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All right.
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Hello and welcome to episode 114 of the BookCast.
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This is my platform for sharing short fiction and updates on life as a
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self-published author of romantic fiction that centers black love.
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I'm your host, D.L.
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White,
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an Atlanta-based author of numerous novels,
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so many I have lost count,
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but we're somewhere near 20,
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like 17,
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18.
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Somewhere around there, a lot of short stories and also fan fiction works.
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If you like this podcast and want to show your support,
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it's really very simple,
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and I welcome you to do so.
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The very best way to support your local independently published author is to buy
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their books direct.
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I offer ebook and audiobooks direct from me at a better than retail price.
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You can reach my bookstore and my merch shop at booksbydlwhite.com slash shop.
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I also offer print edition via my bookshop.org shop,
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and I do earn affiliate fees via that shop.
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So books ordered from bookshop support your local indie bookstore and me as an
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author and not a billionaire,
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and I super like that.
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But they are not signed.
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They are just books print on demand.
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You buy them,
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you get them just like you would from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or wherever else,
(00:01:30):
except you are supporting...
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an independent bookshop.
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Bookcast.buzzsprout.com has every link imaginable to follow this podcast via your
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favorite podcast app,
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including YouTube.
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You can always find the latest recording and show notes on my website at
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booksbydlwhite.com slash bookcast or my Substack at authordlwhite.substack.com.
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You can show your monetary support for this podcast,
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a gal has bills,
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you know,
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by joining my podcast supporters at bookcast.buzzsprout.com.
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And I believe there's something on there.
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As soon as it pops up, it'll ask you if you want to support the podcast.
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Or you can make a one-time or recurring gift at buymeacoffee.com slash books by D.L.
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White.
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I have a little bit of smattering of things to talk about today.
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So let's get it going.
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Today is Sunday, March 9th, 2025.
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It's raining today in Atlanta.
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And that means I'm making a hot cup of coffee or tea and I'm settling in with a good book.
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But like,
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let's be real,
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even if it was sunny,
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I would be settling in with a cool beverage and reading a book.
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But right now I have a mic and I am ready to dig in.
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First, let's take a little beverage break.
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Super.
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Fantastic.
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That was delightful.
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We begin,
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as always,
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with the book report,
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because if I'm going to do anything,
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I'm going to read a book.
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I am at book 44 of my challenge to read 100 books for 2024.
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I forgot to check how far ahead I am, but it's just assume it's a lot.
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It's a lot.
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I'm at 44 books on March 9th.
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So if you look real hard, you can...
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Thank you so much.
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Absolutely fantastic.
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I've been drooling over this book since last year,
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so the anticipation probably made it a whole lot better.
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And I got approved for the e-book galley, and I was very excited about that.
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And then I got approved for the audio galley, and I was very, very excited about that.
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It's very well performed.
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It's an excellent story.
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I really enjoy Vanessa Miller's work.
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Really good.
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I know we had a discussion recently on The American Queen.
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I liked The American Queen.
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It wasn't like, you know, oh, my God, so good.
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I like The American Queen.
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I love The Filling Station.
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It's a really good book.
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You should pick it up.
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It publishes soon this month.
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I don't know what actual date it publishes, but soon.
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I also read Believing in You by Sharon C. Cooper.
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This is book one in a new family series of the Priestley family.
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And Sharon C.
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Cooper writes a family romance series like you wouldn't believe the Jenkins family.
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I really enjoy that.
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And I think the Jenkins have a spinoff.
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And then she, of course, has the Atlanta's Finest, which is a romantic suspense series.
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I've read every I think I've read every book in Atlanta's Finest.
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She's fantastic.
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Believe Me and You is a really, really good book.
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And then I read, I finished First Born Girls by Bernice McFadden.
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I waited until release day to read this book because I just wanted to hear it.
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I wanted to hear it in my ears.
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It's good, but I got a little caveat.
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It's read by Robin Miles, who I adore.
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She's like my second favorite audiobook voice.
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This book ends not where you would expect it to end.
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It's a memoir.
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And so it just it ends in a way that makes me hope there's another volume coming
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because I wanted to know so much more about a particular part of her life.
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And it ends like right as she touches on that.
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And so I'm just I'm hoping there's another volume that goes from that point forward.
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But so lovely of Bernice McFadden to be getting into her memoir era.
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And then I read Beyond the Screen by Christina C. Jones actually got the
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audio books of this because I didn't see that they had popped up before.
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This is like a series within a series radio station.
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And so like every month is like a new episode.
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And I inadvertently started at episode number three.
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So I'm reading them all out of order, but whatever.
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They're good.
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I'm truly, truly enjoying it.
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Then those are those are romance.
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I have on my reading list entirely too many books, but y'all know how it is.
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Some things are going to fall off.
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Some things I'm going to decide I don't want to read.
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Some things I'm going to push off until I get audio.
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So on the list, I have Ambush by Colleen Coble.
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I think,
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I believe I have,
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I think this is already out and I have an audio book of it and I started it,
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but it was moving a little slow,
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so I haven't finished it.
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So this might actually fall off.
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I just, I had an arc.
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It looked good.
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It's one of those things I blame on Robin,
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who is Book Skies,
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not Book Skies,
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a Blue Skies librarian.
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I call her Blue Skies librarian.
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I used to call her Twitter's librarian,
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but then she left Twitter,
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and then I left Twitter,
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and we're both on Blue Sky now,
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but...
