Episodes
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In this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses new surveys showing a slowdown in audiobook sales growth but an increase in listener engagement. He highlights the Independent Book Publishers Association's Innovative Voices program, offering support to publishers from marginalized communities. Dan also covers Google's recent challenges with SEO practices and piracy issues.
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 a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
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On the Publishing for Profit Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors, ALLi Director Orna Ross and Business Adviser Joe Solari discuss essential financial strategies for indie authors. They emphasize realistic budgeting, long-term planning, and understanding brand promise to create sustainable and profitable author businesses. They address misconceptions around rapid release strategies, the impact of survivor bias, and the need for a strategic, patient approach to succeed in the competitive market.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Joe Solari assists authors in developing successful businesses as the managing partner of Author Ventures LLC. In his role as a business manager, he supports his private clients, who collectively achieved gross royalties of twenty-two million in 2023, with an average pre-tax profit of 44%. This remarkable success results from implementing disciplined business strategies and maintaining an unwavering dedication to enhancing the customer experience.
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Missing episodes?
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Join Becca Syme for a keynote presentation that will give you a comprehensive understanding of how mindset plays a foundational role in every aspect of an indie author's business, from the writing process to marketing, networking, and managing both successes and setbacks. Emphasizing the profound impact of mindset on productivity, creativity, and mental well-being, this session offers authors tangible strategies to cultivate a proactive attitude, to foster sustainable success for you and your books.
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 Authors.
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 a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
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In this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses the controversy surrounding Facebook AI, specifically Meta's decision to use user content to train its AI platforms unless users opt out. He highlights a helpful guide on how to opt out, examines a new study revealing authors' ambivalence toward AI, and introduces an app that helps users write their autobiographies. Dan also covers the legal battle between the New York Times and the creators of the game Worldle.
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 a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
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In the latest installment of the AskALLi Member Q&A podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss effective strategies for marketing middle-grade or young-adult books. They emphasize the importance of targeting parents rather than children and recommend networking with other authors in the same genre to maximize visibility and sales.
Other questions include:
What do you do differently to launch a perma-free story or list magnet compared to a sale for a short story? What are some promotional things to do when marketing a murder mystery besides paying for NetGalley reviews? What are the moral issues of using AI narration as opposed to a human for your audiobook? Do you have any rules of engagement for dealing with negative reviews and nasty comments? Is it okay to attach press releases when approaching media, and should you try to speak to journalists in person or on the phone? Are there any benefits or disadvantages to launching two books at the same time, especially if one is a novel and the other is a short story collection?And more!
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 a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
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My guest this episode is Roxanne Bland, a mixed-genre author who admits that her books are not for everyone. But if you're interested in stories that throw away all the old tropes and surprise you with elements of fantasy, science fiction, and romance, then you might want to check out her work. Not only that, but Roxanne writes with one eye on real-world problems such as bigotry.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
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In this episode of Self-Publishing News, Dan Holloway explores the potential impacts of a TikTok ban on print book sales, particularly in the romance and fantasy genres. He also highlights the recent sale of a first edition of Tolkien’s "The Hobbit" for £31,000, discusses the latest print and eBook sales figures, and addresses the controversy surrounding OpenAI’s use of a voice resembling Scarlett Johansson.
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 a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
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One of the most interesting pieces of data to come from the Big Indie Author Data Drop was that even when indie authors are very successful, they don't stop doing their own marketing. They use tools and assistance/assistants, but marketing remains their responsibility, always. Many of the emerging indie authors, or those not selling, said that marketing was the task they liked least. There’s an important mindset shift required to bridge the gap from reluctant or resentful marketing to marketing that is positive and proactive.
In this inspiring and mind-shifting session chaired by Melissa Addey, join Dawn Brookes, Mark Dawson, Karen Inglis, Rachel McLean, Alison Morton, Octavia Randolph, Marc Reklau, Brit Bensen, Mark Hayden, and Elizabeth Stevens all multiple bestselling authors who show what makes marketing a positive activity for them. If thinking 'marketing will be with you forever' horrifies you as an author, then you need these sessions!
This session is kindly sponsored by 1106 Design.
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 Authors.
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 a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
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In this Creative Self-Publishing episode, Orna Ross talks about the transformative power of values-based, story-driven email marketing. Discover why aligning your email campaigns with your core values can foster deeper connections with your audience and boost engagement with your emails. Orna walks you through the essentials of crafting compelling stories that resonate with readers, build trust, and drive action. Revolutionize your email marketing approach by putting values and storytelling at its heart.
The Creative Self-Publishing stream of the ALLi Podcast is sponsored by Orna Ross's Creative Planning Program for Authors & Poets. If you’re feeling daunted by the enormity of your writing and publishing goals, or overwhelmed by your to-do list, or you’re just not sure what way forward is best, Orna can help with a proven planning process devised specially for writers. Check it out at Patreon.com/OrnaRoss.
