Podcasts about bookfunnel

In this week's episode, we take a look at the major self-publishing platforms that I use, and examine the pros and cons of each. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Doom of the Sorceress, Book #8 in the Dragonskull series, (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) at my Payhip store: DOOM50 The coupon code is valid through June 24, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates   Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 253 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is May 30th, 2025, and today we are looking at the current major self-publishing platforms and what they offer indie authors. Before we get to our main topic, we'll have Coupon of the Week and an update on my current writing projects.   So let's start with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Doom of the Sorceress (book number eight in the Dragonskull series, as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) at my Payhip store. That code is DOOM50. And as always, we will have the coupon code and the links to the store in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through June 24th, 2025. So if you are setting out on summer travels this summer and you need an audiobook to listen to while you're in the car or plane, we have got you covered. So now for an update on my current writing and audiobook projects. Ghost in the Corruption (as I mentioned last week) is now out and available at all the ebook stores: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, and Payhip. It is selling well. So thank you all for that. Now that Ghost in the Corruption is finished, what am I working on next? Well, back in 2023, I finished the Dragonskull and The Silent Order series back to back, so I declared Summer 2023 to be my Summer of Finishing Things. Well, it looks like Summer 2025 is going to be the Super Summer of Finishing Things because I intend to finish three series back to back.   First up is Shield of Power, the sixth and final book of The Shield War series. As of this publishing, I am 26,000 words into it, which puts me on Chapter 6 of 29. So I think it's going to end up being around 100,000-110,000 words long, and I am hoping it will be out in June, though it might slip to July depending on how things go. Once that is done, the next one up will be Stealth and Spells Online: Final Quest, which will be the third and very definitely final book of the Stealth and Spells Online trilogy. Believe it or not, I have been working on Final Quest on the side for so long that I passed the 100,000 word mark in that book this week. In fact, it's been a side project for so long that I don't remember how long I've been working on it, and I had to look up the metadata to check that I indeed started chipping away on it on October 18th, 2024. So I am very pleased that I'm nearly done with the rough draft and because of that reason, if all goes well, it'll come out very quickly after Shield of Power, since I think the rough draft will end up at about 125,000 to 130,000 words or in that neighborhood. Once Stealth and Spells Online: Final Quest is finished, I will then write Ghost in the Siege, which will be the sixth and final book of the Ghost Armor series. I am 1,500 words into that and hoping for that to come out in August or September, if all goes well. Once The Shield War, Stealth and Spells Online, and Ghost Armor are finished, I will finally be free to return to the Rivah and Nadia series. I realized that through all of 2024 and the first half of 2025, I had five unfinished series at the same time, and that was just too much for me to keep track of as a writer, and I think it may have been too much for the readers because it was too much of a wait between the different series as I worked my way through them. So five series at the same time is too much, so hence the Super Summer of Finishing Things. Going forward, I've decided that three unfinished series at the same time will be my maximum, which after the Super Summer of Finishing Things will be Cloak Mage, Half-Elven Thief, and a new epic fantasy series that I will set in the realm of Owyllain.   In audiobook news, Brad Wills started working on Shield of Battle this week and Hollis McCarthy started working on Ghost in the Corruption, so hopefully before probably about July or thereabouts, we will have those audiobooks available for you to listen to. So that is where I'm at with my current writing projects.   00:03:49 Main Topic of the Week: Self-Publishing Platforms for Ebooks [Note: Information in this Episode is Very Likely to Change]   So now let's move on to our main topic for the week, which is the main self-publishing platforms for ebooks. Today we will do a brief overview of the self-publishing platforms I currently use: Amazon/KDP, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, and Draft2Digital/Smashwords. The reason I wanted to do this is because there are many scammy platforms for self-publishing out there, but fortunately there are also many legitimate ones. Today we'll compare several of the most popular ones for ebooks. Just to make things easier for comparison, we'll be using the term platform to discuss both retailers and aggregators and we're not going to talk about options for self-publishing print or audio formats today. We're going to focus solely on ebooks.   First of all, what should you look for in a publishing platform? The first thing is to make sure you retain complete ownership of your content in all formats. Some of these scammer ones try to claim all rights to anything you try to post or sell through them, so that is definitely a red flag to watch out for. Make sure that you understand any exclusivity requirements of any programs that you sign up for such as KDP Select, such as if other formats like audio are also included in their requirements, how long exclusivity lasts, et cetera. If the platform requires exclusivity, that is definitely something to pay attention to. Make sure you do your research carefully to understand how pricing, royalties, and payments work on each individual platform. Sometimes some of them will pay quarterly, some of them pay monthly, and some of them pay you last month's royalties at the end of the month. Some of them like Amazon run like two months behind.   Finally, and this is a big one, you should not have to pay any money in order to upload your work. If they are asking for money upfront, it is probably a scam. Now, there are some aggregators that don't take a percentage and instead charge you a yearly fee. I'm not talking about them in this podcast episode because I don't use them, but they are out there. One example would be Book Funnel, which does charge a yearly fee for you to use but provides a valuable service in being a backend for running your own store on like Payhip or Shopify, and there's a couple of other useful services in that way, but they're not a storefront and they don't take a percentage of any royalties. They just charge a yearly fee. So they're not the topic with this episode.   All the platforms I've talked about today do not have any fees in order to upload. Reputable sites like Amazon or Kobo will instead take a percentage of each book's sale. It's also good to have a few realistic expectations before you start using self-publishing platforms, and one of them is that the platform is not a marketer. For example, many people complain that KDP doesn't showcase their books and they get lost in the millions of books available. However, none of these services are promising that you'll make the front page of their site just by publishing there. It's a common delusion among new indie authors that when you publish your first book, that's all you have to do and people will flock to it. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.   In fact, since Amazon makes a small fortune off book ads, it's not in their interest to give away screen space for free, and this isn't to knock on Amazon, that's just the way the retail industry works. For example, if you go into a Target or a Walmart or another big box retailer, note the products that are prominently displayed on the aisle displays or the endcaps of the aisles. They didn't just get there randomly. The manufacturers of those products paid big money to Amazon and Target and Walmart and the other big box retailers to have their products featured there. In many cases, online commerce is no different.   Getting your book uploaded onto a platform is just the first step. Promoting and marketing the book is up to you and strategies for those will vary based on which ones you choose to use. For example, if you choose to make your work exclusive to just one platform, it's not a good idea to run Facebook ads in countries where that platform either doesn't exist or where it's not terribly popular. Today we're going to be just focusing on comparing the platforms, not how to best to market from them. So what are the options?   #1: First up is the most common platform people use and it's the 800 pound gorilla in the self-publishing space, and that is Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing. And what are the pros and cons of KDP?   Pro: They are the biggest force in ebook publishing in many countries, including the United States. Some authors find that as much as 80 to 95% of their ebook sales come from Amazon, even if they are not exclusive with Amazon. For myself, it's usually about 50 to 60% of my sales on any given month are from Amazon and the rest come from the other retailers.   Heavy readers are generally very familiar with the Kindle Store interface and Library setup, and many readers are kind of locked into Amazon because they own Kindle devices, subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, and have large Kindle Libraries. So those are all the pros of publishing with KDP.   Cons: If you're expecting a large portion of your sales to come from the print version of your book or if print sales are very important to you, be aware that many bookstores and libraries either can't or won't buy print books from Amazon, so you should find an additional platform for the print version such as Ingram Spark or maybe Barnes & Noble's print division. One big concern about going exclusive with Amazon is that you're losing readers who don't have Kindle books in their countries, people who are boycotting Amazon for a variety of reasons, people who are locked into another platform such as Apple or Kobo, or people who want to self-archive their ebooks since Amazon doesn't allow that anymore. If you're already wide, you'll have to look carefully at what percentage of your sales are non-Amazon and if this percentage is an amount you'd be comfortable risking losing in order to be exclusive. Occasionally authors do complain about the customer service available to KDP, especially if it's urgent. For myself, I've not personally had any huge problems with KDP customer service. That said, I think you should expect a lead time of about one to two business days on anything you ask because I usually go through the email form.   Does KDP offer a subscription service? Yes. Kindle Unlimited (KU) readers pay a set amount and can read an unlimited number of books each month, although they're limited as to how many they can have in their library at any one time. Promotions happen regularly, usually based around big sales like Prime Day, and it can make a subscription as cheap as $0.99 for a three month period. Some also receive free subscriptions by buying certain Amazon products such as a new Kindle or Kindle Fire.   The downside of being in Kindle Unlimited is the exclusivity. You can't be in KU without being exclusive with Amazon, or at least the specific book in question has to be exclusive. Not all of your books have to be exclusive, and many authors such as myself will usually put one series in KU and then make sure everything else is wide. You must agree to be exclusive with them for ninety days and that time period is renewable.   What does KDP pay in terms of royalty? For $2.99 to $9.99, they give you 70% of the sale price. Under $2.99 and above $9.99, it's 35%. So that is sort of an encouragement from Amazon to price your ebooks in the $2.99 to $9.99 range. Currently I price new novels at $4.99 and do short stories at $0.99 cents.   What do I do? I have all of my titles available through KDP. I have a smaller portion of my collection exclusive through KDP Select/KU, and I have only recently increased that amount of Select titles due to the economic downturn. I suspect that KU users are likely to hold onto their subscriptions while cutting other expenses because honestly, KU is a pretty good deal for readers and the monthly subscription costs is about the same as one tradpub frontlist ebook, but with a KU subscription, they could read thousands of books for the same price. The value of KU is really very strong for frequent romance, LitRPG, science fiction, and fantasy readers. There's a strong population in the KU subscriber base often referred to as binge readers. They care more about variety, discovering new books, and the ability to read a lot over the ability to read specific authors or stories.   So overall, I think if you are self-publishing and even if you don't like Amazon very much or don't plan to go exclusive, it's still in your best interest to publish your ebook with them, even if you are wide and intend to do all the other retailers just because Amazon really is the biggest ebook platform out there at the moment. #2: Now, the next self-publishing platform we're going to look at is Barnes & Noble Press, which as the name implies, belongs to Barnes & Noble. The Pros: some people are never, ever going to let go of their Nooks or they already have a large personal ebook library through the Nook so they feel locked into that platform. These readers are the majority of people buying ebooks through Barnes & Noble, but fortunately that group tends to read a lot. There's also a lot of trust in Barnes & Noble as a brand, and that inspires people to continue buying from them.   In fact, for a while in the indie author space at the end of the 2010s and the start of the 2020s, it was a regular prediction that Barnes & Noble was going to go out of business soon, but then the company was bought by a private equity firm, and while private equity firms often have a deserved bad reputation for stripping a company of assets and then selling it off at a bargain basement price (such as the fate of Red Lobster), that does not seem to be the case of what happened with Barnes & Noble and the company really has been strengthening in recent years. So they may be here to stay for a while.   The downsides of publishing with Barnes & Noble Press is that Barnes & Noble is relatively a minor player in the ebook market, though usually in the top four of most indie author ebook sales if they're wide. They have shifted their focus to selling print books instead of Nook devices, especially in the retail space.   Do they offer a subscription service? They do not. However, nothing about Barnes & Noble requires exclusivity, which is nice, and the royalty structure is pretty good. It's 70% over all titles over $0.99. So if you want, you could price your ebook at $0.99 or $19.99 and still make 70%, which you couldn't do with those prices on Amazon.     #3: The next self-publishing platform we'll look at is Kobo Writing Life, which is the ebook platform to publish on Kobo, which is owned by Rakuten. Pros: Kobo is strong in the international market and will help you to reach readers in many countries. Based on my sales data, in Canada and Australia, Kobo is significantly bigger than Amazon for ebook sales. Kobo has also had a surge of recent media attention in the US as people seek out alternatives to Amazon and Kindle devices.   The Con of Kobo, and this is a fairly small one, is that their US market share is still fairly small compared to Amazon or Barnes & Noble or some of the others. But as I mentioned, they're a lot stronger in Canada and Australia, and they do reach a lot of different countries, more than Amazon does.   Does Kobo have a subscription service? Yes, Kobo Plus. Kobo Plus is significantly less expensive than Kindle Unlimited, and there's an additional tier that allows you to add audiobook content to the plan. The library isn't quite as extensive as KU though, though. I should note that in the years since Kobo has been introduced, I'd say about half of my revenue from Kobo (sometimes 60% of my revenue from Kobo) comes from Kobo Plus and not from direct ebook sales. So it's getting to the point where the majority of their ebook revenue I suspect, is coming from Kobo Plus and not direct Kobo sales.   Do they require exclusivity? No, which is another strong selling point for Kobo Plus. For their royalty structure, ebooks over $2.99, you get 70% and any books over below $2.99, you get 45%, which is a more generous term than Amazon in terms of the royalty rate for below $2.99 and above $9.99.   So what do I do? I currently use it as one of the platforms for my ebooks. It's been a pretty strong seller for me consistently over the years, and every Kobo book that I have is also available in Kobo Plus, which probably explains the revenue split I was talking about earlier. #4: The next platform we'll look at is Draft2Digital/Smashwords, which we'll do as one because Draft2Digital and Smashwords are in the process of merging. Draft2Digital is technically what's called an aggregator, where you upload your book and then they can publish on a variety of different platforms for you, and in exchange, they take a small cut of the sales. Draft2Digital is, in my opinion, probably the most effective way to get your ebooks through Apple and Smashwords. Apple does have its own direct uploading service, but I've never used it because there are a bit too many hoops to jump through.   Draft2Digital does, as I mentioned, have a way to publish on multiple storefronts at once while managing uploads and sales reporting through just one interface. They're not a storefront in and of themselves, although since Draft2Digital does own Smashwords, Smashwords essentially acts as their storefront for them. Although Draft2Digital lists Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble as an option, most authors will upload to these sites separately, and in fact, that's what I do for myself.   The Pros of Draft2Digital is that it's a definite time savings using Draft2Digital to publish across multiple platforms, especially with platforms like Apple that are more difficult or time consuming to learn. This is also a convenient way to make your work accessible to library platforms like Overdrive/Libby, Hoopla, and Bibliotheca, if that is important to you. Library sales have never been a huge priority of mine, but I've never been opposed to them either, so I usually just flip those switches on and then don't think about it again.   The Cons for Draft2Digital are that there was a period after the Smashwords migration where they received complaints about customer service and difficulty in setting up tax information, though I think that is mostly ironed out now.   One potential hazard for Draft2Digital with a very specific subset of writers is that if you are a writer of, shall we say, very hard erotica, the sort that ends up in very restricted categories on most stores, you will probably have trouble publishing through Draft2Digital. This is not, however, a problem that's unique to Draft2Digital. Amazon has what is called the “erotica dungeon”, where if you publish certain kinds of, like we said, very harsh erotica, your book isn't searchable on the Amazon store. You can link to it directly, but it will never show up on any search results. Kobo in particular has had problems with erotica.   Back in the 2010s, Kobo was also distributing ebooks to some British retailers, and these British retailers suddenly got upset when they noticed that these kinds of hard erotica were showing up on their store pages, which was not a good look for the company. And so there was a kerfuffle until that was all sorted out. My frank opinion with that is if you are writing these kinds of erotica, the big stores and Draft2Digital will never be on your side, and so you are better off pursuing a sort of a Patreon/running your own store on Shopify or Payhip strategy, but that is a bit of a digression.   So in terms of royalties, Draft2Digital takes 10% of the book's retail price per copy sold, which is in addition to whatever amount is taken by the specific storefront. So you are paying a bit of money in exchange for convenience for just uploading your book to Draft2Digital and having it push out the book to all the different stores for you.   What I do is I use Draft2Digital for Apple mainly because for a while I was using Smashwords, but Smashwords in the 2010s was a bit more persnickety than is now, and you needed to prepare a specially formatted doc file to publish on Smashwords and sometimes getting it through the Smashwords processing onto Apple was a bit of a pain. Draft2Digital took epub files, which are much easier to work with, and after a while I switched over all my Apple publishing to Draft2Digital entirely. So that's why I use Draft2Digital for Apple and for various library services that tend to be a minor amount of sales. Because of the difficulties on publishing direct to Apple, I do find that that 10% is good trade off in terms of selling books on Apple for me.   #5: Now onto Google Play's ebook self-publishing platform, which is, I think its full name is the Google Books Partner Center, which lets you publish books to the Google Play Store for sale on Android devices.   The Pros are that for writers interested in the international market, Google Play is another strong choice for a platform since the international mobile device market is very Android heavy. The iPhone (Apple) tends to be concentrated mainly in the US and a few of the wealthier countries like the UK and Canada, but Android has a much more international reach in general than the iPhone. Google Play also has some interesting promotional options for ebooks, such as offering the buyer a chance to subscribe to a specific series.   The cons are that some authors report that their sales reporting doesn't always consistently generate reports, and others are annoyed that it only generates a CSV file, (which isn't that much of a hardship for people who are familiar with Excel).   For myself, I found that there is a bit of a reporting lag on Google Play where it will sometimes take as long as five or six days for sales to show up on the dashboard, though usually it's only a delay of two days, though sometimes during the month you'll get these bigger lags and sometimes processing new material on the Google Play Store can be slow, and it can sometimes take two to three days for things to appear, though it usually gets worked out in the end. Does Google Play have a subscription service? It does not, nor does it require exclusivity, which is another point in its favor. And the royalties, the data is quite nice here. It is 70% for all price points in the countries listed on their support page, which only excludes a handful of countries like India, South Korea, and Japan (because of currency conversion regions or other local laws).   So those are the ebook publishing platforms that I currently use, and because I use them myself, I would recommend them. Hopefully that is helpful to you as you are looking for places to self-publish your book as you set out to become an indie author.   So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the backup episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

