author career

Jeaniene Frost is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy romance. She's known for the Night Huntress series, the Night Prince series, the Night Rebel series, and the Broken Destiny series. Today we'll talk about Jeaniene's latest work, Both Feet in the Grave, and her decision to self-publish after over a dozen years as a traditionally published author.

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

If you're curious about how the revamped USA Today Best-Seller Booklist works, or why it went on hiatus, or why the renewed focus on indie bookstores, this is the episode for you. Erik Bursch, the SVP of Consumer Product and Engineering at Gannett/USA Today, joins us live to give the inside scoop and answer your questions. 

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

Have you ever wished you could connect with other like-minded, creative people to share your ideas or ask questions without fear of judgement or humiliation? Enter Torrey C. Butler of Scribble. An award-winning author, Torrey launched the Scribble app as a safe space where authors can express their ideas, understand where to start, and ultimately work toward publishing their work. 

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

Wulf Moon has been called the guru of aspiring writers. His award-winning Super Secrets of Writing have helped countless writers launch careers, become #1 bestsellers in top fiction categories, and win coveted international awards. Now, all of these transformational secrets have been captured in his latest nonfiction book, How to Write a Howling Good Story.

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

David Sherrer is the marketing director and the "husband half" of the remarkable wife-and-husband publishing team at Chenoweth Press. David's wife Lydia is a USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy. David manages the marketing and fulfillment of physical sales as well as sales at various conventions. David is also a game designer and created created a unique card game based on his wife's book series. Today we'll discuss the magic behind this wife & husband publishing team.

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

You can find everything you need to know about Book Brush and how to get started with their hourly concepts of ethel social media management with the following links:

Hourly Concepts: https://bookbrush.com/hourly-concepts/

Hourly Concepts portfolio to peep the cool stuff: https://bookbrush.com/hourly-concepts-portfolio/

Hourly Concepts pricing menu for projects: https://bookbrush.com/hourly-concepts-design-menu/

Social Media Management: https://bookbrush.com/social-media-management/#

Book a call for SMM: https://calendly.com/kathleensweeney/social-media-management

Kathleen also mentioned font pairings somewhere during the session so here are those links:

https://bookbrush.com/12-genre-font-pairings-for-graphics-and-book-covers/

https://bookbrush.com/6-typography-tips-for-graphics-and-book-covers-font-pairings/

Sign up for my writers' newsletter to learn more about the craft of writing, know when my workshops are and be the first to get exclusive information on my writing retreats. https://www.subscribepage.com/katcaldwellnewsletter

Want more information on my books, author swaps, short stories and what I’m reading? Sign up for my readers' newsletter. https://katcaldwell.myflodesk.com/signup

You can always ask me writing questions on instagram @pencilsandlipstick or on Twitter @PencilLipstick

Did you know the Smashwords store pays indie authors the industry's highest royalties? Did you the Smashwords store is about to celebrate its 7th consecutive year of sales growth? And did you know the 7th Annual Smashwords End of Year Sale was another record breaking Smashwords Sale? Join us as Mark Coker and Mark Lefebvre explain how YOU can use Smashwords sales to reach new readers and sell more books. 

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

We've assembled a dream team of industry luminaries to unravel the key trends and issues that will shape publishing in 2024 and likely impact your author business. Join us as we welcome Mark Coker, chief strategy officer, D2D; Jane Friedman, founder & editor of publishing newsletter The Hot Sheet; Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn Podcast; Dale Roberts of the Self Publishing with Dale Podcast; and Orna Ross, co-founder and director of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). 

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

Did you catch all the news coming out of the D2D camp in 2023? There was a lot to take in: New distribution partnerships, another acquisition, and some pretty nifty milestones to name just a few. We'll recap the year for you and answer all your questions. Join us! 

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

"Writing books is easy!" said no one, ever. In today's world of a 24-hour news cycle, non-stop distractions, career and family obligations, is maintaining a sense of joy and balance even realistic? Enter Sarra Cannon. Sarra's the author of 28 YA and NA novels, with over a million books sold. As the host of the wildly popular Heart Breathings YouTube channel, she's also passionate about sharing her journey when it comes to productivity while keeping joy at the center. In today's chat, we'll dig into Sarra's ten ways to reclaim your joy.

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

It's not uncommon for long-time Draft2Digital authors to tell us that they just learned about a feature we've been offering for years. We aim to put an end to that, and we guarantee you'll learn something new! Our own Mark Leslie Lefebvre dives deep, on Thanksgiving no less, to reveal useful D2D features you may not know are at your fingertips.

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

Author Nation represents the evolution, and future, of indie author conferences. Carrying the torch from 20Books Vegas, long regarded as the premier indie author event, Author Nation promises to take the indie author learning experience to the next level. And who better to have on board than Chelle Honiker, the publisher of Indie Author Magazine and now program manager at Author Nation. 

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

Do you know the difference between strategy and tactics?

In this week's Quick Tip, we're talking about how we can simplify our strategy to focus on the most impactful activities that will move us toward our goals. To do that, we first have to understand the difference between the day-to-day tasks (tactics) and the overarching plan (strategy.) 

