The Self Publishing Show

Latest Episodes:

SPS-466: Has Digital Narration Come of Age? Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Cissy Mecca catch up from opposite sides of Europe, with Cissy joining from Sicily as she prepares for the September 29th launch of her new book.

James shares news from Learn Self-Publishing, including plans for a brand-new course, Self-Publishing Pathway, which will replace Launchpad and be built from the ground up for today's publishing landscape. He also reveals details of the Orlando writing retreat taking place in March and teases a major industry announcement coming on October 8th.

The main discussion turns to AI audio, as James shares his latest experience using ElevenLabs to create an audiobook version of his novella Desert Venom. They look at how much AI narration has improved, where AI-narrated audiobooks can currently be distributed, and the cost and practical considerations for indie authors.

Cissy also gives an update on her upcoming book launch, including ARC readers, Meta preorder ads, Amazon Ads and her new Vanguard reader group. She shares how she's using Claude and ChatGPT to analyse years of sales, newsletter and BookBub data to help shape a more data-driven launch strategy.

Key Talking Points

The new Self-Publishing Pathway course and the future of Launchpad
The Orlando writing retreat in March
A major Learn Self-Publishing announcement coming October 8th
James's experience creating an AI-narrated audiobook with ElevenLabs
Where authors can distribute AI-narrated audiobooks
Human narration versus AI narration and the cost of producing audio
Cissy's September 29th book launch and ARC reader strategy
Meta preorder ads, Amazon Ads and the new Vanguard reader group
Using Claude and ChatGPT to analyse historical sales and marketing data

Links & Resources Mentioned

ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com Discount code: IWC15

SPS Patreon / Support: https://learnselfpublishing.com/support

Orlando Writing Retreat Waitlist: https://indiewritersclub.com/orlando

ElevenLabs: https://elevenlabs.io

SPS-465: Does BookBub Still Work? Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch is joined by author Skye McKinnon to dig into the numbers behind BookBub Featured Deals and ask whether they still offer authors the same value they once did.

Skye shares data from 28 BookBub deals, showing how the additional sales generated by her 99-cent promotions have fallen significantly over the years. They discuss whether the cost still stacks up, the results from free promotions, and whether combining several smaller newsletter promotions could offer better value.

The conversation also turns to Skye's recent success with Instagram and Facebook Reels. After experimenting with short-form content using Author Scale, she saw older books that had barely been selling suddenly take off, with some reels reaching hundreds of thousands of views.

James also shares a few thoughts on using AI, including where tools such as Claude can be useful for analysing author business data – and where authors should be more cautious about relying on their answers.

Key Talking Points

Skye McKinnon's findings from 28 BookBub Featured Deals
Whether BookBub promotions still offer good value for authors
Free versus 99-cent promotions and the importance of sell-through
Stacking smaller newsletter promotions as an alternative to BookBub
Skye's success using Instagram and Facebook Reels to revive older books
Using Author Scale to create short-form book content
Repurposing successful organic content for paid advertising
Using AI to analyse author business and advertising data

Links & Resources Mentioned

ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com Discount code: IWC15

SPS Patreon / Support: https://learnselfpublishing.com/support

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com

SPS LIVE 2027 tickets are now available: https://www.learnselfpublishing.com/spslive

SPS-464: Romance Tropes That Work For Everyone Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Cissy Mecca are together in Pennsylvania after celebrating the wedding of their friends Lucy Score and Tim. James even had the honour of officiating the ceremony.

There's also exciting news for Lucy Score fans: Things We Never Got Over is heading to the screen, with filming for the Amazon Prime series, titled Runaway, about to begin in Vancouver.

Inspired by Lucy and Tim's own friends-to-lovers story, James and Cissy dive into romance tropes and why they work. Cissy runs through some of the most popular tropes with readers right now, from enemies to lovers and forced proximity to fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, second chance and fated mates. They look at how tropes create conflict and reader expectations, how authors can combine several tropes in one book, and why the same relationship dynamics can be useful well beyond romance.

