So. I’m embarking on a project to self-publish a Guide to Writing a Novel.
What are the best resources for self-publishers? What are your favorite blogs, message boards, and books?
Art: The bookbinder by Anonymous
What Are the Best Resources for Self-Publishers?
Guy Kawasaki's APE (Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur) is really good.
Currently going through the CreateSpace (Amazon) process to publish my book – pretty mainstream, but very easy – Alaniya Patton
I've gotten a lot of value from the Absolute Write forums. Also, the book "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers" changed the way I look at revision, and I consider it a must-read for all my writer friends.
I love Catherine Ryan Howard's Self-Printed
I spent some time:
– in the Writer's Cafe at KindleBoards
– considering Dean Wesley Smith's method (I don't agree with him 100%)
– watching what Deborah Geary was doing when Select came out.
Sometimes it gets a little militantly pro-self-publishing-anti-traddie, but I feel like that's calmed down a bit!
I would really like to see a chart comparing CreateSpace, Author House, and all the other self-publishing companies. It would be interesting to see what each could offer for the same manuscript.
If anyone learns of such a chart, I hope they'll post it. Otherwise, Nathan, I hope to find it in your book.
Couldn't get an agent? You?
anon-
I have an agent, I'm not considering a publisher for this project. Self-publishing all the way.
You might want to talk to this guy https://randykuckuck.com/index.php/sample-page/ or connect with him on linkedin. I've got a friend who is making a living as an independent book editor, Jim Thompsen. I can hook you up with him if you like. Of course there's writer.ly, but if you know about Guy and APE, you know about them. I self-published a novel using createspace and have three more up on kindle. Message me here if you want https://www.facebook.com/jeffwenker
The Digital Reader is a good site to follow for things like info on self-pub start-ups and digital publishing technology developments.
https://www.the-digital-reader.com/
Mark Levine is the guru of self-publishing. You should read his book first before you make any decisions: https://www.bookpublisherscompared.com/
Lurking here. If anyone can recommend a good nuts and bolts guide regarding ISBNs, formatting, making a publishing company, etc I'd be interested
The point of entry for anyone considering independent publishing should be TheCreativePenn.com. Luckily for the world, she chronicled her first year trying this, that and the other thing.
After that, the indie world is evolving so rapidly, that joining author's groups and engaging other authors slightly ahead of you and fairly parallel to you is the next step.
But the step everyone should take is having a reputable services firm. As a reviewer, I've been shocked by the awful results pouring out of AuthorHouse. I queried several authors from various outfits and found EditorialDepartment.com to be the one most respected by their featured authors and the most comprehensive in offerings (no financial consideration has ever been given to my by them, this is my opinion). There are others cropping up that I've not researched.
Peace, Seeley
I've found the best resources to be personal relationships with other authors.
Sue Quinn has posted a number of great articles on her website, and she's doen very well with her self-publishing efforts, so she has valid advice:
https://www.susankayequinn.com/p/for-writers.html
I have three eBooks on smashwords. I had to rely upon an Editor from formating to book cover to how to promote it. Paid 7$ on Facebook to "promote," "Paradise Montana," my original screenplay and was getting 15 "Likes" a day. they were all Fake profiles. FB Scamed me! let me get back at it…
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/251519
Joel Friedlander is a good resource – he's got some new templates available to help format in Word, and he's solid on basic marketing and using social media. https://www.thebookdesigner.com/ Joanne Penn is always coming up with something useful. https://www.thecreativepenn.com and there's a guy called Nathan Bransford you need to keep an eye on…
Thanks for the shout-out, Rick!
Livia – I have a whole series on formatting that should help get you started. Good luck! 🙂
TheCreativePenn.com is great, as mentioned above.
So is Lindsayburoker.com. I've learned a lot from her.
NovelPublicity.com has lots of great info/guest posts on their blog about indie pub.
And Duolit's Selfpublishingteam.com is fabulous. So is WiseInkBlog.com.
