AskAlli: Self-Publishing Advice Podcast

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Matty Dalrymple talks with MaryCatherine Jones of The Audiobook Experience about how authors can set themselves up for audiobook production success during the editing phase. They discuss the growing popularity of audiobooks, the importance of writing with the ear in mind, and how to avoid pitfalls like confusing names or unclear pronunciations. They also offer practical tips on working with narrators and directing listeners to bonus content, all with an eye toward meeting the expectations of today's "ear readers.” Sponsors This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family. About the Host Matty Dalrymple 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 serves as the campaigns manager for 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. About the Guest MaryCatherine Jones is the owner and executive producer at The Audiobook Experience at Voice Over Vermont, an award-winning boutique audiobook recording and production studio. She delights in working with authors in her Vermont studio to bring their stories into the world, either using their own voices or by finding the perfect narrator for their audiobook. You can also find her on Instagram and LinkedIn.

My guest this episode is Tony Park, an Australian thriller writer who lives in southern Africa. After a journalism and PR career, Tony changed his life completely—splitting his time between Australia and the African bush, where he draws inspiration from the land, the people, and the wildlife. He's built a global indie career by taking control of his rights and expanding to new markets. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X. About the Guest Tony Park was born in 1964 and grew up in Sydney, Australia. He worked as a newspaper reporter, government press secretary, and PR consultant prior to quitting full-time work to follow his dream to become an author. He found the inspiration he needed on a safari holiday in 1995 and since his first book, Far Horizon, was published in 2004, he has gone on to write twenty-three bestselling thrillers set in Africa and ten biographies. Tony and his wife, Nicola, divide their time between homes in Australia and South Africa, where his novels regularly hit number one. His latest book, Die by the Sword, will be released worldwide on July 29, 2025.  

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports that audiobook growth continues across major English-language markets, with Spotify claiming a 30 percent rise in listeners and a 36 percent increase in listening hours year over year. Dan also explores Spotify's evolving role in the audiobook industry, the launch of the new UK-based Speakies Awards open to indie authors, and a troubling trend reported by the Wall Street Journal—AI-generated search summaries may be reducing ad revenue by diverting clicks away from content creators. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

In this Self-Publishing Advice Conference highlight, virtual assistant Kayleigh Brindley draws on over 10 years of experience to help authors decide when it's time to hire support. The session covers how outsourcing tasks like marketing and admin can ease the workload, improve productivity, and free up time to focus on writing. It includes case studies and practical advice on finding and working with the right virtual assistant. This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event run free twice yearly in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, host Michael La Ronn discusses whether it's worth an author's time to pursue turning a book into a film or TV series—and why it might be more effective to let the industry come to you. Other questions include: Is it okay to use a book title that's already been used by another author? Should I go wide or enroll in Kindle Unlimited if I only release one book a year? What impact might Donald Trump's proposed tariffs have on UK authors selling eBooks in the US? Should I make manuscript changes while waiting for the cover design? How do I find a print-on-demand service in Italy that works with my author website? What are the legal risks of including memes and screenshots in a published book? And More! Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Hosts Michael La Ronn is ALLi's Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com. Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.  

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports a return to double-digit audiobook growth in the U.S., with revenue up 13 percent and over half of Americans now having listened to an audiobook. He also breaks down new data showing a shift in reader tastes toward darker genres—especially psychological thrillers and dark romance—and reflects on how traditional publishers are just now catching on to the power of direct sales and loyal fan bases, something indie authors have long embraced. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

Is your book marketing strategy helping you grow—or wasting your budget? In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Dale L. Roberts talks with Emma Boyer, VP of Digital Operations at Written Word Media, about what truly drives successful book promotions. They explore why branding matters, how genre impacts performance, and why waiting to market your book might be the biggest mistake you make. Emma shares actionable strategies around email list building, pricing expectations, and leveraging promotions to boost visibility and connect with readers—whether you have one book or a full backlist. Sponsor This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale's inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube. About the Guest Emma Boyer is the Vice President of Digital Operations at Written Word Media, where she is responsible for overseeing the company's digital initiatives and operations. Prior to her current role, she served as the Director of Digital Operations at the same organization. Boyer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York College at Geneseo.

