Self Publishing Insiders

Kate Tilton has been helping authors since 2010 as a business manager and publishing consultant. She has worked with bestsellers and new authors, supporting and optimizing their publishing careers.  In this week's episode, you'll learn:  ● What you need to succeed in the author business  ● The benefits of working with a business manager  ● What your support needs are as an author .//Draft2Digital...

Skye B. MacKinnon has lived in various countries before settling in Scotland, so she has a unique international perspective on publishing. In this episode Skye shares best practices for how to translate indie books into different languages.  In this week's episode, you'll learn: ● How to produce market-ready translations  ● Marketing your book translations  ● Tips and tricks from her 'Self-Publish...

Tara has led the Draft2Digital Support Team since the early days of D2D. This week, she joins the Self Publishing Insiders team to answer author questions. In this episode, you'll learn: • Customer Support's commonly asked questions  • Best Practices for Publishing with Draft2Digital  • Tips & Tricks to get the most out of Self-Publishing  .//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Care...

In this week’s episode we discuss how to structure a series before you start writing. Our guide on this journey is Kristina Stanley, bestselling author and CEO of the Fictionary School for Writers and Editors.  If you want to write a series but aren’t sure how to begin, this episode is for you. We’ll reveal how to structure: • Plot arcs • Character development  • Thematic consistency  • A plan to...

Kevin J. Anderson is a #1 international bestselling author best known for his traditional publishing in the Dune and Star Wars universes, and he has also been a successful indie author for 15 years as publisher of WordFire Press. He runs the graduate program in Publishing for Western Colorado University, one of the only MA programs focused on indie publishing, and is joining us to share his publis...

Marvin brings over 10 years of experience in book publishing and growth marketing. Now, with his new company AuthorScale, he and his team are developing cutting-edge tools to help indie authors leverage technology to revolutionize their book marketing.  //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//   Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebo...

Aaron Renfroe is an author and the owner and operator of Pivot Press. Pivot Press is an organization built to optimize publishing books and audio in the LitRPG genre with as much quality, and as quickly, as possible. As an author who went from indie author to indie publisher, Aaron joins us to talk about publishing as a LitRPG author, and putting together a team of collaborators to work with, incl...

Former publicist to the stars, Isabelle Knight is the founder of Build Your Author Brand, an online consultancy helping fiction and non-fiction authors.  Isabelle joins us to share how you can build your author brand, grow your readership, raise your profile and give your books the best chance of success. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//   Looking for your path to self...

Jane Friedman has spent her entire career in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Bottom Line, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023.  Jane joins us again to share her expertise, reflecting on 2025 and looking ahead at what 2026...

D2D's CEO Kris Austin joins the D2D team to reflect on our 2025 and another year in publishing, and to look ahead to what is on the horizon in 2026.  //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 worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support...

It's official! Draft2Digital and Bookshop.org have announced our partnership to bring indie ebooks to Bookshop.org! Join us as we talk to Bookshop.org. CEO Andy Hunter and D2D CEO Kris Austin about this exciting new partnership.  //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//   Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distrib...

Orna Ross is co-founder and director of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) and a passionate advocate for self-publishing and author empowerment. Her motto is: “When in doubt, be braver.”  Orna joins us to discuss the results of the ALLi Indie Author Income Survey and what we can learn about our industry. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//   Looking for your path...

Lee Wind joins us to talk about the IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) Boot Camp for Author Publishers, and how to bring all the pieces together when publishing to find your success. Lee Wind is the Chief Content Officer for the IBPA. He is also an author, who writes the books that would have changed his life as a young Gay Jewish kid. Lee was recently awarded BISG's Industry Champion...

Welcome to 2026! Each new year brings the opportunity to begin anew, yet that can be daunting. Rather than start the new writing year feeling overwhelmed out of the gate, Mark Leslie Lefebvre provides encouragement on how to set realistic goals to keep you and your book publishing aspirations on track in 2026. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//   Looking for your path to...

Autumn A. Arnett joins us to talk about the EFA and what you should keep in mind when looking for the right editor for your book. The Editorial Freelancers Association is a nonprofit organization that advances excellence among a dynamic community of freelance editorial professionals by providing opportunities for business development, learning, and networking. EFA members are editors, writers, ind...

Thomas Dean Donnelly has been a professional screenwriter for over 30 years. In that time he has written on major projects, from Voltron to Uncharted, and from Marvel’s Doctor Strange to The Walking Dead. During the Hollywood writers strike he wrote his first novel: YEAR OF THE RABBIT and just release its sequel YEAR OF THE HORSE, both spy thrillers.  T.D. Donnelly joins us to share practices he h...

This special Christmas Day 2025 episode is a pre-recorded one with Mark Leslie Lefebvre who introduces a series of clips that highlight just 14 of the amazing episodes that have been brought to you every week in this past year. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//   Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distribut...

The way readers search for their next book is changing dramatically. With Google's generative search and Amazon’s upcoming AI-driven recommendation engine, authors face a completely new landscape for book discovery. But how exactly will these changes affect your books' visibility?  Reedsy’s Ricardo Fayet joins us to share practical steps to make sure your books remain discoverable and compelling t...

Cameron Sutter is a sci-fi/fantasy author and the inventor of Plottr – the popular visual story planning software. As a friend of the show, he joins us again to talk about new Plottr features, their Virtual Beta Readers, and the charity work they are supporting with their Plot for Good campaign.  //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//   Looking for your path to self-publishi...

Becca Syme, founder of the Better-Faster Academy and Host of The Quitcast, joins us to talk about what habits and practices we need to focus on in this brand new day of publishing, and which don't serve us anymore.  //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 worldwide...

Bekah Brinkmeier is a USA Today bestselling author and ghostwriter of more than 90 novels. She works with AutoCrit as an instructor and author coach, leading Team Plantser in the Novel 90 Writing Challenge.  //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 worldwide. We’ll...

Hannah Jacobson is the founder of Book Award Pro, the industry-trusted platform for getting reviews and awards. The company operates the world's largest database of legitimate book accolades, serving thousands of authors globally.  Hannah is the recognized authority on literary accolades and prestigious book recognition. She joins us to talk about book awards and how authors can benefit from them....

Nicole Bross is a certified book coach, editor, and the author of A Novel Approach: Strategies for ADHD Writers, a writing guide for neurodiverse authors whose ADHD is getting in the way of finishing their books. As a neurodiverse writer herself, Nicole is excited to share the strategies and tools she's developed with others.  //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//   Looking...

Award-winning Detroit Author & Founder of Motown Writers, Sylvia Hubbard has independently published over 65 romance suspense books over 25 years. Sylvia joins us to talk about the opportunities authors could be missing out on if they aren't making the most of library distribution.  //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//   Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Dr...

Banned Books Week spotlights stories that some try to erase—but indie publishing ensures your voice is never silenced. In this episode we’ll explore how the freedom to publish empowers marginalized voices to bypass gatekeepers and reach readers worldwide.  Lee Wind is the Chief Content Officer of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and an author of frequently challenged books. He h...