Are you ready to take your author career to the next level? In this wide-ranging interview, Mark Dawson gives tips on how to level up your books, your email list, and your advertising. In the intro, good news on book sales from New Zealand post-lockdown [The Guardian], why Joe Rogan's podcast deal with Spotify is such a big deal [BBC], and my ad stacking approach for Map of Shadows. Today's show is sponsored by Draft2Digital, where you can get free ebook formatting, free distribution to multiple stores, and a host of other benefits. Get your free Author Marketing Guide at www.draft2digital.com/penn Mark Dawson is the award-winning internationally best-selling author of the John Milton Thriller Series, with over a million books sold, as well as many other books. He runs training courses for authors at Self Publishing Formula and he's also the co-host of The Self Publishing Show. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and full transcript below. Show Notes * Publishing strategies for new authors * Why advertising is getting easier * Mark’s writing process * Switching genres and tips for launching in a new genre * Why book covers must tell the reader what to expect inside the book * The intricacies of autoresponder email sequences * Tools to track marketing plans and projects * Advertising tips for authors who publish wide * How to calculate read-through wth a free first-in-series You can find Mark Dawson at MarkJDawson.com and on Twitter @pbackwriter Transcript of Interview with Mark Dawson Joanna: Mark Dawson is the award-winning, internationally best-selling author of the John Milton Thriller Series, with over a million books sold, as well as many other books. He runs training courses for authors at Self Publishing Formula and he's also the co-host of ‘The Self Publishing Show.' Welcome back, Mark. Mark: Hello, Jo. Good to be back. Is this the fourth time? Joanna: Oh, I don't even know, you're just a regular. So that was actually my first question. Let's assume it's been a year. What is new with you? Any comment on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic? Mark: We could do an hour talking about what's new basically. The virus has been challenging for me as it has for everybody really. But then at the same time, because I haven't been able to write quite as much because I've got two little kids, and at least for the last two months…and it's been a bit different this week. For the last couple of months, I've been homeschooling with my wife. So that has meant that I've been getting up about 5:00 most days and writing, or working really for a couple of hours until 7:00 or 7:30. And then that's been because I've had to go into full-time dad mode after that. So it certainly slowed down my production.