Six Figure Authors
132 episodes — Page 1 of 3
SFA 132 – Being Productive When You’re Time Crunched + Updates from the Hosts
Lindsay, Jo, and Andrea pop in early in October to record a new show. They talk about some of their latest self-publishing and marketing news (Kindle Unlimited page read rates staying down, shrinking margins, delays…
SFA 131 – Tips for Success and Updates from the Hosts
It’s been about a quarter since our last episode, and we wanted to talk a bit about what’s been going on with updates on Amazon and in our publishing careers, so that’s in the news…
SFA 130 – 2022 Lessons, 2023 Marketing and Publishing Plans, and Thoughts on AI for Authors
Greetings, all! It’s been a while since we released an episode, but we wanted to recap how last year went for us when it comes to our author careers, including talking about some of our…
SFA 129 – Why Book Sales Are Down and What to Do About It
Jo, Lindsay, and Andrea have returned to record a one-off episode discussing the current global situation and how it’s affecting book sales. We also talk about some things authors can do during tougher economic times…
SFA 128 – Final Advice for Authors and Our Plans Going Forward
It’s our final show (at least for now) of Six Figure Authors. We hope you’ve gotten something out of the podcast over the years, and also that you like this last episode. In it, we,…
SFA 127 – How to Be a Successful Author Without Networking
There’s nothing wrong with networking, and it can provide opportunities for those willing to get out there, but lots of authors are introverts or just don’t have the time for conferences and Facebook groups. Can…
SFA 126 – More Tips for Selling Direct with Katie Cross
We had fantasy and romance author Katie Cross on the show back in January and asked her all about selling direct from her website, since she’s been making six figures doing so. This week, we…
SFA 125 – How to Launch a Successful Book Series
For this week’s show, we’re going back to the basics to talk about how to launch a successful book series. We’re assuming you didn’t read Write to Market and try to design your series for…
SFA 124 – Scheduling vs Winging It: Which Is More Sane for Your Author Career?
On this week’s show, we cover the scintillating topic of scheduling. What are the pros and cons of planning everything well in advance? What if you prefer to wing it and not set deadlines you…
SFA 123 – Dealing with Criticism as an Author
Our topic for today’s show is criticism. From feedback early on from beta readers and workshops and editors, to reviews and blogs and social media posts once your book is published, it’s a big part…
SFA 122 – When Pen Names Make Sense and How to Rock Them
On this week’s show, we discussed all things pen names. When does it make sense to start a pen name? When is it better to keep everything under one author name? Are there any pitfalls…
SFA 121 – Tips for Selling Books Outside of Amazon + Draft2Digital/Smashwords Updates
We were joined this week by thriller author and Draft2Digital marketing director Kevin Tumlinson. He updated us on the merger between the ebook distributors Draft2Digital and Smashwords and what it’ll mean for authors and readers…
SFA 120 – How to Rock Your Sample Pages (and get more sales) + Advertising Rules
For this week’s show, we divided it into two topics. In the first half, we talked about the importance of the sample pages (the first 10% of your book) in these e-reading digital times, and…
SFA 119 – Myths About Success in Self-Publishing
This week, we discussed some of the myths that continue to go around about what it takes to have success in self-publishing. Some of these may be of interest to traditionally published authors too. After…
SFA 118 – Leaning on Your Strengths for Greater Productivity in Writing and Marketing
We’ve got a great interview for you this week! Our guest is Becca Syme, a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach with a master’s degree in Transformational Leadership and fourteen years of experience in success coaching with writers,…
SFA 117 – Launches, Advertising, and Making Money on One Book a Year
Two out of our three hosts have been sick this past week, so we’ve got a shorter than usual episode for you, but we hope you’ll still get some value out of it. We decided…
SFA 116 – Dealing with Burnout and Writer’s Block as an Author
We’re talking about writer’s block and burnout this week on the show. What are the differences, and, if you’re suffering from lower productivity or being stuck, how do you know which you have? As authors…
SFA 115 – Making More Money Selling Your Books Direct
If you’re self-publishing, and you have the rights to sell your books/ebooks/audiobooks directly from your site, and you’re not doing so, you could be leaving a lot of money on the table. For this week’s…
SFA 114 – Self-Publishing, Traditional Publishing, or Hybrid – Which Is Right for You?
