648: Indies United: Create and Market Your Self-Published Book with Lisa Orban

Lisa Orban is an author and founder of the publishing house "Indies United." She's the author of several books, including "I'd rather Starve than Cook! A Cookbook For People Who Hate to Cook." It has received over 100 excellent ratings and reviews on Amazon and GoodReads.
In 2015, she published her first book, "It'll Feel Better When It Quits Hurting: A Memoir" and has received critical acclaim by top-rated Amazon reviewers. She's published a second memoir, political satire, four optical illusion adult coloring books, and others.
In 2018, she opened the publishing house Indies United to give indie authors a safe haven to publish books and avoid the pitfalls so common to this industry.
Quotes
“If you get too bored, it means you're doing something wrong.” - Lisa Orban
“The average indie author will likely spend two to four hours every day on marketing and promotion if they're doing it all on their own. That's a lot of time that they can't spend writing.” - Lisa Orban
“There's a stigma attached to being an indie author, and it's often not fair. Publishing houses control many aspects of the publishing world, and it's in their best interest to either promote indie authors or stigmatize them as unworthy.” - Lisa Orban
Takeaways
02:55 A hybrid publishing model can solve common frustrations of both traditional publishing and self-publishing by offering authors more control, support, and opportunities.
14:41 A publishing community that supports authors can help them focus on writing while professionals handle marketing and distribution.
16:49 When creating a book, look for topics people constantly ask you about, as this indicates built-in demand and expertise.
24:53 Putting your personal story and personality into your marketing can help your book stand out in a crowded marketplace.
26:14 Publishing trends are cyclical, similar to TV show genres, making it crucial to have a flexible publishing approach that isn't locked into one narrow focus.
29:50 Trying to figure out publishing alone could take years, potentially wasting valuable time that could be spent actually writing and creating.
Resources
- Indies United Publishing House
- Follow Indies United Publishing House, LLC on X (Twitter)
- Subscribe to Indies United Publishing House on YouTube
- Follow Indies United Publishing House on Instagram
- Connect with Lisa Orban on LinkedIn
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:42 — 31.0MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS
Filed in: Archive 3: 2018-2020 • Interview • Podcast • Writing