After plugging the upcoming Indie Author Day (on October 8th, 2016), Jim and Bryan chatted with Ashley Durrer from InstaFreebie for their latest lab segment. Following their big thanks to two patrons, Craig Lea Gordon (and his book Hypercage ( https://amzn.com/B01KPGFQXY ) and Megan Haskell (and her book Sanyere: The Heir Apparent http://bit.ly/sanyare2 ), the publishing pilgrims took on tips related to relaunching your books, Shelfie’s new reader tool, and a “caring” social media strategy. News stories included Google Play’s new recommendation algorithm, Amazon’s big news about Audible, the end of the authors vs. Harlequin lawsuit, one author’s tough road, and another author’s joke-turned-success story. This week’s Question of the Week: If you could choose literary fame as a pauper or financial success without acclaim as an indie, which would you choose and why? How would your answer have differed when you just started out as an author?

This week, Jim and Bryan took on the latest in news and tips! After thanking their latest patron Matthew Paulson and his book The Ten-Year Turnaround (available here: http://www.amztk.com/tenyearturnaround ), the two trailblazers took on tips related to paid advertising, email collection, and erotica promo sites. News stories included Barnes & Noble blame, Hugh Howey’s publishing projections, some trad pub “Whale Math,” Colleen Hoover’s industry thoughts, and Rosalind James’ slow and steady approach to making readers happy. This week’s Question of the Week: Do you think too many authors and piracy are the reason Colleen Hoover’s book sales have decreased? Why or why not? If you were her, how would you use your large following to try to turn things around?

Here’s a little comedy for your Friday! In this special edition of the show, H. Claire Taylor joined Bryan to do a preview of their upcoming podcast, Something Nice to Say (you can contribute to the show’s Kickstarter campaign here: http://www.kicksomethingnice.com ). Bryan and Claire discussed their experiences with traditional publishing before launching into their trademark “three nice things.” Expect Daniel Plainview impressions and a discourse on the shark’s name in the movie Jaws.

Jim and Bryan definitely didn’t wear white for their first post-Labor Day episode. After Bryan chatted about his comedy Kickstarter (at http://kicksomethingnice.com ), they took on tips related to giveaways, launches, and fairy tale retellings. Following the much-deserved props given to Randy Stapilus and his book What Sells Books (available at http://www.ridenbaughpress.com/whatsellsbooks/ ), the self-publishing stalwarts talked fighting fraud, Pew surveys, indie crossword puzzles, library ebooks, and KU vs. Wide. This week’s Question of the Week: Would you put your free ebooks into the New York Public Library? Why or why not? What kind of results do you think you’d see from entering into the catalogue?

The heat is on with this late summer episode of The Sell More Books Show. Jim and Bryan discussed tips on Smashwords Alerts, book bundles, and permafree books. After thanking their latest patron Barb Drozdowich (and her book Blogging for Authors http://bit.ly/authblogbd ), they dissected news on Penguin’s subscription aversion, the Kindle Reading Fund, Shatzkin’s ideas to right the Nook ship, Google’s mobile site penalties, the opening of the Arthur C. Clarke Award to indies, and Amazon’s gains in India over Flipkart. This week’s Question of the Week: What would you do to turn around the fortunes at Barnes & Noble? Do you think any of Mike Shatzkin’s ideas would help the company recover?

The heat is on with this late summer episode of The Sell More Books Show. Jim and Bryan discussed tips on Smashwords Alerts, book bundles, and permafree books. After thanking their latest patron Barb Drozdowich (and her book Blogging for Authors http://bit.ly/authblogbd ), they dissected news on Penguin’s subscription aversion, the Kindle Reading Fund, Shatzkin’s ideas to right the Nook ship, Google’s mobile site penalties, the opening of the Arthur C. Clarke Award to indies, and Amazon’s gains in India over Flipkart. This week’s Question of the Week: What would you do to turn around the fortunes at Barnes & Noble? Do you think any of Mike Shatzkin’s ideas would help the company recover?

After a wild week, Jim talked AMC’s Reviewer Grabber and Bryan chatted up his Cinderella launch before they slammed into the latest tips and news. After thanking their patrons G.D. Leon (and his book The Frigorifio https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KPHK98A ) and Gillian Felix (and her service Plain Talk BM http://www.plaintalkbm.com/ ) the self-pub soulmates discussed trigger warnings, iBooks, and KDP Rocket. News stories included the New York Times’ self-pub advice, novels made from text messages, Kickstarter’s publishing prowess, how stacked ads helped Joanna Penn hit the USA Today list, and Wattpad’s new Futures ad program. This week’s Question of the Week: Would you read a book made up of text messages? Do you think Hooked will be the next big thing?

For this special Friday edition of the show, Bryan sat down and chatted about the launch of his new pen name with the fairy tale novel Cinderella Dreams of Fire ( http://bit.ly/cindydreams ). He’s challenged himself to launch a book into the Top 500 on Amazon and keep it in the Top 5,000 for 30 days. In this episode, Bryan goes through the writing strategy, marketing/launch strategy, promo schedule, and results of his promo, including some answers to questions you might have about his plan.

The returning champion (Bryan) re-emerged from Smith Mountain Lake as he and Jim tackled Amazon’s new Kindle in Motion feature and the rest of the latest news. After thanking their latest patron Megan Haskell (and her book Sanyere: The Last Descendent http://bit.ly/mhasksan ), the book bromance talked tips on book reviews, pop-ups, and sharing notes in Goodreads. News stories included retro London bookstores, the increase of the word “girl” in titles, Facebook’s rivalry with AdBlocker, Bob Mayer’s publishing predictions, and Kindle in Motion. This week’s Question of the Week: Do you think Kindle in Motion will be the next big thing in ebooks? Why or why not?

Vinny O’Hare visited the show today while Bryan was on vacation. Vinny and Jim chatted Facebook, brand awareness, and writing more books, as well as the five latest news stories. After thanking the show’s latest patron, Kirsten Oliphant (and her book Email Lists Made Easy for Writers and Bloggers https://amzn.com/B01HLLYCA4 ), the Internet marketing powerhouses discussed stories on Virgin Airlines, VAT legislation, audio choose-your-own-adventure books, whether or not “too many books” is a good thing, and Wal-Mart’s purchase of Jet.com. This week’s Question of the Week: Will there ever be a point where there are too many books in the world and will that affect book sales in the future?

