The Self Publishing Show

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Personal branding. If you spend any time with online entrepreneurs (and you should if you're an author) you hear that phrase all the time. But what EXACTLY does it mean, and how can it increase book sales and advance your career as an author? There's nobody better to explain it than our guest today, Chris […]

The SPF team has been very impressed with the platform and service of the team at Draft2Digital. Their service has a two-pronged approach to help self-published authors with some of the most important aspects of self-publishing – and the service ensures that no financial investment is required until a book actually sells. On this episode, […]

One of the best things about self-publishing is that anyone can publish a book. One of the worst things about self-publishing is that anyone can publish a book. The marketplace is getting more and more crowded with new authors appearing on Amazon and other online book outlets every day. How do you stand out from […]

What you'll hear on this episode of the Self Publishing Formula is nothing short of empowering. Tony Garrett is a new and very successful author, (writing as 'T.J.Garrett'), pulling in over $30K per month in book sales. But in order to get to that point he's had to overcome a degenerative disease that makes it […]

Working with your spouse may not be your idea of a perfect work environment, but many authors are discovering it's a natural next step once success comes knocking on their door. If you've listened to the Self Publishing Formula you know that Mark and James often speak of the real work it is to become […]

As an author, it's a given that you're going to have get used to dealing with all kinds of feedback on your work. But don't get downhearted by the negative words. For a start, new authors should quickly get used to the fact that you simply can't please all of the people all of the […]

If you haven't gotten far enough in your self-publishing career to worry about formatting your ebook, you've got some learning ahead. It's not easy. In fact, it's quite complicated. Instead of there being one format that all of the ebook platforms use, each of them has their own file type that they use. But before […]

Many of the publishing tools indie authors need to access are hard to find – at least with the quality and trustworthiness you need in order to make your book of the highest quality. That's why Ricardo Fayet and the folks at Reedsy developed their online platform. It's a site that brings together editors, graphic […]

Self publishing success stories are becoming more and more common. The opportunity to write and benefit from your books is now very real. During their recent trip to the United States for the NINC conference, Mark and James were able to meet a number of SPF students, one of whom was Elicia Hyder. She is […]

There are many book cover creators and designers out there but none with the expertise and experience of today's guest on the podcast. Stuart Bache has not only designed books for Mark Dawson but also for many other bestselling authors such as John le Carre and Stephen King. On this episode we chat with Stuart […]

It's every author's dream to have their books made into movies and today's guest, A.G. Riddle might be about to realize that dream. His best-selling series of books has already had the movie rights purchased and he waits to hear from the studio as to what the next steps will be. But Gerry is amazingly […]

Like more and more traditionally published authors these days, Orna Ross took her rights back from a large traditional publisher to re-publish her books herself. Because she was the one in charge she was able to do it in the manner she'd always wanted. That was in 2011. At The London Book Fair in 2012, […]

Best-selling thriller author, Rachel Abbott is quick to point out that her success is just as surprising to her as it is to anyone. Her skill and her savvy for marketing and sales have combined to make her the best-selling author in the UK on Amazon's KDP platform. On this episode, you'll get to hear […]

Writing a novel is one thing. Writing a novel specifically to fulfill a demand is another. On this episode of the Self Publishing Formula podcast, James has a very intriguing conversation with Gabriel Mercer, a marketing and technical expert who was approached by a would-be author about marketing her books – before they were written. […]

ConvertKit is an example of a niche focused business. And the focus is authors and bloggers. Nathan Barry was (and still is) running a very successful self publishing business of his own and found that the majority of his sales came through promotions he made to his mailing list. But he began to have problems. […]

Self-Publishing is what we're all about here at SPF. And that's because it often makes more sense than traditional publishing. In fact, self-publishing is very much a response to the limitations of traditional publishing. Today's guest, Barbara Freethy, was already an established traditionally published author when she dipped her toe into the self publishing waters […]