Damon Courtney, CEO of BookFunnel, joins Alexa to share how authors can use BookFunnel for more than just ebook delivery. From building email lists and distributing audiobooks to selling direct and collaborating with other authors, Damon covers the essential tools that make BookFunnel a must-have for indie success.

We just launched Book 1 of The Night Prince, our queer romantic fantasy series which will be a loooong journey. Raythe answers some nuts-n-bolts questions like, "when's the next book? is there audio?" BookFunnel page with all currently available formats, including audio and paperback: https://buy.bookfunnel.com/9k3o3crc7y Our YouTube channel where we livestream at least 2x / month now. Look on the "Live" tab for prescheduled streams, and our Community section for announcements: https://www.youtube.com/@RaytheReign/community Our email list, where you get the most reliable info, including a monthly digest with organized news, dates, links and more: https://shop.raythereign.com/free-book-email-list/

Selling your books outside of Amazon? Learn how direct sales for authors can increase profits, build reader relationships, and grow your brand. Discover the best platforms for selling books direct, how to set up your own storefront, and whether selling direct is right for you. Book Award Pro - https://DaleLinks.com/BookAwardPro (affiliate link) Mentioned resources & affiliate links: Gumroad - https://gumroad.com Payhip - https://DaleLinks.com/Payhip (affiliate link) Shopify - https://shopify.com BookFunnel - https://bookfunnel.com/ Laterpress - https://laterpress.com/ StoryOrigin - https://DaleLinks.com/StoryOrigin (affiliate link) Stripe - https://stripe.com/ PayPal - https://www.paypal.com/   Subscribe to The Self-Publishing Hub - https://TheSelfPublishingHub.com Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp  Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@DaleLRoberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

We are talking about email, newsletters and email marketing today. And we're starting with the basics. All of the companies I name in the episode are linked below. A few are affiliate links.Mailerlite (affiliate) https://katcaldwell.com/mailerliteSend Fox: https://sendfox.comMailchimp: https://mailchimp.comKit: https://kit.comConstant Contact: https://www.constantcontact.comStoryOriginApp (affiliate): https://katcaldwell.com/story-origin-apphttps://katcaldwell.com/Story-origin-email-marketing-guide (affiliate)BookFunnel: https://bookfunnel.comAuthorsXP: https://authorsxp.comWritten Word Media: https://www.writtenwordmedia.comBooksweeps: https://booksweeps.comLitRing: https://litring.com/Like Substack? Find me at Lessons In Story. https://lessonsinstory.substack.comSign up for my writers' newsletter to learn more about the craft of writing, know when my workshops are and be the first to get exclusive information on my writing retreats. https://katcaldwell.com/writers-newsletterWant more information on my books, author swaps, short stories and what I'm reading? Sign up for my readers' newsletter. https://storylectory.katcaldwell.com/signup You can always ask me writing questions on instagram @katcaldwell_writing

Ben shares insights on how writing a book isn't just about selling copies—it's about positioning yourself as an authority, generating leads, and creating a long-term legacy. He discusses common mistakes new authors make, how to structure a book for success, and why marketing a book starts before you even write a word. If you've ever thought about writing a book to boost your brand, this episode is a must-listen!Timestamps & Key Topics[00:00:00] - Introduction: Who is Ben Cena, and why should you listen to him?[00:01:00] - The rise of self-publishing and why traditional publishing is outdated[00:02:00] - How Ben transitioned from gym trainer to publishing expert[00:03:00] - The power of a book: Why becoming an author builds authority[00:04:00] - The biggest challenge for most aspiring authors: Procrastination & mindset[00:06:00] - Why writing a book is not enough—marketing is key[00:07:00] - The #1 mistake most first-time authors make[00:08:00] - Crafting the perfect book title & cover for maximum impact[00:10:00] - Case study: How one of Ben's clients turned $40K in ads into $250K in sales[00:12:00] - The real money in books: It's not about book sales, but business leverage[00:14:00] - Why YouTube is one of the best platforms for book marketing[00:16:00] - How to use a book to get TEDx talks, media exposure, and partnerships[00:18:00] - The step-by-step process Ben follows with new clients[00:20:00] - High Value Author's vision for 2025 and how they plan to scale[00:22:00] - Final thoughts: How to get started on your bestseller journeyWhat next:

Today we're joined by Michael Ebeling, who has developed The Author's Business Formula, an approach that combats two of the most challenging parts of promoting a book: maintaining momentum after the launch, and converting readers into clients. In this episode, Michael will share how you as an author can set yourself up for success by creating a book funnel to learn more about the people buying your book.

