Aug 23, 2026
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss whether it's acceptable and safe for an author to use AI in place of a $2,000 line edit, and where to draw the line between supplementing a human editor and replacing one.
Other questions include:
- What platforms are available for book reviews, and should you submit a digital or hard copy?
- Should you allow returns on IngramSpark, and how costly are they really?
- Is it sensible to price the same book a dollar higher on Ingram than on Kindle?
- What marketing steps should an author take to promote a general fiction novel before launch?
- What can you do when your audiobooks aren't selling but your e-books and paperbacks are?
- Do books in a linked series need consistent covers, and what happens when you have to switch designers?
And more!
Show Notes
Alliance of Independent Authors AI Policy
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 Hosts
Michael La Ronn is ALLi’s Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.
Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.