You can't approach an advertising campaign haphazardly. That's one of the main lessons learned in this conversation with Depesh Mandalia. Depesh is a successful social media marketer and advertiser and has boosted the popularity of a children's book project through his use of Facebook Ads and other social marketing. In this episode, Depesh shares some […]

Daily word count is one of the metrics many authors track to ensure they are moving toward completion of their projects. One of the struggles is increasing that word count to get more work done, but doing so in a way that doesn't sacrifice quality for quantity. Today's guest has discovered a way to do […]

Social Media Ads are a big focus of our work here at the Self Publishing Formula simply because the days when you could organically drive traffic to your website and book sales pages through normal social media interaction are gone. That's not only because social media is becoming more and more crowded but also because […]

Indie authors have long taken pride in their ability to use the tools at their disposal to create works of fiction and nonfiction that easily rival the quality and appeal of those published through the traditional channels. But using the traditional PR (public relations) channels has been a bit of an enigma to this point […]

When you're able to get your non-fiction book or area of knowledge put into an online course you'll have plenty of options when it comes to organizing that course for online consumption. And when you do, it's important that you find a platform that serves you as a partner, not just in a business relationship. […]

This episode of The Self Publishing Formula is part two of a three part series about using non-fiction writing to establish revenue through online courses. Give some time to this episode and you'll see the common sense and not-so-difficult way you can turn your knowledge and expertise into an online course that generates income for […]

Much of the Self Publishing Formula audience is engaged in writing fiction. But there are distinct advantages to learning how to write and distribute non-fiction works. To investigate and expose these opportunities we're starting off today with the first of a 3-part series that focuses on how to write and leverage non-fiction for the purpose […]

It's an amazing thing when you realize that you might be able to write a stellar novel, full of excellent scenes and powerful characters, but when it comes to writing a blurb to put on Amazon and other online retailers, it feels like pulling teeth to do it well. It requires a different set of […]

In this episode we've included a great conversation with the author of smash hit crime thrillers, Clare Mackintosh. Clare is traditionally published but the lessons she's learned about rewriting, editing, and Facebook fan interaction have a lot to each Indie and Self Published authors, so we thought it would be a valuable conversation to bring […]

Can you imagine the day that all your efforts at self publishing – the hard work writing, promoting, and planning your books – finally pays off? Today's episode is one author's story about how that has finally come about. After writing for just over 5 years and self publishing a number of books, Adam Croft […]

It's difficult to talk about marketing for self publishing and indie authors without the name of Bookbub coming into the conversation. That's because Bookbub is a very effective and powerful platform for getting indie authors notices in the very niches their readers love. On this episode of the Self Publishing Formula James and Mark host […]

There are many, many things that go into a successful book launch. For a self-published author it can be enough to make your head spin. That's why it's such a great thing to have an experienced and successful self published author like Mark to walk you through his own best practices and mistakes. That's exactly […]

It's always beneficial and encouraging to hear from someone who started from nothing and built a successful writing career from the ground up. Even more so, it's encouraging to hear the story from a person who is following the exact same procedures and school of thought that you've adopted. That's what you'll hear in this […]