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I believe she had posted this up in her collection development posts.
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She's a librarian, so she posts the titles that she is adding to collection at her library.
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This looked good.
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She always, always, always wrecks my TBR, always, because the books look good.
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Of course,
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I'm reading They Were Her Property,
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White Women as Slave Owners in the American South by Stephanie E.
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Jones Rogers.
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I'm about 30% into this.
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This is a reread I am reading with the Stacks Podcast Book Club.
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I think this is going to be a fantastic conversation.
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The Discord is already alive with this one, so I'm looking forward to this reread.
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in a way where I could discuss this with other people.
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I read this, I believe, in 2023.
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I did a read-along with Gratia Rich Collins, who is history with her on Instagram.
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We did a read of this and had a really good discussion.
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So I'm interested in rehashing that.
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I'm probably still mad about this book.
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And then Beneath the Fame and Between the Lines, which are the first two books in the W.A.W.G.
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series.
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the series within a series by Christina C. Jones.
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So I'm going to get those.
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I'll probably knock those out today because they're short.
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They're like three hours and they're audio.
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So I can do stuff like fold the pile of laundry that I need to fold while I'm listening.
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Legacy of Lies by Lou Paper.
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I don't even know what this is about.
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It's just a book that looked good.
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I added it to my list.
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I don't know.
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The Unlucky Ones by Hannah Morrissey.
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No idea.
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It just looked good.
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I might or might not read them.
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You know, I am worried about it.
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Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben.
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I am not big into Harlan Coben.
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I'm trying to be big into Harlan Coben.
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So I grabbed an ARC, which will make me read it.
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We'll see how far I get.
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It might fall off.
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And then Breaking the Dark, a Jessica Jones Marvel crime novel by Delisa Jewell.
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I don't think I've ever read Elisa Jewell before, but we'll see how it goes.
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I recognize the name, so I snatch it up.
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And then I'm really looking forward to Bent But Not Broken by Mary Monroe.
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I will definitely read this book.
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I may wait for audio, though.
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This one comes out on my birthday, so I'm considering it a birthday present.
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And I'm
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So I may wait for audio on that.
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I might see if we get any audio arcs because they almost always will grant me an arc,
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an audio arc.
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So we'll see.
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I am still waiting on Sean A. Cosby.
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King of Flames?
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King of Ashes.
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That book is coming out later this year, and I have requested an advanced review copy.
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We'll see if I get it.
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I was turned down for Kennedy Ryan's next one,
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but it don't matter because I'm going to get it anyway,
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TV-wise.
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There's nothing really new popping up for me.
(00:09:59):
I'm caught up on almost everything, including Papa's House with Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans 2.
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I did end up adding Watson to my lineup after last week.
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I got off the mic, did my editing and uploading, and I loaded up a few episodes.
(00:10:13):
And in these perilous times, I deserve to look at Moore's Chestnut once a week.
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I think I deserve.
(00:10:21):
I would love to look at Sterling K.
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Brown every week,
(00:10:24):
but I literally cannot handle Paradise right now.
(00:10:27):
I have watched the first two episodes.
(00:10:29):
I said, first of all, I'm confused.
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Second of all, this is too much for me right now.
(00:10:34):
I am politically thrilled enough on a daily basis.
(00:10:37):
It's also why I have not watched the rest of Man and Secretary.
(00:10:41):
I'm waiting for The Diplomat season three this fall,
(00:10:44):
and I hope I can handle it when it comes out.
(00:10:47):
But I'm not doing anything political right now.
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I just can't.
(00:10:50):
There's also like a new series with Angela Bassett.
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It's politically, I want to watch it, but
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I don't know.
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It might not happen.
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It might not happen.
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First of all, the premise doesn't make sense.
(00:11:07):
Something happens and they call a president out of retirement to investigate.
(00:11:11):
And why would they call a president out of retirement?
(00:11:13):
Because like the president, it doesn't make sense.
(00:11:18):
The premise doesn't make sense.
(00:11:20):
Somebody help me.
(00:11:21):
Anyway, that's coming out on Netflix.
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It's Angela Bassett.
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So I might drag myself through it.
(00:11:25):
But also...
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It doesn't make sense.
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There was no new Irrational this week, but I am caught up on everything else.
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Equalizer, Watson, Elsbeth, Matlock, The Pit.
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I'm good.
(00:11:38):
I do need to finish Landman.
(00:11:40):
I have loved the season so far.
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It's so, so good.
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It's got like that grit I really like,
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but there's only one season and I'm not ready for it to be over.
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Billy Bob Thornton is a master.
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I love him in this role.
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I love him in this series.
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I also love the lawyer character.
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Forget her name.
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She's fantastic.
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I really like her.
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But there's only one season.
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I haven't heard anything about a season two, and I don't want it to end yet.
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So I'm kind of holding out.
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I think I have like three episodes before that season's over.
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I have not watched any more of Bailin Out Loud or Scamanda.
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I mean, I think I'll just pick those up
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Catch as catch can.
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I don't know where that phrase comes from.
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It just came out of my mouth.
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I'm looking through my podcast because I thought maybe I should add podcasts to this roundup.
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I haven't added anything particularly amazing to my regular lineup.
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I'm not averse to checking out a new episode of a good show,
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but it takes more than one epi for me to add it to my weekly listens.
