Self-Publishing resources for authors and writers to create and self-publish their book.
Information also on book cover design, marketing, online publishing guides and print-on-demand services.
If your manuscript is finished, polished and formatted and you would like to publish an ebook and/or paperback/hardback, self-publishing is the preferred option for many independent authors. With many books published every day, it can be hard to find a literary agent or publisher to represent and promote your work.
Self-publishing can be daunting because there are many options and it can be difficult to know which is the best for your book. There are many self-publishing resources available providing information to help you with this process. These include how to self-publish an ebook, guidance for print-on-demand, the costs involved to self-publish, what percentage you receive from sales and how you get paid, the pros and cons of exclusivity when using certain publishing services, and how to market fiction and non-fiction in a crowded market.
Self-publishing can be daunting because there are many options and it can be difficult to know which is the best for your book. There are many self-publishing resources available providing information to help you with this process. These include how to self-publish an ebook, guidance for print-on-demand, the costs involved to self-publish, what percentage you receive from sales and how you get paid, the pros and cons of exclusivity when using certain publishing services, and how to market fiction and non-fiction in a crowded market.
How-To Videos on Self-Publishing via Amazon
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Beginner's guide showing how to publish ebook and paperback books using Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
Find out more here. |
How to choose and add keywords and categories when publishing your book so potential readers can find it more easily.
Find out more here. |
Information on promoting and marketing your book to stand out from the many self-published books on Amazon.
Find out more here. |
Self-publishing resources for authors to create and sell ebooks and print-on-demand:
- Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Upload your manuscript in various formats including MOBI and HMTL files. You receive between 35% to 70% of sale price. (Createspace – which used to provide the print-on-demand service for Amazon has now combined with KDP.) As well as selling through Amazon Kindle, you can distribute your book through other retailers such as Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble and Kobo plus many more.
- Amazon KDP Select Exclusivity to sell through Amazon Kindle only for a minimum of 3 months with access to promotional tools. The book will be available as part of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited subscription service (ebooks only).
- Use Kindle Previewer (free) to see how your ebook will be viewed once it's published via Amazon (the PC and MAC download links are halfway down the page).
- Use Kindle Create (free) to turn your Word document or PDF into a formatted ebook to sell via Amazon Kindle.
- Smashwords World's largest independent ebook distributor for self-published authors which distributes to Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, and more (everywhere other than Amazon). Authors receive 60% to 85% of sale price.
- AuthorHouse Provides tailored publishing packages to suit a range of budgets and requirements.
- Barnes and Noble Offers various royalty rates to self-publish ebooks and print copies.
- Kobo Writing Life A one-stop, do-it-yourself publishing portal.
- iBooks Author A free download for Mac users and great for books with images such as children’s books.
- Bookemon A free online service to create ebooks or printed books with no minimum orders.
- IngramSpark Create ebooks and print books with built-in book distribution.
- Lulu.com Publishes different formats and also offers a free version. Lulu can also produce hardback books (Amazon doesn't offer this service).
- Blurb A popular site in the UK for authors to make their own ebooks for iPad and Kindle.
- Paul Drummond Creates ebooks for Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Google Play and more. This service also offers the option create print versions. Existing titles can be converted or new ones created from scratch.
Top-rated books on self-publishing for independent authors.
Click images to view on Amazon.
Check out the following articles to help with marketing and promotion:
Free book giveaway sites for readers who provide feedback and ratings to help increase visibility and rankings:
Legalities when writing and publishing:
Further resources and online self-publishing guides:
Book cover designers:
(I do not receive a commission for recommending the following companies. I've either had contact with them myself or they have been recommended by clients.)
Create video to sell and promote your book:
Further links:
All information correct and links active at time of publishing (August 2019).
- 20 Book Marketing Tips and Tactics for Self-publishing
- How We Sold 200,000+ Books Without a Big Marketing Budget
- How to Market Self-Published Books in the Digital World
- 10 Low- or No-Budget Ways to Promote Your Book
- 50 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Promote Your Book
- 110 Book Marketing Ideas to Sell Your Book
Free book giveaway sites for readers who provide feedback and ratings to help increase visibility and rankings:
Legalities when writing and publishing:
- The Do’s and Don’ts of How to Avoid a Defamation Lawsuit as an Author (US article but aspects apply to UK also)
- A Writer's Guide to Fair Use and Permissions
- 3 Important Privacy Issues When Writing a Memoir
- Writing Memoirs: What You Need to Know to Avoid being Sued
- Can I Mention Brand Name Products in My Fiction?
- How to Get Permission to Use Song Lyrics in Your Books
- Using Song Lyrics in Fiction
Further resources and online self-publishing guides:
- Amazon KDP publishing guide Steps to publishing via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
- How to get book reviews on Amazon Amazon's Self-Publishing School guide. Check out the Resources menu on this page for more help on writing and publishing.
- Lulu title scorer tool to analyse and score your book title based on its potential readership appeal.
Book cover designers:
(I do not receive a commission for recommending the following companies. I've either had contact with them myself or they have been recommended by clients.)
- Amazon ebook cover creator Free tool to design a cover for your ebook or paperback.
- The Book Cover Designer Over 10,000 premade covers you can choose from with prices to suit all budgets.
- The Cover Collection UK-based designer providing premium book covers for independent authors.
- Selfpubbookcovers Pre-made off-the-shelf options and also a customised cover service.
- Bespoke Covers UK-based cover design service producing professional and beautiful covers for Amazon Kindle, paperback, hardcover, Lulu, iBookstore and more.
Create video to sell and promote your book:
- Literary Titan Create video book trailer to use on YouTube and social media platforms to market and promote your work.
Further links:
- Kindle Direct Publishing Community Active forum with questions and answers from new and accomplished authors and publishers regarding self-publishing with KDP.
- Independent Book Publishers Association Educational articles, information, resources and the latest news about the independent book publishing industry.
- Amazon Author Central A free service for authors to reach more readers and promote their books.
- Amazon KDP publishing guide Steps to publishing via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
- Alli (Alliance of Independent Authors) A global, non-profit association for self-publishing authors.
- Copyright Hero Anti-piracy tool to detect copyright infringment of your material.
All information correct and links active at time of publishing (August 2019).
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