You want to self-publish but don’t know where to begin your research. In this post, I’ve compiled a list of the best publishing resources.
The Best Publishing Resources
For a beginner, self-publishing can seem like a very daunting field. There is SO much information to unpack and so many things to learn. Nowadays, there are endless ways to do something and a lot of people that teach on the subject. Not nearly as much as other industries, but it is growing rapidly. Over the years, I have done a lot of research, and in this post, I’m compiling a list of the resources that helped me the most! Let’s get into it.
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Disclaimer
Although I recommend these recourses and people, it doesn’t mean you need to take everything they say as fact (I don’t, and they don’t want you to, either). At the end of the day, you need to do whatever you want to do, in the way you want to do it. I do believe it’s helpful to get multiple perspectives and all the knowledge you can get about publishing. You first need to learn the rules to break them.
Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)
If you’re planning on self-publishing your novel through Ingram Spark, you should take one thing from this post: The Alliance of Independent Authors. This is a paid membership, but it literally saves you money afterward. If you publish your book(s) through Ingram Spark, you pay set-up & revision fees. To publish your book the first time costs $50 & every time you revise something about the book (yes, even a typo), it costs you $25. ALLi and Ingram Spark give you a waver to both fees for a total of 5 times a month if you’re an ALLi member. So far, with my first book, I’ve already saved $50 ($150 in total), so I almost completely earned back my ALLi subscription! Besides giving you discounts & coupons, it’s also full of valuable information and support to help you along your self-publishing journey. I have the “Author” membership!
Joanna Penn (The Creative Penn)
I found Joanna Penn from The Creative Penn a couple of years ago. She’s very up-to-date and knowledgeable about the self-publishing industry and has some valuable (+ admiring) experience under her belt.
20booksto50k Facebook Group
This Facebook Group is one of my favorite publishing resources. The name stems from the idea that most indie authors can earn 50K a year with 20 books. I check this group daily and let myself be inspired by all of the success stories people post there (especially on the tough-er days). But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The group is stocked to the brim with self-publishing information and knowledge. You can use the search tool inside the FB group to search for the topic you want information on. I guarantee that almost every question has been asked already. However, if you have a specific problem, this group *might* be able to help you with it, too. They’re supportive and passionate, and there are some incredibly experienced authors & publishers inside. Plus, how cool would it be to, in turn, help other newbies later on?
AuthorTube
I learned about self-publishing through AuthorTube (a section on YouTube dedicated to being an author) years ago. The moment I heard about self-publishing, I was sold. This was what I was going to do.
There are a couple of Authortubers focused on self-publishing who taught me a lot. They are the most active, thorough, and honest about the field, in my experience (from everyone I’ve watched so far). But again: don’t take everything they say like it’s written in stone. I’m not on the same page as these ladies regarding several self-publishing topics, either. There is more than one way to do things, and there are unlimited perspectives available at all times!
Bethany Atazadeh: I’ve been watching her for literal years. She spares no details in her videos and is very honest about her publishing journey, which I always appreciate.
Heart Breathings: Sarra Cannon is a self-published author who has done really well with her books so far. She’s knowledgeable in the field, and it shows.
The Courtney Project: Also an author with a lot of experience and booked great success! Her videos are very dense and packed with information; you can learn a lot from her.
Self-Publishing Formula
I only recently learned about the self-publishing formula. This, too, is a platform that teaches self-publishing. Last year, I enrolled in their Ads for Authors course and started listening to their podcast: the self-publishing show. Very knowledgeable—highly recommend!
What were the best publishing resources—at least my favorites! I hope you got some new recommendations to help you along your self-publishing journey. It’s not the easiest road, but it is incredibly rewarding!
Lots of Love,
Britt
