The Indy Author Podcast

The Indy Author Podcast is for writers who are serious about both the craft of writing and the business of publishing — whether you're working toward your first book or building on an established career.Every week, host Matty Dalrymple talks with authors, editors, marketers, and publishing professionals about what's actually working right now. Topics span the full range of the writing life: developing compelling characters and tighter plots, navigating indie and traditional publishing paths, running effective book marketing campaigns, building an author platform, working with AI tools, writing short fiction and memoir, managing the business side of an author career, and much more.With hundreds of episodes in the catalog featuring guests from across the publishing world — from debut authors to bestsellers, indie publishers to Big Five veterans — there's something here for writers at every stage of their journey.Named one of the 10 Best Podcasts for Authors by Dale L. Roberts, and rec

The Indy Author Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Matty Dalrymple, The Indy Author, with 354 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Matty Dalrymple, The Indy Author hosts The Indy Author Podcast, a business show with 354 episodes published.

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  Episode #355

  Writing Iconic Characters with Enneagram with Claire Taylor - #355

  Sep 29, 202643 min

  Matty Dalrymple talks with Claire Taylor about WRITING ICONIC CHARACTERS WITH ENNEAGRAM, including how core fears and desires shape memorable characters, how to deepen an existing series, and how to build protagonist-and-villain chemistry. We also discuss character growth, choosing meaningful tropes, and planning spinoffs that meet reader expectations. Interview video at https://www.youtube.com/@TheIndyAuthorPodcast/podcasts Show notes at https://theindyauthor.substack.com/ (subscribers get exclusive content) If you find the information in this episode useful, please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple https://theindyauthor.substack.com/ https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Claire Taylor is a humor and mystery author and certified Enneagram practitioner. Through her courses, coaching, and community, she helps authors alchemize fear and master their attention to build sustainable careers aligned with their personal values and dreams. Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. More at mattydalrymple.com. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She writes nonfiction books for authors; her articles have appeared in Writer's Digest magazine; and she is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. More at theindyauthor.com. She also guides professionals in building their presence through a sideline or second act through her platform From Expertise to Authority. More at theindyauthor.com/authority.

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  Episode #354

  Social Media Strategy for Authors with Dan Blank - #354

  Sep 22, 202648 min

  Matty Dalrymple talks with Dan Blank about SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY FOR AUTHORS, including why fragmented platforms need not mean the end of social media, how human stories stand out amid AI-generated content, why simple narratives and imperfect presentation can build trust, how writers can define core messages and learn directly from readers, when to reset an uninspiring feed, and why choosing one comfortable home base—especially a newsletter—creates room to experiment and learn what resonates. Interview video at https://www.youtube.com/@TheIndyAuthorPodcast/podcasts Show notes at https://theindyauthor.substack.com/ (subscribers get exclusive content) If you find the information in this episode useful, please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple https://theindyauthor.substack.com/ https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers develop their author platforms, connect with readers, and launch their books. He is the author of the book Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience. He has worked with thousands of writers, and amazing organizations who support creative people such as Penguin Random House, Sesame Workshop, Hachette Book Group, Writer's Digest, Library Journal, and many others. You can find Dan on at https://WeGrowMedia.com, his weekly newsletter at https://danblank.substack.com or on social media @DanBlank. Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. More at mattydalrymple.com. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She writes nonfiction books for authors; her articles have appeared in Writer's Digest magazine; and she is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. More at theindyauthor.com. She also guides professionals in building their presence through a sideline or second act through her platform From Expertise to Authority. More at theindyauthor.com/authority.