My guest this episode is Maria Iliffe-Wood, a leadership coach and writer based in the UK. She began with an academic book on coaching, then wrote a spiritual memoir and poetry. Along the way, she started helping others publish their books, too. We talk about being present, handling self-doubt, and how writing became central to her life. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X. About the Guest Maria Iliffe-Wood is the author of four books: an academic book about coaching presence, a self-published personal narrative tracking her emotional journey through the pandemic, a spiritual memoir, and a book of poetry that explores deep existential questions. Her writing explores how the mind—and more intriguingly, how life—works. You'll find her walking with her husband, in the middle of England about as far away from the sea as you can be in the UK.

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports on a BBC Maestro course using AI to recreate Agatha Christie, a Nordic platform's AI book-recommendation chatbot, and a BookBub survey showing nearly half of authors now use AI. He also covers renewed tension over library eBook lending after Penguin Random House pulled comics from a school platform. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

Host Anna Featherstone speaks with Julie Ganner and Dr. Agata Mrva-Montoya, co-authors of Books Without Barriers: A Practical Guide to Inclusive Publishing. They discuss how authors can make their books accessible from the start—by addressing formatting, fonts, image descriptions, and digital navigation. In this episode, you'll learn: What print disability means How to reach readers across formats Simple production changes that improve access Accessibility tips for children's books How semantic tagging and font choices support more readers Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsors This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family. About the Host Anna Featherstone is ALLi's nonfiction adviser and an author advocate and mentor. A judge of The Australian Business Book Awards and Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, she's also the founder of Bold Authors and presents author marketing and self-publishing workshops for organizations, including Byron Writers Festival. Anna has authored books including how-to and memoirs and her book Look-It's Your Book! about writing, publishing, marketing, and leveraging nonfiction is on the Australian Society of Authors recommended reading list. When she's not being bookish, Anna's into bees, beings, and the big issues of our time. About the Guests Dr. Agata Mrva-Montoya is a senior lecturer and degree director of the Master of Publishing program in the Discipline of Media and Communications at the University of Sydney. Her research explores how technological innovation and power dynamics shape the publishing industry, with a particular focus on equitable access to literature and knowledge. She is president of the Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disability and co-editor of Publishing Research Quarterly. Her background includes leading the implementation of accessible publishing practices at Sydney University Press. She is co-author of Books Without Barriers: A Practical Guide to Inclusive Publishing (2023), and her forthcoming book, Inclusive Publishing and the Quest for Reading Equity, will be published in August by Cambridge University Press. Julie Ganner, AE, is an accredited freelance editor and a lecturer in editing for the University of Sydney's Master of Publishing program. She represented the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) at the Australian Inclusive Publishing Initiative (AIPI), a cross-industry forum on print accessibility, and is a former chair of IPEd's Accessibility Initiative Working Party. She is the 2025 winner of the Janet Mackenzie Medal, IPEd's highest honor, awarded in recognition of her service to the editing profession. Julie is co-author of Books Without Barriers: A Practical Guide to Inclusive Publishing (IPEd and Australian Publishers Association, 2023) and Inclusive Publishing in Australia: An Introductory Guide (AIPI, 2019). Both guides are available as free downloads in multiple formats.

On the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, host Joe Solari explains how attending live events changed the course of his career and why in-person conferences still matter. He discusses how to choose the right event, prepare effectively, and build lasting connections that support a profitable publishing business. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Joe Solari assists authors in developing successful businesses as the managing partner of Author Ventures LLC. In his role as a business manager, he supports his private clients, who collectively achieved gross royalties of twenty-two million in 2023, with an average pre-tax profit of 44%. This remarkable success results from implementing disciplined business strategies and maintaining an unwavering dedication to enhancing the customer experience.

