Member Self-Publishing Q&A w/ Joanna Penn & Orna Ross: September 2016

Ep#43: Orna Ross and Joanna Penn answer members' questions on writing, publishing and promoting books. Each month, Joanna and Orna answer Members' self-publishing questions during our regular Ask ALLi event.

We've also included a summary of the questions that were asked and answered this month.

• Q: I'm investing in editors for my first book, do I send to multiple editors one at a time?
• Q: What's the difference between trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks?
• Q: What are the different book cover design considerations when you're planning an ebook and print book launch?
• Q: Are Amazon getting rid of the Table of Contents in their books, and when I upload my book, what should I choose for the DRM (Digital Rights Management) setting?
• Q: I've been offered a contribution-based publishing contract – what are your thoughts on these types of agreements?
• Q: I'm trying to avoid losing money with my book launch, and am considering a Book Launch service to help me learn the process.
• Q: How to I go about finding an agent that will represent my subsidiary rights?
• Q: At what point does an author's social media following grow organically?
• Q: I have 1 book out / 10 books out. How should I adjust my marketing activity for these two different approaches?
• Q: Has ALLi got an insider contact at Amazon, like Andy for Ingram Spark?
• Q: Can you upload to KDP and make your book available to pre-order?
• Q: I used a free ISBN when I released via Createspace. Can I release via Ingram Spark with a different ISBN? And should I even bother with Ingram Spark?
• Q: What are the most important decisions an indie author has to make to transition from writing as a hobby to an authorpreneur?

Our weekly Self-Publishing Advice broadcast is brought to you by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. This Member Self-Publishing Q&A is one of four regular shows, which include a more advanced salon, a beginners' salon and a special guest highlight presentation from the Indie Author Fringe, ALLi's free online author conference.

Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, www.selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at www.allianceindependentauthors.org.

Now, go write and publish.

About your hosts

Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. Connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn

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 democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. Connect with Orna on Twitter @OrnaRoss