Jim Kukral and the Magical Fishing Trip ended, allowing him to return to the show to chat about tips like hunting down book reviews, using Facebook Live, and learning what millionaire self-publishers have in common. After welcoming Derek Siddoway from Book Review 22 for a lab segment, and thanking their patron P.G. Kassel (and his book Black Shadow Moon http://bit.ly/brammistake), the dynamic duo took on the news. Stories included the recent Harry Potter launch, editing and moral rights clauses, faulty indie bookstore data, Universal Book Links, and the passion vs. purpose argument. This week’s Question of the Week, “When did you figure out that you were meant to be a self-publishing author, and what made you determine this?”

Honoree Corder joined the show in Jim’s absence this week, as she and Bryan talked tips, news, and breakfast. After thanking this week’s patron (S.J. Pajonas and her book Removed http://bit.ly/sjremove ), they shared tips about Scrivener for iOS, MFAs, and Kwill Publication’s new book-to-script program. News stories included a DRM court case, reasons for the rise of audio, new KU additions, doomsday trad pub scenarios, and why Pokemon GO could kill Facebook. This week’s Question of the Week: What do you think is going to be the next big thing in publishing and why?

Bryan promoted his new show (Something Nice to Say http://www.somethingniceshow.com ) and talked about his successful nonfiction launch before he and Jim talked backups, Amazon TOS, and torrents in the tips section. They thanked their latest patron Brecht Ryckaert (and his book WordPress Security 101 http://bit.ly/brechtword ) before moving onto the news. Stories included Amazon’s lame Kindle Q&A, a new proposed copyright law, why the sky isn’t falling, diversity in publishing, and Data Guy’s presentation at RWA. This week’s Question of the Week: Have you become embroiled in following too much self-publishing gossip? What should you be doing with your time instead? Subquestion: What do you hate most in this world? (Remember to share what you hate with Bryan and Claire at http://www.somethingniceshow.com )

Bryan launched his new book this week ( available here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HYBWOF6 ) and he explains how he was able to sell over 800 copies in four days of release. He and Jim blasted through the show after thanking their patron L. Penelope (and her book Song of Blood & Stone http://lpenelope.com/books/song-of-blood-and-stone/ ), which included tips on box sets, breaking the rules, and ensuring your stories are immersive. News stories included Iran’s new bookstore project, AAP’s depressing ebook numbers, Indie Author Day, Audible Channels, and how to improve as a writer and a marketer. What deliberate actions would you have to take to get better as an author and as a marketer?

The guys welcomed Jonny Andrews for their latest Lab segment and talked doomsday Nook scenarios before tackling the latest news! After thanking their latest patron Simon Goodson (and his book Wanderer’s Escape http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AZ7YSFQ ), Jim and Bryan shared tips on metadata, the purpose behind your emails, and creating the perfect hook. News stories included Nook’s email barrage, Tales From the Crypt pulling from WattPad, applying 10x thinking, Facebook further reducing organic reach, and confessions from a former publishing intern. This week’s Question of the Week: If you employed 10x thinking, what would your 10x self-publishing goal be? How might you achieve it?

After Jim recounted his experience at the Cleveland Cavaliers parade and Bryan discussed his upcoming new book, How to Write a Sizzling Synopsis, the triple-threat-twosome tackled stories on algorithms, Brexit, joining the midlist, Nook’s POD idea, and author service scams. They also thanked their latest patron Anmarie Uber (and hßer book 5 Numbers of Destiny http://bit.ly/5numdest ) and provided a few thoughts on tips related to Snapchat, pricing at $1.99, and getting more out of your readers. This Week’s Question of the Week: How would the indie landscape be different if Nook tackled POD six years earlier in June 2016?

Amazon brought down the hammer in our top two stories of the week. After thanking their patron Parker Hudson (and his book On the Edge http://bit.ly/parkhud ), Jim and Bryan took on tips related to web tracking, single tasking, and choosing your genre. They quickly dispensed with stories on the Apple settlement, Neon Play, and Facebook video to get to the big ones: harmful KU scams and Amazon dropping more ebook deal affiliates. We have a Dual Question of the Week: Why did Amazon drop Pixel of Ink and the other deal sites? What should Bryan name his baby?

Summary: Michael Lister revisited the show to discuss his USA Today bestseller play, and Jim and Bryan talked reviews, discount rants, and Google indifference in the latest episode. After thanking their patron Nora Remenia (and her book Guerrilla Tactics Against Passive Aggression http://bit.ly/passagress ), the triple threat twosome tackled tips on domains, email signatures, and post scheduling. News stories included testimonial contests, book review aggregators, trad pub print stats, discounting doubters, and Google’s indifference to selling more books. This week’s Question of the Week: What kind of prize would you need up for grabs to sign up for a $99 traditional publishing contest and why

Abigail Dunard, the first SMBS intern, joined Jim and Bryan on the show this week as they discussed the latest Author Earnings report and much, much more. After thanking their patrons Annie Adams (The Final Arrangement http://amzn.to/1Z7yEoF ) and Chris Shumate (31 Days of Wisdom http://amzn.to/1XC9wth ), the trio took on tips about cover branding, Facebook video, and email marketing services. News stories included the dominance of Amazon imprints, ambiguous Amazon policies, how long sales rank takes to update, the scourge of truncated emails, and the May 2016 Author Earnings report. This week’s Question of the Week: Which part of the newest Author Earnings report is most surprising to you? How do you think this info will impact your career going forward

No words to describe this fun, live on tape, show where Bryan and Jim answered questions and had some fun.

