Featherstone 
Podcast: How to update interiors, blurbs and change covers on books and series after they’ve been published
If you’ve ever hit “publish” on your book and then realised you needed to fix a typo, update your cover, tweak your blurb, or even release a whole new edition – put your hand up.
Author me = two hands (waving vigorously) in the air, more if I had them!
That’s why it was so fulfilling and fun to chat with the author Catherine Bilson for the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast on all things versions and book updating.
Catherine’s published over 60 books AND…get someone to catch me while I pass out from sheer overwhelm and author gobsmack…translated them into six languages. That equals hundreds of book files, in different formats, going here, there and everywhere.
She’s also updated the interior files and covers on her books and series – and often. And that’s why another author, Sofia Aves, recommended Catherine as the ideal guest for this episode of the Self Publishing with ALLi podcast. Thanks Sofia!
I’ve often baulked at updating my books, nervous to meddle with mine in case “things go wrong” and the smooth machine that brings my books to readers though booksellers, libraries, IngramSpark, Amazon, Kobo and more vaporises all those hundreds of thousands of words I’ve sweated over.
Maybe updating would delete my reviews. Maybe changing a few paragraphs here and there would play havoc with my print index. Maybe it would confuse readers. Maybes, lots of maybes!
But Catherine…not so worried. Not worried at all!
Join us for this episode where Catherine provides great tips for any author self-publishing or trad authors thinking about taking back their book rights. Things we cover:
- How and why to update your books: What are the reasons books need updating and how to go about it
- File and version control: Catherine’s tried-and-true system for managing hundreds of updates without losing track (rocket science skills included!).
- Book covers & blurbs that sell: How to keep up with shifting design trends, test blurbs with Facebook ads, and refresh keywords to stay discoverable.
- Strategic series management: Linking and promoting books across platforms and languages to keep readers engaged from book one to the final page of the series.
- Alt text & accessibility: Why new EU laws (and just doing the right thing!) mean authors need to think carefully about their ebook images and how to update your books and series to meet the new standards.
- Translations & international publishing: The challenges of selecting book categories in different markets .
- Book and author marketing strategies: How Catherine uses data, ads, and KU insights to boost sales, plus her philosophy that every update brings new momentum.
- The difference between an update and a new edition: And when to go with a new edition over a simpler update.
Whether you’re an indie author just starting out or managing a multi-book, multi-language catalogue, Catherine’s tips and stories from her own experimentation will give you the confidence to approach book updates strategically – and the reassurance that updating your ebooks and paperbacks across platforms can actually work out just fine!
It also made me think that perhaps I don’t need to be so pedantic about tracking down every single typo and doing a gazillion proofreads before I hit publish…especially if it’s so easy to update the digital file. It gives me the shudders thinking about an error in a print book that is there for ever, but for ebooks, not so much! I’m not recommending a sloppy approach, just that perhaps there’s a balance.
👉 Listen to the episode on how to update and rebrand books now on your favourite streaming channel or direct from the ALLi page (Catherine shares so many tips for authors it’s nearly an hour long so enjoy the podcast on a walk, your commute or when doing the chores)
👉 Visit author Catherine Bilson’s site and enjoy her books
👉 Contact me with guest ideas and topics that might be a good fit for my focus for the podcast which is all things book production and book distribution. FYI: The ALLi podcast is in the top 10% of podcasts worldwide.
👉 Catch up on my past episodes or tune into other ALLi hosts including Matty Dalyrymple, Joanna Penn, Orna Ross, Sascha Black, Michael La Ronn, Dan Holloway and Howard Lovy and topics on the Self Publishing with Alli podcast
Happy writing and publishing!
Anna Featherstone