TAB053 – Cheryl Bradshaw on Personal Relationships and Marketing your Books
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cheryl Bradshaw is the guest on this episode of The Author Biz. Who do you know at BookBub? Who have you met at Amazon, or iBooks or even Kobo? Cheryl Bradshaw has made it a part of her author business to...
TAB052: Rebecca Forster on Persistence, First in a Series Free and Marketing your Books
USA Today Bestselling Author Rebecca Forster is the guest in episode 52 of The Author Biz. Rebecca Forster had the great good fortune of being dropped by her publisher during the early days of the Kindle. What she first saw as a disaster that had her...
Who are the curators of remarkable genre fiction? – A guest post at The Cockeyed Pessimist
With Big 5 publishers pouring a larger percentage of their marketing budgets into promoting the same few authors, is anyone in publishing focused on bringing remarkable genre fiction to readers? I'm puzzling out that question today at The Cockeyed Pessimist, the blog...
TAB051: Chris Fox on Writing Faster, Mindset and Pitching your Work
Author Chris Fox is the guest on this episode of The Author Biz Chris Fox is an author with a full-time job as an app developer with a Silicon Valley startup company. Like many of you Chris has limited time for writing. So what's a data and efficiency...
TAB050: A Different way of Running your Author Biz, with Mike Faricy
Author Mike Faricy is the guest in this episode of The Author Biz. What are you doing to make the most of your author business? What have you stopped doing because it isn't working for you? Today's guest is mystery author Mike Faricy, and his path to becoming a...
TAB049: Serializing your Fiction to Create an Audience, with Michelle Miller
Michelle Miller is the guest in this episode of The Author Biz. My guest today is Michell Miller. She has an MBA from Stanford and has worked for JP Morgan in Silicon Valley, New York, and Europe. Then, in 2013, she decided to leave that life behind and write...
Behind the Scenes of an Author Podcast Launch with Taylor Stevens
Author Taylor Stevens is the guest in this episode of The Author Biz. How are you with trying new things, experimenting? Sometimes we try new things and they work out brilliantly. Other times we try them and they fall flat. Either way it's interesting...
TAB047: Recipe for Exposure with Lucy Burdette
Author Lucy Burdette is the guest in this episode of The Author Biz It's been said that readers can't buy your books unless they know the books exist. Helping the right readers learn that your books exist is one of the chief jobs of the...
TAB046 – Why I’m doing a ‘Best of’ Episode this week and Renee Raudman on how Audiobooks are Produced
The Author Biz is a "best of" Episode this week with one of my favorite guests, Renee Raudman. The interview portion of the episode originally aired in July of last year, but as you'll hear in the intro, it's appropriate for today's show. Thanks for...
TAB045: Can Being Better Organized Help with Creative Productivity?
We talk productivity, organization and more with Armand Rosamilia on episode 45 of The Author Biz podcast. Do you ever feel like things are getting away from you? Do you think if you were better organized you'd be more productive, your daily word count...
TAB044: Can Podcasting Help You Sell More Books?
Tom Evans is both an author and a podcaster and he joins us in this episode of The Author Biz. Have you considered launching your own podcast as an author? I think of podcasting as on-demand audio, and the idea of listening when and where you want seems...
TAB043: The Importance of Persistence with Jordan Rosenfeld
Author, editor, and writing teacher Jordan Rosenfeld is the guest in Episode 43 of The Author Biz. What's your biggest need as an author? It's different for everyone, isn't it. For you it might be more readers. For me, it's finding enough writing time...
TAB042: The Business Model Behind the Indie Only Bookstore
Authors and entrepreneurs Patti Brassard Jefferson and Timothy Jacobs are the guests in Episode 42 of The Author Biz. Picture this: You're sitting behind a table stacked with copies of your latest novel at a local bookstore. You smile at the young woman...
TAB041: Laurie Kahn on What makes the Romance Market so Unique
Emmy award winning film producer Laurie Kahn is the guest in Episode 41 of The Author Biz. For five years award winning film producer Laurie Kahn and her team took their cameras and followed the lives of five published romance authors and one unpublished...
TAB040: Market or Die – A Down and Dirty Chat about Author Marketing with Jennifer Fusco
Jennifer Fusco is the guest in this episode of The Author Biz. When I say marketing, what’s the first thing that pops into your mind? Is it positive, or negative? Most authors aren't in love with marketing. For many it’s a chore. Something that has to...
TAB039: Writing with a Purpose with guest Heather Ashby
Award-winning author Heather Ashby is the guest on this episode of The Author biz. What's the single best thing anyone has ever told you about your books? Well written? Brilliant? Just like (insert bestselling author name here), only better? Today's...
TAB038: Genre Hopping, Co-Writers and More with Aiden James
Today's publishing world is an odd combination of nearly unlimited options and common knowledge that thwarts creativity. We have so many options today as authors. Our books can be short or long, they can be self-published, or traditionally published,...
