Askalli: Self-publishing Advice Podcast

What can ALLi members do to prepare for Coronavirus? That's among the questions answered in this month's Members Q&A and Self-Publishing News Salon with Michael LaRonn in the co-presenter seat with Orna Ross, ALLi director, followed by Dan Holloway's news roundup. Other questions this month include: Where can I find ALLi's Watchdog list of service providers? How do I vet a service provider that may not be listed in the directory? Does ALLi offer discounts for various worldwide conferences? If I translate my book into a foreign language, who owns the copyright? What numbers matter the most to rights buyers when authors sell subsidiary rights? Also, News Editor Dan Holloway updates us on Audible Captions, IngramSpark's new terms, and Amazon's crackdown on Coronavirus scams. 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,

My guest this week is Urban Fantasy Author Holly Lyne, who discovered that indie publishing isn't just about writing books. She weaved an entire fantasy world for her readers to enjoy, and then began to give back to the indie community through podcasts and workshops. Indie publishing, to Holly, is all about freedom. Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other 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. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works wi

Are you using content marketing to promote your fiction and nonfiction books? If not, why not? In this week’s #AskALLi session, ALLi director Orna Ross (stepping in for Adam Croft) and blog and conference manager Sacha Black talk about how content marketing is a necessary skill all authors must develop. They drill down into how content marketing differs for fiction and nonfiction. And they introduce the new “#AskALLi Ultimate Guide” blog series and the #AskALLi Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing for Fiction You'll learn: What content marketing is How to use it effectively for both your fiction an nonfiction books What "content themes" are and how to use them to create your content marketing strategy and plans If you want to use content marketing to increase your book sales and grow your impact and influence, this salon's for you. Our fiction and nonfiction salon is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpubli

My guest this week is Canadian author Sandy Day, who took everybody's advice and tried to go the traditional publishing route with her novels. But she discovered the hard way that it just doesn't pay to listen to conventional wisdom. As soon as she self-published her books, she proved everybody wrong by selling thousands of copies. But it's been a long road for Sandy Day to get to self-publishing success. This is her story.  Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other 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. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 y

Do you want to take your nonfiction book to the next level? Are you keen to learn how digital tools are changing nonfiction publishing for authors? In this session Orna Ross and Joanna Penn focus on advanced nonfiction considerations for authors. Both believe that almost all writers, including poets and novelists, benefit from including non-fiction in their publishing mix. In this revealing podcast, these two leading indie authors share behind-the-books stories about their own creative successes and challenges in writing and publishing nonfiction. In this podcast, you'll learn: Why everyone should have nonfiction Structuring and wrangling the material How many books do you create to meet the need—one big one or lots of them? Standing out in the market: personal story and voice vs/ business publishing & AI The craft of nonfiction; literary nonfiction Multiple products—books, workbooks, audio, courses, live events Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark. Find more author adv

My guest this week is Christine Reynebeau, a children's author who used the experience she gained working in youth development to write books that teach lessons often missed by traditional books aimed at kids. Along the way, she went through some horrific experiences with vanity presses before she finally found the right formula for self-publishing success.  Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other 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. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of inde

This week’s AskALLi session with Orna Ross and Dalma Szentpály will show you how to work with a poetry editor and how to find the editing process that’s right for you. The editing process is as essential for poets as for all writers. So what kind of editor do you need as a poet? Does the usual trio of developmental editing, copyediting and proofing apply or is it different? How do you find a good poetry editor? How can one help you? Can a group of skilled poets take an editor’s place? Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing. 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://allianceindependentau

My guest this week is Sara Easterly, an adoptee who wrote a book, Searching for Mom, about her quest to find her birth mother. But, more than that, her book is a spiritual and emotional search that tries to come to terms with something experienced by many adoptees, a feeling of abandonment. Along the way, Sara learned many surprising things about her adopted mother, her birth mother, and herself. Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other 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. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last

Why Do I Need an Author Website? That's among the questions answered in this month's Members Q&A and Self-Publishing News Salon with Michael LaRonn in the co-presenter seat with Orna Ross, ALLi director, followed by Dan Holloway's news roundup. Other questions this month include: Is 99Designs worth it for designing your book cover? Amazon price matches print books, but do any of the other big retailers do price matching? Will IngramSpark promotion for ALLi members continue in 2020? Do I need a different ISBN for each format of my book?Where can I find ALLi's Watchdog list of service providers? How do I vet a service provider that may not be listed in the directory? Is it worth entering my book for the London Book Fair Showcase in 2020? Does ALLi offer discounts for various worldwide conferences? Also, News Editor Dan Holloway talks to Multimedia Manager Howard Lovy to update us on the Audible captions controversy, Digital Book World, and London Book Fair. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our S

My guest this week is Brenda Felber, an American author who just can't seem to sit still. In fact, she's making a career of not sitting still, visiting all 50 states to write middle-grade, paranormal fiction about each one. She originally did it to teach her grandchildren about their country, but along the way, other kids began to enjoy taking these journeys with her. Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other 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. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voic

