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 ...
Sep 13, 2023•17 min•Ep. 457
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 a...
Sep 10, 2023•17 min•Ep. 456
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.
Sep 08, 2023•14 min
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 publishi...
Jul 30, 2023•27 min•Ep. 455
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 ...
Jul 28, 2023•46 min•Ep. 454
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 glo...
Jul 23, 2023•19 min•Ep. 453
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 ...
Jul 21, 2023•24 min•Ep. 452
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 empowe...
Jul 16, 2023•15 min•Ep. 451
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 eas...
Jul 14, 2023•45 min•Ep. 450
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 tha...
Jul 09, 2023•23 min•Ep. 449
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...
Jul 07, 2023•45 min•Ep. 448
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 tha...
Jul 02, 2023•11 min•Ep. 447
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,...
Jun 30, 2023•48 min•Ep. 446
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 empow...
Jun 25, 2023•19 min•Ep. 445
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 ...
Jun 23, 2023•21 min•Ep. 444
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 publis...
Jun 18, 2023•10 min•Ep. 443
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 wit...
Jun 16, 2023•45 min•Ep. 442
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 au...
Jun 11, 2023•15 min•Ep. 441
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 ...
Jun 09, 2023•41 min•Ep. 440
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 sp...
Jun 04, 2023•24 min•Ep. 439
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 ...
Jun 02, 2023•46 min•Ep. 438
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 Inspi...
May 28, 2023•10 min•Ep. 436
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...
May 26, 2023•54 min•Ep. 437
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...
May 21, 2023•25 min•Ep. 435
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 storie...
May 19, 2023•25 min•Ep. 434
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 a...
May 14, 2023•15 min•Ep. 432
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 ...
May 12, 2023•36 min•Ep. 433
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/cr...
May 07, 2023•26 min•Ep. 431
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 Me...
May 05, 2023•42 min•Ep. 430
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.
May 04, 2023•11 min
