The Heidi Thorne Show

What is all the fuss about ChatGPT? I’ve talked about AI tech for the writing and publishing space before. Here are additional developments that could impact authors and publishers, and our understanding and management of creative work. Warning: Star Trek references included! 🖖 😉

YouTube video: 

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view or listen on YouTube):

0:45 What is ChatGPT?

2:49 What does this mean for authors?

3:40 What about copyrights?

5:33 How good is AI tech now?

6:59 Connect with Heidi

You can also listen to The Heidi Thorne Show on your favorite podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Amazon TuneIn Radio. This is Episode 285.

Some industry optimism about audiobooks and their double-digit growth in recent years was noted in Publishers Weekly’s reporting from this year’s Digital Book World conference. But as with any industry’s growth comes change. Let’s talk about some current and anticipated changes for audiobooks, and how they will impact self published authors.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/egtUpH4YfpE

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view or listen to segment on YouTube):

0:15 Optimism and alarm about audiobooks

0:38 ACX and Audible reduce audiobook prices

4:12 Updates on AI tech for audiobooks and distribution

7:33 How to connect with Heidi

You can also listen to The Heidi Thorne Show on your favorite podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Amazon TuneIn Radio. This is Episode 284.

As platforms continue to copycat their competitors, one of the more recent entries in that race is YouTube Shorts. Let’s talk about pros and cons, and how authors can use YouTube Shorts. Be aware that YouTube Shorts could change dramatically and quickly as YouTube figures out what it wants to do with this feature.

Blog: YouTube Shorts: What Authors Need to Know http://hub.me/apEFr

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/SjYJCl96Svg

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view or listen to segment on YouTube):

0:15 YouTube copycats TikTok and Instagram Reels

0:54 What are YouTube Shorts?

1:26 The good news/bad news about YouTube Shorts

1:48 What I learned by eavesdropping on husband's YouTube Shorts viewing

3:22 YouTube Shorts still feels beta

6:20 YouTube Shorts best feature

8:42 How authors can use YouTube Shorts

9:57 How to connect with Heidi

You can also listen to The Heidi Thorne Show on your favorite podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Amazon TuneIn Radio. This is Episode 283.

The 2022 Thorne Self Publishing Survey asked self published authors what motivates and challenges them. Here's how they responded.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/BJNq_wn32rA

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view/listen to segment on YouTube):

0:15 The self publishing motivation question

0:38 The ACME model of self publishing motivation

5:28 Top 3 motivations for self publishing in 2022

5:47 What doesn't motivate self published authors?

6:30 Categories of self publishing challenges

10:18 What doesn't challenge authors?

10:33 Top 3 challenges for self publishing in 2022

10:51 Interpreting the survey results

11:42 Get the written 2022 Thorne Self Publishing Survey report

12:00 How to connect with Heidi

Watch more 2022 Thorne Self Publishing Survey videos!

How Much Did Self Published Authors Make in 2022 https://youtu.be/6ZlLbu1R64Q

Do Self Published Authors STILL Want Book Deals with Traditional Publishers? https://youtu.be/byK4f4Qi4nQ

2022 Thorne Self Publishing Survey Results and Analysis report (Amazon Kindle & Kindle Unlimited) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRRJ1H3X

You can also listen to The Heidi Thorne Show on your favorite podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Amazon TuneIn Radio. This is Episode 282.

Do self published authors still consider getting a book deal with a traditional publisher? I asked them in my 2022 Thorne Self Publishing Survey. The answers of why and when they do, or don't, might surprise you.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/byK4f4Qi4nQ

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view/listen to segment on YouTube):

0:15 The traditional publishing question I wanted answered

1:10 Do self published authors understand what traditional publishing is?

1:43 2022 Thorne Self Publishing Survey answers on traditional publishing

2:32 The interesting write-in answers

4:30 Do traditional publishing considerations differ by genre?

5:11 What do these answers tell us?

