Indie Writers Club
Episodes
440 - Authors Under Attack!
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
James and Cissy unpack two major controversies affecting authors this week: a traditionally published author dropped over AI writing accusations, and ...
The Self Publishing Show - Ep 438
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
James and Cissy discuss new marketing insights and mindset strategies for indie authors navigating an increasingly complex publishing landscape. From ...
436 - Live Author Events
28 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
James and Cissy dive into the evolving AI conversation, reacting to viral commentary about whether artificial intelligence will truly replace white-co...
Selling Books on Etsy
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
James and Cissy welcome Robin Bennett Freebairn back to the show to discuss how he’s successfully expanded his nonfiction “birth year” book seri...
434 - The New Cohost is Revealed!
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Self-Publishing Show enters a new era as James Blatch officially introduces his new co-host, romance author Cecilia “Cissy” Mecca. In this wid...
Ep 433 - The Self Publishing Show
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
James Blatch returns after an 18-month hiatus to relaunch the Self-Publishing Show and outline its new direction. In this solo episode, he reflects on...
074 - Cara's Exit Interview
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this heartfelt exit interview, Cara Clare reflects on her journey as a co-host of the Indie Writers Club alongside James Blatch. They discuss the s...
073 - What's Wrong with Hamnet?
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club podcast, James Blatch and Cara Claire discuss the transition of Cara's writing project, 'The Chatt...
072 - Are You Owed Money by Anthropic?
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this third-to-last episode of the IWC Podcast, we will look at the Anthropic (Claude AI) settlement on offer to some authors. We'll explain wh...
071 - Launching a Standalone Book
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, Cara talks us through her launch strategy for a standalone book (a Chatterly retelling with vampires and sp...
070 - Cara's Big Announcement!
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week Cara and I review the current happenings in the world of indie and we briefly discuss our own plans for 2026.And at 43.47 (if you want to sk...
069 - Navigating Christmas as an Indie Author
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this festive episode of the Indie Writers Club, James Blatch and Cara Clare discuss the challenges of taking downtime during the holiday season whi...
068 - Direct Selling with Etsy
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode Cara and James are joined by Robin Bennett-Freebairn whose non-fiction gift books are flying off the virtual Etsy shelves....
067 - AI Acceptance & Direct Selling
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In part two of a look back at 2025, Cara and James discuss where we are with AI acceptance (spoiler, a dwindling band of holdouts very much exist). We...
066 - AI Translations, A10 Algorithm and other stuff
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Jame & Cara start to look back on a fast moving year for indie publishing. They touch on AI Translations, one of the big breakthro...
065 - Building a Direct Empire (with AP Beswick)
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are joined by the multi-talented Adam Beswick (AP Beswick) to talk empire building.Adam has used TikTok to build a loyal following of readers and h...
064 - Drafting a Novel
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's NovelNovember and we're both drafting a new novel!USEFUL LINKS:Get 15% of annual plans at our sponsor ProWritingAid by using code IWC15...
063 - Influencing the Influencers
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week Cara & James touch on the subject of influencers and how to use them. James also talks about the coming AI storm for ads, he reports on ...
062 - News from AuthorNation Vegas
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, James reports from AuthorNation, indie publishing's largest conference. The talk is of new technology, a recent slum...
061 - Author Scams & Ghost Writing
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we delve into the intriguing world of ghost writing. You might know Cara is/has been, a professional ghost writer and she spills the beans o...
060 - How to Create an INCREDIBLE AI Assistant
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we have a bona fide guest! Cissy Mecca is a close friend and fellow author whose work I'm constantly admiring—she's brilliant at...
059 - Trad Vs Indie - Is There Now a Winner?
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the the state of Trad vs Indie after a couple of comments from notable authors and commentators and come to an interesting conclusion!Also ...
058 - The Big Facebook Ads Experiement
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Much has happened behind the scenes of the Facebook Ads Manager and so james is setting out a series of tests. spending money on various combinations ...
057 - The New Era of AI Searching
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's Friday! It's the Indie Writers Club!We continue our deep dive into the new era of searching using AI.Even if you are dead set against a...
056 - Get Your Books Ready for GEO!
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The era of keywords and Google searches is coming to an end. Searching through a longer form conversation with an AI is already taking over. That mean...
055 - Are Facebook Ads Back?
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 55, James reports from the Floridian beach where he's attending the annual NINC conference. He and Cara also report some encouraging s...
