The Self Publishing Show

Black Friday is approaching, but is it a golden opportunity for indie authors or a time to rethink your advertising strategy? This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Cissy Mecca share their advice for navigating the busiest shopping season of the year. James explains why rising Meta advertising costs could make November particularly challenging for authors and discusses Meta's new product browsing feature and whether Amazon Ads might be a better option during the Black Friday rush. Cissy shares practical ideas for making the most of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Small Business Saturday, from direct sales and special edition bundles to series discounts and newsletter swaps. They also discuss why understanding your own sales data is essential when planning promotions. Plus, Cissy reveals how an AI audit of her backlist uncovered a costly mistake that had been affecting her series read-through, while James shares how Claude helped identify problems with his advertising campaigns. There's also news of a Black Friday discount on two Learn Self Publishing courses, updates on upcoming writing retreats, and an invitation for authors in Fort Worth to meet up with James and Catherine ahead of SPS Live USA. Key Talking Points Black Friday marketing opportunities and challenges for indie authors Why rising Meta advertising costs could make Amazon Ads a better option in November Meta's new product browsing feature and its potential impact on advertising campaigns Direct sales, special edition bundles and Small Business Saturday promotions Series discounts, BookBub promotions and newsletter swaps Using AI to audit backlists, identify broken links and improve series read-through How Claude and ChatGPT can help optimise advertising campaigns and author websites LSP Black Friday course discounts and upcoming writing retreats Links & Resources Mentioned ProWritingAid https://prowritingaid.com Discount code: IWC15 for 15% off annual subscriptions SPS Black Friday Offers https://learnselfpublishing.com/blackfriday 25% off Amazon Ads for Authors and AI Translations for Authors courses until 11 December. Discount code: BLACKFRIDAY Vinci Books – Publishing Enquiries https://learnselfpublishing.com/vinci James Blatch – Fort Worth Meetup Enquiries [email protected]  

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Cissy Mecca are joined by Hollywood screenwriter and author Thomas Dean Donnelly to discuss his new book, Superdraft, and how writers can improve their writing process to produce better books, faster. Tom explains why writers often become attached to their existing routines and how making even small changes can transform the way they work. He introduces the two competing voices in every writer's head – the creator and the critic – and explains why giving each its own space is essential for a more productive and enjoyable writing process. From brainstorming and outlining to walking, dictation and allowing your subconscious mind to do the heavy lifting, Tom shares practical techniques to help writers overcome creative blocks, generate better ideas and rediscover the joy of writing. Plus, James and Cissy discuss Amazon's announcement that Kindle Unlimited is becoming Kindle Plus, including the introduction of audiobooks and concerns about how the changes could affect author earnings. There's also exciting news that SPS Live USA has officially sold out! Key Talking Points Tom Donnelly's new book Superdraft and why writing process matters just as much as craft Understanding the creator and critic voices and how to use them effectively Why brainstorming without judgement can unlock better story ideas Finding the right balance between plotting and pantsing Making small changes to your writing routine to improve productivity The benefits of walking, dictation and giving your subconscious mind space to work How writing groups and sharing story ideas can strengthen your creative process Kindle Unlimited's move to Kindle Plus and concerns about audiobook payments SPS Live USA sells out, with a waiting list being set up Links & Resources Mentioned ProWritingAid https://prowritingaid.com Discount code: IWC15 for 15% off annual subscriptions SPS Patreon / Support https://learnselfpublishing.com/support SPS Live LONDON  https://learnselfpublishing.com/spslive SPS Live USA Waitlist https://learnselfpublishing.com/spsliveusa SPS Live Digital Recordings https://learnselfpublishing.com/digital Superdraft TD Donnelly: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HN6P14X3 

