One of the best things about self-publishing is that anyone can publish a book. One of the worst things about self-publishing is that anyone can publish a book. The marketplace is getting more and more crowded with new authors appearing on Amazon and other online book outlets every day. How do you stand out from the crowd? There are a handful of effective ways but Adam Kolczynski has taken a different approach with the creation of his free platform iAuthor. On today’s episode, you will hear how authors and readers alike are using iAuthor to discover and promote books with very impressive results.
iAuthor is not your typical book listing service.
There are many places online where you can make your books available, but when there are already numerous books and authors vying for visibility it’s hard for a new offering to become known. Adam and the team at iAuthor are making that problem much easier to deal with through their unique way of making books available to their user base. You can promote your book through typical genre listings but also through themes – a unique way of telling a bit more about your book and who may find it enjoyable.
A new twist on the Amazon-type book discovery models that seems to be working.
When you list your book on iAuthor you’re able to categorize it like normal but also make it a part of broader thematic searches within the system. The site can work very much like a social media network where users are able to follow authors and other readers, interact about books on the platform, make comments and have discussions, and much more. Adam explains why he created the platform and how it can help you get your books discovered by people who are eagerly searching for new books.
The iAuthor platform treats self-published and traditionally published authors the same.
James and Mark have long talked about a move they foresee where traditional publishers will be forced to work alongside indie published authors without forcing them to give up their publishing rights. It’s a move that will gradually blur the line between traditional and self-publishing. iAuthor already works along those lines, not even asking or considering whether the book you submit is traditionally or self-published.
The Self Publishing 101 course is coming!
Mark, James, John, and the entire Self Publishing Formula team have been hard at work on the videos and modules that will make up the 101 course – and though they are eager for you to see it they also want to make sure that it’s got every single step and resource you need in order to self-publish your own book. On this episode, James and Mark discuss the challenges of putting the course together and provide some insight as to what it’s likely to contain when it launches at the end of this month.
Outline of This Episode
- [1:57] Our introduction to the topic of visibility and today’s guest.
- [2:50] Mark’s latest feedback from his editor.
- [5:30] How feedback from an editor is typically handled.
- [7:30] James’ editing process as it stands presently.
- [11:43] The latest progress concerning the upcoming course.
- [13:29] The need for visibility done right.
- [15:00] Adam’s experience as an author and author service company owner.
- [16:30] The problems that contribute the the visibility problems authors face.
- [18:10] The ways Adam and his team are attacking the visibility problem.
- [21:30] How authors can use the platform to promote their books.
- [31:58] Utilizing the paid features of the platform to get even more reach.
- [35:20] How the platform is laid out for beauty and exposure for authors.
- [43:02] Blurring the lines between traditional publishing and self publishing.
- [46:10] What you need to be able to do to make use of iAuthor.
Resources & Links Mentioned In This Episode
- http://www.iauthor.uk.com/
- The IAuthor blog: https://medium.com/@iAuthor
- BOOK: The Lean Startup
- Kobo
- ConvertKit
- LeadPages