My guest this episode is Joshua S. Narins, a literary fiction author based in New England. Before turning to writing, he spent two decades as a cinematographer, specializing in aerial, underwater, and second-unit film work. Now, he brings that visual storytelling sensibility to his fiction, crafting character-driven narratives with a sharp, cinematic edge.

Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.

We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.

Sponsor

Inspirational Indie Authors is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.

About the Host

Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.

About the Guest

Joshua S. Narins is a New England-based literary fiction novelist, and his released titles include his debut novel, False Neutral and his follow-up, Clear-Cuts. Prior to embarking on a writing career, Joshua was a veteran Director of Photography and, in addition to principal unit production, specialized in all aspects of underwater, aerial, and second-unit cinematography. Joshua lensed work on projects ranging from studio features to independent films, foreign and cable films, national and international commercial campaigns, and special-venue projects. Joshua is currently at work on his next project.

On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway reports from the London Book Fair on the 2025 Selfies Awards, where ALLi authors won in all three categories. He discusses a surge in new members for audiobook platform Libro.fm, the rollout of a "look inside" feature for indie bookstores, and the first major auction of AI-generated art at Christie's.

Sponsors

Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.

Self-Publishing News is also sponsored by book cover design company Miblart. They offer unlimited revisions, take no deposit to start work and you pay only when you love the final result. Get a book cover that will become your number-one marketing tool.

Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.

And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.

About the Host

Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Howard Lovy, a developmental editor and ALLi’s content and communications manager, about six questions every author should ask to improve their craft. They discuss maintaining narrative immersion, balancing detail with engagement, and ensuring characters drive the story. Howard shares practical tips on avoiding common pitfalls, keeping scenes purposeful, and writing from the characters' perspectives to keep readers engrossed in the narrative.

Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.

Sponsors

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote.

This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family.

About the Host

Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors, and her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine. She serves as the campaigns manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Matty is also 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, including Close These Eyes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.

About the Guest

Howard Lovy is a developmental editor with 40 years of experience in writing and editing for newspapers, magazines, and news services, and a decade specializing in book editing. He provides manuscript evaluations and works closely with authors on both fiction and nonfiction projects. Howard is also a novelist, with his debut novel, Found and Lost: The Jake and Cait Story, set to be released on April 29, 2025.