our genre, but if you design against the established conventions, especially in the major genres, you may end up getting passed over rather than stand out.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish.
Ep#39: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books. See allianceindependendentauthors.org for more details. Here’s a summary of the questions and a brief synopsis of the answers in this month’s Ask ALLi with Orna and Joanna (for more in-depth answers – you should watch the video or listen to the podcast):
- Q: What exactly makes a piece of fiction, Literary Fiction?
- Q: Should you use Scrivener to get your books accepted by distributors?
- Q: How can you generate an ebook review copy?
- Q: What’s the difference between pre-orders and a soft launch?
- Q: What are the advantages of using both CreateSpace and IngramSpark for creating your POD print book?
- Q: Why does Joanna only use CreateSpace for her POD books, and not IngramSpark?
- Q: When you get really burned, how do you stay motivated enough to keep writing?
- Q: What is the best way to promote a novel that doesn’t fit into a specific genre?
- Q: How useful is it to participate in KBoards?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#38: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books.
Here’s the questions posed to Orna and Joanna this month:
- Q: How did you find your beta readers and how many do you have?
- Q: What should I instruct an editor or line editor to look out for in my manuscript?
- Q: Past, Present or Future - which tense is most appropriate?
- Q: Is it ok to self-publish before you go to school?
- Q: I'm designing my own book covers. If I download photos from the internet, am I breaking copyright?
- Q: Is there funding to help an independent publishers?
- Q: Are Bookbub Ads and Goodreads Deals worth the effort?
- Q: Are review bloggers and guest blogging still a powerful marketing strategy?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#37: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books.
Here’s the questions posed to Orna and Joanna this month:
- Q: How would you define the difference between a non-fiction writers and a journalist?
- Q: In a previous Ask ALLi Joanna mentioned that she was moving from direct with Nook to Draft2Digital distribution, I thought the advice was that it was best to go direct?
- Q: When a book is finally finished… what is the right order for all of the follow up activities to get it to market?
- Q: Do you need to send hard copies to the British Library?
- Q: I have a new book I’m working on, Should it be completed before I decide on a company to do the ebook formatting?
- Q: What is the current best practice on formatting?
- Q: What’s your input on Amazon Affiliate accounts?
- Q: My book is written and produced, what is the best way to market it? I’ve been approach local books stores and TV stations, as well as local historic societies.
- Q: My illustrator is having problems uploading my book to Amazon, who can I contact for uploading to Amazon?
- Q: I’m on my first book. My first publishers when out of business and I accepted their replacement publisher. How do I take my published book to a new printer and create an ebook?
- Q: As a new authors about to engage an editor and proofreader, I have concerns about sending copies to people I haven’t met. Can I protect against this piracy and copyright infringement?
- Q: I’m considering engaging a book publicist, what advice do you have?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#30: Indie Author Fringe Highlight with Joni & Jerusha Rodgers and Orna Ross In this live 20 minute presentation from BEA, mom and daughter ghostwriting and editing team, Joni & Jerusha Rodgers, explain how story works - in your books and in the words you write around them.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish.
Ep#33: Self-Publishing Advice Podcast: Indie Author Fringe Highlight with Kim Bookless & Orna Ross In this live 20 minute presentation from BEA, Orna Ross and Kim Bookless talk about how their respective organisations serve the needs of indie authors and can help you write and sell more books.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish. Host Bio: Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#32: Self-Publishing Advice Podcast: Indie Author Fringe Highlight with Amie McCracken & Orna Ross In this live 20 minute presentation from BEA, editor, book designer and indie author Amie McCracken outlines how to get your first draft down in six months.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish. Host Bio: Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#31: Self-Publishing Advice Podcast: Indie Author Fringe Highlight with Kieffer Brown & Orna Ross In this live 20 minute presentation from BEA, Kiffer talks about the qualities and strategies that are non-negotiable for indie authors.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish. Host Bio: Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#34: Self-Publishing Advice Podcast: Indie Author Fringe Highlight with Bryan Cohen & Orna Ross In this live 20 minute presentation from BEA, author and copywriter Bryan Cohen explains how you can optimize your sales pages to get more readers to buy your book.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish.
