Question of the Week: Have book promotion sites become less effective for you? If so, how do you plan to use them in your future marketing?

Using their +1 charm podcast mics, Jim and Bryan took on the latest in self-publishing news and tips. After giving props to their latest patrons, Spider McGee and his book Monkey Justice ( http://bit.ly/secretjim ) and John Keller’s How to Drive Your Next Car Deal ( http://bit.ly/drivedacar ), the dual dynasty covered tips on front matter, effective content, and BookFunnel. The Top 5 News included stories on international ebook-reading, a new feature for Amazon’s Echo device, Wizards of the Coast’s D&D self-publishing platform, the effectiveness of book promotion sites, and the parallel paths of trad and indie publishing. This week’s Question of the Week is “Have book promotion sites become less effective for you? If so, how do you plan to use them in your future marketing?”

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Question of the Week: Why do you think Penguin sold Author Solutions? Will the Author Solutions’ new owner expand or retract the company’s reach and why?

The lab segment has returned! J. Thorn dropped by the show to compare his recent results between a successful Facebook ad campaign and a BookBub for his box set. Check out the infographic on our website! After giving props to their latest patron Anthony A. Kerr and his book The Dragon Rustler ( http://bit.ly/dragrust ), Jim and Bryan took on tips about book preview embedding, outsourcing, and idea generation. The Top 5 News included stories on more Amazon title culling, the “secret sauce” of marketing, Pottermore’s big change, reactive editorial selections, and the sale of Author Solutions. This Week’s Question of the Week: “Why do you think Penguin sold Author Solutions? Will the Author Solutions’ new owner expand or retract the company’s reach and why?”

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Question of the Week: What are your predictions for 2016? If your predictions come true, how will your author business change throughout the year?

It’s our best show of the year (so far)! After Jim responded to a counterpoint about his standby Amazon competition argument, and Bryan drew a winner for the book description giveaway, the astute authorpreneurs chatted KDP ads, BookBub’s new feature, and an audiobook ad trick. They also re-featured patron Crissy Moss and her book Witch’s Sacrifice ( http://bit.ly/witchsac ). News stories this week included how the publishing industry really works, the Authors Guild’s call for contract changes, Joe Konrath’s 2016 resolutions, the importance of used book stores, and several pundit predictions for 2016. This week’s Question of the Week: What are your predictions for 2016? If your predictions come true, how will your author business change throughout the year?

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Question of the Week: What do you think was the biggest news story of 2015? How did it make a major impact on indie publishing?

A new year is upon us as Jim and Bryan creep closer to the show century mark! After Bryan announced his temporary course opening ( https://www.sellingforauthors.com/lastchance ) and Jim announced his AMC Lifetime Membership contest winner, they went on with the show. Michael La Ronn and his YouTube channel Author Level Up is the latest show patron (check it out at http://www.authorlevelup.com ) and the dazzling duo is giving him and all the other patrons some awesome new bonuses! With hankies in hand, Bryan and Jim discussed memories of 2015 and some of their favorite tips, including author branding, virtual assistants, and paid advertising. The trends of the year included trading places, cracking down, indie statistics, the KU-pocalypse, and multiple major indie success stories. This week’s Question of the Week (the final one of 2015!) is: What do you think was the biggest news story of 2015? How did it make a major impact on indie publishing?

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Question of the Week: What does realistic publishing success look like to you? Where do you see your publishing business in five years?

Christmas is in the air, but Bryan and Jim are still telling it like it is. They started with Jim’s big “guess the clip” giveaway! They continued with news stories like KU’s international pages read change, indemnity clauses in trad pub contracts, publishing success, innovation in publishing, the myth of the Everyreader, and the adult coloring craze. Before the took on tips about Apple, staying fresh in a series, and mailing list growth, they re-featured their patron Honoree Corder and her book Prosperity for Writers ( http://bit.ly/honorpro ). This week’s Question of the Week: What does realistic publishing success look like to you? Where do you see your publishing business in five years?

