Self-Publishing with ALLi

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports on urgent updates in the Anthropic class action case, with a fast-approaching deadline for authors to register their works. He explains the eligibility rules, why U.S. Copyright Office registration matters, and how writers can take part. Dan also introduces a new competency tool from the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading to help publishing professionals assess and build their skills. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, 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. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

ALLi nonfiction adviser Anna Featherstone chats with Danica Favorite, community manager at PublishDrive, about the challenges indie authors face in global distribution. They discuss how writers can navigate multiple platforms, balance print, audio, and ebooks, and manage metadata. They also talk about new accessibility laws and when outside tools or services make sense—and when they may not. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, 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. Sponsors This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family. About the Host Anna Featherstone is ALLi’s nonfiction adviser and an author advocate and mentor. A judge of The Australian Business Book Awards and Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, she’s also the founder of Bold Authors and presents author marketing and self-publishing workshops for organizations, including Byron Writers Festival. Anna has authored books including how-to and memoirs and her book Look-It’s Your Book! about writing, publishing, marketing, and leveraging nonfiction is on the Australian Society of Authors recommended reading list. When she’s not being bookish, Anna’s into bees, beings, and the big issues of our time. About the Guest Danica Favorite is the community manager at PublishDrive, a global self-publishing platform supporting authors at every stage—from formatting and metadata optimization to wide distribution and sales analytics. A multi-published author herself, Danica brings a unique blend of hands-on publishing experience, marketing savvy, and a deep understanding of the author journey. She regularly speaks at conferences about AI, metadata, and business strategy for authors.

My guest this episode is Yvonne Vincent, who began her path to becoming a full-time author with a Facebook blog called Growing Old Disgracefully, writing humorous posts about everyday life. During lockdown, the Scottish author turned those posts into a book, which unexpectedly became a bestseller. That success led to more books, a loyal readership, and eventually the leap to writing full-time. Today, her work has been optioned for film and television, and she’s launched her own podcast. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X. About the Guest Scottish author Yvonne Vincent was encouraged to write by followers of her cheeky Facebook blog, Growing Old Disgracefully. Known for her Big Blue Jobbie books and Losers Club series, as well as her Hear Me Roar podcast, she lives in the northeast of England with one grumpy husband and two deranged Jack Russells. In 2022, just over two years into her writing career, she quit her job to follow her dream. Since then, Game of Trust, the eighth in the Losers Club series, has been longlisted for the 2025 Comedy Women in Print Prize, and the series has been optioned for film and television.

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports on a renewed wave of AI-generated fake books appearing on Amazon under real author names, prompting concerns about trust and transparency. He also covers the final closure of Boundless Books—formerly Unbound—leaving authors unpaid and in limbo, and raising familiar questions about communication breakdowns, sales reporting, and royalty transparency. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, 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. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

In this engaging conversation, Michael Pietrobon, the founder of Foglio, shares budget-friendly methods for enhancing eBooks with audio elements. He discusses the use of sound effects and leitmotifs to enrich storytelling, particularly for genres like children's and fantasy literature. Pietrobon also addresses the challenges of audio integration, effective recording practices, and sourcing royalty-free music. Additionally, he emphasizes the importance of maintaining compatibility across devices while strategically navigating eBook distribution. A must-listen for aspiring authors!

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss whether media liability insurance is worth the cost for memoir authors and explain how it differs from errors and omissions coverage. Other questions include: What printers offer special features like sprayed edges and foil for print books? How can authors effectively run a presale campaign from their own website? What should I do if Amazon terminates my KDP account? How do Genius Link and Books2Read compare for universal book links? Is it time to reevaluate Findaway Voices now that it’s part of Spotify? When do audiobooks become a worthwhile investment of time and money? And More! Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, 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. Sponsor The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Hosts Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com. Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.  

A recent bot attack on Shopify is wreaking havoc for indie authors, leading to unexpected fees and stirring community concern. The discussion shifts to new UK age verification laws and their potential impact on various genres. Legislative changes in the EU and the US also come under scrutiny, particularly regarding the enforcement of the AI Act and proposed pro-tech policies. These developments raise important questions about copyright protections and the future landscape of author rights in the ever-evolving publishing industry.

Discover why traditional Amazon book launches often flop in the current landscape. The discussion highlights how the platform's algorithms now favor ongoing reader engagement instead of short-lived sales spikes. Learn about the impact of AI on book recommendations and the necessity for authors to build genuine connections with their audience. Gain insights that can help indie authors adapt their marketing strategies for sustainable success in the digital realm.

My guest this episode is Cheryl Carpinello, a retired English teacher from Colorado who writes books based on Arthurian legend and ancient history to help reach reluctant young readers. She draws on more than 20 years of classroom experience and brings her stories to life through school visits and workshops. Cheryl is also part of an international author consortium that offers support and collaboration for indie writers. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X. About the Guest Cheryl Carpinello is a retired high school English teacher who writes stories rooted in Arthurian legend, ancient history, and mythology to help young readers—especially reluctant ones—connect with timeless values like courage, honor, and friendship. Her Feathers of the Phoenix series blends biblical themes with time travel, while her Grandma/Grandpa’s Tales support early reading skills for children as young as four. Cheryl also leads medieval-themed school workshops and poetry activities, and she enjoys connecting with readers at fairs and events. You can find Cheryl on her website, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, and X.

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explains a major development in the lawsuit against Anthropic, where a judge has allowed authors to proceed as a class in claims tied to piracy—potentially leading to significant damages, but only for those with timely registered U.S. copyrights. He also covers a Senate hearing questioning tech’s use of copyrighted works and a new Kindle Colorsoft model that reinforces Amazon’s continued interest in graphic novels. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, 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. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.