My favorite resources for (self)publishing

When I started out writing, I didn’t know I was writing a book. I also didn’t realize just how much there is about the industry to learn. It was a massive learning curve (both in terms of being an indie author and grasping how traditional publishing works), but the good news is that I love learning.

I wanted to share my favorite resources that helped me in the journey. Here’s the caveat though: don’t get stuck in thinking you have to know everything and master it all. There will be no project if you don’t actually focus on your writing too.

The best way to learn is to learn by doing. I met one writer who intentionally self-published a book of short stories to better understand the process. In hindsight I see how helpful that would be. I learned A LOT the hard way, and the things that I expected to be easy (like getting my book on Amazon) were actually some of the more time consuming and frustrating steps. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the path I took out of the gate to others, but it was right for me, and helpful to set up infrastructure for the future (even if I did add more work and make things more complicated).

I also see now the fact that I had so many skills going into this process (I have a MA in Publications Design [graphic design]) also held me back at times, and made me bend my mind a bit (particually when it came to creating an e-pub with flowable text). It’s all to say you don’t know what you don’t know, but here are some of the resources that vastly helped my journey. Don’t get paralyzed by overwhelm, GET CURIOUS!

(Psst. My latest Substack post was all about why I chose to self-publish rather than go the traditional route on the companion website for my book.)

TIPS + TRICKS + RESOURCES FOR WRITERS:

London Writers’ Salon is a gold mine from their daily Writers’ Hour Zoom writing sessions, to community, interviews, podcast, meet-ups, and more (don’t be fooled by the name, it’s very global). I’ve jumped between membership levels at different times with different needs. I learned even more when I upgraded to Gold status, where I learned more about what other writers were working on in weekly check-ins/outs with coaches (just hearing their intentions sent me down new rabbit holes), office hours, and expert hours with industry experts where I could bring specific questions.

The Creative Penn is the creation of indie author Joanna Penn. She’s written both fiction and non-fiction (with writers in mind), and her podcast with the same name is immensely helpful, where she interviews experts and shares industry news, as well as her own process. She also has a Patreon community.

The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) were a group I encountered at the London Book Fair in March. They have an extensive blog, as well as a community for members who will take questions in directions you never even considered (searching the archives is helpful). I found my copyeditor through their directory where they often offer discounts. Orna Ross is the founder, so look for her contributions.

There’s tons of writing about writing to help writers, which admittedly can be a crutch at times, however you never know when you’ll find the perfect gem or clue to keep going. A few I’ve found interesting are Agents & Writers, Jane Friedman (she’s great on Threads too), and Rachelle Newbold’s blog + newsletter Vox Activa have lots of great insights.

Making books:

I used Lulu.com for print-on-demand books. I went with them because they were the only company who was printing the pocket-sized format I wanted for my book. For me, as a designer, it was important to see/feel the physical book, and the design would impact how much content I could fit on each page (I knew I wanted short chapters and white space). I started printing early versions of my book less than 3-months into the process, and would have new versions to print every few months (at least six rounds, but really more). The cool thing was it cost me less to print and ship my book than it cost to buy a new book in the bookstore! This was very helpful for my creative process. (Most people probably think about design later in the process). Their YouTube channel is full of gold too no matter how you intend to publish! They also had templates for all the file set up, which was golden! I rewatched the Lulu tutorial on setting up the spine so many times!

Lulu Direct is what I used to launch my book. “Selling direct” means you’re selling direct to the reader (rather than going through a third party platform like Amazon). The perk is you get bigger margins, and have direct contact with readers, and you get paid right away (not a few months delayed). I’d only recommend this path to anyone who has a well established audience/community and a familiarity with e-commerce. (Spoiler: this all was WAY more effort than I expected). I also like them because they’re a B-Corp, and they had amazing customer service and guidance. My book is printed in the US, Canada, UK, France, India, and Australia making it more sustainable when books can be printed closer to the source. The more books you order the cheaper it is. I did learn on a podcast that most people don’t start selling direct until about their tenth book, so for most writers I would not recommend the path I took. Note that global taxation can get complicated quickly (ALLi is working on some resources for that).

IngramSpark is one of the tools you can use to take your book “wide” in terms of distribution. Like Lulu it can be used to print books (their printers are in different locations). Getting in their network is also how you can get distribution in bookstores and libraries (I’m finding that doesn’t just happen FYI), and on sites like Bookshop.org and Barnes & Noble. It’s for worldwide distribution. Books are still printed on-demand, making less waste and there’s no need to store any in a warehouse. IngramSpark has tons of great free resources as well. I met with them when I attended the London Book Fair which is where the importance of metadata was brought to my attention.