No budget? No problem! You don't need a big advertising spend to market your book effectively. Learn free and low-cost book marketing strategies that actually work, how to sell more books with minimal effort, and where to focus your time for maximum impact. If you're an indie author on a budget, this episode is a must! Book Award Pro - https://DaleLinks.com/BookAwardPro (affiliate link) Mentioned Sites & Services: MailerLite (email marketing) - https://DaleLinks.com/MailerLite Kit (email marketing) - https://kit.com Author Letter - https://authorletter.com My List of Book Promotion Site Lists - https://DaleLinks.com/BookPromo PodcastGuests - https://PodcastGuests.com StoryOrigin (book marketing resource) - https://DaleLinks.com/StoryOrigin (affiliate link) BookFunnel (book marketing resource) - https://BookFunnel.com  eBookFairs (book marketing resource) - https://DaleLinks.com/eBookFairs (affiliate link) GetCovers (pro cover design service) - https://DaleLinks.com/GetCovers (affiliate link) Hidden Gems Books (ARC service) - https://HiddenGemsBooks.com  NetGalley Co-Op (ARC service) - https://DaleLinks.com/NetGalleyCoOp (affiliate link) BookSirens (ARC service) - https://BookSirens.com Pubby - https://Pubby.co Get Authentic Book Reviews - https://GetAuthenticBookReviews.com  Book Bounty - https://DaleLinks.com/BookBounty (affiliate link)  Gemsy - https://DaleLinks.com/Gemsy (affiliate link) Subscribe to The Self-Publishing Hub - https://TheSelfPublishingHub.com Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp  Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@DaleLRoberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee  Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

In this week's episode, we take a look at five reasons to buy direct from authors through platforms such as Shopify and Payhip. We also take a look at my choice of computing platforms for 2025. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Tombs, Book #3 in the Ghost Armor series, (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store: TOMBS50 The coupon code is valid through February 7, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook for next week's cold weather, we've got you covered! 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates   Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 235 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is January the 17th, 2025 and today we are discussing the advantages of buying direct from the author. I will also share an update on what I've done for my writing computers this year and we also have Coupon of the Week, Question of the Week, and an update on my current writing projects. So let's get right to it.   Let's start with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code is for the audiobook of Ghost in the Tombs, as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy. That is Book Three of the Ghost Armor series, and this coupon will get you 50% off the audiobook at my Payhip store: TOMBS50. This coupon code will be valid through February 7, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook for next week's cold weather, we have got you covered. Now let's share an update on my current writing projects. As of this recording, I am 116,000 words into Shield of Deception, which puts me on chapter 28 of 31. So I'm hoping before too much longer I will be able to be done with the rough draft, which I think I'm hoping I'm going to be able to finish it on Monday the 20th if all goes well, but we'll see how things work out. I think it's going to end up being around 125,000 words, which will make it the longest book in the Shield War series and probably the longest book I've written since the end of my Dragontiarna series back in 2021. I kind of wanted a break from really long, complex epic fantasy, but I had my break. I'm rested and now we're doing it again. I'm also 13,000 words into Ghost in the Tombs, which will be the fourth book in the Ghost Armor series, and I'm hoping to have that out in March and Shield Deception out in February.   In audiobook news, Cloak of Masks is entirely done and working its way through processing. As I mentioned last week, it should be up on a couple of the stores like Google Play, Kobo, and Chirp, though it is not up on Audible yet. On Audible, though, is Ghost Armor Omnibus One (again narrated by Hollis McCarthy). That is an omnibus bundle of the first three books in the Ghost Armor series. That is available in audio at Audible, Amazon, and Apple. If you're on Audible, it is 31 hours of listening for just one credit, which in my opinion is a pretty good deal. That is where I'm at with my current writing projects.   00:02:32 Question of the Week   Now let's move on to Question of the Week. Question of the Week is intended for enjoyable discussions of interesting topics. This week's question: what is your favorite Mexican dish? No wrong answers, including not enjoying Mexican food. A little bit about semantics. I'm aware that Mexican food is a very broad net and like all such definitions is prone to a substantial bit of haziness. Mexican cuisine is not the same as Tex-Mex, which is not the same as Puerto Rican cuisine, which is not the same as Guatemalan cuisine and so on. And the various regions of Mexico itself all have their own distinct culinary traditions. But this is true of all cuisines. By Mexican food, I mean Mexican food as it is generally defined in the United States, which tends to be an assemblage of various foods from the American Southwest, Mexico, and Latin America. And as you might expect, we had numerous responses.   Our first response is from Justin who says: We have taco night here once a week or so, but no actual tacos are used. A pan of seasoned crumbled hamburger meat along with standard toppings is available for folks to make what they want. That generally becomes beef and cheese burritos and taco salad (regular bowl, corn chips added as desired).   Hollis (who narrates the Ghost and Cloak audiobooks as we as mentioned) says: Quesadillas. Taste decadent but can pack in healthy spinach and peppers and whole wheat tortillas with decadent meat and cheese.   Juana says: burritos, loaded!   Tracy says: chicken and guacamole with roasted veggies.   Becca says: Chile en nogada, basically a meat stuffed grilled chili. I have had it with chicken and beef, usually comes with pomegranate or other fruit containing sauce.   John says: Three barbacoa tacos with cilantro, onion and the green salsa and three beef fajita tacos the same way. With large horchata from a sketchy food truck usually found in front of the local tire shop.   I have to say some of the best Mexican food I've had has come from somewhat sketchy food trucks in front of local tire shops.   Bob says: Any kind of mole. One nearby restaurant had a duck mole that was excellent.   A different John says: I'm always searching for a great cheese enchilada. At least three, please. Cheryl says: Never had Mexican, so can't comment.   Jenny says: Queso dip, especially when it's got beef and chili seasoning (not like chili peppers, but the southwest chili seasoning and beef).   Scott says: Anything Al Pastor (burritos taco, et cetera).   Steve says: Fish tacos, any way I can get them.   Yet another John says: Brisket quesadillas.   I've actually had those and they're very good.   Andrew Abbott says: Quesadilla.   Gary says: Al pastor.   Mandy says: Carnitas.   For myself, I think my favorite would be arroz con pollo with mushrooms. Tasty, very filling, and so long as you don't go too heavy on the cheese, it's not too terribly bad for you. I've had a couple of different variations of it, including one that had carrots and I admit I was dubious when it came out with carrots in the arroz con pollo, but it was really good. Steak fajitas would be a close second in my Mexican food preference list. The inspiration for this question was that I made homemade nachos for dinner twice this week and I also made tacos twice for dinner this week because if you make up enough taco mix, you can get a couple of meals out of it. So that's it for Question of the Week.   00:05:37 Work Computers/Writing Computer for 2025   Now I thought I'd talk a little bit about what I'm going to use for a computer in 2025. The reason for this is a couple of weeks ago, I posted a meme about choosing a new computer on Facebook and promptly forgot I had done so, but then I looked back a week and a half later to see it had gone viral and people are still arguing about the best computer in the comments, which is good summary of social media, isn't it? You can carefully consider a 1,500 word post that will get like three likes at the most but toss a meme up and forget about it and you'll come back in a week to see it had thousands of views and almost 300 comments, all of them arguing for or against specific computing platforms. So that is the reason I thought I would share what I actually picked for my computing needs in 2025.   Three caveats: One, for your own computing requirements, pick whatever meets your needs and that your budget will allow. Windows, Mac OS, Linux, a tablet, whatever. It doesn't really matter. Honestly, I think 90% of people can do 95% of what they need in a web browser nowadays anyway and maybe use a cheap laser printer to print something out like every other month or so. I recently helped an elderly relative with a computer problem and she does about 95% of her computer needs on her Kindle Fire tablet and only breaks out her laptop when a webpage doesn't render properly on mobile. She can even print from her Kindle Fire. That said, I definitely fall into that 10% that cannot use a web browser for everything. Caveat two, my objective isn't to have the best computer or the most powerful computer, it's to have the computer that will be the most efficient in helping me write and publish books. And finally, caveat three. I worked for a long, long time in IT support and I did in fact write an internationally bestselling book about the Linux command line. I have done tech support for operating systems that no longer exist. Remember Windows CE on phones, Palm OS, Windows Phone, getting Mac OSX to talk to Windows Print Services, getting Mac OSX to talk to Active Directory, and Windows Millennium Edition (ugh)? I remember them and none too fondly. That means whatever objection you may have to Windows, Mac OS, Linux, or any other operating system, I probably know about it already have personally experienced it and have in fact tried to fix it while on the phone with someone having a panic attack about that particular problem. So with all that in mind, this is what I will use for computers in 2025 and hopefully for several years longer than that. For my writing/editing computer, I have picked a Mac mini M4. I've mentioned before that I'm increasingly unhappy with Windows 11 because of Microsoft's turn towards AI. I thought long and hard about either Linux or Mac OS and in the end, I decided on Mac OS because I have several subcontractors who all use Excel. Granted, you can install Excel on a Linux system with an emulation layer, but it never works 100% right. Some of the more advanced Excel stuff, which I do use, freaks out with it. There are a number of excellent spreadsheet programs available for Linux as well, but none of them have 100% compatibility with Excel, which is what I need.   Additionally for ebook and paperback formatting, I use Vellum, which is Mac only. I have been very happy with Vellum since 2018, which means I've it to format around 60 different eBooks and paperbacks. So based on all that, I chose the Mac mini M4. I've been reasonably happy with it so far, since I've written about half of Shield of Deception on it. It's quite fast, which shows there are some advantages to the same company producing the CPU and the operating system. Microsoft Word is definitely faster on the M4 and the M Series Macs than it was on the Intel based Macs. I wasn't expecting this, but the overall lack of distraction in Mac OS is nice. It's very unobtrusive. Windows 11 is a very cluttered environment by default with lots of distractions and it is very annoying how Microsoft has been encrusting ads throughout the operating system. You can turn on quiet mode of course, but it's pleasant to have the overall lack of distraction be the default. So the Mac mini M4 will be the computer I use for writing, editing and book layout, but that's not all I do. My everything else computer will be a Windows 11 Intel Core I7 desktop. My previous computer before the Mac mini, a Windows 11 box with Intel Core I7, will also remain in use. The thing about being an indie publisher is that writing and editing isn't all I do. I do my own covers now, which means Photoshop and DAZ3D. Both of those applications are big, fat memory hogs. I definitely did not want to shell out the money for a Mac with that much memory. There's also advertising, which means a lot of spreadsheets and using Photoshop to make those ad images and other miscellaneous tasks like recording expenses, web design, audio proofing, podcast recording, and so forth. In fact, I'm recording this podcast on that computer right now, so my Windows 11 box is now my everything else computer. It doesn't have an NPU chip, which means that Windows 11's more odious features like Recall won't work on it, therefore I plan to nurse it along as long as possible. I have to admit there was an unanticipated pleasant psychological effect to this. When I write, I go to my writing computer and when I need to do something else, I use my everything else computer, so it's easier to avoid getting distracted by something else I need to do while I'm writing.   I should mention gaming. I don't really use desktop computers for gaming any longer. They're for work. If there's a PC game I want to play, it needs to be able to run on my laptop while I sit on my couch. Otherwise, it's not going to happen. In the past five years, I spent more time playing games on the Switch and the Xbox than on desktop PC. So that is my computer plan for 2025, write on the Mac, do everything else on the PC. I should mention that the day before I started recording this, Microsoft pushed out an update that added this big ugly Copilot AI button to Word and Excel. So while I'm going to finish Shield of Deception in Microsoft Word, I am probably going to write Ghost in the Assembly in either Libre Office Writer or maybe MobiOffice. I need something that's cross compatible between Windows and Mac, so I'll be investigating other word processor options with all this Copilot stuff they're jamming into Word, but in the end, I'm grateful I'm able to use two different desktop computers and hopefully I will use these computers to produce many good books for you to read in 2025.   00:12:00 Main Topic of the Week: 5 Reasons You Should Buy Direct from Authors   Now on to our main topic, five reasons you should buy direct from authors. What do we mean by selling direct? It's when the author has his or her own store hosted on a site like Shopify or Payhip that allows the author to sell eBooks, audiobooks, and sometimes paperbacks direct to readers. I should mention this is not intended in any way to be shaming or bullying. If you are most comfortable buying your eBooks from Amazon or Kobo or Apple Books or Google or any other platform, that is what you should do. This is just to talk about the advantages for both readers and writers for buying direct from authors. Payhip and Shopify are the two most popular platforms for selling direct to readers. I use Payhip since I'm mostly interested in selling eBooks and audiobooks direct and not paperbacks. You can actually look at my Payhip store, which is https://payhip.com/jonathanmoeller. The links are also available on my website and indeed in the show notes for the show for Coupon of the Week.   So why even bother with direct sales when most people are now locked into a platform like Amazon or Kobo and their libraries? Why take the time to convince readers to buy directly from the author? What are the advantages to the author and more importantly, what are the advantages to the reader? And there are five of them, which we'll discuss now.   #1: Faster access to new releases. The reason Payhip is always the first platform to become available for one of my new books by about a day or so is that when a new title releases, it's because I'm uploading it myself. With Amazon or other sites, my books are essentially put into a line with many, many other titles and I can't control or predict when it will become available for customers. Various stores can take longer to process or be unavailable/down when a new book releases. Kobo glitched quite badly at various points throughout 2024. In 2021, Barnes and Noble suffered a ransomware attack that blocked the ability to upload new books to the platform for about a month, and all the other stores have had various technical glitches throughout time. That's just the nature of running a large website, but having a site like Payhip gives me a place where people can turn to when it happens. Quite a few people bought Cloak of Illusion from Payhip because Kobo was down for a week when I was trying to upload the book to the site.   #2: The second reason, which is a big advantage for both readers and writers, is that I can control discounts and permafree so it's easier to get discounts from an author's store. It's easier to provide discounts on Payhip because I'm getting a higher profit margin. Even with the 50% discount on Ghost in the Tombs we mentioned this week, I still would make from that discounted audiobook more than on Audible and pretty close to what I get from some of the more generous sites like Chirp or Google Play or Kobo.   Just like with the uploads, I also have complete control over when the discounts happen on Payhip. Otherwise, as I mentioned earlier, I'm at the mercy of when the uploaded book processes on various stores, just like with release dates. It's hard to promote discounts or short-term freebies on those other platforms because the price change move slowly (and often unreliably) there, whereas they're instant on Payhip. Payhip is also my hub for providing free content to my readers beyond my Permafree series starters. Keep an eye on my blog and Facebook page for Coupon of the Week, where as I mentioned earlier in the show, I give out codes with steep discounts for my Payhip store. I also provide free short stories on my Payhip store for a limited time when new books release. Subscribe to my newsletter if you'd like to know when those free short stories become available. I also make a dozen older short stories (both ebook and audiobook) free on my Payhip at the end of each year, an event called 12 Days of Short Story Christmas. If you follow my website and blog, you might remember that from recently. It would take too much time away from writing to do all these things on all the other platforms, and it often isn't technically possible. Using Payhip frees up my time to do more writing instead of trying to work with the tech support of six different vendors when something doesn't switch price in time to run a specific promotion.   #3: A third advantage, and that is a big advantage for readers, is I am not interested in your data and I am not spying on you the way that a large e-commerce site might be. Payhip basically just shows me the buyer's email for an individual's data. I can't see any other purchases you make. I can't see any individual demographic data and I can't see anything that would be uncomfortable for me to know. Basically all I see is your email address and your geographic location (your rough geographic location), which obviously the store needs in order to calculate sales tax liability. I intentionally set up the Payhip store so that you don't need a user account to buy books or audiobooks there. We also try and turn off the more annoying site settings like follow up emails that request reviews. Even the aggregate data on the Payhip app dashboard is extremely limited compared to other platforms. I can see a map shaded in with countries of visitors, which isn't accurate or useful in an age where you can use a VPN to switch your location with the click of a button. [We can see] if users are accessing the link directly from a Google search and the raw number of clicks on the page. Compared to the amount of data collected by other sites, [that is very minimal]. For example, other sites can show that men ages 23 to 28 who like Taylor Swift, own a cat, and live in Canada are looking at your page at midnight on Tuesday. That is much less data than Payhip collects, so therefore, if you're concerned about data privacy, Payhip is a stronger choice than most other ebook and audiobook platforms. For details about what Payhip tracks separate from what the individual author does, check out their privacy policy.   #4: The fourth advantage is the reader gets a choice of file formats and you can send files to another ebook library. With Amazon or indeed any of the other ebook stores, you get your chosen format for an ebook and can't switch that format without using third party software. At my Payhip store, you get three ebook formats: epub, PDF, and when possible, the ancient .mobi format (which is kinda depreciated and gradually going away). I've noticed that people who like PDFs really like PDFs, and so if you want your ebook in PDF form, you can get them in PDF form from my Payhip store.   Having a choice of different file formats allows you to more easily import the books into the platforms you already use like Kindle or Kobo. It's a pretty simple process to send files to your Kindle, Kobo, iPad, or other device so you have access to them in your library there. All my eBooks are integrated with Book Funnel, so if you have a Book Funnel account, they automatically show up in your library. Book Funnel also has directions for sideloading the files onto your various devices.   #5: The fifth advantage, and this is a really big one for readers, is all the files you buy from me on Payhip are DRM free files that you can self-archive. Digital rights management limits your ability to transfer books and audiobooks through apps, devices, and so forth. It controls the way that you access things you have purchased. It's often said that you don't buy digital content, you have a conditional lease on it that's controlled by the platform you buy it from.   The content that you buy can disappear, especially when a platform is sold or closes. We've all heard horror stories of people whose accounts at various online retailers get closed for some reason, and then they lose their access to the library of any media they have purchased there or a platform can go out of business. There was a minor, well, actually a fairly major scandal a few years ago when a romance themed ebook store went out of business and everyone lost their access to their libraries. And for a while Microsoft was offering eBooks for sale through the Edge browser, but as we know, Microsoft tends to change mind about things a lot, and that went away and eventually people lost their ability to access any eBooks they had purchased through the Microsoft store. And this isn't even the first time Microsoft did this. Way back in the ‘90s and early 2000s, Microsoft was trying to be become a music retailer to compete with Apple's iTunes store, and they used a kind of a DRM called Play For Sure. Eventually they got out of that business and shut down Play For Sure's servers and anyone who had purchased music locked to that DRM could no longer play it. Our Payhip store has DRM free files. These allow you to store and archive the files separate from the ebook and audiobook stores so that doesn't happen. It allows you to actually own the content that you buy and build a library that best suits your needs. So that way, if for some reason (let's say for example, your audiobook store account gets hacked and you get locked out of it), you won't lose all your eBooks that you bought through my Payhip store if you downloaded them and stored them on a local storage device or some other kind of archive system.   One final advantage that is more for the author than for the reader, it is a better profit margin for direct sales than is for any of the other stores. The best percentage you can get in the ebook sales on any of the other stores is Amazon, which offers 70% for eBooks between $2.99 and $9.99. Whereas with Payhip, I get about 85% of each sale (minus sales tax and credit card processing fees). The Coupons of the Week we have been doing so far this year are a good example of that. I'm selling the Ghost audiobooks connected with the coupon for 50% off and the standard sales price is $11.99, which means you get them for about $5.99. Even though that's cheap, I still get almost as much money from a $5.99 sale than I would from a purchase on Audible or any of the other major audiobook platforms. Those are five reasons to buy direct from an author. I should note, it's just not good for the author. It offers many advantages for the reader as well.   So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the backup episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.