Ep#35: Self-Publishing Advice Podcast: Indie Author Fringe Highlight with Kinga Jentetics & Orna Ross In this live 20 minute presentation from BEA, Orna Ross and talks with Kinga Jentetics of PublishDrive about book distribution world wide.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish. Host Bio: Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#36: Self-Publishing Advice Podcast: Indie Author Fringe Highlight with Penny Sansevieri & Orna Ross The secret to sustaining a successful author career is the connection you make to your fans. Join Penny C. Sansevieri, Founder and CEO Author Marketing Experts and Orna Ross, Director, Alliance of Independent Authors — both bestselling authors and publishing experts, learn how to identify and reach your ideal readers, turn them into superfans and how to ignite those fans so they are ones promoting your work.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish. Host Bio: Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#29 : Self-Publishing Advice Podcast: Indie Author Fringe Highlight with Orna Ross Want to boost your sales? Who doesn’t? In a panel session recorded live in the Author HQ at London Book Fair, ALLi Director Orna Ross interviews two bestselling indie authors and sales gurus, Mark Dawson and Joanna Penn, together with ALLi’s literary agent Toby Mundy about how to go beyond selling ebooks in your home territory.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advicebroadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Indie Author Fringe Highlight is one of four regular shows, which include an ALLi Member Q&A, a beginners' salon and an advanced self-publishing salon. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org. If you're not familiar with our Fringe event, it's three-times a year, online conference for self-publishing authors, brought to you by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and fringe to the major global publishing fairs; London Book Fair, BookExp, and Frankfurt Book Fair. ALLi brings together the most up-to-date self-publishing education and information available and broadcasts it to authors everywhere. Running 24 sessions over 24 continuous hours allows our members, and other authors round the globe, to attend sessions, no matter where they’re located. For more information, visit our Conference Home Page. Now, go write and publish. Host Bio: Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#28: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books.
Here’s a summary of the questions in this month’s Ask ALLi with Orna and Joanna:
- Q: What should you do when you feel badly served by a self-publishing service provider? And do you have a list of book formatters?
- Q: How do you create front matter and chapter headings, so that they look good on Kindle?
- Q: What company would you recommend for a Non-Ficiton Hardback?
- Q: There’s still so many really bad Indie Book Covers, do you think they’ll every become a thing of the past?
- Q: Is there any good tools out there that can help you chart the months leading up to a book release?
- Q: I’m publishing a book about rural libraries in Zimbabwe, how can I have them published widely?
- Q: Once you’ve self-published, what would it take to get an agent interested?
- Q: How can I get estimates of adding illustrations to my KDP file?
- Q: Should manuscripts be proof-read after you’ve completed the interior book layout?
- Q: Do I own rights to my book cover designs?
- Q: Do I need a separate ISBN for my audio format?
- Q: How long does it take for Amazon to price match my book price after I’ve reverted from a free price-point?
- Q: What are your thoughts about Archway? I’m looking for assisted publishing for a memoir.
- Q: I have a signed contract with Matador to publish and market my book. What should I beware of, and what should I do myself?
- Q: Should I do a book tour to actual physical books stores, or pay for an online blog tour or a publicist?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#27: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books.
Here’s the questions posed to Orna and Joanna this month:
Here’s the questions posed to Orna and Joanna this month:
- Q: I write Fantasy. How can I show my character’s mind-speak (i.e. what they’re thinking)?
- Q. I’ve released my first non-fiction e-book, and I’m struggling with reads let alone sales, and I’d really like to get some book reviews.
- Q: “My Publisher” wants 8 books for 10 years. Do I have to accept these terms, or can I have it reduced?
- Q: I’m a YA Writer. How should I market and promote for this segment?
- Q: Is it a problem that I have a separate ISBN for my e-book and POD, and my reviews and sales rank from my e-book won’t transfer over to my POD listing on Amazon.
- Q: On book covers when you see “perfect for fans of ” .. do you need permission from the author to use their name?
- Q: What is the best way to promote books to an Indian market?
- Q: I have questions about my fixed-pub layout kids book, and wonder how you control duplicate copies.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#26: Orna Ross presents a new episode of ALLI Insights: NaNoWriMo is Over, Now Publish Your Novel Did you take part in NaNoWriMo last year, and now have a finished draft in front of you, and are thinking "Now What?" You're not alone.
Did you know that nearly half a million writers signed up for NaNo in 2015? That's quite a jump from 1999, when Chris (the founder of National Novel Writing Month) and 21 of his friends set themselves a target of 50,000 words in 30 days. In January and February, NaNoWriMo support the revision and publishing process. It’s an extension of their November writing frenzy, and a much-deserved author break in December.
