Biba is a traditionally and independently published author and the founder of Mortlake Press. In this conversation, she explains how she moved from working in technology to writing full-time, why she chose a hybrid publishing model, and how she now uses technology to help run and scale her author business.
We also go deep into AI.
Where should authors use it? Where shouldn’t they? What happens to editors, translators, designers and audiobook narrators? And in a world increasingly filled with AI-generated content, could a genuinely human creative voice become more valuable?
CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome and introduction
02:00 Biba Pearce’s origin story
07:00 Discovering self-publishing and KDP
09:20 Making the leap towards full-time writing
11:30 Writing faster: outlining, Snowflake and Save the Cat
15:20 Becoming a hybrid author
18:00 Why Biba created Mortlake Press
19:20 Can authors actually make money from writing?
21:00 Kindle Unlimited, backlist and read-through
24:00 Standing out in a crowded book market
27:30 AI-generated books and the author’s voice
31:30 How Biba uses AI in her publishing business
35:20 Copyright, ethics and AI training
38:00 How authors can future-proof themselves
41:00 AI translation, audiobooks and publishing costs
44:40 Will AI take creative jobs?
48:00 Why human creativity may become premium
52:20 Publishing translations internationally
56:20 Kickstarter and special editions
57:30 Writing five or six books a year
58:40 Advertising and selling a series
1:00:00 Ebooks, print and audiobooks
1:02:00 Claude, AI tools and author workflows
1:04:00 GEO: search in the age of AI
1:09:00 The future of authorship and publishing
1:11:00 Where to find Biba
1:12:00 What’s coming next on Talking Tech with Creatives
Topics include indie publishing, author business, artificial intelligence, creative technology, KDP, Kindle Unlimited, book marketing, AI translation, audiobooks, GEO and the future of publishing.
Find Biba Pearce via her website and social channels.
Website: https://bibapearce.com/
Instagram: @author_bibapearce
Facebook: @authorbibapearce
TikTok: @authorbibapearce
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bibapearce
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