The Self Publishing Show
Mark Dawson
Mark Dawson is a best selling self-published author on multiple platforms including Amazon and Kobo. He is the author of the John Milton thriller series and its spin-off Beatrix Rose. In addition, he’s written several ‘Soho Noir' novels. Mark’s breakthrough came when he developed a marketing strategy for promoting and selling his books. His swift success enabled him to quit his 9 to 5 job and he has generated gross revenues of more than a million dollars in less than five years.
Mark has become a leading voice in the self publishing industry and he advocates and teaches a strategy based around offering books for free, mailing list development and social media advertising. In 2015, he published the first version of what is now his acclaimed online course ‘Advertising for Authors’. He has also developed a course for writers at the start of their careers – Self Publishing 101.
James Blatch co-hosts the podcast and he represents the first time, wannabe author. James is a former BBC News journalist who is currently writing his first novel.
Between them James and Mark explore the world of self publishing with a focus on actionable tips for new and experienced indie authors.
Mark has become a leading voice in the self publishing industry and he advocates and teaches a strategy based around offering books for free, mailing list development and social media advertising. In 2015, he published the first version of what is now his acclaimed online course ‘Advertising for Authors’. He has also developed a course for writers at the start of their careers – Self Publishing 101.
James Blatch co-hosts the podcast and he represents the first time, wannabe author. James is a former BBC News journalist who is currently writing his first novel.
Between them James and Mark explore the world of self publishing with a focus on actionable tips for new and experienced indie authors.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 20, 2017 • 42min
SPF-089: Masterclass: The Value of a Sale – with Mark Dawson
This week’s highlights include: • Using Facebook Messenger to boost launch sales • On the excellent response rate of Messenger • Calculating ROI for ads based on sell-through rates, rather than just sales of one book • Different ways to calculate read-through • Why it makes sense to run ad campaigns at a loss because […]
Oct 13, 2017 • 41min
SPF-088: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Revision Process – with Joan Dempsey
This week’s highlights include: The misconception that the first draft is the finished book The overwhelm that can occur when revising a novel, and how to tackle that Breaking the revision process into smaller chunks to deal with overwhelm On Joan’s online courses about revision and their flexibility for different types of writers Tips for […]
Oct 7, 2017 • 17min
SPF-087: BONUS! Income Report – September 2017
The SPF Income Report is a unique look behind the scenes of a best-selling indie author’s advertising spends and revenue. Check out the stories behind the spreadsheets, graphs and stats from September 2017. Leave a Review
Oct 6, 2017 • 29min
SPF-086: How to Administer your Advance Readers – with Chris Leippi, Booksprout
This week’s highlights include: The challenges Chris faced when sending ARCs to his readers How Booksprout addresses those challenges Why having advanced readers matters Price points for new authors and also those with larger review teams How Booksprout reduces follow-up time for authors Discoverability for readers on Booksprout The leap in ARC review response Chris […]
Sep 29, 2017 • 43min
SPF-085: Shaking Up the Audiobook Market – with Kevin Tumlinson
Kevin Tumlinson from Draft2Digital reveals the company’s exciting new plans for indie authors wanting to make the most of the audiobook market. This week’s highlights include: Changes to the tools available for indie authors at Draft2Digital The new partnership between Findaway Voices and D2D Details on the expanding world of audiobooks available to authors Removing […]
Sep 22, 2017 • 39min
SPF-084: When Your First Novel Goes Global – with Felicia Yap
Felicia Yap talks at length about how she achieved global success with her first novel – and how she’s dealt with the repercussions. Highlights of this week’s episode: Felicia’s unique and intriguing premise for her new thriller, Yesterday Working out story ideas on the dance floor Felicia’s very flexible approach to her writing routine Applying […]
Sep 18, 2017 • 31min
SPF-083:Breathing Life into your Backlist with Chris Fox
How do you go about ensuring that ALL of your books are out there earning for you? Cue, self publishing wiz, Chris Fox, on how to get the most out of your previously released books. This week’s key highlights: Chris’s beginnings as a writer and his background in Silicon Valley About Chris’s books and videos […]
Sep 8, 2017 • 50min
SPF-081:How Stories Work – with Jenny Parrott
One of Mark and James' editors, Jenny Parrott, discusses the role of the professional editor in an author's life. Clearly as devoted to storytelling as any writer, Jenny explains some strategies authors can use to improve their stories, and why editing is such a crucial part of successful book creation.
Sep 8, 2017 • 23min
SPF-082: BONUS! Income Report – August 2017
The SPF Income Report, a unique look behind the scenes of a best-selling indie author’s advertising spends and revenue is back! Check out the stories behind the spreadsheets, graphs and stats from August 2017.
Sep 1, 2017 • 35min
SPF-080: How to Sell Your Foreign Rights – with Orna Ross
The paradigm shifts in publishing have opened doors for authors. And sometimes caused challenges for those authors who have lost rights to a trad publisher and now want them back. Orna Ross, Founder and Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors, talks to James about these issues, how authors can approach getting lost rights back, what it takes to sell rights in foreign territories, and what to be aware of when doing so.
