The Self Publishing Show

Writing a novel is one thing. Writing a novel specifically to fulfill a demand is another. On this episode of the Self Publishing Formula podcast, James has a very intriguing conversation with Gabriel Mercer, a marketing and technical expert who was approached by a would-be author about marketing her books – before they were written. […]

ConvertKit is an example of a niche focused business. And the focus is authors and bloggers. Nathan Barry was (and still is) running a very successful self publishing business of his own and found that the majority of his sales came through promotions he made to his mailing list. But he began to have problems. […]

Self-Publishing is what we're all about here at SPF. And that's because it often makes more sense than traditional publishing. In fact, self-publishing is very much a response to the limitations of traditional publishing. Today's guest, Barbara Freethy, was already an established traditionally published author when she dipped her toe into the self publishing waters […]

You can't approach an advertising campaign haphazardly. That's one of the main lessons learned in this conversation with Depesh Mandalia. Depesh is a successful social media marketer and advertiser and has boosted the popularity of a children's book project through his use of Facebook Ads and other social marketing. In this episode, Depesh shares some […]

Daily word count is one of the metrics many authors track to ensure they are moving toward completion of their projects. One of the struggles is increasing that word count to get more work done, but doing so in a way that doesn't sacrifice quality for quantity. Today's guest has discovered a way to do […]

Social Media Ads are a big focus of our work here at the Self Publishing Formula simply because the days when you could organically drive traffic to your website and book sales pages through normal social media interaction are gone. That's not only because social media is becoming more and more crowded but also because […]

Indie authors have long taken pride in their ability to use the tools at their disposal to create works of fiction and nonfiction that easily rival the quality and appeal of those published through the traditional channels. But using the traditional PR (public relations) channels has been a bit of an enigma to this point […]

When you're able to get your non-fiction book or area of knowledge put into an online course you'll have plenty of options when it comes to organizing that course for online consumption. And when you do, it's important that you find a platform that serves you as a partner, not just in a business relationship. […]

This episode of The Self Publishing Formula is part two of a three part series about using non-fiction writing to establish revenue through online courses. Give some time to this episode and you'll see the common sense and not-so-difficult way you can turn your knowledge and expertise into an online course that generates income for […]

Much of the Self Publishing Formula audience is engaged in writing fiction. But there are distinct advantages to learning how to write and distribute non-fiction works. To investigate and expose these opportunities we're starting off today with the first of a 3-part series that focuses on how to write and leverage non-fiction for the purpose […]

It's an amazing thing when you realize that you might be able to write a stellar novel, full of excellent scenes and powerful characters, but when it comes to writing a blurb to put on Amazon and other online retailers, it feels like pulling teeth to do it well. It requires a different set of […]

In this episode we've included a great conversation with the author of smash hit crime thrillers, Clare Mackintosh. Clare is traditionally published but the lessons she's learned about rewriting, editing, and Facebook fan interaction have a lot to each Indie and Self Published authors, so we thought it would be a valuable conversation to bring […]

Can you imagine the day that all your efforts at self publishing – the hard work writing, promoting, and planning your books – finally pays off? Today's episode is one author's story about how that has finally come about. After writing for just over 5 years and self publishing a number of books, Adam Croft […]

It's difficult to talk about marketing for self publishing and indie authors without the name of Bookbub coming into the conversation. That's because Bookbub is a very effective and powerful platform for getting indie authors notices in the very niches their readers love. On this episode of the Self Publishing Formula James and Mark host […]

There are many, many things that go into a successful book launch. For a self-published author it can be enough to make your head spin. That's why it's such a great thing to have an experienced and successful self published author like Mark to walk you through his own best practices and mistakes. That's exactly […]

It's always beneficial and encouraging to hear from someone who started from nothing and built a successful writing career from the ground up. Even more so, it's encouraging to hear the story from a person who is following the exact same procedures and school of thought that you've adopted. That's what you'll hear in this […]

  Why would a successfully self published author like Mark Dawson openly share his income and expenses for his self publishing business? It's not to brag and not to put himself a peg or two above others. It's to show you what's possible. Really, Mark's a regular guy just like you who is learning how to make Indie publishing work for himself. He wants you to come along for the ride and learn how to...

When Mark Dawson first started seeing success as a self published author he was a bit late to the game when it came to interacting with those who were showing interest in his books. The best they could do was to buy his book, read it, then search Amazon for any other books he might […]

Today's guest is one of the most prolific and hardworking Indie authors out there. All it takes is a glance at Bella Andre's catalogue to realize that this woman knows how to do what it takes to get books written! Success has come with over 50 bestsellers to her credit, and, during this chat, you're […]

The book promotion piece is one of the most vital but neglected aspects of being a self published author. Today's guest, Ricci Wolman, is not an author herself but IS a marketing specialist who has made a career (and a business) out of helping authors successfully promote their books. She is founder and CEO of […]

In the second part of our London Book Fair special, Mark and James get to talk to key providers in the digital publishing space such as Draft2Digital, Reedsy and Byte the Book as well as indie publishing guru and author Joanna Penn. And in additional interviews you can hear how four young authors are progressing […]

The SPF Team hit the London Book Fair earlier this week and managed to catch up with a wide variety of Self Pub folk – from bestsellers Mel Sherratt and Rachel Abbott, exciting up and coming authors, (including a Hollywood screenwriter), as well as indie publishers, bloggers and key figures in the digital publishing world. […]

Russell Blake is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of some 30 – count 'em! – much loved books and has been featured in the likes of the Wall Street Journal and The Chicago Tribune. He's become a hugely respected figure in indie publishing circles and together with Mark and James, happily discusses, amongst other things, why marketing a […]

This week's guest, Sean Platt, has turned a love of writing into an indie publishing phenomenon in the shape of story studio Sterling & Stone. But that's only half his story. In Podcast 5, Sean talks with the guys about what's next for Sterling & Stone, author productivity, dreaming big, making the right choices and […]

If you're thinking of kicking off a career as an indie author, or have already started down that road, listening to Podcast number 4 might save you a lot of time, money and effort as you move forward. Mark and James focus on key elements that are worth getting right at the start of your […]