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 tha...
Sep 12, 2021•12 min•Ep. 316
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-publish...
Sep 10, 2021•44 min•Ep. 315
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 Confe...
Sep 03, 2021•46 min•Ep. 314
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 publishi...
Jul 30, 2021•21 min•Ep. 313
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 Inde...
Jul 23, 2021•29 min•Ep. 312
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 au...
Jul 18, 2021•16 min•Ep. 311
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...
Jul 16, 2021•38 min•Ep. 312
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 ...
Jul 09, 2021•47 min•Ep. 310
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 writer...
Jul 04, 2021•20 min•Ep. 309
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 ...
Jul 02, 2021•22 min•Ep. 308
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 podca...
Jun 25, 2021•34 min•Ep. 307
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 audiobo...
Jun 20, 2021•14 min•Ep. 306
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 be...
Jun 18, 2021•37 min•Ep. 305
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!...
Jun 11, 2021•42 min•Ep. 304
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 bo...
Jun 06, 2021•20 min•Ep. 303
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...
Jun 04, 2021•43 min•Ep. 302
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 hu...
May 30, 2021•24 min•Ep. 301
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 Aut...
May 28, 2021•37 min•Ep. 300
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 special...
May 21, 2021•42 min•Ep. 299
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 Wri...
May 16, 2021•13 min•Ep. 298
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 print...
May 14, 2021•22 min•Ep. 297
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 ...
May 07, 2021•48 min•Ep. 296
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 mo...
May 02, 2021•20 min•Ep. 295
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 poet...
Apr 30, 2021•33 min•Ep. 294
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 bri...
Apr 25, 2021•20 min•Ep. 293
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...
Apr 23, 2021•33 min•Ep. 293
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 r...
Apr 18, 2021•13 min•Ep. 292
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 se...
Apr 16, 2021•34 min•Ep. 291
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...
Apr 09, 2021•41 min•Ep. 290
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 b...
Apr 04, 2021•13 min•Ep. 289