(00:12:40):
Like I'm a regular Three Guys On person, Three Guys On podcast.
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um look them up on patreon most of their stuff is behind the paywall but they do
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have one free episode a week and the occasional um the occasional week well they'll
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they'll put the behind the paywall episode up for everybody but for the most part
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the good stuff is behind the paywall i am i am two episodes a week two to three
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episodes four episodes a week actually if they do a woke files um
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I'm a Three Guys On person.
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It's my personality at some point.
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And then I have like a long list of shows I watch every week,
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every Monday,
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Smart List,
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every Wednesday,
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The Stacks Pod.
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You know, Thanks for Asking with Nora McInerney.
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All that stuff pops up like regularly.
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Those are my regular shows.
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I am watching a lot of the Book Funnel podcast on YouTube.
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It's been really good.
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The episode with
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um with katie cross i have watched multiple times i'm taking notes i'm trying to
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figure out like what in her strategy i can rework to make mine work better so um i
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am in that i mentioned katie cross a lot but she's she's like like becca sime
(00:13:54):
territory it's a person i talk about a lot because what they have to say really
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helps me figure out what i'm doing
(00:14:02):
I do have a list of the podcasts I watch regularly on my link in my bio,
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booksbydlwhite.com slash link in bio.
(00:14:10):
It's pretty extensive,
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and check that regularly because I'm going to be updating it pretty soon with
(00:14:15):
anything new I find that I think other people really need to get into.
(00:14:20):
I really need to update that because I do have some podcasts on that list that I –
(00:14:25):
am listening to regularly now,
(00:14:27):
especially like some scam podcasts like Scam Factory and some that I need to remove
(00:14:33):
that I'm just not listening to anymore and some that I have just put on hiatus like
(00:14:37):
Hashtag Sisters in Law and Stacey Abrams podcast.
(00:14:41):
I love them both.
(00:14:42):
I just cannot.
(00:14:43):
I can't do it.
(00:14:44):
On the writing and publishing update front,
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So I'll update sales at the end of March like I did at the end of February.
(00:14:52):
I don't think I will go quite so nerdy for February, for March, but, you know, it's fun.
(00:14:57):
I do like to look at numbers.
(00:14:58):
I want the most information possible to compare one month to another.
(00:15:03):
But I did upload Grumpy Valentine to major retailers last week.
(00:15:07):
I did get a nice bump from that this week.
(00:15:10):
We'll see where we get to at the end of March,
(00:15:12):
but I don't think it'll top February,
(00:15:14):
which is saying a lot because in February,
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I did not have that book on the major retailers.
(00:15:21):
So if I only get like a little bit of a bump from adding it to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo,
(00:15:29):
I feel like my direct sales strategy worked really well then for that book because I made
(00:15:37):
multiple hundreds on that release without it being on a major platform.
(00:15:42):
I am taking a break from writing to let my brain rest a little bit.
(00:15:46):
But first, before that, I did write a very short, steamy St.
(00:15:49):
Patrick's Day story called Clover that you'll get if you are a member of my short
(00:15:54):
fiction Substack.
(00:15:55):
So feel free to join up today.
(00:15:57):
It's shortfictionbydlwhite.substack.com.
(00:16:01):
You'll also get access to my first serial novel on that platform.
(00:16:04):
It's called Same Time Next Week.
(00:16:06):
It's an interracial rock star romance.
(00:16:08):
It's really good if I say so myself.
(00:16:10):
It's complete and it is available to paid subscribers.
(00:16:16):
Go ahead and join right up.
(00:16:17):
It's five bucks a month.
(00:16:18):
You get so much good stuff over there.
(00:16:20):
If you don't want to join the Substack, it's no big deal.
(00:16:23):
Clover is available on my store for 99 cents on March 17th.
(00:16:28):
I will warn you, it is short.
(00:16:29):
It's 8,900 steamy words.
(00:16:31):
And of course,
(00:16:31):
make sure you're on the newsletter list so you get a heads up on anything new that
(00:16:35):
is coming.
(00:16:38):
Ruby's 10 update first pass edits are done.
(00:16:41):
That was an ordeal.
(00:16:43):
That was a lot.
(00:16:44):
I will tell you,
(00:16:45):
I reached out to my editor last summer to ask her about editing this book because
(00:16:50):
she's strictly romance,
(00:16:51):
really.
(00:16:51):
I mean, some lit fic, but really mostly romance and a lot of steamy romance.
(00:16:58):
And so I kind of
(00:17:02):
asked if she would edit this book.
(00:17:04):
It's a women's fiction novel,
(00:17:05):
but I hope that there was enough mess in the book that she was able to get through it.
(00:17:12):
There's not a whole lot of sex in it.
(00:17:14):
It's just like this mess and drama and interpersonal relationships and girlfriend stuff.
(00:17:20):
And, um,
(00:17:22):
At several points in the book, she said that I owe her a lot of steamy scenes from now on.
(00:17:28):
So I got to get to work on that.
(00:17:32):
So second pass edits should be on the way for that book.
(00:17:36):
And then the second hardcover test was a fail.
(00:17:39):
Everything was shifted too far to the right.
(00:17:41):
So I did make some corrections.
(00:17:43):
I corrected the font on the cover and on the spine and on the back.
(00:17:49):
And then I just shifted everything way too far to the right.
(00:17:52):
So shift it back over to the left.
