Askalli: Self-publishing Advice Podcast

Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out. Topics discussed this week include: Publishing a series/catalog of books to become successful; The different kinds of backend businesses authors can have behind the book (coaching/ online courses/ affiliate products); Why it's not a good idea to leave your day job till you become successful; How to calculate the number of books to sell before you break even; How to check how well a book is doing using its Amazon sales rank. 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 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://allianceinde

In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss how to refocus your author business. Topics discussed this week include ALLi is pulling together a video and document explaining facts and myths about working with Amazon. Orna is engaged in a great experiment to treat her poetry as she would any work of fiction or nonfiction. Joanna is reading "time slip fiction" and writing a book based on Ezekiel's Valley of the Dry Bones." It's important, as creative entrepreneurs, to map out your time in advance. The challenges of becoming a screenwriter. Ask yourself what you want to be known as. What do you want them to say about you at your funeral? What are the tasks you should outsource? If you build your assets over time, success is inevitable. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-pub

Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly IndieVoices' self-publishing salon with interviews conducted by ALLi Managing Editor Howard Lovy and updates from News Editor Dan Holloway. This Month's IndieVoices Rachel Thompson is an author and book marketing expert. Her series of books, Broken Pieces and Broken Places, about coming to terms with sexual abuse she suffered as a child, has inspired many other survivors to come out of hiding and seek help. In this episode, Rachel talks about the abuse, but also how writing the books and helping others brought healing after almost a lifetime of guilt and trauma. Her books and online forums have been an inspiration to many other trauma survivors. Also, Dan Holloway discusses the news. Amazon replacing libraries? Also, trouble on Prime Day.    Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge archive of ne

Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out. Topics discussed this week include: Financial risks of self-publishing What about bookstore distribution? But don't you get advances with traditional publishers? Do you get the best of both worlds with hybrid publishing? Amazon imprints look for self-published authors 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 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. Now, go write and publish! About the Hosts Jyotsna Ramachandran is the founder of Happy Self Publishing and author of the international bes

Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank. Questions this month include When it comes to CreateSpace, can I use my personal name or the name of my business instead? When it comes to including blurbs from other authors on book covers, should I use “Bestselling author of” or “author of?” How do I start landing speaking engagements? What are some tools I can use to give away my book? 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 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://alliancein

In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss publishing in different genres. Topics discussed this week include Orna talks about the "waves of concern" over Amazon reviews, rank stripping, and book stuffing. ALLi is having private and public meetings with Amazon officials to get to the bottom of the issues. Update on Joanna Penn's many projects, including ebook, print book, audiobook, workbook, and multimedia course … all at the same time. And she is 7,000 words into her next thriller. Orna launches a Patreon page for her poetry and is writing a book on how to write Haiku News update on Donadio & Olson literary agency embezzlement, bringing up the question: Do you really need an agent? Do authors need to pay attention to the business side? What's going on with Amazon reviews? Putting it in perspective, most ALLi members are very happy with Amazon's review system. Joanna and Orna describe the multiple genres in which they write.

Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly IndieVoices' self-publishing salon with interviews conducted by ALLi Managing Editor Howard Lovy and updates from News Editor Dan Holloway. This Month's IndieVoices If you think your kids aren't reading books like you did when you were young, they may just be doing something more important: Reinventing the way books are written and read. It's collaborative, it's a need for instant reaction from friends, and, if you haven't already guessed it, it's Wattpad: A reading and writing and social network service that has your kids' attention, and increasingly, adult writers, too, along with major studios like Netlfix and Hulu, which are adapting Wattpad stories. Today, I'll feature an interview and a reading by Wattpad user Jandra Sutton, a special interview with Ashleigh Gardner, deputy general manager of Wattpad Studios, and of course an update on the indie publishing world with our news edi

