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

Today’s top story is Direct Selling Survey Says? Question of the week is what are some things you’ve learned about yourself that have impacted how you approach your author career? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is An Audible Gasp? Question of the week is what are some of the things you’re doing to evergreen and futureproof your author business? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Subpar Stack? Question of the week is have you tried using Substack? If so, what was your approach to finding success? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Vella-Mentary, My Dear Authors. Question of the week is when and how you do decide to pivot from something that has changed in the author world? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Prove Yourself. Question of the week is what is your definition of success? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Find Another Way. Question of the week is what would be a part of your future burnout recovery plan? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Audio’s Up & Spotify Helped? Question of the week is what ‘refills your well’ these days? What books, movies, music, tv? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Who’s Helping Who. Question of the week is how did you get your first book edited, and how has your editing process changed over time? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Hard (but valuable) Lessons of 2023. Question of the week is what are you doing to set your priorities? What are you doing to enforce your priorities in your daily, weekly, and yearly writing and marketing schedules? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Top 10 Publishing Trends for 2024. Question of the week is what is one thing you could stop doing in 2024? How do you plan to build your group of raving, true fans in 2024? What tactics and techniques will you use? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Rut Buster. Question of the week is what is one thing you could stop doing in 2024? And what is one thing you could hand off to someone else? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Smashing Your Goals. Question of the week is have you ever self-published a Children’s book, or do you have interest in self-publishing a Children’s book? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is The Questions of 2024. Question of the week is how do you plan to change your author business going into 2024? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is The Year in Review. Question of the week is what are you the most excited for in 2024? What makes you psyched to think about in 2024? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Minimum Wage Publishing. Question of the week is do you think you have any minimum wage tasks in your regular schedule? What would things look like if you only worked on things that fairly compensated 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Jane’s List. Question of the week is based on the success authors have had with Kickstarter in 2022 and 2023, do you think you’ll plan one for 2024? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Tropity Tropes. Question of the week is Which trope do you find the most confusing or that you’re the most hesitant to use and why? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Lessons from Vegas. Question of the week is When you have gone to a conference for a first time, has it been a better or different experience than when you went a second or third? And would you turn this feature on if it became available? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Buying Books from Facebook? Question of the week is would this Facebook feature with Amazon products make you consider running ads? And would you turn this feature on if it became available? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is AI Narrators on KDP? Question of the week is with the lists shutting down, what is going to be your new focus in your book marketing? 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 Podcasts.

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Celebrate episode 500 with us as we do a special Lightning Round with Claire for her last episode! 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is USA Tomorrow? Question of the week is have you tried to get onto a list before, and now that it may be more difficult for Indies, how might you adjust your plans? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Answers From Spotify. Question of the week is what are your thoughts about Spotify’s payment structure for streaming audiobooks now that you have this new information? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is The Limit Does Exist. Question of the week is what tasks do you outsource, and which do you keep for yourself? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Ship Your Pants-ed Novel. Question of the week is what other changes should Amazon make to KDP print? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Audiobook Exposure. Question of the week is what do you think will be Spotify’s next move in its attempt to compete with Audible? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Spooky Online Shelves. Question of the week is when’s the last time you changed your categories and do you think you’ll check on a more regular basis now? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Updating Art. Question of the week is should books remain unchanged after they are unpublished? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is AI Survey Says.... Question of the week is what’s the best advice you’ve heard floating around the author community? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story How to Rediscover the Joy of Writing. Question of the week is if you could change one thing about the current state of indie publishing, what would it be and why? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is The Niche Sitch. Question of the week is describe the weirdness that your book features that can’t be found anywhere else. (And how do you pronounce niche?) 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Certifiable Humanity. Question of the week is what are some parts of the industry that stress you out and are outside of your control that you can spend less time worrying about? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Kraken Down. Question of the week is what about the Seattle Kraken’s failed partnership with Booktok story stands out to you the most, and why? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Under the Bridge Reviews. Question of the week is how do you feel like you’ve expanded your comfort zone in publishing in the last 5 years (or during your career if shorter than 5 years)? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is An AI Named Sue Question of the Week is what can you do to make yourself more human to your readers? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story is Book Sales, Stat! Question of the Week is do you think your readers will care about the Bookstat bestseller list, and do you see yourself trying to get involved with it in some way? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story: Hey Big Spender! Question of the Week is what have you done in the last few years to cultivate more supportive and positive people in your creative life? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story: Threadless? Question of the Week is if you’ve joined Threads or checked it out, what is something about the culture you’ve observed that seems different from other social media networks? Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section.

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Today’s top story: Review Reviews. Question of the Week is do you think Amazon using AI to produce a summary of reviews will be a positive or negative for authors? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story: BookTok Tropes. Question of the Week is Has learning about tropes through #BookTok, or otherwise, changed the way you write your own books? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story: Pet Peeves that keep readers from becoming super fans Question of the Week is What are some of your writing pet peeves as a reader? 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 Podcasts.

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Today’s top story: Living the Full-Time Dream? Question of the Week is What do you consider to be a “full-time author”? And is that something you consider yourself to be or aspire to be? 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 Podcasts.

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is Categorically Insane. Question of the week: When have you experienced imposter syndrome in publishing and what did you do about it?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is K IOU. Question of the week: What do you think the readers in your specific sub-genre are likely to do in response to the KU price increase? And what actions (if any) do you plan on taking in response?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is Printing Pressed. Question of the week: Will the price change for KDP Print alter how you currently sell and publish your paperback books?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is Evil, Good, or Neutral? Question of the week: Are you AI Curious or AI Furious? And why?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is Eyes Wide Open. Question of the week: If you have books in KU, then what is your threshold for saying “no more” and going wide?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is ALLi Author Survey Results. Question of the week: Are you surprised by the results of the ALLi survey? How does it make you feel looking over the numbers?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is Clock App Books? Question of the week: Do you think that the new TikTok publishing imprint will doom indies on BookTok or will have a minimal effect on the ability to grow on TT?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is There Are Ads in My Audio. Question of the week: What would be the most amusing commercial to appear in the middle of your audiobook (give context & keep it PG-13 at most)?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is Kobo Plus Has Arrived Stateside. Question of the week: Are there any drawbacks you can see in Kobo Plus? Do you plan on putting your books in Kobo Plus?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is AI Book Boom or Boon? Question of the week: How did you decide on the title of your last book?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is Fin Direct. Question of the week: If you’ve started doing direct sales, what is a pro tip you’ve learned that you can share with newbies?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is What About AIs Needs?. Question of the week: What is one tactic that you are using to get people from social media to your email list?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is Six-Pack Success. Question of the week: What book or series would you pitch for TV or movies, and what would be your elevator pitch for it?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is Punishing the Victims. Question of the week: If you were to have your account taken down from Amazon, what would your plan-b be?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is Why Some Authors Fail. Question of the week: What do you do when you realize your writer’s block is stemming from fear?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is Apple and training the machines. Question of the week: Have you not pursued a typical profitable publishing path because you didn’t agree with the terms of a company or website. If so, what were the terms?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is Pick a Lane. Question of the week: How do you decide which author lane to stay in, or do you move between more than one?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is Calling an Audible. Question of the week: What do you think the real reason behind ACX’s price changes could be, and do you think it could end up being beneficial to authors?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is AI voices could win, despite being inferior. Question of the week: How would you use AI narration and human narration differently, and do you plan on trying AI narration this year?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Top story is do Amazon followers matter again? Question of the week: Will you be trying to build your Amazon Followers in the coming weeks?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Question of the week: Which features of AI are you most excited about and which are you approaching with caution?

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Claire and Bryan embark on a new journey. Get excited for Season 2 of The Sell More Books Show. Question of the week: What have you done in the past when your work is met with negativity online? Did it help?