(00:17:54):
But I'm going to wait to order another test until I have final edits and I can look
(00:17:57):
at the most updated version when I order another version.
(00:18:01):
So the next time after I get this test back,
(00:18:04):
the next time I order books will be when I order the set that I'm going to have
(00:18:09):
here at the house to sell and give away.
(00:18:12):
And then everybody else is just going to have to order them from Lulu.
(00:18:17):
So I wish I could just get the cover,
(00:18:19):
but they have to print the whole book and send it to me,
(00:18:22):
which I despise,
(00:18:24):
but whatever.
(00:18:25):
I did go ahead and send my mom the first hardback edition of Brunch at Rubies,
(00:18:31):
even though I needed to correct it a little bit.
(00:18:33):
I went ahead and sent it to her.
(00:18:35):
So she has the first official hardback edition to Brunch at Rubies that's ever been printed.
(00:18:42):
And I also sent her a copy of Grumpy Valentine.
(00:18:44):
And
(00:18:45):
paperback because she does insist on getting a hard copy of every book I put in print.
(00:18:50):
Yes.
(00:18:52):
I don't have any further update on Calculated Risk.
(00:18:54):
It's uploaded.
(00:18:55):
All I know is that it will be available in April via Prolific Works.
(00:18:59):
I hope to have more information on that before next week's show.
(00:19:04):
Cross your fingers and your toes,
(00:19:06):
all the things,
(00:19:07):
because I am also eager to know what's going on with this book.
(00:19:10):
Um,
(00:19:12):
I don't think that I literally don't think I could be a trad pub author because I
(00:19:17):
have so little information and it's driving me nuts to not be able to make these
(00:19:22):
decisions for myself.
(00:19:25):
But I'm hoping the exposure is going to be worth it.
(00:19:30):
So cross all the things.
(00:19:34):
So Word Makers is shut down, but 20K in five days lives on.
(00:19:40):
It's coming up March 19th through the 23rd.
(00:19:42):
And I didn't think I was going to participate because I don't have a new book to write,
(00:19:46):
but of course I have a new book to write.
(00:19:48):
I always have a new book to write.
(00:19:50):
So I am going to join in mostly because my boss will be out of town and we'll have
(00:19:55):
a lot of downtime.
(00:19:57):
And I plan to get a big chunk of Powder Lake 4 down on the page so I can edit the
(00:20:02):
crap out of it over the summer and
(00:20:04):
Get it to my editor for a possible Labor Day weekend release.
(00:20:08):
I might also dig into Missing Persons just for some variety since I want that to be
(00:20:13):
out in the summer,
(00:20:13):
like July or August,
(00:20:15):
which means I need to get it to my editor at the end of April,
(00:20:18):
like early June.
(00:20:20):
So for writing projects,
(00:20:21):
that's it for right now,
(00:20:23):
unless I just get a wild hair up my behind,
(00:20:25):
which is want to happen.
(00:20:28):
Sometimes like on Wednesdays, I'll do a prompt or something and post that.
(00:20:32):
And then I'm like, hey, this could be more.
(00:20:34):
Let's just go ahead and write it.
(00:20:36):
It happens.
(00:20:37):
Until I figure out what's going on with Ruby's 10, I'm on a break until 20K in five days.
(00:20:43):
So it'll be like a nice 10 days for my brain to just rest.
(00:20:47):
No creating, no editing, just like chill out until, until, until I get...
(00:20:53):
final edits back from Rubies.
(00:20:57):
So that's going to be going on.
(00:20:58):
And then I do have Drinks at Minx,
(00:21:01):
which is like the little Brunch at Rubies follow-up that you can't read unless you
(00:21:05):
have read Brunch at Rubies.
(00:21:07):
So I got to figure out what I'm doing with that.
(00:21:10):
But it's...
(00:21:12):
going to be ready to go as soon as Rubies is ready.
(00:21:15):
I'm also prepping for the Black Romance Book Fest at the end of May.
(00:21:21):
Pre-orders are open, and I'm on a panel.
(00:21:24):
So I've added a link to my pre-order form to the link in bio on my website,
(00:21:29):
and I'll put up a post on my blog,
(00:21:31):
on my site,
(00:21:31):
and my substack.
(00:21:32):
So there's a static place to check for my signing times and locations and the panel
(00:21:37):
time and locations.
(00:21:38):
I'm really excited
(00:21:39):
Really excited.
(00:21:40):
I actually just went through my pre-order list this morning,
(00:21:44):
updated my cover photos,
(00:21:46):
created some bundles.
(00:21:48):
I'm really excited.
(00:21:49):
So if you are coming,
(00:21:50):
it is a sold-out event,
(00:21:52):
but if you have a ticket and you are coming and you would like to pre-order books,
(00:21:57):
especially the bundles,
(00:21:58):
the Black Diamond Bay bundle,
(00:22:00):
the Potter Lake bundle,
(00:22:01):
or you can get both books in the Rubies series,
(00:22:05):
going to be the original cover's
(00:22:08):
I believe unless,
(00:22:09):
unless,
(00:22:09):
unless I am able to get print copies of Brush It Rubies in the new cover by the end
(00:22:16):
of May,
(00:22:16):
there's no reason I shouldn't be able to,
(00:22:18):
but I just...
(00:22:20):
I just want to launch this before I start announcing more stuff and adding more
(00:22:24):
stuff to my pre-order link.
