The Story Studio Podcast - Writing, Storytelling, and Marketing Advice for Writers & Business

Today we had on Simon Whistler, the smooth-voiced (and sexy-voiced, according to Dave) host of the Rocking Self Publishing Podcast … which has been called "the bizarro version of SPP." Basically, we had Simon on because we're too lazy to interview as many indie authors as he does on his show, and we figured he could give us the Cliff's Notes of what successful indies are doing out there. Some highlights: Get a lot of books out there in the world, be very patient and persistent, be creative and outside-the-box about your lead generation strategies, and "be willing to try everything." Simon has heard a lot from other indies, and he gave us the greatest hits in aggregate. Simon is also an audiobook narrator (unless the sky falls, it looks like he'll be doing the audiobook of Write. Publish. Repeat. for us), and he gives us some of the key things to think about when you consider doing audiobook version of your books, such as how to choose a narrator, whether or not audiobooks are worth it, how people outside the USA may be able to use the no-out-of-pocket-cost-possible service ACX, and more. You can view the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohq1PM8Sr2s

After our vacations, we hit the bricks running, ready to talk about how we're going to turn 2013's production into 2014's gold. In Sean's phrasing, last year was about producing. This year is about synergy. Which basically means that as you watch or listen to the show this year, you'll hear us talk more and more about how we're trying to get more out of what we have rather than necessarily producing more (though we'll certainly be producing plenty too). That means: • Focusing on marketing and advertising • Creating follow-ups to our products -- sequels, Season Twos, and so on • Making the various parts of our business (nonfiction vs. fiction, our various publishing companies and wings) work better together, so that all support the efforts of the other • Better social activity and viral stuff What I'm most excited about is the blogging. Sean and I are going to build out the Realm & Sands blog with what I think of as "epic blog posts," similar to what I used to write at my old site. These posts, however, will focus on lessons learned through the telling of stories… which means they should help us sell and promote our fiction. Here's to a great 2014! You can view the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ISgiEzCWqc

Because this is our last show of 2013 (and we'll be skipping next week's show so that we can sleep and see our families after ending this year at an insane pace), we wanted to use it to wrap up some of the things we've learned. It's kind of a hodge-podge this week, because "what we learned" spans the gamut, but a few highlights were: 1. Producing a ton was the right choice for 2013 (for us), but now that we have a ton of stuff, we need to turn to promoting it next year. 2. We made some choices with funnel-starters (primarily with the free introductory story Vengeance that leads into the full novel Namaste) that weren't terribly wise in retrospect. You'll hear the story of how we changed Vengeance to what you see today (instead of seeing its old name and cover, for Namaste: Prelude) and why we did it. 3. Season 2 production on our works next year is, we hope, where the big rewards lie. 4. Our somewhat spontaneous decision to write our definitive self-publishing guide Write. Publish. Repeat. (which you should read if you haven't already; look at those reviews!) was the best "growth-hacker" move we made all year. And a bunch more. Happy holidays everyone, and we'll see you in 2014! You can get the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4cc2bMufxI

This week's guest was Amy Schmittauer, who had some awesome ideas and suggestions for writers looking to expand their reach with the use of YouTube. We talked about a variety of approaches, from using videos to bond with existing readers and deepen that connection with true fans to using YouTube for lead-gen. We also talked about when to create multiple YouTube channels, what to do about trolls (Amy seems to take them on directly and make friends, an approach whose simple efficacy punched us in the face), when to split videos up in order to get more search engine traffic, how to piggyback on popular topics, and more. Here's where you can check out more about Amy and what she does: • Her prime YouTube channel, Sexy Savvy Social • Her personal vlog entries, so you can get a feel for that approach • Her iPhone videos channel, which we also mentioned, for a third style • And of course, Amy's business Vlog Boss Studios We're looking to expand into YouTube more in 2014 with the awesome stuff Amy told us about! You can view the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWqPc0OwEVk

We started this week's show by talking about how awesome all of you are. Seriously. Our listeners (and readers) are the best. We recorded this episode the day after the launch of our new book, Write. Publish. Repeat: The No-Luck-Required Guide to Self-Publishing Success, and not only did the book do phenomenally well (went as high as #62 on the overall Kindle store list and stayed in the Top 100 for days), but the excitement and kudos from all of you were amazing, so thank you. This show was a mess otherwise, though -- partially because Sean and I were giddy and sleep-deprived. So we talked about a lot of stuff too scattered to detail here, much having to do with launching, what worked and what didn't, etc. We also talked about when you shouldn't follow our advice and the time the gas station Dave worked at caught on fire. Because that's relevant. You can view the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruB63MsxvZE