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway covers an incident in which the Chicago Sun-Times recommended AI-invented books by real authors, and a troubling test in which Anthropic's AI, Claude 4.0, threatened a user with blackmail. He also reports that Spotify has seen a rise in iOS subscriptions following the Apple ruling on in-app purchases, and shares the latest from ongoing AI copyright debates in the UK and EU, where authors and creators continue pushing back against efforts to weaken protections. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Matty Dalrymple talks with Kristen Tate of the Blue Garret editing service, a seasoned freelance editor, about the intricacies of editorial services and how authors can effectively engage with editors. The conversation provides insights into the editing process, the role of trust in the author-editor relationship, and how to navigate the often complex landscape of editorial pricing and contracts. Sponsors This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family. About the Host Matty Dalrymple 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 serves as the campaigns manager for 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. About the Guest Kristen Tate has been a freelance editor for more than a decade, guiding authors from rough drafts to polished books. She holds a PhD in English from Columbia University, where she focused on publishing history, and is the author of Novel Study: Decoding the Secrets and Structures of Contemporary Fiction. Kristen also publishes a regular newsletter offering craft advice and encouragement for writers. Her editing business, Blue Garret, is an ALLi Partner member. You can find Kristen at thebluegarret.com, on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

My guest this episode is Patrick D. Joyce, who grew up at U.S. embassies in places like Moscow, Havana, and Managua, surrounded by secrets, spies, and surveillance. He went on to become a journalist, earn a Ph.D. in political science, and eventually found his way to writing Cold War-era young adult thrillers. We talk about how his past shaped his storytelling, how music and history inform his work, and how he's connecting with young readers today. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X. About the Guest Patrick D. Joyce is the author of two thriller novels for young adults, Back in the USSR (a Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize semifinalist) and Strawberry Fields, both inspired by his experiences growing up at US embassies during the Cold War. He has been a newspaper reporter, a political science lecturer, and a medical practice manager. He lives in Massachusetts, where he can be found haunting coffee shops, taking long walks with his wife, and practicing martial arts. You can find him at patrickdjoyce.com and follow him on BlueSky, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.   

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports that Audible has launched a major AI narration program featuring 100 synthetic voices, with options for both publishers and indie authors. He also covers upcoming changes to KDP Print royalties and costs, a 10,000-signature petition from European creators calling for stronger AI copyright protections, and news that the UK government has rejected a proposed AI transparency amendment. He closes with the latest developments in the Apple–Epic Games legal case, which could affect in-app book and audiobook sales. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

On the Creative Self-Publishing stream of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss creative confidence and the process of finding and sustaining an author voice. They talk about how life events, like grief or illness, can interrupt creativity, and how daily practices such as journaling or walking can help maintain a sense of continuity. The conversation also covers how recurring themes shape a writer's voice, how AI tools like voice cloning are changing audiobook production, and how authors can decide when and how to use these tools without losing their individual style. Sponsor This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Hosts Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller's “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, host Michael La Ronn discusses whether there are effective alternatives to Amazon and Meta ads for authors who want to reach readers but are reluctant to support those platforms. Other questions include: Is Nielsen's Enhanced Services an effective marketing tool for authors? Has anyone experienced product availability issues with BookVault? Do ALLi members get discounts on public liability insurance for book fairs? How do legal and tax issues differ for sole traders and limited companies in the US and UK? What's the best place within ALLi to find marketing support for a debut novel? Does ALLi offer a standard copyright page template or guidance? And More! Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Hosts Michael La Ronn is ALLi's Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com. Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explains how a major legal ruling against Apple is changing the landscape for in-app purchases, with Kindle, Patreon, and Spotify now enabling direct book sales on iOS. He also covers a call for cooperation between publishers and tech companies from the Association of American Publishers, and reports strong Q1 growth in audiobook subscriptions from Nordic platform Storytel. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

