Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast Archives

Creating Superfans with Dan Parsons and Melissa Addey: Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast

In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: creating superfans. Studies suggest that readers must read 4.5 books on average from the same author before they even remember their name. But that’s without author intervention. Use a few tricks, and you can engage fans far earlier in the process. In this episode, ALLi Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey explore a range of strategies any author can deploy to warm readers who enter their ecosystem. Together, they cover sales funnels, online communities, a quest to deliver extra value, and more. Follow their tips, and you, too, can turn casual readers into superfans.

Writing a Series With Dan Parsons and Melissa Addey: Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast

In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: writing a series. Oscar Wilde, Emily Brontë, and Silvia Plath only wrote one book. History tells us it’s possible to “make it” with just one title, but is that still true today? Generally, no. It can happen, but most modern authors need a series for a range of reasons. In this episode, ALLi’s Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey discuss why series help authors build a business. Plus, they outline the forms series can take and explore a range of tips authors can use to maximize the value of a series.

Building a Mailing List With Dan Parsons and Melissa Addey: Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast

In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: building a mailing list. Book marketing is an overwhelming topic. From Facebook to Amazon ads to blog tours and physical events—the possibilities can seem endless and ever-changing. But most authors agree that one marketing method remains constant: email.

Launching Reviews With Dan Parsons and Melissa Addey: Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast

In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: launching reviews. Selling books can be a tough gig for authors who are yet to attract an audience. When you’re unknown, you need reviews to get sales. But you also need sales to get reviews. Thankfully, there are ways to break out of this vicious cycle. In this episode, ALLi’s Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey discuss a few time-tested ways authors with no contacts and a shoestring budget can accumulate early reviews, including strategies to maximize both their quantity and quality.

Soft Launching a Book With Dan Parsons and Melissa Addey: Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast

In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: soft launching a book. Thanks to movies and a narrative perpetuated by trade publishers, debut authors fixate on big book launches, characterized by perfection and fanfare. The reality, however, is that many experienced authors stagger book launches, choosing not to fire all cylinders at once for a variety of reasons. In this episode, ALLi’s Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey discuss such practices, explaining what a soft launch is, the nuances of launching to a smaller audience before hitting the masses, and how to engineer a soft launch for more long-term success.

Book Formats and Distribution With Dan Parsons and Melissa Addey: Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast

In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: book formats and distribution. When average readers discuss the book trade, many tend to have a one-track mind focused on print books and physical bookstores. The truth, though, is that books have much more potential in terms of formats and distribution. In this episode, ALLi Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey lead a discussion on the range of intellectual property assets an author can create from a single book, and the places they can distribute, covering everything from large print to digital audiobooks, and libraries to pay-as-you-go reading apps.

Book Marketing Foundations With Dan Parsons and Melissa Addey: Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast

In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: book marketing foundations. Talk to experienced indie authors and most will tell you that writing well is only part of the equation. If you want to succeed commercially then you must also master marketing. In this episode, ALLi’s Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey outline the foundations of marketing a book for debut authors: what works, what doesn’t, and what can work but isn’t applicable for most first-time authors. If you want to save time, sidestep common mistakes and shift early copies, this is the episode for you.

Editing and Proofreading With Dan Parsons and Melissa Addey: Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast

In today's Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast: editing and proofreading. Writing a book is impressive but getting yours to a publishable standard is a whole other trial by fire. Doing so requires a stringent quality control process, a team of collaborators, and several editorial stages. In this episode, ALLi’s Product Marketing Manager Dan Parsons and Campaigns Manager Melissa Addey walk listeners through the major editing stages that authors must face to turn a written manuscript into a professional product. Together, they’ll discuss the whys, hows, and whens of editing, as well as insights from their own processes.