TAB037: Is it Time to Add an Author Assistant to your Team?
Author's Assistant Kate Tilton is the guest on this episode of The Author Biz Can you remember the last time you felt like you were caught up with the work surrounding your author business? I know you're busy. You’re writing, revising and polishing one...
TAB036: Find the Right Editor for Your Book – with Bryon Quertermous
Author and Editor Bryon Quertermous is the guest in this episode of The Author Biz. Are you ever curious about editing? Oh sure, we all know what editing is, at least as it pertains to our writing. But my experience of editing is probably much different...
Is your Author Website Mobile Friendly?
When readers search for our author name or for books we've written, we want our website to show up at the top of the search results list. But what if something changed to knock us off that top spot, or maybe off the first page of search results, all together?...
TAB035: Using Growth Hacking to Write Faster and Better – With Guest Monica Leonelle
Author Monica Leonelle is the guest in Episode 35 of the author biz Do you ever wish you could write faster? Monica Leonelle had freelance writer friends who wrote 3,000 - 4,000 word per hour and she wondered if it was possible for her to hit those...
Five reasons you should start a podcast as an author
Great - something else I need to learn to reach readers. Not interested. Most people who saw the title to this article didn't click through to read the post. You clicked through - Yay! Now let's talk. Podcasting has been around for nearly a decade now, and it's going...
TAB034: How a First Time Novelist Used Silicon Valley Tactics to Launch his Book – With Chris Fox
Author Chris Fox is the guest on Episode 34 of The Author Biz Podcast. Today's guest, Chris Fox, is an author who also works as a software engineer for a Silicon Valley startup. That's a world where careful planning, big thinking and being able to adapt...
TAB033: Building a Solid Foundation for Your Author Business, with Helen Sedwick
Helen Sedwick is the guest for Episode 33 of The Author Biz Podcast. Should you incorporate your author business? How important is record keeping? Do you need a Federal ID number? What should you pay the most attention to when reviewing contracts? What is...
TAB032: Robin Houghton on Why Blogging Helps Build Author Platforms
Robin Houghton is the guest for Episode 32 of The Author Biz Podcast. If you’re an author in today’s world, you’re faced with the blogging question. Should I blog or shouldn’t I? Some, including many publishers, believe we should all be blogging as...
Is Blogging Worth it for Authors? Guest post at Lisa Clifford’s The Art of Writing
To blog or not to blog, that is the question. At least it's the question I try and answer at The Art of Writing today. Some, including many publishers, feel that we should all be blogging as authors. We’re told it will help us build our platform and make it easier to...
TAB031: The Unconventional Book Launch with Author Nicole Lapin
Author and financial journalist, Nicole Lapin is the guest for Episode 31 of The Author Biz Podcast. Think for a minute about your last book launch. Did you have a strategy for the launch or did you rely on your publisher? Was your launch unique, or did...
TAB030: Turning Away from Big 5 Publishing, with Harry Bingham
Bestselling Author Harry Bingham is the guest for Episode 30 of The Author Biz Podcast. Imagine you’re the best-selling author of a highly regarded crime fiction series published by one of the world's largest publishers, and you notice that most of the...
TAB029: How to Find the Right Agent for your Book – With Anne Hawkins
Literary agent Anne Hawkins is the guest for Episode 29 of The Author Biz Podcast. Do you have an agent? Do you have the right agent? If so you already know how valuable your agent can be to your author business. But if you don't, this episode is for...
TAB028: Discoverability, with Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Bestselling Author Kristine Kathryn Rusch is the guest in episode 28 of The Author Biz podcast. Think for a minute about the book you're reading right now. How did you find it? If it's an author you've read before, how did you originally discover her...
TAB027: Focus on the Writing – with Russell Blake
Bestselling Thriller Author Russell Blake is the guest in episode 27 of The Author Biz podcast. Writing titles for blog posts and podcasts can be tricky. I could have called this How to Sell 1,000,000 books in your first 3 1/2 years. Or, how to write over...
TAB026: Optimize for Amazon with Guest Emilee Annine Moeller
Author, actress, attorney and Kindle Coach Emilee Annine Moeller is the guest in episode 26 of The Author Biz podcast. Have you ever posted a book on Amazon and wondered whether or not you’ve chosen the best keywords, and categories for your book? Do you...
TAB025: Using your Writing Skills to Support Your Career as a Novelist – with Chris Orcutt
Author Chris Orcutt is the guest in Episode 25 of The Author Biz Podcast. The dream: You write, edit and polish your manuscript to the point where it shines like a diamond, then send it to a big time agent who begs to represent you. She submits it to the...
TAB024: A No Rules Approach to Building Your Author Business – With Jane Friedman
Author, Speaker, and Co-Founder of Scratch Magazine, Jane Friedman is the guest in Episode 24 of The Author Biz Podcast. Is there really only one way to build a business as an author? Do you need to spend time building your platform before you can write...
