Join us on March 18th at 10 am (London time) for the first in 2017's three Indie Author Fringe online conferences featuring 24-hours of non-stop expert speakers from all over the world.
Then join the speakers after their sessions at the Speaker and Sponsor Hangout where you put them in the Hot Seat to ask any questions you might have.
** Session links below will become active at the allotted time–you will receive an error if you click on a session link before it goes live.
Just visit the our home page at any point during the Indie Author Fringe Conference to see what sessions have already been published.
Orna Ross
WELCOME TO INDIE AUTHOR FRINGE 2017
Orna Ross, Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors, introduces the first Indie Author Fringe Conference of 2017.
18 March • 10:00 am • LONDON
18 March • 6:00 am • NEW YORK
18 March • 3:00 am • LOS ANGELES
18 March • 9:00 pm • SYDNEY
Video
Dan Holloway
POETRY SLAM – ON WRITING
Dan Holloway provides us with another great short poem, this time about the process of Writing.
18 March • 10:10 am • LONDON
18 March • 6:10 am • NEW YORK
18 March • 3:10 am • LOS ANGELES
18 March • 9:10 pm • SYDNEY
Video
Jerome Griffin
Orna Ross
GET IT WRITTEN: UNDERSTANDING THE SEVEN STAGES OF THE WRITING PROCESS
Novelists Jerome Griffin and Orna Ross, ALLi Director, discuss the seven stages of conscious creation as they relate to writing. Understanding the different requirements of each stage from concept to completion can, Orna argues, up your writing speed, ensure you're more likely to finish well, and improve your writing craft.
18 March • 10:20 am • LONDON
18 March • 6:20 am • NEW YORK
18 March • 3:20 am • LOS ANGELES
18 March • 9:20 pm • SYDNEY
Audio
Stephen Spatz
THE END: NOW WHAT? SIX STEPS TO TAKE YOUR FICTION MANUSCRIPT TO MARKETPLACE IN 6 WEEKS.
Completing a novel is a big achievement, now you’ve got to turn your manuscript into a published book. With so many steps — editing, design, eBook conversion and distribution– first-authors are understandably intimidated. Steven Spatz, President of BookBaby outlines a simple, six-week strategy to help you create a book that will catch readers’ attention, get reviewers talking, and take you to the next level in your writing career.
18 March • 11:00 am • LONDON
18 March • 7:00 am • NEW YORK
18 March • 4:00 am • LOS ANGELES
18 March • 10:00 pm • SYDNEY
Video
Leila Dewji
HOW TO NAIL YOUR FIRST 50 PAGES
As an author, you need to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward. Your opening chapters need to work the hardest, as they have to convince the reader to invest their time and money on the rest of your book. Whether they are just flicking through a few pages in a book store or have downloaded the first chapter for free on Kindle, it needs to leave them hooked and wanting more.
18 March • 12 noon • LONDON
18 March • 8:00 am • NEW YORK
18 March • 5:00 am • LOS ANGELES
18 March • 11 pm • SYDNEY
Video
Belinda Pollard
HOW TO FIND AND MANAGE A GREAT TEAM OF BETA READERS
“I can’t find the right ones.” “They don’t respond in time.” “They don’t give me anything useful.” “They are too nice.” “They broke my heart.” Belinda Pollard has been a developmental editor for many years, and sees beta readers as the quiet superheroes of today’s publishing. Drawing from her experience of assembling an outstanding team, she outlines the challenges of finding and managing beta readers. You, too, can have a great team on your side. A practical session full of tips you can start using straight away.
18 March • 1:00 pm • LONDON
18 March • 9:00 am • NEW YORK
18 March • 6:00 am • LOS ANGELES
19 March • midnight • SYDNEY
Video
Joseph Alexander
HOW TO DOMINATE YOUR NON-FICTION NICHE
Joseph Alexander was a guitar teacher who published a “How-To”, and then another. To date he has sold more than a million books. Joseph shares how he has used organic and direct promotion, together with email automation, to now make over $1200 a day from his guitar guides. This session covers the early stages of planning a book, through the writing process and building a mailing list, and the importance of strong branding and visibility.
18 March • 2:00 pm • LONDON
18 March • 10:00 am • NEW YORK
18 March • 7:00 am • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 1:00 am • SYDNEY
Video
K.M. Weiland
ARE YOU MAKING THESE COMMON FICTION WRITING MISTAKES?
The best way to get your novel right is to first know how to avoid getting it wrong. In this 60-minute session, award-winning fantasy author K.M. Weiland shares the top five mistakes authors make in creating their story worlds and building their plots.
18 March • 3:00 pm • LONDON
18 March • 11 am • NEW YORK
18 March • 8:00 am • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 2:00 am • SYDNEY
Video
Joanna Penn
Gabriel Mercer
Adam Croft
HOW TO REACH MORE READERS AND MAKE MORE MONEY FROM YOUR BOOKS
An audio session from the London Book Fair Author HQ. Joanna Penn focuses on how to think about each book as a potential for multiple streams of income, as you write and produce it. Gabriel tells how to track what is working and what's not, so as to choose publishing options that take most advantage of expanding global opportunities for your book(s). And Adam explains how developing a business mindset enabled him to become one of the biggest-selling self-published novelists in the world.