Recently, BookVault—a company familiar to many of our U.S. and U.K. listeners—expanded its print-on-demand services to Australia. In this episode, ALLi's nonfiction advisor Anna Featherstone speaks with Alex Smith, BookVault's brand manager, to learn what the company offers, how it operates globally, and whether it might be a good fit for authors looking to diversify how they produce and distribute their books. In this episode, you'll learn: What BookVault is, which countries it currently serves, and how it compares to KDP, IngramSpark, and traditional book printers How special editions work—costs, timelines, trends, and possibilities The most common mistakes authors make with POD, and how to avoid them Why BookVault charges a setup fee—and how ALLi members can have it waived A crash course on bookbinding types: perfect bound, case bound, and saddle stitch Trends and innovations in indie publishing that have Alex excited about the future Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsors This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family. About the Host Anna Featherstone is ALLi's nonfiction adviser and an author advocate and mentor. A judge of The Australian Business Book Awards and Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, she's also the founder of Bold Authors and presents author marketing and self-publishing workshops for organizations, including Byron Writers Festival. Anna has authored books including how-to and memoirs and her book Look-It's Your Book! about writing, publishing, marketing, and leveraging nonfiction is on the Australian Society of Authors recommended reading list. When she's not being bookish, Anna's into bees, beings, and the big issues of our time. About the Guest Alex Smith has been with Printondemand Worldwide, the parent company of BookVault, for more than seven years. During that time, he has gained extensive knowledge of the publishing industry. His experience positioned him to take a leading role in redeveloping the BookVault platform. Alex works closely with leading indie publishing entrepreneurs to ensure BookVault continues to deliver the innovative features authors and publishers need.

My guest this episode is Karen Williams, a nonfiction author of ten books who now helps entrepreneurs write and publish books that grow their businesses. What began with one book in 2009 turned into a career helping others find clarity and purpose. Along the way, she's learned what makes a book truly work for both the reader and the writer. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X. About the Guest Karen Williams is The Book Mentor at Librotas, helping business owners and thought leaders write and publish authority-building books that elevate their credibility and grow their business and brand. She guides clients from messy first idea to final manuscript and successful launch, with a focus on strategy, structure, and impact. Karen is the author of ten books, including Your Book is the Hook and Book Marketing Made Simple, a TEDx speaker, and host of the Business Book Bites podcast.  

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explains major changes to Findaway Voices, which is splitting into two platforms: Spotify for Authors, focused on Spotify distribution, and a new platform called In Audio for all other outlets. He also highlights a new £75,000 novel prize open to unpublished writers, and reports on a HarperCollins survey showing a decline in parents reading to their children, with homework—not screen time—cited as the main barrier. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Dale L. Roberts talks with Danica Favorite, community manager at PublishDrive, about what truly makes an author brand effective. They dive into how the power of relationships in author marketing, avoid the most common branding mistakes, and take real control of your marketing. Danica shares how wide distribution and authentic community-building can help authors stand out—and sell more—by owning their unique narrative. Show Notes Danica Favorite Brave New Bookshelf Podcast PublishDrive ALLi Watchdog List Sponsor This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale's inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube.

In this panel discussion, two high-achieving Amazon KDP authors, Sacha Black and J.M. Dalgliesh, reveal the most effective strategies and tactics they've used to maximize profitability in self-publishing. From smart pricing and advertising to leveraging data, this session is packed with actionable advice on how to turn writing books into a profitable, sustainable business. Learn how to make the most of Amazon's tools and build a long-term, profitable publishing strategy that drives consistent income. This session is proudly sponsored by Amazon KDP. This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event run free twice yearly in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports that the Oscars will allow AI-assisted films starting next year. He also discusses new surveys showing that reading habits remain stable despite headlines, and highlights Linktree's new feature allowing authors to sell eBooks directly from their bio pages. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple interviews ALLi Editor-in-Chief Roz Morris about the art and craft of ghostwriting. Roz discusses her path into the field, the range of genres she has worked in, and the importance of preserving the client's voice. They explore the balance between editing and ghostwriting, the collaborative process, and how ghostwriters often act as informal therapists. Roz also covers payment, time management, spotting red flags, and the rewards of ghostwriting despite its anonymity. Sponsors This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family. About the Host Matty Dalrymple 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 serves as the campaigns manager for 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. About the Guest Roz Morris's novels and memoir have been recognized by major mainstream awards. She has coached award-winning writers in both fiction and nonfiction, taught creative writing for The Guardian masterclasses, blogged for Writers' & Artists' Yearbook, and served as a regular judge on Litopia's Pop-Up Submissions show, critiquing manuscripts from promising writers. Roz is also ALLi's editor-in-chief.

