November 02, 2025

Finding the Right Publishing Mentor and How to Navigate Reviews, Translations, and Book Pricing: Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black

44 minutes

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss how an author can find a reliable publishing mentor, when to seek paid help, and low-cost community options to avoid overspending.

Other questions include:

Does ALLi maintain a vetted list of book contests, and where can members find it?
Can you change your Amazon list price without matching the printed barcode price?
Which review routes are worth it—editorial reviews vs. reader-review services?
How should authors handle translations and run ads in languages they don't speak?
Can you include color photo inserts with print-on-demand and still distribute on Amazon?
How much lead time should ARC readers get, and do launch-day reviews matter?

And more!

Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.

About the Hosts

Michael La Ronn is ALLi's Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.

Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.

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