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Question of the Week: Do you think Amazon should do something about books taking over categories they don’t belong in? Or should indies just take advantage of the category situation?

The pair of publishing podcasters have a new nickname (and you’ll have to listen to find out)! After praising their patrons Kathy Coatney (Dad’s Girls http://www.kathycoatney.com/dads-girls/ ) and Tara Ross (Cubicle Jail to Laptop Lifestyle http://amzn.to/1ZNNHWl ), they took on a trio of tips about Netline, genre fiction, and building your dream team of employees. News stories focused on Ilona Andrew’s self-published novella, British literary festivals, category coups, Flipkart’s bow, the rise of audio, and taking risks vs. gambling. This week’s Question of the Week: Do you think Amazon should do something about books taking over categories they don’t belong in? Or should indies just take advantage of the category situation?

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Question of the Week: How far in advance do you plan your publishing schedule? How do you (or could you) use pre-orders to improve your pre-planned releases?

Jim and Bryan have reached over 100 reviews on iTunes! You can still leave a review to enter Bryan’s book description giveaway contest before December 31st. In their latest show, they touched upon tips about keeping book reviews, building a better website, and spending less time on Twitter. They also thanked their latest patrons Geoff North (author of Thawed: Cryers http://bit.ly/thawcry ) and J. Rutger Madison (author of A Curse Upon the Saints http://bit.ly/curssaint ). News stories included ebooks in Kenya, Jane Friedman’s content marketing success, the addictiveness of self-publishing control, how publishers and authors can work together, Smashwords latest publishing poll, and the new Author Earnings Amazon UK report. This week’s Question of the Week: How far in advance do you plan your publishing schedule? How do you (or could you) use pre-orders to improve your pre-planned releases?

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Question of the Week: Do you write for passion or do you write to market? Why have you made that decision?

Jim and Bryan marveled at having lasted 87 episodes as they took on the latest news in self-publishing. After giving props to their latest patron, S.J. Pajonas and her book Removed (available at http://bit.ly/sjremoved ), they tackled tips on pseudonyms, Draft2Digitlal’s email service, and long-term blogging. News stories included thoughts on the sharing economy, how Netflix and self-publishing relate, what trad pubs fail to understand about ebooks, where you’ll see a self-pubbed book mentioned for the first time ever, and whether or not you should write to market. This week’s Question of the Week: Do you write for passion or do you write to market? Why have you made that decision?

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 Question of the Week: What’s the deal with Amazon? Are they dropping the ball or are we just expecting too much and why?

With Bryan back from his walkabout, he and Jim discussed the latest in the self-publishing sphere. After giving a hat tip to their patron Jonathan Small and his book Ascent ( http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013TH3N7M ), the death-defying duo covered tips on autoresponders, forging relationships, and what to ask a publicist. News stories included Amazon falling down on the job, the Authors Guild’s fight against the “discount double-cross,” Alan Moore’s pro-self-publishing rant, Dean Wesley Smith’s business advice, and the five-year anniversary of Marie Force’s first self-published book. This week’s Question of the Week: What’s the deal with Amazon? Are they dropping the ball or are we just expecting too much and why?

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Question of the Week: What have you done to increase your holiday book sales? What do you plan on doing this holiday season? Also, do you like the length of our show?

With Bryan camping (living) in a van down by the river, your co-hosts taped a special show on the subject of email marketing. They re-featured patron Michael Alan Peck’s book The Journeyman ( http://michaelalanpeck.com/books/commons-book-1-journeyman/ ) and talked tips on reviving your email marketing strategy, testing your emails, and the factors that go into the “perfect” marketing email. News stories included statistics about email marketing’s supremacy, the success and failure of the biggest brands on Halloween, getting a better return on investment from your emails, how to collect leads at less than $1 each, and why this holiday season could be even bigger and more digital than usual. What have you done to increase your holiday book sales? What do you plan on doing this holiday season? Also, do you like the length of our show? read more