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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. Join Claire’s Upcoming workshop: https://www.ffs.media/23. Top Tips of the week include how to increase you capacity to conquer new things, the newest cover designs for 2023, and how to reconnect with your creativity. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week is how B&N is growing again, that TikTok's book recommendations might not making readers happy, why Tor is under fire for their new cover, what it means that bestsellers are getting shorter, and how content creation doesn’t have to kill your spirit. Question of the week: Do you think the focus that Amazon and BN have to respectively take additional ad money or focus on readers will cause these two companies to flip in fortunes in the next 5-10 years?

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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 what's working to sell children's books right now, whether you should be on social media at all, and how to set yourself up for success when you stay, and how to make your New Year's Resolutions actually work this year. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week is that the history of indie publishing might surprise you, why 2023 might just be the year to go wide, what's new in Amazon book reviews, what professional authors do that you can do, too, and Brandon Sanderson is calling out Audible on its bad business practices for authors. Question of the week: What does going wide mean to you? Will going wide be a part of your publishing plan going into 2023?

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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. Come join Bryan’s Webinar with Plottr https://plottr.com/bryan-cohen/?ref=342. Top Tips of the week include how commitments can make or break your author career, not to do what Dale did, and how to sell with the skills of a bookseller. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week is that mood music could be coming to your books one day soon, what your past book marketing can teach you about your future launches, how your book recommendations can sell more books, Apple is the latest to jump into the AI Narration of audiobooks, and what's changing with your Amazon Author Page. Question of the week: What has worked for you for your book marketing here in 2022? How will that change what you focus on next year?

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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 have the perfect writing space, wherever you are, whether or not you should juggle multiple projects at once, and which BookBub ads are working and how to test your own. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week is what happened when only two readers showed up at one author's signing, how D2D can get you selling in the Smashwords Store, why you should find a genre that you love to write that readers love to buy, the scoop on author earnings from Written Word Media, and what we think will happen with the USA Today bestseller list. Question of the week: How much emphasis do you put on your book launch? How would it feel if you didn’t focus as much on sales in the first 30 days of a book’s release?

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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 why the shortest part of the book can be the hardest part to write, why verified reviews are so valuable, and how to get more of them, and how to get back into writing when it's been a while. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week is that the little things add up to big results, why the best way to market your book might be to adopt herd mentality, which audiobook service is backtracking on all-you-can-eat audiobooks, how to take back your book from a scammy publisher, and why those AI portraits you’ve been seeing may be more complicated than you think. Question of the week: What’s one small habit you’d like to adapt for your author career in 2023?

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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 Spotify having a new tool to help you promote your audiobooks, there's a new link tool for authors, and this one features books, and how easy it is to get an Epub on your Kindle. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include Amazon having some new KDP reporting features for you, that authors can be artists and good business people, what Amazon lawsuit is back on the table, building an on-brand author brand, and how to write more when the holidays say 'write less'. Question of the week: Do you plan on changing your writing routine over the holiday, and if so, how?

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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. Claire’s book, Reclaim Your Author Career, is available: www.books2read.com/RYAC. Guest, Chelle Honiker of indieauthormagazine.com and Authortechsummit.com. Top Tips of the week include new features in Vellum that make your book's messaging clear, how our own Bryan Cohen has Amazon's official stamp of approval, if you need author copies of your print books, you need to order today, what Amazon's layoffs mean to the publishing business, and TikTok took our advice and started selling direct! The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include news about Ingram's new ad platform, how Google is giving Spotify what Apple won't, why authors are abandoning Twitter and starting from scratch, the latest scams hitting Amazon authors, and to sell your books and serials by chapter, books, or subscription. Question of the week: What are you plans for selling direct? What does that look like specifically?

