049 - Your First Two Years as an Indie Author

In episode 55, James reports from the Floridian beach where he's attending the annual NINC conference. He and Cara also report some encouraging signs from their Facebook Ads campaigns.USEFUL LINKS:Join our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career. https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support 

Making the switch from hobbyist to full-time author is a dream for many. But it comes with its own challenges. From two of us who have become full time self-employed, we go through some of the pitfalls and areas to think about.USEFUL LINKS:Self Publishing Launchpad is open for enrolment:https://www.learnselfpublishing.com/launchpadJoin our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support

It's part 2 of our discussion about generating income from audio versions of your books. We talk about the AI options among other things, and James has a mini rant about the opposition many authors still face, because they use the latest technology which is available to all.USEFUL LINKS:  ElevenLabs: https://www.indiewritersclub.com/elevenlabsJoin our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career. https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support

We take a two episode dive into audio books. In the first part we discuss the options facing indies, such as wide or exclusive, self produce or collaborate etc.USEFUL LINKS: Join our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career. https://www.indiewritersclub.com/supportSelf Publishing Launchpad Waitlist:https://www.learnselfpublishing.com/launchpad

There's no correct way to plot, but here are our suggestions.Mentioned in the pod were my 5 points to note during plotting - see below the links.USEFUL LINKS:Join our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support Novel November - a new way to write a novel in Novemberhttps://prowritingaid.com/novel-novemberFive Plotting Points to help Guide You:1.     Conflict and stakes    Identify the main conflict that drives your story forward   Ensure the stakes are high enough to keep readers engaged   Consider both external conflicts (between characters or characters and their environment) and internal conflicts (within the characters themselves)2.     Character arcs    Develop your main characters' journeys throughout the story   Ensure each main character has a clear goal, motivation, and potential for change  Consider how the plot events will affect and change your characters3.     Pacing and structure    Decide on the right structure for your story (e.g., three-act structure, hero's journey)   Balance action, dialogue, and description to maintain a good pace   Consider the timing of key events, revelations, and twists to keep readers engaged4.     Causality and coherence    Ensure that plot events have a cause-and-effect relationship   Avoid coincidences or deus ex machina solutions   Make sure all subplots and character arcs are coherently tied to the main plot5.     Theme and message DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THEME IN FIRST DRAFT   Consider the overarching theme or message you want to convey through your story   Ensure that your plot, character arcs, and conflicts all reinforce this central theme   Avoid being too heavy-handed or preachy in your message delivery

Episode 50 is a good time to take stock of the industry and discuss the latest developments that can affect our indie world.Useful links:LSP Launchpad Course waitlist:https://www.learnselfpublishing.com/launchpadGet your ticket for SPS Live:https://www.learnselfpublishing.com/spsliveJoin our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support

Let's talk about the author platform you need to build. This episode covers those crucial foundation months as you start out.USEFUL LINKS:Join our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support

Welcome to episode 48 of the Indie Writers Club. This week Cara (spicy romance, romance) and James Blatch (thrillers) discuss Facebook (Meta) Ads. For years they have reigned supreme as the goto resource to drive readers to Amazon. But are they still working for writers?USEFUL LINKS:Join our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.https://www.indiewritersclub.com/supportAnd join James for a live webinar on book packaging with AuthorNation on Weds 6th August: https://www.indiewritersclub.com/webinar

In this episode we deep dive into the process and strategy for launching your English language books into global markets. We recommend scribeshadow.com (they are not a sponsor, this is a genuine recommendation). You can use our referral code IWC50 for 50% off your first month.You download a free PDF that contains the key points from the discussion and it has a couple of useful appendices on Amazon categories in German and Dutch and a guide to pricing in Brazil and Mexico.Head here to grab your copy: indiewritersclub.com/translations

I'll confess, I love using AI for various parts of my marketing and editing, but even as an advocate of what AI can do for us writers, even I know there is a dark side.I experienced that recently with an email and in this episode we talk about how scammers are always one-step ahead.USEFUL LINKS:Join our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support