Indie Author Resources

Note: Always Under Construction  | Last Updated –  05-31-21

I’ve been working at this indie author self-promotions thing since I first published The Never Hero back in September 2014. I’ve learned a lot since then, so I thought I’d compile a list of all the most helpful resources I’ve come across. If you’re just getting started, I hope that this can be a tool that helps you succeed. I’ll try and give a little context with each listed link and not over do it. That said, I update this page once every two years, so it’ll be up to you to consider if the information is dated.

CRAFT & MARKETING BOOKS  TO READ

On Writing – Stephen King | Kindle Edition

I read Stephen King’s On Writing while I was struggling through my own novel.  It was uncanny how often the experiences King described in his book mimed my own. It helped me to  persevere, but more it helped me fight my insecurities. I promise, if you are attempting your first novel, there will be moments of mind crushing self-doubt. Read this as you go through the process.

Write. Publish. Repeat | Sean Platt – Johnny B. Truant – David Wright | Kindle Edition

This is a great introduction to what you are getting yourself into. I’d be hard pressed to describe in detail all the value I got out of reading this book. However, I walked away from it with a much clearer picture of the path laid out in front of me.

Let’s Get Digital & Let’s Get Visible – David Gaughran | Kindle Editions

Why you should consider going indie over the publishing industry, and how to get your books noticed once you have.

Story Genius – Lisa Cron | Kindle Edition

Why your character’s internal development, and not external events, should be driving your plot. How to structure your story to accomplish this.

COVER DESIGN & LAYOUT

No point sugar coating this: As far as generating raw sales organically, cover art design is (arguably) the most important service. You should hire a profession for this, as it is the first thing a reader will see before even deciding to read your blurb. It is also the first thing an advertiser will see when deciding to partner with you on a promotion.

I am listing Damonza as my recommendation because they are the service I’ve used since the beginning and I’ve always been pleased with the final result.

SOFTWARE

Scrivener 

It only took writing one novel for me to abandon word as my primary word processor. It might take some getting used to at first, but this is the better option.

Calibre

The moment you need to convert your eBook, to a .mobi, .epub, .pdf, etc, you are going to wish you had this.

Sigil 

Your going to need to modify your ebook, and when you do so, it is likely going to be in .epub format.  This has been the most painless utility I’ve found for accomplishing this.

Vellum

If you’re on a Mac, I’ve only heard great things about this ebook formatting software.

Atticus

Another formatting package. I haven’t personally tested this one yet but the producers have always made impressive software.

Publisher Rocket

Great tool for doing market research.  Will help you choose Keywords, target ads, etc.

Wonderdraft

I’m tossing this one in because I recently started writing a Fantasy series and quickly realized I need to be able to visualize and reference the world I was building, this tool has a learning curve but is pretty useful in accomplishing this.

YOU ARE RUNNING YOUR FIRST PROMOTION

So you haven’t done this yet, but you will. Do me a favor and read these articles before you get started:

Kindle Count Down Confusion

The Perfect Amazon Book Promotion

ADVERTISERS FOR YOUR PROMOTION

There is no point in me recreating the wheel on this one.  Here is a great resource for finding free and paid promoters.

Here is an article that tested the effectiveness of a range of advertisers: Call to Arms – Book Marketing Results.

MUSIC

My Writing Playlist on Spotify | I’m just tossing this in. This is the music I put on when I am writing. For the most part it lacks lyrics but is designed to evoke a certain state of mind. Give it a try next time you sit down to write.