Indie Author Training’s Wide for the Win Summit is just a few hours from kickoff, but it’s still not too late to sign up! The virtual event starts today at 11 a.m. ET with an introduction to wide publishing in 2026, hosted by Wide for the Win’s Bradley Charbonneau and IAM publisher Chelle Honiker. Will you be there?
Today’s summit sessions are entirely free to attend, covering marketing, additional formats, your author mindset, and who benefits most from publishing wide. Plus, hear from Jane Friedman and Mark Leslie Lefebvre about what wide publishing means today. Those interested can also purchase tickets for access to tomorrow's hands-on workshops, walk-throughs, and resources for setting up and optimizing your business for wide publishing. The Education Pass, which gives attendees access to day 2’s events, costs $149.
Don’t miss out! Book your ticket now at: https://summits.indieauthortraining.com/wide-for-the-win-summit/checkout/select-tickets. Sessions are pre-recorded, and both days will include replays and transcripts of all sessions.
The Wide for the Win Summit is just the beginning! Next month’s Indie Author Training summit, all about AI technology options for authors, is scheduled for November 20 and 21, with free sessions on day 1 and paid workshops and resources scheduled for day 2. Sign-ups are open now, as is the call for speakers for the event. Learn more about the summit and register at https://summits.indieauthortraining.com/ai-tech.
This Week’s Indie Author Magazine Articles
Your book is finally out in the world. It’s time to start your next story—but after all the work you put in leading up to book 1’s launch, shifting your focus to book 2 can leave some authors feeling drained. Author Inklings columnist Susan Odev reassures authors that this feeling is normal; this week, she offers tips and encouragement for setting the sales dashboards aside and turning back to the blank page to begin writing the next book.
Susan Odev
Successful book marketing requires a heavy investment of time, money, and energy. That goes double for indie authors splitting those resources across multiple formats. When award-winning audiobook narrator Christa Lewis noticed how many authors struggled to market their audiobooks while juggling other responsibilities, she built a guide set on making the process manageable. Audiobook Marketing for (frazzled) Authors offers a range of strategies and suggestions for authors to try, one at a time, in order to grow their audience. This week, she shares eight tips from her guide to help you sell your audio edition without stretching yourself too thin.
Indie Author Magazine
New on YouTube: IAM’s CEO Series kicks off with Phil Marshall of Spoken
In the first installment of a new interview series on getting to know the people shaping the businesses authors use daily, IAM turns to Phil Marshall, the founder and CEO of Spoken, an ethical AI audiobook company. Marshall joins IAM publisher Chelle Honiker to discuss building an AI audiobook company and the people involved in producing the finished audio. He explains how Spoken handles licensed performers' voices and why authors may still want an independent listener to review a recording. The conversation also follows his own novel through editing and audio production, then turns to how he builds a team around his strengths as a product developer. Watch the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv3cPaTKD8M.
Teachings from Indie Author Training
Upcoming Webinar (October 14, 12 p.m. EST): “Dictate Your Novel This November: The DRAFT Method for Speaking Your Story”
Fifty thousand words in thirty days is a big ask of two hands and a keyboard. It is a very reasonable ask of your voice. In this session, fiction author and writing instructor Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer walks through her DRAFT framework for dictating fiction, the five-step path she teaches authors who want to speak their stories instead of typing them. Built for authors planning a Novel November run, for anyone whose hands or schedule have made drafting painful, and for the author who tried dictation once and gave up, you'll leave with a setup you can use that day and a plan for the thirty days ahead.
Indie Author Tools Directory
Have you visited Indie Author Tools lately? Our tools and services directory rounds up essential resources for indie authors at every stage of the publication process, from outlining to marketing and everything in between. Check out our listings in the following categories, or let us know which tools we’re missing at https://www.indieauthortools.com.
- Cover artists: https://indieauthortools.com/cover-artists
- Editors, from developmental through proofreading: https://indieauthortools.com/editors
- Marketing tools: https://indieauthortools.com/marketing-tools
- Audiobook production and narration: https://indieauthortools.com/sound-audio-books
Indie Author Tools Spotlight: BookFunnel’s Author Swaps Board
BookFunnel's Author Swaps Board helps authors arrange reciprocal book recommendations in their newsletters. Before requesting a swap, you can check the proposed date and landing page; for a signup swap, you can also preview the ebook. The request lets you specify when you'll share the book and whether it will receive an exclusive recommendation, a featured spot, or a mention among several titles. Learn more at https://www.indieauthortools.com/marketing-tools/bookfunnel-author-swaps-board.
More Indie Publishing News
Here’s a look beyond our pages at the latest headlines and happenings in the publishing world.
- The Indie Network Ireland, formerly the Ireland Publishing Show, may be sold out for 2027, but five authors can still get the chance to attend the conference for free, minus travel and accommodation costs. Four attendee tickets for next year’s event have been sponsored by other attendees, and one sponsored ticket includes two nights of hotel accommodation. To enter, the organization asks applicants to write a 150-word reply to the following prompt: What would attending Indie Network Ireland 2027 make possible for you, and what do you hope to take away from the experience? Learn more and apply at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfl_54G6IyFkxzXljzDqQIbDR7SLZZlG91cV7m6qG_MEvlfrQ/viewform.
Next year, the Indie Network is also heading to Scotland. Indie Network Scotland will take place September 14–17, 2027, with the official location to be announced October 22. Tickets will be made available soon afterward, but those interested can join the waitlist now: https://www.indienetworkevents.com/contact-8. - ALLi’s annual Self-Publishing Advice Conference, SelfPubCon26, takes place next weekend, October 17 and 18, with an additional workshop available for ALLi members and pass holders October 19. This year’s theme is “The Future of Self-Publishing: What’s Working Now & What’s Next,” with a keynote delivered by publishing expert Jane Friedman. The event is hosted virtually and free to attend, and will include a mix of live and pre-recorded sessions, as well as networking opportunities, giveaways, and more. Learn more and sign up at https://selfpublishingadvice.org/selfpubcon2026.
- Written Word Media’s annual indie author survey is open for 2026. The organization publishes the results every year to help those in the industry better understand current trends, successful strategies, and challenges authors have encountered over the past year, as well as to learn more about ongoing shifts in the industry ahead of the new year. The survey takes about ten minutes to complete and is open to all authors. Access the survey here: https://writtenwordmedia.typeform.com/to/OB6Wcmur.
Anything we’ve missed that you think we should cover? Any topics or questions you’d like our team to explore? Let us know at feedback@indieauthormagazine.com. Your suggestion may just make it into an upcoming article.
