Self-Publishing with ALLi

Join author A. G. Billig in this Self-Publishing Advice Conference Highlight: How to Boost Your Book Sales Using Traditional Media and P.R. Traditional media and PR are two of the most valuable tools in your book-marketing arsenal. When used wisely, they can boost your visibility, sales, and number of loyal and get you on the bestseller lists. In this presentation, you will find out the secrets that PR pros use to get their clients from starving to stardom. You will also learn what you need to do to implement a successful PR campaign and leverage the power of traditional media. At the end of this session, you will have the necessary abilities to build your media tribe, forge long-lasting relationships with journalists, get traditional media exposure, scale your traditional media appearances, and maximize the results of your PR campaigns. 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.

My guest this week is Sonja Dewing, an author of adventure tales who enjoys living on the wild side while she writes about it, whether it's touring the Amazon or mixing it up in the roller derby. Sonja decided to quit her job a few years ago to focus on her writing, travel, and helping other authors, and has not regretted the decision for one second. 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 book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Want to build an engaged mailing list of fans who look forward to receiving your mails? That's what this week's AskALLi Fiction & Nonfiction Podcast with Sacha Black and Orna Ross is all about: How to manage your mailing list to build an engaged readership. Learn: Why you need a mailing list How to capture your readers from the start with a welcome sequence What's the best kind of content for you and your list When you should mail your list and how often If you want to build fans and grow a thriving reader group through effective use of your mailing list, this podcast'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://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 are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum. 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. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com

My guest this week is speculative fiction author Cody Sisco. Cody has divided his indie publishing work into two parts. His series of books that straddles the divide between plausible and extraordinary, and his work on behalf of other indie authors in his hometown of Los Angeles. Taken together, Cody lives and breathes the indie publishing spirit. 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 book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.

What if a Hybrid Publisher Wants to Charge me a Ton of Money That's among the questions answered in this month's Members Q&A and Self-Publishing News Salon with Michael LaRonn and Sacha Black (filling in for Orna Ross), followed by Dan Holloway's news roundup. Other questions this month include: What rights do I have for a short story and what are all the different things I can do with it? How long should my book chapters be? Which service is best for paperback publishing? How can I make sure my book doesn't get flagged for quality or copyright reasons by KDP? Also, News Editor Dan Holloway updates us on the Internet Archive's controversial National Emergency Library, audiobook sales in the lockdown era, and the #booksareessential campaign. 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. Now, go write and publish! About the Hosts Michael La Ronn is the author of over 30 books of science fiction & fantasy and authors self-help books. His books include the Galaxy Mavericks series and Modern Necromancy series. You can now find his new writing course on Teachable. 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 are designed to help writers develop their craft. Sacha has been a long-time resident writing coach for website Writers Helping Writers. She is also a developmental editor, wife and mum. Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines Earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

For this special edition of Inspirational Indie Authors, I'm going to do something a little different. I've asked the other AskALLi podcasters, and a few previous guests, to talk to us about how they're coping during the COVID-19 crisis, how they are staying connected with other writers and with their readers, and to contribute some inspirational words on how to continue to write under this kind of stress. 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 book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.

In the last few weeks, much has changed as COVID-19 sweeps the world, impacting lives and the economy. In this special episode, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss how indie authors can stay physically and mentally well, and keep writing, publishing, and sensitively marketing books—as well as how to prepare for potentially challenging times ahead. Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://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 http://allianceindependentauthors.org. Now, go write and publish! About the 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. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com 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. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com

My guest this week is Clare Flynn, an historical novelist who recently won a Selfies Award for best adult fiction. Even before Clare became a full-time indie writer, she always had a spirit of rebellion inside her, from her wild college days to deciding to be her own boss in her career and her writing. Clare also travels extensively to get all the nuance of place before she embarks on a new writing adventure. 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 book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Join Robin Cutler, Orna Ross, Joanna Penn, and Sacha Black in this Self-Publishing Advice Conference Highlight: The Power of Indie Publishing. Over the last few years, there has been a seismic shift of writers choosing to self-publish rather than navigate a traditional publishing path. This is partly because authors have tools that are available to make publishing both affordable and profitable as never before. But more importantly authors are choosing indie publishing as a way to better realize their creative vision. In this session, learn why this shift is happening and how you can harness this power for your own work. 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.

My guest this week is Jules Horne, a Scottish author who understands that the best way to read a book may not be only through the eyes. With the rise in audiobooks and podcasts, we're returning back to the age of oral storytelling, and Jules is probing the borders between reading and listening, between the eyes and the ears. 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 book editor to prepare their work to be published. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.