About this episode

James Blatch and Sissy Mecca share insights from the SPS Live conference in London, discussing key topics and interviewing special guests.

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Sissy Mecca record live from SPS Live in London, surrounded by more than 500 authors from around the world. They share the atmosphere from the conference floor, discuss some of the standout sessions, and chat with special guests including volunteer coordinator Adrian Wills, Draft2Digital's Dan Wood, and Doug Pratt and Nick Harvey from the Two Indie Authors podcast. Topics include fandom building, direct sales, the future impact of AI on publishing, conference networking, and the power of community within the indie author world. Key Talking Points Behind-the-scenes insights into running SPS Live The vital role volunteers play in creating a successful conference experience Building author fandom and reader loyalty beyond the ebook Lessons from Damon Courtney's "Taylor Swift Method" presentation Why direct sales and special editions continue to grow in importance The value of author conferences for networking and learning How the indie publishing landscape is changing through AI Why authors need to understand AI, even if they choose not to use it The increasing importance of reader relationships and community building Dan…

People in this episode

Host: James Blatch

Guests: Sissy Mecca, Adrian Wills, Dan Wood, Doug Pratt, Nick Harvey

Topics covered

• fandom building
• direct sales
• AI in publishing
• conference networking
• community building

Keywords

• self publishing
• author conference
• indie authors
• AI impact
• reader loyalty
• networking
• community

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Draft2Digital

Books & works: Taylor Swift Method

More episodes of The Self Publishing Show

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• SPS-455: Lessons From Rock 'n' Roll · July 9, 2026 · 57 min
• SPS-454: Launching a New Series · July 2, 2026 · 49 min
• SPS-453: Three Questions Every Author Should Ask · June 25, 2026 · 51 min
• SPS-452: Lessons from London · June 18, 2026 · 39 min
• SPS-450: How to Work a Conference (Not Just Attend One) with James Blatch & Cissy Mecca · June 4, 2026 · 57 min

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