Self Publishing Insiders

After working in the audiobook industry from 1998 - 2022 as a narrator, director, producer, and serving on committees of both the Audiobook Publishers' Association and SAG-AFTRA, as well as publishing her own romantic comedies as Karen Grey, Karen White created a boutique audiobook marketing company called Home Cooked Books.  //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//   Looking...

In a special pre-recorded episode, Lexi, Megan, and Lyssa talk about the secret sauce of good romance: tropes! We chat about using tropes in your stories and promotions, and get into some of our favorite and least favorite romance tropes. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//   Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher an...

Mark graciously taken over hosting duties on (American) Thanksgiving! He and our good friend Sacha Black, Sapphic Fiction Queen Supreme, talk about author life and the many things our authors are thankful for. //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’l...

Draft2Digital wouldn't be here without our authors, so we jump at the chance to get the team together and answer your questions. //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 you the whole way—an...

Maria Frankland is a psychological thriller author, currently writing her 21st book and is based in Yorkshire in England, home of Yorkie bars, Yorkshire puddings and Yorkshire tea - three of her favourite things. She's built her indie author career by taking on the obstacles in her way and choosing to be tenacious in the face of her challenges.  //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author...

Emma Dhesi, bestselling author and certified book coach, educates and inspires first-time authors to fulfil a calling and write their debut novel.  Drawing from her own success and training, Emma guides writers to finish their first book through detailed feedback, accountability check-ins, and compassionate support in her year-long 1:1 mentorship. Emma lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, with her husban...

Once you've finished your manuscript, the work of polishing your book and getting it ready for the public begins. You might see your draft as good to go, but could it benefit from a well-trained set of eyes looking it over? Our friends, The Kristens (Tate and Tatroe) from the Editorial Freelancers Association return to have a chat about editors and the important role they play in bringing your boo...

Our own Master of Thrills, Mark Leslie Lefebvre, chats with Kevin J. Anderson about writing horror for a special King-Sized Halloween episode of Self Publishing Insiders. //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 i...

We've been sharing our conversations with Industry Insiders for 200 episodes, and we don't intend to stop giving our authors insight into the world of publishing. This week, the D2D team is celebrating the occasion with a classic Ask Us Anything, taking questions from our viewers with a focus on what authors should be doing to prepare for the holiday season.  //Draft2Digital is where you start you...

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 Indie Author Career//   Looking for your path to...

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 path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital...

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-demand version of your book. //Draft2Digital is wh...

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 worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, dist...

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 current SinC president. Join us!  //Draft2Digital...

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 us to find out.  //Draft2Digital is where you start...

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 discuss what works, what doesn’t, and strategies for i...

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 not enough, we'll cover Kristina's new book, Secr...

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 going to be a good one!  //Draft2Digital is where you...

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 of teaching other authors how to self-publish suc...

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 idea behind StoryOrigin, and Evan Gow, who create...

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 giving back. Today Jamie is here to teach us how...

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 Indie Author Career//   Looking for your path to s...

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 than twenty novels ranging from domestic suspense...

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 provide a deep dive into what's new and provide a pre...

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 where you start your Indie Author Career//   Look...