Welcome to AskALLi, the self-publishing advice podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it's our monthly beginners' self-publishing salon with advice, tips, and tools for indie authors just starting out.

This month, we introduce our new hosts. Jyotsna Ramachandran is the founder of Happy Self Publishing and author of the international bestseller Job Escape Plan.

Iain Rob Wright has written over a dozen novels. He's an active member of the Horror Writers Association and has also written a free self-publishing course for authors.

This Month's Beginners' Self-Publishing Salon Episode

No matter how you like to consume your content, we have you covered. You can listen to the podcast recording, watch the YouTube broadcast, or read the full transcript of this Salon episode below.

Topics discussed this week include:

• Introducing Iain and Jyotsna
• Seven years ago, Iain decided to be a writer because he wasn't happy with his sales job, discovered self-publishing and never looked back.
• Jyotsna quit her full-time job six years ago, tried out different businesses. Discovered Amazon self-publishing and began making money on royalties. Then she found fulfillment in writing her own books
• Visibility is more difficult now than it was six years ago. The space is more crowded.
• Self-publishing is like any other business. Build it from the ground up.
• Don't depend on Amazon for visibility. Get onto podcasts, find places to speak about your book.
• Self-publishing is a great way to work from home.
• Tools for formatting books. Microsoft Word? Vellum? Depends on your needs and budget.
• Give proper instructions to freelance formatters.
• CreateSpace vs. KDP