The goal of this period is to help fulfil your novel's potential by getting it from it's rough first draft stage and see it through the publishing process into the hands of readers. There's a natural synergy between National Novel Writing Month's focus on writing and ALLi's continued focus on self-publishing, and this month's ALLi Insights features Orna Ross and Grant Faulkner chatting about the author journey. As well as the importance (and power) of fiction that will be music to the ears of any indie author.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your host:
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#25: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books.
Here’s the questions posed to Orna and Joanna this month:
- Q: Is ALLi continuing to work with Ingram Spark this year and are they offering a self-publishing discount to ALLi Members?
- Q: Do you have Insights about iUniverse Services?
- Q: What are the legal issues about setting up your publisher imprint?
- Q: What are the differences between CreateSpace and Ingram Spark POD distribution services?
- Q: Should authors release their books in Hardback?
- Q: Do ALLi maintain a list of reputable book Editors?
- Q: Is there such a thing as a "Book Shepherd" who could help an aspiring author publish their first book?
- Q: Is there any recourse if my publisher won't take my book off Amazon or Barnes and Noble?
- Q: I'm publishing my book via Lightening Source, but on CreateSpace it shows that it has a long lead time for delivery. Is there anything I can do about this? And why is this happening to a POD version of my book?
- Q: Where can I find my ALLi Author Seal (and affiliate code?)
- Q: What's the #1 Marketing Tip for Authors?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#24: Orna Ross chats with Toby Mundy about How Authors Sell rights. The writer’s path to publication has grown more complex, as new choices emerge. What once was a one-track pathway to print in now a maze of formats, platforms, apps, films, broadcast, foreign, translation, audio and more. Each of these markets offers different opportunities and operates by different rules. How are writers to find their way without a team of experts and lawyers?
The Alliance of Independent Authors is releasing How Authors Sell Rights to help authors navigate today’s complex rights marketplace. A compilation of advice from publishing and legal experts, How Authors Sell Rights shows writers the best ways to reach decision-makers in various industries, what these rights-buyers are looking for, and what to expect in negotiating a license or sale of rights. Covering both business and legal aspects, and focussing particularly on audiobooks, TV & film and translation, How Authors Sell Rights shows how the rights landscape for authors is transforming and yielding unprecedented opportunities.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your host:
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#23: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books.
Here’s the questions posed to Orna and Joanna this month:
- Q: If I get a Bookbub, what other promotional activity should I be doing?
- Q: Has anyone had experience with Kirkus Reviews or other paid review sites?
- Q: Is 2 books enough for a box set?
- Q: “Translating is the new black” but how do you assess the final work?
- Q: How can I copyright protect the short stories that I’m selling directly from my website?
- Q: Where should I start with publishing a printed illustrated children’s book?
- Q: How do you make your characters seem unique?
- Q: What’s the best way to get Amazon Reviews, and how many reviews should I aim for?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#22: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books.
Here’s the questions posed to Orna and Joanna this month:
- Q: I’m writing my first book and I’m overwhelmed by all the other self-publishing and indie author tasks I should be doing like blogging and marketing. What should I focus on?
- Q: I’ve never written a book before, and wanted to know if I needed to hire a lawyer to look over the self-publishing contracts from IngramSpark and CreateSpace?
- Q: What are the pros and cons of using ACX?
- Q: What are the pitfalls of creating a 2nd Edition version of a currently published novel?
- Q: I’ve marketed my book in the UK and the US in the same way, but have had minimal sales success in the US. Is this market a harder nut to crack?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#21: Orna Ross chats with mystery writer Elizabeth Spann Craig to discover how she’s using Wattpad to expand her reader demographic. If you’re looking for an uncomplicated and free way of reaching more readers, Wattpad could be the option you’re looking for.
This month’s ALLi Insights event was full of information and inspiration about why and how you can leverage your existing content to reach a broader audience.
Here’s Wattpad Insights to whet your appetite:
- Wattpad users are very mobile savvy and skew towards a younger demographic.
- Authors don’t have to write serially, they just need to publish serially.
- The Wattpad mobile app for free, and a Wattpad account is also free.
- Set a consistent publishing schedule for your chapter releases.
- If you already have a free book, it makes sense to leverage it on Wattpad. Use it as a funnel to your other books.
- At the end of each Wattpad chapter you can add an author call to action (e.g. sign up to the author’s mailing list, or letting your readers know where to buy the book if they can’t wait for the next installment).
