Join host M.J. Kuhn, guest artist Chris McGrath and guest authors Gregory Kontaxis and Michael Vadney for an Indie Appreciation Month panel on Self-Publishing in the Age of AI. During the panel, Chris, Gregory and Michael discuss the ethics of AI use, whether or not we can avoid it, the deluge of AI slop, risking your reputation, prejudices against self-publishing, filtering AI vs. human-made content, cover art and working with human artists, originality and the value of human-created art, audience (dis)trust and fan backlash to AI, the performative pressures of social media, losing the struggles (and romance) of art, how AI impacts marketing/marketplaces and more.
Indie Appreciation Month
SFF Addicts Ep. 211: Making the Most of Conventions with Andy Peloquin, Tim Hickson & T. D. Orel (Indie Appreciation Month)
Join host Greta Kelly and guest authors/content creators Andy Peloquin, Tim Hickson (AKA Hello Future Me) and T. D. Orel for an Indie Appreciation Month panel on Making the Most of Conventions. During the panel, Andy, Tim and Tanner discuss first conventions, attending cons as a fan vs. as a professional, when to start attending conventions, selling books at cons and events, merch and swag, sales tactics and connecting with readers, pitching your books, imposter syndrome and social anxiety, making meaningful connections, balancing the professional and the personal, stepping outside of your comfort zone, trusting your instincts and more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 210: Cover Art & Book Design with Jeff Brown, Rachel St Clair, Philip C. Quaintrell & Scott Palmer (Indie Appreciation Month)
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and guest authors/artists Jeff Brown, Rachel St Clair, Philip C. Quaintrell and Scott Palmer for an Indie Appreciation Month panel on Cover Art & Book Design. During the panel, Jeff, Rachel, Philip and Scott discuss what cover and book design are, creating a visual brand, the importance of typography and fonts, interior formatting and design, what makes a good vs. bad piece of art, due diligence and art/design no-nos, cover legibility and visual impact, evolving cover trends, setting reader expectations, commissioning artists, book titles, costs/budgeting, communication, timelines and more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 165: Self-Publishing as a Career with Tao Wong, Shami Stovall & Michael Michel (Indie Appreciation Month)
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and guest authors Tao Wong, Shami Stovall and Michael Michel for our final Indie Appreciation Month panel on Self-Publishing as a Career. During the panel, Tao, Shami and Michael discuss the long game of self-publishing, including self-publishing as a JOB, being a full-time vs. part-time writer/creative, budgeting and investment for your books, long-term finances and project management, experimenting with release strategies, having purpose and patience, lucrative book formats and publishing platforms, career longevity, income streams, burnout and more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 164: Indie Marketing 101 with Michael R. Miller, Z.S. Diamanti & Blake & Raven Penn (Indie Appreciation Month)
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and guest authors Michael R. Miller, Z.S. Diamanti and Blake & Raven Penn for an Indie Appreciation Month panel on Indie Marketing 101. During the panel, Michael, Zac, Blake and Raven offer up some marketing fundamentals, including why marketing is important for indie authors, approaches to marketing over time, building your author platform, mailing lists and reader magnets, pre-launch vs. post-launch marketing, social media platforms and content, paid advertising methods, discounts and giveaways, reviews and ARCs, comp titles, Kickstarter, networking, word-of-mouth, book tours, awards, competitions and more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 163: Building Your Community with Ryan Cahill, Tatiana Obey & James Lloyd Dulin (Indie Appreciation Month)
Join host M.J. Kuhn and guest authors Ryan Cahill, Tatiana Obey and James Lloyd Dulin for an Indie Appreciation Month panel on Building Your Community. During the panel, Ryan, Tatiana and James delve into various facets of community, including what community means to authors, types of communities, your author brand, first steps and platforms for building communities, authenticity and targeting audiences, maintaining communities without burning out, community-related challenges, mental health, negativity/positivity and more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 162: Discovering Your Genre & Niche with Michael R. Fletcher, Krystle Matar & Nick Snape (Indie Appreciation Month)
Join host Greta Kelly and guest authors Michael R. Fletcher, Krystle Matar and Nick Snape for an Indie Appreciation Month panel on Discovering Your Genre & Niche. During the panel, Michael, Krystle and Nick explores the ins and outs of genre, including whether or not genre matters, finding inspiration in the genres you grew up reading, experimenting with subgenres and niches, deciphering age categories, writing to market vs. creating markets, categories/keywords on publishing platforms, grabbing readers’ attention, writing an effective synopsis and more.