I don’t tend to do “my-life-story-back-when-I-was-a-wee-babe-journey-to-the-miracle-of-breadmaking” posts, but a little preamble may be useful for some*. However, if Ikea instructions make you itchy, this pre-post will, too. Feel free to skip on down the page to the “Indie Pub Checklist”.
If more info is good, here are two comprehensive but consumable sites you may want to check out:
In early December 2023, I made the decision to self-publish my novel, “All the Men Are Gone”. It’s only the second book I’ve queried, and while it had what I’d consider a “respectable” number of full requests, it didn’t make it out of the query trenches. Although there were still a few agents on my list (they’d been closed for more than a year with no signs of re-opening), the publishing industry seemed to be getting messier by the minute. When I considered how long it would take to complete my next book in hopes it would get eyes on the prior one, I decided it was time to publish on my own.
Between making the decision in December 2023, and publishing in April 2024, I in effect become an author, publisher, formatter, content creator, and marketer.
For most, the learning curve for independent publishing is uphill, so I’m including relevant links in the resource list. There are many, many, many alternatives and more guidance as to pros/cons/costs/why’s/why nots than you can shake a stick at. If you are up for a dive into an internet rabbit hole on the topic, be certain to bring snacks.
*It’s me. I am “some”. I’m in between books, cut me some slack. What’s the word count on this anyway? Don’t answer that.
DISCLAIMER: The information is provided with good intentions in order to give others a starting point. I understand how it feels to decide to publish, and then have no idea what to do next and to become overwhelmed by the prospect. Publishing on your own is, in essence, simply a check list. A long one that feels like it takes forever, and a frustrating process, but a checklist all the same. I will add to this list as I learn more.
You do not need to do everything on this list. You do not need to pay people to do all these things on your list. There are other paths to publishing, and it is okay to choose a simple path to learn how it works. It’s also important to know it’s my first go at publishing on my own and there are many ways to do this – I only know a little and I don’t even know if I know that much.
A word of caution as well…before you delve in to all of this, be certain you know where the horse is. I am the first to admit, I tend to be out front pulling the cart, and the horse is nowhere to be seen, i.e., I tend to rush. Most writers do. You wrote the dang thing – you want it out there! It may take a little extra effort and time to put the best of what you can out there. Future you will appreciate the effort.
Indie Pub Checklist
What | Where | Why |
Critique Partners | Free: I did not use this site– but I understand finding beta/critique partners is a challenge for many, so am providing an option here. | |
Book Cover | $ You can make your own cover if you have access to software, are tech smart, creative, and able to navigate size requirements and formats. If you are publishing eBooks, you only need the front cover. If you are publishing a physical book, front/spine/back are required. Templates/guidelines are often provided via the sites you publish through.
$$ There are sites for inexpensive (~$100) covers. Educate yourself on use of artificial intelligence, which sites may use them, and which publishers may not work with content created by AI.
$$$ I hired a graphic artist to create the cover because often times, a good cover can sell a book. | |
Alliance for Independent Authors | $ to $$ I do recommend joining an entity like ALLi for guidance, and as a way to cut through all of the noise of independently publishing one’s own book. ALLi provides (relatively) consolidated useful information. They have three tiers of pricing, depending on where you are in your publishing endeavor. | |
Copy Editor | $$ I really wanted to skip this part. I thought I was a good editor. And while I may be, a copy editor is worth their weight in less/fewer and lie/lay and how many commas are too many commas. Be certain the work you put out for public consumption represents you well. | |
Canva | Free to $$: Canva is one option for create marketing reels and graphics. There is a free option and a paid option. It gives you access to create content graphics for marketing purposes, as well as book covers. Not all content is full/free use – verify rights/usage before using. | |
Atticus | $$ This site is used to format book interiors for both print and eBook. It provides a preview of your book on a variety of devices as well as print. You can download the required file in the correct format to then upload to publishing sites. If you’re on Mac, "Vellum" is an alternative. | |
Publishing Imprint | $$ You will need to indicate a publisher when you fill out forms/content. You can use your own name as both publisher and author. My POV is you are, in essence, operating as a publishing entity, paying for or performing the same services (cover art, developmental editor, copy editor, formatter, marketer/PR). Check out the link for more information about creating a publishing imprint. | |
Publishing Logo | Free to $$: Canva provides logo templates and all manner of graphics to customize your own logo. Do modify any template you use, so your logo is your own. This will be used inside the front matter of your book, and below the title of the book spine. | |
Publisher Website | Free to $$$: I created a simple one-page publisher website, largely to retain the domain and own the name. | |
Author Website | Free to $$$: My author site provides links for where to buy the book, and resources for writers. | |
Publisher DBA | $ Filed with the county I live in to “claim” the imprint name as my own business. | |
ISBN Numbers | $$ The ISBN number follows your book. You will need an ISBN for each format, i.e. eBook, print, and hardcover (if you print a hardcover). In the US, the only recognized entity for ISBN numbers is Bowker. | |
Copyright | Putting words to the page is an automatic copyright – you wrote it, you own the copyright. If you want legal recourse should you encounter a dispute (e.g. if someone pirates your work, causing sites to remove you as the true author, having the registered copyright will assist in proving you are the true owner). | |
Library of Congress | The LOC is part of the US Copyright Office and confirms your copyright. | |
Free I created a separate author account for “bookish” things like marketing. | ||
Bank Account | Your Bank! | Free? You may want to open a separate bank account for book expenses and proceeds (required to provide a routing number on some bookseller/ vendor sites) |
Link Tree | Free Instead of listing all the places you “exist” on line in relation to your book (i.e. Instagram, Website, Facebook, Where to buy your books) you can create a link tree, which collects all of these links under the umbrella of one link. | |
Goodreads | Claim your author profile | |
Bookshop | Claim your author profile | |
Ingram Spark | % of sales - If you intend to sell print books to independent bookstores, you’ll need to work with Ingram Spark. Do yourself a favor and start with them first, as they are quite persnickety about how their accounts work. Get your book set up with them before you upload it anywhere else. Be certain to set your wholesale discount to at least 40% if you want your book available for distribution to a wide market. | |
Barnes & Noble | % of sales - B&N and Ingram are sympatico. I did have significant difficulty getting their print interface to work – even though it was the same file I used successfully for Ingram and Amazon. In the end, I just went direct to B&N with the eBook, because I was unable to resolve the issues. | |
Amazon | % of sales - Amazon KDP allows print and eBook, and definitely has a disproportionate share of the US market. If you intend to have your book available outside of Amazon (i.e. independent booksellers, B&N, etc.) do not enroll in “KU aka Kindle Unlimited”. Enrollment in KU offers exclusivity to Amazon. All eggs, one basket. | |
Draft 2 Digital | % of sales - There are several book “aggregators” where you can upload your book one time, and they push it out to many booksellers. Draft 2 Digital includes a wider global market, and includes Apple Books, Kobo, Libraries, and a variety of others. | |
Book Vault | $$ You can get print copies from any entity carrying your print book (i.e. Ingram Spark or Amazon), but Book Vault is an alternative. Some authors have no issue with Ingram or Amazon quality and shipping, others have complained of poor service/ quality/ damaged books – all which may depend on who they source in your region. Book Vault is out of the UK, but expanding into other areas, and seem to provide high quality reliable service. |