BookBub is selling ads and Jim thinks it’s a mistake. Welcome to the latest episode, which featured tips on creative scheduling, video marketing, and book titles. This week, you should check out Bryan’s upcoming webinar with Mark Dawson ( http://www.selfpublishingformula.com/bryan ), and our latest patron Percival Constantine (and his book Vanguard http://bit.ly/pcvanguard ). Our latest news stories included the continued rise of audio, adult coloring VAT, the team of Pronoun and MacMillan, Moneyball in publishing, what trad pub should fear, and BookBub Ads. This week’s Question of the Week: Do you plan on buying BookBub ads? Why or why not? Do you think BookBub Ads will be a success?

Michael Lister joined the show in our latest Lab segment about the USA Today Bestseller List. Bryan and Jim also took on a trio of tips and six news stories in the self-publishing world! After thanking Michael (who was also our featured patron with his mystery box set: http://bit.ly/6jjmyst ), our illustrious hosts spoke on finding more ad targets, building up a base of readers, and spending money on Fiverr. They also touched on stories about Kobo’s new customer acquisition, the plight of the trad pub author, non-compete agreements, whether low prices devalue authors, AI book marketing, and Ellora’s Cave’s latest threat. This week’s Question of the Week: Do you think indie authors pricing books at 99 cents and free has hurt the industry? Why or why not?

With their sights always set on the next big game changer, Jim and Bryan took on the latest in publishing news. After thanking their latest patron Ladey Adey (and her book Unfrozen http://www.ladeyadey.com/author/ ), the dynamic duo covered tips on indie promo sites, digital publishing pitfalls, and Audible’s new gifting feature. Stories included a crowdsourced sci-fi novel, one publisher’s argument for gatekeepers, the Amazon ebook giveaway system, publisher contract terms, BookExpo America, and Goodreads’ new deal site. This week’s Question of the Week: Will Goodreads Deals overtake BookBub as the #1 author email marketing service? Why or why not?

Bryan and Jim are back with more news than you can shake an Author Solutions Star Trek writing contest at! After thanking their new patrons, Bobby Adair (and his book Slow Burn: Zero Day http://bit.ly/slowburne ) and L.J. Burke (and his book Divorced Dad http://bit.ly/daddivor ), the double stack of digital news took on tips about self-published workbooks, Goodreads ebook giveaways, and Amazon’s new Video Direct platform. News stories included Simon & Schuster’s Star Trek writing contest, attractiveness in trad pub contracts, estate planning, The Fussy Librarian’s affiliate troubles, and Hugh Howey’s thoughts on 2009 ebook selling vs. today. This week’s Question of the Week: Will you take additional steps to plan for the publishing side of your estate? Why or why not?

With a little help from their five intern candidates, Bryan and Jim took on a massive news week in the world of self-publishing. After thanking their new patron Nora Femenia (and her book The Silent Marriage http://bit.ly/silmarr ) Chris Fox dropped by the show to discuss the results of his 21-Day Novel Writing Challenge. Chris and the guys discussed tips on book marketing examples, the costs of editing, and productivity heat maps. The temporary trio examined 7 big stories, including Kobo’s expansion to Turkey, backwards copyright law proposals, trad pub algorithms, podcast TV adaptations, branded content on Facebook, Wattpad’s new entertainment endeavor, and the Amazon Advantage program. This week’s Question of the Week: Are you going to shell out $99 a year to join the Amazon Advantage program? Why or why not?

With Jim on a boat somewhere, Bryan invited fiction and nonfiction author Monica Leonelle to the show! After thanking patron Emma Alisyn (and her book Character Sketch & Color http://bit.ly/emcolor ), Monica & Bryan focused their energy on tips about BookBub, indie pressure, and writing sprints. News stories included the Pulitzer Prize push, Kindle Scout naysayers, Google Play, Amazon's publisher recruitment for KU, who loses most when scammers win, and indie film rights. This week's Question of the Week: "If you had the opportunity to sell your film rights tomorrow for a small sum, would you sell them or would you hold on to them in hopes of actually getting your film made?" 

With Bryan in a particularly punchy mood, he and Jim dug deep into the latest in self-publishing news. After thanking their favorite patron Spider McGee (and his book Monkey Justice http://bit.ly/secretjim ), they discussed tips related to choosing your book title, pre-orders, and indie accounting methods. The news stories included Kobo’s intriguing reader study, the Google Books U.S. Supreme Court decision, the Kindle Oasis, the Smashwords Survey of 2016, and a scam that’s taking over the free charts. This week’s Question of the Week: Would you want Google Books to scan your books and index the contents for online search? Why or why not?

It’s springtime in the self-publishing world, and Jim and Bryan are blooming with tips and news to help you grow your author career. After thanking their latest patron David King (and his book Hitler Out of Time http://www.hitleroutoftime.com/amazon ), the lilac-fresh friends dug up some tips on audiobooks, going wide, and iBooks. News stories included Hugh Howey’s latest option, the gamification of the ebook industry, a trad pub auction, how publishers should adapt, Facebook Live, and the newest approximately of the Amazon algorithm. This week’s Question of the Week: Do you think the Amazon sales algorithm is game-able? Why or why not?

Back from rainy Austin, Bryan and Jim beamed about their fun and educational experience at the Smarter Artist Summit. After thanking their latest patron Jamie Arpin-Ricci and his book The Last Verdict (available at http://bit.ly/lastverd ), the troublesome honorary texans took on tips about free books, niching down, and using short stories in anthologies. News stories included $27 ebooks, YA superhero books, doing it all, using genre-specific covers, providing ebooks to the masses, and putting in 14 hour days. This week’s Question of the Week: How would you be willing to change your life to sell two million ebooks? Could you stand the 14-hour days? Why or why not?

Live from Opal Divine’s Penn Field in Austin, Texas, Jim and Bryan piggybacked off the Smarter Artist Summit this week to bring you their first ever live show. In front of a raucous crowd, the happiest of hosts thanked their latest patron (Emma Alisyn and her book Character Sketch & Color http://bit.ly/emcolor ) before launching into a trio of tips about Isaac Asimov’s writing habits, Instagram ads vs. Twitter ads, and an interesting cover art tactic. The news stories included the need to say no to some free promotion gigs, how Fifty Shades of Grey has failed the long tail, a successful book bundling website, how consumers have the choice on what and how they buy, and writing to market vs. writing to multiple markets. This week’s Question of the Week: Which should you do: write to market or write to multiple markets at once and why?

