SPS-453: Three Questions Every Author Should Ask

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Cissy Mecca reflect on The Self Publishing Show Live 2026 and discuss what happens after the excitement of a conference ends. They explore the importance of reviewing progress at the halfway point of the year, assessing business goals, and deciding what to focus on for the remainder of 2026. The conversation covers productivity, TikTok marketing, author accountability, using data to make better decisions, and feedback from SPS Live attendees. James also shares plans being considered for future SPS Live events, including more hands-on workshops and potentially expanding the conference format. Key Talking Points Why a mid-year business review is essential for authors Assessing goals, progress, and priorities for the second half of the year Using data and metrics to make smarter publishing decisions TikTok marketing and deciding where to focus your time The challenge of balancing creativity with business planning SPS Live attendee feedback and highlights from the event The possibility of adding a third day to SPS Live Ideas for future hands-on workshop and implementation sessions The value of accountability and sharing plans with other authors Avoiding overwhelm by focusing on a small number of key objectives Homework: James & Cissy's Mid-Year Author Check-In Questions: What number are you proudest of from the first half of 2026? What did you stop doing, and was it the right decision? What is your Q3 pivot — what are you going to do differently? Links & Resources Mentioned ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com SPS Live Digital Ticket & Replay Access: https://learnselfpublishing.com/digital Cissy Mecca Romance: https://meccaromance.com Two Authors' Podcast: https://youtu.be/QhYcucRQeBw?si=yPfqRHW_P4INK1RI