(00:22:28):
Anyway,
(00:22:28):
if you want bundles,
(00:22:30):
if you want books and you want to pay for them now and just pick them up at the Fest,
(00:22:35):
look up my pre-order form and...
(00:22:39):
get it taken care of so that I can just have your books waiting for you and we can
(00:22:43):
reserve all that hemming and hawing time for like hugging and chatting.
(00:22:48):
If you are coming and you have a ticket, please come find me.
(00:22:51):
Please introduce yourself.
(00:22:52):
I will not recognize your face because all I know is that little like little circle
(00:22:57):
on Instagram or blue sky or wherever we know each other.
(00:23:00):
I will not recognize you.
(00:23:03):
Please just introduce yourself.
(00:23:04):
I will probably recognize your name.
(00:23:06):
If I don't, I will pretend that I know you.
(00:23:09):
And we'll hug and chat it out.
(00:23:11):
I think that's about it for like housekeeping, book stuff, events, all that good stuff.
(00:23:19):
I want to talk a little bit this week about the economic boycott specifically.
(00:23:25):
Amazon.
(00:23:26):
This is an issue almost outside of the economic boycotts of retailers,
(00:23:31):
but it affects the author's fear so much because so many of us depend on royalties
(00:23:36):
from KDP.
(00:23:37):
Even those of us that aren't exclusive to Amazon find they are the biggest piece of
(00:23:41):
the pie chart when we're looking at revenue.
(00:23:43):
And while authors like me,
(00:23:45):
like Katie Cross,
(00:23:46):
like Alex House are leading the way in direct sales,
(00:23:49):
it takes so much to pull readers away from that monster of a platform.
(00:23:54):
So let's dig into it.
(00:23:57):
Talking honestly about why Amazon exclusivity is so tempting,
(00:24:01):
it's the biggest bookstore in the nation.
(00:24:03):
Probably not the world.
(00:24:04):
I think Kobo is huge in Canada.
(00:24:07):
But the page reads from Kindle Unlimited can feel a little bit like free money when
(00:24:12):
you first start out.
(00:24:13):
Amazon's algorithms really boost your visibility when you're all in with them.
(00:24:17):
And countdown deals and free book promotions are only available to those exclusive authors.
(00:24:22):
But there's a whole other side to this.
(00:24:25):
And I'm talking to authors who have just made $7 for the entire month.
(00:24:29):
I saw it yesterday, like a dashboard.
(00:24:32):
They've made $7 for March.
(00:24:34):
It's March 9th.
(00:24:35):
Some of us are like,
(00:24:38):
Some of us are in like the triple digits by March 9th.
(00:24:41):
$7 is devastating.
(00:24:42):
That's not even enough for a meal.
(00:24:44):
When Amazon's your only income stream,
(00:24:46):
you live and die by their rules,
(00:24:47):
and one algorithm change can tank your income overnight.
(00:24:50):
When readers boycott Amazon, exclusive authors have nowhere else to send them.
(00:24:56):
I mean, we can do paperback, but...
(00:24:58):
ebook readers read ebooks.
(00:25:01):
So I'm hearing from a lot of authors who are caught in the crossfire of the Amazon boycott.
(00:25:08):
Some are seeing their sales drop by half practically overnight.
(00:25:13):
This is a thing that happens like something big whips up and then everybody just
(00:25:18):
jumps on a bandwagon before figuring out what's really going on.
(00:25:21):
The stress is real.
(00:25:23):
Like imagine not knowing if you can pay your bills next month because the company
(00:25:26):
you don't control is facing a boycott.
(00:25:28):
A lot of authors feel really trapped in a system that is not really working for them.
(00:25:33):
There's a real fear about leaving Amazon or even leaving Amazon exclusivity.
(00:25:38):
It's like stepping off a cliff.
(00:25:41):
What if my readers don't follow me to other platforms?
(00:25:44):
That's very real.
(00:25:46):
Building a presence on Kobo or Apple Books or Barnes & Noble or even BookFunnel
(00:25:50):
feels like starting over from scratch because it is.
(00:25:53):
Let me be real, because it is.
(00:25:55):
Managing multiple platforms sounds like a technical nightmare to a lot of authors,
(00:25:59):
but staying exclusive to Amazon is really becoming more risky every day,
(00:26:04):
I feel.
(00:26:06):
publishing on a
(00:26:26):
Kobo Plus is growing really fast, especially outside the U.S.
(00:26:30):
They are here in the U.S.
(00:26:31):
They're just not as big.
(00:26:33):
I find the author selection there to be lacking.
(00:26:36):
So if you are wide and you are not on Kobo Plus,
(00:26:39):
I implore you to get on it because we've got to get,
(00:26:42):
especially our Black authors,
(00:26:44):
up on Kobo Plus.
(00:26:45):
Kobo readers tend to buy different types of books, I think, than Amazon readers.
(00:26:49):
Their subscription model pays pretty fairly.
(00:26:52):
You're not fighting for scraps from a limited pot.
(00:26:55):
There are some genres that are going to be oversaturated on Amazon,
(00:26:59):
but they're wide open on Kobo Plus.
(00:27:01):
Kobo has a strong market in countries where Amazon isn't dominant.
(00:27:05):
The biggest, biggest, biggest thing about Kobo Plus is it doesn't require exclusivity.
(00:27:10):
And if you pay for Couple Plus, you can pay for e-book and audio.
