Champion of indie author justice, David Gaughran joins James at the NINC conference to discuss his start in self-publishing, and what he’s observing lately in the industry. This week’s highlights include: How the fundamentals of indie publishing have not changed since 2011 The importance of different marketing strategies depending on whether an author is in […]
No doubt you’ve heard of Johnny, Sean and Dave, the self-publishing pioneers from the Self-Publishing Podcast, one of the original podcasts focused on indie authors. Today James talks to Sean and Johnny about their two brand new offerings for authors, how things have changed in recent years, and how they will continue to change. This […]
Hope Clark always knew she wanted to write. So by her mid-40s she had retired from her day job and was running a writing business full-time. She talks to James about how she supports other writers to do the same. This week’s highlights include: An announcement about the newest course coming from SPF Hope Clark […]
British-Australian author John Birmingham was forced into a crash course on self-publishing when, through no fault of his own, his trad deals disappeared. Luckily for readers, John turned those lemons into a new, lucrative self-publishing career. This week’s highlights include: John’s success as a freelance writer, and his unplanned, rapid switch from trad publishing to […]
Author, mother, and nap-time entrepreneur Katie Cross offers an explanation for why it’s normal for indie authors to struggle with Imposter Syndrome, and also specific strategies for how to deal with it. This week’s highlights include: Katie’s success as a YA author and her move into chick lit via Wattpad What’s working for Katie now […]
James Blatch and Lucy Dawson introduce the Self Publishing Formula Foundation, a partnership with Reedsy, that will help four authors each year to fulfill their dream of publishing and marketing their books. This week’s highlights include: The origins of the SPF Foundation How the foundation works and how to apply What SPF are looking for […]
Medieval romance author Cecelia Mecca started out thinking she’d traditionally publish her books. A chat with an indie author at an RWA conference changed Cedelia’s mind and a year later she’s a full-time author, working at home and in full command of her author career. This week’s highlights include: Picking up a manuscript after 20 […]
This week’s highlights include: Doing the math and making the transition from traditionally published author to indie Focusing on the genre you love to read Do blog tours work any longer? Outlining in order to write faster Using LeadGen ads to grow Michelle’s mailing list and business Classic marketing copy that still works Resources mentioned […]
This week’s highlights include: Hugh’s beginnings as a writer The search for a publisher … and then a change of heart Re-acquiring rights The increasing empowerment of creative people Negotiating a print-only deal The beginnings of Hugh’s relationship with Data Guy and the Author Earnings reports Resources mentioned in this episode: Selfpublishingformula.com/ads17 Get on the […]
This week’s highlights include: The basics on how BookBub ads work and how to split targeting Getting on the wait list to use BookBub ads Differences from the Facebook and AMS ads platforms The superior reporting of BookBub ads Using BookBub ads for picking up sales at vendors other than Amazon Resources mentioned in this […]
This week’s highlights include: • Using Facebook Messenger to boost launch sales • On the excellent response rate of Messenger • Calculating ROI for ads based on sell-through rates, rather than just sales of one book • Different ways to calculate read-through • Why it makes sense to run ad campaigns at a loss because […]
This week’s highlights include: The misconception that the first draft is the finished book The overwhelm that can occur when revising a novel, and how to tackle that Breaking the revision process into smaller chunks to deal with overwhelm On Joan’s online courses about revision and their flexibility for different types of writers Tips for […]
The SPF Income Report is a unique look behind the scenes of a best-selling indie author’s advertising spends and revenue. Check out the stories behind the spreadsheets, graphs and stats from September 2017. Leave a Review
This week’s highlights include: The challenges Chris faced when sending ARCs to his readers How Booksprout addresses those challenges Why having advanced readers matters Price points for new authors and also those with larger review teams How Booksprout reduces follow-up time for authors Discoverability for readers on Booksprout The leap in ARC review response Chris […]
Kevin Tumlinson from Draft2Digital reveals the company’s exciting new plans for indie authors wanting to make the most of the audiobook market. This week’s highlights include: Changes to the tools available for indie authors at Draft2Digital The new partnership between Findaway Voices and D2D Details on the expanding world of audiobooks available to authors Removing […]
Felicia Yap talks at length about how she achieved global success with her first novel – and how she’s dealt with the repercussions. Highlights of this week’s episode: Felicia’s unique and intriguing premise for her new thriller, Yesterday Working out story ideas on the dance floor Felicia’s very flexible approach to her writing routine Applying […]
How do you go about ensuring that ALL of your books are out there earning for you? Cue, self publishing wiz, Chris Fox, on how to get the most out of your previously released books. This week’s key highlights: Chris’s beginnings as a writer and his background in Silicon Valley About Chris’s books and videos […]
One of Mark and James' editors, Jenny Parrott, discusses the role of the professional editor in an author's life. Clearly as devoted to storytelling as any writer, Jenny explains some strategies authors can use to improve their stories, and why editing is such a crucial part of successful book creation.
The SPF Income Report, a unique look behind the scenes of a best-selling indie author’s advertising spends and revenue is back! Check out the stories behind the spreadsheets, graphs and stats from August 2017.
The paradigm shifts in publishing have opened doors for authors. And sometimes caused challenges for those authors who have lost rights to a trad publisher and now want them back. Orna Ross, Founder and Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors, talks to James about these issues, how authors can approach getting lost rights back, what it takes to sell rights in foreign territories, and what to be aware of when doing so.
Nick Stephenson talks to James about the value in author collaboration and how even introverted authors can go about building relationships with the aim of growing their audience and widening the reach of their books.
If you're an author that wants to write across genres but worry about the impact that approach might have on financial returns, you'll want to listen to this week's guest, bestselling author Mel Sherratt, who's achieved in excess of one million sales with a cross-genre back catalogue.
Prolific science-fiction and romance author Tracey Cooper Posey discusses how she manages her impressive creative output and the life and living to be made as an indie author.
Clinical psychologist and sleep expert, Anne Bartolucci, explains why sleep matters for creatives (including writers), how to improve our sleep to boost productivity and how to work around the procrastination and resistance that plagues so many writers.
Serial artist, graphic designer and author Derek Murphy chats to James about his creative lifestyle, including how he finally managed to develop a more productive - and profitable - mindset for his career.
Thriller author Brett Battles has seen the inside of both traditional and independent publishing. Today he chats with James about making the transition from trad to indie, the tough times and his eventual triumph as a hybrid author.
Developer Stuart Grant talks to James about the marketing power of apps for authors and how they can help deepen the connection between author and readers - and help attract new fans.
UK author Chloe Esposito's debut novel, Mad, was recently released to much acclaim and has already had its movie rights snapped up by Hollywood. Today James talks to her about the Faber Academy's writing program, leaving behind her management consulting career and ensuring the tone of the film being made from Mad stays true to the book.
What happens when you combine one train, four authors and a 19 hour trip from Chicago to New Orleans? Writer J. Thorn talks about the highs, the lows and results of his own experiences of effective author collaboration.
Author Suzy K. Quinn has travelled a similar road to Mark Dawson's - going from being a traditionally published writer to becoming an independent author with more control over her books and marketing. Not to mention a larger slice of the financial pie.