TAB023: Creating Your Production Plan for 2015 – With Elizabeth Spann Craig
Author Elizabeth Spann Craig is the guest in Episode 23 of The Author Biz Podcast It's December - a month filled with family, friends, food, shopping AND if you're an author/businessperson a great time for planning. In this episode author, Elizabeth...
A Trick for Posting a MailChimp Signup Form on a WordPress.com site
If you listen to The Author Biz podcast you know one of the drums we beat CONSTANTLY, is the value of an email list. A great way to add subscribers to your list is through a signup form on your website. But, what if you have a Wordpress.com hosted website. I assumed...
TAB 022: Building your Author Platform – With Tim Grahl
Author and entrepreneur Tim Grahl is the guest on episode 22 of The Author Biz. In this episode, we're taking a deep dive into author platforms. We'll discuss specific strategies and tactics you can use to give yourself the best possible chance of...
November Spotlight – Awards, New Releases and News from Guests and Listeners
Great stuff happens every day and when it happens to members of The Author Biz community I like to share the news. Beginning with November, I'm launching a new monthly feature spotlighting cool things that guests and others in the community have done over the past...
TAB021: Using Your Day Job as a Muse for Your Writing – With Lisa Black
Author and Forensic Scientist Lisa Black is the guest in episode 21 of The Author Biz podcast. Have you thought of using your job, your business or your profession as the setting for a novel? Lisa Black is a forensic scientist and an author. She spent...
TAB020: Learn to Think like an Editor by Using The Story Grid, with Shawn Coyne
Editor, publisher, literary agent, and writer Shawn Coyne is the guest on Episode 20 of The Author Biz podcast. The world of the senior editor at a big publishing house has always been a little unclear to me. We know they select the books that are chosen...
TAB019: The Business and the Craft of Writing Short Stories, with Barb Goffman
Award winning short story author Barb Goffman is the guest on episode 19 of The Author Biz podcast. I've got a confession to make. I LOVE reading short stories, especially short mysteries. I've subscribed to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock's...
TAB018: How a Clearly Defined Business Strategy Can Help with Author Overwhelm
Bestselling author C.J. Lyons is the guest in Episode 18 of The Author Biz. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by everything that goes into running your author business? Does dealing with readers, fans, publishers, branding, editors, email lists, websites, social media and...
TAB017: Marketing and Promotion for Authors who Don’t Like Marketing and Promotion – with Jaden Terrell
Shamus Award Nominee Jaden Terrell is the guest in Episode 17 of The Author Biz. Jaden Terrell is an author who is uncomfortable with the idea of overtly marketing her books. Like many authors, she'd be thrilled if she could just finish one book, and then move on to...
TAB016: Author Partnerships as Path to Reader Discovery – With Diane Capri
Bestselling author Diane Capri is the guest in Episode 16 of The Author Biz. Diane Capri is the bestselling author of twelve mystery and suspense novels, which include THE HUNT FOR JACK REACHER series, as well as THE HUNT FOR JUSTICE Series. Diane is also the driving...
TAB015: Touring to Support Your Books, with Author Hank Phillippi Ryan
Bestselling, and award-winning author Hank Phillippi Ryan is the guest in Episode 15 of The Author Biz. Hank Phillippi Ryan is the bestselling author of seven award-winning novels of suspense, the latest of which, TRUTH BE TOLD, is the third in the Jane Ryland series....
TAB014: What Can you Learn from a Smart Book Blogger? Plenty – with Guest Sarah Wendell
Author, Blogger, Speaker and podcast host Sarah Wendell is the guest on Episode 14 of The Author Biz. There are somewhere between several hundred and a zillion book blogs in existence today, but there are only a few that can move the sales needle. Smart Bitches Trashy...
TAB013: Business for Authors with Author and Entrepreneur Joanna Penn
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Joanna Penn is the guest today on The Author Biz. On The Author Biz Podcast, we talk about the business of being an author. So when Joanna Penn, one of my favorite authors, bloggers and podcasters wrote a book called...
TAB012: How does an Award Winning Book Critic Select and Evaluate Books? Oline Cogdill Shares Her Process.
Raven Award winning book critic Oline Cogdill is the guest in Session #12 of The Author Biz podcast. Have you ever wondered how a professional book reviewer judges a book? Oline Cogdill is an award-winning book critic and one of the most highly respected professional...
TAB 011: How to Delegate the Details so You Can Focus on the Writing, with Author J. Carson Black
Author J. Carson Black is the guest in Session #11 of The Author Biz. J. Carson Black is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling thriller author. Her latest book, HARD RETURN, is the second to feature Cyril Landry, and it's being released September 9th. Ms. Black...
TAB 010: Building an Email List that Will Launch Your Books in Style – With Author Mark Dawson
Author Mark Dawson is the guest in Session #10 of The Author Biz Mark Dawson is the author of the best-selling Amazon crime fiction series featuring John Milton. The fifth book in the series, THE SWORD OF GOD, was published last week and has already topped several...