Self-Publishing Tips & Tricks

Episode 049 Released on: November 28, 2023 Deciding to launch a Kickstarter but not sure how to make your campaign stand out? My latest podcast episode breaks down the crucial concept of identifying your unique selling point (USP)—what makes you and your writing special. I discuss tips for pinpointing those memorable qualities in both yourself and your work, from assessing your writing style to co...

Episode 048 Released on: November 20, 2023 Learn what Kickstarter is and why it’s an invaluable direct sales channel for indie authors. Shanon discusses the power of pre-selling books by crowdfunding future projects. She shares her own success story of raising over 3x her goal to fund a new fantasy romance novel. You'll get an inside look at the pros and cons of running a Kickstarter campaign....

Episode 047 Released on: November 15, 2023 In this episode, Shanon is joined by YouTuber and contemporary romance and picture book author, Emma Bennet. They discuss T Taylor’s book, “7 FIGURE FICTION: How to Use Universal Fantasy to SELL Your Books to ANYONE.” In this book, the author promises to shine a light on how writers can incorporate the idea of Universal Fantasies into their stories and se...

Episode 046 Released on: November 7, 2023 Beware the dark side of ACX. Many indie authors are unaware of the hidden world surrounding audiobook rights and how ACX truly operates. But knowledge is power, and every author should arm themselves with an understanding of the mysteries of ACX before it’s too late. Join me this week as I illuminate the obscure policies and unseen loopholes that govern AC...

Episode 045 Released on: October 31, 2023 Take control of your author presence on Amazon! In this week's podcast, Shanon shares how you can customize your Amazon author URL to build your brand and reach more readers. Tired of that clunky, forgettable default URL? I'll reveal a simple trick to claim an intuitive author link that establishes your authority and helps fans find you. Whether yo...

Episode 044 Released on: October 24, 2023 Do you know if your book links are secretly sabotaging your sales and costing you money Join host Shanon (S.D. Huston) as she talks about how some many authors may be unknowingly using the WRONG book links and destroying their chances of success. She’ll share a tip that could change your book sales across retailers like Apple and Kobo. Don't lose more...

Episode 043 Released on: October 15, 2023 In this episode, Shanon and Ben are joined by authors and YouTubers Laura Nettles, who writes adult and middle grade horror and sci-fi and dark fantasy, and Bethany Votaw, who writes short fiction and thrillers. They discuss Linda Stirling’s book, “How to Get Reviews & Endorsements.” This book is all about how authors can seek out various types of revi...

Episode 042 Released on: October 10, 2023 You’ve finished writing your manuscript—now it’s time to get it ready for the world! But professional formatting can cost a pretty penny. Save your money and do it yourself with these tricks to make your manuscript look professional. Join host Shanon (S.D. Huston) as she reveals the hidden gems that will level up your manuscript from drab Word doc to dazzl...

Episode 041 Released on: October 3, 2023 Your author bio is key to attracting readers—but how can you magnetize it to draw more eyes? Join your host Shanon, S.D. Huston, as she reveals a simple yet impactful trick to make your bio more magnetic. Learn actionable tips to craft an author bio that highlights your expertise and hooks readers searching for your type of book. Whether you’re optimizing b...

Episode 040 Released on: September 26, 2023 In this week’s Self-Publishing Tip or Trick of the Week, learn how to supercharge your book launches using BookBub’s powerful marketing tools for authors. Discover the lesser-known but highly effective BookBub features that are totally free or low cost to blast your new releases and preorders to thousands of eager readers. I made some costly mistakes whe...

SPTT 039 – Ghost Categories on Amazon Episode 039 Released on: September 19, 2023 In this week's Self-Publishing Tip or Trick of the Week, we'll be demystifying ghost categories on Amazon—what they are, how to identify them, and most importantly, how to avoid them when selecting categories for your book. Kindlepreneur's Dave Chesson coined the term “ghost categories” for this issue in...

Episode 038 Released on: September 15, 2023 In this episode, Inka York, writer of queer fantasy and contemporary gay romance, shares with us why she decided to pursue a subscription model in addition to use the traditional retailer platforms. She delves into some of the things she’s learned after creating her subscription services on Ream this year. Ream is a new subscription platform similar to P...

