We're continuing our round up of the best posts from 2022. The Alliance of Independent Authors AskALLi team strives to bring you the best, most comprehensive content on every stage of the publishing journey no matter whether you're a beginner or seasoned pro. Today, we're bringing you a selection of the best indie author business blogs from 2022.
The ultimate guide to hiring virtual assistants
Depending on your business model and the way you've structured your writing business, there may come a time when you need help. We all only have twenty-four hours in a day. So many indie authors decide to farm out the admin tasks of publishing, but taking this leap can be scary. Even if you want the help, you might worry about losing some control of the process. Also, there are justifiable worries about the cost. Here’s our guide to finding a trustworthy partner at a viable cost.
The ultimate guide to book translations
Translating your book into another language is rarely top of your to do list as a fledgling indie author. But once you reach the peak of your genre, or have an established fan base, translations might just help you level up. Might your books achieve success in other language markets? What are the ways you could capitalise on this? We look at all the options, from selling foreign rights to sourcing and funding the translation yourself in this article.
Author safety: how indie authors can protect themselves online and off
In August, Salman Rushdie was stabbed when he was about to give a lecture in Chautauqua, New York. It raised questions about the safety of authors and as a result, the AskALLi team has brought forward a planned member handbook on safety. In the meantime, here are our thoughts on increasing your safety as an author.
How to find the best self-publishing companies
Completing a book is a big deal. But what then? If you’ve never done it before, the next stage can present an overwhelming set of decisions, especially if you don't really know how to find the best self-publishing companies. In this article, we explain how to find the best services for your book and how to work well with them. As well as what to look out for and what to avoid.
Photo by micheile dot com on Unsplash
The ultimate guide to multiple streams of income
“Multiple streams of income” is a buzzword we've all heard of. But more than that, it's a business model, a mindset and the best way to ensure a sustainable income from your writing and publishing. And it’s a model that everyone at ALLi endorses to safeguard your business and financial health. Learn more about creating, managing and sustaining multiple streams of income in this article.
The ultimate guide to estate planning for authors
Thinking about dying is hard at any point in life. But it's something that eventually, we all have to face. It’s more complicated when you're an author because you have intellectual property and a business that needs care and attention. This is why having a will is even more important to ensure your IP rights are inherited by the people you choose. In a two-part post, ALLi examines how to prepare and how to ensure your heirs are set up to look after and benefit from your IP once you’re gone.
Part one for authors here, and part two for heirs here.
The three kinds of author
ALLi distinguishes between three types of author: self-publishers, indie authors and authorpreneurs. What’s the difference? Well, a number of factors including the author’s reasons for self-publishing, and their attitude to readers the business of author publishing. We do this so we know who we are talking about, and how to best serve them. Find out more about our definitions here.
Ten years as indie authors
Many of us want to create a long-term career as an author. If that's you, then this article is for you. We talk to ALLi members who've been in this business for 10 or more years. We ask them how they rode the highs and lows of being an indie author, how they create sustainable income and how they keep up with market pressures and the need to pivot. Read this article to find out more.
Business topics
You finally hit publish. Then someone pirates your book – a horrible and scary situation. So what can you do about it? What effect will it have? We created this post to explain what to do if your print book gets pirated.
The Creator Economy
A hot concept in the creative industries is “the creator economy”. ALLi founder Orna Ross takes a closer look at what the creator economy means for indie authors in 2022 and beyond. You can read all about it here.
Option Agreements for Indie Authors
Option agreements for movies and TV are the stuff of author dreams. Who wouldn't like to see their books go to screen or theatre or TV or other exciting opportunities? So what do you need to watch out for and what should you consider? This is a deep dive into the world of option agreements.
Hoping to get some meaningful sales someday in UK. First published in 2015. Am developing latest novel to a screen script. Has filmic potential believe.
Kind regards, Colin
aka Sam Grant