With one week to go until their live show in Austin, Jim and Bryan tackled the latest publishing tips and news on the web. Jim has created a new SMBS coloring book! Also, Bryan's course is available again through Monday ( https://www.sellingforauthors.com/March ). After thanking their latest patrons, Victoria Danann (and her book Carnal - http://bit.ly/dancarn ) and Caro Bégin (and the book Twisting Fate - http://bit.ly/beginfate ), the indie pundits discussed weird in-person marketing tactics, anti-procrastination apps, and six ways to ruin your book marketing. News stories included OverDrive ebooks in elementary schools, James Patterson’s master plan, reader data analytics, one novelist’s opinion about self-publishing, how big indies are making their own imprints, and Audible’s new Clips feature. This week’s Question of the Week: How will you use Audible’s Clips feature to promote your audiobooks?

A front matter firestorm erupted this week in the indie author community, and Jim and Bryan are here to shine some light on it. After thanking their latest patron (W.C. Hoffman and his book Twins of Prey http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JCSDYTK ), they took on a trio of tips about networking, extroverting, and finding beta readers. News stories included the sins and virtues of email marketing, takeaways from Digital Book World, Data Guy’s first public appearance, Kindle Unlimited scam artists, and Amazon’s knee jerk Terms of Service change. This week’s Question of the Week: What’s your take on back matter Tables of Contents needing to change and how will this impact you? Will you need to reformat your books?

It’s Self-Publishing 101 in Jim and Bryan’s 101st episode. After thanking Michael La Ronn and his Author Level Up YouTube channel ( www.authorlevelup.com ), the princes of publishing took on tips about digital Amazon giveaways, cover art, and increasing your revenue. News stories included Amazon’s 2nd physical store, the age of most Kobo readers, publishing’s need for dynamic change, the top subcategories on Amazon, used ebooks, and Nook’s closure of its UK store. This week’s Question of the Week: How will the closure of Nook’s UK store impact your author business? Do you plan on continuing to publish to the Nook US store?

We’ve hit triple digits! Bryan and Jim celebrated how they always do: by tackling the top news and tips of the week. After thanking their patron Jeff Adams (and his Hat Trick Series http://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B00YVWBRYQ/ ) they chatted Facebook, a killer editing combo, and a time-tested promotional strategy. News stories included scamming the bestseller list, Kobo’s POD service, what financially successful authors have in common, the closure of Samhain Publishing, the Bookseller/Author Solutions controversy, and DBW’s interview with Data Guy. This week’s Question of the Week: Do you think the Bookseller stepped over the line of journalism with their Author Solutions interview or can they publish whatever they want? 

Chris Fox, the author of Write to Market, visited the show this week for our latest lab segment. Jim and Bryan thanked their patron Kathy Coakley and her book Dad's Girls ( http://www.kathycoatney.com/dads-girls/ ) before launching into their final double-digit show (#99!). The trio of tips included pointers on burnout, book file sizes, and social media image sizes. The top five news focused on the Amazon recommendation algorithm, Facebook ads, expert reviews, keywords, and Scribd's latest scale back. This week's Question of the Week: Which opinion do you trust more when you buy books: experts or friends/Amazon strangers and why?

Jim and Bryan announced their upcoming Live show in Austin on March 29th and a surprise milestone as they approached the big 100 in the show's 98th episode. After re-featuring Geoff North and his book Thawed: Cryers ( http://bit.ly/thawcry ), the Laurel and Hardy lookalikes tackled tips on group promotions, honing your blurbs, and defining your target audience. News stories touched on the latest Harry Potter book, going wide, the CreateSpace book ban, the case for Amazon Books, and the Author Earnings firestorm. This week's Question of the Week: Do you believe Authors Earnings numbers? Do you think they need additional verification? Why or why not?

Stellar and bittersweet news alike greeted Jim and Bryan this week as they tackled the latest and greatest in the self-publishing world. First, Bryan announced free mailing list training on Thursday at Noon EST with Nick Stephenson (sign up here http://bit.ly/nickbryweb ). After thanking their latest patron M.A. Robbins (and the book The Tilt http://bit.ly/thetilt ), your illustrious hosts discussed tips on also-boughts, social media overwhelm, and audiobooks. News stories included what it means to be a self-publishing success, BookBub's 98 book marketing ideas, Amazon Books' call for curators, business plans for authors, Kindle Unlimited's KENPC 2.0, and Author Earnings' two-year report. This week's Question of the Week: Did your page numbers go down on Kindle Unlimited? If so, how far did they drop and how does that make you feel?

Bryan returned to a jam-packed show about long-term sales, wishful thinking, and keeping your reviews. After discussing Bryan's limited-edition mailing list mastermind ( available at http://www.thousandsofreaders.com ), the self-publishing pair thanked their latest patron (L. Penelope's Song of Blood & Stone - http://lpenelope.com/books/song-of-blood-and-stone/ ) and discussed tips on systematization, raw links, and conquering Kobo. The news stories included Audible's new direction, the 50 Shades of Gray legal case, Fakespot, an Amazon wish list, and Long Tail sales. This week's Question of the Week, "What's the number one thing Amazon could change to improve your life as an author?"

Alida Winternheimer dropped by the show today to fill in for Bryan as she and Jim took on the top tips and news of the week. After giving props to this week's featured patron, P.G. Kassel and his book Black Shadow Moon ( http://www.pgkassel.com ), they took a stab at tips related to editing, finances, and marketing methods worth modeling. The subjects of the news stories included Shelfari, today's marketing trends, finding your voice, Amazon's new two-tier quality control system, and Hugh Howey's advice on how to be a writer. 

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?" 

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?" 