Many self-published authors treat paperbacks and hardcovers as an afterthought, assuming they're too hard to sell or less lucrative than eBooks. This week's guest, author Kevin G. Chapman, challenges that notion by sharing how indie authors can effectively market and sell their physical books. From leveraging platforms like IngramSpark to building relationships with bookstores and libraries, Kevin outlines the strategies he uses to get paperbacks and hardcovers into readers' hands and unlock new revenue streams. Kevin also shares his experience in producing and marketing audiobooks, an ever-expanding market with unique opportunities for indie authors. By utilizing platforms like BookFunnel and Gumroad, he demonstrates how to maintain greater control, boost profits, and broaden your reach. So if you're ready to expand your publishing strategy beyond eBooks and tap into the often overlooked potential of both physical and audiobooks, this episode offers the insights and inspiration you've been waiting for.   Kevin G. Chapman https://kevingchapman.com/   Hidden Gems Need our help publishing or marketing your book?  https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/author-services/   All episode details and links:  https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/podcast

How can you build a scalable business around non-fiction books? How can you turn a book into multiple streams of income? How can you delegate in order to scale? Michael Bungay Stanier shares his thoughts. In the intro, Bookfunnel's Universal Book Links, and How to Write Non-Fiction Second Edition; ALCS survey results of writers on […] The post Building A Business Ecosystem Around Non-Fiction Books With Michael Bungay Stanier first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Episode 107: Most people have seen the ads for “free plus shipping” books that you get targeted with on Facebook. It's an incredibly effective way of generating high-quality leads for your online business.The idea isn't to make money with the book sales… it's to turn your book buyers into high-ticket  clients on the back end with other offers.In this episode, Aurora Winter explains how she turned one of her books into a free plus shipping offer and generated $250k in sales on the backend, and all of the pieces of the puzzle she had to create in order to make it all work.About Aurora Winter: Aurora is a successful entrepreneur, bestselling author, TV writer-producer, and the founder of www.SamePagePublishing.com.Her award-winning books include "Turn Words Into Wealth" and “Magic, Mystery, and the Multiverse.A popular media guest, Aurora has been featured on ABC-TV, CBS-TV, KTLA-TV, Huffington Post, Elle magazine, Oprah Radio, The Rebel Author podcast, and more.Using her expertise in film and neuroscience, she helps people tell memorable stories that build brands, books, and businesses.Get Aurora's “Thought Leader Launch Starter Library” here: https://turnwordsintowealth.comCheck Out Aurora Winter's other books: Same Page Publishing: https://www.samepagepublishing.com Marketing Fasttrack Amazon: https://a.co/d/8xrIglK Turn Words Into Wealth Amazon: https://a.co/d/7RRkVYbConnect with Aurora: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/AuroraWinter YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/AuroraWinter Linktree: https://linktr.ee/AuroraWinter Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuroraWinterMBA TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aurorafantasybooks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurorafantasybooks/Want to SCALE your online business bigger and faster without the endless hustle of networking, referrals, and pumping out content that nobody sees?Grab our Ultimate Ad Script for Coaches, Agencies, and Course Creators.Learn the exact 5-step script we teach our clients that allows them to generate targeted, high-quality leads at ultra-low cost, so you can land paying customers and clients without breaking the bank on ad spend.Grab the Ultimate Ad Script right HERE - https://join.digitaltrailblazer.com/ultimate-ad-script✅ Connect With Us:Website - https://DigitalTrailblazer.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/digitaltrailblazer/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitaltrailblazerTwitter: https://twitter.com/DgtlTrailblazerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/DigitalTrailblazer

