Being a self published author is no longer viewed as a poor alternative to being published with a large traditional publishing company. Now independent authors (or inde authors) are able to self publish their work and sell it along side the books published by traditional publishers. Some indi authors have even been able to earn a living from the books they offer online.
Self publishing your own book does not have the stigma that it once had. One of my favorite books, The Martin by Andy Weir, was first self-published by Mr. Weir as an e-book before Random House LLC picked it up. It has since gone on to be made into a movie.
As the number of indie authors has increased, the number of books about self-publishing has increased as well. In the sea of possible books to learn about independent publishing, where do you begin?
Below, you will find my Top 5 Books for Independent Authors. I have read and used the information in these books to write, launch, and promote our books for Two Pugs Publishing, LLC. While there are many other books, this list of books will get you started in the right direction.
You will find some of the same information will be covered in several books … getting different points of view will help you to come up with your own way to write. There is no one book where you will get everything you need. Each one will bring it’s own gems for you to learn about.
The One Hour Guide to Self-Publishing by Dave Bricker This is my go to book for self-publishing. It is a quick read and I would have gladly paid more for the book. The One Hour Guide is a must have for new authors. It will guide you through ISBNs, copyrighting, printers, publishers, how to price your book, how to market your book and much more. I use this frequently when I publish my books to get a quick refresher on the process. As one reviewer stated “This one hour guide has been invaluable in helping me balance options. It is a fast read, one hour or so, easy to follow and understand, and an honest account of options.” Do yourself a favor and buy it today. It is reasonably priced and comes as a paperback book or kindle on amazon.com.
Why Authors Fail: 17 Mistakes Self-Published Authors Make That Sabotage Their Success (And How To Fix Them) by Derek Doepker will walk you through how to avoid the mistakes that plague most indie authors. I wish I had found this earlier in my indie publishing career. Mr. Deeper goes through the four areas of failure: Mindset, Motivation, Book, and Marketing Failures. Even if you have been doing self publishing before you read this book you will still learn some valuable lessons. Why Authors Fail is available as paperback and kindle and as a MP3
How to Make a Living as a Writer by James Scott Bell This book about how to make a living as a writer … whether you decide to go at it as an indie publisher or with a traditional publishing company. It does spend a some of the book on how to write better, the real gem in this book is some of the other topics that are not found in other writing books. Mr. Bell also discusses how to self-edit, how to write book descriptions, how to manage your time, and “the 7 Secretes of Your Writing Success”. I wish I had read this before I published my first book. How to Make a Living as a Writer is available as paperback and on Kindle.
Book Launch: How to Write, Market & Publish Your First Bestseller in Three Months or Less AND Use it to Start and Grow a Six Figure Business by Chandler Bolt and James Roper. This book walks you through how to come up with a book idea, how to actually write the book, and how to market it. (My favorite part of the book is about how to market the book by way of the introduction.) As one reviewer stated “The working tips and strategies in this book are no nonsense, easy to follow, and best of all produce the results you are after.“
Book Launch comes as either a kindle version or as a MP3 audio book.
Make A Killing On Kindle Without Blogging, Facebook Or Twitter: The Guerilla Marketer’s Guide To Selling Ebooks On Amazon by Michael Alvear. Being able to sell books on the Kindle format revolutionized how writers sell their art and how readers buy it. Because it is a new media, you will have to learn the rules of how to make the most out of what Amazon.com and Kindle has to offer. Not all the advice given within the book is perfect, I will say that being able to figure out how your readers find your book (Chapter 5, 7, and 9) are invaluable. Make a Killing On Kindle is available as paperback or Kindle and should be in every indie writers’ library.
With these 5 books, you should be off to a good start at learning the ropes of being a self publisher. I hope you find these helpful and good luck with your next manuscript.