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

Councilman Elect Jim Kukral and Marshmallow Elect Bryan Cohen reunited for the latest episode of the show. After re-featuring Patron Susan Illene and her book Stalked by Flames ( http://amzn.to/1Q80kFr ), the determined duo took on tips about promoting sequels, co-writing, and using video marketing. News stories focused on the passing of a self-publishing godfather, HarperCollins' acquisition of The Midlist, Amazon's purge of books using certain keywords, opinions on Amazon Books, and whether or not we're living in the "post-content era." This week's Question of the Week: What value do you think Amazon is getting out of its latest retail venture? Would you want one in your city? Why or why not?

With Jim off winning an election (!!!), Bryan welcomed three of his early Selling for Authors students to the show. Dystopian new adult author Tarah Benner, nonfiction author Nathan Meunier, and dark fantasy author John L. Monk visited the podcast to talk tips, news, and Bryan's Selling for Authors course (which closes its doors on Thursday, November 5th, 2015 at 11:59pm EST). Learn more at https://www.sellingforauthors.com

After thanking new patron Chris Ayala (author of The Last Days at www.TheLastDaysTrilogy.com ) and returning patrons Kate Curran (She's Out of His League at http://bit.ly/shesout ) and Marc Gunn (Pirates vs. Dragons at http://bit.ly/pirdrag ), Bryan and the gang talked tips. The tips of the week focused on blurbs, writing like you talk, and using Facebook ads to grow your mailing list. News stories included Amazon's bookstore, a woman who reviewed 31,000+ books, the decline of eReaders, trad pub's international strides, Kris Rusch's opinion on agents, and trad pub testing out the permafree model. This week's Question of the Week: Should we be worried about trad pub trying out permafree? Why or why not? What do indies still have as a competitive advantage over trad pubs?

As Bryan dealt with the throes and joys of his Selling for Authors course launch (located at https://www.sellingforauthors.com ), the determined dyad took on the latest in indie publishing news. Jim and Bryan praised their latest Patron, Alan Frederick Hight, and his book Where The Leaves Wither ( http://eepurl.com/badxB9 ), and talked tips on card readers, Quotle, and Twitter giveaways.

The news includes stories on Ellora's Cave, indies in libraries, Amazon's future reviewer plans, Kobo's new promos for authors, trad pub authors going indie, and the influx of high-end author courses. This week's Question of the Week: What's something you're an expert on that you could teach a course about? How might you go about creating and promoting the course?

After introducing their latest patron, Michael Allen Peck and his book The Journeyman, Bryan and Jim tackled the latest tips and news. Tips included myths about author marketing, Draft2Digital's new back matter feature, and passive book marketing. Stories focused on an Oyster update, the growing pay-per-page model, indie author post-production, the mahogany desk flu, the Author Earnings individual report, and the passing of an important figure in self-publishing. The Question of the Week is: Should we keep the sounders? And how has KBoards helped you during your indie author career?

Jim and Bryan took on a big week of news in the self-publishing with their latest episode. After Bryan officially announced the latest March to a Bestseller event (available at http://www.marchtoabestseller.com ), the tag team re-featured one of their $3 patrons, Sandy Williams and her book Shades of Treason. They also took on tips about whining, selling on iBooks, and collaboration. The news stories included the ad-blocking iOS9 browser, the latest month of KU earnings, getting readers to finish books, Amazon's server outage, and Google's acquisition of Oyster. This week's Question of the Week is: Do you think Google will try to compete in the book subscription market? How else do you think Oyster's integration will impact the Google Play store? 

This week, Bryan has gone temporarily solo! Learn 5 things you may not have known about him before you hear the unplugged version of your favorite self-publishing news show. Tips include strategies on mailing lists, what not to do with paid marketing, and how to better understand your readers. The news stories focused on CreateSpace pirates, the cost of self-publishing, how to make Facebook work for you, why you should write four books a year, and the latest Author Earnings Report. This week's Question of the Week: What paid advertising methods have worked best for you? How often do you use them to strengthen your author business? Bonus Question: What else would you like to learn about Bryan?

After Jim teased two new Author Marketing Club resources and Bryan offered a free consultation for new Best Page Forward subscribers, the triumphant team tackled the latest tips and news. The three tips included building a launch team, creating captivating Facebook cover images, and increasing your engagement on Google Plus. The top five newsworthy stories focused on the closure of PubSlush, John Scalzi's diversification claims, St. Martin's Press allegedly failing to live up to its contract, Liz C. Long's frustration at the self-publishing stigma, and July's Kindle Unlimited payout numbers. This week's Question of the Week: "What were your July KU numbers? Are you happy with the results? Why or why not?"

After Bryan talked dictation and Jim put out a call for developers, the terrific twosome tackled the best tips and news of the week. The three tips included advice on pre-orders, lessons to learn from James Patterson's Masterclass, and how to start off right in self-publishing. The compelling news stories included male pen names, comparisons between print journalism and traditional publishing, author displeasure with Audible, Fantasy-Faction's post on why you shouldn't self publish, and a massive story on agency pricing. This week's Question of the Week is "Would you buy an e-book if it was priced higher than the paperback or hardcover? Why or why not?"

In the dog days of summer, only the strong self-publishing newscasters survive. Bryan and Jim talked writing speed and Jim's latest Authorpreneur interview before diving head first into the tips. The advice included spreading audiobooks with OneBook, selling local with the bookseller's mindset, and fiction writing lessons from Joanna Penn. The news included stories on picking your ideal reader, the myth of author laziness, trad pub blacklisting blurbs for POD books, Konrath and Eisler's Authors Guild fisking, and one author's reminiscences of trad pub days gone by. This week's Question of the Week: What qualities would you want in an organization that protects the interests of authors and why?

With solid nights of sleep behind them, Jim and Bryan tackled the latest topics in self-publishing. After discussing Bryan's new URL for his service, BookBestPageForward.com, and Jim's latest interviews on Authorpreneur.fm, the marketing mavens took on the tips and news. Tips included how to average out the stats of the bestsellers of the last decade, aspiring authorpreneur advice, and how to live more simply. News stories focused on picking a new term for indie authors, Mike Shatzkin's potential about-face, summer reading statistics, a review of indie author library services, and the impact piracy has on indies. The Question of the Week: Will book piracy become as huge as music piracy did during the Napster days? Will it impact the average indie author? Why or why not?

