Here we present the best podcasts of 2019. When it comes to reading, who said the eyes always have it? In fact, 2019 was the year of the ear. We're getting our information via podcasts, increasingly reading via audiobook. By now, even those who at first harumphed at audio are starting to get the message as the sales figures come in. At the Alliance of Independent Authors, we get it. That's why we spent much of 2019 expanding and improving upon our #AskALLi series of podcasts. We launched new ones, livened up old ones, and our audience is growing along with the the growth of audio.

Here are some of the best podcasts we produced this past year.

Advanced Self-Publishing Salon

Every month, ALLi Director Orna Ross and Adviser Joanna Penn give their top tips and tools for running a successful author business, plus analysis of the latest self-publishing news and trends. The Advanced Self-Publishing Salon is most suitable for those who know how to self-publish and want to expand their income, impact and influence.

Audio: From audiobooks to readings to podcasts, audio has never been a hotter topic in publishing. But how do you use audio to market and sell books? This podcast focused on how you monetize audio.

Artificial Intelligence: AI sounds like a very futuristic term but you have already experienced it in your author business, from the Amazon algorithm to Google translate. In this podcast, Orna and Joanna look at some of the AI tools that are already available to us as indie authors and those that are likely to prove most useful in the years ahead.

Author Income: In this podcast, Orna and Joanna explain how to scale your author income without compromising your creativity or giving up on your life. They discuss diversity of products, Mmltiple streams of income, and how to build positive routines.

ALLi Members' Q&A

If you have a burning question about any aspect of the self-publishing process then this is the podcast for you! There’s something for everyone to learn in this information-packed session, although only ALLi Members can submit their questions. In this podcast, we’re also joined ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway for updates on the latest news from the indie author-publishing world.

Best Novel-Writing App? To celebrate National Novel Writing Month, (NaNoWriMo), ALLi Director Orna Ross and Partner Liaison and US Ambassador Michael La Ronn answer writing questions, including: What’s the best app to write my novel? How do I conquer writer’s block? Help! I’m stuck in the murky middle of my novel! Also ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway joins Multimedia Manager Howard Lovy to discuss the Futurebook conference. Also, why hasn’t Amazon opened a new Kindle store in five years?

Shady Publishers? Has ALLi ever heard of certain shady publishers? That is among the questions answered this month. Also, how can I find a children’s book illustrator? And Howard and Dan talk Digital Rights Management.

Self-Publishing Fiction and Nonfiction

Beginning in 2010, ALLi’s Sacha Black will be joined by bestselling crime novelist Adam Croft as they analyze a theme related to book production or marketing from the different perspectives of publishing fiction or nonfiction. This past year, Orna Ross joined Sacha for the podcast.

Knowing Your Reader: All the foundations of book marketing begin with knowing your audience. And that is your reader! Orna and Sacha discuss how to identify who your reader is.

Self-Publishing Poetry

Orna Ross and poet Dalma Szentpály present a safe space for poets to get advice about online poetry publishing and creative enterprise, and to get more attention for their work. You’ll find advice on how to self-publish poetry books for pleasure and profit, discussion about writing and publishing options for poets.

Poetry Marketing: Do you want to know how to properly market self-published poetry? Many poets spend a lot of time submitting to literary journals and competitions, but the new way to reach poetry readers is through digital social media and book publishing. In this session Orna,and Dalma, business developer at book distributor PublishDrive, discuss some of the many ways to make and market poetry books today.

Chapbooks: Sometimes called pamphlets, poetry chapbooks are short collections of poems, inexpensively and usually independently published. They are typically in ebook or paperback format—though indies are now producing print-on-demand hardbacks and audiobooks of their own readings, too.

Inspirational Indie Authors

Howard Lovy, ALLi’s multimedia manager, and his guests talk about their most recent publications, their life experiences, and their own inspirations.

Orna Ross: Most of you know Orna Ross as ALLi's founder and director. But there’s another Orna Ross you may not know. This is the one who has taken a long journey from her childhood steeped in the storytelling culture of Ireland to her career as a journalist and then traditionally published novelist, a cancer survivor, and a poet. That’s the Orna Ross we’re going to meet today.

Rohan Quine: Actor and author Rohan Quine took us back to his days as a New York actor that helped define the very theatrical way in which he writes and records audiobooks. You have to hear him to “get” him.

OVER TO YOU

What were your favorite podcasts of the year?

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