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  Episode #353

  Writing the Stories Only Life Can Teach You with Bruce Robert Coffin - #353

  Sep 15, 202641 min

  Matty Dalrymple talks with Bruce Robert Coffin about WRITING THE STORIES ONLY LIFE CAN TEACH YOU, including how Bruce's police career supplied the lived experience behind his fiction, what writers can learn by reading analytically, how mystery authors guide and misdirect readers, the common creative ground shared by writing and painting, and why an unrealized creative dream may simply be waiting for experience and craft to catch up. Interview video at https://www.youtube.com/@TheIndyAuthorPodcast/podcasts Show notes at https://theindyauthor.substack.com/ (subscribers get exclusive content) If you find the information in this episode useful, please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple https://theindyauthor.substack.com/ https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple BRUCE ROBERT COFFIN is an international bestselling novelist and retired detective sergeant. He is the author of the Detective Byron Mysteries and Detective Justice series, and co-author (with LynDee Walker) of the Turner and Mosley Files. He has won Killer Nashville's Silver Falchion for Best Procedural and Best Investigator and the Maine Literary Award for Best Crime Fiction, and been a finalist for the Anthony, Agatha, and Barry Awards. Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. More at mattydalrymple.com. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She writes nonfiction books for authors; her articles have appeared in Writer's Digest magazine; and she is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. More at theindyauthor.com. She also guides professionals in building their presence through a sideline or second act through her platform From Expertise to Authority. More at theindyauthor.com/authority.

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  Episode #352

  Building AI Trust to Improve Book Discoverability with Meg Casebolt - #352

  Sep 8, 202650 min

  Matty Dalrymple talks with Meg Casebolt about BUILDING AI TRUST TO IMPROVE BOOK DISCOVERABILITY, including how AI tools are changing book discovery, why keywords need support from consistent online signals, the value of relevant links and reader recommendations, and why sustained marketing builds more trust than a short promotional spike. Meg also discusses using tropes and trend research to clarify what makes a book distinctive without sanding away the creative edges that make it memorable. Interview video at https://www.youtube.com/@TheIndyAuthorPodcast/podcasts Show notes at https://theindyauthor.substack.com/ (subscribers get exclusive content) If you find the information in this episode useful, please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple https://theindyauthor.substack.com/ https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Meg Casebolt is a romance author, AI discoverability strategist, founder of Love At First Search, creator of Happily Ever Indie, and co-host of the First Dates & Soulmates podcast. Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. More at mattydalrymple.com. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She writes nonfiction books for authors; her articles have appeared in Writer's Digest magazine; and she is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. More at theindyauthor.com. She also guides professionals in building their presence through a sideline or second act through her platform From Expertise to Authority. More at theindyauthor.com/authority.

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  Episode #351

  How Tech Is Changing Crime Fiction with Patrick O'Donnell - #351

  Sep 1, 202650 min

  Matty Dalrymple talks with Patrick O'Donnell about HOW TECH IS CHANGING CRIME FICTION, including the camera footage that cracked his first homicide case; why smaller police departments sometimes have better equipment than big cities; the real legal limits on drone surveillance and monitoring suspects on social media; and where he believes AI can genuinely help detectives, and where it never will. Interview video at https://www.youtube.com/@TheIndyAuthorPodcast/podcasts Show notes at https://theindyauthor.substack.com/ (subscribers get exclusive content) If you find the information in this episode useful, please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple https://theindyauthor.substack.com/ https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Patrick O'Donnell is proof that there is life after retirement. He was a City of Milwaukee police sergeant with 25 years of street experience, where he supervised various special units and investigated major felonies. He's the author of eleven books, including his newest Police Stories: The Rookie Years https://a.co/d/08a5IRlp. He hosts the popular Cops and Writers Podcast and founded and runs an 8,500-member Facebook group for crime writers that was featured in the Wall Street Journal. He has also hosted true crime television documentaries and has consulted with crime writers for their books and screenplays. O'Donnell lives in Wisconsin, where he enjoys working out, riding his Harley, and spending time with family. Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. More at mattydalrymple.com. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She writes nonfiction books for authors; her articles have appeared in Writer's Digest magazine; and she is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. More at theindyauthor.com. She also guides professionals in building their presence through a sideline or second act through her platform From Expertise to Authority. More at theindyauthor.com/authority.

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