
Self Publishing Insiders
Brought to you from the indie author experts at Draft2Digital! Each week, Self Publishing Insiders features an interview with a new guest, covering self-publishing topics from writing and craft to marketing and promoting your books, and anything that can help you build and grow your author career.
Learn about new tools, new software, new markets—and of course, all the inside information that D2D can provide!
This show features interviews taken from our live D2D Spotlight, available on YouTube and Facebook. Join us, and get your questions answered during the live broadcast, when you visit D2DLive.com!
Latest episodes

Jun 5, 2025 • 52min
Why Nutrition Matters for Authors
You might know Roland Denzel as a health coach, nutritionist, and restorative exercise specialist, but the truth is Roland has always been, at heart, an author first. Roland created The Indestructible Author in to help authors just like you be more productive and write more books, all while staying healthy, happy, and sane. Today, he joins us to talk about how nutrition can give authors an edge, break through blocks, and write more words.//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime. We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan. • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

May 29, 2025 • 49min
The Importance of Writing with Themes
Robert J. Sawyer, lovingly dubbed Canada's Dean of Science Fiction by the Ottawa Citizen, joins us to talk about how the sci fi industry has changed over the years, and how to use themes to craft a story readers will connect with.//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime. We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan. • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

May 22, 2025 • 47min
Book Bibles & Story Structure with Storysnap
Cameron Sutter is a sci-fi/fantasy author and the inventor of Plottr – the popular visual story planning software. Many authors have used Plottr to outline and flesh out their book creation process. Now, Cameron joins us to talk about Storysnap, a tool he designed to help authors create story bibles and streamline their creative process. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime. We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan. • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

May 15, 2025 • 48min
Curating Your Community of Superfans
Rachel Rener isn't just a writer of modern romantasy books featuring powerful-yet-flawed heroines, unforgettable magic systems, and smoldering romance. She also finds the time to voice Tana the tiefling on the DnD podcast, Of Dice and Friends, or building community with fantasy lovers like herself. Join us as Mark chats with Rachel about finding your superfans and creating a community as an author and creator.//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime. We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan. • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

May 8, 2025 • 56min
Ask Draft2Digital Anything (April 2025)
The D2D Team is back to answer viewer questions, so tune in to hear the questions on the minds of your fellow authors hosted by Jim and Mark, who always have the answers! //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime. We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan. • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

9 snips
May 1, 2025 • 49min
Virtual Author Assistants with Kevin Tumlinson
Kevin Tumlinson, an accomplished author and public speaker, discusses his work at Author Anchor, which helps authors utilize virtual assistants to boost productivity. He shares insights on the diverse skills VAs offer, such as managing social media and marketing campaigns, while highlighting the effective cost structures and cultural compatibility of hiring assistants from the Philippines. Tumlinson also addresses the challenges authors face in PR and emphasizes the community's role in the indie publishing landscape, encouraging listeners to connect and thrive.

Apr 24, 2025 • 57min
The Intersection of Craft & Commerce
Russell Nohelty is a USA Today bestselling fantasy and non-fiction author, publisher of Wannabe Press, co-host of the Kickstart Your Book Sales & Six Figure Author Experiment podcasts, and cofounder of the Writer MBA conference & The Future of Publishing Mastermind. He also co-created the Author Ecosystem archetype, a system he co-created to help authors embrace their natural tendencies to find success.Russell Nohelty joins us to talk about where craft & commerce meet in your author career and how to find both creative and commercial fulfillment with your writing.//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime. We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan. • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

Apr 17, 2025 • 52min
Making the Most of Reader Events
Tawdra Kandle is a USA Today bestselling romance author who loves to plan and run conferences when she's not spinning love stories! Tawdra is joining us to share her insights from her latest column, Smart Marketing for Savvy Authors, where she talks about making the most of your opportunities at events and conferences. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime. We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan. • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

7 snips
Apr 10, 2025 • 54min
Three Years of Smashwords and Draft2Digital
Kris Austin, CEO of Draft2Digital, and Mark Coker, former CEO of Smashwords, dive into the merger that transformed indie publishing. They explore lessons learned over three years and share future goals that empower authors. The discussion highlights exciting new features like pre-orders and thematic sales at the Smashwords store. They also talk about simplifying royalty splits for collaborative authors and their plans to integrate print books, enhancing the indie author experience while supporting local bookstores.

10 snips
Apr 3, 2025 • 56min
Aristotle for Novelists
Douglas Vigliotti, an author of four books and host of 'Books for Men,' shares insights from his book 'Aristotle for Novelists.' He discusses how Aristotle's timeless storytelling principles can enhance modern novel writing. Discover how character flaws shape narratives, the delicate balance between structure and creativity, and the significance of causality in storytelling. Vigliotti introduces a unique 15th principle highlighting the emotional challenges of publishing, emphasizing the need to conquer fear on the self-publishing journey.