Indie Writers Club

We discuss the the state of Trad vs Indie after a couple of comments from notable authors and commentators and come to an interesting conclusion!Also - it's possible Taylor Swift is secretly self-publishing poetry on Amazon KDP! We look at the evidence and implications...USEFUL LINKS:Get 15% of annual plans at our sponsor ProWritingAid by using code IWC15https://www.prowritingaid.comJoin our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support

Much has happened behind the scenes of the Facebook Ads Manager and so james is setting out a series of tests. spending money on various combinations of Adv+ and manual targeting to see what's working now.James also reveals the finalists for the 2025 Amazon Kindle Storyteller Award without giving away any judging secrets!USEFUL LINKS:Get 15% of annual plans at our sponsor ProWritingAid by using code IWC15 https://www.prowritingaid.comJoin our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support

Explore the transformative impact of AI on book discovery, and why authors need to adapt their strategies. Learn practical tips for crafting queries that resonate with AI readers and the importance of maintaining clean metadata. The discussion highlights how emotional searches will shape recommendations and why indie authors must ensure their books are listed in Google Books. Balancing writing and family life is also touched upon, along with the critical advantages of real-world visibility in an AI-driven landscape.

The era of keywords and Google searches is coming to an end. Searching through a longer form conversation with an AI is already taking over. That means we need to get our blurbs and book packages ready for the new era.James & Cara discuss the take-aways from NINC including Ricardo Fayet's talk on GEO.USEFUL LINKS:Ricardo's Blog: indiewritersclub.com/ricardoJoin our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support

In episode 55, James reports from the Floridian beach where he's attending the annual NINC conference. He and Cara also report some encouraging signs from their Facebook Ads campaigns.USEFUL LINKS:Join our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career. https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support 

Making the switch from hobbyist to full-time author is a dream for many. But it comes with its own challenges. From two of us who have become full time self-employed, we go through some of the pitfalls and areas to think about.USEFUL LINKS:Self Publishing Launchpad is open for enrolment:https://www.learnselfpublishing.com/launchpadJoin our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support

It's part 2 of our discussion about generating income from audio versions of your books. We talk about the AI options among other things, and James has a mini rant about the opposition many authors still face, because they use the latest technology which is available to all.USEFUL LINKS:  ElevenLabs: https://www.indiewritersclub.com/elevenlabsJoin our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career. https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support

We take a two episode dive into audio books. In the first part we discuss the options facing indies, such as wide or exclusive, self produce or collaborate etc.USEFUL LINKS: Join our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career. https://www.indiewritersclub.com/supportSelf Publishing Launchpad Waitlist:https://www.learnselfpublishing.com/launchpad

Discover the art of plotting your next novel with insightful tips! Learn to identify central conflicts and develop character arcs that keep readers invested. Explore pacing and structure for a gripping narrative. Understand the importance of causality and coherence in storytelling, avoiding coincidences. Plus, hear about the innovative 'Novel November' initiative designed to kickstart your writing momentum. Embrace diverse plotting techniques and find the perfect creative space to unleash your literary potential!

Episode 50 is a good time to take stock of the industry and discuss the latest developments that can affect our indie world.Useful links:LSP Launchpad Course waitlist:https://www.learnselfpublishing.com/launchpadGet your ticket for SPS Live:https://www.learnselfpublishing.com/spsliveJoin our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support