There are a lot of difference between making your own way as an indie author and working with a traditional publisher but the main difference is personal accountability. While that sounds daunting and overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be.
Most traditionally published authors eventually come to the shocking realization that being traditionally published includes far fewer perks than they originally thought, so a lot are left to their own devices for the majority of their book promotion, and certainly for their long-term marketing.
Thankfully, there are a lot of wonderful resources out there available to every author. Here, I’ve rounded up the ones I find to be essential and hope they are beneficial to you in your publishing journey.
1. annerallen.com
One of Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Websites for Writers, Ann updates on Sundays and her blog includes regular contributions from former Big Six editor, Ruth Harris. @annerallen
2. authorfriendly.com
A self-publishing expert, Carla King’s Self-Pub Boot Camp offers friendly educational resources – videos, books, courses and a community to join. @selfpubbootcamp
3. bookrevieweryellowpages.com/book-bloggers
This is a great list of book blogs that review books, which is something every indie author can use!
4. bibliocrunch.com
Run by Miral Sattar, BibiloCrunch is a fantastic portal to find great service providers that have been vetted by the BiblioCrunch staff. They also have a fab #indiechat every Tuesday at 4pm EST. @BiblioCrunch
5. blog.writingspirit.com
Julie Isaac, the founder, offers tools, solutions, and support to thousands of writers since 2003. @WritingSpirit
6. booksandsuch.com/blog
Books and Such is a Literary Management Agency. They sell books to a wide range of publishers in such categories as women’s fiction, general fiction, nonfiction, gift books, easy readers, and chapter books. @JanetKGrant
7. booklife.com
Publishers Weekly’s site is dedicated to indie authors. They have success stories, author profiles, how-tos, news and more, all to help indie authors achieve their goals. @booklife
8. bookmarketingbestsellers.com
John Kremer is a long-time self-publishing proponent and knows his stuff. He is the author of 1001 Ways To Market Your Book and shares good insight on his blog and in his book! @JohnKremer
9. bookworks.com/blog
With Betty Sargent, at the helm (who has a very impressive publishing resume), it’s the new go-to for all thing traditionally and self-published. The blog is fantastic, with a hard-working team cranking the best and most helpful information on self-publishing. @BookWorksNYC
10. buildbookbuzz.com/blog
Sandra Beckwith has more than 25 years of experience as a publicist. She shares tips and writes on currently relevant topics for authors. Build Book Buzz was awarded a “Top Website for Self-Publishers” by The Alliance of Independent Authors. @sandrabeckwith
11. canva.com
If you’re looking to enhance your graphics game this year, look no farther than Canva. First off, if you’re not doing graphics with each of your blog posts or social media updates you should. Graphics really help to enhance your overall book promotion game, too. There’s a free version of Canva and a paid one, too. @Canva
12. catherineryanhoward.com
Catherine writes from Ireland and talks a lot about self-publishing. Her posts are fun and informative. @cathryanhoward
13. Copyblogger.com
Your storytelling needs to go beyond the cover of your book. So you need great online content, at the heart of which is powerful writing. The free info on their blog will help you start mastering content marketing. And then, you can use it to expand your author following. @copyblogger
14. davidgaughran.wordpress.com
David Gaughran focuses on how to get visible and sell more books. He is the author of several books on these topics and shares tons of info about self-publishing. @DavidGaughran
15. Denisewakeman.com
Dubbed the Queen of Visibility, Denise really gets it. She shares some amazingly insightful information on her blog, and via her Social Media to help you gain more readers, followers and sales. @DeniseWakeman
16. deanwesleysmith.com
One of modern fiction’s of most prolific writers, USA Today bestselling writer, Dean Wesley Smith is the author of more than a hundred novels (in forty years!). Check out Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing. @DeanWesleySmith
17. girlfridayproductions.com
Girl Friday has a diverse team. Their number includes a writer, expert, agent, and self-publisher. And more. They share insights on their blog and podcast. And they offer various services to craft and produce your stories. @GirlFridayProd
18. goinswriter.com
Jeff Goins, blogging since 2010, answers a few burning questions. They include: How do successful writers make a living? What does it really take to get published? And, how do you pursue a passion? He shares tips on writing, creativity, and making a difference. @JeffGoins