As Bryan fought back sleepiness and Jim teased a new Author Marketing Club tool, the podcasting pals gave episode #68 their all! They tackled tips on ambition, a new Twitter app, and how to treat book reviewers. Bryan and Jim also covered the latest in self-publishing news, including stories on direct Facebook sales, Douglas Preston's letter to the Department of Justice, Amazon Follow, the underground world of Kindle ebooks, and the transparency of the publishing business. This week's Question of the Week: "Do you think the Kindle Gold Rush post was real or fake? What do you think we should take from it either way?"

With Jim using his "Gone Fishin'" sign, Bryan welcomed another British guest co-host to the show this week: Simon Whistler of the Rocking Self Publishing Podcast! Simon and Bryan chatted about last week's question before moving into tips about free Kindle book covers, online quizzes, and writing 5,000 words per hour. News stories included reports on the closing of Nook's international store, the spread of ebooks in India, the Ted Cruz bestseller list controversy, Kobo's eRead Local campaign, Shawn Inmon's post on starting from scratch, and the Authors Guild's 50/50 ebook royalty initiative. This week's Question of the Week is "What would you do differently if you were starting self-publishing today?" 

Between book launches (Bryan's new novella) and other podcasts (Jim's upcoming Authorpreneur interview with Andy Weir), the turbulent twosome brought you one of their most info-packed shows yet! They discussed three tips on hiring a virtual assistant, pitching new readers, and occasionally turning off the computer. The news was even meatier than usual this week with stories on social media, Nook's new website, the Amazon review removal controversy, the reaction to the KU pages read rate, and Scribd's culling of romance titles. This week's Question of the Week: Is Amazon's removal of some indie reviews fair? Why or why not? Should Amazon change its policy? If yes, how so?

Bryan and Jim are back in action with another week of the latest tips and news. After Bryan discussed the recent Stanley Cup bet he won with Pete Bauer, the devilishly handsome duo talked about the Alphasmart 3000, valuing your mistakes, and how to use Scrivener to organize your marketing. News stories focused on an update to the German adult ebook law, reading among millennials, why trad pub can't innovate, how to truly own your books, the true cost of traditional publishing, and why social sharing could be the new author marketing craze. This week's Question of the Week: Why aren't millennials buying ebooks? Is it a lack of time, too much technology, have young people always read less, or is it something else entirely?

In one of their best shows yet, Jim and Bryan went deep on the most pressing issues of the week. After Bryan discussed the success of his Best Page Forward service, Jim announced his new Authorpreneur podcast (available at http://authorpreneur.fm). The diabolical duo then took on three tips about assetless pre-orders, daily writing habits, and the CrystalKnows email program. News stories included a check-in on the Tess Gerritsen Gravity case, Taylor Swift's shaming of Apple Music, Germany's new erotic ebook law, speculation on the size of self-publishing, the ills of gaming the system, and Amazon's new review formula. The Question of the Week: Will you research how to improve your Amazon review rating once the new formula is put in place? If so, how much time will you spend and why?

Jim and Bryan discussed three tips this week on marketing services, procrastination, and book piracy. While the news included stories on direct-to-brain book downloads, Amazon's publishing imprints, the  Oblivion Principle, and authors as customers, the focus was Amazon's recent announcement about Kindle Unlimited and page reads. This week's Question of the Week: Will the new KU payout structure be good or bad for authors and why? How will it impact your own business?

Jim and Bryan topped Babe Ruth and Roger Maris this week by smacking number 62 right out of the park! After Bryan invited listeners to his Ted Head Games contest, the silver sluggers took on tips about profitability, internal defense, and series resurrection. The news included stories on MacGuffin, Nielsen's ebook statistics, Apple's possible switch to 85 percent royalties, the $10,000 self-published book design, and attitudes toward younger writers. This Week's Question of the Week: If you could meet with the author who spent $33,000 self-publishing (Dr. Nancy Saltzman) what would you say and why?

In a show bursting with info, Jim and Bryan welcomed back Mark Dawson for the conclusion of his Facebook ad experiments. They also touched on a trio of tips related to building your author empire, the latest tools introduced at BEA, and the essentials of any marketing campaign. The top 5 news focused on mobile phone reading, John Scalzi's 10-year publishing deal, the Authors Guild's attempt at positive PR, Phoenix Sullivan's analysis of Author Earnings' data, and Orna Ross' editorial on the true worst time to be an author. This Week's Question of the Week: Would you take a 10-year contract if it meant financial security but that all contact with your readers would go through the publishing company?

Bryan and Jim hit the big 6-0 this week, which made them feel old. This week, they covered a trio of tips on finding free or discounted local books, writing 5,000 words a day for a month, and perfecting your book's title. They also touched on news stories about 12 essential book marketing tips, giving away books for free, discrimination against indies, Google Play's shutdown for new authors, and the pros and cons of going pro. This week's Question of the Week: Does the traditional publishing industry's behavior toward indies count as sanctioned discrimination? Why or why not?

The dynamic duo of digital debutantes took on their usual trio of tips and the latest in self-publishing news in their 59th episode. In today's show, you'll learn about Facebook Custom Audiences, Facebook funnels, and successful autoresponders. You'll also hear discussions on news stories focusing on Kobo books on planes, clickbait advice, carving your own path, Amazon's new sales pages, and Google's upcoming addition of buy buttons to search results. This week's Question of the Week: Do you like Amazon's new sales page? Why or why not? Do you think it'll increase or decrease sales and why?

After a short (and live!) musical interlude, Jim and Bryan tackled the latest publishing industry news and tips. Tips included Chuck Wendig's 10 authorial self-promotion commandments, Nate Hoffelder's thoughts on writing for short attention spans, and Jane Friedman's four questions to ask yourself when building a community. The news stories centered on 100 percent self-publishing royalties, the difficulty of selling digital products, a customer's lifetime Amazon ban, the five dumbest business practices in publishing, and the latest Author Earnings report. If you answer this week's question of the week with a video or phone call, you'll be entered into a drawing for a free year of Author Marketing Club! This week's question: Should customers be allowed to return an unlimited number of ebooks at any time? Why or why not?

