The Sell More Books Show: Book Marketing, Digital Publishing and Kindle News, Tools and Advice (general)

This week we have a great show in store for you! Leave us a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Top Tips of the week include how to create a universal author page for all platforms, how some are taking their offices to the backyard, and where you can learn about TikTok for authors. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how some authors are writing for the screen, why a big social media following doesn't necessarily sell books, how to burst through your writing barriers, how publishers are fighting back against library demands, and why Barnes and Noble is Barnes and Noble's biggest problem. Question of the Week: Which celebrity’s biography would you want to read?

Direct download: SMBS_401.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

Happy 400th episode, we made it!! Leave us a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. The winner this week is Hildie McQueen. Top Tips of the week include how to plan your author goals for 2022, what Instagram's newest features for authors are, and how your pep talks can help authors just like you. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how New Zealand can get author copies from KDP now, how to feel more in control as an author, what indie author is bringing her books to life on tv, why you can't copyright ideas, and how to handle yourself online and how to break through your barriers to success. Question of the Week: What’s a pep talk you need to hear? Give us a little sample!

Direct download: SMBS_400.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

This week we are joined by Jonathan Yanez! He is an author and publisher by day, screenwriter and producer by night. Bryan’s Kickstarter ends this Thursday! You can find all the links for this weeks episode in the show notes. Leave us a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. The winner this week is Michael Thies. Top Tips of the week include how to build your author platform, what you need to know if you’re publishing a holiday novel, and what the benefits are to creating a Large Print Edition of your book. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what is coming to a library near you, why you should give your two-year old backlist a second chance, what new Apple TV+ series features publishing success stories, how to navigate BookTok and what to do to reignite your fire as an author. Question of the Week: What motivates you to get the words on the page?

Direct download: SMBS_399.5.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

We are one episode closer to our 400th where we will be hosting the show live on our Facebook page! Be sure to check out Bryan’s Kickstarter as well as his Black Friday Blurb Sales at the links provided. Leave us a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. Top Tips of the week include how to format a book without owning a Mac, how to take your books wide, and what to give the author who has everything. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what is new with Amazon’s series page, what trad pub supply issues are doing to book launches, what are the results of the 2021 author survey, what is the new seismic shift in audiobooks and how to find time to write in a busy life. Question of the Week: What are you thankful for right now?

Direct download: SMBS_399.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

This week we have a great show in store for you! Be sure to check out Bryan’s Kickstarter at the link provided. Leave us a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. The winner this week is Andrew Chamberlain. This weeks Honorable Mention is Our Little Boy is Growing Up. Top Tips of the week include how to succeed with a virtual assistant, what ten steps to follow to get your book out there, and how to protect your hands from a repetitive stress injury. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include why you might want to write 30 kid's books in 30 days, how to embrace your inner Frankenstein, how Vellum is upping the style game with 3.0, how to advertise books that aren't in your KDP Dashboard and what Spotify's purchase of Findaway Voices could mean to the industry. Question of the Week: What do you think about the Spotify acquisition of Findaway, and where do you think this will go in the next 1-3 years?

Direct download: SMBS_398.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

This week we are coming to you live from 20 Books Las Vegas! Be sure to check out Bryan’s Kickstarter at the link provided. Leave us a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. The winner this week is Dave Core. Top Tips of the week include how to break down your goals to ensure your success, what you need to know about the NaNoWriMo book bundle, and how to fast draft your novel. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what to do when you find you there's already a book like yours out there, how Alexa is helping readers find their next favorite book, what those big E symbols on your Apple books mean, why the government is putting the breaks on the Penguin Random House and Simon and Schuster merger and why comparisonitis with other authors is a bad idea. Question of the Week: How are you going to get out of the grind this week and take good care of yourself?

Direct download: SMBS_397.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

This week we have a great show in store for you! Be sure to check out Bryan’s Kickstarter at the link provided. Leave us a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. The winner this week is Kevin J Fellows. Top Tips of the week include how to promote when you don't want to promote, how chapter titles can help sell books, and why to ask for blurbs and beta reads even when it hurts. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what is coming to AI audiobooks, what new link to use to promote your print books, what platform you should use to help go direct, how to take your buyer on a journey that increases book sales and what to do to get yourself back out there and writing again. Question of the Week: If you were to come up with a chapter title for one of your favorite chapters you’ve written, what would it be?

Direct download: SMBS_396.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

This week Claire is joined by Jami Albright and we have a great show in store for you! Leave us a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. The winner this week is Kamuela Kaneshiro. Top Tips of the week include how to promote your audiobook on Instagram, when to bail on a project..or not, and how to make a fantasy world map for your book or readers. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include Why you need to have a print book not just an ebook, why your cover matters so much, what new social media platform is coming just for readers and writers, what indie author event is less than two weeks away. Question of the Week: Will you be checking out the Copper social media site, and if so, how do you see yourself using it?

Direct download: SMBS_395.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

This week we have a great show in store for you! Amazon Ad School is open through October 25th, sign up at the link provided. Leave us a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. The winner this week is Jon Auerbach. This weeks Honorable Mention is Serial Successes. Top Tips of the week include how to get your rights back from a vanity press, what are the best ways to include real people in your books without legal problems, and why going full-time can lead to less writing. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how to Kickstart a project without begging for money, what KDP is doing to books to make things easier on readers, what is an easy way to find your also boughts, why three men pretending to be one woman is a problem, and how translators are fighting for recognition. Question of the Week: Do you see Kickstarter being something you might try, and if so, what kind of project?

Direct download: SMBS_394.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

This week we have a great show in store for you! Today kicks off The 5-Day Amazon Ad Profit Challenge, its not too late to register! Claire also has a refresh of her free 5-Day Indie Author Alignment Course which will now be called Indie Author Supercharge. You can find the link to both of these in the show notes. Leave us a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. The winner this week is Jon Auerbach. This weeks Honorable Mention is Serial Successes. Top Tips of the week include how to be where your readers are, what are the best tools for writing on the go, and how to hook a reader onto your series to sell more books. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how to utilize Tik-Tok to sell your books, why you should be using deeper keywords, what is being done about the fake Amazon Review scam, why audiobook authors need your help, and what you can do to support your fellow author. Question of the Week: Are you on TikTok, and if not, have you simply not gotten around to it or is there a reason you’ve decided to pass?

Direct download: SMBS_393.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT