Authorpreneurship
The Cover Story: Combining Creativity and Conversion
The successful indie author knows when to engage fellow professionals to support their work, and cover design is one of those areas where we authors, as wordsmiths, should engage specialist professionals. However, becoming an educated student of cover design will not only help you work effectively with your cover designer but is fun as well!
In this webinar, we will explore ...
The value a cover design professional brings to the process
How your cover is a “visual keyword” for your book
Why bucking genre conventions undermines your goal of reaching your ideal readers
How to collect the materials you’ll need to create a spec for your designer
How to find and work effectively with your designer, making the process pain-free for you both
How to control the costs of this potentially pricey part of the publishing process
How AI factors in, even when you’re working with a human design professional
Publishing Tips for Frugal Authors
"Clear, comprehensive and full of excellent advice."
"This was an incredibly detailed and robust presentation. I really appreciate all the effort that went into this, and the slides make it easy to go back and review all the shiny nuggets of wisdom! "
Delivering professional-grade work doesn’t have to break the bank. In this session, author and publisher Matty Dalrymple shares actionable strategies to help you achieve top-tier publishing quality while controlling costs. Attendees will learn how to:
Optimize Editing: Save money by addressing “housekeeping issues” like spelling, grammar, continuity, and consistency before handing your manuscript to a professional editor, allowing them to focus on substantive improvements.
Maximize Cover Design Impact: Partner effectively with design professionals to achieve cost-efficient, brand-right covers. Gain flexibility to adapt to changing trends and create visually compelling promotional materials.
Matty brings these concepts to life with examples from her Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels and Suspense Shorts and her non-fiction books for authors. This session equips you with practical tools to elevate your publishing game while staying within budget.
Walk away with cost-saving techniques and confidence in your ability to deliver professional, market-ready books.
Pitching for Promotion: Getting the Gig with Podcasters, Bloggers, and Other Promoters
"Wow! I appreciated the way you summed up the options (DIY or hiring out), and gave relatable examples. I worked in public relations and was on the receiving end of many pitches from media producers. Great presentation!"
Much is made of the need for writers to know how to pitch to agents and editors, but the need to pitch yourself and your work doesn’t stop there. Getting the gig with podcasters, bloggers, and others who can promote your work is vital to connecting with the audience who will love your work. And if you take the right approach, the relationships you build with these promoters can pay dividends for both parties long after the podcaster airs your episode or the blogger posts the review of your book.
Attendees will come away from this session armed with the tools they need to ...
Consider your approach--whether to pitch yourself or hire a pro
Do your prep to understand your target audience
Lay the groundwork for a successful pitch
Make it personal to connect what you offer to the promoter and their audience
Make it easy by providing the information the promoter needs upfront
Be professional by delivering excellent value to the promoter and their audience
Promote and repurpose to make the most of your appearance
Deepen the connection and build a long-lasting relationship that will benefit you and the promoter
This session is for any author looking to partner with promoters to help spread the word about their work.
You can see an example of Matty discussing this topic on this episode of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) podcast.
Pitch Perfect: Leveraging Podcasts & Video Interviews to Reach Your Audience
Are you looking for ways to build your brand, share your expertise, and expand your reach—all without the time and expense of travel? With the growing popularity of video interviews and podcasts, you can now connect with broader audiences from the comfort of home. Matty Dalrymple, host of hundreds of episodes of The Indy Author Podcast and guest on dozens more, will share practical tools to help you effectively pitch yourself, promote your work, and build meaningful connections. In this session, you’ll learn how to:
Identify the best platforms and outlets for your message.
Craft an authentic and memorable pitch.
Foster lasting relationships with hosts and audiences.
Through step-by-step guidance on preparation, engagement, and adding value beyond the recording, this class is ideal for authors, entrepreneurs, and professionals looking to enhance their visibility, credibility, and influence in today’s digital landscape.
Engage Your Audience In Person and Online
You have information to share, and you have the knowledge to back up your message. But excellent content alone is not enough to deliver an excellent presentation. The techniques you apply to share your material will determine whether your audience’s attention is riveted to you or drifts to their social media feeds. And presenters need two important sets of presentation skills: the ability to engage an audience in person as well as in a virtual environment. Finally regardless of the format, they must be prepared to handle the Q&A portion of their presentation effectively and gracefully.
Matty Dalrymple, The Indy Author, has delivered dozens of talks, including presentations at Writer’s Digest annual conferences, the Alliance of Independent Authors SelfPubCons, International Thriller Writers CraftFest, Book Brush’s BookMARCon, the Fiction Marketing Academy, the Fictionary Community webinars, the Authorpreneur Summit Down Under, the Carolina Writing Workshop, the Women in Publishing Summit, the Pennwriters annual conference, and many more. (Go to https://www.mattydalrymple.com/events.html for a full list.)
In this 60-minute presentation, Matty Dalrymple shares her tips for:
Creating Compelling Material – Explore different approaches for sharing your material, and the pros and cons of each.
Engaging Your Audience In Person – Master the techniques for engaging your audience at in-person events, including how best to use your voice, your body language, and your position in relation to the audience to draw them into your presentation.
Engaging Your Audience Virtually – Learn how to overcome the challenges of engaging an audience on a virtual platform and to make the experience as compelling for them as if they were in the room with you.
Handling the Q&A – Learn how to engage in an interactive Q&A session that will ensure your audience gets their questions answered in a structured, productive manner.
Who Should Attend?
Authors early in their speaking careers who want to arm themselves with the best practices for engaging an audience
Experienced author-speakers who want to brush up on their skills and learn a few new tips and tricks