After Bryan chatted about his Facebook Event product launch, the two troubadours tackled tips on brand building, persistence, and working hard to achieve success. They also discussed news on the federal government e-book program for kids, PayPal's new digital product endeavor, BitLit's expanding shelfie technology, the music industry compared to the publishing industry, and the latest on Author Solutions. Bryan and Jim are starting a Patreon campaign (like Kickstarter for podcasts), and they want your help to figure out what bonus content to give their followers. This week's Question of the Week: What bonus content would you like us to provide as pledges on Patreon?

On the launch day of Bryan's new Facebook Event product, Kindle Sales Blowout, and Jim's new Author Marketing Institute podcast, the Writership Podcast, the dynamic duo tackled the latest in self-publishing tips and news. The trio of tips included what to do in the worst-case scenario, how to come up with new marketing ideas, and giving your backlist new life. The news stories focused on the success secrets of super authors, the decline of indie bookstores in the U.K., how the Tragedy of the Commons theory applies to self-publishing, Facebook's Contentgeddon, and the future of disruption in the publishing industry. This week's Question of the Week: What will the reimagination of the publishing industry look like in 2017 and beyond?

Succinctly working their way through the top news in the biz, Jim and Bryan discussed the latest happenings in the industry. Their trio of tips focused on recording your own audiobooks, pricing your books, and how to market on Facebook. News stories included the topics of indie-only bookstores, a series of stories on audiobooks, London Book Fair, Mark Dawson's recent feature in Forbes, and author earnings in the U.K. This week's Question of the Week: Would you submit your book to a self-publishing book store? Why or why not? If there was one in your area, would you consider shopping there?

In another succinct episode, Bryan and Jim talked tips, news, and the most pressing questions of the publishing industry. They discussed tips related to email lists, self-promotion on social media, and the new Book Report tool. News stories included Amazon's fake review lawsuit, three recent seven-figure publishing deals for indies, the luck factor of publishing, the reasoning behind Oyster's new online book store, and the traditionally published author survey. This week's Question of the Week: If you were already successful in self-publishing, would you take a five-book deal for a million dollars?

In our first show of year two, we introduced a new segment and still came in at under 50 minutes! Thriller author and marketing expert Mark Dawson helped us kick off "The Lab," a new feature in which successful authors help us experiment with our own books! He's offering a one-hour consultation giveaway through April 14th at SelfPublishingFormula.com. Jim and Bryan's trio of tips focused on audio marketing, going mobile, and free image sites. The news stories touched upon virtual book readings, self-publishing in high school, the reader's journey, the post-gold rush trough, and what self-published authors should focus on. This week's Question of the Week: Is it time for self-publishers to get over self-publishing?

Jim and Bryan celebrated their one-year anniversary this week! They also awarded episode 50's big video contest winner. In their 52nd episode, the Midwesterners discussed a trio of tips on writing in the cloud, using physical book cards, and adding bonus content to your fiction books. The news focused on digital growth, safety for book reviewers, the Clean Reader app, Joe Konrath's EbooksAreForever library business, and the controversy over Jane Litte's pen name. This week's Question of the Week: What do you like and dislike about our show? What could we do better?

With Jim and Bryan at the PubSense Summit in Charleston, SC, the dynamic duo decided to get the opinions of some of the great speakers on hand. Joanna Penn (The Creative Penn), Porter Anderson (The Bookseller), Mark Lefebvre (Kobo), Cevin Bryerman (Publishers Weekly), Andra Miller (Algonquin), Shari Stauch (Where Writers Win), and Kristina Radke (NetGalley) gave Bryan their expert insights on the latest developments in self-publishing. Tips included handling one-star reviews, gaining visibility, and using Facebook ads. The news focused on a new Goodreads change, the buyer's market vs. the reader's market, author attitudes, the odds of self-publishing success, and the acquisition of Overdrive by Kobo's parent company, Rakuten. This week's Question of the Week: If you became a successful author would your attitude change? If you found success would you be corrupted?

In their landmark 50th episode, Bryan and Jim had rants and insight, motivation and tough love, and tips and news for your listening pleasure. Listen to the show to learn how to enter their big 50th episode giveaway to win over $150 in prizes! Their trio of tips includes a better way to get ACX bounties, scrappy conference marketing tips, and why you should create courses. The news included stories on deep, philosophical novels, the reality of the writing dream, the next step in Facebook marketing, how to market a series, and five reflective lessons on the authorpreneurial life. This week's Question of the Week: How bad do you want it?

This week, we decided to honor our fans by bringing on nine of our superfans to discuss the tips and news. Without them, Bryan might not have made it through his cold and sore throat! The featured guests included Crissy Moss, Alyssa Archer, Leslie Watts, Clark Chamberlain, Perry Constantine, Pete Bauer, Jacob Williams, Stacy Claflin, and Roland Denzel. The tips centered on WattPad, building an author community, and Amazon keyword mastery.

In part two, the top news of the week touched upon waning ebook sales for trad pubs, the EU's recent ruling that ebooks aren't books, the new Author Earnings Dashboard, the getting-by attitude, and the indie startup mindset. A big thank you to all our fans who participated! This week's Question of the Week: What are some marketing ideas you might be able to pull from other markets that could help you sell more books?

This week, we decided to honor our fans by bringing on nine of our superfans to discuss the tips and news. Without them, Bryan might not have made it through his cold and sore throat! The featured guests included Crissy Moss, Alyssa Archer, Leslie Watts, Clark Chamberlain, Perry Constantine, Pete Bauer, Jacob Williams, Stacy Claflin, and Roland Denzel. The tips centered on WattPad, building an author community, and Amazon keyword mastery.

In part two, the top news of the week touched upon waning ebook sales for trad pubs, the EU's recent ruling that ebooks aren't books, the new Author Earnings Dashboard, the getting-by attitude, and the indie startup mindset. A big thank you to all our fans who participated! This week's Question of the Week: What are some marketing ideas you might be able to pull from other markets that could help you sell more books?