6:45 How to get the 2022 Self Publishing Survey written report

6:58 How to connect with Heidi

2022 Thorne Self Publishing Survey Results & Analysis complete written report https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRRJ1H3X

You can also listen to The Heidi Thorne Show on your favorite podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Amazon TuneIn Radio. This is Episode 281.

The 2022 Thorne Self Publishing Survey results are in! Find out how much self published authors made in 2022, and what they're forecasting for 2023. This is the first of three video reports on the survey.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/6ZlLbu1R64Q

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view/listen to segment on YouTube):

0:15 About the 2022 Thorne Self Publishing Survey and participants

2:26 How much did the majority of self published authors make in 2022?

3:38 Most popular self published book income answers for 2022

5:30 Did demographic factors impact book income?

5:46 Do you make more book income with more books published?

7:43 What are authors forecasting in book income for 2023?

10:22 Does having more books increase book income forecasts?

11:50 Why is it so difficult to make a living from self publishing books?

13:12 How to get the complete written survey report

13:22 How to connect with Heidi

2022 Thorne Self Publishing Survey Results & Analysis complete written report https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRRJ1H3X

You can also listen to The Heidi Thorne Show on your favorite podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Amazon TuneIn Radio. This is Episode 280.

Just in time for a new year, author pages on Amazon have been redesigned. The redesign is a good move. But authors need to be aware of some changes.

Blog: New Amazon Author Pages http://hub.me/apAjf

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/dVJ8t5ySNx8

Timestamp show notes (click timestamp to view or listen to segment on YouTube):

0:14 Programming note about Self Publishing Survey Results reporting

0:28 Amazon launches redesigned author pages

0:39 How to get an Author Page on Amazon Author Central

1:17 Author Page redesign details

2:13 Most popular book?

3:31 More changes to Amazon Author Pages

3:55 New Book Recommendations feature

4:42 How to connect with Heidi

You can also listen to The Heidi Thorne Show on your favorite podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Amazon TuneIn Radio. This is Episode 279.

A signature book title is one that when people see it, they immediately know what it is and associate the author with it. But do authors really need to strive to create one for their books? I share examples and tips.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/g1N_xKyVA2o

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view or listen to segment on YouTube):

0:15 Authors want to be memorable

0:57 What is a signature book title?

2:01 How do you create a signature book title?

3:13 Having a signature book title without even trying

3:41 Pivoting from a signature book title

4:20 Does a signature book title need to be a best seller?

5:14 How to connect with Heidi

You can also listen to The Heidi Thorne Show on your favorite podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Amazon TuneIn Radio. This is Episode 278.

A familiar request came from an author via email. “Which of these logos do you like best?” I responded that I wouldn’t go with any of them. My opinion on the choices had nothing to do with the actual art. Here's why I responded this way.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/EyVojXPhBjo

Timestamp show notes (click timestamp to view/hear segment on YouTube):

0:14 A familiar question about logos

0:40 Celebrity authors don't need logos

1:40 A brand is not a logo

2:28 Author brand failures

4:25 How to connect with Heidi

You can also listen to The Heidi Thorne Show on your favorite podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Amazon TuneIn Radio. This is Episode 277.

I took the new Amazon Attribution Tags system for a test drive to see if it really does help authors track mystery sales sources on Amazon generated off Amazon, such as social media ads. Here's how it went, including screenshots of my results.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/PC6zYs9_WKs

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:15 New book, new book marketing tests

1:05 My Amazon Attribution Tag campaigns

3:35 Amazon Attribution Tags used for organic social media posts

4:30 My Amazon Sponsored Product ad campaigns

6:12 Screenshots and discussion of my results from the Amazon Attribution Tag test run

17:40 Final thoughts on Attribution Tags and social media ads

20:16 How to connect with Heidi

You can also listen to The Heidi Thorne Show on your favorite podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Amazon TuneIn Radio. This is Episode 276.