I will never forget when I found The Self Publishing Show on Spotify.
I had been binge listening to Marie Forleo and Vanessa Lau to learn how to be a “solopreneur” for about a year (give or take) when I stumbled upon a podcast actually geared towards succeeding at the career I’ve dreamed of since I was three.
BUT, I still had the bitter taste of a flopped book launch in my mouth (even though it had been 7 years) and didn’t comprehend the fact that the hosts, Mark Dawson and James Blatch, not only have data to back up the fact that it is incredibly possible to become a full time writer, but they provide the blueprint for it as well.
So, I listened to a few episodes, made my mailing list and my website, and then I just kind of… decided that the only real way to “make money” was through coaching (like Forleo and Lau) and that I wouldn’t be able to “make it” as an author until I had built some other business up enough to support my family financially.
🤦🏽♀️
If that isn’t a toxic, limiting belief then I don’t know what is!!!
So, between 2019 and 2021, I built up my Instagram presence, did a couple of livestream readings and book giveaways, managed to get my books into local indie bookstores, did a few signings and even booked a couple of radio interviews. But it still didn’t propel my career the way I hoped it would.
After all the blood, sweat, tears, time, and money that went into buying books to distribute, trying to build relationships with book store owners and the media, and working on building a local presence… I only made $800 in a year.
It was incredibly defeating.
I was exhausted, stretched thin, and hadn’t been writing because I had been working on promoting myself. It was obvious that something had to change.
Thankfully, the task of recording, editing, and releasing music videos for the PNK KanD Project took up my entire schedule for 2022 and I couldn’t even be bothered to set up gigs, which allowed me to regroup and reset.
However, there was still a lot left on the table in terms of marketing and getting my books out there.
Even though I have been taking my writing career seriously since 2019, I’ve kind of been flying by the seat of my pants and hobbling bits of (irrelevant) information together to try and get things done.
This is where the Self Publishing Show comes to play. 😉 (lol podcast puns)
I had published this AWESOME project, an original book about a female MC who is also an emcee 🤭 with each book coming with its own original album of music — like the Cheetah Girls, but all done by me — but it was hardly selling at all.
I thought it was because of the flooded market and invested in a Bargain Booksy deal to run over the summer. When my promotion did not convert nearly as well as I thought it should, I knew something was wrong.
So in September of 2023, I started listening to the Self Publishing Show religiously, starting with episode 1.
Now in November I have listened to just over 160 podcast episodes and I am seeing the (MASSIVE) results from taking the advice within the show and acting upon it.
So, here are my top three reasons why every author should listen to Mike Dawson’s Self Publishing Show, DAILY.
✨ Actionable steps:
This is a fairly obvious one, but it is absolutely crucial. Each episodes has tips and tricks for you, so whether you are listening to a Masterclass on mailing list building, or an interview with a successful indie author, there is likely to always be something you can take away from the episode and apply to your craft immediately.
Little things like how to clean up your covers, writing good blurbs, where to find good promotional services, and how to up your social media game all make a HUGE difference, and the only thing you need to make these investments into your writing career is time ⌚️
✨ Inspiration:
Before I started listening to the podcast as though there would be a quiz at the end of each episode, I was struggling with “writer’s ennui,” not really a block so much as just an overwhelming sense that if my efforts are futile, then what is the point? But when every episode starts out with “There’s never been a better time to be a writer,” it’s hard not to let that enthusiasm carry through your day.
There is nothing more incredible and motivating than listening to other authors talking about how much they love writing and what their stories are about. I cannot even tell you the amount of days I finished listening to an episode excited to get home and write.
Hearing people get excited about their work gets you pumped up about yours too! It’s just simple mathematics.
✨ Mindset Tips:
One of the biggest over looked aspects to being an author or owning a business is having the right mindset to go with it.
In fact, I am one of those people who can vouch for how damaging your mindset can be to your cosmic trajectory.
In order to succeed at this (or any other business) you need to first believe in yourself. Because if you don’t believe in your vision, no one else will either.
Listening to the Self Publishing Show allows you to continuously fine tune your author mindset, whether you’ve been doing this for decades or are just starting out.
✨ A Sense of Community: Whether you like to be in as many writing and author groups as possible or you have one author super best friend, it is important to remain tethered to the writing community in one way or another.
To put it into witchy terms, even if you are a solo-practitioner, there is a whole world of other like minded people out there who are also doing what you are doing.
Listening to the podcast is a phenomenal way to give yourself a sense of community without having to interact with other people (🤣 it sounds so harsh, but the reality of it is that MOST of us are introverts.)
If you want to get out of your shell, The Self Publishing Show has their own, very active Facebook Group. There is also a Patreon you can join.
Listening to the podcast is also a really great way to empower yourself to reach out to the author community on social media platforms like Threads or X (formerly Twitter). But just know, you’re not alone in this. The author community is alive and THRIVING.
BONUS:
✨Start selling books… for FREE!
With over 300 hours of lectures on the subject, the Self Publishing Show is a course in and of itself.
They have a few courses you can invest in, but for those of us on a shoestring budget, the podcast is a course in and of itself.
I highly recommend giving yourself the foundation you will need to get your author career off the ground by starting from episode 001 and listening to every episode in order.
It is a huge task, especially since they still release episodes every week, but it is worth it.
Starting over from the beginning will help you with the basics and give you a comprehensive overview of the history of self publishing, marketing yourself, and what has changed since the inception of the show.
So, those are my 3 (+1) reasons why EVERY author should listen to the Self Publishing Show, daily.
✨ Actionable Steps every episode
✨ Mindset Tips
✨ A sense of Community
✨ and being able to start selling your books for free
But I’m a smidge partial, I love listening to their British Accents. It is very soothing 😌
What writing podcasts do you prefer?
(*PS, this is NOT a paid advertisement, nor am I affiliated with Mark Dawson, James Blatch, or the Self publishing Show in any way. This is a genuine, authentic review of the things that the aforementioned presenters have decided to share with the world because they have created a wellspring of indie author knowledge for us, and I want everyone to know about it.)
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