I receive many requests for help with book design and self-publishing. Since I no longer work with independent authors in this way (other than informally assisting those I coach individually in writing), I have put together this page of resources. There is a lot of misinformation as well as scams on the internet around publishing, so please be careful. If you want to venture into self-publishing, educate yourself well. These are resources that I find trustworthy.
Get DETAILED GUIDANCE for SELF-PUBLIShing A BOOK.
thecreativepenn.com
Joanna Penn is a fiction writer who has successfully self-published her books. She shares all she knows about this on her blog. Many excellent resources here on how to self-publish and market a book, from the author’s point of view.
Joanna Penn is a fiction writer who has successfully self-published her books. She shares all she knows about this on her blog. Many excellent resources here on how to self-publish and market a book, from the author’s point of view.
SELF-PUBLISH A BOOK WITH MINIMAL UPFRONT COST.
kdp.amazon.com
This is the place to use if you want to self-publish print-on-demand and e-books for no up-front costs. Yes, Amazon is a big corporation, but they also have by far the best deal for independent authors anywhere on the web, especially for those with limited resources. Just be sure and get your own ISBN number, which is an international system that is used by all bookstores for buying books (not difficult to do — available online from Bowker). This will indicate that you are the publisher, rather than Amazon KDP.
If there is any chance you may want to print elsewhere in the future, rather than use their templates for your book, you will also want to upload your own pdf files of the book design (hire a book designer to create the files for you). If you use their templates, Amazon owns them and you will have to re-create the book to print elsewhere. Your book will be distributed internationally through Amazon.com and to online bookstores, as well as by special order to regular bookstores through Ingram, a large distributor. You can also make a Kindle version, and Amazon has programs to help you market ebooks.
Amazon offers the highest royalties of all the self-publishing options on the web. PLEASE be careful of offers elsewhere on the web that require lots of money upfront and also require that you use their ISBN. Don’t be tempted by big promises about “marketing help.” Lots of people out there are taking advantage of first-time author/publishers.
ingramspark.com
Ingram Spark is an excellent alternative to Amazon, with very reasonable fees. It requires a bit more savvy to use, but has some advantages for distribution, especially to libraries and schools. They handle only the paperback version, so you would have to go through Amazon for a Kindle edition of an ebook. If you want to avoid Amazon for the ebook, you'll need to do some investigating.
chicagomanualofstyle.com
To publish a print-on-demand book and get professional results — especially if you want to design and edit it yourself — this is the bible of the book publishing world. Follow it carefully. We have a lot of subliminal conditioning around what a book should look like — the order of the pages, the consistency of the grammar, typography, etc. — and it’s very subtle. You have to know the rules extremely well to break them. For this reason, I recommend hiring a book editor to copyedit your book before publication. You will also want to hire a book designer — before you start making artwork since what works on paper and what works on a book cover or inside a book are two very different things.
copyright.gov
Your book is automatically copyrighted as soon as you write it, but in America you can also register it with the copyright office for a fee after it is published for extra assurance.
This is the place to use if you want to self-publish print-on-demand and e-books for no up-front costs. Yes, Amazon is a big corporation, but they also have by far the best deal for independent authors anywhere on the web, especially for those with limited resources. Just be sure and get your own ISBN number, which is an international system that is used by all bookstores for buying books (not difficult to do — available online from Bowker). This will indicate that you are the publisher, rather than Amazon KDP.
If there is any chance you may want to print elsewhere in the future, rather than use their templates for your book, you will also want to upload your own pdf files of the book design (hire a book designer to create the files for you). If you use their templates, Amazon owns them and you will have to re-create the book to print elsewhere. Your book will be distributed internationally through Amazon.com and to online bookstores, as well as by special order to regular bookstores through Ingram, a large distributor. You can also make a Kindle version, and Amazon has programs to help you market ebooks.
Amazon offers the highest royalties of all the self-publishing options on the web. PLEASE be careful of offers elsewhere on the web that require lots of money upfront and also require that you use their ISBN. Don’t be tempted by big promises about “marketing help.” Lots of people out there are taking advantage of first-time author/publishers.
ingramspark.com
Ingram Spark is an excellent alternative to Amazon, with very reasonable fees. It requires a bit more savvy to use, but has some advantages for distribution, especially to libraries and schools. They handle only the paperback version, so you would have to go through Amazon for a Kindle edition of an ebook. If you want to avoid Amazon for the ebook, you'll need to do some investigating.
chicagomanualofstyle.com
To publish a print-on-demand book and get professional results — especially if you want to design and edit it yourself — this is the bible of the book publishing world. Follow it carefully. We have a lot of subliminal conditioning around what a book should look like — the order of the pages, the consistency of the grammar, typography, etc. — and it’s very subtle. You have to know the rules extremely well to break them. For this reason, I recommend hiring a book editor to copyedit your book before publication. You will also want to hire a book designer — before you start making artwork since what works on paper and what works on a book cover or inside a book are two very different things.
copyright.gov
Your book is automatically copyrighted as soon as you write it, but in America you can also register it with the copyright office for a fee after it is published for extra assurance.
WRITE A MEMOIR THAT WILL INTEREST PUBLISHERS.
How to Write your Memoir
Many writers come to me with a story from their life to share. For those intent on publishing a memoir for a wider audience, the approach is a bit different than when writing a memoir with your own integration and soul-work as the first priority. Jerry Jenkins, a New York Times bestselling author, put together this excellent guide to help you look at your memoir idea the way a publisher would see it. Good to study this before beginning your book if you want it to be marketable to a wide audience.
Many writers come to me with a story from their life to share. For those intent on publishing a memoir for a wider audience, the approach is a bit different than when writing a memoir with your own integration and soul-work as the first priority. Jerry Jenkins, a New York Times bestselling author, put together this excellent guide to help you look at your memoir idea the way a publisher would see it. Good to study this before beginning your book if you want it to be marketable to a wide audience.
publish your work with a magazine or press.
Poets&Writers
This is an excellent resource for writers of poetry, fiction, memoir and creative non-fiction, and their free newsletter is a wonderful source of information as well as inspiration. Their website is full of excellent resources, including free, up-to-date listings of magazines, small presses and agents with links to their guidelines. Often people putting together anthologies advertise their calls for submissions here.
Jane Friedman
A savvy publishing professional who is very current with her information, you can subscribe to her newsletter for free, and her website is full of resources for writers who want to publish their work professionally.
This is an excellent resource for writers of poetry, fiction, memoir and creative non-fiction, and their free newsletter is a wonderful source of information as well as inspiration. Their website is full of excellent resources, including free, up-to-date listings of magazines, small presses and agents with links to their guidelines. Often people putting together anthologies advertise their calls for submissions here.
Jane Friedman
A savvy publishing professional who is very current with her information, you can subscribe to her newsletter for free, and her website is full of resources for writers who want to publish their work professionally.
START A BLOG.
medium.com
Medium is a quality site where you can publish your work and have it available to their audience. In a sense, they host a blog for you, rather than you putting it on your own website. The site is curated, so your style and content will need to be compatible with their editorial mission. If your work is a fit, it's a popular and attractive place to share your work.
Medium is a quality site where you can publish your work and have it available to their audience. In a sense, they host a blog for you, rather than you putting it on your own website. The site is curated, so your style and content will need to be compatible with their editorial mission. If your work is a fit, it's a popular and attractive place to share your work.
books i wrote using this approach.
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Poems that emerged from a long cycle of retreat where I confronted the personal and collective shadow.
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