My guest this episode is Jacqueline Murray, who took an unconventional path from medical device marketer to author of a romance series that blends love and quantum theory. Her books feature storylines that challenge genre conventions and feature characters later in life. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X. About the Guest M. Jacqueline Murray embodies the Renaissance ideal of the multi-faceted individual—scientist, business professional, photographer, musician, and author. Her Maddie & Nate series challenges traditional romance conventions by exploring a single destined connection across different timelines and choices. Through the lens of quantum physics and the theory of multiple realities, each book presents a new version of their love story, showing how timing and circumstance shape relationships—and who we ultimately become. To learn more about Jacqueline and her work, visit mjacquelinemurray.com or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You can also sign up for her Readers Club to receive updates and behind-the-scenes insights.

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports on Spotify receiving the BISG Industry Innovator Award for its audiobook efforts, including new tools for indie authors. He also highlights Patreon's launch of unlimited in-platform livestreaming, a move that supports creators building subscription-based communities. Finally, Dan explores a growing trend in book subscription services: curating and now publishing original content tailored to their audiences. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Anna Featherstone speaks with Rebekah Lambert, a poet, playwright, content strategist, and founder of the Freelance Jungle, about how authors can produce and distribute zines. They discuss how zines give writers permission not to be perfect, offer a low-pressure way to spark creativity, and help both fiction and nonfiction authors deepen connections with readers. Show Notes List of Australian Writers Festivals for 2025 Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsors This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family. About the Host Anna Featherstone is ALLi's nonfiction adviser and an author advocate and mentor. A judge of The Australian Business Book Awards and Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, she's also the founder of Bold Authors and presents author marketing and self-publishing workshops for organizations, including Byron Writers Festival. Anna has authored books including how-to and memoirs and her book Look-It's Your Book! about writing, publishing, marketing, and leveraging nonfiction is on the Australian Society of Authors recommended reading list. When she's not being bookish, Anna's into bees, beings, and the big issues of our time. About the Guest Rebekah Lambert is a freelance content and community specialist who advocates for stress reduction and support for creatives and the self-employed through the Freelance Jungle and Patreon. She's committed to ending isolation in sole employment and raising awareness of freelance industry challenges. Currently studying counselling and trauma-informed care, Rebekah aims to help creatives recover from recent difficult years. When she's not advocating, she's making art, writing, or exploring Wollongong with her Labradorks, Gibson and George. Learn more at Unashamedly Creative or follow her on Instagram.

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, host Michael La Ronn discusses whether it's worth hiring a marketing company to promote your second book—and why many authors might be better off learning to market themselves first. Other questions include: Is there still a stigma around self-publishing in 2025? Should I limit how often I run Kindle Countdown Deals for the first book in a series? What's the best mix of platforms for distributing ebooks and print books? Do short or long-form videos work better for book marketing? How can I prepare for my first in-person book signing event? What's the best way to get indie books into libraries? And More! Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Hosts Michael La Ronn is ALLi's Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com. Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports that new US tariffs will not apply to printed books, thanks to an information exemption, though the impact on printing materials remains unclear. He covers Canva's launch of AI tools following a pricing change, a legal brief challenging Meta's use of copyrighted content, and Ingram's new MediaScout platform, which showcases indie books for film and TV adaptation. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

Join Dale L. Roberts as he interviews self-publishing expert Bryan Cohen on the foundations of author branding. Learn how genre clarity, strong sales copy, and Amazon ads work together to grow your fan base and boost book sales. It's a must-listen for new and mid-list authors. Show Notes: Best Page Forward Sell More Books Show Sponsor This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale's inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube.

