Five Great Self Publishing Resources

I’ve been reading a lot of materials lately about self-publishing and marketing.  Tell me you’re surprised!  Here are a few outstanding books that have really helped me to get started on the pathway to self-publishing to Kindle.

 

The Self Publishing Toolkit, by Daphne Dangerlove

Summary from Amazon:

Self Publishing, Simplified!

Tired of slogging through multiple books while trying to figure out the best way to publish and promote your book on Amazon?

Help is here.

The Self Publishing Toolkit has everything you need to self publish your ebook on Amazon.

You’ll learn:
– what you must do before you hit publish.
– how to master social media and still have time to write.
– critical pre-publication tasks will help you get your book in front of the right readers.
– practical strategies for selling your books (no complicated or ‘black hat’ strategies here!)
– why an email list is critical to your success and what to with it once you have it.

 

This book was excellent, and comes with a pdf workbook and resource guide. Very detailed instructions on how to set up your website, Twitter accounts, how to market and use your KDP free days, etc. I did a lot of highlighting!

How to Publish a Best Seller on Amazon.com, by Nicolas Black

Summary from Amazon:

This is the ultimate How to book for publishing and launching a successful ebook on Amazon, maximizing your downloads, and generating a consistent income from your ebook. You’ve put all the effort into writing it, now it’s time to see some of the rewards. This book follows, “How to Write a Fiction Novel in 30 Days or Less!” Amazon is the biggest marketplace in the world.

This how to book describes the steps you need to take to maximize your visibility not just on Amazon, but also on Google. Let Amazon and Google work as a team to build velocity behind your books, catapulting your ebook downloads into the best seller lists.

The problem for most people is, they don’t fully understand the KDP program, and all of the wonderful benefits that it offers to publishers and authors. In fact, most people who don’t own a Kindle, don’t understand what the Kindle and other Amazon ebook reading products really offer in terms of the opportunity to writers and publishers of ebooks.

 

This was a great book as well, and after reading it I had to also read another of Nicolas Black’s books:

How to Write a Fiction Novel in 30 days or less

Summary from Amazon:

This is the ultimate How to book for publishing and launching a successful ebook on Amazon, maximizing your downloads, and generating a consistent income from your ebook. You’ve put all the effort into writing it, now it’s time to see some of the rewards. This book follows, “How to Write a Fiction Novel in 30 Days or Less!” Amazon is the biggest marketplace in the world.

This how to book describes the steps you need to take to maximize your visibility not just on Amazon, but also on Google. Let Amazon and Google work as a team to build velocity behind your books, catapulting your ebook downloads into the best seller lists.

The problem for most people is, they don’t fully understand the KDP program, and all of the wonderful benefits that it offers to publishers and authors. In fact, most people who don’t own a Kindle, don’t understand what the Kindle and other Amazon ebook reading products really offer in terms of the opportunity to writers and publishers of ebooks.

 

Why would I want to read this book when I’ve already written a truckload of novels?  And have already figured out that I can easily write a novel in 30 days, thanks to NaNoWriMo?  I found lots of gems of writing advice that I could use, and lots of information on preparing your book for publishing and beginning marketing.  Certainly a worthwhile read.

APE: Author Publisher Entrepreneur – How to Publish a Book

Summary from Amazon:

In 2011 the publisher of one of my books, Enchantment, could not fill an order for 500 ebook copies of the book. Because of this experience, I self-published my next book, What the Plus!, and learned first-hand that self-publishing is a complex, confusing, and idiosyncratic process. As Steve Jobs said, “There must be a better way.”

With Shawn Welch, a tech wizard, I wrote APE to help people take control of their writing careers. APE’s thesis is powerful yet simple: filling the roles of Author, Publisher and Entrepreneur yields results that rival traditional publishing. We call this “artisanal publishing”–that is, when writers who love their craft control the publishing process and produce high-quality books.

APE is 300 pages of step-by-step, tactical advice and practical inspiration. If you want a hype-filled, get-rich-quick book, you should look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you want a comprehensive and realistic guide to self-publishing, APE is the answer.

 

An excellent resource. I learned a lot even after all of the other books that I have read. And if you are looking for information on formatting your book using InDesign, this is the way to go!

The Naked Truth About Self-Publishing

Summary from Amazon:

The Naked Truth is not just another book about self-publishing. Ten New York Times Bestselling authors share their knowledge, their experiences, and their souls.
Jana DeLeon– A former CFO discusses taxes, corporations, LLCs, employees, deductions and many other things to help form your own author co-op.
Tina Folsom– An expert and bestseller in the foreign market. What to watch out for when dealing with translators, how to attract foreign readers, what countries are hot, foreign rights and much more.
Colleen Gleason– How does an MBA and two decades of sales and marketing experience translate into creating and promoting a brand that represents YOU and your work? Learn how to tackle an important element of self-publishing.
Jane Graves-What’s it like to spend more than a decade as a traditionally published author and make the switch to indie? Jane will offer guidelines to help you determine if you’re ready to make the leap.
Liliana Hart– An expert in marketing and social media, Liliana will delve into how to find your audience and keep them, and how to navigate the pesky algorithms that can make or break a career.
Debra Holland– With a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, Dr. Holland knows the mind of a writer. How do you stay sane and run a business, while trying to meet deadlines and run the emotional gauntlet caused by being an author.
Dorien Kelly-A tough and practical attorney who will share legal pitfalls that could arise while self-publishing. She’ll also delve into contracts and clauses that can tighten the noose around an author’s neck.
Theresa Ragan– Finished your book and don’t know what to do next? Theresa Ragan shares the basic steps to get you started on your self-publishing journey. Theresa also talks about money and shares real data.
Denise Grover Swank-Thinking of hiring an assistant? Where do you find one? And how do you form a business plan for a business that can be anything but consistent?
Jasinda Wilder-What happens when you have a book that skyrockets? Do you take the traditional deals thrown your way or stay indie? How to make hard decisions from multi-New York Times bestselling author Jasinda Wilder

Get the naked truth from ten women who know.

 

Okay, that was a really long description. But it is a great book. It may be last on my list, but this is one of the best self-publishing books out there! So many good ideas and insights, tips and tricks. All presented in a fun, engaging way.

Tell me what you think!

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