Back by popular demand (with over 130 comments), Jim joined Bryan to discuss the latest book-selling news. Before they got down to business, Bryan announced the pre-order of his latest fiction book and the ongoing Spring Multi-Author Facebook Event pitch (which you can find at bryancohen.com/pitch). The trio of tips included advice on reading more, what digital tools to use, and how to publicize your old content. News included stories on an author's DMCA battle, Amazon advertising success and failure, ageism by a former MFA teacher, and Kristine Kathryn Rusch's thoughts on indispensability. This week's Question of the Week: How will the latest news about Nook affect how you do business with them going forward?

On this week's show, Jim and Bryan tackled their latest trio of tips, including sharing your book's title, using Fiverr for short story covers, and hiring virtual assistants. The dynamic duo also discussed news stories related to Mark J. Dawson's 10,000 reader survey, used e-books, Bob Mayer's thoughts on traditional publishing, Dean Wesley Smith and the tale of how novels got their length, and Amazon's new giveaway service. Jim also ranted twice, and it was glorious. The Question of the Week: Would you be okay with a reader re-selling your ebooks? Why or why not?

In the latest Sell More Books Show, Bryan and Jim asked listeners if they'd be willing to come to Vegas for a workshop in April. They also covered tips on blurbs, price promotions, and a collection of free book-selling tools. The news focus on augmented reality books, the Harper Lee controversy, the France legal action against Kindle Unlimited, writing trendy books to make money, and BookBub's recent Q&A session. Jim and Bryan also discussed how they would create a BookBub competitor. Question of the Week: Have you ever written a book strictly to get money? Side Question: Would you be able to come to Las Vegas for a workshop hosted by Jim and Bryan in April?

After two weeks off, Jim returned to the Sell More Books Show with a loud, sound-filled clang. The dynamic duo discussed tips related to product funnels, long-term strategy, and turning fan devotion into a game. They also chatted in-depth about the Gravity lawsuit, authorpreneurship tips, free books, Amazon Marketing Services, and the latest Author Earnings report. This show's Question of the Week: Do you feel like giving away books for free devalues your work and the work of other authors?

With Jim off running the Author Marketing Live Virtual event, Bryan welcomed author Robert Scanlon to the program. They discussed tips on Instagram, how to avoid getting sidetracked, and making an author comeback. Bryan and Robert chatted about news related to ebooks at indie books stores, engagement analytics in fiction, spousal support for authors, the new Kindle Textbook Creator, and Dean Wesley Smith's 10 reasons to avoid traditional publishing. This episode's Question of the Week: If you had to make an author comeback, what are the three things you would focus on doing above anything else? 

In the second part of Bryan's chat with author Nick Stephenson, the two Chatty Cathys discussed the Trajectory book discoverability service, Apple's claim of one million new iBooks users per week, Nick's explanation for some authors failing, and Hugh Howey's protestations that the sky is not actually falling. The Question of the Week: What's the #1 struggle you're having with your author career?

In the first part of this massive two-part episode, Bryan and guest co-host Nick Stephenson discussed tips related to masterminds, high page rank blogs, and his Nick's own mailing list tips for fiction. They talked about Nick's strategies in depth, including what he emails his readers and how he rewards fans for joining his mailing list. We also chatted about the #5 news story about Nielsen's print book stats and Seth Godin's chat at Digital Book World. Check out part two for the rest of the episode.

Jim and Bryan went philosophical this week, touching on everything from Internet trolls and crowdfunding to Minimum Viable Products and writing quality books quickly. After Bryan announced his new podcast, The Split: A YA Book Review Podcast for Readers and Writers, and Jim discussed Author Marketing Live, they took on tips related to writing louder books, increasing the KDP preview selection, and Miranda July's collectable fiction idea. The news included stories on Nora Roberts vs. Internet trolls, Suw Charman-Anderson's Minimum Viable Product concept, Dear Author's opinion on Kickstarter, Nook's holiday drop, and thoughts on writing at a breakneck pace. Our Question of the Week: If you knew someone who wrote a book in a minimal amount of time, would it affect your purchasing decision? Why or why not?

To kick off 2015, Jim and Bryan turned in their most condensed show in months! Bryan talked about the launch of his new Bryan Cohen Showen daily YouTube channel, as Jim ramped up toward his big Author Marketing Live virtual event. As they got into the show, the dynamic duo discussed tips on what not to do to sell books, how thinking diverse can build up your income, and what still works in author marketing. The news this week focused on interactive fiction on the Steam platform, Mark Zuckerberg's new book club, the exciting times indies live in, Chuck Wendig's 2015 wish list, and whether or not there's a glut of books on Amazon. This week's Question of the Week: Do you think there are too many books? How will this purported plethora of books affect your marketing going forward?

Jim and Bryan wrapped up 2014 by recapping the top tips and news stories of the year. The top three tips revolved around sales tracking, changing your social media mindset, and a multitude of ideas related to email lists. The top news stories of the year included the concept of the authorpreneur, the EU's Value Added Tax laws, Hachette vs. Amazon, Author Earnings, and Kindle Unlimited. Jim and Bryan closed by making some big predictions for 2015. The Question of the Week: What are your predictions for 2015?

Jim and Bryan's ho-ho-holiday episode of SMBS touched upon the popular podcast Serial, the big boost adults buying YA gave the industry, Macmillan's deal with Amazon, Konrath dropping out of KU, and what trad pubs learned in 2014. They also touched upon social media tips, the path to a bestseller, and mistakes that hold indie authors back. The Question of the Week: What book do you want for Christmas and why?

Jim and Bryan welcomed March to a Bestseller 2 Contest Winner Tara Ross onto the show to chat about Facebook's 2015 changes that will affect indie authors. Before that, they discussed digital tools like MightyBell, New Year's resolutions for writers, and launching pieces of meat into space. The temporary trio also talked about being an indie midlister, reasons for quitting self-publishing, how the indie tide is turning, traditional publishers using lower price points, and Facebook's upcoming monthly fee for promotional posts. The Question of the Week: How will Facebook's changes impact your promotional strategy?