“I want you to own the relationship with your reader. It should be your website they're buying on, not mine. So they're buying on your website. They're experiencing your process.”-- Damon Courtney In “Interview with BookFunnel creator Damon Courtney, part 2” How To Write the Future podcast host, Beth Barany continues her interview with Damon Courtney where he explains the importance of direct sales with BookFunnel, explains its features. Plus they discuss how traditional publishing is following the independent publishing in the realm of success. Damon also shares what's next for Bookfunnel!Be sure to listen to part 1 of our conversation here: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2024/10/21/interview-with-bookfunnel-creator-damon-courtney-part-1/ABOUT DAMON COURTNEYDamon Courtney is the creator and CEO of BookFunnel, an ebook and audiobook delivery service for authors and publishers. As a lifelong software engineer, Damon is an expert in just about everything technical and can offer unique insight on publishing as it relates to software and technology. He is also the self-published author of his very own fantasy trilogy and continues to spin stories in his head that he hopes to some day get around to writing.Website: https://bookfunnel.comRESOURCESGET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING - START HEREFree World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/Like what you hear? You can tip me: https://ko-fi.com/bethbaranySign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/Get support for your fiction writing by a novelist and writing teacher and coach. Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadec. 2024 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!--CONNECTContact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580Email: beth@bethbarany.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/CREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://get.descript.com/0clwwvlf6e3jMUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“I set out really just to write myself a set of instructions that I could give to readers who joined my list. And ended up building BookFunnel.”-- Damon Courtney In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, “Interview with Bookfunnel creator Damon Courtney” host, Beth Barany interviews Bookfunnel creator Damon Courtney where Damon shares the inspiration behind creating the author service and why authors need their own mailing list. Together they discuss the many helpful features the platform has and Beth shares why she has been a long-time customer.ABOUT DAMON COURTNEYDamon Courtney is the creator and CEO of BookFunnel, an ebook and audiobook delivery service for authors and publishers. As a lifelong software engineer, Damon is an expert in just about everything technical and can offer unique insight on publishing as it relates to software and technology. He is also the self-published author of his very own fantasy trilogy and continues to spin stories in his head that he hopes to some day get around to writing.Website: https://bookfunnel.comABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTThe How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers and get curious about the future of humanity.ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany, an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist, teaches novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor.RESOURCESBookfunnel: https://bookfunnel.comGET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING - START HEREFree World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadec. 2024 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!--CONNECTContact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580Email: beth@bethbarany.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/CREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://get.descript.com/0clwwvlf6e3jMUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“The real true gift is helping other people realize the power in their own stories.”Have you ever wondered what it's like to write incredible stories and help others shine, all while staying completely behind the scenes? What drives someone to choose anonymity while crafting masterpieces that change lives?Many of us wrestle with the balance between creative freedom and the need to step into the spotlight, especially in a world where visibility seems key to success.Crystal Adair-Bening is a highly sought-after ghostwriter and Word Magic book coach who has ghostwritten four New York Times best-selling books. Known for her ability to help rebels, misfits, and change-makers bring their stories to life, Crystal's approach marries creativity with strategy. Her work ensures her clients stand out as thought leaders, while she remains comfortably behind the curtain, letting their stories take center stage.Expert action steps: Start by writing it down. Make writing a habit, not a hobby. Focus on writing the best book, not accolades.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystaladairbenning/Websites: https://wordmagiccopywriting.com/https://writewordmagic.com/Visit eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level.

In der neuesten Episode des Mission Bestseller Selfpublishing-Podcasts habe ich mit meinen Kolleginnen Andrea Wilk und Freya von Korff über das Selfpublishing-Live-Event gesprochen, dass wir im Juni 2024 besucht haben. Wir tauschen unsere Erfahrungen und Eindrücke aus und erzählen, welche Inspirationen und Impulse wir mitgenommen haben. Und hier der rss-Feed von »Dein Buch mit Tom Oberbichler«: http://dein_buch.libsyn.com/rss In dieser Podcast-Folge sprechen wir unter anderem folgende Aspekte an: Was sind die Hauptunterschiede zwischen zweitägigen Veranstaltungen wie dem London Self-Publishing Live Event und den Buchmessen in Frankfurt oder Leipzig? Wie können deutsche Autoren von der Kultur der Offenheit und Unterstützung in der amerikanischen Self-Publishing-Community profitieren? Was haben wir persönlich an Impulsen von dem Event mitgenommen? Welche spezifischen Vorteile bietet BookFunnel für Selfpublisher und wie kann es den Selfpublishing-Prozess erleichtern und bereichern? Wie wichtig ist die Kenntnis der englischen Sprache für deutsche Selfpublisher, die an internationalen Veranstaltungen teilnehmen möchten? Welche Rolle spielt Networking bei diesen Veranstaltungen und wie stellst du sicher, dass du die bestmöglichen Kontakte knüpfst? Wie können Selfpublisher am besten vom Nutzen solcher internationalen Events profitieren? Was erhoffen wir uns für die nächste Auflage dieses Selfpublishing-Events? An welchen aktuellen Buchprojekten arbeiten Freya von Korff und AD Wilk?   Hier die Links, die wir im Podcast ansprechen, und weiterführende Informationen, Tipps und Erfahrungsberichte rund um Bücher, eBooks und deinen Erfolg: Hier kommst du zur Digitalen Version des Selfpublishing Formula Live-Events 2024 mit den Aufzeichnungen aller Vorträge: https://selfpublishingformula.com/digital2023 Hier findest du die Webseite von Freya von Korff: www.freyavonkorff.com Hier findest du „Der Ring der Pharaonen“ auf Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TjMQiN Hier kommst du zur Webseite von Andrea Wilk: Hier findest du "15 Erfolgsschlüssel für dein kreatives Mindset": https://amzn.to/3MDOFUb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freya_von_korff https://www.instagram.com/adwilk_autorin TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freya_von_korff https://www.tiktok.com/@adwilk_autorin   Unter diesem Link kannst du dich zu meinen aktuellen kostenlosen Online-Trainings anmelden: https://mission-bestseller.com/onlinetraining Hier kommst du zum Mission Bestseller Schreib-Bootcamp: https://mission-bestseller.com/bootcamp   Hier geht es zu den Mission Bestseller Buchmarketing-Bootcamps: https://mission-bestseller.com/buchmarketingcamp Hier findest du alles rund ums Selfpublishing: https://mission-bestseller.com Einige der Links auf dieser Seite sind Affiliate-Links und ich erhalte eine Provision, wenn du über sie kaufst, die sich nicht auf deinen Kaufpreis auswirkt.

Self-publishing might be a DIY publishing model, but there are plenty of tools and resources to help you get your book from manuscript to market. In this episode, Matt & Lauren discuss a debatable number of tools to help you draft, edit, format, design, market, and ship your book. Dive Deeper

Today's top story is Landing Test. Question of the week is Have you tried Facebook Ads to advertise your books before? What has been your best performing ad platform so far? Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

In this episode, Lauren & Matt share ideas for repurposing your existing content. Hint: it's by turning that content into a book. We share ideas for both nonfiction and fiction book projects, including options that require little to no new writing. Have a question about self-publishing, selling direct, Lulu, or any of the weird tangents Matt & Lauren like to meander through? Email us at podcast@lulu.com to submit your question for our upcoming AMA episode! Dive Deeper

StoryOrigin is a cross-promotional marketing tool for authors that helps authors build their email lists, increase book sales and page reads, and get more reviews. Whether you're looking for software to handle beta readers or distribute to an advanced reader copy team or manage newsletter swaps with other authors - StoryOrigin is a versatile tool all writers should consider for their self published book. But, is this marketing tool for books on Amazon and beyond any good? How does StoryOrigin compare to its competitor, BookFunnel? And, is it truly necessary for publishing books? Get deeper insights in this podcast! StoryOrigin - https://DaleLinks.com/StoryOrigin (affiliate link) Book Award Pro - https://DaleLinks.com/BookAwardPro (affiliate link) Subscribe to The Self-Publishing Hub - https://TheSelfPublishingHub.com Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@DaleLRoberts Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

Was funktioniert gerade richtig gut für Autorinnen und Autoren, die ihre Bücher im Selfpublishing veröffentlichen? Ich bin gerade frisch zurück von dem „Selfpublishing Show Live“ Event in London und fasse in dieser Folge des Mission Bestseller meine Eindrücke zusammen und teile die Erkenntnisse und Inspirationen, die ich mitgebracht habe mit dir. Und hier der rss-Feed von »Dein Buch mit Tom Oberbichler«: http://dein_buch.libsyn.com/rss In dieser Podcast-Folge spreche ich unter anderem folgende Aspekte an: 1.    Was sind die neuesten Trends und Entwicklungen im Self-Publishing, die auf der Self-Publishing Show Live in London präsentiert wurden? 2.    Wie hat Tom Oberbichler die Veranstaltung im Vergleich zu den großen Buchmessen in Frankfurt und Leipzig erlebt? 3.    Welche wertvollen Informationen und Inspirationen hat Tom Oberbichler aus den Vorträgen und dem Event mitgenommen? 4.    Welche Rolle spielen Hörbücher und Direct-Selling im Self-Publishing-Markt und welche neuen Entwicklungen gibt es in diesen Bereichen? 5.    Was sind die Vorteile und Herausforderungen des Direktverkaufs von Büchern über die eigene Webseite im Gegensatz zu Verkaufsplattformen wie Amazon? 6.    Wie beeinflussen die Trends im englischsprachigen Raum die Self-Publishing-Szene im deutschsprachigen Raum? 7.    Welche Geschäftsmodelle und Marketingstrategien wurden auf der Veranstaltung besprochen, die auch für deutsche Self-Publisher:innen relevant sein könnten? 8.    Welche Technologien und Dienstleistungen (z.B. ACX, feiyr.com, BookFunnel, Bookvault) werden im Self-Publishing-Markt genutzt und wie unterscheiden sie sich im deutschsprachigen und englischsprachigen Raum? 9.    Welche praktischen Tipps und Strategien hat Tom Oberbichler für Self-Publisher:innen mitgenommen und welche kommenden Online-Trainings bietet er an? 10.  Wie können Self-Publisher:innen ihre Metadaten optimieren, um die Sichtbarkeit und Verkaufszahlen ihrer Bücher zu erhöhen? Hier die Links, die wir im Podcast ansprechen, und weiterführende Informationen, Tipps und Erfahrungsberichte rund um Bücher, eBooks und deinen Erfolg: https://mission-bestseller.com/onlinetraining https://mission-bestseller.com/metadaten/ https://mission-bestseller.com/folge-304-mehr-als-nur-amazon-die-vorteile-von-crowdfunding-fuer-buecher-mit-kickstarter/ https://mission-bestseller.com/folge-307-crowdfunding-fuer-buecher-eine-erfolgsbilanz-mit-a-d-wilk-und-ihrem-buch-cloe/ Hier findest du alles rund ums Selfpublishing: https://mission-bestseller.com Einige der Links auf dieser Seite sind Affiliate-Links und ich erhalte eine Provision, wenn du über sie kaufst, die sich nicht auf deinen Kaufpreis auswirkt.

From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2021. Our interviews on Entrepreneurs On Fire are meant to be evergreen, and we do our best to confirm that all offers and URL's in these archive episodes are still relevant. Rob Kosberg is a 2x Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and the founder of Best Seller Publishing. Rob helps experts to stop hunting for clients and instead become the hunted with their own best selling book. He has been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and Entrepreneur magazine as well as many others... Top 3 Value Bombs 1. If you don't have something to make yourself standout, then getting to 7 figures is going to be really difficult. 2. Being able to set yourself head and shoulders above your competition, and have something that is attracting your ideal client to you over and over again, is worth the hard work. 3. The biggest mistake is allowing doubt and fear to stop you from taking the necessary steps. FREE Book! Publish. Promote. Profit. Plus 3 BONUS Trainings - Publish. Promote. Profit. Sponsors HubSpot Stop spending more time managing tools than connecting with prospects and customers. HubSpot's customer platform is a smoother, more effective way to grow. Visit HubSpot.com to learn more FranBridge Many EOFire listeners have launched franchises in a variety of industries outside of food – and FranBridge Consulting has guided them to these premier opportunities! Sign up for a free consultation with Jon - or get a free copy of his book, Non-Food Franchising - at FranBridgeConsulting.com Ethos Get term life insurance through Ethos today to help protect your family's finances. Get up to 2 million dollars in coverage in just 10 minutes at EthosLife.com/fire. Thanks to Ethos for sponsoring us