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Cissy Mecca tackle a growing concern for indie authors: is the flood of AI-generated books making it harder for genuine authors to get noticed and earn a living? James shares some worrying findings from research into AI-written books, alongside data from Alex Newton showing how AI-generated titles are making their way into competitive Amazon categories. They discuss what this means for authors, the potential impact on Kindle Unlimited earnings, and why building a loyal readership and maintaining a strong newsletter could be more important than ever. Cissy also shares a clever and affordable way to create special edition paperbacks using IngramSpark, plus a fresh approach to newsletter swaps after analysing the marketing habits of successful romance authors. There's also an update on latest on SPS Live USA ticket sales, and news of another speaker joining the Fort Worth line-up. Key Talking Points The growing number of AI-generated books and their impact on indie publishing Alex Newton's findings on AI-written books in competitive Amazon categories Concerns about manipulated rankings, page reads and Kindle Unlimited earnings Why building your own audience and email list matters more than ever Cissy's affordable special edition paperback hack using IngramSpark Bringing back newsletter swaps to reach new readers Using AI to improve reader freebies, websites and newsletter marketing SPS Live USA ticket updates and Mark Recklau joining the speaker line-up Links & Resources Mentioned ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com Discount code: IWC15 SPS Patreon: https://learnselfpublishing.com/support SPS Live 2027 USA: https://learnselfpublishing.com/spsliveusa SPS Live 2027 LONDON: https://www.learnselfpublishing.com/spslive

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Cissy Mecca are joined by Stuart Grant to talk about author discoverability in the age of AI and why your author website might be more important than ever. Stuart explains how the way readers search for books and authors is changing, and what authors can do to make sure they're being found and recommended by tools such as ChatGPT. They discuss the difference between traditional SEO and the newer GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), the importance of keeping your online information consistent, and some surprisingly simple ways to improve your website's visibility. James and Cissy also share their own experiences of updating their websites using AI, and Stuart offers listeners a free author website audit to help identify what's missing. Plus, there's an update on SPS Live USA, including ticket prices, Founders tickets and when tickets will go on sale. Key Talking Points Author discoverability and how AI is changing the way readers find books SEO versus GEO and what authors need to know Why your author website is central to your online presence Using schema markup to help search engines and AI understand your website How ChatGPT and Claude can help with website optimisation The importance of FAQs, blogging and consistent author information Stuart Grant's free website audit for SPS listeners SPS Live USA ticket prices and early access for Patreon supporters Links & Resources Mentioned ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com Discount code: IWC15 Free Author Website Audit: https://learnselfpublishing.com/audit SPS Patreon / Support: https://learnselfpublishing.com/support SPS Live USA Waitlist: https://learnselfpublishing.com/spsliveusa SPS Live Digital Recordings: https://learnselfpublishing.com/digital Stuart Grant – http://digitalauthorstoolkit.com   https://reedsy.com/stuart-grant On social media @stuartgrantuk on all platforms

Big news this week – The Self-Publishing Show Live is coming to the USA! James Blatch and Cissy Mecca reveal the plans for the first SPS Live USA, taking place at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden in Texas on April 29th and 30th, 2027. The first year will be deliberately small, with just 200 places available, and the first 100 people on the waitlist will have the chance to secure special Founders tickets. They also reveal the first two speakers: bestselling romance author Lucy Score and Hollywood screenwriter Tom Donnelly. James talks through why Fort Worth was chosen, plans for keeping the event affordable and what they want to bring across from the London conference. Elsewhere, James and Cissy discuss the latest controversy surrounding RARE London 2027 and the large number of authors withdrawing from the event. James also shares an update on his Etsy experiment, including what happened when he promoted his Cold War book package directly to his mailing list and why bringing your own traffic to a new sales platform can make such a difference. Key Talking Points SPS Live USA officially announced for April 29th–30th, 2027 Fort Worth Botanic Garden confirmed as the venue The event will be limited to 200 attendees in its first year The first 100 people on the waitlist will be offered Founders tickets Lucy Score and Tom Donnelly announced as the first speakers Why SPS Live USA will avoid traditional hotel room blocks The latest controversy surrounding RARE London 2027 James's Etsy experiment and selling books as gift packages Why driving your own traffic to a new platform can help generate sales Avoiding "shiny new object" syndrome and focusing on what's already working Links & Resources Mentioned ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com Discount code: IWC15 SPS Live USA Waitlist: https://learnselfpublishing.com/spsliveusa SPS Patreon / Support: https://learnselfpublishing.com/support