Key Talking Points

Why building an audience and strong author business matters before a breakout moment arrives
Why tropes have become such a powerful part of romance marketing
How BookTok has helped make readers increasingly trope-aware
Enemies to lovers and why it remains such a popular trope
Forced proximity and the "one bed" microtrope
Combining multiple tropes to build conflict and tension
Fake dating and arranged relationship scenarios
Grumpy/sunshine and opposites attract
Friends to lovers and second-chance romance
Protective and morally grey heroes
Fated mates
Using romance-style relationship dynamics in thrillers, crime, fantasy and science fiction
Why successful tropes still need believable characters, conflict and emotional development
A preview of next week's discussion on book promotions and BookBub Featured Deal performance

Links & Resources Mentioned

ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com Discount code: IWC15

SPS Live 2027 TICKETS are now available here is the link for more information: https://www.learnselfpublishing.com/spslive

SPS-463: Big News From KDP Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Cissy Mecca have a packed episode of indie publishing news, starting with a significant change to Amazon's preorder rules. Authors can now set up preorders up to 18 months in advance and postpone them twice without penalty – enough to tempt even preorder-phobic James into considering one for his next book.

They also discuss a legal case involving Amazon Ads, Cissy's plans to test a Goodreads giveaway for her upcoming release, and the opportunities for indie authors in the Italian market following James's conversation with the team behind Indieverse in Milan.

Later, Cissy shares an experiment using ChatGPT and Claude to create an interactive, visual experience around the world of her historical romance series. This leads into a wider conversation about AI, reader-facing marketing and the pressure some romance authors feel around using AI in their businesses.

Key Talking Points

Amazon's new 18-month preorder window
Authors can now postpone a preorder twice without penalty
James considers setting up a preorder for his next book
The North Carolina Attorney General's case involving Amazon Ads
Cissy's Goodreads giveaway experiment for her September launch
Goodreads Giveaway Month and whether giveaways are worth testing
Tracking launch data with Claude
The Indieverse conference in Milan and the Italian indie publishing market
Opportunities for English-language indie authors publishing in Italian
An upcoming SPS conversation about the Italian market
Cissy's AI-created interactive world-building experience for readers
Using ChatGPT to create historical inspiration images
Using Claude to build interactive marketing experiences
AI as a tool for launch preparation, data and book marketing
The debate around reader-facing AI use in romance
Authors deciding their own boundaries and approach to AI

Links & Resources Mentioned

ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com

Indie Writers Club / SPS Support: https://learnselfpublishing.com/support

Down Under Mystery Club: https://ajblythe.com/podcast

Cissy's: Walk the Border Password: vivian

SPS-462: The Meta Ads Panic! Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Big news this week, the first two speakers for SPS Live London 2027 have been announced! Melanie Harlow and Theodora Taylor will be joining us in London.

James and Cissy share the news and talk about when tickets will be going on sale, with Patreon supporters getting first access.

James is also back from his travels in New Zealand and Australia, and there's plenty to catch up on. They talk about the latest changes to Meta advertising and what losing some of the usual targeting and placement options could mean for authors running Facebook ads.

They also return to the conversation around RARE London and its AI policy, look at the growing importance of newsletters for book discovery, and Cissy shares what she discovered after digging into the preorder numbers from her own books.

Key Talking Points

SPS Live London 2027 – Melanie Harlow and Theodora Taylor announced as the first speakers
When SPS Live 2027 tickets will be available
James's New Zealand writing retreat and trip to Australia
RARE London and its AI policy
Changes coming to Meta/Facebook advertising
Losing some targeting and placement controls
What the Meta changes could mean for author advertising
The importance of strong ad creative, blurbs and book pages
Newsletters and how readers are finding books
What Cissy learned from looking back at her preorder numbers
Whether longer preorders actually result in more sales

Links & Resources Mentioned

ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com
SPS Patreon / Support: https://learnselfpublishing.com/support
SPS Live London 2027 ticket information will be live in September: https://www.learnselfpublishing.com

SPS-461: The Book Launch Process Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch checks in from his final day in New Zealand while Cissy Mecca takes us behind the scenes of her upcoming historical romance launch. They discuss realistic launch goals, building an ARC and influencer team, setting a marketing budget, and choosing advertising strategies that have actually worked for you rather than simply throwing money at launch day.

James also shares insights from Written Word Media on how authors at different stages of their careers are approaching AI, plus plans to test different Facebook ad setups and share the results with the SPS community.

Key Talking Points

Cissy's strategy for launching her upcoming historical romance
Setting realistic goals and expectations for a book launch
Building ARC, street team and influencer support
Finding and approaching relevant book influencers
Deciding when to send physical books to creators
Creating a launch budget that feels sustainable
Facebook versus Amazon advertising
Why proven strategies matter more than simply spending more
James's upcoming Facebook ads testing and challenge/webinar
Written Word Media's findings on author attitudes towards AI
James's plans for another writers' retreat in Florida in 2027

Links & Resources Mentioned

ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com
SPS Patreon / Support: https://learnselfpublishing.com/support

SPS-460: Crossing the AI Boundary Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch checks in from New Zealand with Cissy Mecca to tackle the increasingly complicated relationship between authors and AI. They discuss AI watermarking and detection, the problems authors could face when AI is used for editing or research, and the strict anti-AI rules appearing at romance reader events.

