ARCs: what they actually do (and what they don't)

The Free Amazon Tools Most Indie Authors Are Botching

If you’ve published a book on Amazon, you already have an author page. It’s there whether you’ve touched it or not, and most of the time it’s a blob doing absolutely nothing for you. This week on You Should Totally Write That, LL Kirchner and I go deep on two free Amazon tools almost every indie author underuses: Author Central and A+ Content. Sounds boring, but it’s not. In fact, we use the word “pizzazz” more than once. Author Central is your friend. This is the back end of your Amazon presence, separate from KDP. Inside, you can update your bio and photo, add editorial reviews, upload book trailers, see your follower count, and track your sales rank across every title. There’s also a Q and A feature where Amazon prompts you with questions like “what book do you recommend.” That’s a sneaky way to associate yourself with a comp author. I list Ellie Alexander on mine because Ellie is a top cozy author, her voice matches mine, and she’s an all around awesome person. Your bio should serve you, not summarize you. Don’t list every job you’ve ever had. If you write psychological suspense set in 1995 Pittsburgh, say that. The detail is searchable. Generic is invisible. And put a real photo up, if at all possible. AI scrapers and readers both clock the difference between a human face and a logo. The Amazon follow button is free marketing. Use it. When a reader follows you on Amazon and you release a new book, Amazon emails them. Promote that follow button in your newsletter, in your social bios, anywhere readers ask for links. A+ Content lives on KDP, not Author Central. This is where you build the visual blocks on your book page: banner graphics, tropes lists, character profiles, comparison images, pull quotes from reviews. I make mine in Canva and use the same template sizes across every book. Since I started populating A+ Content on all my titles, my product pages feel optimized in a way they didn’t before. Whether it’s juicing the algorithm or just stopping the scroll, it’s working. If you only do one thing this week, refresh your author photo and add a follow call to action to your bio. Then go look at A+ Content. It’s free. It’s there. Use it. Tools referenced * Amazon Author Central * Amazon KDP dashboard * Amazon A+ Content (under Marketing in KDP) * Amazon Follow button * Canva (for A+ Content templates) * Amazon BookScan (for trad-pubbed authors) * Draft2Digital (mentioned as an aggregator option) * Barnes & Noble author profile * Google Play Books and Apple Books author profiles * Goodreads (as a source for editorial review pull quotes) What we’re reading * Tara: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, an amazing audiobook narrated by Ruby Dee. Part of an all-Florida reading list she’s attempting for the rest of the year. * LL: We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune, audiobook. A standalone end-of-the-world road trip novel following an elder gay couple, Don and Rodney, with a rogue black hole closing in on Earth. Recommended by a street team member on TikTok. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit youshouldtotallywritethat.substack.com [https://youshouldtotallywritethat.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The tech stack for new authors: what's worth it

Nobody told us that publishing a book meant starting a company. You’re not just the writer — you’re also the design department, IT, marketing, and accounting. And somewhere along the way, most of us bought a bunch of tools we didn’t need, couldn’t figure out, or used exactly once. In this episode, Tara and I get into what we actually use — the writing tools, book production tools, design tools, scheduling tools, email platforms, and a few analytics tools we think are optional (and a couple we think you can skip entirely, at least for the first few years). We also talk about how to think about acquiring tools: by function, not by FOMO. A few things that came up: why Vellum is the closest thing to a non-negotiable for indie authors, why Canva’s free tier might be enough to start, why most of us have a graveyard of email platforms in our past, and a useful AI tool for series authors that has nothing to do with generating prose. What tools have you spent money on and regretted — or loved? Drop it in the comments. Want to support the show? Support our work =) Find Tara’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tara-Lush/author/B00O5M5T5G [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tara-Lush/author/B00O5M5T5G] Find LL’s books: https://llkirchner.com [https://llkirchner.com] SHOW NOTES Episodes referenced: * Episode 21: BookFunnel * Episode 13/14: Social media + newsletters Platforms & tools discussed: Writing tools: * Google Docs — https://docs.google.com * Scrivener — https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener [https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener] * Final Draft (screenwriting) — https://www.finaldraft.com * NotebookLM (series continuity/AI search) — https://notebooklm.google.com Book production: * Vellum (easiest on Mac) — https://vellum.pub * Atticus (Windows alternative) — https://www.atticus.io * Draft2Digital (free formatting option) — https://www.draft2digital.com Audiobook proofing: * Pozotron — https://www.pozotron.com Design: * Canva — https://www.canva.com * PicMonkey — https://www.picmonkey.com Social post scheduling: * Meta Business Suite (native scheduling, Instagram + Facebook) — https://business.facebook.com Email service providers: * Flodesk — https://flodesk.com * Kit (formerly ConvertKit) — https://kit.com * Mailchimp — https://mailchimp.com * MailerLite — https://www.mailerlite.com Analytics/sales tracking: * Publisher Champ — https://publisherchamp.com * K-lytics — https://k-lytics.com * Publisher Rocket — https://publisherrocket.com * KDP Dashboard — https://kdp.amazon.com * Google Sheets — https://sheets.google.com What we’re reading / listening to: * LL: Yesteryear (audiobook via Spotify — got cut off mid-listen, to be continued) * Tara: The Price of Honey by Liane Moriarty — a short story / reader magnet; worth reading as an example of what a big-trad author can get away with that indie authors can’t Coming next: [Placeholder — hosts hadn’t locked in the next topic by end of recording] METADATA SEO Title: The tools indie authors actually need (58 chars — fits) SEO Description: Two working authors break down the writing, production, design, and admin tools worth paying for — and what to skip. (120 chars) URL slug: tools-indie-authors-actually-need This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit youshouldtotallywritethat.substack.com [https://youshouldtotallywritethat.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