18 March • 4:00 pm • LONDON
18 March • 12 noon • NEW YORK
18 March • 9:00 am • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 4:00 am • SYDNEY
Audio
Mark Dawson
PAID ADVERTISING: IS IT RIGHT FOR YOUR BOOK?
Mark Dawson was the Alliance of Independent Authors guest for their monthly member Q&A this month. Listen in as Mark answers ALLi members' most pressing questions about Facebook and Amazon ads.
18 March • 5:00 pm • LONDON
18 March • 1:00 pm • NEW YORK
18 March • 10:00 am • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 5:00 am • SYDNEY
Video
James Scott Bell
Tim Lewis
HOW TO WRITE SHORT STORIES & USE THEM TO MARKET YOUR NOVEL
For fiction writers pursuing a long-term career, the strategic use of short stories is proving to be a valuable tool for discoverability, honing craft, and bringing joy to the writing life. But what is the key to a successful short story? Tim Lewis interviews bestselling author James Scott Bell to reveal that key and show you how to use it to create memorable stories in any genre. James will also advise on the ways short fiction can be part of your fiction marketing plan.
18 March • 6:00 pm • LONDON
18 March • 2:00 pm • NEW YORK
18 March • 11:00 am • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 5:00 am • SYDNEY
Video
HOW TO POSITION YOUR BOOK FOR SUCCESS RIGHT FROM THE START
A positioning study establishes your creative intentions for your book, who you readers are, what books and authors are comparable, right down to details of book spec and price. It will also give you a working synopsis, category and keyword strings and more. Kathy Meis says such advance positioning is “foundational for success” and brings you step by step through setting up a positioning study for your own book.
18 March • 7:00 pm • LONDON
18 March • 3:00 pm • NEW YORK
18 March • 12 noon • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 6:00 am • SYDNEY
Video
Mark Leslie
Kevin Tumlinson
GET YOUR BOOK OUT THERE: HOW TO BE EVERYWHERE 1: DRAFT2DIGITAL & KOBO
Draft2Digital and Kobo can both help you take your book to international markets but they work in very different ways. Mark Lefebvre and Kevin Tumlinson explain the difference between an aggregator and a retailer and how important it is to go wide.
18 March • 8:00 pm • LONDON
18 March • 4:00 pm • NEW YORK
18 March • 1:00 pm • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 7:00 am • SYDNEY
Video
Darren Hardy
PUT YOURSELF IN THE RUNNING TO WIN KINDLE’s £20,000 STORYTELLER PRIZE
Storyteller is a new literary prize recognising newly published work in the English language across any genre. During this session Darren Hardy, Head of KDP UK, and some of the judges of the Storyteller Prize give guidance on how to make the most of programmes like KDP Select, how to print your books through KDP Print and how to to get your book noticed and put yourself in the running for this valuable award.
Rachel Abbott
Andrew Rosenheim
Claire Allfree
18 March • 9:00 pm • LONDON
18 March • 5:00 pm • NEW YORK
18 March • 2:00 pm • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 8:00 am • SYDNEY
Audio
Jane Friedman
IMPROVE YOUR BOOK DESCRIPTIONS AND AUDIENCE TARGETING
Which works best in online stores, a long or short book description? What should go in the first line? How do you research appropriate categories and keywords? Jane reviews principles and great tools to help indie authors master the power of descriptions and reach their target market by getting in their readers’ heads as to how they search for and describe books.
18 March • 10:00 pm • LONDON
18 March • 6:00 pm • NEW YORK
18 March • 3:00 pm • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 9:00 am • SYDNEY
Video
Ricardo Fayet
EDITORS DISCUSS WHERE WRITERS GO WRONG
When it comes to writing, every writer is unique. But mistakes made by first-time authors are not as unique. Understanding the most common mistakes can help authors approach their work and editing process with more clarity — and keep them from stumbling on common pitfalls.
18 March • 11:00 pm • LONDON
18 March • 7:00 pm • NEW YORK
18 March • 4:00 pm • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 10:00 am • SYDNEY
Video
Becky Parker Geist
SUCCESS WITH AUDIOBOOKS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GET YOUR BOOK INTO AUDIO
Audiobook sales are projected to increase 40% in 2017, after a whopping 32% growth in 2016. This is prime time to get your book into audio! In this program we’ll cover the essentials you need to know as you enter the audiobook world, so you can make informed decisions all along the way. We’ll cover topics including: creating goals and strategies for your audiobook, selecting a narrator (which could be you), the audiobook process, distribution options, royalties, marketing your audiobook, and more.
18 March • 12 midnight • LONDON
18 March • 8:00 pm • NEW YORK
18 March • 5:00 pm • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 11:00 am • SYDNEY
Video
Marco Croella
STREETLIB: AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION FOR BOOK DISTRIBUTION
ALLi Technical Director interviews the CEO of Streetlib, a book distribution service that is relatively unknown outside of its native Italy, but which offers an intriguing range of services.
