We reached the double digits this week as we focused on ways authors and publishing platforms are making it easier to reach readers. The Audible and Apple were two examples of companies who have succeeded in removing barriers from entry to reading. Other subjects this week included Flipboard, Craigslist, Amazon categories, indie author fangirls, hard work and the success of author HM Ward. 

We got very classy this week with our guest co-host, thriller and non-fiction author Joanna Penn. The three of us chatted about karma, selling direct and the full-time writing success of hundreds of indie authors. Other topics included box sets, walking podcasts, author crowdfunding, contests, the Amazon-Hachette conflict and apps for authors. Big thanks to Joanna for teaching us how to say Hachette correctly!

What You'll Learn: 

• How a new service lets you trade promotion for karma
• How a little organization goes a long way with box sets
• What some authors are doing to directly connect with readers
• How you can give away part of your royalties for funding
• What Joanna, Jim and Bryan think about Kirkus Reviews
• What happens when the Passive Guy gets active
• How romance writers are directly reaching their audience
• The kind of money some non-superstar indie authors are making

Links: 

• J.F. Penn
• The Creative Penn
• Bookarma
• Box Set Fever
• Walking Podcasts
• Pentian Changes Author Crowdfunding
• Kirkus to Hold Contest 
• Passive Guy Gets Active
• Novel Engagement App
• Authors Making Money

We addressed the Amazon-Hachette situation again this week with a good old fashioned rant. We also talked about KDP Select Countdown Deals, building your mailing list with Noise Trade and creating an attractive book page with Bublish. Other topics included selling local, the new Ask the Author feature on Goodreads, whether or not indie publishing is a good business model and a study on authors making living on indie publishing. 

What You'll Learn: 

• How Bryan hit the top 25 in the Amazon Kindle store
• How to use a rolling KDP Select Countdown Deal
• What some authors are using to build their email lists
• How to create a book bubble and how it could help you
• The top Kindle ebook reading city in the U.S. 
• Why Jim agrees with J.A. Konrath on the Amazon-Hachette matter
• What makes indie authorship a good business model
• How many authors are earning a living through Kindle  

On the new, tech-savvy episode of the Sell More Books Show, we talked about how technology is changing the self-publishing industry, from War and Peace on smartphones to George RR Martin writing on an MS-DOS computer. Other stories included our tip of the week, a controversy at a New Orleans writing conference, a change in the print-on-demand business model and Hugh Howey's latest Author Earnings report. We also shared Chris Well's awesome sounders for our top five news. 

This week we talked in depth about Amazon monopolies and a large study on different author marketing methods. Other stories included our tip of the week, Sony bowing out of the ebooks business, similarities between high-earning authors and the number of indies topping the bestseller charts. Jim challenged listeners to get the show a top 5 news bumper and Hugh Howey as a guest.

What You'll Learn

• How to use Smashwords for pre-sales
• How to track your promotional campaigns on amazon 
• How to use short stories to gain new readers
• What Sony could have done to compete with Amazon
• How Amazon is throwing its weight around with publishers
• What six-figure authors have in common
• How many indies make up the bestseller lists on Amazon
• Why indie authors should be encouraged from new tracking numbers
• Author Steve Scott's 16 methods for promoting his latest series

We welcomed Amazon Top 5 Horror Author J. Thorn as our first ever guest for this week's show. We talked at length about giving value today, whether its through social media accounts, promotional methods and book discovery services. Other topics included our new Top Tip of the Week segment, ISBN numbers, venture capitalists, BookBub, writing rules to live by and the new #AmazonCart service. 

On our final show of April, we discussed how a publishing contract compares with self-publishing and why selling direct is something to strive for. This week's topics included reality competition shows for writers, the level playing field for self-publishers, the recent layoffs at Kobo, the scenarios in which a publishing contract make sense and selling directly to your readers. 

On this episode, we talked about the importance of authenticity in your writing and your social media. This week's topics included American and German ebook reading statistics, book subscription services, social media post length and James Patterson's writing tips. Jim made a big announcement: Author Marketing Live!

This week we discussed foreign translations and the top stories in self-publishing. This week's topics include indie books in libraries, the dominance of romance authors, tablets, working hard and KDP's new sales dashboard. Also, Jim destroys Bryan in a nerd-off. 

For our inaugural show, we talked a bit about ourselves before launching into the latest news of the week. This week's topics include indie bookstores, instant paperbacks, Amazon keywords, ACX in the U.K. and the Self-Publishing Podcast's new Kickstarter project.