Resources for Authors
I truly believe that you can never have enough information about a topic and I couldn’t possibly provide all the content you need to study on my own. So, below follows a list of influential voices in the indie publishing world, along with a short overview of the type of material they offer. Please note that this isn’t an extensive list, but should be treated as a starting point to your self-publishing education.
Podcasts, Books and Premium Courses
The industry experts below all offer a range of learning options. From free Podcasts, to relatively affordable books, all the way up to premium courses with matching price tags.
I understand that not everyone who gets into publishing has the same financial situation, so I wanted to make sure that the experts I recommend offer something for everyone, no matter your budget.
The Creative Penn
Joanna Penn is one of the first prominent voices in the self-publishing space I came across back in 2012. She has been at this a long, long time, and really knows her stuff.
Her materials for authors are vast and helpful. She’s a prolific writer of non-fiction (and fiction!) as well as a long-time podcaster. She also runs courses and you can often find her speaking at large author conferences.
- Creative Penn Podcast
- Writing/Publishing Non-Fiction Books by Joanna Penn
- Courses for authors
Better Faster Academy
In case you’re struggling with your mindset and wonder if the “right way to do things” really is right for you, then I urge you to check out Becca Syme. She’s an established fiction author, as well as a success coach, so she knows what you’re going through.
Becca Syme uses Gallup’s Strengths assessment to figure out the make-up of your personality and character and advocates for aligning yourself with your individual strengths. Alongside a wealth of free and reasonably priced material for authors, she also offers group- and individual coaching.
- The Quitcast on YouTube
- Dear Writer book series for authors
- Write Better Faster Course and more…
Mark Dawson’s Self Publishing Formula
A successful Thriller author as well as Podcast host, he is also famous for his premium Ads for Authors course which teaches you to use various ads platforms to market your books.
Check out his website for an absolute wealth of information as well as inspirational interviews with successful self-published authors.
- Self Publishing Show Podcast
- Self Publishing 101 Course
- Ads for Authors Course
The Alliance of Independent Authors
Another thing that might be worth doing is becoming a member of the professional membership organisation looking out for self-published authors interests; ALLi (Alliance of Independent Authors). I’ve been an author member for years and have found their range of educational materials and partner discounts to be hugely helpful.
Expect to get access to a huge range of how-to guides, an active Facebook group of like-minded writers, and so much more…
Associate Membership
You are preparing your first book for self-publication. You could also be a student of creative writing, multimedia, or publishing with an interest in author-publishing.
Author Membership
If you’ve published one book or more, or are just about to upload your first book, this is the membership for you.
Authorpreneur Membership
Authorpreneurs earn their living from self-publishing and associated business. This membership is assessed – you will need to show evidence of 50,000 book sales in the past two years and/or KU or business equivalent.
- Do I need to care about piracy?Short answer: no. Long answer: usually not, although it depends. Piracy is a loaded topic for many of us in the self-publishing industry. The reason is obvious: every time a reader downloads an illegal copy of one of our books we have lost out on a royalty payment. But, is it really that simple? Probably… Read more: Do I need to care about piracy?
- Do I publish Wide or in KU?This is possibly one of the most divisive topics in the self-publishing community, so this is going to be another long post. As with most complex topics, it’s best to start at the beginning. What even is KU? If you’re an avid reader of ebooks, and your Amazon Kindle is your ereader of choice, you’ll already… Read more: Do I publish Wide or in KU?
- Do I absolutely need my own ISBN?Short answer: No. Long answer: There isn’t one clear answer to suit everyone, because it all depends on your exact circumstances. Please bear with me, because this is going take a while… What is an ISBN? ISBN stands for: International Standard Book Number. It’s a 13 digit (formerly 10 digit) unique number that identifies a… Read more: Do I absolutely need my own ISBN?
- I Want to Publish a Book. What Are my Options?Coming into this, you probably already have a goal in mind. You have this manuscript sitting on your hard drive, and you crave to see it made into a book which you can hold in your own two hands. A physical manifestation of all the hard work you’ve poured into it. And that’s great! A… Read more: I Want to Publish a Book. What Are my Options?
- Publishing companies, vanity publishing and publishing scamsAs an author looking to publish your books, you’ll come across a plethora of options. Some sound more enticing than others, depending on what your goals and expectations are. The 21st Century Author is all about self-publishing, so I may be a little biased. Still, there are a lot of potential pitfalls out there which… Read more: Publishing companies, vanity publishing and publishing scams