Conny Lee, host of the How Did I Not Know That? podcast, invited me on her show to talk about being a self-published author, why people choose to self publish and the process of getting a book released.
Her episode aired on November 4, 2024. Here’s where you can listen:
On the How Did I Not Know That podcast, Conny brings her listeners information about crucial topics they missed out on in school. She uncovers knowledge, explores fascinating facts, and discussses pressing issues.
Conny and I connected through Growclass, where we’re both part of the Internet’s kindest marketing community. Since she knows me professionally, I appear as both my writing and marketing selves in this episode.
We had a great conversation about writing The Xenthian Cycle and my journey through self-publishing. We also talk about Taylor Swift’s choice to self-publish her Eras Tour book and the pros and cons of going it alone.
Topics we cover on How Did I Not Know That?
- 1:20 — My journey into self-publishing, and my TedxTalk about women, superheroes and power
- 3:00 — How my work and life combines my passions for books, marketing and career strategy
- 4:40 — How The Xenthian Cycle evolved, and my background in crowdfunding
- 6:10 — Who self publishing is for and Taylor Swift’s decision to self publish her Eras Tour book
- 7: 15 — The traditional publishing path
- 9:00 — Celebrity and book publishing (Taylor Swift, Keanu Reeves, etc.)
- 10:00 — The importance of the backlist for indie authors
- 10:25 — Building in public before your book launches and the pitfalls of Internet piracy for authors
- 13:10 — The pros and cons of self-publishing vs traditional publishing
- 15:30 — Why money generally flows to the author if you go the traditional path, not the other way around
- 17:10 — My advice to aspiring authors: Pick an idea you love, finish it and get private feedback
- 18:00 — The stages of manuscript review and book promotion (I refer to Travis Baldree’s guide to self-publishing)
- 21:10 — Why finishing a project is so important and so hard
- 22:10 — How I find time to write, before and after Covid-19
- 23:20 — Writing and AI
Note that in the section about Taylor Swift, I mentioned that I thought the Eras book was coming out next year. My mistake! It’s coming out in November as the tour ends.
For more, you can follow Conny Lee and the How Did I Not Know That podcast:
- LinkedIn: Conny Lee
- Spotify: How Did I Not Know That? show page
- Apple: How Did I Not Know That? show page