James also reports back from his New Zealand writing retreat, while Cissy shares how she is using AI to build and manage her new reader ambassador hub.

Key Talking Points

AI watermarking and what it could mean for authors
The problems with AI detection and false positives
Using AI for proofreading, research and author business tasks
RARE's strict rules surrounding AI use
The growing risk of authors being wrongly accused of using AI
Research into whether readers can distinguish AI from human-written fiction
James's New Zealand writing retreat and Facebook ads session
Using book reviews and AI to identify marketing hooks
Cissy's new Border Ambassadors reader hub
Using AI to manage ARC readers, assets and launch teams

Links & Resources Mentioned

ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com
Indie Writers Club / Patreon: https://learnselfpublishing.com/support

SPS-459: Your Book As An AI Movie (Part 2) Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Cissy Mecca conclude their two-part conversation with Michael Evans, founder of Creatorwood. They delve deeper into how AI is transforming books into cinematic experiences, discussing the practical realities of creating feature-length films, the current limitations of AI video, and how authors can use visual storytelling to reach new audiences. Michael also shares his vision for the future of AI-powered entertainment and how authors can position their intellectual property for the next wave of publishing innovation.

At the start of the episode, James also announces that SPS Live 2027 tickets will be launching soon and reminds listeners about the exclusive Creatorwood giveaway, with 1,000 free viewings of the AI feature film adaptation of David Viergutz's Scare Mail.

Key Talking Points

Part 2 of the interview with Michael Evans, founder of Creatorwood
Turning books into feature-length AI-generated films
The opportunities and limitations of AI filmmaking today
Choosing which stories are best suited to visual adaptation
Building new revenue streams from your intellectual property
The future of AI-powered entertainment for authors
Why story remains more important than technology
Creatorwood's vision for connecting authors directly with audiences
Announcement of SPS Live 2027 dates and ticket launch
Creatorwood giveaway: 1,000 free viewings of Scare Mail

Links & Resources Mentioned

ProWritingAid – https://prowritingaid.com
Creatorwood: https://www.creatorwood.tv/homepage
Free Scare Mail viewing giveaway: https://www.learnselfpublishing.com/creatorwood

SPS-458: Your Book As An AI Movie (Part 1) Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Cissy Mecca are joined by Michael Evans, founder of Creatorwood, for Part 1 of a two-part discussion about using AI to turn books into trailers, short films and feature-length adaptations.

They also discuss developmental editing, author voice and improving your craft.

Part 2 arrives next Friday, when the giveaway link will be shared. Creatorwood is offering 1,000 free viewings of its adaptation of David Viergutz's Scare Mail, with Patreon subscribers receiving early access.

Key Talking Points:

How Creatorwood turns books into films
AI video opportunities for authors
Book trailers and short-form marketing
Developmental editing and author voice
Part 2 and the Scare Mail giveaway

Links & Resources Mentioned:

ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com

Creatorwood: https://www.creatorwood.tv/homepage

SPS-457: Craft is King (Again) Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Cissy Mecca argue that as AI makes it easier than ever to produce competent books, craft is becoming an author's greatest competitive advantage. They explore why developing a distinctive voice, creating emotionally resonant stories, and continually refining your writing matter more than ever. Alongside the discussion on craft, they also cover the latest AI developments, compare tools like Claude, ChatGPT and Fable, and share practical advice on using technology without losing the human qualities that make readers fall in love with books.

Key Talking Points

Why craft is making a comeback in the age of AI
How a distinctive author voice sets your books apart from AI-generated content
What "voice" really means—and practical ways to develop your own
Why emotionally resonant writing creates the word-of-mouth every author wants
The difference between writing quickly, writing slowly, and writing well
How editors and writing coaches should strengthen your unique style, not standardise it
Understanding that improving craft looks different for every writer
The influence of TikTok and shareable reading moments on modern storytelling
The latest updates from Fable, Claude and other AI tools
Choosing the right AI subscription and building an effective workflow

Links & Resources Mentioned

ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com
Claude AI: https://claude.ai
ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com
Google Gemini: https://gemini.google.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com
Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com

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