What is Your Biggest Fan’s First Name?
“A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” – Dale Carnegie. I'm not going to argue with Dale Carnegie, but I'll add a quick point. Seeing your name in digital communication can be equally sweet. It makes us feel...
TAB 009: Taking Back Control of Your Publishing Life, with Author Deborah Coonts
Author Deborah Coonts is the guest in Session #9 of The Author Biz. Deb is the author of the Lucky O’Toole romantic mystery series. The fifth full-length novel in her series, LUCKY CATCH, is coming out tomorrow, August 25th. I met Deb at a book signing at the Murder...
TAB 008: Improve Your Odds for a Traditional Publishing Deal – Guests Bob and Pat Gussin of Oceanview Publishing
Bob & Pat Gussin, the founders of Oceanview Publishing, are the guests in The Author Biz in session #8. Oceanview Publishing is one of the fastest growing independent publishers in the United States, and they're recognized as a preeminent independent publisher of...
TAB 007: Generating Publicity for Your Book, With Julia Drake
Julia Drake joins The Author Biz in session #7 to share some of the techniques she uses to gain publicity for her literary clients. Julie Drake is the founder and CEO of Julia Drake Public Relations, a Los Angeles based literary publicity firm that works with authors...
TAB 006: Getting the Details Right in Crime Fiction, with David Putnam
Author David Putnam joins The Author Biz in session #6 to discuss getting the details right when writing crime fiction. David is the author of THE DISPOSABLES, a gritty crime novel that New York Times best-selling author Michael Connelly called, "raw, powerful and...
TAB 005: Dealing with Two Different Publishers, with Author Chuck Greaves
Author Chuck Greaves is the guest in Session #5 of The Author Biz. Chuck is the award-winning and bestselling author of the Jack MacTaggart mystery series. The third book in the series, THE LAST HEIR, was released on June 24th. Chuck, who spent 25 years as an attorney...
TAB 004: Ever Wonder How Audiobooks are Produced? Renee Raudman Takes us Behind the Curtain
Audiobooks are the fastest growing segment of the publishing business right now, with 2013 sales of over $2 billion dollars. It's easier now than ever before for authors to have audiobooks produced, and those audiobooks can create significant revenue streams. But how...
Kindle Unlimited Triggers Royalties to Authors When 10% of a Book is Read
Amazon has introduced their version of the "All You Can Eat Buffet" for readers with Kindle Unlimited. What some are calling Netflix for Books, provides subscribers with unlimited access to eligible books for $9.99 per month, with a free trial for the first 30 days....
TAB 03: Author Taylor Stevens on Dealing with Publishers
Author Taylor Stevens is the interview guest in Session 3 of The Author Biz podcast. Taylor is the award winning, and New York Times bestselling author of the Vanessa Michael Munroe thriller series. Book four in the series, THE CATCH, is being released on July 15th....
How to Leave a Podcast Review at iTunes
Leaving a podcast review at iTunes is not NEARLY as simple and intuitive as creating a book review on Amazon. But if you've got an iTunes account, (or if you're willing to create one) it's not difficult. If you're an author, you know just how important honest reviews...
TAB 002: Darren Wearmouth on Tracking the Numbers to eBook Sales Success
I would say, the best thing to do, which does blow away everything else is to make sure that your ads are clustered . . . the way the Amazon algorithms operate, is that they favor books that have sustained sales, at a lower level, over a longer period, rather than a...
How do we determine the ‘State of Publishing’ right now?
I ran across the following quote from a recent Hugh Howey Post titled, The State of Self-Publishing: Critics of self-publishing will say that not every writer wants to be a businessperson. Meanwhile, publishers expect just this of their successful writers. And they...
TAB 001: Translating Big Business Experience to an Author Business with Author Joseph Badal
Writing is not just an art. Writing is a business, once you decide you want your writing to be published. If all you’re doing is writing for your own pleasure, then it’s an art. But, once you decide you want your books on bookshelves, or in eBook stores, then now it’s...
Audiobook Sales Hit Record Highs in 2013
Audiobooks hit record highs in both revenue and units sold in 2013 according to the newest figures from BookStats, the industry statistics program from the AAP and BISG. The report, announced yesterday, is available for pre-order at the Book Industry Studio Group...
Episode .5 – the YouTube Version
I'm all about experimenting with things, and this .5 episode of the podcast gives me a great opportunity to play mad scientist. It's going to be a few days before the show is accepted into iTunes, so I decided to spend some time experimenting with video. I set up a...
TAB # .5 – An Introduction to The Author Biz Podcast
This is an introduction to The Author Biz Podcast. The Author Biz Podcast is a weekly show for authors of all types, covering subjects that range from publishing, to craft, to business. But the podcast itself doesn't start until next week. This episode is a preview...
What the heck is The Author Biz?
The Author Biz is a weekly podcast that will launch on June 30th. Think of The Author Biz as a writers conference in the form of a podcast. But . . . with no expensive travel, hotels or registration fees. The show will launch with four tracks. Writing Craft,...