This seminar from author AG Billig is from our Self-Publishing Advice Conference.  Literary history abounds in authors who wrote books that stood the test of time. Nowadays, some successful authors launch book after book after book, and never seem to be out of ideas or inspiration. What do they have in common? They are authentic, go beyond the limits of their mind, and don’t question their worth as writers, and their success. They follow their inner compass, enjoy the process of writing, and are happy to offer their gift to the world. If they can do it, you can do it. In this session, you will learn all about their tricks. You will be given practical tools and exercises that will help you to keep your creative juice flowing so that you never have to face writer’s block again. Overcome self-imposed limitations and beliefs regarding your success as a writer, Learn how to use your five senses (and the sixth one, too) to find inspiration on the spot, Enjoy the process of writing (even when it feels lonely). Find

Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out. Topics discussed this week include: Introducing new co-host Tim Lewis, author of six books and the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast Do you need an editor at all? (Yes. 99.5 percent of all writers do!) Everybody makes mistakes There are different levels of editing, from developmental editing to copy editing and proofreading. Should you go through all the phases of editing? Each has its own purpose. Do beta readers cut down on editing costs? Most 1-Star Amazon reviews are due to typos and grammatical mistakes. If you don't have the money for an editor, try bartering. Does the author have to accept all editors' changes? What editing services are available? A checklist of things to look for in an editor. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https:/

Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank. Questions this month include What is the best way to format bibliography/works cited at the end of my book so that it looks good in ebook and paperback? What is the best way to build a team of publishing professionals around me? Does Alli recommend PublishDrive? (Yes!) Is it possible to distribute a 4x6 book on CreateSpace? How do I go about getting permission to use a song lyric from a famous artist? If you publish books wide, what is the best way to build a readership on smaller platforms that don't offer advertising services? What is the easiest way to build an author website? Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with

In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss how to assemble a team of professionals. Topics discussed this week include News update from Orna Ross: Drowning in GDPR, but all ALLi sites are updated and there's a downloadable guide for members. Orna is also setting up for Self-Publishing 3.0, launching a Patreon for poetry, and is finishing up a script. Joanna publishes How To Write Non-Fiction: Turn Your Knowledge Into Words, along with workbook, large-print editions, multimedia course, and audiobook. The difference between trademark and trademark. Has Amazon really banned ARC reviews? No, but there is a communication problem. Is traditional publishing shaking in their boots? When is an author ready to build a team of professionals? What are the different kinds of professionals you need to hire? Be prepared to cut your losses if one of the professionals isn't working out. What should you outsource and what should you do yourself?

In this seminar from our Self-Publishing Advice Conference in London this year, author and publisher Jane Friedman discusses "funding your writing career." Jane talks about scholarships and grants for writers and how to get organizations and patrons to support your projects. This Month's Highlights There are four different approaches to funding your writing. You don't get any money unless you ask. Grants and other "free money." Prove that you can be trusted by producing work. Get your work out there. Have a vision for what you want to do with your writing. What are the common types of grants? How to increase your chances of getting a grant. Identify a specific project. Calculate a realistic goal for crowdfunding. Crowdfunding by the numbers Creating a pitch video Rewards should be affordable and easy to fulfill Donations PayPal and TinyCoffee Recurring donations, such as Petreon. Sponsor-Patron Pay your taxes! Take a look at Jane Friedman's book, The Business of Being a Writer. Find more author advice, tips

Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly IndieVoices' self-publishing salon with interviews conducted by ALLi Managing Editor Howard Lovy and updates from News Editor Dan Holloway. This Month's IndieVoices Claire Baldry of East Sussex, UK, is 63 years old and recently launched a website and Facebook group focused on older readers. It's been increasingly popular as older people look for books that reflect their own experiences. Maggie Christensen, an Australian writer by way of Scotland, Oregon, and California, just wouldn't accept the notion that nobody wants to read about the lives of older people. Dan Holloway updates us on the news, including net neutrality, and the birthdays of Smashwords and Patreon. Dan promises poetry skydiving for June. We'll hold him to that. About the Hosts Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last five years amplifying the voices of independent publishers an

Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank. Questions this month include If I publish a 2nd edition of my book, do I need to register the copyright again? How should I set up my publishing company (sole trader/proprietor, LLC/Limited, etc) Will my ISBNs transfer to my new company if I previously published as a sole proprietor/trader? What do I do if I get a "quality notice" from Amazon alleging that my book has too many errors? Help! If I contract a cover designer to do my cover, am I limited to how many books I can sell before having to pay them again? What is the best way to distribute ARCs to readers? What universal book linking site do you recommend to send readers to their local Amazon site instead of using Amazon.com or .co.uk links every

Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out. Topics discussed this week include: Iain is on a "career high," selling more books than in the past years, mainly due to Facebook advertising. For nonfiction, Jyotsna recommends writing something related to your profession as your very first book. Above all, though, be clear about the reason you're writing the book. For fiction, Iain says the first book should be your passion project.  Work on your craft. Not even Stephen King was born to be Stephen King. He worked hard at it. You can aspire to make a good living writing books. Odds are, you won't win the lottery like Stephen King or JK Rowling, but it's possible to earn a living. Jyotsna describes her process from idea to book. Iain talks about the discipline of writing a book. Iain recommends Scrivener as an ideal program for book writin

In this month's Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss self-publishing 3.0. Topics discussed this week include Update from Orna on London Book Fair and associated live events. LBF is among the most author-friendly book fairs. ALLi launched its new member magazine called The Indie Author, which will be released quarterly. ALLi launched white paper on Blockchain for Books, to start the conversation about the future of indie publishing. Joanna posted a massive roundup of her time at LBF on https://www.thecreativepenn.com/ Replays of live LBF events can be found at http://selfpublishingadviceconference... Orna planning a number of self-published book projects. Amazon released Great on Kindle program, with features that include a 50 percent royalty plan. Joanna wonders why they can't do it more and isn't crazy about the branding. Orna outlines Self-Publishing 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0. Going through giant "siren servers" like Amazon prevents authors fro

Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice broadcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly IndieVoices' self-publishing salon with interviews conducted by ALLi Managing Editor Howard Lovy and updates from News Editor Dan Holloway. This Month's IndieVoices A brief tour of a cryptocurrency mining operation, and its owner's mission to fix the Internet through a better-connected, decentralized world, one where transactions will be secure. It will be just about every industry, including publishing, that will be built atop the blockchain A commentary by Howard on the problems with giant middlemen like Google or Amazon coming between author and reader An interview with ALLi Director and Founder Orna Ross on Self-Publishing 3.0 and how authors can learn about it now. An interview with ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway who has some advice on how authors can be vigilant against corporate control over blockchain. Dan updates us on the news, including banditry at Amazon, the London Book Fa

Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where ALLi Members’ have their most pressing self-publishing questions analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank. Questions this month include: Should I attempt to query a book reviewer even if I know they won't accept me? How do I find an audience for a how-to parenting book? Is Babelcube a good service for authors looking to translate their works into foreign languages? Quick update on Kindle Scout (it is no longer accepting new submissions) Is it advisable to use an agent for foreign rights sales? What are the benefits of Smashwords Interviews? If you have a title up for pre-order do you see pre-orders in your dashboard, or do you only get to see them as sales when the book goes live? Is it possible to have a separate author page for each pen name you have? Should I use a female pen name for romance? How much p

Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out. Topics discussed this week include: The 90-day hot new release window and how to manipulate it with a staggered launch effort over several days. Using ads and mailing list along with Bookbub-type services to boost launches. How to assemble a street team as a new or established author. Pricing strategies About the Hosts Jyotsna Ramachandran is the founder of Happy Self Publishing and author of the international bestseller Job Escape Plan. Iain Rob Wright has written over a dozen novels. He’s an active member of the Horror Writers Association and has also written a free self-publishing course for authors.