Self-Publishing

How one author leveraged a sizable social media platform to breathe new life into a self-published book.

In an excerpt from her new book on cover design, Jessica Bell offers tips regarding how to utilize space and color for maximum effect.

There are three main ways to create printed copies of your book. Which one you choose depends on your budget and goals.

Choosing the right materials for your printed book affects not just its appearance but how a potential customer perceives its value.

When your ms is complete, it's time to think about semantic structure—a digital map that allows computers to identify the parts of your book.

One successful self-publishing author discusses the importance of multiple formats, licensing, thinking like a publisher, and much more.

This is an introductory guide to the major self-publishing options available to authors today, and how to choose the right service for you.

Any self-publishing author can easily make a book available to Amazon, bookstores, libraries, etc. But availability doesn't mean visibility.

When do you decide that it’s time to pursue Plan B? Taking stock of these considerations will bring you that much closer to knowing.

Ebook pre-orders can be a great tool for KDP authors, but it might not be right for everyone—especially those without an established audience.

Because an anthology includes many authors, it can connect to the fan bases of all those authors and ultimately be greater than the sum of its parts.

Imprints aren't just for big publishers; any self-publishing author can invent an imprint under which to operate. In this guest post, consultant and author David Wogahn explains the many ways that an imprint can help your branding and marketing.

A checklist for repackaging and republishing your own backlist after you get rights reverted from your traditional publisher.

A Q&A on children's self-publishing with authors Zetta Elliott, who has released several books under her own imprint, including picture books; Brent Hartinger, who self-published a young adult series and a new adult series; Cheryl Klein, the author of a self-published a work of nonfiction; and Stephen Mooser, who released a middle grade book on his own.

For every new venture, there is a learning curve. When it comes to self-publishing your book, however, that curve can be steep.

More books are translated in France than in any other country: 1 out of every 6 books has been translated from a foreign language, many from English.

I would never tell someone to publish with a hybrid publisher—every writer's goals are unique, plus hybrid publishing puts the financial risk on the author.

A self-published author breaks down her expenses and resulting sales after promoting on social media and email, paying for reviews, advertising, and more.

If you've given up on the self-publishing route and want to try traditional publishing, then there are several approaches you can take to interest agents.

In this post I regularly update the best resources I know of related to learning to publish an ebook, finding the right distributors and services, and staying on top of changes in the industry.

The most important thing any author needs to know about book distribution is that more than half of all book sales (regardless of format) take place online.

There are advantages to selling ebooks only through Amazon, and makes most sense for authors who are just starting out or who are relatively unknown.

Amazon offers two ways for authors to advertise ebooks at their site. Learn how to smartly set up and manage product display and sponsored product ads.

How a self-publishing poet achieved visibility for her book—and landed a book deal with traditional publisher Andrews McMeel.

This week, I was a guest on the Create If Writing podcast, discussing traditional and independent publishing.

I'm writing monthly for the IngramSpark blog, which is focused on the concerns of self-publishing authors and small presses.

Should you self-publish? There is no single right answer to this question—it's always situational. It depends on you, your book, and your career goals. This post outlines the key questions you should ask.

This printable and interactive checklist guides your self-publishing project to completion, to ensure you don't miss any important steps and to help you hit your target pub date.

Read my feature article for Writer's Digest magazine that explores the intersection of literary agents and self-publishing

How an indie author turned a story concept into a full-fledged multimedia universe, including a live blog, illustrated journal, merchandise, and podcast.

Should literary writers consider self-publishing? How it might affect their long-term careers? Two agents weigh in.

Learn about the likelihood of securing a traditional book deal after self-publishing.

Two literary agents offer their thoughts on the self-publishing of children's books and what the future of the picture book might look like.

Is it possible that all the changes happening in publishing can be encapsulated by a conversation about self-publishing?

There are no “rules” for agent-assisted self-publishing, but the biggest drawbacks are usually loss of control and loss of royalties. All authors should negotiate a contract beforehand that protects their rights and lifetime earnings.

CJ Lyons (@cjlyonswriter) is an award-winning, critically acclaimed New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She practiced pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine for 17 years before

Many years ago, when I started working for Writer’s Digest, I was put on the self-publishing beat. I started by

Today's guest post is by Judy L. Mandel, author of the Replacement Child, forthcoming from Seal Press in March 2013.

Today's guest post is by Ed Cyzewski. You may recall him from his previous post here, When Self-Publishing Is More

Some of you may have heard about the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), a new organization supporting self-published authors. I'm

The turning point of my long-term publishing plans came when I realized I have very little in common with author