The Indy Author Podcast

This week on The Indy Author Podcast, Kathy Meis talks about THE IMPORTANCE OF SPECIFICITY. She discusses the importance of having a goal for your content; how specificity narrows down your audience (and how specific keywords find specific audiences); how readers look for a familiar experience; the importance of acknowledging that your book is not for everyone; and how to connect with your target audience by building a relationship and by allowing them to sample your 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. For a transcript of this interview and links to more information, go to 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 Kathy Meis is the founder and CEO of Bublish, a complete one-stop publishing solution for today’s independent author. With more than 30 years of experience in the media and publishing industries, Kathy has served in a wide variety of editorial and management positions at some of the industry’s leading companies. She has worked as a television reporter for CBS, was a founding editor of Forbes MediaCritic, and was a founding partner of PubSmart, an author-centric publishing conference held in Charleston, South Carolina. Kathy speaks and blogs regularly about book promotion, author branding, social marketing, and discoverability. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

This week on The Indy Author Podcast, Michaelbrent Collings talks about HOW HORROR IS THE GENRE OF HOPE. He discusses how horror externalizes right and wrong, using genre as a marketing tool, respecting audience expectations, pushing boundaries appropriately, the final effect of the story, and how art creates community. 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. For a transcript of this interview and links to more information, go to 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 While he is best known for horror and was recently voted one of the top 100 Greatest All-Time Horror Writers in a Ranker poll of over 15,000 readers, Michaelbrent Collings has also written internationally-bestselling thriller, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, humor, young adult, and middle grade works, and romance. In addition to being a bestselling novelist, Michaelbrent is the only person who has ever been a finalist for a Bram Stoker Award, a Dragon Award, and a RONE Award, and he and his work have been reviewed and/or featured on everything from Publishers Weekly to "Scream Magazine" to NPR.

In this solo inbetweenisode of The Indy Author Podcast, I discuss CREATING AN AI-NARRATED AUDIOBOOK. I talk about Google Play's instructions for AI audio, tips for better AI narration, working around the AI-narration's quirks, selling beyond Google Play, and file names and ID3 tags. 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. For a transcript of this interview and links to more information, go to 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 Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She is the host of THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST and the author of THE INDY AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO PODCASTING FOR AUTHORS. She is also the co-author, along with Mark Leslie Lefebvre, of TAKING THE SHORT TACK: CREATING INCOME AND CONNECTING WITH READERS USING SHORT FICTION. Matty is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

In this week's episode of The Indy Author Podcast, Jessie Kwak talks about the process of going FROM BIG IDEA TO BOOK. She discusses the importance enjoying the process, letting your mind be still, of “working the word mines,” balancing creativity and efficiency, and leaving yourself a breadcrumb trail. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out my YouTube playlist 2 MINUTES OF INDY https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy, where over the week following the airing of the episode, I’ll be posting brief video clips from the interview on each of those topics! You can also catch up on some highlights of previous episodes there. For a transcript of this interview and links to more information, go to https://www.theindyauthor.com/podcast.html  Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting my work at The Indy Author via Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor or Buy Me a Coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple  Jessie Kwak is the author of multiple science fiction series, a supernatural thriller, and productivity guides From Chaos to Creativity and From Big Idea to Book: Create a Writing Practice that Brings You Joy. When she’s not raving about her favorite books to her friends, she can be found sewing, mountain biking, or out exploring new worlds both at home and abroad. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and their house plant jungle. 

Jeff Elkins, the Dialogue Doctor, discusses THE COLOR WHEEL OF CHARACTERIZATION. He discusses the building blocks of character voice, getting past physical description, the musicality of character voice, letting modulation happen, bolstering scene tone with character voice, and creating the emotional journey. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out my new YouTube playlist 2 MINUTES OF INDY https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy, where over the week following the airing of the episode, I’ll be posting brief video clips from the interview on each of those topics! You can also catch up on some highlights of previous episodes there. For a transcript of this interview and links to more information, go to https://www.theindyauthor.com/podcast.html. Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting my work at The Indy Author via Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple). Jeff Elkins is a novelist, ghostwriter, and editor with more than 10 novels on the market. During the day, he leads the writing team for a company that simulates difficult conversations for professionals to practice. He also helps authors improve their dialogue to engage readers more fully through one-on-one consulting and through his podcast The Dialogue Doctor.