First things first: our comprehensive self-publishing guide Write. Publish. Repeat: The No-Luck-Required Guide to Self-Publishing Success is now available! (That's the Amazon link. It's also on the other stores, as well as in print.) This book is as good as we could make it, folks. As of right now, it's pretty much everything we know about how to build a business in the indie publishing world. For the first two days -- December 5th and 6th -- Write. Publish. Repeat. will be on sale for half price ($2.99 instead of $5.99). During that same time, it will also come with a bonus book: Sean's Writing Online, which is the freelancing companion to the new book. We'd like to ask you all a favor. If you enjoy this podcast and have gotten something out of it, PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD. Twitter, Facebook, your blogs, your email list, your crazy grandmother, whatever… please tell folks you know about Write. Publish. Repeat. Anyway, be sure to get your copy of Write. Publish. Repeat. now, before the price goes up and the bonus goes away. On today's show, we talked about positioning your book. We talk about our reasons for changing the name of Chupacabra Outlaw to it's new name of Cursed, then tell the story about how Write. Publish. Repeat. might have been named The Fiction Formula … and why. It's mainly for fiction writers (though we specifically added a lot for nonfiction writers too), and there was nothing about that in the title. So we had a dilemma. We'll also talk about why we DID decide to use the name The Fiction Formula later, as a way of having our cake and eating it too. You can view the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-R35Z7zJ2w

As of the day this episode goes live, we're officially just one week away from the launch of our comprehensive self-publishing bible Write. Publish. Repeat: The No-Luck Guide to Building a Self-Publishing Career. In this episode, appropriately, we talk about how we're launching this book and how that launch compares to the last proper "launch" Sean and Dave did -- the Yesterday's Gone Season One launch two years ago. We talk about how we don't normally "launch" our books, how we may in 2014, and how fiction launches differ from nonfiction launches. We also talk a lot about networking, and how you can do it very wrong and look like a shitbag, versus doing it right and just being a cool person. You can check out the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pitxN1DyG8

This week, we talked about an article we read about censorship by major booksellers and the corresponding self-censorship that some authors are doing to keep their books visible. We also talked about the "chilling effect" that occurs when authors start to watch what they say. We also had two requests this week, for those of you who are awesome enough to be our listeners and want to support us: 1. We need to get the first in our co-authored series The Future of Sex with Lexi Maxxwell price-matched as free, and we need your help to do it. Please go here to see it on Amazon, then scroll down to the "product details" (below the row of "customers also bought" images), and click the final text link in that section, just above the reviews… the one that says "tell us about a lower price." Then fill it out and give Amazon this link, which is the same product for free on B&N. 2. If you have a website, a podcast, or access to a group of writers on social media and would be willing to help us spread the word about our "how to build a career in self publishing" book Write. Publish. Repeat. when it launches on December 5-6, we'd love to send you a beta copy for review. If writing such a review (or generally getting the word out) would be appropriate with your audience, please just contact us and let us know! And THANKS! You can view the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kbKWIrz5dQ

Our main topic this week was growth hacking, but before we got down to it we hit a few updates: • We announced the winners of the Kobo Aura HD drawings: Adam Haviaras and Carolyn Jewel. Mark from Kobo will contact you directly, so look for an email. Congrats, Adam and Carolyn, and thanks, Kobo! • We answered three voicemails: about redrafting, our bios and catalogs, getting permission for repurposing stories, and dealing with bad reviews. • I (Johnny) was contacted by a big-name person about film and TV rights for Fat Vampire. I'm not allowed to get excited and we all kind of doubt anything will come from it, but it's awesome for ALL of us (including you out there listening) because it means Hollywood is paying attention to indies. The rest of the show was dedicated to the idea of "growth hacking," which is the kind of marketing that all of us should be employing to build our businesses. Growth hacking focuses on creating an ideal product-to-market "fit" (creating the best product for your people), marketing in small-budget ways that are innovative and outside the box to those ideal people, and always tweaking to get more out of less. This is a topic you should be paying attention to, so listen in! Here's the video version of the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlKh9N-oSuA

This week, we talked about theme. I'm totally phoning it in on these show notes because my head about exploded writing our forthcoming self-publishing bible, Write. Publish. Repeat, so basically all you're getting in this one is that we talked about theme. So, you know, listen and stuff. Here's the video version of the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9s2_RaZxQw

Our guest today was Leonard Kinsey, whose niche might just be the most awesome I've ever seen: edgy, gritty Disney-based books. For instance, his book The Dark Side of Disney is all about how to have a very "adult" time at Disney. Adult. Ahem. If you know what we mean. But the main reason he was in to talk to us was about hacking Lightning Source to do cooler print books than Createspace can do -- hardbacks with dust jackets, superior color, etc. This discussion was very involved, so just listen to the show for more. We also talked about a few other things: • I (Johnny) gave a report of the creative launch of Fat Vampire 6, via promoting the 4-book Fat Vampire Value Meal for 99 cents. Short version: it's going well, and I'll report more later. • Sean and I announced our "secret Beam project," a Malcolm Gladwell-type quasi-nonfiction book written by a fictional author named Sterling Gibson writing from the year 2097. The title is Plugged: How The Beam and Hyperconnectivity Changed the Way We Think and it'll blow your mind if you're a fan of The Beam. We actually consider Plugged to be The Beam's season 1.5. • Lastly, we gave an update on the so-called "SPP book," which now has a name thanks to listener Shannon Morgan: Write. Publish. Repeat. There will be a tagline to come, and we're planning to release it on December 5th. The short version is that this book is going to be the most comprehensive guide we can write about the business of becoming a successful self-publisher, from A to Z. Here's the video version of the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J05k7BvpcRY

