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Brought to you from the indie author experts at Draft2Digital! Each week, Self Publishing Insiders features an interview with a new guest, covering self-publishing topics from writing and craft to marketing and promoting your books, and anything that can help you build and grow your author career. Learn about new tools, new software, new markets—and of course, all the inside information that D2D can provide! This show features interviews taken from our live D2D Spotlight, available on YouTub ...
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Packed with insider scoop on everything publishing, host Penny C. Sansevieri reveals the secrets of New York publishing along with tips and strategies for marketing your book, along with co-host Paula Krapf. Our hosts will also talk about the hottest new releases, the latest trends and what's next in the book world!
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Desireé Duffy is the founder of Black Château, a marketing and public relations agency; Books That Make You, a Webby Award-winning multi-media brand that promotes books and authors through its website, podcast, and radio show; and The BookFest® Adventure, a biannual online event uniting book lovers worldwide. //Draft2Digital is where you start your…
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Fall is here and authors will soon be packing their bags for Vegas! This year, the big conference to look forward to is Author Nation, being hosted for the first time by Joe and Suze Solari. Join us as we talk about what authors can expect from this new Vegas experience. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your…
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It's been a while since we've provided an update and walked you through how to use D2D Print. Having a physical, print copy of your book is as important as ever! Now, more than a year out of beta, D2D Print just keeps getting better. In this special, pre-recorded episode, Mark Leslie Lefebvre will show how easy--and fun--it is to set up a print-on-…
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We've been jetting all over the author conference scene recently, so now it's time to wind down, share experiences, and talk about the current trends of the publishing industry. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor…
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At D2D, we're huge proponents of writers clubs. They offer a safe place to learn, grow your career, share your ideas, and gain constructive feedback with no fear of judgement from your peers. Sisters in Crime (SinC) is the perfect embodiment of these ideals, which is why we're delighted to welcome Kelly Oliver, bestselling, award-winning author and…
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The path to Big 5 publishing dreams is paved with rejection letters. What is it about traditional publishing that so intrigues us? Is it the validation? The prestige? Fame and fortune? Our guest, Denise Massar, was intoxicated by those possibilities too, only to receive multiple rejections. Why then, is she so ecstatic to be an indie author? Join u…
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Why do some authors seem to take off instantly, while others flail about endlessly? Is it experience? Talent? Time? Yes, but more often than not, it’s the incorporation of best practices that separates the amateurs from the pros. In today’s episode, we'll speak with internationally bestselling author and indie author coach Keith Wheeler. We'll disc…
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In this episode, we dive into the essentials of structuring a successful book series with Kristina Stanley of Fictionary. We'll discuss key elements like plot arcs, character development, and thematic consistency, and we'll go deep on how to plan your story across multiple books to ensure each installment builds anticipation for the next. If that's…
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If there's one lesson indie authors have learned, it's that perseverance and fortitude matter. Yet sometimes life can throw us curve balls, knock us down and leave us gasping for breath. Internationally bestselling author Elicia Hyder, with nearly a million books sold, has been on that ride and lived to tell the tale. Strap in, because this is goin…
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If you've ever asked yourself, "How do successful indie authors do it?" -- this is the episode for you. Joining us is none other than Dale Roberts, the charismatic host of the wildly popular Self Publishing with Dale Podcast and YouTube Channel (@dalelroberts and @selfpubwithdale). An accomplished indie author himself, Dale has made an art form out…
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No one ever said indie publishing is easy! There's the writing, the publishing, the distribution. If that wasn't hard enough, there's the marketing. Indie authors have to worry about their websites, newsletter subscriptions, beta readers, book reviews, and more. Wouldn't it be cool if there was one site to help ease the marketing burden? That's the…
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Among the myriad things that indie authors have to grapple with is how to fund a successful book launch without going in the red. To help us tackle this subject, we're joined by Jamie Davis, a prolific author of sci-fi and fantasy. As a nurse, retired paramedic and nationally recognized medical educator, Jamie knows a thing or two about service and…
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Once a month we host an "Ask Us Anything" episode. Usually these episode are tied to a specific topic, like the Smashwords to D2D merger, or D2D Print, or how to work with our promotions team. This time we'd like to keep free flowing, so if you've got a burning question you're dying to asks, now's the time! //Draft2Digital is where you start your I…
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Indie authors are told that in order to be successful, "you've got to find your tribe" and "build your community." But how exactly do you do that? Where do you start? And once you gain some traction, how do you nurture your community to help it grow and thrive? Enter Amanda Traylor (also writing under June Patrick), an award-winning author of more …
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Eleven months Draft2Digital announced the acquisition of SelfPubBookCovers.com (SPBC), a decade-old pioneering marketplace for premade book covers. We've been hard at work rebuilding a site that's committed to helping authors find the perfect cover, and helping professional cover designers build their businesses. Today our own Nick Thacker will pro…