From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2021. Our interviews on Entrepreneurs On Fire are meant to be evergreen, and we do our best to confirm that all offers and URL's in these archive episodes are still relevant. Rob Kosberg is a 2x Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and the founder of Best Seller Publishing. Rob helps experts to stop hunting for clients and instead become the hunted with their own best selling book. He has been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and Entrepreneur magazine as well as many others... Top 3 Value Bombs 1. If you don't have something to make yourself standout, then getting to 7 figures is going to be really difficult. 2. Being able to set yourself head and shoulders above your competition, and have something that is attracting your ideal client to you over and over again, is worth the hard work. 3. The biggest mistake is allowing doubt and fear to stop you from taking the necessary steps. FREE Book! Publish. Promote. Profit. Plus 3 BONUS Trainings - Publish. Promote. Profit. Sponsors HubSpot Stop spending more time managing tools than connecting with prospects and customers. HubSpot's customer platform is a smoother, more effective way to grow. Visit HubSpot.com to learn more FranBridge Many EOFire listeners have launched franchises in a variety of industries outside of food – and FranBridge Consulting has guided them to these premier opportunities! Sign up for a free consultation with Jon - or get a free copy of his book, Non-Food Franchising - at FranBridgeConsulting.com Ethos Get term life insurance through Ethos today to help protect your family's finances. Get up to 2 million dollars in coverage in just 10 minutes at EthosLife.com/fire. Thanks to Ethos for sponsoring us

Announcements:  Registration is open for the 2024 Writer Craft Writing Retreat and Workshop in Marcola, Oregon. At this point, there is only four private tickets left and three shared tickets. We'll likely sell out again. ValerieIhsan.com/retreat for more info.  Erick is publishing an anthology; call for submissions (horror inspired by PNW); https://caretakerpress.org   UPDATE:  Valerie:   New book out for writers: Three Story Method: Writing How-To Books by Valerie Ihsan, J. Thorn, and Miranda Weingartner     Erick:   working with marketer (digital); an analysis of web presence has a LOT of tasks to do (do this when you've been in the market--author services--for a while and have some idea of where you lack before hiring the analysis.)   Just finished: The Ward Witch by Sarah Painter I'M READING:    The Book Keeper by Sarah Painter   Up Next: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin  Erick's Reading:  The Bachman Books (Stephen King) Ring Shout P Djèlí Clark Show Notes:  KDP is always changing. In marketing main series, put lead magnet as permafree on Amazon (instead of using Book Funnel to get people on mailing lists).  1. New cover 2. 99 cents on amazon 3. Barnes and Noble free 4. Let amazon know for the price match 5. No marketing to it. But naturally 100 downloads from organic reach. Led to sell through to rest of series. A+. Plus led to multiple reviews to all the books. Permafree method still works.  Next step: running ads to permafree and amping up the sell-through. Virtual Voice on Amazon/KDP (in KDP profile opt in to Beta testing). Ease of use is great. Have an audio book at a click of button. Cost of narrator and editor (local guy) = ~$2200 Two different versions of the audio book? Narrated by Virtual Voice vs Narrated by the author. Can we proof the audio files? Am I "locked in" to this audio? We do outgrow things. We can pivot. Next Episode:  solo show "Bringing Your Manuscript from Boring to BadAss." Find Us: Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor Writer Craft Facebook Group Valerie's Services: https://valerieihsan.com Valerie's Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com Valerie's Facebook Page and Instagram account Erick's Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com Erick's free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n Erick's Author Site: https://erickmertzauthor.com Erick's Facebook Page and Instagram account Patreons:  https://patreon.com/valerieihsan    https://patreon.com/strangeairmysteries Tools: Passion Planner: https://passionplanner.rfrl.co/e86j8 (affiliate link) Discount Code: VALERIE150 ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)   Resources:  "How to write an eavesdropping scene" on Erick's blog Reading Critique Group for Writers FB Group (Jennie Komp's group) 3 Bird View FB page (Jennie Komp's business page) Author XP (marketing for authors) (bi-monthly promotions) Raven Publicity (publicity for authors) The Shades of Orange (Rachel, Book Blogger on YouTube) for book recommendations SF/Fantasy/Horror Contact Erick for business-starting advice or building a website. Contact Valerie for author coaching. Thomas Umstattd Jr, at Novel Marketing Podcast. Ep255: How to Create an Email Onboarding Drip Campaign Russell P. Nohelty and Monica Leonelle's book, Get Your Book Selling on Kickstarter. Balance meditation app.   Book Recs for writing/creativity/business: Thinking in Pictures by John Sayles

In this week's episode, we take a look at six of the worst pieces of writing advice on the Internet, and explain why you shouldn't listen to them. This week's coupon is for the audiobook of GHOST IN THE THRONE as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy. You can get the audiobook of GHOST IN THE THRONE for 50% off at my Payhip store with this coupon code: SPRINGTHRONE The coupon code is valid through March 29th, 2024, so if you find yourself needing an audiobook to leap into spring, we've got one ready for you! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 191 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is March 8th, 2024, and today we are talking about bad writing advice. In fact, we're talking about the worst writing advice, but more on that later. Before we get to any of our other topics, let's do Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon is for the audiobook of Ghost in the Throne, as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy. You can get the audiobook of Ghost in the Throne for 50% off at my Payhip store with this coupon code: SPRINGTHRONE and that's spelled SPRINGTHRONE. Of course the coupon code, as always, will be in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code is valid through March 29th, 2024. So if you find yourself needing an audiobook to leap into spring, we've got one ready for you. Before we get to any of other our other topics, let's first have an update on my current writing projects. I am 81,000 words into Ghost in the Veils, which puts me on Chapter 19 of either 21 or 22. I'm not entirely sure because I think I reused some numbers in my outline, which is obviously something we will fix before we get to the final draft. I am hoping to finish things up next week, if all goes well with the rough draft and then we will be on track to hopefully have the book out before Easter. I'm also 37,000 words into Wizard Thief, the second book in my Half-Elven Thief series and if all goes well, that will be out in April. I'm also 9,000 words into Cloak of Titans, and if all goes well, that should be out in May, I believe. And then after I write that, that's when I'll start working on Shield of Darkness, the Second Shield War book. As I mentioned in the previous episode, the audiobook of Shield of Storms is now available. It's definitely available on Audible, Amazon, and Apple. It's on my Payhip store. It's on Kobo. I believe it is on Nook Audio. Processing is going rather slowly for the other stores, which is unfortunate, but since most of these sales will probably come from Audible anyway, it's not that unfortunate, but hopefully it should be available on all the other stores before too much longer. 00:02:16 Question of the Week Now we're going to have a new topic that we're going to do every week as part of the show. It's called Question of the Week. I could hardly claim this is an original idea. I noticed that many blogs and many podcasts do a question of the week feature, but it seems like a good one to add to our show and website here. So this week's Question of the Week (the very first Question of the Week, as a matter of fact): If you listen to audiobooks, what apps do you use? Of course, there are no wrong answers. We had a variety of good answers to this question. Reader JL says: I use Audible. Paid for one year in advance. Use the credits unless the cost of the Audible book is less than the cost of the credit. I've noticed that sometimes this is the case if I bought the book or have it out in KU. That is true. Amazon has this feature called WhisperSync, where if you've bought the ebook you can sometimes get a discount on the audiobook if you buy it directly rather than using an Audible credit. Reader Joachim says: I use Smart Book Player on Android. I only use audiobooks in MP3 format. Reader Adam says: Audible, Graphicaudio.net, direct purchases from authors and/or Kickstarter rewards, Google Play Books, mostly DRM free downloads. Preference is direct from authors or a service which allows downloading titles for archival purposes. I should mention if you buy any of my audiobooks through Payhip, the fulfillment is through Book Funnel, which does allow you to download the MP3s to keep them for archival purposes if you're offline or you don't have access to your phone or computer. Doug says he uses Audible and he just finished Shield of Storms and is now listening to Sevenfold Sword Online: Creation. Tom says he uses the Audible annual 24 credit subscription. That's like 2 credits a month. I realize that's common for people who work in jobs like construction or industrial jobs where they can listen to audiobooks the entire day, and so therefore will go through quite a few of them. Venus says she listens to Libby or Nook, mostly Libby. If your library has access to Libby or a similar listening service, you can get audiobooks that way. And finally, Bonnie says: Truthfully, I've tried Audible, but I am not a fan of listening to books. Would rather do the reading myself. So as you can see, there are a range of options and opinions when it comes to listening to audiobooks. For myself, I use a combination of the monthly credit from Audible and discount audiobooks from the Chirp daily e-mail. If you do listen to a lot of audiobooks, it might be worthwhile to subscribe to Chirp, because then you could get some bargains on audiobooks in genres that may interest you. 00:04:55 Main Topic: The Worst Writing Advice from the Internet Now on to this week's main topic: the worst writing advice you can find on the Internet. The reason I wanted to do this episode was the same reason I started this podcast. I've been a writer for a long time. Ghost in the Veils is going to be my 150th book, and so I've gotten more experience than I'm not going to say everybody, but I do have more experience than many writers. I decided the podcast would be a good way to share some of that experience in a way that isn't pushing it on people or charging for expensive courses or anything like that. The advice is there if you want to listen to it, and if you don't want to listen to it, that's just fine too. However, the flip side of this coin is that there's a lot of really terrible writing advice out there, like just plain bad writing advice that's more destructive than helpful. To cover that, I asked for our transcriptionist to do some research for me and pull together some of the worst writing advice she could find on the Internet and then we would talk about it here. She found six particularly bad pieces of writing advice that we would debunk. The first piece of worst writing advice is that writing talent is innate. If you can't be a success right away, there is no point. This is just plainly false. Almost anyone can improve at any skill, and writing is no different with a sustained commitment over time. It just takes practice. A good way to debunk this is to look at the early works of famous writers like Jane Austen, to show that their writing improved over time. Or if you dig heavily into J.R.R. Tolkien's works, you'll see that the first initial drafts of what would become Lord of the Rings were not super great. By the time The Lord of the Rings actually came out, Tolkien had improved a good deal as a writer. Many authors have a rough first book or even rough first series and then go on to greater success or greater acclaim because they just practice and get better. With practically anything, practice will improve and writing is no different in that regard. After all, if you have a favorite author and you look at his or her first book and then compare it to his or her latest book, odds are you will notice a significant improvement in skill and that will be true for anyone. Number two: you need an MFA (that's a Master of Fine Arts degree) to be good enough to write a book. This is something I could rant about for a significant length of time because I think there are serious criticisms to be made of the way higher education is funded in the United States and serious criticisms to be made of the ways the student loan program works, but that's rather off scope for this podcast, so instead we're going to focus on why you don't need a Master of Fine Arts degree to be a writer. MFA programs tend to lean heavily towards poetry and literary fiction (literary fiction being, you know, fiction that isn't genre fiction, like, you know, mystery, science fiction or fantasy). The stereotype of literary fiction is it tends to be about creative writing professors having affairs with one another and while of course this is a cliche, there is a measure of truth to it. MFA programs tend to be a very homogeneous group of people who value a very specific type of writing/style. Genre fiction is often looked down on and “commercial” is used as an insult by many instructors in MFA programs, which is all well and dandy, but if you're writing literary fiction, commercial fiction has a better chance of being able to pay your taxes and your mortgage. An MFA credential does not guarantee results and employment prospects and is extremely expensive unless you get into a funded program. We mentioned the problem of student debt a little earlier and if you go into a MFA program, you're going to have a lot more student debt. There's also the opportunity cost of spending two years learning to write in an MFA program. Finally, to illustrate the point, think of your top ten favorite writers and look up how many of them have a Master of Fine Arts degree. The percentage will probably be fairly low. So overall, I would not recommend going into an MFA program if you want to be a writer. The third piece of terrible writing advice is to only write when you feel inspired. This is bad because writing if you, even if you enjoy it, is still a form of work, and if you only do work when you feel like doing work, it's never going to get done. It's good to remember that progress is always better than perfection, and this type of thinking feeds into procrastination. Steve Jobs very famously said when he took over Apple again at the start of the 21st century that real artist ship and the correlate to that would be real writers publish. A good example to look at is athletes in various phases of training and competition. They don't train when they feel inspired. They create a plan and stick to it in order to meet their goals. The structure that comes from plans makes it easier to define your goals and track your results, so it's a good idea to try a disciplined approach to writing, I think and try and write as much as you're able, whether it's 500 words a day or 1,000 words a day, rather than waiting for you to just get inspired. This is true for pretty much any field of work and also writing. The fourth piece of bad writing advice is to only write what you know. If this was actually good advice, then all books would be about writers trying to write and maybe household chores and tax preparation. This would be terrible advice for fantasy and science fiction writers, if taken at face value. Writing using your own knowledge and experiences can make your book more engaging, but think of it as a starting point or way to add texture to your story, not a rule. That said, if you want to write about something you don't know about, you don't actually have to become an expert in it. You just have to know enough to fake it. Remember, as we've talked about in a previous episode of the show, your book doesn't have to be realistic. It has to feel realistic. We want not realism, but verisimilitude, where it feels realistic. You can make it feel realistic with a lot less research than you can to become actually an expert in something. Only writing what you know is a very good way to limit your writing and get less writing done than you would otherwise. The fifth piece of bad writing advice we found was to write based on what's trending so the book will basically market itself. This is a bad idea, because by the time you finish and the book is ready to sell, the market may have already grown tired of the trend and moved on to dystopian mermaid stories or something else. Readers also have a sense when a story is rushed or written in a different way. It's much better to write something that you're excited to write. It's also important to realize that not all categories are equally lucrative or easy to market, though. A book on soil testing methodologies is unlikely to make anywhere near as much money as a romance, for example. The sixth and final piece of bad writing advice we're going to talk about this week is that there is no point in writing now that AI is taking over. Go do something else. A good example of why this is bad advice is the game of chess. Recently I got back into playing chess on a regular basis. I've known how to play the game since I was like 10, I think, which is an increasingly long amount of time ago, but I haven't played in a while. I got back into it after a gap of several years and I was baffled and somewhat surprised to see that there's actually like chess influencers now. I mean, everything else has influencers. I mean, they're like, you know, stationery influencers and video game influencers and packing material influencers. I was astonished to see that there are chess influencers and that they are in fact photogenic young people who post Instagram pictures of themselves playing chess. They have live streams of themselves playing chess, and they get into feuds with each other like every other group of influencers on the planet. Where this relates to writing/AI is that for decades now, it's been literally impossible for a human to defeat a properly configured computer at chess. It can't be done. If you have a chess program that's configured to make maximum use of its resources, it will beat even the best human player every single time and the end result of this is no one cares. The chess community continues on having all its influencers, rivals, and feuds and playing the game because as one of the chess influencers himself said, watching a human play a computer at chess is like watching a human try to arm wrestle a hydraulic press. You know who's going to win. It's boring. No one cares. Everyone goes back to the humans playing each other at chess and the chess engines are there for people who want to play, you know, bots on the Internet. And I suspect that is going to be the case with AI writing. You may get to the point where AI is able to spit out a novel, but it will be like a computer playing chess. It's like, yeah, that's nice, but no one actually cares. Even if AI became a major source of fiction, there would still be many readers out there, given the negative anti-AI feelings that are very prevalent on the Internet, who would prefer fiction written by humans as a preference, just like there are viewers who hate special effects heavy movies like Marvel movies and seek out movies using a lot of practical effects or physical stages. The final weakness with this advice that there is no point in writing now that AI taking over is that legislation regarding AI and copyright is still marked with uncertainty. If you can't copyright the product of an AI engine, there's no point in trying to sell it. So for all those reasons, I don't think that AI is an excuse not to write and that it will probably end up like being a chess engine. Any chess computer can defeat a human, but that really doesn't matter very much. So there we are, six pieces of bad writing advice that you can safely ignore. That's it for this week. Thanks for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes on https://thepulpwritershow.com, often with transcripts. Speaking of which, a big thank you to my transcriptionist for helping me to research this episode. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.