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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. Claire’s book, Reclaim Your Author Career, is available: www.books2read.com/RYAC. Amy Teegan’s books: www.amyteegan.com. Top Tips of the week include how to be alerted when your book price or reviews change, the ABCs of publishing, and why less is more when it comes to your writing. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include news about Ingram's new ad platform, how Google is giving Spotify what Apple won't, why authors are abandoning Twitter and starting from scratch, the latest scams hitting Amazon authors, and to sell your books and serials by chapter, books, or subscription. Question of the week: What is the next step for your book marketing beyond publishing on the major retailers?

Direct download: SMBS_449.mp3
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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. Claire’s book, Reclaim Your Author Career, is available: www.books2read.com/RYAC Sign up for Bryan’s webinar. 2023 Success, happening this Thursday: https://bryancohen.lpages.co/succeed-in-2023 Top Tips of the week include the best options for dictating your book in 2022, how one author added 3,000 email subscribers in three months, and why exercise helps you write better. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include why the court blocked the Big 5 book merger, why one veteran author says the Big 5 no longer matter, that avoiding decisions can help you write more, why Spotify and Apple are pitched for battle, and Amazon has a new program to incentivize book buying. Question of the week: What is a story from your life that you could bake into your welcome sequence?

Direct download: SMBS_448.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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. Our Webinar is on Thursday! https://bryancohen.lpages.co/supercharge-your-story-nov22/ Top Tips of the week include the benefits of author collaborations, how the type of author you are can determine the success of your career, and what lessons you can take from the publishing process. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include why more book sales data isn't always better for authors, how Audible has changed their return policy and neither authors or readers like it, that TikTok wants to challenge Amazon and sell physical products, what the 6 Figure Authors are doing to revive book sales, and what Goodreads is doing to your Amazon books. Question of the Week: What do you think is the deal with the Goodreads ratings on Amazon pages? Why would Amazon do that?

Direct download: SMBS_447.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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 (and why) to put your book into more categories on Amazon, how BookFunnel is improving the reader experience again, and ways to market print books from successful authors. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include some new audiobook promotional opportunities are here (but hurry), what (or who) makes a best seller, that you should keep writing, even with chronic illness, Amazon's latest problem affecting your book sale, and why most authors fail (and how not to). Question of the Week: Outside of the promise of money or public success, what makes you keep writing instead of quitting?

Direct download: SMBS_446.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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. Author Ad School is now open for $100 off! Https://AdSchool2022.com Top Tips of the week include why the basics matter with book marketing, the 10 Commandments of Writing, and how to get out of your stuck ways. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what successful authors have in common, and what you can learn from them, Amazon is having lots of hiccups, but what can you do, An AI copyrighted art for the 1st time, Hallmark is outta here, but I hope not before Christmas movie season, and how to recover from an Amazon suspension or termination (first, just breathe). Question of the Week: What is one commandment you live by as an author?

Direct download: SMBS_445.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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. 5-Day Author Ad Profit Challenge starts today! Sign up at https://AuthorsAdvertise.com Top Tips of the week include why editing is a must have if you're thinking of your writing as a business, where to go to learn all about romance. Romance books, at least, and how to make your cover stellar! The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include whether NFT books can really be a thing, why you shouldn't bother to find a publisher, why free data is worth every penny, why BookTok promoters are ignoring a big new feature, and there’s a new way to track your Amazon sales conversions. Question of the Week: If you’re going to use the Amazon Attribution links, HOW are you going to use the data you collect from them?

Direct download: SMBS_444.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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. Author Ad Challenge starts Oct 12th! You can join here: https://AuthorsAdvertise.com Top Tips of the week include why your book isn't for everyone, and that's a good thing, how beta readers can hurt, but also help at the same time, whether authors should be seen marketing their books. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how D2D is making proofs and author copies easier for non-US authors, how TikTok is changing book covers, how to leap ahead of the Big 5, protecting yourself and your audiobook using Findaway Voices, why genre doesn't matter except to your readers. Question of the Week: What’s your process for using beta readers?