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Smashwords store sales keep getting bigger and better. More authors, more books, more first-time customers and more book sales! In this episode, we'll talk about how authors position their books for success in Smashwords' 16th Annual Summer/Winter Sale. It's a month-long celebration of indie authors and the readers who love them. //Draft2Digital is…
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Navigating foreign language rights and finding great translators is tricky business, even for the most experienced indie authors. That's why we're super excited to welcome Lindsay Jones, a co-founder and the CEO of DropCap, a global rights marketplace for indie authors that’s revolutionizing the way agents and editors discover exceptional books. //…
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Draft2Digital is known for its innovative publishing and distribution tools for indie authors. But do you know about all the cool things we're doing to promote your books to retailers and libraries? Or the free tools we offer to help you get more visibility for your titles? We're guessing you may not. Tune in so we can fix that! //Draft2Digital is …
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Indie Author Magazine (IAM) is on a mission to inform, educate, and inspire authors at every stage of their careers. Flip through the pages of any issue and you'll see thoroughly researched, unbiased content dedicated to helping authors build their businesses. But there's more to IAM than the magazine. Join us as publisher Chelle Honiker takes us o…
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If you're reading this, you already know that best practices are what separates the publishing amateurs from the pros. But did you know there are a multitude of best practices when it comes to getting, and leveraging, book reviews to boost sales? Join us as Booksprout's Virginie Carmichael and Rossana Corniel walk us through an optimized book revie…
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Better. Stronger. Faster. It's what many of us strive for in our author careers. But how do we move the needle forward when life has other plans? Enter Becca Syme. Becca is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and has been coaching success alignment for more than a decade. Join us as we analyze a Strengths test in real time and discuss how success al…
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When D2D announced the acquisition of Smashwords in March 2022, we knew the integration of the two companies would be a huge, long-haul effort. But totally worth it!! We're now in the final phase of our multi-phase integration project, which now involves moving Smashwords author accounts onto D2D. Join us to learn about progress made, what's coming…
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Julie Broad is a four-time author and the Founder of Book Launchers, a professional self-publishing services company that helps non-fiction authors write, publish, and promote non-fiction books. Today we'll talk about how to set your book up for success before you even begin to write. We'll discuss typical author misconceptions, we'll chat about ho…
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D2D just announced a new retail partnership with Fable, the popular online bookstore and social reading app that powers 25,000+ online book clubs. Joining us today is Kim Marsh Allee, Head of Operations & Community at Fable, as we discuss what this partnership means to you, your books, and your readers! //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie…
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John Chrastka is the executive director of EveryLibrary, the first nationwide political action committee for libraries, and the EveryLibrary Institute, a nonprofit research and training organization focused on the future of library funding. In this episode we'll discuss book bans and censorship, free speech and the First Amendment, political action…
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If you know Draft2Digital, you know we're huge fans of writers conferences. Where else can you form lasting author friendships, establish key partnerships, and gain essential knowledge to help guide you along your author career? The Toronto Indie Author Conference (TIAC) is one such event, focused deeply on indie authors and Canadian indie authors …
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DeAnna Hart, also known as D.F. Hart, writes crime thrillers and contemporary romance. She also has an MBA and over two decades of hands-on experience in accounting, and she co-wrote Accounting for Authors with Mark Lefebrve as a means to help indie authors better understand the nuances of running their businesses. If you want to learn general acco…
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Our followers are in charge for this week's "Ask Us Anything" (AUA) edition of Self Publishing Insiders. All topics were welcome! Be sure to join us live next time we do an AUA! //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor…
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Today we celebrate humor and creativity with accomplished author and cartoonist, Leigh Rubin. An author of more than 20 books, 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of Leigh's internationally syndicated cartoon, Rubes®, which is distributed by Creators Syndicate to hundreds of newspapers and media outlets worldwide. His work has been featured in film, te…
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An award-winning writer and former newspaper reporter, Elizabeth Andre currently writes cozy paranormal mystery, science fiction, young adult and lesbian romance. Elizabeth began publishing lesbian fiction in 2014 and joins us today to discuss why self-publishing is such a great option for the genre. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Au…
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Publishing and distributing your self-published books is the easy part. Reaching readers is still the challenge. Today we speak with Stephanie Chandler, the founder and CEO of the Nonfiction Authors Association. Stephanie began building her email newsletter list and experimenting with self-publishing before D2D or even Smashwords existed! If you're…
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Have you ever watched a master at work? The best carpenters, musicians, chefs--and even authors--just seem to have a different way using their tools than the rest of us mere mortals. Fortunately for authors, ProWritingAid is a battle-tested writing tool that's helped some of today's bestselling authors smooth the rough edges of their works-in-progr…
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Conferences are vital for author careers. The good ones not only provide stellar learning opportunities from the industry's best and brightest minds, they also provide a sense of community and belonging. In today's episode we'll catch up with D2D's own Mark Leslie Lefebvre and Nick Thacker as they attend the renowned Superstars Writing Seminars eve…