From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2021. Our interviews on Entrepreneurs On Fire are meant to be evergreen, and we do our best to confirm that all offers and URL's in these archive episodes are still relevant. Alinka is the CEO of Leaders Press, a USA Today and WSJ best-selling press, where she creates books for entrepreneurs and launches them to best-seller with a 100% success rate. Top 3 Value Bombs 1. Think about your category and about how you'll stand out. When you have that done, you already have the idea for your book. 2. It might take a long time to produce a book, but it's definitely worth it if, after that time, you have your 6 or 7-figure asset. 3. The best route to take? Self-publishing, traditional publishing, or hybrid - it depends on the individual's goal. Download your free copy of Alinka's book on the 17 steps to creating a bestselling business book - Leaders Press Sponsors HubSpot With the HubSpot for Startups program, you can save 30-90 percent on a platform that scales right along with you. To see if you're eligible to join the HubSpot for Startups program and take your growth to the next level, visit HubSpot.com/startups Airbnb Have you ever considered hosting on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think… Find out how much at Airbnb.com/host

From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2021. Our interviews on Entrepreneurs On Fire are meant to be evergreen, and we do our best to confirm that all offers and URL's in these archive episodes are still relevant. Alinka is the CEO of Leaders Press, a USA Today and WSJ best-selling press, where she creates books for entrepreneurs and launches them to best-seller with a 100% success rate. Top 3 Value Bombs 1. Think about your category and about how you'll stand out. When you have that done, you already have the idea for your book. 2. It might take a long time to produce a book, but it's definitely worth it if, after that time, you have your 6 or 7-figure asset. 3. The best route to take? Self-publishing, traditional publishing, or hybrid - it depends on the individual's goal. Download your free copy of Alinka's book on the 17 steps to creating a bestselling business book - Leaders Press Sponsors HubSpot With the HubSpot for Startups program, you can save 30-90 percent on a platform that scales right along with you. To see if you're eligible to join the HubSpot for Startups program and take your growth to the next level, visit HubSpot.com/startups Airbnb Have you ever considered hosting on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think… Find out how much at Airbnb.com/host

Our Guest Tonight: A.F. Stewart Website: https://afstewart.ca/ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AFStewart BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/a-f-stewart Our Picks For Best Author Websites and Tools mentioned in the show. We are not sponsored by any of the following sites or aps, we just like them or use them.  AUTHOR PORTALS  (some cost money. only sign up and pay for what you will use for sharing, newsletter swaps, ARC, etc…) Amazon/Kindle author account - https://authorcentral.amazon.com/ StoryOrigin - https://storyoriginapp.com/ Book Funnel - https://bookfunnel.com/ Bookshop - https://bookshop.org/ Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/ Library thing - https://www.librarything.com/ Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/ MAILING LIST PLATFORMS  (some cost money. only sign up and pay for what you will use) MailerLite - https://www.mailerlite.com/ MailChimp - https://mailchimp.com/ SendFox - https://sendfox.com/ AUTHOR TOOLS (some cost money. only sign up and pay for what you will use) Book Formatting tools Calibre - https://calibre-ebook.com/ Sigil ebook - https://sigil-ebook.com/ Papyrus Author - https://www.papyrusauthor.com/ Editing Tools Pro Writing Aid - https://prowritingaid.com/ Photo and Video Editing tools Cap cut  - https://www.capcut.com/ Adobe express - https://www.adobe.com/express/ Canva - https://www.canva.com/ Book Brush - https://bookbrush.com/ Marketing and Advertising classes and tools Bryan Cohen Free Ad Class - https://learn.bestpageforward.net/apr24/?ref_=a20m_us_lbr_cs_byachn Fiction Atlas CL Cannon - https://fiction-atlas.com/ Kindlepreneur - https://kindlepreneur.com/ Kindlepreneur tools - https://kindlepreneur.com/tools/ PublisherRocket - https://publisherrocket.com/ AUTHOR/PUBLISHER ACCOUNTS  Amazon KDP - https://kdp.amazon.com/ Ingram Spark - https://www.ingramspark.com/ Draft2Digital - https://www.draft2digital.com/ Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/p/writinglife Apple - https://authors.apple.com/epub-upload Barnes & Noble - https://press.barnesandnoble.com/ Publish Drive - https://publishdrive.com/ Google Play - https://play.google.com/books/publish/u/0/ ACX - https://www.acx.com/ Findaway Voices - https://findawayvoices.com/ Authors Republic - https://www.authorsrepublic.com/ Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5670617437175808

This week, the guys welcome a huge guest, as the creator of BookFunnel, Damon Courtney joins them on the show. As one of the biggest innovators in the indie author world, Damon has over a decade of experience in the profession, as well as being the brains behind one of the most used pieces of software amongst the indie author community. If you've ever wanted to know what BookFunnel can do for your business, or some of the features it offers, then this is the episode for you.And Damon sticks around to tackle the 'Seven Questions', offering a unique take on things such as marketing and has some sage advice for you all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Too many external voices...Today's guest, a former lawyer turned author and book coach, joins us in this week's interview to talk about her writing process. Mary's journey from courtrooms to the craft of storytelling is not only inspiring but also enlightening for writers navigating their own creative paths.Mary Adkins is the author of the nationally recognized novels “When You Read This”, “Privilege”, and “Palm Beach”. She is also an online writing coach who helps aspiring and established authors write through resistance and finish their books by finding a creative process that works for them. As the founder of The Book Incubator—a 12-month program to write, revise, and pitch your novel or memoir—she helps aspiring authors finish their books with joy and clarity.Mary's biggest roadblock came up in having too many early readers, and too much feedback. Rewrites and critique classes nearly stole the joy of the story. Together, we share our experiences with reader teams, discuss the effectiveness of tools like Book Funnel and ProWritingAid, and emphasize the importance of breaks to reignite our storytelling passion. Which is why Mary developed the Book Incubator program, detailing how it supports authors from draft to publication. Plus, we spotlight some invaluable resources for writers seeking to carve out their unique identity. So, whether you're a lawyer with a secret novel-writing ambition or a seasoned author in search of camaraderie and guidance, join us for a conversation that celebrates the quirks and quandaries of the writer's journey.Follow Us! Mary AdkinsWebsite: https://maryadkinswriter.com/The Book Incubator: http://thebookincubator.com/Instagram: @adkinsmaryThe Author Wheel:Website: www.AuthorWheel.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheelGreta Boris:Website: www.GretaBoris.comFacebook: @GretaBorisAuthorInstagram: @GretaBorisMegan Haskell:Website: www.MeganHaskell.comFacebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthorTikTok: @AuthorMeganHaskellMegan's Kickstarter for The Last Descendant HardcoverFollow this link then click Notify Me On Launch!Clarify | Simplify | Implement Newsletterhttps://meganhaskellauthor.substack.com/ Support the showFREE Mini Email CourseHave you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel's new mini-course might be your solution. 7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language. Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it's free. Click here to learn more!