Happy New Year, everyone! This week, we’re discussing the pros and cons of self-publishing and traditional publishing and who might want to consider which, as well as when it makes sense to look at a…
SFA 113 – The 1,000 True Fans Concept Through 2022 Eyes
For this week’s show, the hosts discuss the 1,000 True Fans concept that Kevin Kelly first wrote about in 2008. You can find his original essay here, as well as a more recent update that…
SFA 112 – How to Smartly Invest back into Your Book Business
On this week’s show, Andrea, Jo, and Lindsay talk about how much they spent and on what when they launched their self-publishing careers, and they talk about what they invest money into today as well.…
SFF 111 – What Book Marketing We’re Going to Focus on in 2022
For the week’s show, Jo, Andrea, and Lindsay talked about some of their challenges when it comes to book marketing and where they’re going to focus their efforts in 2022. After more than ten years…
SFA 110 – Tips to Get Your Backlist Selling Again
As the year comes to an end, we’re doing a few episodes focused on helping you get your author business off to a good (and profitable) start in the new year. On this week’s show,…
SFA 109 – 10 Ways to Make Sure Your Novel Bombs
It’s Thanksgiving week here in the US, so Lindsay, Andrea, and Jo just did a short “for fun” show this week. We give some tongue-in-cheek advice on how to make sure your novel bombs (that’s…
SFA 108 – Are Your Craft Choices Hurting Your Book Sales?
For this week’s show, Jo, Andrea, and Lindsay discuss characters, book openings, pacing, and other writing craft choices that can help or hurt your book sales. Are you turning off potential readers in your opening…
SFA 107 – Learning from the Past and Strategizing for Future Success
For this week’s show, Lindsay and Jo talked about the successes and failures they’ve had over the last ten-plus years of indie publishing. After that, they discussed some of the challenges they’re facing in the…
SFA 106 – Is It Time to Raise Prices, KU All-Star Bonuses, and Advertising Q&A
On this week’s show, Jo, Andrea, and Lindsay talk about book and ebook pricing and whether it might be time for prices to go up. Before that, Lindsay shares what it takes to get one…
SFA 105 – How We Would Start from Scratch Writing/Publishing Books Today
On this week’s show, Andrea, Jo, and Lindsay shared what each of them would do if they were new authors starting from scratch today with the knowledge and experience they’ve gained over their ten-plus-year publishing…
SFA 104 – Appealing to “Universal Fantasy” and Succeeding Across Genres
For this week’s show, Jo and Andrea took the reins while Lindsay scowled at her broken internet. They interviewed six-figure romance novelist Theodora Taylor and talked about finding success through appealing to “universal fantasy,” Facebook…
SFA 103 – Struggles We Deal with as Full-time Authors
For today’s show, Jo, Lindsay, and Andrea shared some of the struggles they’re dealing with ten+ years into their author careers. They also answered struggles you’re dealing with (as submitted by listeners in the Six…
SFA 102 – How to Keep from Stressing out as an Author While Still Achieving Your Goals
For this week’s show, we were joined by Mark Leslie Lefebvre, author, podcaster, and Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital. He and Joanna Penn from The Creative Penn recently published The Relaxed Author, a book…
SFA 101 – Answering Your Book Advertising Questions
As a follow-up to Episode 98 (Do Authors Need to Advertise and Where and How Much Should They Spend?), we did our best to answer some of the questions on advertising that our listeners asked…
SFA 100 – Improving Organic Book Sales, Book Launch Tips, and How to Use A-Plus Content on Amazon
For this week’s show, Dave Chesson from Kindlepreneur joined us to discuss the new A-plus Amazon content now available to authors publishing through the KDP dashboard, as well as keywords and categories and how they…
SFA 099 – Succeeding in a Competitive Genre with Cami Checketts
For this week’s show, successful romantic suspense author Cami Checketts joins the guys. A USA Today bestseller and award winner, Cami has published over one hundred books. She was not an overnight success but wrote…
SFA 098 – Do Authors Need to Advertise and Where and How Much Should They Spend?
