We’re still a little over a month away from Indie Author Training’s Wide for the Win Summit, but the excitement is already building for the two-day event! The schedule is set and includes a host of sessions that will appeal to authors just starting to explore wide publishing as well as those who are seasoned veterans. Attendees will hear from Mark Leslie Lefebvre, Bradley Charbonneau, Kim Diede, Paul Austin Ardoin, and others—more speakers will be announced over the coming weeks.
The summit will take place October 9 and 10 with a mix of free and paid opportunities for attendees. Day 1 will be free to attend and cover the state of wide publishing and how the strategy can benefit authors. Day 2 will include paid workshops and resources to help attendees set up their business with hands-on help and guidance from experts.
You can view the full schedule, learn more about the summit, and register for the event online at https://summit.wideforthewin.com. We hope to see you there!
This Week's Indie Author Magazine Articles
As crowdfunding, direct sales, and special edition books have grown in popularity in recent years, so has the author community’s interest in custom printing and limited print runs. Custom printing gives authors a nearly endless range of options for designing a bespoke edition of their book—but it also requires authors find printing companies that can match their creative vision, budget, and energy levels. In this week’s close-up, IAM’s Laurel Decher dives into sustainable strategies for those getting started with custom printing. She also breaks down eight popular printing companies’ initial cost, printing options, and more so authors can more easily compare them as they start their research.
Laurel Decher
In the age of AI, email scams targeting authors have become harder to spot. The Alliance of Independent Authors’s Watchdog Desk has been monitoring publishing services for the past fourteen years. In this month’s ALLi Exclusive, the organization offers its advice for recognizing fake offers and resources for authors wanting to protect their business.
The Alliance of Independent Authors
Teachings from Indie Author Training
Webinar: “Unputdownable: Captivate Nonfiction Readers with Fiction Storytelling Techniques"
Just because it's nonfiction doesn't mean it can't be a page-turner! In this session, we'll take a page from the storytelling techniques of best-selling fiction authors to make your nonfiction book more compelling and engaging.
Takeaways:
- Fiction techniques like cliffhangers and foreshadowing can engage readers and keep them reading.
- Vivid descriptions and character work help readers retain information.
- Pacing—at both the sentence and chapter level—is the difference between a book that gets recommended and one that gets ignored.
Watch the replay here: https://webinars.indieauthortraining.com/talks/unputdownable-captivate-nonfiction-readers-with-fiction-storytelling-techniques.
Upcoming Webinars
September 2, 12 p.m. EST: “Write-To-Market Essentials: Using Amazon Data To Sell More Books” with K-Lytics’s Alex Newton: Sign up at https://webinars.indieauthortraining.com/talks/writetomarket-essentials-using-amazon-data-to-sell-more-books.
September 9, 12 p.m. EST: “From Blurb to Launch Day: Build Your Book's Entire Visual Package in an Hour” with Pablo Yáñez of BeYourCover: Sign up at https://webinars.indieauthortraining.com/talks/from-blurb-to-launch-day-build-your-books-entire-visual-package-in-an-hour.
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
More Indie Publishing News
Here’s a look beyond our pages at the latest headlines and happenings in the publishing world.
- A change to Meta’s ad placement options may affect indie authors’ ability to target audiences on Facebook, author of Let’s Get Digital and independent publishing advocate David Gaughran shared with his audience this week. The change to placement settings for Facebook Ads will affect users’ ability to choose where on Meta’s platforms their ads appear. Gaughran spoke about the change and how authors can work around the issue in his newsletter and on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO5JUW02p8A.
Mal Cooper, of the Writing Wives, also spoke about the change in a live stream on YouTube this week. You can find her video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_qL-nY4ZqM. - Earlier this month, author Ashli O’Connell shared the story behind the success of her debut novel in a guest post on Jane Friedman’s blog. O’Connell provides an in-depth look at her spending, strategy, and income over the ten-week period after her book released in the post; you can read more about her story and what she learned from the experience here: https://janefriedman.com/how-a-debut-self-published-novel-earned-five-figures-in-10-weeks-without-kindle-unlimited.
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.