(00:27:15):
So you could pay $11.99 a month and get unlimited e-books and unlimited audio.
(00:27:21):
When I sell direct, I keep 95% of my money instead of 70%.
(00:27:27):
or less because my 99 cent books, I only get 35% of that.
(00:27:32):
And I have to pay to deliver that book to you.
(00:27:34):
So I actually know who my readers are.
(00:27:36):
I can contact them directly.
(00:27:37):
I can create a special bundle, special coupon deals that Amazon would never allow.
(00:27:42):
No one can take my direct sales platform away from me.
(00:27:46):
It's mine.
(00:27:48):
So I want to talk about practical steps for authors who want to get off of this merry-go-round.
(00:27:53):
And I know a
(00:27:57):
I can't sell direct because I don't have room for inventory.
(00:28:01):
I don't have, I can't, I don't know how to, I can't, money and stuff.
(00:28:04):
And let me just tell you, it doesn't take a whole lot of money.
(00:28:09):
You do not have to sell paperback direct.
(00:28:11):
You can just sell e-books direct.
(00:28:13):
Like what I wouldn't give to just spend $199,
(00:28:17):
$299,
(00:28:19):
$499,
(00:28:19):
$699 on an e-book and know that author got paid for that right now,
(00:28:19):
today.
(00:28:24):
tomorrow instead of knowing I bought an e-book today and that author will not see
(00:28:29):
that money until the end of May.
(00:28:31):
That's ridiculous.
(00:28:32):
That's ridiculous to me.
(00:28:35):
So you don't have to go all in at once.
(00:28:38):
try taking one book wide when its KDP term ends.
(00:28:42):
Use that one book as your experiment and track how it does.
(00:28:45):
Join some Facebook groups for white authors.
(00:28:47):
The advice there is gold.
(00:28:49):
Set realistic goals for what success might look like in the first three to six months.
(00:28:53):
It does take time because Amazon algorithm is strong.
(00:28:58):
They've had years of building it up.
(00:29:00):
They've had years of watching you shop.
(00:29:01):
They know you.
(00:29:03):
Kobo don't know you.
(00:29:04):
Barnes & Noble don't know you.
(00:29:05):
Apple Books don't know you.
(00:29:06):
So they
(00:29:07):
They're not serving anything up to you.
(00:29:08):
There's no magic algorithm.
(00:29:10):
Every store needs slightly different keywords and categories.
(00:29:14):
Take time to optimize them.
(00:29:16):
Dig into that.
(00:29:17):
I know.
(00:29:17):
I know it's work.
(00:29:19):
I know it's work.
(00:29:20):
Because Amazon's doing all that work for you.
(00:29:22):
But take advantage of promotions specific to each store.
(00:29:26):
Kobo has opportunities.
(00:29:28):
Apple has opportunities.
(00:29:29):
Barnes & Noble has opportunities.
(00:29:31):
And if you don't want to do that individually, go
(00:29:33):
dig into an aggregator like direct draft to digital because I go direct to Amazon
(00:29:42):
and Google Play and BookFunnel.
(00:29:44):
Everything else is through draft to digital.
(00:29:46):
Every other retail is served through draft to digital.
(00:29:50):
And like
(00:29:51):
I would say every other week I get an opportunity to join a Draft2Digital promotion
(00:29:55):
for some kind of holiday or,
(00:29:58):
you know,
(00:29:58):
Apple Books is running this special.
(00:30:01):
Pick a book and throw it in there.
(00:30:03):
Kobo is running that special.
(00:30:04):
Pick a book and throw it in there.
(00:30:05):
Like they make it so easy for readers by creating these special deals.
(00:30:12):
Then it's easy.
(00:30:13):
You just throw the book in there and they do the work for you.
(00:30:15):
You can learn the quirks of every platform.
(00:30:17):
Apple Books loves pre-orders, for example.
(00:30:20):
Make it easy for your readers by creating direct links to each platform.
(00:30:23):
This is where having a link in bio or something on your website or like a books to read,
(00:30:29):
you know,
(00:30:31):
link shortener that just serves up your book everywhere they can buy it.
(00:30:35):
Let readers choose wherever they want to do.
(00:30:38):
I think the single click to purchase model of
(00:30:45):
You know, days before, before we had all these other platforms, I think that's long gone.
(00:30:50):
I think readers are used to now having to make several clicks to get to where they want.
(00:30:56):
And so that doesn't hurt as much anymore.
(00:30:57):
You don't need a fancy website to sell direct.
(00:31:01):
There are services like Payhip or BookFunnel.
(00:31:03):
They make this really simple.
(00:31:04):
All you need is a link.
(00:31:05):
All you need is a link because we're all on the Internet, right?
(00:31:08):
We are all chronically online.
(00:31:10):
That's all you need.
(00:31:11):
Your email list is gold for direct sales.
(00:31:13):
So focus on growing that.
(00:31:14):
That's something I'm really,
(00:31:16):
really working on because I've been I'm in this game for 10 years now and my email
(00:31:21):
list is not big.
(00:31:24):
really not like it's smaller than you think it is.
(00:31:27):
Offer something special to direct buyers like bonus content, early access, discounts.
(00:31:33):
Tell your story about why buying direct helps you.
(00:31:36):
Readers want to support the authors that they love.
(00:31:39):
That's why it's really important that if you have anything you can sell direct,
(00:31:44):
get it up,
(00:31:44):
get it going,
(00:31:45):
let your readers know because they want to support you.
