
The Indy Author Podcast
Matty Dalrymple (DAL-rim-ple) podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including CLOSE THESE EYES. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
Latest episodes

Oct 11, 2022 • 37min
The Benefits (and Costs) of Membership with Roland Denzel - #155
I talk with Roland Denzel about THE BENEFITS (AND COSTS) OF MEMBERSHIP in writer’s groups, including the importance of understanding your goals; factoring in opportunity costs and assessing if and how each opportunity gets you closer to those goals; finding your “medium point” group; the option of creating your own group; the downside of a wealth of resources; and giving yourself permission to let it go. 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. Transcript and show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP155 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 Roland Denzel is a health and fitness author of over 10 books, and a printing and publishing specialist with over 30 years in the industry. Roland helps authors, small businesses, and even giant corporations put their messages out into the world via books, email, and digital publishing. In 2015 Roland created IndestructibleAuthor.com to help authors just like himself be more productive and write more books, all while staying healthy, happy, and sane. Roland grew up in Southern California, but now lives in Colorado, where he's experiencing seasons for the first time in his life.

Oct 4, 2022 • 51min
From Screenplay to Novel and Back with Tammy Gross - #154
I talk with Tammy Gross about going FROM SCREENPLAY TO NOVEL AND BACK, including the benefits of the screenplay format; not aiming for perfection; capitalizing on contest submissions; the virtuous cycle between screenplay and novel; and how you can start with a screenplay and expand to a novel (and vice versa). 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. Transcript and show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP154 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 Since 2008, Tammy Gross, the Scriptpreneur, has been editing & doctoring screenplays for writers of all skill levels. With Tammy's help, Shia LaBeouf's autobiographical script was transformed into the compelling story that is now the award-winning film, HONEY BOY. Her own screenplay-turned-novel became a bestseller through her Reel Novels imprint, and it is slated for late 2022 film production by an A-List TV producer.

Sep 27, 2022 • 48min
The Importance of a Professional Photo and Video Presence with Wade Walton - #153
Wade Walton discusses THE IMPORTANCE OF A PROFESSIONAL PHOTO AND VIDEO PRESENCE. He talks about matching your background to your message; being aware of your video persona; telling a story with your headshot; letting your personality shine through; the costs and benefits of hiring a pro, and ways to make it affordable; and how often to update your headshot. 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. Transcript and show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP153 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 Wade Walton is grateful to spend his life working in creative spaces (and not starving while doing so). As a video, film, and multi-media Executive Producer and Director for various national television and global companies, Wade has written, produced, and delivered over 10,000 productions that have reached tens of millions of viewers. Wade’s love of the outdoors informs all of his creative work, and particularly his photography, which has appeared in galleries around southeast Pennsylvania, as well as in his photography book, “Sunshine and Shadow.”

Sep 20, 2022 • 44min
The Three Stages of Story with Tiffany Yates Martin - #152
Tiffany Yates Martin talks about THE THREE STAGES OF STORY: drafting, editing, and revising. We discuss how the first draft is base camp on our trip to the summit of a finished manuscript; the fact that our writing is a commodity; different editing processes; how we hone our craft; combating dejection with realistic expectations; and the fact that writing is not an assembly line. 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. Transcript and show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP152 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 Tiffany Yates Martin has spent nearly thirty years as an editor in the publishing industry, working with major publishers and New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling, award-winning authors as well as newer writers. She is the author of the Amazon bestseller INTUITIVE EDITING: A CREATIVE AND PRACTICAL GUIDE TO REVISING YOUR WRITING. She's led workshops and seminars for conferences and writers' groups across the country and is a frequent contributor to writers' sites and publications. Under the pen name Phoebe Fox, she's the author of the Breakup Doctor series, including the most recent release, THE WAY WE WEREN’T.

Sep 13, 2022 • 36min
Setting Your Creative Horizons with Patricia McLinn - #151
Patricia McLinn talks about SETTING YOUR CREATIVE HORIZONS. She discusses how those horizons differ between traditional and indy publishing; the importance of keeping your eye on the goal and of listening to the voice in your head; protecting the writing; the danger of searching out the secret; and going with your gut. 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. Transcript and show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP151 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 Patricia McLinn is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of nearly 60 novels cited by readers and reviewers for wit and vivid characterization. Her books include mysteries, romantic suspense, contemporary romance, historical romance, and women’s fiction. She has spoken about writing from London to Melbourne, Australia, to Washington, D.C., including being a guest speaker at the Smithsonian. McLinn spent more than 20 years as an editor at The Washington Post after stints as a sports writer and assistant sports editor. She received BA and MSJ degrees from Northwestern University. She lives in Kentucky.