054 - Becoming a Full Time Author
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Making the switch from hobbyist to full-time author is a dream for many. But it comes with its own challenges. From two of us who have become full tim...
053 - Audio Books for Authors - Part 2
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's part 2 of our discussion about generating income from audio versions of your books. We talk about the AI options among other things, and Jam...
052 - Audio Books for Authors - Part 1
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We take a two episode dive into audio books. In the first part we discuss the options facing indies, such as wide or exclusive, self produce or collab...
051 - How to Plot Your Next Novel
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's no correct way to plot, but here are our suggestions.Mentioned in the pod were my 5 points to note during plotting - see below the links....
050 - News Round Up
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 50 is a good time to take stock of the industry and discuss the latest developments that can affect our indie world.Useful links:LSP Launchpad...
049 - Your First Two Years as an Indie Author
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Let's talk about the author platform you need to build. This episode covers those crucial foundation months as you start out.USEFUL LINKS:Join ou...
048 - Are Facebook Ads Still Number One for Authors?
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to episode 48 of the Indie Writers Club. This week Cara (spicy romance, romance) and James Blatch (thrillers) discuss Facebook (Meta) Ads. For...
047 - How to Translate Your Books and Sell in Foreign Markets
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we deep dive into the process and strategy for launching your English language books into global markets. We recommend scribeshadow.c...
046 - The Dark Side of AI
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I'll confess, I love using AI for various parts of my marketing and editing, but even as an advocate of what AI can do for us writers, even I kno...
045 - How to Use an AI Manuscript Critique
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, James and Cara discuss various aspects of writing, the use of AI in manuscript critiques, and the impact of...
044 - Writers Retreat and Conference Report
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Cara and James reflect on their recent experiences at the first IWC Writers' Retreat and the SPS Live conference. They discuss t...
043 - How to Survive the Editing Process
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's the Indie Writers Club with Cara & James! This week we talk editing/revising/rewriting, whatever you call it. Some of us love it (me) so...
042 - Create the Perfect Writing Environment
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you listen to music? Work on a sofa? Write at 5am or midnight? In this episode we discuss the various ways we can create an atmosphere conducive to...
041 - It's time to work less to achieve more...
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It might sound counter intuitive, but in this episode we'll use Cal Newport's guide to productivity to show that working less and working be...
040 - The Amazon Algorithm Change You NEED to Know About
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 040 of The Indie Writers Club!In this episode James & Cara discuss the significant implications for indie authors of Amazons algorithm upg...
039 - How Many Authors Now Use AI?
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode James & Cara review BookBub's author survey on attitudes to AI. You can read the survey using the link below.We a...
038 - GLADIATOR II: What a Mess!
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we review and dissect Ridley's Scott's sequel to the incredible film Gladiator. Spoiler alert, we did not use the expression...
037 - How to Get Your Book Made into a Hollywood Film!
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, James is joined by Hollywood scriptwriter Tom Donnelly. They discuss the chances of getting your book optioned and how to cre...
036 - Indie News Round Up
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, James reports back from the Global Publishing Summit in Seville, they discuss the launch of a men only publ...
035 - Character First Writing
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, James & Cara revisit the topic of Character. Story versus character is a debate we had in an earlier ep...
034 - Selling Your Backlist
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
James reports from an author mastermind event in Aruba (not in Mexico, it turns out). They discuss various tips and ideas especially around selling yo...
033 - Self Publishing News & Trends
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode James & Cara discuss the week's developments in the indie world and James starts an experiment to see if AI translation servi...
032 - Writing in a Series for Optimal Sales
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode James & Cara discuss the latest developments in the world of publishing and they discuss how to write in a series or serial to max...
031 - Patreon Launch
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's your chance to become a part of the IWC and help us stay on air. Head to indiewritersclub.com/support to sign up.
030 - Did Meta Steal Your Book?
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the use by Meta of pirated versions of books to build their AI. And we talk about our own action points from the fabulous Ireland's Pu...
029 - Does AI Hate Your Novel?
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Cara and James road test a new AI manuscript analysis tool from seasoned experts, ProWritingAid. The results were...unexpected.Try out...
028 - Self Publishing's Public Image
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, James & Cara discuss Bill Bryson's reported attack on self publishing and the wider perception of ...
027 - Book Launch Strategies
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, Cara and James discuss the tips and tricks for gaining maximum visibility for your book launch.Resources: S...
026 - Do Facebook Ads Still Work?