- A demographics tab gives you insights into the age demographics of your readers and their geographic location. Authors can add images or a video to each chapter to increase engagement.
- It’ll take about 4-6 chapters to get some audience traction. Wattpad increases your opportunity of reaching your share of the 40 Million global readers.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your host:
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#20: Joanna Penn and David Penny answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books.
Here’s the questions posed to David and Joanna this month:
- Q: Is there an Indie Book Fair event planned in Australia?
- Q: The Legal Deposits Library has requested 5 copies of my book, do I need to send them?
- Q: I’ve written 5 short stories, how many should I have in a Collection?
- Q: What is the typical length of a book blurb?
- Q: What Writing Craft Resources would you recommend?
- Q: How should Authors leverage a Mailing List?
- Q: I’m a new author and published my book 3 weeks ago. How long does it take to see Kindle Sales on Amazon?
- Q: When is the Showcase up and running again?
- Q: When should you start thinking about promoting and marketing your book?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Ep#19: Orna Ross chats with Katie Donelan from BookBub to reveal how to increase your chances of getting your book selected for a BookBub Promotion. Competition to be included in the daily BookBub email is fierce, especially in popular categories like Romance, so if you want to increase your chances of being “BookBubbed” it’s best to familiarise yourself with the selection criteria process used by the BookBub editors. Historically publishing has not been a direct to consumer market, but BookBub knows what Indie Authors have known from the outset; the most important element of marketing and promotion is reaching readers.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Katie Donelan is the Director of Business Development at BookBub, a service that helps millions of readers discover new books and authors. Katie‘s team works with all the major publishing houses, mid-size and smaller publishers, and thousands of independent authors to help market their ebooks.
Ep#18: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books.
Here’s the questions posed to Orna and Joanna this month:
- Q: How should authors deal with lines from songs… what is fair use?
- Q: For a 1st time self-publishers, how many months out should you advertise your first release
- Q: How can I boost my sales? Releasing a new book in January with a preorder in October. First book didn’t do well, how can I promote my second book better?
- Q: Why aren’t my keywords working for me? Interested in Joining ALLi?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#17: Orna Ross chats with Helen Sedwick discuss copyright to add clarity around what a writer owns vs. what they don’t.
Other topics being discussed are:
- How authors can protect their work.
- How to keep others from taking more than their fair share by understanding the nuances between licenses vs. assignments, exclusive vs. non-exclusives and termination clauses.
- Author scams and what red flags indie authors should look out for.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Writer and lawyer Helen Sedwick has thirty years of experience representing businesses and entrepreneurs. When she self-published the novel COYOTE WINDS, she could find no handbook to help writers deal with the legal issues of self-publishing. So she wrote that book: Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook. Her goal is to keep writers out of court and at their desks.
Ep#16: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books.
Here’s the questions posed to Orna and Joanna this month:
- Q: I’m toying with the idea of using Facebook ads for 1) collecting email subscribers by offering some free content and 2) promoting my books directly. I’ve been through Mark Dawson’s 3 free videos and probably have enough information to try this .. should I do it?
- Q: Google Play: What is it? Should I put my books in there or not? What royalty revenue could I expect?
- Q: Now that I’ve published my first book, I am getting contacted by book promoters who promise to publicise my book for a fee. How can I tell which are effective and which are not?
- Q: After hitting some technical problems loading my books onto Ingram Spark, I missed the promo offer (open to everyone). Can you advise when and if a new offer for Alli members will be launched soon?
- Q: When hiring a proofreader is it best to engage them for two sets of proofreads – digital and print or just digital?
- Q: As a self-publisher/writer should I purchase my ISBN’s directly from Bowker? I see there are other sites offering ISBN’s for less money, but are they legitimate?
- Q: Are there any book cover designers available who can format a color design for a modest book who do not charge lots of money to do so?
- Q: How can I get review copies of my book at a discount?
- Q: What publisher would you recommend to do a self-published non-fiction book that has both black and white and color pages?
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#15: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#14: Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) Director Orna Ross and Joanna Penn, of The Creative Penn, answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#13: Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) Director Orna Ross and Joanna Penn, of The Creative Penn, answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss
Ep#3: Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) Director Orna Ross and Joanna Penn, of The Creative Penn, answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books.
Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi’s free online author conference.
Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.
Now, go write and publish.
About your hosts
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss