Indie Authors: An Overview of Self Publishing

When it comes to self-publishing, there’s a lot to know: business models, library distribution, marketing, research, and more. Below is a list of helpful links I’ve compiled over the years.

Author Business

• “5 Observations on the Evolution of Author Business Models” On Jane Friedman
• “Enter the Publishing Industry: Publishing is a Business” on Kate Tilton
• “Estate Planning Basics for the Self-Published Writer” on Molly Greene
• “Self-Publishers: Who Grants You Permission and Who Tells You No?” on QA Productions

Book Hooks

• “Book + Hook = Sales (Marketing Recipe for Authors)” on Chris McMullen
• “YOUR “LOOK INSIDE!” BOOK PREVIEW: WILL IT TURN READERS AWAY OR CLOSE THE SALE?” on Anne r. Allen
• “Pay Proper Attention to Your Bio” on Writer Unboxed
• “Writing Your Book’s Back-Cover Copy” on Jane Friedman
• Author Toolkits

Book Marketing

• “18 Steps To A Successful Book Marketing Campaign” Blogs for Writers
• “3 unexpected marketing moves from a New York Times bestselling author” on Medium
• “7 Book Marketing Trends Authors Can’t Afford to Ignore” on The Book Designer
• “98 Book Marketing Ideas That Can Help Authors Increase Sales” on BookBub
• “Book Marketing 201” on Publisher’s Weekly
• “Ernie Zelinski: Creative Book Marketing Strategies” on Book Marketing Bestsellers
• “Finding a Balance Between Writing and Marketing” on Jane Friedman
• “If You Don’t Enjoy Marketing, You’re Doing It Wrong” on David Gaughran
• “Tips on Optimizing Your Submission for a BookBub Featured Deal” on BookBub
• “8 Ways to Grow Your Business With A Joint Venture” on Teachable

Book Publicity

• “10 Top Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Book Publicist” on BookBub
• “How to Find and Work With a Book Publicist—Successfully” on Jane Friedman
• “DIY: Book Awards For Self-Published Authors” on Publisher’s Weekly
• “MASTERING THE RADIO INTERVIEW: 10 TIPS FOR AUTHORS FROM A TALK RADIO HOST” on Anne R. Allen

Ebook Pricing

• “7 Top Ebook Price Promotion Stats You Need to Know” on BookBub
• “How to confidently choose your book’s price (and beat out the competition)” on Medium
• “How to Price Books for Retail and Non-Retail Sales” on Book Business
• “Pricing of eBooks remains unrelated to quality or effort spent in developing the product” on Talking New Media
• “When is the Right Time to Discount Your Book?” on BookBub

Email and Blog Marketing

• “How to Build an Author Platform Through Email Lists” on Publisher’s Weekly
• “How to build interactive eBooks for lead generation” on Econsultancy
• “How to Create a Great Call to Action: 6 Tips” on Amy Lynn Andrews

Indie Author Advice

• “Hindsight is 20/20: My Second Year in Self Publishing” on She Who Writes Monsters
• “8 Ways To Become A Best-Selling Author With Your First Book” on Addicted2Success
• “I self-published a learn-to-code book and made nearly $5,000 in pre-orders” on Hello Web App
• “I Was a Digital Best Seller!” on NY Times
• “Marketing My Traditionally Pubbed Novel With a Self Pubbed Novella: Lessons and Observations” on Livia Blackburne
• “My Traditional Debut and My Indie Debut: A Case Study Comparison” on Livia Blackburne
• “Success Stories” on Para Publishing
• “Why I Sell Direct as a Soft Launch (Right Now) (#13)” on Monica Leonelle
• “What are Successful Authors Doing? (And how can you be more like them?)” on Written Word

Indie Author Guides

• “The Indie Authors’ Guide to Self-Publishing Art Books” on Publisher’s Weekly
• “The Savvy Self-Publisher’s Guide to NetGalley” on Publisher’s Weekly
• “Self-Publishing Beyond the Book: Serializing, Podcasting, and Merchandising” on Jane Friedman
• “How Indie Authors Can Use Preorders to Crack the Bestseller Lists” on Publisher’s Weekly

International Sales

• “6 Ideas for Getting Your Book More International Exposure” on BookBub
• “Getting Your Book Translated and Published in Other Countries” on Live Write Thrive

Libraries

• “BiblioBoard, Pressbooks partner on library-based self-publishing” on The Bookseller
• “How to Get Self-Published Books into Stores and Libraries” on Publisher’s Weekly
• “The Library Market: What Indie Authors Need to Know” on Publisher’s Weekly

Promotions

• “8 Tips on Creating Single-Author Box Sets to Sell More Books” on BookBub
• “Can You Promote a Book without Making Yourself Miserable?” Jane Friedman

Resources

• “Free Online Resources for Self-Publishers” on Indies Unlimited
• “Author Directory Sites: The Complete List” on Self Publishing Review
• The Book Marketing Network
• The Book Promoter
• Publishing Service Index

Self Publishing Trends

• “7 Key Developments in Self-Publishing in 2015” on MediaShift
• “A manifesto for self-publishing authors” on The Bookseller
• “Non-traditional book publishing” on First Monday
• “Differentiation And Positioning For Authors” on Kunz on Publishing
• “For Indie Authors, 21st Century’s Watson is no longer Elementary” on BookWorks
• “Self Publishing Gains Momentum as Divide Between Print and Digital Book Consumption Widens: Simba Information Report” on Digital Journal
• “Self-Published Title from Jim Carrey Very Telling about the State of Publishing” on GoodeReader
• “Self-Publishing and the Industry: Implications and Impact” on Publishing Perspectives
• “Self-Publishing Grabs Huge Market Share From Traditional Publishers” on David Gaughran
• “Self-Publishing Is Growing Up” on The Wire
• “State of the Longreads” on Longreads
• “The changes to self-publishing are just beginning” on The Skilled Workman
• “The Latest Trends in the Indie Author Market [Smart Set]” on Jane Friedman
• “The Martian and 6 More Movies That Began as Self-Published Books” on People
• “Meredith Wild, a Self-Publisher Making an Imprint” on NY Times