The Indy Author Podcast

Matty Dalrymple talks with Becky Tuch about THE PROS AND CONS OF WRITING CONTESTS, including finding and assessing opportunities, and red flags to watch out for; why contests charge entrance fees; considering what you get for that fee; what should you expect if you win, beyond creative validation; and the vital importance of understanding what you gain and sacrifice in terms of ownership of your IP if your work wins a contest, especially if you’re submitting a book-length work. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP205  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 Becky Tuch is a fiction and nonfiction writer, creative writing instructor, consultant, and editor. Her writing has appeared in over a dozen literary magazines and several anthologies, and has been honored with a number of magazine awards as well as fellowships from The Somerville Massachusetts Arts Council and The MacDowell Colony. She is the founder of The Review Review, a website dedicated to reviews of literary magazines and interviews with journal editors, and The Lit Mag News Roundup, a bi-weekly newsletter that aims to demystify the world of lit mag publishing. Becky lives in Philadelphia, PA. Matty Dalrymple is 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. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she’s learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in "Writer’s Digest" magazine. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Michael La Ronn about REBRANDING: IS IT WORTH THE INVESTMENT? We talk about Michael's rebranding of his non-fiction book series, the importance of accommodating evolving tropes, how rebranding is like "a fresh coat of paint" for your books, how Michael determined what the new color scheme for his non-fiction series INDIE AUTHOR CONFIDENTIAL would be, the importance of reassessing pricing across markets, and, maybe most importantly, deciding when to reallocate time from writing to rebranding. You can also hear Michael talk about how his adventurous tendencies played out in a Wisconsin Chinese Cajun restaurant specializing in seafood gumbo. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP204  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 runs the popular YouTube channel Author Level Up and serves on the staff of the Alliance of Independent Authors as a US Ambassador, and he also co-hosts the AskALLi Member Q&A Podcast. Matty Dalrymple is 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. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she’s learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in "Writer’s Digest" magazine. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Joe Solari about THE AUTHOR MARKETING AUDIT, including what Joe saw in the creative world that led him to develop the audit, the power of using the natural forces of popularity marketing, positioning your product to meet an unmet desire, the value of segmentation and the role of direct sales, setting up a process that allows customers to self-nurture, and considering how you would want to be treated as your customer. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP203  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 Joe Solari helps authors build great businesses through books, courses, and podcasting, as well as strategy and operations consulting. He is the author of ADVANTAGE: HARNESSING CUMULATIVE ADVANTAGE IN THE WINNER TAKES ALL PUBLISHING MARKET and MAY I HAVE A MOMENT OF YOUR ATTENTION: HOW TO GET YOUR MESSAGE HEARD IN A NOISY MARKET. Matty Dalrymple is 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. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she’s learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in "Writer’s Digest" magazine. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Kevin Tumlinson about ACTING ON INSPIRATION ANYWHERE, including how he wrote a short story, designed its cover, and published it while waiting in line at Disney World; the benefits of the small screen; how the option to write on your phone should be considered an opportunity but not a requirement to produce; the vital consideration of what fills you back up creatively; the madness of rapid release (exacerbated by AI); the question of whether an author can maintain a career by slowing down; and the possibilities of multi-media (but don't forget the words). Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP202  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 Kevin Tumlinson is a bestselling and award-winning novelist, a prolific podcaster, and a popular public speaker. He's known as "The Voice of Indie Publishing" for his work helping thousands of authors to start, build, and grow their writing careers. Matty Dalrymple is 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. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she’s learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in "Writer’s Digest" magazine. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Alessandra Torre about CRAFTING GREAT SCENE DESCRIPTIONS, including if and how scene descriptions vary by genre, the challenge of repeating descriptions across a series, the importance of engaging all the senses, tapping into the familiar and the unfamiliar, and the value of both potato chip scenes and casserole scenes. If one of those topics piques your interest, you can easily jump to that section of the interview by going to The Indy Author YouTube channel and clicking on the flagged timestamps in the video description. And if you want to dive deeper into this topic, some of Alessandra’s recommendations, especially related to the power of assessing well-reviewed and successful books in your genre, are a great companion piece to Episode 195 - The Anatomy of a Bestseller with Sacha Black. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP201  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 Alessandra / AR Torre is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of thirty novels. She is self-published, as well as traditionally published by Hachett, Harlequin, and Thomas & Mercer. In addition to writing, Alessandra is the CEO of Authors AI and the cofounder of Inkers Con. Matty Dalrymple is 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. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she’s learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in "Writer’s Digest" magazine. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Mark Leslie Lefebvre about HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED (OR STAYED THE SAME) in the writing and publishing worlds since 2016. Why 2016? Because that’s when the first episode of The Indy Author Podcast aired, and I’m looking back with Mark to celebrate landMARK episode 200. We discuss what has and hasn’t changed in interior and book cover design, editing, production, distribution, marketing, and promotion, and how we as indie authors can prepare for what the coming years will bring. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP200  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 is 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. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she’s learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in "Writer’s Digest" magazine. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Diane Vallere about HOW TO OVERCOME PROMOPHOBIA, including fear of the book community; fear of connecting with readers; fear of readers' reception of your work; fear of going it on your own or in a group; fear of thinking outside the box; and my two primary phobias: the fear of having an event and no one shows up and the fear of trying to do it all. We also discuss the concepts of the 7 touches and 7 channels of promotion; the halo effect of promotion across channels; the power of identifying the bottleneck in your writing and publishing processes; and the importance of learning from the fails as well as the successes. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP199  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 National bestselling author Diane Vallere writes funny and fashionable character-based mysteries. After decades working for a luxury retailer, she traded fashion accessories for accessories to murder. A past president of Sisters in Crime, Diane started her own detective agency at age ten and has maintained a passion for shoes, clues, and clothes ever since. Matty Dalrymple is 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. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she’s learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in "Writer’s Digest" magazine. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Jeff Elkins about his book THE DIALOGUE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW, including how the writing craft is like football; the importance of understanding the craft tools you need to attain moments of artistry; how writing dialogue is not a soft skill; how dialogue isn't only verbal; the three tools of communicating a character's emotional journey; how, if you really want to hammer a moment, you need to bang on it; and, coming back to our sports analogy, how dialogue is a team sport. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP198  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 Jeff Elkins is a writer, podcaster, and writing coach. He’s the author of eleven novels including INSIDE OUTSIDE and the NRDS Series. As the Dialogue Doctor, he helps writers engage with readers by teaching them to write better dialogue. He has a BA in Religion from Baylor University and an MDiv from Truett Seminary. He lives with his wife and five kids north of Baltimore, Maryland. Matty Dalrymple is 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. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she’s learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in "Writer’s Digest" magazine. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Michael Evans about REAM AND THE CREATOR ECONOMY, including the move toward niche audiences and community building; providing an immersive experience; building your mini Disney; the importance of not ignoring the non-paying members of your community; the fact that you don't need to launch the perfect subscription; divorcing value from quantity; monetizing short fiction and bonus content; the creative stress of subscription models; and the advice to start small and start small again. Michael’s new company, Ream, is a subscription platform, but there are plenty of insights here for writers who are not currently interested in pursuing subscriptions. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP197  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 Evans is the co-founder and CEO of Ream, the subscription platform by fiction authors for fiction authors, a sci-fi thriller author of a dozen novels, and a rising senior at Harvard. Matty Dalrymple is 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. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she’s learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in "Writer’s Digest" magazine. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Merle Saferstein about THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF JOURNALING, including overcoming mental barriers to journaling, and how revisiting your journals is optional; the importance of not censoring yourself, and of exploring your shadow self; using journaling to declutter your mind, and as a tool for character development; and preparing your armor for reader responses. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP196  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 As the director of educational outreach at the Holocaust Documentation and Education Center, Merle Saferstein worked closely with hundreds of Holocaust survivors helping them to pass along their Legacy of Remembrance to students and teachers. When she retired from the Holocaust Center, she developed a course entitled Living and Leaving Your Legacy®. Merle is a council member of the International Association of Journal Writing, the author of ROOM 732, and a contributor to the Huffington Post, Medium, Authority Magazine, and Thrive Global. Matty Dalrymple is 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. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she’s learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in "Writer’s Digest" magazine. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.