Self-Publishing with ALLi

My guest this episode is Tracy Cooper-Posey, a prolific author with nearly 250 books across multiple genres and three pen names. She began in traditional publishing, switched to indie in 2011, and now runs a family micro-press. Originally from Australia and now based in Canada, Tracy writes everything from romance to science fiction to thrillers. She has continued to write and publish despite seri...

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses allegations that the bestselling memoir The Salt Path misrepresented key facts, reigniting debate over truth in nonfiction. He also examines Globe Scribe, a new AI translation tool claiming human-level results, and reports on the closure of serial fiction platform Radish after struggling to compete with Wattpad. Sponsors S...

ALLi Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple talks with book cover designer Rachel Valliere about improving indie book design through a crucial but often overlooked tool: the creative brief. Rachel explains how a well-crafted brief helps authors communicate their vision clearly, including technical details like trim size, binding, and cover text. They discuss how understanding genre conventions, using d...

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss how to find a developmental editor for a nonfiction book that covers complex, controversial, or specialized subject matter. Other questions include: How long should it take to design a book cover, and should the designer read the manuscript? Is it worth creating a series wiki for your...

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explains how the Meta ruling favors tech companies but leaves the door open for future cases that could benefit authors. He also covers Cloudflare's new tool to let publishers charge AI firms for content scraping and reports on a bestselling author's move to take control of her rights outside traditional publishing. Sponsors Self-Pu...

What does it really take to build a lasting author platform in 2025? In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, host Dale L. Roberts chats with indie author Kerrie Flanagan about what it means to grow and sustain an author brand in today's crowded publishing world. From mastering the tools that matter to balancing multiple genres under different pen names, this conversation offers p...

My guest this episode is Mark David Gerson, an award-winning author of more than twenty books spanning fantasy, memoir, and writing guides. He once avoided writing, but eventually embraced it—and now helps others do the same through his coaching, workshops, and books. He's also a screenwriter and visual artist who sees writing as both a creative and spiritual act. Find more author advice, tips, an...

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explains how the European Accessibility Act will impact authors selling into the EU, with practical tips on accessible formats and why EPUB matters more than ever. He also covers a major U.S. court ruling against Anthropic for scraping copyrighted books—while still declaring its AI-generated content fair use. Sponsors Self-Publishin...

In this episode of the Production and Distribution stream of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, ALLi nonfiction adviser Anna Featherstone speaks with Brad Andalman, co-founder of Vellum, the popular book formatting software used by thousands of indie authors. They discuss Vellum's origins, its evolution, and how it fits into the book production process—especially for authors looking to maintai...

ALLi Director Orna Ross unpacks the first court ruling on AI's use of copyrighted books and why it matters to indie authors. She explains how the judge balanced "fair use" with pirate copying, then walks through ALLi's Four Cs—consent, compensation, clarity, and curiosity—to show authors where the real battles lie. Along the way, Ross offers clear steps for safeguarding your work, engaging readers...

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway covers strong UK audio growth, with audiobook downloads up 31 percent in 2024, and rising fiction sales led by romance. He previews a major London conference on copyright, AI, and shadow libraries, and reports that Mastodon has joined other platforms in adopting anti-scraping clauses. Finally, he looks at the apparent collapse of Ti...

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Matty Dalrymple talks with MaryCatherine Jones of The Audiobook Experience about how authors can set themselves up for audiobook production success during the editing phase. They discuss the growing popularity of audiobooks, the importance of writing with the ear in mind, and how to avoid pitfalls like confusing names or unclear pronunciati...

My guest this episode is Tony Park, an Australian thriller writer who lives in southern Africa. After a journalism and PR career, Tony changed his life completely—splitting his time between Australia and the African bush, where he draws inspiration from the land, the people, and the wildlife. He's built a global indie career by taking control of his rights and expanding to new markets. Find more a...

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports that audiobook growth continues across major English-language markets, with Spotify claiming a 30 percent rise in listeners and a 36 percent increase in listening hours year over year. Dan also explores Spotify's evolving role in the audiobook industry, the launch of the new UK-based Speakies Awards open to indie authors, an...

In this Self-Publishing Advice Conference highlight, virtual assistant Kayleigh Brindley draws on over 10 years of experience to help authors decide when it's time to hire support. The session covers how outsourcing tasks like marketing and admin can ease the workload, improve productivity, and free up time to focus on writing. It includes case studies and practical advice on finding and working w...

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, host Michael La Ronn discusses whether it's worth an author's time to pursue turning a book into a film or TV series—and why it might be more effective to let the industry come to you. Other questions include: Is it okay to use a book title that's already been used by another author? Should I go wide or enroll in Kindle Unlimited...

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports a return to double-digit audiobook growth in the U.S., with revenue up 13 percent and over half of Americans now having listened to an audiobook. He also breaks down new data showing a shift in reader tastes toward darker genres—especially psychological thrillers and dark romance—and reflects on how traditional publishers ar...

Is your book marketing strategy helping you grow—or wasting your budget? In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Dale L. Roberts talks with Emma Boyer, VP of Digital Operations at Written Word Media, about what truly drives successful book promotions. They explore why branding matters, how genre impacts performance, and why waiting to market your book might be the biggest mistake...

My guest this episode is Maria Iliffe-Wood, a leadership coach and writer based in the UK. She began with an academic book on coaching, then wrote a spiritual memoir and poetry. Along the way, she started helping others publish their books, too. We talk about being present, handling self-doubt, and how writing became central to her life. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our  Self-publis...

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports on a BBC Maestro course using AI to recreate Agatha Christie, a Nordic platform's AI book-recommendation chatbot, and a BookBub survey showing nearly half of authors now use AI. He also covers renewed tension over library eBook lending after Penguin Random House pulled comics from a school platform. Sponsors Self-Publishing...

Host Anna Featherstone speaks with Julie Ganner and Dr. Agata Mrva-Montoya, co-authors of Books Without Barriers: A Practical Guide to Inclusive Publishing . They discuss how authors can make their books accessible from the start—by addressing formatting, fonts, image descriptions, and digital navigation. In this episode, you'll learn: What print disability means How to reach readers across format...

On the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, host Joe Solari explains how attending live events changed the course of his career and why in-person conferences still matter. He discusses how to choose the right event, prepare effectively, and build lasting connections that support a profitable publishing business. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our  Self-publishing Author Advice Center ,...

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway covers an incident in which the Chicago Sun-Times recommended AI-invented books by real authors, and a troubling test in which Anthropic's AI, Claude 4.0, threatened a user with blackmail. He also reports that Spotify has seen a rise in iOS subscriptions following the Apple ruling on in-app purchases, and shares the latest from ongo...

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Matty Dalrymple talks with Kristen Tate of the Blue Garret editing service, a seasoned freelance editor, about the intricacies of editorial services and how authors can effectively engage with editors. The conversation provides insights into the editing process, the role of trust in the author-editor relationship, and how to navigate the of...

My guest this episode is Patrick D. Joyce, who grew up at U.S. embassies in places like Moscow, Havana, and Managua, surrounded by secrets, spies, and surveillance. He went on to become a journalist, earn a Ph. D. in political science, and eventually found his way to writing Cold War-era young adult thrillers. We talk about how his past shaped his storytelling, how music and history inform his wor...