Direct download: SMBS_443.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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 you can master your series while prepping for NaNoWriMo, how to find your next non-fiction niche to write in, why your prologue could be hurting your sales. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include Amazon fixing the ebook return problem, how BookFunnel can help you deliver lots of books at once, how Amazon Ads can help readers find your book, the biggest problem that keeps books from selling, how France is fighting back to protect its indie bookstores. Question of the Week: What is the next step Amazon can take to help authors succeed?

Direct download: SMBS_442.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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. Last call: Claire’s Reclaim Your Author Career Coaching is open. Go to https://www.ffs.media/coaching to enroll before it closes. Top Tips of the week include relieving the pressure of being an author, riding the algorithms to sell more books, and how to survive your first 1-star review. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how Amazon is letting sellers 'talk' to customers, the way to securely deliver ARC copies that can't be pirated, the solution to Apple's demands, the mystery behind a mysterious new movie, based on a mysterious new book, and from an even more mysterious author, and that books are getting smaller, and maybe that's ok. Question of the Week: What do you think (or want to believe) is behind the mystery of author Ellie Conway? #whereisellieconway

Direct download: SMBS_441-9-20-22.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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. The Kickstarter Webinar with Russell & Monica is Thursday, September 15th. You can sign up at https://bryancohen.lpages.co/kickstarter-webinar/. Claire’s Reclaim Your Author Career Coaching is open. Go to https://www.ffs.media/coaching to enroll. Top Tips of the week include why you should stop kidding yourself that multitasking works, why authors should use Kickstarter, and how slow writing can lead to writing success. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include Bookfunnel's new sample feature and how it can help sell books, how Big 5 publishing's own stats are making Big 5 publishers look bad, why showing your work can bring you business, how Spotify plans to sell your audiobooks and whether you should let them, and the new minimalist writing tool on the market. Question of the Week: When you’ve been able to focus on a project, what have you usually had to do to make that happen?

Direct download: SMBS_440.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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 a few good reasons to do a preorder, the best reasons to step away from your computer and write more, and how to gift your book to fans, friends, and reviewers. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how those books get onto the bestsellers table at your local bookstore, the new marketing subscription to help sell your books, where to go to learn the best in author tools, how Gen Z is making romance more popular than ever, and how to last for the long-haul in publishing. Question of the Week: In the coming years, what’s something you would consider doing to tap into the growing marketing of Gen Z readers?

Direct download: SMBS_Episode_439.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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 easy and quick it is to set up your own author page on Amazon, how habits that once served us can be working against you, and there's a new print book formatting tool in town, and it's free. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include making smart decisions about what NOT to do as an author, a great way to make BookBub ads quicker and easier, why author myths could be holding back your author career, why Brandon Sanderson is the biggest threat to traditional publishing, and what Amazon ordering fewer books means to publishers. Question of the Week: What’s a myth you held when you started indie publishing that you’ve since dispelled?

Direct download: SMBS_438_FINAL.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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 quickly recover from common author mistakes, to edit faster by playing a game, and to anticipate objections for your non-fiction books. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how an author found success on Vella by letting readers help her choose the adventure, how ScribeCount is making Ingram more accessible, how one reader learned that people really do care, why Barnes & Noble might not stock certain books, that fair use isn't always cut and dried. Question of the Week: What’s a situation where you had to do damage control with your book and how will that experience inform how you handle it in the future?

Direct download: SMBS_437_-_8-23-22_-_edited_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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. We welcome Phoebe Ravencraft as our Co-host. She's the author of Fiction Blurbs The Best Page Forward Way and Editor in Chief of Best Page Forward. Top Tips of the week include the history of blurbs and why they still work today, all the parts of a book, and why you need to know them, and how to manage your screen time as an author. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include why AI's can't copyright their work. Even with human help, what Kate Bush's success tells authors about rights, how one librarian is fighting back against book banning activists, that Amazon has a big problem with fake books on its platform, and about D2D's new partnership with Humble Bundle. Question of the Week: If you had to choose between earning some money now but losing future rights, would you take a chance on keeping all of your rights (with no guarantee of a future payday)?