Sep 6, 2022 • 49min
Hands-off Merchandising for Authors with Melissa Addey - #150
Melissa Addey talks about HANDS-OFF MERCHANDISING FOR AUTHORS. She discusses the difference between merchandise and products; reaching people who haven’t read our books; choosing a platform for your merchandise; the jam stall experiment; how to gain visibility for your products; and how customer data trumps sales. 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. Transcript and show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP150 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 Melissa Addey writes historical fiction, has independently published 15 books, and runs workshops on writing and independent publishing. She has a PhD in Creative Writing, won the 2019 Novel London award, and her books have been selected for Editor’s Choice by the Historical Novel Society as well as featured by BBC Radio and the Evening Standard. She was the 2016 Leverhulme Trust Writer in Residence at the British Library and now runs monthly workshops there. Before she became an author, she spent 15 years in business, developing new products and packaging for a major supermarket and then mentoring over 500 entrepreneurs for a government innovation program.

Aug 30, 2022 • 44min
Using Vulnerability to Feed your Creativity with Annmarie Kelly-Harbaugh - #149
Annmarie Kelly-Harbaugh talks about USING VULNERABILITY TO FEED YOUR CREATIVITY. She discusses writing as a source of healing; reading reviews and acting on reader input; dealing with the doubt spiral; making vulnerability and fear work for you; tapping into a growth mindset; and how to tell yourself “yes.” 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. Transcript and show notes at https://www.theindyauthor.com/podcast.html 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 Annmarie Kelly-Harbaugh is the author of HERE BE DRAGONS, a memoir about the sweet and wonderful misery of raising children with someone you love. She also hosts WILD PRECIOUS LIFE, a literary podcast about making the most of the time we have. Annmarie lives in Cleveland, Ohio with a marshmallow dog named Higgins.

Aug 23, 2022 • 54min
Making the Most of In-person Events with Michael La Ronn - #148
Michael La Ronn of Author Level Up discusses MAKING THE MOST OF IN-PERSON EVENTS. He talks about making the time investment worth it (and doing the math); managing your energy; ways to build connections; using an in-person event as a lead-in to other engagements; and the fact that professionalism is everything. 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. Transcript and show notes at https://www.theindyauthor.com/podcast.html 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 Michael La Ronn is the author of over forty science fiction & fantasy novels and self-help books for writers. He also runs the popular YouTube channel Author Level Up, where he publishes weekly advice videos for writers. Michael also serves on the staff of the Alliance of Independent Authors as a US Ambassador, and he co-hosts the AskAlli Member Q&A Podcast where he answers new writers’ most burning questions about self-publishing.

Aug 16, 2022 • 44min
Writing for Audio with Kelly Simmons - #147
Kelly Simmons discusses WRITING FOR AUDIO. She talks about considerations for episodic content; defining goals for an audio project and measuring results against those goals; whether authors should narrate their own work; the physical and emotional costs of recording; and the fact that you don’t need to be a sound engineer to produce great audio content. 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. Transcript and show notes at https://www.theindyauthor.com/podcast.html 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 Kelly Simmons is a former journalist, an advertising creative director, and the author of the novels Standing Still, The Bird House, One More Day, The Fifth of July, Where She Went, and Not My Boy. She teaches in the Drexel University MFA program, and is a member of Women Fiction Writers Association, Tall Poppy Writers, and The Liars Club, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping fledgling novelists. Additionally, she co-helms the weekly writers podcast “Liars Club Oddcast.” And she was born the same day as Dorothy Parker. Coincidence? She thinks not.

Aug 9, 2022 • 39min
Managing Writing with a Full-time Career with J.W. Judge - #146
J.W. Judge discusses MANAGING WRITING WITH A FULL-TIME CAREER. He talks about marketing for fiction versus non-fiction; creating the circumstances that will enable you to encounter your readers; the importance of not waiting for the time, but making it, and the discipline needed to do this; using a podcast to create a community; and giving yourself time to be bored. 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. Transcript and show notes at https://www.theindyauthor.com/podcast.html 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 J.W. Judge is a lawyer by day and a novelist in the early morning hours before the sun wakes all the other creatures. His writing is fueled by vivid dreams and an overactive imagination. He is the author of the dark fantasy trilogy “The Zauberi Chronicles.” His most recent book is “Write Your Novel One Day at a Time: How to Write a Novel While Having a Career, a Family, and a Life.”