gail carriger – Science Fiction & Fantasy Marketing Podcast

SFFMP 220: Succeeding at Traditional Publishing as Well as Self-Publishing and When It’s Worth it to Travel for Conventions

February 12, 2019 SFFpodcast Author Interview, Podcast

This week, traditionally and self-published fantasy author Gail Carriger joined us for the second time. She first visited two years ago to chat about all the marketing she does and also about how she was transitioning from traditional publishing to a hybrid career. Since then, she’s continued to self-publish, including a new pen name in a slightly steamier fantasy genre. We asked her all about that and also about conventions and whether they’re worth going to for a self-published author.

Here are the specific topics we covered during the show:

What Gail has been up to in the last two years.
Updates on the hybrid author lifestyle and why she self-publishes some of her works but prefers to stay with a traditional publisher for other books.
The launch of her new naughtier pen name (gay werewolves finding romance in San Francisco!) and how her regular readers responded.
The challenges of juggling multiple series and pen names.
Whether it’s better to go into a small niche and try to dominate it or jump into a big crowded market where there may be more potential upside.
Launching a series wide (Gail doesn’t do anything exclusive with Amazon).
Why Gail is a big fan of pre-orders.
Experimenting with Kobo’s in-house promotions (available through the Writing Life dashboard).
How much great data you can get by surveying your readers (Gail asked where people first found her).
Finding more success with library ebook sales as a self-published author.
Gail’s thoughts on permafree books and why she doesn’t have any freebies.
Gail’s 20 Minute Delay travel podcast with tips and tricks for authors (and others!) hopping on planes. (Search for it on your favorite podcast platform.)
When self-published authors (or authors looking to go trad) should consider hitting up some conventions.
Gail Carriger’s Master List of Convention Packing & Attending Tips (Important for Writers)
Why you should always have a goal when you go to a conference.

You can check out Gail’s website for more information, and you can follow her on the various social media sites such as Facebook.

| Open Player in New Window

Click to download the mp3.

Subscribe to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Marketing Podcast on iTunes.

Subscribe to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Marketing Podcast on YouTube.

Subscribe to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Marketing Podcast via RSS.

Like us on Facebook.

author conferences, gail carriger, hybrid author, pen names, self publishing, traditional publishing, travel podcasts

SFFMP 123: Gail Carriger on Transitioning from Traditional Publishing to a Hybrid Career

March 14, 2017 SFFpodcast Author Interview, Podcast

New York Times bestselling steampunk/fantasy author Gail Carriger joined us this week to talk about writing and marketing for traditionally published novels as well as her experiences self-publishing novellas and short stories. She’s very proactive in interacting with her fans and had a lot of great information for listeners.

Here’s some of what we touched on:

Gail’s path to traditional publishing and how her books came to find an audience.
What her publisher has done as far as marketing and what she’s been expected to do on her own.
Why she decided to branch out and start self-publishing some of her novellas and short stories.
How she uses social media and her newsletter to interact with readers between releases and keep them excited about being a part of her fandom.
Using Amazon affiliate links to monitor what other things your readers are buying after they pick up your books (and why it might be useful to know that).
Gail’s experiences with book tours and whether it’s worth it for newer authors to try to arrange local book signings.
Is there anything you can do to make a publisher want to spend more money on you when it comes to their marketing/advertising budget?
Suggestions on what to watch out for with cover art.
Adult fiction versus young adult fiction.
What to watch out for when signing a traditional publishing contract, especially if you think you’ll want to self-publish on the side.

You can check out Gail’s books on Amazon and on other retailers, and you can find her on the web at GailCarriger.com or on Twitter or Facebook.