TheBookDesigner.com seems like an obvious one.
Lastly, Ashley Barron's Blog.ThePriyas.com has been helpful with info/experiences shared. She just launched a new site at IndieBookWeek.com.
Good luck with your WIP, Nathan.
I've recieved alot of help from Susan Kaye Quinn's blog.
JW Manus gives detailed advice and instructions on building e-books at her website "Ebooks = Real Books," including cross-platform problems and some fancy formatting instructions. An valuable website if you plan to build your own e-books. https://jwmanus.wordpress.com/
How to be a Writer in the E-Age…by Catherine Hyde & Anne R. Allen.
Anne R. Allen's blog is an excellent source of information for self-published writers and those who seek to be traditionally published. Although, the former pertains to you. Click Here to check out her site.
The Writer's Guide to ePublishing blog and The Creative Penn are great. Even though I'm going the traditional route for my upcoming book, I read those blogs daily.
I've very successfully used CreateSpace. It was very self explanatory, easy to make fixes, easy to design and order. I've been pleased with the quality of the product and wouldn't hesitate to use them again in the future.
Judy Berna
justonefoot.com
Susan Quinn is a great resource. I included her blog link when I commented last week, I think. Also The Indelibles is a blog of self-published authors and Susan is part of that group. There is a resource page on that blog. Here's the link: https://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com
In February, they had an online conference for 3 days. There's a website but I don't have the link. You could get it from Susan or by searching the Inelibles posts for February. Hope this helps.
Natalie's talking about IndieReCon – an online indie conference (Feb 2013) with a ton of up-to-the-minute info from leading indie authors.
Natalie – thanks for the nudge! I added a link to the Indelibles site.
My friend in publishing sent me this link. Been helpful. Some stuff I knew, some information I hadn’t thought about.
https://sarracannon.com/category/indie-writer-resources/
Robert Gryphon has an ever growing blog roll collecting exactly these kinds of resources: https://tunaforbernadette.tumblr.com/blogroll
anon…seriously, snarky and chicken? Geesh. Man up.
Best of luck on the venture. I have no clue how to self-publish, I will watch you and learn.
Sarra Cannon has a bestselling YA series. She's very sweet and I'd listen to anything she has to day. KindleBoards/ Writers Cafe has a butt load of info great for new indies. They can help you with about anything. The best part is that there are NYT and USA Today bestselling indies in there, freely sharing info and talking to everyone. Plus there are cool ppl in there like Sarra, Hugh H (Wool dude), Sara Fawkes (Anything He Wants Series), Bella Andre (Sullivans), and a bunch more. Here's the link: https://www.kboards.com/index.php/board,60.0.html Come by. Say hi.
Thanks for the mentions Stacey and Holly 🙂 I have plans to put up a lot more info on my Indie Writer Resources, but for now I do have a screenshot walk-through for uploading to KDP and PubIt. There's also a guide to everything you need to know/decide before you're ready – ISBNs, blurbs, title, etc. Hope it helps anyone looking to selfpub. The guides are here.
I agree with Writer's Cafe on Kboards. I also get a lot of great info at WG2E, David Gaughran, and Susan Kaye Quinn's site listed above. Best of luck Nathan! Self-pub is AMAZING and such a great opportunity for authors today.
Guido Henkel has a comprehensive guide to ebook formatting on his blog. You might want to hire out that aspect, but I found it fascinating to learn enough about HTML coding to be able to produce my own ebooks for the kindle and the nook. You will also be indebted to the programmer who created Calibre in this endeavor. And Joe Konrath and somebody else have a great ebook on the subject. You have to wade through the rhetoric (because, of course, Konrath is a die-hard self-publisher and a little caustic) but there is a great deal of helpful information you can pull out of it, if you're so inclined.
