Using Real People's Names in Nonfiction, Pricing an Edit, and Making the Most of a BookBub Deal: Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black

Using Real People's Names in Nonfiction, Pricing an Edit, and Making the Most of a BookBub Deal: Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black

From Self-Publishing with ALLi by Alliance of Independent Authors

June 28, 2026 · 43 min · Episode 811

About this episode

Hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black answer member questions about using real names in nonfiction, editing costs, and maximizing BookBub deals.

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss whether it is legal to use real people's names in nonfiction, including the limits around copyright, defamation, and writing about deceased public figures. Other questions include: How much does it generally cost to have a 52,000-word fiction short story collection edited? Where can an author find a cover designer for their next book? What should an author do to make the most of a BookBub featured deal they've just been granted? Whatever happened to the golden age of author podcasts, and what would be the gold-standard listens for someone entering the industry today? Where should an author distribute a professionally recorded, author-narrated audiobook? What can ALLi do for a member whose KDP account was wrongly terminated for the stated reason of having multiple accounts? And more! Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center , with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a…

People in this episode

Hosts: Michael La Ronn, Sacha Black

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ALLi, KDP

More episodes of Self-Publishing with ALLi

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast page.