About this episode

James Blatch and Cissy Mecca reflect on key takeaways from SPS Live 2026 and the Cambridge Retreat, discussing practical lessons for authors in indie publishing.

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Cissy Mecca reflect on SPS Live 2026 and the Cambridge Retreat, sharing their biggest takeaways from the event and the sessions that made the biggest impact. From direct sales and BookVault strategies to AI workflows, reader engagement, advertising, TikTok marketing, and writing for commercial success, the pair discuss the practical lessons authors can apply immediately to their own publishing businesses. The episode serves as a post-conference debrief, highlighting the trends, tools, and mindset shifts that are shaping the future of indie publishing. Key Talking Points Key lessons and standout moments from SPS Live 2026 & The Cambridge Retreat Direct sales opportunities and simplifying fulfilment with BookVault Using AI to streamline author businesses and administrative workflows Building AI projects and systems rather than relying on individual chat prompts Advertising strategies and improving marketing effectiveness Why consistency beats chasing viral success on TikTok Reader engagement, newsletter performance, and audience growth Writing for commercial success and understanding reading-age expectations The importance of…

People in this episode

Host: James Blatch

Guest: Cissy Mecca

Topics covered

• SPS Live 2026
• Cambridge Retreat
• direct sales
• AI workflows
• reader engagement
• advertising strategies
• writing for commercial success

Keywords

• self-publishing
• indie publishing
• marketing
• AI in publishing
• reader engagement
• BookVault
• SPS Live
• writing strategies

Sponsors

ProWritingAid

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BookVault

Products: ProWritingAid

Places: Cambridge

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• 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-451: Live at The Self Publishing Show · June 12, 2026 · 27 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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