(00:31:48):
And a lot of them aren't shopping Amazon right now.
(00:31:51):
Find a way to give them what they want without it being on Amazon.
(00:31:55):
I personally have joined several groups designed to connect readers with direct-selling authors.
(00:32:01):
I'm a member of Buy Direct from Authors.com,
(00:32:04):
Indie Audiobooks Direct,
(00:32:06):
Romance Bookworms,
(00:32:07):
also known as Zoeybub.
(00:32:09):
These are all pretty much run by Facebook groups.
(00:32:13):
I also use paid newsletters like Fussy Librarian, Written Word Media.
(00:32:17):
They do Free Booksy and Bargain Booksy and like Red Hot something or others.
(00:32:22):
A number of newsletters you can sign up just through Written Word Media to help readers,
(00:32:27):
to help read your readers outside of Amazon.
(00:32:31):
Yes, it does take work to get noticed this way.
(00:32:34):
I promise you the freedom from being under Amazon's thumb makes it worth the effort.
(00:32:40):
I work with a guy named Eppert.
(00:32:42):
It makes it worth the effort.
(00:32:43):
I hear from a lot of Amazon authors.
(00:32:49):
They're direct to Amazon.
(00:32:50):
They're exclusive with Amazon.
(00:32:51):
I guess for me...
(00:32:54):
I rail so hard against it because when I was exclusive,
(00:32:58):
it was like the first three weeks were like gangbusters.
(00:33:00):
And then it just fell off a cliff.
(00:33:02):
And then I couldn't pay people to read those pages.
(00:33:07):
And then I couldn't sell that book anywhere else.
(00:33:09):
And it had to stick there for three months because you couldn't at that time pull it out early.
(00:33:14):
And so every once in a while,
(00:33:16):
I toy with just writing something and slapping it in KU and leaving it there.
(00:33:22):
But
(00:33:24):
not while people are boycotting Amazon right now.
(00:33:28):
patience.
(00:33:29):
It really takes time and effort,
(00:33:31):
but not too much effort,
(00:33:32):
like a couple,
(00:33:33):
you know,
(00:33:33):
a couple of minutes a day.
(00:33:34):
Spend like 10 minutes a day building your presence on new platforms.
(00:33:38):
Set aside some money if you can to cushion the transition period.
(00:33:43):
Tell your existing readers why you're expanding and how they can follow you.
(00:33:47):
Use tools like Draft2Digital or PublishDrive to simplify managing multiple platforms.
(00:33:55):
As well, I'm a big proponent of Scribe
(00:33:58):
scribe count that will measure your sales, that will also measure your ad spend.
(00:34:04):
If you are spending money on ads,
(00:34:06):
it will pretty much track every dollar you're spending or bringing in to let you
(00:34:11):
know how much your book business is or isn't making.
(00:34:15):
I want to talk directly to readers for just a quick second.
(00:34:20):
That Kindle device makes it so easy to just stick with Amazon, right?
(00:34:24):
I'm a Kindle reader.
(00:34:26):
I'm not boycotting Amazon.
(00:34:30):
I have reasons, but I'm not.
(00:34:33):
I'm a Kindle reader.
(00:34:34):
I will publish direct first,
(00:34:36):
but when I buy a book,
(00:34:37):
I buy it on Amazon because that's where I read.
(00:34:40):
Amazon has designed their system to keep you in their world.
(00:34:44):
But you could be missing out on a lot of great books.
(00:34:48):
The way you buy books directly impacts which authors can make a living on their writing.
(00:34:53):
Your reading habits have real power to change the publishing landscape.
(00:34:58):
You'll find authors and books that aren't available in Knoll Unlimited on other platforms.
(00:35:03):
Your library, Hoopla, Kobo, Apple...
(00:35:07):
Barnes & Noble, Nook, Book Funnel, if you are buying direct.
(00:35:12):
There's so many apps and such out there, especially at your author websites.
(00:35:19):
You'll find a lot of really good deals.
(00:35:22):
You don't need a new device.
(00:35:24):
You can get free apps from Kobo, Apple,
(00:35:27):
Others, they work fine on your phone.
(00:35:29):
They work fine on your tablet.
(00:35:30):
A lot of readers tell me they prefer the Kobo or the Apple Books reading experience
(00:35:35):
once they try it.
(00:35:36):
I'm not one of those readers.
(00:35:37):
I'm very much a Kindle reader.
(00:35:39):
Even if I buy it from BookFunnel, I'm going to send it over to my Kindle app so I can read it.
(00:35:44):
I'll read it on my phone.
(00:35:45):
I'll read it on my Kindle Fire.
(00:35:46):
I might read it on my iPad.
(00:35:50):
That's me.
(00:35:51):
That's my personal thing.
(00:35:52):
But I also like to diversify where I'm getting that from.
(00:35:56):
I love I'll get an audiobook from Spotify because I am a premium subscriber.
(00:36:03):
So I get 15 free audiobook hours.
(00:36:05):
I save a lot of audiobooks there when I have some free time and I don't have
(00:36:10):
anything else pending.
(00:36:11):
I'll roll through there and see what I got going.
(00:36:12):
Listen to an audiobook on Spotify.
(00:36:14):
Everand is like $11 a month, I believe now.
(00:36:18):
E-books and audio you can get on Everand.