Another vote for Joe Konrath, as with this recent post.
https://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/02/how-to-sell-ebooks.html
Indies Unlimited (https://www.indiesunlimited.com) has great info and weekly tutorials on how to do various things related to self-publishing and social media. (Full disclosure: I also write for them.) I also read The Passive Guy, Konrath, Anne R. Allen, and Joel Friedlander. There's so much good material out there. It's a great time to be a self-publishing author.
There is not an easy way the first time you do it – if you want to produce a quality product.
Of course I assume you have had test readers and some editing/service advice at this point.
You have to do the research. Start with contacting printers in your neck-of-the-woods. They usually have binders that they work with quite often that they can recommend a few best ones for your project.
You might be able to cut costs by doing some of the layup yourself – ask your printer. They will tell you if there are more potential savings.
It is a learning curve, but it is probably worth it to go ahead and do this. At least you will value any services you contract for in the future.
Susan Kaye Quinn has great resources on her blog. Good luck! https://www.susankayequinn.com/p/for-writers.html
Susan Kaye Quinn is a definite good choice. You've been given her name so let me also add Maria Zannini. She put together a free guide call the Self-publishers Punch List. Very, Very helpful.
Maria's website might be helpful lol!
https://mariazannini.blogspot.com/
Lani Diane Rich and Alastair Stephens at StoryWonk.com. Great podcasts about the art and craft of writing as well as a lot of information about self-pubbing. Plus, they have formatting and editing services as well as cover design and blurb and tag line writing. Great, great resource! And they're a delightful fun couple.
I haven't used it myself, but http://www.selfpublishing.com seems like a site chock full of information and resources.
Check out Guido Henkel's guide to formatting your book for Kindle and Nook. I have a simplified guide on my blog (sophia-martin.blogspot.com), as well, but Guido's guide addresses things like adding images in, which mine does not.
Here's another one: WAEnet might have some good leads. It's a social network for writers, agents, and editors that launched more than a year ago and has been a great platform for learning and networking.
http://www.waenet.com
@ Livia – awesome! 😀
I really like this list – there's folks I haven't heard of that I will definitely check out.
And – I have nothing new to add. Everyone has mentioned my recommendations, but I'll talk about my favorites.
A couple I'm sure you know:
I'll second Susan Quinn and Ann R Allen's blogs – both great.
I know you know about Konrath, at the Newbie's Guide to Publishing, of course. He just recently did a series of helpful posts about pricing and discoverability. He's got great ideas, and backs everything up with his own experience.
David Gaughran doesn't post alot, but when he does it's exceptional information. His site is called Let's Get Digital.
So, I assume you know about the Passive Voice, but just in case, it's my favorite.
I'm going to try and link the site correctly:
The Passive Voice.
Passive Guy does a daily round-up of important industry and self-publishing news. I can keep up with everything that's going on, just by checking in daily. He's a lawyer, and he also adds helpful commentary about lots of stuff. The tone of blog is definitely pro-indie/critical of Industry, but if that bothers you, ignore it and go for the information, same as with Konrath.
I think that Kristine Rusch's articles about the business of writing are brilliant and fascinating, and I agree with most of it (occasionally not all :). Here's her blog (if I linked correctly): Kris Writes
A couple people mentioned Joel Frielander above. He shares alot of good stuff about marketing, but he really shines around book covers and analyzing them. He also recently created some templates for inside the book – Chapter headings, etc., which he sells. His site is here:
The Book Designer
If you look at his sidebar on the right, there's a link to 36 self-publishing blogs he recommends for more self-publishing goodness. He admits this list needs to be updated (doesn't have the Passive Voice, a travesty) but it still has some very good blogs.
This is pretty cool. If I think of anything else, I'll come back. 🙂
I've used CreateSpace, an amazon company for seven books. Their guide will walk you through the process and the results are very good. Plus it only costs you ~$5.00 for a proof and the same for books. You can sell them through virtually every channel available for $25.00. Compared to "Self Publishing companies like iUniverse, it's the only way to go, as long as you feel comfortable doing everything yourself, including marketing.
Oh, I thought of a couple. I'm not going to link them, because I know you know them, Nathan. But if you're collecting a list, they are good potential people to be on there.
I haven't read them myself, but Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, has books and articles that many find helpful – mostly about the nuts and bolts of self-publishing.
Bob Mayer is worth mentioning. I see him commenting on blogs alot – he has alot of info. He consults and has workshops….I don't honestly know if he belongs on this list – you might know better than I.
I wish Barry Eisler had a blog about this, but he doesn't. Nonetheless, I will mention him.
Draft2Digital is a new digital downloader similar to Smashwords, but it downloads to Amazon, and Smashwords does not, unless you're specially selected. The word on the street seems positive so far, but you always have to think about how much percentage you want to give up – that's with Smashwords too. You asked for blogs, etc., which this isn't, but what the heck, I'll throw this in.
Here's the url: https://www.draft2digital.com/
And just to show how wonderful Passive Voice is, here are just three of the upcoming posts for tomorrow:
11-Year-Old Raises $5,500+ on Kickstarter to Self-Publish
Apple CEO Tim Cook to Testify in eBook Anti-Trust Case
Top 10 Tips For Self-Publishing Print Books On Createspace
Okay, that's all I got for now. 🙂
I self-published on CreateSpace and did all the work myself, from margins to dropped capitals to alternating headers. I couldn't have done it without the absolutely amazing group of writers in the CreateSpace community, always willing to lend a hand and their expertise with anything that came up. I haven't maximized my use of GoodReads for my book, though I should, and have done most marketing through Facebook, Twitter and my blog. Something must have worked because my book, Looking Up, was just awarded the Grand Prize in the Writer's Digest annual self-published contest.
The Writer's Guide to ePublishing (WG2E)is a fantastic resource and their post tonight is a virtual encyclopedia of self-publishing information. https://bit.ly/ZJFxxs I think one could access information on nearly any publishing topic that one might have a question about.
I'm astonished that Mark Coker has received only one mention, and no link to his free Smashwords Style Guide.
Don't be fooled by the title. The content in here is full of best practices for formatting a manuscript for multiple platforms. Anyone familiar with (real) desktop publishing will know most of the tips in here, but even an old FrameMaker user like me (Frame 3.0 on Unix before Adobe acquired it) picked up some good tips.
Other than that, I'd say there's nothing more valuable than a helpful mentor, and I've found that most self-published authors who got help from someone are more than willing to pay it forward, including me.
So are you going to write this book or are we going to essentially it for you?
Nathan you are hands down my favourite agent cum writer and all- around helping hand for writers. You are one of only two blogs I subscribe to (the second one is very recent and not about writing). I believe you absolutely deserve your successes. But this surprises me.
This seems like 'hey, I, Nathan Bransford, well-known and respected name in publishing, am going to write a book all about how to self-publish as a guiding beacon of light so all of you out there might benefit from my wisdom'.
(cheers, applause, messages of support)
'Great! Thanks everyone! Right, so tell me what I need to know…'
Unknown-
]I'm actually writing a guide to writing a novel not a guide to self-publishing.
Wow, Unknown. I wonder if you realize how harsh and critical your post was.
And – in my opinion – unfairly so. Even if Nathan were compiling lists and information for an eventual book (and I think that would be cool), doing research and asking for community input is a well-respected and appropriate way to do that.
Nathan is representing himself as a learner here, and not as a 'guiding beacon of light'. And we can all benefit from the wisdom he collects. Self-publishing in this way is a terrific way for all writers to learn about self-publishing. I'm sure Nathan would discuss the process and give credit in his book.
You know, sometimes I find myself having unrealistic expectations of Nathan, which got set up back when he was my 'dream' agent and I sort of idealized him, but I've learned to check myself. He's just another writer trying to share his work, and as a fellow writer he is just as entitled to community support and understanding as any other. Asking him to meet some previous 'ideal' is unfair and unrealistic.
Anyway, I hope you'll think twice before you post something so hurtful again.