The Indy Author Podcast

M.K. Williams and Matty Dalrymple talk about LESSONS LEARNED AS AN AUTHOR PODCASTER AND YOUTUBER, including the importance of putting your own spin on your offering, bringing a mindset of plenty, leveraging a patronage model, starting out as if you have an audience of thousands, the importance of not planning for lightning in a bottle but also not undervaluing what you’ve achieved. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP175 Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple M.K. Williams had one simple goal: she needed more time to write her own books. After self-publishing two novels, she found herself spending more time answering questions from aspiring authors than working on her next manuscript. Out of necessity, Author Your Ambition was born. Since 2015 she has written and self-published her own collection of books and helped dozens of authors on their independent publishing journey through a series of videos, books, and courses.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Amy Woods of Content 10X about CHOOSING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM ... AND KNOWING WHEN TO CHANGE, including the theory behind content repurposing, understanding your goal for platform engagement, the importance on focusing where your audience is and having a platform-specific strategy, the emergence of LinkedIn as a social platform, and how we each have the ability to curate an enjoyable social media environment. This conversation was especially timely for me to help me through some decisions about my own social media focus in view of the thrash at Twitter. Stay tuned for my wrap-up at the end of the conversation for the decision I landed on. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out 2 MINUTES OF INDY https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy, where over the week following the airing of the episode, you'll find brief video clips from the interview on each of those topics. You can also catch up on some highlights of previous episodes there. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP174 Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Amy Woods is the CEO and Founder of Content 10x, the world’s first content repurposing agency. She helps businesses grow their audience by maximizing the return on the content they create. Amy is the host of The Content 10x Podcast and B2B Content Strategist, and she is the author of best-selling book Content 10x: More Content, Less Time, Maximum Results, the ultimate guide to reaching more people online with your content.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Daniel Willcocks about the importance of NOT STAKING EVERYTHING ON YOUR FIRST BOOK, including the importance of committing to the process, the dangers of perfectionism, heeding your internal compass to decide if your book is ready for readers, writing your heart book, taking it one step at a time your way, and doing what makes you happy. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out 2 MINUTES OF INDY https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy, where over the week following the airing of the episode, you'll find brief video clips from the interview on each of those topics. You can also catch up on some highlights of previous episodes there. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP173 Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Daniel Willcocks is an international bestselling author, award-winning podcaster, author coach, and speaker. Dan writes non-fiction for authors and creatives, as well as dark fiction for the twisted reader, spanning the genres of horror, post-apocalyptic, and sci-fi.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Robin Whitten of AudioFile Magazine about AN EXPERT PERSPECTIVE ON AUDIO, including the growing acceptance of audiobooks, the fact that audio sales don’t cannibalize other book sales, looking for a narrator’s connection to the story, considerations for narrating your own book, a reviewer’s perspective on AI-narrated audio, and different audio for different listeners. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out 2 MINUTES OF INDY https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy, where over the week following the airing of the episode, you'll find brief video clips from the interview on each of those topics. You can also catch up on some highlights of previous episodes there. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP172 Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Robin Whitten is Editor and Founder of AudioFile Magazine. She is passionate about audiobooks and the magic of the listening experience. She started AudioFile over 30 years ago, starting out as an avid listener. Her all-time favorite audiobook: THE GOLDEN COMPASS by Philip Pullman, read by a full cast.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Mark Leslie Lefebvre about OUTSIDE-THE-BOX CONTENT: THE STORY BEHIND "THE CANADIAN MOUNTED" and how (and why) he decided to write a book of trivia about the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles published behind a cover mimicking the book John Candy’s character is reading when he meets Steve Martin’s character in the airport waiting area. We discuss the care Mark took in re-creating the cover of the original, the importance of not underpricing your product, how to find and market to a target audience, the fact that perennial marketing results in perennial sales (an advantage indy authors have over traditionally published authors), and the importance of putting yourself in your book. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out 2 MINUTES OF INDY https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy, where over the week following the airing of the episode, you'll find brief video clips from the interview on each of those topics. You can also catch up on some highlights of previous episodes there. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP171 Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Mark Leslie Lefebvre is the author of more than twenty books that include fiction and thrillers, and paranormal non-fiction explorations. He has also edited numerous anthologies. With three decades of experience in bookselling and publishing, Mark is a seasoned and trusted book industry professional who embraces both traditional and indie publishing options.