Why would a successfully self published author like Mark Dawson openly share his income and expenses for his self publishing business? It's not to brag and not to put himself a peg or two above others. It's to show you what's possible. Really, Mark's a regular guy just like you who is learning how to make Indie publishing work for himself. He wants you to come along for the ride and learn how to do it for yourself. You can do it. You need to believe that. On this episode you'll hear what "it's possible" looks like - and this particular report covers one of Mark's lower income months. Still, the figures are quite impressive for a guy who didn't know anything about the business side of self publishing before he started. But there's more than just the figures. Mark's eager to share some of the advertising he's doing to promote his books and the mindset and reasoning behind the particular promotional channels he's using to get his books into the public eye a bit more. You'll get some insight into the lessons he's learned in his self publishing journey and are encouraged to apply them to your situation to make your book sales soar as well. And it's not just about book sales. As you listen to Mark's report keep in mind that the money he spends on advertising and promotions is not just to sell books. He realizes that some promotional channels are showing a net loss on paper, but that's only when you look at sales that resulted from the promotion. His goal is not always immediate sales. It's just as important in many cases to spend money to get email subscribers, because those people turn into book buying fans later on and often work their way through Mark's entire catalogue, showing the profit on the "back end" so to speak. So enjoy this month's earnings report and feel free to shoot us an email if you have any questions about what we share. Outline of this great episode [0:23] James' introduction to this episode and why he and Mark do it. [1:24] The U.S. figures. [2:32] Why book commissions are what push things into a profitable place this month. [3:57] UK campaigns and figures. [7:36] Tracking advertising purchases. [8:30] Mark doesn't need to advertise to get sales, so why is he doing it? [9:53] Mailing list efforts for the month.

When Mark Dawson first started seeing success as a self published author he was a bit late to the game when it came to interacting with those who were showing interest in his books. The best they could do was to buy his book, read it, then search Amazon for any other books he might […]

Today's guest is one of the most prolific and hardworking Indie authors out there. All it takes is a glance at Bella Andre's catalogue to realize that this woman knows how to do what it takes to get books written! Success has come with over 50 bestsellers to her credit, and, during this chat, you're […]

The book promotion piece is one of the most vital but neglected aspects of being a self published author. Today's guest, Ricci Wolman, is not an author herself but IS a marketing specialist who has made a career (and a business) out of helping authors successfully promote their books. She is founder and CEO of […]

In the second part of our London Book Fair special, Mark and James get to talk to key providers in the digital publishing space such as Draft2Digital, Reedsy and Byte the Book as well as indie publishing guru and author Joanna Penn. And in additional interviews you can hear how four young authors are progressing […]

The SPF Team hit the London Book Fair earlier this week and managed to catch up with a wide variety of Self Pub folk – from bestsellers Mel Sherratt and Rachel Abbott, exciting up and coming authors, (including a Hollywood screenwriter), as well as indie publishers, bloggers and key figures in the digital publishing world. […]

Russell Blake is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of some 30 – count 'em! – much loved books and has been featured in the likes of the Wall Street Journal and The Chicago Tribune. He's become a hugely respected figure in indie publishing circles and together with Mark and James, happily discusses, amongst other things, why marketing a […]

This week's guest, Sean Platt, has turned a love of writing into an indie publishing phenomenon in the shape of story studio Sterling & Stone. But that's only half his story. In Podcast 5, Sean talks with the guys about what's next for Sterling & Stone, author productivity, dreaming big, making the right choices and […]

If you're thinking of kicking off a career as an indie author, or have already started down that road, listening to Podcast number 4 might save you a lot of time, money and effort as you move forward. Mark and James focus on key elements that are worth getting right at the start of your […]

In podcast number 3, Mark and James are joined by the sensational Marie Force. Marie has developed a seven figure publishing operation with a mix of both self publishing and traditional publishing deals. They discuss her marketing tips as well as Marie's advice to authors setting out to build a platform for better sales. They […]

From redundancy to a pioneer in the online business sphere, Pat's blog, 'Smart Passive Income' that details his story has become a go-to resource for budding online entrepreneurs everywhere. Mark and James hunker down with Pat to talk, amongst other things, about his new book, relationship strategies including the power of transparency and whether podcasting […]

It's the first full edition of the Self Publishing Formula Podcast! In this episode, bestselling indie author Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn fame talks mistakes, mishaps and triumphs in Self Publishing. She also reflects on the immense changes that have taken place in the industry since her first book was published and provides tips […]

The Self Publishing Formula Podcast is very nearly here! In this preview, its hosts, bestselling indie author Mark Dawson and rookie novelist James Blatch, talk about what they hope to achieve with the show for the legions of authors and would-be authors who dream of making a living out of their passion. Show Notes On […]