Author: SMBS Team

Episode 404- New you in 2022?

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After the holidays, what changes are you considering for your business in 2022 to move closer to your idea of success?

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 authors can be protected from hackers, why recommending other books can sell your book, and why you should see if your book will sell before you even write it. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what’s happening to Amazon authors, big tips for your 2022 author business, what are the expert author predictions for 2022, what it means to you that books are being released in the public domain, and how authors and publishers sunk Ukrainian ebook pirates. Question of the Week: After the holidays, what changes are you considering for your business in 2022 to move closer to your idea of success? read more

Episode 403 – Year In Review: Top 5 Stories of 2021

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What was the biggest lesson you learned this year?

We are ending off the year with the Top 5 Stories of 2021! Leave us a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. The Top 5 News stories that matter most to indies this year include how indie authors and their stories are making it to film, how Apple disrupted email marketing and advertising, why BookTok is making other social media platforms jealous, wide is the new black, and lots of indies are embracing the wide-for-the-win mentality, and what few positive changes are coming from our lockdowns. Question of the Week: What was the biggest lesson you learned this year? read more

Episode 402- Selling on Social Media and Year-End Trends

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What publishing trend do you feel most affected your business this year and why?

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 pick a title that sells books, where to go to research everything, and why and how you should dictate your books. 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what the reading trends of 2021 were, whether a dedicated writing tool is for you, how to sell KU books to your non-KU readers, how to treat your designer, and how social media CAN sell your books. Question of the Week: What publishing trend do you feel most affected your business this year and why? read more

Episode 401- Bookstore Blues and Biographical Busts

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Which celebrity’s biography would you want to read?

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

Episode 400 – 400 Episodes & Confronting Our Fears

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What’s a pep talk you need to hear? Give us a little sample!

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

Episode 399.5 – Lighting the Fire, Backlist Books, & Large Print (with Jonathan Yanez)

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What motivates you to get the words on the page?

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

Episode 399 – Shopping for Writers, Wide Wary, and Finding Time

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What are you thankful for right now?

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

Episode 398- The Big Buy, Training Your Team, and KDP Changes

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What do you think about the Spotify acquisition of Findaway, and where do you think this will go in the next 1-3 years?

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

Episode 397- Setting Goals, NaNo Pantsing, and WHY

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How are you going to get out of the grind this week and take good care of yourself?

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

Episode 396- The True Universal Link, Chapter Titles, and AI

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If you were to come up with a chapter title for one of your favorite chapters you’ve written, what would it be?

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