My guest this episode is crime novelist Ali Steed. After decades in financial journalism, Ali is winning awards in fiction—exploring the darker corners of the human mind through her police procedural series. We talk about what it took to overcome the fear of releasing that first novel, how she brings her investigative skills to crime fiction, and how life in Mallorca—and a bit of shamanic training—helped her embrace her creative path. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X. About the Guest Ali Steed is an accomplished writer, editor, and broadcaster, and has worked as a journalist—both in-house and freelance—for most of the UK's national newspapers, as well as the BBC, Channel 4, and local TV and radio stations. She has won eight awards for her journalism, and her debut novel, All It Takes, won the BIBA Suspense/Thriller 2024 category. This is the first book in the DCI Caroline Cramer series, with more titles due out later this year. Ali is a strong advocate of using shamanic teachings to break through writing blocks, improve creativity, and increase the confidence of writers who often struggle to see their own talent and worth. She went through shamanic training to help her own writing and confidence and is now keen to help others in the same way. All It Takes is available on Amazon. You can follow Ali on Instagram or on Facebook. She is also currently building her shamanic profile on Instagram @theshamanicstoryteller

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports that National Novel Writing Month, known as NaNoWriMo, has announced it will not officially take place this November, citing financial and reputational concerns. He also covers the latest in AI and copyright, including the consolidation of major lawsuits against tech companies, protests outside Meta's London offices, and new research suggesting copyrighted materials have been used to train AI models. Finally, he discusses Amazon's new AI-powered Kindle Recap feature and questions around whether authors have consented to its use. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

ALLi Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple talks with Marketing Adviser Ricardo Fayet, co-founder of Reedsy, about the value of professional editing in self-publishing. Fayet explains the types of editing, how to manage costs, and why editors offer more than beta readers. He also discusses when to hire an editor, how editing improves writing, and the limits of AI tools. Sponsors This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family. About the Host Matty Dalrymple 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 serves as the campaigns manager for 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. About the Guest Ricardo Fayet is one of the four founders of Reedsy, a marketplace that connects authors with top publishing professionals—from editors to cover designers, book marketers, and literary translators. He is the author of two books on book marketing and a regular speaker at writers' conferences including NINC, Author Nation, InkersCon, and The Self Publishing Show Live. Fayet also serves as the marketing adviser to ALLi. You can find Reedsy online: Website, YouTube, X, and Instagram.

Want to license your book into a translation but unsure where to start? Join Margaux Weisman, business development director at DropCap Agency, and Monica Meehan, vice president of business development and rights director at DropCap Agency, for an insightful discussion with Michael La Ronn on the world of translation sales and how DropCap Marketplace can help connect authors with foreign rights buyers. This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event run free twice yearly in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports on academic publisher Taylor & Francis using AI to translate books into English, sparking backlash from translators. He also covers OpenAI's controversial Studio Ghibli–style image filter and its copyright implications and notes the end of WH Smith's presence on the UK high street as the retailer shifts focus to airport book sales. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

Join Bill Mueller in this session for novelists, poets, and nonfiction authors who want to harness the power of storytelling to create deeper connections with their audience and encourage them to purchase. Learn the psychology behind why stories work, a life-changing technique for uncovering and crafting compelling stories from your own experiences, and how to seamlessly integrate stories into your marketing and promotional materials across a wide variety of platforms. This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event run free twice yearly in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org. About the Host Bill Mueller has been using the power of story to help entrepreneurs and authors promote themselves for twenty-one years. A former journalist whose current mission is to "save the world from boring emails, one story at a time," Bill's most recent focus is on storytelling as it relates to email marketing. His Story Sales Machine program has given thousands a starting point to write with more authenticity while also increasing sales ethically.

My guest this episode is Annie Fox, an educator and author who writes for young adults. She talks about how her background in human development shapes her fiction, why she chose to go indie, and what it really takes to reach readers in a crowded market. Her work explores identity, belonging, and what it means to find your people. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X. About the Guest Annie Fox is an author of books for children and teens. She loves making art, baking, gardening, photography, hiking in the San Francisco Bay Area, traveling, and, most of all, being with her husband, David, and her family, including Gracie the Dog. Her current YA sci-fi novel, Leeta Simtar: A Life on Two Planets, is available wherever books and audiobooks are sold. Her other books include The Little Things That Kill: A Teen Friendship Afterlife Apology Tour, also available everywhere. Learn more about Annie at anniefox.com. 

