I have compiled what I have found to be the best written and most helpful articles from authorities in the self-publishing niche. These are resources that I have bookmarked and refer to often and refer clients to often, so I decided it was time to put them in a central location.
ISBNS and Barcodes
- Purchase your own ISBN (or packs of them) (Bowker Identifier Services)
- Barcode Options for the Self-Publisher
- ISBN Options for the Self-Publisher
- ISBN-13 Bookland Barcode Generator (Bookow)
- Yes, You Need a Price Specific Barcode (Amy Collins)
Metadata and Cataloguing
- BISAC Subject Headings List | (Book Industry Standard Group) This is the basis for choosing your book’s categories.
- 7 Facts about Book Metadata | IngramSpark.com
- What is PCIP Data? (FiveRainbows.com)
- Self-Publishers May Want to Try For Library of Congress Cataloging (RJ Crayton, Jan. 2016)
The Business End
- Best and Worst Self-Publishing Services Reviewed and Rates by the Alliance of Independent Authors
- Business Tips and Taxes for Writers (Carol Topp, CPA)
- Selecting a Self-publishing Imprint (David Wogahn)
- How to Set Up Your Self-Publishing Company on Bowker
- Self-Publishing Your Children’s Book: A Simple Guide (Shayla Raquel)
- How much to charge for your book (Brooke Vitale)
- Self-Publishing Lingo from A to Z (Shayla Raquel)
Cover Design
- For honest, professional feedback on your book cover or to read past critiques, visit CoverCritics.com.
- My Cover Design Process: Three Cover Design Scenarios
- 6×9 Full-Cover Template for Paperbacks with Easy PNG Overlay
- Covervault provides great 3D mockup Photoshop templates
- How to Make a Book Back Cover that Stands Out (Brooke Vitale)
Writing and Editing
- Looking for a Book Editor? Here’s How Much You Should Expect to Pay (Blake Atwood)
- What Kind of Editor Do You Need? (Shayla Raquel)
- Self-Editing Basics: 10 Simple Ways to Edit Your Own Book (Blake Atwood)
- How to Find & Work with Beta Readers (Kristen Kieffer)
- Beta Readers vs Editors vs ARCs (Joel Friedlander, May 2018)
- A Word Count Guide for 18 Different Book Genres (Blake Atwood, June 2017)
- 5 Tips to Write Dialogue Effectively (Brooke Vitale)
Publishing, Printing, and Distribution Options
- Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing: Vanity Publishers (Shayla Raquel)
- What is a Hybrid Publisher? (Jane Friedman)
- Pros and Cons of Traditional Publishing vs Self-Publishing (Joanna Penn)
- 8 Steps to Getting Self-Published Books on the Shelves (Amy Collins)
- A Great Q&A Facebook Live Session with Amy Collins (lots of goodies here!)
- How to Sell Your Non-Print-On-Demand Self-Published Book Through Amazon Advantage (May 2018)
- List of Distributors and Wholesalers (IBPA)
- Book Printing: Print-on-Demand vs. Offset Printing (Brooke Vitale)
AudioBooks
- Behind the Microphone: How To Create A Great AudioBook (David Markowitz of ListenUpIndie.pub)
- Yes, You Can Record Your Own Audiobook (Rob Dirks, March 2015)
- The Author’s Guide to Audiobooks (Jim Seybert, July 2018)
Marketing
- Best Book Review Blogs (Reedsy, August 2017)
- How to Build Relationships with Book Bloggers (Shayla Raquel)
- Setting Up a Virtual Book Tour (AuthorSecret.com)
- What is an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC)? (Allena Tapia, June 2017)
- Do Kindle eBook Gifts Count as Real Sales on KDP? (Derek Haines, January 2018)
- Epic Facebook Author Pages: Everything You Need to Know (Shayla Raquel)
- Ultimate Author Websites: Everything You Need to Know (Shayla Raquel)
- How to Create a Website
Formatting and Layout
- Full Submission Guidelines for KDP and IngramSpark
- A More Concise Version for File Requirements for Print Books for IngramSpark
- Formatting e-Books for Writers (Susan Stewart) (If you are determined to format for Kindle yourself.)
- Serif vs Sans Serif for Text in Print (Ilene Strizver)
- How to Digitize Watercolor Paintings (RaeAndLily.com)
- A guide to how to paginate and lay out a picture book (Brooke Vitale)
- The self-published author’s guide to using end papers (Brooke Vitale)
Querying
Children’s Books
- How to Hire an Illustrator for a Children’s Book (Brooke Vitale)
- How to Illustrate a Children’s Book (Brooke Vitale)
- 5 Steps to Cut Text in a Picture Book (Brooke Vitale)
- How to self-publish a children’s book in 18 steps (Brooke Vitale)
- How to Write in Rhyme (Brooke Vitale)
Copyrighting Your Book and the Copyright Page
- How to Copyright a Book (Reedsy)
- Copyright Page Examples and a Breakdown of its Elements (Kindlepreneur | Dave Chesson)
- Copyright Samples You Can Copy and Paste Into Your Book (Joel Friedlander)
Fair Use Laws: Using Lyrics, Brand Names, Etc.
- A Writer’s Guide to Permissions and Fair Use (Jane Friedman, 2017)
- How to Use Lyrics in Your Writing Without Risk (Helen Sedwick, 2017)
- How to Use Brand Names in Your Fiction (Kathryn Goldman, 2014)
InDesign Resources
- InDesignSecrets.com
- Terry White is Adobe’s in-house educator. He has a 90+ video playlist dedicated to InDesign.
- Ariel Walden has created some amazing scripts that every book designer must have. His site is ID-Extras.com.
- Adobe’s InDesign Forum
Miscellaneous
- Send a Kindle File to Yourself by eMail (Amazon)
- Pre-Publishing Checklist (Shayla Raquel)
- Set Your Book Up for Pre-Order
- Kindle guidelines by Amazon
- How to Set Up Pre-orders On Amazon for Print Books (Eric Van Der Hope, 2016)
