Indie Writers Club
Cara Clare and James Blatch host a weekly light-hearted chat about all things self publishing.
Join the Word Count Club to be a part of the accountability partnership. We'll support each other in getting the words done :)
Send in your questions, comments and talking points to our discord channel.
Episodes
42 episodes
It's time to work less to achieve more...
It might sound counter intuitive, but in this episode we'll use Cal Newport's guide to productivity to show that working less and working better is the future.It will take a mindset change to shake off the notion that we 'need to be busy...
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Season 2
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Episode 41
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51:19
The Amazon Algorithm Change You NEED to Know About
Episode 040 of The Indie Writers Club!In this episode James & Cara discuss the significant implications for indie authors of Amazons algorithm upgrade from A9 and A10.Support the podcast by becoming a Patreon supporter and j...
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Season 2
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Episode 40
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44:02
039 - How Many Authors Now Use AI?
In this week's episode James & Cara review BookBub's author survey on attitudes to AI. You can read the survey using the link below.We also discuss our current work-in-progress and reflect on last week's Patreon Live Q&A!
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Season 2
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Episode 39
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48:15
038 - GLADIATOR II: What a Mess!
In this episode we review and dissect Ridley's Scott's sequel to the incredible film Gladiator. Spoiler alert, we did not use the expression 'incredible' to describe it...LINKS:Support us via our Patreon and take part in a live ...
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Season 2
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Episode 38
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53:37
037 - How to Get Your Book Made into a Hollywood Film!
In this special episode, James is joined by Hollywood scriptwriter Tom Donnelly. They discuss the chances of getting your book optioned and how to create a story that will grip your reader.
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Season 2
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Episode 37
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56:29
036 - Indie News Round Up
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, James reports back from the Global Publishing Summit in Seville, they discuss the launch of a men only publishing house and they discuss James' venture into AI translations.Links:Join o...
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Season 2
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Episode 36
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42:18
035 - Character First Writing
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, James & Cara revisit the topic of Character. Story versus character is a debate we had in an earlier episode and we decided that the perfect outcome is when your characters lead the story and when ...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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38:10
034 - Selling Your Backlist
James reports from an author mastermind event in Aruba (not in Mexico, it turns out). They discuss various tips and ideas especially around selling your existing titles.Also - try out the Google Animation tool on your covers:
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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33:05
033 - Self Publishing News & Trends
In this episode James & Cara discuss the week's developments in the indie world and James starts an experiment to see if AI translation service Scribeshadow can do a good enough job on his novels to launch them in France with no human inter...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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51:10
032 - Writing in a Series for Optimal Sales
In this episode James & Cara discuss the latest developments in the world of publishing and they discuss how to write in a series or serial to maximise book sales.Support the Show and get exclusive benefits by joining our Patreon:
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44:06
031 - Patreon Launch
It's your chance to become a part of the IWC and help us stay on air. Head to indiewritersclub.com/support to sign up.
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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46:31
030 - Did Meta Steal Your Book?
We discuss the use by Meta of pirated versions of books to build their AI. And we talk about our own action points from the fabulous Ireland's Publishing Show.Useful links:Check if your book has been pirated on LibGen:
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56:26
029 - Does AI Hate Your Novel?
In this episode Cara and James road test a new AI manuscript analysis tool from seasoned experts, ProWritingAid. The results were...unexpected.Try out the tool yourself: indiewritersclub.com...
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Season 2
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Episode 92
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35:50
028 - Self Publishing's Public Image
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, James & Cara discuss Bill Bryson's reported attack on self publishing and the wider perception of our industry.Links:One place left in the IWC Cambridge Writers Retreat:
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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52:26
027 - Book Launch Strategies
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, Cara and James discuss the tips and tricks for gaining maximum visibility for your book launch.Resources: Self Publishing Launchpad online course:
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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45:24
026 - Do Facebook Ads Still Work?
Indie authors have used Facebook (Meta) ads since day one, but we need to be honest with ourselves - are they still performing?Cara and James discuss the changes that have happened, particularly since the privacy scandals.
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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33:28
025 - Translate Your Novel into German
Welcome to the Indie Writers Club, a place to chat about all things self publishing. In episode 025, James & Cara discuss different ways to get your novels translated into German. It's a fast growing market and it can be the differe...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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38:21
024 - Can You Copyright An AI Novel?
Join Cara & James as they discuss the latest developments in the ongoing saga of AI and copyright legalities.Join the waitlist for the inaugural IWC Writers' Retreat: indiewriterscl...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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1:00:16
023 How to Develop Your Main Character
They come for the story but stay for the characters... That's how important character development is. In this episode we explore why character is crucial, when it's good, when it's not so good and some practical tips on getting your...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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1:12:34
022 - The 22 Rules of Storytelling
The 22 rules of storytelling from Emma Coats, a former Pixar writer, have been doing the rounds for years and for good reason. Although Emma herself now describes them as guidelines, rather than rules, they are seen as the foundation on which t...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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48:55
021 - How to Deal with Bad Reviews
We all get One Star reviews. But when should we take them seriously and when can they be safely ignored? In this episode we talk about our own hurtful reviews and talk about coping strategies.Useful links:The IWC Retreat:
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48:55
020 - Everyday Wisdom to Guide Your Decisions
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, Cara Clare and James Blatch discuss various topics including the potential ban of TikTok in the US, the importance of diversifying social media presence, and the planning of an indie writers retreat. T...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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51:20
019 - How Much Did We Earn in 2024?
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, James & Cara discuss their ad spend and book revenue for 2024.
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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50:10
