Returned from the 20Books to 50K Conference, Bursting with Excitement to Share the Details!
Going to the Mammoth Meeting: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Author Nation
Our team recently returned from an action-packed three days at the Author Nation conference. Held in Las Vegas from November 6 to 8, 2018, this event was a must-attend for any indie author keen on enhancing their success. Here's a recap for those who couldn't make it this year – get ready to marvel at the insights we gleaned!
What's the Deal with Author Nation?
You might be wondering, "What's Author Nation all about?"
Originally started as 20Booksto50K in 2015 by self-published author Michael Anderle, this powerhouse Facebook group helps writers achieve financial independence via self-publishing. Raking in around $50,000 a year by pumping out 20 books selling a few copies daily, Anderle saw the potential to help others finesse their writing skills and make a living.
With over 26,000 members, including bestselling indie authors and newbies, Author Nation fosters a supportive community where members share expertise on self-publishing and forge connections.
While annual gatherings began in 2017, this year's soiree didn't disappoint, assembling attendees from across the globe.
Day One: Climbing the Mountain in Style
"One Path, Multiple Peaks"
Kicking off the conference, Michael Anderle and co-organizer/self-published author Craig Martelle delved into the motivation to persevere in writing. Constantly reiterated was the quote, "There's one path, but multiple peaks" – a notion echoed by speakers throughout the first day.
As a wide array of successful authors recounted their publishing journeys, it became crystal clear that a single route to success doesn't exist, with authors approaching self-publishing from distinctive angles: some going wide, Amazon-exclusive, and hybrid (traditional and independent). Despite the swiftly evolving world of self-publishing, achieving success is no oddity – even when genres saturate and markets become more competitive. We observed stellar examples of persistence in the High-Powered Authors Panel, featuring Izzy Shows, Jasmine Walt, Michelle Madow, Lindsay Buroker, and Martha Carr.
The landscape of self-publishing has seen extraordinary transformation in recent years, making techniques from several years past ineffective. Nevertheless, countless authors continue to thrive, raising the bar for both readers and writers, pushing standards to professional levels, complete with stunning covers, immaculate formatting, and expert editing.
Day Two: Strength in Numbers
"Hitting Two Birds with One Stone"
Movers and shakers in the world of self-publishing set the tone for the second day, as Michael La Ronn explained the trick to balancing a full-time job, key responsibilities as a father, law school classes, and still publishing five books per year – all by opting for efficient writing sessions over arbitrary word-count goals.
In-depth talks about the technical aspects of marketing book ad campaigns were also on the agenda. Sessions by Brian Meeks offered insights on how data can empower authors, ultimately improving their marketing strategies – a topic close to our hearts, given the elaborate analytics tools our developers have crafted to aid authors in their publishing endeavors.
Meeks also emphasized the importance of networking: "No one climbs the mountain alone." Numerous successful self-published authors have scaled up through relationships – from partnerships and newsletter swaps to invaluable tips and supportive networks of friends. Networking is simple to initiate – sending an email or Facebook message – but events like Author Nation take it up a notch.
New York Times bestselling author Melissa Stevens echoed these thoughts: "I stumbled upon the group last winter and absorbed tons of learnings. I knew the conference would be even better." Melissa stressed that conferences like Author Nation provide benefits that can't be obtained online – the chance to meet people, create meaningful relationships, and access opportunities that might never otherwise cross your path.
Day Three: A Grand Finale
The final day got off to a robust start with Carlyn Robertson of BookBub revealing strategies to boost chances of being chosen for their coveted Featured Deal promotion. We also heard captivating tales from Nicholas Sansbury Smith, who has catapulted himself to seven-figure earnings and even secured a movie adaptation for one of his book series.
As the conference drew to a close, James Blatch of the Self Publishing Formula demonstrated how simple video marketing can be, attracting fans through live novel-writing streams, Q&A sessions, and more. No fancy equipment is necessary – all that's required is a basic smartphone and internet connection to connect with readers and boost your followership with video marketing.
Sticking it Wide
Our very own Kinga Jentetics participated in a roundtable discussion on the merits of "going wide" (distributing content beyond Amazon). Joining her in this illuminating panel were Christine Munroe from Kobo, Damon Courtney from BookFunnel, and Dan Wood from Draft2Digital.
Expanding your distribution can unlock readership opportunities that can't be accessed by Amazon-exclusive authors – a point demonstrated by Kinga through examples from authors who've enjoyed notable success distributing widely via our platform. Diversification isn't limited to stateside retailers – it extends to millions of English-speaking individuals worldwide, including promising territories such as China and India.
Helping Other Writers Shine
As Conference Mastermind Craig Martelle wrapped things up, he addressed the essence of Author Nation: "It's all about helping each other succeed."
The conference's workshops, talks, roundtables, and meals with authors were infused with a remarkable sense of camaraderie, as people shared their secrets for success – from writing tips and editing tricks to marketing techniques and beyond.
Craig later confirmed that Author Nation is the "gold standard for indie publishing," and following his whirlwind tour of conferences worldwide, we couldn't agree more. We're already dreaming about next year's conference – hopefully, we'll see some of you there! In the meantime, keep an eye on our Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for updates on upcoming events.
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- After an enlightening three days at the Author Nation conference, it's evident that focusing on diverse aspects of a lifestyle, such as fashion-and-beauty for eye-catching book covers, food-and-drink for thematic content integration, home-and-garden for creating immersive settings, and travel for gripping cultural backdrops, can enhance a self-published author's work effectively.
- With Author Nation offering invaluable networking opportunities, authors can establish collaborations that span beyond literary realms, forging partnerships in the fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, and travel industries to elevate their reach and impact on readers globally.