19 March • 1:00 am • LONDON
18 March • 9:00 pm • NEW YORK
18 March • 6:00 pm • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 12 noon • SYDNEY
Video
Paul Teague
HOW TO SET UP A PRO AUTHOR WEBSITE IN AN HOUR USING WORDPRESS
Got a great website? It’s as important as your book, the core of your author activity. ALLi Advisor Paul Teague demonstrates step-by-step how to set up a WordPress website and blog in under an hour — including one option that's completely free.
19 March • 2:00 am • LONDON
18 March • 10:00 pm • NEW YORK
18 March • 7:00 pm • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 1:00 pm • SYDNEY
Video
Alex Hallett
HOW TO HIRE A BOOK ILLUSTRATOR
Illustrations are a great way to make your book stand out from the crowd. Cartoonist and writer Alex Hallatt advises what to consider when working with an illustrator, including copyright, workflow and how much you should be paying to add value to your work.
19 March • 3:00 am • LONDON
18 March • 11:00 pm • NEW YORK
18 March • 8:00 pm • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 2:00 pm • SYDNEY
Video
HOW TO USE EBOOKS TO BUILD YOUR NON-FICTION NICHE
One of the best ways to establish subject matter expertise within your industry is to use your knowledge and passion for your specialist topic to write and publish ebooks. Whether you’re a fiction author who wants to write nonfiction, or a entrepreneur who wants to turn readers into potential clients, you can turn your passion for a subject into a successful foundation for your brand.
19 March • 4:00 am • LONDON
18 March • 12 midnight • NEW YORK
18 March • 9:00 pm • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 3:00 pm • SYDNEY
Video
Debbie Young
THE BEST WRITING TOOLS – AS CHOSEN BY ALLi MEMBERS
Debbie Young asked ALLi members to nominate their favorite writing tool, say which book the tool was used on and describe exactly how their chosen tool helped. Tune in for some surprising ideas that could help you write your best book ever.
19 March • 5:00 am • LONDON
19 March • 1:00 am • NEW YORK
18 March • 10:00 pm • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 4:00 pm • SYDNEY
Video
Dan Holloway
Rohan Quine
HOW AUTHORS WORK WITH EDITORS
Though it may be hidden from public view, teamwork is important to almost any top-quality publication. And no team is more important than an author and their editor. In this session, author Rohan Quine and his editor Dan Holloway will take you through what that relationship is like from the inside. They will go through the various stages of the editing timeline one by one, from the initial late-night conversation in a Soho café about the finer points of “Blade Runner” to the final cut, offering an insight into their unique, humorous, and often surreal interplay and the book that it built, and demonstrating just what you should expect when you enter the editing process.
19 March • 6:00 am • LONDON
19 March • 2:00 am • NEW YORK
18 March • 11:00 pm • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 5:00 pm • SYDNEY
Video
David Penny
THE LIFE CYCLE OF A NOVEL: GET IT ORGANISED, GET IT DONE!
David Penny takes us through the stages involved in writing and then publishing a novel, from initial concept, research, plotting method, drafting and editing, and then into design, production, distribution, marketing and promotion. You may write in a different genre or use different tools but David’s central focus is on how getting organised makes the process a whole lot easier.
19 March • 7:00 am • LONDON
19 March • 3:00 am • NEW YORK
18 March • midnight • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 6:00 pm • SYDNEY
Video
Robin Cutler
Andy Bromley
HOW TO GET YOUR BOOKS INTO BOOKSTORES WITH INGRAM SPARK
Do you understand the difference between a wholesaler and a retailer? How much will you be charged by each of them, if your book is stocked by stores? What is iPage and why should you be in it? And how do you sell globally? Join Robin Cutler and Andy Bromley as they answer the most pressing questions asked members of the Alliance of Independent Authors about bookshop sales.
19 March • 8:00 am • LONDON
19 March • 4:00 am • NEW YORK
19 March • 1:00 am • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 7:00 pm • SYDNEY
Video
Jay Artale
A GOOD BOOK IS A TEAM EFFORT: GETTING HELP WITH YOUR SELF-PUBLISHING JOURNEY
An ongoing challenge for indie authors is choosing the best available self-publishing services, from the large distributors like Amazon KDP or Apple iBooks down to the right designer, editor and marketing approach for each title. ALLi offers assistance with this key decision through our Partner Member facility, Watchdog Desk, vetted services and regularly updated publication, Choosing A Self-Publishing Service. And we thank the sponsors of today's Fringe who have allowed us to keep it free to all authors
19 March • 9:00 am • LONDON
19 March • 5:00 am • NEW YORK
19 March • 2:00 am • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 8:00 pm • SYDNEY
Video
Orna Ross
CONFERENCE CLOSE
Director of ALLi Orna Ross closes the conference
19 March • 10:00 am • LONDON
19 March • 6:00 am • NEW YORK
19 March • 3:00 am • LOS ANGELES
19 March • 9:00 pm • SYDNEY
Video