Sell More Books Show

The Sell More Books Show delivers a weekly indie publishing briefing anchored by two working authors who also run active coaching and editing businesses. Bryan Cohen founded Amazon Ad School and Best Page Forward — both built on the premise that effective copywriting and ad targeting drive book sales. H. Claire Taylor is a fiction strategist and owner of FFS Media with 200+ edited manuscripts and two dozen published novels across multiple pen names.

The show launched with Bryan Cohen and Jim Kukral as co-hosts. Kukral departed around Episode 300, and H. Claire Taylor joined as permanent co-host, shifting the show's chemistry toward fiction strategy and ad-forward marketing advice.

What You Get#

• Weekly news roundup: Each episode opens with the top story of the week — KDP policy changes, Kindle Unlimited payout updates, Amazon Ads interface changes, and industry controversies get reliable weekly coverage.
• Question of the week: A listener question or industry prompt designed to encourage authors to examine their own publishing decisions rather than just consume information passively.
• Short-form episodes: The show shifted to shorter episodes in recent years, prioritizing consistent output — most recent episodes run under 30 minutes.
• Marketing-forward perspective: Both hosts run author-service businesses, so marketing tactics and ad strategy receive more detailed treatment than craft or production topics.

Who It's For#

• Genre fiction authors: H. Claire Taylor's fiction-strategy background gives romance, fantasy, and thriller authors relevant framing for marketing decisions.
• Amazon Ads users: Bryan Cohen's Amazon Ad School background means the show covers ad targeting and KU strategy with more precision than general self-publishing podcasts.
• Authors who want a quick weekly briefing: The short format lets authors stay current with indie industry news without committing to hour-long episodes.

Pricing: Free on all major podcast platforms.

Strengths#

• Host expertise is directly applicable: Both hosts run active businesses helping authors sell books — the advice reflects real client outcomes, not theory.
• 630+ episodes of consistent output: One of the most reliable publishing cadences in the indie author podcast space, running continuously since 2014 — Apple Podcasts rating sits at 4.9/5 from 316 ratings.
• Amazon Ads depth: KU strategy, ad targeting, and book sales funnel mechanics get more practical treatment here than on general self-publishing shows.

Limitations#

• Amazon-centric focus: Wide publishing and non-Amazon income streams are underrepresented. Authors building on Kobo, direct sales, or international markets will need to supplement with other resources.
• Shorter episodes limit depth: The recent format shift means complex marketing questions get introductory treatment. Listeners wanting deep dives should pair this with longer-format shows.
• Host business interests: Bryan Cohen's Amazon Ad School means Amazon Ads receive enthusiastic coverage; alternative platforms like Facebook Ads or BookBub Ads get comparatively less attention.

Alternatives#

Self-Publishing with Dale covers similar Amazon news territory with even shorter episodes and stronger KDP tool coverage. For craft-forward fiction authors, Helping Writers Become Authors covers story structure without the marketing emphasis. Novel Marketing (Thomas Umstattd Jr.) offers longer-form marketing strategy applicable to both indie and traditional publishing paths.