Direct download: SMBS_436_Audio_-_8-16-22.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

This week we have a great show for you! Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast! Top Tips of the week include how to make your newsletter easier and more effective at the same time, what crazy way an author got some attention for his book, and how to take a summer road trip and keep up your writing. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how to get to know your reader to sell more books, how a 30 year old author makes $97k with books about money for young women, what's so special about Chuck Tingle's Big 5 book contract, where to find a great opportunity for anyone who loves books and bare feet, and how textbook publishers want to use NFTs to charge students for used ebooks. Question of the week: How have you gathered information or otherwise found creative inspiration from your roadtrips?

Direct download: SMBS_435.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

This week we have a great show for you! Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast! Top Tips of the week include why you should consider selling direct, how insecurity is the creativity killer, and why every decision you make could make your writing harder. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what new features the Google play store has, how an indie author is seeing his novel come to television, data guy is back and selling his company, why the Internet free library case could have huge copyright implications, and how you and your author career will die if you refuse to change. Question of the week: What are some tricks you’ve found for managing decision fatigue in your writing life?

Direct download: SMBS_434.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

This week we have a great show for you! Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast! Top Tips of the week include how to market your series slowly, deliberately, and effectively, how to see how far you've grown as an author, and what spot reviewer services aren't legit. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what is a great way to take stock of your author business, how one SciFi author org is opening up to more members, what to do to maximize Google Book sales, how to be more inclusive of disabilities in your author business, and how Penguin is fighting off the DOJ to make the Big 5 the Big 4. Question of the week: When it comes to the idea of reviewing your old writing, do you feel more like Bryan and like the idea, or do you feel more like Claire and not want to touch that with a 10ft pole? Why?

Direct download: SMBS_433.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

This week we have a great show for you! Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Author Ad School is now open through July 25th and Claire's Kickstarter ends July 21st at midnight, you can visit the links in the show notes! Top Tips of the week include how to have a guilt free summer even if you don’t write, how to find the best keywords for your books, and how to give your backlist a kick in the pants! The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how to finish your first book, how BookTok and other influencers can help sell books, what author is making his living by doing less, what new reality show is following writers writing their books, and how ALLi is trying to track indie author sales and successes. Question of the week: If you had to pick one project to give your full attention to, which one would it be and why? Which projects would you let drop?

Direct download: SMBS_432.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

This week we have a great show for you! Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Claire's Kickstarter is live, you can visit the link in the show notes! Top Tips of the week include how to record your own audiobook, how to use Facebook's new Pages to your advantage, and why connections can be the best way to market. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how to learn from another author's mistakes, how LGBTQ is taking the book world by storm, how to make Vella work for you, how to make Patreon work for you and your readers, and what's the big news for authors at Wattpad. Question of the week: What platform has caught your interest lately, and why are you thinking about hopping on?

Direct download: SMBS_431.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

This week Claire is joined by author Nikki Haverstock! Join the Sell More Books Show Afterparty group on Facebook and be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Claire's Kickstarter is live, you can visit the link in the show notes! Top Tips of the week include whether you're addicted to productivity, how BookBub's preorder alert can help you sell books, and how to get the word out on your audiobooks. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how Spotify is planning to play your audiobooks free with ads, how one author's pivot led to six-figures, how to save taking your print books wide, how to show off your Vella stories on your Author Page, and what the end of Mobi files means for you and your readers. Question of the Week: Do you tend toward Toxic Productivity? If so, what are some of the signs that you notice, and what do you do when you notice them?

Direct download: SMBS_430.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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?

Direct download: SMBS_429.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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?

Direct download: SMBS_428.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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?

Direct download: SMBS_427.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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?

Direct download: SMBS_426.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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?

Direct download: SMBS_425.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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?

Direct download: SMBS_424.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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?

Direct download: SMBS_423.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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?

Direct download: SMBS_422.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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?

Direct download: SMBS_421.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT