Are you an author looking to publish your first book? Going to the big publishing houses is a waste of time unless you have a celebrity or influencer brand behind you. As a dedicated writer, you’re going to have to resort to the self-publishing method if you want to get your work out there in the market.
Self-publishing revolutionized the world of publishing, marketing, and distribution for independent authors. Just a few decades ago, getting your work published yourself was a real hassle, and it cost a fortune.
However, as the digital age marches on, there’s plenty of innovative platforms popping up with self-publishing resources and tools for your career. Now, you can get your work into print or published online without ever leaving your laptop.
Here are our top resources for self-publishing authors.
Blogs and Websites – Alliance for Independent Authors
ALLi provides self-publishing authors with a membership community to connect and network with other self-publishing authors. It’s a great resource for finding out anything that’s going on in the self-publishing market.
ALLi offers several membership subscription tiers, starting at $75 per annum. You get access to an international author network, as well as forums and professional advisors. ALLi even offers members free online workshops, how-to guides, and a comprehensive self-publishing directory; it’s well worth the subscription cost.
ALLi places a huge emphasis on providing self-publishing authors with a comprehensive resource, focusing on support.
Distributing Your Self-Published Work
There are plenty of distribution networks available for self-published authors. Back in the day, authors didn’t have many options for finding avenues to distribute their work.
Today, the rise of platforms like Kindle, Amazon marketplace, eBay, Audible, and many others make it easy to connect to your market.
We also highly recommend E-Junkie for a distribution service that’s gaining popularity. E-Junkie gives self-published authors the chance to sell their work directly to their audience through a dedicated platform.
It’s easy to start; just set up your user account, upload your work to E-junkie, embed a shopping cart, and you’re ready to start selling. Authors pay E-Junkie a monthly fee based on the number of products they sell during the month. As a bonus, there are no transaction fees.
In Closing – Put It All Together and Create a Publishing Strategy
Being a self-publishing author doesn’t have to be as challenging as you expect to put these resources to use, and they’ll benefit you with getting the word out about your work.