We've gotten a few questions about "family stuff" lately, so we figured we'd address that one today -- how do you balance your family life with your writing? I (Johnny) began with a blatant plug. The final book in my Fat Vampire series -- Fat Vampire 6 -- comes out today, and as an experiment to follow in Ed Robertson's shoes, I've lowered the price of the Book 1-4 box set to 99 cents. So pick those up if you're into it. Sean's book Writer Dad also came out this week, so we talked a bit about that -- about how this book HAS A SHIT TON OF VALUE no matter how hard a time Sean has seeing that because it lets writers see the true ups and downs and generally putting your money where your mouth is that goes into this journey. So pick it up; it's discounted for the rest of this month. We then talked a lot about Kobo, some issues they've had this week with complaints and censorship, and how we're totally in their corner and think they're awesome. Kobo deserves a break. Give it to them. The rest of the show was dedicated to talking about family life. Sean made Dave and I feel inadequate and I talked about how I feel guilty no matter what I do. Dave grumbled. It was a good time. Here's the video version of the show: http://youtu.be/O0XpelzmO3A

This week, we talked a ton about our latest project, which you can think of as "The Self Publishing Podcast: The Book." That's not it's name, though, because that's a shitty name. Which is where you come in. SPP is awesome, but it's also unwieldy. If you want to know our bottom-line recommendations, you'd have to sift through (so far) over 80 hours of material. There's no easy way to find what you need on the podcast ("did they ever talk about X?"), and there's also the last issue… we talk a lot about tactics on the show because they're what's working for us (or what we're trying) right now. But as we all know, TACTICS CHANGE. What's always formed the foundation of SPP is this: Focus on strategy, not tactics. That means spending more time writing more books, thinking about marketing funnels and buyer psychology, and taking care of your readers and less time asking whether XYZ algorithm is working in your favor or whether such-and-such keywords are hot for nonfiction right here and now. We DO talk tactics on this show, but they are always in service of strategy. So if you listen to this show from end to end, it may sound like our advice is changing. And so people ask us: Well, what should I really do to sell my books? The forthcoming SPP book (again, still unnamed) will answer that question. In, like, a shit-ton of detail. After listening to this episode, take note, faithful listener: WE NEED YOUR INPUT! Please drop us a comment below and let us know two things: 1. What should we name this book? (We'll send you a print and digital copy of the finished book if we use your suggestion.) 2. Our current outline for this book is really, really comprehensive, but is there anything you'd like to be sure we cover? This book is for you, or awesome listeners… let us know what you'd like it to be! Here's the video version of the show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOhN_F-9yaM

Today, we had "Mark from Kobo" (because we can't pronounce his last name) back on the show, as our favorite bookseller representative. NOTE: Mark didn't come on to pimp Kobo's new reader (the Aura HD) and he didn't pay us to say nice things about it, but constant plugs for the device nonetheless became a running gag in this episode. As a result, Mark decided spontaneously to give one away to one of our listeners, so BE SURE TO TUNE IN TO THE NEXT EPISODE TO LEARN HOW TO ENTER TO WIN IT.) Anyway, we addressed a bunch of Kobo topics and a few non-Kobo topics: • What's the best way to get traction on Kobo? • Why is "first book free" an excellent strategy? • How should you price your books? • What advantages do series books over single books? • Where did Goodreads reviews (and other reviews) go on Kobo, and are they coming back? • What's the best way to use pre-orders on Kobo? … and a ton more. Here's the video version of the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5R1YpmrYPg

Today we talked with again with perennial SPP guest (our Justin Timberlake, though he's not yet done "dick in a box") Ed Robertson about book launch strategy. Ed got to something stupid like #15 overall paid in Amazon for his Breakers box set after a string of cool strategy and a bit of luck. This all began, by the way, when I asked Ed how I could promote MY new release, Fat Vampire 5: Fatpocalypse, which came out on 9/26. Because, you see, it's hard to promote later books in a series. Ed made the box set cheap so that he could promote IT… and hence get spill-over and buy-up to the fourth book in his series. As is always the case when we have Ed on, this one is jam packed and one hell of a information roller-coaster. We always get so much out of these. Here's the video version of the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHN-dxMqOFo