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.

Topics discussed this week include:

• Iain is on a "career high," selling more books than in the past years, mainly due to Facebook advertising.
• For nonfiction, Jyotsna recommends writing something related to your profession as your very first book. Above all, though, be clear about the reason you're writing the book.
• For fiction, Iain says the first book should be your passion project.
• Work on your craft. Not even Stephen King was born to be Stephen King. He worked hard at it.
• You can aspire to make a good living writing books. Odds are, you won't win the lottery like Stephen King or JK Rowling, but it's possible to earn a living.
• Jyotsna describes her process from idea to book.
• Iain talks about the discipline of writing a book.
• Iain recommends Scrivener as an ideal program for book writing.
• Switch off your WiFi and don't get lost in Google while you're writing.
• Just write your first draft without switching into editing mode. Just keep writing!
• Jyotsna recommends an "accountability partner" while you're writing to give you a "nice kick in the butt."

About the 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.