About the Host
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
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On the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway pays tribute to the late Nobel Prize-winning author Alice Munro and highlights recent British Book Awards winners, including Rebecca Yarros's Fourth Wing. He covers major tech and legal news: OpenAI’s disbanded risk project, the EU's fine on Microsoft, and ByteDance’s legal battle over TikTok. Dan also discusses Sony Music’s legal stance on AI and the ongoing mysteries in the blockchain world.
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 a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
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In the Reaching More Readers podcast, Dale L. Roberts and Holly Greenland discuss effective email marketing strategies for indie authors. They cover topics like choosing an email service, welcome emails, metrics to track, and engaging subscribers on a regular basis. The hosts aim to provide practical tips and best practices to help authors connect with readers and promote their books through email newsletters.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube
Holly Greenland is a self-published author, content writer and strategic communications consultant. She has worked in marketing and communications for nearly twenty years, including at the BBC, UK Parliament, and award-winning agency Social & Local. Holly is currently completing a Publishing PhD with Kingston University in London, investigating the factors that increase the likelihood of indie author success. Find out more about Holly's writing on her website or connect on LinkedIn.
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My guest this episode is Anna Sayburn Lane, who began her career as a journalist until she decided she had enough of writing content for other people and became a novelist. Anna's entry into indie publishing was rocky until, just recently, she decided to pivot and write to market. Now, her crime fiction is seeing fantastic sales as she works toward becoming a full-time novelist.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
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On this week’s Self-Publishing News, Dan Holloway dives into OpenAI's recent demo of GPT-4o, a new iteration of their ChatGPT technology. The demo showcased impressive real-time processing capabilities and emotional storytelling, hinting at a future where AI-narrated audiobooks might rival human voice actors. Dan also touches on the concerns raised by the UK Publishers Association regarding copyright protection in the face of rapid AI advancements and critiques Apple’s latest iPad Pro advert for its misguided metaphor on creativity.
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 a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
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In the latest episode of the Creating Better Books podcast, ALLi News and Podcast Producer Howard Lovy interviews Kevin Stillwell, indie publishing producer for Lantern Audio. They explore the evolving landscape of audiobook creation, examining the options indie authors have, the costs involved, and how technology is reshaping the industry. Kevin shares expert insights on the essential decisions authors must navigate in audiobook production.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
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On this month’s Campaigns Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors, ALLi Director Orna Ross and Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple discuss ALLi's ongoing campaigns, such as the Big Indie Author Data Drop and the Self-Pub 3 campaign, which focus on improving author incomes through business practices. They also explain how ALLi aims to increase accessibility and inclusivity in publishing through the Self-Publishing for All campaign.
Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?
If you’re an ALLi member, head over to the SelfPubConnect forum for support from our experienced community of indie authors, advisors, and team. Simply create an account (if you haven’t already) to request to join the forum and get going.
Non-members looking for more information can search our extensive archive of blog posts and podcast episodes packed with tips and advice at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Center.
And if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with Rock Paper Scissors; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with The Sense of Death; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
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In this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses a new proposal from OpenAI that introduces cooperative game theory to determine compensation for authors whose works help train AI. This innovative approach aims to calculate the specific contributions of individual creators to AI outputs and allocate earnings accordingly, similar to determining the mix of colors in a paint blend. Dan examines the potential of this system to fairly reward creators and its computational feasibility in revolutionizing how authors are compensated for their contributions to AI.
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 a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
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In this episode of the Publishing for Profit podcast stream, ALLI’s Australian ambassador and nonfiction adviser, Anna Featherstone, and Director Orna Ross, focus on adding value to your book without adding to costs. Learn tips and tools for lowering the costs of editing and marketing, in particular, without compromising on the quality or impact of your work.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.
Anna Featherstone is the Australian Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors, co-founder of Bold Authors, a judge of the Australian Business Book Awards, and a member of the Small Press Network (SPN) and Australian Society of Authors (ASA). She also enjoys writing and presenting workshops, and author talks on entrepreneurial writing and publishing.
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My guest this episode is Sarah Banham, an author who admits that she is so restless that she refuses to be pinned down to one genre. Her fiction and nonfiction work keep her excited about writing, and she also helps other authors find their own voices. It wasn't until she turned forty that she gained the confidence to do this on her own, and she has not stopped since.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.
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In this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explores the potential US ban on TikTok and its implications for Gen Z readers and authors who use BookTok for book marketing. Dan examines alternative platforms like Discord for author-reader connections, noting that they may not match TikTok's ability to foster new readers. This discussion is crucial given BookTok's substantial role in influencing book trends and revitalizing interest in physical books among younger readers.
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 a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.
And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
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In the latest installment of the AskALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss effective strategies for finding ARC (Advanced Review Copy) reviewers for manuscripts.
Other questions include:
Do I need a new ISBN if I change the cover? Do I need to use a different ISBN for each retailer when publishing on Kindle and other platforms? How can I create a legal disclaimer for a memoir written as fiction? Is it possible to retain rights to my characters and book world when negotiating with a traditional publisher What is the best way to get peer feedback on alternative cover designs for my upcoming book? How does barcode pricing work with short-term or permanent price changes?And more!
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 a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.
Now, go write and publish!
About the Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.
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