Matty Dalrymple talks with M.K. Williams about CREATING A WINNING WORKBOOK, including why she chose to create a workbook, the importance of understanding your ideal reader’s needs, the vital role played by beta readers, hiring a design professional who specializes in workbooks, formatting options, and production costs. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out 2 MINUTES OF INDY https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy, where over the week following the airing of the episode, you'll find brief video clips from the interview on each of those topics. You can also catch up on some highlights of previous episodes there. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP170 Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple M.K. Williams had one simple goal: she needed more time to write her own books. After self-publishing two novels, she found herself spending more time answering questions from aspiring authors than working on her next manuscript. Out of necessity, Author Your Ambition was born. Since 2015 she has written and self-published her own collection of books and helped dozens of authors on their independent publishing journey through a series of videos, books, and courses.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Kristopher Zgorski about THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF WORKING WITH BOOK BLOGGERS, including things you can do to “get the coins on your side of the table,” such as following reviewers on social media and complying with blogger format and submission guidelines, and the fact that, despite your best efforts, you won’t always get a yes. We also discuss the value of reading your comp authors’ reviews, and Kristopher shares some tips if you’re thinking about becoming a blogger yourself. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out 2 MINUTES OF INDY https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy, where over the week following the airing of the episode, you'll find brief video clips from the interview on each of those topics. You can also catch up on some highlights of previous episodes there. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP169 Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Kristopher Zgorski is the founder and sole reviewer at the crime fiction book blog, BOLO Books. In 2018, he was awarded the Mystery Writers of America Raven Award for “outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative writing.” Kristopher writes a column on digital crime fiction resources for Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and his blog reviews are syndicated to his column in Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine. He has served on the board of directors for Malice Domestic, a crime fiction convention celebrating the traditional mystery. Kristopher is a member of Sisters in Crime and was the 2022 Fan Guest of Honor at Left Coast Crime.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Mary Adkins about HOW TO WRITE FROM TRAUMA WITHOUT RETRAUMATIZING YOURSELF, including choosing between memoir and fiction, having one driving theme in memoir, the emotional intensity and physical experience of returning to trauma, balancing the needs of the writer and the reader, and the healing power of writing. I want to let you know in advance that the trauma Mary discusses is having suffered multiple miscarriages in one year, so be aware if that might be a triggering topic for you. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out 2 MINUTES OF INDY https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy, where over the week following the airing of the episode, you'll find brief video clips from the interview on each of those topics. You can also catch up on some highlights of previous episodes there. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP168 Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Mary Adkins is a writing coach, podcast host, and founder of The Book Incubator, a 12-month program to write, revise, and pitch your novel or memoir. She is author of the novel WHEN YOU READ THIS, PRIVILEGE, and PALM BEACH, which was described by Associated Press as “like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable.” Her books have been published in 13 countries, and her essays and reporting have appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. A graduate of Yale Law School and Duke University, she helps aspiring authors finish their books with joy and clarity.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Clarissa Gosling about THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD HABITS AND HOW ACCOUNTABILITY GROUPS CAN HELP, including the importance of consistency, giving yourself time to rest, the challenge of measuring creative productivity, and the value both of finding what you’re comfortable with AND of changing up your approach. Matty got so inspired by the topic of good habits, she solicited input from previous podcast guests on: • What is a good habit that supports your creative work? • What is a bad habit that undermines your creative work? You’ll get to hear perspectives from Douglas Smith, Kelly Simmons, Lee Savino, J. W. Judge, Ran Walker, Julie Duffy, Michael La Ronn, Roland Denzel, Bruce Robert Coffin, Tiffany Yates Martin, John Gaspard, and Frank Zafiro. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out 2 MINUTES OF INDY https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy, where over the week following the airing of the episode, you'll find brief video clips from the interview on each of those topics. You can also catch up on some highlights of previous episodes there. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP167 Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Clarissa’s work explores purpose and belonging across worlds. Having never found an actual portal to faeryland, she creates her own fantastical worlds where dragons, fae and other magical creatures rule. She is an admin for the 365 Writing Challenge, an international group that supports people to build the habit of writing. And she is one of the co-hosts of the Reading Queens podcast, which discusses mainly young adult fantasy books and their major tropes. She lives in the Netherlands.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Jane Cleland about PLOTTING WITH AN UNRELIABLE NARRATOR, including examples of successfully drawn unreliable narrators and how they impact story structure; the importance of not relying on coincidence; the role of intentionality; the importance of enabling your reader to be empathetic toward the  narrator; the value of reading for what Jane calls TRDs: plot twists, plot reversals, and moments of heightened danger; and getting the reader to ask, “I should have seen that coming—but how could I?” Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out 2 MINUTES OF INDY https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy, where over the week following the airing of the episode, you'll find brief video clips from the interview on each of those topics. You can also catch up on some highlights of previous episodes there. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP166 Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Jane K. Cleland writes the multiple award-winning and bestselling Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries published by St. Martin’s Minotaur. Her short stories and novella are published by Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. She’s also written the bestselling and Agatha Award-winning how-to books, Mastering Plot Twists and Mastering Suspense, Structure & Plot. She is a Contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest Magazine and chairs the Wolfe Pack’s Black Orchid Novella Award. Jane has an MFA in professional and creative writing and an MBA in marketing and management. She is a lecturer at Lehman College and a frequent workshop facilitator and guest author at writing conferences and university programs.