Ready to revolutionize your business in 2023? It's a new year and time for new strategies!In this episode, Big Idea To Bestseller Founder and 4x bestselling author, Jake Kelfer, deep dives into the latest lead strategy he's using for his million-dollar business. Tune in to hear the behind-the-scenes secrets of how he's leveraging his bestselling book, Big Idea To Bestseller, to bring in highly qualified leads, create effective ads with a scalable average cart value, and turn leads into loyal clients for Big Idea To Bestseller.Check out our free plus shipping funnel right here: https://go.bigideatobestseller.com/free-bookConnect with JakeText FREE to 661-669-7363 for a free copy of Jake's Bestselling Book, Big Idea To Bestseller Follow Jake: @jakekelferSubscribe to Jake's YouTube Channel - @jake_kelfer Get Instant Access To Jake's Free Training: How To Write And Launch A Bestselling Book In 1 Hour A Day

Mich Bondesio wraps up the key themes from Season 8 of the Creating Cadence Podcast and shares festive gift offers and news about her 2024 coaching programme.Sign up to the free Cadence newsletter for more thoughts and curated resources relating to topics covered on the podcast. you'll get a free resource linked to Mich Bondesio's new book, The Cadence Effect, The Creating Cadence Podcast is available on all major podcast platforms and several pod players and YouTube. Don't forget to subscribe and rate the show so others can find Creating Cadence too. :)Festive Cadence Christmas Offers if you buy The Cadence Effect direct from Mich Bondesio's Creating Cadence Shopify Store. before 23rd December 2023.OFFER 1: 23% Off PrintGet a 23% discount when you buy one or more Print Copies of The Cadence Effect from my store. (Excludes shipping costs). Quote Coupon Code DEC23-CC23 at Checkout, or use the link that I'll share in the show notes.OFFER 2: 2-for-1 Digital OfferBuy the E-Book (priced at £9.99) from my store, you can get the PDF Workbook for FREE (usually priced at £7.99). The e-book and workbook are delivered electronically via email and BookFunnel.Quote Coupon Code DEC23-CCFREE at Checkout.T&C's: Minimum of 1 order, these offers are running until midnight on 23rd December 2023. Excludes the shipping costs for print books. I also have a no returns policy.Podcast Production by Bondesio C&C using Squadcast, Descript, Headliner and AuphonicMusic: "Changing Their Minds" By Klimenko Music (Premium Beat)Podcast Banner Background Image: Ivan Mercado (Unsplash - Free Creative Commons Usage)

Most authors know what BookFunnel is these days (just in case: it's a platform that helps you deliver reader magnets, ARC copies, audio files, and so much more to your readers) but do we all know how to use it the best we can? I'm pretty sure the answer is no! That's why we spent this episode with Damon Courtney, creator and CEO of BookFunnel, going over all the functions, from the innovative ways that successful authors are using this platform to deliver ebook files, to using features like the one-on-one author swap tool, the group promo tool, certified mail, and the direct email integrations, to name a few. Because Damon is the creator of the platform, he knows every single thing about it, which means this episode is packed full of all the information you'll ever need to make BookFunnel work for you!

Most authors know what BookFunnel is these days (just in case: it's a platform that helps you deliver reader magnets, ARC copies, audio files, and so much more to your readers) but do we all know how to use it the best we can? I'm pretty sure the answer is no! That's why we spent this episode with Damon Courtney, creator and CEO of BookFunnel, going over all the functions, from the innovative ways that successful authors are using this platform to deliver ebook files, to using features like the one-on-one author swap tool, the group promo tool, certified mail, and the direct email integrations, to name a few. Because Damon is the creator of the platform, he knows every single thing about it, which means this episode is packed full of all the information you'll ever need to make BookFunnel work for you!

Episode 191 /  Historical fiction author Karen Heenan shares how her writing career started with a Tweet that drew the attention of a publisher, and how she eventually transitioned from working with a small press to indie publishing. We also talk about focusing on building a backlist, validation, and learning to filter out advice and writing practices that don't work with your strengths. Author website: https://www.karenheenan.com

Lead magnets, advanced reviews, author cross-promotions, and more...Are you ready to unlock the secrets to building an engaged readership and securely sharing your work with the world? Join us as we welcome Damon Courtney, creator of BookFunnel to the show. In this interview, we unpack the platform's fascinating features that help authors track reader engagement, deliver digital books, and create compelling reader magnets. From aiding budding authors with their newsletters to managing advanced review teams for established authors, Damon enlightens us on the plethora of ways BookFunnel is beneficial for authors. Authors are even using this platform to coordinate book promos and build a community of 'true fans.' Damon Courtney is the creator and CEO of BookFunnel, an ebook and audiobook delivery service for authors and publishers. As a lifelong software engineer, Damon is an expert in just about everything technical and can offer unique insight on publishing as it relates to software and technology. He is also the self-published author of his very own Fantasy trilogy and continues to spin stories in his head that he hopes to some day get around to writing.Follow Us! Damon CourtneyWebsite: https://www.bookfunnel.comEmail: support@bookfunnel.comThe Author Wheel:Website: www.AuthorWheel.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheelGreta Boris:Website: www.GretaBoris.comFacebook: @GretaBorisAuthorInstagram: @GretaBorisMegan Haskell:Website: www.MeganHaskell.comFacebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor Support the showFREE Mini Email CourseHave you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel's new mini-course might be your solution. 7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language. Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it's free. Click here to learn more!

Do you read or listen to books on Apple, Google, Kobo, or Barnes & Noble?

Damon Courtney's BookFunnel is the perfect way to distribute your audiobooks outside of traditional store systems.

Episode 176 / Direct sales is the current hot topic in the author community, but there's lots of choices to be made. Landing page or store? Kickstarter or subscription? And taxes–what about taxes? Hello, decision fatigue. Fear not, we've got your back.In this episode, we break down direct sales into five main types

This week on Binge Reading, Annabel Monaghan and the ultimate summer nostalgia read about an engaged woman who comes face to face with her first love who she hasn't seen in 14 years. What happens next calls into question, everything she thought she knew about their love story and herself. Hi there. I'm your host, Jenny Wheeler, and on Binge Reading today, Annabel talks about Same Time Next Summer, her latest funny good-hearted romcom, just the thing to get through the winter or to laugh over at the beach. Giveaways - more than 100 books on offer We've got a great lucky dip of Giveaways this week from a BookSweeps mystery draw, to Kobo free genre fiction, and Bookfunnel free books. Three different offers. with in total more than 100 books available, so get online to make your choice. I've teamed up with 40 fantastic authors to give away a huge collection of Mysteries, Thrillers & Suspense novels to 2 lucky winners! Oh, and did I mention the Grand Prize winner gets a BRAND NEW eReader?

If you're an author with a handful of books published (or you've published nonfiction and have one book with a great program to help clients), AMMO is unlike any other program on the market. You're going to have to work the program to find success, and bestseller status likely won't hit in weeks of joining the program, but for many authors, AMMO is the beginning of a lucrative career that puts books first. Learn more here. My guest this week is Matt, “M.G.” Herron. Grab copies of M.G. Herron's books here. Visit his website here. Along the journey, Matt discusses a great article about author finances. Here's the link to that one by John Scalzi.As always, here's the link to my audiobooks. You can get my audiobooks 2 for just $15.00. It's the best price I offer anywhere.TRBM is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to TRBM at jodyjsperling.substack.com/subscribe

How can Bookfunnel help authors reach more readers, sell more books, and sell direct? Damon Courtney outlines features of Bookfunnel that you might not know about. In the intro, Hello Books and Written Word Media have joined forces for promo stacking; Call to Action (CTA) tips [ALLi]; my free Author Blueprint; Bundle for writers [Storybundle]. […] The post How Authors Can Use Bookfunnel To Read Readers And Sell Direct With Damon Courtney first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Hey, friends, we'll keep it short for this special presentation. I'm so excited to have Xe Sands's production of my audiobooks. I don't have a limit to the number of free audiobooks I'll give away, but I do have a hard rule on who will get the book(s) free.* You must commit to leave me a fair and honest review on Amazon, which means you need to have an Amazon account and have spent at least $50.00 on Amazon within the past 12 months. Amazon won't permit people who've spent less than $50 in a year to review products. I don't make the rules; I'm just aware of them.* You must accept a reading deadline of 14 days. Time is money, and I need to get these reviews live on Amazon as soon as possible.* Your review must begin, verbatim, “I received a free audiobook copy of [INSERT APPLICABLE TITLE] in exchange for a fair and honest review.” From there, say anything you want. Reviews can be as simple as I liked this book! or This book was out of genre for me, and I learned that I am not a fan of speculative mystery. In fact, brief reviews tend to be voted more helpful. Don't pressure yourself to say something elegant.* I deliver the book through BookFunnel, and you'll need the app to listen. To listen, you need to consent to sharing your email address. I'm not out to spam you, and I will send weekly reminders to request reviews as well as try to bring added value to your experience, but feel free to unsubscribe after leaving a review if you feel spammed by lists.If my four requirements don't scare you off, email me at support@jodyjsperling.com and I'll provide you a link for the free book. Let me know if you want book 1, The 9 Lives of Marva DeLonghi, or book 2, The 8 Ball Magic of Suzie Q.And that's all, folk. Lotsa love. Get full access to TRBM at jodyjsperling.substack.com/subscribe

Today we're talking about Author Newsletters. Why? Because I still have seasoned authors ask me why I feel so strongly that they need one. I break down why I think you should have one and go over the items you need from the beginning to have a successful author newsletter.Check out my mini author newsletter course here. https://pencilsandlipstick.com/author-newsletterIn the course I break down exactly how to set one up, what to put in it, how to use BookFunnel and StoryOriginapp, what a lead magnet it, what to talk about PLUS you get access to my PDFs Author Email Ideas and Lead Magnet Ideas for Authors included.I can't say enough about how much I love the Author Accelerator program! If you want to know more about becoming a book coach, click on my affiliate link here: https://katcaldwell.com/fiction-certificateWant to support the podcast?You can support the podcast at https://pencilsandlipstick.com/support-the-show/Sign up for my writers' newsletter to learn more about the craft of writing, know when my workshops are and be the first to get exclusive information on my writing retreats. https://www.subscribepage.com/katcaldwellnewsletterWant more information on my books, author swaps, short stories and what I'm reading? Sign up for my readers' newsletter. You can always ask me writing questions on instagram @pencilsandlipstick or on Twitter @PencilLipstickFind the transcription for this episode here.

In this special edition nine-part podcast series, Jonathan will explain his proven six-step roadmap to attracting your first (or next) 1,000 customers. Be sure to "binge-listen" to every episode in this series. Resources Mentioned:Want Jonathan's help in gaining your first 1,000+ customers? Click Here to Book a Call with JonathanWant a FREE copy of Jonathan's Book, Your Message Matters? Click Here to Claim Your Free Copy

BookFunnel offers amazing and useful tools for authors looking to give their readers the fastest, easiest and most enjoyable e-reading experience. The post How BookFunnel Can Help you Grow Your Email List appeared first on Author Media.

This week we have a great show in store for you. Leave us a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Top Tips of the week include how (and why) to put your book into more categories on Amazon, how BookFunnel is improving the reader experience again, and ways to market print books from successful authors. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include some new audiobook promotional opportunities are here (but hurry), what (or who) makes a best seller, that you should keep writing, even with chronic illness, Amazon's latest problem affecting your book sale, and why most authors fail (and how not to). Question of the Week: Outside of the promise of money or public success, what makes you keep writing instead of quitting?

This week we have a great show in store for you. Leave us a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Top Tips of the week include how you can master your series while prepping for NaNoWriMo, how to find your next non-fiction niche to write in, why your prologue could be hurting your sales. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include Amazon fixing the ebook return problem, how BookFunnel can help you deliver lots of books at once, how Amazon Ads can help readers find your book, the biggest problem that keeps books from selling, how France is fighting back to protect its indie bookstores. Question of the Week: What is the next step Amazon can take to help authors succeed?

This week we have a great show in store for you. Leave us a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. The Kickstarter Webinar with Russell & Monica is Thursday, September 15th. You can sign up at https://bryancohen.lpages.co/kickstarter-webinar/. Claire's Reclaim Your Author Career Coaching is open. Go to https://www.ffs.media/coaching to enroll. Top Tips of the week include why you should stop kidding yourself that multitasking works, why authors should use Kickstarter, and how slow writing can lead to writing success. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include Bookfunnel's new sample feature and how it can help sell books, how Big 5 publishing's own stats are making Big 5 publishers look bad, why showing your work can bring you business, how Spotify plans to sell your audiobooks and whether you should let them, and the new minimalist writing tool on the market. Question of the Week: When you've been able to focus on a project, what have you usually had to do to make that happen?