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Bestselling books have well-structured plots, compelling characters, and engaging settings that tell a great story. The other element bestselling books have in common is masterful editing. Today we welcome Kristina Stanley back to the show. An award-winning author and fiction editor, Kristina is also the founder and CEO of Fictionary, an innovative…
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Jeaniene Frost is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy romance. She's known for the Night Huntress series, the Night Prince series, the Night Rebel series, and the Broken Destiny series. Today we'll talk about Jeaniene's latest work, Both Feet in the Grave, and her decision to self-publish after over a dozen years as a tradi…
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If you're curious about how the revamped USA Today Best-Seller Booklist works, or why it went on hiatus, or why the renewed focus on indie bookstores, this is the episode for you. Erik Bursch, the SVP of Consumer Product and Engineering at Gannett/USA Today, joins us live to give the inside scoop and answer your questions. //Draft2Digital is where …
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Have you ever wished you could connect with other like-minded, creative people to share your ideas or ask questions without fear of judgement or humiliation? Enter Torrey C. Butler of Scribble. An award-winning author, Torrey launched the Scribble app as a safe space where authors can express their ideas, understand where to start, and ultimately w…
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Wulf Moon has been called the guru of aspiring writers. His award-winning Super Secrets of Writing have helped countless writers launch careers, become #1 bestsellers in top fiction categories, and win coveted international awards. Now, all of these transformational secrets have been captured in his latest nonfiction book, How to Write a Howling Go…
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David Sherrer is the marketing director and the "husband half" of the remarkable wife-and-husband publishing team at Chenoweth Press. David's wife Lydia is a USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy. David manages the marketing and fulfillment of physical sales as well as sales at various conventions. David is also a game designer and created …
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Did you know the Smashwords store pays indie authors the industry's highest royalties? Did you the Smashwords store is about to celebrate its 7th consecutive year of sales growth? And did you know the 7th Annual Smashwords End of Year Sale was another record breaking Smashwords Sale? Join us as Mark Coker and Mark Lefebvre explain how YOU can use S…
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We've assembled a dream team of industry luminaries to unravel the key trends and issues that will shape publishing in 2024 and likely impact your author business. Join us as we welcome Mark Coker, chief strategy officer, D2D; Jane Friedman, founder & editor of publishing newsletter The Hot Sheet; Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn Podcast; Dale Robe…
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Did you catch all the news coming out of the D2D camp in 2023? There was a lot to take in: New distribution partnerships, another acquisition, and some pretty nifty milestones to name just a few. We'll recap the year for you and answer all your questions. Join us! //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career// Looking for your path t…
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"Writing books is easy!" said no one, ever. In today's world of a 24-hour news cycle, non-stop distractions, career and family obligations, is maintaining a sense of joy and balance even realistic? Enter Sarra Cannon. Sarra's the author of 28 YA and NA novels, with over a million books sold. As the host of the wildly popular Heart Breathings YouTub…
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It's not uncommon for long-time Draft2Digital authors to tell us that they just learned about a feature we've been offering for years. We aim to put an end to that, and we guarantee you'll learn something new! Our own Mark Leslie Lefebvre dives deep, on Thanksgiving no less, to reveal useful D2D features you may not know are at your fingertips. //D…
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Author Nation represents the evolution, and future, of indie author conferences. Carrying the torch from 20Books Vegas, long regarded as the premier indie author event, Author Nation promises to take the indie author learning experience to the next level. And who better to have on board than Chelle Honiker, the publisher of Indie Author Magazine an…
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Have you ever wondered how some YouTube channels just seem to pop? And why do some YouTube hosts seem to have the "it" factor, while authors just seem sort of, well, "meh." Today we'll chat with author and self-publishing coach M.K. Williams about her publishing journey--and how she made YouTube work for her (and others!). //Draft2Digital is where …
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A book marketer since 2007, Elizabeth Ann West started her own author education school in 2018. She has since helped hundreds of authors from a variety of genres publish more profitably. Today Elizabeth is the CEO of the Future Fiction Academy. Join us as we discuss how embracing technology, and AI in particular, can help authors turbocharge their …
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From time to time D2D hosts an "Ask Us Anything" (AUA) episode where YOU get to run the show. Lately we've been hosting AUAs centered around specific topics like book marketing, or D2D Print, or Wide for the Win strategies. This time we're opening it up to all topics. So if you've got a burning question for us, now's the time! //Draft2Digital is wh…
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Monica Leonelle is a USA Today bestselling author best known for her book publishing and business expertise at TheWorldNeedsYourPassion.com. Her nonfiction books have sold over 70,000 copies and helped thousands of writers write faster, become better storytellers, and find their way to success with wide and direct sales. Today we'll discuss the fut…
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The annual Novelists, Inc. (NINC) conference is a unique experience that brings together multi-published, professional authors who publish traditionally, independently, or both. Conference speakers are handpicked from the upper echelons of the industry, and networking opportunities are unmatched. Join D2D and fellow industry luminaries and conferen…
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