If you’ve hung around ALLi long enough, you’ll know multiple streams of income are a core principle we follow. But what does it really mean? What do those streams look like? And how can you create those streams around both your fiction and nonfiction books? Join Sacha Black and Adam Croft as they discuss building a sustainable business with multiple streams of income around your books, no matter the genre you write. Our fiction and nonfiction salon is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink. 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. About the Hosts Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a seri

My guest this week is Chris Calder, a writer who discovered his voice later in life. In his 70s, in fact. He had been diagnosed with cancer and, during his treatment, decided that there really wasn't any more time to put off a writing career. So, he penned his first novel in the hospital. Now, at the age of 82, there have been four more and he shows no signs of slowing down.  Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other 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. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying

In this session Orna and Joanna go back to the source to talk about creativity: what it is, how to sustain and nurture it and the challenges of overcoming resistance, beating block and sustaining a creative life over the long term.  Sharing their own creative practices and process, and what they’ve learned over decades of writing and publishing, they explore creative approaches not just to writing, but to publishing and author business too. This podcast is for you if you want to know what it takes to make a life, and a living, in words. Defining “creative” and creative success  Applying creativity not just to writing but to publishing and business too: the “create-state” Filling the creative well - how we both do it  Trust in emergence - a seven stage process Making time to write and create vs business stuff: How not to burn out - Balance creative work, rest, play Contrast -- get off the internet and social media, get into nature, be sociable, get your body moving Cycles of creative life, like cycles in natu

My guest this week is English author Julie Carter. When she's not writing, you'll see her doing something called fell running, which is sort of what it sounds like. She runs through craggy hills, trying not to … fall. But when Julie does it, it's about more than running. It's about finding joy, sorting things out in her head, and dealing with chronic pain.  Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other 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. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of indep

Interested in writing and publishing love poetry? In advance of Valentine’s day, this week’s AskALLi session with Orna Ross and Dalma Szentpály will discuss How to Self-Publish Love Poetry. If you're an indie poet, or aspire to publish poetry books, this AskALLi salon is for you. You'll learn: Why love poetry is always popular and who is reading it in these digital days Latest trends in poetry publishing Genres in love poetry Publishing poetry tips Also: Indie Poetry Please! in which Dalma and Orna read some poetry submissions and Orna reads her poem “Love Hurts." Tune in for discussions on a different theme each month with a focus on developing prosperity for poets through community building and self-publishing. 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 

My guest this week is Jude Lennon, an English children's author who does so much more than write books. She is a traveling storyteller, going from school to school to instill in children a love for books, covering topics from pirates and astronauts to mindfulness and autism. She's the full package when it comes to indie publishing. She's not just selling books, but she's sharing her stories in unique ways. And, yes, Jude Lennon is related to that "other" Lennon from Liverpool. Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other 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. About the Host

This week it's the return of our Members Q&A and Self-Publishing News Salon with Michael LaRonn in the co-presenter seat with Orna Ross, ALLi director, followed by Dan Holloway's news roundup. Our questions this month include: Do I need a different copyright page for each country my book is published in? Where can I find information on starting my author business? How aggressive should I be in pursuing speaking events? Should I put the ALLi logo on my book cover? How can I get more exposure for my books and increase book sales? When is the best time to hire an illustrator? How do I avoid paying sales tax when selling my books at events? Also ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway joins Multimedia Manager Howard Lovy in an update on the latest news from the indie author-publishing world. They discuss Overdrive's new owners, good news in library downloads, and the trouble in Romance. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center: https://selfpublishingadvice.org, with a huge a

My guest this week is Thomas Lloyd Qualls, whose personal quest for meaning took him from a law career to becoming a self-described vagabond who backpacked throughout the world. Along the way, he gathered material for two books of dreamlike, transcendent fiction that echo his own spiritual search.  Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other 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. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and has spent the last six years amplifying the voices of independent publishers and authors. He works with authors as a bo

As audiobook sales continue to grow, so too do the platforms for sales and marketing. But how do you actually sell an audiobook? And how do you know what marketing opportunities are boom and what are bust? Join Sacha Black and Adam Croft as they discuss the different platforms for audiobook sales and the ever growing marketing opportunities for both your fiction and nonfiction audiobooks. Our fiction and nonfiction salon is brought to you by sponsor Izzard Ink. 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. About the Hosts Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition-winning author. She writes the popular YA Fantasy Eden East novels and a series of non-fiction books that

My guest this week is Brad Borkan, who wrote a book about failure. OK. Not exactly about failure, but about explorers, specifically polar explorers. They have a very distinct goal in mind. Reach the North Pole or the South Pole. Sometimes they make it, sometimes they fall short. And, through their successes and failures, we mortals who are not polar explorers can learn something about how to deal with adversity in our lives. Every week I interview a member of ALLi to talk about their writing and what inspires them, and why they are inspiring to other 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. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 30 y