Episode 037 Released on: September 1, 2023 In this episode, Troy Lambert, mystery author and editor, talks to us about Plottr, where he is also the Education Lead. Plottr is visual book planning software for all types of writers, whether you plan your writing ahead of time or if you’re a discovery writer like Shanon (S.D. Huston). Plottr helps writers outline faster, organize smarter, and increase...

Episode 036 Released on: August 15, 2023 In this episode, C.M. Lockart talks to us about why she built her brand identity around Written in Melanin and how she has evolved as both a writer and a champion for Black authors. We're so grateful for all awesome tips she shares that she wished she would have known when she first began publishing. (Also learn why she uses tacos and bacon to represent...

Episode 035 Released on: August 1, 2023 In this episode, we talk with thriller and short story writer, Bethany Votaw. Bethany also works as a ghostwriter, and we were interested in how she became a ghostwriter, what it's like working with clients, and how she balances her time to publish her own works. She also shares her tips and tricks for being a ghostwriter and an indie author. 🌟2023 Auth...

Episode 034 Released on: July 15, 2023 In this episode, we talk with Adrian Santiago about his purposeful planning in setting up his author platform on YouTube three years in advance of publishing his debut novel. He also talks about the social media that has worked best for him to sell books and which ones haven’t worked. WEBSITES/NAME MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 🌟Shanon’s Kickstarter: https://ww...

Episode 033 Released on: July 1, 2023 In this episode, we talk with Estelle Van de Velde to find out her process of translating her travel memoir into French, all the steps it took, the missteps, and the differences in marketing the new translation. We also asked her how other authors could translate their works and best practices. WEBSITES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 🌟2023 Authortube Writing Conf...

Episode 032 Released on: June 15, 2023 In this episode, Shanon and Morgan are joined by contemporary romance author and YouTuber Emma Bennet and Andy from the YouTube channel Easy Graphics as they discuss James Clear’s book, “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones.” If you want to know how to build sustainable habits to achieve your goals, this book has r...

Episode 031 Released on: May 15, 2023   In this episode, Shanon does a solo review of “The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression” by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi. The book is a reference book for writers who want to improve their ability to convey characters' emotions effectively. Shanon talks about the book, how it’s helped her in her writing, its strengths, and i...

Episode 030 Released on: April 15, 2023   In this episode, Ben and Shanon talk with guests, Martin Lejeune and Natalie Locke about Chris Fox’s book “5,000 Words Per Hour.” The book is about Fox’s way to write faster and more efficiently to produce quality writing. We discuss how we interpreted his ideas and how we see them working in our writing lives. 🌟Sign up on Chris Fox’s Nonfiction newslette...

Episode 029 Released on: March 15, 2023 In this episode, co-writing sisters E.L. Summers & L.N. Frost share how they manage the writing process and marketing of their book, Hunted: The Immortal’s Kiss. This was a fun episode as the pair answered all of our questions and good-humoredly discussed how they handled disagreements and compromises. ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ Thanks...

Episode 028 Released on: March 1, 2023 In this episode, Ben Pick, one of our own hosts, gives us insight into what it is like to be a writer and an author in today’s market. He talks about marketing strategies he’s tried, some of which he probably wouldn’t try again and others, like using a video trailer with Facebook ads, that have proved to be more successful. He also shares the tips he’s learne...

Episode 027 Released on: February 15, 2023 In this episode, we interview Sarah Hualde, a mystery cozy author of fifteen published books. Sarah gives us insight about being a homeschooling mom who writes on the side and has a blast while doing it! We also talk with her about how she handles the inherently lonely pursuits of being a homeschool mom and a writer. Last, Sarah shares several wonderful r...

Episode 026 Released on: February 1, 2023 In this episode, we interview Natalie Gensits, a Wellness Content Writer and Copywriting Coach. She shared so many great tips about copywriting, including what is copywriting and one tip to transform your copywriting, how long should a newsletter be, what is the “F” pattern of readers, what is a good elevator pitch, and how to use social media to find the...

Episode 025 Released on: January 15, 2023 How can you find new readers for your books if they’ve already been published for a while? In this episode we interview award-winning fantasy author Robert G. Culp, who shares his enthusiasm for trying innovative and free tactics for not only finding new readers for his older books, but also growing his newsletter and gaining new reviews. ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~...