19. Goodereader.com
Good e-Reader is the leading online news source for eBooks, e-Readers and Digital Publishing. They publish over 80 news items every week, covering the entire industry. @goodereader
20. Goodreads.com
I always encourage writers to utilize Goodreads. But did you know that they have a blog dedicated to Authors and Advertisers? Well, they do – and it’s good to read! It’s packed with tips and good advice. @goodreads
21. helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com
K.M. Weiland mentors authors through her blog, one of Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Websites for Writers. @kmweiland
22. indiereader.com
Everything about indie authors, books and the independent book scene all in one spot. Solid online venue for self-published authors to find services from pro book and reader reviews to exclusive ad opps and distribution. @indiereader
23. Indiesunlimited.com
This is a beast of a site with so much content they even refer to themselves as the “nuclear powered Death Star of a blog.” And it’s totally worth your time. They have a ton of great content. And, they also offer writing challenges, social media promos, and a newsletter. Plus, even a place to promote your eBook for free. @IndiesUnlimited
24. janefriedman.com/blog
Jane Friedman is the former publisher of Writer’s Digest. She specializes in educating writers about the publishing industry—from all perspectives, without hype or bias. The Alliance of Independent Authors has awarded her a “Top Website for Self-Publishers.” @JaneFriedman
25. jodyhedlund.blogspot.com
Jody offers advice, encouragement, and inspiration based on all her knowledge of writing, publication, and marketing in today’s tough publishing industry. @jodyhedlund
26. kindlepreneur.com/blog
Dave Chesson, founder of Kindlepreneur, is a digital marketing nut. He’s also an authority on self-publishing and a multi best-selling author. And, he shares the hows, whys, and whens of online marketing. @davechesson
27. louisem.com
Louise Myers talks all about the power of social media graphics. And she offers tips on how you can make your presence more visually appealing. @Louise_Myers
28. MakeAWebsiteHub.com
Make A Website Hub is a great resource for writers interested in creating their own website. Their extensive guides and resources can help you set up a site to market your works or simply create a blog for experimentation and creative writing. @makeawebsitehub
29. magnoliamedianetwork.com/blog
Formerly the Future of Ink, Magnolia Media Network offers content to help authors navigate their marketing choices. Nancy Camden and Dr. Ellen Britt share expert interviews, tools, and great articles. Don’t miss this one! @magnolianet
30. marketingchristianbooks.wordpress.com
Sarah Bolme offers guidance on marketing to the Christian market. @SarahBolme
31. nownovel.com
Author Bridget McNulty provides a structured method to help you finish your novel. Get consistent motivation with tons of tips on the blog, helpful mentorship, and join an online community of writers. @bridgetmcnulty
32. pegfitzpatrick.com
I got to know Peg through her work with Guy Kawasaki. A social media goddess, I really love her mega-creative, super insightful posts. If you want to stay current on all things social media, and get some great ideas in the process, Peg is your gal. @PegFitzpatrick
33. Peggydekay.com
Peggy DeKay, award-winning author of Self Publishing for Virgins, runs The Business of Writing Today. Scope out her blog, resources, and podcasts. @peggydekay
34. Publicityhound.com
Joan is the Publicity Hound and she is as tenacious as the name suggests. Joan is my go-to for all things marketing. She has fantastic resources on her website, great webinars and shares a ton of helpful marketing insight via Twitter. @PublicityHound
35. sanebox.com
Sanebox is basically an email filter on steroids. I use it to keep my inbox clean by forwarding messages to my future self. Instead of jotting it on a list, I can forward the email with a specific date and it’ll pop back into my inbox at that time. It’s a must-have for staying productive and not letting genius ideas and opportunities fall by the wayside. @sanebox
36. selfpublishingformula.com
Mark Dawson has a podcast where he tackles a lot of really important and helpful topics for indie authors. And with a lot of great guests as well. Definitely worth your time. And with all the written resources out there, it’s refreshing to have the option to learn on the go! @SelfPubForm
37. selfpublishingpodcast.com
Johnny, Sean and Dave will speak to you. Literally. And they offer interactive and helpful advice. @sterling_stone
38. Selfpublishingschool.com
Chandler Bolt is a bestselling author in his own right. And he is taking what’s made him successful and offering it in a way that makes it easy for others to follow in his same path. He has a blog, a podcast, even a webinar to help you finish that book! @self_pub_school
39. SocialMediaJustforWriters.com
Frances Caballo is a self-professed social media genie and I agree with her! Her blog is a fantastic resource for not just social media, but also marketing trends in general, with a dedicated Indie Author Weekly Update. @CaballoFrances
40. sellingbooks.com
Cathy Stucker shares useful tips and techniques for writing, publishing and selling books. And she has free downloads available to help authors build their platform. @CathyStucker
41. Smashwords.com
Mark Coker,Founder of Smashwords, is the voice of the independent author. He works tirelessly to give authors the best possible experience on his site. And he often releases real-time stats on book publishing that are mind-blowing. He’s also a great speaker – I always love his sessions. @markcoker
42. socialmediajustforwriters.com
Frances Caballo shares tips and suggestions for using social media to your advantage to market your work. @CaballoFrances
43. thebookdesigner.com
Joel Friedlander aka The Book Designer has countless articles (organized into easy to navigate topics) on his site that help self-published authors with everything you need to know, and do. @JFbookman
44. thecreativepenn.com/blog
The Creative Penn is packed with information and resources. The best way to navigate through it all is to click on the “Start here!” link. @thecreativepenn
45. theindependentpublishingmagazine.com
Mick Rooney’s site and magazine offers in-depth reviews of just about every publishing service out there. Check out his reviews, resources, and loads of info on indie publishing. @theindiepubmag
46. trainingauthors.com
Shelley and Heather of Training Authors have a goal to help authors achieve book marketing success. Their site is full of resources and free downloads. @trainingauthors
47. websitesetup.org
Blogs can be a scary concept, but honestly they’re a really fantastic tool and a great way to support your other efforts because it gives you one more channel to promote your releases, your discounts, special giveaways, etc. and it helps to increase your online footprint in measurable ways – basically, it helps you get discovered. Rob Mening has really nailed it with this piece on how to start a blog, I promise it isn’t scary, no more excuses. @robmening
48. wiseinkblog.com
Wise Ink is an online community created to help passionate authors through the hurdles of publishing. The two editors, Dara Beevas and Amy Quale, both work for an indie publisher in the Twin Cities. @Wiseink
49. writenonfictionnow.com
Nina Amir, the Inspiration-to-Creation Coach, motivates nonfiction writers, entrepreneurs, and even non-writers build a business around your books and writing. @NinaAmir
50. writersdigest.com
These guys literally “wrote the book” on writing and getting published. The experts at Writer’s Digest, for 90+ years, publish books, magazines, competitions, conferences and distance education materials for writers who want to polish their skills and hone their craft. @WritersDigest
51. writerunboxed.com
Writer Unboxed has articles from a ton of contributors that all offer advice and food for thought on the craft and business of writing fiction. @WriterUnboxed
52. writetodone.com
Mary Jaksch, Chief Editor, believes your writing practice needs a positive direction. Write to Done helps you learn new skills, practice them, and become a better writer. @WritetoDone
53. allianceindependentauthors.com
I love ALLI because of their vetting process (all vendors are vetted) and their book promotion information. They’ve got a great newsletter and blog, jam-packed with lots of great information for authors. Including case studies, surveys, and a fantastic podcast! @IndieAuthorALLI
54. Zbooks.co
Owner Eric Z focuses a lot on pre-publication issues a lot of authors face, like formatting, and provides templates you can use. His main goal is to help you get your book ready for sale for free. And it’s no easy feat. But he’s dedicated to walking you through it, if you’re willing to learn. @erocz
55. amarketingexpert.com
Okay we had to put ourselves on here. After all, there may be some of you reading this from a share. We try very hard to focus our blog on easily actionable tips that can help your success TODAY. And they are accessible to pretty much any author out there, from the well-established to the newbie. We feature a strong focus on Amazon too so we can be your go-to for keeping up with the retail giant! @Bookgal
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Penny Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. (AME) and Adjunct Professor at NYU, is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. To learn more about Penny and AME, visit www.amarketingexpert.com.