Self-Publishing with ALLi
The Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors provides a comprehensive guide for indie authors.
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News: Audiobook Growth Returns to Double Digits; Title Glut Shrinks Author Slices; How Many Readers Actually Pay?
<p>On this episode of Self-Publishing with ALLi, Dan Holloway reports that audiobook sales grew 9 percent in the US and 10 percent in the UK in 2025 — a return to double-digit growth — but cautions that active titles grew even faster, meaning many individual authors are getting a smaller slice of a bigger pie. He also questions a suspiciously low 0.03 percent figure for AI-narrated audiobook sales, and examines an Authors Guild survey finding that only a quarter of readers paid for the book they were reading last month, with library lending and "other sources," including piracy, making up much of the rest.</p> <p>Sp...
Audio Interview: Writing and Editing Books for Young Readers with Howard Lovy and Amelia Ross
<p>On the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, host Howard Lovy talks to Amelia Ross, a developmental editor and children's librarian who specializes in KidLit, about what authors need to know when writing for young readers. Amelia explains the differences between board books, picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade, and YA, and why age categories matter. She also discusses authentic voice, age-appropriate content, the role of illustrations, and why children's books work best when lessons emerge naturally through story and character.</p> <p>Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge a...
Self-Publishing a Book in German, with Orna Ross and Skye MacKinnon
<p>Germany is the third-largest book market in the world, and unlike the English-language market, it is not yet saturated. Skye MacKinnon has turned her second publishing language into her bestselling one across three pen names and more than seventy translated titles. In this conversation about the newly released second edition of her book, Self-Publishing in German, she tells indie authors how to decide which of their books to translate first, where AI earns its keep and where it quietly ruins things, and how on earth you market a book in a language you don't speak.</p> <p > Show Notes<...
News: Social Reading Partnerships Expand; Indie Bookstores Hit 1990s High; Oxford Gets a Romantasy Bookstore That Welcomes Indies
<p>On this episode of Self-Publishing with ALLi, Dan Holloway reports on a week dominated by good news for readers and indie authors alike. He covers new social reading partnerships — Kobo with StoryGraph, and Everand with Fable — that let readers track, share, and experience books together. He reports on the American Booksellers Association's announcement that indie bookstore membership has hit its highest level since the 1990s, driven largely by single-genre stores focused on romance, fantasy, and romantasy. And he ends with a personal highlight: a new romantasy bookstore called Bad Girl Books is opening in Oxford — in the former Albion Beatni...
How to Write, Publish, and Promote Nonfiction That Sells, with Anna Featherstone and Howard Lovy
<p>In this member-first Q&A on the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, ALLi nonfiction adviser Anna Featherstone walks authors through how to write, publish, and promote nonfiction that sells—covering how to test market demand, what makes a book stand out, and the most common pricing and production mistakes. She shares practical, low-cost marketing tactics, from direct outreach and library events to writing ready-made stories that overstretched newsrooms welcome.</p> <p>Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on...
Inspirational Indie Author Interview #211: Michael Maloof Turned Global Adventure and Tech Experience Into Award-Winning Thrillers
<p>My guest this episode is Michael Maloof, author of award-winning thrillers about a former CIA analyst drawn into conspiracies that stretch across continents. Michael brings to his fiction a background in technology, entrepreneurship, global travel, and real-world tactical training. His books combine action, technology, emotional stakes, and a strong female lead who refuses to back down.</p> <p>Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.</p> <p>We invite you to join o...
News: Spotify Reports 60% Audiobook Growth; ElevenLabs Expands; AI Copyright Cases Narrow the Class
<p>On this episode of Self-Publishing with ALLi, Dan Holloway reports on Spotify's investor day, where the company credited its Page Match feature for a 60 percent rise in audiobook listening hours, notes ElevenLabs' quiet expansion as a listening platform in its own right, and examines a troubling trend in AI copyright class actions — where increasingly narrow eligibility requirements around ISBN registration and Copyright Office filings are leaving many indie and overseas authors out of the picture.</p> <p>Sponsor</p> <p>Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by PublishMe—helping indie authors succeed globally with expert translation, tailored marketing, and publishing suppo...
Does Social Media Still Sell Books? With Orna Ross
<p>Orna Ross explores what social media can — and can't — do for indie authors in a landscape that has changed beyond recognition. Listen for tips on how to audit what social media truly costs you in time, money, and creative energy; a comparison of the top ten platforms for authors in 2026; and questions that point you to the right platform for you — or help you decide whether social media is worth your time at all.</p> <p>Show Notes</p> <p>Self-Publishing Store</p> <p >Sponsor</p> <p >This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookfunnel. Do you have reader magnets, ARCs, a...
How to Successfully Change Genres and Topics: Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black
<p > In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss how to successfully pivot from one nonfiction topic to another, including whether you need a new pen name and how to manage existing backlist titles.</p> <p > Other questions include:</p> What are the most effective low-budget marketing strategies for a nonfiction book about technology and society What options exist when series covers are inconsistent and how important is it to obtain source files from designers Should an urban fantasy series be focused on a tabloid rather than a...
News: Spotify Expands AI Audiobook Tools; Barnes & Noble Contradicts Itself on AI; Commonwealth Prize Controversy
<p>On this episode of Self-Publishing with ALLi, Dan Holloway covers a week dominated by AI controversy: Spotify's expanded ElevenLabs partnership for seamless AI audiobook creation, Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt's muddled attempt to clarify his store's AI book policy, and a Commonwealth Short Story Prize winner accused of using AI — and why Dan thinks the organizers got their response exactly right.</p> <p>Sponsor</p> <p>Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by PublishMe—helping indie authors succeed globally with expert translation, tailored marketing, and publishing support. From first draft to international launch, PublishMe ensures your book reaches readers everywhere. Visit...
