Author: SMBS Team

Episode 429 – Takeovers, Going Wide, and What Readers Want

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In the style of “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” what would your own “Person Doing a Thing” title be like if you were the title character?

Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast. You can find Claire, Bryan and Monica’s Kickstarter links in the show notes. Top Tips of the week include how to have more pen names on Amazon, what is the new title trend that has your protagonist’s name all over it, and why emailing more often might boost your open rates and sell more books. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what turns faithful readers off and makes them stop reading your books, how Goodreads is finally changing, what is Tertulia, how Spotify plans to use AI voices, and how B&N is highlighting indie books. Question of the Week: In the style of “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” what would your own “Person Doing a Thing” title be like if you were the title character? read more

Episode 428- Pricing Right, Copyright, and Running Right

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What do you usually price a book at for launch, and based on today’s discussion, would you consider changing that pricing strategy in the future?

Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast. You can find both Claire and Bryan’s Kickstarter links in the show notes. Top Tips of the week include how to avoid author burnout in three ways, why you need a book pricing strategy, and how to find an author group for you. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include why it’s a mistake not to think of your writing as a business, why Kickstarter is a perfect second stream of income for authors, what are the pros and cons of small claims copyright court, how to do a Kindle Countdown for the world not just US and UK, and what Spotify and Findaway have in store now that they’re official. Question of the Week: What do you usually price a book at for launch, and based on today’s discussion, would you consider changing that pricing strategy in the future? read more

Episode 427- ISBN Issues, Audio Opportunities, and Danger Zones

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Have you written in more than one genre, and if so, did you run into the similar issues of extra time being required to start out?

Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast. You can find both Claire and Bryan’s Kickstarter links in the show notes. Top Tips of the week include what are the ultimate audiobook tips, what you need to know before changing genres, and how James Patterson is so prolific. This week dHonorable Mention is Y2K all over again. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what Spotify’s audiobook plans mean for authors, why authors are getting fed up with hybrid publishers, what’s up with Wattpad these days, how a Top Gun copyright lawsuit could affect authors, and what audiobook creation advice Findaway Voice’s best authors have to share. Question of the Week: Have you written in more than one genre, and if so, did you run into the similar issues of extra time being required to start out? read more

Episode 426 – Freebies, Concerning Contracts, and Incriminating Blogs

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What spellcheck software have you used? How do you use it? Where in the editing process do you use it?

Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast. You can find both Claire and Bryan’s Kickstarter links in the show notes along with Bryan’s Free Email Class. Top Tips of the week include how to choose the best proofreading software for you, whether blogs are are good for authors, and how to spot a bad author contract. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how free books sell books, how an author’s own writing may have led police to her crimes, what indie authors are doing great on Kickstarter, why readers can’t buy your Amazon ebooks easily anymore, and what to give on Father’s Day for a dad who wants to tell his story. Question of the Week: What spellcheck software have you used? How do you use it? Where in the editing process do you use it? read more

Episode 425 – Certainty of Success, KDP Author Growth, & Why You Aren’t a Hack (with Becca Syme)

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If you could choose any of your books to be your biggest success story ($50k+ per year in book sales), which would you choose and why?

This week Bryan is joined by Becca Syme! Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Top Tips of the week include how to choose your next email service, where to find the perfect author podcast for you, and how to maintain your hope and drive for the long-haul. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what indie authors are doing to make it big with Amazon, how to prove you’re not a hack writer, where to find a children’s book store that’s indies only, how to vet a traditional publisher, and which book has been printed and bound using fireproof materials. Question of the Week: If you could choose any of your books to be your biggest success story ($50k+ per year in book sales), which would you choose and why? read more

Episode 424- Crowdfunding, Target Reader, and Book Bans

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Based on this week’s audience targeting discussion, who are you writing your current book for?

This week we have a great show in store for you! Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Top Tips of the week include what unusual ways to make crowdfunding work for you, how bad marketing can be worse than no marketing, and what makes a good book fail. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how to avoid failing as an author, why bookstores are being told to ban books, why you should write even when things are bad in the world, how KDP’s reports have changed to give you more updated information about your books, and why Amazon has updated it’s stance on low-content books. Question of the Week: Based on this week’s audience targeting discussion, who are you writing your current book for? read more

Episode 423- – Ads Help, Tik Talk, and Ditching the Day Job

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What strategies have you used to cope with those harsh 1-and 2-star reviews?

This week Claire is joined by romantic comedy author Rich Amooi! Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Top Tips of the week include how to get your books into libraries, how to reboot a dying series, and why you should consider writing in a series. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include when to ditch the day job, Amazon KDP is able to print in Poland and Sweden now, what is better than 5-star reviews, how to have someone run your ads for you, and how one publisher is embracing TikTok. Question of the Week: What strategies have you used to cope with those harsh 1-and 2-star reviews? read more

Episode 422- Respecting Rights and Planning for the Worst

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Do you have a backup plan if sales dip, and if not, what do you think you’d try so you could still progress in your self-publishing career?

This week we have a great show for you! Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Top Tips of the week include how to best find and use keywords to sell more books, why to create and distribute a hands-off mystery box, and why you should write and market in more than one genre. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how to plan for the worst, whether to refresh or republish your book, how changes to Android and Apple could affect in app book sales, what those rank numbers really mean, and why Creative Commons might be more trouble than it’s worth. Question of the Week: Do you have a backup plan if sales dip, and if not, what do you think you’d try so you could still progress in your self-publishing career? read more

Episode 421 – Sell More Books, Working Your Backlist, and Changing Bonuses

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Do you think traditional publishing is going to change its mindset about backlist vs new release? And how are you leveraging your backlist at the moment?

This week Claire is joined by author Jamie Davis! Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Top Tips of the week include how to spot book problems, what you shouldn’t do with social media, and what new feature Dropbox has. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how to make your backlist work for you, how KU readers are helping your reviews, what KU bonuses are changing, why Modi files are on the outs, and how groups have the power to sell books. Question of the Week: Do you think traditional publishing is going to change its mindset about backlist vs new release? And how are you leveraging your backlist at the moment? read more

Episode 420 – Junk Marketing, Delayed Launch, and Managing Pain

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What do you think publishing will look like in 2032?

This week we have a great show in store for you! Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Top Tips of the week include when are the best times to post on social media, when to delay a book launch, and whether you should sell direct from your site. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what the next 10 year of publishing will look like, how to avoid junk marketing scams, where another ship full of books is stuck, how to cope with and manage chronic pain that affects your writing, and what author summit you won’t want to miss. Question of the Week: What do you think publishing will look like in 2032? read more