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Indie authors have used Facebook (Meta) ads since day one, but we need to be honest with ourselves - are they still performing?Cara and James discuss ...
025 - Translate Your Novel into German
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the Indie Writers Club, a place to chat about all things self publishing. In episode 025, James & Cara discuss different ways to get yo...
024 - Can You Copyright An AI Novel?
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join Cara & James as they discuss the latest developments in the ongoing saga of AI and copyright legalities.Join the waitlist for the inaugural I...
023 How to Develop Your Main Character
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
They come for the story but stay for the characters... That's how important character development is. In this episode we explore why character i...
022 - The 22 Rules of Storytelling
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The 22 rules of storytelling from Emma Coats, a former Pixar writer, have been doing the rounds for years and for good reason. Although Emma herself n...
021 - How to Deal with Bad Reviews
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all get One Star reviews. But when should we take them seriously and when can they be safely ignored? In this episode we talk about our own hurtful...
020 - Everyday Wisdom to Guide Your Decisions
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, Cara Clare and James Blatch discuss various topics including the potential ban of TikTok in the US, the imp...
019 - How Much Did We Earn in 2024?
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, James & Cara discuss their ad spend and book revenue for 2024.
018 - Self Publishing in 2025
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Happy New Year from the Indie Writers Club.In the first episode of 2025, Cara and James discuss what's in store for indie authors in the next twe...
017 - Christmas Special from the Pub
25 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
James & Cara are down the pub with a couple of author friends to reflect on 2024.Many thanks to our friends at The Salisbury Arms in Cambridge!
016 - Get Your Writing Done!
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
James returns. Cara chats to Sacha Black about productivity tips.Our next episode will be a live recording from a pub, released on Christmas Day!
015 - What's Up With Facebook Ads?
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode James & Cara discuss the latest tips and tricks with Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram).Join the discussion: https://indiewriters...
014 Big News Episode
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There's so much news about in indie publishing, James & Cara take time to digest and analyse:A new deal for Audio Books from ACXA new Publish...
013 - Is it legal for AI to learn from our books?
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
James is back from AuthorNation in Las Vegas. During this week's Indie Writers Club episode James discusses the legal presentation from Alicia Wr...
012 - That First Draft Mountain
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get episode alerts at indiewritersclub.comJoin the discussion at indiewritersclub.com/discordSummaryIn this episode of the Indie Writers Club, Cara Cl...
011 - Which Author Show Should I Go To?
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's the Indie Writers Club! Links: The Self Publishing Show Live! https://learnselfpublishing.com/spsliveAuthor Nation (Vegas): https://www.auth...
010 - How Much do Indie Authors Earn?
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Useful links:WWM Survey: indiewritersclub.com/survey Publish Drive Offer: indiewritersclub.com/publishdriveJoin the Discord Discussion: indiewriterscl...
009 - How to Get Reviews (and deal with bad ones)
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
James and Cara discuss the importance of book reviews in building an author's reputation. The conversation delves into strategies for obtaining r...
008 - Why Your Books Don't Sell - Part 2
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 008, James & Cara continue to analyse the key ingredients that maybe missing from your book, for your ads to generate sales.Check out t...
007 - Why Your Books Don't Sell - Part 1
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, hosts James and Cara discuss the importance of having a well-prepared book package for successful advertisi...
006 - What else can you do as a writer?
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
SummaryIn this episode of the Indie Writers Club, hosts Cara Clare and James Blatch discuss alternative income streams for writers, focusing on ghostw...
005 - Can TikTok Still Sell Books?
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
James & Cara discuss TikTok and it's impact on the book market and whether it's still a place where authors can find new readers. Use...
004 - Author Scams
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cara & James discuss the many scams awaiting the unwary indie author.Sign up for alerts and never miss an episode: indiewritersclub.comJoin the di...
003 - To Plot Or Pants
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
SummaryIn this episode, Cara Clare and James Blatch discuss their writing progress and strategies. They talk about their word count goals and the chal...
002 - Character vs Plot.
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
SummaryIn this episode, James and Cara discuss the balance between character and plot in writing. They share their own writing projects and word count...
001 - What is the Indie Writers Club?
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
SummaryIn this episode, hosts Cara Clare and James Blatch introduce themselves and the purpose of the podcast. They discuss their backgrounds as autho...
The Indie Writers Club is coming...
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
News of a new podcast for writers from James Blatch.Join the alerts list at indiewritersclub.com