This week on The Indy Author Podcast, Dale L. Roberts of Self Publishing with Dale discusses OUTSOURCING YOUR CONTENT CREATION. He talks about trading money for time; crafting the idea; recency, consistency, and relevance; vetting ghostwriters; credit and responsibility; and considerations for content reuse. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out my new YouTube playlist 2 MINUTES OF INDY https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy, where over the week following the airing of the episode, I’ll be posting brief video clips from the interview on each of those topics! You can also catch up on some highlights of previous episodes there. For a transcript of this interview and links to more information, go to https://www.theindyauthor.com/podcast.html. Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting my work at The Indy Author via Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple). Dale L. Roberts is a fitness author, video content creator, and self-publishing advocate. Voted by Feedspot among the Top 100 websites and Top 50 YouTube channels devoted to self-publishing, Dale has cemented his position as the go-to authority in the indie author community. Anyone who meets Dale for the first time will discover his enthusiasm and passion for business and life. When Dale isn’t publishing books, creating videos, and networking with business professionals, he loves to travel with his wife Kelli and spend time playing with his cat Izzie. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Mike Kuczala discusses how a sedentary lifestyle restricts not only our health but also our creativity; how to introduce movement into our lives; how we can combat the mindset that a more movement-oriented lifestyle is something we’ll do tomorrow; and (something that I was relieved to hear) the fact that walking is enough. Mike also shares how movement helped him transform his life, from tackling challenges that might otherwise have seemed insurmountable to overcoming the grief of his father’s death. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out my new YouTube playlist, 2 Minutes of Indy (https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy), where you can find a brief video clip from the interview on each of those topics! For a transcript of this interview and links to more information, go to https://www.theindyauthor.com/podcast.html. Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting my work at The Indy Author via Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple). Mike Kuczala has delivered keynotes, given presentations, facilitated professional development, and taught graduate courses on 4 continents on his area of expertise: the importance of movement to health and creativity. He is the coauthor of THE KINESTHETIC CLASSROOM: TEACHING AND LEARNING THROUGH MOVEMENT, and the author of TRAINING IN MOTION: HOW TO USE MOVEMENT TO CREATE AN ENGAGING AND EFFECTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT and READY, SET, GO! THE KINESTHETIC CLASSROOM 2.0. His fourth book, THE PEAK PERFORMING TEACHER: 5 HABITS FOR SUCCESS, launched in February 2022. 

This week on The Indy Author Podcast, John Gaspard discusses LESSONS FROM FILMMAKING FOR THE INDY AUTHOR. He talks about Weighing the Financial Risk ... Taking Your Time and Getting Some Distance ... Assessing Your Audience's Reactions ... Assessing What You Really Need ... Fixing It Later ... and Building Out the Story. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out my YouTube playlist, 2 Minutes of Indy (https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy), where you can find a brief video clip from the interview on each of those topics! For a transcript of this interview and links to more information, go to https://www.theindyauthor.com/podcast.html. Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting my work at The Indy Author via Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple). John Gaspard is author of the Eli Marks mystery series as well as four other stand-alone novels, "The Greyhound of the Baskervilles,” “A Christmas Carl,” "The Sword & Mr. Stone," and "The Ripperologists." He also writes the Como Lake Players mystery series, under the pen name Bobbie Raymond. In real life, John’s not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less – that’s no small trick. He’s also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, they’ve made more than the films. John lives in Minnesota and shares his home with his lovely wife, several dogs, a few cats and a handful of pet allergies.

Patrick Hoffman discusses MISTAKES WRITERS MAKE ABOUT PIs AND HOW TO AVOID THEM. He discusses aspects of PI work, including the fact that a PI’s car is their second home ... the techniques of the in-person cold call ... the ethics of PI work ... the importance of keeping the conversation going and of not taking “no” for an answer ... the fact that crime writers should never rely on “Scooby-Doo” confessions ... dealing with the trauma of PI work ... and how you should never have an interrogation scene set in a dark room. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out my new YouTube playlist, 2 Minutes of Indy (https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy), where you can find a brief video clip from the interview on each of those topics! For a transcript of this interview and links to more information, go to https://www.theindyauthor.com/podcast.html. Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting my work at The Indy Author via Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple). Patrick Hoffman has been a private investigator for 17 years. He started his career in San Francisco as a private investigator before becoming an investigator in the homicide unit of the San Francisco Public Defender's office. For the last seven years he's been working on wrongful conviction cases for the New York civil rights firm, Neufeld, Scheck & Brustin. His first three crime thrillers have all been selected as top ten thrillers of the year by the Wall Street Journal, and his second book, EVERY MAN A MENACE was selected as a top ten crime thriller of the past decade by Crimereads. He lives in Brooklyn.

Michael La Ronn discusses ESTATE PLANNING FOR AUTHORS. He talks about making it easy for your heirs ... planning and managing your estate ... sharing passwords securely ... protecting against scammers ... and the first step to take. For a transcript of this interview and links to more information, go to https://www.theindyauthor.com/podcast.html. Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting my work at The Indy Author via Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor) or Buy Me a Coffee (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.