ARCs: what they actually do (and what they don't)

If you’ve ever seen a book drop on release day with 50 reviews already live, you were looking at an ARC team doing its job. ARC stands for Advanced Reader Copy (sometimes Advanced Review Copy) — a pre-release version of your book, sent free to readers in exchange for an honest review. But here’s what nobody tells you upfront: ARCs aren’t a launch-day magic button for every book, in every genre, at every stage of your career. Tara has run ARC teams across three cozy series and will tell you straight — they move the needle most for a first book in a series. By book nine, the math changes. And for LL, who’s launching into psychological suspense following historical noir, the calculus is different again. This week we break down the full picture: eARCs vs. physical ARCs (spoiler: the post office might actually kill you), where to distribute them — BookFunnel, NetGalley, Hidden Gems, Book Sirens — how long before launch to send them out, and the quiet tactic of releasing your paperback five to seven days early so reviews are already stacked when the ebook drops. What’s your ARC strategy right now — or what’s been holding you back from starting one? Drop it in the comments. Yes, we’re looking for ideas! Want to support the show? Thank you to the folks who’ve reached out and pledged to support our show. TBH, we haven’t event had the time to figure that out. That said, a great way to support us is through our books. Thank you for listening. Find Tara’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tara-Lush/author/B00O5M5T5G [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tara-Lush/author/B00O5M5T5G] Find LL’s books: https://llkirchner.com/books [https://llkirchner.com/books] Show notes Episodes referenced: * Episode 21: BookFunnel — [timestamp not confirmed; cross-reference master list] Platforms & tools discussed: * BookFunnel — bookfunnel.com * NetGalley — netgalley.com (co-op/rental option available for indie authors) * Hidden Gems — hiddengemsbooks.com * Book Sirens — booksirens.com * StoryOrigin — [mentioned as one Tara has not tried] * Canva — canva.com (used for ARC team social graphics) * Google Sheets — for ARC team tracking/sign-up form What we’re reading: * Tara: Everything Has Happened by T. Greenwood — literary suspense set in a small Vermont town; recommended for fans of slow-burn, evocative writing * LL: Lost in the Summer of 69 by Eliza Knight — three-generation mother/daughter/granddaughter story; LL is reading it ahead of a June 15 event with Eliza Knight at The Gilded Page Bookstore in Tarpon Springs Thanks for reading YOU SHOULD TOTALLY WRITE THAT! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit youshouldtotallywritethat.substack.com [https://youshouldtotallywritethat.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

I Set a Lot of Money on Fire As an Indie Author So You Don't Have To

I’ve spent a lot of money as an indie author. Some of it was money well spent. Some of it I would set on fire before doing again. That’s the whole episode this week on You Should Totally Write That. LL and I sorted through everything people try to sell you and split it into what’s worth it, what’s nice to have once you have a few books out, and what you should run from. Here’s the short version. Before you publish, there are really only four things worth paying for. Some kind of editing, a good cover, formatting software, and a way to collect emails and reach your readers. Notice what is not on that list. A website. You can wait on the website. Editing is where your mileage varies the most. I use a copy editor and a proofreader and put the rest toward promotion. LL paid $2,400 for a developmental editor on her first book, then later found someone just as good for $400. So ask around. On covers, quality varies, and if you’re in a popular genre like romance you can buy wonderful premade covers for under $200. Then we get to the fun part, which is everything we have wasted money on. Scrivener, which LL bought and never opens. Grammarly. Publisher Rocket, which looks amazing for about a week. A parade of scheduling apps I set up and never looked at again. PR firms too. I once landed the New York Post, Redbook, and other publications and those mentions did not move a single book. This is our longest episode ever, which tells you how much there is to say about money. Have a listen, then come tell us what you spent on that you wish you had not. Or ask us before you buy that course. Thanks for reading YOU SHOULD TOTALLY WRITE THAT! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Episodes referenced Bookfunnel: Episode 20 [https://youshouldtotallywritethat.substack.com/p/when-your-email-list-is-you-your] Platforms and Tools Mentioned * Editing and writing: Reedsy (where Tara found an earlier developmental editor), Scrivener, Grammarly Premium, ProWritingAid, Marlowe, Publisher Rocket, K-lytics * Formatting: Vellum (Mac), Atticus (PC) * Covers and design: 100 Covers, Canva and Canva Pro, PicMonkey * Email and reader delivery: BookFunnel, Flodesk, ConvertKit, MailerLite, Mailchimp, TinyLetter * Ads and promo: Facebook ads, Amazon ads, BookBub (featured deals and ads), The Fussy Librarian, NetGalley * Automation and organization: Zapier, ManyChat, Notion * AI tools: NotebookLM, Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini * Courses, coaching, and events: Nicholas Erik’s Amazon ads course, The Writing Wives, Brian Cohen and Best Page Forward, InkersCon What We’re Reading/Listening To LL: Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe, plus the screen adaptation with Elle Fanning and Nick Offerman, which she has feelings about because of what they changed from the book Tara: Welcome to Night Vale, the long-running fictional podcast, which she is studying as a worldbuilding exampleSupport our books Find Tara’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tara-Lush/author/B00O5M5T5G [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tara-Lush/author/B00O5M5T5G] Find LL’s books: https://llkirchner.com/books [https://llkirchner.com/books] Coming next week: ARCs! What are they? No, they aren’t boats. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit youshouldtotallywritethat.substack.com [https://youshouldtotallywritethat.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

