SPA Girls Podcast

Germany is the third-biggest book market in the world — and it’s still hungry for indie authors. This week we’re joined by USA Today bestselling romance author Skye MacKinnon, who returns to update us on everything that’s changed in German translations since her first appearance in 2023. Skye has more than 70 novels across three pen names, and Germany is now her biggest market worldwide.

She’s just released the second edition of Self-Publishing in German, and it’s more than double the length of the original — because there was that much to update. From the collapse of IngramSpark distribution in Germany to Tolino’s new audiobook feature, from why print books still matter to how gorgeously the Germans do special editions, Skye walks us through what indie authors need to know in 2026.

IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER:

What’s changed in the German market since 2023 (spoiler: a lot)

Why IngramSpark no longer works for German distribution — and what to use instead

The Tolino Alliance: how German booksellers built a genuine Amazon alternative

The fixed-price law every wide author needs to understand before publishing in Germany

Why print books still sell — and why German special editions are on another level

How to market in a language you don’t speak (and why you already have most of the content)

Cover trends: object covers vs man-chest, and why German romance covers look different

Genres that thrive in Germany — including one surprising winner (hint: Westerns)

The Impressum, title protection, and other legal must-knows

Why translators legally own the copyright of your translation (and why that’s fine)

Reader behaviour: Lovely Books, newsletter engagement, and the Rare signing surprise

Is it still worth entering the German market in 2026? Skye’s honest answer

Whether you’re translation-curious or already have German books and want to sell more of them, this one’s packed with practical, up-to-date advice from someone actually doing it.

👤 ABOUT SKYE MacKINNON:

Skye B. MacKinnon is a Scottish USA Today bestselling romance author who has written 70+ novels across multiple pen names, including 50 adult novels and 20 children’s books (as Isla Wynter). A former journalist, she’s been a full-time author since 2018 and has been publishing in German since 2020 — where her books have been featured in hundreds of Thalia bookstores, hit number one in Apple Books Germany’s free chart, and won the Tolino All-Star Favorites Award for Children’s Book in 2025. She’s an admin of the Wide for the Win group and consults with indie authors on breaking into the German market.

🔗 www.skyemackinnon.com

📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Self-Publishing in German: Second Edition — Skye’s book (available direct from skyemackinnon.com, plus all major retailers)

Marketing German Indie Book Translations — Skye’s Facebook group for authors translating into German

Tolino Alliance — the German bookseller ecosystem that’s roughly equal in size to Amazon Germany

Lovely Books — the German equivalent of Goodreads

Findaway Voices / InAudio — audiobook distribution

Wide for the Win — Facebook group Skye admins for wide indie authors

🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS:

🌐 Website & free self-publishing resources: http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com

🎧 Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search “SPA Girls Podcast”

💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

#authortube #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #romancewriter

#SelfPublishing #romancewriter #writingpodcast #writingcommunity

Want to write a book series readers binge — and come back to buy again and again? Bestselling YA fantasy author Helen Scheuerer joins the SPA Girls to break down how to design a series that hooks readers, boosts your read-through rate, and sets you up for long-term author income. Whether you’re plotting your first trilogy or wondering if your genre even suits a series, this episode covers the strategy behind binge-worthy fiction.

Helen shares the real reasons a series is more lucrative than standalones (hint: you build your audience once), how to use open loops, breadcrumbs, and cliffhangers to pull readers into the next instalment, and why a working series bible will save you serious time and heartache. She also unpacks exit and expansion strategies so a slow-selling — or runaway-hit — series never traps you.

🔁 CLASSIC REPLAY — This episode was originally recorded in 2022 and the series-building advice is just as relevant today.

#SelfPublishing #WriteAStory #IndieAuthor

📌 IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 — Introduction & catching up with Helen

03:30 — What actually counts as a “series” (dynamic vs static)

06:00 — Why a series is more lucrative than standalones

10:30 — How many books should a series be? (and why not to lock it in)

14:00 — Literary universes & rewarding long-term readers

19:00 — How Helen plans a brand-new series from scratch

27:00 — Open loops, breadcrumbs & cliffhangers explained

38:00 — Series arc vs individual book arcs

47:00 — Keeping a series bible (and why every genre needs one)

58:00 — Does any genre NOT suit a series?

👤 ABOUT HELEN SCHEUERER:

Helen Scheuerer is the bestselling YA fantasy author of The Oremere Chronicles and the Curse of the Cyren Queen quartet, known for strong, flawed female characters and action-packed plots often likened to Sarah J. Maas. She holds a Bachelor of Creative Writing and a Masters of Publishing, and now writes full-time from the mountains of New Zealand. Her non-fiction guide, How to Write a Successful Series, distils everything she’s learned across two bestselling series.

🔗 https://helenscheuerer.com/

📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• How To Write A Successful Series: Writing Strategies For Authors by Helen B. Scheuerer: https://helenscheuerer.com/

• Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes

• The One Page Novel outline by Derek Murphy

🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS:

🌐 Website & free self-publishing resources:

http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com

🎧 Listen on your favourite podcast app —

search “SPA Girls Podcast”

💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community!

⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions:

http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

Subscribe so you never miss an episode!

#WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast

Why do the highs and lows of an indie author career always hit when you least expect them? In this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast (EP558), it’s just the four of us — Cheryl, Shar, Wendy, and Trudi — talking openly about mental resilience and how to weather the emotional rollercoaster of self-publishing. We unpack the panic of watching your numbers drop, the comparison trap, and the burnout that can quietly creep up on even seasoned authors.

Whether you’re spiraling over a bad sales week or questioning whether your writing matters at all, this episode is a reminder that the dips are part of the journey — and you will come out the other side. We share the real tools we’ve used to climb back up: managing what you can control, setting boundaries with social media, knowing when to fold ’em, and learning to be gentle with yourself.

#SelfPublishing #AuthorMindset #IndieAuthor

Watch on YouTube

📌 IN THIS EPISODE:
• Why you can’t measure your worth against your Amazon ranking
• The “money date” approach to checking your numbers without the panic
• How comparison and online echo chambers fuel the spiral
• Accepting that change is normal (blame the saber-toothed tiger)
• Recognising and recovering from burnout
• Knowing when to say yes — and when to walk away
• Controlling the narrative and asking for help
• Remembering your “why” and defining your own version of success

📌 LINKS MENTIONED

Heather Hildenbrand https://selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep434-top-3-mindset-tips-for-authors-with-heather-hildenbrand/
Screen Zen phone app

🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS:
🌐 Website & free self-publishing resources: http://www.spagirlspodcast.com
🎧 Listen on your favourite podcast app — search “SPA Girls Podcast”
💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community!
⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

Subscribe so you never miss an episode!

#WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast

🔁 CLASSIC REPLAY — This episode was originally recorded in 2021 and the strategy is just as relevant today. Helen has since gone on to become an internationally bestselling romantasy author with multiple series, proving the long-game approach works.

What if you could earn six figures a year writing just ONE book? We sit down with International Bestselling Fantasy author Helen Scheuerer to unpack how she built a six-figure self-publishing career on a single annual release — the opposite of the “rapid release” model most indie authors are told to follow.

Helen took her traditional publishing education (Bachelor of Creative Writing, Masters of Publishing) and applied it to her indie career with stunning results. If you’re a slow writer, a perfectionist, or a deep-world fantasy author who can’t churn out four books a year, this episode is for you. We dig into Helen’s launch strategy, her decision to leave traditional publishing behind, and the marketing approach that lets one book a year perform spectacularly.

Watch On You Tube

📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

The Oremere Chronicles trilogy: https://helenscheuerer.com/the-oremere-chronicles/

About Helen

Helen Scheuerer is the Sunday Times bestselling author best known for her romantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr and The Ashes of Thezmarr. Her work has been highly praised for its strong, flawed female characters and its action-packed plots. She also publishes advice for authors with her nonfiction series, Books For Career Authors.

Helen’s love of writing and books led her to pursue a creative writing degree and a Masters of Publishing. She has been a full-time author since 2018 and now lives amidst the mountains in New Zealand where she is constantly dreaming up new stories.

Find her at: https://helenscheuerer.com/

🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS:

🌐 Website & free self-publishing resources: http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com

🎧 Subscribe to our weekly episodes on your favourite podcast app — search “SPA Girls Podcast”

💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

What if you could make more money selling audiobooks direct than on Amazon and Audible combined? In this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast (EP556), USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Hefner returns for a third time to break down exactly how she’s doing it — and how indie authors can market audiobooks wide, build a direct store that converts, and stop relying on a single retailer.

Rebecca walks us through the Facebook ad strategies, Pinterest funnels, newsletter excerpt formula, and bundle pricing that now drive the majority of her author revenue from her own Shopify and Payhip stores. We also dig into the rapidly changing audiobook landscape — Spotify, YouTube audiobooks, Kobo Plus, and why repackaging your existing catalog into box sets is one of the smartest moves you can make right now. Whether you’re brand new to direct selling or already running a wide audiobook strategy, this episode is packed with practical, no-fluff advice from someone testing it all in real time.

watch on YouTube

👤 ABOUT REBECCA HEFNER:

USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Hefner grew up in Western NC and now calls the Hudson River of NYC home. In her youth, she would sneak into her mother’s bedroom and read the romance novels stashed on the bookshelf, cementing her love of HEAs. A huge Buffy and Star Wars fan, she loves an epic fantasy and a surprise twist (Luke, he IS your father).

Before becoming an author, Rebecca had a successful sales career. After launching her own indie publishing company, she is now a full-time author who also helps coach authors especially on publishing Wide strategies and direct selling.

Rebecca’s author website is rebeccahefner.com and visit https://indieauthorvault.com for a free listing of curated resources for authors.

She is also the admin of the Marketing Audiobooks Wide group on FB (https://www.facebook.com/groups/marketingaudiobookswide) and Buy Direct From Authors (https://buydirectfromauthors.com/) which we highly recommend you join.

📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Indie Author Vault: https://indieauthorvault.com

Indie Audiobook Deals: https://indieaudiobookdeals.com

Buy Direct From Authors: https://buydirectfromauthors.com

Wide & Direct Autthor Substack: https://wideauthormarketing.substack.com

Book a Consult with Rebecca: https://payhip.com/b/L6XMI

🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS:

🌐 Website & free self-publishing resources: http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com

🎧 Listen on your favourite podcast app — search “SPA Girls Podcast”

💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community!

⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions: http://www.patreon.com/spagirlspodcast

Subscribe so you never miss an episode!

#WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast