Author: SMBS Team

Episode 375- Taking Breaks, Audiobook Madness, and KDP University

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When are you going to take your next break from your writing and publishing work, and how are you going to schedule it in and make sure you stick to it?

This week we finally have Bryan and Claire together again! You can find the replay of the Craft Writing webinar that they did together in the links for this week’s show. A quick reminder that today is the final day for the Supercharge Offer so be sure to check it out. Leave a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. The winner this week is Matthew Herrmann. Top Tips of the week include how to incorporate writing breaks, where to find free live training if you’re new to publishing, and how to market your audiobooks. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include why bookstores are paying royalties on second-hand books, why Android is putting a stop to tracking for ads, how you can get bonus royalties on your series, what Maryland is doing for its libraries, and where to find a cheaper color option for your paperbacks. Question of the Week: When are you going to take your next break from your writing and publishing work, and how are you going to schedule it in and make sure you stick to it? read more

Episode 374 – Rebooting an Audiobook Series, Contests, and Increasing Writing Speed

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What are some of the things you’ve “earned” from being an author, including the “fringe benefits,” that you wouldn’t have in a normal job?

This week Bryan is joined by Patrick O’Donnell, the host of the Cops and Writers Podcast and the author of the Cops and Writers duology. On June 4th, Claire and Bryan will be having a webinar on Craft Writing. All the links you need for this week will be provided in the show notes. Be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week in the comment section. The winner this week is – Blaine Moore. Our Honorable Mention is No Brainer Audio. Top Tips of the week include where to find Amazon’s contests, who is holding a Self-Published Science Fiction Competition, and what is the alternative for Patreon and Medium. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how to reboot a lagging audiobook series, what is Amazon buying, how Barnes & Noble is coming back to life, what you need to know to write faster, and why authors pay to write. Question of the Week: What are some of the things you’ve “earned” from being an author, including the “fringe benefits,” that you wouldn’t have in a normal job? read more

Episode 373 – Author Email, Ethical Affiliates, and Perfect Blurbs

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Would you consider using Spotify’s subscription service for your audiobooks, and how would you leverage possible ad opportunities?

This week Claire is joined by Mike Stop Continues and Oliver Altair, you can find their information to learn more about Site Arcade in the show notes. We have a great show in store for you. Make sure to leave a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week. The winner this week is – Amanda Schiller. Top Tips of the week include why you are losing sales during your pre-launch period, how to get your author emails where they need to be, and how to get readers on your list. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what change is coming to Amazon’s e-books, what is Spotify doing with audiobooks, how to get your book seen, how to build better blurbs, and why you should optimize backlist titles for sales. Question of the Week: Would you consider using Spotify’s subscription service for your audiobooks, and how would you leverage possible ad opportunities? read more

Episode 372- Keeping Publishing Simple, and Building Your Own Path

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If you’re giving Kindle Vella a try, what are you hoping to get out of it?

This week Claire is joined by Drew Hayes, you can find his information in the show notes. We have a great show in store for you as we dive deep into serial. Make sure to leave a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week! The winner this week is – Lisa M. Lilly. Top Tips of the week include why you should get your books on as many platforms as possible, who is threatening to leave egregious reviews on Goodreads, and how super URL’s could be killing your book reviews. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what scammers are doing on Amazon, what to look at when considering indie vs traditional, what is Bookwire creating for the publishing and creator industry, what is happening with Kakao Entertainment, and where you can find helpful information when thinking about writing for Kindle Vella. Question of the Week: If you’re giving Kindle Vella a try, what are you hoping to get out of it? read more

Episode 371- Author Spring Cleaning, Ethical Affiliates, and Managing Pen Names

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Who is an established leader in this industry who’s inspired you, and what qualities of theirs do you admire the most?