When your email list is you, your mom, and three accidental subscribers

Every author you admire has a list. Thousands of subscribers, books launching to actual readers. Meanwhile, your list is basically you, your mom, and three people who signed up by accident. If you’ve ever wondered HOW people acquire these lists, today we’re pulling back the curtain. The tool almost every working indie author is using — and the one most beginners either skip or barely scratch — is BookFunnel. It’s not sexy. It’s not glamorous. It’s plumbing. And you need plumbing. In this episode, Tara and I get into what BookFunnel actually does (it’s a lot more than ARC delivery), the pricing tier most authors should land on, why we both use it differently, where group promos can backfire on you, and the one feature I wish I’d understood the day I signed up. “If I were a new indie author, I would not get a website right away. I’d just do a BookFunnel landing page and a Linktree.” — Tara That’s a hot take with money behind it. We get into why on the episode. Subscribe to Ill-Behaved Women for the unfiltered truth about DIY publishing — new episodes drop every Tuesday, and we send the post straight to your inbox. [Subscribe button] What we cover * What BookFunnel actually is (and what it isn’t) * The three pricing tiers — and the one most working indie authors should be on * Reader magnets, ARCs, group promos, author swaps, direct sales * The audiobook delivery feature that lets you skip Audible’s exclusivity * Why genre matters more than you think for group promos * The features we both still aren’t using You’ll want to listen if you’ve got a reader magnet but no way to deliver it, an ARC team you’re managing by hand, or a series with back-matter freebies you’ve been meaning to set up. Episodes referenced * Ep. 17 — Reader Magnets [LINK] * Ep. 14 — Newsletters [LINK] * Ep. 3 — ARCs [LINK] (deeper dive episode coming soon) (paste the actual Substack post URLs for these before publishing) Platforms & tools mentioned * BookFunnel [https://bookfunnel.com] — founded 2015 by Damon Courtney. Tiers: First-Time Author $30/yr, Mid-List $200/yr, Bestseller $300/yr * StoryOrigin — newsletter swaps, group promos, ARC management * BookSirens — vetted reviewer community (~51,000+ reviewers) * BookSprout — review-focused, free-tier-friendly * Prolific Works (formerly InstaFreebie) — public giveaway links * NetGalley — traditional publishing-leaning, librarians and booksellers * Draft2Digital Universal Book Links — alternative landing page option * Payhip / Shopify / WooCommerce — all integrate with BookFunnel direct sales * Flodesk — flat-fee email service provider (LL uses) * Linktree — biosite Tara recommends pairing with a BookFunnel landing page Key BookFunnel features we covered * Reader magnets & landing pages (download-only or email-collecting) * ARCs via Certified Mail (watermarked, up to 500/month) * Group promos and author swaps (genre matters — romance and cozy mystery thrive here) * Direct sales delivery via Shopify/WooCommerce/Payhip * In-person event print codes and (new late 2025) digital ebook signing * Audiobook delivery (launched June 2024, Mid-List add-on) * Back-matter freebies — unlimited, all collecting email addresses What we’re reading / listening to * Tara: A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn — the 35-hour audiobook, a chapter at a time * LL: Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut — a man banished for the sin of thinking too much Support our books Find Tara’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tara-Lush/author/B00O5M5T5G [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tara-Lush/author/B00O5M5T5G] Find LL’s books: https://llkirchner.com/books [https://llkirchner.com/books] Coming next week on YSTWT — where to put your hard-earned indie author dollars. What’s worth paying for and what’s not. Thanks for reading YOU SHOULD TOTALLY WRITE THAT! Subscribe for to receive new posts and support our work. Found this useful? Restack it for the indie author in your group chat who’s still emailing PDFs to their ARC team. 💚 What are your BookFunnel questions — or which features have you been ignoring? Drop them in the comments. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit youshouldtotallywritethat.substack.com [https://youshouldtotallywritethat.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]