(00:36:20):
Hoopla, you get through your local library.
(00:36:22):
Libby, you get through your local library.
(00:36:25):
So many other ways to get books.
(00:36:29):
And I pay for Kindle Unlimited.
(00:36:32):
And I pay for Audible.
(00:36:33):
But I also pay for Libby.
(00:36:36):
I mean, not Libby, but Libro.fm.
(00:36:38):
Like my main audiobook platform is Libro.
(00:36:41):
And I...
(00:36:42):
pay for kindle unlimited for those books that are going to be exclusive i pay for
(00:36:46):
audible premium because there's audiobooks that are going to be exclusive i also
(00:36:51):
shop at chirp for like discount audiobooks so like you can diversify your shopping
(00:36:58):
and i look everywhere until i know i can't find that book anywhere else and then i
(00:37:06):
will get it from amazon
(00:37:08):
So try just downloading one alternative reading app this week.
(00:37:13):
Just try something different.
(00:37:15):
Check if your favorite authors sell direct.
(00:37:17):
You might get perks and they get better pay.
(00:37:19):
Ask your library to stock books from various platforms and in multiple formats.
(00:37:23):
And when you find great books outside of Amazon, tell your friends about them.
(00:37:28):
It helps authors.
(00:37:30):
Even your Amazon-exclusive authors, it helps us all.
(00:37:36):
Building a career that lasts means not being at the mercy of one single company.
(00:37:41):
It's very important to me that the majority of my revenue does not come from Amazon.
(00:37:45):
I've been trying for years,
(00:37:47):
probably since about 2019,
(00:37:49):
to get out from under Amazon's fist,
(00:37:52):
and I'm finally at a point where I'm making more direct decisions
(00:37:55):
than I am from Amazon.
(00:37:56):
It's not much, it's not much, but I'm making more direct than I am from Amazon.
(00:38:00):
I also have way more control and I'm addicted to that.
(00:38:04):
Even if I made less,
(00:38:05):
I like having the control and I have the ability to ramp up where I feel like I
(00:38:09):
don't with Amazon.
(00:38:11):
The authors who will thrive going forward are the ones who control their own destiny.
(00:38:14):
Multiple income streams create stability that exclusive publishing cannot match.
(00:38:20):
There's no one-size-fits-all approach.
(00:38:23):
You need to find what works for you, for your books, for your readers.
(00:38:26):
But take some time this week to really look at your publishing strategy,
(00:38:31):
because even the smallest steps toward diversification will help protect your
(00:38:36):
author business.
(00:38:37):
You can connect with other authors who are publishing wide.
(00:38:40):
Their experience is invaluable, and
(00:38:43):
The doors to my email inbox and my direct messages are always open.
(00:38:48):
Make your decisions based on facts and data, not fear of the unknown.
(00:38:51):
For example, it doesn't take a big fancy website to sell direct.
(00:38:55):
You can go to payhip.com.
(00:38:57):
It's free.
(00:38:57):
You can build out a whole entire website on payhip.com built around selling books for free.
(00:39:05):
They take 5% of whatever you make.
(00:39:09):
That's so much better,
(00:39:11):
so much better than paying Amazon 70 to 30 percent of what you're making.
(00:39:17):
Isn't that so much better?
(00:39:19):
Anyhow, thanks for listening.
(00:39:20):
I hope it gives you some food for thought about your publishing journey.
(00:39:24):
Your writing career is yours to control.
(00:39:28):
Don't let Amazon control.
(00:39:30):
Like, don't let them run you.
(00:39:31):
You know what I'm saying?
(00:39:33):
Don't let them run you.
(00:39:33):
That brings us to the end of today's show.
(00:39:36):
So I will bid you adieu because I have books to read and other stuff going on.
(00:39:43):
So I will thank you for joining me for today's chat.
(00:39:47):
I really enjoy having you all here.
(00:39:48):
Even if you weren't here.
(00:39:50):
feel like I would just talk to myself but I like knowing I'm talking to people I
(00:39:54):
welcome any of your comments or feedback at booksbydlwhite.com booksbydlwhite.com
(00:40:01):
slash bookcast slash 114 you'll find full show notes
(00:40:06):
and links to anything I talked about if relevant and a transcript for today's show.
(00:40:10):
Please share this podcast if you enjoyed the episode.
(00:40:13):
If you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please give a girl a rating.
(00:40:17):
I would so appreciate it.
(00:40:18):
Don't forget you can support this podcast with your book purchases at payhip.com
(00:40:23):
slash books by DL White by spreading the good word by joining the newsletter or the
(00:40:27):
sub stack.
(00:40:28):
Links to all that are on my website at booksbydlwhite.com slash link in bio.
(00:40:33):
You can also throw some coins in the hat
(00:40:41):
Thank you so much to my monthly supporters and my occasional gifters.
(00:40:47):
You are currently covering my Buzzsprout subscription.
(00:40:50):
I really appreciate that.
(00:40:52):
Every little bit really does help.
(00:40:54):
The book cast is written, produced, and edited by me, D.L.
(00:40:57):
White.
(00:40:57):
Our theme music and any sound effects are provided by Pixabay.
(00:41:01):
I will be back next week.
(00:41:02):
Until then, please enjoy this weekend.
(00:41:04):
Have a superlative week, and we'll chat again soon.
(00:41:07):
Bye-bye.
(00:41:36):
Hello.