Keep in mind, you don't have to start from scratch. That's why we reviewed the past year first. Refining past strategies for the upcoming year can be just as impactful, if not more so. 

Don't forget to join Megan's new Substack newsletter, Clarify | Simplify | Implement, where she's sharing all her thoughts on writing, publishing, and the author industry.

Follow Us!

The Author Wheel:
Website: www.AuthorWheel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheel

Greta Boris:
Website: www.GretaBoris.com
Facebook: @GretaBorisAuthor
Instagram: @GretaBoris

Megan Haskell:
Website: www.MeganHaskell.com
Facebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor
TikTok: @AuthorMeganHaskell
Substack: https://meganhaskellauthor.substack.com

If you're enjoying The Author Wheel Podcast, please consider supporting the show! You can buy us a coffee at the link below.

FREE Mini Email Course

Have you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel’s new mini-course might be your solution.

7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language.

Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it’s free.

Click here to learn more!

Have you ever wondered how some YouTube channels just seem to pop? And why do some YouTube hosts seem to have the "it" factor, while authors just seem sort of, well, "meh." Today we'll chat with author and self-publishing coach M.K. Williams about her publishing journey--and how she made YouTube work for her (and others!). 

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

A book marketer since 2007, Elizabeth Ann West started her own author education school in 2018. She has since helped hundreds of authors from a variety of genres publish more profitably. Today Elizabeth is the CEO of the Future Fiction Academy. Join us as we discuss how embracing technology, and AI in particular, can help authors turbocharge their productivity.  

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

From time to time D2D hosts an "Ask Us Anything" (AUA) episode where YOU get to run the show. Lately we've been hosting AUAs centered around specific topics like book marketing, or D2D Print, or Wide for the Win strategies. This time we're opening it up to all topics. So if you've got a burning question for us, now's the time! 

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

The art of blurbs, navigating Amazon Ads, and seeking help . . .

Writing is a lonely craft, but it doesn't have to be. In this week's episode, Bryan Cohen gets candid about the necessity of help-seeking in the author space, sharing personal stories of how collaboration and networking transformed his business. He opens up about his personal journey, the lessons he learned, and his secret sauce for sustaining successful ventures.

Bryan Cohen is the founder of Author Ad School, Best Page Forward, and the Author Ad Agency. He's also the co-host of The Sell More Books Show podcast which just finished its 500th consecutive week!

Whether you're a novice in the publishing world or a seasoned author, the insights from this episode can be the game changer you've been waiting for.

Question of the Week: How have you incorporated feedback and outside help into your author business?

Follow Us!

Bryan Cohen
Website: https://bestpageforward.net
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2230194167089012

The Author Wheel:
Website: www.AuthorWheel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheel
Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/856705052538168

Greta Boris:
Website: www.GretaBoris.com
Facebook: @GretaBorisAuthor
Instagram: @GretaBoris

Megan Haskell:
Website: www.MeganHaskell.com
Facebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor
TikTok: @AuthorMeganHaskell
Substack: https://meganhaskellauthor.substack.com

FREE Mini Email Course

Have you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel’s new mini-course might be your solution.

7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language.

Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it’s free.

Click here to learn more!

Monica Leonelle is a USA Today bestselling author best known for her book publishing and business expertise at TheWorldNeedsYourPassion.com. Her nonfiction books have sold over 70,000 copies and helped thousands of writers write faster, become better storytellers, and find their way to success with wide and direct sales. Today we'll discuss the future of publishing and where Wide fits in.

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

Bold statement: indie publishing is a maturing industry.

A few weeks ago, The Author Wheel attended the 20Books to 50k conference in Las Vegas, and in this episode we're going to talk about our experiences.

Our biggest takeaway? There are dozens, possibly hundreds, of different strategies for author success. Moreover, the very definition of success depends on the author and what they're looking to get out of their writing. With nearly two thousand writers in attendance, we saw it all, and talked about most of it.

The landscape of publishing is changing once again. We highlight successful indie authors who have secured contracts, expanded their reach through film and audio book adaptations, and built impressive careers. Understanding your genre, treating your books as a catalog, focusing on your target audience, and building a growth mindset are critical.

Listen in to learn more!

Follow Us!

The Author Wheel:
Website: www.AuthorWheel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheel

Greta Boris:
Website: www.GretaBoris.com
Facebook: @GretaBorisAuthor
Instagram: @GretaBoris

Megan Haskell:
Website: www.MeganHaskell.com
Facebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthor
TikTok: @AuthorMeganHaskell

If you're enjoying The Author Wheel Podcast, please consider supporting the show! You can buy us a coffee at the link below.

FREE Mini Email Course

Have you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel’s new mini-course might be your solution.

7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language.

Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it’s free.

Click here to learn more!

The annual Novelists, Inc. (NINC) conference is a unique experience that brings together multi-published, professional authors who publish traditionally, independently, or both. Conference speakers are handpicked from the upper echelons of the industry, and networking opportunities are unmatched. Join D2D and fellow industry luminaries and conference organizers as we recap what we learned at this year's event and discuss the value of networking with your peers.

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  

Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won’t charge you a dime.  

We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  

• Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/

• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  

• Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  

Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.