Advice From Authors Near and Far

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Scott Jacobi

We've attended quite a few publishing & voiceover events this summer, from BEA to That's Voiceover, and met many current and future ACX users along the way. Last month, we attended the annual conferences of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and the Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA), and we learned great tips from successful authors along the way.

ACX's own Jason Ojalvo took Atlanta by storm at the RWA's annual conference, taking part in the fruitful Amazon indie publishing panel, and we're not just saying that because he tried his first peach cobbler. Authors learned about the great benefits and services provided through Amazon, from Amazon Author Central to Kindle Direct Publishing and CreateSpace, as well as ACX. We also attended panels conducted by ACX authors such as Bella Andre and Barbara Freethy. Both offered tips for their fellow writers, including:

  • Write more than one book.

    There is strength in numbers

  • Spend more time writing than promoting.

    Promoting your work is definitely important. But as a writer, your main job is to write.

  • Network with authors and cross promote. 

    You can multiply each others' efforts, especially when you're in similar or complimentary genres.

  • Get to know your retailers.

    Different retailers offer varying services and have different timelines for getting your book in their store. Learn who offers what to best navigate the landscape.

  • Get all of your fans to sign up for your newsletter.

    This is mainly to drive sales on the release date, in order to get on the best seller list. Be aggressive about getting email addresses - they're even more important than fans on

    Facebook or Twitter.

Moving now to the Pacific Northwest, ACX Product Manager Mike Stover presented ACX to the gathered authors at PNWA, participated in the Independent Author booth for the full three days of the conference, and expertly avoided the siren song of Seattle's casinos. Here's some of what he learned from the fantastic authors he met:

  • Authors love hearing their work in audio. And, it inspires them to write future books with audio in mind.

  • Authors are advertising their audio edition alongside their print and eBooks.

    This is especially beneficial with ACX's bounty program.

  • Authors are putting their 5 minute sample on their blog or website.

    Oftentimes, fans only need to hear their favorite work in audio to be convinced to buy it.

We look forward to spreading the word about ACX at upcoming industry events like Novelists, Inc. 2013 in October and Self Publishing Book Expo this November. We hope to see you there!

Would you like to see ACX at your next publishing or recording industry event?