The Self Publishing Show

Mark Dawson is a best selling self-published author on multiple platforms including Amazon and Kobo. He is the author of the John Milton thriller series and its spin-off Beatrix Rose. In addition, he’s written several ‘Soho Noir' novels. Mark’s breakthrough came when he developed a marketing strategy for promoting and selling his books. His swift success enabled him to quit his 9 to 5 job and he has generated gross revenues of more than a million dollars in less than five years.

Mark has become a leading voice in the self publishing industry and he advocates and teaches a strategy based around offering books for free, mailing list development and social media advertising. In 2015, he published the first version of what is now his acclaimed online course ‘Advertising for Authors’. He has also developed a course for writers at the start of their careers – Self Publishing 101.

James Blatch co-hosts the podcast and he represents the first time, wannabe author. James is a former BBC News journalist who is currently writing his first novel.

Between them James and Mark explore the world of self publishing with a focus on actionable tips for new and experienced indie authors.

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Episodes

SPF-069: From Legal Eagle to Bestselling Author – with Steve Cavanagh

Lawyer and traditionally published author, Steve Cavanagh, talks to SPF about the joy of creating US-based legal thrillers and his own route to getting published and achieving bestseller status.

Jun 16, 2017•50 min•Season 1Ep. 69

SPF-068: How to get started in Self Publishing – with Mark Dawson

What happens after an indie author types THE END? Mark and James talk to several self-published authors about the journey from finished manuscript to published book, covering topics such as the importance of a durable author platform, solid launch strategies and the self publishing community.

Jun 09, 2017•53 min•Season 1Ep. 68

SPF-067: Self Publishing – How Much Does it Cost? – with Mark Dawson

How much money should you reasonably expect to invest when self-publishing a book? Mark Dawson and James Blatch share the all-important financial details that indie authors need to know about.

Jun 02, 2017•46 min•Season 1Ep. 67

SPF-066: The One Thing I Wish I’d Known When Starting My Indie Author Career – with Mark Dawson

Best-selling indie author Mark Dawson discusses 'The One Thing' he wished he'd known when starting out on his indie author career.

May 26, 2017•40 min•Season 1Ep. 66

SPF-065: Know What Sells Before You Write – with Brian Spangler, Genre Report

Software engineer, Brian Spangler, talks to SPF about his data gathering app that helps authors understand the Amazon marketplace and reveal which categories offer the highest profit potential.

May 19, 2017•37 min•Season 1Ep. 65

SPF-064: From Comic Book Hero to Indie Author – with 2000 AD’s Pat Mills

Legendary comic book author, Pat Mills, creator of 2000 AD, featuring Judge Dredd, talks to SPF about the state of the nation in the comic book industry, his move to writing text novels, and what he's learned from his experiences dealing with Hollywood.

May 12, 2017•47 min•Season 1Ep. 64

SPF-063: How to start an Indie Publishing Empire – with Michael Anderle

Science fiction author Michael Anderle talks to James about writing fast, finding voracious readers and building a publishing empire, one book at a time.

May 05, 2017•50 min•Season 1Ep. 63

SPF-0062: The Short Story Miracle Man – with author T.S. Paul

Sci-fi and paranormal author TS Paul shares with James how he's flouted every indie author 'rule' for writing, publishing and platform building, and has subsequently had huge success selling his short fiction.

Apr 28, 2017•56 min•Season 1Ep. 62

SPF-061: How to Road Test your Book Idea – with Dave Chesson, Kindlepreneur

In this week's episode, Kindlepreneur's Dave Chesson explains how to validate your book idea before you start the long-term and time-consuming process of writing your novel.

Apr 21, 2017•37 min•Season 1Ep. 61

SPF-060: Talking the Talk – with Dragon Dictation expert Scott Baker

Dictating your first draft, as opposed to typing it, can exponentially increase a writer's daily word count. James talks to Dragon Trainer Scott Baker about tips, tricks, and equipment to get you dictating like a pro.

Apr 14, 2017•50 min•Season 1Ep. 60

SPF-059: Top Book Launch Tips – with Tim Grahl

Book launch expert Tim Grahl talks to James about the importance of an email list, successful book launches and his own experience of writing a novel for public consumption.

Apr 07, 2017•51 min•Season 1Ep. 59

SPF-058: From Flying Jets to Flying High – with indie author, Susan Grant

Fighter pilot and commercial airline captain, Susan Grant, talks to James about making the leap from traditionally published writer to successful indie author.

Mar 31, 2017•44 min•Season 1Ep. 58

SPF-057: Spiderman: Exploring Amazon with Data Guy

If you're looking to make sense of all the stats and figures out there relating to the world of digital book publishing, who you gonna call? Thankfully, the pseudonymous Data Guy has got it covered.

Mar 24, 2017•54 min•Season 1Ep. 57

SPF-056: Masterclass: Amazon Ads – With Mark Dawson

In this week's podcast episode Mark Dawson hosts a masterclass on Amazon Ads, explaining how indie authors can use them to sell books and boost their visibility and platform.

Mar 17, 2017•46 min•Season 1Ep. 56

SPF-055: Thirteen Million Reasons why Self Publishing Rocks – with HM Ward

This week’s interview is with romance author HM Ward, one of the great success stories of self publishing. Tune in to hear her story and how it could, with the right approach, be emulated by other indie authors.

Mar 11, 2017•52 min•Season 1Ep. 55