Issue #21 – January 2023

Dear Indie Annie,  I am desperate to fulfill my dream of being a published writer. It’s all I’ve ever wanted since I was a child, which I am embarrassed to say was over five decades ago. Is it too late? Have I missed the boat? I don’t even know where to start! Clueless in Calgary […]

A plethora of AI programs and apps have appeared in the last few years, with varying opinions about what they mean for creative industries. However, some AI tools can be helpful and have already been integrated into daily use for years with little fanfare. Otter.ai, a popular transcription service that operates using AI, is one […]

Free Your Time: How Assistants Supercharge Successful Authors Grace Snoke https://books2read.com/u/4X2yG1 Author, personal assistant, and Indie Author Magazine contributor Grace Snoke comes out swinging with her first nonfiction book for indie authors.  It can be overwhelming to handle all the various tasks and responsibilities that come with being an author. You may find that some […]

It’s a brand new year and, if you haven’t done it already, it’s a great time to make a plan for your author business. If you’re a plotter, you probably already know plenty of planning methods like the back of your heart for outlining your novel, from Save the Cat to the Snowflake Method. But […]

Everything You Might’ve Missed at the 2022 Conference, From Official Events to Connections Made at the Cake Machine IAM Staff Five days. Fifty-two vendors. Nearly eighteen hundred in-person attendees, with even more tuning in virtually. By many accounts, the 20Books Vegas 2022 conference that took place November 14–18 at Bally’s Events Center in—you guessed it—Las […]

Children’s author, Marti Dumas (https://martidumasbooks.com) is an indie publisher who started her career with a clear mission: to provide specific books for specific readers. In some ways, her mission hasn’t changed at all. When her six-year-old ran out of books and started taking Jonathan Swift off the family bookcase, Dumas decided to write an age-appropriate […]

What author doesn’t dream of becoming a millionaire? Every writer wishes to have a tremendous income straight from their books, along with thousands of adoring readers. The mountain it takes to achieve such a pinnacle, however, can seem long and daunting, especially to authors who struggle to sell single copies of their title. These elusive […]

Not everyone makes a New Year’s resolution, but the people who do usually focus on health and wellness. Last year, 23 percent of Americans aimed to live healthier in the new year, making it the most popular resolution in 2022, according to Statista. As an indie author, it’s great to concentrate on your 2023 business […]

Ever popular, the Action-Adventure story is the original hero’s journey: a protagonist who must go on a quest to a new world and fight demons—both inner and outer—along the way. With such flexible parameters, the genre is one that often must share the spotlight, whether it crosses with Fantasy and Sci-Fi epics, Thrillers, Mysteries, or […]

Authors, are you struggling to get the word out about your books? Discover the latest book marketing and publishing news, tools and strategies. This is the Sell More Books Show with H. Clare Taylorl and Bryan Cohen. Every week you’ll get helpful tips and ideas to make your book sales soar. Visit SellMoreBooksShow.com for detailed […]

After years of failing to keep my New Year’s resolutions, I gave up.  But that’s not to say that I gave up on making life changes. I stopped with the grand declarations followed by the inevitable failure, and instead, I thought about the reasons those changes were significant to me. Those underlying reasons became a […]

Kick off the New Year with a podcast designed to get you moving! Every episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast is filled with the motivation and tactics you need plus deeply personal stories, relatable topics and tactical, research-backed advice to help you create a better life. https://www.melrobbins.com/podcast

Artful Agenda Artful Agenda combines the fun and personalization of a paper planner with the convenience of a digital calendar. Choose your cover design, pick your handwriting, color code events and personalize with stickers. Mobile & tablet apps now in Apple and Google Play stores, Syncs with Google, Apple, and Outlook, Works with Apple Pencil […]

While not technically a podcast, most of these videos can be listened to without losing any of the great information. They’re broken up into playlists including the Five-Minute Focus, and the presentations from nearly every 20Booksto50K conference. https://www.youtube.com/@20Booksto50kRLiveEvents

I opened the revisions file from my editor on my latest work in progress and was surprised by the number one item on her list. “The protagonist is launching a business!” she wrote. “Why isn’t she working on her website, having business cards made, handing out flyers—anything?” I was slightly insulted. Of course, my character […]

I have an honest confession to make: I’ve been staring at my computer for a few minutes now, trying to figure out what I want this letter to say. I’ve fallen victim to the Curse of the Blank Page plenty of times. When editing is part of your day job, it makes it difficult to […]

More than a month has passed since 20Books Vegas 2022 came to an end. The nearly two thousand authors who attended have returned home and come down from the high of participating in the biggest indie author conference in the world. But for those same attendees, the lessons and new friends that came from the […]

Volunteers Behind This Year’s 20Books Vegas Say Giving Their Time Is Its Own Reward At the 20Books Vegas 2022 conference, the 6 a.m. volunteer shift buzzes with energy. People from all corners of the world run off in groups to unload swag from vehicles, unpack notebooks, and prepare their stations. I was lucky enough to […]

Children’s Author-Publisher Darcy Pattison Builds Her Brand with the Youngest Readers in Mind Ten years ago, children’s author Darcy Pattison faced a dilemma. After publishing with multiple traditional publishers—Lothrup, Lee & Shepard; Harcourt Inc.; Sylvan Dell Publishers; Philomel; and Stone Arch Books—from 1991 to 2011, she couldn’t find the right home for a nonfiction picture […]

This past month, more than eighteen hundred independent authors gathered at Bally’s Event Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, to learn, to grow, and to celebrate their work as publishing professionals. We welcomed them with messages of inspiration and advice for finding success, however you define it. This month, I want to offer that same welcome […]

Creating an Author Value Statement for the New Year Every year, people around the world make grand plans for lifestyle makeovers that are sure to bring them closer to their dreams. Six months in, more than half of the people who make a resolution will have given it up, according to a Discover Happy Habits.  […]

I discovered the beauty of knowing other writers at the Colonists Summit back in 2014. At that conference, two dozen writers came together to talk all things writing and publishing. I was in heaven.  Although I knew about the concept of starving artists, and therefore writers, I’d worked on my overall money consciousness such that […]

Would You Like a Free Issue?

Hello! I’m Indie Annie, and I would love to send you a copy of this month’s issue of Indie Author Magazine. Just join our email list and I’ll drop it in your inbox!