The Heidi Thorne Show

I posted a video on TikTok and Instagram asking if you received a used book as a gift, would you think the giver was cheap, or that they found a treasure for you. Here’s how my tribe responded.

Blog: Used Books as Gifts: Trash or Treasure? http://hub.me/apwgj

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/yri2mX0ZMq8

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

0:15 I asked my TikTok and Instagram tribe about used book gifts...

0:29 It's a treasure if...

1:06 It's all about the intention

2:07 Depends on condition

3:40 Used books as gifts? Yes or no?

4:22 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 275.

December 2022 marks the end of my 14th year on Twitter. In light of the culture changes and chaos from its recent acquisition by billionaire Elon Musk, will it also be the end of me using Twitter? Let’s talk about that since I’m sure many of you are also considering your future on Twitter.

Blog: Will I Quit Twitter? http://hub.me/apvkl

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/fH7C2sRHy9o

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

0:15 Celebrating 14 years on Twitter. Will it be my last?

0:52 What Twitter used to be

2:31 Who changed? Me? Or Twitter?

6:10 Ghost hunting on Twitter

10:30 The Elon Exodus

13:17 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 274.

I have just wrapped production on a new audiobook that’s a departure from my usual content. In doing this latest book, I ran across some updates to ACX, Audible, and audiobook trends that I’ll discuss here.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/VH9OKzb7r1o

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

0:15 My new audiobook, Cradle to Crochet: Thoughts on the Crocheting Life

0:45 ACX updates

3:00 Audiobook listening trends

6:00 Spotify Audiobooks vs. Apple

7:40 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 273.

I just published another book on Kindle Direct Publishing, KDP, that was an experiment in a couple of ways. It was a departure from my usual genre. And it was a test for the latest 2022 version of Kindle Create, KDP’s free book formatting software. Here's what I learned.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/CDzHrUXgB48

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

0:15 New book formatted using Kindle Create

2:14 Improvements in hyphenation

5:03 Widows and orphan control improving, but needs more work

6:44 Still no print preview in Kindle Create

7:05 Can I recommend Kindle Create?

7:44 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 272.

New Book, Cradle to Crochet: Thoughts on the Crocheting Life is available in Kindle eBook, print, and audiobook on Amazon and Audible.

Finally! Amazon has introduced a way for authors to measure sales generated by non-Amazon channels like organic social media posts and paid ads. It's called Amazon Attribution.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/bXN690DGXgY

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

0:15 Amazon introduces Amazon Attribution Tags

1:00 What is Amazon Attribution?

1:20 Who is eligible to use Amazon Attribution?

1:33 Amazon Attribution terminology explained

5:12 How quickly can you see analytical data?

5:58 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 271.

I see authors and low content book creators forging ahead full steam to write or design their books before they decide on the niche markets their books will serve and what those markets could want and need. This is totally backwards if you’re hoping to make sales. I explain why.

Blog: You're Doing Niche Marketing Wrong for Your Books http://hub.me/aprOT

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/xcSFJpTiq9Q

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

0:15 Putting the niche marketing cart before the horse

1:32 Why doing niche marketing wrong will cost you money

2:44 Niche down, but not too far

4:56 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 270.

On October 12, 2022, I celebrated 13 years of having a YouTube channel. A whole lot has changed, and keeps changing on YouTube, mostly for the better, even though using it effectively is still a challenge. I’ll be talking about some newer features that can impact authors and small businesses, as well as sharing insights from my YouTube journey.

Blog: YouTube Handles, YouTube Shorts, and My YouTube Journey http://hub.me/aprow

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

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

0:16 Celebrating my YouTube anniversary

0:40 YouTube ain't social media, but looks like it wants to be

1:06 YouTube Handles

3:03 YouTube Hashtags

4:28 YouTube Chapters

5:27 YouTube Shorts

7:41 YouTube Subtitles

8:33 YouTube Studio and Analytics

9:24 My YouTube journey

14:17 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 269.

I love my author community! On a recent video I did about KDP print on demand quality and quality control, one of my favorite author people, Shanon, whose pen name is @S.D. Huston, commented about how she learned to cope with limitations on book design for print on demand. So this is a followup on that discussion, focusing on some specific design issues for book spines.

Blog: Does Your Book Have Spine Problems? http://hub.me/apqpA

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/s0bZEvi__9k

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

0:16 Shanon shared her book spine design story (visit @S.D. Huston channel)

0:45 How spine design impacts your book title

2:22 Book spine line alignment issues

3:58 How to avoid book spine design problems & examples

6:14 Getting book design help

8:47 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 268.

I see a lot of confusion and questions on author forums about trademarks, copyrights, and book titles. While I’m not a lawyer, and this does not constitute legal advice of any type, I will provide some definitions and discussion of these terms, particularly as they relate to authors and self publishing.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/oouZeakqP3E

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

0:15 Author confusion on trademarks, copyrights & book titles

0:36 What is a trademark?

2:42 Trademarked words

4:47 Book titles can't be copyrighted, but...

5:58 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 267.

Got called out on one of my videos where I ranted on authors being overly sensitive about what they perceive as KDP print on demand quality issues. Out of respect for that author’s concerns, let me address each of them here, though some points might still might echo my position on the earlier video.

Blog: KDP Print On Demand Quality versus Quality Control http://hub.me/apoIs

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/L11jIaPCkGY

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

0:15 Got called out on YouTube

0:43 What was the complaint?

1:41 Quality vs. quality control for KDP print on demand

6:03 Why might a proof look different than the final?

8:06 How to get better print outcomes for your book

8:34 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 266.