As much as I don’t want to feed the beast of Amazon, the reality is it’s where so many people go to buy books and it makes your life so much easier and is the way I’d recommend most people manage their book sales. (I started direct, then added IngramSpark, then a few months later Amazon). Kindle Direct Publishing is where you set up your Amazon shop to sell your book. Maybe it was just me and the less traditional journey I took, but I got hung up at a few places and this took longer than expected. I only got my shop set up in August, and late November was my first indication that I have a payout coming. I don’t expect it to be much because I haven’t done anything to promote (or even say that my book is on Amazon). As much as I’d love people to buy directly from me still, I’d rather as many people can discover my book as possible.

Amazon Reviews are KEY for visibility and sales (and typically part of the publishing process where you share ARCs—Advance Reader Copies—with the understanding they’ll write a review. I skipped any pre-launch process because I kept my book secret, and I’m not one to do things the typical way ;) ). If you’ve read OVERRIDE! What if there was another way? I’d be grateful if you would write a review on Amazon. Even if you didn’t purchase it on Amazon, you can still leave a review! (What was your favorite part of the book? How do you think it could benefit readers? What is something the reader can expect inside that’s not in the description of the book?)

Amazon Author Central is where you set up your author page—here’s mine. (Mine got stuck in the approval cycle so after a few weeks I had to contact support. Always contact support when you’re stuck. It got approved right away!)

It also took me some time to get my GoodReads page set up.

I’m just getting started with my e-book in Dec 2024. Kindle Unlimited [KU] is one option for e-books, but you contractually are not allowed to share it elsewhere (Kobo, Apple, etc.). Overdrive is the platform that helps you get into bookstores and libraries with an e-book (they’re behind the app Libby).

Another piece I’m considering is an audio book, which can also be a hefty investment. I may find another way myself, including making the audio available via my Substack (but I’m not there yet.)

Traditional publishing has everything released at once, but in indie publishing it’s not uncommon to roll it out in a phased manner.

TECHNICAL STUFF:

You need an ISBN number to get into official book catalogs, filing systems and libraries and so your book is searchable (ask your local librarian if you want to understand it better—it’s the number on the back of the book and on the copyright page). It’s not uncommon to have to buy a pack of 10 ISBNs. You will need a different ISBN number for each book format (print, epub, audio, etc.). When you buy the ISBNs you have the opportunity to name your imprint (mine is Another Way Press), otherwise it defaults to your name (I believe). You must do this research before buying to ensure that the imprint/publisher does not already exist (I was shocked to discover there was nowhere to search this easily). You technically don’t even need to buy your own ISBNs. You can use a free one through Lulu or Amazon, just know that’s what will appear in your book and on the platforms you’re selling. You can buy ISBNs through Bowker in the US (warning: there are SO many upsells they try to get you on, and you don’t need most of it—ask a group like ALLi; you also do not to pay to generate a bar code—there are free sites for that) and Nielsen in the UK. Don’t assign your titles until your 100% set. If you plan to stagger your releases, make sure you at least enter them into the platforms (Amazon, IngramSpark) around the same time so you don’t have to create a new ISBN.

You also need to consider metadata (the description and how your book will be findable). Publisher Rocket can help with finding keywords. It was helpful for exploring “comp” (comparable) titles.

WORKING WITH EDITORS:

There are so many digital AI tools, but nothing beats working with an actual human editor to take your work to the next level. Yes, it’s an investment but it’s worth it for all the time you’re putting into your book. In traditional editing there are four types of editors: developmental, line editors, copy editors, and proofreaders and most of the time it’s based on word count. (I have several friends who have published traditionally and also pull in their own external editors at different stages to help write the best book they can)

I worked with Brannan Sirratt as my developmental editor who I found through another writer in London Writers’ Salon (the power of asking a question on the community platform! FYI she’s also hosted multiple workshops on LWS, which silver and gold members have access to). I love that she came personally recommended, but also one of her specialties is working with coaches writing non-fiction (that’s me!). Brannan really helped me tighten my structure and ideas in the book. Working with an editor is also about feel. I LOVED working with her and she’s been really helpful with guidance along my journey. She also has a Substack where she shares weekly encouragement for non-writers.

The other thing you want to consider are beta readers—people who read your book and give you feedback. I had a couple at multiple versions along the process. I was also grateful that some of my final beta readers happened to be professional editors. I created a GoogleDoc to share the questions I was thinking about and asked them to share. You have to be careful to ask for the type of feedback you want at each stage. Folks can be well-meaning, but it also can be derailing. I emphasized that I wanted HONEST FEEDBACK and to not try to pad my ego.

For my copyeditor I was in a unique situation where my file was in InDesign. Through ALLi I contacted a few folks in the directory, and was lucky to come across Elisa Dee of Clio Editing who was able to use an InDesign feature I had no idea existed to share edits! It was another learning curve for me, but ultimately helpful. (She also does regular editing with Word, etc.!)

Warning: I was shocked to learn that proofreaders were more expensive than a developmental editor, at least the ones I was contacting. So you have to make choices along the way of how much you want to invest. (The perk of self-publishing is that I’ve already updated my file multiple times to fix a few minor errors that got missed.)

A lot of folks find editors on Reedsy.

DESIGN TOOLS FOR WRITERS:

Other things to consider are book cover design and layout. I did both myself. (Oddly and unexpectedly my cover design didn’t change throughout the process, although I did play with subtitle and tagline and their placements). All the resources shared above have resources related to this step. You may want to start by creating a Pinterest board and looking at your favorite book covers and looking to see who designed it (often on the copyright page or acknowledgements). Reedsy also has a network of designers.

There are lots of tools online to help you these days. Honestly, had I written my book in Word my life would have been easier, but I don’t like to do things the easy way ;) Had I done that I could have used a program like Vellum (Mac) or Atticus (PC) to make my e-book (my book looks great as a PDF, but you need flowable text for e-readers). I found someone on Fiverr who could help me with that. It’s another freelancer platform where you can find folks you can help you with different elements of the book. You do need to be selective about what you outsource/to who. It can all add up, so try to get clear on what you want so you can find someone who feels like the right fit for you. Some parts really are worth investing in (like a cover that will pull in readers!).

PUBLICITY + PROMOTION:

The thing to keep in mind is just because you wrote a great book doesn’t mean people will buy it. They need to know it exists. Authors need a website at a minimum. Social media is up to you. Some people use Amazon or Facebook ads (but also it doesn’t convert for everyone), revisit Joanna Penn to point you in the right direction.

Here are a few people and resources that I’ve found helpful in my author journey when it comes to putting your book into the word: Book Coach Nicole Janz on getting Amazon reviews, Too Much Social by Nicola Washington (on social media for writers—I discovered her through LWS), Pine State Publicity (I discovered Cassie through LWS), LitPR for independent authors often hosts Eventbrite sessions; I discovered Helen at the London Book Fair), Isabelle Knight is a publicist behind Build Your Author Brand with a helpful podcast (she’s helping me with my story and loving working with her—I discovered her through Threads!).

I used Vista Print to make folded business cards of my book, as well as rubber self-inking stamps that I use at book events. (Note, they like Lulu, regularly offer discounts, so sometimes it’s worth staying on the email list or placing orders when a deal is on.)

If you haven’t noticed, publishing can be one giant rabbit hole. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. I’d often find amazing resources or hear something on a podcast that would lead me down another rabbit hole. Befriending readers and joining writers communities can be so beneficial to make you feel less alone. I found just being around writers wildly motivating and I learned so much just from being in the same [Zoom] room with them. Without even asking questions I absorbed so much (same goes for listening to podcasts and interviews, even if it was different genres). There were times I found it most helpful to learn from people taking the same path (indie) as me, and other times I learned a ton from those going mainstream.

Curiosity carried me far, and honestly it was my book that told me what the next step was. My attitude was one step at a time. I got to the point of trust where I only focused on the step right in front of me. From there, I did enjoy having the global picture. Freaming about my launch event (check out that epic resource) made putting the finishing touches of my manuscript easier. I was creating a universe!. I let my book take the time it needed. It was key for me to enjoy the process even if it took far longer than I expected (about 1.5 year with more time in there too).

I’m still learning and will always be learning. Also, I think the industry is changing (yowza, some parts are so archaic). Keep it fun for you! I hope this post helps. I like to remind myself that I’m in it for the long game and I don’t have to do everything at once.

To learn more about OVERRIDE! What if there was another way? A pocket playbook for possibility and to support me directly as an author visit override-book.com.

P.S. I was serious about the Amazon reviews. If you could leave one, I’d be forever grateful! You can find my Amazon page here.

For more on my journey and the ideas in my book sign up for my OVERRIDE! Substack, which is intended to be a companion website for my book. I also run a newsletter called Connect the Dots to stay up to date on my latest writing and workshop offers.