Today we celebrate humor and creativity with accomplished author and cartoonist, Leigh Rubin. An author of more than 20 books, 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of Leigh's internationally syndicated cartoon, Rubes®, which is distributed by Creators Syndicate to hundreds of newspapers and media outlets worldwide. His work has been featured in film, television, and advertising. In 2018 Leigh began serving at Rochester Institute of Technology as the college's first Cartoonist-in-Residence. //Draft2Di...
Apr 18, 2024•46 min•Ep. 171
An award-winning writer and former newspaper reporter, Elizabeth Andre currently writes cozy paranormal mystery, science fiction, young adult and lesbian romance. Elizabeth began publishing lesbian fiction in 2014 and joins us today to discuss why self-publishing is such a great option for the genre. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert ...
Apr 11, 2024•47 min•Ep. 170
Publishing and distributing your self-published books is the easy part. Reaching readers is still the challenge. Today we speak with Stephanie Chandler, the founder and CEO of the Nonfiction Authors Association. Stephanie began building her email newsletter list and experimenting with self-publishing before D2D or even Smashwords existed! If you're interested in how to successfully market and launch your next book, regardless of genre, this is the episode for you! //Draft2Digital is where you st...
Apr 04, 2024•51 min•Ep. 169
Have you ever watched a master at work? The best carpenters, musicians, chefs--and even authors--just seem to have a different way using their tools than the rest of us mere mortals. Fortunately for authors, ProWritingAid is a battle-tested writing tool that's helped some of today's bestselling authors smooth the rough edges of their works-in-progress so they can publish with confidence. Today we dig into ProWritingAid with company founder Chris Banks. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Ind...
Mar 28, 2024•46 min•Ep. 168
Conferences are vital for author careers. The good ones not only provide stellar learning opportunities from the industry's best and brightest minds, they also provide a sense of community and belonging. In today's episode we'll catch up with D2D's own Mark Leslie Lefebvre and Nick Thacker as they attend the renowned Superstars Writing Seminars event in Colorado Springs. Knowing these guys, they're likely to grab some surprise author guests to join us. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Ind...
Mar 21, 2024•49 min•Ep. 167
Bestselling books have well-structured plots, compelling characters, and engaging settings that tell a great story. The other element bestselling books have in common is masterful editing. Today we welcome Kristina Stanley back to the show. An award-winning author and fiction editor, Kristina is also the founder and CEO of Fictionary, an innovative tool that's designed to help authors hone their craft and self-edit more effectively. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// L...
Mar 14, 2024•47 min•Ep. 166
Jeaniene Frost is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy romance. She's known for the Night Huntress series, the Night Prince series, the Night Rebel series, and the Broken Destiny series. Today we'll talk about Jeaniene's latest work, Both Feet in the Grave, and her decision to self-publish after over a dozen years as a traditionally published author. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digit...
Mar 07, 2024•49 min•Ep. 165
If you're curious about how the revamped USA Today Best-Seller Booklist works, or why it went on hiatus, or why the renewed focus on indie bookstores, this is the episode for you. Erik Bursch, the SVP of Consumer Product and Engineering at Gannett/USA Today, joins us live to give the inside scoop and answer your questions. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor wo...
Feb 29, 2024•46 min•Ep. 164
Have you ever wished you could connect with other like-minded, creative people to share your ideas or ask questions without fear of judgement or humiliation? Enter Torrey C. Butler of Scribble. An award-winning author, Torrey launched the Scribble app as a safe space where authors can express their ideas, understand where to start, and ultimately work toward publishing their work. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draf...
Feb 22, 2024•47 min•Ep. 163
Wulf Moon has been called the guru of aspiring writers. His award-winning Super Secrets of Writing have helped countless writers launch careers, become #1 bestsellers in top fiction categories, and win coveted international awards. Now, all of these transformational secrets have been captured in his latest nonfiction book, How to Write a Howling Good Story. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading...
Feb 15, 2024•46 min•Ep. 162
David Sherrer is the marketing director and the "husband half" of the remarkable wife-and-husband publishing team at Chenoweth Press. David's wife Lydia is a USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy. David manages the marketing and fulfillment of physical sales as well as sales at various conventions. David is also a game designer and created created a unique card game based on his wife's book series. Today we'll discuss the magic behind this wife & husband publishing team. //Draft2Digi...
Feb 08, 2024•46 min•Ep. 161
Did you know the Smashwords store pays indie authors the industry's highest royalties? Did you the Smashwords store is about to celebrate its 7th consecutive year of sales growth? And did you know the 7th Annual Smashwords End of Year Sale was another record breaking Smashwords Sale? Join us as Mark Coker and Mark Lefebvre explain how YOU can use Smashwords sales to reach new readers and sell more books. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-...
Feb 01, 2024•51 min•Ep. 160
We've assembled a dream team of industry luminaries to unravel the key trends and issues that will shape publishing in 2024 and likely impact your author business. Join us as we welcome Mark Coker, chief strategy officer, D2D; Jane Friedman, founder & editor of publishing newsletter The Hot Sheet; Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn Podcast; Dale Roberts of the Self Publishing with Dale Podcast; and Orna Ross, co-founder and director of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). //Draft2Digita...
Jan 25, 2024•55 min•Ep. 159
Did you catch all the news coming out of the D2D camp in 2023? There was a lot to take in: New distribution partnerships, another acquisition, and some pretty nifty milestones to name just a few. We'll recap the year for you and answer all your questions. Join us! //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online...
Jan 18, 2024•50 min•Ep. 158
"Writing books is easy!" said no one, ever. In today's world of a 24-hour news cycle, non-stop distractions, career and family obligations, is maintaining a sense of joy and balance even realistic? Enter Sarra Cannon. Sarra's the author of 28 YA and NA novels, with over a million books sold. As the host of the wildly popular Heart Breathings YouTube channel, she's also passionate about sharing her journey when it comes to productivity while keeping joy at the center. In today's chat, we'll dig i...
Jan 11, 2024•54 min•Ep. 157
It's not uncommon for long-time Draft2Digital authors to tell us that they just learned about a feature we've been offering for years. We aim to put an end to that, and we guarantee you'll learn something new! Our own Mark Leslie Lefebvre dives deep, on Thanksgiving no less, to reveal useful D2D features you may not know are at your fingertips. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publis...
Jan 04, 2024•46 min•Ep. 156
Author Nation represents the evolution, and future, of indie author conferences. Carrying the torch from 20Books Vegas, long regarded as the premier indie author event, Author Nation promises to take the indie author learning experience to the next level. And who better to have on board than Chelle Honiker, the publisher of Indie Author Magazine and now program manager at Author Nation. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success...
Dec 28, 2023•52 min•Ep. 155
Have you ever wondered how some YouTube channels just seem to pop? And why do some YouTube hosts seem to have the "it" factor, while authors just seem sort of, well, "meh." Today we'll chat with author and self-publishing coach M.K. Williams about her publishing journey--and how she made YouTube work for her (and others!). //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor wo...
Dec 21, 2023•47 min•Ep. 154
A book marketer since 2007, Elizabeth Ann West started her own author education school in 2018. She has since helped hundreds of authors from a variety of genres publish more profitably. Today Elizabeth is the CEO of the Future Fiction Academy. Join us as we discuss how embracing technology, and AI in particular, can help authors turbocharge their productivity. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the lea...
Dec 14, 2023•51 min•Ep. 153
From time to time D2D hosts an "Ask Us Anything" (AUA) episode where YOU get to run the show. Lately we've been hosting AUAs centered around specific topics like book marketing, or D2D Print, or Wide for the Win strategies. This time we're opening it up to all topics. So if you've got a burning question for us, now's the time! //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributo...
Dec 07, 2023•49 min•Ep. 152
Monica Leonelle is a USA Today bestselling author best known for her book publishing and business expertise at TheWorldNeedsYourPassion.com . Her nonfiction books have sold over 70,000 copies and helped thousands of writers write faster, become better storytellers, and find their way to success with wide and direct sales. Today we'll discuss the future of publishing and where Wide fits in. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing succ...
Nov 30, 2023•40 min•Ep. 151
The annual Novelists, Inc. (NINC) conference is a unique experience that brings together multi-published, professional authors who publish traditionally, independently, or both. Conference speakers are handpicked from the upper echelons of the industry, and networking opportunities are unmatched. Join D2D and fellow industry luminaries and conference organizers as we recap what we learned at this year's event and discuss the value of networking with your peers. //Draft2Digital is where you start...
Nov 16, 2023•49 min•Ep. 150
Stu Grant has been working in the publishing industry for over 8 years- largely with the team at Self Publishing Formula and is currently the highest rated Author Website designer on Reedsy (maybe even the world!) with his company Digital Authors Toolkit. Curious about what makes an author website world class? Tune in to find out. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distri...
Nov 09, 2023•50 min•Ep. 149
Draft2Digital's own Mark Leslie Lefebvre, the man who literally wrote the book on distributing your books Wide for the Win, and Megan Spann, our queen of promotions, will be on hand to talk strategy and answer your questions. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we ...
Nov 02, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 148
It's tough to keep track of your sales data if you publish wide, not to mention all the other info you need to keep tabs on for your publishing business. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a single reporting service that covered multiple platforms AND displayed all your data in one dynamic dashboard? Enter ScribeCount. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor wor...
Oct 26, 2023•45 min•Ep. 147
Jessie Kwak is an author, business book ghostwriter, and the mastermind behind the Author Alchemy Summit in Portland, Oregon. In this episode we dive deep into why having a supportive author community is one of the most powerful things an author can cultivate. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, an...
Oct 19, 2023•44 min•Ep. 146
Daniel Willcocks is an international bestselling author, award-winning podcaster, author coach, speaker, and website designer. We'll discuss how to create a healthy, sustainable writing career, leaning into how to get over your biggest writing hurdles to become the author you've always dreamed of becoming. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll co...
Oct 12, 2023•47 min•Ep. 145
Kerrie Flanagan is a highly accomplished author, writing consultant, and instructor known for her expertise in the publishing industry. With 25 years of experience, she has established herself as a respected figure in the writing community. If you want to learn firsthand from someone who's been there and done that, be sure to tune in and ask your questions! //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading...
Oct 05, 2023•49 min•Ep. 144
Some say marketing is an art. Others say it’s a science. One thing is clear: Everyone has an opinion on what works and what doesn’t. The thing is, what works for one author may not work for another. Join us as we sift through the dirt and expose the true marketing gems. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it ...
Sep 28, 2023•49 min•Ep. 143
Hannah Jacobson is the founder of Book Award Pro, the company that expertly matches modern authors with awards, reviews, and story marketing for their books. If you've ever researched the book award landscape, you know there are myriad opportunities--and pitfalls. Join us as we speak with Hannah to navigate through all of it. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor...
Sep 21, 2023•48 min•Ep. 142