This week we have a great show in store for you. Make sure to leave a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week! The winner this week is – Lisa M. Lilly. Top Tips of the week include how to choose a pen name, how to turn your work into multiple streams of income, and why you should clean up your social media. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include why it pays to engage with your readers, what is going to change with personalized ads segment, where is paperback printing going to be available, how we will remember author and indie publishing leader Joel Friedlander, and what to prepare for when you end a series. Question of the Week: Who is an established leader in this industry who’s inspired you, and what qualities of theirs do you admire the most? read more

Episode 370 – A/B Testing, Subscription Selling, and Instant Gratification

Posted on by SMBS Team

What sort of environmental accommodations do you make to aid your focus and get the most out of your deep-work time when you have it?

This week we have a great show in store for you. Make sure to leave a review on Apple Podcast and answer the Question of the Week! The winner this week is – Anmarie. Top Tips of the week include how to get clicks on your ads, why to switch out your email list, and how to catch scammers. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include who is Disney refusing to pay, what is new with Amazon, how to get into the right mindset when writing, where has Kobo Plus launched, and how to take on new opportunities. Question of the Week: What sort of environmental accommodations do you make to aid your focus and get the most out of your deep-work time when you have it? read more

Episode 369 – Building Funnels, Comparisonitis, and Print-on-Demand Demand

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What would you say you’ve learned since you started publishing about bringing people in to find out about you as an author and taking care of them along the way?

This week we have a great show in store for you. Make sure to leave a review on Apple Podcast. The winner this week is – Jessica Hall. Our Honorable Mention is – Non-Fungible Bragging Rights. Top Tips of the week include what freebies can do for you, how a funnel can up your marketing, and how to write a bestseller. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how to make sure you don’t lose your Amazon Affiliate account, why you need to stop doubting if you’re an author, what concept is being offered to publishers of print and ebooks, who supports indie authors, and how to push on as an author. Question of the Week: What would you say you’ve learned since you started publishing about bringing people in to find out about you as an author and taking care of them along the way? read more

Episode 368- Tracking Sales, Sleep Habits, and Kindle Vella

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Are you planning on trying out Kindle Vella, and if so how are you planning on using it for your catalog?

This week we have author Monica Leonelle on the show! She also teaches writing, publishing, business, and marketing. Claire still has some seats available for her last Indie Author Alignment Workshop on April 24th. You can check them both out at the links provided. The winner this week is – Betsy Flak. Top Tips of the week include why it may be time for you to dive into Tik Tok, what aggregator is best, and how to support your favorite authors without having to spend money. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what your sleep schedule says about you, who is the new cover design resource that just launched, what new changes are coming to Barnes and Noble, where you can track all your sales in one place, and what is Kindle Vella. Question of the Week: Are you planning on trying out Kindle Vella, and if so how are you planning on using it for your catalog? read more

Episode #367 – Email Lists, Instagram, and The 7 P’s of Publishing Success

Posted on by SMBS Team

What do you want your writing to do for you (outside of making you money)?

Claire has her last Indie Author Alignment Workshop on April 24th before she switches things up, you can find tickets at the link provided. You can still join Bryan’s April 5-Day Amazon Ad Profit Challenge, all links will be in the show notes. The winner this week is – KT Sargent. Top Tips of the week include why quality might be better than quantity for email lists, what hybrid means in publishing, and what you need to know about growing in Instagram. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how introverts feel about returning to a pre-pandemic world, what what are the 7 P’s of publishing success, why brand strategy is important, what honest truth writers need to hear when starting out, and what advice author Ines Johnson has for you. Question of the Week: What do you want your writing to do for you (outside of making you money)? read more

Episode 366 – Children’s books, Direct Talk, Building That Audience!

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When do you think that selling direct will start to surpass Apple Books as the #2 sales platform for authors?

Happy April! Claire is back this week and has an Indie Author Alignment Workshop on April 24th, you can find tickets at the link provided. Bryan’s April 5-Day Amazon Ad Profit Challenge coming around the corner, look out for that link in the show notes. The winner this week is – Bradley. Top Tips of the week include how to market your children’s books, why video is a great way to engage with your readers, and what you need to know about starting a fiction podcast. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what is the PRO Act, why you should look into Medium to publish your books, what major update Scrivener is getting, what ACX needs to change about their sales reports and why you should think about going direct. Question of the Week: When do you think that selling direct will start to surpass Apple Books as the #2 sales platform for authors? read more