Consultations

General self-publishing topics

  • Leaving KU to go wide (I did that myself back in 2018)
  • Going direct vs with a distributor
  • Technical aspects of uploading to retailers/distributors (including more niche ones like Tolino or Feiyr)
  • Optimising your metadata and product pages
  • Author branding
  • Book branding for one series and across multiple series
  • Retailer promotions and how to get them
  • Wide with print books
  • Reaching libraries
  • Cross-promotion with other authors, box sets, anthologies
  • Permafree strategy
  • Sales promotions
  • Self-publishing for Beginners
  • Newsletters - magnets, Bookfunnel, optimisation, welcome sequences, what to talk about
  • Tracking your sales across platforms
  • Backmatter optimisation
  • Book signings
  • Selling directly from your website


Specialist topics

  • Audiobooks - ACX, Findaway Voices, going direct with Kobo, finding narrators, promotion, getting reviews, selling direct
  • Translations - how to find a translator, what to look out for, are you ready for translations, how to distribute, marketing in a foreign language (also check out my book Self-Publishing in German)
  • Fiction apps - Radish, KISS, Dreame, xigxag, and others
  • Co-writing (I've worked with 5 co-authors)
  • Reaching international audiences
  • Organising multi-author projects
  • Juggling multiple pen names (I currently have four)
What I can help you with

I'm a USA Today Bestselling Author living and working in Scotland. I write mostly speculative romance, but I also have about a dozen picture books for children.


While working as a science journalist for national newspapers and magazines, I self-published my first book in 2012 without having a clue what I was doing. It was more an experiment than anything else.


Life and work got in the way, so it took until 2017 for me to publish my first 'proper' book. This time, I did my research and it was an instant success. After only a few months, I was able to go part-time and a year after my first book was released, I became a full-time author.


Around the same time, I decided to leave KDP Select to go wide. Until then, Kindle Unlimited page reads were 70-80% of my income, so it wasn't a decision I took lightly. However, it was worth it and my income increased rather than decreased.


I am wide with all my ebooks, print books, audiobooks and translations. I love experimenting with new formats like fiction apps and interactive storytelling.


In numbers:

  • 60+ romance books (more if you count box sets, collections, anthologies) written as Skye MacKinnon
  • 11 children's picture books, one YA fantasy novel written as Isla Wynter
  • one non-fiction book about German translations written as Skye B. MacKinnon
  • 38 audiobooks
  • Translations in German, French, Spanish, Dutch and Italian
  • Admin of various Facebook groups for authors including Wide for the Win
  • Organised multiple successful anthologies and box sets
  • Cover and logo design for other authors (Peryton Covers, currently on hiatus because I'm too busy)
  • Presentations and Panel Member at Inkers Con 2021, The Wolf Pack, Doing Wide Wright,...
What I can't help you with

There are some topics that aren't my forte. I will be unlikely to help you with:

  • Finding a traditional publisher or agent
  • Publishing exclusively with Amazon in KDP Select
  • Advanced CPC ads - I can talk you through the basics, but since I rarely use ads myself, there are much better people to ask for advert advice
  • Very genre-specfic topics that don't involve romance or children's books
  • Writing craft - how to write or edit a book - again, there are many other resources for that
  • Anything specific to publishing in the US or other countries that aren't the UK (like buying ISBNs at your local agency, taxes, copyright, etc).


If you're not sure if I am the right person to have a consultation with, use the contact form to get in touch.

I - that's Skye MacKinnon aka Isla Wynter - now offer consultations for authors at all stages in their career. They will take place online via Zoom (unless you live nearby and want to have a tea at a local cafe) and last one hour. Take a look at what I offer and if you're interested in a consultation, use the booking button at the bottom of the page.

If after reading all this you still want to book a consultation with me, click the button below to choose a slot in my calendar. I try to offer slots convenient for authors across time zones, but if you can't find a time that suits you, get in touch and we might be able to sort something out.


Consultations are £119 for one hour. I usually like to use Zoom but I'm also happy to use Skype if you prefer.


After you've chosen a slot, please fill in my intake form. This isn't compulsory, but it will help me prepare for our session.


I will send you a Zoom invite well in advance.


The booking system lets you choose between PayPal and Stripe. If you prefer to pay via Wise, choose the 'on-site' option and I'll send you an invoice.


If you're struggling financially, let me know and we can talk payment plans.

About me
Consultations

If you have to cancel your appointment more than 24 hours in advance, we can reschedule or you can get a full refund. If you cancel less than 24 hours before our meeting, I will charge a £20 rescheduling/cancellation fee.

If you don't attend the consultation without prior warning, you can rebook with a 50% discount.


If I have to reschedule or cancel less than 48 hours in advance, you will either get a full refund or an extra 30 minutes at our rescheduled session.

Three of my friends also offer author consultations.

Take a look at their websites for more:

Erin Wright

Mark Leslie

Suzie O'Connell

Kate Rudolph