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 All...
Apr 02, 2021•33 min•Ep. 288
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...
Mar 28, 2021•18 min•Ep. 287
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-publ...
Mar 21, 2021•15 min•Ep. 286
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 driv...
Mar 19, 2021•33 min•Ep. 285
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 conferenc...
Mar 12, 2021•34 min•Ep. 284
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 Cente...
Mar 07, 2021•19 min•Ep. 283
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 h...
Mar 05, 2021•41 min•Ep. 282
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. He...
Feb 26, 2021•36 min•Ep. 281
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...
Feb 25, 2021•21 min•Ep. 280
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...
Feb 21, 2021•19 min•Ep. 279
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 creat...
Feb 19, 2021•35 min•Ep. 278
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 ...
Feb 14, 2021•21 min•Ep. 277
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 book...
Feb 12, 2021•39 min•Ep. 276
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://selfpubli...
Feb 07, 2021•12 min•Ep. 275
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 Pe...
Feb 05, 2021•44 min•Ep. 274
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...
Jan 31, 2021•14 min•Ep. 273
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 s...
Jan 29, 2021•37 min•Ep. 272
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...
Jan 24, 2021•19 min•Ep. 271
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 commerci...
Jan 22, 2021•38 min•Ep. 270
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....
Jan 21, 2021•24 min•Ep. 269
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...
Jan 17, 2021•13 min•Ep. 268
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, ...
Jan 15, 2021•39 min•Ep. 269
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-pu...
Jan 10, 2021•16 min•Ep. 267
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,...
Jan 08, 2021•46 min•Ep. 268
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 Se...
Dec 18, 2020•40 min•Ep. 266
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 comme...
Dec 17, 2020•24 min•Ep. 264
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...
Dec 13, 2020•16 min•Ep. 265
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...
Dec 11, 2020•50 min•Ep. 265
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...
Dec 06, 2020•14 min•Ep. 263
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 curre...
Dec 04, 2020•29 min•Ep. 264