On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway reports on growing outrage after authors discovered their titles among pirated books used to train Meta's AI model. A searchable LibGen database, highlighted by The Atlantic, has sparked widespread concern over copyright violations. Dan also covers the collapse of Unbound, a crowdfunding-based publisher, and what it means for indie authors. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

Unlock the secrets to marketing strategies for children's books. In this episode of Self-Publishing with ALLi, Dale L. Roberts interviews bestselling children's author Karen Inglis, who shares expert strategies for breaking into the market. Discover the biggest mistakes new authors make, how to market effectively, and why local connections and school visits can boost your brand. Karen also reveals how metadata and keywords impact sales, plus lessons from her journey to selling over half a million books. Sponsor This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Dale L. Roberts is a self-publishing advocate, award-winning author, and video content creator. Dale's inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 50 titles and becoming an international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Selected by Feedspot and LA Weekly as one of the best sources in self-publishing of 2022, Dale cemented his position as the indie-author community's go-to authority. You can find Dale on his website or YouTube.

On the Creative Self-Publishing stream of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss their latest creative projects, insights from the London Book Fair, and the evolving role of AI in publishing. Orna shares her thoughts on how the fair is shifting away from being author-centric, while Joanna explores AI narration and its growing impact on audiobooks, including new developments from ElevenLabs and Amazon's Audible Virtual Voice. Sponsor This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Hosts Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller's “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.    

On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway covers Spotify's new publishing program for indie authors, which focuses on short audiobooks in popular genres like romance, mystery, and sci-fi. He also discusses the latest AI-generated fiction making waves in the literary world, including reactions from authors and critics to OpenAI's new model. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, host Anna Featherstone talks with USA Today bestselling author Phillipa Nefri Clark about the practical side of book production and distribution. Phillipa shares her experiences with different publishing methods, from KDP and Kobo to direct sales and working with a digital-first publisher. She discusses hiring a well-known TV actor for her audiobook, handling production challenges, navigating translations, and managing finances with the help of a specialist accountant. Show Notes List of Australian Writers Festivals for 2025 Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsors This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family. About the Host Anna Featherstone is ALLi's nonfiction adviser and an author advocate and mentor. A judge of The Australian Business Book Awards and Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, she's also the founder of Bold Authors and presents author marketing and self-publishing workshops for organizations, including Byron Writers Festival. Anna has authored books including how-to and memoirs and her book Look-It's Your Book! about writing, publishing, marketing, and leveraging nonfiction is on the Australian Society of Authors recommended reading list. When she's not being bookish, Anna's into bees, beings, and the big issues of our time. About the Guest A USA Today bestselling author, Phillipa Nefri Clark lives just outside a beautiful town in country Victoria, Australia. She also inhabits the many worlds of her imagination, stockpiling stories beside her laptop. Phillipa writes from the heart about love, dreams, secrets, discovery, the sea, and the world as she knows it—or wishes it could be. She loves happy endings, heart-pounding suspense, and characters who stay with readers long after the final page. With a passion for music, the ocean, nature, reading, and writing, she is often found in the vegetable garden pondering a new story. Phillipa is both an indie author and is traditionally published by Storm Publishing. You can find her on her website or Facebook.

My guest this episode is Joshua S. Narins, a literary fiction author based in New England. Before turning to writing, he spent two decades as a cinematographer, specializing in aerial, underwater, and second-unit film work. Now, he brings that visual storytelling sensibility to his fiction, crafting character-driven narratives with a sharp, cinematic edge. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X. About the Guest Joshua S. Narins is a New England-based literary fiction novelist, and his released titles include his debut novel, False Neutral and his follow-up, Clear-Cuts. Prior to embarking on a writing career, Joshua was a veteran Director of Photography and, in addition to principal unit production, specialized in all aspects of underwater, aerial, and second-unit cinematography. Joshua lensed work on projects ranging from studio features to independent films, foreign and cable films, national and international commercial campaigns, and special-venue projects. Joshua is currently at work on his next project.