On this week’s show, Andrea, Jo, and Lindsay talk a bit about whether authors need to pay to advertise in 2021, how much they spend on ads, where they advertise, and what to do if…
SFA 097 – How to Take Your Writing from Hobby Money to Earning a Full-time Income
Jo, Lindsay, and Andrea are back from their summer hiatus! On this week’s show, they discuss what to do if you’re an author with a few (or more) books or series out, but you’re not…
SFA 096 – YouTube Live: Questions on Publishing and Book Marketing
A Youtube live question and answer session in which Lindsay, Jo, and Andrea answer questions about publishing, marketing, and more. Original livestream Aug 12, 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkq5oDMGtts
SFA 095 – Can You Really Make “Passive Income” as an Author?
On this week’s show, we tackle the question of what passive income is and how it can relate to authors. Specifically, as authors with more than ten years of publishing experience each, we talk about…
SFA 094 – Breaking Six Figures Without Advertising and Reducing the Time It Takes to Revise and Publish
On this week’s show, Andrea, Jo, and Lindsay are joined by full-time author and regular poster in the Six Figure Authors Facebook group, Shawn Inmon. Writer of time travel and portal fantasy, Shawn first broke…
SFA 093 – Mistakes That Newer Authors Make
On this week’s show, Andrea, Jo, and Lindsay went over some common mistakes that newer authors often make. And plenty of experienced authors get wrapped up in some of these too. If you’re struggling to…
SFA 092 – Selling More Audiobooks, Audiobook Trends, and Marketing Tips
For all of you with audiobooks, or thinking about creating audiobooks, you’ll enjoy hearing from this week’s guest: Victoria Gerken, Publisher and Head of Acquisitions at Podium Audio. We asked her about trends in audiobooks,…
SFA 091 – Book Marketing for Introverts
Your two hardcore introvert authors, Jo Lallo and Lindsay Buroker, discuss ways to market that won’t force you too far from your introvert tendencies but that can also sell books. (Note: this is not a…
SFA 090 – Going Wide with Audiobooks, Reader Magnets, and Improving Boxed Set Sales
For this week’s show, Jo and Lindsay talk a bit about Lindsay’s recent epic fantasy launch, Jo’s plans for his upcoming launch, and then jump into a big pile of listener questions from the Six…
SFA 089 – Book Marketing Tips and Shooting for Bestseller Lists
Our guest this week is successful romance author Victorine Lieske. She self-published her first book, Not What She Seems, in April of 2010. In March of 2011, Not What She Seems began its 6 week…
SFA 088 – How to Grow Your Audience as an Author
We’re going back to the basics this week and talking about how to grow your audience as an author. Whether you’re new to the biz, or have been publishing for twenty years, chances are you…
SFA 087 – Our Top Tips After Ten Years of Publishing
Andrea, Jo, and Lindsay have all been publishing for more than ten years and have been full-time authors for much of that time. In this week’s show, they start out sharing their paths and how…
SFA 086 – How to Use Bonus Material to Sell More Books
For this week’s show, we’re talking all about bonus content, the extra short things you can write that can lead to more book sales — if you do it right. We’ve written a lot of…
SFA 085 – Staying Motivated, Productivity, Flow State, and Writing to Market in 2021
Our guest this week is the prolific science fiction, fantasy, and non-fiction author Chris Fox. He’s known in the author community for his Write Faster, Write Smarter series, and has spoken all over the country…
SFA 084 – Book Launch Check List
This week, the hosts discuss their book launch checklists, such as download bonuses, book covers, editing, newsletter and social media announcements, and other things that help them stay focused and get the ball rolling for…
SFA 083 – Your Questions Answered on Kindle Unlimited / Amazon KDP Select vs Wide
In Episode 80, we went over some of the pros and cons of going exclusive with Amazon for ebook publishing versus opting out of that program and making your ebooks available in all stores. For…