On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway reports from the London Book Fair on the 2025 Selfies Awards, where ALLi authors won in all three categories. He discusses a surge in new members for audiobook platform Libro.fm, the rollout of a "look inside" feature for indie bookstores, and the first major auction of AI-generated art at Christie's. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Howard Lovy, a developmental editor and ALLi's content and communications manager, about six questions every author should ask to improve their craft. They discuss maintaining narrative immersion, balancing detail with engagement, and ensuring characters drive the story. Howard shares practical tips on avoiding common pitfalls, keeping scenes purposeful, and writing from the characters' perspectives to keep readers engrossed in the narrative. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsors This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family. About the Host Matty Dalrymple 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 serves as the campaigns manager for 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. About the Guest Howard Lovy is a developmental editor with 40 years of experience in writing and editing for newspapers, magazines, and news services, and a decade specializing in book editing. He provides manuscript evaluations and works closely with authors on both fiction and nonfiction projects. Howard is also a novelist, with his debut novel, Found and Lost: The Jake and Cait Story, set to be released on April 29, 2025.

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss the challenges of hiring a book publicist, including how to vet them, what questions to ask, and whether most indie authors even need one. Other questions include: What are the implications for self-published authors with the introduction of GPSR in the EU? How can authors handle print-on-demand page limits if their book exceeds the maximum page count? Do authors need to file a Beneficial Ownership Information Report in the United States? Where can authors find quality Canva tutorials for designing marketing materials? What are the best ways for new ALLi members to make the most of their membership? Is there a recommended way to update copyright notices to address AI-related concerns? And More! Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor The Member Q&A podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Hosts Michael La Ronn is ALLi's Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com. Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.  

On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway examines major developments in AI-generated audiobooks. Eleven Labs has launched direct audiobook publishing, offering authors new distribution options and competitive royalties. The company has also expanded its speech-to-text services, allowing authors to transcribe and produce audiobooks seamlessly. Meanwhile, OpenAI's video-generation tool Sora is now available in the UK and EU, and Twitch has expanded monetization features, creating new opportunities for authors to engage with audiences. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

Becoming a profitable writer requires more than just productivity, but consistently completing projects is essential for success in self-publishing. ALLi's Crowdfunding Adviser, USA Today bestselling author, and author-publishing expert Russell Nohelty shares strategies to help authors increase their writing output and turn finished projects into profitable ventures. This session offers practical insights to help indie authors make each year more productive and financially rewarding. This session is proudly sponsored by Publish Authority. This is a post from SelfPubCon (The Self-Publishing Advice Conference), an online author event run free twice yearly in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.

My guest this episode is Sharon Hague, a lawyer and Egyptologist who writes speculative historical fiction about ancient Egypt. Growing up at sea and traveling the world shaped her imagination, leading her to blend history and fiction in her award-winning Ancient Egypt series. We'll talk about how she balances fact and fiction. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Host Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X. About the Guest Sharon Janet Hague is a British-New Zealand author of speculative fiction – primarily historical fiction. She is the author of Moses and Akhenaten: A Child's Tale, The Tutankhamen Friendship, and The Queen Who Became King. The series has won several awards. In 2024, bestseller status was achieved in the USA with Moses and Akhenaten: A Child's Tale, and The Queen Who Became Kingm which reached number one. Sharon is a lawyer who also holds a master's degree in Egyptology from the University of Manchester, England. She has visited Egypt multiple times since childhood, and pens articles on ancient Egypt for various publications.­­ Sharon currently lives in New Zealand with her family, and twin cats, who mysteriously involve themselves in her novels. You can find her on her website, and on Facebook.

On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway reports on Meta's internal discussions about AI training, revealing that the company considered using pirated books to train its language models. Court documents show Meta abandoned licensing talks with publishers after realizing they didn't have the rights to AI training data. Meanwhile, Kindle's recent policy change regarding USB book transfers continues to stir debate, and World of Books expands into the US resale market. Sponsors Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.